My latest for @thisisreno.bsky.social, follow up on a story I've been covering since Feb. 2024. The complaints were dismissed, which was reported by others, but we looked at what led to the dismissal and what happened after, w/ @bobconrad.bsky.social : thisisreno.com/2025/10/devo...

Hepatitis B shot for newborns has nearly eliminated childhood infections with this virus in the US

Thank you @aprilcore.bsky.social for making my Friday. nevadacurrent.com/2025/09/19/b...

I know a little bit about AI, I probably know more about public health communications than I give myself credit for, and I know enough about AI in public health communications to share with others. Join me Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. ET for PHCC's AI In Action webinar: bit.ly/4nd44eI

🎤 Our latest podcast: "Burner trash and the price of ribs." 👉 Listen: thisisreno.buzzsprout.com With @kristenhackbarth.bsky.social & @bobconrad.bsky.social ___ #thisisreno #renonews #reno #renonv #biggestlittlecity #sparksnv #renotahoe #journalism

We usually cover stuff like this as a straight news story, but I had so many thoughts on how it missed the mark that I couldn't help but write it as an editorial, with @bobconrad.bsky.social thisisreno.com/2025/09/resi...

I haven't been to the CDC's BRFSS page in a few weeks, but this is new and gross. 🤮 "Any information on this page promoting gender ideology is extremely inaccurate and disconnected from truth ... This page does not reflect reality and therefore the Administration and this Department reject it."

This keeps unravelling, and @thisisreno.bsky.social seems to be the only outlet covering it with any substance.

Millions of dollars in efforts to "clean up the lake" and zero effort to pass policies to prevent the mess in the first place. Sounds about right for Nevada. thisisreno.com/2025/07/neva...

This week we called out some local media for their lazy journalism. They didn't like it. We have the receipts. thisisreno.com/2025/07/loca...

We're still working to learn more about what's behind the closure of Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation, but this week their entire staff was laid off. via @thisisreno.bsky.social with addt'l reporting by @bobconrad.bsky.social thisisreno.com/2025/07/truc...

I'll be interested to see dysfunction on full display as Washoe commissioner talk about this report on Wednesday. thisisreno.com/2025/06/wash...

This is right on target. Reno's city leaders keep talking about "activation" but it's clear they just want to improve optics, not create a place people really want to be.

Cuts to public health funding would have a negative impact on thousands of Nevadans. The proposal to cut vital CDC programs related to cancer prevention and early detection sucks, but we’re continuing our work because it’s valuable and important. lasvegassun.com/news/2025/ma...

The full series on how employee pay affects local governments in Reno and Washoe County is now posted. This is more of an explainer than an investigation, but reveals information most people aren't aware of, and some still don't care about. thisisreno.com/investigatio...

Part 3 of this week's series. The benefits are healthy, far healthier than what the average private sector worker gets. That's kind of the point: Average citizens working in the private sector whose tax dollars are supporting benefits they don't get and having services cut, in part, because of that.

This started as a simple data story, but it grew into much more. Looking at local government budgets for @thisisreno.bsky.social

A bill at the Nev. Legislature intended to improve master planning has morphed into legislation that allows Reno City Council members to have more control over planning commissioners. The changes come after council members criticized commissioners who raised concerns about data centers.

Using the First Amendment to argue that others' First Amendment rights should be curbed, from people who should probably read a more diverse selection of materials.

Great overview of what's happening in the Forest Service. This won't just have negative impacts in the wildfire prone West; the southern region has in the past burned more land in prescribed fire than the rest of the nation combined. Fire risk in the South is going to go up.

The gaslighting from a state senator was so blatant during this hearing. It'll be interesting to see if legislators move this bill forward or wind up striking all but the study from it. Story only on @thisisreno.bsky.social

Ugh.

"Senate Bill 319 will allow a fire board to merely proclaim taxes are needed to fund a new fire protection district, and the Board of County Commissioners has to approve taxes be levied by Washoe County’s treasurer." This could mean thousands of $$/yr more taxes for the avg homeowner in Washoe Co.

And it gets worse. The investigation was confirmed to be by the U.S. Secret Service, so there are apparently some financial crimes happening as well.

Government sanctioned constitutional violations, lack of oversight thanks to carve outs in state law, and likely a lot more. @thisisreno.bsky.social will continue to pursue details on what's happening at Washoe County's DAS and Sober 24.

A recent op-ed published in @thisisreno.bsky.social This isn't the first time Amodei has been MIA. Seems he hasn't done a town hall since he and Heller were booed out of Carson. But he did visit with the Washoe Republican Women to talk about his bill for penny production. 🤦‍♀️ Legislation that matters.

Glad to see that at this juncture Nevada's schools are not bowing down to Trump and his team of blowhards.

When your local government budgets rely heavily on federal funds and sales taxes, both of which are threatened, this is what happens.

To say that cuts to research funding are eliminating partisan politics from the funding process while also using "Woke" in a headline is rich. I downloaded the database and looked at grants just to UNR, which include workforce development for engineering and cybersecurity. 🤦‍♀️

Although a judge put a pause on the F&A reduction, I'm sure this threat will continue to menace researchers and institutions.

Another chapter for this book. I'll be following the Nevada Commission on Ethics schedule for hearings on all three ethics cases pending for Reese. reporting for @thisisreno.bsky.social

Last week I was hoping the financial advisory board would review a final draft of the city's new travel policy, but alas, government moves at a snail's pace. Except when reimbursing employees for travel, in which case, spare the compliance checks and get the reports processed.

More fallout on one of our most underreported stories of the year. Lolz.

$75k down the tubes to plead with someone who didn't want the job to take the job, giving them leverage to negotiate a sweet deal. Meanwhile: not enough $ for fencing to keep drivers from hitting horses; not enough $ for e-waste cleanups; not enough $ to fully staff the RPD, fix parks, etc.

NIMBYs gonna NIMBY, regularly highlighted on @thisisreno.bsky.social

This year we tracked campaign donations and will continue to update the database to more easily track and visualize who's funding local pols. This has made adding contributions to general council stories a cinch. Our latest effort with the data: with @bobconrad.bsky.social @thisisreno.bsky.social

Heaping praise on campaign donors. Council business as usual.