An old photo of Reno celebrating July 4th in 1910 (rather than using a gaudy AI imagined rendition for this post) ... what are you expecting from the 2026 version, which has become a bit of a political hot potato ... with some patting themselves on the back and others saying we didn't need it and that it's too costly for the city to pay for it...

The City of Reno today announced that parade participation registration is now open (with some categories requiring payment), with parade sponsorship opportunities also available and donations accepted with a meeting to discuss all this tmrw Friday at noon at the corner of Ralston and Fourth ....

"Registration is now open for organizations who would like to participate in the City of Reno’s 4th on Fourth Parade. Organizations interested in participating in the parade can complete and submit an online registration form now through June 15, 2026," the emailed statement indicates.

"The City will host the parade on Saturday, July 4, 2026 on Fourth Street from Washington to West Streets starting at 10 a.m. The parade’s theme is “America 250: The 4th on Fourth” to honor the country’s 250th anniversary of signing the Declaration of Independence.

Parade details:

Date: Saturday, July 4, 2026

Staging: 6 a.m., Gold Dust West Parking Lot, 444 Vine Street, Reno, NV 89503

Start Time: 10 a.m.

Parade Route: Fourth Street from Vine to West Streets

Participation fees are as follows:

General Public: $100

Gov’t Nonpolitical: Free

Gov’t Political Candidate: $250

Non-Profit: $75

Youth groups including schools: Free

Partisan groups, such as political parties or candidates running for office, may participate in the parade. However, these entries must remain neutral in tone and presentation and reflect the parade theme. Political entries may not include negative or derogatory content about any candidate, issue or political party. Political entries are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Submitting an application does not guarantee participation, and the City reserves the right to deny any application. Applications for entry must be received by June 15, 2026. Late entries will not be accepted.

Sponsorship opportunities are now available through a partnership between the City and the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada. Applications for sponsorships must be submitted by June 5, 2026. Please review the sponsorship package and for more information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Landon Miller, City of Reno Fund Development Manager, at millerl@reno.gov or (775) 842-8173.

The City is also accepting tax-deductible donations for the parade through the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada. Those interested in contributing can visit the donation page and select “In Honor of July 4, 2026 City of Reno Parade” from the Tribute Information drop-down menu."

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“Most people have no idea this is already happening in Nevada,” Marrico Gill a member of the local NAACP recently wrote to Our Town Reno, concerning a recent contract from earlier this year by the Nevada Department of Public Safety with a company called Fog Data Science.

After emailing the Electronic Frontier Foundation if they knew anything about this, the leading nonprofit defending civil liberties in the digital world sent us a link which led to the below documents.

“What does it do?” Gill wrote in his initial message to us.

“It allows investigators to track smartphone location data without a warrant by purchasing data collected from everyday mobile apps. The state can reportedly run more than 250 location searches per month under a contract that costs taxpayers around $12,000 per year,” he wrote.

That figure is important since at that level it only needed to be signed off by a state clerk, and not at higher levels of Nevada’s government.

“Fog Data Science buys location information from data brokers and advertisers. Using advertising IDs tied to smartphones, the system can map where devices have traveled over months or even years, creating what they call “patterns of life.”

That means the technology can potentially reveal:
Where people live
Where they work
Who they spend time with
What businesses they visit
What churches, meetings, or community events they attend…

This is not a partisan issue. This is a civil liberties and transparency issue,” Gill concluded in his message. “Worth asking more questions about what is happening locally and what safeguards are actually in place to protect the public.”

He also pointed us to an illuminating, warning flag waving 2022 EFF article which began with “A data broker has been selling raw location data about individual people to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, EFF has learned. This personal data isn’t gathered from cell phone towers or tech giants like Google — it’s obtained by the broker via thousands of different apps on Android and iOS app stores as part of the larger location data marketplace.

The company, Fog Data Science, has claimed in marketing materials that it has “billions” of data points about “over 250 million” devices and that its data can be used to learn about where its subjects work, live, and associate. Fog sells access to this data via a web application, called Fog Reveal, that lets customers point and click to access detailed histories of regular people’s lives. This panoptic surveillance apparatus is offered to state highway patrols, local police departments, and county sheriffs across the country for less than $10,000 per year,” or in this case just barely above $12,000.

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The Reno PD website now has a blank spot on its police chief page with a please try later message.

Earlier today, Reno City Manager Jackie Bryant announced Reno Police Chief Kathryn Nance, who had been on paid administrative leave since early March, amid an unspecified state level Department of Public Safety investigation, has been fired along with two assistant chiefs, Oliver Miller and Anthony Elges.

"At this point in time, the leadership needed to change," Bryant said during a media conference.

Three other officers have been on paid administrative leave, and seem to remain in that status as "the other three are protected,” Bryant explained, citing their own specific employment rights.

The three who have been dismissed, including Nance who was barely just over two years in the leadership position, no longer need to take part in the investigation, which has been reported but not confirmed related to training protocols.

A Galena and UNR grad, Corey Solferino, who had been acting chief on a paid loan from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office has been named Reno’s new police chief, pending city council ratification on May 20th.

Solferino made a lengthy statement about how he sees himself in the police leadership role, saying he would stabilize the organization, improve communication and boost data usage to better identify crime trends.

“I know we have work to do,” he said of leading during a time of turmoil. “Police legitimacy is fragile,” he said, “and it can be damaged quickly.” Bryant repeatedly praised Solferino for bringing steadiness, "calming the waters," and improving morale since taking over initially in an emergency role.

Jackie Bryant has announced Reno Police Chief Kathryn Nance who had been on paid administrative leave since early March amid an unspecified investigation has been fired along with two assistant chiefs, Oliver Miller and Anthony Elges.

"At this point in time, the leadership needed to change," Bryant said.

Three other officers have been on paid administrative leave.

The Galena and UNR grad Corey Solferino who had been acting chief on loan from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office has been named Reno’s new police chief.

He then made a lengthy statement about how he sees himself in the police leadership role, saying he would stabilize the organization, and improve communication, and data usage for crime trends.

“I know we have work to do,” he said of leading during a time of crisis. “Police legitimacy is fragile,” he said, “and it can be damaged quickly.”

Bryant praised Solferino for "calming the waters," and improving morale, since taking over.

We will update when we have more information, as this press conference started just fifteen minutes ago at the time of this initial report.

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A new website has popped up in the contentious Democratic Party primary for attorney general between Senate majority leader Nicole Cannizzaro and state treasurer Zach Conine which is paid for by Leadership in Nevada and called cryptoconine.com.

It feeds off a recent article in the Intercept which reports Jeffrey Berns has given Conine’s campaign at least $2.5 million, several years after Cannizzaro played a key role in blocking the crypto entrepreneur’s effort to build a much derided blockchain city in Storey County.

The founder of Blockchains had bought 67,000 acres of land east of Reno in 2018 for $170 million as part of his idea for a semi-autonomous area which received initial backing from then Democratic Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, to the consternation of many.

Berns was also in the news after he and his wife settled for a reported $15,000 with a former nanny who had accused the couple of trying to force her into a threesome. The allegations had come just as the so-called Innovation Zone Cannizzaro opposed was being debated at the legislative level, before being withdrawn in 2021.

Meanwhile the Conine linked Safe and Strong Nevada PAC has its signature at the bottom of its own website an anti-Cannizzaro display called callcannizzaro.com.

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Over the weekend, we posted about South 40 getting a closed status from its latest inspection from May 5th, needing a meeting they paid for before being allowed to reopen, complete with details of the recent damning report and inspector photos.

The restaurant immediately went on a social media attack posting a story falsely writing we were releasing “false information” while pointing to a screenshot from the Washoe Eats app which showed a conditional pass.

Problem is the Washoe Eats app doesn’t include the most recent reports anymore and if you search South 40 there what you get if you click on the conditional pass screenshot they included are inspection histories from 2025 and 2024, rather than the much more recent one we were reporting about.

We got our information and photos from a public information request, so there’s that, and that’s it.

While messaging us on Instagram the South 40 account wrote “we just wanted to kindly clarify that South 40 was not closed by the Health Department.” They also commented on our own social media posts putting out this false information as well in the comments section.

Then there was a turn when they did their own social media post several hours later writing: “We want to address the recent health department report that has been circulating online regarding South 40. The moment these concerns were brought to our attention, we immediately closed down our kitchen operations and worked closely alongside the health department to fully address and correct the issues.”

Did you notice they used the word “closed”?

Also, despite their wording, it wasn’t their choice to close as it was required by Northern Nevada Public Health following the inspection which revealed a slew of critical violations which we had outlined in our original reporting.

When we asked South 40 to take down their libelous story about us as well as their false social media comments they wrote back “At this point, we no longer wish to engage further, but we do appreciate the concern.”

Which concern are they talking about?

We get restaurants get angry at these inspections when these don’t go their way but why shoot the messenger, and on top of that try to gaslight the entire community by falsely accusing us of spreading “false information” when it was the correct information all along?

Get this type of bonus content emailed to you by subscribing to our Substack at https://ourtownreno.substack.com/ which also includes a recap of our recent reporting.

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A gofundme with this visual called “Help Reno Tropics Basketball Recover from Theft” is failing to gain traction.

It has raised just $100 from an anonymous donor out of a wished for $68K since it was launched by Reno based Steve Humphreys six days ago.

“I’m Steve Humphreys, Director of Reno Tropics Basketball Inc., a local nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth in our community through the game of competitive basketball. Our professional-level hoops experience is what truly sets us apart, and our player development program focuses on preparing athletes for success in their high school careers and beyond, while instilling meaningful life lessons through the experience of sport," it begins.

"Today, I’m asking for your help.

At the end of 2025, we began building what would become Reno’s only dedicated and premier basketball-only facility in Northern Nevada—a dream made possible by incredible community partners who believed in our mission. What should have been a defining moment for our basketball community has instead turned into a devastating setback,” it indicates before detailing an allegation of theft.

“In December 2025, we contracted with a vetted and reputable national basketball court flooring company to install 8,000 square feet of maple flooring in our new gym. Unfortunately, we became victims of fraud when a company representative diverted our payment to his personal account," it alleges.

"We later discovered this individual had a prior history of embezzlement and was on parole. Our $68,000 request is meant to restore our original position, covering the theft, lost warehouse payments, and the time needed to restart the project with a new flooring company. Any funds raised beyond this amount will go directly toward the project and support the kids in the program.

If you’re able to donate or simply share this message, we are deeply grateful.

Our 501(c)(3) non-profit tax ID # is 39-3885016.

Thank you for your support. And Go Tropics!” it concludes.

The involved company isn’t named in the fundraiser nor is the accused individual, or any indication there has been any arrest.

The Reno Tropics About page indicates “The Reno Tropics Youth Basketball Club is dedicated to providing an exceptional basketball experience for both boys and girls. Our mission is to foster a love for the game while ensuring each player reaches their potential through dedicated player development.  
‍
We believe that, through youth sports, kids learn valuable life skills that make them better equipped to succeed in all future endeavors."

Sponsors listed on its website are Bighorn Consulting, Grind Creative and Answerwest.
 
Its Facebook has an address listed at 439 West Plumb Lane where it calls itself an elite youth travel basketball team from Reno Nevada. Class of 2031-2033, with recent photos of both girls and boys basketball, including the latest series from Spanish Springs.

Anyone involved with this team have any insights of what's going on?

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Reporting and graphic by Tenaya Brusig, Misha Fajayan and Haloh Quinones

Dreanna Haywood spent her first semester at the University of Nevada, Reno the way many students do, focused on getting good grades and adjusting to campus life, after transferring from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Online though, the 20-year-old sophomore became a central figure, helping expose two UNR students holding “borgs” arranged to spell out a racial slur, before herself facing backlash for doing so.

Haywood discovered the racist image on the Nevada Yik Yak back in late February and started commenting about it on TikTok and Instagram, before others, including media, took notice. Students also started reaching out to her to share other racism they had encountered on campus and in Reno.

“I’m tired of so many students reaching out to me because they’ve also experienced something like this and they’ve been here longer than me, and it’s just the norm here. It should never be the norm. It should never be that we just have to get used to being called slurs,” said Haywood.

While some social media users have criticized Haywood for speaking out, others see her actions as necessary in calling out racism and forcing a conversation about accountability at the university.

“They’re walking to class and they’ve had people in cars yell out slurs to them and they just had to keep going. I’ve had students say that they’ve seen and heard microaggressive things towards them. Like this is not something that’s new it’s just not being talked about,” added Haywood.

Haywood has faced significant backlash through Yik Yak, which allows users within a five-mile radius to post and view discussion threads. Primarily aimed at college students, it provides a hub for sharing news, memes, gossip, and humor.

“Knowing that app people post anonymously meaning they’re too afraid to say it to your face. They’re too afraid to actually come behind a real account,” said Haywood.

The social media landscape has allowed rumors and even AI images to circulate misinformation about Haywood.

One depicted Haywood as being on the show “Love Island,” while another put her face over the body of controversial social media personality Logan Paul.

“I think it did affect me academically. Like I did have to drop one of my classes because it became too much and, you know, your phone is always blowing up and you’re new here,” said Haywood.

“Like if people are going as far as to create fake rumors and create fake images about me then I think I’m just a bit more attentive to what else could they possibly say. They’re going to try to find something to nitpick,” added Haywood.

A “borg” is a gallon jug filled with a mix of alcohol, electrolyte powder, juice, and flavoring. Students often personalize their “borgs" by customizing designs, names, and brightly coloring their cocktail.

“When we’re going to these tailgates and we’re going to have fun, we’re supposed to write something funny. It should never be something that should be triggering and something that is just out of pure hatred for a certain group of people,” said Haywood.

Afterwards, with other UNR students, Haywood held “borgs” that spelled out “Breaking Oppression. Raising Ground,” which gained social media traction as a counter movement.

“I don’t know if we did it with the intention of trying to start a whole movement, but rather trying to reclaim what borgs mean and trying to shine positive light on it rather than just like something that’s so dark,” Haywood explained.

Haywood says she filed a report with the University two months ago concerning the racist photo, with the two students also seen in a video holding the borgs inside a fraternity next to campus.

“I have yet to receive anything since then from anyone else until now, which they sent that complaint to the civil rights department. So I think they're just prolonging the whole entire process,” said Haywood.

“No one from any other department, like, who should be helping me, who should be responding immediately. Crickets. I checked my email every day. Both of them, all of them, up and down. Like I think they’re just handling it a bit poorly and I think it should be taken more seriously,” she said.

After the racist image was republished in the Nevada Sagebrush student newspaper, UNR President Brian Sandoval indicated in a message: “We want to be clear: racism, discrimination, and bias are fundamentally inconsistent with the University’s core values and our commitment to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and supportive learning environment for all members of our community.”

There has been no mention of any repercussions for the students holding up the racist borgs though, with other students repeatedly expressing their concerns in social media comments about a lack of university action.

“When incidents like that where a certain a racial group is being targeted or obviously facing racism and stuff, what are you going to do when that happens? Instead of, you know, it's just a continuous like positivity, like they want to celebrate, but they don't want to help. You know, they're this group is being targeted and it's like, what are you going to do about it,” Maia Ancho, a third-year student majoring in journalism said.

After asking about the current status of the two students holding the borgs, the University provided a statement saying:

“The University rejects any form of racism, discrimination, or bias and such behavior stands in clear opposition to the University’s mission and values. We remain firmly committed to fostering a campus environment where all students feel respected, supported and heard.

University leadership has had thoughtful, productive and focused discussions to move beyond reactive responses and take more proactive, sustained action to support our students and strengthen our campus climate.

The University is actively holding space, both formally and informally, for students to share, process and be supported. This includes regular opportunities for dialogue as well as many individual conversations and meetings with students to better understand the impact of not only this event, but also other experiences on campus.

As we move forward, the University is implementing several initiatives, including creating additional platforms for students to share their voices and communicate directly with University leadership; establishing regular gatherings at the Multicultural Center to provide a safe, supportive space for students to connect, share and support one another; and using the results of campus climate surveys distributed this fall to guide future programming, educational opportunities, and awareness efforts that address the concerns students are expressing

In regard to your inquiry regarding the students, the University is not able to provide any findings or results of the investigation in question due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).”

Despite the challenges and stress of recent months, Haywood says she is taking her first semester in Reno as a bigger calling to not be afraid and speak up about what concerns her. She plans to come back, and in the future she says she sees herself working through the student association ASUN to make a lasting impact.

Reporting and photo by Keira Allott

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As part of a recent deal earlier this year for the Aces to stay for the next 23 years in Reno, our city’s Triple-A minor league baseball team became owners of Greater Nevada Field, while being committed to investing $40 million in capital improvements to the stadium and surrounding areas over 10 years, with half of that in the first five years.

In a neighborhood that has struggled to change in recent years, many residents and workers in the area are wondering what that money will be spent on, while enjoying the team’s continued presence.  

“The Reno Aces definitely bring more energy and foot traffic to the area. On game days, we see a noticeable boost in customers coming through before and after the games. It’s great for business, and we always appreciate the extra buzz,” said a local café barista who asked to remain anonymous.

“When the Reno Aces are in town, you can really feel the difference downtown,” said Abigail, a local resident. “More people are out walking around, stopping into restaurants, grabbing drinks, and checking out local shops. It brings energy to the area and definitely helps small businesses get more traffic.”

Nick Marimberga, the Baseball Operations Manager for the Aces, said the bond between the team and the community is hard to ignore. 

“Reno is a beautiful city, and it is definitely expanding for sure,” he said. “I personally cannot imagine Reno without the Aces because of the community and the people. While working in ticket sales I learned just how much the team means to the community and now in my current position as operations manager I use what I learned to better serve the community, and you learn just how much this team means to them.”

The area just around the ballpark remains deserted though when games aren’t taking place, and the Freight House district building right by the stadium is fenced off with parts of it boarded up, after having a few years before the pandemic when it was busy with different offerings.

Several students and locals recently interviewed by Our Town Reno have said they’ve considered living at the Ballpark Apartments across from the stadium at 201 Evans Avenue, but that the high price of $1,700 for a 500 square foot studio or $2,000 or so for a 600 square foot one bedroom apartment is too costly given the lack of a nearby grocery store and distance from campus.  Those apartments constantly seem to have Now Leasing signs up, and “newly lowered rates” on its website.

Despite the challenges. Janessa Arretche, a UNR junior and member of the Aces’ promotions team, remains optimistic for how the future will shape out for the surrounding area:  “I personally think that having the Reno Aces stay in town is one of the best things to happen to Reno, mainly because it will uplift the economy and bring in more fans.”

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Reporting and top graphic by Shaun Baldock

Nearly 10 years after Colin Kaepernick first took a knee in front of cameras in a protest against racial injustice and police brutality against the Black community, he has been labeled in many conservative quarters as one of the most controversial quarterbacks in the NFL's history.

There was backlash, protest against his protest, as well as unity for what he took a knee for, including a Sit with Kap movement at UNR.

Before the NFL, the national spotlight, and social justice advocacy, there was a college student in Reno, one of our best all-time student-athletes, a quarterback who would eventually lead the University of Nevada, Reno football team to heights it has failed to reach since.

The Wolf Pack ended number 11 in the nation at the end of the 2010 season, with a 13–1 record, including a win in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

Many current students though know little about his connections and college success in Nevada, feeling it could be emphasized more.

"I honestly before coming here, did not know Colin Kaepernick went to UNR," says second-year student Megan Bryant, an atmospheric science major. "I think what he does off the field is something important that people should know and is positive for a lot of people."

Third year student Aisah Finley says that even though she may not know much about Kaepernick, she understands the importance of what he stands up for.

"I don't know much about him but I think it's important to acknowledge what he did," she said. "He showed that you can stand up for things you think are wrong and that it can be impactful when you do," she said.

Luke Hughes, the president of the UNR Club Baseball team and a student at UNR, says Kaepernick's importance was historical as a student athlete. 

"I think what he did for the school and athletes is very important. He helped make Nevada look like a competitive sports school and made our name recognizable across the country," he said.
To hear from politically divergent student political groups on campus, I reached out to the Young Democrats of UNR and Turning Point UNR to hear their thoughts on the Kaepernick legacy.

Both groups declined to comment.

"We continue to be proud of all of our alumni, Colin Kaepernick being one of the most recognizable. The University recognizes Colin's tremendous contributions to the social justice conversation, as well as the impactful contributions of many of our history-making alumni," a statement I received from UNR indicated.

While researching around campus, though, it was hard to feel Colin Kaepernick's past presence here.

With the university having banners of alumni wrapped around campus such as for other former football players Nate Burleson and Marion Motley, I couldn't find one for Kaepernick.

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Reporting and graphic by Lucas Lugo

On March 27th, Union Pacific engine #7449 was hauling freight 20 miles east outside of Reno, when up to 25 cars of its freight derailed on the mainline next to I-80 shortly before 7:00 a.m.

After a quick response from Truckee Meadow Fire Protection and Nevada State Police, Union Pacific officials arrived to take control, starting their efforts to clear the debris.

Initially, a lane on eastbound I-80 was closed, Amtrak passengers in Salt Lake City were told their train would not be arriving and westbound Reno passengers had to take a bus to Truckee where their train would be waiting.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s accident database, an accident investigation is still ongoing and has yet to yield a preliminary report.

Despite the NTSB and Union Pacific both being asked for comment on further information, such as the train’s total length and the cost of cleanup, neither responded.

This local derailment happened in what could be called a post-East Palestine era. The 2023 derailment in that town in Ohio resulted in a hazardous spill disaster, setting off a movement to reevalute railroad safety regulations, such as shortening freight trains and improving safety maintenance.

Nearly 40 cars derailed in East Palestine on February 3rd, 2023, with several of these burning for more than two days and emergency crews also conducting controlled burns, which released hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air.

There have been 315 mainline Union Pacific derailments reported to the Federal Railroad Administration or NTSB since the East Palestine accident. In 2026, including the Reno incident, there were only 22 reported—a definitive drop from the previous years where that number was the monthly average.

Another notable number from the data averages train lengths to be around 84 cars long, which can be 3,360 feet to 5,880, depending on the length of each train car. Before East Palestine, Union Pacific trains would run anywhere from 13,000 to 20,000 foot long trains.

Only until after the investigation is published will there be any light shed on what actually happened 20 miles from Reno, hoping it will lead to even more precautions and safety.

Meanwhile, a photo just sent in to Our Town Reno on right of attached visual shows there is lots of work remaining in terms of the clean up. Initially, specialized heavy-lift cranes were used, with inspectors reported to be focusing on potential track defects or mechanical issues with the lead cars.

It was recently time for drills in Carson City for a UNR student who is in the Nevada National Guard.

She woke up at 4:00 a.m. on the dot. She showered and made sure her hair was gelled down for a day's training. She commuted thirty plus minutes to the armory in time for the 6:15 formation. Her bags got inspected, she got weighed, and then her height was measured until physical training started.

She and her unit completed planks, pushups, deadlifts, a sprint drag carry, and a two-mile run all before breakfast.

After a quick meal, there was a full day of learning about navigation, ranks, and shooting until formation came around again. “Lights out at 21:00, then we repeat the same thing the next day,” she said of these once-a-month weekends for nearly a year and a half.

“I have been in the guard since February of last year, so that means a little over a year now,” she says. “The military gives me the opportunity to attend college while getting my entire tuition paid for and taking that financial burden off of my parents.”

Like many others in the National Guard, this commitment opens the doors to possible long term educational success, but for this member, who wanted to remain anonymous, it goes beyond the finances. The guard has “allowed me to help my parents with their immigration status here in the U.S.,” she explains politely.

Her life was deeply affected and turned upside down earlier this year when her father was abruptly deported.

During a physical altercation in early January, she says her dad ended up being arrested, proved innocent, but then deported to Mexico after his immigration status was found to be lacking the necessary update.

“After my dad’s deportation, life hasn’t been the easiest for me and my family. Losing my dad also meant losing the protection he made us feel. Him being gone has left my family feeling vulnerable, and I’ve definitely felt some pressure to step in and help my family more than ever before,” she said.

Leading up to the moments of her dad’s deportation, she recalls, “the day of my dad’s deportation my family and I were able to pack him a backpack with necessities such as clothes and some money and the day that I went to drop it off I couldn’t help but to get a little emotional and I remember the the ICE agent told me ‘don’t worry you can always visit’ and maybe he had good intentions when he said that but my heart sank because it’s more than just missing my dad.”

While the National Guard covers tuition and provides her with a monthly income, housing at the University of Nevada, Reno is not included. She needs to either pay it herself or leave it as another financial burden on her family.

“Things I didn’t really worry about before, such as rent and bills, invaded my mind,” she says. “My dad starting a whole new life in Mexico at the age of 50 has also made me want to step up to help my dad so he won’t have to work as much anymore, as he did here in the U.S.”

Before her dad was deported, he covered most of her costs of living on campus. “It wasn’t much of a problem, but now that our main provider isn’t here, there is a constant stress about how we are going to do it now,” she says.

Adapting to new realities, she recently shipped off to South Carolina as part of her basic training. “If everything goes as planned, I will be graduating from basic training in 10 weeks. After basic training, I will be going to Virginia for AIT to train for my specific job, which will be another eight weeks,” she said.

After her training, she says she hopes to be transferred into the military as a culinary specialist.

“Shipping out is one of the bravest things I’ve done in my whole entire life. It’s a feeling that can’t be explained to the fullest,” she said.

As she doesn’t have access to her phone one of the only ways of communication for now is sending letters and an occasional phone call to her family during her weekends.

“It almost feels like I’m functioning on autopilot, trying not to think too much, because no matter how scared I feel or how much I'm doubting if I could even do this, I’m still moving forward with this,” she says of her current transition.

As a child from a family of four, expenses keep increasing with each generation. Her mom is currently navigating new responsibilities as the main provider in their northern Nevada household.

“I felt nervous, I never thought this day would come,” her mom says about her daughter leaving, with her husband already gone. “I was simulating the days before she left. It makes a person feel empty. I didn’t miss her yet, but I still thought about what it would feel like when she did.”

She has been away from home for two weeks, explains her mom. “Having a complete separation is difficult, and every day I’m hoping she's okay. I remember she told me, ‘I’m scared, Mom, what if I can’t handle not seeing you guys and spending so much time apart, and it’s going to hurt being away from you guys.’”

A family once united in our area is now divided across the country and across borders, trying to find a new balance, as best it can.

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A local pointed us to a "golliwog doll" as listed currently being sold on Facebook Marketplace ...

"I found this post on Facebook market place, not even three miles from my home in Sparks. They are openly selling a racist Jim crow era doll, and associating their name and face with the sale...." they wrote. "We have white supremacy in this town. It's time we reckon with that as a community," they concluded.

Golliwogs are viewed as racist caricatures, offensive, anti-Black dolls based on 19th-century blackface minstrel traditions, while the term wog is historically a highly derogatory racial slur.

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Screenshots of inside and outside of North Valleys High School being placed on secured campus today, with a video being circulated showing a person raising arms in the air when surrounded by armed law enforcement. We will update when we have more information.

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While we started Our Town Reno ten years ago to fill hyperlocal coverage gaps as a hybrid, experimental, running social media driven crowdsourced running documentary of the 775, with an initial emphasis on motel displacements that grew to cover more of our daily grind, accomplishments and concerns, we are gratified to see up and coming journalists bringing essential value to the local information ecosystem in their own ways.

Several of them were part of the Our Town Reno team in the past.

Lynn Lazaro who is behind u/lynn.thereporter on Instagram has had local entrepreneurial media success with Vibrant Voices UNR as well.

The u/lynn.thereporter Instagram channel has protest interviews and very clean, well produced visual explainers we highly recommend. Recently, Lynn was on the frontlines of the Starbucks barista labor rights action providing coverage on that issue unlike anyone else in the community.

Other former Our Town Reno contributors include members of the team behind u/channel_775 with the tagline “Your Daily Dose of Reno,” with videos and interviews from protests to candidate debates and photo series with an upbeat, colorful, concise energy.

Meanwhile, our message box is full every week with locals sharing videos by ItsAllisxn with the itsallisxn.nv Instagram channel, who is also prevalent on TikTok with over 45K followers there, with her upfront style of deconstructing the latest news on data centers, labor issues and different local elections including candidate hypocrisies.

Other locals have been filling other gaps in coverage with a growing industry of insightful Substacks to niche Facebook pages giving residents here more options to choose from to populate their feeds and be informed in different ways.

Our Town Reno was always meant to be geared towards where people are so it’s nice to see other up and coming information by the bootstraps providers having their own modern styles of delivery, driven by their passion for documenting the world around them, not waiting for approvals from anyone, waving flags of distress when needed against the prevailing winds of techno-authoritarianism.

Get our Substack which also includes a recap of our recent reporting emailed directly to your inbox by signing up here: https://ourtownreno.substack.com/p/hats-off-to-the-new-generation-of

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Council members who recently received thousands and thousands in contribution money from Wood Rodgers, the engineering and planning firm representing the Trego Grid Battery Energy Storage System BESS in south Reno, Devon Reese, Miguel Martinez and Brandi Anderson, all voted yes at a meeting yesterday to adopt its desired 54-acre land annexation, despite community concerns over safety risks.

Kathleen Taylor who was not present for the vote has also received money from the firm.

There were two no votes, from Mayor Hillary Schieve who echoed previous public commenters calling the lithium batteries “problematic” in terms of where these will be located, and “the fire problems that they do have,” and from Naomi Duerr who also repeatedly stated her concerns on the project’s location right by the Talus Valley housing complex, reversing a previous yes vote related to this project.

The 200-megawatt lithium-ion battery energy storage system which will connect to NV Energy’s existing Mira Loma substation is now expected to undergo review by the Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Commission due to its regional significance.

The overall idea is to help prevent brownouts, lead to better use of renewable energy on the local grid and create enhanced grid reliability especially during peak demand times.

In recent deliberations, it was indicated the nearest battery unit would be 445 feet from a residential lot.

In recent contribution reports we found, Wood Rodgers was listed as giving $2,000 to Brandi Anderson in 2024; $5,000 to Kathleen Taylor in 2023, $2,000 in 2024, $500 in 2025, and $4,500 in 2026; $4,000 to Miguel Martinez in 2024; $5,000 in 2023 to Devon Reese, $2,300 in in kind in 2024, with an additional $2660 in 2024 and $500 in 2025 to his campaign coffers.

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Sinbad’s Hot Dogs will be reopening May 14th about half a year after a truck with a driver who is reported to have had a seizure crashed into its front door on November 24th, causing significant damage and leading to lengthy repairs. The Sparks establishment at 418 McCarran Blvd opened in 1979.

On its updated gofundme, which raised nearly $20,000, there's one photo of a sign which reads “We survived 2020 and 2025!”

“It's been a long 5 1/2 months,” Kristine Maioli writes.

“Many ups and downs in so many ways but WE MADE IT! I'm grateful for each of you. Wow, words really can't do enough to explain how much I appreciate your kind hearts throughout this process. Thank you again for stepping into our lives and helping us get through one of the toughest times so far. The city and health are all signed off and we've been working day after day to do the final touches and stock the empty shelves. We will be staffed and ready for you. Grand Reopening Dates are... Thursday May 14th 10:30am-6:30pm, Friday May 15th 10:30am-6:30pm AND Saturday May 16th 10:30am-3:30pm.

Normal hours of Tues thru Fri will resume May 19th. We will try to open one Saturday a month as well. Hope to see you soon and THANK YOU AGAIN. You're the real heros and our angels for sure Also, thank you to Dave Brooks Construction for stepping in and taking care of it all. Dave and Austin are wonderful, honest, straight forward guys and a family owned business. As well as the City of Sparks and Washoe County Health and Farmer's Insurance for being patient with me and walking me through the process. Hope to see you soon. I will steam as fast as I can.”

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City council members are taking to social media indicating they voted to give the Lear Theater two million dollars today through the Reno Redevelopment Agency budget for basic maintenance to prepare for its future iteration and save it from disrepair.

Outgoing councilwoman Naomi Duerr wrote it would be “to stabilize the interior, restore the exterior grounds, and possibly do a feasibility study. This will make the property much more attractive for community members to propose reasonable projects in response to the City RFI (Request for Information) which should go out this summer.”

“The grounds will include fencing, irrigation, landscaping, power for security, and concrete step and railing repair. When this phase is done we should be able to rent out the exterior for photos, weddings, gatherings and outdoor performances.

The interior will include roof repair, ivy removal, and wall/exterior shell repair,” she added.

In a tight 4-3 vote last month, the Reno City Council voted to direct staff to look at a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for the Lear Theater, possibly opening up the historic property to be sold to an outside entity.

The Lear Theater was completed in 1938 by architect Paul R. Williams, the first Black member of the American Institute of Architects, for the First Church of Christ, Scientist.

According to Reno historians, Luella Garvey, the wealthy widow of a Cincinnati steel magnate, provided most of the money to build the church. Anna Loomis, another prominent local citizen, served as chairperson of the congregation’s building committee, selecting the architect.

The structure was recognized on the Nevada State Historic Register in 1982. Seventeen years later, in 1999, the Lear Theater was added to the City of Reno’s Historic Register and the National Register of Historic Places.

In this century it has repeatedly been changing hands with less and less to no public use whatsoever, even with the City now its owner, and repeated excuses it needs to be fixed but that the necessary money to do so hasn’t been found.

How bad is it getting for you? Do you avoid certain hours and certain areas at all cost?

One current candidate for Nevada Assembly District 31, Neal Schwartz, today announced an idea for legislation to create a Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center Regional Traffic and Commuter Impact Board, which would be a multi-jurisdictional body.

“Families in Sparks, Reno, and the North Valleys are stuck in traffic every day because our infrastructure hasn’t kept up with growth at TRIC,” Schwartz is quoted as saying in a press release from today. “This legislation brings everyone to the table, local governments, employers, and transportation experts to finally deliver real solutions.”

The proposed board would bring together state and local governments, the legislature, transportation officials and major TRIC employers.

“This is a regional problem that demands a coordinated, data-driven solution,” Schwartz said.

"Unlike traditional interim studies, the board would be authorized to submit up to two legislative proposals for the 2029 Nevada Legislative Session, ensuring its work results in concrete policy action. A full report with recommendations would be delivered by September 1, 2028," the press release indicates.

“Traffic isn’t just an inconvenience, it's a safety and economic issue,” Schwartz added. “We owe it to our communities to fix it.”

Would this be a good start?

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Did you know about this book which is now available in many online places where people buy books?

It's about the amazing local artist Connor Fogal with a cover depicting him in front of the breathtaking mural “Emerald Bay,” he painted at the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art at UNR.

The Different Like Me series is "dedicated to celebrating the differences that make each of us unique. It helps break down barriers of social acceptance by opening the doors to the everyday lives of children and families who continue to thrive in the face of diagnoses that bring challenges unique to them."

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