Reno Gazette Journal
Obama Center opens while Trump looms
Remember hope and change? The sun-splashed, star-studded dedication of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on June 18 was designed to echo the sense of excitement and possibility that surrounded former President Barack Obama’s election in 2008 −...
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Bail lowered to $4M for ex-teacher accused of sex crimes
A judge reduced bail by $1 million for former Gomm Elementary School teacher Taji Hillson during a Wednesday hearing that included testimony from her sisters and a friend praising her character. Judge Lynne Jones reduced bail from $5 million to $4...
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Feds: CEO laundered stolen millions through crypto
Federal prosecutors filed 16 new criminal charges against the former CEO of a Reno internet provider, alleging he laundered $6.2 million in stolen money through cryptocurrency exchanges. Stephen Kromer of Uprise Fiber also faces 31 criminal charges...
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Reno’s rent costs set another record, straining tenants as vacancy rates stay low
ABOVE: Halcyon Apartments on South Virginia Street in Reno on May 26. Rents at large apartment complexes in January through March jumped 7% on average from a year ago. Vacancy rates in the first three months dropped to just above 2%, down from 2.8% at...
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U.S. deal with Iran leaves uncertainty
The United States and Iran were set to begin a week of high-stakes diplomacy after announcing on June 14 a framework deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary agreement that has already pushed oil prices lower but leaves the...
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Iran questions U.S. commitment to peace
DUBAI – Iran’s top negotiator questioned the United States’ commitment to peace efforts after Israel carried out new attacks on Lebanon, dimming prospects of Tehran and Washington signing a framework agreement on June 14 on ending their war. President...
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Picollo parking lot ‘hazardous’ to students with disabilities
Aries Mercado held his grandmother’s hand as he climbed out of her red minivan on his last day of first grade. The little boy balanced himself against the car before reaching out his other hand for his teacher. Steadied between the two, Aries crossed...
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WINDS OF CHANGE
The United States is in a bizarre situation in 2026: It’s facing a looming energy shortage, yet the Trump administration is making deals to pay offshore wind developers nearly $2 billion in taxpayer money to walk away from energy projects. These...
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El Niño arrives, extreme weather risk rises
A long-anticipated and dramatic global climate shift has arrived, federal forecasters said June 11 as they confirmed the start of El Niño conditions. The announcement also adds to mounting evidence suggesting this El Niño will be unusually strong,...
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Today’s election to trim candidates in key races
For Q&A’s with the candidates on top issues, latest updates and election results, visit RGJ.com June 9 is Primary Day in Nevada. Voters will narrow down the candidates on ballots in November’s general election in races for the U.S. House, governor,...
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Dueling state fairs, plus 42 things to do
We’re seeing double this week in northwestern Nevada. The Nevada State Fair and the State Fair of Nevada are both set for this weekend, a mere 26 miles apart from one another. The Nevada State Fair is the Carson City-based event that’s been carrying...
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STATE OF THE RACES
With early voting for Nevada’s primary ending Friday, June 5, a few things are clear from the latest numbers: h Washoe County voters are more motivated than the rest of the state — perhaps because of two high-profile races with no incumbents for...
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Big water problems need big solutions
Democrats don’t have much leverage in Washington these days – until they do. A small, but significant, political window opened up briefly this week as Senate Republicans worked to pass a roughly $70 billion funding bill for Immigration and Customs...
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House votes to end war with Iran
In a severe political blow to President Donald Trump, the House of Representatives on June 3 voted for the first time to end the war with Iran. The 215-208 vote, which was mostly symbolic, marked a new period of congressional unease with the conflict...
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Nevadans can expect a scorching summer
By some metrics, summer is still weeks away. But according to others, summer started on June 1. As Nevadans head into the summer months, they may be wondering what kind of weather they are heading toward. The Old Farmer's Almanac, a publication known...
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‘SIGN OF GROWTH’
Food truck festival season is set to kick off soon in Reno, with the Biggest Little City seeing another new location added to this summer’s schedule. h Reno Street Food, which organizes the weekly Food Truck Friday events in Reno each year, is...
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Costs put brakes on travel this summer
NEW YORK – Rising airfares and hotel rates are making budget-conscious Americans delay or cancel summer trips while wealthy travelers are holding fast to vacation plans despite higher prices. The trend underscores a growing divide in what had been a...
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Homebuyers paying more in Reno-Sparks
The busy housing season has sprung in Reno-Sparks, where the median home price reached its highest point once more. The median sale price for a singlefamily home in Reno-Sparks hit $615,000 in April, according to Sierra Nevada Realtors. That price...
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‘RETURN OF CIVILITY’
Just a few years after fierce, namecalling, big-money battles, Washoe County school board races have all but gone quiet. There is only one contested race on the ballot. That is a sharp contrast to just two years ago, when 18 candidates vied for seats...
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NASA shares plans for Moon base
Fleets of landers, rovers and drones will head to the moon in the months and years ahead before humans even step foot on the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years. So says NASA, which is already working toward sending vehicles and...
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Tilman Fertitta to buy Caesars in $17.6B deal
Tilman Fertitta-owned firm will buy Caesars Entertainment in a $17.6 billion deal, the companies said on Thursday, as the hospitality billionaire seeks to expand his leisure empire. The deal, which will take one of the Las Vegas Strip’s most prized...
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Cannabis legalization spurs innovation
Innovation in health care saves lives. But not all health innovations have enough evidence to actually benefit patients. Barriers to innovation are often higher in illicit or restricted markets, including cannabis, stem cells and cryptocurrencies....
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U.S. military strikes boats, missile sites
The U.S. military on May 26 launched new strikes on Iran, threatening to shatter a 7-week ceasefire and derailing negotiations in Qatar just days after President Donald Trump said an agreement was almost completed. U.S. Central Command said it carried...
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Truckee River set for summer
Reno’s iconic Truckee River is fully opening just in time for summer, as both the Arlington Bridges project and the Riverside Drive berm project’s construction come to a close. The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County’s...
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Trump: Blockade stays until deal signed
President Donald Trump on May 24 said he has told his diplomatic representatives not to rush into a deal with Iran because “time is on our side,” less than a day after announcing that an agreement with Tehran had been largely negotiated. “The Blockade...
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PROPERTY REVIVAL
Downtown Reno storefronts may see revival under a new pilot program The Reno Redevelopment Agency, which consists of Reno City Council members, voted unanimously to move forward with a pilot program, called the Vacant Storefront Activation Program, to...
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Outrage over DOJ fund delays action on ICE bill
WASHINGTON – Fuming about President Donald Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion Justice Department fund that could compensate his allies, Senate Republicans derailed a massive immigration enforcement bill and left town until early June. Unease about the...
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Reno teen accused of killing father, 5-year-old brother
Reno teen Mashenka Reid, charged with murder in the deaths of her father and brother, pleaded not guilty in court on Wednesday, May 20. Reid, now 19, is accused of killing her father, Justin Reid, and 5-year-old brother, Rogan, and attempting to kill...
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Washoe DA Hicks seeks death penalty for father of Izabella Loving
Izabella Loving was hit, kicked, deprived of food and water and subjected to other abuses causing her death, Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks said in announcing his office is seeking the death penalty against the girl’s father. Nicholas...
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‘The market ... is extremely competitive’
Lake Tahoe finds itself in the middle of the national debate about the rising energy demand from data centers as a utility company scrambles to secure an alternate power source. About 49,000 customers in the Lake Tahoe region face the prospect of...
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Cuba faces possible Trump ‘takeover’
The federal government’s moves to indict former Cuban President Raúl Castro will ramp up pressure for regime change in Cuba and could be a prelude to a U.S. military operation, just as the Trump administration sent troops into Venezuela in January to...
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SET SAIL FOR SUMMER
Summer begins this weekend ... at least unofficially. Memorial Day is coming up on Monday, May 25, with events including a Friday morning ceremony in Minden and two flag-placement volunteer opportunities. Other events this week include the Drifters...
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Gammick, longtime district attorney, dies at 79
Longtime Washoe County District Attorney Dick Gammick has died. He was 79. Gammick, a Vietnam veteran and former Reno police officer, was the county’s top prosecutor from 1994 to 2015. He is survived by his wife, Norma; children, Gina and Rick; three...
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RISING COSTS
Americans’ concerns about being able to afford electricity and home heating fuel have been elevated since the beginning of the Iran war. But recently released nationwide data shows that even before the war began, these concerns were widespread,...
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Higher prices reshape shoppers’ priorities
Shoppers who noticed their grocery runs were taking a larger bite out of their budget last month were proved correct by Labor Department data released this week showing food-at-home costs rose 0.7% in April, marking the largest monthly increase since...
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Solferino named Reno police chief
Even after the termination of Reno’s police chief and two assistant chiefs, the city has released no new information about what led to their removal. The city announced Tuesday that Chief Kathryn Nance and Assistant Chiefs Oliver Miller and Anthony...
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Washoe mails 2026 primary sample ballots
Sample ballots are in the mail this week for Washoe County’s 2026 primary election as early voting approaches. “We have got our sample ballots on time, and our ballots will be going out on time,” Washoe County Registrar of Voters Andrew McDonald said...
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Reno heating up faster than any city in U.S.
Reno is warming faster than any major U.S. city, according to a new analysis of long-term temperature trends. The city’s average annual temperature has risen about 7.9 degrees since 1970, the highest increase among 242 cities studied by Climate...
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Reno hospitals score well in safety grades
Nevada hospitals received a mix of A, B and C grades in the latest Hospital Safety Grade report from The Leapfrog Group, with Reno-area facilities generally scoring well while Southern Nevada hospitals posted a broader range of results. The biannual...
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Democrats Cannizzaro, Conine run for NV attorney general
Two high-powered Democrats seek to keep Nevada’s attorney general seat within their party: Nicole Cannizzaro and Zach Conine. The race features no incumbent because Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford termed out and is running for...
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AI-integrated cameras raise alarms
For decades, cars dictated urban planning in the United States. h Few could have predicted that they would one day also double as nodes for surveillance. h In thousands of towns and cities across the United States, automatic license plate readers have...
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‘Youth bulges,’ graying societies shift economic, political balance
Government-shaking protests in Bangladesh, Iran, Nepal and Sri Lanka – to name a few – have all in recent years been linked to what demographers call a “youth bulge.” Meanwhile, the economic slowdown in China and ballooning public debt in the United...
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‘Toughest work lies ahead’
Washoe County’s homeless population has increased by 62% over the past 10 years, according to survey results released Monday. The county’s “point in time” survey in January found 1,787 homeless people live in Washoe County. A 10-year record of 1,446...
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Spirit’s demise likely to raise prices
Spirit Airlines left a parting gift for its competitors: When the low-cost airline ended operations on May 2, it created an opening for other carriers to grow. JetBlue and other airlines are already making moves to lure passengers in markets where...
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What is being built on Mount Rose Highway in south Reno?
South Reno remains abuzz with development, with new construction planned on two large parcels that will bring hundreds of housing units and several amenities to the area. Permit applications have been filed on two parcels totaling just under 33 acres...
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Airlines hike fees as fuel costs surge
Flights out of Reno are getting more expensive as airlines respond to a sharp spike in jet fuel prices driven by the war in Iran, with the shutdown of Spirit Airlines adding new pressure on fares. Major carriers serving Reno — including Southwest,...
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MASSIVE PROJECTS
Drive west of Reno on Interstate 80 and you will come across several large yellow trucks moving dirt across a huge swath of land just south of the freeway. With a total footprint spanning more than 200 acres, the construction activity just off Robb...
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Microplastics could be overestimated
It seems like every day a new study finds tiny plastic particles called microplastics where they should not be: in our bodies and our food, water and air. h Yet finding and identifying microplastics is extremely challenging, especially given their...
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Trump: Iran blockade could last months
President Donald Trump indicated he’s prepared to keep his current strategy of blockading Iranian ports for months in order to inflict economic pain on the Islamic republic as long as he feels is necessary. “At this moment, there will never be a deal...
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Amazon unveils AI agents for hiring
SAN FRANCISCO – Amazon, which hires hundreds of thousands of workers every year for the holiday rush, on April 28 introduced new software meant to speed up the process by excising a sizable chunk of the human element: the face-to-face job...
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NOT-S NDLY SKIES ABOVE RNO
Reno-Tahoe International Airport is among the most turbulent airports in North America for 2025, according to new data from turbulence-tracking site Turbli. The airport ranked No. 9 on the list, based on average turbulence during approach and...
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Motive sought in shooting at DC event
WASHINGTON – The man accused of opening fire outside the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was expected in court on April 27, as the White House planned to review security protocols and investigators piece together what led to the attack...
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Blanche: Trump ‘likely’ targeted in shooting
WASHINGTON – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on April 26 said the gunman who opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner appears to have targeted President Donald Trump and officials in his administration. “It does appear...
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Nevada dominates the nation in job growth
Nevada ranks first in the nation for 2025 job growth — by a lot. The state’s job growth from January 2025 to January 2026 reached 1.9%, new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers show. That translates to more than 30,000 new jobs. The growth rate is...
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Tensions escalate in Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump’s ceasefire with Iran remained in place April 23 as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz continued and negotiations between Lebanon and Israel were expected to resume in Washington. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Ambassador...
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Latino vote shifting away from Trump, GOP
In the 2024 election, President Donald Trump dramatically improved his performance among nearly all groups of voters from four years earlier. Trump’s growth among Hispanic voters was especially notable, increasing by more than 10 points from 2020 to...
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Trump says U.S. military ‘ready to go’
With the U.S.-Iran ceasefire set to expire, President Donald Trump said he did not want to extend the temporary truce, and prospects of more peace talks appeared uncertain. “I don’t want to do that,” Trump told CNBC in an April 21 interview, adding...
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Truckers’ diesel spending hits record high over war
NEW YORK – The more than 3 million U.S. truckers who move goods for everything from grocery stores to factories to construction sites are grappling with the highest diesel prices in years, compounding pressure on the industry as Iran war-related oil...
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Ex-WCSD employee gets 144 years to life
Former Washoe County School District employee Caitlin Rock was sentenced to 144 years to life in prison for the sexual assault and sexual seduction of a former Billinghurst Middle School student, beginning when he was 13. Judge Lynne Jones imposed the...
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‘School feels like prison’
The quiet cuts to recess are what first worried Megan Manguso. "It was less recess, and no one told us or told us why," said Manguso, who has two children at Roy Gomm Elementary, a school of 400 students in west Reno. "No communication to families...
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Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz
Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz “completely open” to all commercial vessels, the country’s foreign minister said, meeting a central demand of the United States as the two countries teased another round of peace talks and the clock wound down on a...
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Trump announces Israel-Lebanon ceasefire
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, President Donald Trump announced on April 16, a move that could temporarily ease a conflict that’s threatened the two-week truce between the United States and Iran. Trump said Lebanese President...
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Baby’s first earthquake
Newborn Rory Sturrock doesn’t know it yet, but the 5.7-magnitude earthquake that rocked Northern Nevada on Monday night wasn’t something to cry about. Rory, just 11 weeks old, cried as he lay on the floor next to his mother when the rolling waves of...
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Tahoe’s problem ...
Traffic backs up on Highway 50 as vehicles enter the Lake Tahoe Basin during a winter storm. Officials say heavy car use year-round is a major factor in declining water clarity and ongoing transportation challenges. Preserving Lake Tahoe’s clear, blue...
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Reno moves to revive parade downtown
Reno is getting a Fourth of July parade this year, for the first time in decades. The Reno City Council voted 4-3 Wednesday to take over planning for the Fourth of July parade, committing to spend $105,000 through city funds or other funding...
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‘There is no timeline’
The public may never be told why Reno Police Chief Kathryn Nance and five officers believed to be among the top leadership are on administrative leave. “That is going to be a legal determination as to whether the information, and how much of the...
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Oddie District project nears finish line in Sparks
A man in a white hard hat and neon vest walked past a giant metal cobra sculpture inside a massive indoor facility in Sparks, its burnished bronze exterior providing a stark contrast with the bright yellow school bus display right next to it. The...
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Report: Inflation surged in wake of Iran war
Prices for the goods and services Americans use the most spiked higher in March as the war with Iran unfolded. h The Labor Department on April 10 confirmed that its Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation, was 3.3% higher in March than a year ago....
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The high cost of U.S. health care
In announcing its “Great Healthcare Plan” in January, the Trump administration became the latest in a long history of efforts by the U.S. government to rein in the soaring cost of health care. h As a physician and professor studying the intersection of...
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U.S. and Iran declare victory with ceasefire
A two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran is underway following an eleventh-hour deal struck just before a deadline imposed by President Donald Trump, who threatened to wipe out a “whole civilization” if Iran did not capitulate to U.S....
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Fire season coming earlier
Local fire chiefs say Memorial Day is the new Fourth of July — at least for fire safety measures. Reno Fire’s Division Chief Pete Briant said due to record-high temperatures in March, the peak of the fire season may start a lot sooner than Reno...
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Artemis II sets distance record for humankind
In a breathtaking moment, the four crew members of Artemis II set a distance record for humanity April 6. h Minutes before 2 p.m. ET, swooping around the moon’s far side, the astronauts aboard Orion traveled farther from Earth than any people ever...
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Report details fatal avalanche
A final report from the Sierra Avalanche Center details the slide near Donner Summit that killed nine people in February, confirming conditions at the time but leaving some questions unanswered. The avalanche struck Feb. 17 near Perry Peak in the...
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GRIEF AND GUILT
It would be more than six hours before police confirmed that the boy lying under the black sheet in a South Reno apartment parking lot was 15-year-old Jaziaha Moody. h But his parents, Crystal Morris and Rashen Moody, already knew. They stood behind...
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