Connect with us

Nevada

Does Southern Nevada need to do more to prevent mosquitoes?

Published

on

Does Southern Nevada need to do more to prevent mosquitoes?


LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With cooler temperatures here, that means mosquito season is thankfully coming to an end.

Following up on a story I covered on Monday when I stopped at UNLV to talk to experts about how bad this past mosquito season was, on Tuesday I wanted to find out what can be done to help fight the problem.

University experts showed me the studies they are doing and explained how bad the problem got this past summer.

This year, we saw a huge uptick in human West Nile virus cases at 26, and we also saw a boom in the population of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that was not here in Southern Nevada prior to 2017.

Advertisement

Rick Bowmer/AP

Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District biologist Nadja Reissen examines a mosquito Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, in Salt Lake City. A number of counties in Utah are reporting mosquito populations carrying West Nile virus following a spring with weather conditions that allowed the pests to flourish. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Joe: If this mosquito is not going anywhere and you see that population boom this year, one can only expect next summer we will do it again.

“100%. The issue, Joe, is that there is no coordinated mosquito abatement district here in Southern Nevada,” said Vivek Raman, who is an environmental health supervisor with the Southern Nevada Health District.

Raman said that in a typical year, they get around 90 to 100 complaints during the peak mosquito season. This year, they had more than 500 complaints.

He said there are some departments, such as Public Works or County Vector Control, that are able to do some mitigation efforts, but not one for the entire valley like you would see in other cities or counties in California, Utah, or Arizona.

Advertisement

“This is very new to Southern Nevada. When you think about Aedes aegypti — only five, six years it’s been introduced now — to see it spread across the entire valley just goes to show how we need to look at what other communities have done and pick the best parts of what their programs are and the best parts of how they get funding,” Raman said.

He said the Southern Nevada Health District is looking into plans for the future on their end, and the experts I spoke to at UNLV agree — more can be done and they hope their data and studies from the summer can help.

WATCH | Why did the mosquito population boom this year? Experts weigh in and are looking for answers

Why did the local mosquito population boom this year? Experts weigh in

Advertisement





Source link

Nevada

Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads

Published

on

Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads


A string of deadly crashes in and around Pahrump has prompted Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill to push for more safety measures along dark, sidewalk-free roads.

“The worst penalty is death, if you consider that,” McGill said.

The recent deaths include a single-vehicle rollover on State Route 160 during the morning hours of the last Wednesday in January that killed one person and injured another.

Then, into February, two pedestrians were killed in less than three days.

Advertisement
Pahrump Roads.jpg

The first was a 7 p.m. crash on Quarter Horse Avenue. Investigators believe a 2006 Jeep Liberty was driving on the street when it hit a pedestrian, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

A few days later, this last Saturday, state troopers responded to a crash just after sundown at Charleston Park Avenue. A sedan hit a pedestrian, who was also pronounced dead at the scene.

Pahrump Roads.jpg

Nevada State Police investigators are still investigating both pedestrian cases before more details are released.

McGill said the recent crashes were enough to spur action.

“When the third one came out, I was sitting at home and watching TV. I looked at my wife and I said, ‘We got to do something about this,’” McGill said.

McGill is responding with a reflective vest giveaway, pointing to limited infrastructure as a possible factor. He noted a lack of street lights off State Route 160 and no sidewalks inside the community.

“The only light that you have is the ambient light from houses and cars so it is really dark,” McGill said.

Advertisement
Pahrump Roads.jpg

John Treanor of AAA Nevada said poor visibility can quickly turn dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians.

“It is very easy to be confronted with a situation that you cannot see coming because the visibility might be bad,” Treanor said.

Treanor encouraged pedestrians to carry lights and drivers to be prepared if they end up outside their vehicles in dark conditions.

“Having lights on you. Even carrying a flashlight allows something where a driver can see it,” Treanor said. “If you are a driver, make sure you have the right stuff in your car, in case you do get in a situation where you are on the side of the road and now you are in dark. Make sure you have a kit with some reflectors, some lights. Anything the trunk of your car in case you need it.”

Pahrump Roads.jpg

McGill said vigilance is important even in daylight.

“Any time of the day, you have got to be vigilant. You have to keep aware of your surroundings if you are a walker or on a bicycle or if you are the driver,” he said.

Authorities also urged caution as more people may pull off roads in rocky areas along the route toward Death Valley National Park during springtime blooms, increasing the need for drivers and pedestrians to stay alert.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Nevada

Mansion on the Nevada Side of Lake Tahoe Swiftly Sells for $46 Million

Published

on

Mansion on the Nevada Side of Lake Tahoe Swiftly Sells for  Million


A waterfront mansion on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe just sold for $46 million, less than three weeks after hitting the market. 

The speedy deal marks a departure from the typical U.S. market.

Nationwide, homes took a median 78 days to land a buyer in January, five more than the same time last year and the 22nd straight month of homes taking longer to sell on a year-over-year basis, according to data from Realtor.com. 

Mansion Global Boutique: Book Lovers Rejoice: 8 Must-Haves To Build Your Perfect Reading Nook

Advertisement

The lavish log cabin-like residence, in Incline Village, listed on Jan. 24 for $47.5 million. It sold 20 days later, on Feb. 13, listing records show. 

The more than 7,000-square-foot residence was built in 2014, and has double-height living spaces, walls of windows, beamed ceilings, fireplaces, and plenty of rustic exposed stone and wood, listing images show. 

Advertisement – Scroll to Continue

There’s also a gym, a wet bar, a spa, a wine room, an office, two separate game rooms, seven bedrooms and dramatic Lake Tahoe views. Outside, there’s a private sandy beach, multiple decks, a heated driveway and two exterior fireplaces, according to listing information. 

MORE: Visited by Kings and Larger Than Manhattan, Giant Scottish Estate Asks £67 Million

Advertisement

The seller and the buyer are both limited liability companies, according to property records. Both parties were represented by Jeff Brown of Tahoe Mountain Realty, who declined to comment on the deal. 

The median home price in Incline Village was $1.595 million as of December, a fall of 3.3% from a year earlier, according to data from Realtor.com. Listings, meanwhile, spent an average of 130 days on the market. 



Source link

Continue Reading

Nevada

Green Valley edges Liberty in Class 5A softball — PHOTOS

Published

on

Green Valley edges Liberty in Class 5A softball — PHOTOS