Nevada

Union urges Mesquite police chief’s ouster

Published

1 year ago

November 27, 2024

Union urges Mesquite police chief’s ouster

Many of the residents who packed Tuesday night’s Mesquite City Council meeting said they were “disappointed” by the police union’s complaints against the chief of their city’s police department.

While meeting attendees spilled out of the overflow rooms, a union leader told the mayor and council that the Mesquite Police Officers Association held a vote of “no confidence” in Chief MaQuade Chesley’s ability to run the Mesquite Police Department.

Andrew Regenbaum, who is executive director of the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers, said a “strong majority” voted that they weren’t confident in Chesley’s leadership.

Nepotism and retaliatory behavior on the part of the chief, Regenbaum alleged, spurred the Mesquite association to hold the vote.

Regenbaum implored city leaders to act Tuesday night.

“I urge you to consider the significance of his actions and this vote of no confidence and take appropriate action,” Regenbaum said.

After Regenbaum spoke, dozens of residents lined up behind him to make their own comments. Many said they backed Chesley and expressed frustrations about what they said was the vagueness of Regenbaum’s statements.

One resident, Sue Hanks, said she “wanted the facts.”

“I want to know exactly what Chief Chesley has done to the detriment of our Mesquite community,” Hanks said.

Another, Jeffery Smith, who has worked as an officer with the department for years, said that the Mesquite Police Officers Association does not “speak for” him. For more than 30 minutes, residents came to the podium to share their disdain for the allegations. Several called it a “witch hunt.”

One called members of the MPOA “cry babies.”

“You better consider that he (Chesley) has done one heck of a job,” said Ron Richmond, a former Mesquite Police Department detective. “I started in 1996, and we never used to do this. (You) work and shut up. You’re not going to get everything you need.”

Chesley, who sat in the audience for the meeting, gave one of the final remarks of the forum. He said that his commitment to the department had never wavered. He also shared that since he became aware of the concerns that the union has with his leadership, he has created a five-year “plan for improvement.”

“The plan focuses on critical areas designed to enhance our internal operation and the service we provide to our community. Some of those areas are open communication and active listening,” Chesley said. “We want to make sure our officers are supported and that their wellness is maintained throughout their careers.”

Unlike one woman whom Mayor Allan Litman interrupted after exceeding the allotted three minutes, the council allowed Chesley’s remarks to go longer than the time limit. The crowd gave him a standing ovation after.

A handful of people dressed in MPOA T-shirts sat near the back of the chambers. One scoffed while Chesley spoke.

During their comments to the council, Mindy Hughes and Brent Horlacher, who had been sitting with the MPOA supporters, insisted that a thorough investigation be done. They said the police union should not be villainized.

“It is the union’s job to demand transparency and honesty from the government entity, as well as any citizen would expect,” Horlacher said. “That is the mission of MPOA. It’s not to hurt anyone. It’s not to talk bad about anyone. It’s not to ruin anybody’s life. It is, however, an essential function of the MPOA to seek truth and accountability from those elected and appointed by the city of Mesquite.”

In an interview after the meeting, Regenbaum told the Review-Journal that he could not discuss specific incidents but that Chesley had “weaponized internal affairs against people in the department who disagreed with him.” According to Regenbaum, the chief had also hired out-of-state friends and given them more favorable pay scales.

“It is not unusual that he (Chesley) would bring out all his supporters,” Regenbaum said. “What is important is that the MPOA rank and rile had the courage to do something of this magnitude.”

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com

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Nevada

Nevada City community rebuilds house for widow 1 year after fire

Published

9 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Press Room

Nevada City community rebuilds house for widow 1 year after fire

Lori Wisniewski lost her Nevada City home in a fire last year and has been living in a 150-square-foot tiny home while she waits for her house to be rebuilt.

It’s being rebuilt at little to no cost to her, thanks to her community stepping up to help.

“I had to jump off the deck, and I thought the dogs would be coming out too, and they didn’t, so that’s very sad,” she said, recounting the day of the fire on January 27, 2025.

Wisniewski lost her pets and home after an accident with her wood-burning stove. She says she wasn’t sure how to move forward without proper insurance and navigating the process without her husband, who died from cancer.

“In First James, it talks about serving widows and orphans as being true religion. So when I saw Lori’s story come across my path, I knew that was an opportunity to put my money where my mouth is with my faith,” said Matthew Sutherlin, CEO of Green Bee Construction.

Sutherlin is spearheading the rebuild of Wisniewski’s home with the help of donated time, labor and materials from other local tradespeople and businesses.

“Who am I to have a designer? And part of me, too, is when I have to choose everything, I always try to go for the least expensive item or tile or front door,” she said.

“Everybody has been shaving things off and donating things and getting reduced costs all the way across the board. That’s what has made it possible for this project to have worked,” said Sutherlin.

It’s been all hands on deck during the last year.

Wisniewski was excited to show us the inside of the house and what’s to come. As a former post-surgical nurse, she even decided an accessible room would be a nice touch for friends or anyone who lent a hand.

“If somebody has to recover or needs a few days to get around after a surgery, they can come and stay in here,” she said.

The builders say the weather has been posing a challenge, especially coupled with hazardous materials leftover from the fire. But they’re getting through it together.

“Every person has stepped up to offer their help. The timing with all the different processes has worked out in our favor. I really believe the whole thing has a blessing on it, really,” said Sutherlin.

Builders expect to be finished with the house in late spring or early summer.

“This community, a lot of them have seen your reports. At Grocery Outlet, ‘oh, you’re the one whose house burned down,’ and I always go into the most important thing about this is what people from the community are doing for this purpose or cause. I sometimes wonder why me? Why am I getting this opportunity? So that’s where I am today,” said Wisniewski.

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Nevada

LIVE: Nevada Attorney General shares status of lawsuits against Trump administration

Published

21 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

LIVE: Nevada Attorney General shares status of lawsuits against Trump administration

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is set to hold a press conference to discuss the status of multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration.

Officials say the address will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 13. The conference will cover both the financial and nonfinancial wins regarding claims that the Trump administration has “practiced destructive overreach.”

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Nevada

Monday’s high school scores, top performances

Published

1 day ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

Top performances

Boys basketball

■ Mekhi Carter, Canyon Springs: The sophomore collected 17 points, five assists and two steals while leading the Pioneers to a 63-49 win over Tech.

■ Gian Haddock, Desert Oasis: The senior scored 23 points as the Diamondbacks outlasted Silverado for a 70-68 triple-overtime win.

■ Rylan Hearns, Arbor View: The senior finished with 28 points in the Aggies’ 71-55 win over Foothill.

■ Uzo Nwapa, The Meadows: The junior scored 18 points to help the Mustangs hold off Shadow Ridge for a 57-54 victory.

■ David Quesada, Cimarron-Memorial: The sophomore racked up 28 points and eight rebounds to lead the Spartans past Del Sol 84-49.

Girls basketball

■ Samantha Chesnut, Liberty: The senior led a balanced attack with 11 points as the Patriots rolled past Las Vegas 68-14.

■ Greta Piepkorn, Rancho: The sophomore collected 12 points and five steals while leading the Rams to a 42-34 win over Green Valley.

■ Bella Robinson, Coral Academy: The senior finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds, 13 steals and six assists in the Falcons’ 59-20 victory over Eldorado.

■ Sabrina Stewart, Del Sol: The sophomore scored 27 points and the Dragons rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Canyon Springs 62-58.

■ Nation Williams, Centennial: The senior posted 16 points in the Bulldogs’ 76-24 victory over Faith Lutheran.

Flag football

■ Amaya Mackey, Legacy: The sophomore had three interceptions to help the Longhorns secure a 19-6 victory over Moapa Valley.

■ Manahere Peters, Sloan Canyon: The junior caught 10 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns in the Pirates’ 41-24 loss to Bishop Gorman.

■ Charli Taylor, Liberty: The freshman completed 23 of 48 passes for 384 yards and four TDs to lead the Patriots beat Green Valley 35-6.

Scores

Boys basketball

Arbor View 71, Foothill 55

Canyon Springs 63, Tech 49

Cimarron-Memorial 84, Del Sol 49

Desert Oasis 70, Silverado 68 (3OT)

Laughlin 72, Liberty Baptist 52