Nevada
Lt. Gov. Anthony forms task force to bar trans athletes in women’s sports
Nevada’s lieutenant governor formed a task force this week aimed at preventing transgender women and girls from participating in women’s sports and exploring how to create fair competition for the sexes.
Reached by phone Friday, Republican Stavros Anthony said he formed the “Lieutenant Governor’s Task Force to Protect Women’s Sports” to address what he described as potential unfairness from women and girl’s playing in athletic competitions against transgender female athletes.
“I wanted a very focused laser beam working together approach in the state of Nevada to make sure that we ban biological men playing in women’s sports,” he said.
Anthony said he didn’t know how many trans athletes play in Nevada, but he has “been told” that there are high school and college players. He said he didn’t believe the effort was wading into “transgender issues.” Instead, he said the task force is focused on biological sex.
The purpose of the task force will be to “promote policies that prioritize fairness, protect women’s safe spaces, uphold opportunities for women, and preserve the integrity of competition,” according to the Tuesday announcement. Anthony said the task force will meet, host town halls and rallies on the issue to spread awareness and hear opposing views.
Anthony said he was spurred to create the task force following the controversy faced by University of Nevada, Reno’s volleyball team. In October, the team forfeited a game against the San Jose State Spartans because of allegations of a transgender player on the team. UNR did not have enough players to compete because “a majority” of players said they would sit out in protest of the participation of transgender women in sports.
The task force’s chair will be Marshi Smith, a Henderson resident, former college athlete and co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports. Other members of the 11-person group include Sen. Carrie Buck, R-Henderson; Assemblyman Bert Gurr, R-Elko; Nevada System of Higher Education Regent Stephanie Goodman and Washoe County Commissioner Clara Andriola.
Buck said she intends to introduce legislation that would promote transparency in athletic leagues. It would create co-ed leagues at the high school and collegiate levels and would require female leagues to inform athletes that the league may have transwomen teammates or competitors. She said the bill is still being drafted.
“I have empathy for those that are transitioning,” Buck said. “But inevitably, I also feel for that biological girl that is competing in the sport and is just going to be taken out because men are better at some sports.”
Advocates push back
LGBTQ advocacy groups described the task force as an attack on transgender Nevadans and a political move. Andre Wade, Silver State Equality’s state director, called it a losing strategy and said youth sports participation should be available to all.
“Our schools should be focused on providing the best possible education and helping to improve the well-being of all students, not actively harming students’ mental health and creating a hostile environment by singling out certain individuals,” Wade said in a statement. “Every child deserves equal access to these opportunities.”
It’s not clear how many transgender student athletes participate in Nevada sports. In a December Senate hearing, NCAA President Charlie Baker said there are fewer than 10 transgender athletes he’s aware of competing in collegiate sports.
Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said he didn’t expect the proposals from task force members and conservatives broadly to become policy in Nevada because of the Democratic-controlled Legislature and state Equal Rights Amendment protections voters added to the Nevada Constitution in 2022. He also argued that trans athletes playing in girls’ and women’s leagues are rare.
He said he suspects the topic has received so much attention because of its place in “culture wars.”
“There’s been tens of millions of dollars across the country poured into attempting to paint every trans athlete, effectively, as LeBron James in drag, which is the furthest thing from reality and what’s happening across the country,” Haseebullah said.
“I think the majority of legislators that I’ve spoken to are focused on fixing public education.”
Despite its low prevalence, the issue continues to be top of mind for both parties. A federal judge blocked the Biden administration’s attempt to strengthen Title IX protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in a ruling on Thursday, ruling the Education Department had overstepped on sex discrimination and First Amendment grounds.
More than half of states ban of transgender girls and women participating in sports aligned with their gender identity through legislation or state rules, according to the Movement Advancement Project think tank.
A 2020 Idaho ban – which included a sex dispute verification process that would require someone to undergo medical exams to verify their sex — faced an injunction from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The June 2024 decision said it likely violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The state has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in.
President-Elect Donald Trump has vowed to take up the issue through the executive branch.
Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.
LAS VEGAS, NV- The Las Vegas Rotary Club, in conjunction with Rotary Clubs throughout Southern Nevada, will host a community pickleball fundraiser in support of End Polio Now, Rotary International’s global effort to eradicate polio. The event will take place on Saturday, February 7th, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Chicken N Pickle Henderson, located at 3381 St. Rose Parkway.
The non-competitive, social event is chaired by Janice Lencke, president of the Las Vegas Rotary Club, on behalf of Rotary District 5300, which serves Southern Nevada and parts of California. The event invites players of all experience levels to come together for an afternoon of pickleball, fellowship and charitable giving, with proceeds benefiting Rotary’s polio eradication efforts.
“The Rotary Clubs of Southern Nevada, together with District 5300, are uniting to host this event to raise awareness and move one step closer to writing the final chapter in polio’s story—an ending marked by eradication,” said Janice Lencke. “Let’s finish what we started and #EndPolio for good.”
Rotary International is a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which was launched in 1988. Since that time, Rotary’s advocacy, fundraising and volunteer efforts have helped reduce polio cases worldwide by more than 99.9 percent, bringing the world closer than ever to eliminating the disease entirely. Polio eradication remains Rotary’s primary humanitarian focus and one of its most sustained global commitments.
General admission tickets include pickleball court access, lunch and sodas, one alcoholic drink ticket, a commemorative photo, one raffle ticket and free parking. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for businesses and individuals who want to support the cause.
District 5300 is promoting the event throughout Southern Nevada, with additional outreach across California to encourage regional participation in similar events.
ABOUT ROTARY INTERNATIONAL AND THE LAS VEGAS ROTARY CLUB
Rotary International is a worldwide fellowship and service organization with 1.2 million members in 200 countries, with 32,000 clubs. Established in 1923 as part of Rotary International, the Las Vegas Rotary Club is the first and largest Rotary Club in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Rotary Club meets for lunch and fellowship every Thursday at Lawry’s The Prime Rib. To learn more about the Club and service projects, visit https://lasvegasrotary.com.
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Nevada
Travel Nevada Presents The Neon in Nature Series, Featuring Artwork by DARIUSTWIN, at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, January 15 – April 6, 2026
Nevada Division of Tourism
Unique exhibition marks DARIUSTWIN’s first museum show in the U.S.
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESS Newswire / January 8, 2026 / Travel Nevada is proud to present The Neon in Nature Series, which features artwork by light painting photographer and animator Darren Pearson (better known as DARIUSTWIN)at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, beginning January 15, 2026. The exhibition is DARIUSTWIN’s first U.S. museum show. To celebrate the exhibition opening, Travel Nevada will pay admission fees for the first 200 guests to arrive directly at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
Created exclusively in Nevada, The Neon in Nature Series captures just some of the stunning landscapes and striking night skies that you’ll find in Nevada when you get a little out there – all juxtaposed with DARIUSTWIN’s signature light paintings infused with and inspired by Nevada character (and characters). The exhibition will inspire museum guests to visit the Nevada ghost towns, state parks, historical landmarks, and more that take center stage in this unique, vibrant, and whimsical exhibition.
“Nevada’s diverse surroundings and dark night skies provided an ideal backdrop to compose this series,” said DARIUSTWIN. “I’m grateful to the Travel Nevada team for commissioning the work and to the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, for housing my very first museum exhibition in the country. I’m hopeful that it will encourage museum guests to travel throughout Nevada, which I found was so rich in history and ripe with adventure opportunities.”
“When the Travel Nevada team first saw DARIUSTWIN’s work, we immediately knew that a partnership with him would inspire people to get a little out there in the state. The Neon in Nature Series is a creative take on what makes Nevada special,” said Rafael Villanueva, chief executive officer of Travel Nevada. “Additionally, we’re thrilled that this exhibition will be housed in the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas. We share a mission with the museum to enhance the quality of life for Nevada’s visitors and residents, and what better place to host The Neon in Nature series than a city whose history is intertwined with neon?”
The Neon in Nature Series, Presented by Travel Nevada will be on view at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas through April 6, 2026.
“The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas is delighted to host this art- and Nevada-focused installation by DARIUSTWIN,” said Hollis J. Gillespie, director of the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas. “The Neon in Nature Series exemplifies our mission of educating the public about the history and natural history of the state, and it does so in an electrifying way. We look forward to sharing it with our visitors.”
EDITORS: Select high-resolution images from The Neon in Nature Series, Presented by Travel Nevada are available here. Photo credit for all images: “Photo courtesy of Travel Nevada/DARIUSTWIN. ©️ 2024 DARIUSTWIN.”
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About Travel Nevada
The heart of Nevada shines through Travel Nevada, an organization focused on sharing the experiences, landmarks and living legends that make the Silver State a one-of-a-kind destination. Through community collaborations and strategic partnerships, we aim to connect with both locals and visitors alike, showcasing the sometimes-surprising, always-exciting treasures that keep people coming to Nevada. It’s theirs to explore-and ours to safekeep, from preserving our wild-at-heart way of life to our wide-open spaces. For more information, visit TravelNevada.com.
About the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas
Founded in 1982, the mission of the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, serves to educate a diverse public about the history and natural history of Nevada. The museum collects, preserves, exhibits, and disseminates material that contributes to an understanding and appreciation of the state. For more information, visit https://www.lasvegasnvmuseum.org/
About DARIUSTWIN
Darren Pearson, known as DARIUSTWIN, is a light painting photographer and animator whose glowing creations have illuminated landscapes around the world. Using long-exposure photography and custom crafted LED lights, Darren “paints” with light in real time, creating skeletal figures, dinosaurs, aliens, and fantastical characters that exist for only a moment before disappearing into the night. His work has been featured by National Geographic, Intel, Honda, and Apple, among others.
Based in Southern California, Darren has been creating light paintings for more than a decade, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary, one exposure at a time. See more at dariustwin.com and follow @dariustwin.
Contact:
Tracie Barnthouse, Chief Communications Officer
tbarnthouse@travelnevada.com; 775-624-0618
SOURCE: Nevada Division of Tourism
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
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RENO, Nev. (Nevada Athletics) – Nevada Women’s Basketball won its second straight game Wednesday night, getting a thrilling 70-60 overtime win against Wyoming at Lawlor Events Center.
Reigning Old Trapper Mountain West Freshman of the Week Skylar Durley led the Pack (6-9, 2-3 MW) in scoring with 18 points and led both teams in rebounds with a career high 14, recording her first double-double of her career.
Ahrray Young went 5-for-10 from the field for 11 points to go with eight boards.
Nevada’s resilience in the latter part of the fourth, which was punctuated by a key block from Young, forced the game into overtime.
The Pack’s shutdown defense held Wyoming (4-10, 1-4 MW) at bay in the final five, only allowing one point off of a free throw.
On the other end, the offense of Nevada went on a 6-0 run and shot 83.3 percent from the field.
Nevada outscored Wyoming 11-1 and held the Cowgirls without a field goal in OT.
The Pack opened regulation in perfect fashion, shooting a 7-for-7 from the field, 2-for-2 from three and 2-for-2 from the line in the first five minutes of action.
Nevada had a 10-0 run that was capitalized by holding Wyoming to a two-and-a-half minute scoring drought.
Through the first quarter, Nevada shot 64.3 percent and remained perfect from both deep and free throws.
Nevada’s hot start simmered in the second, only getting six points and closing the quarter on a field goal drought of just under four minutes.
Meanwhile, Wyoming’s shooting improved from the first, closing the gap to two.
Despite the slower quarter, Nevada carried its lead into the second half, 45-41.
The third quarter was nearly even, Nevada only shooting slightly better and outscoring Wyoming, 15-14.
The game stayed close through the fourth with three ties and four lead changes, leading to extra time.
As a team, the Pack outrebounded the Cowgirls, 40-28, and had 24 bench points to their six.
Nevada will hit the road and look to even its conference record as it faces New Mexico Saturday at 12 p.m.
Copyright 2026 KOLO. All rights reserved.
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