Nevada

Homeless people have a place to go in Northern Nevada | Pat Hickey

Published

3 months ago

October 15, 2025

Homeless people have a place to go in Northern Nevada | Pat Hickey

One day when I was a little boy playing outside my Tahoe home, I spotted a red robin that didn’t fly away when I got close, as most birds did. I went inside and told my mother. She came out to see for herself and concluded the bird probably had a broken wing and couldn’t fly.

She offered a solution. My mom brought me inside and helped me prepare an old shoebox lined with soft tissues to make the bird’s home as comfortable as possible. She even gave me an old syringe the robin might drink from. She instructed me to dig up some worms and catch some insects for the bird to eat.

A temporary living quarters was prepared. The trick was to get the bird into its new surroundings. Helping the robin into its new home was left up to me as my mother went back inside — although I’m sure she was watching through the bathroom window to see how I’d handle the challenge. She left it to me to deal with my own fears of trying to pick the bird up and placing it into the home we’d prepared.

I nudged the shoebox toward where the bird was standing. After sitting nearby for close to an hour, quietly hoping the bird would just fly away, I gradually moved closer and, finally, with my eyes closed, picked up my new backyard friend and placed it into its shoebox apartment. Worms and dead red ants were procured and placed inside for a meal. I even got the bird to sip water from the syringe.

After a restless night, and to my surprise, the next morning the bird was gone. Besides the things my mother helped me with, I would grow up realizing there are a lot of human “robins” out there. Many of them with wings probably too damaged to ever fly right again, and too few “shoeboxes” to house them in the hope they gain the strength to one day go out on their own.

Northern Nevada is housing homeless people

Homelessness is more than meets the eye. The sight of human encampments — of people down and out, and drug- and alcohol-addicted — is painful to behold in American cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland. There have also been the sorrowful local displays of disparity of the unsheltered along the Truckee River’s Tahoe-Pyramid Trail that I visited in their heyday and wrote about in “Tears, Trash and Transients” (RGJ, Feb. 6, 2022).

I’m relieved to see that civic and community leaders in Northern Nevada have made a significant investment in providing assistance to homeless people in the form of the Nevada Cares Campus, which provides emergency shelter for up to 600 adult individuals and couples. Run in partnership with Washoe County, clients are allowed to bring their pets and their possessions with them as they access support services. The low-barrier shelter provides meals, showers, laundry facilities and scores of paid staff and volunteers available to help people begin navigating a pathway back to normalcy, if possible.

Par Tolles is the CEO of a downtown development company. Par calls the facility a “cul-de-sac of care” that has reduced the homeless population along the Truckee River by more than 40%: “The Cares Campus stands among the largest emergency shelters in the United States by bed count. Its success reflects the remarkable collaboration between Washoe County, Volunteers of America, Karma Box and Catholic Charities — a testament to our community’s ability to unite public, private and faith-based organizations in tackling some of society’s most difficult challenges.”

Recent ordinances by the Reno and Sparks city councils have led to the removal of camps along the Truckee River and under places like the Wells Avenue bridge.

Still, a deeper problem persists beyond the optics of homelessness along downtown Reno’s streets and the Truckee River trails.

It’s better to be in a safe place

Taking a three-hour tour of the Cares Campus, I was impressed with the facility built by Reno’s landmark construction company, Q&D, near the old Governor’s Bowl baseball fields off Interstate 80. The premises were clean and well organized, with cubbies and individual “Mod Pods” for people progressing through recovery and reentry into normal life.

Grant Denton is a highly visible Reno homeless activist and service provider who came to the mission after having once been homeless, addicted to drugs, and in and out of jail. Speaking to his efforts in founding Karma Box, the nonprofit with a large staff that actively encourages homeless people to leave their encampments and come to Cares Campus, he said, “The mission should be to get homeless folks off the streets—not to try to help them by giving them handouts on the streets.” Instead he says; “support the people and the worthwhile institutions that are genuinely serving the homeless.”

The goal, though, Denton says, is not to leave the homeless housed there forever. “The end goal is proper mental health management, a life free of drugs, and then self-sufficiency.”

One of the hopeful things I observed at the Cares Campus was the number of committed staff and volunteers providing services to many homeless people. Many were once in the same predicament themselves. Part of their own recovery from the conditions that left them in loneliness and abandonment — is to help others. They seem to understand better than anyone that human needs are best met by other human beings, not by bureaucracies.

The root causes of homelessness

It’s unfair to assume all homeless individuals actively and consciously chose homelessness. Most of the biggest risk factors for homelessness (such as mental illness, substance abuse, high health care costs, domestic violence, poverty and lack of affordable housing) are outside of individuals’ control and are the symptoms of more fundamental societal problems.

Mother Teresa experienced the problem firsthand along the streets of Calcutta. Serving the poorest of the poor, she described a kind of “poverty” that’s greater than any government agency will ever effectively address, saying, “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless,” the Catholic nun reflected, “The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our homes to remedy this kind of poverty.”

On the subject of social policy, American Enterprise Institute’s Charles Murray writes, “The error of contemporary policy is not that it spends too much or too little to help the poor and homeless, but that it is fundamentally out of touch with the meaning of those needs. The problems of American social policy are not defined by economics or inequality, but by the needs of the human spirit.”

My mother taught me a valuable lesson about serving the needs of those with “broken wings” around me. She and my father taught me an even greater one by all the things they did that resulted in me never ending up homeless.

I’m pleased that Washoe County has built such a clean and well-staffed place for Nevada’s homeless population.

However, the best thing we could do is to follow Mother Teresa’s advice and remedy the things in our own families and surroundings that have produced such a need for all the shoe boxes and wounded birds to occupy them.

Your thoughts? At: tahoeboy68@gmail.com.

“Memo from the Middle” is an opinion column written by RGJ columnist Pat Hickey, a member of the Nevada Legislature from 1996 to 2016.

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Nevada

Las Vegas Rotary Club Supports Pickleball Fundraiser to Eradicate Polio

Published

5 hours ago

January 9, 2026

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Las Vegas Rotary Club Supports Pickleball Fundraiser to Eradicate Polio

Pickleball-Polio-Flyer-1 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

Published

18 hours ago

January 8, 2026

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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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Nevada

Nevada gets thrilling overtime win against Wyoming at home 70-60

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Nevada gets thrilling overtime win against Wyoming at home 70-60

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.

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