LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — In the desert climate of Southern Nevada, WOW Carwash says it is working year-round to conserve water and reduce its environmental impact, using a combination of water-reclamation technology, biodegradable soaps and energy-efficient equipment.

The Las Vegas-born company says washing a car at home uses roughly 100 gallons of water. By comparison, WOW says it uses about 30 gallons per vehicle and reclaims up to 80% of the water.

WOW says its water-reclamation system exceeds typical local requirements. While local car washes are only required to have one sand and oil separator, WOW says it has four, along with a mud tank and UV filters designed to recycle water, reduce daily water use and ensure no solids are sent to the sewer system.

The company says all water from a WOW Carwash enters a 1,500-gallon mud tank underground at each location to begin separating soils from the water. From there, WOW says the water passes through a series of four sand and oil separators, where oils float to the surface, and soils sink to the bottom. WOW says the cleaned water is then pumped through UV and micron filters to remove remaining contaminants so it can be recycled and reused in the car wash.

WOW also says it repurposes the dirt washed off vehicles. The company says its water-reclamation tanks are pumped regularly by licensed vacuum trucks to maintain efficiency, and what is pumped out is then utilized as fertilizer.

WOW says all cleaning agents used in its tunnel wash process are environmentally safe and biodegradable, and that the soaps are safe to the human touch and for a vehicle’s paint while still being tough on dirt. The company says the cleaning agents break down naturally, reducing harmful runoff that could otherwise flow into storm drains and local waterways.

To reduce its carbon footprint, WOW says it uses energy-efficient equipment, including Variable Frequency Drives that allow electric motors to “ramp down” when demand is low to reduce electricity use during operations.

SANTA FE, N.M. – New Mexico leaders are backing a bipartisan bill after 12 confirmed U.S. screwworm cases, including one case in a Lea County dog.

New Mexico State Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Holeck said the parasite has spread to New Mexico, though officials say they have not found any human cases.

“This is also not a political issue this is a nationwide issue that we all need to address because it affects all warm blooded animals including humans,” Holeck said.

U.S. Reps. Gabe Vasquez and Teresa Leger Fernandez support the Protect America’s Herds Act.

The bill would create a grant program to train people to identify, treat, prevent and report screwworm. It would also support more livestock inspections and education for ranchers.

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez said she heard concerns from tribal leaders about the cost of protecting cattle herds.

“I spoke with one of our tribal leaders today and they have cattle operation and they’re worried, and they’re talking about how much more money they’re having to pay to go make sure they check on their herds and there are extra costs,” Leger Fernandez said.

Funding would prioritize states and tribal communities most at risk for screwworm outbreaks.

State health officials said screwworm is not a food safety issue. They also said ranchers should stay alert but not alarmed.

CORVALLIS, Ore. — A Benton County man has been sentenced to more than six years in prison after prosecutors say he held his brother at knifepoint inside their family home, a confrontation that ended with police shooting the wrong person as the victim tried to escape, the Benton County District Attorney’s office said in a media release.

On Thursday, June 18, John Dakota Lyon pleaded guilty to Attempted Kidnapping in the Second Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Coercion, according to a news release from the Benton County District Attorney. He was sentenced to a total of 77 months in prison and two years of post-prison supervision.

The case stems from the morning of Jan. 6, when Maverick Lyon was home visiting his parents during winter break from college. Prosecutors said Dakota Lyon, his brother, was living at the home after recently being released from the Department of Corrections.

In February 2023, Dakota Lyon was sentenced to 58 months in prison for convictions of Attempted Assault in the First Degree and Unlawful Use of a Weapon, the release said.

On Jan. 6, prosecutors said Dakota Lyon accused Maverick Lyon of conspiring with their father to do harm to him. Dakota Lyon armed himself with a large kitchen knife and, while holding onto Maverick Lyon’s shirt, pulled him throughout the house, implying he would harm him with the knife, according to the district attorney’s office. Despite Maverick Lyon’s pleadings, prosecutors said Dakota Lyon refused to release him or put the knife down.

Prosecutors said Maverick Lyon convinced Dakota Lyon to allow him to grab his own kitchen knife under the guise that they would leave the residence to confront their father together. Their father, who saw and heard what was happening through a surveillance system set up at the home, called 911 to report the crime, the release said.

Multiple Albany Police Department officers arrived and were able to see two men through a back door window, including one with a knife, according to the district attorney’s office. After a brief conversation between officers and the men, prosecutors said Maverick Lyon broke free and rushed out the back door.

The district attorney’s office said Maverick Lyon still had a knife in his hand as he began to break the plane of the door, and officers were standing near the door. Prosecutors said Maverick Lyon began dropping the knife, but officers, fearing for their lives and the lives of other officers, fired their weapons. Maverick Lyon was struck several times.

An earlier Officer Involve Shooting review by the Benton County District Attorney’s Office found the officers’ use of force was justified, the release said.

Officers rendered first aid, and while being treated, Maverick Lyon said, “You shot the wrong guy,” according to the district attorney’s office.

Dakota Lyon was taken into custody without further incident, and the knife he was believed to have been possessing was located near him, prosecutors said. He has been in custody since Jan. 6.

After surgery and a lengthy recovery period, Maverick Lyon “appears to be doing well,” the release said.

The district attorney’s office said methamphetamine may have played a role in Dakota Lyon’s actions. A urine sample taken from him that day tested positive for methamphetamine, and he was known to use methamphetamine in the past and was believed by those close to him to have recently begun using methamphetamine again, according to the release.

“The tragic shooting was a direct result of Dakota Lyon’s actions. As Dakota marched Maverick around the house at knife point, Maverick feared for his life and wanted nothing more but to escape his drug crazed older brother. But for Dakota’s actions, police would not have been called, Maverick would not be a victim of kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon, and coercion, and the police would not have shot Maverick,” Chief DDA Amie Matusko, who prosecuted the case, said in the release.

At sentencing, Dakota Lyon’s attorney, Christian Strahl, acknowledged Dakota Lyon’s responsibility in Maverick Lyon’s shooting, the release said. Strahl indicated the remorse Dakota Lyon felt, saying Dakota Lyon wished he could have taken the bullets instead of Maverick, according to prosecutors.

“While this sentiment is appreciated, true accountability would be remorse in having raised a knife towards his brother and regret that the lives of Maverick and the family are forever changed,” Matusko said.