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300+ earthquake monitors across Nevada could be used for early alert system

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300+ earthquake monitors across Nevada could be used for early alert system


LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Any day, anytime, anywhere in Nevada, there could be an earthquake. There are usually dozens every day though most are too small to feel. To better understand when a big one is coming, there are earthquake monitoring stations across the state in remote locations. Wednesday, FOX5 visited one just west of the Vegas Valley off of a hiking trail in the Spring Mountains.

“We have upwards of 300 stations. We also monitor eastern California and the Sierra Nevada,” explained Dr. Christie Rowe, Director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, the authority on earthquakes in Nevada. Dr. Rowe took FOX5 to see the somewhat hidden Spring Mountains seismic station.

“This is seismic station RRK. So, you can check that out online and see the data coming in from the station…buried in the ground…we have the seismic sensors, so they pick up the ground accelerations from earthquakes,” Rowe revealed. Like most of their earthquake monitoring stations, RRK is completely off-grid producing its own power, able to relay data even after a disaster.

“We have a microwave network. This one shoots to Black Mountain which shoots directly to our backbone that goes to our UNR data center. So, we get that information in about four seconds,” Dr. Rowe reported. The team at the Nevada Seismological Lab at UNR is constantly crisscrossing the state and parts of California to check on their field monitors.

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“We’ve been monitoring earthquakes from this exact location for almost 25 years. This is one of the sites that’s positioned in between metro Las Vegas and some of the big faults that are along the Nevada/ California border. It’s a critical site for recording shaking as it approaches the Las Vegas Valley,” Dr. Rowe shared. Nevada is one of the most seismically active states in the country with the third most magnitude 5.0 or above quakes.

“We have the potential for large earthquakes across the entire state. Obviously, we’re really focused on safety in the metro areas, but also in the rural areas, we have a lot of sensitive infrastructure as well,” Dr. Rowe stated. Dr. Rowe hopes the system of monitors already in place can one day soon give everyone a heads up before a quake reaches them.

“In California people have gotten alerts even before an earthquake has happened,” FOX5’s Kim Passoth asked Rowe.

“Exactly,” Dr. Rowe responded adding, “If you think about the impact on energy infrastructure, dams, hospitals, anything…where a few 10s of seconds, maybe even 30 seconds warning, could allow that infrastructure to survive the earthquake. That’s what we’re looking for.”

With the proper federal funding, Dr. Rowe says the earthquake early alert system could be rolled out in Nevada within two to three years. The Shake Alert cell phone early warning system is already being used California, Oregon, and Washington.

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Oregon lands commitment from Nevada punter

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Oregon lands commitment from Nevada punter


Oregon has found its next Australian punter.

Bailey Ettridge, who averaged 44.66 yards on 47 punts at Nevada this season, committed to transfer to the Ducks on Sunday. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

From Lara, Australia, Ettridge had 15 punts over 50 yards and 18 inside opponents’ 20-yard lines this season. He also had two carries for 26 yards, both of which converted fourth downs.

Ettridge replaces James Ferguson-Reynolds, who is averaging 41.64 yards on 33 punts for UO this season. Ferguson-Reynolds and Ross James are both out of eligibility after the season.

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Ettridge is the first scholarship transfer to Oregon this offseason and his addition gives the Ducks 81 projected scholarship players in 2026. He is the lone punter presently on the roster.



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‘Winnemucca Day’ helps fuel Backus, Wolf Pack to 58-40 win over Utah State

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‘Winnemucca Day’ helps fuel Backus, Wolf Pack to 58-40 win over Utah State


RENO, Nev. (Nevada Athletics) – Nevada Women’s Basketball returned to Lawlor for the first game of 2026, hosting Utah State.

The Pack picked up its first conference win of the season with the 58-40 victory over the Aggies.

Freshmen showed out for the Pack (5-9, 1-3 MW) with Skylar Durley nearly recording a double-double, dropping 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Britain Backus had five points to go along with two rebounds and a season high four steals.

Junior Izzy Sullivan also had an impactful game with 17 points, going 6-for-11 from the paint and grabbing five boards. She also knocked down Nevada’s only two makes from beyond the arc, putting her within one for 100 career threes.

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The Pack opened up scoring the first four points, setting the tone for the game. It was a close battle through the first 10 as Utah State (6-7, 2-2 MW) closed the gap to one.

However, Nevada never let them in front for the entire 40 minutes.

Nevada turned up the pressure in the second quarter, holding Utah State to a shooting drought for over four minutes. Meanwhile, a 5-0 scoring run pushed the Pack to a 10-point lead.

For the entire first 20, Nevada held Utah State to just 26.7 percent from the floor and only nine percent from the arc, going only 1-for-11.

For the Pack offense, it shot 48 percent from the paint. Nevada fell into a slump coming out of the break, only scoring eight points.

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It was the only quarter where the Pack was outscored.

The fourth quarter saw the Pack get back into rhythm with a 6-0 run and forcing the Aggies into another long scoring drought of just under four and a half minutes.

Durley had a layup and jumper to help with securing the win.

Nevada will remain at home to face Wyoming on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

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EDITORIAL: Nevada’s House Democrats oppose permitting reform

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EDITORIAL: Nevada’s House Democrats oppose permitting reform


Politicians of both parties have promised to fix the nation’s broken permitting system. But those promises have not been kept, and the status quo prevails: longer timelines, higher costs and a regulatory maze that makes it nearly impossible to build major projects on schedule.

Last week, the House finally cut through the fog by passing the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act. As Jeff Luse reported for Reason, the legislation is the clearest chance in years to overhaul a system that has spun out of control.

Notably, virtually every House Democrat — including Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford from Nevada — opted for the current regulatory morass.

The proposal addressed problems with the National Environmental Policy Act, which passed in the 1970s to promote transparency, but has grown into an anchor that drags down public and private investment. Mr. Luse notes that even after Congress streamlined the act in 2021, the average environmental impact statement takes 2.4 years to complete. That number speaks for itself and does not reflect the many reviews that stretch far beyond that already unreasonable timeline.

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The SPEED Act tackles these failures head on. It would codify recent Supreme Court guidance, expand the projects that do not require exhaustive review and set real expectations for federal agencies that too often slow-walk approvals. Most important, it puts long-overdue limits on litigation. Mr. Luse highlights the absurdity of the current six-year window for filing a lawsuit under the Environmental Policy Act. Between 2013 and 2022, these lawsuits delayed projects an average of 4.2 years.

While opponents insist the bill would silence communities, Mr. Luse notes that NEPA already includes multiple public hearings and comment periods. Also, the vast majority of lawsuits are not filed by members of the people who live near the projects. According to the Breakthrough Institute, 72 percent of NEPA lawsuits over the past decade came from national nonprofits. Only 16 percent were filed by local communities. The SPEED Act does not shut out the public. It reins in well-funded groups that can afford to stall projects indefinitely.

Some Democrats claim the bill panders to fossil fuel companies, while some Republicans fear it will accelerate renewable projects. As Mr. Luse explains, NEPA bottlenecks have held back wind, solar and transmission lines as often as they have slowed oil and gas. That is why the original SPEED Act won support from green energy groups and traditional energy producers.

Permitting reform is overdue, and lawmakers claim to understand that endless red tape hurts economic growth and environmental progress alike. The SPEED Act is the strongest permitting reform proposal in years. The Senate should approve it.

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