Nevada

COVID-19 proved Nevada's unemployment system is broken, former Gov. Steve Sisolak says

Published

2 months ago

March 17, 2025

COVID-19 proved Nevada's unemployment system is broken, former Gov. Steve Sisolak says

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — If you lived in Nevada five years ago, you remember what happened on March 17 — the day former Gov. Steve Sisolak closed all non-essential businesses in our state, including resorts on the Strip and downtown, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Learn why is took so long to get unemployment checks during COVID here.

COVID-19 proved Nevada’s unemployment system is broken, former Gov. Steve Sisolak says

Overnight, the closures left thousands of workers and independent contractors with no income. Locals were desperately applying for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA — but the checks weren’t coming.

I helped hundreds of our viewers at the time get paid, advocating and calling on our governor and Nevada lawmakers to help with the broken Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation (DETR) system.

“I’ve been without a paycheck since around March.”

Those were the words from freelance photographer Richard Brian Salmeron in an interview I did with him in March 2020.

▶ Looking Back PUA claimant: ‘I feel let down’: Nevadans, Channel 13 seek answers on unpaid unemployment

Nevadans continue to face unemployment issues

I reported on dozens of independent contractors during the pandemic — people like Salmeron, who applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance just days after the state launched the portal.

Like tens of thousands of Nevadans, Salmeron got an approval letter, but the money didn’t come fast enough. Trying to get any help from the hotline turned into frustration.

“Every time you’re on hold, you think you’re going to get through, and then they hang up on you, and it’s kind of a defeating moment when the phone system just says ‘goodbye,’” Salmeron told me.

Like many of you, Salmeron wanted answers from then-Gov. Sisolak on what was being done with what he called a “broken unemployment system” unable to handle the massive number of claims during the pandemic.

I followed up with Sisolak, outlining your concerns. Watch the full interview here.

[FULL INTERVIEW] Five years later, former Nevada Gov. Sisolak on state’s COVID response

TRICIA KEAN: Suddenly, there are people with no paychecks and no money coming in, and that was a very scary space to be in.

STEVE SISOLAK: It was tremendously scary. And to make that decision, there were a lot of sleepless nights.

Handling consumer issues for many years, I wanted to do my part during the pandemic, answering desperate Channel 13 viewer emails, messages and social media posts. Some people even told me they felt suicidal with no money.

I called on the governor to do more for our community.

“I’ve met Sisolak, I’ve taken his pictures, I’ve voted for him… but I feel let down by him right now,” Salmeron said.

Many Nevadans resorted to selling off personal items, maxing out credit cards with negative balances in their bank accounts — not to mention suffering depression by not receiving money from the state.

SISOLAK: We were dealing with tens of thousands of cases. And you get one viewer that’s calling in. And I understand their problem is the most important problem.

KEAN: Well, I got more than one viewer. We were getting hundreds of viewers. I was staying up until 4:30 in the morning answering every viewer because there was such a need. And I just wanted the Thomas & Mack [Center] to open and gift cards to be handed out for people because they were literally dire. Do you know, to this day, governor, I still hear from people who say thank you so much for trying to help people during that time because we were freaking out. Families were so scared.

SISOLAK: Yeah, they were. And I understand why they were scared. I totally get why they’re scared. But the system was never set up to deal with any of that.

And now, five years later, the former governor tells me there have been some upgrades, but the DETR system is still broken.

SISOLAK: If you think it’s fixed, it’s not fixed.

KEAN: That’s a problem.

SISOLAK: Yeah, it’s definitely a problem. I hope that we’ll never need it like we needed it then. I mean, you never would have anticipated handling the number of claims in a week that you normally would handle in a year. I mean, I was going through staff at DETR. They were quitting. They couldn’t take it anymore. They were getting abused.

With eight state adjudicators working 12 claims a day during the pandemic, it was a slow process to get Nevadans who desperately needed money just to put food on the table.

The former governor says massive fraud was also slowing things down.

SISOLAK: Hundreds of millions of dollars have [been] lost to fraudsters as a result of this because we couldn’t get the money into the right hands. The logistics of reaching out to the number of people that needed help; we just don’t have an infrastructure in place to do that. And there wasn’t one. There isn’t one today.

Looking back, Sisolak tells me he was dealt a once-in-a-lifetime situation. It came with making tough decisions that he believes cost him the 2022 election to current Gov. Joe Lombardo.

SISOLAK: We did what we had to do to protect people’s lives. I mean, we lost 12,000 that we could quantify, that we categorize as losing them to COVID. How many more it could be, I don’t know. But I don’t know how many tens of thousands of lives we saved as a result of what we put in place.

KEAN: And that, you feel good about?

SISOLAK: I feel very good about that…I know it cost me the election. It’s not in my mind. And my people told me they’re going in, but I wouldn’t change that.

KEAN: Would you ever run again?

SISOLAK: I don’t know. I get asked all the time. We’ll see. Maybe. Maybe two years.

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Nevada

Nevada truckers group warns of $500 fee as parking options shrink

Published

9 hours ago

May 14, 2025

Press Room

Nevada truckers group warns of 0 fee as parking options shrink

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Nevada’s Hispanic trucking community is warning of a potential $500 delivery surcharge starting July 1.

Drivers are calling it a “growing parking crisis” if Clark County does not address it.

Several truck yards across the Las Vegas Valley, including one located on Las Vegas Blvd and Nellis Blvd., are being forced to close due to zoning violations.

For Nevada truckers, the truck yard is a safe space where they can leave their trucks and head home for the night after their shift is over. But the Nevada Hispanic Truckers’ Association said recent closures and aggressive enforcement of lots are making it nearly impossible to operate in Clark County.

While the crackdown affects all drivers, the group says Hispanic drivers are hit hardest because they make up the majority of independent owner-operators in the region.

“The problem is that there’s not enough parking for the,” said a spokesperson for the Nevada Hispanic Truckers’ Association, Dunia Antunez. “So, they’re being given tickets $500 to $800 tickets for parking in residential areas or streets.”

Starting July 1, the group says it will begin charging a $500 delivery surcharge to companies receiving goods in Clark County, unless action is taken.

“The county commissioners must stop closing down this long-term parking and they need to build more actually, because we have too many truckers, we don’t enough parking,” Antunez said.

But Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, whose district includes the yard in question, said this property was never legally approved for this use.

“They have lots of violations, code violations, cause it was not zoned for business, no business license for that that be of use in that neighborhood,” Segerblom explained.

Segerblom said the neighborhood around the yard is changing and industrial zones are now giving way to homes.

“It’s really because of the diesel fumes, big trucks going down neighborhood streets is not healthy in my opinion,” Segerblom said. “You wouldn’t want to have a truck yard in a in a residential neighborhood.”

He explained he’s sympathetic to the truckers and promised new policies are in the works to create legal, regulated yards in the right locations.

“We want to make sure that the lot is paved, that is appropriate area, that that requires a special use permit,” Segerblom said.

Segreblom added that these new rules could still take months and said if someone brings forward a properly zoned location in his district, it could be approved sooner but for now it’s a case-by-case basis.

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Nevada

Nevada’s celebrity weddings: What stars have tied the knot in the Silver State?

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2025

Press Room

Nevada’s celebrity weddings: What stars have tied the knot in the Silver State?

From the nearly 26-year-old “Friends” episode, “The One in Vegas,” to the 2025 Oscar-nominated film “Anora,” Nevada has been famous for its wedding culture for decades.

But Nevada isn’t only known for its Vegas quickie weddings. Lake Tahoe also makes Northern Nevada a world-renowned wedding destination.

The Silver State attracts couples from all walks of life looking to get hitched, including stars. Here’s a look at the celebrity couples who said “I do” in the Silver State.

What celebrities got married in Las Vegas?

The list of celebrities who tied the knot in Vegas exceeds 200 people. The Office of the Clark County Clerk’s Celebrity Timeline lists the famous people who married there — some of whom are still together.

Here’s a list of the most recognizable names. If a celebrity or their spouse is recognized by multiple professions, for example singer Frank Sinatra and actress Mia Farrow, the couple will appear in both categories.

What musicians have gotten married in Las Vegas?

Bette Midler and Martin von Haselberg
Billy Ray Cyrus and Leticia Jean Finley
Britney Spears and Jason Alexander
Coolio and Josefa Salinas
Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu
Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow
Frankie Valli and Jackie Jacobs
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner
Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley
Mel Tormé and Arlene Miles
Noel Gallagher and Meg Mathews
Sammy Davis Jr. and Loray White
Sinead O’ Connor and Barry Herridge
Steve Aoki and Sasha Sofine
Usher and Jenn Goicoechea
Wayne Newton and Elaine Okamur

What actors have gotten married in Las Vegas?

Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez
Bette Midler and Martin von Haselberg
Betty White and Allen Ludden
Bruce Willis and Demi Moore
David Harbour and Lily Allen
Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher
James Caan and Sheila Ryan
Jane Fonda and Roger Vadim
Joan Crawford and Alfred Steele
Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner
Judy Garland and Mark Herron
Mary Tyler Moore and Grant Tinker
Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson
Mia Farrow and Frank Sinatra
Mia Goth and Shia LaBeouf
Michael Caine and Shakira Baksh
Mickey Rooney and Ava Gardner
Mickey Rooney and Carolyn Hockett
Mickey Rooney and Margie Lane
Nicolas Cage and Erika Koike
Nicolas Cage and Riko Shibata
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward
Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford
Rita Hayworth and Dick Hayme
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.
Tony Curtis and Christine Kaufmann
Tony Curtis and Jill Vandenberg

What influencers or socialites have gotten married in Las Vegas?

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker
Zsa Zsa Gabor and George Sanders
Zsa Zsa Gabor and Jack Ryan
Zsa Zsa Gabor and Michael O’Hara

What models have gotten married in Las Vegas?

Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman
Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere
Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon

What athletes have gotten married in Las Vegas?

Darryl Strawberry and Tracy Boulware
Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra
Leon Spinks and Brenda Glur
Michael Jordan and Juanita Vanoy
Mike Tyson and Lakiha Spicer
Shotzi and Jesus Alfaro
Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi
Steve Austin and Kristin Feres
Sugar Shane Mosley and Jin C. Mosley

What celebrity couple got married in Lake Tahoe?

The “Clueless” actress Alicia Silverstone married long-time boyfriend Christopher Jarecki on the shores of Lake Tahoe in 2005.

What celebrity couple got married in Carson City?

Actor Elliott Gould (“M*A*S*H,” “Friends,” “Ocean’s 11”) and singer Barbara Streisand got married by a Carson City justice of the peace in a secret ceremony in 1963.

Why is Las Vegas so famous for weddings?

Part of it is the ease with which someone can get married in Las Vegas. You can get a marriage license in Sin City in less than an hour, according to the Clark County website. Not only that but there are several chapels that make the experience more exciting than a courthouse wedding.

A Las Vegas wedding has a cultural meaning all its own. Where else in the world can you get hitched in under an hour, by Elvis and surrounded by the glitz of Nevada neon?

Why do so many celebrities get married in Las Vegas?

As mentioned above, the list of celebrities that have been married in Las Vegas is substantial. So why do so many celebrities get hitched there?

Aside from the reasons listed above, Las Vegas is also a hub for entertainment so many celebrities go to Southern Nevada for work. It is also only a four hour drive from star-studded Los Angeles which makes Las Vegas a convenient spot to get married away from the attentions stars may get if they marry in Hollywood.

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Nevada

Reno wind advisory continues; snow, sun in the Northern Nevada forecast

Published

2 days ago

May 12, 2025

Press Room

Reno wind advisory continues; snow, sun in the Northern Nevada forecast

The strong winds Northern Nevadans experienced on Sunday, May 11, will continue through today in Reno and Lake Tahoe. The high wind advisory from the National Weather Service is set to end at 5 p.m., but calm, summery weather won’t return just yet.

In addition to the wind, both Reno and Lake Tahoe have a chance of precipitation through midweek, NWS Reno said.

Warm temperatures and sunny skies are expected to return after this wintry spell, though showers could make a comeback over the weekend.

Here’s a closer look at the forecast for Reno and Lake Tahoe this week:

Reno-Sparks weather forecast for the rest of the week

Monday: High near 58, low around 36. High wind advisory until 5 p.m. with a 20% chance of showers after 2 p.m. Snow level drops from 6,200 feet to 5,100 feet overnight.
Tuesday: High near 59, low around 37. Winds ease to 5–10 mph. 30% chance of showers during the day, dropping to 20% in the evening. Snow level rises from 4,900 to 6,700 feet.
Wednesday: High near 68, low around 41. Sunny with calm winds at 5–10 mph.
Thursday: High near 76, low around 48. Sunny during the day, cloudy overnight.
Friday: High near 75, low around 48. Partly sunny during the day, partly cloudy at night.
Saturday: High near 71, low around 43. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.
Sunday: High near 70. Sunny.

What’s Lake Tahoe’s weather forecast this week?

Monday:High near 47, low around 26. Wind advisory until 5 p.m. 40% chance of daytime precipitation, shifting to a 30% chance of snow showers by evening. Little or no accumulation expected.
Tuesday: High near 48, low around 28. 50% chance of morning snow showers and thunder. Slight chance of rain/snow mix in the evening. Snow level near 6,900 feet. Little or no accumulation expected.
Wednesday: High near 58, low around 32. Sunny with light winds.
Thursday: High near 65, low around 38. Sunny during the day, mostly cloudy at night.
Friday: High near 64, low around 38. Partly sunny during the day, partly cloudy at night.
Saturday: High near 61, low around 33. Slight chance of showers. Snow level drops from 9,300 to 8,200 feet overnight. Mostly sunny during the day, partly cloudy overnight.
Sunday: High near 62. Sunny with a slight chance of showers. Snow level rises from 7,800 to 8,700 feet.

What will weather conditions on Interstate 80-Donner Pass be?

While little to no snow accumulation is expected in the mountains above Reno, travel impacts on I-80 are unlikely. However, high winds could pose issues over Donner Pass.

Here’s the Tahoe road conditions and storm watch resources to keep up to date on the roads before you leave on your trip.

Tahoe road conditions, storm watch resources

National Weather Service: Along with providing seven-day forecasts, users can monitor weather warnings and alerts and download past weather data at weather.gov.
Nevada Department of Transportation: The state’s transportation department offers not only current road conditions, but also provides access to weather station data and traffic cameras. Information is available at nvroads.com and dot.nv.gov.
Caltrans: Check highway conditions in California at roads.dot.ca.gov before traveling.
NV Energy weather stations: The company provides public access to several dozen weather stations throughout the state, with data updated every 10 minutes. Users can access the data at nvenergy.westernweathergroup.com.
ALERTWildfire: The network of 50 cameras throughout Nevada can provide users with a live look at conditions. Cameras can be accessed at alertwildfire.org.

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