Nevada
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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The Southern Nevada Jewish community gathered on Fremont Street to mark the first day of Hanukkah with the Grand Menorah Lighting, the religion’s symbol of light in dark times.
The event, held Sunday evening, was attended by Mayor Shelley Berkley and U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, who addressed the recent mass shooting at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia, which authorities say claimed at least 15 lives.
Hal Golblatt, director of security for Chabad of Southern Nevada, emphasized the importance of vigilance and protection after news of the mass shooting.
“6:30 this morning, I was on the phone to Metro, arranging for more security here,” he said.
The Chabad of Southern Nevada has hosted the event for the past 30 years.
“I would like to let the community know not to be afraid, not to be scared, to be loud, to be proud, have Jewish pride.” Rabbi Motti Harlig said.
He expressed his devastation over the attack, noting that one of his friends was injured but is now recovering. Tragically, another Chabad rabbi did not survive the shooting.
“The way we deal with evil, with terrorism, is that we fight it, by not running, not hiding, but going out there and showing that we’re not afraid,” Rabbi Shea Harlig said.
The event served as a reminder of the enduring message of Hanukkah: faith, resilience, and the triumph of light over darkness.
Steve Alford recaps the Pack’s 78-75 win over Duquesne on Saturday
Steve Alford recaps the Wolf Pack’s 78-75 win over Duquesne on Saturday
Nevada will go into Mountain West Conference play in a four-game winning streak, but the fourth of those wins was not easy.
The Wolf Pack ended its non-conference slate with 78-75 win over Duquesne on Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 7,238 fans at Lawlor Events Center.
In the final 90 seconds, Wolf Pack freshman Peyton White got a huge rebound, then hit two free throws to help the Pack go up by three
The Dukes got their first lead of the second half with 1 minute, 38 seconds left, 71-70.
Tayshawn Comer led the Pack with 16 points, White had 12 and Elijah Price had 10 points and nine rebounds as the Pack improved to 8-3.
Nevada’s Joel Armotrading and Corey Camper Jr. did not play as they are still dealing with injuries.
“We battled hard. It wasn’t our best game but we came through and got it done,” White said.
Tre Guinyard led the Dukes (6-5) with 21 points.
Nevada (8-3) opens conference play against Boise State on Saturday.
Top Takeaways
The Dukes tried to win it from the arc, going 11-33 from there, after knocking down their first two of the game.
The Pack shot 4-of-10 from the arc, and 25-of-56 from the field.
The Pack won it at the free throw line, making 24-of-32 from the line, while the Dukes hit 18-of-20 free throws.
The Pack entered the game leading the Mountain West in made free throws (20.1) and second in free throw attempts (27.1).
Duquesne held a 38-35 edge in rebounding.
Bench comes up big
The Wolf Pack got 37 points from its bench, to 20 for the Dukes, and Alford said that was a key to the win.
“There’s very few games I’ve had where your starters are all negative in points per minute and your bench is all positive,” he said. “It’s good that the starters get to see that. It’s good in learning to trust one another when you’re not playing well.”
He said the bench saved the game for the Pack, but that is a sign of the depth the team has.
Phenomenal Freshmen
Pack freshmen White and Myles Walker played substantial minutes, 23 for White and 13 for Walker. Walker scored five points, including two key free throws in the final minute.
“Myles and Peyton continue to make veteran plays,” Alford said. “That was a hotly contested game, down to the wire and you’ve got two freshmen going to the line in the last two trips and they go 4-for-4 at the line That’s big time.”
He said the pair has been consistent and they keep improving every game.
“Myles has given us a lift every time he comes in,” Alford said. “Those two give us energy.”
Walker said the Pack showed it can win even when things go wrong.
“It showed how tough this team is. Even at the end when things didn’t go right, we still found a way to win,” Walker said.
Half
Nevada led 42-35 at the break, after leading by as many as 15 earlier in the half.
The Wolf Pack shot 17-of-33 field goals and 2-of-6 from the arc along with 6-10 free throws in the first half
The Dukes shot 10-of-28 from the field; 7-18 from the arc and 8-of-10 free throws.
The Pack outscored the Dukes, 20-6, in the paint in the first half.
Up Next
Nevada opens Mountain West Conference play by hosting Boise State (7-3) at 7 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 20).
The Broncos play Saint Mary’s on Sunday (Dec 14).
Finals are over on Wednesday for the Pack players. Alford said they will take that day off from practice.
“That’s going to be a war on Saturday,” Alford said. “(Duquesne) is an A10 team (Atlantic 10 Conference). We’ve played some really good competition, so I’m very pleased with where we’re at 11 games in.”
Nevada’s Upcoming Schedule
- Saturday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m. vs. Boise State (TV: KNSN, Ch, 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
- Tuesday, Dec. 30 at Colorado State (TV: MW Network, Ch, 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
- Saturday, Jan. 3 at Fresno State
- Tuesday, Jan. 6 vs. San Diego State
- Saturday, Jan. 10 vs. Wyoming
- Tuesday, Jan. 13 at Utah State
- Saturday, Jan. 17 at Air Force
- Tuesday, Jan. 20 vs. San Jose State
- Saturday, Jan. 24 at New Mexico
- Tuesday, Jan. 27 vs. Grand Canyon
- Friday, Jan. 30 vs. UNLV
- Tuesday, Feb. 3 at Boise State
- Saturday, Feb. 7 vs. Fresno State
- Saturday, Feb. 14 at San Diego State
- Tuesday, Feb. 17 at San Jose State
- Saturday, Feb. 21 vs. Utah State
- Tuesday, Feb. 24 vs. New Mexico
- Saturday, Feb. 28 at UNLV
- Tuesday, Mar. 3 at Wyoming
- Saturday, Mar. 7 vs. Air Force
First team
Gigi Benoualid, Coronado — The senior finished seventh at the 5A Southern Region meet (19 minutes, 26.3 seconds) and was eighth at the 5A state meet (19:41).
Scarlett Cotrone, Faith Lutheran — The junior finished 11th at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:52.4) and was ninth at the 5A state meet (19:45) to help the Crusaders win the 5A team state title.
Ryen Hughes, Shadow Ridge — The junior finished fourth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:12.4) and was fifth at the 5A state meet (19:16).
Aislin McMahon, Sky Pointe — The junior finished second at the 5A Southern Region meet (18:54.8) and was second at the 5A state meet (19:00).
Brooke-Lynn Miller, Coronado — The senior won the 5A Southern Region individual title (18:40.8) and was seventh at the 5A state meet (19:19). She is committed to Cal Baptist.
Elynn Okuda, Shadow Ridge — The senior finished sixth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:16.1) and was third at state (19:11).
Lacy Tippetts, Sky Pointe — The junior finished third at the 5A Southern Region meet (18:58.2) and was 13th at the 5A state meet (19:57).
Sophia Weisz, Faith Lutheran — The junior finished fifth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:13.1) and was 10th at state (19:45) to help the Crusaders win the 5A team state title.
Coach of the year
Jeff Edwards, Faith Lutheran — Guided the Crusaders to the Class 5A team state title, the program’s fifth overall and first since 2001.
Second team
Jenna Anderson, Faith Lutheran — The sophomore finished 24th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:34.6) and was 14th at the 5A state meet (19:57) to help the Crusaders win the team title.
Lola Borsh, Desert Oasis — The freshman finished 16th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:16.5) and was 26th at the 5A state meet (20:26).
Katherine Hodges, Sky Pointe — The junior finished 13th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:12.8) and was 23rd at the 5A state meet (20:18).
Lacy Mayes, Centennial — The sophomore finished eighth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:30.6) and was 19th at the 5A state meet (20:05).
Autumn McQuirter, Liberty — The sophomore finished 15th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:15.7) and was 12th at the 5A state meet (19:54).
Mia Musemici, Desert Oasis — The senior finished 10th at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:47.8) and was 24th at the 5A state meet (20:23).
Belle Parrel, Centennial — The freshman finished ninth at the 5A Southern Region meet (19:47.4) and was 17th at the 5A state meet (20:01).
Michelle Stana, Clark — The freshman won the 4A individual Desert League (21:19.9) and state (20:43.2) titles.
Mackenzie Teel, Sky Pointe — The senior finished 14th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:15.5) and was 37th at the 5A state meet (20:57).
Julia Vancura, Faith Lutheran — The senior finished 12th at the 5A Southern Region meet (20:01.0) and was 21st at the 5A state meet (20:10).
Honorable mention
Mandi Abney, Shadow Ridge
Savannah Abney, Shadow Ridge
Emma Ansorge, Basic
Maleah Bennett, Centennial
Allison Blazi, Amplus Academy
Kensley Bleak, Lincoln County
Isabella Bustillos-Rivera, Desert Oasis
Ava Dupuis, Palo Verde
Isabelle Franks, Faith Lutheran
Leah Groppenbacher, Arbor View
MJ Gutierrez-Hess, Green Valley
Payton Howse, Clark
Sadie Ivins, Lincoln County
Madeline Labay, Bishop Gorman
Aubrei Lay, Sky Pointe
Selina Leipard, Clark
Ava Levy, Palo Verde
Stella Lin, Coronado
Mackenzie McClain, Sky Pointe
Adalyn Mosley, Foothill
Yalitzi Muro, Western
Elizabeth Neumann, Silverado
Julianna Ondrisko, Pahrump Valley
Sophie Romero, Pahrump Valley
Isabelle Searer, Liberty
Avery Stanton, Coronado
Eliott Stepanek, Faith Lutheran
Amira Turner, Centennial
Isla Ulmer, Coronado
Olivia Wheeler, Sky Pointe
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
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