Nevada
First day of early voting tests Nevada’s new VREMS system
Turnout on the first day of early voting was “crazy,” George Guthrie, spokesperson for the Washoe County Registrar of Voters, said Saturday.
“It’s definitely a lot busier than it has been in the primary and the presidential preference primary,” with people voting in person or dropping off mail-in ballots, Guthrie said. “We’re actually seeing lines at some vote centers.”
One of those lines was at South Valleys Library, where over 100 people were queued up at 10:30 a.m. Several of them said election security concerns brought them out to vote in person or drop their mail-in ballot off.
More: Nevada early voting: Where to vote or drop off your ballot for 2024 election
Christie and David Phillips were among the first in line to use the voting machines. The Washoe residents said they don’t trust the system and voting in person is the only way to make sure their vote is counted.
“Nevada’s got the mail-in balloting and we don’t trust that,” David Phillips said. “They need to take that away. Return it back to the way it used to be.”
The line was moving slowly, but the Phillipses said they were “guinea pigs” because the election workers were still getting used to the new digital voting system.
“But they were really great in there,” Christie Phillips said.
Guthrie said the new Voter Registration and Election Management System, or VREMS, will take some getting used to for both election workers and voters, so he encouraged voters to check the voting center wait times online.
The VREMS system centralizes voter data across the state, rather than by county, which elections administrators say reduces the potential for errors. It went live earlier this year, and this is the first election the system is being used.
Carol and Ron Moschetti said they were willing to wait because they know the process is slower with the new security measures.
“I really believe that they’re just trying to figure it out. I think this was their trial run and they’ll figure it out. No complaints,” Ron Moschetti said.
Jennifer and James Massey came down to early vote just to get it over with. They are wary of mail-in ballots and have some business trips coming up, so they wanted to make sure they got their votes in in time. They placed their ballots in the dropbox.
“I felt very comfortable with the process,” Jennifer Massey said.
As for the election itself, James Massey called it a “circus.”
Jennifer Massey agreed, saying she was tired of hearing candidates dish out negative comments. She wished they would focus on specific policies and what they want to do to help the American people.
“Both candidates are idiots. This is the worst year of elections I can remember,” James Massey said.
Mike and Lindy Leonard, Nancy and Gary Rinehert and Susan and Craig Bambrough were among those who didn’t have to wait in line — they stopped by to drop off their mail-in ballots before they headed off to breakfast.
All three couples said it was an easy process. They filled out their ballots beforehand and went straight to the much shorter drop-off line to confirm their signatures.
“We could see how well it was running. They’re doing a good job,” Lindy Leonard said of election workers.
Mike Leonard said their top concern is keeping elections fair. His wife agreed, saying she believed the last presidential election was not fair.
“I think a lot of people feel the same,” Lindy Leonard said, pointing to the large turnout as a sign that many others agree with her.
Nancy Rinehert said she was baffled by the results of the last presidential election because she remembers thousands of people showing up in the freezing cold to vote on Election Day, many of them Republicans. Joe Biden won Washoe County in 2020 by 5 percentage points.
The six Washoe residents said everyone needs to get out and vote.
“You’re voting by not voting,” Mike Leonard said.
“Nobody is going to have everything that you want, so pick your poison,” Lindy Leonard said. “Someone is going to get elected.”
Early voting runs through Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 5.
Jaedyn Young covers local government for the Reno Gazette-Journal. Her wages are 100% funded by donations and grants; if you’d like to see more stories like this one, please consider donating at RGJ.com/donate. Send your story ideas and feedback to Jaedyn at jyoung@rgj.com.
Nevada
Vanderbilt Commodores Face Unbeaten Nevada in Charleston Classic Opener
The Vanderbilt Commodores kick off their Charleston Classic tournament on Thursday night, facing the unbeaten Nevada Wolfpack in a clash of contrasting styles.
Both teams are 4-0 and looking to make an early-season statement.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. EST at TD Arena, and the game will air on ESPNU.
For Vanderbilt, this marks the first test of the year after an impressive start in Memorial Gymnasium.
The Commodores are coming off a 94-81 victory over the Jackson State Tigers, a game that showcased their potential from beyond the arc. Vanderbilt drained 16 3-pointers, their highest total since 2022, with five players hitting multiple shots from deep.
Tyler Nickel led the charge, going 4-for-8 from 3-point range, while freshman Tyler Tanner and AJ Hoggard chipped in with three triples apiece.
Nevada also enters with momentum, fresh off an 85-59 dismantling of the Santa Clara Broncos.
The Wolf Pack have won every game by double digits, thriving on efficiency and disciplined play. Led by Nick Davidson, who averages 18 points and 8 rebounds per game, Nevada ranks second nationally in 3-point percentage at 48.6%.
Their deliberate, systematic approach to offense has also been a key to their success. Nevada averages just 10 turnovers per game while dishing out 18 assists, a testament to their precision and execution.
Vanderbilt will counter Nevada’s slow tempo with a more aggressive style fueled by their depth.
Nine players average between 15 and 25 minutes per contest, allowing the Commodores to maintain energy and tempo throughout games.
Jason Edwards leads the team in scoring with 17.5 points per contest, while Devin McGlockton has emerged as a defensive force, ranking second in the SEC and 11th nationally in blocks. McGlockton has recorded multiple rejections in every game this season, providing a critical presence in the paint.
This matchup may hinge on who can control the 3-point line.
Nevada has been lights out from deep, with Davidson converting a remarkable 9-of-11 attempts this season. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, flashed their own shooting prowess against Jackson State after a sluggish start to the season from beyond the arc.
The stakes are high, with the winner advancing to Friday’s semifinal to face either the Seton Hall Pirates or VCU Rams.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Commodores and Wolf Pack, setting the stage for an intriguing showdown as Vanderbilt looks to have their best start to a season since 2015-16.
Nevada
New heat-based worker protections on the books in Nevada
LAS VEGAS — For the first time, businesses in Nevada will have to comply with heat-based hazard regulations in the workplace.
The announcement came from the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Wednesday, following the hottest summer on record in Las Vegas.
This is big news for any organization with more than 10 employees where most employees are exposed to heat illness. These businesses will now have to do a job hazard analysis specifically on heat and adopt a written plan to mitigate worker exposure.
The new regulations are not temperature-threshold specific.
“Because every job is different, whether you’re in a kitchen, whether you’re outside as a landscaper or construction worker or a warehouse, every situation is different where there was no uniform temperature threshold that worked for all types of environments,” Victoria Carreon, Division of Industrial Relations Administrator, said.
Other states that have heat-based workplace regulations include California, Washington and Oregon making Nevada the next in the West to adopt such workplace rules. However, this new regulation did not come from the state lawmakers or from the federal level.
“In this case, this was not required by the legislature, this was something that Nevada OSHA decided was really important for Nevada given our hot, desert climate and the hazard of heat illness,” Carreon said.
Guidance for how this regulation will be rolled out and implemented is expected in the next 30 days. After that, an outreach and engagement initiative will take place over the course of three months to help businesses understand what they need to do to comply with this newest regulation.
Enforcement will begin after that, just in time for next summer.
“Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the employers to determine what the hazards are and implement measures that will protect their employees from heat illness,” Carreon said.
2024’s Extreme Heat
This year, OSHA received 467 heat-related complaints for workplace hazards, which may not be surprising given the record-breaking nature of this season’s hot weather. We experienced 112 days over 100°, with 36 of those days over 110°.
The level of heat-related mortality also rose this year, Clark County has counted over 400 deaths so far this year where hot temperatures played a significant role.
Clark Co. reports 402 heat deaths so far this year
Regulation Outline
The approved regulation (R131-24AP [leg.state.nv.us]) requires businesses with more than 10 employees to implement the following measures:
- Job Hazard Analysis: Businesses with more than 10 employees must perform a one-time job hazard analysis of working conditions that could cause heat illness.
- This analysis is limited to job classifications where a majority of employees have occupational exposure to heat illness for more than 30 minutes of any 60-minute period, excluding breaks.
- Written Safety Program: If the job hazard analysis identifies conditions that may cause heat illness, a written plan is required that includes the following:
- Provision of potable water;
- Provision of a rest break when an employee exhibits signs or symptoms of heat illness;
- Provision for means of cooling for employees;
- Monitoring by a person designated by the employer of working conditions that could create occupational exposure to heat illness;
- Identification and mitigation of work processes that may generate additional heat or humidity;
- Training of employees; and
- Procedures for responding to an emergency.
- Emergency Procedures: Employers are required to designate an individual who will contact emergency services if an employee is experiencing signs of heat illness.
- Training: Employers are required to provide training to employees identified in the job hazard analysis on the following topics:
- How to recognize the hazards of heat illness
- Procedures to be followed to minimize the hazards of heat illness.
- Exemption for Climate-Controlled Environments:
- The regulation’s requirements do not apply to employees who work indoors in climate-controlled environments, including motor vehicles with a properly functioning climate control system.
- If the climate control system becomes nonfunctional or ineffective, the employer shall make a good-faith effort to reestablish an effective system as soon as practicable.
- Until the climate control system is rendered effective, the employer must implement the potential hazards that could cause heat illness.
- Collective Bargaining Agreements:
- Employers can exceed the requirements of the regulation on their own or through collective bargaining agreements.
- Collective bargaining agreements cannot waive or reduce the requirements of the regulation; and
- The regulation does not relieve an employer of contractual obligations under a collective bargaining agreement.
Nevada
Business owners react to NV Energy power outage
RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – NV Energy issued a PSOM in Northern Nevada, in effort to prevent wildfires. “I looked out the windows and the entire neighborhood was dark,” said Mary Doyle, a resident who lost power in West Reno.
15,000 NV energy customers in Northern Nevada, waking up to no power. “The house is cold. That’s the worst part,” added Katie Cole. “The house is cold. It’s warmer out here than it is inside my house.”
The planned outage is hitting business owners hard. “It’s a big hit because customers are affected, employees are affected. We are affected,” said Mimi Butler, who is the owner of Bueno Grill, which has been a staple in the local community for 25 years. “That’s a whole days worth of business. We are open everyday and its a big potential to lose a chunk of sales for the month. It also is worrisome because our employees aren’t coming into work. For them they don’t get their paycheck for today. For our customers, we cant serve our customers.”
Many of the business owners in the Mayberry Landing Complex are adapting to the “no bueno” message this morning. Some owners had to use generators, while others scrambled to alert staff and navigate obstacles.
“Having a little bit more warning would be nice,” said Cole Butler, the manager of Bueno Grill. “We woke up this morning and I just found out about it around 9 o’clock. I was planning on coming in at 10, so I well made a stop at the store and got some dry ice. We may or may not be open today.”
Butler says food and produce preservation is the name of the game. “It’s all about saving products right now when we are not open. The refrigerator is not working. We just kind of need to hunker down and store.”
The restaurant says they will be down a couple thousand dollars, due to the outage. Even the employees will be without a check. “I got word that the power is not expected to come back on until tomorrow at noon. I had to re-text and say it looks like you’re not coming in. We don’t need you today because we won’t be open,” said Mimi Butler.
The owner says the shop is rarely closed throughout the year and she is not used to turning customers away. “I had to change our outgoing message and forward phone calls from the business to my personal phone so I can let our customers know what’s happening and why we are closed. Hopefully, invite them to come back tomorrow when we are open again.”
NV Energy says some of the impacted zones will have power restored tonight and the rest hopefully sometime tomorrow.
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