Nevada
It’s no accident: Nevada Guard Soldier secures 2023 Distinguished Ground Safety Award
By Master Sgt. Erick Studenicka
Nevada Army Guard
CARSON CITY – No seatbelt? You will be chastised.
On the top step of the ladder? You will get a scolding.
No protective gear while riding your motorcycle? Now you are in real trouble and will receive a reprimand!
Like a de facto protective parent, state safety specialist Sgt. 1st Class Don Gibbs, 60, of Dayton, constantly keeps tabs on Nevada Guard Soldiers to ensure they are completing their tasks and missions as safely as possible while reducing ancillary risks. Although his admonishments may seem pesky, Gibbs dedication to safety is extraordinary, evidenced by the fact he received the Army National Guard’s Distinguished Ground Safety Award for 2023 in December in San Antonio, Texas. Only two Soldiers in the entire Army National Guard received the award for 2023.
“Sgt. 1st Class Gibbs exhibited superior excellence and distinguished accomplishments within the Nevada Army Guard’s ground safety program during 2023,” said Col. Aaron Schilleci during the award ceremony.
The Army Ground Safety program includes oversight of all Army ground activities including vehicle operation, ammunition storage and potential environment hazards.
Eligibility for the Distinguished Ground Safety Award is extremely difficult to acquire, as a state must go two years without recording an on-duty Class A (fatality or disabling injury and/or $2 million in damage) or Class B (injury and/or $500,000 to $1 million in damage) accident to make its state safety specialist eligible for the rare award. In fact, the Nevada Army Guard has not incurred a on-duty Class A or B accident since Gibbs was hired as the state safety specialist in 2019.
“It is no coincidence the absence of on-duty Class A and B accidents coincides with the hiring of Gibbs,” said state safety officer Capt. David Henry. (The Nevada Army Guard has recorded two off-duty Class A accidents since 2019 due to vehicle fatalities.)
Henry said Gibbs was an easy choice for the award because of his dedication to the safety program and the fact he goes above-and-beyond in his position to exceed program standards. For example, Gibbs instructed more than 300 students in 2023 at about 30 motorcycle safety classes across the state – on his personal time. Gibbs also compiled and edited the internal safety newsletter “Safe Bets” on his own time to share current, best safety practices with the state’s Soldiers.
Gibbs did those tasks in addition to his usual duties of organizing and instructing Occupational Safety and Health Administration and confined spaces classes as well as forklift training. Gibbs and Henry also planned and coordinated the 2023 Western Region Safety Council meeting in Reno where councilmembers could share their ideas to standardize and modernize safety functions across the Army Guard.
When Gibbs was hired by the Nevada Army Guard in 2019, it marked a homecoming for the native Nevadan who grew up in Clark County and graduated from Las Vegas High School in 1981. After high school, Gibbs recorded a stint in the Marines Corps until 1987 when he began his longtime civilian career as a first responder and law enforcement officer in Soldotna, Alaska, as a firefighter and emergency medical technician.
After meeting and marrying his wife Renae in Alaska, Gibbs relocated to his spouse’s home state, South Dakota, and he became a Custer County Sheriff’s Deputy. He subsequently was a Sturgis police officer from 2010-2019.
About the same time in life, Gibbs realized his first responder and law enforcement skills could be useful in the military and he enlisted in the South Dakota Army Guard in 2009 as a medic.
While in the South Dakota Guard, Gibbs gravitated toward the safety arena with the realization that safety is a top key to military readiness.
“As my years of experience in law enforcement and emergency response continued, it became increasingly clear to me that safety and prevention are the simplest way to decrease and minimize devastating events and mishaps,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs knows he won’t win the 2024 Distinguished Ground Safety Award but it’s for a good reason – he’s set to retire this April. He’s looking forward to spending more time with Renae, his two daughters, Katelyn and Kaitlin, and grandsons Owen, 7, and Louis, 1.
Even with retirement on the horizon, Gibbs warns Nevada Soldiers to continue to prioritize safety and he notes his safety admonishment bark is as sharp as ever.
“We have all had moments of second guessing in our lives,” Gibbs said. “It’s my goal to make sure we are not second guessing about the safety precautions and measures we could have taken in the event of any mishap in our lives.”
| Date Taken: | 01.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 01.02.2024 15:55 |
| Story ID: | 461205 |
| Location: | CARSON CITY, NV, US |
| Hometown: | DAYTON, NV, US |
| Web Views: | 35 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Nevada
Arbor View beats rival Centennial for 5A boys volleyball state title
The Arbor View boys volleyball team has embodied the mindset that it would take the efforts of all 16 players to win the school its first boys volleyball title.
It proved to be the case on Wednesday night against rival Centennial in the Class 5A state championship match, and the Aggies’ efforts all season showed up in the biggest game of the season.
No. 3-seeded Arbor View claimed its first boys volleyball title with a 25-20, 25-27, 25-19, 25-19 victory over top-seeded Centennial at Sunrise Mountain.
“It feels amazing. The boys have worked hard, I don’t even know if I could put it into words,” Arbor View coach Nicole Adarme said. “Our big goal was to stay calm and collected the entire time. I just wanted to reflect that for them.”
Arbor View (28-13-1) let its emotions out after the final point on an Owen Wenger kill. The Aggies huddled and jumped for joy, helped carry injured teammate Gunnar Robinson off the bench, and eventually moved the celebration into the stands with a sea of red from the Arbor View student section.
“It feels absolutely great,” junior middle blocker/outside hitter Risden Miller said. “We trust each other so much. We’re best friends in and out of volleyball, and that really helps us on the court with just competing as a team.”
Even though the two team’s previous meeting on April 14 was a three-set win in league play by Centennial (32-6), Adarme said she knew the fourth meeting of the season for the two northwest rivals wasn’t going to be a sweep on either side.
Arbor View won a back-and-forth first set on a kill from Miller. Then it looked like the Aggies were going to win a close second set, but Centennial got a point for Arbor View being out of rotation, and the Bulldogs won four of the last five points to even the match score to one set apiece.
“That’s the traditional thing (when we play) Centennial (to play long matches), so for us, we just treated it like another set,” Adarme said. “We knew they were going to fight, so how do we respond to that? Our constant conversation was responding to the negative and moving forward in a positive direction.”
Arbor View scored six straight points in the third set to take a 20-15 lead, and the Aggies never let up to get to the fourth set with a chance to win the title. The Aggies took advantage of several Centennial errors to take the lead in the third set on their way to the title.
“We took three deep breaths and reset and recollected ourselves as a team,” Miller said of closing out the final two sets. “That’s just completely huge for rebounding from a lost set.
“For me, personally, just looking at all my best friends on the court, that truly calms me down and I know it calms them down as well.”
Miller recorded 18 kills and Wenger was key at the net with eight kills and eight blocks. The Aggies also got contributions from Graham Blanchard, Kenyon Wickliffe and Robinson before he went down with a lower left leg injury in the fourth set.
Lincoln Larson led Centennial with 19 kills. It’s the first boys volleyball state title for Arbor View and first appearance in the title game after the program reached the state semifinals four previous times.
“We can’t (win) with six, we have to do it with all 16,” Adarme said. “We’ve been training all of them to be ready for big moments and it was an amazing moment for Cooper (Ball, coming in for an injured Robinson) to be able to come in for us.
“We just had to know we couldn’t be outside of ourselves. Where we fell short in the past was trying to be more instead of focusing on what our role is and what our job is.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
Nevada
Las Vegas motorcyclist dies after crash on 215 flyover ramp
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — An 81-year-old man died after his motorcycle crashed on an eastbound 215 flyover ramp Saturday evening, Nevada State Police say.
The Nevada Highway Patrol responded to the crash at approximately 5:16 p.m. on the eastbound 215 to I-11 northbound flyover on-ramp in Clark County.
According to NHP, a black 2018 Triumph Bonneville T120 motorcycle was traveling eastbound on the flyover ramp in the number one travel lane.
The rider failed to negotiate a curve and traveled right, entering the shoulder and striking a concrete traffic barrier. The motorcycle overturned and the rider was ejected.
William Keith Kolb was transported from the scene to a local area hospital in critical condition and later died that evening from injuries sustained in the crash, police say.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
The Nevada State Police Highway Patrol Southern Command has investigated 26 fatal crashes resulting in 29 fatalities so far this year.
Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.
Nevada
Nevada State Museum in Carson City to debut ‘Riveting America’ exhibit Thursday – Carson Now
As part of the ongoing America250 commemoration, the Nevada State Museum, Carson City will celebrate the grand opening of its newest exhibition, “RIVETING AMERICA: Bringing Together Fabrication, Fashion, and People,” on Thursday, May 14, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m., featuring a special guest presentation by Tracey Panek, historian and director of archives for Levi Strauss & Co.
Located in the “Our Nevada Stories” gallery, the new exhibition explores how everyday objects and the people who used them helped shape Nevada and the American West, highlighting the innovation, resilience, and labor that built industries ranging from mining and ranching to farming and manufacturing. Through artifacts and historic objects, the exhibition examines the untold stories behind the tools, technologies, and working hands that contributed to Nevada’s development and America’s industrial growth.
Panek, who oversees the archives at Levi Strauss & Co. headquarters in San Francisco, is widely recognized for her work preserving and interpreting the nearly 175-year history of one of America’s most iconic heritage brands. During the opening event, she will discuss the importance of corporate archives, the cultural evolution of denim, and the enduring influence of Levi Strauss & Co. on American identity and fashion.
As historian for Levi Strauss & Co., Panek manages the company’s archives as a key corporate asset, supporting designers, executives, and brand teams while also acquiring rare vintage Levi’s garments and historical artifacts. She is also a contributor to the company’s “Unzipped” blog and narrator of the “From the Levi’s Archives” video series across YouTube and TikTok.
“RIVETING AMERICA reflects the stories of the workers, makers and innovators who helped build Nevada and shape the American experience,” said Jen Roger (roh-JAY), Director of Nevada State Museum, Carson City. “As we commemorate America250, this exhibition offers an opportunity to reflect on the ingenuity, resilience, and craftsmanship that helped define both our state and our nation. Having Tracey Panek join us for the exhibit opening brings an exciting and culturally relevant perspective to those conversations, particularly through the lens of a brand like Levi Strauss & Co., which remains deeply connected to American history while continuing to evolve with modern culture.”
The exhibition highlights how objects left behind by past generations provide tangible evidence of Nevada’s history, from Indigenous basket weaving and agriculture to mining, ranching, and industrial labor. Each artifact featured throughout the exhibit reflects themes of creativity, resilience, and hard work that continue to define both Nevada and the broader American story.
The grand opening event is open to the public and is complimentary to attend with museum admission. Additional information about the exhibition is available on the Nevada State Museum, Carson City website.

About Nevada State Museum, Carson City
Located in downtown Carson City inside the historic former U.S. Mint building, the Nevada State Museum brings the story of the Silver State to life through immersive exhibits, historic artifacts, and hands-on experiences. It is located at 600 N. Carson Street in Carson City and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.carsonnvmuseum.org.
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