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Right-Wing Group Files Multiple Voter Challenge Lawsuits in Nevada Counties

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Right-Wing Group Files Multiple Voter Challenge Lawsuits in Nevada Counties


A voter registration form paper copy in the USA is shown up close, with a hand holding a pen about to fill out the sheet.

A right-wing group filed three lawsuits in four Nevada counties over the past several days, challenging local election officials’ failure to process voter roll challenges. 

The lawsuits, which stem from a series of voter challenges submitted by the right-wing Pigpen Project, accuses election officials in Carson City, Storey County, Clark County and Washoe County of refusing to process the voter challenges. The Pigpen Project, a grassroots group started by longtime Nevada-based conservative activist and lobbyist Chuck Muth, filed voter challenges in nearly every Nevada county in June and July, claiming that his organization identified more than a thousand registered voters who should be removed from voter rolls. 

But the lawsuits, filed by the Citizens Outreach Foundation and Muth, claim that these voter challenges were refused by officials in Carson City, Storey, Clark and Washoe counties, in violation of state law. 

These lawsuits come a little over a month after Nevada launched its new statewide unified voter registration system, which stores voter registration data for every registered voter in the state in a singular database, rather than multiple databases for each county. 

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“Instead of having, you know, 17 different systems doing list maintenance for our voter rolls, we have a single system now that allows us to directly manage that information and have a streamlined, unified process across the state for list maintenance,” Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar (D) said in an interview when the new system launched. The new system is meant to keep better records of voter registration, in part to make it harder for third-party groups like the Pigpen Project to challenge county voter registrations rolls. 

In the three lawsuits filed by Muth and Citizens Outreach Foundation, the petitioners are asking the court to force county officials to process the voter challenges. 

Learn more about the Carson City and Storey County case here. 

Learn more about the Clark County case here.

Learn more about the Washoe County case here. 

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UNR tests whether cow manure can help restore Nevada landscapes after wildfires

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UNR tests whether cow manure can help restore Nevada landscapes after wildfires


After decades of cheatgrass-fueled wildfires across Nevada, researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno are testing whether cattle can help restore damaged rangelands by spreading native seeds as they graze.

Cheatgrass, an invasive plant common across the Great Basin, dries out early and can fuel larger wildfires, making it harder for native vegetation to return. UNR postdoctoral scholar William Richardson said the plant helps create a self-reinforcing cycle.

“Cheatgrass grows, it creates more wildfires, that allows more cheatgrass to grow, and it becomes a bigger and bigger issue. That’s why we’re seeing all these mega fires spreading across the Great Basin,” Richardson said.

The challenge continues after flames are out. In Nevada’s arid climate, native plants can struggle to reestablish, while cheatgrass often returns quickly.

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UNR tests whether cow manure can help restore Nevada landscapes after wildfires

“We struggle with getting five to eight inches of rain a year. Trying to restore a native community in those very arid conditions are extremely difficult,” Richardson said.

Ewe won’t believe it: Sheep munch away at Reno’s wildfire worries in Arrowcreek area

Ranchers already use targeted grazing to reduce cheatgrass. Now, UNR researchers are studying whether cattle can also help reseed the landscape. The approach mixes native grass seeds into protein supplements cattle already eat. Researchers then track whether the seeds can survive digestion and be spread naturally across the range after being deposited in manure.

“We’re already using cattle to combat cheatgrass through targeted grazing, and the ultimate goal is to bring native species back across the landscape, so why don’t we combine those two ideas?” Richardson said.

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In lab testing, researchers evaluated special seed coatings designed to help some seeds survive a cow’s digestive system. The results showed certain species could make it through the process and still germinate after being deposited in manure, Richardson said, though some seeds need more protection than others.

UNR tests whether cow manure can help restore Nevada landscapes after wildfires

UNR tests whether cow manure can help restore Nevada landscapes after wildfires

“Some species naturally have a very thin seed coat and require more protection, while others can go through the gut of a cow easy peasy lemon squeezy,” he said.

The project is expected to move into field testing this fall at Horseshoe Ranch near Eureka, where researchers will track whether seeds can not only survive digestion but also establish new plants on the landscape.

“It’s a passive way to restore the landscape. Instead of having to go in with a tractor or seed from an airplane, you can use cows that are already there,” Richardson said.

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UNR tests whether cow manure can help restore Nevada landscapes after wildfires

UNR tests whether cow manure can help restore Nevada landscapes after wildfires

Researchers said the method is not intended to replace traditional restoration work, but to add another tool for land managers and ranchers. If the field trials are successful, they said the approach could eventually help restore thousands — or even hundreds of thousands — of acres across the Great Basin.



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As temperatures rise, HELP of Southern Nevada continues homeless outreach efforts

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As temperatures rise, HELP of Southern Nevada continues homeless outreach efforts












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HELP of Southern Nevada continues homeless outreach efforts | Local Las Vegas | Local























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