NEVADA COUNTY — After a series of setbacks, a powerhouse is back online near Lake Spaulding and water is flowing to agencies in Nevada and Placer counties after emergency repairs finished two days early.

People have been asked to voluntarily conserve water for months during two emergency repair projects. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) spokesman Paul Moreno said crews have been working around the clock since they realized there was an issue.

“From the moment we discovered damage at the powerhouse, we made it a priority,” Moreno said.

PG&E said that with the early completion of emergency repairs, partial service was restored near Lake Spaulding.

Repairs on the South Yuba Pipe are going to take longer than expected. Earlier this month, PG&E announced that California’s active fire season was the reason behind another delay in construction. The end-of-August completion date for the pipe repairs is now mid-September. The pipe was initially damaged in February by a rockslide.

“With winter conditions and snow, we couldn’t even get in to carefully assess that situation, let alone start clearing the debris until well into the springtime,” Moreno said. “As soon as we could, we mobilized and began working to make repairs to that South Yuba Pipe.”

Moreno said everything was going smoothly until the special heavy-lifting helicopters they reserve to remove debris were pulled out of rotation by the Forest Service for firefighting purposes.

“There’s not a lot of these helicopters, and there’s not a lot of pilots that are trained to handle these helicopters,” Moreno said.

For residents like Juan Thomas who live in the impacted areas, he said individual homes aren’t seeing drastic shortages yet.

“The people who are really suffering from this are the people downstream from us, the agricultural users who use the raw water for agriculture,” Thomas said.

The Nevada Irrigation District released a graph showing the dramatic drop in water levels to areas like Rollins Lake. While water is flowing again thanks to finished repairs to the Spaulding 1 powerhouse, people who live in the area say they’ve never seen water levels so low.

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – J.D. Vance is hitting the campaign trail after earning the nomination to serve as former President Donald Trump’s running mate.

Vance did not support Trump in 2016, labeling him as “unfit for office” and “dangerous.” But the two quickly built a relationship over the years and now share a spot on the 2024 ticket.

The VP nominee visits Nevada this week, after rallying in Ohio, Virginia and Minnesota. During his visits, he’s delivering a strong message about his stance on abortion, immigration and plans for the working class.

In a statement, Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald says,

“We are excited to welcome Senator and soon to be Vice President JD Vance to the Silver State! It was my honor to meet and speak with him at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee just a few days ago, and I look forward to showing him hospitality as he visits the entertainment capital of the world and The Biggest Little City.

Senator Vance is a strong and inspiring leader. As a tireless fighter against the status quo, proud Marine, and dedicated family man, Senator Vance will be a steadfast and historic partner on the Trump/Vance ticket. He is the embodiment of the American dream, having risen from poverty and a troubled home to be a decorated lawyer, best selling author, and successful entrepreneur.

Senator Vance knows what it takes to pull up your boot straps and get to work. With Vance on the ticket, President Trump is ensuring that his effort to Make America Great Again will continue for years to come. I’m thrilled to introduce Senator Vance to the hardworking and dedicated people of Nevada. The Trump/Vance ticket is the only ticket that will fight for the working class and not political elites.”

Vance will start in Henderson, Nevada on Tuesday before making his way to Reno.

The doors of the Reno-Sparks Convention Center open at 1:30 pm and his speech will start at 4:30. Tickets can be found here.

In a statement, Bruce Parks, the Chairman of the Washoe County GOP adds, “I have yet to speak with any Republican that is apprehensive about J.D. Vance as Vice-President. The overwhelming response has been very positive. I believe J.D. Vance will bring the same excitement that President Trump does. I am hoping that Mr. Vance will emphasize the importance of voter turn-out. I am sure the atmosphere at the rally will be absolutely electric! Unlike a Biden rally, there will be plenty of excitement.”

The 39-year-old, Ohio Senator will remain in Nevada Wednesday for another campaign rally in Glendale, which kicks off at 6 p.m.

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Before joining and helping steer Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada from the end of the Great Recession through a global pandemic and the economic crisis that followed, Deacon Tom Roberts didn’t imagine the career change that placed him at the helm of the organization.

Newly ordained, Roberts was an accomplished gaming executive when he got the nod to temporarily lead the nonprofit after the sudden passing of its former President and CEO Monsignor Patrick Leary in 2012.

Roberts, 63, has led the organization since, recently announcing that he’s retiring at the end of the year.

“It’s been the honor of my life to serve here,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal this week, his voice breaking. “I’ve gotten to do some amazing things in the business world — and I’m proud of every one of them — but I didn’t know that maybe God was preparing me my whole life for this job.”

The 16 programs at the Catholic Charities campus help shelter and feed hundreds of people every day, among other services.

“We’re faith-based, but we’re not the Catholic Church,” said Roberts, adding that the nonprofit doesn’t proselytize or turn anyone away.

Under Roberts’ tenure, the nonprofit’s yearly operating budget grew from $16 million to $50 million, with overhead costs of about 10 percent, he said.

The Meals on Wheels program that delivers meals to 2,500 seniors daily has more than doubled. The food pantry, which most resembles a small grocery store, helps 150 families each day.

The dining room that serves daily meals to hundreds stayed open throughout the pandemic.

The fact that there is hunger in Las Vegas, including from 1,000 seniors on the waiting list for the delivery program, bothers Roberts.

“It shouldn’t be like this, there’s more food consumed in this town than any other place in the world,” he said. “It’s unacceptable to me that people are hungry here. Out of any other place, no one should be hungry in Las Vegas.”

‘Next generation’

Roberts credits his staff of about 300 and the thousands of volunteers for the nonprofit’s successes serving the local population.

“It’s time for me to let this team and the next generation of leaders come forward and take it to the next level,” he said.

Replacing Roberts is a tall order, said John P. Hester, who sits in the nonprofit’s board of trustees.

“It’s not going to be easy to find his replacement,” Hester said. “He’s a good strategic thinker; he also has really good relationships with local, state and federal government officials.”

Then there’s the human element, he added. “I think he’s caring. I think that he’s a good listener, and he looks for opportunities to support folks that come to the agency for services.”

Humble beginnings

Roberts was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. He was only 3 when his father died, devastating his widow and six children.

The dioceses there helped put the children through school. Roberts’ early jobs included cleaning a convent and delivering newspapers with his brothers.

He paid his way through college by working at a grocery store, where he met his wife of 38 years. The firm that developed the shopping center hired him after he graduated.

He was promoted, moved around the country and landed in Las Vegas in the early 1990s, becoming the founding general manager of the Forum Shops at Caesars. He was an executive at the Rio and helped open two gaming properties in Louisiana before returning to the valley as vice president of development for Station Casinos.

After Leary died, Roberts first took vacation and then an unpaid leave to help Catholic Charities as an interim CEO. He was named the official replacement in 2013.

Meeting the people who seek services at Catholic Charities changed his perspective.

“I was totally ignorant,” he said. “I understood what it was like to struggle, but I didn’t understand what it was like to live on the street. My mother kept us together.”

Roberts said he is a firm believer of compassionate care, and understanding individual stories to help eradicate hunger and house more people along with wrap-around services.

“It shouldn’t be painful to get help,” he said, “it shouldn’t be embarrassing.”

At all times, he said, he keeps courtesy cards that map Catholic Charities’ location. When he comes across someone in the streets, he hands one to them along with free bus passes.

“They’re just like you and me,” he said. “Everybody has a story, and if you take the time to listen they can articulate to you what has happened.”

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.