Connect with us

Nevada

Striking gold or striking out? Final hearing on reopening of Nevada County mine continued to Friday

Published

on

Striking gold or striking out? Final hearing on reopening of Nevada County mine continued to Friday


NEVADA CITY — Will mining company Rise Gold Corp. strike gold or strike out in their controversial bid to reopen a historic gold mine in Nevada County? The community should have its long-awaited answer on Friday.

The final hearing to decide if the Nevada County Board of Supervisors will accept Rise Gold’s petition to reopen the Idaho-Maryland mine and certify the environmental impact report (EIR) first started at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Public comment lasted until 7 p.m. with dozens still left to speak. The hearing was continued to Friday morning so everyone could have their voice heard.

“This is not happening here. This is not what we want,” Wendy Thompson told CBS13 after the meeting, where she was the last to give public comment. “There is so much support against the mine. You wish they would just go away and get it.”

Advertisement

There was hardly an empty seat in the packed chamber all day as people cycled in and out to speak at the podium.

The backlash to reopening what was once one of California’s top-producing gold mines has been years in the making. The mine sites sit just a few miles from downtown Grass Valley and right in the middle of a residential area.

“Please do not gamble with the safety and the future of this town that we love,” said one man in public comment Thursday night. “Reject this ill-fated project.”

The mine has been shuttered since the mid-1950s and the argument against reopening it has become fierce throughout the community.

“It’s gold, which has value of its own, no question about it, or quality of life, which is the reason we all live here. For me, it’s about quality of life,” said another man of the argument in public comment.

Advertisement

Back in May 2023, CBS13 reported that the county’s planning commission voted unanimously to recommend the board of supervisors reject both the EIR and the project proposal entirely.

Then, in December 2023, CBS13 reported that the board voted Rise Gold did not have a “vested right” to reopen the mine that they purchased without county approval.

“We already have a legacy of gold mining here and we are still cleaning up after it. And that was 100 years ago,” said Thompson.

The gold rush town largely has one message: mining is our past, not our future.

“We have enough gold. We don’t need to mine anymore in my community or in anyone else’s. Please say no to the mine,” said a young child at the podium Thursday.

Advertisement

The community and advocacy organizations like Mine Watch are most worried about air pollution, access to water and environmental impacts if the mine were to resurrect.

Many in public comment Friday pointed out that environmental advocates have sounded the alarm about the EIR that claims the mine will be safe and responsible, calling the report flawed.

“Do we trust this company who threatens to force a mine opening with a suit? Do we trust them to have our best interests and health in mind?” asked one woman at the podium. “If we are creating additional issues with heavy metals, how is that within the overall context of a community trying to clean up widespread heavy metal contamination for decades?”

If the mine moves back in, some say it will send them packing.

“Everyone will have to ask the question, ‘Do I stay?’ ” Bevan Iredell told CBS13. “I invested in this place. I live here. It’s a nice place to live. I have a house I will draw equity out of. If this looks like it will depreciate that investment, I’m not married to this community. I will sell and move on.”

Advertisement

Following Thursday’s hearing that spanned 10 hours, public comment will pick back up at 9 a.m. Friday at the Nevada County Government Center. It is expected the Nevada County Board of Supervisors will announce its final decision following the conclusion of the hearing.

CBS13 approached the CEO and president of Rise Gold Corp., Joseph Mullin, after the meeting. He did not wish to comment on this story.



Source link

Advertisement

Nevada

45 from Nevada deploying to help in Hurricane Helene aftermath

Published

on

45 from Nevada deploying to help in Hurricane Helene aftermath


About 45 Southern Nevadans are headed to assist with recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Nevada Task Force-1 is one of 28 Federal Emergency Management Administration teams that have been activated to assist efforts in the storm area. The team left Las Vegas about noon Friday.

At least 40 people were killed overnight after Helene came ashore late Thursday east of Tallahassee, Florida, and ripped through several states.

“Currently they have been assigned to report to Atlanta, but this can change,” Clark County Deputy Fire Chief Billy Samuels said in an email. “The anticipated travel time is approximately 30 hours. Typically, these missions are for 14 days, but can be shorter or longer depending upon the need of the communities and the incident.”

Advertisement

The capabilities of the team consists of search, recovery, rescue, heavy rigging, water operations, rescue K-9s, intelligence gathering and whatever else the community needs, Samuels said.

Team members come from the Clark County Fire Department, Las Vegas Fire Department, North Las Vegas Fire Department, Boulder City Fire Department, and Henderson Fire Department, but the team also includes private civilians.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Nevada

Southern Nevada team heading to Atlanta for hurricane response

Published

on

Southern Nevada team heading to Atlanta for hurricane response


LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Friday, Nevada Task Force One was notified of possible deployment to assist in Hurricane Helene.

Program Manager Kenyon Leavitt received an alert notification around 3 a.m. Around 8 a.m., it was upgraded to a Type III activation. According to Clark County, that consists of 45 personnel.

Friday, Nevada Task Force One was notified of possible deployment to assist in Hurricane Helene.(Clark County)

NV-TF1 is one of 28 FEMA teams. It includes personnel from the Clark County Fire Department, Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, North Las Vegas Fire Department, Boulder City Fire Department, Henderson Fire Department, and private civilians.

The county says they are headed to Atlanta. It will take the team about 30 hours to travel and the mission could last for 14 days.

Advertisement

The capabilities of this team consist of: Search, Recovery, Rescue, Heavy Rigging, Water Operations, Rescue K’9s, Intelligence Gathering, etc., and whatever else the community needs.

“We would like to thank all the supporting members on helping get this team out the door,” Clark County says. “We will periodically update Southern Nevada with how their efforts are going.”

Southern Nevada’s Red Cross team is also deploying two volunteers to Hurricane Helene.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Nevada

In August, Nevada sportsbooks generated $25 million in sports betting revenue, a YoY increase

Published

on

In August, Nevada sportsbooks generated  million in sports betting revenue, a YoY increase


On Thursday, the Nevada Gaming Commission reported $25 million in sports betting revenue. That was a notable year-over-year increase for operators in the state. Compared to their numbers from August 2023, the revenue was up 38.2%. That comfortably outpaced a 5.8% rise in the handle to $455.8 million. 

Revenue was down 3% from their figures in July despite a 21.3% upswing in their betting handle. In August, the $4.86 billion handle was down 3.9% compared to their figures in the first eight months of 2023. However, the $289.9 million is up 15.5%. Their 6.4% hold in 2024 is over one percentage point higher. Nevada’s year-to-date totals for state taxes are $19.6 million, roughly $2.6 million ahead of their pace last year.

Where did Nevada sportsbooks see the most wagers in August?

August has Week 0 of college football, NFL pre-season, MLB, and other various sporting events to bet on. While it’s not as busy as the fall, Nevada still saw increased revenue last month. Operators collected more than $8.7 million in revenue in August from football. That was a 72.9% increase from their figures in 2023. Additionally, Nevada’s $84.6 million handle was up 62.2% last year. That also beat their previous record of $72.3 million in August 2019. 

The “catch-all” category took a jump in revenue for August 2024. This includes golf, tennis, soccer, boxing, MMA, and auto racing. Nevada sportsbooks collected $7.6 million in revenue, a 64% YoY increase. Their betting handle from the “catch-all” category in August was $112.3 million. 

Advertisement

This helped Nevada sportsbooks offset a negative shift in baseball wagering last month. Their revenue for baseball in August was 1.8% higher at $9.7 million. However, the betting action from April – August has decreased compared to 2023. Nevada’s $1.14 billion handle in that fourth-month span is down 15.4% YoY. Their $$61.5 million in revenue is also 10% lower.

How did mobile sportsbooks fare in Nevada?

Despite $14.8 million in revenue from mobile sportsbooks in August, Nevada’s 4.7% hold on $313 million worth of wagers is their lowest in 2024. Digital wagering accounted for 61.4% of the total revenue. That is on pace to be the highest percentage since the NCGB first published those figures in 2020. Retail sportsbooks had a 7.1% win rate in August, enough for $10.2 million in wagers from $142.8 million in wagers.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending