Nevada
Swarms of ‘Cannibal’ Crickets Invade Small Nevada Town
Elko, Nevada, is playing host to a real life horror movie scenario. The town is experiencing a substantial invasion of Mormon crickets. Thankfully, the imposing insects are not directly harmful to people.
The Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex) is a relatively large flightless and black or reddish insect native to the western half of North America, with adults reaching up to three inches in length. It’s not a true cricket, but belongs to the related group of katydids, or bush crickets. The nickname comes from the role it’s said to have played during the “Miracle of the Gulls”—a supposed event in 1848 when seagulls suddenly emerged to feast on the crickets that were ravaging the crops planted by pioneer Mormon farmers in Utah.
While the tale might be apocryphal, Mormon crickets truly have been a persistent nuisance for humans in the area. Every year or so, a new batch of crickets hatch from eggs laid in the soil. They then group up and migrate throughout the region, devouring whatever vegetation they come across. Their plant-eating rampage often doesn’t reach towns and cities, but unfortunately not this year for the residents of Elko.
“It’s almost like a biblical plague,” resident Dana Dolan told The Associated Press last week. Charles Carmichael, the owner of a local pest control company, told CBC that millions of crickets have likely visited the town of 20,000 this summer.
This year’s invasion probably isn’t the largest ever to befall the region, but it is unusual. Normally, the eggs hatch earlier in the spring, but relatively wet conditions in Northern Nevada over the past winter and spring delayed their arrival while a recent drought in the area might have prompted their hatching now.
The bugs aren’t after humans, nor are they poisonous, but they apparently do smell awful. What’s worse, they’re opportunistic cannibals. Crickets squashed by humans or their cars can drive swarms of their brethren to engage in an impromptu feeding frenzy, creating the sort of visual that nightmares are made of. Hospitals and other busy businesses have also had to deputize employees to scoot away the insects using brooms, leaf blowers, and anything else on hand, though with no lasting success.
Elko’s infestation is expected to die down by mid-August, but it can take time for surges in Mormon cricket populations to stabilize. Outbreaks in the area have been known to last for five to 21 years at a time, according to the Nevada Department of Agriculture, and buried eggs can lay dormant for up to a decade or more.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – March 31, 2025 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) – Giant Mining Corp. (CSE: BFG | OTC: BFGFF | FWB: YW5) (“Giant Mining” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce drilling of Hole MHB-32 (“MHB-32”) continues now surpassing a depth of 800 feet (243.8 meters). MHB-32 is the first hole of the 2025 four-hole diamond core drilling program (the “Core Program”) currently underway for the Majuba Hill Porphyry Copper-Silver-Gold Deposit (“Majuba Hill”) in Pershing County, Nevada.
Figure 1: Azurite, malachite, chalcocite in core from MHB-32: 527 to 537 ft (160.6-163.6 m)
The primary objective of core hole MHB-32 is to expand known zones of copper mineralization and toward a new Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”).
Big Sky Exploration, LLC (“Big Sky”) of Eureka, Nevada, drilled MHB-32, and the hole is being quick-logged and tagged for sampling on-site by Giant Mining geologists (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Drill Team and Equipment on Site for 2025 Drill Program
The core samples from MHB-32 will be securely transported to Giant Mining’s secured warehouse facility in Elko, Nevada. At this location, the cores will undergo systematic sawing and detailed logging to document lithological characteristics, mineralization, and structural features. Following this, the processed samples will be sent to ALS Group USA, Corp. (“ALS Labs”) in Elko, Nevada. At ALS Labs, the samples will undergo rigorous analyses, including assays for copper, silver, gold, and other pertinent elements, to accurately assess the mineral content and support ongoing exploration efforts at Majuba Hill.
David Greenway, CEO of Giant Mining, commented: “We are pleased with the steady progress of our drilling operations at Majuba Hill, a crucial step towards advancing the project toward a new NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate. The scale and potential of this system continue to impress, and this phase of drilling is critical in unlocking further value for our shareholders. It’s also worth noting that copper has recently surpassed USD $5.25 per pound, Gold has surpassed $3,100 per ounce and Silver has surpassed $35 per ounce, the value proposition of our project grows significantly. This increase enhances the in-situ value of our mineralized rock year over year and reinforces the importance of advancing exploration at Majuba Hill, Nevada USA.”
As previously reported in the March 17, 2025 news release, the 2025 Core Program has been designed to follow up on high-grade copper mineralization intersected in breccias from the 2024 core holes MHB-30 (“MHB-30”) and MHB-31 (“MHB-31”) and extend the high-grade copper zones below the historic underground workings (Figure 3).
Texas Longhorns men’s basketball is en route to a near total transformation ahead of next season, starting with the hiring of former Xavier head coach Sean Miller.
The next phase is now developing with the recent opening of the transfer portal, and Texas has already become a possible destination for multiple recruits, with the latest being Nevada transfer Nick Davidson.
According to a report from On3, Davidson has Texas in his top five programs among Clemson, Washington, Virginia and Notre Dame.
Davidson currently sits in the portal as a four-star recruit and the No. 3 ranked center and No. 16 overall player, per On3’s Transfer Portal Industry Ranking. The highly-touted prospect has made a huge jump at Nevada since entering his college career as a three-star recruit and the No. 132 overall player in the class of 2021.
His redshirt junior year at Nevada this past season gave him an extensive resume, as he averaged 15.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 blocks per game across all 33 contests. The 6-foot-10-inch, 238 pound forward additionally posted 50 percent from field goal range and 37.1 percent from three-point range for the Wolf Pack last season.
It seems that Davidson is looking for a home where his talents will be matched on the court after Nevada missed the NCAA Tournament this year, going 17-16 on the season.
Davidson joins a handful of other prospects that have shown interest in Texas after entering the portal, including two Xavier players who could make the flip alongside their former coach. Combined with the potential return of two key Longhorns, Davidson could easily help Texas reach a new level of success.
The Longhorns have still yet to land a commitment out of the portal in the short time since Miller was hired but Davidson could now be the first.
The son of a former Nevada State senator was murdered in a shooting at a Las Vegas-area casino before the alleged teen killer carjacked several drivers and led police on a chase through the streets of Sin City.
Na’Onche Osborne, 23, was mortally wounded inside a garage at the Aliante Casino & Hotel in North Las Vegas, 18 miles north of the famed Las Vegas Strip, early Thursday.
Osborne, the adopted son of former Democrat Senator Pat Spearman, died from multiple gunshot wounds, the Clark County Coroner’s Office announced Saturday, according to KTNV.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of Senator Spearman’s beloved son. This is an unimaginable loss for the Senator and their family, and they are heartbroken,” Spearman’s family said in a statement to the outlet.
“During this difficult time, the Senator and their family ask for privacy as they grieve and support one another. They are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and condolences from friends, colleagues, and the community.”
The suspected killer, identified as Aerion Warmsley, fled the resort before he crashed his car near Interstate 15 and Spring Mountain Road, close to Trump International Hotel Las Vegas.
The 19-year-old allegedly carjacked three vehicles on the roadway and led police on a chase around the city, reaching speeds up to 105 mph, the outlet reported.
During the chase, Warmsley crashed into a bus stop, critically injuring a mother of four.
He also allegedly struck at least one other pedestrian during the crash.
Warmsley was arrested and charged with felony murder with a deadly weapon and robbery, according to court records viewed by The Post.
He is being held at the North Las Vegas Community Correction Center, jail records show.
Police did not provide a motive behind the deadly shooting.
North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown gave her annual State of the City address at the Aliante hours after the murder.
Spearman was defeated by Goynes-Brown during the 2022 mayoral race despite being endorsed by former Vice President Kamala Harris.
The 70-year-old former politician says she adopted Osborne as a teen to “show him a better life.”
“I knew raising him would be a challenge because he was a child who had witnessed violence early in his life, and he would need a strong, loving and supportive home to grow up in,” Spearman said in 2022 after Osborne shot her nephew during a dispute inside the senator’s home.
Osborne shot and wounded his cousin after being confronted for blowing marijuana smoke into the face of a child, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
The then-21-year-old was charged with attempted murder and battery in the shooting of his cousin.
He pleaded guilty to battery with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed weapon, court records indicate.
Spearman says she was left “rattled to the core” by the shooting.
“Na’Onche made a very poor decision and he’ll have to face the consequences,” Spearman told reporters during the height of her failed mayoral campaign. “As a mother, I support the justice system and my son. It is with a heavy heart that my family is impacted by gun violence.”
Spearman was first elected to the state senate in 2012, successfully running for reelection twice before she reached her term limit in February.
In her final term, which began on Feb. 6, 2023, Spearman served as the president pro tempore of the legislative body.
She ran a failed campaign for a US Congress seat in 2020.
Spearman served 29 years in the Military Police Corps of the US Army, retiring in 2007 as a lieutenant colonel.
With Post wires
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