Nevada
The week ahead, Jan. 22-28: Warmer weather, more rain in store for Reno-Sparks
The National Weather Service is predicting warmer-than-average temperatures across most of the lower 48 states this week, including northwestern Nevada, with a few more storms hitting the region.
Both Wolf Pack basketball teams will host the Colorado State Rams this week, with the women looking to build on recent success and the men looking to halt their recent skid. Plus, there’s a jam-packed weekend of events in Reno-Sparks and around Lake Tahoe this weekend. Here’s a look at the week ahead for Jan. 22-28, 2024.
Northern Nevada weather, Jan. 22-28
Monday: Rain and wind likely during the day in the valleys, with up to nine inches of snow possible in the Sierra. Snow levels hovering around 6,500 feet. Highs in the valleys in the upper 40s, and in the mid-40s around Lake Tahoe. A chance of precipitation continues overnight, with snow levels dropping to 6,200 feet; overnight lows in the valleys near freezing and into the 20s at higher elevations.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with highs near 48 in the valleys; a decreasing chance of precipitation around Lake Tahoe, with highs near 40. Mostly cloudy overnight, with lows in the 20s and 30s.
Wednesday: More rain on the way for northwestern Nevada, with highs in the 40s; snow levels between 6,000 and 6,800 feet as the day goes on. A continuing chance of showers overnight, with snow levels dropping back down to 6,500 feet. Lows near 30.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with highs between 40 and 50. A slight chance of showers at upper elevations in the evening, with lows near 30 in the valleys and down near 20 at higher elevations.
Friday: Partly sunny, with highs near 50 in the valleys and in the 40s at higher elevations. Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers overnight, with lows in the 20s and low 30s.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-50s in the valleys and in the 40s around Lake Tahoe. Overnight lows in the lower 30s.
Sunday: Partly cloudy, with highs in the upper 50s in the valleys and near 50 around Tahoe. Partly cloudy overnight, with lows near freezing.
Northern Nevada events, Jan. 22-28
Nevada women’s basketball vs. Colorado State, Jan. 23: The Pack looks to extend its three-game win streak in a Tuesday matinee game at Lawlor Events Center, 1664 N. Virginia St. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. For tickets, call 775-348-7225 or visit nevadawolfpack.com.
Moe., Jan. 23: This jam-music band from Buffalo, New York, was one of the first of its kind to earn a national audience. They’ve since toured like crazy and continue to do smaller club tours, with a stop at 8 p.m. at Crystal Bay Club Casino, 14 State Highway 28, Crystal Bay. Tickets are $35-$40. For details, call 775-833-6333 or visit crystalbaycasino.com.
Nevada men’s basketball vs. Colorado State, Jan. 23: Nevada looks to get back to its winning ways as it hosts the Colorado State Rams at Lawlor Events Center. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. For tickets, call 775-348-7225 or visit nevadawolfpack.com.
Bryan Adams, Jan. 24: This longtime rock singer/songwriter and guitarist has earned hits for decades, including “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” “Heaven,” “Summer of ’69” and “Cuts Like a Knife.” The opener is Dave Stewart from the band Eurythmics. It all begins at 7:30 p.m. at Tahoe Blue Event Center, 75 U.S. 50, Stateline. Tickets are $35-$150. For details, call 775-589-2056 or visit tahoeblueeventcenter.com.
“While the Lights Were Out,” Jan. 25-28: Four performances of this comedic murder mystery are set for this weekend at the Reno Little Theater, 147 E. Pueblo St. in downtown Reno. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, with a Sunday afternoon performance at 2 p.m. For details and tickets, visit renolittletheater.org.
Disco Biscuits, Jan. 25-26: Merging the psychedelic rock of the jam-band world with electronic/dance music, this group from Philadelphia has become one of the most distinctive bands in either style. They will play two shows this time, both starting at 8 p.m., at Crystal Bay Club Casino, 14 State Highway 28, Crystal Bay. Tickets are $45 for each show. For details, call 775-833-6333 or visit crystalbaycasino.com.
Spanish Nights, Jan. 27-28: Fans of Spanish guitar have two opportunities to catch Rafael Aguirre and the Reno Philharmonic this weekend at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St. Shows are Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. Tickets are $31-95. For details, call 775-323-6393 or visit renophil.com.
Lewis Black, Jan. 27: Yes, it’s true — this tour for the longtime comedian is called “Goodbye Yeller Brick Road” because he’s retiring. So, expect this caustic but hilarious stand-up artist to really go for it with one more chance to mix societal and political humor. He’ll perform at 8 p.m. at Grande Exposition Hall, Silver Legacy Resort Casino, 407 N. Virginia St. Tickets are $40-$60. For details, call 775-325-7401 or visit caesars.com/silver-legacy-reno.
Hannah Berner, Jan. 27: From podcasts and viral videos to headlining theaters, Berner has a singular, modern take on the stand-up world. She’ll make them laugh at 8 p.m. at the Grand Theater, Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, 2500 E. 2nd St. Tickets range from $30-$45. For details, call 775-789-1115 or visit grandsierraresort.com.
Magique, Jan. 27: The Theatre plays host to a dazzling performance of illusions and special effects by Reno duo Kevin & Caruso. The magic begins at 8 p.m. at 505 Keystone Avenue. Tickets are $45-$200. For details, visit wethetheatre.com.
Lotus, Jan. 27: After a cancellation in 2023, this electronic-meets-jam band is returning to Crystal Bay for this makeup date. It takes place at 8 p.m. at Crystal Bay Club Casino, 14 State Highway 28, Crystal Bay. Tickets are $25-$30. For details, call 775-833-6333 or visit crystalbaycasino.com.
Justin Martin, Jan. 27: One of the more popular DJ/artists in the Bay Area scene, Martin combines bass music with more melody-driven dance music for a distinctive take on music that grooves. He’ll perform at 9 p.m. at Cypress, 761 S. Virginia St. Tickets are $25-$30. Details at cypressreno.com.
Delta Bombers, Jan. 28: This Las Vegas punk/rockabilly band has also been a mainstay of Reno clubs, with a show for this latest tour — which they share with a similar Michigan band called The Goddamn Gallows — starting at 7 p.m. at The Ranch House, 906 Victorian Ave., Sparks. Tickets are $20. Details at facebook.com/30SilverPresents.
Northern Nevada roadwork, Jan. 22-28
Oddie Wells Project: One-way closures on Sadleir Way will be implemented on Monday and Tuesday between North Wells Avenue and Valley Road. For details on the project, visit OddieWellsProject.com.
Southbound U.S. 395 at Panther Valley: The on-ramp at Panther Valley north of Reno will be closed through late 2024 as part of the Nevada Department of Transportation’s work to widen U.S. 395 between North McCarran and Golden Valley Road. Watch for overnight lane closures on 395 through the area for the rest of winter.
I-80 exit 48, Fernley: Southbound US-95A underneath I-80 on the east end of Fernley will remain closed through the end of the year as NDOT continues a retrofit project on interstate bridges in the state.
Eastbound I-80 in Winnemucca: Eastbound traffic will be detoured during daylight hours at West Winnemucca exit 173 through late February while the NDOT makes bridge repairs. Traffic will be diverted between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Nevada has 10 newcomers on the basketball team, but they looked like a cohesive, seasoned group in the season opener.
The Wolf Pack got a strong defensive effort and dominated Louisiana Tech in taking a 77-50 win on Tuesday in front of 7,144 fans at Lawlor Events Center.
Chuck Bailey III led the way with 24 points, but the Pack had a fairly balanced attack as 13 Pack players got in the game.
Tayshawn Comer added 10 points and Elijah Price added nine points and eight rebounds as Nevada started the season 1-0.
Deep bench contributes to win
Bailey said he tried to get “one percent better” every day over the summer and fall.
He attributed the win Tuesday to team toughness, saying anyone on the roster can play and contribute without a drop-off.
“We’re going to play hard on the defensive end,” Bailey said. “We communicate well. That was the most I’ve seen us communicate since I’ve been here. … We have a deep team and we can all play. You can go as hard as you can on the court and you can get a breather.”
Nevada coach Steve Alford pressed throughout the game, something he said he has never done in his previous 34 years of coaching.
“We’re not going to be able to play 12 or 14 guys every game, but we do have the ability to play a lot of guys, throw a lot of people at you,” Alford said. “I’m most impressed with how hard we played. We played very hard and we ‘re starting to establish a physicality to how we play.”
He said the press slowed the Bulldogs’ attack, often forcing them to take up to nine seconds to cross midcourt, meaning the Pack only had to guard for 21 seconds.
It was the first meeting between the schools since 2012, when both were members of the WAC.
Alford said Bailey put in more work than anyone over the offseason.
“He’s ready for this. From when he was at Evansville, very good freshman, then he came here and put in some good minutes, playing behind a lot of old guys, and now it’s his turn and he’s making the most of it,” Alford said. “One game doesn’t all of a sudden make a season, but he’s had this kind of consistency throughout the entire summer and fall, so it’s not surprising he had a game like his.”
He added that Bailey will be likely become a focal point for opposing defenses.
Keys to the game
Nevada’s defense forced 13 turnovers.
The Pack outrebounded the Bulldogs, 45-26. The Pack had 17 offensive rebounds and got 21 points off those.
The Bulldogs had one offensive rebound.
Pack point guard Tyler Rolison did not score, but he had seven assists and two turnovers.
He also made sure other Pack players got in the game late in the blowout, namely Christopher Baudreau.
“His job as a point guard is to win. His job as a point guard is to establish who we are, identity-wise offense and defense,” Alford said of Rolison. “No points and he is yelling at me about Chris with two minutes to go. Sometimes I can’t see the whole bench. He is yelling at me to put Chris in. I don’t know if TR two years ago would have been thinking about Chris. That’s growth. That’s serving a teammate.”
Key stats
The Pack shot 25-of-56 from the floor, and 6-of-20 from the arc. The Pack was 21-of-29 from the free throw line.
The Bulldogs shot 18-of-50 from the field and 3-22 from the arc. Louisiana Tech hit 11-of-17 free throws.
No Bulldogs players were in double figures in scoring.
“As the word gets out, this is a fun team to watch,” Alford said. “It’s an exciting team. There’s tempo to it. There’s excitement to it. Our guys have some good personalities, especially on the defensive end.”
Pack had edge at halftime
Nevada led, 34-18, at the break, shooting 13-33 from the field and 3-11 from the arc.
The Pack had a 26-16 rebounding advantage at the break.
Bulldogs had six blocks in first half and finished with eight; Pack had two blocks in the first half and ended with three.
Sick, injured players as Nevada’s season begins
Alford said Vaughn Weems was not feeling well, but wanted to play anyway and he got 11 minutes on the court.
Pack freshman forward Ethan Coley missed the game with a sprained ankle.
Up next
Nevada hosts Pacific (0-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Pacific opens its season Wednesday against Life Pacific.
The Tigers are led by coach Dave Smart, who is in his second season. Elias Ralph, a fifth-year forward, was named to the 2025-26 West Coast Conference Preseason All-Conference Team.
The Pacific men’s basketball program was predicted to finish 10th in the WCC preseason coaches’ poll.
Nevada’s upcoming games
- Tuesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m. vs. Louisiana Tech
- Saturday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m. vs. Pacific (TV- KNSN)
- Wednesday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m. vs. Southern Illinois
- Saturday, Nov. 15, 4 p.m. at Santa Clara
- Tuesday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m. vs. UC Davis
- Saturday, Nov. 22, 2 p.m. vs. UCSB
- Thursday, Nov. 27, 1:30 p.m. vs Washington at Palm Springs, Calif
- Friday, Nov. 28, vs. Colorado or San Francisco at Palm Springs, Calif
- Tuesday, Dec. 2, 7 p..m vs. UC San Diego
- Sunday, Dec. 7, 2 p.m. at Washington State
- Saturday, Dec. 13, 7 p.m. vs. Duquesne
- Saturday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m. vs. Boise State
- Tuesday, Dec. 30 at Colorado State
- Saturday, Jan. 3 at Fresno State
- Tuesday, Jan. 6 vs. San Diego State
- Saturday, Jan. 10 vs. Wyoming
- Tuesday, Jan. 13 at Utah State
- Saturday, Jan. 17 at Air Force
- Tuesday, Jan. 20 vs. San Jose State
- Saturday, Jan. 24 at New Mexico
- Tuesday, Jan. 27 vs. Grand Canyon
- Friday, Jan. 30 vs. UNLV
- Tuesday, Feb. 3 at Boise State
- Saturday, Feb. 7 vs. Fresno State
- Saturday, Feb. 14 at San Diego State
- Tuesday, Feb. 17 at San Jose State
- Saturday, Feb. 21 vs. Utah State
- Tuesday, Feb. 24 vs. New Mexico
- Saturday, Feb. 28 at UNLV
- Tuesday, Mar. 3 at Wyoming
- Saturday, Mar. 7 vs. Air Force
Joseph Frank was one of the first firefighters to respond to a massive wildfire that broke out on the Walker River Reservation in June 2024.
Temperatures that month were well above average, according to the National Weather Service. It was 90 degrees in Schurz, Nevada that day — 5 degrees hotter than normal for the area — when a lead-acid battery from a Bureau of Indian Affairs building overheated and “kind of blew up,” said Frank.
Fueled by vegetation cooked by record heat and drought in the months prior, the fire quickly spread across 65 acres. It took two days to fully contain, cutting off a portion of U.S. Route 95 and causing the evacuation of all the tribe’s administrative offices.
“We ended up calling out all the municipalities to help us, just because of how intense it was,” Frank said of the June 20, 2024, fire.
Wildfire risk in Schurz is higher than 60% of communities in the U.S., according to data from the U.S. Forest Service. But the Walker River Paiute Tribe’s current water system, built in the 1960s, wasn’t designed to provide the water pressure needed to combat the large wildfires the tribe sees now.
It’s one of the major infrastructure problems that could be solved with a $20 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded to the tribe last winter. But the funding would never come.
Members of the Walker River Paiute Tribe are surrounded on all sides by reminders of their vulnerability to a changing climate.
They see it in the river banks eroded by record floods and the fire-scorched landscape. They see it in the wilting pinon trees and waning pine nut harvest. They see it in the infrastructure that can’t keep up and rising power bills they can’t afford.
Those observations have also turned into plans, and those plans into grant applications for projects that would prepare the tribe and residents of Schurz for a more extreme climate.
It all came together in December when the Walker River Paiute Tribe was awarded $20 million in funding from the EPA’s Community Change Grant, according to Nevada Current. The grant was one of hundreds awarded under the Environmental and Climate Justice Program — a $2.8 billion financial assistance program created by the Inflation Reduction Act under former President Joe Biden.
With the funds, the tribe could execute a multiyear climate resiliency plan to deliver water, energy and food infrastructure to about 1,200 tribal members who live on the Walker River Reservation.
In total, 150 homes would be weatherized and upgraded for energy efficiency and climate resiliency — about 30% of all existing homes on the reservation.
Swamp coolers that aren’t designed to work in 100-degree temperatures would be swapped out for central air conditioning. Insulation and windows that fail to keep out rising heat would be replaced. Rooftops would be repaired and covered in solar panels and battery storage that could keep medication and food refrigerated during summer blackouts.
No one would be left out. The funding would also cover the remaining cost of a planned Community Resilience and Food Storage Hub — a fully electric and solar-powered building with battery storage to shelter the town’s most vulnerable residents during weather emergencies, like floods and extreme heat waves, while increasing food and medication security.
The grant would also fund the last leg of a water infrastructure project that would support dozens of new fire hydrants on the reservation and secure reliable clean water for 425 existing homes and over 100 future homes.
But the January inauguration of President Donald Trump brought new priorities, and a White House crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs funded by his predecessor’s 2022 climate law.
Within five months, on May 1, the $20 million Community Change Grant was officially terminated by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, along with more than 780 other environmental justice grants as part of Trump’s executive order to eliminate DEI across the government.
The tribe only used about $70,000 from the grant before losing access to funding that would have helped the rural community adapt to a rapidly changing climate.
Multiple nonprofits, tribes and local governments sued the EPA, challenging the legality of abruptly terminating congressionally approved funds, but as the case moves through the court system, it’s unclear when — if ever — the funds will be restored.
Fires and floods
Melanie McFalls, the newly elected chair of the Walker River Paiute Tribe, was a month into the job when the EPA first cut off the tribe’s access to the Community Change Grant on Jan. 29. It was one of several grants the tribe would lose in the wake of Trump’s efforts to slash spending and remake the federal government.
Hundreds of emails piled up as McFalls contacted every state and congressional leader she could think of to restore the tribe’s funding.
“I was focused solely on funding cuts, everything else was left on the table because we rely on grant funding. We had to fight for that,” McFalls said in her office, the one she had to evacuate during the wildfire last year with the rest of the tribe’s council.
“We were wondering ‘what else is going to get cut? What’s going to be next? What’s going to happen?’ We had no idea,” McFalls said.
Thirteen years ago, the last time McFalls was chair of the tribe, they didn’t have a climate adaptation plan or an emergency plan for major floods and wildfires. Since then, she’s seen the impacts of climate change piling up on the reservation.
The year before the fire, on May 17, 2023, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) found that flooding on the Walker River caused by record-breaking rain and snowmelt created enough structural damage to the Weber Dam seven miles northwest of Schurz that it “could have potentially progressed into a life-threatening event” for the tribe.
The Walker River flooded for 48 consecutive days between May and June that year, according to the Nevada Division of Water Resources. It was partially caused by a sudden mid-to-late May warmup that quickly melted record-breaking snowpack in the Walker Basin. By July, streamflows into the Weber Reservoir were seven times the average for the time of year.
About a month after finding the damage in the dam, the BIA told the tribe during a community meeting that if the dam’s spillway failed, they would have to prepare for more than three Olympic-sized pools worth of flooding a minute until the reservoir leveled out. The whole town of Schurz would need to be evacuated within 24 hours.
“It just wiped out our riverbanks. Took most of the land around it. Water was going up to some peoples porches. It was kind of scary to see that happen,” McFalls said.
The Walker River Reservation spans 325,000 acres across three Nevada counties — Mineral, Churchill and Lyon — but nearly every home is built along the flood-prone river. That’s because the reservation’s water system uses a gravity-fed storage tank located at the top of a hill that can only move water down to the lowest point in the valley where the river runs.
Before it was terminated, nearly $2 million from the Community Change Grant was reserved for a planned water infrastructure project that would improve water pressure and allow more than a hundred homes to be built at higher elevations further from the river.
“If we could build higher up and we’re out of the flood zone, that’s one less thing for us to worry about,” said Frank, the firefighter, who also serves as the tribe’s project manager.
Heat and energy
By the next year, the precipitation that flooded Walker River in 2023 was gone. Mineral, Lyon, and Churchill counties only received about a quarter of the rain and snow they typically do from April to June, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The drought was accelerated by record-breaking heat in 2024, the hottest year on record. But record-breaking heat is becoming the norm. The past decade has been the hottest in two centuries of record-keeping, NOAA reports.
Heat waves are also becoming the norm. Researchers at NASA found that summer heat waves in the U.S. have roughly doubled in number since 1980, increasing from an average of two to four per month.
Rising temperatures have helped Nevada claim two of the fastest warming cities in the nation — Reno and Las Vegas — but rural areas haven’t escaped the heat. When the fire broke out on the Walker River Reservation in June, the nearest weather tower (about 25 miles away) recorded average monthly temperatures 5 degrees above normal.
Since 1950, average temperatures on the Walker River Reservation have increased by 3 degrees, according to Native Climate, a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded research project to support climate adaptation efforts in Native American communities.
Days over 100 degrees have also tripled on the reservation from an average of five days in 1950, to 20 days in 2025. If emissions continue on their current trajectory, there could be about 40 days over 100 degrees on the Walker River Reservation by the end of the century.
“You can see a huge increase in the number of degree days over 100 degrees,” said Maureen McCarthy, a research professor at Desert Research Institute who led the Native Climate project.
“The extremes are becoming more extreme, in addition to the average temperatures changing,” McCarthy said. “That’s a big impact. We’re not designed to function at 100 degrees.”
The Walker River Housing Department reports that about 44% of homes on the reservation rely on swamp coolers, but evaporative-cooling appliances become less effective at 100 degrees and above. The cost of replacing one with central cooling is also a barrier for low-income households.
Aging infrastructure only makes adapting to rising temperatures and extreme weather more difficult. The Walker River Housing Department reports that two-thirds of homes on the reservation built before 2000 have older, deteriorating roofs and windows that must be replaced to improve climate resilience.
Households on the reservation are already burdened with energy costs that are 24% higher than the state average, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Low-Income Energy Affordability Data tool. They also spend twice as much of their income on energy costs compared to the state average.
Replacing inefficient appliances that increase energy costs can also be difficult for lower-income households, including many on the reservation. The median household income for the Walker River Paiute Tribe is around $40,000 – about 53% lower than the median household income for Nevada. Unemployment is about twice as high, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.
Funding from the Community Change Grant would have covered the purchase of energy-efficient heat pumps, water heaters, induction cooktops, electric ovens and new dryers and refrigerators for 120 homes on the reservation.
“We were devastated when we started hearing all of our funding getting cut because we thought we were going to have these programs,” said Genia Williams, the housing director for the Walker River Paiute Tribe. “There was a lot of work put into it from my grant writers, past chairman, past administrators that worked hard to get this.”
The Nevada Clean Energy Fund — a nonprofit bank created by state legislation — also worked with the Walker River Paiute Tribe to secure the Community Change Grant.
Since becoming the housing director a decade ago, Williams said persistent blackouts have also been a challenge for the rural reservation. The reservation sits at the end of an energy grid, and as demands for electricity rise with more intense summer heat blackouts rise too.
A joint survey by the bank and tribe found that 50% of households surveyed reported experiencing blackouts four to nine times per year, while a third reported experiencing blackouts more than 12 times per year. Two-thirds of households reported that power outages generally last between four and eight hours.
Unreliable power is especially hard on elders who have difficulty operating backup generators, and medically vulnerable residents who rely on ventilators or need to keep medication refrigerated. The Community Change Grant would have allowed the tribe to install solar power and battery storage in 100 of the most vulnerable households.
“We’re just going to have to weather the storm and see what we can come up with and keep moving forward on these things,” Williams said.
Saving graces
The years of planning are not lost, and some of the tribe’s climate resiliency plans are moving forward, but on a smaller scale.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the tribe partial funding in 2022 to build a food distribution center that supports the tribe’s long-term food security and sovereignty plan.
Without the Community Change Grant it likely won’t be at the scale of the Community Resilience and Food Storage Hub the tribe envisioned. The solar panels, battery storage, walk-in refrigerators and freezers the grant would have funded won’t be included in the building, but it’ll take the tribe a step closer to their goal.
“We’ve come through a lot of storms. The one thing about our tribe and our community is that we’ve been able to overcome,” Williams said.
In September, the tribe also broke ground on a water infrastructure project that will add a second water storage tank and nearly 1,600 feet of water lines to the Walker River Reservation. The new “water loop” system will make it possible for about 30 new houses to be built on the reservation, allowing many of the 75 tribal members currently on the housing waitlist to live on their ancestral land and in their community.
Frank, the firefighter, took on the role of project manager for the tribe a year ago. When the EPA revoked the Community Change Grant he said it was a “sickening feeling.”
When the EPA revoked the Community Change Grant the tribe had already completed engineering, procurement, and planning for the project. About three-fourths of the total $15.8 million needed for the project was secured from a combination of federal and state funds.
The EPA grant was the last piece of the puzzle. Without it, the tribe would have to dip into their limited reserves. If they didn’t, their remaining funds for the project would be lost.
“We had a deadline to meet the needs of certain funding requirements, and if this was not met, we would have lost the entire project,” said Frank.
The project couldn’t wait. The existing water systems were built like a tree with branches leading off to nowhere; water lines were not connecting to facilities, which led to some situations where hydrants failed to provide water during an emergency.
Frank, the volunteer firefighter, recalls how one of the fire hydrants on the reservation didn’t work during the 2024 fire that burned 65 acres of the reservation.
“These improvements are not just numbers on the page. They represent safer homes, stronger emergency readiness and peace of mind for every community member who depends on the system every day,” Frank said.
In 2019, the Indian Health Service also determined that low water pressure and stagnant water on the Walker River Reservation posed a public health threat in the form of cross-contamination, bacterial diseases that breed in stagnant water from the ageing infrastructure.
The Walker River Paiute Tribe is deeply affected by persistent drought conditions and has lacked reliable access to domestic water supplies for generations. But the water loop project would allow the community to build long-term resilience to drought by increasing water reserves and improving the distribution system.
A 2022 report by the U.S. Geological Survey showed that drought has caused evaporation of the surface water levels of Walker River down to Walker Lake, limiting the recharge of groundwater levels. Groundwater in the area supplies at least half of the drinking water for the tribe, according to the EPA.
Generations of tribal members have left to pursue education with the goal of coming back and building up their community, but the infrastructure wasn’t there, said Williams.
“This is home for a lot of people. It’s where they grew up, or where their families grew up. Now they can come back,” Williams said.
This story was published as part of the Wake Forest University Mellon Foundation Environmental and Epistemic Justice Initiative (EEJI)
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — With the continued federal government shutdown, the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office wants to warn the public about scammers hoping to take advantage.
Officials said some scammers are impersonating government officials, law enforcement, or financial experts using artificial intelligence, which makes it easier for criminals to create convincing fakes.
“Scammers are always looking to take advantage of those in vulnerable situations – and as Nevadans feel the impacts of the federal government shutdown and changes to social services, we’re urging the public to be on alert,” Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said. “Nevadans should be wary of any urgent requests and always verify who is asking for their money or personal information.”
Scams that involve digital assets, social media, and impersonation are among some of the top threats this year, according to the 2025 Enforcement Report from the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA).
Officials said fraudsters can now clone voices and generate fake videos to impersonate trusted people or organizations, resulting in tricking victims into sharing personal information, transferring money, or granting remote access to devices.
“These scams are increasingly polished, personalized, and difficult to detect until after significant losses occur,” a release said.
The Nevada Secretary of State’s Office offered steps for the public to help protect themselves:
Verify official government communications
Verify that a communication from a federal, state, or local agency or other regulatory body is genuine by contacting their office directly using the contact information on their website.
Call the SOS Securities Division: (702) 486-2440, or reach out to the SEC, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) and FINRA directly. For other agencies, be sure to independently search for contact information rather than clicking on links or calling numbers in the communication you receive.
Check before you invest
Fraudsters might also impersonate legitimate investment professionals — and many use phony personal websites to bolster their credibility. Individuals and companies are required to be licensed in the State of Nevada if they conduct securities business in or from the state.
- Call the SOS Securities Division: (702) 486-2440
- Check online: Search for broker-dealers and their agents here
- Search for investment advisers and their representatives here
Confirm any “urgent” pleas from family and friends
Be on the lookout for scammers using AI technology to impersonate family or friends. AI-generated tools might be able to access personal information about you online or on social media, so be wary of any unsolicited communication asking you to invest your money — even if it sounds like it was written just for you.
No matter how urgent the plea — especially when accompanied by directives such as “don’t tell my ___ [parents/spouse/roommates]” — take time to independently verify the situation before agreeing to transfer money or securities out of your investment account. Consider creating a password or phrase for family members to verify their identity in case of an emergency.
If you think you are a victim of investment fraud, or know someone who might be, the SOS Office encourages you to report it. Report investment fraud at this link.
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Over one month into government shutdown and no end in sight – but predictions run rampant
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Milwaukee, WI1 week agoLongtime anchor Shannon Sims is leaving Milwaukee’s WTMJ-TV (Channel 4)
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News1 week agoWith food stamps set to dry up Nov. 1, SNAP recipients say they fear what’s next
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Alabama1 week agoHow did former Alabama basketball star Mark Sears do in NBA debut with Milwaukee Bucks?
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Culture1 week agoVideo: Tyler Mitchell Breaks Down Three Photos From His New Book
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Culture7 days agoVideo: Dissecting Three Stephen King Adaptations
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Seattle, WA3 days agoESPN scoop adds another intriguing name to Seahawks chatter before NFL trade deadline
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Seattle, WA1 week agoFOX 13’s Aaron Levine wins back-to-back Jeopardy! episodes
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San Diego, CA1 week agoAdd Nick Hundley, Ruben Niebla to list of Padres’ managerial finalists