Nevada

Walker River Tribe gets final $2.4M needed for clean water infrastructure project • Nevada Current

Published

2 years ago

May 20, 2024

Walker River Tribe gets final .4M needed for clean water infrastructure project • Nevada Current

For years, members of the Walker River Paiute Tribe who depend on well water have been plagued by water scarcity, brought on by a lack of infrastructure and funding.

Between aging pipes, pollutants and regional drought, the tribe’s existing water infrastructure has been stretched to its limits — compromising both public health and economic development.

But after seven years of lobbying, the Walker River Paiute Tribe now has the funding it needs for a $12 million water system improvement project to secure a reliable and sustainable water supply for well users on the tribe’s reservation.

In total, the project will provide a comprehensive domestic water supply distribution system for more than 100 residences on the reservation.

Andrea Martinez, the chair of the Walker River Paiute Tribe, said the tribe hopes to complete the project in a little over two years. The project will secure clean drinking water, and expand the tribe’s capacity to add new homes on the reservation.

“This has been a priority for the tribe for years. And we’re fortunate to get funding for this project. It’s really humbling to see this come to fruition. It gives me hope for the next generations of our tribe,” Martinez said.

Last week, the Department of the Interior awarded the Walker River Paiute Tribe more than $2.4 million to construct a domestic water supply for communities solely dependent on well water.

That funding builds on a $5.2 million U.S Department of Commerce economic development grant to the tribe in 2023, a $1 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant for water quality improvements, and $3 million in drinking water state revolving loan funds. The remaining funds would be covered by the additional American Rescue Plan funding awarded to the tribe.

The $2.4 million grant awarded last week will be used to construct a 410,000-gallon water storage tank on the Walker River Paiute Reservation for the project, which will include about 25,000 feet of pipe across the reservation, and a new water line needed to construct housing.

“We’re going to be able to bring our people back home by having this water infrastructure and building out homes. Ultimately, I think that’s going to help our tribe continue to grow and succeed and be fruitful in the future,” Martinez said. “I think once we have the water infrastructure, we’ll be able to see our vision.”

‘Coming back home’

Nevada has 21 federally recognized tribes that span 28 reservations, bands, colonies and community councils. Most reservations in Nevada are remote and face a host of challenges unique to rural communities, including lack of infrastructure, inadequate water treatment facilities, and limited funding.

Tribes in rural Nevada are highly vulnerable to water insecurity because of a lack of access to water infrastructure stemming from policy decisions made in the early days of federal agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation.

Many homes that rely on well water don’t have adequate water pressure for home use, leaving residents with unreliable water access. A report by the Indian Health Service in 2019 noted that low water pressure in Walker River Paiute Tribe housing has led to health risks associated with bacteria growth in stagnant water.

Improvements to water infrastructure can reduce inpatient and outpatient visits related to respiratory, skin and soft tissue, and gastroenteric disease, according to IHS. Based on 2020 data, every $1 spent on water and sewer infrastructure can save $1.18 in avoided direct health care costs for these diseases.

Lack of adequate water pressure on the reservation also means that much of the reservation lacks the water pressure needed for piping fire hydrants, putting the tribe at severe risk of fire damage. Existing water storage capacity on the reservation falls short of meeting current codes for fire suppression, according to the Interior.

“It could have been detrimental to our community if there were fires in areas that didn’t have adequate water pressure,” Martinez said.

Lack of water infrastructure has cost the tribe, both in terms of public health and economic development, said Martinez.

“I think that’s probably one of the fundamental contributors to why we can’t have people come back home and work for the tribe. We talk about leaving the reservation, getting educated, coming back home to help your people and make something better for the tribe. But ultimately, what I have witnessed is that there are no homes for these individuals to come home to,” she said.

A number of current tribal employees are forced to live off the reservation despite a desire to return, due to lack of housing and the necessary infrastructure needed to support those homes, said Martinez.

“It’s just so sad and detrimental to see,” she continued.

The funding for water infrastructure is a huge game changer for the tribe, and will allow the tribe to build more homes and businesses, said Martinez. The tribe is also wrapping up a $1 million water rights settlement with the Bureau of Reclamation that will secure the tribe’s water rights to the Weber Reservoir, and recognize the tribe’s jurisdiction over groundwater on their reservation.

“This is considered a historical settlement for the tribe. I believe it’s been over 100 years that we’ve been fighting for our water,” Martinez said.

Once the water infrastructure project is complete, the tribe can utilize those hard-fought water rights for the tribe’s benefit, she said.

“We can continue to build capacity and become successful, but also build cultural preservation. If we have more citizens living on the reservation there could be a stronger sense of cultural preservation and connection to our traditions and heritage.”

The funding for the $2.4 million grant will come from the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress in 2022. In total, the Department of the Interior announced $147.6 million in funding for 42 drought resilience projects in ten states last week.

In a statement announcing the funding, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland applauded the Biden administration for “making record investments to safeguard local water supplies and build climate resilience now and into the future.”

“By working together in close coordination with states, Tribes and other stakeholders, we can provide much needed relief for communities across the West that will have a lasting impact for generations,” Haaland said.

Source link

Nevada

California school district near Nevada caught up in a dispute over transgender athlete policies – WTOP News

Published

5 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

California school district near Nevada caught up in a dispute over transgender athlete policies – WTOP News

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Lake Tahoe school district is caught between California and Nevada’s competing policies on transgender student…

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Lake Tahoe school district is caught between California and Nevada’s competing policies on transgender student athletes, a dispute that’s poised to reorder where the district’s students compete.

High schools in California’s Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District, set in a mountainous, snow-prone area near the border with Nevada, have for decades competed in the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, or NIAA. That has allowed sports teams to avoid making frequent and potentially hazardous trips in poor winter weather to competitions farther to the west, district officials say.

But the Nevada association voted in April to require students in sex-segregated sports programs to play on teams that align with their sex assigned at birth — a departure from a previous approach allowing individual schools to set their own standards. The move raised questions for how the Tahoe-Truckee district would remain in the Nevada association while following California law, which says students can play on teams consistent with their gender identity.

Now, California’s Department of Education is requiring the district to join the California Interscholastic Federation, or CIF, by the start of next school year.

District Superintendent Kerstin Kramer said at a school board meeting this week the demand puts the district in a difficult position.

“No matter which authority we’re complying with we are leaving students behind,” she said. “So we have been stuck.”

There are currently no known transgender student athletes competing in high school sports in Tahoe-Truckee Unified, district officials told the education department in a letter. But a former student filed a complaint with the state in June after the board decided to stick with Nevada athletics, Kramer said.

A national debate

The dispute comes amid a nationwide battle over the rights of transgender youth in which states have restricted transgender girls from participating on girls sports teams, barred gender-affirming surgeries for minors and required parents to be notified if a child changes their pronouns at school. At least 24 states have laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some of the policies have been blocked in court.

Meanwhile, California is fighting the Trump administration in court over transgender athlete policies. President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February aimed at banning transgender women and girls from participating in female athletics. The U.S. Justice Department also sued the California Department of Education in July, alleging its policy allowing transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams violates federal law.

And Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has signedlaws aimed at protecting trans youth, shocked party allies in March when he raised questions on his podcast about the fairness of trans women and girls competing against other female athletes. His office did not comment on the Tahoe-Truckee Unified case, but said Newsom “rejects the right wing’s cynical attempt to weaponize this debate as an excuse to vilify individual kids.”

The state education department said in a statement that all California districts must follow the law regardless of which state’s athletic association they join.

At the Tahoe-Truckee school board meeting this week, some parents and one student said they opposed allowing trans girls to participate on girls teams.

“I don’t see how it would be fair for female athletes to compete against a biological male because they’re stronger, they’re taller, they’re faster,” said Ava Cockrum, a Truckee High School student on the track and field team. “It’s just not fair.”

But Beth Curtis, a civil rights attorney whose children attended schools in Tahoe-Truckee Unified, said the district should fight NIAA from implementing its trans student athlete policy as violating the Nevada Constitution.

Asking for more time

The district has drafted a plan to transition to the California federation by the 2028-2029 school year after state officials ordered it to take action. It’s awaiting the education department’s response.

Curtis doesn’t think the state will allow the district to delay joining CIF, the California federation, another two years, noting the education department is vigorously defending its law against the Trump administration: “They’re not going to fight to uphold the law and say to you at the same time, ‘Okay, you can ignore it for two years.’”

Tahoe-Truckee Unified’s two high schools with athletic programs, which are located about 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) in elevation, compete against both California and Nevada teams in nearby mountain towns — and others more distant and closer to sea level. If the district moves to the California federation, Tahoe-Truckee Unified teams may have to travel more often in bad weather across a risky mountain pass — about 7,000 feet (2,100 meters) in elevation above a lake — to reach schools farther from state lines.

Coleville High School, a small California school in the Eastern Sierra near the Nevada border, has also long been a member of the Nevada association, said Heidi Torix, superintendent of the Eastern Sierra Unified School District. The school abides by California law regarding transgender athletes, Torix said.

The school has not been similarly ordered by California to switch where it competes. The California Department of Education did not respond to requests for comment on whether it’s warned any other districts not in the California federation about possible noncompliance with state policy.

State Assemblymember Heather Hadwick, a Republican representing a large region of northern California bordering Nevada, said Tahoe-Truckee Unified shouldn’t be forced to join the CIF.

“I urge California Department of Education and state officials to fully consider the real-world consequences of this decision—not in theory, but on the ground—where weather, geography, and safety matter,” Hadwick said.

Copyright
© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Source link

Nevada

Proactive power outage slated for northwestern Nevada

Published

17 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Proactive power outage slated for northwestern Nevada

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Because of heightened fire weather conditions forecast for northwestern Nevada, a proactive outage is slated for Friday, Dec. 19, in Carson City, Clear Creek, Jack’s Valley, Genoa and Glenbrook from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to a NV Energy news release.

The outage would affect about 715 customers, the release said.

During a Public Safety Outage Management event, the utility proactively de-energizes power for customers in high-risk zones to help protect the community and environment from wildfires, the release said.

If weather conditions change, the potential proactive outage will be adjusted or cancelled.

Customers potentially impacted have been notified via phone, text messages and email.

NV Energy will continue to monitor conditions and provide updates.

The outage timeframe includes the duration of the weather event and an estimated time for crews to inspect the lines for damage, vegetation or debris to begin safely restoring power.

The restoration time may change based on weather conditions or if repairs to equipment need to be made.

Source link

Nevada

Meet the 2025 Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada girls soccer team

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Meet the 2025 Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada girls soccer team

First team

Kloe Abdalla, Faith Lutheran — The junior was named the Class 5A player of the year by the coaches and helped the Crusaders win the state title. She is committed to Kansas.

Posie Armstrong, Faith Lutheran — The senior defender was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state champion.

Julia Anfinson, Faith Lutheran — The junior scored 14 goals for the 5A state champion.

Anabelle Coe, Faith Lutheran — The senior was a first-team All-5A league midfielder to help the Crusaders win the 5A state title. She is committed to California Lutheran.

Cate Gusick, Coronado — The senior was named the 5A defensive player of the year for the 5A state runner-up. She is committed to Montana.

Emma Flannery, Bishop Gorman — The senior midfielder was a 5A all-state selection with six goals and 11 assists. She is committed to UNLV.

Allison Kleiner, Coronado — The senior was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state runner-up. She is committed to Vanderbilt.

Emily Marks, Arbor View — The junior was named the 5A goalie of the year and helped the Aggies finish third in the 5A Southern League.

Kenadie Mashore, Doral Academy — The senior goalie was named the 4A player of the year. She recorded 14 shutouts and 141 saves for the 4A Southern Region and state champion.

Daniela Mayorga, Canyon Springs — The senior scored 67 goals, a state record in a season by a player in the top classification (5A/4A), and added 27 assists.

Jazmine McCallum, Coronado — The senior midfielder was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state runner-up.

Alexandra Milano, Coronado — The senior midfielder was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state runner-up.

Olivia Petty, Faith Lutheran — The 5A all-state goalie recorded 74 saves and allowed six goals in 20 games for the 5A state champion.

Allie Rabe, Faith Lutheran — The senior defender was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state champion. She is committed to UC Irvine.

Ella Schultz, Coronado — The junior defender was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state runner-up.

Olivia Stark, Faith Lutheran — The senior 5A offensive player of the year scored 22 goals and added 14 assists for the 5A state champion. She is committed to UC Irvine.

Taylor Takahashi, Coronado — The sophomore scored a team-high 17 goals and added seven assists for the 5A state runner-up.

Sienna Turco, Doral Academy — The senior was named the 4A Mountain League offensive player of the year and scored 50 goals and added 18 assists for the 4A Southern Region and state champion.

Coach of the year

Kurt Divich, Doral Academy – Guided the Dragons to the Class 4A Southern Region and state titles, the program’s first state title.

Second team

Audrey Ancell, Green Valley — The senior was named the 4A Desert League defensive player of the year as the Gators allowed just eight goals in 18 games.

Taylor Bringhurst, Palo Verde — The senior was the 4A Sky League goalie of the year and helped the Panthers reach the state tournament.

Darien Cox, Green Valley — The senior was named the 4A Desert League offensive player of the year and scored 27 goals and 13 assists.

Gianna Davis, Doral Academy — The senior was a 4A all-state defender to help the Dragons win the 4A Southern Region and state titles.

Olivia Gastwirth, Palo Verde — The sophomore was named the 4A Sky League offensive player of the year and scored 34 goals to help the Panthers reach the state tournament.

Olivia Geeb, Green Valley — The senior was named the 4A Desert League goalie of the year as the Gators allowed just eight goals in 18 games.

Devyn Giraldo, Bishop Gorman — The senior was a 5A all-state selection who scored 10 goals.

Peyton Hedstrom, Doral Academy — The junior was a 4A all-state defender who helped the Dragons win the 4A Southern Region and state titles.

Taylor Johnson, Shadow Ridge — The senior was a 5A all-state selection for the state semifinalist. She is committed to Utah Tech.

Brooke Kramer, Liberty — The senior was a 5A all-state goalie. She is committed to UNLV.

Cristal Lara, SECTA — The senior scored 38 goals and led the state with 39 assists.

Elliott Lujan, Faith Lutheran — The senior scored nine goals and had six assists for the 5A state champion. She is committed to St. Mary’s (California).

Alayna Malloy, Centennial — The freshman scored 12 goals for the 5A state semifinalist.

Danielle Morales, Arbor View — The junior was a 5A all-state selection and scored seven goals.

Dasha Rosas, Doral Academy — The junior scored 19 goals and added 18 assists to help the Dragons win the 4A Southern Region and state titles.

Briana Salguero, Equipo Academy — The senior was the 3A region player of the year and scored 29 goals and added 15 assists to help the Yeti reach the state tournament.

Sophia Sachs, Arbor View — The junior was a 5A all-state selection and scored seven goals.

Aleah Warner, Bishop Gorman — The freshman scored nine goals and was a 5A all-league selection.