HopeFest 8, a fundraiser benefitting cancer patients of Northern Nevada, returned for its eighth year Friday night at the Carson Tahoe Cancer center, but before the fundraiser had even began employees of Carson Tahoe raised $30,000 in the few months leading up to the benefit.

HopeFest’s grand raffle prize is sponsored by Dick Campagni’s Dealership Group. The raffle winner will have a choice of $10,000 cash or a brand-new car from Toyota or Ford.

All proceeds from food, drink, and raffle ticket sales went towards cancer patient support.

These funds benefit the critical needs of cancer patients that go beyond the hospital, such as gas to get to treatment, no-cost lodging at the Merriner Cottages, and help with insurance co-pays and life-saving medications.

Since 2011, the Carson Tahoe Health Foundation has raised over $575,000 in direct patient support.

A total of $166,860.85 has been paid in insurance premiums and co-pays; $191,857.09 has been sent to mortgage, rental, and utility companies on behalf of patients; and $87,000 has been given to patients in the form of gas cards.

Lagunitas Brewing Company donated 100 percent of the beer at the event, so that the money from each drink purchased would go directly towards cancer patients of Northern Nevada.

Different departments of the hospital, such as the Emergency Room, the Cancer Center, and more, took part in the event by dressing up in a theme unique to their department and participating in a parade.

The employees of Carson-Tahoe Hospital's commitment to the event is the most impressive part of the fundraiser, as this year they raised $30,000 on their own through bake sales, "Dunk-A-Doc," a Dayton Rap Rave, Slushy Sales, and more.

Dunk-A-Doc alone raised $2,300 in a few hours. Doctors were put into dunk tanks and people could either do their best to knock them in the old fashion way, with a good throwing arm, or pay $100 to just push the button and drop them in.

"Nurses were lined up in the parking lot waiting to participate," said Director of Customer Experience & Foundation Development Kitty McKay. "They found out when each doctor was going to be going in."

The Emergency Room raised shoe donations as their part in fundraising, because when enough shoes are raised, they are donated to third world countries to help start "micro-entrepreneurs." Then they are rewarded with $1,000, which is donated into HopeFest.

"These are the people cleaning your room, checking you in, ER room physicians; everyone joined in to help raise money for the cause," said McKay.

So far, HopeFest has raised $575,000 since it's beginning in 2010. Normally they net about $120,000 each year.

100 percent of everything that is raised goes directly to serving Northern Nevada and California cancer patients. So far, over 250,000 patients have been served.

This includes putting patients up in the Merriner Cottages at no cost to them while they receive chemo if they cannot afford to travel back and forth from their rural communities to undergo treatment. The funds can also go towards gas, the free Cancer Resource Center, and the treatments themselves.

"What I think is really powerful about HopeFest is that every dollar is for our community. It's for the needs people have that go beyond the hospital. There's not a lot of hospitals that have cottages you can stay for free, or dedicates all these resources to have gas money to get here. It's really very powerful."

Being diagnosed with cancer can be one of the most devastating parts in a person's life, and knowing that there are resources to help can take a lot of worry and stress off of a patient.

"For most people, it's the scariest time in their life," said McKay, "and then to see all of these people who come here to this event, who are strangers to you, to care enough to carry you through your journey, that's the healing."

Last year at HopeFest 7, Tyrone Wells' song "Make it Through" was the anthem of the event, and this year the new anthem he just wrote called "Rise Again" with be the new anthem of the year.

Tyrone Wells is a singer/songwriter in the folk-pop genre from Spokane, WA. His songs have been featured in television shows (Intervention, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Rescue Me, One Tree Hill, The Vampire Diaries) and film (Everyone's Hero, My Sister's Keeper, Rails & Ties). Wells has had the number one iTunes Singer-Songwriter album and has ranked in the Top Ten iTunes overall.

"It's really touching to see the community come out to support in this way," said Chauntelle Murphy, who was attending the event for the first time. "It's so heartwarming to know there are people that are good and supportive of those that need help."

The winners of the Parade will be announced Monday morning.

Carson City emergency crews are en route to the scene of a reported gas leak in the 4300 block of Stampede Way in East Carson City.

According to emergency dispatch, a gas line was reportedly ruptured by a hand tool, such as a shovel or a pick axe, at a residence.

There may be limited access to the area as crews work to repair the line.

Southwest Gas has also been notified.

Have you ever been to a party so enthralling that when you get home, you can’t adjust to your boring walls and your boring cat?

You just spent three days to a week looking at art, listening to your favorite music and connecting with like-minded weirdoes when suddenly your high crashes to the ground when the person behind you at the gas station with the huge truck and Trump sticker goes agro and screams at you to pull up a few feet.

You close your eyes and wish you were back at the fest that brought you so much joy.

Go here for the full story.

UPDATE 9:48PM: Carson City Fire Department has released some fire engines from the brush fire that started at a compost pile at the Stewart prison camp.
***
In the fourth fire call of the day, Carson City Fire Department responded Tuesday night to a brush fire at the Stewart Conservation prison area on Snyder Avenue.

The call came into dispatch shortly before 9 p.m. and was said to be a compost burn pile that had grown into a large brush fire. Fire crews responded and have called for additional water tenders.

This makes the fourth fire call Tuesday for the Carson City Fire Department, which responded to numerous small brush and structure fires that were quickly extinguished.

Fires were reported Tuesday in the 700 block of Greenbriar Drive, the 1100 block of East Long Street, and a brush fire at a construction work site on Highway 50 East.

Fire danger remains high around the region, especially around Carson City, where small sparks have ignited into fires throughout the city.

Fire restrictions for the Carson City area have been in place since July 4.

Fire Restrictions Prohibit:
1. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire (using wood, charcoal or any other material), campfire, or stove fire except a portable stove using gas or pressurized liquid fuel, outside of a developed fee campground or picnic area (except by permit).
2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or at a developed campground or picnic area.
3. Operating vehicles or other motorized equipment off of existing paved, gravel, or dirt roads.
4. Welding, or operating an acetylene torch with open flames, except by permit.
5. Using or causing to be used, any explosive, except by permit.
6. Possession or use of fireworks (always prohibited), or any other incendiary device.
7. Use of tracer rounds, steel-core ammunition or exploding targets while recreational shooting.
8. Open burning (e.g. weeds, brush and yard debris).

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Heading to Lake Tahoe this Labor Day weekend to celebrate the unofficial end of summer? Below are some tips and important information for residents and visitors to keep in mind for a safe and fun-filled holiday weekend.

Fire restrictions are in effect on National Forest lands in the Tahoe Basin. Campfires are only allowed in designated campgrounds with an onsite host, such as Fallen Leaf and Nevada Beach campgrounds. During restrictions, campfires are not allowed at Blackwood Canyon, Luther Pass and Watson Lake campgrounds.

Portable gas stoves are allowed in all areas with a valid California Campfire Permit available at Forest Service offices in South Lake Tahoe, Incline Village and the Taylor Creek Visitor Center or online at www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/.

For a complete list of where campfires are allowed visit the Forest Service website at www.fs.usda.gov/ltbmu. In addition, please remember that personal use fireworks and sky lanterns are illegal because of the fire danger they pose to our communities and forests.

Forest Service rangers have reported increased bear activity at Bayview Trailhead and in Desolation Wilderness and Meiss Country. Bear canisters are recommended in the back country and be sure to remove all food, garbage and scented items from your car before heading out.

Expect crowded conditions on local roads, highways and parking lots. Because of the basin’s high elevation, expect intense sunlight during the day and cooler temperatures at night. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated. If planning to camp overnight, be sure to make reservations ahead of time at www.recreation.gov or www.reserveamerica.com.

Due to the influx of visitors, mobile device networks may be overwhelmed and mobile phones and other devices may not work in some areas. Develop an alternate plan to contact family and friends and have an emergency plan in place in case you cannot call for help.

Expect Lake Tahoe beaches to be much narrower than in previous years, some beaches with vegetation or rocky shoreline may be inaccessible. Arrive early to beat the crowds and use this opportunity to explore new areas.

Consider public transportation as holiday traffic and road construction make for extremely crowded roads and parking areas. Walk, carpool, or bicycle to avoid limited parking in crowded recreation areas. Where parking on the side of the road is allowed, be careful to not park on vegetation as this can cause damage to the environment and can spark a wildfire.

Please respect the rules on where dogs are allowed. Dogs are not allowed on National Forest designated swim beaches including Nevada, Pope, Baldwin, Meeks Bay, and William Kent. For information on where dogs are allowed, visit www.fs.usda.gov/goto/ltbmu/Dogs.

Last but not least, please remember to pack out all garbage and Leave No Trace on your public lands! Carry extra trash bags in case trash cans and dumpsters are full. Do not leave trash outside of the receptacle, take it with you! Learn more about Leave No Trace principles at lnt.org, www.facebook.com/LeaveNoTraceCenter/or twitter.com/leavenotrace.

The Forest Service office in South Lake Tahoe is closed on Monday, September 3, 2018, in observance of Labor Day. Normal hours resume on Tuesday, September 4.

More information on staying safe when visiting your National Forest is available at www.fs.fed.us/visit/know-before-you-go.
For the latest information and updates, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeTahoeUSFS/ and Twitter at twitter.com/LakeTahoeUSFS.

Stay safe out there and have a wonderful Labor Day.

A 31-year-old man was arrested Monday for a vehicle burglary that happened earlier this month at a Research Way fitness center, a Carson City sheriff's deputy said.

Timathie Dean-Simpson was arrested was already in custody since August 23, stemming from an arrest by the Carson City Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement team.

According to the booking report, on Aug. 14, a female victim reported her passenger door was ajar and her purse was stolen from a parking lot at the fitness center. Video surveillance showed a white male open the vehicle door.

A fitness center manager went to a gas station and convenience store at College Parkway and Research where they observed the suspect loitering around the gas station. The suspect was inside the gas station and outside where he was observed pumping gas into a silver SUV. The fitness manager took photographs of the suspect and the vehicle and gave them to law enforcement.

The detective assigned to the case checked the registered owner of the vehicle and learned the person was related to the suspect, the arrest report states.

Deputies later located the missing purse nearby behind the Salvation Army on Research Way. The victim stated she was missing $10 from her purse.

The suspect was listed as in custody and was being arraigned for the drug arrested. The detective escorted the suspect to the investigation office and conducted a recorded interview. He was told he was being investigated as a suspect in a vehicle burglary and was read his Miranda rights. He was shown the photographs of him at the victim’s car and at the convenience store.

The suspect began to cry and admitted he stole the purse from the vehicle, the arrest report states. He told the officer he was walking by the vehicle and saw the purse inside the car. He stated the passenger door was unlocked and he entered the car and took the purse. He stated he only took change from the purse and threw the purse away behind a building. He said he used the change to put gas in the SUV. Bail: $25,000.

In other arrests:
— A 25-year-old Dayton man was arrested early Wednesday for misdemeanor violation of pre-trial conditions.
According to the arrest report, the man is under supervision of the Carson City Justice Court and had a “no alcohol” clause. He was taken to the hospital with a BAC of .30. After he was cleared medically he was arrested for violation of conditions. Bail: $3,000.

— A 22-year-old Carson City man was arrested Tuesday, 7:09 a.m. in the area of North Fall and David streets for a misdemeanor contempt of court warrant issued out of Walker River Township. Bail: $1,065.

— A 29-year-old transient was arrested Wednesday, 9:28 p.m. in the 1200 block of North Saliman Road for misdemeanor suspicion of petit larceny. According to the arrest report, the man stole a tall boy can of Hurricane beer from a convenience store on Rand Avenue and hid it in his pants.

At the time of the arrest the man told the arresting officer: “I can’t believe I’m going to jail over one beer. I took it because I was thirsty.” Bail: $352.

— A 20-year-old Stagecoach woman was arrested Wednesday, 11:50 a.m. in the 1400 block of North Edmonds for suspicion of domestic battery. According to the arrest report, the woman allegedly threw a cell phone, hitting her boyfriend in the face causing bruising and a small cut near his right eye. Bail: $3,137.

— A 56-year-old Carson City man was arrested Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. for a misdemeanor violation of conditions warring issued Aug. 20, 2018 out of Carson City Justice Court. He is being held without bail in lieu of a hearing.

— A 29-year-old Carson City man was arrested Wednesday, 8:38 a.m. in the 1600 block of Spooner Drive for a misdemeanor failure to appear warrant. Bail: $500.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.

Highway 395 from Walker to Bridgeport and State Route 108 over Sonora Pass remain closed Thursday due to the Boot Fire, which remains out of control and burning along the Walker River northwest of Bridgeport in Mono County, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The Boot Fire is burning in steep, rocky terrain approximately nine miles southwest of Walker and 15 miles northwest of Bridgeport, Calif. The cause of the fire is under investigation. As of late Thursday morning the fire is currently 6,706 acres with three percent containment. It was around 3,000 acres on Wednesday afternoon.

Highway 395 remains closed from eastside lane south of Walker, Calif., to the north end of Bridgeport. Both Bridgeport and Walker areas are accessible to travelers, with through traffic detoured into Smith Valley at Holbrook Junction, Nevada State Route 208, in Douglas County, four miles north of the Nevada and California state line. Crews will assist travelers that are looking to detour around the closure.

There are currently 400 personnel on the fire. Thunderstorms are expected to decrease slightly Thursday, however fire behavior continues to be extreme, with low humidity recovery and winds expected for the weekend.

On Wednesday residents and campers were evacuated from recreation sites on Sonora Pass, including the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center. A mandatory evacuation was put into effect by Mono County Sheriff’s office utilizing the “Code Red” emergency notification system for Devil’s Gate Pass, Swauger Creek and Fales Hot Springs, four miles south of US Highway 395 and CA State Route 108 (Sonora Junction).

Fire crews Thursday will continue to improve containment lines using hand crews, dozers, and aircraft to keep the fire west of Swauger Creek, south of Deep Creek, east of the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center and North of Devils Gate, according to the Forest Service.

Evacuations: A mandatory evacuation remains in effect for residents and structures in the area of Fales Hot Springs, Devil’s Gate Pass, and Swauger Creek, and for the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center. Residents are encouraged to sign-up for Mono County Emergency Alert system “Code Red” by registering online here.

Sonora Pass, State Route 108 is closed at the Mono Tuolumne county line to US 395. Go here for updates from Caltrans.

Recreation Sites Closed: Bootleg, Chris Flat, Sonora Bridge, and Leavitt Meadows Campground/Trailhead, and Leavitt Meadows Pack Station. The Pacific Crest Trail is closed between CA SR 108 at Sonora Pass and Highway 4 at Ebbetts Pass.

Meanwhile, the North Fire is burning in the North Fork of the American River Canyon in Placer County, Calif. The fire remains active, having burned more than 1,200 acres of as Wednesday night.

There are 745 personnel on the fire, with a 10 percent containment. Fire officials report the containment lines were holding well.

Current threats are to the northeast and include railroad systems, buried gas lines, the Interstate 80 corridor, Snowflower RV resort and organizational camps at Lake Valley Reservoir.

Smoke from that fire has also contributed to hazy skies in the Lake Tahoe Basin and into western Nevada.

CARSON CITY — Nevada's Public Utilities Commission will hold a consumer meeting to get feedback on plans by Southwest Gas to raise rates for northern Nevada gas customers by 3 percent or nearly $3 a month.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 6 p.m. in Las Vegas and live via video conference at the PUCN Office, 1150 East William Street in Carson City. The public is welcome to address the commission.

The discussion will be on the general rate application of Southwest Gas Corporation, which includes the utility’s proposed rates for ongoing gas pipeline infrastructure improvement costs.

Southwest Gas proposes a statewide general rate increase of approximately $32.5 million. Southwest Gas general rates were last adjusted in 2012.

In Northern Nevada, Southwest Gas has requested an overall increase of 3.0 percent, which would increase the average residential customer monthly bill by $2.96. The PUCN may approve rates as proposed, or decrease or increase rates as necessary to ensure rates are just and reasonable.

In Southern Nevada, Southwest Gas has requested an overall increase of approximately 9.0 percent, which would increase the average residential customer monthly bill by $3.62.

Public comment is limited to the contents of the application and speakers may be limited to five minutes. In addition to staff of the PUCN, representatives of the Nevada Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection and Southwest Gas will be present at the consumer session. For information about the consumer session, contact the PUCN at (775) 684-6101 or (702) 486-7210.

The hearing in this docket is scheduled to begin on Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. Information about this application can be found on the PUCN’s website at puc.nv.gov. From the top navigational bar on the home page, select Dockets, followed by Gas Dockets. Scroll to docket number 18-05031 and click View.

Due to extremely dry vegetation and very high fire danger, Eldorado National Forest Supervisor Laurence Crabtree announced that additional fire restrictions will go into effect that will prohibit recreational target shooting beginning Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. These restrictions will be in effect through Oct. 9, 2018, but could be extended if necessary.

"I am implementing a temporary ban on recreational shooting to provide for public safety and resource protection during hazardous conditions," said Supervisor Crabtree. "It's already extremely dry right now. Our most dangerous fire weather typically occurs in September and October, which is when strong wind events tend to occur, like the one associated with the devastating fires in northern California last fall and the King Fire in September 2014."

Under the additional restrictions, target shooting will be prohibited in all areas of the Eldorado National Forest unless specifically authorized by a special use permit with the forest. Hunting with a valid State of California hunting license during hunting season is exempt from this restriction. Any federal, state or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty is also exempt.

Fire ignitions from target shooting can by caused by sparks when bullets hit rocks or by hot metal fragments that encounter dry vegetation. The Bureau of Land Management, Motherlode field office has had restrictions on recreational target shooting in place since July 13 in areas near the Eldorado National Forest.

All other previously announced fire restrictions on the Eldorado National Forest are still in effect:

— No wood or charcoal fires are allowed outside of exempted recreation sites (see Forest Order) even with a valid campfire permit.

— No smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, building or exempted recreation site.

— Operating a welding or other torch with an open flame is prohibited.

— Operating an internal combustion engine without a properly operating spark arrestor is prohibited.

— Lanterns and portable stoves using gas, kerosene, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel are allowed with a valid 2018 California Campfire Permit available at www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit or from Forest Service offices during normal business hours. (Note: This does not include gas fire pits which are not a stove or a lantern.)

— Those with a valid 2018 wood cutting permit may cut firewood in compliance with the terms of their permit.

Several local shooting ranges provide an alternative location for recreational target shooting. Check out www.wheretoshoot.org/ for suggestions.

For more information on what you can do to prevent wildfires and prepare your home for wildfires go to www.readyforwildfire.org/One-Less-Spark-Campaign/.

As a reminder, fireworks as well as exploding targets are never allowed in the Eldorado National Forest.

Carson City emergency crews are on scene of a reported natural gas leak in the 4000 block of Furnace Creek Road in East Carson City.

According to emergency dispatch, residents in the area reportedly struck a gas line with a backhoe. Gas has reportedly been shut off at the source.

Southwest Natural Gas is en route to the scene to perform maintenance on the ruptured line.

Carson City Fire Department and Southwest Gas were called late Monday morning to a gas line break in the 3900 block of Timberline Drive.

The call came into dispatch at around 11:20 a.m. According to dispatch the reporting party advised they were doing digging work on a driveway and struck a gas line.

Southwest Gas has been notified. The gas line was clamped by the contractor on scene at around 11:30 a.m.

On Wednesday, Sept. 19, the Capital City Arts Initiative will present a talk by artists and writers Andreana Donahue and Tim Ortiz. Their illustrated talk, "Shifting Paradigms" is part of CCAI’s ongoing Nevada Neighbors series and will take place at 6 p.m. at the Union, 302 N Carson St, Carson City.

There will be an informal reception, no-host for Donahue and Ortiz preceding the event at 5:30 p.m. No tickets needed; the public is cordially invited.

In their Nevada Neighbors presentation, Tim Ortiz and Andreana Donahue will discuss specific works from the CCAI exhibitions, Visual Oasis: Works from Creative Growth in the Courthouse Gallery, and Jenny Raven in the Sierra Room.

They will also provide context by tracing the recent history of artists with developmental disabilities (working in progressive art studios such as Creative Growth) converging with the broader contemporary art world and what this means for its future.

Andreana Donahue and Tim Ortiz are the co-founders of Disparate Minds, an interdisciplinary advocacy project dedicated to increasing visibility for and discussing the work of marginalized self-taught artists in a contemporary context.

Through their research, writing, lectures, and curatorial projects, Donahue and Ortiz share insight informed by extensive experience in this field as practicing artists, artist facilitators, dedicated disability rights advocates, and most significantly in building and co-managing a studio for eighty self-taught artists with developmental disabilities in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Disparate Minds is the recipient of a Puffin Foundation Grant and AWB Harnisch Foundation Grant. Curatorial projects include Storytellers at LAND in Brooklyn, Mapping Fictions at The Good Luck Gallery in LA, and an upcoming exhibition at Circle Contemporary in Chicago.

Donahue is a multimedia artist and writer with a BFA in Painting and Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has organized and exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in Alaska, Chicago, Iceland, Los Angeles, NYC, Nevada, and Miami.

Donahue’s project-based practice spans various narratives and media, and reflects an ongoing relationship with the transformation of found materials. Her recent work focuses on abstraction, the history of quilting, and a re-imagining of its utilitarian traditions. Currently based in Las Vegas, she is also an art handler and vocational trainer for employees with disabilities entering the workforce. Donahue is the recipient of a 2018 Nevada Arts Council Artist Fellowship and Vermont Studio Center Artist Grant.

Ortiz is a painter and writer with a BFA from Elmira College in New York. Initially trained in traditional landscape painting and contemporary Photorealism, Ortiz’s work presently reflects a commitment to the practice of painting from a minimalist perspective.

Ortiz began working with adults living with developmental disabilities in 2008. He has developed art programming for Special Education and High School students with Autism, and created art-making sessions for seniors in a psychiatric hospital. He is currently a Certified Nursing Assistant and home/community-based personal care provider for adults with developmental disabilities in Chicago.

As part of their Nevada Neighbors activities, Donahue and Ortiz will speak to art students and faculty at Dayton High School and at Sierra Nevada College.

"Shifting Paradigms" is supported by lead donations from Carson Miller and Nancy Raven.

The Capital City Arts Initiative is an artist-centered organization committed to the encouragement and support of artists and the arts and culture of Carson City and the surrounding region. The Initiative is committed to community planning and building for the area's diverse adult and youth populations through art projects and exhibitions, live events, arts education programs, artist residencies, and online projects.

The Capital City Arts Initiative is funded in part the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust, Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, John and Grace Nauman Foundation, Carson City Cultural Commission, Nevada Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities, U.S. Bank Foundation, and Southwest Gas Corporation Foundation.

For additional information, please visit CCAI’s website at arts-initiative.org.

Carson City Fire Department, sheriff's deputies and the Nevada Highway Patrol responded late Tuesday morning to a report of a gas line break in the area across from Pick-n-Pull, 7777 Highway 50 East.

The call came into dispatch at 10:10 a.m. reporting the break on the north side of the highway where there has been ongoing gas line work. The initial report is that a 2-inch low pressure line was severed causing the natural gas leak. Southwest Gas has been notified and were going to the scene.

Traffic control measures has been put into place due to the gas leak. Motorists are being halted as firefighters work to cap the gas leak. Motorists can expect delays.

UPDATE: 12:24PM: Traffic control has been lifted in the areas of the gas leaks. Southwest Gas is on scene at Forrest Way and firefighters are on stand-by at South Lompa Lane awaiting the gas company.
***
The Carson City Fire Department was dispatched late Friday morning at around 11:45 a.m. to a reported natural gas leak at a residence in the 1600 block of Forrest Way.

Then at about 11:55 a.m., a second gas leak was reported to dispatch at a residence in the 2400 block of South Lompa Lane.

Firefighters at the scene of the Forrest Way gas leak report about a one-inch break in the gas line.

The reporting party of the Lompa Lane leak told dispatch that a trench was being dug when the gas line was struck. Firefighters are en route to the Lompa Lane call.

Carson City Sheriff's deputies are on scene of both gas leaks to provide traffic control in the areas.

Southwest Gas has been notified of both leaks and is responding.

CARSON CITY — The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada this week approved new regulations related to state “Call Before You Dig” requirements for residential and commercial excavation projects.

Prior regulations required residential and commercial excavators to call 811 prior to digging. 811 is a free service that protects homeowners and contractors from unintentionally hitting underground utility facilities while working on digging projects.

Calling 811 connects the digging homeowner or contractor to USA North, Nevada’s 811 call center. USA North notifies the appropriate utility companies of the homeowner’s or contractor’s intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested dig site to mark the approximate locations of underground facilities with flags, paint or both.

The new regulations, approved in Docket No. 18-03027, retain the 811 requirement, and also require residential and commercial excavators to promptly notify emergency 911 services and cease excavation work if damage to a subsurface installation causes the release of any gas or hazardous liquids.

Making the 911 call will trigger a notification to all appropriate local emergency response agencies that damage to subsurface installations during an excavation has occurred and the incident may present an emergency.

“Although the previous regulations required calling 911 under certain circumstances, the regulations now make it clear that emergency 911 services are required to be notified of the release of any gas or hazardous liquid, regardless of how small,” said PUCN Senior Gas Pipeline Engineer Neil Pascual.

See www.usanorth811.org, or www.puc.nv.gov for more information about safe digging.

The Capital City Arts Initiative presents its exhibition, Americana with Cadmium Orange, by artist Gig Depio at the CCAI Courthouse Gallery, featuring a reception this Friday, Oct. 5 at the Carson City Courthouse.

CCAI will host an opening reception in which the public is cordially invited. The event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. with an artist talk on 5:30 p.m. The Courthouse Gallery is located at 885 E Musser Street, Carson City.

In an interview for this exhibition, Americana, Depio described his approach for this series of paintings: “I was initially painting pictures of popular historic towns and landscapes of Nevada.

This idea was partly inspired by the research I was doing for the 40-foot wide Moapa Valley Mural commissioned by the Clark County Public Arts Program. I had come across a culturally dense 600-page book, “Muddy Valley Reflections: 145 Years of Settlement.” by Beezy Tobiasson, who had compiled historical and anecdotal vignettes that captured a richer image of how the early settlers of Nevada had lived.

The book was about how its people persevered in spite of their obstacles and harsh environment, and their settlement eventually grew into an important town of the region in the 19th and early 20th century. As the ideas and sketches progressed, I realized that I had to rethink the scope of Americana — that I had to extend the lessons of an inherited past to its relevance to contemporary American life as we experience it today.” Depio is an artist and an advocate for public art in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He was awarded the 2016 Fellowship Grant in Painting by the Nevada Arts Council (NAC). He has worked on various exhibitions and projects with the Nevada Museum of Art, Nevada Arts Council’s OXS Gallery, and UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum, among others.

Depio graduated from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. He lives in Las Vegas with his family. This exhibition is supported by a donation from the Southwest Gas Corporation Foundation. The Capital City Arts Initiative is an artist-centered organization committed to the encouragement and support of artists and the arts and culture of Carson City and the surrounding region.

The Initiative is committed to community building for the area’s diverse adult and youth populations through art projects and exhibitions, live events, arts education programs, artist residencies, and online projects. The Capital City Arts Initiative is funded in part the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust, Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, John and Grace Nauman Foundation, Carson City Cultural Commission, Nevada Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities, U.S. Bank Foundation, and Southwest Gas Corporation Foundation.

Question 6 in the coming election asks whether Nevada’s Constitution shall be amended to require that, beginning in 2022, all Nevada sellers of retail electricity increase the amount of “renewable” energy resources they use so that at least 50 percent of their electricity comes from those resources by 2030.

We have long supported increasing diversity in energy supplies via economic development of renewables. But the mandates proposed by Question 6 are a big mistake and we strongly counsel voting against it.

Over 40 years ago, Ron wrote a masters thesis assessing the economics and performance issues for the full range of electric generating technologies, from nuclear, coal, oil and gas to solar, geothermal, wind, cogeneration and other alternatives. Subsequently, he testified numerous times as an expert witness in various states in favor of both general renewables policies and specific technologies and projects.

He testified on these matters as a staff witness at the California Energy and Public Utilities Commissions, for public agencies and other commissions, environmental and public-interest intervenors, renewable developers and utilities across the country and even in Hawaii. He also observed critically the progress and development of the renewables industry and the experience with it around the country and internationally.

So, why no on Question 6?

First, this is exactly the kind of matter that does not belong in any government constitution. It is a highly technical matter for which the underlying economics and other factors are subject to unexpected great change that undermines the case for a particular technology.

Government constitutions are best and most effective when they address mainly the structural and procedural basics of government and the fundamental rights and protections of individuals. The American constitution is the best functioning and most ideal model precisely because it is the shortest and is confined to those basic matters.

If this measure is enshrined in Nevada’s constitution, due to the amendment process, it would take at least six years to correct any flaw we subsequently find that needs fixing. Meantime, we’d be stuck with it.

A particular example from energy economics is instructive here. About 1980, natural gas became so expensive in world markets that it was being mostly abandoned by electric utilities for electricity generation. Much government policy treated it as too valuable as a chemical feedstock to be used as an energy source of any kind.

By the mid-1990s, there was a glut of gas, and prices collapsed. In the last decade, its prices have again plummeted due to new producing technologies that were unforeseen, and it has become the fuel of choice.

Policies adopted 40 years ago to discourage using natural gas for energy supply and set prices for renewable technologies have cost consumers large amounts. This is a classic example of the inability of policy makers to anticipate important future developments and the overreach and hubris of much planning and policy. Question 6 may be a bigger disaster for Nevada.

Another problem is that “renewable energy sources” are not even defined in the proposed constitutional amendment. While the measure’s proponents have an idea of what they mean by the term, it is very likely to lead to extensive and wasteful litigation.

The proposed measure would require Nevada’s legislature to pass legislation implementing its constitutional intent. But there are no standards to determine what legislative measures would be necessary, appropriate and sufficient. In short, it is really a bonanza for lawyers to litigate.

Further, the legislature’s fiscal analysts confess they cannot say how this measure would be implemented, nor what implementation would cost the state or consumers. Legislators lack the expertise and focus to decide such matters, so they will be subject to undue influence by lobbyist and their big business clients. That’s the reason public utility commissions were invented and embraced by almost all states to handle such matters.

Experience in other states is generally not very helpful in predicting the effects in another state, because the important facts vary greatly from one situation to another. With one exception: Broad, bold policies are most likely to lead to economic disasters, while careful consideration of specific projects and technologies as they are proposed are least likely to do so.

So, no on 6.

Ron Knecht is Nevada Controller. James Smack is Deputy Controller.

The Capital City Arts Initiative presents its exhibition, "Americana with Cadmium Orange", by artist Gig Depio at the CCAI Courthouse Gallery in Carson City. CCAI will host an opening reception on Friday, Oct. 5, 5-7 p.m. The exhibition will be in the gallery from October 5, 2018 to Jan. 31, 2019.

The Courthouse is located at 885 E Musser Street, Carson City. The reception and the exhibition are free and the public is cordially invited. The gallery is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In an interview for this exhibition," Americana", Depio described his approach for this series of paintings: “I was initially painting pictures of popular historic towns and landscapes of Nevada. This idea was partly inspired by the research I was doing for the 40-foot wide Moapa Valley Mural commissioned by the Clark County Public Arts Program. I had come across a culturally dense 600-page book, “Muddy Valley Reflections: 145 Years of Settlement” by Beezy Tobiasson, who had compiled historical and anecdotal vignettes that captured a richer image of how the early settlers of Nevada had lived. The book was about how its people persevered in spite of their obstacles and harsh environment, and their settlement eventually grew into an important town of the region in the 19th and early 20th century. As the ideas and sketches progressed, I realized that I had to rethink the scope of Americana — that I had to extend the lessons of an inherited past to its relevance to contemporary American life as we experience it today.”

Depio will give a talk about his art practice to Carson High School students in October.

Depio is a painter and an advocate for public art in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was awarded the 2016 Fellowship Grant in Painting by the Nevada Arts Council (NAC). He has worked on various exhibitions and projects with the Nevada Museum of Art, Nevada Arts Council’s OXS Gallery, and UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum, among others. Depio graduated from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. He lives in Las Vegas with his family.

Josie Glassberg wrote the exhibition essay, "American Idol," for "Americana with Cadmium Orange". She is a freelance writer, teacher, and Midwest transplant living in Reno. She attended St. Olaf College for printmaking and enjoys writing about outsider art, earthworks, and The West. In her free time, she practices permaculture and hangs out with her 6-year-old.

This exhibition is supported by a donation from the Southwest Gas Corporation Foundation.

The Capital City Arts Initiative is an artist-centered organization committed to the encouragement and support of artists and the arts and culture of Carson City and the surrounding region. The Initiative is committed to community building for the area's diverse adult and youth populations through art projects and exhibitions, live events, arts education programs, artist residencies, and online projects.

The Capital City Arts Initiative is funded in part the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust, Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, John and Grace Nauman Foundation, Carson City Cultural Commission, Nevada Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities, U.S. Bank Foundation, and Southwest Gas Corporation Foundation.

For additional information, please visit CCAI’s website at www.arts-initiative.org.

Carson City has joined a growing national network of municipalities, other government agencies, utilities, multiple companies, and clean energy advocates in highlighting the benefits of energy efficiency on Friday, Oct. 5, the third annual Energy Efficiency Day.

The city’s proclamation details the economic and environmental benefits that energy efficiency provides for Carson City residents and businesses.

"Energy efficiency helps all Carson City residents and businesses save money, save water, and reduce air pollution," said Mayor Bob Crowell. "The City of Carson City has made great strides in retrofitting our public buildings for energy efficiency."

“We’ve implemented several cost-effective energy efficiency upgrades in our own facilities cutting consumption of electricity by 1,981,826 kilowatt hours (kWhs) and reducing natural use gas by 60,793 therms,” noted Tom Grundy, Senior Project Manager with the Carson City Public Works. “This saves on our operating expenses and also reduces emissions from energy production. 1,539 tons of CO2, 503 pounds of Sulfur Dioxide, and 24 pounds of Nitrous Oxides are avoided through economical energy conservation measures.”

“These measures pay for themselves overtime and produce a good rate of return, both increasingly important factors as we work toward the goal of sustainable economic development that benefits all Carson City residents,” noted Mayor Crowell. “We’ll continue to upgrade to higher efficiency lighting and other end uses as better technologies and products become available and we find additional economical opportunities,” Mayor Crowell added.

“As a resident of Carson City, I’m proud that Nevada’s capital has issued the Proclamation naming October 5th as ‘Energy Efficiency Day’ and is doing its part in the national effort to highlight the importance of using energy more efficiently,” said Anne Macquarie, a community leader and conservationist who has worked with the City on sustainability efforts.

“It would be great if this proclamation and the City’s leadership encourages residents to undertake additional energy savings measures too,” added Macquarie. “I encourage Carson City residents to visit the sustainability page on the City’s website for ideas of how to make our homes more energy efficient and save on energy bills.”

Carson City’s leadership on the issue was praised the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), a public-interest organization promoting greater energy efficiency and clean transportation in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

“Carson City is providing a tremendously important leadership role in advancing the cost savings, economic development, resource conservation benefits derived through more energy efficient products, programs, and practices,” said Tom Polikalas, SWEEP’s Nevada representative. “We look forward to continuing to work with Carson City and other stakeholders in accelerating the transition to a more energy efficient economy, thereby brightening the future of the City, State of Nevada, and nation.”

Visit Carson City’s sustainability webpage: https://carson.org/sustainability. For additional information about the national Energy Efficiency Day: https://www.energyefficiencyday.org/

About SWEEP: The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is a public-interest organization promoting greater energy efficiency in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.

A 44-year-old transient man was arrested early Friday morning at a Carson City casino for felony parole violation for allegedly attempting to possess or sell a stolen vehicle, and a contempt of court warrant.

John Michael Taylor was arrested after deputies were conducting a business check of the casino, and spotted Taylor seated at a gambling machine.

According to the police report, the deputy recognized Taylor from previous law enforcement encounters, and had dispatch run a wants and warrants check.

Dispatch advised Taylor had a warrant for failing to appear in court with a $5,000 cash only bail.

Dispatch also advised Taylor had a parole violation priority 5 warrant for attempting to possess, transfer, or sell a stolen vehicle.

Taylor was taken into custody without incident.

Bail: No bail.

— A 22-year-old Carson City man was arrested early Friday morning in the area of N. Mountain and Ivy streets after a traffic stop revealed he had a warrant out for his arrest.

According to the police report, deputies were patrolling in the area of N. Mountain Street and performed a registration check on a grey Ford sedan. The registration returned as suspended.

Deputies made contact with the driver, who gave his name and ID. Dispatch confirmed the man had a warrant for his arrest for violating a suspended sentence, after failing to provide proof of community service, substance abuse counseling, and DUI school.

He was taken into custody and booked on the warrant as well as driving with suspended registration.

Bail: $1,162 cash only.

— A 36-year-old transient man was arrested in the area of E. Eighth and S. Carson streets early Friday morning on multiple warrants.

According to the police report, deputies were patrolling on S. Curry Street when they observed a man walking behind a closed gas station on Carson Street.

The deputy reported initiating contact with the male, and asked the man for his name. The man gave his name, and told the deputy he probably had three warrants for his arrest.

The deputy conducted a wants and warrants check, which returned with three warrants out of Carson City Justice Court. One for domestic battery, and two contempt of court warrants.

The man was taken into custody and transported to the jail.

Bail: $3,637 cash only.

— A 21-year-old Carson City man was arrested in the area of S. Carson and Fifth streets early Friday morning on a warrant for failing to appear in traffic court.

Deputies noticed a vehicle traveling south on N. Carson Street that did not have front or rear license plates.

The deputy conducted a traffic stop, and the man provided the deputy with a temporary moving permit. However, a records check revealed that he had a warrant for his arrest after failing to appear for a traffic hearing in August.

The man was taken into custody without incident.

Bail: $215 cash only.

— A 40-year-old transient man was arrested Thursday evening on a warrant for failing to appear in traffic court.

The man was arrested after deputies noticed a large RV parked in the parking lot of a Carson City grocery store. There was an SUV parked next to it, and the deputy reported it appeared someone was living inside of the RV.

The deputy performed a registration check on both vehicles, and the SUV returned with a warrant issued for the man, and the registration for the RV had been suspended.

A man was standing outside of the RV, and the deputy asked for his name, which the man gave, confirming the name on the warrant. He was taken into custody, and the deputy advised the other occupant of the RV that it was illegal to camp in an RV within city limits and asked the RV to be moved.

Bail: $970 cash only.

All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) comes from the arrest reports supplied by the Carson City Sheriff's Office, and is considered by law to be public information. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The policy of Carson Now is to name anyone who is arrested for a felony offense.