Archives for September 2015

They call it the tesla effect. I’m Debbie Young

Home prices and rents are climbing in the Reno-Sparks area. It’s part of the impact of Tesla and other businesses moving into our area. A recent study called the Epic Report. Three years ago, the median price for a home in Washoe County was $150,000. Today the median price has almost doubled. William Process, President-Elect for the Reno Sparks Association of Realtors tells News 4 that home prices are now at $291,000. He says first time homeowners are being priced out of the market. And, Process says rents are going up just as fast.

Sparks police arrest a man on forgery charges. They say 31-year-old Hector Salinas tried to cash forged checks at Rail City and Baldini’s casinos over the last several weeks. Police used that check to track him to a home in Reno where he was arrested. Police tell KOLO-TV that inside that home they found equipment designed to make fake checks. He faces 84 counts of forgery.

Dozens of retirees have teamed up with the Reno Police Department to give back to the community. Members of the Senior Auxiliary Volunteer Effort are training to respond to non-combative situations like abandoned vehicles or handicap parking enforcement. The volunteers work four hours a week a handful of times each month. 2 News reports the force has saved the city $400,000 in manpower every year.

Big changes are on the horizon for the University of Nevada, Reno. In his State of the University speech, President Dr. Marc Johnson says they’ll need to hire more staff and tailor curriculum towards the high-tech companies moving into the state. Johnson says the school will need to have an improved research program and update its buildings. The university saw record-breaking enrollment numbers this year with nearly 21,000 students.

A longtime supporter of the arts in Nevada has died. Reno’s Artown festival co-founder Tim Jones died of a heart attack Monday. He helped launch the month-long arts festival in Reno two decades ago. Jones was 66.

Local ski resorts are growing anxious for winter to get here. The Mt. Rose Ski Resort says it plans to open at the end of October. El Nino is expected to bring a strong winter to the region, but if that doesn’t work, automated snow guns can do the job for the resorts. KOLO-TV reports the resort hopes to expand across the highway towards Sky Tavern over the next few years.

A former candidate for mayor in Reno pleads guilty to a brutal beating. Police say 76-year-old Larry Pizorno, whose nickname is the “Wolf Man,” hit a man on the head with a gold club. Pizorno claims the man he beat ran over his dog with a bike. The Reno Gazette-Journal reports he faces up five-and-a-half years in prison for the misdemeanor battery charge. He’ll be sentenced in November.

The University of Nevada Reno is seeking more students from Vermont or at least one. The director of admissions tells KOLO-TV that the university has students from every state, but none from Vermont. They’ve launched an advertising campaign in the Green Mountain State that’s aimed at luring students with a free trip to campus. UNR also hopes to suggest a new ice cream flavor to Vermont’s famous Ben and Jerry’s to help promote their school.

Millions will be put towards improving Nevada’s charter schools. The state is one of eight receiving nearly $8 million from the U.S. Department of Education. The money will be put towards a state-level grant program to start new charters and improve student achievement at existing charter schools.

Reno Police are stepping up patrols after what they called a gang-related drive-by shooting Sunday. 2 News reports the bullets narrowly missed two families. The Regional Gang Unit will be out in full force in Northeast Reno trying to ease residents’ concerns. They’re still looking for information that can lead them to the shooter, but say people are often scared to talk in these kinds of cases.