Tuesday Night is for the Big Hearts of Family Soup Mutual Aid

“We're all a lot closer to being out here on the streets than we are in that f***ing City Council building,” said Nicole, 31, pointing towards the local seat of political power this past Tuesday.

While many were watching election results come in last Tuesday, Nicole and other volunteers were distributing food and other essential items to a long line of Reno’s unhoused and neighbors in need. 

As winter swiftly approaches, with colder nights and stormy days, their volunteer group says it could use more assistance.

Nicole and another organizer, who went by an alias Oliver, described how the harsher weather increases the need for vital resources and help from more volunteers.

“We definitely could use more support in winter” Oliver said, and listed items such as hot soup, shelter items like tarps and tents, sleeping bags, blankets, warm clothing, and hand warmers as items that could be life-saving during this time of year. 

“If anybody’s willing to donate any of those things… obviously food is important, but right now keeping people alive [from cold] is the major stressor for us and the folks that come through the line,”  Nicole said. 

The “life-saving items” Oliver went on to say tend to also be the most expensive, and they frequently run out of hand-warmers as well as gloves and socks which can save people’s toes and fingers from frostbite. 

Family Soup Mutual Aid, which just celebrated their four year anniversary, has gone from four friends putting together hygiene packs in a bedroom, to having close to “50 volunteers serving 200 people” on the busiest days. 

Nicole and Oliver emphasized that anyone is welcome to come, and that you don’t even need to bring anything. “Even if you don't have anything to bring, just come out. Feeding people is enough, talking to people, and just treating everyone nicely as your neighbors is important,” said Oliver.

“Please come out,” Nicole added. “We’re all working class people… we all have that in common… that’s the most important thing is that we need to support each other.” 

A volunteer who wanted to go by “K” also spoke to their experience volunteering with the group, describing it as “really eye opening”. Though K felt they were making an impact, she recognized the people “need a lot more” than they are able to provide. Even though, her experience has still been “important”. 

“I think it's important for everyone to get to look each other in the eye. Sometimes I feel like the unhoused population never gets to be paid attention to. So just being able to engage in conversation and look at them like they're people is really important,” she said.

You can volunteer with Family Soup Mutual Aid every Tuesday evening at 5 p.m, at the Believe Plaza located on North Virginia Street, just south of The Row. If you can’t make it but are able to donate, they can be contacted via their Family Soup Mutual Aid social media about drop-off spots they have in the city. 

In times of stress, anger, and anxiety, volunteering can have a profound positive effect on your mental well-being. You also have the ability to create real change in your community, which is especially important when so many in Reno are in need as winter approaches. 

Our Town Reno reporting and photo by Dan Mariani

Jana, Facing Life on the Streets after Losing Her Apartment at Lakemill Lodge

Jana (in photo she shared with us) says she will have to sleep outside tonight and upcoming nights after the Lakemill Lodge where she used to stay was abruptly closed down last week due to safety hazards and she ran out of money.

She used to stay in room 421 and says she hasn’t “received any communications or information about what to do or where to go.”

She says she isn’t get paid until Tuesday night. She has been applying for new jobs but in her current condition she says it’s very difficult.

“How am I gonna get there you know and how am I gonna be able to dress appropriate for the position? If I can’t even access my stuff inside my unit at the Lake now, things are getting really frustrating right now,” she wrote to Our Town Reno.

Jana can be reached on 916-269-9304 but says her phone is only running on wifi. Her email is mscwjlb2018@gmail.com

After being put up for a few days at the Travelodge owned by the same people who own the Lakemill with her remaining rent, she then stayed a few nights at a local America’s Best. Most people staying at Lakemill were paying about $200 a week, much less than what most other motels cost.

She sent us a video of inside her Lakemill room from just a few weeks ago, cramped with possessions and full of scratchers for several of her beloved cats. The business license of the Lakemill has since been suspended, with no indication of when it might reopen.

“I went back to Lakemill to get an update when I was told that if I do not forfeit my tenancy and sign this paper that I would not be receiving my deposit or gain access to my unit,” she writes of trying to get her possessions back. Several former tenants are considering joining a lawsuit.

“I am at a serious loss for what to do. If anybody has ideas, please contact me back with resources or information available I would be truly, truly grateful,” she concluded.  

Our Town Reno reporting, November 2024

Did a local pastor violate IRS law with his pre-election voter guide?

As pointed out to us by a reader who included a YouTube link ( https://www.youtube.com/live/KhtxhlsNm8M?t=4771s) during a recent pre-election sermon at the Calvary Chapel Reno Sparks on Edison Way, Pastor Phil McKay said “We've prepared, our community impact team has prepared for you guys, a voter guide, that is going to hopefully help you to be educated on casting your vote so you know who you're voting for and what you're voting for. Amen.”

The Community Impact website, which has Mckay listed at the top of its about page and the same address as the church, has a 2024 Voter Guide with chosen candidates and answers on ballot questions, from Donald Trump for president to other Republican favored candidates and no on enshrining abortion rights in Nevada’s constitution. 

At the bottom of the Calvary Reno website it mentions Calvary Chapel of Reno Sparks is a 501(c)3 Religious Non-Profit Organization.

However, as 501(c)(3) organizations, churches as well as charities have been prohibited from supporting specific political candidates since the passage of the Johnson Amendment in 1954. 

The Internal Revenue Code provides that, by definition, 501(c)(3) organizations do not “participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.”

Further, the IRS has indicated voter guides are allowed to be prepared or promoted by churches unless they contain a bias for or against one or more candidates, which in this case was clear.  

In recent election cycles, though, as churches have become more obvious about publicly backing candidates, the outlet ProPublica reported the IRS “has largely abdicated its enforcement responsibilities.” 

Our Town Reno reporting, November 2024

Mothers and Other Residents from Abruptly Closed Lakemill Lodge Are Running Out of Money and Options to Be Housed

It’s 4 p.m. today. A biting November wind starts to whip around downtown Reno. Seth, who gave a different name than his real name for fear of reprisal, with a wagon full of his clothes and his Chihuahua perched on top, is pacing back and forth in the parking lot of the Travelodge on Virginia street near the Walgreens.

“I have no idea what my next move will be,” he says, looking distraught.

He has just gotten a knock and told his time at the Travelodge is up as the latest $200 weekly payment he was making to stay at the evacuated and closed Lakemill Lodge has run out.  

Three moms and former Lakemill residents, Lee, Leah and Misty, all wearing friend bracelets they made for each other, text and call each other frantically throughout the day, comparing the evolving plights of the looming homelessness they face.

Owners of the Lakemill, who also run the Travelodge and a local Econo Lodge, said they might be willing to accept old residents back once they are allowed to reopen, but at this point, there’s no telling when that might happen.

Today, residents were going to the Lakemill office to pick up their deposit money.

Residents were all abruptly forced out last Wednesday without any prior notice after syringes and human feces were reportedly found in common areas of the Lakemill. They were given little to no time to pack what they could, “for just a few days,” according to their recollections of what police told them.

A public communications specialist with the City of Reno J. Diego Zarazúa wrote Our Town Reno that “Code Enforcement received a complaint there was rotting food, garbage and people living in the stairwell. Representatives from the Reno Police Department, Code Enforcement and Northern Nevada Public Health conducted a site inspection as a matter of public safety. Tenants were not given notice, as the common areas were inspected based on the complaints received. All four stairwells were deemed a public health and safety hazard and were temporarily condemned causing the unforeseen evacuation of tenants.”

In terms of when the Lakemill might be allowed to reopen,  Zarazúa wrote “Northern Nevada Public Health, Building Compliance and Code Enforcement will re-inspect the stairwells and other parts of the building to ensure the health threat has been remediated. An inspection will be coordinated with the different government entities after the property owner supplies Northern Nevada Public Health with the required remediation plans.” No indication of a timeline was included in the response.  

The attached grocery store remained open today,

Seth has now been told to go back to the evacuated Lakemill Lodge, and get his deposit back in the form of a $100 check, without any indication of where he might be able to sleep.   The walk is at least 20 minutes, so by the time he gets there, it will be too late to walk back to a bank to cash it.

Misty got the knock at her Travelodge temporary room earlier in the day.  Lee, the only one in the trio of mom friends with a car, drove her to Heritage Bank to cash the check.  Cops then took Misty to Lakemill and gave her ten minutes to clear out her room at the motel which is now taped off.  

She then took her own wagon to a Motel 6 by foot, where she’s being charged $50 a night. She used to be homeless and now fears she’ll be homeless again as her money is about to run out.  

Lee got several knocks today from Travelodge staff, telling her her time there is up as well.  She keeps telling them her $800 monthly payment was still good for several more days. After we left, she said she was called on the motel phone saying tomorrow would be her last day allowed at the Travelodge.  After she complained, they gave her until Saturday.

One of the friendship bracelets the trio of mom friends made for each other.

The Lakemill owners are housing people at other lodging locations they own until whatever payments they had for the Lakemill on Mill street run out.

Lee blames them for allowing unsafe conditions at the Lakemill, in the first place, including being permissive of people buying and using drugs in its stairwells, while allowing people who didn’t live there to have loud and late parties in the motel’s parking lots. 

She had been staying there since January since it was way cheaper for her dog and her to stay than in her previous spot, a Siegel Suites where rent was $1400 with the pet deposit. In addition to being cheaper, the Lakemill also had a much bigger space and kitchen area for her living arrangements.  Her mother recently passed away and she was trying to save up to figure out her next move now that her kids are grown up.  

Misty is also a mom, separated from the father of her kids, who wears the friendship bracelets along with a third former resident Leah.

“While we don't have an exact number of Lakemill Lodge tenants displaced, approximately 69 households were provided some service by city staff, city contractors or partner agencies. This includes 24 individuals who were provided transportation by RISE and Karma Box,” Zarazúa wrote.

The three say they’ve received no such help, not even a list of contacts to call to seek help.  

The Tavelodge is one of the places where former Lakemill residents were initially allowed to stay until their latest rent payments ran out.

“The City of Reno HAND staff walked door to door with the task force team to assess family size and potential assistance needed,” Zarazúa also wrote, but the three say they did not get that type of check-in.  “Some households utilized the City’s rental deposit assistance program and were assisted at alternate locations. Some with children were provided alternate accommodations in coordination with Washoe County agencies. Some were provided accommodations at a few local motels, offered by the property owner to tenants who were current on rent payments.”

The three and Seth initially qualified for that last option, until their latest payments ran out.   

In recent days, Leah has been staying at the Econo Lodge, while having to leave behind 10 cats and kittens at the Lakemill Lodge.  She has a teenage son, and he’s been doing an internship at school in sowing, but wasn’t even allowed to go back inside to get his needed equipment.

All three say the forced relocation has cost them most of their savings, having to buy new hygiene products and costly food, since at the new motels they just have tiny fridges and microwaves.

Concerning left behind animals, Shyanne Schull the director of Washoe County Regional Animal Services wrote to Our Town Reno: “We handed out some dog sweaters for some of the smaller dogs and provided cat carriers for those that did not have a way to transport their cats safely.  Additionally, on Friday, we responded again with additional cat carriers, dog sweaters and leashes and dog food.  My team worked with Reno Code Enforcement and the manager of Lakemill Lodge to identify the 5 remaining units that had animals inside.  The animals were safely evacuated from the rooms by Lake Mill Management and Code Enforcement, and to our knowledge, there were not any owned animals left behind.”  

Another group of former Lakemill residents was put up at a Motel 6 but were all kicked out after reports of vandalism and theft.  

“On Monday morning, HAND staff reached out to Motel 6 to confirm that the owner of Lakemill Lodge had arranged for an extension of stay for these residents,” Zarazúa  wrote. “However, the Motel 6 manager informed us that they were no longer welcome at the establishment. The manager cited instances of property damage and noted concerns over occupancy limits, as there were reportedly 4-5 individuals per room, often accompanied by multiple animals of different species.”

Our Town Reno reporting, Nov. 6, 2024

Watch Party Turns Tense at the Emerson in Midtown Reno

There was just a smattering of locals gathered at the Emerson Bar in Reno as election results started pouring in, into the night on Election Day.

Some faced the big projector, which shone bright with red and blue. The voices of CNN reporters John King and Pamela Brown rang throughout the room, but were mostly drowned out by the sound of chatter.

Those seated at the bar with their backs to the big screen shot nervous glances behind them every once and a while. 

Peter Barnato was seated at the bar but turned towards the project screen. He told me that he had come here for past elections, wanting to be amongst friends and community. 

“It’s not as much what’s at stake for me, it’s what’s at stake for my friends and my community,” he said, referring to his LGBTQ+ circles.

As the night went on, the screen showed more and more red. And the patrons of the Emerson, an establishment catering to Reno’s queer community, seemed to grow a bit more quiet. 

Taylor Cerny walked in with a friend, and the two made their way to a little nook with no view of the projector screen. They were just here for the quesadillas and some chatting, they told me. But there was no escaping the CNN anchors that filled the room.

“What’s at stake for me is the right to bodily autonomy, and my rights as a queer person,” Cerny said.

Geeve Iverson sat right in front of the projector, but chose to focus his energy on painting ceramics with his friend and his niece, Leilani. He said he needed something else to focus on than just watching the results coming in. 

“I am fearful of what will happen with the Afforadable Care Act. I have a 26-year-old sister and I’m fearful of what will happen if she needs an emergency abortion,” Iverson said.

At around 8:50 P.M., the ramblings of CNN were muted and replaced with upbeat music. The chatter increased and the glasses started clinking. 

In 2020, there was initially what was called an early red mirage in the results for former Republican President Donald Trump, before he was defeated by President Joe Biden.

Around 9 P.M. with North Carolina going into Trump's column, the path to victory for Vice President Democratic nominee Kamala Harris was getting narrower but still possible.

In Washoe County, a swing county in the battleground state of Nevada, long lines at UNR led to vote counting starting later than expected.

Reporting by Ray Grosser for Nevada Vote

Political Hats Taken Off and Fears of Deep Divisions Expressed During Washoe County Voting

At the Plumas gym on Monroe Street today, with a beautiful golden leafed tree framing the entrance, there was a steady stream of voters throughout the morning on Election Day 2024. 

Jennifer, a 65–year-old retired local ski instructor found the voting experience smooth, opting to vote in person despite receiving her mail-in ballot.

“I think it's really more important for Nevadans than maybe some of the other country,” she said of voting in a swing county in a swing state with razor thin margins in polling for the top of the ticket showdown between Vice President Democratic nominee Kamala Harris versus former Republican President Donald Trump.

“Prices, grocery prices. Kamala Harris has mentioned that a few times,” she said of her own concerns. “It went up during the pandemic and it never really came down. I think the economy is really strong right now. I think the current administration has done a good job. The stock market is doing great. So I'd like to see that continue clearly. Women's rights, women's reproductive rights are top of the top of the ticket, for sure,” she mentioned as her other priorities.  

“Don’t take it for granted that you live in a democracy. It's your right living here in America to vote, and I think it's your duty. It is not hard to register to vote,” she said. Even if not registered yet, voters can do so even on Election Day until 7 p.m. at one of 50 plus local voting centers with local ID.  

“I think because we live in a democracy, and our life here is so comfortable, we get complacent,” she warned. “And just take a look around the world and how some other countries are that don't have that opportunity, you'll appreciate voting a lot more.”

Tyler Thompson (left), a 29-year-old restaurant manager and rap music producer said he voted due to encouragement from his grandfather.  He said environmental issues are at the top of his own concerns. 

“A lot more pressure I feel to vote,” he said of this election cycle.  “A lot more people that usually don't vote are voting and so yeah, it  just kind of feels like everybody's joining together and voting, really exercising their right.”  

He was reminded of electioneering rules, which prevent any voter from wearing political clothing while entering a voting center.  

“It was an interesting father, son, kind of little dilemma in front of me, it was interesting, and a  little chaotic,” he explained. “They were refusing to take off their hats, their political hats. So it was a little interesting, but the staff handled it well.”

Heather Mandel, 71, a self described semi-retired tax accountant from Northern California, emphasized the importance of voting, especially in this transitional period.

Mandel appreciated the new poll pads being used, even though she was hesitant at first. “I was not sure, because I haven't done the machine thing before, but no, it worked fine,” Mandel said.  

Immigration is one of her main concerns.  

“I think we are a country of immigrants, but I really think that there's a legal process available, and I think that should be made sure that that's honestly being made available to people so that we don't have so many illegal [immigrants] feeling they have to break the law to be here. So I think it needs to be, I don't know, streamlined in some way, yeah, but I'm really all about doing things legally and by the law. So, yeah, so that's important to me,” she said.

She says she’s noticed divisions even within her own family.

“Families are divided. Unfortunately, obviously, I'm of the older generation. I have some more conservative views. Doesn't mean I don't love my great nieces and nephews, but because I'll listen to them, yeah, I'll hear them out, but they won't let me talk, you know,” she concluded.

Reporting for Our Town Reno by Joey Azar

Security Guard At Cares Campus Reaches Out, Seeking to Improve Conditions at Massive Shelter

A higher up within the county recently walked through a construction site at the Cares Campus without a construction hat or vest, while everyone else was wearing these, showing disrespect, according to a security guard who reached out to Our Town Reno, wanting to share ideas on how operations at the massive shelter and adjacent safe camp could be improved upon.

These include better arrival pat downs, better allocation of where available money is spent, better food, more communication on rule changes, more transparency for local media, and more showers, laundry rooms and computers for people staying at the massive shelter.

Shifts can be long, often difficult and tense for pay starting at $20.50 an hour, the guard said.

The new Welcome Center (above) is beautiful and extremely expensive and "pretty useless" for the unhoused sleeping at the Cares Campus, according to the guard who wished to remain anonymous for fear of losing their job.

"It looks pretty, but there's a lot more they could have done with that money for the participants for sure," the guard said.

One idea would be to have the Safe Camp have its own shower and laundry area rather than having to walk five minutes every time to the Cares Campus facilities. For one woman missing a leg and using a wheelchair, the guard says, the trek takes half an hour.

"She has to roll across the construction stuff they have there, an asphalt parking lot, up another asphalt ramp until she gets to concrete that's flat," the guard explained on the lack of help for the disabled going to and from the Safe Camp. "It breaks my heart," they said.

The guard stressed better internal and external communications with those sleeping inside as well as the community and media, about what exactly is going on.

"So during their intake, they're being told how our security works, how their bed works, how they can lose it, what programs they have to help or to help get them out of there," the guard explained.

Media is invited on special occasions, but Our Town Reno hasn’t been able to visit on a regular day to see conditions inside. The most recent time we tried, we were kicked out.

Several weeks ago, the guard said a policy was changed not allowing food to be brought in from the outside anymore, resulting in hundreds of dollars worth of food being thrown out.

"We need signage inside. We need posting," the guard explained. "We needed to say when they changed the rule about the food, there should have been a sign no perishable foods, and they should have written in big, bright colors, slap there right on the front of the Welcome Center so that everybody knows coming in, when they change the rules. That is something that I feel like absolutely needs to be done."

Dinner is quite early in the evening, with food which could also be improved, according to the guard.

"I've heard prison food mentioned many times," the guard said.

A Facebook comment indicated this was an example of food being served at the Cares Campus.

Better security such as more stringent pat downs to prevent drugs from getting inside would be helpful as well the guard said.

"We do non-invasive pat downs where it's just the front pants pockets and if somebody has something being detected in the metal detector, we just ask them to remove the stuff. So we try to not search them as much as possible. And I think because of that reason, stuff is still getting in because, they should honestly treat it like, probably like TSA does, take it a little more seriously... Our metal detector, I do not trust that thing at all," the guard said.

Weapons are detected with the current system the guard said, but well hidden drugs aren't.

Some employees were suspected of bringing in drugs previously, which is why they now go through the same lines of security at the entrance as those sleeping there, the guard said.

Disruptions happen from outside as well, including by people shooting guns or launching grenades by the safe camp or recently ramming an entrance gate with a vehicle.

"So all of our guards are on edge all the time and trying to do our best to, like, focus on the security more than anything," the guard said.

The most difficult position is the solitary unarmed guard at the Resource Center, the guard said.

"I think they should get paid at least $5 more an hour than us because it's quite more intense than the rest of the campus. When we have no beds available, they'll send them over to the Resource Center. Before it was closing at 8 o'clock, but now that it's cold, they opened up the overflow. So now pretty much anybody who can't get a bed on the campus will be sent over to the Resource Center to just pretty much sit around and wait for a bed," they told Our Town Reno.

The guard says overall they don't think the training was adequate enough, such as using X-Ray machines, or dealing with different situations which come up.

A basketball court is being built they said, but they would like to see more access to WiFi and clean computers, so people could apply for jobs and resources.

"There's just a couple of computer spots in the Welcome Center, which I think maybe that was the idea that they're going for," the guard said, explaining more rooms like that are needed to get more people staying at the Cares Campus actively working on improving their plight.

When walking around downtown, the guard says they see a lot of people who were kicked out of the Cares Campus or no longer liked being there, and that it makes them sad they weren't able to get more help and that their overall situation hasn't improved. Too few, too slowly, and too rarely do people get housed, they concluded.

Our Town Reno reporting, November 2024

Lowrider Car Culture Keeps Rising and Gaining Respect in Northern Nevada

In his adolescence, Roberto Nerey says he was misguided into becoming a gang member because he believed that’s just what Chicanos did.

However, he decided to leave that lifestyle behind after he started questioning why his uncle never went to jail or why he didn’t even fight. Nerey’s uncle showed him a different side of Chicano life, lowriding.

“It gave me hope that someday I could be free from that bondage of loyalty to the barrio,” he said.

Nerey, originally from Highland, California, has been in Reno, Nevada, since 1976. He started the Reno/ Sparks NV/ Lowrider Council in 2016 to give lowriders a voice. Similarly, Miguel and Arlien Casillas, originally from Southern California, founded Wicked Wayz Car Club in 2013 to give back to the community and build long-lasting relationships.

 “I reverted back to my childhood and did something I loved with my wife. We’ve done it together,” Miguel Casillas said.

Both the lowrider council and car club want to leave a positive impact and help those in need. Nerey’s lowrider council leads by example. One of their goals is to influence the younger generation and direct them down the right path. They volunteer with kids and families around the community.

“Ex-gang members, ex-addicts, ex-convicts, they can become whoever they want. Regardless if they’re 45 years old,” he said of the importance of turning people around in his work.

Arlien Casillas also brought up their car club’s desire to make a difference.

“The whole being in our platform is being able to give back and have everybody fulfill a sense of purpose,” she said. 

The lowriding community has expanded a significant amount in Reno over time. Nerey said that the visibility of the culture wasn’t prominent in the late 80s, but that’s when he remembers there being lowriders around.

When Miguel Casillas first arrived in Reno in 2001, he knew lowriders were here, but he didn’t see much of them. When he did come across them, they were seen downtown. Some struggles came along with a small lowriding community.

“It was difficult because back then, we had to go to Sacramento or San Jose, [the] closest communities to us to be able to do hydraulics, do the paint jobs, upholstery, just to even get wire wheels, 13-inch wire wheels,” Nerey said. “We didn’t have none of that then as we do now.”

As the lowrider community continues to grow, Arlien Casillas said that it’s gaining more respect. However, the community has struggled with discrimination and racism for a long time. 

“Lowriders have gotten historically a bad name,” Arlien Casillas said. “They’ve banned cruising, and they’ve outlawed it… we’re breaking that stereotype of what most people think of lowriders. I don’t even want to repeat what they think of us because I don’t believe it.”

 Nerey said that many stereotypes had pinned them as the bad guys. Local police would arrest people and issue citations during lowrider cruises.

“I could never understand why driving a vehicle or cruising was a crime… we felt like second-class citizens because of the way we were treated,” Nerey said. 

Despite these hardships, the lowriding community has stuck together.

“It’s a lifestyle,” Arlien Casillas said. “We’re all brotherhood.”

She mentioned that their club members are their families. They celebrate holidays, wins, losses, and more together. Family and community are a big part of this way of life.

 This lifestyle was passed down to them through family and friends. It was a culture they grew up seeing as a child.

“I remember as a kid getting inside the car with my uncle, listening to oldies… I’ll never forget when he would take me in his car, and all I ever wanted to do was grow up and have my own,” Nerey said.

He remembers seeing others look at and admire his uncle’s car. Now, Nerey has lowriders of his own. He rides a ’78 Lincoln Thunderbird as well as a ’78 Eldorado Cadillac.

As for the Casillas’, you can find them riding in their ’84 Regal or ’63 Chevrolet Impala. In addition, their son has a ’99 Lincoln.

Arlien Casillas said that building the cars is a never-ending process. Miguel Casillas added that it depends on the modifications one wishes to make to their car. Many aspects go into lowriding, such as using hydraulics, riding low, being quiet, painting murals, and more.

“Art is lowriding, and lowriding is art,” Arlien Casillas said. “Every car is individual, and every car has its own touch, its own look, its own build, its own bill. Every car is a work of art.” 

Casillas said that the lowriders represent individuals, their roots, the Latino community, and one’s heritage through artwork.
“To me, lowriders symbolize a way you can represent yourself,” Nerey said, “The car you build, is who you are on the inside… in terms of your pain, struggles, to your love.”

Looking forward, Miguel and Arlien Casillas want to help wherever they can and assist the community on a larger scale. They hope to expand their car club and get more people involved. 

“Bigger, badder, [and] better,” Arlien Casillas said.

If someone wants to get involved or build their own lowrider, they can reach out and message the Reno/ Sparks NV/ Lowrider Council or Wicked Wayz Car Club.

“We’re willing to share our knowledge and passions with you,” Arlien Casillas said. 

Arlien Casillas mentioned that you don’t need to be a part of the Latino community to take part. Nerey also said that you don’t need to be Chicano or Latino to be involved, as long as you love the culture, are positive and respectful.

 Reporting by Stephanie Navarro Rocha shared with Our Town Reno

Evacuated Lakemill Lodge Residents Consider Lawsuit Against Ownership

After being forced to abruptly leave the Lakemill Lodge on Wednesday due to a sudden enforcement shutdown, former residents have since spoken anonymously to Our Town Reno on the chaos and difficulties they’ve encountered since.

They say they’ve been set up by ownership, Brar Hotels Incorporated, in other motel-type lodgings but that they are seeking legal advice and considering a lawsuit.  

A Kanwal Brar is listed as the Reno-based GM of Brar Hotels Inc. on LinkedIn but did not respond to a message there.   

One former Lakemill Lodge tenant had to leave her cat who had just had new kittens, all inside.  Another had a full fridge and all her costly dog food was also left behind.  One person who had barricaded themselves inside got shot by police on Thursday and transported to a hospital. One tenant was put in with another family, even though she wanted her own room. 

At the time of the forced evacuation, tenants were rushing outside, with whatever they thought of taking, while confused children cried, people working or sleeping were being texted to frantically, and doors were being knocked on.

“We were rushed out like a fire from our rooms by the cops,” one wrote to us in a text message.  

Former residents there described the Lakemill as having challenges, with no AC, and occasional “shady characters” coming through, some not living there and dealing drugs, or sleeping in stairwells, and some not being able to pay for more than a few weeks before being evicted.  

They said there were good sides as well though to living there.  One said she had a portable burner, a lovely counter top oven, and a full size fridge.

More than 100 rooms were reportedly occupied, when Northern Nevada Public Health decided to close it after inspectors found used drug syringes and human waste in stairwells and common areas.  

“Tenants were in the total dark,” of this shutdown happening, one tenant said.  

One rented a nice, large studio apartment for $800, with utilities included. 

“We had wifi too, but they shut that off when they started painting the outside,” she said.  

She said no background or credit checks were needed and that it was a huge savings for her compared to a Siegel Suites on 7th street where she used to have to pay a $1400 monthly rate, including pet fees, for a much smaller studio.  

“The maintenance are awesome....they really did try...they live there too,” she said about staff at the Lakemill Lodge, which had recently gone through an exterior overhaul.

After the evacuation, she said the owners set her up by evening in the Travelodge on Virginia Street near I-80, which she says they also seem to own.

It got off to a rough start though, as she immediately had to get rubbing alcohol to kill off several bed bugs (one shown in photo). Plus, since then, she says she hasn’t been given access to the continental breakfast most other guests are getting at that location.  

She has a car and has been driving people around to different pantries to get food and clothes for others who have been displaced, and are encountering even more difficulties. 

Rent, she says, was paid in two week increments at Lakemill, and her next payment was due next Friday.  She first arrived in Reno after fleeing a California fire which ravaged her old town and now this, she says.  Her boyfriend has a job, and she has a car and lives off of Social Security, but fears for other former neighbors, and how they might end up totally unhoused.  

Our Town Reno reporting, November 2024

Kamala Harris Voters Mostly Confident About Election Results While Rallying in Reno’s Crucial Swing County

Halloween yesterday was accompanied by a short notice visitor, Vice President Kamala Harris. With just a few days before Election Day, the Vice President and Democratic nominee visited the Biggest Little City to rally voters in Washoe County, one of the few swing counties within a swing state in the country.

“It is time for a new generation of leadership in America,” she said at a packed Reno Events Center.

“This is someone who is increasingly unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance and out for unchecked power,” Harris said, drawing applause and a contrast with her opponent in the presidential race, former Republican President Donald Trump.

“If elected, Donald Trump on Day One would walk into that office with an enemies list — when I am elected, I will walk in with a to-do list,” she said.

“We have an opportunity in this election to turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other,” Harris added. “We’re done with that. We’re exhausted.”

The location of her speech was a shift from previous top of the ticket rallies for Trump and the two vice presidential aspirants which were all held in local casinos. As Harris supporters eagerly awaited her arrival, NevadaVote checked the temperature on whether they were confident or concerned with Election Day just around the corner on Tuesday.

Elyse Robertson poses in front of a concession stand at the Reno Even

“I feel confident,” shared Elyse Robertson (above), a veteran attending the rally as Harris predicted victory. “I think after Sunday that a lot of people saw really just how bad MAGA is, and how scary that is. And how Kamala and the other side is healthy for the nation and healthy politics.”

Robertson was referring to Trump’s controversial Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday in New York City, where opening rally speakers were criticized for racist jokes and other affronts, including the comedian Tony Hinchcliffe calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

“Oh, I’m confident. I’ll be concerned the day after if we lose. But in the meantime, I’m staying positive,” said Eloy Hara (in photo below), the business manager of Labor Local 169. Standing with another union worker in custom bright orange Harris t-shirts, Hara spoke to how he is rallying his union not only for Harris, but for Democratic Senate incumbent Jacky Rosen as well.

“We’re, encouraging all of our members, to vote, for, Kamala Harris, Jackie Rosen, and, you know, because we know the way we see the future is they’re going to help us, or she’s going to help us create, new construction, uh, union paying jobs, and that’s why we’re supporting her.”

Hara poses in front of Harris rally line, with shirt reading ¡LIUNA! For Harris Walz Feel The Power. LIUNA stands for Laborers’ International Union of North America

Other Harris rallygoers expressed a mixed bag of confidence and concern. Sue Selle is confident now, but expressed how her feelings have also fluctuated recently.

“I’m feeling really confident. I’ve been concerned, cautiously optimistic, but concerned going into this. But in the last week or so I’ve been feeling a lot more confident,” said Selle, originally from Redding, California. Selle was selling Harris campaign stickers, two for $5, with various slogans on them and a sweatshirt whichread Madam President.

Selle described how her confidence comes from the early ballot returns, and that she also has a “different feeling” about this race.

“I definitely was not feeling this way in 2016. I was, I felt very different, so I think this is a good sign.”

Selle is referencing how in 2016 Trump defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, defying predictions.

Selle poses wearing a ‘Madam President’ sweatshirt, with numerous stickers, with slogans such as “childless cat ladies for Kamala.”

Another attendee feeling conflicted was Lauren who only gave her first name.

“Concerned and confident,” she said, accompanied by an attendee holding a “Republicans Voters Against Trump” sign.

“I can’t, I can’t, can’t, have a bully. I can’t stand the idea of somebody, besides Harris winning, you know. it’s not the people that support him. Some of those people might be good, but he is such a bully,” Lauren said, struggling to speak from being so overcome with emotion.

Warm up speakers included Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve.

In her remarks, Harris said she was the candidate for freedom, protecting civil rights and making costs affordable again. Harris repeated she would “end a tax on tips for service-workers”, despite NevadaVote reporting on the shortcomings of this policy. It’s also being touted by Trump.

Harris and her supporters chanted about “not going back”, before she exited the stage.

Nevada Vote reporting by Dan Mariani shared with Our Town Reno

Lakemill Lodge Shut Down and Residents Evacuated

The Lakemill Lodge was shut down today and its occupants evacuated, after inspectors say they found human waste and hypodermic syringes on site in stairwells and in common areas.

Reno PD said that after being tested needles which were found during the inspection came back positive for fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin.

The City of Reno said it was working with residents who were living there to find temporary housing.

The motel, at the corner of Mill and Lake streets, which has repeatedly been on the radar of code inspectors, will not be allowed to reopen until renovations can be made and health and safety hazards are addressed.

Our Town Reno reporting, October 2024

Washoe County Manager Goes on Medical Leave During Election Organization Upheaval

Washoe County spokeswoman Bethany Drysdale has confirmed County Manager Eric Brown has gone on medical leave, right before Election Day.

"County Manager Eric Brown is on leave for a planned medical procedure, and Assistant County Manager Dave Solaro is acting manager while he is out," Drysdale wrote to Our Town Reno.

Drysdale then asked if we had received "a heads-up about this from a commissioner? I’m sure he could send you the letter," she wrote, which was not the case.

We received a screenshot from a local citizen indicating this leave would be for one month up until nearly the end of November, effective today.

It comes right during a crucial election period, when Washoe County, a swing county in a swing state, could be decisive in the presidential election and in determining the balance of power in the U.S. Senate and Congress.

It closely follows Cari Ann Burgess saying she had been forced to take medical leave, even though she wanted to oversee the election as Interim Registrar of Voters.

Burgess has said she is considering litigation. There has been national attention with different publications writing about the ever changing situation in Washoe County as the election process unfolds.

Our Town Reno reporting, October 2024

Early Voting in Washoe County Has More Technology to Facilitate and Speed Up the Process

Early voting has been underway for nearly a week in Washoe County, with voters using new technology.

Ann Brandt, 61, the manager of the downtown Reno library voting center, said this is the first time locally using “poll pads,” which has streamlined the voter check-in process.

“It’s the newest technology, and it’s been fantastic so far,” Brandt said. She noted that voters have adapted well going all digital for voting and that the new poll pads have assisted the election workers in their jobs as well.

“There’s a bit of an adjustment for voters to get used to signing at an angle, but overall, it’s much smoother than the old paper system,” Brandt added.

When voters arrive at a vote center, they begin their voting journey at an intake station, using the poll pads to confirm their information and sign in. These provide real-time registration information so no time is wasted confirming valid registrations.

While voting, machines can adjusted for zooming in or changing the contrast on the screen, with audio options as well for the sight impaired.

Turnout has been steady since early voting started here last Saturday, the manager said. “We’ve had a line twice, but nothing major,” she said. “It’s a consistent flow of voters, but nothing compared to the busier sites.”

Brandt noted that the highest foot traffic is at vote centers in Spanish Springs, Northwest Reno, Sparks, and in the South Valleys.

Washoe County has an up to date wait-time tracker on its website which can be found here: https://www.washoecounty.gov/voters/2024-election/vote_centers.php

Early voting takes place until November 1st daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at two dozen locations spread around the county.

Brandt started to work as an election worker in 2020, jumping into action after hearing about the lack of poll workers.

She’s since progressed from intake positions to now being the manager at the downtown library. “It’s actually much smoother processing voters with this system than when we used paper,” she said.

It’s a good transition into Election Day, Nov. 5, where it should be much busier.

“Poll workers go through specific training before the polls open, but once they’re here, they really learn on the job,” she said. “There’s a classroom element to the training, but nothing prepares you for actually working the floor on Election Day.”

Some sites like at the library require extra work.

“This is an unsecured site, so we have to break down the equipment at the end of each day, lock it up, and set it back up in the morning,” Brandt explained.

“Each day, we go through chain-of-custody paperwork to ensure everything has remained secure overnight. It’s a lot of work, but it’s all part of making sure the voting process runs the way we want it to.”

Safety and security remain a priority at the downtown site. Poll workers have been trained to act quickly in case of an emergency, not only for themselves and the voters, but for the ballots as well. “We’re trained to evacuate quickly if needed, and our priority would be to secure voting materials if time allows.”

Brandt added that she doubts they will ever have to act on their emergency procedures. “We’ve never had any real threats or safety issues at this location.”

In case of an emergency, Brandt mentioned their use of a Centurion emergency lanyard, a device that, with the click of a button, would dispatch a unit from the Washoe County Sheriff’s office immediately to their location. For more localized safety, there is a library security guard.

“We’re here to help people vote and make sure it’s as easy as possible,” Brandt concluded. “Every vote is important, especially in a place like Washoe County, and we’re doing everything we can to make sure the process goes smoothly from start to finish.”

Reporting by Joey Azar and NH Sajjad for Nevada Vote shared with Our Town Reno

Reno Discloses Sexting from Former City Code Enforcer, Current Trustee Alex Woodley's Official Phone

After seeking records of Alex Woodley’s City of Reno phone records for the past two years when he was Code Enforcement director, Our Town Reno received these screenshots in a redacted folder from what was his official phone, including one which appears to be of male genitalia.

We emailed Woodley, who is an elected Washoe County School Board Trustee for a comment, but did not hear back.

“Trustee Alex Woodley is a duly elected official,” Chad Hartley, from the Washoe County School District, wrote back to Our Town Reno when asked about this most recent development. “Any questions regarding his personal matters or any associated allegations need to be directed to him or his previous employer.”

The City of Reno says Woodley resigned earlier this month from the high level well paid job but did not give a reason why. Woodley had worked two decades with the city until his resignation and has served on multiple local boards. His last Transparent Nevada Reno salary in 2021 had him at over $238,000 in pay and benefits.

Woodley was elected to the Washoe County School Board of Trustees seat for District E in June after initially being selected to that seat to replace Angie Taylor who departed midterm several years ago.

Woodley’s LinkedIn now has him listed as retired. A week ago he wrote “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Retired at Freelance!” which got positive reactions from 77 people and 39 congratulatory comments.

Included in the information provided by the City of Reno were multiple videos of women dressed in racy outfits but without any audio.

There were also text messages, some of which were to arrange dates at local casinos during weekday daytime hours.

Woodley also exchanged texts related to his campaign for the Trustee position on his city phone.

Most of the photos provided to Our Town Reno were in a non redacted folder and consisted of photos documenting his work as director of code enforcement.

Several of the text messages appear to indicate city staff put pressure on Woodley to execute or dismiss certain actions to favor developers.

Our Town Reno has asked for additional text messages written between Woodley and a lawyer for Jacobs Entertainment to see if there was a pattern to impose code violations on motels which were then bought out and destroyed.

Our Town Reno reporting, October 2024

Cari-Ann Burgess Says She Was Ousted From Overseeing Elections in Washoe County

In a new twist, less than two weeks before Election Day, Cari-Ann Burgess has told the Associated Press she feels like she “was absolutely forced out, but I have no idea how we got to this point,” she said of no longer being in charge of the voting process in Washoe County.

In a Sept. 27 statement, Washoe County spokeswoman Bethany Drysdale had previously said Burgess had “experienced stress issues and requested medical leave,” while a spokesman for the county election office has since reiterated several times that Burgess had requested leave.

Burgess, who only started in the position in January in an interim capacity, is reported to have hired a lawyer for possible legal action.

“Because the previous Friday and Monday, before I was put on leave, I was having high praises,” she was quoted as saying in the Associated Press report. “They were like, ‘You’re doing a great job, you‘ve got this, you’re the best person for this job because you brought this team together.’ And then all of a sudden, I was out on leave.”

The report said she had refused personnel changes being sought by the county manager’s office to assign election staff to another department and then had offered to step down and return to her prior position as deputy, but was told that was not possible.

Then it indicated Burgess felt she was forced to put a request for leave in writing despite wanting to stay onboard.

“I wanted to stay and help this team,” Burgess was quoted as saying. “They have done so much and have done such amazing things in the last year that — yeah, I wanted to be part of it. And I wanted to help them, and they told me no.”

Burgess said she tried to return to the position, even getting a doctor’s note saying she was fine to work, but says county officials refused and that her status would be discussed after this election cycle.

The Registrar of Voters office has been under constant turnover and leadership changes over the past several years, in Washoe County the key swing county in a swing state, with tensions surrounding elections continuously ramping up.

Our Town Reno reporting, October 2024

Even Though Libertarians Say They Can’t Win, Their Candidates Could Still Be Spoilers

According to the most recent polling, Nevada’s Senate race between the favorite, Democratic incumbent Jacky Rosen and her challenger Republican Sam Brown, is tightening up, with the role of spoiler candidates increasingly coming into play.

One of those is Senate candidate Chris Cunningham, a libertarian in a state known for libertarian tendencies, such as legalizing gambling, weed and sex work.

However Cunningham himself, and Reno-based libertarians, some of whom didn’t even know of him, understand they can’t yet win elections, even if they might attract some support.

“Every year, we are the party that does have the most ballot access… to take down the duopoly, but we consistently don’t,” Cunningham said in an exclusive interview with the Reynolds Sandbox Nevada Vote initiative.

“It’s a little bit of a two-way street,” he said. “…A lot of people could say ‘Oh it’s strictly the candidates and bad messaging’… I think it’s a combination of both. I mean, clearly in a variety of different cases, I wish that the messaging for the party and the candidates could always be better.”

Cunningham then continued to describe how he personally experienced a lack of media exposure.

“There is no real spotlight shown on third party candidates,” he said.

Issues he feels he’s different from both mainstream Senate candidates include wanting to divest from both Israel and Ukraine.

“I think when it comes to the major party system,” he said, “they are key catalysts in shoeing the military-industrial complex, and a lot of them are in bed from a stock investment perspective… So there’s some clear literal invested interest on their end.”

Cunningham said that his reason for running is to challenge the two-party system, and give more options for voters. He described himself as a professional gamer, who runs a project called “US MK Racing” with participants travelling across the country to play Mario Kart.

Members of the Washoe County Libertarian Party (such as those pictured above) meet every other Friday at the Abby’s Highway 40 bar to discuss anything from politics to whatever is on their minds.

The music blared inside the dive bar, while people played pool in the background. Three Libertarians, all wearing checkered patterns, sat at a table in the corner.

In an interview with these individuals, they described why it is so hard for Libertarians to win votes.

“You cannot pin down a Libertarian,” the chairman of the Washoe County Libertarian Party Daryl Skubinna said. “This election is going to be fascinating because you’ll find Libertarians who vote for Chase Oliver, you’ll find Libertarians who vote for {Democratic Party candidate] Kamala [Harris], you’ll find Libertarians who vote for [Republican Party candidate Donald] Trump, you’ll find Libertarians who just won’t vote.”

Chase Oliver is the Libertarian presidential candidate. He is running with Mike Ter Maat. An Iowa newspaper recently described Oliver as “pro-gun, pro-police reform, pro-choice Libertarian” who is “armed and gay.”

Despite being Libertarians, the Washoe County members did not know much about Senate candidate Chris Cunningham who is based in Las Vegas, and didn’t seem to care much for the Libertarian presidential ticket.

Skubinna spent twenty years in the military and now works in IT with medical facilities. He put together this biweekly local event as a means of creating an atmosphere where “less-nerdy” Libertarians can have a voice at the table.

“I am not a fan of Chase Oliver,” James Polous said, showing dissension with his own party’s Libertarian candidate. Poulos works as a forklift mechanic and says that he does not vote Libertarian on everything. He looks at policies one by one.

The secretary of the Washoe County Libertarian Party, Katie Banuelos, a new stay-at-home mother, elaborated further on these concerns with Oliver.

“I am not a fan,” she said. “He himself is not an impressive person… He is very culturally left-wing… he did not stand up for Libertarian principles, and he’s kinda squishy. And the guy himself is kinda shitty. I am not a fan and I am not going to vote for him.”

She described what makes the Libertarian party so different from the other parties by saying that it is the only political party founded on principles.

After being interviewed, the three moved outside and huddled around a fire, looking cozy but not like a unified force about to win elections.

Reporting by Quay Skankey for Nevada Vote shared with Our Town Reno

Local Artists Filling the Walls with Art and Love Around Reno

The motion of drawing sketches or writing stories in class was something Hosway Valadaze commonly did while attending O’Brien Middle School when he was a student there himself. However, there wasn’t much of an outlet for students interested in art. 

Around 2016, he became the new art teacher for the school and was shocked when he walked into the art room to see empty walls. 

“It was whack, there wasn’t anything on the walls,” Valadez said. “I said this is the most uninspiring room ever. I was like, yeah, I gotta do something about that.”

Valadaze began thinking of people he could invite to help brighten up the room. He couldn’t pay anyone, but he figured offering food and drinks would get the job done.

He messaged two good friends, Chris Kepley and Doomed Movement, both local artists. From there, they continued to reach out to other artists they knew, and over a dozen local artists came out to paint murals inside the school this summer.

Spraying different colors onto a bright orange wall, Doomed Movement created a gumball machine character right by the entrance, hoping to bring some smiles to the students. 

“I'm gonna do a gumball machine because I had this old Jelly Belly thing in my garage,” Doomed said. “So I made a character out of it and just hope the kids laugh and like it, it’s colorful.”

Kepley painted a cartoon-styled girl taking off a mask, with imagination flowing out of her head.

After another artist brushed on paint to create an abstract piece nearby, Kepley said it turned into an amazing collaboration. 

“He kind of merged his onto mine and it connects,” Kepley said. “It just fills the space really nice and looks really great, it holds the inspiration towards more creative work.”

All three artists are working on new, separate projects to boost the community. Valadaze is working on reviving an old project called Animarte, an art and music nonprofit to help underserved communities experience different art scenes.

It began in 2018, and every week there would be a different class taught by someone in the community. 

 When the Covid-19 lockdown hit, they’d deliver art kits to the kids so they could still participate on Zoom. 

After that, Valadaze and Doomed continued the project with something called Art in the Park, where different members of the community would travel to different local parks to teach kids different art projects. 

“We would do graffiti with the kids or we'd have a drum circle setup, or some kids would be able to paint their own little clay pot and then plant a plant in it and then learn about it from like one of our people so I'm trying to revive that,” Valadaze said.

Valadaze is working with his wife to revive the project, who travels back and forth from Mexico to make her own tortillas. The goal is for that to become a source of income for a community center, or at least the project they’re reviving.

“We're just trying to plan different seeds and watching them grow and prosper into something beautiful that goes and gives back to the community,” Valadaze said. “Whether we’re feeding their creative Spirit or just their actual bellies.”

Doomed Movement is looking to paint murals at different schools around the area. He was awarded a grant to paint one at a school he lives by, but the project fell through. 

“If anybody wants murals and no cost to you at your school, they can happen or they can make it happen quick, you got it,” Doomed said. 

Kepley is working on funding a project at the Reno Generator on Oddie Boulevard. He discovered free walls around the building and wanted to create a graffiti and mural park. 

Kepley is paying out of his own pocket to get the area set up so that more local artists can share their work.

“I wanted to bring something back because I feel like graffiti is art culture,” Kepley said. “The murals in this town are beautiful too. I do wish to see more local artists get work here though because there are so many talented people here.”

Kepley also wants to invite locals to come out to the site, either to help with the labor or just to get inspired for the location's future. 

“If anyone is interested in joining that labor or just wants to be a resident artist we can get you, the plans are kind of tenuous at this point in time,” Kepley said. “All we got to do is build first and then we'll just start having events, graffiti battles. I don't know. It's just, it's ambitious.”

All three artists offered advice to young or inspiring artists in the Reno community. 

Kepley said the only way you’ll succeed is if you fail, and you have to be OK with that.

“You absolutely have to make a bunch of garbage-looking stuff and move on and when you have good stuff don't celebrate move on because the next thing you know, you're dropping like the giant painting that you didn't know you could do,” he said.

Valadaze wants people to know it’s OK to mess up as well, as long as you’re trying. Surrounding yourself with inspirational people is going to help, too. 

“So many students, they're just shy to share their work and I look at something like you know that so sick,” Valadaze said. “You could just see them like oh damn. Okay, like all right, somebody acknowledges this kind of dope. Okay, because it's just that lack of courage that they have. So I'm just hoping I inspire them.”

Doomed kept it simple, saying in his words that he doesn’t care what others think. Do what you enjoy, and respect each other, especially here in Reno. 

“Post it. Don't post it, who cares,” Doomed said. “Leave what you did the day before in the past and keep moving forward, and a note on Reno, Reno is tight. So be kind to each other we can help each other out so much,” he concluded.

Our Town Reno reporting by Dominic Gutierrez

Bass Camp and its President Prepare Defense Against Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

A case making its way through the California court system is called John Doe v. Bass Camp Festival, which had a major event this past July in downtown Reno. 

It names its president Paul Reder, Nick Rogers who works for Appliance Educator, Matthew Stegemiller, Carolyn Weiner and Phyllis Weiner.

After seeking comment from Bass Camp, this statement was released via email: “We were recently made aware of an alleged incident from over a decade ago by a former employee. And while we will not comment on active litigation, we can say that we are preparing a full-fledged legal defense to vindicate all defendants on the merits.”

According to the EDM Identity website the lawsuit alleges Reder sex trafficked a minor more than a decade ago after meeting him on a dating app, allegedly driving him from California to Lake Tahoe in Nevada, and according to that website quoting the lawsuit “forcibly performed oral sex on him after giving him cannabis and alcohol.”

The article says that starting in 2013 this person started working the box office at Bass Camp Festival and other similar events, and was provided 21+ wristbands and alcohol even though he was not of age. 

It goes on to say that the John Doe filing the lawsuit had multiple health problems because of the alleged relationship with Reder, and that other people named as defendants enabled this allegedly abusive behavior.

The complaint, which was filed on August 9 by Derek Smith Law Group, according to the EDM Identity website “invokes the Trafficking Victims’ Protection Act and Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act when substantiating its violations. It also alleges that the defendants committed sexual battery, sexual assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. It seeks damages in an amount to be determined in future proceedings.”

We will update this story when we get more information.  

Our Town Reno reporting, October 2024

Our Town Reno Gets In-Depth Explanation on How Ballots will be Counted in Washoe County

With high early voting turnout this weekend, and thousands of mail-in ballots being sent in, with many voters deciding to bring their own ballots personally to the Registrar of Voters office on 9th street or at drop boxes at the two dozen early voting centers plus two other locations, new systems and procedures are being put to the test in Washoe County, a swing county in a swing state where in recent election cycles vote counting has gone slower than hoped for.

In terms of early voting, voters are using a new VREMS or Voter Registration and Election Management System, which centralizes voter data across the state, to ensure no one is double-voting and speed up any problems with signature verification, with digital poll pad check-ins.  

A spokesman for the Washoe County Registrar of Voters George Guthrie recently gave our photographer Kia Rastar a tour of the county’s central ballot processing room where mail in ballots were going through the preparatory stages of being counted.

Guthrie said there are about 18 Registrar of Voters employees being helped by staff from other county departments.

"Every morning at 7 ish, 8 o'clock ish, we'll go to the post office … and we'll deliver those ballots here," Guthrie said of mail-in ballots.

These first go through a mail ballot sorter, as a digital check-in.  

"It scans it and provides a picture of that envelope. From there, it'll then sort them into a variety of different pockets, precincts. And from there, we will take it out and then we have to signature verify it. So signature verifying, we're taking that signature on the outside of your envelope and we're comparing it to what you have on record. When you register to vote, you signed a paper and that's how we can verify that you are who you say you are when you sent in that mail ballot," he explained in detail. 

The mail ballot sorter does have the software capability of doing automatic signature verification, but "it's a small minority that actually will pick up with that because most people's signatures are not pixel perfect. So then it has to go to a human, which the human will then do that signature verification. If it passes, then it will go on to batching where we're now, putting it in batches of 50, and those batches of 50 will stay together throughout the rest of the process."

Guthrie then showed the extraction process and machine for that. "We feed the ballots through. An operator essentially is just quickly removing the ballot from the envelope, separating them, then we'll do another count. From there, now that we've got the actual ballots outside the envelope, we've got actual votes," he said, next moving on to the scanners.  

"Essentially, it's just scanning those results in. It's not counting anything yet. We're just getting those results. We're just getting those votes so that way they can be tallied and tabulated on election night," he said.  

"There's a couple different steps in between, like what happens if the signature doesn't match up. Well, then we have to challenge it, and the voter needs to cure their signature or cure their ballot. Happens a couple different ways. They can call our office. They can come down," he said. "We've got a couple different things on the phone. They can go online. There's a lot of different options. They essentially have to prove to us that they are who they say they are when they send in this ballot because that signature didn't match."

Other stations for ballots in question are for what’s called duplication and adjudication. 

"Let's say you have a ballot and you just absolutely dunked it in coffee, and it's ruined. It's soggy. It's really, not a viable ballot anymore, but you send it anyways… It's not gonna go through our scanners. It does have problems, but that's okay because we have this process called duplication,” he explained. 

“We'll essentially take this ruined, whether it's coffee dunk[ed], maybe it's ripped or torn or just crumpled up, we’ll take that ballot, and we'll actually duplicate it into a fresh new ballot for you that is then workable in the scanners. We have a team that sits there, evaluates what you wanted to vote, and they both confirm, okay, this is what you wanted to vote for, and then they put it on a new ballot for you to be processed.”

Guthrie then went on to detail what happens in case of adjudication. 

“Adjudication is where if you took that black pen and you filled it out for one candidate and then you went, oh, wait a second, I don't want that, and then you filled out another one, and then you go, oh, wait a second I didn't want that. Now you're crossing them out and you're trying, you're trying to say, No. No. No. I really, really wanted this person. You're pointing all these arrows to this box. Right? It happens. That is something that because when we scan them, it recognizes that there are marks in multiple ovals. And so then we have to bring it to adjudication where we'll have a team again, a bipartisan team where they have to sit there and go, okay, which one did they really wanna vote for?”

Guthrie said in all they might possibly be dealing with a quarter million ballots, which when not going through the process are safely kept.  

“Washoe County's facility here is rather small. Again, everything happens in this one room. So when a mail [ballot] gets sent in, it is going to stay here. We even have our back section here, which we call the ballot cage. It's quite literally a a chain link fence with wires and locks. That is where all of our ballots get stored. And when they're not actively being processed, they're in there in storage.”

Guthrie said starting Monday the new phase will begin. “It started since the very first ballot that we got. We have to get them into the process. October 21st is when we can actually start opening those. But until then, we can still run them through this order. We can still get them signature verified. We can get them prepared as much as we can and get them as far along in the process. So that way, when election night comes on November 5th, we can then hit that button, get all those results out, and have everyone be happy.”

There’s also a map now with estimated wait times at all polling centers which can be found here: https://gis.washoecounty.us/agolHost?id=pwt

Early voting ends Friday November 1st. Election Day is November 5 with voting centers open from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. while ballots sent through the mail using USPS must be received by 5 p.m. on the fourth day following the election and must be postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted.  

Our Town Reno reporting and photos by Kia Rastar

An evening striving for the middle — Rival Second District Congressional Candidates Face Off in Carson City

In an old church turned community arts center, a night of marked civility and cordiality unfolded between long time Republican incumbent Mark Amodei and the upstart challenger, Greg Kidd, who says he wants to bring more innovation to Nevada. 

Yesterday evening around 200 people poured into the Brewery Arts Center Performance Hall in Carson City for a candidate forum between Amodei, first elected to the House of Representatives for the northern Nevada district in 2011, and nonpartisan Greg Kidd.

The event was moderated by KUNR Purple Politics’ Lucia Starbuck and marked the finale in a series of forums put on by the League of Women Voters of Northern Nevada, Sierra Nevada Forums, and the AAUW Capital NV Branch. 

From pews turned into seating, audience members were able to write questions on index cards to be hand delivered by volunteer high school students to be read and asked by the moderator. 

In his opening statements, Amodei highlighted his proud Nevada heritage, having spent “a lifetime of living in Nevada.”

Kidd is a tech entrepreneur and Bay Area transplant who relocated to Tahoe in 2020. Kidd came out of the gate with a swift rebuttal to Amodei, asking the crowd “Show of hands in the audience how many folks here weren’t born in Nevada?” A sea of hands shot up. Kidd went on to say he was not born here, but instead chose to move here, going on to say Nevada is an exceptional state.

The moderator Starbuck followed these opening remarks with a question addressing the recent ballot misprints in Carson City and a question about Question 7.  A yes on 7 would amend the constitution “to require that Nevada residents present a form of photo identification to verify their identity while voting in person, or to verify their identity using the last four digits of their drivers license or social security number when voting by mail.”

Amodei was in favor, while Kidd was against. Still, Amodei assured that there are no problems with election integrity in Nevada, chalking up mistakes and misprints to nothing more than human error. Kidd talked about the philosophy of voting “being the bedrock foundation of this country.”

Starbuck moved the conversation to ask how each candidate will reach across the aisle to create bipartisan solutions.

Amodei replied first citing specific examples in which he has worked with Democrats such as former speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as well as different red and blue administrations alike to get work done in Congress. He said, “this is about getting the right thing done, not about getting wins for donkeys or elephants.”

This theme from Amodei of reaching across the aisle to get work done and be balanced came up throughout the night. He said, “so I've been accused by both sides, you know, and in the primaries, I'm a RINO (Republican in Name Only). And in the generals I'm a MAGA Republican. And so you must be doing something right in terms of hitting the balance or something like that.”  He made the point that it is important to do what is right, not necessarily follow along party lines. 

Kidd responded by harkening back to the past when “the most liberal Republican and the most conservative Democrat overlapped and that was called the middle.” Kidd went on to paint a picture of a future where that is possible again to work beyond party lines. 

He also highlighted his previous work as a senior analyst in Washington, D.C., for  the Federal Reserve which he said operated in a bipartisan way to get things done. He assured he would continue to do “what’s good for America, good for Nevada, and good for this district.”

As the forum unfolded there were a few marked differences that came up between the two, including in terms of housing and Question 6, with a yes providing for a state constitutional right to an abortion.

When asked about solving the housing crisis,  Amodei responded that 85 percent of land in Nevada is owned by the federal government, and proposed that some of this land be transferred to municipalities for development. He went on to say this could be done through a proposed Lands Bill, now making its way slowly through Congress, which if passed would “provide for the designation, withdrawal, conveyance, exchange, sale, or disposal of certain lands in Nevada. Specifically, the bill permits the conveyance of federal lands to specified counties and cities, and to the Incline Village General Improvement District, for public purposes and economic development.”

Kidd responded by thanking Amodei for the legislation he had worked on, but instead of highlighting getting some of the 85 percent of federal land in Nevada transferred to developers, he focused on fixing the “blight” in downtown Reno to create local affordable housing in urban centers.

Both candidates agreed there needs to be affordable housing, but their strategies to achieve it showed marked differences. Amodei focused on addressing the federal debt as well as supply chain issues and costs of construction and said it’s an “all hands on deck” situation. Kidd instead highlighted the local mining to production lithium loop and plans to help all Nevadans profit from its mineral resources “long after the lithium was gone.” He proposed having a permanent fund to go towards easing housing access, like mineral rich places such as Alaska and Norway have developed.

Soon came the big question about access to reproductive healthcare and reproductive rights such as access to abortion and IVF. Kidd responded with a resounding yes that he supported a woman’s right to choose and didn’t think that this should be left up to the states. He went on to reference his teenage daughters and their mother who is an OB-GYN, saying this was a dinner table topic for them.

“I don't think women's healthcare should be a zoning issue and I do believe that should be resolved at the federal government,” he said, to which the audience erupted in a loud applause. This seemed like a defining moment in the night, where the audience broke the rule to hold all applause until the end. After the applause settled he said, “So I will always stand up for women's health because I think it's the right thing to do, and my teenage daughters will kick my ass.”

Amodei countered this by saying that it should be in the hands of Nevada voters, and that the 49 other states should not decide on what Nevada voters should be allowed to do. “There has been no problem in Nevada since Nevada – this is an important phrase – Nevada voters said what they wanted the rule to be in Nevada, 24 weeks, you don’t need a reason,” Amodei said. 

Questions continued and covered topics such as climate change, misinformation, and access to healthcare in rural Nevada. Both candidates responded cordially and on many instances yielded their time, and on a few occasions laughter was heard from both candidates and the crowd. 

Reporting by Kat Fulwider for Nevada Vote shared with Our Town Reno