International Graduate Assistants at Nevada Face Financial Limitations and Growing Uncertainties

International graduate assistants (GAs) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) are expressing concerns both about their financial situation at the university, animosity towards foreigners and feeling especially vulnerable under the Trump administration about their overall situation.

B who only wanted to give one initial for this article is an international GA from Europe. He works as both a research assistant and teaching assistant on campus and enjoys the research project he is doing. 

Kaashifah, another international GA, is a PhD student from the College of Education and Human Development. She is from Vijayawada, a small city in India and is currently working as a research assistant doing data analysis for the Dean’s Future Scholars program. 

She enjoys her department and job, calling her advisor, Donald Easton-Brooks, a “sweetheart.”

With their visas, B and Kaashifah are only allowed to work on campus, limiting their opportunities for jobs and higher pay. While students elsewhere are having their stays in the United States gone under sudden upheaval, for a myriad of reasons, from the political to the trivial, their own predicament feels increasingly precarious.

They both have jobs as GAs, but with the increasingly high cost of living in northern Nevada, they say the money is not enough.

 B says his stipend covers rent, groceries and other essentials leaving him with about $200 at the end of the month. With his $200 left over, B cannot afford to own a car and he struggles to get groceries without one. 

For Kaashifah, her $2,000 a month stipend is “enough to pay the bills” with little to no money left over. She pays for rent, groceries and any other personal expenses she has.

As international students, both of them face higher costs in tuition than U.S. students. Many international students are likely to pay higher taxes compared to domestic students, as well, as international students do not get the standard deduction from their income on their taxes. 

Some international students are taxed at least 10% on their income for federal taxes, while some may have exemptions depending on where they are from.

GAs at the university are contracted for no more than 20 hours a week, though many have said they regularly work more than that, including international GAs. B says that when he is doing research instead of teaching he is working on average 30 hours a week. 

Kaashifah says that she works the 20 hours a week she is scheduled for and not more than that. Though she says that is typical of her department and not of other departments, especially the sciences.

“I’ve been lucky,” Kaashifah said.

Amid grant cuts and prevailing funding uncertainties, international GAs, in particular, are vulnerable at UNR as their assistantship pays for their tuition. If the assistantship were to lose funding, then international GAs could suddenly be paying almost $30,000 in tuition for one year of schooling. 

They could also lose their visa status as international students are required to show proof that they can pay for school. Part of this proof can include the salary they make as a GA.

B specifically mentioned fears over his position disappearing. “The uncertainty of not knowing if your position … [could] disappear like that,” he said.

Markus Kemmelmeier, the dean of the graduate school, acknowledges the vulnerable position of international GAs. 

“And once you lose your assistantship you lose your funding, and funding is actually the precondition for you to have your visa,” Kemmelmeier said while discussing the uncertainties GAs face semester to semester.

At the university, GAs have been attempting to form a union to help gain more workplace protections and higher wages. Recently, though international GAs have felt the need to step back from organizing, feeling participating in any type of protest is a dangerous proposition for their precarious situation.

The union even though it has not yet been formally recognized by the university, with state level legislative efforts still ongoing, it does currently have protections in place for international GAs such as a hotline to give international GAs access to legal resources. They also recently hosted a Know Your Rights training for international student rights in conjunction with the ACLU of Nevada.

Sadmira Ramic, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Nevada, ran a majority of the training and went over the protections that international students have. Those protections include not having to speak to law enforcement, the right to an attorney and interpreter and no unreasonable search and seizure.

B and Kaashifah are in support of the union and Kaashifah originally helped recruit multiple international GAs to sign their union cards. 

She stepped back from the organizing effort after the election of Donald Trump.

“I am generally scared about it,” B said of of his own visa. “I’m fairly certain that everything is going to be alright, but I’m scared and that is definitely a source of stress.”

“Every day we wake up and there’s something new,” Kaashifah said about the current political climate, and decisions coming from the White House, with some stalled by the court system.

She mentioned the potential removal of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) status option for recent graduates. OPT, which allows international students to get further work experience within their field of study while in the United States after graduation, is currently being discussed as on the cutting block in the U.S. Congress.

OPT is the main route of post-graduation employment for international students as about 72% of international student graduates use OPT. These employment opportunities can last for one to three years depending on the work and the student’s field of study.

Finances and work are not the only areas that Kaashifah says she struggles in. Kaashifah mentioned facing what she called “microaggressions” while attending UNR.

“People look at me and say ‘oh you don’t look Indian, your skin is not brown,’” Kaashifah said.

In another instance, Kaashifah says she was denied from a front desk position on campus due to her English not being good enough. All international graduate assistants whose educational history is from a non-English speaking country have to pass an English fluency test to attend the university.

In an email sent out by Kemmelmeier to graduate program directors, he recently mentioned international students’ fears about getting their visas revoked, as well as encouraging faculty members to support their international graduate students.

For both B and Kaashifah, they are excited about the work that they are pursuing and want to continue in their U.S, experience without fear, but are finding it increasingly difficult to do so.

Reporting by Samuel Kahnke shared with Our Town Reno

GSR Owner Looking for TIF Assistance for New Arena Project Has Flooded Reno Council Members with Donations

While Item B1 of the Redevelopment Agency Board Wednesday is a presentation “on the Grand Sierra Resort Arena Project's request for Tax Increment Financing, including a summary of the financial gap analysis, potential approval of deal terms, and potential delegation of authorization to execute the final participation agreement to the Executive Director of the Redevelopment Agency,” it’s a good reminder to look at how the different casino entities of Alex Meruelo have flooded most of our City Council with enormous campaign donations in recent cycles. 

A local Redditor recently called the possible TIF for the proposed GSR expansion, which would redirect future increases in tax revenue from the project back to the private developer, as “almost the literal definition” of privatizing profit by socializing costs.

Other casinos have sent a letter disputing this plan, quoting Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 279 which has TIF intended to be used in “blighted areas which constitute either social or economic liabilities, or both …”

The GSR’s plan has been touted as a $1 billion project with a new 10-thousand seat arena scheduled for just three years away, including for Wolf Pack basketball, big name concerts and possibly minor league hockey.  Initially UNR President Brian Sandoval had said no public funds, including Tax Increment Financing, would be needed, but that turns out to have been an early misdirection.  

We probably couldn’t find all the Meruelo related donations as his casinos come up under different names in contribution reports, but what we could identify is that the Grand Sierra Resort itself gave $5,000 to potential future mayoral aspirant Brandi Anderson in September 2024, and $5,000 to the sometimes on the fence about these issues Naomi Duerr in October 2023 for another electoral seat she was seeking.

The MEI-GSR Holdings gave Kathleen Taylor $5,000 in December 2023, in the crucial Ward 1 race that could have tipped the balances in such council decisions, with Meghan Ebert often opposing big developers, Duerr never entirely predictable, and Mayor Hillary Schieve recently more of a wild card.  Taylor has been firmly entrenched with the Anderson, Devon Reese and Miguel Martinez camp, carrying that pro development at seemingly any cost group to most Council decisions. Only Anderson was initially elected from the group, while the three others gained initial entry into the Council through a non elected internal replacement appointment process.

Martinez got two payments of $5,000 from MEI-GSR, the first in 2023 and the second in 2024, while Reese also got two $5,000 paychecks from that entity.  

Meruelo’s other casino, called the Sahara in Las Vegas in some contribution reports, gave $10,000 to Reese in April 2024, and $10,000 to the equally developer friendly Martinez in May 2024 .  The same casino but called Sahara Las Vegas gave Taylor $10,000 in April 2024 and the same amount in the same month to Duerr, even as she was running for the State Senate.  

That’s a lot of Meruelo related cash, including some not even coming from his Reno casino but from Las Vegas.  

Not to be left out of the picture, Mayor Schieve herself has received a total of at least $21,000 from GSR related entities from what we could find in contribution reports since 2014.  Reese previously got $5,000 from the Grand Sierra Resort in his 2020 campaign, as developers are well known to play the long game in who they support in elections.

Our Town Reno reporting, May 4th, 2025

Which Workers and Organizations Are Facing Federal Cuts at the Local Reno Level?

We are receiving multiple messages from readers directly affected by ongoing or potential funding cuts coming from the federal level, from university faculty scrambling with their grants, to KUNR sending emails titled Important Update to early education support employees already dismissed or fearing for their jobs.

A mentor for the AmeriCorps United Readers program with the United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra recently told us she had abruptly lost her job along with dozens of other workers after the program which helped kids falling behind in reading was suddenly cut. The organization said they had just lost $700,000 in funding as part of a $400 million cut nationwide, making the mentors' continued employment unfeasible.

The former mentors cannot claim unemployment due to how their jobs were set with AmericaCorps, a domestic version of the Peace Corps, while they also immediately lost their full education award and living allowances, leaving them in a total bind.

The local iteration of the program which had been going strong for five years had been developed in partnership with the Washoe County School District.

There was a Reddit post yesterday from a local worker for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges saying the non profit they are are working for is looking for voluntary layoffs, with indications that those staying on will face pay cuts if their jobs do remain.

Reports indicate that organization, which houses the oldest juvenile justice research group, had $15 million in grants terminated.

KUNR has been writing emails to its subscribers calling for donations after the White House issued an executive order called “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media” seeking a general government defunding of NPR and PBS. The two organizations have challenged the legality of this move, but a bill is also working its way through Congress to defund both.

Another reader had expressed concerns that the Head Start program would be on the cutting block but it seems that in the current budget proposal it remains funded as it previously was, despite Project 2025, the controversial cost cutting blueprint by the Heritage Foundation, calling for its elimination.

Meanwhile, the Nevada Humanities which saw its own highly publicized DOGE slash was just awarded a $250,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation, with an immediate $200,000 and an additional $50,000 presented as a one to one challenge grant.

Have you heard of any other local programs or employees recently affected by the federal cuts taking place?

Our Town Reno reporting, May 3, 2025

Three Decades On, A Carson City Teacher Prepares To Say Goodbye to an Increasingly Challenging Profession

Tara Sakelarios, an elementary school teacher at Al Seeliger Elementary School in Carson City, has had many roles over the years, first as a substitute teacher two years after graduating high school, then as a full time 1st and 2nd grade teacher, to now being a long time PE teacher for nearly two decades.

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“Since I've been at my school for 26 years, it's my family,” she said during a recent interview which can be heard above. “It's like, you know, you have new family members come in and out, and I get really close with my coworkers. We have a lot of history together, we have a lot of memories together, and my students, because I know every student in my school because of my PE position, I have known many of their siblings and their parents, and so I'm at a point where I have my students' children now coming into our school. And, I mean, if I leave, it's a small town, and if I go anywhere, I usually run into people I know.”

She’s been known to really get into Halloween costumes, and getting her colleagues to create a festive atmosphere.

“When I'm having a bad day and I'm tired and I come to school and I'm still super happy to be here because I still love my job,” she said.

This year, she is retiring, after pouring so much love and care into her school and the many students in her classes.

“I really am going to cry. The kids are so fun in the morning and they bring, like, good energy. Even when they're naughty, it's like, you know, we all roll our eyes and we all but we're here for them and and and we care so much about them that we just are so excited when they when they achieve things and they've grown,” she said.

She survived difficult years such as the pandemic, when behavior, social skills, and mental health deteriorated.

She said students of the past would never talk back to a teacher – when now it is an everyday occurrence.

“There was no questioning. And now the children question everything,” she said.

Being respectful to students' boundaries, but also not letting them do whatever they want is something that Sakelarios has to deal with everyday as she says her goodbyes.

A new generation of students has meant lots of change, but it is still a job she loved, and a job she will miss. 

“I wanted to leave loving my job because I watched people leave when they were not happy and left because they were not happy, and I didn't want do that. So I'm leaving still happy,” she said.

Reporting and photo by Samantha Wittke

Effort to Ban Retail Sale of Dogs and Cats in Nevada Makes Progress at Legislature

Legislation making its way through the Nevada legislature is Assembly Bill 487, known as Cindy Lou’s Law, in honor of a Havanese puppy who died while at a store called Puppy Heaven in Las Vegas last year.

According to a video by the Humane World for Animals, an investigator working undercover at that store found Cindy Lou dying alone in the bathroom, when it was too late to save her. A month after her death she was still being advertised on the store’s Facebook page.

The bill now being considered in the Senate would prohibit a “retail pet store from selling, offering to sell, bartering or otherwise transferring ownership of any dog or cat,” according to its current iteration, making it a misdemeanor to do so.

Selling pets in public places would also be illegal, while adoption events in partnership with shelters and rescues would still be allowed.

The last so-called puppy mill in northern Nevada Puppy Love shut down in Sparks last summer, providing relief to many locals who view such stores as prioritizing profit over the well-being of animals, leading to poor living conditions, care and increased health problems. Retail stores also rely on importing puppies from other facilities with inhumane breeding practices, leading to poor genetics and other problems.

The American Kennel Club has been opposing this proposed legislation saying it “is concerned this limits the opportunity for residents to purchase a pet from a licensed, regulated entity and removes consumer protection.”

Still existing pet store owners in the Silver State warn such a bill could increase online scams and illegal breeding for people seeking specific dogs.

Reno banned the retail sale of cats and dogs in pet stores in 2020, while Clark County and North Las Vegas have also done the same. The new bill if passed in the Senate and approved by Governor Joe Lombardo would make the ban statewide.

Our Town Reno reporting, April 2025

Patagonia Remains Mum on TikTok That Goes Viral With Allegations from Reno Local

Several Patagonia employees and other locals are reaching out to Our Town Reno about the plight of a Reno resident who says he is now facing homelessness after a commuting injury while working at Patagonia, on both a gofundme and a TikTok from yesterday which has gone viral and helped with his fundraising. 

The TikTok released a day ago titled “My experience working at Patagonia” with the hashtag #homeless has gotten over 450k views and 10-thousand comments as of Tuesday afternoon. 

One current employee told Our Town Reno Ryan Urabe was recently barred entry by security at the Patagonia warehouse where he says he worked alongside him.  We reached out to Patagonia corporate media earlier today, but did not hear back for initial publication. We then got to speak Tuesday evening with J.J. Huggins from Patagonia, who said the outdoor recreation retailer is not at liberty to discuss such a personnel matter.

The gofundme has a $22,000 goal with already over $18,000 raised by Tuesday afternoon with one person donating five dollars saying they’re “sending support and warm thoughts from Norway.” 

In the TikTok, in a calm voice, wearing a Patagonia shirt, Urabe says it’s his first social media video and that he started working at Patagonia last year.  

In the gofundme called “Help Ryan Urabe Recover and Rebuild His Life” he calls his former position at Patagonia a “dream job.” 

Spurred by the company’s monetary incentive for getting to work in environmental friendly ways, he says he bought himself an electric scooter for his short commute along the Truckee river.

On his way home one day, he says he hit a pothole, breaking his leg and ankle, and then found out after an allegedly protracted process he didn’t qualify for FMLA assistance.

He says he had only been employed for a few months, and a year was required, but he alleges he was led to initially believe he might get help.

He then writes  “I received an email stating that I voluntarily resigned,” which he denies.

His version or any of the details of what transpired during his short time with Patagonia could not be independently confirmed.  

Urabe says while recovering from surgery, without medical insurance, he was evicted and went to the local shelter still in a cast, but then was 86ed from the facility after an altercation there. On the TikTok he said he was staying at a Reno shelter, presumably the Cares Campus run by the county, for about a week.   

“I have asked Homeless Services if and how much information we can provide about an individual, and I’ll let you know what they say,” Bethany Drysdale from the county’s communications team wrote back after we asked if this could be confirmed. 

In his TikTok, Urabe said he was now living in a motel, but that his father who had been helping him financially, was then hospitalized.  

“I will be homeless and I am desperate. I am scared and don’t know how to survive on the streets,” he concludes in bold letters in the gofundme.  

In the TikTok from yesterday he said “tomorrow I’m going to be homeless” without even a sleeping bag or tent. 

He concludes the video by saying “thank you for listening.” 

His TikTok at ryan.urabe has a Venmo and a PayPal with the words “Anything helps.”

Our Town Reno reporting, April 29, 2025

City of Reno Denies Needed Permit for Jiffy Lube in Hunter Lake Area after Protests

The City of Reno is denying a required so-called minor conditional use permit for a proposed Jiffy Lube in the Hunter Lake and Mayberry area in Reno, after several weeks of protests by neighborhood residents, citing safety and congestion concerns.

In a Facebook post from earlier today, councilwoman Naomi Duerr wrote “Staff have #denied the minor conditional use permit because the location selected is already in use as a required overflow parking location for the Raley's across the street. In 1996, when Raley's wanted to expand at this location, one of the requirements was that they have a certain amount of parking to account for the loss of parking on site. That requirement is still in place,” Duerr wrote.

“I credit one of the city's former staff members with bringing this 30-year old permit requirement to the attention of the city planning staff and the community. While old permit records are retained, they are kept offsite, often on microfiche (film copies of old records) and not easily accessible. I appreciate the current city staff's diligence in following up on the information provided at the NAB during our public workshop on this project,” the Ward 2 councilwoman added, before underlining the importance of NAB meetings.

A letter from Planning Manager Mike Railey dated April 28th announcing the denial indicated “this administrative decision may be appealed to the City Council by the applicant.”

Our Town Reno reporting, April 29, 2025

City of Reno Councilman Issues Response after Man in Promotional Campaign Materials Expressed Holocaust Denialism

Reno City Councilman Miguel Martinez has responded to our concerns after a man who had appeared on his promotional campaign materials and in many joint photos expressed Holocaust denialism when he recently reposted a City of Reno announcement on his public Facebook digital creator page.

“I denounce all forms of antisemitism and discrimination. What others think or say is not in my control, but what is in my control is showing up each day and making sure that I advocate for all communities. This comes in the form of my own words, actions, and votes,” the Ward 3 councilman responded by email.

The post a reader alerted us to by Jerry Martinez called the City of Reno honoring Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day “WACK,” adding “It was never 6 million btw. There were no gas chambers. It’s all theater.”

His feed which also contained many homophobic and anti-trans posts now only has a cover photo and a half dozen photos visible to us.

Our Town Reno reporting, April 28, 2025

Former Reno Shelter Now Used as Parking for Pizza Beer Place to the Dismay of Unhoused Advocates

Local activists who have long tried to save the former CAC shelter area for enhanced Reno social services have been surprised to see its parking lot now being used as parking for a new beer and pizza restaurant called Lake Tahoe AleWorX Reno on 4th street.

"The land Lake Tahoe AleworX Reno is currently using for their parking lot is owned by the City of Reno,” the City wrote to us when we asked.

“This piece of land is currently in the process of being sold to an affordable housing developer. While the transaction of that parcel is in the process of going under contract, the City has made an arrangement with Lake Tahoe AleworX Reno to use the site as a parking lot in exchange that the business maintains the site. Once the land sale is completed, the City will no longer own that parcel and Lake Tahoe AleworX Reno will have to negotiate with the new owners for the future use of that site."

After federal pandemic money was used to quickly open the Nevada Cares Campus, and local homelessness services were moved to the County's authority, the City of Reno left its former Record Street shelter buildings and area go into disrepair due to a lack of security and maintenance. After that, the council said it would be too costly to rehabilitate the compound for social services.

Advocates for the unhoused have long wanted the CAC to be kept under city control as a warming and cooling center with additional services for those struggling in our community.

Its two sections were built in 2005 and 2007 for $20 million with materials estimated to be able to last between 50 to 100 years.

Our Town Reno reporting, April 28, 2025

Daryl Vann, Number One All-Time, Even Ahead of Michael Jordan, with Sierra Kids

“I don’t want to work with no kids.” 

That’s what Daryl Vann told his grandma when a family friend mentioned a job opening working with youth. He was just looking for work, any work, but the idea of spending his days around kids? That wasn’t exactly ideal for him. 

But life had other plans. 

On his very first day, the kids were coming back from a field trip. As they filed in, one looked straight at him and shouted, “Michael Jordan!”

Daryl laughs when he tells the story now. 

“That moment caught my heart,” he says. “I didn’t even know what I was doing yet, but after that? I was in!” 

Who knew being called Michael Jordan would be the start of a 25-year legacy? At first, Daryl, now 49, wasn’t sure where he was going. After high school, life hit him hard. His mom passed away just two months after graduation from Hug High and friends were headed off to college, but him? He was stuck. 

His mom had him when she was just 14. He had four half siblings with different fathers, but without his mom and without high school structure, he felt lost.

“1994 to ‘99 was just a dark time,” he says. 

Daryl recalls going into a depression, but once he found work in local youth programs, things shifted ever since that first day.

He started at a local camp, then spent nearly two decades with Sierra Kids at Lemelson STEM academy, building a reputation as someone the kids could count on. Today, he’s at the Mount Rose K-8 school, as the site supervisor for the Sierra Kids program. 

But “supervisor” barely scratches the surface of what Daryl really does. 

Walk into Mount Rose during after school hours, and it won’t take long to figure out who Daryl is. Even when surrounded by staff, he’s the one the kids go to. Whether they need a laugh, an energy boost, an ice pack, want to play a game, or just have something to share. All of the interactions between him and the kids he meets with patience, energy, and a grin that never seems to fade. 

“I used to be a staff member, playing and hanging out,” he says. “Now I oversee everything. But I still make sure I interact. I listen. Not just talk, I listen.”

That part matters to him. He knows how rare it is for kids to feel heard and how deeply they respond when they are. 

“I am a big talker, like the star of the show, you know. But to be a star you have to listen to everyone else and it's not just about me,” he said during our interview.

Whether it's games or just sitting and talking, what really defines Daryl’s work is consistency. He is always there. Rain, shine, even sick days. Explaining how it's just a feeling you can’t beat. 

“It’s the trust. When parents trust you with their kids, their creations, it means something. That’s not something I take lightly,” he said.

He’s never had kids of his own, but he makes sure to treat them like they are his own. This comes from his own upbringing of lacking a father figure. Now, he’s made it his mission to be the strong presence he never had. 

“I see myself in some of these kids,” he said. “A little rough around the edges, but full of potential. All they need is someone to believe in them.” 

He didn’t plan for any of this. But now? Somewhere between that first day and all the years that followed, this became more than a job. It became his purpose. And to think it all started with one kid calling him Michael Jordan. 

“It’s simple: show up, mean it and be someone a kid can count on,” he said of his recipe for doing this job so well.

He does exactly that. Not because he set out to be the star, but because he makes sure that every kid feels like one.

Our Town Reno reporting and photos by Genevy Machuca

Reno Satanic: Dismantling Rumors and Demonic Misconceptions

Jason Pennington-Miller stepped up to the podium for the Board of County Commissioners meeting to give an opening invocation on January 16, 2024. He ended his speech with “Hail Satan.”

Before ending his invocation, Miller praised freedom of expression, intellectual inquiry, and the beauty of the natural world.

The Washoe County Commission had previously approved the proposal to host an invocation at the start of their meetings.

Commissioner Clara Andriola, who had pitched the idea, left the room when Miller spoke. Andriola said she “totally disagreed with the invocation presenter.” 

Online, this unexpected opening to a county meeting got mixed reactions, from admiration to admonishment. 

Miller explained that the invocation he gave was not used for religious purposes.

“An invocation is simply just words. You don’t have to be of religious faith, or lack of faith, to be able to give an invocation,” Miller said during a recent interview at The Ravens Realm, a small metaphysical shop on Rock Blvd. 

Reno Satanic describes itself as a non-theistic satanic community in Northern Nevada. It started in the summer of 2019. The group says it does not believe in Satan but rather uses Satan as a “Symbol of Rebellion.” The Reno Satanic said they “value the idea of Satan in the sense of the Adversary,” according to its website renosatanic.com. 

“Hail Satan, which in Satanism, means hail ourselves. We take on the name as part of ourselves. We don’t worship a deity,” Miller said.

Miller is 30 years old, and he is the founder of Reno Satanic. He hosts rituals such as the Spring Equinox along with other activities as a representative for Reno Satanic. He has participated in volunteer work in the past alongside the Reno Satanic community, helping out with Karma Boxes for people in need.  

Miller, as well as the Reno Satanic community, have taken part in LGBTQ activism such as the Northern Nevada Pride Parade yearly, giving out free buttons and having a “Sign your name in the Devil’s book” gimmick, a play off the 1970s film The Devil’s Rain.  

Miller said that Reno Satanic has a private Facebook and Discord group chat that is used for networking and for members to be their “authentic self.” He hosted a Spring Equinox Ritual Workshop on March 22nd. 

Rituals for the Spring Equinox included nailing the Holy Bible shut for what they call “Closing the Book of Lies”. This is a ritual in which members take turns hammering nails into the Bible. The ritual, according to Miller, was made to “take back control of ourselves as individuals.” He said it was made to show that the Bible doesn’t define them, that the Bible was made to be in his words a “tool of enslavement for the unjust.”

During the recent Spring Equinox ritual, a statue of Baphomet is shown. The statue is a hermaphrodite figure with the head of a goat and the body of a human. It has wings, horns, and a pentagram on its forehead. It is the official symbol for The Satanic Temple and represents duality, balance and rebellion.

Members of the group wrote letters about a time someone had lied to them as a prompt for the Spring Equinox. The prompt was first posted on March 17th. Members placed these letters in the “book of lies” during the Spring Equinox event to nail the book closed. 

Alice, who didn’t disclose her last name for privacy reasons, is 30 years old and is a member of the Reno Satanic. She has been a member for the past two years and attended the recent Spring Equinox. 

“That ritual helped me to let go of that [lie]. It didn’t erase the event… but I’m not stuck on it anymore, I can move on and grow,” she said during an interview over the phone on April 4th. 

Other rituals during the Spring Equinox included burning a slip of paper over one of two candles, black for blessings and white for curses. 

Alice said the ritual was, “equivalent to praying for someone…I’m not praying to a god to help them, just sending that positive energy, that good vibe.”

Reno Satanic’s prerituals include biting into what they call the “forbidden fruit”, which is biting into an apple. Miller says that this ritual is used to “take back power” and is mostly a feminine ritual based on the story of Eve from the Bible. The last ritual is what they call “The Destruction of the Host”, where they smash real communion wafers.

Reno Satanic uses these rituals as a catharsis, saying that it’s for giving members confidence more than for the use of magic. 

Alice said that ever since she was 18 years old, she has struggled with depression and anxiety, explaining that she wasn’t able to overcome these struggles through therapy or religion. She was an atheist her whole life and developed a community with Reno Satanic.  

“Since I can’t believe in something greater, such as a god, what I can do is start to believe in myself,” she said.

Alice says that Reno Satanic makes her feel better and more accepting about her flaws, mental health struggles, and herself. The reason for this is because she says it’s easier for her to remember that she’s human and makes mistakes. She said that it also helped her be more accepting of other people by treating others the way she wants to be treated.

Miller says that Reno Satanic stands for rebelling against mainstream norms and it’s made for a person to focus on oneself.  

“An athlete might have a specific song they always listen to before a game because they are trying to bring out a state of mind, and that’s essentially a ritual even if it’s probably not looked at like that,” Alice said. 

The number of people who are a part of the Reno Satanic are kept anonymous due to safety reasons, according to Miller. The group also doesn’t own a building due to safety reasons as well. 

Reno Satanic is not the only such group facing safety related concerns.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, on April 8, 2024, a man by the name of Sean Patrick Palmer was arrested for throwing a pipe bomb at The Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts. He will be sentenced on June 12th, facing five to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

“It’s a safety concern to also have property, as there’s too many people out there who are fearful of satanism to this day,” Miller said. 

After telling her father that she is a part of Reno Satanic, Alice says their relationship wasn’t any different from before, which is loving and healthy. 

She hasn’t been in a situation where she withheld disclosing her membership for Reno Satanic. She said she would withhold this information if there was an “aggressive mob of people walking down the street saying they were hunting satanists.” 

Reno Satanic is not a part of The Satanic Temple or The Church of Satan. It is considered an independent group. Miller said that the Reno Satanic doesn’t have a structured membership and that membership is judged by involvement.  

Miller said Reno Satanic doesn’t have extreme occult like practices such as hurting animals, people, or sacrificing babies. He also said that there are no extreme satanist groups in Reno who use such practices that he knows of.

“That wouldn’t be satanism,” he said. 

When asked if there was any violence involved in Reno Satanic, Alice said she never heard anyone raise their voice. She also said that Reno Satanic is accepting, tolerant, and genuine. 

“It’s easy to fear something you don’t know anything about. It’s easy to fear the unknown,” she said.

Our Town Reno reporting and photo by Teagan Greer

Math Students at TMCC Trying to Avoid Certain Professors Relieved They Can Finally See Who They are Signing Up With

As math classes for the Fall 2025 semester at TMCC were posted this month for sign ups, rooms, instruction methods and meeting dates were indicated but the rows for instructors were all listed as “To Be Announced.”

This worried multiple students trying to avoid two instructors who rate very low on the ratemyprofessors website. 

An email sent by Mike Peyerl on April 14th to District 35 Assembly member Rebecca Edgeworth and shown to Our Town Reno with the Subject Re: FW: TMCC Policy Undermines Student Rights and Transparency - Legislative Oversight Urgently Needed, indicates:  “We have fixed the issue.  We had a member of our team take an inappropriate action with the Math registration classes for the upcoming registration cycle.  This individual has been causing numerous problems and he decided to do this even though he knew it was against NSHE policy. We are addressing this on the academic side with him.”

“The good news is that it is now fixed in our system and was only for Math classes. None of our other courses had this issue because all of our other Department Chairs follow the rules,” the TMCC Vice President of Finance and Government Relations concluded in that email.  

Our Town Reno was previously sent a response by TMCC’s Director of Marketing and Communications Kate Kirkpatrick indicating: “TMCC's practice is to publish class schedules that list the names of available instructors, starting with full-time faculty, and later the part-time instructors, as they are hired. After registration opened last week, the math courses you mentioned were mistakenly hidden to students temporarily, which may have disrupted the registration process for some students. All the affected courses have now been made visible to students once again by the admissions office, as our catalog states that they are to be offered every semester. They are now available for registration.”

We asked for a follow up after seeing Peyerl’s email if the mistake was inappropriate and intentional but have not heard back by the time of this report.

An email from Alejandro Rodriguez, the NSHE director of government relations on April 14th, to another assembly member, Erica Mosca from District 14, indicated the TMCC Vice President had the community college working on restoring instructor names, with an attributed quote that “the chair was not authorized to remove the instructor names from the schedule, which he had built and the dean had already approved.”

NSHE, the Nevada System of Higher Education, is the state government entity which oversees all public colleges and universities in the state.  

TMCC has been mired in legal disputes for years with faculty member and current math department chair Lars Jensen.

In March, Jensen earned a courtroom victory in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals after it overruled the U.S. District Court of Nevada and determined TMCC administrators had violated his First Amendment rights and retaliated against him. 

In a case that received national attention, in 2019, Jensen had raised concerns that the TMCC math curriculum standards were being lowered both during a meeting and in writing, even though he was told he could not do that, which then led to a reprimand, negative evaluations from higher ups and proceedings since abandoned to fire him.  

Jensen has a 2.2 rating on ratemyprofessors where many students tend to give low ratings to professors who many view as too difficult. 

In terms of rating distribution, he has five in the awesome category, four in the great, three in the good, two in the OK and 38 in awful.

Prior to the professors being listed, a TMCC student Jennifer Hancock had been posting graphics on social media, as well as contacting officials, about the situation of not being able to see who was teaching which math class.

One graphic from Jennifer indicated:  “To All TMCC Students, past, present and future.  I am writing to you today not just as a fellow student, but as someone who believes in transparency, accountability, and your right to make informed decisions about your education. Last year, I enrolled in a math class at TMCC and was assigned to an instructor with a historically low student success rate. The class environment was anything but supportive, and I felt like I couldn’t learn math.”

After indicating the instructor names were not available, she concluded: “Let’s protect future students from being blindsided by the very system that’s supposed to support them.”

In another she gave her full name Jennifer Hancock with in one section in capital letters: “You deserve to know who’s teaching your class before you commit to it.”

Hancock had also expressed these concerns via email to the NSHE Board of Regents and to multiple people in the math department, with a conclusion there that “hiding instructor names does not foster equity or academic excellence — it merely forces students into courses they have valid reasons to avoid.”

In another message on social media for TMCC students Hancock wrote:  “I ended up in a math class with a professor whose teaching style made it nearly impossible for me to succeed. I wasn’t alone—many students struggled in that class, and it shook my confidence in learning math at all. I decided to speak up for those who come after me.”

Another math professor students have told us they avoid is Jeff Olsen, who has a 2.9 overall score on ratemyprofessors but with 28 awesomes being more than his 25 awfuls there. 

Our Town Reno reporting, April 2025

Jacobs Entertainment Seeks Controversial TIF Help as Part of Updated Projects

Jacobs Entertainment CEO Jeff Jacobs is seeking public tax increment financing reported at over $20 million as part of ongoing development plans which now include turning the former Bonanza Inn on 4th street into a planned 57 unit project called the Breeze.

Jacobs Entertainment has already received sewer connection fee credits, pedestrian amenity credits and special dispositions for its signage, while tearing down bought out motels which some low income residents used to rely on for housing.

In a Thursday announcement, Jacobs also indicated he wants to replace the Reno Housing Authority’s Sarrazin Arms Apartments on 3rd street with 65 of his own units.

Meanwhile there’s also a plan to convert an area with the idle Chapel of the Bells and the rotting historic Nystrom House into what is now being branded as the Glow Gardens for weddings and special events.

This comes during active construction of the downtown J Resort outdoor festival grounds, and already talked about plans to have a new 400-seat banquet hall at the J resort, formerly the Sands.

TIF is a controversial financing mechanism which can divert funds from essential public services, and raises concerns about transparency and accountability in terms of how money is spent.

It allows developers to recapture property tax revenue generated by a project to the detriment of a city’s budget.

There have been other controversial asks recently locally for TIF help, including the GSR’s massive arena project and the old Harrah’s casino stalled conversion.

Our Town Reno reporting, April 17th 2025

Jeff Scott's Tenure at the Helm of Washoe County Library System Ends After Right Wing Protests

After an opening announcement that former library director Jeff Scott had resigned after 10 years on the job, even though he still appears on the system's website, the main event of the Library Board of Trustees Wednesday night meeting became the public comment section.

The second speaker Valerie Wade blasted the board for siding with what she qualified as bigotry. Scott has been under fire from right wing protesters for years now, with attention initially focused against him during the previously held drag queen story hours. Scott had recently received low effectiveness ratings from current library board members, with lots of new arrivals giving him bad evaluations. A possible dismissal was in the cards prior to the preemptive resignation.

Scott began his career over 20 years ago at the Arizona Historical Foundation, followed by library director positions for Casa Grande, Arizona, Tulare County, and Berkeley, California. 

Scott was always open to partnerships with the community including with Our Town Reno which held Share Your Story sessions at the downtown library with community residents during several years preceding the pandemic.

Our Town Reno reporting, April 16, 2025

David Torres Thrives as an Ironman Both In and Out of his Print Shop

David Torres, 43, the owner of Thrive Reno, is wearing black to stay clean amid the whizzing of multiple print jobs at his new location in north Reno, just above the University of Nevada, from where he gets many clients.

The Bridgeport, Connecticut native, with heritage from Puerto Rico, has been in Reno since 2006, where he's also known for his cosplay, and visiting Renown Children's Hospital dressed up as Ironman.

"I remember on my way up to the children’s ward, a nurse stopped me and said that they need me up there," he remembers. "The ward was packed with two kids per room, so she knew they needed some joy and a little bit of superhero magic. This was a mission that I’ll always cherish."

On the left at the entrance of Thrive Reno there’s a photo of Torres as Ironman comforting a sick child.

Workwise, he says he lost his job during the pandemic, and having worked for others in printing previously, he decided to start his own business in his own garage.

Torres proved his mettle and quickly outgrew that space within one year, initially setting up a brick and mortar shop on Market Street. Torres chose the new location on North Virginia Street to save $800 per month and give easy parking access to customers and quicker delivery to some of his casino clients.

"We advanced and thrived and completely thrived, and here we are now," he says pun intended. "We're doing it. We're making it happen. And I'm just happy to be a part of the community and happy to bring our flavor."

Thrive Reno is a full in house shop with design and digital marketing capabilities, specializing in direct mail projects, postcards, menus, company stationary, labels, booklets, posters, flyers, brochures, business forms and t-shirts.

He says growing up poor in a bad neighborhood has given him resilience and the ability to adapt. Torres says he does have anxiety and panic attacks, but just like Ironman he works to overcome these challenges.

"When there's a will, there's a way," he says of his business acumen. "As cliche and as old school as that sounds, when there's a will, there's a way."

Our Town Reno reporting, April 2025

Nevada Humanities Scrambles to Survive after Sudden Grant Termination

The team at Nevada Humanities is scrambling, after receiving a notice of grant termination from the federal government earlier this month.

“Our staff and board are evaluating our situation at this moment, financially,” said executive director Christina Barr. “To see if it's possible for us to survive and we think it may be possible for us to survive a little while, but in a very limited way.” 

“Your grant’s immediate termination is necessary to safeguard the interests of the federal government, including its fiscal priorities,” the April 2nd notice sent to Barr by Acting Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities Michael McDonald indicated.

According to recent reporting, the National Endowment for the Humanities intends to redirect some of the funding retracted from humanities programs across the country to build President Donald Trump’s proposed National Garden of American Heroes.

A banner on the Nevada Humanities website now indicates “Our Work is Under Threat. DOGE is cutting funding for Nevada Humanities and all other state and jurisdictional humanities councils across the country.”

Underneath, it has a take action tab, asking people to contact their elected officials and share the action alert.

“The humanities aren’t some elite luxury,” George Lam, assistant director explained. “We’re talking about programs that reach rural communities, students, artists, storytellers – people all across Nevada. We use roads to connect our towns, but we also connect people through culture, food, ideas, and language. That’s what we’re fighting to preserve.” 

Events at risk include book talks, oral history projects and presentations that explore identity, philosophy, and what it means to be human. Programs here include local lectures, partnerships with schools and libraries, and elevating voices that are often overlooked.  Losing this funding doesn't mean fewer events and programs, it could mean none at all. 

Barr remembers distinctly the moment she received the notice.

“It came from an outside sender, not the usual NEH system. And that was already strange,” Barr said. “ What shocked me most was finding out NEH staff didn’t even know this letter had gone out.” 

Barr and her team had just warned their staff the night before about potential grant terminations.

“It's been an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “We believe in our work. We know it helps people, and it’s heartbreaking to imagine Nevada without it.” 

Nevada Humanities has an office in Reno and works closely with both urban and rural communities throughout the state.

“Imagine a small organization that gets a grant from us,” Lam explained. “If they lose it, the speaker doesn’t get paid, the event doesn’t happen, and the audience never gets the message. It’s not just about the money. It’s about what the money enables.”

Despite the uncertainties, Nevada Humanities is not giving up. They’ve launched an emergency fundraising campaign and are asking for the community's help.

If a Nevada Humanities event, program or grant impacted you, they are asking Nevadans to speak out, contact their representatives and let them know what’s at stake, not just the funding, but spaces where residents find meaning, memory, and each other.

As Barr puts it, “It’s all happening in real time.” 

Our Town Reno reporting and photos by Genevy Machuca

Full Funding is Proposed for Washoe County Libraries, But Director Faces Possible Dismissal on Wednesday Night

“Washoe County is proposing full funding for the Washoe County Library for this next fiscal year. I am relieved and grateful for our community's advocacy for the library and for the support of the Commissioners and Trustees,” Washoe County Library Director Jeff Scott wrote to Our Town Reno on Friday, after news came through that the county is proposing to fully fund current library programs for the next fiscal year.

There has been uncertainty for months, after voters, some of them confused by the wording on their ballots, chose to discontinue a previous dedicated financing mechanism, sending the money instead to the county’s general fund.  

In a follow up phone conversation, Scott said it has now been decided at the county level that money previously set aside for a new North Valleys Library, or about $3.3 million, should be used for upcoming operational funds, with an additional $1.3 million coming from the county “to make the budget whole.”

The existing North Valleys library on North Hills Blvd is in a leased facility with rent due on a monthly basis.  

Scott said there’s a private donor interested in helping out building a new county-owned one, which all told could cost about $20 million, with future plans to have it serve as a multi government facility for an area lacking available services. 

County Commissioners are due to vote on the county’s budget at their next meeting on Tuesday, amid overall shortfalls.

Some protesters have called on Jeff Scott to be fired from his position. amid their opposition to library policies.

Meanwhile, the Library Director is scheduled to be publicly evaluated Wednesday at a possibly contentious Library Board of Trustees meeting starting at 5:30 p.m. at the downtown Reno library.

Item 7b indicates: “90-day performance evaluation of Washoe County Library Director, Jeff Scott, to include: an update on the results of the 90-day performance evaluation feedback survey by Washoe County Human Resources, an update on accomplishments by Library Director Scott, and a discussion by the Library Board of Trustees on the job performance of Director Scott and possible action including, but not limited to, corrective action plan, reduction in pay, reprimand, endorsement, engagement, retention, dismissal if necessary, or ‘no action’.”

A 90-day clock was started after a heated meeting in January. 

Current trustees who will decide his fate are chair Ann Silver, vice chair Tami Ruf, and three other trustees Gianna Jacks, Lea Moser and Marie Rodriguez. 

“I’m happy with the work that I've done, and we'll see what the board wants to say,” Scott said.  

In our interview, he disputed online criticism that the library’s budget isn’t transparent 

“Everything that we're doing, you walk into the building, that's where the money is being spent,” he said.  

“You’ve got staff. You’ve got books on the shelves, and you’ve got computers and technology there. Those are the three biggest expenses.... It's not a complicated budget. It's probably the most simplistic budget that we have in the county. And you know directly where it goes. You walk in the building, you see where it's being spent on. So, I'm always kind of surprised by this kind of criticism because it's a public library. What books do we have on the shelves? You can look them up online.”

Our Town Reno reporting, April 2025

Mutual Aid Group Volunteers and Skateboarders Face Displacement Due to Rollin' Reno

A prominent mutual aid group, possible protesters and skateboarders face relocation up ahead during the Downtown Reno Partnership organized Rollin’ Reno, which is scheduled from June 11th to August 9th at Believe Plaza, with possible additional setup time prior to that.  

Previous one night iterations of Rollin’ Reno at Locomotion Plaza are being expanded with a weeks long takeover of what has become a central downtown public Reno space, used by regular skaters, occasional protesters and also Family Soup Mutual Aid, with weekly food distributions there on Tuesday evenings. 

In a recent letter to the Downtown Reno Partnership the mutual aid group noted how they hadn’t missed a single Tuesday distribution of food and harm reduction tools since late October 2021. The event is communal in spirit, bringing together volunteers from all walks of life as well as locals in need of extra support.    

The Downtown Reno Partnership is a non profit business improvement district.

“We are asking that the Downtown Reno Partnership acknowledge our long standing and ongoing efforts to utilize and enjoy this public space, and that the very community that each of our organizations serve is ultimately one in the same: the people of Reno. Regardless of financial status or class. The people of Reno have vocally, materially, and financially supported our project since day one, and we ask that the upcoming roller skating events that are held at the Believe Plaza are respectful of our presence and observe our right to continue our work in the space, as we have been every week since October 26th, 2021,” the letter indicated. 

“We would love an opportunity to sit down with the individuals planning the upcoming “Rollin’ Reno” event to establish a plan on how to best serve all of our fellow citizens moving forward,” it concluded. 

The Believe Plaza during trash pickup earlier this week.

In a terse response, Downtown Reno Partnership Executive Director Neoma Jardon wrote back to a Family Soup Mutual Aid organizer: “Given the necessary infrastructure installation and the need to secure the space, we are unable to make this accommodation.”

We asked the City of Reno about concerns from the mutual aid group, as well as from skateboarders and potential protesters about being unable to use the space during the Rollin’ Reno utilization, or “activation” as is the buzz word for officials wanting to have more affluent residents occupy downtown spaces.  

“The City of Reno has rentable parks and facilities,” an email we received this evening indicated. “When an approved reservation and special events permit has been granted, the permitted activity allows the organizer exclusive use of that park facility under RMC Sec 8.23.  During a City Plaza reservation, signage is posted to identify an accessible free speech expressive area for alternative use of approximately 10 x 10 feet. The Parks and Recreation Department is exploring options to relocate the skate features during the Rollin’ Reno events. When a park is reserved, park users are encouraged to use one of our 86 other park sites throughout the city within park use guidelines.”  

Our Town Reno reporting, April 9, 2025

Amy Douglass, A Faux Finisher with Transformational Designs

In center photo, faux finisher Amy Douglass transforms her bathroom wall with plaster, showcasing the artistry of decorative painting.

Using specialized techniques, she mimics the look of natural materials like wood, marble, and stone, bringing unique texture and depth to walls and furniture. She’s been in the industry for 10 years, beautifying offices nurseries, kitchens, furniture, and more for local and out of state clients.

Born and raised in Reno, Douglass has been perfecting her craft since college, continuously exploring art in various mediums. "I've always loved making things beautiful," she says, recalling her early passion for art and how she went away for college before returning home. Douglass pursued an art major at Santa Clara University before studying fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

While faux finishing wasn’t always part of Amy’s long-term vision, it became an unexpected yet fulfilling career path, one that allowed her to pursue her artistic passions in ways she hadn’t anticipated. Initially, she aspired to create art from fabric, studying beading and clothing design at yet another school, Ecole Lesage in Paris. She loved her schooling but eventually faced a pivotal decision. She had to decide to continue in the high-paced, demanding world of fashion design or prioritize starting a family.

Becoming a stay-at-home mom proved to be just as rewarding. Douglass discovered her current profession while preparing for the arrival of her first daughter. "Before my first daughter was born, my mother had the nursery painted by a faux finisher. I remember thinking, 'Wow, I would love to do this—but I’m going to be a mom, so I won’t be able to pursue it,'" she says, shifting her focus toward motherhood.

As time went on and Douglass welcomed a second daughter, the opportunity to revisit her artistic ambitions presented itself in an unexpected way. When her daughters reached middle school, she learned that the faux finisher who had painted her nursery, Karen, was retiring. Her mother, an interior designer who had worked with Karen on multiple projects, encouraged her daughter to shadow the experienced artist. What was supposed to be a week of observation turned into six years of hands-on experience before Douglass eventually branched out on her own. She further honed her craft by taking several faux finishing courses in Los Angeles.

Now, with over a decade of experience in the field, Douglass paints with passion and precision, creating custom art for her clients. "The most rewarding part of my job is the clientele—they have all been so kind," she shares. She prides herself on her communication and reliability, ensuring each step of the process is transparent. "I always show up when I say I will, and I keep my clients informed by texting when I arrive and leave. You’d be surprised how many people don’t do that," she says. "I simply treat people the way I would want to be treated if someone were working in my home or business."

However, like many small businesses, Amy’s work was impacted by the pandemic. Sourcing materials became difficult, with her primary supplier discontinuing 85% of its color selection and shutting down its operations in Texas and Los Angeles.

"Now, I have to wait 10 days for a product to arrive from Florida. Otherwise, the shipping costs are just too high on an already expensive material," she explains. Previously, plasters were available in quarts for around $40 plus shipping, but now they are only sold in gallons, costing anywhere from $100 to $280. This shift has made it increasingly costly to create samples for clients. "I never used to charge for samples, but now I have to—unless one of my existing samples happens to match a client’s space," she says.

Her career highlights include working alongside Karen to paint a mural behind the altar at Our Lady of the Snows Church in Reno. She also enjoys working on nurseries, including recently a custom ocean-themed piece of furniture for a new mother. "I painted furniture and canvases for her. Honestly, my best memories come from my clients. I usually get to know them pretty well by the time a project is finished," she says.

Beyond murals and wall finishes, Douglass specializes in reviving old furniture. She wants homeowners to know that age shouldn’t be a reason to discard a well-fitting piece. "If you have solid wood furniture, I can transform it into anything you want, even crocodile texture," she says, recognizing that many beloved pieces just need a new touch.

When Douglass refinished her own oak cabinets, she realized that the transformation completely changed her love for her kitchen. Now, she offers this service to clients, providing an affordable alternative to costly remodels. Many homeowners initially assume that their countertops need replacing when, in reality, a cabinet makeover can make all the difference. "I had one client who was about to have their kitchen cabinets refaced until her husband saw the new materials and said, 'Our cabinets are much sturdier and stronger than this.'” They ultimately hired Douglass, saving over $9,000. "Their bid for refacing was $14,000, but my work cost them less than $5,000," she explains. Redoing cabinets instead of replacing them not only saves money but also prevents unnecessary waste in landfills.

For Douglass, her clients always come first. She never considers a job complete until they are fully satisfied with her work. “I always do what I say I will, and my goal is to make your space a place you love to come home to,”' she says. Just as she has transformed her own home into a space of beauty and comfort, she strives to do the same for her clients. A home should reflect warmth, tranquility, and personal style. No one should feel stuck with cabinets, walls, or furniture they don’t love, she says. Through her company, Faux Works, which can be found at fauxworksreno.com Douglass makes these transformations both accessible and affordable for many in the Reno/Tahoe area.

Reporting by Lauren Juillerat

Heather Goulding, A New Representative Pushing for Effective Solutions to Help Cyclists, Domestic Violence Victims, Pregnant Women and Deal with Abandoned Vehicles

Heather Goulding, a longtime energy research and evaluation senior project manager and volunteer in Northern Nevada, is feeling energized on a Monday morning in Carson City, halfway through her first legislative session, as the new District 27 assembly representative for northwest Reno and parts of Sun Valley and Golden Valley.

“I am thoroughly enjoying it,” she says, with several of her proposed bills getting good initial movement, from helping bicyclists to pregnant women, domestic violence victims and school parents, to dealing with abandoned vehicles. 

Goulding says going in she tried to identify problems, very clearly and precisely.

“So that process of more clearly identifying a problem and then uncovering what all of the unknowns are and making sure that to the best of my ability that I'm creating an effective solution instead of creating unintended consequences that would either not solve the problem or create a different problem. And that's where all of the stakeholder engagement really comes in. So that whole process I find very energizing,” she said before a busy week of more committee hearings up ahead.

“There will be language that needs to be cleaned up. Stakeholders will engage in additional conversation. And so the bills then that come to work session may be modified from that original presentation,” she explained looking at her calendar for her three committees: government affairs, health and human services and revenue.  

One of her own bills has already moved out of committee, AB 168, to improve cyclist safety, which has gotten Goulding, an avid bicyclist, welcome attention. If passed, it could allow bicyclists to treat a stop sign as a yield sign and a red light as a stop sign.  Intersections are dangerous for cyclists, and red lights sometimes never go to green for them, and this would recognize “that giving cyclists the ability to mitigate their own risk is a good thing. It makes bicyclists safer.”

She said it’s ironic in a way this bill is getting so much media traction as her other bills have more of a potential overall impact.

“The bike bill is a fun bill, and … I think it will make our communities more bike friendly. My personal opinion is that though I love that bill, I think that it's less substantial. So it's interesting to me that has received so much attention.”

During the first week of session, she said law enforcement lobbyists marched into her office saying they were opposed.  After removing ebikes and escooters from the bill though, she says they moved to a neutral stance.  

For another bill, AB 250, to provide relief for victims of coercive debt, Goulding just sent a revised amendment to committee members.  

On Instagram last week, accompanying a video before the Commerce and Labor Committee, she wrote: “I’m proud to have introduced AB250, legislation that protects domestic violence survivors from coercive debt by shifting financial responsibility back to their abusers… By passing this bill, Nevada would join the national movement advancing economic justice for survivors of domestic violence.” 

In our phone call, Goulding explained nearly all victims of domestic violence are also victims of economic abuse, “which is when an abuser uses coercion to put debt in the victim's name and then racks up debt.”

Another bill for which she is the primary sponsor, AB360, addresses congenital syphilis testing and treatment for pregnant women who don’t have health insurance or primary care providers.

It’s fine-tuning a bill that was passed a few sessions ago to make sure testing for such a vulnerable group takes place.  

“Even though the bill had been passed, emergency rooms were not testing pregnant folks that came into the emergency rooms because if they came in for some other reason, they had a broken ankle or they had stitches or something, if the cause of there being in the emergency room was not pregnancy, the insurance wasn't covering that testing. So emergency rooms weren't testing. So what we've done is these tweaks on this bill is to make sure that Medicaid will cover the testing and treatment. We're making sure that because this is a really tricky population, it doesn't make sense to test them in the emergency room and then require them to come back two or three days later when the test results come in. So this bill requires a rapid test when they arrive at the emergency room,” she explained. 

If the test is positive, with her proposed bill, treatment would begin immediately.  

Meanwhile, AB205 would reverse the required opting in of human health and sexual education for school kids, with 90% of parents who opt in no longer having to do so, giving the paperwork instead to the small minority who wants to opt out.  

“It would just flip since there's a very small percentage of the parents who don't want their children to participate, it would put the burden on that small percentage instead of on the overwhelming percentage of parents who want to opt their children in,” she said of yet another common sense initiative she is driving. 

Another school related bill AB386 related to assessments administered for reading proficiency is no longer needed, as the test she was seeking is now being adopted.  

“So we're counting that as a win, but we don't need legislative change on that one,” she said.  

An abandoned car by UNR has gone through increasingly deteriorating conditions in recent months.

Finally, a bill which has several other primary sponsors along with Goulding is AB415, to streamline the process of getting rid of abandoned junk vehicles.

“It’s expensive for tow companies. It's expensive for local governments,” Goulding explained.

The solution in the bill has three parts, process, carrot and stick.  

“Instead of having to go track down who the owner is of an abandoned junk vehicle, put a lien hold on it, put the car in an impoundment lot … it gives tow truck companies and municipalities the ability to say, we all agree that this is a junk vehicle. We all know that this is garbage. The owner's never coming back. This is garbage. We're going to treat it like garbage,” she explained. “We're going to have the tow companies pick it up and drive it straight to either the pick and pull if there's that much left on it or it can go straight to the scrap heap. And what it does is it eliminates the bureaucratic hassle that folks have to go through in a current law. And, it's just makes it more efficient.”

Halfway through this session, Goulding says she’s learned the importance of finding a broad base of stakeholder engagement.  

“The best bills are the bills that reflect input from as many stakeholders as possible,” she concluded during our interview.  “I have worked hard even before those first presentations to make sure that I've built a broad base of input from stakeholders. But after the presentation, that process really continues. And it's in dialogue with people that will be impacted by a bill that is so important to continue listening to folks, responding to their concerns, digging in deeply to the issues and existing statutes, existing regulations so that we can make sure that we're really identifying the problem accurately and finding effective solutions. “

Our Town Reno reporting, April 7th 2025