Gadzooks, Washoe County — it’s getting weird out there.

One moment, Cari-Ann Burgess, the former Interim Registrar of Voters for Washoe County, was the golden child of elections. Handpicked, praised, and defended at public meetings with the kind of confidence usually reserved for utility heroes and budget surpluses.

Now? She’s being painted as grossly incompetent — by the very same government that hired and defended her — as part of a legal strategy to dismiss her wrongful termination lawsuit.

Cue dramatic music. Enter: Bat-Signal.

It’s getting crowded in the sky over Somersett.

Between the automated license plate readers quietly capturing comings and goings, and now the appearance of a recreational drone — allegedly launched by the Somersett Homeowners Association — it seems Big Brother no longer needs a badge or a warrant. Just a Best Buy receipt and a little political cover.

But let’s back up. Because while the drone may be small, the backroom scheming flying beneath the radar is much bigger.

Once upon a time, in the sagebrush-flavored land of Reno, there lived a mighty club called the Republican Women of Reno (RWR). Known for their polished pearls, power suits, and precision-planned luncheons, they were a political force, a civic staple, and—perhaps most critically—a reliable source of hot chicken piccata and lukewarm stump speeches.

But oh, how the mighty have fumbled the buffet line.

Michael Leonard - Mike's Reno Report - first pulled back the curtain on Somersett’s use of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) — a high-tech surveillance system that sounds impressive on paper. These cameras scan and store every license plate that rolls into the neighborhood, supposedly adding a layer of security for residents. But when real-world danger showed up, the machines stayed silent, and so did the people in charge.

On July 28, Our Town Reno reported a troubling incident: a group of youths harassing young women outside a public bathroom at Somersett East Park. It's a serious allegation — one that should have prompted immediate concern from the Somersett Owners Association. But their only suggestion? "Call the police." That’s it.

While some local media was busy chasing cones at Keystone, a summer storm on Sunday, July 27 dumped hail, lightning, and a flood into downtown Reno—oh, and possibly swept away parts of the Arlington Bridge construction site. But you wouldn’t know that from your local media or the City of Reno, however RTC - Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County did step up with a post on Facebook yesterday.

Over the weekend, Reno was treated to a good old-fashioned summer storm—hail, lightning, flash flooding—and, it seems, a healthy dose of selective storytelling.

It’s that time again, Reno.

Time to dust off your “Save Our Neighborhood” signs, round up the neighbors, and once again remind Reno City Hall that residents actually live here. Because—surprise!—another developer with deep pockets and shallow plans is back with a dream: to turn part of Lakeridge into a cash cow dressed up as “community improvement.”

On August 5, 2025 at 6 p.m., head over to Bartley Ranch and hear the latest from the folks at SaveLakeridge.com about Duncan Golf Management’s shiny new revised application. The pitch? Rezone 12.5 acres for a hotel, villas, restaurants, bars, outdoor event space, six pickleball courts, two tennis courts, a pool, and a spa. All that’s missing is the monorail.

There’s a familiar smell wafting through Reno politics again, and it’s not sagebrush or summer wildfire smoke — it’s the scent of undeclared conflicts and developer dollars.

Former Reno Planning Commissioner J.D. Drakulich, a rumored, un-declared candidate for City Council Ward 2, has found himself on the receiving end of a little love letter from the Nevada Commission on Ethics. Case number 25-070 isn’t just a paperwork formality — it’s a jurisdictional determination about a potential conflict of interest that should make every Reno voter pause and ask: “Whose interests is Drakulich really planning for?”

Richard Jay—board‑hopper, Downtown Reno Partnership booster and social‑media hype man for Mayor Hillary Schieve—recently gushed that Reno is “doing a good job” downtown.¹ For residents staring at boarded‑up buildings, police lights and fresh pink slips, that appraisal lands about as well as a neon arch in a blackout.

n Washoe County, where optics often masquerade as ethics and silence is considered leadership, one prosecutor just couldn’t keep her opinions to herself—and the implications are more than just awkward.

Nicole Hicks, a prosecutor in the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office, recently found herself in a public social media dust-up with attorney Zelalem Bogale, the presumptive Democratic nominee for District Attorney. The topic? Chris Hicks—her husband and current DA—and his controversial charging decisions in the Reno High School mini-riot that many in the community disagree with.

On July 1, 2025, in a move that shocked absolutely no one paying attention to the county’s pattern of “we love you, we loathe you,” staff invited CAB members to re-engage — this time to help with the Washoe County Evacuation Study. Yes, the same CABs that county employees previously rolled their eyes at, allude to the time suck the CABs require, and quietly plotted to dissolve like an unwanted committee meeting on a Friday afternoon.

A Department of Justice (DOJ) letter gets mentioned during public comment by Penny Brock — one of those rare unicorns who both speaks at meetings and actually reads government documents.

Following Brock’s comment, someone somewhere inside the county apparently freaked out just enough to send out an internal email making it abundantly clear that the letter in question was sent to the Nevada Secretary of State — and definitely, absolutely, cross-your-heart-not-going-to-be-shared with Registrar of Voters Andrew McDonald.

In a dizzying twist of local political irony, Washoe County Library Trustee Marie Rodriguez — once a recipient of Commissioner Mike Clark’s support — appears to be smearing him as the secret ringleader of a so-called “mob” that attends commission meetings for about a year now.

In a public email to Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam, Rodriguez paints a scene fit for a made-for-TV thriller: she claims that emotionally charged public commenters, whom she labels as followers of political figure Robert Beadles, descend on county meetings and — get this — are silenced only when Commissioner Clark allegedly gives a “gesture.”

Let’s rewind the tape on a little episode of government dysfunction that Washoe County officials would now really prefer we forget — but we won’t.

At center stage is Sober 24 Testing Services, the county-run operation that was supposed to ensure accountability in the courts but instead became a hub of questionable leadership, opaque operations, and now — surprise — the focus of multiple investigations.

Try Seven Layers of WTF.

We almost let out a sigh of relief when Washoe County Manager Eric Brown packed up and rode off into retirement. Not because we're ungrateful (well, maybe a little), but because we thought one particular pet project might quietly fade into the bureaucratic sunset: the Washoe Leadership Academy.

You remember it — the program dusted off and rebranded under Brown’s watch, pumped full of self-congratulatory rhetoric and framed as the next great investment in “leadership.” A noble idea on its surface, sure. But let’s not kid ourselves — this thing wasn’t designed to nurture leaders so much as to cultivate admirers, and it would seem you need to be a graduate of the academy in order to be appointed to a county board of commission. Brain-washing anyone?

If you’ve spent five minutes on Nextdoor lately, you’ve likely seen the name Shaun Mullin—keyboard warrior, neighborhood watchdog, and unofficial spokesperson for everyone sick of seeing Reno carved up like a real estate buffet.

This week’s target? The Hello World project—an ironically named development that’s about to say goodbye to sanity in Ward 1. The proposal? 50 units and just 32 parking spaces, conveniently crammed onto Reno Avenue. Because apparently, the new urban planning motto is: If they don’t have a place to park, maybe they’ll just disappear.

July 15, 2025 will go down in history—not for anything civic, legislative, or remotely government-related—but because SPOOGE officially launched its line of ultra-premium, sparkle-infused skincare products, including one we didn’t know we needed: glossy sunscreen for your butt cheeks.

Yes, you read that correctly.

And leading the glittery charge is none other than the Mayor of Reno herself—who, is also one of SPOOGE’s co-founders.

Yes. Chris Hicks’s office has a full‑blown Public Information Officer (PIO)—paid by you, the taxpayer—spitting out press releases like pros. From launching a Twitter account in 2015 to promoting “felonious rioters” and Reno High pandemonium, it’s slick spin 24/7.

The Punch Line: When you've got budget shortfalls and big regulatory battles brewing, rolling the dice on lobbying is sometimes seen as the smarter bet than silent suffering—or public backlash.

Recent court documents filed by Jory Mack, Darren Mack’s son, allege that Joan Mack, now 88, has been subjected to religious coercion orchestrated by her son in prison. The complaint claims Joan:

• Was “forced to join” her son's religion.

• Is being made to fast twice weekly, exercise, and wake up at 2 AM.

• Has been effectively cut off from those who refuse to conform—using faith as a tool for discipline.