When The Nevada Independent recently reported that ICE arrests in Nevada don’t happen through dramatic raids, but rather through targeted, coordinated actions—often with the cooperation of local law enforcement—it triggered a memory we couldn’t shake.

Gregg Kidd is back—once again attempting to “understand” Northern Nevada.

The well-funded would-be public servant is hosting yet another Meeting the Moment: Affordability Crisis Town Hall on Tuesday, January 21, from 5:00–6:30 p.m. at the Reno Public Market. Hosted by This Is Reno, Kidd says the event follows up on a March town hall meant to hear how everyday Nevadans are coping with rising costs—groceries, electricity, rent—and to gather ideas on making Northern Nevada more affordable and equitable.

Picon was out in the field yesterday following up on a Gregg Kidd story and missed the Sparks City Council meeting. That turned out to be unfortunate timing—because we almost missed what may be one of the most telling moments of the meeting, delivered casually by none other than Mayor Ed Lawson himself.

Last week, Washoe County crews seemed determined to coat every road surface in sight with slurry in preparation for winter weather. Meanwhile, a number of City of Reno residents reached out with the same question: where was the slurry? Because many of us didn’t see any.

To be fair, the City of Reno isn’t exactly doing nothing. The city has largely shifted away from traditional slurry-style pre-treatment and now relies primarily on brining — a saltwater solution applied ahead of storms to keep snow and ice from bonding to the pavement. Sand and salt mixes are then used as secondary measures, especially on hills, curves, intersections, and known trouble spots.

Washoe County has launched a new pilot program allowing people living in their cars a place to park overnight at the Our Place campus in Sparks, billed as a compassionate response to homelessness. The program offers six first-come, first-served parking spaces through May 15, along with access to showers, restrooms, laundry, and meals.

On paper, it sounds humane.

In reality, it raises deeply troubling questions — especially about where this program is being placed and who may be put at risk.

I had one hell of a week — the kind that reminds you why local history still matters.

Honored to sit in on a meeting with Commissioner Mike Clark and announced District 3 commission candidate Troy Regas. Talking with Troy feels like a moment in time. Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County have changed — a lot — and yet somehow stayed the same.

If you somehow missed Washoe County is looking for a new library director we thought we’d point it out. All while Washoe County stares down a huge budget deficit.

Yes, really.

Washoe County is currently recruiting a Library Director with a salary range of $146,681.60 to $205,358.40, with the first resume review set for Friday, January 9, 2026. That’s a healthy paycheck for any season — but especially curious timing when the county is tightening belts elsewhere.

A recently listed Reno home at 1620 Harold Drive is raising eyebrows over what appears to be a dramatic four-month flip, advertised renovations, and unanswered questions about permits, zoning, and disclosure requirements.

The property, APN 002-261-07, was purchased on August 20, 2025, for $267,000, according to Washoe County document #5563119. The buyer was Shasta Properties LLC, a Nevada entity (E0499092017-3). The listed resident agent for Shasta Properties is Brandon Goles, who is also the listing agent for the property’s current sale.

Tonight’s City of Reno Ward 3 Neighborhood Advisory meeting includes a big agenda item: the proposed closing or repurposing of several Washoe County schools located in Ward 3.

One of the presenters? Washoe County School Board Trustee Beth Smith.

Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve spent the holiday season in New York City—was it part vacation, part brand promotion—repping her sunscreen business alongside her business partner—heck we don’t know but we enjoy the images . Big-city backdrop, big inflatable Spooge marketing props, and plenty of photo ops.

Whether that’s the image Reno voters want from their mayor is a fair question. Public office comes with public scrutiny, especially when personal business and public profile blur together.

As we head toward the January 15, 2026 deadline—when campaign Contribution and Expense reports will finally reveal just how much money our elected officials have been collecting—one uncomfortable question keeps coming up:

Who’s checking any of this?

What we’ve learned is discouraging. Despite the importance of these reports, there is no routine audit of Contribution and Expense filings by the Nevada Secretary of State’s office. The system largely relies on candidates and elected officials to tell the truth—and assumes compliance unless someone flags a problem.

Come on, folks.

Back in 2024, Lt. Governor Stavros Anthony found time to endorse Washoe County Commissioner Clara Andriola—but somehow couldn’t find the time, or the inclination, to support District 1 Republican Marsha Berkbigler in her race against Commissioner Alexis Hill.

You may remember Alexis Hill. She’s now running for governor.

So the question lingers: why didn’t Anthony reach out to Berkbigler? No public explanation. No quiet show of support. Just… nothing.

Fast forward to 2026, and the mystery deepens.

So let’s clear this up.

I’m being told the Republicans aren’t supporting me because I print articles calling them out.

Correction: the real Republicans are. The ones who open their homes, host fundraisers, knock on doors, make calls, and grind through campaign season without a title or a Facebook following. They’re with me.

We made the decision today to pull our scheduled story and instead highlight This Is Reno’s Newsmakers of the Year for 2025—a list that includes Washoe County Commissioner Mike Clark.

That choice wasn’t difficult.

The best gift Picon Press received this year didn’t come with a bow — it came courtesy of Bruce Parks, chair of the Washoe County Republican Party and its Central Committee, who publicly declared that Picon “lacks credibility.”

We sincerely appreciate the sentiment.

A writ of mandamus doesn’t happen by accident.

When the Nevada Supreme Court issues a writ regarding a Second Judicial District Court judge, it’s not a routine paperwork error or a harmless disagreement over procedure. It’s a public, written reminder that something went wrong badly enough to warrant correction from the state’s highest court.

And in this case, the mistake belongs to Judge David Hardy.

Let’s rewind the tape.

In March 2024, Washoe County commissioners voted on an ordinance that effectively criminalized unhoused people for living in their cars. The split was clear — and telling.

• Commissioners Mike Clark and Jeanne Herman voted NO, opposing criminalization.

• Commissioners Mariluz Garcia, Alexis Hill, and Clara Andriola voted YES, supporting arrests and citations for people who are homeless.

Those votes are not a matter of opinion. They’re a matter of record.

We noticed something interesting (and a little weird) about the Washoe County Human Services Senior Breakfast on Friday, December 19 at the 9th Street Senior Center:
There are no photos online of the event — absolutely none we could find, until today.

Remember the individual arrested who worked with the Karma Box Project — the same person listed as a supervisor at the Nevada Cares Campus Safe Camp? Yes, that one.

Karma Box Project’s agreement with the Washoe County Human Services Agency requires background checks before employment. Whether that requirement was consistently followed remains an open question. What we do know is this: Matthew Brandon Grimsley is now headed to Second Judicial District Court, case CR25-2902.

When silence isn’t an option: Devon Reese accidentally confirms he reads Mike’s Reno Report. Or he sure did about the loss of Harrah’s xx and downtown Boise.

It turns out Councilmember Devon Reese does read Mike’s Reno Report — or at least reads it closely enough to feel compelled to respond. Not with answers, mind you. Just vibes, deflection, and a carefully worded non-response that somehow managed to say everything while explaining nothing.