Washoe County seems to have cracked the code on “senior engagement.”
Spoiler alert: it’s called volunteerism.

Yep — somewhere in the Human Services Division, someone must have decided that seniors don’t need fun, stimulation, or community. Nope. What they really need is to stuff envelopes, run errands, and “stay active” by doing unpaid labor that conveniently makes the county look good.

Since we’re already having a petty day (thank you, City of Reno T-shirt inquiry), let’s move right along to our next question of the week — this one courtesy of four-time Reno mayoral candidate Eddie Lorton.

Eddie took to Facebook recently to raise a “quorum concern” about several Reno City Council members attending the India Association of Northern Nevada event. We’ll give him this — he’s consistent about showing up where cameras and questions are.

We couldn’t help but notice those matching shirts the Reno City Council members wore at the Veterans Day Parade — very coordinated, very official-looking. Cool City of Reno swag.

Here’s our question: did taxpayers pick up the tab for those?

We couldn’t help but smile today when a few speakers during public comment — including some UNR students and a Midtown representative — took to the mic to thank Councilmembers Miguel Martinez, Brandi Anderson, and Devon Reese for their “generous donations” to their organizations.

As we pause this Veterans Day to honor the men and women who have worn the uniform — those who have put themselves in harm’s way and those who paid the ultimate price — we find ourselves reflecting not only on their sacrifice, but on what we, as a community, are doing with the freedoms they fought to protect.

And that brings us, strangely enough, to Veterans Memorial Elementary School in Reno.

While the Washoe County School Board prepares to reassign or “repurpose” the school, one has to wonder: why would a district even consider reassigning a school that honors our veterans — especially this week? There is a meeting to discuss the repurposing on November 12th at least they didn’t schedule the meeting on Veterans Day.

On May 28, 2025, a quiet stretch of Washoe Valley road became the scene of a tragedy. Cyclist Joshua Neely was struck and killed — and the driver responsible, Travis Smith, didn’t stop.

While the family of Joshua Neely grieves, Smith’s legal team appears busy shielding assets. That tells a story of its own — one of financial insulation rather than remorse.

Once upon a time in Reno, there was a community rallying to “Save Lakeridge.” Lawn signs sprouted, neighbors united, and for a moment, it looked like the little people might actually hold their ground against big development. Fast-forward to today — and the movement that once had fire in its belly now feels more like a members-only club with a cover charge.

At a July meeting of the retooled Save Lakeridge LLC, residents expected transparency, plans, and maybe even a little hope. What they got instead was mystery theater. The group proudly announced they’d hired two lawyers and a lobbyist — then didn’t name them. No explanation of their roles, no strategy, not even a slide deck. Attendees were told to write their questions on cards, and only the “chosen ones” were read aloud. The rest? Filed under “never mind.”

It’s that time again — Reno City Hall’s annual game of “Who Wants to Be Vice Mayor?” The suspense is thick enough to cut with a council agenda. The November 12th meeting promises interesting ‘deals’ that may have been crafted behind the scenes.

Rumors are flying around town faster than free-range pigs at a county fair. Everyone’s got a theory about who’ll get the title. City Hall watchers are already placing bets on who might emerge as the mayor’s next right-hand. The logic seems simple: who will get the most bang for the buck and that might very well be Mayor Schieve’s ‘bestie’ Councilmember Devon Reese. Heck, she just threw a fundraiser for him at The Elm Estate.

The Washoe County Republican Party might want to invest in a spreadsheet — or at least a group chat — because the 2026 ballot is shaping up to be one giant, red-tinted identity crisis.

First, there’s the Reno mayor’s race. Two elephants, one chair: Councilmember Kathleen Taylor, who rode GOP backing to a razor-thin win in 2024, and perennial candidate Eddie Lorton, the party’s forever date who’s back for another dance.

The City of Sparks has discovered a new way to “serve and protect” — by charging you for it.

Facing an $18 million budget shortfall, Sparks officials are floating something called a “First Responder Fee.” Translation: if you have the bad luck to need emergency medical help, and the Sparks Fire Department shows up first, you could get a $527 bill.

That’s right. The people who are supposed to show up when your heart stops or your car crashes now come with a surcharge.

Well, well, well — looks like Commissioner Mike Clark been calling out Commission Chair Alexis Hill long enough. Washoe County sent him a “Hold the Date” notice for Tuesday, December 2, 2025, from 1–5 p.m. — a possible meeting of the long-vanished Community Homeless Advisory Board (CHAB).

If true, that’s big. The CHAB hasn’t met since May 2024, which is remarkable considering Washoe County leadership — Commissioner Chair Alexis Hill and former County Manager Eric Brown — have spent the better part of two years declaring the homeless population “down by 40%, maybe 50%, possibly even 60%,” depending on which press piece you read that week. Remember the Wall Street Journal article that poor reporter was led down the garden path.

Everyone Picon knows seems to be sprinting for cover, hoping to avoid catching what we’ve started calling “the Beadles bug.” It’s highly contagious and politically disfiguring — symptoms include sudden memory loss about past donations, rapid distancing statements, and an unexplained urge to say “no comment.” Unfortunately, there’s no known vaccine yet, though a healthy dose of transparency and a booster of accountability might offer some immunity.

Picon’s private investigator was questioned by the Sparks Police Department in 2022, who handled the tracker investigation, and was cleared. We’ve been following this story for years and now the answer is known. We were blamed, guess you were all wrong.

Robert Beadles has gone on the record admitting he hired David McNeely to follow Mayor Hillary Schieve and then-Commissioner Vaughn Hartung — confirming what’s been whispered in political circles for months.

es, yes, we’ve heard it — “Where’s Picon on Beadles and Trackergate?” The comments, the emails, we’re sure we are getting side-eye. Rest assured, we’ve covered it (check the website, it’s there), and we’ll even get around to tossing it up on Facebook once we come up for air.

But while everyone else is busy chasing headlines, we’re more interested in what’s happening right here in the neighborhoods — namely, the repurposing of two local schools. That’s not gossip; that’s kids, their families, teachers, and property lines. The Washoe County School District is holding a community meeting on Wednesday, November 12th, at Libby Booth Elementary, 1450 Stewart Street, to talk about what this might mean for the potentially impacted school communities.

Full disclosure — our publisher, Larry Chesney, has tossed his hat in the ring for the Washoe County Commission District 5 race in 2026. As always, we’ll keep reporting the facts wherever they lead.

It seems the Washoe County political rumor mill has been running a little too hot lately.

At last month’s Washoe County Republican Central Committee meeting, there was talk that Commissioner Jeanne Herman had endorsed Tammy Holt-Still in the upcoming District 5 race. Holt-Still herself helped fuel the perception, she had announced her candidacy during a County Commission meeting while publicly thanking Commissioner Herman for her years of service — a gesture that some attendees took as a subtle nod of support.

More than a year has passed since the Community Homelessness Advisory Board (CHAB) last met — the very board tasked with overseeing Washoe County’s most pressing humanitarian crisis. Chaired by Commissioner Alexis Hill, CHAB has gone silent while encampments spread and frustration grows.

At the most recent Washoe County Commission meeting, residents finally said what many have whispered: Why hasn’t Chair Hill called a CHAB meeting in over a year?

We learned a new legal term: vexatious litigant. According to the courts, it’s someone who files lawsuits to harass or burden others rather than seek justice. Interesting, right?

That phrase came to mind when we received a campaign fundraising email from Reno City Councilmember and 2026 mayoral hopeful Devon Reese — curiously timed just as multiple media outlets are reporting on the civil case tying together Michael Leonard (the plaintiff) and several local notables: Alex Velto (2024 Assembly candidate, Reno Planning Commissioner, and attorney), Conor McQuivey (Renoites podcast host and Washoe County employee), and of course Reese himself, Velto’s law partner.

You’ve got to hand it to the City of Reno — no one torpedoes property values faster.

Take 410 Reno Avenue, for example. The homeowner attended the so-called “neighborhood meeting” on July 30, hosted by the Reno Housing Authority. It was there he learned he’d soon be living next to a three-story, 45-unit “affordable housing” project. (Translation: kiss your quiet single-story street goodbye.)

Well, grab your popcorn, Washoe County — Picon’s boss himself, Larry Chesney, has officially announced he’s running for County Commissioner, District 5.

Why? Simple. After Tammy Holt-Still announced her candidacy — right there in the middle of a commission meeting, no less — Larry’s phone started blowing up like it was Black Friday at Costco. Over 100 calls from residents, ranchers, landowners, and business owners poured in, all with the same message: “Larry, please run. Save us from the circus.”

The Gerlach Gateway: Art, Recreation, or Something Else?

Something’s going on around the edges of Burning Man country, and do the residents of Gerlach in the loop. Enter the Gerlach Gateway Initiative: a “collaboration of multiple partner organizations seeking the development of a multi-use recreational area and art site in Gerlach.” Sounds dreamy, right? Pizza included.

Well, color us curious — Commissioner Jeanne Herman pulled a disappearing act this week, skipping both the special meeting to select the new Washoe County Manager and the regular commission meeting the next day. That’s two dais dodges in a row.

Now, we know Jeanne has always had a soft spot for former County Manager Eric Brown — she practically considered him the gold standard of county leadership — so maybe she’s still lighting a candle for his departure. But while Herman’s MIA, Commissioner Clara Andriola is licking her chops for the big chair. With Jeanne out, Clara’s path to becoming Chair of the Washoe County Commission just got a little smoother — and a whole lot noisier. Because let’s be real: if Clara takes that gavel, we’ll all be lulled into a bureaucratic coma by her drone of devotion to the sound of her own voice.