Renown Health has been facing a turbulent period as numerous top executives have left the organization since 2021. This exodus has drawn comparisons to the sinking of the Titanic, with many wondering what conditions at Renown Health are driving these leaders to abandon ship.

Our inbox was flooded with copies of Sparks City Councilmember Ward 5 Kristopher Dahir's campaign mailer, raising suspicions that the Regional Transportation Commission bankrolled this bad boy. While we're sure they kept their hands clean, the mailer reads more like a RTC infomercial than a council reelection campaign pitch.

The recent incident involving a political sign at the Sparks Senior Center has sparked widespread attention. Many media outlets have covered the story, shedding light on the removal of Chris Garvey’s sign from a private resident’s fence and its subsequent destruction by a Washoe County employee at the Sparks Senior Center.

Okay, we got called out again and many supporters, three, of Appointed Commissioner Clara Andriola called Picon out. They said, what we said, Andriola said was untrue…

Picon was watching the Tuesday, May 14, 2024, Washoe County Commission Meeting, and two items struck us…

Councilman Donald Abbott reminds everyone and anyone within listening distance he was the youngest person ever elected to the Sparks City Council. Who do we blame for that, you the voter, who seem to have been sold a bill of goods by “The Donald.”

Renown Health, a leading healthcare provider based in northern Nevada, with sites across northern Nevada, made a controversial decision in 2023 to outsource its most of its IT department to R4 Solutions Inc., a company based out of India. While the move is aimed at cutting costs and improving efficiency, it has raised serious concerns about patient privacy and the security of medical records.

Monday, May 13, 2024, will be the first Community Homeless Advisory Board Meeting since September 11, 2023. When we were sent these photos from a Nevada Wins Pac Gala $500 per seat dinner, with the keynote speaker being none other than Congressman Mark Amodei we were struct with the idea of homeless and an expensive Republican dinner.

Councilmember Kristopher Dahir has been in a public social media battle with Commissioner Mike Clark about the Nevada Cares Campus and Community Homeless Advisory Board meetings. Dahir who expounds on how he understands the plight of the homeless might think about a ‘$500 per plate dinner’ vs ‘champion of the homeless’ optics.

Earlier this week Picon spoke with County Commissioner Mike Clark regarding the Point In Time (PIT) Count. After he read our article, he gave us a call about public records in his possession regarding the Wall Street Journal article we commented on. He shared the emails with us, saying, “maybe you can make sense out of them” and while we were surprised, we sure were not shocked Washoe County sunk low in order to get positive press making it appear they were reducing homelessness by 50% back in November 2023. They had absolutely no choice after the disaster of the CHAB (Community Homeless Advisory Board) meeting on September 11, 2023.

This all appears to be an explanation campaign…

According to Washoe County Government the homeless/unhoused population that they had touted had been cut in half last year, now have bad news for all you taxpaying residents and, hey, the numbers are up, but only slightly, and Washoe County expected it.

Picon was sent this poll and after thinking about it a bit we remembered a great quote.

“Polls? Nah... they're for strippers and cross-country skiers.” - Sarah Palin

Seems as if Appointed Candidate Clara Andriola is doing another poll, or someone is who must be giving her an ‘in-kind’ donation is because this poll really, really, wants to make sure you like Andriola, and gives you the opportunity to change your mind, and maybe like her better than Mark Lawson, the Sparks fired Fire Chief candidate. Andriola’s team is shocked they have to worry about Lawson in the primary election. Oops.

Picon had a dedicated reader call us unfair. They said we are ‘picking on’ Tracey Hilton Thomas.

The public records of Temporary Restraining Orders was brought to light by a phone poll that was made in District 4 and a reader alerted us to this poll and questions asked about the candidates. These records were from 2006 and 2002, the candidate had years to have the court records sealed.

We’re always amused when elected officials think the public is either daft or foolish and won’t remember or follow-up. They do. Our readers are very sleuth-like, and we had a reader send us some links, and a political fundraising invitation. It intrigued us because we didn’t realize a person who spoke at a Washoe County Commission meeting in April 2023 became a City of Reno Planning Commissioner in June 2023. Shame on Picon for not paying attention.

Picon ponders if Governor Joe Lombardo put any time/research into his decision to appoint Clara Andriola as the Washoe County commissioner in District 4. His choice is blowing-up his Republican party in Washoe County and shouldn’t he be thinking about his re-election in 2026. Or is Joe one and done? Might that explain his “pulling his party apart” commissioner appointment choice of Andriola, he just didn’t care. Or was he doing a favor for a contributor? Or a City Councilmember in Sparks?

Picon realizes we are going to get slapped around the block for this question, but the candidate and his family has opened the gate on our path of inquiry. Ultimately, it is the job of the media to ask uncomfortable questions about medical issues of political candidates in order to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in government.

Mary Kay Ash said, “Sandwich every bit of criticism between two layers of praise.”

The City of Reno City Council needs to take that quote to heart. Picon finds it odd the City of Reno Council Members enjoy praising staff, as Mayor Hillary Schieve says, “staff is amazing” but seem to be at odds with one another. Dysfunctional in their approach to working within the body.

Picon has questions why Washoe County Nevada Government Human Services Agency senior lunches are not more robust, and perhaps more flavorful. County Manger Eric Brown explained it away because seniors can’t have salt, sugar and need certain flavor profiles for health. Guess that doesn’t extend to the “innocent until proven guilty” residents at the Washoe County Jail.

Voters, you really need to pay attention to what is going on at Washoe County Government. Agenda Item 10.E.1 which was approving the “Early Voting and Election Day locations.” It was mentioned by a public commenter that Appointed Commissioner Clara Andriola has a campaign office at Red Hawk which will also be one of the polling locations. Conflict? Could be.

At yesterday’s Sparks City Council Meeting, Commissioner Mike Clark not only took the time to call out Mayor Ed Lawson, but also took a minute to challenge voters in the City of Sparks rid themselves of the three incumbents Kristopher Dahir, Donald Abbott, and Paul Anderson.