Flower basket turns up

One of two flower baskets, possibly missing from outside downtown businesses recently, was turned in to the Sheriff's Office on Wednesday evening.

Deputy Jessica Rivera said the department got a call from someone saying a basket was in their yard on the Carson Colony, and a tribal officer also reported that someone told him a basket was there.

"We are investigating the matter further," said Rivera.

The baskets were part of a fundraiser for The Greenhouse Project, a non-profit group raising funds and volunteer support to construct a greenhouse at Carson High School. The idea was originally conceived as a place to teach horticulture while growing flowers used in the baskets that decorate downtown during the summer. But the initiative has blossomed to include a place to raise fresh produce for Carson City's food banks.

Businesses and individuals donated $225 each for the baskets hanging downtown.

"It is sad that people feel the need to ruin not only something beautiful for our community, but a fundraiser to help such a wonderful upcoming program," said Rivera.

According to the report, a tribal officer reported Wednesday morning that he had been flagged down by someone who said they thought they saw one of the missing baskets hanging from a tree at a home on Paiute Street.

On Wednesday afternoon, the tribal officer contacted the resident, who said she woke up one morning and saw the basket hanging from the back of a flatbed truck, the report states.

Rivera said Sheriff Ken Furlong also received a phone call from the resident, telling him there was a basket in her yard.

The only discrepancy is that the Greenhouse flowers were stolen last week, and the woman said that this basket had been left at her house three weeks ago. No other flowers were reported missing before the recent disappearances.

The missing-basket case remains under investigation, said Rivera.