Week of July 1

TRAVEL, CONTRACTS, DRONES AND MORE

ArchCrest

ArchCrest Commercial Partners relocated their office to accommodate plans for growth and expansion in 2016-2017. The commercial real estate company has moved to 5560 Longley Lane, Suite 100, in the Longley Professional Campus.

TRAVELNEVADA

TravelNevada was awarded a Silver Anvil from the Public Relations Society of America for its “Don’t Fence Me In” millennial marketing campaign.

TravelNevada also was recognized with two national Bronze Anvil Awards and an honorable mention for its New York City media event launching JetBlue’s service into RNO. Both programs were executed in partnership with Agency of Record Fahlgren Mortine and Nevada-based partner, The Abbi Agency.

SMARTASSET

A SmartAsset study found Reno to be the second most affordable U.S. travel destination. According to their study, on average, two hotel rooms for a family of four would cost only $176 per night and round-trip airfare would cost about $1,360 ($340 per person).

SmartAsset also found the best places to live on Social Security in Nevada. Washoe County ranked seventh. Douglas and Storey ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, and Pershing ranked first. The study found the cost of living in Pershing to be $17,250 and annual Social Security to be $18,370.

Finally, SmartAsset looked at the most affordable places to live in Nevada. Spring Creek topped the list with a 93.55 on their affordability index. Sun Valley second with 93.17 followed by Winnemucca at 91.35 For the full report visit https://smartasset.com/mortgage/how-much-house-can-i-afford?year=2016#nevada.

HGTV

A Glenbrook estate, listed by Chase International’s Mike Dunn, is part of HGTV’s Ultimate House Hunt. The contest takes place online through July 8.

The property is noted for its private lake access and outdoor entertaining potential. The two-story home has wrap-around balconies, 30-foot pier, two deeded-buoys and a spacious deck. It is listed for $10,525,000.

DRONE AMERICA

Unmanned aerial cloud-seeding reached a new milestone through the successful integration and deployment of 14 ejectable cloud-seeding flares at low altitude.

In several test passes, Drone America’s Savant™ sUAS aircraft deployed its silver-iodide cloud-seeding payload 75 feet over the Hawthorne Industrial Airport’s runway.

D & D ROOFING AND SHEET METAL

President Ken Dillon announced that the company has contracts for $4.9 million.

Projects include the following in Reno: Barnes & Noble, CBRE Maintenance, Big Valley Honda, Lenz Elementary, Wooster High, Parr Detention Center and McQueen High. In Carson City: Surf Thru Car Wash. In Sparks: Petco, Anixter, John Dermody Ventures, State of Nevada Sierra Regional Center and Greg Street Park. In Winnemucca: Creek Casino and Ridley’s Market and Fernley/Jeep/Dodge in Fernley.

ATLANTIS

The Reno Chalk Art Festival (July 9-10, 2016) presented by Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in conjunction with Artown announces its Call for Entries for juried artists, both amateur and professional. Submissions must be received by Wednesday, July 6. For more information, visit www.atlantiscasino.com/chalk.

UAS

Microsoft teamed up with NIAS, a FAA-designated Unmanned Aviation Systems (UAS) Test Site, to achieve flight with their newest glider UAS in the National Airspace System (NAS) last month.

The objective of the Microsoft flight was to meet the rigorous testing and training requirements of the Nevada FAA-designated Test Site and to build crew experience in flying the glider and their other quad-copter models in the NAS. The other objective was to certify the Microsoft UAS team in flight planning, risk assessment, communications, decision-making, teamwork, and crew coordination.

The Microsoft team was certified to conduct flight operations under the Nevada UAS Test Site COA.

BLM

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carson City District, Stillwater Field Office, has issued the Decision for the New Pass Peak Distribution Line Project, proposed by Sierra Pacific Power Company (NV Energy). The project area is in Churchill and Lander Counties, approximately 25 miles northwest of Austin, Nev.

The Decision will allow Sierra Pacific Power Company to construct, operate and maintain a permanent right-of-way for a new 30,563 feet (5.77 mile) long, 40-foot wide distribution line ROW. The permanent ROW would occupy approximately 27 acres of federal land primarily administered by the BLM Carson City District, Stillwater Field Office with segments of the line also crossing into lands administered by the Battle Mountain BLM District, Mount Lewis Field Office, along the crest of New Pass Peak.

The BLM Ely District, Egan Field Office, has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Bald Mountain Mine North and South Operations Area Projects (Project) that would expand an existing open-pit gold mine in White Pine County, Nevada, approximately 65 miles northwest of Ely, Nev. The Project was originally proposed by Barrick Gold US Inc., but has recently been purchased by Kinross Mining Inc. The agency preferred alternative is the Western Redbird Modification Alternative. The Final EIS is posted online at http://on.doi.gov/14R9rZ8 and additional information is available at http://on.doi.gov/14vXckC.

LIBERTY FOOD AND WINE

Chef Mark Estee opened Liberty Food & Wine Exchange, an artisan eatery and wine bar, June 27 at 100 N. Sierra Street. Their hours will be Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., and Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

CHURCHILL COUNTY

Churchill County began construction on a new $17 million Law Enforcement and Detention Center. The county’s current facility, constructed in 1973, has an official bed capacity of 53 and severely limits inmate segregation capabilities. The new 39,000- square-foot facility has six different housing pods and more than doubles the number of available beds to 120. A seventh pod with space for an additional 20 beds may be converted in the future if needed.

AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

The National Automobile Museum is up for a “Best Transportation Museum” in a 10Best national poll via USA Today. Voting is open through July 18 at http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-transportation-museum/.

ACE AWARDS

The Reno-Tahoe American Marketing Association announced the winners of this year’s Ace Awards during a ceremony on June 23. The winners are as follows: Best Brand/Re-Brand Truckee Base Camp for a Big Life (Truckee Chamber of Commerce), Best in Cause-Related Marketing Diaper Duty – a Community-Wide Diaper Drive (Estipona Group), Best in Direct Marketing The Weekly Yelp (Yelp.com), Best Event Promotion TedxUniversityofNevada (University of Nevada, Reno), Best Integrated Marketing Strategy Toucan Charlie’s Buffet Grand Re-opening (Atlantis Casino Resort Spa), Best in Print Reno Lens Book (The City of Reno), Best in Public Relations Flirtey Public Relations Campaign (The Abbi Agency), Best in Social Media TravelNevada Leverages User-Generated Content to Increase Awareness & Inspire Millennial Travel to Rural Nevada (TravelNevada), Best in Web and Digital Design TravelNevada.com (TravelNevada), Best Video/Commercial Wild Nights Commercial (TravelNevada), People’s Choice The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges – Ending Indiscriminate Juvenile Shackling (KPS3), Influencer of the Year Mike Higdon (RGJ).

CSLB

Contractors State License Board cited 10 suspects for alleged illegal contracting violations during an undercover sting operation in El Dorado County. Suspects are scheduled to appear in court August 5. Four of the individuals caught are Nevada residents. Justin Charles Fields of Wellington was cited for contracting without a license, illegal advertising and fraudulent use of an incorrect license number. Raymond Dorsey Jr. of Carson City was cited for contracting without a license. Eduardo Antonio Sandoval-Martinez of Carson City was cited for contracting without a license. Jose Eduardo Valverde of Sparks was cited for contracting without a license.


AIR RACES

The 19th annual National Championship Air Races Pylon Racing Seminar (PRS) was held June 15-18 at the Reno Stead Airport. PRS is a qualifying and safety seminar for pilots new to the National Championship Air Races. This year’s event, which was not open to the public, hosted a record 79 airplanes and 130 participants, including students, instructors and certified pilots.

UNR

The Center for Application of Substance Abuse Technologies at the University of Nevada, Reno was recently awarded a $300,000 grant from the Office on Violence Against Women “Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus Program.” Of 150 universities and colleges that applied, 27 were awarded.

SPARKS COUNCIL

Sewer Rehabilitation Project - Council approved an agreement with Spanish Springs Construction in the amount of $512,444 for a sewer rehabilitation project for the A Street Alley. The project includes the removal and replacement of an aged sanitary sewer main along with the replacement of the asphalt alley structural section with a reinforced concrete section. Original installation of this sewer main dates back to the 1920s.

FREE CLINIC DATES

The University of Nevada School of Medicine announced its free Student Outreach Clinics for July. General clinics, available to both children and adults, will be held on July 9 and July 30 from 8 a.m. to noon.

CAMPO

Campo opened a Sparks location on July 1. Campo’s new location at 137 Los Altos Parkway will serve brunch, lunch and dinner.

PBTK

Basin Street Properties has signed a lease with Piercy Bowler Taylor & Kern Certified Public Accountants & Business Advisors (PBTK) in its 200 South Virginia building in downtown Reno.

NV ENERGY

As of July 1, NV Energy northern Nevada residential, commercial and industrial electric customers will experience an overall electric price decrease of 1.97 percent. Natural gas residential, commercial and industrial customers experienced an overall gas decrease of 9.17 percent.

TRAVEL NEVADA

The Nevada Commission on Tourism has awarded $895,770 in grants to entities promoting rural Nevada tourism. Projects range from a campaign aimed at highlighting the Great Basin National Heritage Area to the promotion of the new Nevada Backcountry Discovery Route, a south-to-north route on backcountry roads that will pass through rural towns.

WCSD

For the 15th consecutive year, the Washoe County School District (WCSD) has been recognized for responsible fiscal practices by the Government Finance Officers Association. The group awarded its Certification of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the WCSD Office of Business & Financial Services in recognition of its award-winning Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2015.