This episode is the second podcast in a two-part series. Kristen Hackbarth and Bob Conrad discuss the recent This Is Reno investigation Kristen did into spending at Reno City Hall. After months of digging, getting public records and combing through large amounts of information, we published a voluminous ten-part series about what we found. This Is …

This episode is our first podcast in more than a year. Kristen Hackbarth and Bob Conrad discuss the recent This Is Reno investigation Kristen did into spending at Reno City Hall. After months of digging, getting public records and combing through large amounts of information, we published a voluminous ten-part series about what we found. This Is Re…

Edward Coleman is the executive director of a new Reno nonprofit called the Black Community Collective. In today’s show we discuss why he started the collective and why it is needed in the greater Reno community. We also discuss some of his recent efforts including his work on the City of Reno’s charter committee – and what he thought of how the Re…

The testimonials that Epic Brain Centers of Reno provide are hard to believe. Some of the anecdotes include those diagnosed with depression seeing results in few treatments. Other testimonials show people quickly recovering from conditions such as addiction and anxiety. For this episode, I visited the Epic Brain Centers clinic in Reno. The clinic a…

Lyndsey Langsdale helps to run the Reno Food Systems farm on Mayberry Drive. The nonprofit operation has been in business since 2018. For today’s show we talk with Lyndsey about her vision for the farm. I visited Reno Food Systems in the fall as the farm was still harvesting produce, volunteers and staff were weeding and the farm was preparing for …

One of the Reno area’s few substance use, and gambling, addiction treatment facilities is the Bristlecone Recovery Center. The nonprofit is named after bristlecone pine, a tree found in Nevada, Utah and California. The center uses this analogy: This remarkable tree can fully regenerate itself, even on the brink of death. Just like the Bristlecone P…

The Dutch Cycling Embassy came to Reno in September. They were here to discuss how the Netherlands became bike centric and to help the Biggest Little City’s cycling efforts. The Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance helped organize the Embassy’s visit. For this episode, we spoke with people who attended the Think Bike workshops, as well as members of th…

The heat of summer is one of the causes for why ducks and geese are dying at area ponds. In this show, we hear from a wildlife veterinarian who explains why botulism is suspected in the regional water bodies, and how that is impacting waterfowl. We also hear from an advocate for local senior citizens. She said people were taken by surprise when the…

Dr. Susan Enfield has been in Reno for just short of two months, and already she is making changes to the Washoe County School District. As the new superintendent of schools, Enfield has generated optimism by saying in part she wants the district to own its mistakes and celebrate its successes. In this show, we chat with Enflield about the future o…

If you’ve been to downtown Reno in the past few years, you have most likely seen the ambassadors in action. They wear blue shirts with the downtown Reno partnership logo and are often seen providing assistance to people. They are also charged with cleaning up downtown. That includes litter control, graffiti removal and weed abatement. The group tou…

A man in a chicken outfit was recently protesting at U.S. Congressman Mark Amodei’s Reno office. He was one of about 20 who gathered in protest of an amendment by Amodei to the defense authorization bill in Congress. The protesters said more than 350,000 acres transferred from federal ownership would devastate wildlife habitat and amount to a land …

The pandemic tore apart the ability for people to collaborate on music. But it also forced artists to work together in other ways. One local musician and educator seized the opportunity to change how music is written and performed. Trombonist Paul Fleming started a new local nonprofit during the pandemic. Renew Music is seeking to present classical…

Fil Corbitt is one of Reno’s most talented and better known podcasters. In a recent episode of The Wind podcast, Fil explored last year’s decision by the city of Reno to ban whips from downtown. I speak with Fil in this episode about the ban and what they found. Also, the Washoe County board of commissioners recently approved a resolution that gran…

Public education is facing a protracted crisis. From lack of funding and bureaucracy to politicized attacks on teachers and staff, Washoe County, much like the rest of the country, is also no stranger to public education controversy. For this show, I spoke with Calen Evans. A ten-year teacher, he is now the president elect of the Washoe Education A…

A recent public comment at a Reno City Council brought up an issue that took many people by surprise. The reason: A residential psychiatric facility is opening in a Reno neighborhood. That is of course creating a lot of questions for nearby residents. But opposition to the facility also drew considerable negative responses. People commenting online…

Local business DJ Trivia has for nearly a decade been hosting games at local bars. But the City of Reno recently decided those games qualify as live entertainment. As a result, a handful of bars have been forced to quit hosting the games – or get an expensive cabaret license. In this episode we hear from two of the business owners impacted by the c…

This Is Reno photojournalist Ty O’Neil recently returned from Ukraine where he was covering the conflict with Russia. In this episode, we have a very special guest host. Lucia Starbuck interviews O’Neil about his recent visit to Ukraine to cover the Russian invasion. They discuss what he saw, the challenges he faced and how Ukrainians treated an in…

Shouting, interruptions and threats marked a heated meeting of the Board of Regents on April first. The regents are the Nevada System of Higher Education’s governing board. They met to approve a $610,000 severance with Chancellor Melody Rose. Rose wanted to leave her position as chancellor after she filed a voluminous complaint against certain rege…

Washoe County recently fended off a major proposal to overhaul election laws. The resolution was advanced by County Commissioner Jeanne Herman, and it would have forced people off voter rolls if they did not vote, mandated hand counting of ballots and would have required armed government agents to oversee polling locations. The resolution was widel…

Reno’s Black Wall street was founded in 2020. The nonprofit was formed to meet the needs of black and underserved people of color in the Reno Sparks area. The group is regularly hosting classes, outreach events and helping people in need. In this episode, three of the key people behind Black Wall Street Reno -- Chandra Mask, Romar Tolliver and Dona…

Lauren Gorman is a federal public defender in Reno. Last year she battled the federal government and won. The case involved a man who illegally re-entered the United States from Mexico after having already been deported. Gorman said the law criminalizing re-entry into the U.S. was based on blatant racism and violates the equal protection clause of …

The Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act is reportedly being drafted by U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, and Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson says he’s pushing for the bill to get entered into Congress as early as this year. The bill was discussed in early 2020 with a public meeting. Reception, however, was widely negative. In this episode, I interview Lawso…

Housing issues continue to be a concern for many Reno residents. Reno’s cost of living continues to rise and some community leaders say something needs to be done. We went to the Economic Development Authority’s state of the economy event in January and heard more. This show features EDAWN’s Mike Kazmierski discussing housing and homeless issues. W…

We recently spoke with the leading experts in the Washoe County community about the COVID-19 vaccines. This discussion dispels some of the myths about the vaccines as well as covers some information that is not yet known. Our panelists were: Heidi Parker, executive director of Immunize Nevada where she leads and engages a diverse coalition of staff…

Former Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval took over as president of the University of Nevada last year and quickly made the decision to shut down much of the in-person instruction due to COVID-19. In this podcast, Jeri Davis and Bob Conrad ask Sandoval about what he’s been doing in the past six months as president, as well as his vision for the univers…

Reno historian, Dr. Alicia Barber, discusses with us some of the big development issues facing Reno, including what changes are planned for the Powning District. She writes The Barber Brief on Substack. Support the showAv This Is Reno

Cathy Woods spent more than 35 years in prison for a murder in Reno she did not commit. Michelle Mitchell, a University of Nevada student, was murdered just across from the UNR campus in 1976. Local prosecutors went after a woman named Cathy Woods as the main suspect. Three years after Mitchell’s murder, Woods confessed to the crime. However, she s…

Black Lives Matter is an international movement that has emerged in the Biggest Little City. BLM demonstrations have been held in the past few years, often in the wake of national incidences of violence against Black people at the hands of law enforcement. On May 30, a peaceful BLM demonstration was followed by rioting and vandalizing by a much sma…

George Floyd was killed at the hands of Minneapolis Police on May 25th. Four police officers have been charged for his death. Those charges include murder and manslaughter. Floyd’s death triggered reactions around the world, including here in Reno. Don Dike Anukam attended the rally reporting for This Is Reno. We hear from one of the rally organize…

An effort to recall Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has failed. The effort came nowhere near close to the needed signatures to succeed. For this episode, Don Dike Anukam interviews Wayne Thorley with the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office. Hundreds of businesses in the greater Reno area faced complaints from employees. Lucia Starbuck spoke with Craig…

People are still dying from the coronavirus disease in Washoe County, but many businesses are starting to reopen. That’s a big change that comes with some new rules. For this show, Lucia Starbuck interviews Arlo Stockham from the City of Reno about what the city is doing to make sure businesses follow the rules during the COVID-19 pandemic. Support…

Nurses are protesting working conditions at Saint Mary’s Hospital in downtown Reno. They say employees have tested positive for COVID-19, and they don’t have the proper protective equipment to protect not just them themselves but also hospital patients. Kelly Heywood with the nurses union says they held a demonstration to express concern about unsa…

Governor Steve Sisolak this week came under fire for lack of communication not just with the news media but with noted constituent groups as the Silver State grapples with COVID-19. That includes the Nevada League of Cities and Municipalities. We spoke this week with Wes Harper from the League of Cities as well as state Senator Ben Kieckhefer about…

COVID-19 continues to weigh heavy not just on the Silver State but around the world. Hundreds of protestors recently took to the streets in Nevada’s capital Carson City. Republican Assemblyman Jim Wheeler was there in support. Reporter Lucia Starbuck interviews him for this podcast. When do businesses get to reopen? Massive unemployment and busines…

COVID-19 testing in Washoe County The process to get tested for COVID-19 in Washoe County continues to draw questions. County officials, however, opened up their testing location at the Reno Livestock Events Center to show what is involved in getting people tested. Lucia Starbuck interviewed Lisa Lottritz with the Washoe County Health District abou…

Domestic violence is on the rise nationally during the COVID-19 pandemic. But are those trends holding true for Washoe County? Sheriff Darin Balaam tells us they don’t have solid data, but it’s a major concern. He also explains why the pandemic has led to a major reductions in arrests. Transparency takes a hit One of the first things to take a hit …

Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve is echoing Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s directive this week ordering people to stay at home. It’s the only way, they said, to reduce the impact of COVID19. We hear from both of them about what's being done in the Silver State to deal with COVID-19. Also: The news media, particularly small, independent outlets, are suff…

Government alone cannot solve the COVID-19 crisis. But there is a lot of action happening on the ground as Reno continues to adjust to its new COVID-19 reality. We interview Reno City Councilmember Devon Reese about efforts to deal with the coronavirus. Also: Renown nurses are saying they have to reuse personal protective equipment. But Renown CEO …

"This is not the time to try to find loopholes." Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak said the picture is grim but hopeful as the Silver State deals with fallout from COVID-19. Here in Reno, we’ve seen restaurants, bars and casinos shuttered. Now, the governor is saying that if a business is not essential, it may face criminal penalties if it does not imm…

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak's full press conference on closing non-essential businesses in Nevada. March 17, 2020. Support the showAv This Is Reno

COVID-19 has had major impacts in the Silver State. Governor Steve Sisolak on March 12 declared the Nevada to be in state of emergency. The City of Reno and Washoe County quickly followed suit. In this episode, we check in with what the City of Reno is doing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 -- in particular which businesses were recently ordered to…

The City of Reno last week ordered more than 150 houseless residents to move from where they were living along train tracks near the Reno Aces baseball stadium. Officials said that services were offered to the houseless residents, but shelters are notoriously full and much of what was removed from the sites were personal possessions that could not …

The City of Reno recently proposed cutting potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in special events funding. That announcement was met with alarm and confusion by those who rely on the city’s room tax dollars to fund various major events in the region. We spoke with officials about this major change. Support the show…

FEBRUARY 25, 2020: The Washoe County Lands Bill is back but with a new name. Now known as the Truckee Meadows Lands Bill, city and county officials recently held a meeting for the public to weigh in on what the bill could look like. The reception was overwhelmingly negative. Also in this episode: The Reno community said goodbye to longtime politici…

February 18, 2020: The Nevada Independent launched three years ago. An online-only news website, the Indy, as it is called, covers Nevada news, politics and government and has become one of the state’s larger news operations. In this week's radio show, produced in partnership with KWNK Community Radio, we talk with Independent Editor Jon Ralston, r…

Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting, spoke last weekend at an LGBTQ+ drag show at The Emerson Bar in Midtown Reno. He was also campaigning for U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren. Wolf spoke to the crowd of nearly 30 activists, supporters and curious attendees. He spoke about his experiences…

U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) visited northern Nevada Saturday, Jan. 4 ahead of the Nevada Democratic caucuses in February 2020. An estimated 300people attended Klobuchar’s Reno campaign event, which was held at Sundance Books and Music on California Avenue. Audio by Don Dike-Anukam Support the show…

Reno news media interview presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren at Truckee Meadows Community College on December 10, 2019. Audio by Don Dike Anukam. Photo by Trevor Bexon. Support the showAv This Is Reno

Interview by Donnell Dike Anukam in September of 2019. Visit ThisIsReno.com for more about this interview. Support the showAv This Is Reno

The Women of Midtown is a series of audio vignettes about a few of Reno's Midtown business owners. Carly Sauvageau interviews: Angela Watson of Black Hole Body Piercing; Lacey Shea and Momo Mendoza from Shea's Tavern; SUP's Kasey Christensen; Haley Mosely and Jessie Henderson of Two Chicks; and Junkee's Jessica Schneider. Photos by Andrea Laue. Sup…