The Nevada Appeal's "Silver Dollar" and "Wooden Nickel" feature recognizes positive achievements from the Capital region and, when warranted, points out others that missed the mark.
Silver Dollar: For the second time in three years, the Western Nevada Wildcats baseball team qualified for the Junior College World Series. The four-year-old program, led by Coach D.J. Whittemore, won its league and regional tournaments to advance to the World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.
The Wildcats finished third after losing Thursday to the nation's top-ranked team in the double-elimination tournament.
Wooden Nickel: The tragic aviation accidents involving small private planes in recent weeks in Gardnerville and Fallon that claimed the lives of nine people. In both instances, the local communities were stunned by the sudden loss and the impacts to friends and family.
Silver Dollar: Continued reports that home sales are showing signs of life.
According to two separate reports, investors and first-time homebuyers, often bidding against each other for foreclosed properties, continue to propel home sales in the West.
In the 13-state region, sales of existing homes posted an annual increase of 16 percent last month. Nationally, sales rose slightly from March to April, but were roughly 5 percent below prior-year levels, the National Association of Realtors reported.
The reason sales are so strong in the West is simple: Foreclosures and distressed sales have lowered the median price almost 22 percent to $222,600 from last year. That's the biggest drop in the nation.
Wooden Nickel: The state's unemployment rate rose slightly in April to 10.6 percent, its highest level in a quarter century. However, analysts remained hopeful because the number of jobless Nevadans dropped by 100.
A report said 146,300 Nevadans were out of work statewide in April. About 1.2 million people held jobs.
- Editor's note: Do you have a suggestion for a Silver Dollar or Wooden Nickel award? Send your idea to editor@nevadaappeal.com