Year in review in Carson City

Some of the top stories of the first half of 2016. The second half of the year will appear in Saturday’s Nevada Appeal.

January

3: The first Carson City baby of 2016, Isaiah James Poulin, was born nearly 19 hours after the city rang in the new year.

8: NID, a downtown neighborhood improvement district formed by property owners to help maintain the business corridor, received 4-1 final approval from Carson City’s Board of Supervisors.

12: Two Carson City brothers, Jesus Garcia-Manriquez, 18, and Allen Garcia-Manriquez, 19, and 21-year-old Reed Skenandore and 19-year-old Jacob Huttman were arrested after a drug deal went bad and left one person, 18-year-old Grant Watkins of Carson City, dead.

13: Tearing down the old Citibank Building at 308 N. Curry St., a decision disclosed by Steve Neighbors of the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation, was completed less than two weeks into 2016.

16: For the second time in nearly 73 years, a U.S. navy ship bearing the name of Nevada’s capital city, USNS, was christened by Susan Asbury Crowell, the wife of Carson City Mayor Bob Crowell.

17: A Carson City Master Plan amendment document filed with the city’s Community Development Department showed a 251 acres, mixed use project is envisioned north of East Fifth Street.

21: The petition to raise Nevada’s minimum wage survived its first court test as Carson City District Judge James Wilson ruled it can go forward without amendment.

22: After being dry for nearly a year, a couple months of intermittent snow and rain have turned Washoe Lake into a lake again.

27: Engineers from the University of Nevada, Reno and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said they will begin doing as many as five test flights a day of unmanned aerial vehicles at Reno Stead Airport, marking the ramp up of Nevada’s status as one of six sites authorized to conduct research and trails of drones.

28: Despite still recovering from the recession, Mayor Bob Crowell said in his State of the City address the past year was a banner one for Carson City.

29: Gov. Brian Sandoval is pressing the Obama administration to alter its sage grouse protection plan to free up thousands of mining claims.

February

3: Western Nevada College is eliminating intercollegiate athletics at the end of this school year, it was announced, but it’s beginning club soccer programs next school year.

4: The Carson City Parks and Recreation Commission approved recommending the parks and trails plan for the proposed Lompa Ranch development project to the Planning Commission with one addition — a dog park.

5: The Carson City Board of Supervisors approved the $8.1 million contract to repave and redesign Carson Street through downtown.

6: Gov. Brian Sandoval authorized emergency regulations designed to ease Nevada’s teacher shortage.

7: Several local students competed in the FIRST LEGO League Northern Nevada State Championship, bringing home four awards for Carson.

9: Denver defeated the Carolina Panthers, 24-10, in Super Bowl 50, which produced a windfall profit for Nevada’s legal sports books.

12: With its current bonding capacity and its capital projects fund, Carson City School District is looking at beginning construction on $11.5 million of building projects by the summer of 2017.

19: The Board of Supervisors agreed the maintenance, sanitation and life safety problems at some of Carson City’s residential motels are a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

20: The Carson City School District applied for 23 grants — 16 of which have been approved — for the 2016-2017 school year.

21: Hillary Clinton seized the momentum in the fierce fight for the Democratic presidential nomination, turning back a challenge from Bernie Sanders in Nevada’s caucuses.

23: Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison, Sen. Dean Heller and Rep. Mark Amodei were on hand to greet Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio at Minden Park in Carson Valley.

24: Donald Trump not only claimed victory in Nevada’s caucus, he won by an equally impressive margin in Carson City.

27: Carson City Harley-Davidson dealership is reopening as Battle Born Harley Davidson under the management of Michael Hohl.

March

2: As if having a baby on Leap Day isn’t rare enough, Carson City welcomed two Leap Day babies, Khloe Mae Callahan and Piper Chavez.

4: The Carson City Board of Supervisors approved the Downtown Facade Improvement Program, a new program to help property owners of commercial businesses give their buildings a face lift.

6: One of the biggest road projects in Carson City’s history, the Carson Street Urban Design Project, whose goal is to transform downtown Carson City into a more pedestrian-friendly destination, is getting underway.

8: Challenged by former Carson City Treasurer Al Kramer, P.K. O’Neill filed for his second term in the Nevada Assembly.

9: From now on, all the teams who take the floor at Carson High School’s main gym will be playing at Tom Andreasen Court, in honor of the legendary coach and educator.

10: Facing a state order revoking its charter this spring, Carson City’s Silver State Charter School won a change to fix its ongoing problems and keep its license.

12: Charles Sehe, one of the few remaining survivors of the crew of the USS Nevada, returned to Carson City for the 100th anniversary of the commissioning of the historic battleship.

16: Carson City is considering raising water rates again if a drop in water consumption continues to slash revenues.

17: Ganesha Enterprises, which produces mukhwas, comparable to trail mix, is beginning manufacturing from a 2,200 square foot facility on Sigstrom Drive in Carson City.

18: The Reno Aces minor league baseball team and the Reno 1868 FC soccer team announced Aces Ballpark, as it has been called since the Triple-A baseball team was born in 2009, will now be known as Greater Nevada Field, named after the Carson City-based Greater Nevada Credit Union.

22: Carson City officials broke ground on the $30 million Water Recovery Resource Facility construction project, whose aim is to overhaul and replace deteriorating systems at the city’s 50-year-old wastewater treatment plant.

23: Officials say pedestrian safety is becoming a problem in Carson City, with four fatal pedestrian vs. vehicle crashes in Carson City since 2015, and three just since the start of 2016.

25: The Carson City School District is in the process of finalizing its school attendance policy to make it more comprehensive and better to keep students in school, district officials said.

26: The Carson City Fire Department was honored for exceptional work in the community when it was presented with the 2016 Golden Rotor Award by Care Flight.

31: About a thousand people gathered on the Capitol Amphitheater to hear evangelist Franklin Graham talk about faith and politics.

April

3: The Carson City Democratic County Convention didn’t change even one delegate as Bernie Sanders eked out a narrow 29-28 delegate victory over Hillary Clinton in who goes to the state convention from Carson City.

5: More than 100 Vietnam veterans, family members and friends reflected on the Vietnam War in a “Welcome Home” ceremony with Mayor Bob Crowell at the Nevada Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Mills Park.

6: The Carson City Fire Department debuted a new logo that will be featured on all of its vehicles and uniform patches.

7: The Board of Supervisors gave final approval to zoning changes that will allow up to 2,500 residential units to be built on the remaining 251 acres of the historic Lompa Ranch.

9: Sixteen speakers and performers motivated and inspired attendees of Carson City’s first TEDx event at the Brewery Arts Center.

10: The Carson City GOP central committee voted to endorse just one of the Republicans running in Assembly District 40 — political newcomer Chris Forbush.

15: Students from all over Nevada met at Western Nevada College to compete in SkillsUSA’s state welding competition.

19: The Nevada Supreme Court overturned the 2013 murder conviction of Carson City’s Leonardo Cardoza, convicted of killing Desiree Bragg, 19, in an apparent road rage incident.

23: The annual Capital City Farm Days came to Carson City to help educate children about agriculture and livestock.

28: Christina Cooper, coordinator for Nutrition Services for the Carson City School District, won the district’s Employee of the Year award for her work to bring good nutrition to Carson City students.

29: Five Carson City Sheriff’s Deputies — Michael Gibson, Erin McMahon, Chris Rivera, Jimmy Surratt and Josh Chaney — were honored at the Northern Nevada Law Enforcement Awards for their outstanding efforts with DUI and underage drinking enforcement.

30: The Nevada Charter School Authority signed off on language to install a receiver in charge of Silver State Charter School, a deal struck to keep the school operating.

May

1: The Western Nevada College softball team played its last game at home.

6: Nevada’s only officer killed in 2015, Carson City’s own Deputy Carl Howell, was honored at the Nevada Law Enforcement Officers memorial Ceremony at the Capitol Grounds.

7: Western Nevada College baseball team beat College of Southern Nevada 2-1 in the final game played at John L. Harvey Field.

10: Gov. Brian Sandoval’s administration has served notice it intends to replace four of the 10 members on the Public Employee Benefits Program board.

14: Roger Moellendorf, director of Carson City’s Parks, Recreation & Open Space department since 2004, is retiring.

17: Just a day after a raucous Democratic state party convention that ended early amid protests from Bernie Sanders supporters, both the state party headquarters in Las Vegas and the Carson City party offices were vandalized by graffiti attacks.

20: The Board of Supervisors approved the $137.45 million budget for 2017 after working on it since February.

21: District Judge James Wilson approved a new Description of Effect for the petition to repeal the commerce tax.

22: Carson High School’s Penny Reynolds, a culinary arts teacher, is hanging up her apron after a 31-year teaching career.

24: Western Nevada College graduated its largest class ever, with a graduating class of 556, at its 45th commencement ceremony in Mills Park.

26: The 2016 classes of Dayton and Silver State high schools didn’t let damp and dreary weather stop them from receiving their diplomas.

31: Hundreds of Carson City residents gathered at the Stewart Indian and Lone Mountain cemeteries to pay their respects to the service men and women from Northern Nevada who died defending the United States.

June

1: Carson City’s government launched a new website, its first full redesign in more than four years.

2: Fifty-six students graduated from Pioneer High School amongst loved ones and school district administration at the Carson City Community Center.

3: The Hohl brothers officially opened Battle Born Harley-Davidson at a ceremony with Mayor Bob Crowell and Assemblyman P.K. O’Neill.

4: Muhammad Ali, the legendary boxer who called himself “The Greatest,” died of septic shock at the age of 74.

5: More than 400 Carson High School students collected their diplomas, surrounded by friends, teachers and loved ones at the school’s football stadium.

9: A ground breaking ceremony marked construction of Richards Crossing, a new apartment complex for Carson City’s homeless population.

10: The official Nevada State Fair, which for the first time is being hosted in Carson City’s Mills Park, returned after a six-year absence.

14: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada’s William N. Pennington Teen Center, complete with a video game area, TV lounge, snack bar and pool and foosball tables, opened its doors.

16: Thirty-six percent of Carson City’s registered voters — 8,414 out of 23,260 — went to the polls in the primary election.

17: Just a day after leaving Sacramento, Pony Express re-ride riders reached Carson City in a switch that took less than a minute.

18: Carson City’s inaugural Epic Rides Off-Road mountain bike race kicked off without a hitch.

24: Carson City received a new mascot after Gov. Brian Sandoval signed the official adoption papers for a pet tortoise, who will live on the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion.

25: For the first time Carson City is hosting the Rockabilly Riot in conjunction with the Carson City Sheriff’s 13th annual Extreme Motor Officer Training Challenge.

28: Best of the Best awards were given to Mark Turner with Black Pine Construction; Carson Animal Services; Nevada Rural Counties RSVP and Advocates to End Domestic Violence at the Carson City Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting at the Stewart Indian School.