The nursing program will expand to Western Nevada College Fallon.
Today, the Lahontan Valley News looks at some of the top stories of 2016 as determined by the editorial staff, readers’ input during the last year and community or area impact. The top five stories will appear on Wednesday.
6. WNC EXPANDS
Western Nevada College now offers agriculture classes to Fallon campus students and has restored its Fallon nursing program.
Churchill County and the U.S. Department of Labor partnered with the college to resurrect the nursing program with a 2,500-square-foot laboratory space to educate Nursing, Certified Nursing Assistant and Emergency Medical Service students.
Students no longer have to travel up to 140 miles each day to and from the Carson City campus; they also spent additional time on the road for clinical and hospital rotations.
Additionally, Fallon campus students can explore Agricultural Science classes including Agriculture Communication & Organization, Horsemanship and Intercollegiate Rodeo with more to come.
7. CCSD OUTSOURCES MEALS
Churchill County School District trustees unanimously voted to usher in Chartwells, the world’s largest contract food service provider, and save taxpayers thousands of dollars.
Superintendent Dr. Sandra Sheldon said the menu is healthier yet more palatable and diverse. She added the district would like to increase the amount of students eating school meals and staying on campus.
The Dining Services team is working on cafeteria redesigns and also offers color-coding for easier decision-making and educational snack-time.
All schools serve breakfast and lunch with free breakfast for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Menus, photos and nutritional information are available at www.churchill.k12.nv.us and on the free Nutrislice app.
8. TCID SELLS ASSETS
Lahontan Valley water users approved to allow the Truckee-Carson Irrigation board of directors to sell Donner Lake assets.
Over 90 percent of the voters in Fernley and Fallon voted for the measure, 1,766 to 101.
The district sold its assets that will pay litigants whose homes or businesses were flooded on Jan. 5, 2008, when a 50-foot breach in the Truckee Canal’s embankment emptied water to the housing subdivisions that straddled Farm District Road below the canal.
“The (voting) margin surprised me,” said TCID District Manager Rusty Jardine. I thought there might have been some lack of understanding, but with the vote in our favor, it’s surprising and pleasing.”
9. CHANGES
The Churchill Economic Development Authority, Fallon Chamber of Commerce and Fallon Convention & Tourism Authority had changes in leadership.
CEDA’s executive director, Rachel Dahl, stepped down to accept a similar position in Mesquite, a growing southern Nevada community. She said the Mesquite area is similar in size to Churchill County’s 24,000 inhabitants.
The chamber’s executive director, Natalie Parrish, traded the high desert for the Sierra Nevada, accepting a position in Tahoe City, Calif., to be the membership sales and service manager with the North Lake Tahoe chamber.
The Fallon City Council appointed Jane Moon as its executive director of Tourism & Special Events. She also serves as a mayor’s cabinet member.
10. HONORING AMERICANS
The LVN recognized milestone anniversaries for the United States.
Twenty-five years ago, the U.S. and a coalition of nations launched a full assault on Baghdad to force the Iraqi army out of Kuwait after Iraq strongman President Saddam Hussein had ordered his troops into the neighboring country — claiming Kuwait was stealing oil from Iraq.
Fallon’s annual 9/11 ceremony remembered what took place 15 years ago, when thousands of people lost their lives at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in western Pennsylvania.
The nation and state commemorated Pearl Harbor’s 75th anniversary by remembering the 76 crewmen on the USS Nevada who died on that historic day.