County commissioners pose with the 2024 Jim Regan Memorial Scholarship recipients. Back row, from left: Commissioner Bus Scharmann, Levi Johnson, Hailey Guerrero, Owen McIntosh and Commissioner Myles Getto. Front row, from left: Commissioner Justin Heath, Bryan Mendoza, Weina Lu and Emily Bird.
Sara Dowling | NNG
Churchill County commissioners presented the 2024 Jim Regan Memorial Scholarships at their May 15 meeting to Emily Bird, Hailey Guerrero, Kasey Lattin, Levi Johnson, Weina Lu, Owen McIntosh, Bryan Mendoza, Demi Tekelidis and Maci Cooper.
Bird, a student of Oasis Academy and the Western Nevada College Jump Start program, said she loved Dr. Gary Evett’s biology and chemistry classes.
“I thought he was wonderful,” she said.
Bird will major in bioinformatics at Brigham Young University, with a goal of staying within the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields and heading into premedical studies.
Lu said her favorite class at Davidson Academy in Reno is science writing. For the past two semesters students have learned how to write about science in interesting ways for the general public and academic science journals.
Her favorite teacher, Jon Lawhead, “loves talking about all things science, and he studies philosophy, so he knows quite a lot about everything,” Lu said. Lu will be studying neuroscience at Smith College.
Churchill County High School senior Guerrero said classes from Health Occupation instructor and Health Occupations Students of America adviser Elaine Adams and chemistry instructor Steve Johnson have inspired her to pursue medical school and biochemistry.
McIntosh’s favorite classes at CCHS are Bradley Bennet’s Automotive Technology courses and he is headed to an automotive and diesel mechanic trade school in the fall. McIntosh recommends that freshmen take the first year of high school seriously to prevent falling behind in their studies.
“If you get behind in that first year you will be behind all four years of high school,” McIntosh said. “I’ve seen a lot of my friends fall behind and not be able to tag along on a lot of the senior activities because they’re so far behind.”
Commissioners also discussed and/or took action on the following agenda items:
• Approved Bill 2024-C, Ordinance 114 to authorize the sheriff and deputies to release dogs captured at large back to their owners, if they are known and present, rather than take the dogs to the animal shelter. The new ordinance is intended to save time and money for law enforcement.
• Declared $6,095.24 of property taxes as being uncollectible and struck those taxes from the tax rolls.
• Approved $81,698 from July 2024 to June 2026 and $103,838 from July 2025 to June 2026 for the Interlocal agreement between Churchill County and the Central Nevada Health District regarding supportive and health and administrative services.
• Approved the adoption of a resolution for the sale of property at 405 S. Harmon Road and a $60,000 real estate purchase agreement, declaring that the sale is for economic development and is in the best interest of the general public.
• Approved County Manager Jim Barbee’s performance evaluation. Barbee received the highest rating of “Excellent” overall.
• Approved an update to the Attrition and Hiring Delay Policy.
• Approved an agreement with Jeff Cruess for county surveyor services.