IndyMatters

Inmates fighting wildfires, a sustainable ranch outside of Elko and microplastics in our environment. This week we are rewinding to hear some of our favorite podcast stories from the past, starting with a segment former intern Zach Bright did on inmate firefighters and their meager pay. After that, we have a story from former reporter Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez and photographer David Calvert on a ran...

Why more tiny homes could be coming to Nevada, a dive into “The Big Lie” and candidates that are embracing it and a breakdown of everything going on in D.C. right now. This week we have a piece from reporter Carmen Landinger on a bill that will open up more zoning for tiny homes in Nevada. Then, we have a piece we did in partnership with our friends over at KUNR on the idea that the election was s...

Primary election winners and losers, the history of rent control in Reno and summer reading recommendations. This week we have an overview of Nevada’s primary election, with analysis about what happened and what to watch for heading into the general election. After that, historian Dr. Alicia Barber and reporter Tabitha Muller come on the show to talk about the history of rent control in Reno. And...

Veterans carry dog tags to remember fallen comrades, Clark County boosts teacher pay and meet our two newest interns. Video Producer Tim Lenard recently walked with some veterans and talked to them while they participated in a Memorial Day event called A Ruck to Remember. He shares more about that experience in our first segment this week. Afterward, reporter Rocío Hernández talks with host Joey L...

An overview of Nevada’s congressional races and an interview with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg about infrastructure funding. This week we go over all the House races before the 2022 primary election. Reporters Humberto Sanchez and Sean Golonka chat with host Joey Lovato about the stakes of each race, and you’ll also hear from some of the candidates themselves. After that, report...

A worker shortage in Nevada’s labor market, an on-the-record discussion with Republican gubernatorial candidate Dean Heller and more babies entering the foster care system. This week host Joey Lovato has a story about the labor shortage affecting Nevada. In the wake of the so-called “great resignation” more and more businesses are hiring, but there aren’t enough people to fill the job openings. Af...

Uncertainty surrounding student loan debt, an on-the-record discussion with Republican gubernatorial candidate Joe Lombardo and a few important things to know about water in Nevada. This week reporter Da Yeon Eom has a story about the growing pool of debt caused by student loans and efforts at the state and federal level to help. After that, Republican Joe Lombardo talks about his bid for governor...

Businesses on wheels, the first female Paiute fly fishing guide and how one 16-year-old got a bill passed in the 2021 legislative session. This week we are rewinding to hear some of our favorite podcast stories from the past, starting with a story host Joey Lovato reported about mobile businesses in Reno. After that, we meet Autumn Harry, Nevada’s first female Paiute fly fishing guide. At the end...

Growing grapes in the desert, an exit interview with the Washoe County School District superintendent and abortion laws in Nevada. This week host Joey Lovato has a story about growing grapes for wine in Nevada and why the industry may be poised for growth. After that, reporter Rocío Hernández and assistant editor Jackie Valley interview the outgoing superintendent of the Washoe County School Distr...

A trash problem along the Lake Tahoe shoreline, a Fallon tribe’s fight to preserve ancestral land and big crowds and new beginnings in Las Vegas This week host Joey Lovato talks with members of Clean up the Lake , a group whose mission is –you guessed it–cleaning up Lake Tahoe’s shorelines. Divers have been pulling out thousands of pounds of trash and they are almost done making their way around t...

Event industry changes, poll results and climate change in Nevada This week host Joey Lovato sits down with Julia Reed Nichols, the creative director of  The Event People, which is — you guessed it — an event planning business in Las Vegas. The industry saw business dramatically drop off at the beginning of the pandemic, but as COVID restrictions eased, demand for events has grown....

Formula One’s planned pit stop in Las Vegas, a scourge of school violence and a plan that could move Nevada ahead in presidential primary contests. This week hosts Joey Lovato, Jacob Solis and reporter Howard Stutz have a story on a Formula One race coming to the Las Vegas Strip in 2023. They talk about the growing world of sports in Southern Nevada as well as the economic boon the event could bes...

A rise in substance abuse in the Hispanic community, more COVID-19 booster shots and data and a history lesson about Nevada’s quirky state symbols This week, host Joey Lovato talks to reporter Jannelle Calderón about a rise in Hispanic overdose deaths during the pandemic. Afterward, we talk about another health issue: Reporters Tabitha Mueller and Da Yeon sit down with Joey to go over who can get...

Highlights from our IndyTalks event with CCSD leaders and a teacher, the Culinary Union complaints against Station Casinos and the head of higher ed in Nevada steps down. This week, The Indy hosted a live IndyTalks event with the Clark County School District superintendent, an English teacher and the executive director of the teachers union to discuss issues in K-12 education in Nevada. We have so...

The shifting Latino electorate in Nevada, a Carson City couple’s experience helping Ukrainian refugees and proposed election changes across Nevada counties. This week, reporter Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez has a story exploring what the shifting Latino electorate means for the midterm elections. After that, host Joey Lovato and Assistant Editor Jackie Valley are joined by Carson City resident and polit...

A Las Vegas master sommelier, Reno’s ordinance banning whips in downtown and an introduction to our new education reporter. This week we have a story from reporter Da Yeon Eom, who chats with Douglas Kim, one of only three Korean master sommeliers. After that, a story from a local Reno podcast, The Wind , about a law in Reno that banned whips in downtown. At the end of the show, host Joey Lovato s...

The role of music therapy in Nevada’s health care landscape, teacher recruitment and retention problems and a chat with the Indy’s new intern This week, Video Producer Tim Lenard talked with Elizabeth Lenz, a musical therapist, about working with patients and how music can be used for healing. After that, Assistant Editor Jackie Valley and reporter Jacob Solis have a story on why teachers are depa...

The history of the death penalty in Nevada, the story of Zane Floyd and his 20 years on death row, and what the future may hold for capital punishment.  This week, host Joey Lovato and Assistant Editor Michelle Rindels bring listeners the history of the death penalty in Nevada. After that, Joey sits down with reporter Sean Golonka to break down the crimes and punishment of Zane Floyd, who kil...

The Nevada Rail Coalition pushes for more trains in the state, Gov. Sisolak gives his State of the State address and volunteers in Las Vegas participate in the Homeless Census This week, host Joey Lovato is joined by Ron Kaminkow and Anne Macquarie, two members of the new Nevada Rail Coalition, which seeks to boost train travel and freight in the state. After that, reporter Jackie Valley comes on...

A Paiute woman makes her debut as a fly fishing guide, a land dispute simmers at the Winnemucca Indian Colony and our new intern introduces herself This week, fly fishing guide Autumn Harry talks with The Indy about being the first Paiute woman to serve as a guide at Pyramid Lake. Then, Indy reporter Tabitha Mueller and KUNR reporter Gustavo Sagrero discuss a land dispute that is happening at the&...

A new Las Vegas park honors Black community leaders and sports bettors go big ahead of the Super Bowl. This week reporter Jannelle Calderón talks with three Black community leaders in Las Vegas about the Historic Westside and a new park commemorating Black history and leaders. Then co-host Jacob Solis chats with reporter Howard Stutz about sports betting and its expansion beyond Nevada for Super B...

Poll results for Nevada’s governor and U.S. Senate races, prisons facing a staffing shortage crisis and the long fight against a lithium mine in rural Nevada. This week, reporters Sean Golonka and Humberto Sanchez join host Joey Lovato to talk about last week’s Nevada Independent/OH Predictive Insights poll on major races for the 2022 election. Then, Assistant Editor Michelle Rindeles talks about...

A conversation with former presidential hopeful Andrew Yang, a discussion on Stephen Breyer’s retirement and more COVID questions answered This week, Assistant Editor Riley Snyder and host Joey Lovato sit down with former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang to talk about ranked-choice voting, open primaries, the Forward Party and more. After that, reporter Humberto Sanchez talks about Su...

How has staffing shortages and learning loss affected school, what can waste water tell us about COVID and how has automatic voter registration changed party affiliation? This week, reporter Jackie Valley and photographer Jeff Scheid come on the show to talk about their visit to one school in Clark County, what’s changed in the last two years, how the school is handling staffing shortages, learnin...

Is Nevada ready for a large earthquake? What does regenerative ranching in rural Nevada look like? And what’s the latest news on COVID-19, omicron, testing shortages? This week, host Joey Lovato talks with State Geologist Jim Faulds and State Hazard Mitigation Officer Janell Woodward about earthquakes after a rather shaky 2021. While there are lots of faults in and around Nevada that could cause l...