This Is Reno Radio

Black Lives Matter is an international movement that has emerged in the Biggest Little City. BLM demonstrations have been held in the past few years, often in the wake of national incidences of violence against Black people at the hands of law enforcement.  On May 30, a peaceful BLM demonstration was followed by rioting and vandalizing by a much smaller group that split off from the main protest. ...

George Floyd was killed at the hands of Minneapolis Police on May 25th. Four police officers have been charged for his death. Those charges include murder and manslaughter.  Floyd’s death triggered reactions around the world, including here in Reno.  Don Dike Anukam attended the rally reporting for This Is Reno. We hear from one of the rally organizers and go to the the Reno Police station where r...

An effort to recall Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has failed. The effort came nowhere near close to the needed signatures to succeed. For this episode, Don Dike Anukam interviews Wayne Thorley with the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office. Hundreds of businesses in the greater Reno area faced complaints from employees. Lucia Starbuck spoke with Craig Madole with the Nevada Chapter of the Associated...

People are still dying from the coronavirus disease in Washoe County, but many businesses are starting to reopen. That’s a big change that comes with some new rules. For this show, Lucia Starbuck interviews Arlo Stockham from the City of Reno about what the city is doing to make sure businesses follow the rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nurses are protesting working conditions at Saint Mary’s Hospital in downtown Reno. They say employees have tested positive for COVID-19, and they don’t have the proper protective equipment to protect not just them themselves but also hospital patients. Kelly Heywood with the nurses union says they held a demonstration to express concern about unsafe working conditions. The lack of proper protecti...

Governor Steve Sisolak this week came under fire for lack of communication not just with the news media but with noted constituent groups as the Silver State grapples with COVID-19. That includes the Nevada League of Cities and Municipalities. We spoke this week with Wes Harper from the League of Cities as well as state Senator Ben Kieckhefer about the governor not responding to various groups. Si...

COVID-19 continues to weigh heavy not just on the Silver State but around the world. Hundreds of protestors recently took to the streets in Nevada’s capital Carson City. Republican Assemblyman Jim Wheeler was there in support. Reporter Lucia Starbuck interviews him for this podcast. When do businesses get to reopen? Massive unemployment and business shutdowns characterize the state of Reno’s econo...

COVID-19 testing in Washoe County The process to get tested for COVID-19 in Washoe County continues to draw questions. County officials, however, opened up their testing location at the Reno Livestock Events Center to show what is involved in getting people tested. Lucia Starbuck interviewed Lisa Lottritz with the Washoe County Health District about the testing process. How are Reno's seniors...

Domestic violence is on the rise nationally during the COVID-19 pandemic. But are those trends holding true for Washoe County?  Sheriff Darin Balaam tells us they don’t have solid data, but it’s a major concern. He also explains why the pandemic has led to a major reductions in arrests. Transparency takes a hit One of the first things to take a hit during an unprecedented pandemic is transparency....

Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve is echoing Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s directive this week ordering people to stay at home. It’s the only way, they said, to reduce the impact of COVID19. We hear from both of them about what's being done in the Silver State to deal with COVID-19. Also: The news media, particularly small, independent outlets, are suffering as a result of COVID-19. The Reno News...

Government alone cannot solve the COVID-19 crisis. But there is a lot of action happening on the ground as Reno continues to adjust to its new COVID-19 reality. We interview Reno City Councilmember Devon Reese about efforts to deal with the coronavirus. Also: Renown nurses are saying they have to reuse personal protective equipment. But Renown CEO Tony Slonim says the hospital is ready to deal wit...

"This is not the time to try to find loopholes." Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak said the picture is grim but hopeful as the Silver State deals with fallout from COVID-19. Here in Reno, we’ve seen restaurants, bars and casinos shuttered. Now, the governor is saying that if a business is not essential, it may face criminal penalties if it does not immediately close.  The impacts to business...

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak's full press conference on closing non-essential businesses in Nevada. March 17, 2020.

COVID-19 has had major impacts in the Silver State. Governor Steve Sisolak on March 12 declared the Nevada to be in state of emergency. The City of Reno and Washoe County quickly followed suit. In this episode, we check in with what the City of Reno is doing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 -- in particular which businesses were recently ordered to close.  There remains confusion about patient pri...

The City of Reno last week ordered more than 150 houseless residents to move from where they were living along train tracks near the Reno Aces baseball stadium. Officials said that services were offered to the houseless residents, but shelters are notoriously full and much of what was removed from the sites were personal possessions that could not be moved. We hear from the first reporter on the s...

The City of Reno recently proposed cutting potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in special events funding. That announcement was met with alarm and confusion by those who rely on the city’s room tax dollars to fund various major events in the region. We spoke with officials about this major change.

FEBRUARY 25, 2020: The Washoe County Lands Bill is back but with a new name. Now known as the Truckee Meadows Lands Bill, city and county officials recently held a meeting for the public to weigh in on what the bill could look like. The reception was overwhelmingly negative. Also in this episode: The Reno community said goodbye to longtime politician and community champion. Former Mayor Bob Cashel...

February 18, 2020: The Nevada Independent launched three years ago. An online-only news website, the Indy, as it is called, covers Nevada news, politics and government and has become one of the state’s larger news operations. In this week's radio show, produced in partnership with KWNK Community Radio, we talk with Independent Editor Jon Ralston, review some of the political activity hitting...

Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting, spoke last weekend at an LGBTQ+ drag show at The Emerson Bar in Midtown Reno. He was also campaigning for U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren. Wolf spoke to the crowd of nearly 30 activists, supporters and curious attendees. He spoke about his experiences from the June 2016 shooting and how it has impact...

U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) visited northern Nevada Saturday, Jan. 4 ahead of the Nevada Democratic caucuses in February 2020. An estimated 300people attended Klobuchar’s Reno campaign event, which was held at Sundance Books and Music on California Avenue. Audio by Don Dike-Anukam

Reno news media interview presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren at Truckee Meadows Community College on December 10, 2019. Audio by Don Dike Anukam. Photo by Trevor Bexon.

Interview by Donnell Dike Anukam in September of 2019. Visit ThisIsReno.com for more about this interview.

The Women of Midtown is a series of audio vignettes about a few of Reno's Midtown business owners. Carly Sauvageau interviews: Angela Watson of Black Hole Body Piercing; Lacey Shea and Momo Mendoza from Shea's Tavern; SUP's Kasey Christensen; Haley Mosely and Jessie Henderson of Two Chicks; and Junkee's Jessica Schneider. Photos by Andrea Laue.

Tabitha Mueller and Bob Conrad sit down with Anjeanette Damon from The City podcast to discuss the origin of season two -- and what's next now that the season is complete. In case you missed it, The City season two is focused on Reno, Nevada and the city's battle for an identity. Thanks to KWNK Community Radio for hosting this interview.

The Women of Midtown is a series of audio vignettes about a few of Reno's Midtown business owners. Carly Sauvageau interviews: Angela Watson of Black Hole Body Piercing; Lacey Shea and Momo Mendoza from Shea's Tavern; SUP's Kasey Christensen; Haley Mosely and Jessie Henderson of Two Chicks; and Junkee's Jessica Schneider. Photos by Andrea Laue.