Jan. 5-11, 2011
Outgoing commissioners remembered for community services. Three Lander County Commission members recently said goodbye to the board while three new members joined the current board.
Feb 2-8, 2011
Nevada taxable sale up 2.7 percent in November - the 5th straight month of gains. Merchants statewide $3.1 billion in taxable goods. The $244.7 million collected by the state in gross sales & use taxes is up 4% over the same month a year ago.
March 30- April 5, 2011
NV - Austin gearing up for 4th annual car show April 16th. The event will consist of all types of cars, including hot rods, sports cars, mud boggers, vintage cars, classic cars, muscle cars, and more.
April 6-12, 2011
NV - Lander County School Board selects company for wind turbine projects.
After hearing presentations from three renewable energy companies at previous school board meetings. Lander County School Board members selected UpStar Energy, whose main office is in Dallas, Texas, to oversee the wind energy projects for the school district at their March meeting, held in Austin.
April 27 - May 3, 2011
NV - Austin hosts Lincoln Highway Car Show. Annual event attracts more than 250 people, 61 cars.
May 11-17, 2011
NV - Commissioners approve 60 percent design of Austin Visitor Center. Design phase will last another 6 -9 months with all the approvals. After the approvals are cleared, then the construction bids will begin.
May 18-24, 2011
NV - Law library open house to be held June 10. The open house will help the public navigate the county's law library which consists of hundreds of law books and a new computer system available free to the public inside the county courthouse building.
May 25-31, 2011
NV - BLM plans to round up 1,700 mustangs in eastern Nevada. The current area can support between 250 & 500 mustangs, but s=estimates there are more than 1,400.
June 1-7, 2011
NV - Battle Mountain - Off Highway Vehicle Trail grand opening to be held June 17, 2011. Event is being held to highlight this hidden gem and turn it into a shining star for tourism in Northern Nevada. The grand opening is being held to get the project partners and public to the site.
June 15-21, 2011
NV - Ormat's McGinness Hills Project waiting on permit approval
Phase I of project, 11 miles northeast of Austin, is waiting on permitting from the Bureau of Land Management. Construction will begin as soon as the permitting is finalized. No firm construction date has been set yet. Estimated completion goal sometime in 2012.
June 22-28, 2011
NV - Student talent on display at Battle Mountain Elementary School kindergarten art show. One teacher has spent years teaching her students different art techniques, among many other important things. She has shown them how to incorporate various lines, squiggles, and angles into their pictures. The teacher explained the significance of using contrast to make their pictures really stand out.
Trail blazers: Grand opening held June 17
Around 75 people from all different partner organizations and businesses as well as members of the public attended the BLM, grand opening ceremony for the new Shoshone Off-Highway Vehicle Trails, in the Shoshone Range, 25 miles south of Battle Mountain.
School district to seek special use permit for turbine projects.
The Lander County School District will be seeking a special use permit from the Planning Commission in July to proceed with its wind turbine ordinance pending, said Interim Superintendent Steve Larsgaard. The potential ordinance, which deals with zoning and the distance wind turbines must be from building or from property lines, will be coming before the Planning Commission for recommended approval or disapproval.
June 29-July 5, 2011
NV - Colt taking shape. Construction of the new Broadway Colt, which caught fire Oct. 18, 2010, and was entirely gutted, is coming along quickly with the walls going up June 22. Expected opening is October.
NDOT planning local road projects. The largest 2012 project is $12 million. It will consist of 24 miles of resurfacing from the US at the Lander County line to just east of state Route 305. In 2011, there were numerous minor projects and two major projects (resurfacing a portion of US 50 that totaled $10.7 million and slurry sealing on a number of roads in Lander County totaling $1.3 million) that are currently underway.
Student built house to be completed by June 2012. Around 75 students in Battle Mountain High School's Building Trades program worked on building the program's fourth house. Expected completion June 2012.
July 20-26, 2011
NV - Construction of new Colt continues
Progress is being made in the construction of the new Broadway Colt. The old building caught fire Oct. 18, 2010, and was entirely gutted. The company is hoping tohire back all of it's approximately 30 employees. Workers broke ground for the new building March 9 and hoping to have the new Colt open in October.
August 10-16, 2011
NV - Racing returns to Battle Mountain Raceway
Kevin Wynia of Elko was the winner of the pure stock main event.
Judge rejects suit to block Nevada bear hunt
A state judge Aug. 3 rejected a lawsuit that aimed to block the first black bear hunt in Nevada history, set to begin later this month. Regulations authorized 45 tags and allow up to 20 bears to be killed. Of those, no more than six can be females. The hunting season would close once those limits are reached.
Aug. 17-23, 2011
NV - Battle Mountain Burners Car Show
The 2nd Annual Battle Mountain Car and Motorcycle Show and Shine was held Aug. 26-27 at Elquist Park in Battle Mountain. The first show had about 35 cars and bikes. Last year's fall show grew up to 86 entries and this year had over 100 entries.
Aug. 24-30, 2011
NV - Federal court dismissed request from horse group.
In April, a district court judge refused the federal Bureau of Land Management's request to dismiss the case to block a government roundup of thousands of mustangs in California and Nevada because the roundup already happened. Saying it was not moot because effective relief could still be granted if the plaintiffs prove the roundup was illegal. Both sides are waiting for the district court to determine whether relief is appropriate.
Aug.31-Sept. 6, 2011
NV - Etcheverry earns honor. Gene P. Etcheverry, Lander County executive director, has been nominated and accepted as a member of Strathmore's Who's Who. Membership listing in the Strathmore's Who's Who registry honors individuals who have demonstrated leadership and achievement in their respective occupation, industry or profession.
State unemployment numbers up. Nevada's unemployment rate climbed to 12.9% in July, marking the second straight month the figure has increased, state officials said Aug. 19. Most of the decline was the result of a declining labor force coupled with flat employment trends.
Lander County Fair to be held Sept. 9-11, 2011.
Pony Express Re-Ride reaches outskirts of Austin Aug 25th. The Pony Express Re-Ride is an even the National Pony Express Association. It is a horse and rider relay to recreate the Pony Express of 1860-1861. Commemorative letters and personal mail were carried from St. Joseph, Mo., to Sacramento, Ca. The ride began Aug. 17 and ended Aug. 27. The ride was a fast paced 10 day, 24-hour a day event with more than 600 riders stationed at intervals to relay a mochila (mail bag) filled with Pony Express mail.
Sept. 7-13, 2011
NV - Nevada June sales up 9 percent. Nevada's taxable sales were up 9 percent in June over the past year as gains among car dealers, clothing stores and restaurants balanced out drops in the construction and hotel industries.
Commissioners pass new ordinance for construction of wind turbines. Lander County commissioners unanimously approved the passage of a wind turbine ordinance at their Aug. 25 meeting. The purpose of the ordinance is to regulate the construction of wind machines and encourage safe development of wind resources in Lander County.
Zoning change approved by commissioners for Watt Group USA. Watt Group USA is working toward bringing a 20 MW solar plant to Lander County. Commissioners at the last meeting approved a zone change request for the parcel Watt Group USA is working toward purchasing. The zone change, going from agriculture district to industrial zoning, was granted contingent in the company purchasing the 640 acres of private land it has committed to.
Sept. 21-27, 2011
Battle Mountain, NV - Nevada Rural Housing Authority offering housing program to Lander County. The Home At Last program is aimed toward helping renters become home owners. The program has a positive economic impact to communities by providing jobs and utilizing real estate professionals. Since opening a month ago, it has already helped about 6 families by offering the buyers new terms and a lower interest rate.
Amodei easily wins U.S. House race. Republican Mark Amodei won the Sept. 13th election for the U.S. House of Representatives District 2 seat.
Chukar forecast points to successful season. Biologists think overall it's going to be a good to excellent season. Hunters are going to be very happy this year. NDOW biologists found that a very wet October last year provided upland game with an ample amount of forage, which led to improved overall body condition. This allowed most upland game populations to thrive during the winter months.
Sept. 28 - Oct. 4, 2011
NV - Housing Opportunity meeting held to look at area's needs. Action was taken to form a committee of approx. 12 individuals to address local housing needs. Battle mountain has found that there is a serious shortage of rentable housing in the area, there are houses for sale but hardly any for rent.
