The R-C Morning Report

Today is the first day of filing for the majority on two countywide boards, the Douglas County Board of Commissioners and the Douglas County School Board. Despite, and perhaps because of, the recent downturn, growth will be a key in both races. Filing kicks off at 9 a.m. both in the Minden Inn and a Stateline. Candidates should bring cash, because the Douglas County Clerk's Office doesn't take American Express.

Sentencing for a man who set somebody on fire last year at a party in the Pine Nuts is this morning in District Court. Trent Clanton, 23, is facing a possible prison sentence of 10 years on a charge of mayhem. Clanton hopes that joining the Marines will help keep him out of prison and we'll see this morning if there's any chance he'll be accepted. Also up for sentencing this morning is Pamela Mikulski, who as treasurer of the Valley Cruisers bilked the group out of $10,000. She faces up to 10 years in prison.

We got some rain on Sunday, finally. A look at the radar shows about a fifth of an inch fell in the northwestern quarter of the Valley. There were some pretty big drops when it started at about 1:40 p.m. Today is supposed to be mostly sunny with a high of 78.

According to the National Weather Service, Minden received no precipitation during the month of April, zero, nada, nothing. That's quite a bit less than a third of an inch the town typically gets during the month. Worse is the amount received on the mountain. Monitor Pass received a tenth of an inch. That's 1.5 inches less than average. Poison Flat also got a goose egg for the month, 2.72 inches less precipitation. This year is going to be just as bad as last year, which means the moisture locked up in snow is going to run out pretty quick this summer.