Fire and Rain: A chronological look at 2017

January

3: Carson City had its first baby of 2017 born on Jan. 1 — Sean Frost Jr., to Heather and Sean Frost, weighing 6 pounds and 10 ounces.

4: The capital city’s newest elected officials — Mayor Robert Crowell, Supervisors John Barrette and Brad Bonkowski, School Trustees Laurel Crossman, Michael Walker and Joseph Cacioppo Jr. and Treasurer Gayle Robertson — took the oath of office.

6: Carson City was again selected as one of 15 cities across the nation to win a Levitt AMP grant for a summer concert series.

10: A massive storm system bringing torrential rain and snow sent rivers overflowing, causing flooding, road closures and warnings of dangerous mudslides stretching from Northern California to Nevada.

11: Gov. Brian Sandoval said his proposed two-year state budget doesn’t contain reductions that will hit state workers.

12: Mystique Restaurant and Lounge in downtown Carson City closed its doors just over a year after opening in December 2015.

13: Following a string of rain and snow storms, the Carson River has been running at 8,000 cubic feet per second, which is above the 95th percentile of flow for the past 76 years, according to the United States Geological Survey gage.

18: A major expansion of the Tesla plant at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center was announced by Gov. Brian Sandoval in his State of the State speech.

20: After 33 years of service, Carson City Fire Chief Bob Schreihans hung up his turnouts and retired.

21: Pledging emphatically to empower America’s “forgotten men and women,” Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, taking command of a riven nation facing an unpredictable era under his assertive but untested leadership.

22: More than a million people, including thousands in Reno, rallied at women’s marches to send President Donald Trump a message on his first full day in office that they won’t let his agenda go unchallenged.

24: A push by three U.S. House members would remove former Nevada Sen. Pat McCarran’s statue from the U.S. Capitol because of his racist reputation.

26: Dancing and whirling with yellow scarves, hundreds of students, teachers, parents and other supporters gathered at the Capitol to rally for educational choice in schools.

27: The Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada honored some of its top members during its Youth of the Year awards banquet.

31: Carson City is thriving thanks to its citizens, said Mayor Bob Crowell at his annual State of the City address.

February

4: Carson High School officially dedicated the court at the Morse Burley Gym in honor of Tom Andreasen, who, among many accomplishments, coached the CHS boys basketball team to the 1975 state title.

5: Lawmakers both new and veteran hit the ground running as the 79th session of the Legislature got off to a fast start, introducing more than 200 bills and resolutions on the first day.

7: The Patriots made history by pulling off a 25-point comeback in the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons in the first-ever overtime Super Bowl.

9: Joseph Digino, 30, of Carson City, was identified as the victim in a fatal collision on Highway 89 near Grass Lake.

10: Macie Tuell was crowned Miss Carson City 2017 while Carli Gumm was named Miss Carson City’s Outstanding Teen 2017.

14: Carson City was hit with $1 million to $1.5 million in property damages from a weekend of severe weather, city officials said.

17: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada named America Sarabia State Youth of the Year at the Governor’s Mansion.

18: The long-sought demolition of the Kinkead Building — the structure on E. King Street that has been vacant for nearly a decade — is back in the proposed state budget.

19: The Mallory Behavior Health Crisis Center, a 10-bed unit in Carson Tahoe Specialty Medical Center, opened in Carson City to provide immediate care for patients and give first responders an option other than the hospital emergency room or jail to take individuals in distress.

22: Residents of east Dayton guarded their properties for the remainder of a storm after a flood scare, as emergency alerts urged the area to evacuate due to retention pond failure.

23: About a dozen or so people at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon challenged Sen. Dean Heller and Rep. Mark Amodei as they spoke, yelling questions about the Affordable Care Act, immigration and public lands, in just one of several raucous town hall meetings around the nation.

March

1: The Nevada State Railroad Museum reopened following more than a month of closure after floodwaters inundated the property and damaged buildings, tracks and fire roads.

3: The Board of Supervisors took the first step in changing the city’s animal ordinance in regards to vicious dogs, including adding to the code other animals, not just humans, as capable of being harmed.

4: Penguin tacos, the specialty of Carson City’s beloved Penguin Drive-In, which closed in 1997, are now on the menu at the Westside Pour House.

14: After one long haul year of endless commitment and structure, the Shoe Tree Brewing Company finally flipped its sign open at 1496 Old Hot Springs Road.

15: Students punctured 1,300 pinwheels into the ground at Western Nevada College to honor those who die daily from an epidemic of tobacco-related illnesses as part of National Kick Butts Day.

16: The gathering behind the Capitol with Nevada’s active military troops, veterans and government was a heartfelt for many as Gov. Brian Sandoval endorsed three bills and presented awards as part of Veterans and Military Day.

17: Carson City’s Ormsby House is hitting the market and the property’s broker is confident a buyer will be found.

18: Virginia City’s Lacy J. Dalton officially became a legend in her own time when she was inducted into the North American Country Music Association, International Hall of Fame in ceremonies in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

22: The Carson City Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney have arrested John Aston, the man believed to be responsible for the four-year-long threats investigation against Justice of the Peace John Tatro.

23: Nevada became the 36th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment for women on the 45th anniversary of the amendment’s original congressional approval.

24: After five years of serving sweet and savory plates, L.A. Bakery broke ground to expand to 2,500 feet, upgrading to 84 seats and parking options.

26: Washoe Lake, which was dry just months ago, is officially full to the brim.

28: With a 31-1 vote the NFL owners approved the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas from Oakland.

31: The Carson City School District is looking at a $1.3 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2018, officials announced.

April

1: Sean Slamon was welcomed as Carson City’s new fire chief in a pinning ceremony attended by Mayor Bob Crowell, City Manager Nick Marano and other supporters.

4: The annual Welcome Home ceremony at the Nevada Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Mills Park honored Nevadans who served in the war, including 153 who lost their lives.

6: The Carson City ice rink won’t return for another season due to lack of funds, city officials said.

7: Twenty seven high school and post secondary students from all over the state competed in the SkillsUSA state finals competition at Western Nevada College’s Carson City location.

9: Kat Miller, director of the Nevada Department of Veterans Services, and other speakers and about 200 guests commemorated the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entering World War I in a ceremony at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley.

12: About 700 sheep and 1,000 lambs returned to graze some 2,000 acres around the west side of Carson City, eating cheatgrass and other weeds to clear out potential wildfire fuel.

13: A ribbon cutting for Richards Crossing, Carson City’s new apartment building for veterans, disabled and other homeless residents, was attended by about 120 people.

16: The Trump administration and Congress proposed their list of budget cuts including $75.9 million from Nevada.

18: A total of 246 bills and 10 joint resolutions — almost a quarter of all those introduced — died as the deadline for committee action on legislation in the house origin hit.

20: McFadden Plaza got more family-friendly fun with the opening of Scoups Ice Cream and Soup Bar.

21: The vacant brewery at the corner of Carson and Proctor streets will house The Union, a restaurant, brewery and coffee bar set to open in summer.

22: For the first time in 11 years, excess water has been released from Lake Tahoe to keep it from rising too quickly during the spring meltoff.

May

2: Tensions ran high as six defendants were sentenced for their involvement in the 2016 death of 18-year-old Grant Watkins. The shooter, Reed Skenandore, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years for first-degree murder.

3: The Board of Supervisors, Mayor Bob Crowell, City Manager Nick Marano and other officials set out on the 2017 Carson City Invitational Celebrity Bike Ride to kick off National Bike Month.

5: Hundreds of Nevada law enforcement, supporters, friends and family gathered at the Nevada Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Ceremony at the Capitol to honor all fallen Nevada peace officers.

6: Weighing in on how Nevada should test people for stoned driving, lawmakers advanced a measure to eliminate urine samples as a viable measure for police to show a driver to be impaired by marijuana.

9: Between January and mid-April, the Nevada Department of Transportation has issued nearly $15 million in emergency contracts to deal with the flood damage from the relentless storms that hit Northern Nevada.

11: The Carson City School Board voted to extend Superintendent Richard Stokes’ contract.

16: Sierra Academy of Style held a ribbon cutting to officially open its doors as Carson City’s new beauty school.

19: Lawmakers gave approval to a K-12 education budget totaling $6.37 billion over the biennium.

21: The joint Senate Finance/Assembly Ways and Means committees approved a Department of Corrections budget that forecasts a shortage of inmate beds totaling 193 beds in 2018 and 379 beds in 2019.

23: Western Nevada College’s 46th commencement ceremony at Mills Park graduated 551 students who proudly obtained their degrees.

24: The Senate narrowly approved SB261, the so-called right to die bill.

25: Gov. Brian Sandoval signed legislation pumping $2 million into the Jump Start program that allows high school students to take college courses for credit.

26: After four years of late-night studying and class projects, Dayton High School’s Class of 2017 reached the finish line, with 139 students graduating in caps and gowns.

27: All police offers in Nevada must wear body cameras beginning next year under a bill signed by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

28: Sierra Lutheran High School’s Class of 2017 broke a record — the school’s 15th graduating class was the largest yet, with 30 seniors.

30: Carson city commemorated America’s fallen serviceman and women in a Memorial Day ceremony at Lone Mountain Cemetery.

June

1: Silver State Charter School’s 38 graduates completed high school with warm wishes toward the future and remembrance of the stories they shared over the past four years.

2: Graduation at Pioneer High School not only celebrated the 56 students who completed high school, but also those who helped get them there.

4: Though the sky was gray, the mood wasn’t as Carson High School celebrated its more than 500 graduates in the Class of 2017.

6: Gov. Brian Sandoval signed the four major budget bills implementing the deal to resolve the battle over school funding and end the 2017 Legislature.

13: Since its closure in 2015, the former Horseshoe Club is prepping for new tenants — a restaurant, art studio and apartment space are slated to move into the building at 402 S. Carson St.

14: Carson Raceway, an indoor go-cart race track, is bringing fast-paced fun as it opens for business at 3777 N. Carson St.

15: Surrounded by red, white and blue, Carson City residents and service men and women celebrated Flag Day and the Army’s birthday at the Capitol Veterans Memorial.

16: Lance Armstrong is one of hundreds of cyclists visiting the capital city to race in the Carson City Off-Road, part of the Epic Rides series.

18: Crews are putting the final polish on the last stretch of freeway that will complete the Carson bypass.

24: Neighbors and friends of Carson City — including those from out of town — came to the Brewery Arts Center’s Minnesota Street Stage to see swing-band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy perform live, kicking off the 2017 Levitt AMP summer concert series.

29: Thirty-seven teams in seven divisions played in the Little League District 1 All-Star tournament that got underway at Governors Field.

July

1: Soroptimist International of Carson City celebrated its 60th year of community service.

2: Cheers and long lines of Las Vegas tourists and locals alike greeted the first day of sales of recreational marijuana as Nevada became the fifth state with stores selling pot to the public in a market that is expected to outpace all others in the US.

4: The Eagle Valley Disc Golf Association is continuing its work of establishing Carson City’s first disc golf course.

5: Fourth of July festivities — including an inaugural hot-dog-eating contest at the Carson Mall — were brought to an end as fireworks lit up the sky over Carson City.

6: Senior Follies celebrated its 20th year of entertaining Carson City as it presented its latest theme: As Seen On TV.

12: The second portion of Carson City’s waste water treatment plant rehabilitation is underway as the first phase nears completion.

13: People from all over the region danced to the music of The Family Stone at the 2017 Concert Under the Stars, a fundraiser for The Greenhouse Project.

14: After three hours of testimony, the Nevada Tax Commission voted unanimously to approve emergency regulations that will pave the way for recreational marijuana retailers to restock and stay in business.

20: California’s Detwiler Fire spurred air quality advisories in Northern Nevada as smoke continued to pushed into the region.

21: O.J. Simpson was granted parole after more than eight years in prison for a Las Vegas hotel heist, successfully making his case in a nationally televised hearing that reflected America’s enduring fascination with the former football star.

23: The 24th annual Taste of Downtown fundraiser for Advocates to End Domestic Violence attracted more than 40 vendors and hundreds of tasters.

27: After a one-year hiatus, the Carson City Fair opened with plenty of livestock, car and truck show, tractor pulls, exhibits, food, music and vendors.

August

1: Northern Nevada is seeing record high temperatures, with temperatures in the area projected to hit 104 and 105 degrees over two days.

2: Thousands flooded Mills Park to celebrate the 14th annual National Night Out, an event that gives local residents the chance to mingle with local law enforcement and public safety officials.

3: Interstate 580 greeted motorists as the last leg of the Carson bypass officially opened.

4: Recreational marijuana won’t be available to buy in licensed retail stores in Carson City until early next year, the Board of Supervisors decided.

5: Washoe Lake, which came close to overflowing its banks in the spring, is finally dropping, albeit by just a foot since June.

8: Anthem, a major provider of health insurance, announced it is pulling out of the Nevada market pretty much altogether.

10: Claudia Saavedra, who built the Carson City Department of Alternative Sentencing from the ground up, retired after 25 years on the job.

15: Western Nevada College President Chet Burton announced he’s leaving WNC.

19: The 7th annual Carson Tahoe Health HopeFest featured an enthusiastic crowd at the hospital’s Cancer Center.

22: Millions of Americans gazed in wonder through telescopes, cameras and disposable protective glasses as the moon blotted out the sun in the first full-blown solar eclipse to sweep the U.S. from coast to coast in nearly a century.

23: Homes and businesses were threatened in south Carson City after a massive brush fire broke out in the Voltaire Canyon.

24: President Donald Trump called for national unity and love in a speech at the National Convention of the American Legion in Reno.

25: The Legislative Interim Finance Committee approved the addition of $1.35 million to the funding approved in the 2017 session to test the backlog of DNA rape kits in Nevada.

26: The former Silver State Charter School, rebranded as Argent Academy, is undergoing a transformation its new bosses say is designed to better tie education to the needs of students.

29: About 200 people showed up for the grand opening of the USA Parkway connecting Interstate 80 to U.S. 50 through the Reno Tahoe Industrial Center.

September

2: A Carson City institution for 53 years, Jan’s Tropics and Elegant Pooch will end its run as Suzanne Huttman, owner, has decided to retire.

3: The summer’s active wildfire season saw 18 wildfires burning in Nevada at once, including the Slinkard Fire near Topaz Lake and the Tohakum 2 Fire northeast of Pyramid Lake, which temporarily closed the access road to Burning Man.

5: Carson City School District kicked off its all-day preschool program with classroom sites at local schools and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada.

6: Nevada officials are condemning President Trump’s decision to end DACA, the program that has allowed undocumented young immigrants to stay in the U.S.

7: The Nevada National Guard and the Carson City community came together to honor those who lost their lives six years ago in the IHOP shooting.

8: The Ormsby House has a buyer: multiple investors from California who plan to move here, according to Kim Fiegehen, representing Don Lehr and Al Fiegehen, the current owners.

12: The community gathered at Mills Park to reflect, pray and remember Sept. 11 for not only those who died on that day in 2001 but also the bravery performed by thousands of first-responders.

13: Grandma Hattie’s, the family restaurant operating on S. Carson Street for three decades, is shutting its doors.

15: After serving 23 years in office as a Carson City Justice of the Peace/Municipal Court Judge, Judge John Tatro announced he will not seek another term.

17: Paiute Pipeline, the company that feeds western Nevada’s natural gas needs, is getting ready for an $18 million project to expand its capacity in the region.

21: Celebrity Chef Clint Jolly, the 2016 Food Network Chopped: Restaurant Impossible Challenge champion, kicked off Celebrity Chef Cooking classes — A Healthy Lifestyles program at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada.

23: Hannah Golik and Tobi Arreola were named the 2017 Fall Homecoming Queen and King at CHS.

24: After being recently identified, 27 servicemen who served in one of the United States’ previous wars were honored and laid to rest at Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley.

27: Carson Tahoe Health opened Foothill Garden, a new hoop house designed to grow fresh produce and expand the community’s access to nutritional education.

28: Glenn Lucky celebrated his 65th birthday with cheers, tears and a hearty rendition of “Happy Birthday” from a crowd of about 100 at the Nevada State Museum.

October

1: The state finished fiscal 2017 with a total of $3.88 billion in General Fund revenue.

3: Stephen Paddock, 64, killed at least 59 people and injured more than 500 on the Las Vegas Strip in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

7: Hannah McDonald has been named the new executive director for Partnership Carson City, replacing 10-year acting director Kathy Bartosz.

11: The city is once again trying to spur redevelopment of the former armory site on South Carson Street by talking about putting the roughly 14 acres on the market for commercial development.

14: The Carson City School District received nearly $1.4 million to continue its Read By Grade Three program.

18: Carson City schools increased their graduation rate in 2016-2017 along with the rest of the state, according to a report releasing preliminary four-year data announcing Nevada’s Class of 2017 graduation rate increased by seven percentage points.

20: The Legislative Interim Finance Committee approved programs to help the state deal with the opioid epidemic.

22: Runners and walkers traversed grassy greens and desert foliage, wrapping around the back nine holes of Silver Oak Golf Course in the Light After Dark event put on by Advocates to End Domestic Violence.

28: Work is more than halfway completed on an emergency project to repair and seal the dome of the Nevada Capitol’s historic annex.

29: With sunny skies and fall-tinted trees, Nevadans united to celebrate statehood in downtown Carson City with contests, food, a parade and loved ones.

31: “Inside the Mind of daVinci,” a 10-by-23-foot cement sculpture by local artist Mischell Riley, was installed at the Community Center as the first piece of public art purchased by the Culture and Tourism Authority.

November

7: More than 200 Carson City students will be warm for the winter thanks to Operation Warm, a program sponsored by the Carson City Fire Department.

9: Carson City officials celebrated the completion of the first phase of construction at the city’s waste water treatment plant.

10: In observance of Veterans Day, Carson Middle School assembled an annual concert for the men and women who served, including active military and family members.

11: Classy Seconds, the 20-year-old thrift store run by Advocates to End Domestic Violence, opened at its new location on Gordon Street and Highway 40 East.

17: The Board of Supervisors approved an incentive package for a new Nissan car dealer in Carson City.

19: Slot World reopened after being closed for a month so its new owner could remodel the casino.

22: There are more than 1.35 million people employed in Nevada, the highest number ever, said the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

21: The Carson City Sheriff’s Office promoted Ken Sandage to undersheriff following the retirement of Undersheriff Steve Albertsen.

24: For the 60th year, the Carson Nugget hosted its annual Thanksgiving feast for residents to come together on the holiday.

28: CHS’ Timothy Jones succumbed to his injuries after spending nearly a month in critical care following a Kings Canyon crash that involved six other juveniles.

29: Much of Northern Nevada set a record for precipitation this past water year, more than doubling the average in some areas.

December

2: The 29th annual Silver & Snowflakes was held at the Capitol Grounds to officially ring in the holiday season for Carson City.

5: Its insides gutted, contractors put a huge excavator with powerful jaws to work tearing down the remaining structure of the Kinkead Building.

6: Nature’s Bakery is eliminating 80 jobs at its Carson City facility as it reduces its manufacturing operations from three shifts to one.

8: Eagle Valley Golf Course has a new operator: Duncan Golf Management, appointed by the Board of Supervisors to maintain and manage the golf course.

10: The Rotary Club of Carson City held its annual shopping spree and helped 22 local kids buy presents for their families.

12: Rustically Divine, a do-it-yourself pallet party paint studio, will be the first retailer to open in the former Horseshoe Club in downtown Carson City.

15: Carson and Eagle Valley Middle Schools and Fritsch Elementary School each received four out of a possible five stars in the state’s new rigorous Nevada School Performance Framework ratings.

17: Dirt is moving again on Jackson Village, the residential project behind Carson City’s Kohl’s department store.

21: Even though the weather outside was frightful, inside the Carson city Walmart the atmosphere was delightful as the community came together to celebrate Holiday with a Hero.

22: NDOT and crews from Road and Highway Builders installed the sculpture of an eagle at the southern end of the Carson bypass.