🗣️ Nevada’s Secretary of State’s Office is asking for public input on its Language Access Plan. The 40-page document outlines efforts to expand translated options for voting and state business services, building on initiatives launched last year.
In 2024, Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar’s office added a dedicated phone line allowing voters to connect with translators for questions related to the general election. Among the plans for the next two years: creating a multilingual team to translate resources and develop informational content, and expanding translations of vital documents to better serve Nevada voters and business owners.
Nevadans have until the end of January to submit feedback. Members of the public can review the plan and provide comments on the Secretary of State’s website.
📦 December is the busiest time of year for package deliveries — and for porch pirates who steal them. Sometimes thieves end up with mail-order medication instead of high-value items.
E-commerce surged during the pandemic, and December remains the peak delivery month, according to the U.S. Postal Service. Still, experts say it can be difficult to fully understand the scope of package theft.
“Getting a package from a warehouse to a customer is far more complex than most people realize,” said Ben Stickle, a professor of criminal justice administration at Middle Tennessee University, noting the many individuals and companies involved before delivery. Read the full story by NPR's Sydney Lupkin here.
🌳 The City of Las Vegas is offering free trees to residents in certain ZIP codes as part of an effort to reduce urban heat islands. According to a city press release, the federal government provided $5 million for drought-tolerant shade trees in areas most affected by extreme heat. A lack of trees in neighborhoods with large amounts of concrete, asphalt, buildings and traffic contributes to higher temperatures. Residents in eligible ZIP codes can apply online to receive a tree, planting and an irrigation system at no cost.
❤️🩹 The Southern Nevada Health District confirmed another case of measles in Clark County on Tuesday. The case comes two months after a previous one reported Oct. 13, also involving an out-of-state visitor to Harry Reid International Airport.
Officials say the most recent patient passed through the airport’s D1 gate between 12:30 and 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 13 before leaving the city via private transportation. No additional cases have been confirmed. Measles symptoms — including rash, cough and fever — can take seven to 21 days to appear. Hear the full story by KNPR's Anne davis.
🐁 The Trump administration finalized new plans Dec. 22 for managing sage grouse populations across California, the Dakotas, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming, rekindling a long-running debate over the future of the declining species. The birds aren’t listed under the Endangered Species Act, but many conservationists say they should be. These management plans began as a way to keep them off the act.
These strategies have changed with almost every administration, so it was no surprise when the Trump team unveiled the new plans. Critics say they take away some requirements for oil and gas developers to mitigate their impacts on sage grouse habitat. Some of the plans also remove rules to keep grass at least 7 inches tall for nesting. Read the full story by Hanna Merzbach's Wyoming Public Radio here.
💨 Gov. Joe Lombardo has appointed retired Maj. Gen. Ondra L. Berry as chair of the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. Berry brings experience in the military, law enforcement and corporate sectors. In a statement, Berry said “effective regulation is built through transparency, trust and accountability.” The appointment comes less than a week after President Trump announced the federal government will move to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.
Part of these stories are taken from KNPR's daily newscast segment. To hear more daily updates like these, tune in to 88.9 KNPR FM.
