Today's News

Clyde Pickett has lived at his property northeast of town for 43 years. These days, he has to contend with trash flying onto his land.

About a decade ago, the city built its transfer station next to Pickett’s property, and since then, people living in the area have complained about garbage ending up on their land.

Of course, the problem gets much worse this time of year when the winds pick up.

Last week, Pickett took a reporter to his fence line. All along were bags and other pieces of garbage that clung to the barbed wire.  

On Feb. 2, someone ran into the control box for the traffic lights at University and Grand avenues. The lights have been out of order ever since.

The cost of repairs will be $20,000 to $30,000, said Christina Romero, the Department of Transportation’s spokeswoman. That is so high the department decided to make the intersection a four-way stop until it completes a project to improve that area of Grand Avenue, she said.

Such improvements may not be finished until 2010 or 2011.

“It will be an extended temporary fix,” Romero said.

There’s a reason for the state Open Meetings Act — to require governing bodies to conduct public business openly. After all, the people have every right to see their government in action — we’re paying the bills.

In recent months, however, the mayor and three Las Vegas City Council members have been privately communicating by e-mail. When a council quorum is discussing public business outside of an open meeting, that’s a violation of the Open Meetings Act.

The City Council on Wednesday voted to hire Santa Rosa City Manager Timothy Dodge to take the same position in Las Vegas.

The decision followed a statement by Mayor Tony Marquez, who apologized to the community for the learning curve in his first year as mayor.

In a unanimous vote, the council picked Dodge over Dan Dible, who served as Las Vegas city manager in the 1980s. Dodge, a Highlands University graduate, has served as Santa Rosa’s manager for the last four years.