Sam & Devon’s Excellent PR Adventure

October 22, 2025 Nevada Newsmakers with Councilmember Devon Reese.

Today, Picon witnessed what could only be described as a televised bromance between Nevada Newsmakers’ own Sam Shad and Reno City Councilmember Devon Reese — and let’s just say, if there was a candlelit dinner involved, we wouldn’t be surprised.

From the opening minute, it was clear this wasn’t an interview — it was an infomercial for Reese 2026. Shad practically rolled out a red carpet, fluffed Reese’s political pillow, and offered him a free campaign ad disguised as journalism.

The two took a stroll down memory lane — or, as we like to call it, “Pro-Development Drive.” They giggled their way through stories about the McCarran Loop and those pesky Lakeridge residents who dared to have opinions. Apparently, being a concerned citizen is a crime in the Church of Shad and Reese.

Then came the glowing praise for Jacobs Entertainment, that shining 200 acres downtown, a beacon of bulldozers and boarded-up dreams. Shad and Reese applauded the developer.

Maybe they should read The Barber Brief or Mike’s Reno Report today, both of which are putting out, you know, facts, not campaign fluff disguised as civic conversation.

The pièce de résistance came when Shad and Reese talked about 4th Street, marveling at how it’s “coming together” now that “the homeless have moved on.” Oh really? Because last we checked, the Nevada Cares Campus is right down the street. And the homeless population hasn’t vanished — they’ve just been shuffled around like an inconvenient deck of cards.

We’d love to see how Shad thinks Starsound Audo in partnership with Morris Burner Hotel, who are planning a music hall, plan to “keep all those pesky homeless folks in their space.” Spoiler: they won’t. We all saw the Italian Festival — plenty of unhoused residents right there on Virginia Street, coexisting with the cannoli.

When talking about the financial situations of Washoe County, City of Sparks, and City of Reno there was no discussion on how the majority of the budget is spent on employee salaries. No conversation of necessary cuts or payroll reductions because the only other way the governments will be able to find the money to keep running is to raise taxes, invent fees, and increase existing fees to residents. No comment by Shad about the payroll of those top 100 employees at the City of Reno.

This whole interview was one big setup, a soft-focus campaign ad where Reese got to wax poetic about development, “progress,” and himself — all while Sam Shad nodded like a proud uncle at a graduation.

Bottom line:
This wasn’t journalism — it was Sam & Devon’s Excellent PR Adventure. Shad’s playing cupid in Reno’s latest political love story.