Picon is always surprised when members of the media don't take a moment to verify campaign claims.

Ward 2 Reno City Council candidate Vanessa Vaupel reportedly told KOLO she knocked on 1,000 doors. But did she really?

Based on what we've heard from readers, it appears a more accurate description may be that she dropped literature at 1,000 doors.

Remember how former Washoe County District Court Judge Bridget Robb pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor stalking charge stemming from allegations that she repeatedly followed and monitored a Reno attorney over an extended period. As part of a plea agreement reached in Sparks Municipal Court, Robb admitted guilt to the charge and avoided a trial.

We enjoy a good pair of pink hot pants as much as anyone, but this may be the funniest thing we've seen all political season.

Found on Nextdoor, this gem immediately caught our attention, and the only thing we could think was:

"Somewhere in Reno, a campaign consultant just fell to their knees."

Free Press Frenzy: Devon and Eddie Chase Headlines

Picon is amused that today the City of Reno is holding a gathering to discuss data centers.

Why? Because suddenly City Councilmember Devon Reese has discovered concerns about data centers after voting for them and accepting campaign contributions from people connected to the industry. Then, after apparently noticing he might be struggling in the mayoral primary, he called for a moratorium.

Picon's guess is that Devon is simply chasing headlines.

We ponder why Devon Reese keeps changed the number. First it was “5th generation Nevadan.” Now suddenly it’s “6th generation.”

So naturally people are asking: why does it matter so much?

Will adding another generation make him a better mayor?
Will it get more votes?
More likes on social media?
More trust from voters?

Let’s stop pretending the current version of the Save Lakeridge effort is anything close to grassroots—because it’s not.

Back in 2021, many of us supported them when they took their fight to the Reno City Council. At the time, it felt like a real community-driven effort. Fast forward to today, and it’s hard to ignore what it’s become: a tightly controlled campaign driven by insiders, attorneys, and political maneuvering—not broad community engagement.

Why does Michael Leonard and Mike’s Reno Report matter? Simple: people actually read it — and they act on it.

In less than a year, Leonard has built a growing, loyal audience — especially among Republicans — and that influence is very real.

Just ask Eddie Lorton.

Leonard was once in Lorton’s corner, even helping him behind the scenes. That didn’t last. Turns out, working with Lorton is one thing — dealing with the fallout is another.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day—and after a court hearing, that might be especially true.

Because if you ask Picon, the real story always happens before… or after… the main event.

And yesterday proved it.

After the Lorton vs. Leonard hearing in Washoe County Justice Court, presided over by, we can’t believe it either, Judge Pierre Hascheff, both sides apparently needed to decompress.

We have had a bunch of readers asking us to post this application. Here you go.

We absolutely love the optics here…

Last night when the Republican Central Committee lined up behind Eddie Lorton, standing right next to him was his buddy, his pal, his mentor — Robert Beadles.

Yes, that Robert Beadles.

The same guy who has now confirmed he hired a private investigator tied to tracking Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve’s vehicle back in 2022.

Every time a meeting gets delayed, our inbox lights up.

“What aren’t they telling us?”
“Who pulled the strings?”
“What’s the hidden agenda?”

And right on cue, here we are again.

The Truckee Meadows Regional Planning Commission was supposed to hear the Duncan Golf Management / Save Lakeridge matter today. Instead, the meeting was pushed. And just like that, fingers started pointing—mostly at the commission itself.

That familiar rat-a-tat-tat has returned to the Reno City Council meetings.

Once again, Eddie Lorton has been showing up during public comment demanding that a Fourth of July parade be placed on a future council agenda.

Now Lorton says he’ll personally cover the $25,000 cost to make it happen.

Isn’t the judiciary supposed to be impartial?

That’s the standard the public is told to expect: judges stay above the political fray, particularly during election season. At the very least, they’re expected to avoid the appearance of political favoritism or entanglements that could raise questions about their neutrality.

Which brings us to Dixie Grossman, the chief judge of the Family Court division within the Second Judicial District Court.

Credit where it’s due: Jackie Bryant showed a measure of appropriate gravity during yesterday’s press conference in Reno regarding the suspension of Chief Nance. Bryant appeared visibly affected—almost a little verklempt—which conveyed that the situation was serious and unsettling for the city’s leadership.

By contrast, Hillary Schieve came across very differently. Rather than projecting the same sense of gravity, her presentation felt more like another stop on a promotional press tour—something closer to selling her Spooge sunscreen line than addressing a moment of institutional concern. Whether intentional or not, that contrast underscores a basic rule in public life: optics matter.

Public comment at Reno meetings comes with a familiar rhythm: step up, state your name, watch the clock, and wrap it up before the buzzer.

Three minutes.
No back-and-forth.
No “asks.”
No extended dialogue.

Citizens are reminded regularly that public comment is for input — not interrogation.

So it was hard not to notice what unfolded at the March 2, 2026 meeting of the Reno Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board.

Credit where it’s due.

Kudos to Nico and the team at Our Town Reno for staying on the Reno-Tahoe Airport trustee residency story and refusing to let it fade into the next news cycle. Accountability reporting isn’t glamorous. It requires documents, timelines, follow-ups, and the willingness to ask the same question until someone finally answers it.

And in this case, the persistence mattered.

Apparently, we’re getting illuminated.

In San Francisco, the iconic San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge was lit up with an $11 million art installation — funded entirely by private donations from more than 1,300 contributors. Not public money. Not fee increases. Not “we’ll bill you later.”

Private. Donations.

Picon has said it before — nothing says “party unity” like Republicans fighting Republicans.

For years, the local GOP has operated like an exclusive club. Loyalty isn’t encouraged; it’s enforced. Support the approved candidate or risk being shown the door. That’s been the pattern.

Enter the curious disappearance of Diana Hoffman.

If timing is everything, then today’s Sparks City Council meeting may feel like the Sparks city manager’s worst nightmare.

Because hanging over the dais is not just an agenda — it’s a question no one seems eager to ask out loud.

On Friday night, Sparks City Councilmember Joe Rodriguez was reportedly at the Reno Events Center attending the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour. Also in attendance? Reno mayoral candidate and councilmember Devon Reese and Reno Vice Mayor Miguel Martinez.

Pendleton Whisky. Velocity Tour. Whiskey.

After reading Mike’s Reno Report today, it’s clear he laid out Bruce Parks’ worldview of Republicans and Republican politics far more eloquently than Picon ever could.

And as Mike correctly pointed out, the problem isn’t that Parks lacks passion or spirit—it’s that he doesn’t do the homework.