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.

After reading Mike’s Reno Report this morning, we thought we’d add a few observations from Monday night’s Washoe County Republican Central Committee meeting (January 27, 2026). You know—the one chaired by Bruce Parks, who has a habit of politically excommunicating Republicans who don’t fall in line, well his line.

Maybe that helps explain why Washoe County has over 103,000 registered Republicans, yet the Central Committee can only muster about 165 people as members, and that says a whole lot.

A recently listed Reno home at 1620 Harold Drive is raising eyebrows over what appears to be a dramatic four-month flip, advertised renovations, and unanswered questions about permits, zoning, and disclosure requirements.

The property, APN 002-261-07, was purchased on August 20, 2025, for $267,000, according to Washoe County document #5563119. The buyer was Shasta Properties LLC, a Nevada entity (E0499092017-3). The listed resident agent for Shasta Properties is Brandon Goles, who is also the listing agent for the property’s current sale.

Tonight’s City of Reno Ward 3 Neighborhood Advisory meeting includes a big agenda item: the proposed closing or repurposing of several Washoe County schools located in Ward 3.

One of the presenters? Washoe County School Board Trustee Beth Smith.

Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve spent the holiday season in New York City—was it part vacation, part brand promotion—repping her sunscreen business alongside her business partner—heck we don’t know but we enjoy the images . Big-city backdrop, big inflatable Spooge marketing props, and plenty of photo ops.

Whether that’s the image Reno voters want from their mayor is a fair question. Public office comes with public scrutiny, especially when personal business and public profile blur together.

So let’s clear this up.

I’m being told the Republicans aren’t supporting me because I print articles calling them out.

Correction: the real Republicans are. The ones who open their homes, host fundraisers, knock on doors, make calls, and grind through campaign season without a title or a Facebook following. They’re with me.

When silence isn’t an option: Devon Reese accidentally confirms he reads Mike’s Reno Report. Or he sure did about the loss of Harrah’s xx and downtown Boise.

It turns out Councilmember Devon Reese does read Mike’s Reno Report — or at least reads it closely enough to feel compelled to respond. Not with answers, mind you. Just vibes, deflection, and a carefully worded non-response that somehow managed to say everything while explaining nothing.

Beefy’s Burger Joint says it plainly: the building needs major repairs — plumbing, flooring, and essential maintenance that simply can’t wait. Because of it, they’ve had to temporarily close their doors. For a neighborhood spot with loyal customers, that’s heartbreaking.

We so enjoy trolling social media posts and frankly can’t believe what elected officials put up online. Our favorites are Reno Councilmember Devon Reese and Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson, but Washoe County Commissioner Mike Clark is moving up.

We saw Commissioner Mike Clark’s post celebrating that Eddie Lorton ignored him and Larry Chesney (Picon’s Publisher and candidate for Washoe County Commission District 5) at Carole Fineberg’s goodbye luncheon.

So who watched the Reno City Council Meeting - we did.

And our take away …

Councilmember Kathleen Taylor finally snapped about downtown Reno — and honestly, it was the most enthusiasm we’ve seen on the council dais since someone mentioned their free catered lunch arrived.

Picon was delighted to see Mayor Hillary Schieve and her Spooge-sunscreen business partner splashing their product around on Wicked to push their latest skincare hustle.

Sorry we didn’t plan on another snarky story about Reno Mayoral candidates, but this is just too good to pass up. We couldn’t believe our eyes.

Some people spend Thanksgiving watching football. Others watch parades.
But here at Picon, we apparently watch Die Hard and then immediately think of local politics—because honestly, the similarities are uncanny.

Shaun Mullin, ladies and gentlemen, is officially the fly in Devon Reese’s ointment. The Hans Gruber to Devon’s corporate-holiday-party meltdown. The man shows up in a comment thread and suddenly our mayoral hopeful—who collects ethics complaints like tourists collect tiki mugs—cannot help himself. He has to respond. Every. Single. Time.

We couldn’t help but notice those matching shirts the Reno City Council members wore at the Veterans Day Parade — very coordinated, very official-looking. Cool City of Reno swag.

Here’s our question: did taxpayers pick up the tab for those?

We couldn’t help but smile today when a few speakers during public comment — including some UNR students and a Midtown representative — took to the mic to thank Councilmembers Miguel Martinez, Brandi Anderson, and Devon Reese for their “generous donations” to their organizations.