Well, what do you know — Sparks City Councilmember Joe Rodriguez wrapped up his ethics saga this week without a meltdown, a tirade, or a televised tantrum.

The Nevada Commission on Ethics approved a deferral and dismissal deal in the case against Rodriguez — the one where he was accused of using a few photos in uniform during his 2022 campaign for school board. After the usual legal rollercoaster (complaint, violation, fine, appeal, and settlement), the final decision reads nice and clean:

“Rodriguez has not committed any violation of the Ethics Law.”

At what point does compassion turn into a blank check?

Washoe County taxpayers are pouring astronomical sums into the Nevada Cares Campus, the county’s sprawling answer to homelessness — and yet, despite the millions spent, the problem on the streets isn’t getting smaller. It’s multiplying.

Looks like Sparks Councilmember Paul Anderson is standing by her man. While she’s not addressing the growing chatter about the Washoe County Republican Women’s clubs new “reservations only” rules (after years of open-door lunches), there HE was—Paul Anderson—at the podium during the same luncheon.

Devon Reese and the perils of public service.

Councilmember Devon Reese doesn’t like Picon. That’s fine. He’s called us hacks, not journalists, accuses us of “sensationalizing,” of “causing conflict and pain,” and dismisses us as a blog. We’ll defend his right to say all that — because that’s what the First Amendment is for. We’ll even defend his right to call citizens who disagree with him “mentally ill,” “stalkers,” or “creepy.” That’s his opinion — and he’s welcome to it.

Councilmember Dian VanderWell seems to be the adult in the room. While everyone else was dazzled by the promise of blinking server lights and “tech jobs,” VanderWell was the one who hit pause and asked the question no one else seemed to: what exactly are these massive data centers doing to our city’s resources, environment, and future?

The City of Sparks has quietly settled the case of firefighter Timothy Egan, accused of assaulting 84-year-old Maureen Hvegholm over the crime of feeding stray cats. The 2022 incident drew statewide outrage—but here we are in 2025, and Egan is still drawing a taxpayer-funded paycheck.

So let’s ask the only question that matters: why is this man still employed? What else is being swept under the rug to keep him in uniform? And why is Mayor Ed Lawson comfortable with a firefighter who left an elderly woman bruised and shaken still representing his city? Seniors in Sparks clearly aren’t a priority for Lawson—unless, of course, he needs their votes in his next election.

Adam Mayberry wants you to know one thing: he’s not a career politician.
At least, that’s the story he’s sticking to as he gears up for another run — this time in one of Washoe County’s reddest corners.

Oh, the great fire study fix …

Did anyone actually take the time to watch the Regional Fire Services Study Board make its debut on September 4 at 10 a.m.? Probably not. But for those who did, it was a show worth critiquing.

The board is stacked with two reps each from the City of Sparks, City of Reno, and Washoe County. Logical enough. But what’s not logical is who didn’t make the cut: Commissioners Mike Clark and Jeanne Herman — the only two commissioners with firsthand wildfire scars in their districts. Instead, we got Clara Andriola and Mariluz Garcia. Why? Don’t ask — just “call it good to go.”

Sometimes beating a dead horse isn’t cruel—it’s journalism. Especially when taxpayers are still being forced to pay for the feed.

Earlier this year, we exposed how Mayor Ed Lawson’s pals—lobbyists Chris Barrett and Scott Bensing—scored an individual $80,000 annual contract to push a federal lands bill through Congress. That bill is deader than disco, yet Sparks continues to pay them monthly, as if the next paycheck will somehow resurrect it.

Oh, the optics. The City of Sparks is struggling to keep its financial head above water (and will be for the next five to seven years) —early retirements, frozen positions, belt-tightening everywhere—and yet here comes the big new idea: let’s build ourselves a brand-new City Hall at the Sparks Marina.

The justification? According to the City of Sparks their current city hall suffers from chronic maintenance problems, inadequate security, and overburdened, obsolete office and meeting spaces. Has anyone herd about this over the last few years - you know a statement, comment, article, etc.

An invite dropped in our inbox: District Attorney Chris Hicks, speaking Monday, August 11th at Mimi’s Cafe. Cue the political theater.

What will he be talking about? His many misfires as DA? The ongoing Izabella Loving homicide proceedings? The Reno High School vandalism protest one could argue his office mishandled. The DA’s refusal to fulfill reasonable public record requests for two years - allowing Washoe County Government to remain insulated from public scrutiny. Or is this just a veiled attempt at “equal time” after Sparks City Attorney Wes Duncan announced his DA candidacy at a luncheon hosted by a different branch of the same group in June? Watch the video - Duncan has a wonderful story about President Teddy Roosevelt as his lead-in to announcing.. Very clever Wes.

You almost have to admire the irony.

Why is Barrett Resources representing the anti-development group Save Lakeridge while simultaneously cashing checks from the City of Sparks to push a lands bill that’s entirely about promoting development?

Save Lakeridge — that plucky group of homeowners dead-set on stopping any change to their backyard golf course — just might have outsmarted themselves into oblivion, or proved they are a bit more elitist than they would like you to think. Word on the street is they shelled out somewhere between $20,000 and $40,000 to hire none other than Chris Barrett of Barrett Resources to help defeat a master plan change that would have brought Reno a hotel, spa, world-class restaurant, and yes — even pickleball courts.

Well folks, it seems summer is officially here—and the new hot spot in Washoe County is none other than the bike path along the Truckee River. Forget parks, backyards, or permits. A reader recently sent us a video showing homeless folks with a barbecue setup, turning the riverside into Reno’s unofficial open-air smokehouse.

Naturally, this raises a few questions. Chief among them: can the rest of us join in?

Picon is unapologetically amused.

Wes Duncan announces a run for Washoe County District Attorney and—poof!—a select few locals faint into their fainting couches like we're all trapped in some steamy 1860s Southern drama. Someone fetch the smelling salts—there’s a Republican challenger in the DA’s race, and the self-appointed gatekeepers of Washoe County are scandalized, and it seems are fearful of a primary.

Who died and made them the candidate police of the region?

Sparks City Attorney Wes Duncan has announced his candidacy for Washoe County District Attorney, setting the stage for a potential showdown with incumbent Chris Hicks. While Duncan's tenure in Sparks has been marked by a commitment to transparency and community engagement, Hicks' record on public access to records has been less than stellar.

Well, he’s definitely not overdressed for the occasion.

A sharp-eyed reader sent us a gem from a recent baseball game: Sparks Councilmember Donald Abbott, shirtless and soaking up the sun with a friend. While the crowd was focused on home runs, Abbott was apparently working on his tan.

There are rumors swirling about mayoral candidates in the City of Sparks. Picon has received a number of messages from our readers pondering if Chris Garvey will do a 2022 repeat run for mayor and asking more about silently announced mayoral candidate Wendi Rawson who owns Engine 8 Urban Winery in Sparks. Some folks are saying former Ward 5 Councilmember Kristopher Dahir will run. But come on Sparks voters, you’re basically stuck with two choices Mayor Ed Lawson, who is quietly raising money for his reelection bid and termed-out Ward 4 Councilmember Charlene Bybee, who seems to not be concerned about all that lovely money Lawson is raising, and is staying coy about her run - but telling constituents, who are contacting us, she is running. Which caused us to think Ed Lawson vs. Charlene Bybee is a study in political redundancy.

When kicking out members becomes easier than building a bench.

Let's be perfectly clear: We've never been members of the Ed Lawson Fan Club. We haven't printed t-shirts, we don't have a secret handshake, and we certainly don't have his poster taped to our bedroom wall. But even a broken clock is right twice a day, and on this particular issue, the time reads "Bruce Parks is dead wrong o'clock."

Is there a growing gap between curiosity-driven reporting and actual accountability journalism?

Why did Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District abandon a $50,000 pre-construction fee for a new fire station in 2021? This perfectly illustrates how modern local news often prioritizes engagement over insight, but while the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District is trying to answer KRNV’s questions they are also avoiding facts.

In the bustling metropolis of Sparks, Nevada, a peculiar political drama unfolds—one that gives new meaning to the phrase "the road less traveled." Mayor Ed Lawson's prized toll road bill, once the crown jewel of his infrastructure vision, now lies in legislative purgatory, thoroughly defeated in the halls of the Nevada Legislature. Yet, like a determined door-to-door salesman who refuses to acknowledge the "No Soliciting" sign, Mayor Lawson continues his crusade for concrete.