Bad karma is piling up fast — and it’s coming straight from Karma Box Project. Yet somehow, no matter what happens, Washoe County keeps circling the wagons to protect them. The question practically asks itself: why? What does the county know, what are they hiding, and why is no one in leadership willing to act?

Let’s lay out the facts that Washoe County Human Services Agency and County Manager Kate Thomas don’t seem eager to talk about:

Our Town Reno and Mike’s Reno Report both have reported on Karma Box Project’s Matthew Grimsley’s arrest so we urge you to subscribe and follow them, but in the meantime let’s ask ourselves a very simple question:

Why does the Reno Gazette Journal blast out a major story on former Reno councilman Paul Anderson’s first domestic-violence arrest over Thanksgiving — yet say absolutely nothing when Matthew Grimsley, a third-time domestic-battery arrestee who works for Karma Box Project as a Safe Camp supervisor, is taken into custody?

At what point does Washoe County stop pretending everything is fine?

Here we go again. Another mess tied to Karma Box Project, and somehow Washoe County still can’t seem to connect the dots. How many stumbles does one contractor get before the county finally admits the obvious: something is very, very wrong here. Matthew Grimsley, a Karma Box Project who works at the Safe Camp at the Nevada Cares Campus was arrested for domestic battery for the third time.

And this time, there’s no Dana Searcy or Eric Brown left to blame.
This one lands squarely on the shoulders of newly installed County Manager Kate Thomas.

Let’s take a quick trip down Karma Box Memory Lane …

Holiday weekends are supposed to be quiet… but Reno never met a long weekend it couldn’t fill with intrigue, eyebrow-raising posts, and a few stories that practically write themselves. And because Picon hears from everyone — the kind, the cranky, the concerned, and the borderline-threatening — we figured we’d share a few morsels to go with your football watching.

First Up - Mayor Schieve, Belleville, and Spooge.

Yesterday we published a story hoping someone with a bigger reach might amplify it — and bless their souls, Our Town Reno picked it up. They have a megaphone compared to Picon’s whistle, and for that we’re grateful. We’re happy being the “little engine that could,” the outlet everyone swears they don’t read… yet somehow always seem to react to. That’s our comfort zone.

But today we’re stepping out of that zone.

Because what’s happening at the Safe Camp — and how residents are reacting to it — can no longer be brushed aside with a smile, a ribbon, and a county press release from what we lovingly call the Propaganda Princesses at Washoe County.

We pushed another article to tomorrow because this one needed attention. Phil Tenneson flagged a concern, and as always, we followed up. Commissioner Mike Clark — the only commissioner who consistently speaks with us — confirmed he has already reached out to County Manager Kate Thomas to get the exact facts.

Thanks to our community's enthusiastic response, Picon's inbox has been overflowing with inquiries about local nonprofits since spring. While election season kept us running at full speed, the closing of the polls finally gives us the breathing room to dive into all the valuable information you've shared. We're now ready to give your submissions the attention they deserve.

Some elected officials have dubbed us 'lazy journalists' as we’ve been covering their activities since we’ve been willing to include other media’s coverage. Well, let's embrace that reputation - we're actively seeking nonprofit whistleblowers to help us be even more 'lazy' by sharing your inside knowledge. Based on the flood of tips we've already received; we know you're out there. Consider this your invitation to help us dig deeper into stories that need telling. After all, the best investigative journalism is a team sport."

Picon isn’t going to spend time writing about an investigation done by Washoe County that didn’t include the scope of the complaint.

Instead, we’ll just post it so our readers can make their own decisions.

If you read the comments from Kimberly Koschmann, she had heard of a “higher-up” with Washoe County named Dana who is telling people at staff meetings that the rumors about the Executive Director of Karma Box Project are false. We’re not sure what Dana this is but in reading Our Town Reno’s article from June 9, 2024, there certainly is a Dana who the Executive Director of Karma Box Project might actually report to. This same Dana was at the May 28, 2024, Board of County Commissioner meeting where she was spotted talking to the Karma Box Project Executive Director and his attorney.

On Tuesday, May 28, 2024, there was a Washoe County Commission meeting all the commissioners and concerned residents were stuffed into the Nevada Public Health Chambers like sardines in oil, the meeting room the Health Board doesn’t even use.

Picon believes in dumb luck do you?

Dumb Luck is something good that happens in an unexpected way, especially when it is not deserved, you know, it was just dumb luck.

We published an article on May 27, 2024, and used a photo of City of Reno Appointed City Councilmember Kathleen Taylor and the individual who is the Executive Director of Karma Box Project that we found online. Dumb luck.

On May 28, 2024, the Washoe County Commission was the setting for a woman to come forward and disclose possible domestic violence she experienced from the Executive Director of Karma Box Project. This public comment initiated a chain of events that captured the attention of many.

At the Washoe County Commission meeting, Mariluz Garcia stated yesterday she had received a curveball regarding Agenda Item 10, the approval of agreements with RISE, Volunteers of America, and Karma Box Project at the Nevada Cares Campus.

We sort of think Garcia threw a curveball right back at the residents of Washoe County, when she supported the three agreements being approved after allegations regarding Karma Box Project.

Picon was sent these photos from a reader who was around the Nevada Cares Campus last week.

The photos snapped of a recently purchased, bright and shiny, totally branded vehicle for Karma Box Project from the City of Reno.