After we published video of the March 2 meeting of the Reno Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board — where Hillary Schieve appeared during public comment — one of our readers actually did what we always hope people will do:

They watched it.

And then they asked a question.

The question concerned Paul Klein, who serves on the Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board. The reader asked whether Klein is affiliated with Tri-Strategies and whether there is any professional overlap with Eddie Ableser, the former airport authority board member who recently resigned, you know, yesterday. Oh, and a favorite of Mayor Hillary Schieve.

Today’s Reno City Council meeting should be lively. Vice Mayor Miguel Martinez and Reno’s mayor-in-waiting (at least in his own campaign emails) Devon Reese will be perched on the dais, no doubt refreshed after Reese’s fabulous fundraiser at the Grand Sierra Resort — you know, the same Grand Sierra that benefited from all that generous Tax Increment Financing (TIF) support Reese voted to approve. Pure coincidence, we’re sure.

Meanwhile, local Republicans were busy firing off memes about an alleged DUI involving Sparks Councilmember Joe Rodriguez over the weekend.

But here’s the multi-million-dollar question no one seems to be asking:

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.

For years the rumor mill has insisted that Councilman Donald Abbott has his sights set on the Mayor’s office, even while publicly supporting Mayor Lawson. It’s all been political chatter — but Abbott’s recent post has people talking again. With term limits preventing him from running for Ward 1 after his current term, speculation about a mayoral bid has only grown louder. The timing is interesting: Abbott is secure in his council seat until 2028, which means he could take a “free shot” at the Mayor’s race in 2026 without risking his current position if he loses. Officially, he hasn’t declared. Unofficially, the rumor mill is fully employed.

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.

In A River Runs Through It, the line “I am haunted by waters” speaks to beauty, memory, and loss. Under Devon Reese’s mayoral campaign, the Truckee River has taken on a far less poetic role: haunted not by nostalgia, but by neglect.

Reese, who now poses as the river’s great protector, has presided over years in which the Truckee became the city’s restroom of last resort. Residents don’t need campaign slogans — they need to be able to walk by the river without dodging human waste. Yet here’s Reese, standing riverside for campaign photos, hoping the public forgets what really flows downstream.

Well, folks, break out the campaign buttons — because yes, Devon Reese is officially running for Reno mayor. And if you feel like you’ve seen this movie before, you probably have. The script hasn’t changed much: big promises, bigger fundraising asks, and that ever-present question — who’s Reno really for? The residents… or Reese’s rolodex of developer friends?

Is it appropriate for media to laugh themselves silly at a Reno City Councilmember’s social media post? We don’t know. But we did.

After nine long months of blissful indifference, Ward 5’s very own Devon Reese has suddenly fallen head over heels for his Neighborhood Advisory Board. The same board he barely mentioned since being reelected in November 2024 is now the talk of his Facebook feed. He’s appointing members, hunting for alternates, and celebrating that they “hit the ground running” with discussions of two Ward 5 projects.

So why the sudden civic passion? Could it be… he’s running for mayor? Oh, absolutely.

Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson never shies away from a good social media sparring match, and his latest post suggests he’s less than thrilled about termed-out Councilmember Charlene Bybee jumping into the mayoral race. His message? If Bybee wants his seat, she’ll have to do more than mimic his policies and post photo ops.

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.

Wannabe Mayor Councilmember Devon Reese, splitting hairs finer than a Vegas showgirl's eyelashes. So you didn't get an "ethics violation" - you just got a special invitation to a "deferral agreement" and mandatory ethics training in 2023.

Potato, po-tah-to... Violation, deferral... What's in a name? That which we call an ethics breach by any other name would smell as... interesting.

Oh, you Renoites crying "no politics, it's only 2025!" Bless your hearts. While you're trying to recover from your holiday food coma, Councilmember Devon Reese is already playing political musical chairs for the 2026 mayor's race. Because nothing says "I'm totally confident about my future" quite like scrambling for support a year early. Picon calls it “political chumming ,” throwing bait in the water to see what support you can catch.

Speaking of confidence... let's talk about that stunning Ward 5 victory. And by stunning, we mean Reese scraped by with 1,412 votes against checks notes ...who exactly is Brian Cassidy? Despite having a war chest that would make a Vegas casino blush and every developer, builder, and power broker in his pocket, Reese barely outperformed a guy whose biggest claim to fame was some local TV commercials for his small business. Talk about a profile in courage.