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.

DA Chris Hicks announced he's running for a third term—and the silence from judges, lawyers, and supporters was so loud, you could hear a plea deal drop.

As Chief Deputy District Attorney Mary Kandaras enjoyed her retirement sendoff of cookies and flowers from Commissioner Clara Andriola at Tuesday's Washoe County Commission meeting, one question hung in the air like stale bureaucratic smoke: Will her departure make accessing public records easier, or are we about to discover based on an old saying, that the devil we knew was preferable to the devil we don't?

Commissioner Clara Andriola has been taking victory laps around the county building for her revolutionary brainchild: the Washoe County Checkbook. This digital wonder promises to unveil the mysteries of county finances to the masses.

On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, we'll all be treated to a special tutorial where county staff is suppose to be showing all of us how to use Checkbook.

Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson is apparently channeling his social media rantings into actual legislation. AB51, the "We'd Rather You Didn't Look Too Closely" bill, aims to make public records about as accessible as Fort Knox – but with more paperwork.

The irony is rich: The League of Cities, whose mission statement reads like a love letter to transparency and innovation, is backing a bill that treats public records requests like classified CIA operations. What's next – secret handshakes and decoder rings?

Looks like Santa came early this year, and he's bearing gifts of email mishaps. Who knew the path to transparency would be paved with a lobbyist's fat fingers?

The AG delays public records…