And our readers made sure to point it out.

Specifically, residents of Red Hawk — many of whom oppose the newly proposed housing development — contacted Picon after our story ran to highlight something we should have connected.

Back in 2024, Washoe County Commissioner Clara Andriola reported“in-kind rent” for office space at Red Hawk Golf and Resort on her Nevada Contribution and Expense report.

The inbox at Picon has been busy lately.

Dozens of emails and private messages have come in raising questions about a certain Washoe County commissioner and a private office located at Red Hawk Golf and Resort — and whether that proximity might be helpful to the developers behind a major new housing proposal.

Recently, a formal housing application from the Red Hawk Land Company was submitted to the City of Sparks Government. The project would bring nearly 764 homes to the area — a significant amount of density for that corner of the valley.

We’ve been doing something radical lately: reading.

Yes, we dusted off the Rules of Practice for the Second Judicial District Court — you know, the thrilling bedside material governing how things actually work over at the courthouse. And we went straight to Rule 2, because that’s where the magic of the Chief Judge lives.

Once, in the bustling City of Reno, there lived a Princess of the Law named Connie. She did not wear a crown of gold; she wore a robe woven from thirty-four years of truth, and her scepter was a pen that had signed scrolls of justice.

If Chief Judge Egan Walker keeps this up, we may need to start reserving him a permanent headline slot.

Word around the courthouse is that Walker has reassigned — or as some are calling it, “hijacked” — a case originally sitting in Department 10 under Judge Kathleen Sigurdson. The case involves the parents of deceased 5-year-old Izabella Loving, and it is unquestionably one that will draw intense public and media scrutiny.

Erased from the Invite — But Not the Ledger?

When the fundraiser invitation for Chris Hicks’s March 4, 2026 event at Pinocchio's Bar & Grill began circulating, one couldn’t help but notice the host committee reads like a Reno “who’s who.” Business leaders, attorneys, familiar names.

All that seemed missing was a voiceover from a celebrity gossip columnist introducing the lineup.

But beyond the glossy optics, something else stood out: a name that once would have been expected on such a list appears absent.

We received several calls last week from local attorneys asking the same question: had we heard anything about Connie Steinheimer, judge for the Second Judicial District Court, Department 4, being relieved of her docket?

Say what?

It slipped past the daily write-up schedule, but the social media moment surrounding Troy Regas may end up being more telling than a formal campaign announcement. Instead of a polished press release or scripted video, Regas posted something far simpler: a photo of campaign sign designs — created by his father — and asked Facebook friends which one they liked best yesterday.

Readers send us plenty. Not all of it rises to the level of a full story, but some of it certainly deserves an honorable mention.

We understand that while Karma Box Executive Director Grant Denton has been sashaying around Washington, D.C. speaking at a drug summit, a few quiet edits were happening back home. Rumor has it SAFE Embrace requested their logo be removed from his website, we can’t find the page to confirm or deny, and Denton also scrubbed references to being the co-founder of an alpaca business. Did the Alpaca's complain?

Picon applauds the journalistic professionalism of Our Town Reno, which reported yesterday that the CHAB: Community Homelessness Advisory Board meeting scheduled for February 9 was canceled due to “logistical issues.” One of Washoe County’s ever-reliable messaging representatives confirmed to Our Town Reno in writing:

“There was a broken link in the agenda that was discovered too late to fix and repost while still meeting the Open Meeting Law requirements. It will be rescheduled as quickly as possible.”

There was District Attorney Chris Hicks proudly announcing he outraised Wes Duncan, Jon Killoran proclaiming from every available rooftop that he’d topped Mike Clark, and, of course, the ever-reliable bravado of Eddie Lorton — which almost deserves its own campaign finance category. The irony, of course, is that while Killoran was celebrating his totals, a fair number of voters were still asking a simpler question: Who? A little name recognition can go a long way, even when the dollar figures look impressive on paper.

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.

What’s Taking So Long? The Grimsley case crawls forward … the slow speed of justice may finally be picking up—ever so slightly.

Mathew Grimsley of the Nevada Cares Campus / Karma Box Project, who was arrested on a charge of battery, now appears to have a court date on the horizon. And with it, the possibility that we may finally learn what is actually happening at Karma Box—the operator of the so-called “safe camp” that is being paid by the Washoe County Human Services Agency. You know those silly taxpayers.

When Kim Koschmann went to the Reno Police Department to complain about Karma Box Project’s Executive Director Grant Denton who she had been dating. Kim says she was given advice that still echoes: it would be better not to “poke the bear.” According to Kim, officers warned her that Denton would know she was attempting to obtain a temporary restraining order. The clear message was to let it drop.

At the time, Kim wasn’t just uncomfortable — she says she was afraid for her life, a concern she directly expressed to the Reno Police Department. Yet she was discouraged from moving forward. No stakeout. No visible show of urgency. No apparent protective response.

Fast forward.

“Here you come again… Because here comes Matt Polley — again — applying for yet another county board.

This time, Polley has submitted an application for the Washoe County Open Space and Regional Parks Commission, complete with a letter of recommendation from Reno City Councilmember Devon Reese. The problem? That letter wasn’t written for parks. It was written to support Polley’s appointment to the Northern Nevada Health District Board — and it’s already part of an active lawsuit.

Gregg Kidd is back—once again attempting to “understand” Northern Nevada.

The well-funded would-be public servant is hosting yet another Meeting the Moment: Affordability Crisis Town Hall on Tuesday, January 21, from 5:00–6:30 p.m. at the Reno Public Market. Hosted by This Is Reno, Kidd says the event follows up on a March town hall meant to hear how everyday Nevadans are coping with rising costs—groceries, electricity, rent—and to gather ideas on making Northern Nevada more affordable and equitable.

I had one hell of a week — the kind that reminds you why local history still matters.

Honored to sit in on a meeting with Commissioner Mike Clark and announced District 3 commission candidate Troy Regas. Talking with Troy feels like a moment in time. Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County have changed — a lot — and yet somehow stayed the same.

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.

A writ of mandamus doesn’t happen by accident.

When the Nevada Supreme Court issues a writ regarding a Second Judicial District Court judge, it’s not a routine paperwork error or a harmless disagreement over procedure. It’s a public, written reminder that something went wrong badly enough to warrant correction from the state’s highest court.

And in this case, the mistake belongs to Judge David Hardy.

Apparently, December 14, 2025 is now campaign season in Reno — at least according to four-time mayoral candidate Eddie Lorton, whose campaign signs began popping up months before candidates are even allowed to file for office.