Has all that radon at the historic Washoe County Courthouse been quietly swept under the rug—or just vented out a window and called “handled”?

For months, Washoe County has been doing what it does best: talking about the problem while calling it “naturally occurring” and “limited to certain areas.” Translation: “Don’t worry your little lungs about it.” But according to one of our inside sources, who requested anonymity (and probably a hazmat suit), the County is now planning to install a mechanical exhaust system to suck out the radioactive gas—at a cost of about half a million dollars.

Rarely does anyone send Picon a press release — let’s face it, Washoe County, the City of Reno, and the City of Sparks treat us like that one relative they hope skips Thanksgiving. But every now and then, something shiny lands in our inbox, and a few weeks ago it was from the U.S. Forest Service about the Capitol Christmas Tree Tour — and get this: for the first time ever, the national tree is from Nevada.

The CHAB Board Goes Silent — and So Does Accountability.

It’s been more than a year since the last Community Homeless Advisory Board (CHAB) meeting — and the silence is starting to sound suspicious.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month—a cause worth elevating. But is Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks elevating the cause, or elevating himself? Below is what Hick’s office posted a far cry from this year’s post featuring Hicks.

Sun Valley doesn’t just have a grocery problem—it has a leadership problem. While residents watched their only supermarket circle the drain, Commissioner Mariluz Garcia somehow missed the smell. Maybe she didn’t notice the bare shelves. Maybe she never set foot in her own neighborhood store. Or maybe she just didn’t care—until election season rolled around.

We owe a thank-you to Commissioner Mike Clark for playing courier service with the video he mentioned at the last meeting - you know the thumb drive he had in his pocket. Since Washoe County’s public records process moves slower than molasses in January, Clark saved us the wait and handed over the footage.

And oh, what a gem it is.

Picture this: Commissioner

If you’ve ever tuned into a Washoe County Commission meeting, you know the drill: Commissioners Clara Andriola, Alexis Hill, and Mariluz Garcia take turns singing the praises of county staff like they’re nominating them for sainthood. Not to say Commissioners Herman and Clark don’t heap on some compliments, but they avoid gushing.

A chilling comment made its way through Washoe County’s 311 system—a platform designed for service requests, not hate-filled threats. The message didn’t just criticize policy. It openly threatened the lives of county commissioners and anyone riding a motorcycle in Northern Nevada:

“Shame on you and you stupid white mfs I hope you guys get voted out… If I see one of those bikers I’m stepping on the gas and letting that scum fly over my car.”

This is not political speech. It is a promise of violence. And yet—where is District Attorney Chris Hicks?

Today’s Washoe County Commission meeting should be a real show. On Agenda Item 16, commissioners will decide which two of their own will sit on the shiny new study board tasked with exploring a county fire protection district. This comes courtesy of Senate Bill 319 (83rd Legislature), which mandates a look at consolidating fire services across Washoe County and the Cities of Reno and Sparks.

Sounds straightforward—until you ask who will get the seats.

On June 12, 2025, Reno Gazette Journal reporter Mark Robison dropped a little political grenade: a group of donors — now dubbed the “Gang of Eighteen” — were furious with Sparks City Attorney Wes Duncan after he announced his candidacy for Washoe County District Attorney. Their big grievance? They wanted their political contributions back.

Yes, you read that right — refunds.

The money had originally gone to Duncan’s Sparks City Attorney race, which, thanks to a lack of an opponent, was essentially a political formality. But the Gang of Eighteen didn’t care about campaign technicalities. They staged their outrage publicly, then (for added flair) leaked it to the press.

Just when you thought the courtroom drama of Michael Leonard vs. Sarah Velto, Alex Velto, Connor McQuivey, Renoites, Devon Reese, and Reese Ring Velto PLLC couldn't possibly get more absurd — the script gets another rewrite.

Fresh off the wine-splashed tension of the Belleville Bar standoff between Leonard and Reese (yes, that one) earlier this year - then the police report, and following a steady stream of filings thicker than a Tolstoy novel in the 2nd Judicial District Court, a new character bursts onto the stage: Simons Hall & Johnston.

On July 1, 2025, in a move that shocked absolutely no one paying attention to the county’s pattern of “we love you, we loathe you,” staff invited CAB members to re-engage — this time to help with the Washoe County Evacuation Study. Yes, the same CABs that county employees previously rolled their eyes at, allude to the time suck the CABs require, and quietly plotted to dissolve like an unwanted committee meeting on a Friday afternoon.

The Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation (TMPF), once a staple of local conservation and community programming in Northern Nevada, has announced it is shutting down operations effective immediately. Staff have been laid off, programs are ending one by one, and the community is being left without services that once thrived under the organization’s stewardship.

The cause? What’s being described as significant financial mismanagement by former Executive Director Heidi Anderson.

A contentious online exchange highlights the urgent need for third-party verification of county homelessness claims.

A heated social media exchange between two local figures has crystallized a critical question that Washoe County officials have been avoiding for years: Why won't they allow an independent audit of their homelessness programs and spending?

After hiring outside consultants to evaluate its County Managers Office leadership dysfunction, Washoe County got exactly what it paid for: a detailed Raftelis report outlining what many residents have known for years—there’s a breakdown in trust, communication, and strategic priorities at the top.

But instead of focusing on the actual substance of the report—like rebuilding credibility or creating a strategy that doesn’t resemble a bureaucratic scavenger hunt—Commissioner Mariluz Garcia had a different takeaway: Let’s move commissioner comments to the end of meetings. Because obviously, the real problem here is the order of the agenda, not the disconnect between elected officials and the public they serve.

Washoe County might want to invest in mucking boots — not just for the fairgrounds, but for the growing pile of bureaucratic nonsense it keeps stepping in. This week’s rodeo stunt? A memo quietly urging county employees to work from home because gasp... the Reno Rodeo makes it hard to park.

Let’s get this straight: After over 100 years of the Reno Rodeo, now it’s too difficult for county employees to do their jobs from the office? Welcome to the Wild West, folks, where public servants apparently clock in from the couch when parking gets inconvenient.

Once again, Washoe County's Human Services Agency has proven they fundamentally don't understand the people they're supposed to serve. In a masterclass of poor communication, the county announced today that the senior center would be closing June 30th for 14 days of flooring work.

Seven days' notice. For a 14-day closure. To people who live by their calendars and plan their lives around routine and reliability. Let’s remember the last ‘remodel’ of the 9th Street Senior Center was delayed by a couple of weeks - could that happen in Sparks - sure Washoe County Government doesn’t care. This is the same pattern of not caring on the part of the county staff the art of not giving a damn

Remember back on February 5, 2025 Washoe County Commission Chair Alexis Hill and now retiring County Manager Eric Brown told us they have homelessness under control. Hill told the Nevada Legislature’s Senate Committee on Government Affairs that Washoe County had reduced homelessness by 40%. Now you all remember the media sort of tore that number apart and the propaganda princesses at Washoe County put a new spin on it trying to invent a way to explain the ridiculous claim.

Based on our story yesterday about the homeless barbeque along the river we thought this increased tax wallet grab is a good reminder of all that money residents are spending on the homeless, for what? And now Commissioner Alexis Hill wants more of your hard earned cash.

In a move that left many political watchers blinking in disbelief, Washoe County Commissioner Mike Clark—long known for his rocky history with Assistant County Manager Kate Thomas—cast a yes vote to appoint her as interim County Manager.

Yes, ‘that’ Kate Thomas. The same one Clark has previously clashed with over records, process, and power.

So what changed?

Back in April 2021, then-Washoe County Assessor (now Commissioner) Mike Clark stumbled upon a manila envelope mysteriously left on his office chair. Inside? A hodgepodge of public documents involving elected officials, lobbyists, and one particularly eye-catching photo: a bikini-clad assistant county manager lounging poolside, back tattoo and all, marked as a federal court exhibit. Naturally, Clark thought the envelope was compelling enough to share—so he mailed copies to roughly 160 of Washoe County’s “movers and shakers.”

That’s when things blew up.