Today was the final day for veteran and wannabe politicos to indicate their intention to run for public office. And here’s the list as of closing time at 5pm down there at the courthouse. These are in addition to what’s in the video story. For mayor, a late filing from Pete Hansell. For Supervisor Ward 4, former Sheriff Paul McGrath has filed against incumbent Richard Staub...as has Andrew Salm. So, a primary coming up in that one. For Northern Nevada Congressional District, Sean Morse of Las Vegas has filed as a challenger to incumbent Dean Heller, as has James Smack of Fallon. For Assembly District 38, incumbent Tom Grady has some company…Dennis Gomez and Steve Dalton of Dayton. In the big news of the night, former Secretary of State Cheryl Lau has filed to challenge District 40 Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell…as has Republican turned Independent American Party member John Wagner. So we’ve got a primary in this race for sure. Then for State Board of Education, the local district, Barbara Myers has some challengers, one a familiar face, Dave Cook, local college professor…along with Roger Casey, and Richard Kale, all of Carson City.

A number of river rats interspersed with some local notables cast their fate upon the waters of a fast flowing Carson River today, and with smiling faces all around re-beached themselves at Santa Maria in Lyon County.

The National Parks Preservation Association is asking that no coal fired power plants be located near Great Basin National Park near Ely in that their exhaust and contaminants will substantially reduce air quality in the park. Senator Reid is also calling on Sierra Pacific Power Company and Governor Gibbons to find some other alternative form of energy to meet Nevada’s growing energy needs. Reid says Nevada has geothermal like the Arabs have oil.

So much to see and do around this place this weekend, from 30,000 feet to watching a parade.

Time to break out the bug spray and vaccinate your horses! West Nile will soon be arriving aboard an infected mosquito near you!

The deadline for filing for the August 12th primary is 5pm this evening, and more candidates are showing up at the counter down there at the elections office.

For Northern Nevada Congressional District 2, it’s incumbent Dean Heller, Democrat Jill Derby, Green Party member Craig Bergland, and Independent American Party member John Everhart.

For Assembly District 40, it is Democrat incumbent Bonnie Parnell, and as of 3pm, traditional Republican John Wagner was to file against Parnell…but word has it Wagner will file as an American Independent Party member. Parnell beat Wagner by a wide margin in the last election when he ran as a Republican.

In city races, Adam “the barber” Baker has withdrawn his candidacy for Mayor, instead deciding to re-file as a candidate for Supervisor Ward 2, the seat that incumbent Supervisor Shelly Aldean has already filed for. Baker won notoriety when he took a portrait painting of then-Governor Kenny Guinn on a 50 state tour, hanging the work in the mens room of each state capitol. Aldean and Baker were the only candidates for Supervisor Ward 2 as of 2:15 this afternoon.

Remaining in the race for Mayor are local attorney Bob Crowell, minister Ken Haskins, local podiatrist Sean Lehmann, real estate agent Jim Shirk and Steve McClung.

For Supervisor Ward 4, incumbent Supervisor Richard Staub now has a challenger, Jean Bondiett, a local community activist who hasn’t said much about why she’s running because she had to fly back to the mid-west to be with an ailing family member. Jean says she’ll lay it all out when she gets back in the next few days. A third candidate to file for Supervisor Ward 4 is Carson City resident Molly Walt.

For School Board, Chairman Jim Lemaire is so far unchallenged.

In a surprise move, long time incumbent School Board Trustee John McKenna has withdrawn his candidacy. The Secretary of State’s Office has determined McKenna has “termed-out” in that he first ran for School Board back in 1992. However, McKenna’s name has been replaced by a well known local civic activist, Steve Reynolds, currently a member of the City Planning Commission.

And in School Board District 7, it’s incumbent Joanna Wilson facing newcomer Edward Skudlarek.

We’ll have updates as they come available.

Said with a straight face and a calm voice, State Budget Director Andrew Clinger announced to reporters this week that Governor “No New Taxes” Jim Gibbons is prepared to slash education for Nevada’s children, deny medical and mental health care for the low income and indigent, expose the state to possibly horrendous ACLU lawsuits over huge cuts to state prisons, reduce further the state’s ability to ease traffic congestion in the Las Vegas Valley and layoff a horde of state workers thereby threatening other vital services to the country’s fastest growing state. Straight face…calm voice. It’s like a game of chicken.

Jump Around Carson transit workers want everyone to know that getting convenient-to-use weekly or monthly passes are about as easy to come by as falling into your bus seat. And they aim to make it even easier than that very shortly.

With the success of city parks and recreation programs has also come a concern about all the food vendors who show up to make a buck on a hot dog, burger, or taco. City Supervisors today ruled they’ve got to get a handle on who is selling this stuff on city property and whether these vendors are practicing good food handling techniques.

After years of rootin’ around for money, pitching the Board of Supervisors, NDOT and the public, and after having to fall back to accomodate some contract legal language, the City appears ready to move ahead on putting some green on the sides of the first leg of the Carson City Freeway.