Hi, Nevadans!

Carson City is lovely in the fall. And if you’re a history buff, it’s a great place to learn about the Silver State. There’s a bit of history almost in every corner of downtown Carson City, and if you follow the Kit Carson Trail, be ready to be fascinated (and to have “Home Means Nevada” stuck in your head).

Also below, you’ll find a new section. Ahead of the 2026 elections (I know, I know, we’re more than a year out), we’re giving our readers a little civics refresher.

Have a great weekend!

P.S. We’ll be taking Monday off for Indigenous People’s Day. See you Wednesday!

Jannelle Calderón

Newsletter Editor, The Nevadan

Could you recognize the warning signs of authoritarianism if they were creeping into your everyday life?

Over the next few weeks, we’re diving into civics—but don’t worry, we’ll keep it light and easy to follow (and maybe even a little fun—yes, really).

Today’s topic: Authoritarianism

Here in the US, we don’t usually associate ourselves with authoritarian rule. We’re used to having a say—whether it’s at the ballot box, in public meetings, or just speaking our minds online. That’s part of our DNA as a democracy. But would you recognize the signs if that started to slip away?

Authoritarianism basically means giving unchecked power in the hands of a few or a single person—no accountability, no transparency, and no real say from people like you and me.

📌 There are seven key warning signs of rising authoritarianism:

Politicizing independent institutions (like the courts or election offices)
Spreading disinformation
Expanding executive power without limit
Silencing criticism and dissent
Targeting marginalized or vulnerable communities
Undermining trust in elections
Encouraging or excusing political violence

Sound familiar? Stick with us, we’re just getting started.

Tracking power and politics

Walk your way through Carson City’s fascinating past on the Kit Carson Trail

The 2.5-mile Kit Carson Trail passes through several blocks of Carson City’s West Side Historic District. (Visit Carson City)

By Aleza Freeman

Visitors and locals alike can learn more about Carson City’s rich history on a self-guided Kit Carson Trail walking tour. Formerly called the Carson City Blue Line Trail, the 2.5-mile trail traverses several blocks of the city’s West Side Historic District, offering insight into Carson City and the people who built it.

While the map lists the stops by number, going in order is not required. Begin where you want. Skip whatever you want. Stop whenever you want. Go home and come back later.

No matter where you go on this quaint tour, you’ll learn something new about the history and people of Carson City.

Check it out!

Hope, Empowerment, Recovery: Reno’s new court program charts therapeutic path to rehabilitation

HER Court in Reno, Nevada, was designed to help women and reduce recidivism. (Ken Lund/CC BY-SA 2.0).

By Sam Cohen

In Reno, the Justice Court is introducing a new therapeutic court program designed to help women. HER (Hope, Empowerment, Recovery) Court is set to launch on Oct. 13, amid Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Most of the team members will be female. Washoe County noted that the new court was created to help reduce recidivism, which is when someone is rearrested multiple times for the same offense.

HER Court will provide participants with comprehensive services, including trauma processing through substance use treatment, financial literacy services, evidence-based therapy, gender responsive medical treatment, parenting and childcare education, nutrition education, and advocacy for those who are sex trafficking or domestic violence survivors.

Read more here

Tahoe agency okays removal of hundreds of trees to make room for ‘glamping’: “A development designed as an opportunity to enjoy Tahoe’s great outdoors requires the removal of 300 hundred towering pine trees on nine acres of privately owned land in Douglas County near the Lake Tahoe shoreline, as well as on U.S. Forest Service land slated to provide access to the property, which is just off congested Highway 50.” (Nevada Current)
Nevada child vaccine rates continue decline, raising herd immunity concerns: “In Nevada, 91 percent of kindergarten students were vaccinated against at least one of these diseases in the 2024-25 school year. Individual vaccine rates ranged from 92.9 percent for HepB to 90.3 percent for DTaP. That was down from previous school years, with 92 percent of kindergartners being vaccinated in 2023-24 and 93 percent in 2022-23.” (The Nevada Independent)