Democrats made the argument this week in support of a bill to raise the state's minimum wage over the next five years. Wages are currently set at $7.25 an hour for those with health insurance or $8.25 an hour for people without benefits. The proposal would increase those until they reached $11 hourly for workers offered insurance and $12 hourly for those without.

Washoe County Manager John Slaughter signed a Declaration of Emergency due to the ongoing flooding issues throughout the County, including areas in the North Valleys, Lemmon Valley, Palomino Valley, and Rancho Haven. Slaughter says he's hoping Governor Brian Sandoval will include Washoe County in an Emergency Declaration the governor is developing for approval by President Trump. Slaughter says the Declaration of Emergency will be added as an emergency item on the Board of County Commission agenda next Tuesday for ratification.

A skier from Connecticut was killed in an accident at Northstar ski area yesterday. The 43-year-old man was found in advanced terrain by other skiers, and had apparently crashed head-first into a tree well. Other skiers, the ski patrol and the Northstar Fire Department gave first aid, but the man was pronounced dead. His name has not been released. The incident is under investigation.

Robert Reasoner, a supervising investigator with the Nevada Transporation Authority, who allegedly apparently drove his state-owned vehicle into a car parked on a Carson City street and fled the scene, has resigned. He was charged with hit-and-run and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle for that incident, but it turned out he had a record of DUI arrests, at least two of them after he went to work for the state. The Department of Business and Industry launched an investigation , but before it was completed, he was arrested again, this time for buying heroin, while apparently driving drunk with an open bottle of Vodka. The mess led to two other state employees--including his immediate supervisor--were fired. Rather than be interviewed by investigators this week, he quit. His state retirement benefits are apparently unaffected.

Governor Brian Sandoval's spokeswoman, Mari Saint Martin says the governor is considering whether Nevada needs a directive similar to Washington state's barring state agencies from arresting certain immigrants. Saint Martin says the Republican governor's office today (Fiday) began reviewing what protections exist for people whose only crime is residing in the country illegally. Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed an executive order yesterday (Thursday) saying state agencies with arrest powers cannot detain those people. Nevada First District U.S. Representative Dina Titus wrote a letter to Sandoval today saying the state must act to ensure immigrants don't live in fear.

A call about an armed robbery turned into a fatal officer involved shooting after the suspect led Reno police on a foot chase through downtown. The as yet unidentified suspect ran from the area of Commercial and West, with a gun in had, and into the El Dorado Casino around 11:30 this morning. Officers confronted the man on the second floor near the coffee stand, telling him to drop his weapon. He refused, and was fatally shot by RPD.