KUNR Public Radio: Local News Feed

Reno native and award-winning author and musician Willy Vlautin is taking his talents on tour across Northern Nevada this month. He’s one of three featured writers in this year's Nevada Reads, a book club from Nevada Humanities . Vlautin will give readings and even play a little music at various statewide events in September. KUNR’s Holly Hutchings sat down with him to talk about his latest novel Don’t Skip Out on Me , which is set in the Silver State.

I’m at one of the few places in Nevada where you’re not likely to find a local: The Las Vegas Strip. And I’ve got a quiz for the tourists here.

In June, the Board of Trustees for the Washoe County School District approved five updated lessons, but a lesson on sexual orientation and gender identity was sent back to the committee to be revised. Rochelle Proctor is the district’s sexual education coordinator. She’s been working with a team of advisors for over a year redefining the district’s sex ed. high school curriculum. KUNR’s Stephanie Serrano spoke to Proctor about the reasoning behind the curriculum changes and edits made to lesson

CBD, which is short for cannabidiol, can be found in the cannabis plant. Products containing CBD are easily accessible, but regulations remain unclear on selling these products in Washoe County. KUNR’s Lucia Starbuck talked to ThisisReno ’s Bob Conrad about this issue.

Note: Fire officials say mandatory evacuations for Milford area have been lifted, but area residents should be prepared to evacuate if needed. Other mandatory evacuation orders remain intact . The Walker Fire continues to burn south of Susanville. It’s charred nearly 44,000 acres and has been 7 percent contained, making it the biggest wildfire in California so far this year. KUNR’s Bree Zender visited some of those who have been displaced by the evacuation orders to find out how they are

Love it or hate it, Burning Man has become an institution in Northern Nevada. The annual counter-culture festival in the Black Rock Desert draws tens of thousands of tourists every year, bolstering the area's economy and arts scene. However, critics are concerned about the amount of trash and refuse left behind. KUNR's Paul Boger took a look around town to see the trash post-burn.

After lawmakers in California sent a letter to their counterparts in Nevada asking for a summit aimed at tackling gun violence, legislative leaders in the Silver state remain split on whether to accept the invitation.

From more intense wildfires to prolonged droughts, climate change is impacting the ecology of the American West. That’s got researchers in our region looking at a new way to fight some of these impacts: drones.

Students across Nevada are beginning to settle into the 2019-2020 school year. To get a sense of how one district is doing, KUNR's Paul Boger spoke with Churchill County Schools Superintendent Summer Stephens about the opportunities and challenges facing one of the state's smaller districts.

Classes are underway at the University of Nevada in Reno. And in this segment of “Time & Place,” historian Alicia Barber tells the story of how, why and where it all began.