Editor’s note: It’s become our annual custom to spotlight our top stories and photos as the year draws to a close. It’s also time for us to discuss how we feel about these reports. 

In the last days of 2023, we’re spotlighting the top reader opinions, our favorite photos of the year, the communicator of the year, and, lastly, our top-10 stories in 2023. For the first time this year, we have also added what we consider to be the most underreported stories in 2023. These articles are being published daily in the remainder of 2023 as we take some desperately needed time off. 

Lastly, in some of these stories, we note our region’s lack of adequate news coverage. If you can, please consider donating to support our reporting efforts, becoming a paying subscriber or choosing a digital advertising package to promote your brand or event. 

Thank you for reading, and happy new year.

– Bob Conrad & Kristen Hackbarth

The past year was a whirlwind, so much so that we can’t remember everything we reported in 2023. Fortunately, the Google Machine does, and based on pageviews alone, below ise the first batch of the top 10 most-read stories on This Is Reno this year.

10. Snowmageddon 2023

Remember Snowmageddon 2023? Where endless storms pounded the region? And actor Jeremy Renner nearly died trying to clear snow from his driveway? Sure you do. An emergency storm alert in January received a lot of interest.

9. City Hall transgressions

Reno City Hall in 2023 was ground zero for unethical behavior. Former Council member Neoma Jardon was found to have violated ethics laws and had to pay a fine. That was in February. 

Current Council member Devon Reese avoided formal ethics charges by agreeing to disclose conflicts of interest, something he had failed to do. He blamed the city attorney for it, but the state ethics commission said there was enough evidence against him to proceed with a full panel investigation. However, the promise to disclose conflicts made it so a panel determination was avoided. That was in March.

Mayor Hillary Schieve was also hit with a new ethics complaint. (Past complaints against her were not substantiated.) When asked about the latest ethics complaint, she responded, “Which one? There are so many of them.” That was in September. 

And Reno Fire Chief David Cochran was confirmed to have violated ethics laws for appearing in a campaign commercial for U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto while wearing what looked like an official Reno Fire Department uniform. That was in March. His violation was similar to that of the Douglas County Sheriff (who admitted the error of his ways) and our current governor (who is challenging an astronomical fine).

Later in the year, an investigation requested by Council member Jenny Brekhus into City Manager Doug Thornley, and “several serious incidents of retaliatory treatment,” backfired. Though not an ethics complaint or violation, the more than 2,000-page report (most pages are voluminous exhibits; the report itself is less than 20 pages) concluded Brekhus’ concerns were “wholly unsubstantiated.”

The report further determined, as many Brekhus critics have been saying for years, her allegations were not credible and she had “a willful disregard for reality in an attempt to support her own narrative, which has a negative impact on the credibility of her statements.” As we’ve reported, she famously has been barred not once but twice from interacting with city staff by two different city managers due what was called her abusive behavior.

Even the county manager told her to basically go piss up a rope (our words, not his) at one point.

The regularity of the transgressions among city officials in a normal world would raise red flags. At City Hall, though, the frequency of violations, and subsequent backbiting about them, in 2023 appeared to be treated like an ordinary course of business. 

We’ve begun dubbing the phenomenon “The Reno Way.”

8. Dialysis clinic boots patient

Lee Johnson’s ordeal trying to get regular dialysis treatment drew a lot of reader interest after we reported he was kicked out of a local clinic and had to travel to Carson City for daily treatment. The dialysis center said he was disruptive. He said he was advocating for his health. 

The good news: In October, Johnson said he no longer needs dialysis.

“​​I have been off dialysis for over six weeks. Something they said was impossible. They told me I would need dialysis for life or until I get a transplant,” he said.

7. Even more Renown stuff

The fallout from former Renown CEO Tony Slonim’s firing in 2022, which also made last year’s top 10 list of hot stories for not one, not two but three reports, continued in 2023. Folks were ousted after the hospital hired a new CEO. Renown won’t respond to questions from This Is Reno. Their communications head accused us of “having an agenda.” 

It’s true. We strive to report on what governments, businesses and organizations aren’t being transparent and honest about. When you treat your employees like trash, folks tend to get squirrely and are more than willing to talk. We’re eager to listen—unlike, apparently, those who were (are?) in charge at Renown.

6. Earth Day organizers call it quits

The longstanding Earth Day event was put in doubt this year after the organizers closed up shop and moved away. A for-profit business, however, quickly stepped in to rescue the event. What happens in April 2024 remains to be seen. Few media reported on the event’s initial cancellation, which is likely why it topped the charts on This Is Reno.

Read the remaining top 10 stories tomorrow.