The Feb. 17, 2022, R-C Morning Report

Genoa, Nev. — Former Douglas County Commissioner Jim Baushke succumbed Feb. 15 after his long battles with cancer. Baushke served 2004-2008 as a commissioner after being appointed by Gov. Kenny Guinn. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1985 as a colonel. He was first diagnosed with lymphoma in 2007. The R-C expresses our deepest condolences to Donna and his family.

County commissioners will unpack a report on the county’s public safety radio systems that calls for more than $10 million in improvements to upgrade the system. Both East Fork and Tahoe Douglas fire districts want to stay with the current VHF system, while the Sheriff’s Office is interested in the Nevada Shared Radio System used by the Nevada State Police.

The county manager’s office is seeking to reorganize to create a new chief of staff position. The proposal would eliminate the administrator services manager position. The change will cost about $19,000 a year. Commissioners meet at 10 a.m. today.

Judge Richard Glasson reported seeing an eagle fly about a dozen feet off the deck Sunday as he was traveling on Mottsville Lane. Resident Richard Reese spotted a group in a field on Wednesday. I almost got him Thursday afternoon, but he caught wind of me and took refuge in a nearby tree.

A nearly 2,000-acre brush fire east of Bishop appears to have laid down overnight, according to the fire cameras. First report of smoke was 12:35 p.m. Wednesday. It doesn’t bode well for fire season that the fire grew so quickly in the middle of February.

I don’t know where those clouds came from on Wednesday, but we’ll try this again. The forecast is for sunny skies with a high near 52 degrees and the wind out of the east around 5 mph.

Kurt Hildebrand is editor of The Record-Courier. Reach him at khildebrand@recordcourier.com or 775-782-5122.