In the past 30 days, the Health District identified 52 cases of subvariant Omicron and 74 cases of Omicron BA.2.

Nick Montoya and city staff want to make sure everyone in Mesquite knows how to find our Southern Nevada Health District Clinic at the Jimmie Hughes Campus at 150 North Yucca. New directional signs have been added at Mesquite Blvd, Yucca, and Willow to help us get immunizations, food handler safety training cards, and temporary health permits for food establishments. Call 702-759-1682.

As of April 19, the mobile COVID-19 testing services administered by Curative are temporarily suspended due to staffing shortages. If you need to test, go to the Southern Nevada Health District's website for other locations. https://covid.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/

Watch the city's website for an update on their resuming services.

In February the Council and the public received presentations by Fire Chief Jayson Andrus and Public Works Director Travis Anderson on options of either remodeling Station 1 (behind City Hall) or designing a new station at 105 Mesquite Boulevard south of our library. Considering the expenses and logistics of asbestos removal, relocating fire crews to temporary trailers during remodeling, and available space, made the remodel option less desirable. At a new location, the day-to-day operations won’t be affected and the current Station 1 can be repurposed.

Fire Station 3 at 3 John Deere Drive was built in 2008 to cover the west side and although business growth there has been slow, it has now picked up. Current call volumes for central Mesquite and the increase of homes being built continue to rise We still need coverage for central and south Mesquite. 

After much discussion and a comparison of the costs for each option, it was estimated the cost savings of remodeling would be far less than generally expected. The council unanimously approved proceeding with conceptual plans for a new station. Subsequently, funding sources were identified as $4 million from the American Recovery Plan with the remaining $2.6 million likely to come from redevelopment funds. We are currently meeting with architects for station design and planning.

Ground-breaking is expected in November 2022 with completion estimated in August 2023. More to come on this.

April 10-16 this year was national appreciation week for two groups of people I highly admire for their service to the community - all across the country public safety telecommunication and animal care and control are recognized for their superior contribution.

Our dispatchers, unseen to us, provide assistance and assurance to the Police and Fire Departments, and to you, the public. Our animal control team protects the welfare of helpless animals, finds our missing pets, and educates us on how to be better pet owners. I applaud their skills, dedication, hard work, and patience.

I stopped by the Mesquite Senior Games (MSG) Track & Field event at Virgin Valley High School on March 26, primarily for two reasons. My husband Greg was the volunteer announcer, and he told me Herb Calhoun was going to be remembered.

What I remember most about Herb was his engagement with the city council and his voicing concerns about local issues. As I take my seat on the dais each week I still expect to see him sitting in his usual spot. My last conversation with him was at the set-up of the 1000 Flags Over Mesquite event last November. I witnessed him shouting to his wife Maggie about how good-looking she was.

On April 2 the "Mommas on a Mission" (MOM) held its first annual Autism Awareness Festival at Mesquite Recreation Center.

I met Lilianna Medina and Laura Zambrano who explained this local group was formed to support those who have a family member with special needs. They led me to a table filled with materials of programs and topics of all kinds of information from government and private groups. Volunteers were from Hughes Middle School Student Council and La Virgen de Guadalupe Catholic Church confirmation students as well as MOM families. Their group meets regularly and is open to the community.

You can join their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1794085734210309.

Excitement was in the air as well as high winds at the Virgin Valley Little League (VVLL) opening ceremony on March 28 at Old Mill Park. What a turnout! So many people gathered to see the nearly 200 players of the 18 softball and baseball teams. The picture below does not do justice to the crowds and their enthusiasm for opening day.

VVLL President Jayson Andrus welcomed everyone and following the national anthem, thanked the many sponsors of this year's league. Maggie Calhoun was asked to say a few words about her late husband, Herb Calhoun, who helped start VVLL. She was presented with a softball and baseball signed by the players.

As we council members take on the challenge to help our city prosper, we find the need for more child care services in Mesquite. Council Member George Gault shared with me a new program in partnership with the State of Nevada called Wonderschool which is funded by Nevada Strong Start Child Care Services Center,

Wonderschool is offering a free, 12-week training program to new and existing childcare providers in Mesquite and Bunkerville. This collaboration is in response to the ever increasing shortage and quality of childcare.

To learn more CLICK HERE.

Linda and Paul Villanueva's popular Mesquite Cafe Blues Band will play at a fund-raiser for Virgin Valley Artists Association, Saturday, April 23 at 1:00 p.m. This sounds like fun, doesn't it?

The Time of Your Life Prom will be held Saturday, April 30 at Mad Mike's for dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. and at ENVY nightclub at 8 p.m. The over-21 event at Envy is being sponsored by a local non-profit, Love Family, for the LBGTQ community to enjoy a prom evening from any era. You can attend as a single or a couple. Proceeds will help support the 2022 Mesquite Pride Week at the end of June.

For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/prom-the-time-of-your-life-tickets-258416780547.

After a two-year absence, Mesquite Days will be in full swing again during the first weekend in May.

This annual celebration coincides with the incorporation of Mesquite as a city in 1984.

The week will kick off on Wednesday, May 4 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. with Family Fun Night at Mesquite Old Mill Park, 50 West Old Mill Road. There will be food trucks with corn dogs, tacos, and cotton candy, along with games such as football toss, baseball throw, soccer, bucket ball, ring toss, mechanical bull -- and even live music. It is FREE. Don't miss out.

On Thursday, May 5, there will be a Historical Walking Tour at 9:30 a.m.at the Virgin Valley Museum and a Founders Forum in City Council Chambers at 5:30 p.m. Mesquite churches will be participating in the National Day of Prayer at 6:00 p.m.

A carnival with rides for all ages will be at the west field of the Mesquite Recreation Center on Friday, May 6, and Saturday, May 7 from noon until midnight. Vendor booths with various items, as well as and food will be there. There will be live music in the evenings. The carnival will continue on Sunday, May 8 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tickets for carnival rides can be purchased in advance at the Mesquite Recreation Center. They are now available.

On Saturday, May 7, the Mayor's Pancake Breakfast will be held at Family Heritage Park from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. As a council member, I might get recruited to flip a few jacks!

There will be a Parade at 10 a.m. along Mesquite Boulevard, followed by Cowboys Poets at the Fine Arts Classroom at 1:00 p.m.

The City of Mesquite is growing, which means it needs more volunteers to keep up with services. Opportunities include working in administration in various departments, helping to keep our parks clean, ensuring animals in the shelter are getting loving care, fire safety, and more.

Interested? Here is the link.

Mesquite Job Fair and Community Event will be held at the Mesquite Recreation Center on Friday, May 13 8 a.m. through 12 noon. It is sponsored by Mesquite Works! and the College of Southern Nevada. You might want to check this out.

In my last newsletter, I incorrectly stated that the city's new pickleball courts at Mesquite Recreation Center required a fee if you are not a member.

The pickleball courts are, in fact, FREE to the public. For more information, check with the folks at the Rec Center.

If you know anyone who wants to sign up for my newsletter, please refer them to my website, scroll to the bottom and sign up. It is that easy!

There is no shortage of things to do in our city. Get your calendar out, mark down these events and show up. Enjoy what we have to offer.

Be safe, everyone.

Karen