The price of ribs and Burner trash

Kristen and Bob break down the top stories in Reno. This episode is first heard by This Is Reno’s paying members, who get this before it is published anywhere else. Get first access and exclusive content by subscribing at https://thisisreno.com/subscribe/

Burner trash

Post‑Burning Man garbage littering northern Nevada generated a lot of online chatter. It appears the Burn’s longstanding “leave‑no‑trace” ethos has morphed into mass dumping of garbage at places like WalMart and Staples. While the event still injects cash into the local economy — airfare, hotels, retail, etc. — some say the financial benefits may be outweighing the environmental fallout.

Ribs and tariffs

After numerous comments bemoaning the prices at the annual rib fest, Kristen did a deep dive into pork market data. She found a near‑20 % jump in St. Louis‑style rib costs over the past year. Trump tariffs on Canadian piglets and feed, and broader supply‑chain pressures that have been nudging food prices upward for several years, account for high rib prices. That’s causing some folks to grill in their own backyards instead of getting their samplers from Rasta Joe’s.

Can parking tickets rescue the city’s budget situation?

By reconnecting its ticketing system to the DMV, the city of Reno unearthed — think of the bureaucratic equivalent of Raiders of the Lost Ark — thousands of old parking citations, raking in roughly $265,000 in just two months. But at least one  motorist received a city-issued parking ticket dating back to 2021 for a car he had sold the year prior. 

The situation was further muddied by a recent state‑wide cyber‑attack, including on the DMV, which delayed processing. Alas, the city is so far in the hole, because of lack of tax revenue and dramatically increased costs in recent years, particularly on employee salaries, that the cash infusion is only a drop in the bucket.

The ‘state of the county’ was propaganda

Washoe County’s “State of the County” meeting resembled a glossy PR reel more than a substantive overview of what’s going on at the county. Critics noted glaring omissions: no discussion of the CARES campus, homelessness initiatives, crime statistics or upcoming fire‑service consolidations. 

About that fire station

Meanwhile, residents of west Washoe Valley have a fire‑station deficit. Building a new station could cost upwards of $17 million — a sum the financially strapped Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District can’t secure, despite attempts at state and federal grants. 

Lastly, congrats to Ed Pearce with KOLO TV for his lifetime achievement award.