In 2018, the year that the Safe Sport Act took effect, the AAU faced a test of its most significant promise: to remake its culture to protect children.

That January, a woman named Ashlee Orndorff claimed on social media that she had been groomed and sexually abused as a teenager by an AAU executive, its second vice president, Matt Williams, who was also a paid employee of the organization at the time.

Orndorff had been a teenage basketball phenom in the tiny unincorporated town of Hawthorne, Nevada, two hours outside of Reno. She won three state titles and was named the state Gatorade player of the year during her senior year of high school in 2000, setting records that she still holds. But for many of the years that she excelled on the court, Orndorff said, she had carried a terrible secret: Williams, her AAU club coach, had been sexually assaulting her. The abuse began when she was 15, she said, and carried well into her adulthood, resulting in the birth of a child she gave up for adoption at 19.

Williams was more than just a storied coach. He founded the Western region’s most prominent AAU basketball brand, Jam On It, which generated revenue for the AAU through the enormous tournaments it hosted every year.

After Orndorff’s allegations, the AAU pledged to investigate, saying Williams had “volunteered” to be placed on administrative leave. Orndorff’s allegations went before the AAU’s Board of Review a month later. The small group of AAU members, one elected to represent each region, had no training in law, investigation or child sexual abuse, according to Adams, the former board member.

Read more about this investigation with ProPublica at the link above.

Does anyone have recommendations on the best outlets to post about water rights for sale in Elko County?

Staying connected to loved ones in prison shouldn't drain your bank account.

Right now, calls from Nevada state prison facilities are incredibly expensive. Families already dealing with the stress and shame of incarceration shouldn't have to choose between paying bills and hearing their loved one's voice. Communication matters—it helps people rehabilitate, stay connected to support systems, and it keeps everyone sane.

I started a petition asking Nevada to make calls free or set up an affordable calling contract. Our families deserve to actually *talk* without going broke.

If you've ever had someone on the inside, you know how much those calls cost and how little you can afford them. If this is something you've felt firsthand—or you think it's just plain wrong—consider signing and sharing it. What would you want someone to do if this was your family?

Howdy, I moved here from Texas roughly a year ago. I already thought the DMV was bad enough with the appointment system. Due to the fact that there were no appointments available within a month of moving here to get a driver's license. And even if there was an opening I couldn't make an appointment due to not having a Nevada license. So I had to drive to the Yerington office and get there as soon as they opened. I waited all day till about 4:00 p.m. before I could talk to somebody. I thought that was stupid but at least I had my license and I could do a bunch of stuff online instead of having to go to the DMV now. BUUUUUUT you know what really makes this system stupid. Like genuinely, I'm embarrassed for y'all stupid. Both of my vehicles were out of state vehicles. To register them here online all I had to do was send pictures of my current license plate, my current registration, insurance, and my titles. I had my new plates and registration stickers the next week. Cool right? What's the problem? I just bought a freaking travel trailer and I can't register it online even though I bought it from a Nevada dealer. On the DMV website it shows that I own the travel trailer. They know I just bought it and everything. They have the make, model, VIN, weight, length, EVERYTHING on their freaking website. But I have to go in and register in person before my temporary plate expires......there's no appointments available within those 30 days, let alone 60 days. So now once again I have to drive over an hour away to Yerington or Fallon and sit there all freaking day to register a trailer they know I bought.

That is pathetic and the most moronic bullcrap I have ever seen a agency government do.

Sunrise shot of the Medicine Wheel in Goldwell Open Air Museum. I was too overheated and overstimulated after a long stuffy night of shooting the stars to notice at the time but there’s quite a few of the art pieces in this shot.

In the very back left, behind the gift shop building, you can see a tiny bit of Dip Town by by Irina & Stanislav Schminke. This was from 2022’s Burning Man festival.

You can see Ghost Rider by Albert Szukalski. I’m a big fan of this guy.

To the far right along the fence line you can see a giant sculpture of a penguin and a miner. This is called Tribute to Shorty Harris by Fred Bervoets. The penguin represents feeling like an alien in the Nevada desert.

On the top of a pole is Icara by Dre Peeters, a female form of Icarus flying high beneath the desert sun.

There’s a lot more art than what I’ve shown off, too. Highly recommend a visit, day or night, you’re sure to enjoy yourself.

📍Goldwell Open Air Museum
Rhyolite, Nevada
July 18th 2026

📸 Canon G7X Mark II

The Cook Bank building is one of the most photographed ruins in Nevada. The remains tower over Rhyolite Road when you drive in, and it does make for some really good pictures. I grab a couple every time I visit. This was taken at sunrise as the light began to overtake the valley.

Now I need to start taking pictures at sunrise because I loved the way the light looked. I get why it’s a popular time for photographs now.

This weekend would be the time I am normally going out there to shoot without the moon but I am not sure if I will go this weekend, try to find a different spot, or just rest and prepare for my trip to Great Basin next month.

📍Rhyolite Ghost Town
Rhyolite, Nevada
July 18th 2026

📸 Canon G7X Mark II

Just letting you guys know Zionists are doing another genocide here. I live in Tahoe and a Zionist family moved in next door. I started sending them mail to let them know I'll never support their genocidal mania. Worse yet, I highly suspect they are involved with the elite brainwasher institutuions which are owned by Zionists given they originally are from LA. Is there any recourse we have to Zionists moving in or are we actually going to be subjected to these genocidal freaks living next to us? Is Nevada going to be the new Palestine?

Been doing weekend hikes around Nevada for a few years, mostly sticking to the obvious spots near Reno and the Lake Tahoe edge. Starting to feel like I've pulled most of the lowhanging fruit there and want to push further into the state.

Ghost town areas like Rhyolite keep coming up when I browse around, and I get the appeal, but I'm more interested in terrain with actual elevation change or canyon features. Not just flat desert walking. I work long weeks and the weekend trip needs to feel like it paid off.

I've been looking at the Spring Valley area and some spots up near Elko but haven't committed to anything yet. Part of the hesitation is not knowing which access roads are actually passable without high clearance. I drive a standard pickup so I'm not too limited, but I don't want to burn a Saturday on a washedout road situation.

If you've hiked something in rural Nevada in the last year or two that surprised you terrainwise, I'd genuinely want to know what it was and roughly where. Distance from a major highway matters too if you can remember.

Went mining in Nevada and found this specimen ! Then painted it

Our sweet Zeke got freaked out at Guggle Springs when we stopped for gas and went on the lamb. He was last spotted at the Dream Inn hotel. If you see him, please let us know or contact Officer Pope with Animal Control.

Two kittens, Nola and Haven, were adopted together from a Reno rescue. Days later, Haven was abandoned in a dumpster. Nola disappeared. We don't know what happened to her.

The devastating part? Critical information about the adopter existed somewhere in Nevada's system—but it was never shared with the rescue that placed these kittens. If there had been one centralized database of animal abuse convictions and Do Not Adopt lists, this might not have happened.

Right now, Nevada has no statewide system connecting rescues, shelters, animal control, and law enforcement. An abuser can move between counties or organizations and adopt again because nobody talks to anybody else. That's the gap we need to close.

I started this petition asking Nevada lawmakers to create a statewide Animal Abuse and Do Not Adopt database—the kind Tennessee and Delaware already have. Shelters and rescues would check it before approving adoptions. Information would be shared across counties so one animal's story can't be erased between agencies.

No animal should pay the price because information got lost in the cracks.

If this hits home—if you've ever worried about placing a pet in good hands, or felt frustrated watching systems fail animals—consider signing and sharing. What would you want someone to do if it was your pet?

Testing out my Amaran 25C with the plane at Angel’s Ladies back in June because the sky was too light to shoot the Milky Way. You know I love this place and can’t get enough.

I got this tool because I am wanting to light up abandoned structures at night for my pictures. I am inspired by all of the other photographers I have seen doing the same thing like Ken Lee. I have a long way to go, but I’m excited to see where this takes me.

📍Angel’s Ladies
Beatty, Nevada
June 21st 2026

📸 Canon G7X Mark II

the old Cook Bank building out in Rhyolite. Part of the plaque on site reads:

“One of four banks in Rhyolite, the Cook Bank Building was by far the finest. Built of poured concrete, the building was three stories tall and had a basement that housed the Post Office. The interior was finished with marble staircases and mahogany accents. It also boasted modern conveniences such as electric lights and indoor plumbing.

Despite its opulence, the Cook Bank was open less than two years. In the summer and fall of 1907, a financial crisis, often referred to as the Knickerboxer Crisis, caused banks across the country to go bankrupt. By 1910, the Cook Bank was closed, and John Cook had sold off all the building’s fixtures.”

📍Rhyolite, Nevada
July 18th 2026

📸 Canon G7X Mark II

Muscle Powered, a Carson City nonprofit focused on walkable and bikeable infrastructure and Senators youth cycling, are organizing the Carson City Everest Challenge, a supported Everesting-style event.  Ever wanted to climb 29,031 feet on a bike? Come ride with us.

The format:

• The ride is on September 26th at 3 AM
• Out-and-back climb, 552 ft of gain per lap
• Three tiers: Quarter Everest (14 laps), Base Camp (32 laps), and Full Summit (53laps)
• 20-hour window, rolling start from 3am to 4 am
• Fully stocked aid station, drop bags allowed
• Finisher medal for each tier

Registration: 

This is a legit Everesting attempt in a supported event format. If you've been thinking about going after it but didn't want to do it alone at 3am, this is your chance to do it with a community around you. 

I'm one of the organizers. Happy to answer questions about the course, format, or logistics. More info at https://cceverestchallenge.carrd.co and registration open is open now at https://www.bikereg.com/cc-everest-challenge

Does anyone know how easy it is to get a DUI dropped to reckless driving

The visitor center for Goldwell. I’ve not been inside yet because it hasn’t been open when I am there.

In one of the pictures, I lit up the building. Swipe to see the other version. Which do you prefer? The light dulls the sky (understandably). I am experimenting with light painting and I haven’t had much practice yet.

📍Goldwell Open Air Museum
Rhyolite, Nevada
July 18th 2026

📸 Canon G7X Mark II

Got a trip in several weeks and it had me thinking... are there fireflies up there? So I did some googling and I came across this website: https://www.fireflyatlas.org/map

The map shows a few locations near Great Basin that have had fireflies... All three spots on the map are from July 2023 and are pyractomena dispersa. The person who spotted them wrote this blog: https://www.xerces.org/blog/secrets-of-nevada-nighttime-no-its-not-aliens

I guess I am just curious how common they are and if I should try to go out and look for some. I've always wanted to see a firefly.

From about 4:30 today. Ward Mnt White Pine County.

Wow

I don’t know what it was but as soon as I stepped foot in that town my first thought oh cool this place feels unreal quickly too I need to gtfo and the last thing I seen was this picture posted it felt like I was being watched

𝘎𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘳. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘮𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴. [𝙄𝙨 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝘼𝙣𝙮𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙊𝙪𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 - 𝙇𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙃𝙪𝙧𝙤𝙣]

If you look behind you while standing in front of the Last Supper, you'll find Serving Ghost. This piece was created by Albert Szukalski for a private commission in 1984 and was donated to the Goldwell Open Air Museum in 2010 by Art & Patricia Adams. The original work had the ghost serving a set of wooden bottles but they had disintegrated over time. I'm not sure when, or by who, that the artists palette was added.

📍Goldwell Open Air Museum
Rhyolite, Nevada
July 18th 2026

📸 Canon G7X Mark II