Sergeant Garrett Bird and Deputy Sheriff Nicholas Ediss of the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team share what it takes to locate and rescue people in Washoe County’s challenging terrain. From real-world missions to lifesaving safety tips, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the teamwork, training, and preparation that save lives in northern Nevada.

America has a pretty big birthday this year, 250 years, and Washoe County is proud to kick off our America250/Nevada podcast series from a place steeped in our own local history: the Historic Washoe County Courthouse. During this episode of Washoe Life, we explore how history will be honored and preserved at the Courthouse this year from District Judge Barry Breslow to curator and first-time author Tammy Buzick’s deep dive into the legacy of the Bowers family and the Comstock era. Recorded in...

The Washoe Life Podcast returns for its fifth season and a brand-new lineup conversations with the people who make life in Washoe County so interesting. This year is also the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and we will be shining the spotlight on people, places, and cultures that have helped shape our state and country over the last 250 years. Join us for this new season of Washoe Life!

This episode of Washoe Life features Mike Wilden, longtime Nevada health and human services leader, as he shares the fascinating history of the Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services campus. From its opening in 1882 as the Nevada Insane Asylum to its evolution into modern mental health and disability services, Mike reflects on the people, policies, and stories that shaped this landmark institution.

In this episode of Washoe Life, we welcome Rick Edwards, the new Fire Chief of the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District. Chief Edwards comes to Washoe County after more than two decades with the Stockton Fire Department in California, where he rose through every rank to become Fire Chief. He shares his leadership journey, lessons learned from California’s wildfire seasons, and his vision for fire prevention and preparedness in our region. Listeners will also get to know him personal...

When crime happens, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Science Division steps in to uncover the truth hidden in the evidence. In this episode of Washoe Life, we sit down with Division Director Steven Johnson and Supervising Criminalist Dr. Lisa Smyth-Roam for a behind-the-scenes look at the county’s crime lab. From separating TV drama from reality, to the evolving role of DNA and forensic technology in solving cold cases, learn how science and teamwork bring justice to our community....

Explore the awe-inspiring Fly Ranch: 3,800 acres of hot springs, wetlands, and desert beauty just north of the Black Rock Desert. Hear from Burning Man Project’s Marnee Benson and Fly Ranch General Manager Zac Cirivello as they share the story behind this unique landscape, the values guiding its care, and how community, art, and ecology are shaping its future.

Hot August Nights isn’t just an event, it’s a 10-day celebration of nostalgia, community, and classic car culture that draws more than 500,000 people to Northern Nevada each year. In this episode, Executive Director Deny Dotson shares how his decade in Virginia City tourism prepared him to steer one of the nation’s most iconic car shows. From the behind-the-scenes logistics and $100 million economic impact to preserving automotive history while appealing to new generations, Deny gives us a fr...

In this episode, we take a nostalgic trip under the Big Top with Phil Campbell, a gifted musician whose early career took him on the road with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. For a decade, Phil played trumpet and piano for “The Greatest Show on Earth,” performing live alongside acrobats, clowns, and exotic animals in arenas across the country. Known for his ability to recreate music after hearing it once, Phil shares what it was like to live, travel, and perform with ...

The 152nd Airlift Wing – the High Rollers – is a special division within the Nevada Air National Guard that can fight fires as well as it fights enemies. Lt. Col. David McNally has been flying his whole adult life, but there’s nothing quite like the feeling of defending his country from the cockpit of a C-130. We sit down with McNally and Capt. Emerson Marcus to learn about the rich history of the Air Guard right here in Reno.