Six States Agree to Colorado River Cuts
Nevada, along with five other states within the Colorado River Compact have agreed to a proposed series of Colorado River cuts. The agreement was sent in a signed a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in an effort to curb regional water usage ahead of the federal government’s review. California was noticeably absent from the agreement.
Incubate Vegas Launched in Southern Nevada
A 10-week educational program designed to develop the business skills of underserved small business owners, Incubate Vegas launched at the end of February. The program was developed by the Clark County Office of Community and Economic Development, in partnership with StartUpNV. The $600,000 price is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. Incubate Vegas hopes to reduce the 90 percent business failure launch rate by 10 percent.
Redwood Materials Receives Conditional Commitment from Department of Energy
The Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) has offered a conditional commitment to Redwood Materials to produce electric vehicle battery components from recycled materials. The conditional loan of $2 billion is for construction and expansion of a battery materials campus in McCarran. Once operational the project will be the first domestic facility to support production of anode copper foil and cathode active materials in a closed-loop lithium-ion battery manufacturing process. The process recycles end-of-life battery and production scrap.
Dunn Family Foundation Establishes UNLV Library Endowment
The Dunn Family Foundation has established a $1 million endowment through the UNLV Foundation to fund the creation of the Dunn Family Assessment collection in the university’s libraries. The collection will include sample education assessment tests to assist teachers and counselors in gathering data on student’s knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs. The tests are a core part of teacher education programs.
Small Business Credit Initiative Launches in Nevada
Nevada has become the first state in the U.S. to launch a novel microloan program under the federal State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The initiative features a newly developed refinancing mechanism to strengthen Community Development Financial Institutions lending to small business. The program is called Battle Born Microloan and will receive $5.3 million of the first three-year portion and almost $16 million in total. It will support small businesses from traditionally underserved communities.
Touro University’s Simulation Center Receives Accreditation
The Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) has awarded provisional accreditation to the Michael Tang Regional Center for Clinical Simulation at Touro University Nevada. The recognition is held by less than 180 simulation programs in the world. Eligibility for the provisional accreditation requires that centers be able to demonstrate established structures and processes. Provisional accreditation is required prior to centers applying for full accreditation.
