UNR Receives Largest Individual Gift in History to Create Aerospace Department
The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) recently announced a record $36 million individual gift to the University’s Foundation from the George W. Gillemot Foundation. Upon approval from the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents the gift will be used to create the George W. Gillemot Aerospace Engineering Department within the College of Engineering. The funding will also provide next generation technology that will transform the visual experience within the George W. Gillemot Dome in the College of Science’s Fleischmann Planetarium. This is the largest individual cash gift in the university’s 149-year history.
Enrollment for Prepaid Tuition Program Opens
The Nevada State Treasurer’s Office has launched open enrollment for the Nevada Prepaid Tuition program. The Board of Trustees of the College Savings Plan of Nevada, alongside the State Treasurer’s Office have partnered on this program since 1997. The program is designed to help Nevada families plan and save for their children’s future education. In addition to the open enrollment the Board of Trustees will be hosting a scholarship account giveway open to those purchasing Nevada Prepaid Tuition contracts during open enrollment. The enrollment period for this program is between November 1st and April 15, 2024.
National Small Business Poll Indicates Challenges
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) most recent Small Business Economic Trends (SBET) report shows small business owners are not optimistic about better business conditions or growing their inventories. Tray Abeny, Nevada state director for NFIB said, “Nevada’s small business owners continue to struggle with increasing prices, expensive credit card processing fees and greater challenges in finding and keeping qualified employees.” According to the report, 22 percent of owners reported that inflation was their single most important problem in operating their business and 43 percent of owners reported job openings that were hard to fill. The Nevada Small Business Development Center (NSBDC) did a similar survey, the Small Business Challenge Survey, from August 1 to September 15 specific to Nevada. According to local numbers, inflation and finding new customers ranked among the top challenges with 44 percent of business owners citing those issues. Managing cash flow and business growth were second and third with 30 percent and 29 percent, respectively.
CCSD Graduation Rate Increases for Second Year
The Clark County School District (CCSD) graduation rate for the Class of 2023 increased to 81.5 percent with 21,675 students earning their diplomas. For Career and Technical Education (CTE) students, the rate was 96.26 percent. Data from the Nevada Department of Education showed an increase from the prevous year of .2 percent.
Nevada Properties Sell Faster than Most
A study conducted by Agent Advice, found that Nevada places sixth in the nation for a property’s average days to sell. Property in Nevada sells in an average of 36 days. This study was specific to home sales, not commercial property.
