No-horizon season underway | Reno Memo

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We're about to lose our 238-day streak of not having unhealthy air in Reno-Sparks. Our most recent "unhealthy" alert was issued on Dec. 6, but prevailing winds have pushed smoke from California's Park Fire into the region, destroying our mountain vistas and evening plans for maybe a nice bike ride or something. Conditions are expected to stick around until Thursday; Jeffrey Meehan has the details and the latest smoke maps .

(For the record, our last "very unhealthy" air quality alert was back on Sept. 16, 2022 , when our air was worse than Beijing, New Delhi, Mexico City and Los Angeles.)

Fall campaign season underway

Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance was in town Tuesday night because we are the smallest, purplest state in the Union and eventually our six electoral votes are going to be the tipping point on the way to the presidency. Mark Robison was at the rally; here's his report .

How purple are we? Pretty purple! The latest Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll has Kamala Harris over Donald Trump by 2% in the state. It's well within the margin of error, but far better than Joe Biden was doing at the beginning of the month (he was down by 3% to Trump). The poll showed Harris leading in four of the seven so-called "swing states," and tied in another .

Olympics underway

All of this knife's-edge politics is great news if you want your vote to matter. It's terrible news if you hate political ads, what with the smoke trapping us indoors with nothing to do but watch the Olympics.

On the other hand, local Olympians are doing really well out there! Reed alum Perris Benegas picked up a silver medal today in BMX ; Reno High alum Luke Hobson has a bronze and a silver in two swimming events; and Reno High alum Stephanie Rovetti and the U.S. women's rugby sevens team won bronze on an insane final play .

The rundown

• Jacobs Entertainment closes Bonanza Inn purchase , plans to convert it into workforce housing
• Tahoe beaches returning to normal after 'swimming pool' worth of sewage spilled into the lake
• Three dead, several injured in Ely prison fight
• Appeal of Trump fake electors case heads to Nevada Supreme Court
• 'Large missing chunks' in Nevada minor guardianship policies , lawmakers told
• Montreux, Rancharrah homes among top 5 most expensive sold in Reno this year

Who's winning the internet?

The AI Cookbook , featuring recipes created entirely by artificial intelligence. Note to the family: Dinner tonight will be shepherd's pie sushi .

Brett McGinness is the engagement editor for the Reno Gazette Journal. He's also the writer of The Reno Memo — a free newsletter about news in the Biggest Little City. Subscribe to the newsletter right here . Consider supporting the Reno Gazette Journal , too.

This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: No-horizon season underway | Reno Memo