News from Churchill County Sheriff Richard Hickox

Churchill County Sheriff’s Office Official Statement Regarding Governor’s Mask Directive

The Churchill County Sheriff’s Office is in agreement with other area Sheriff's Offices regarding the Nevada Governor's Mask Directive issued on June 24.

We strongly recommend that everyone continue to exercise common sense, be aware of the CDC guidelines, as well as the recent directive from the Governor’s Office regarding the wearing of masks, especially those residents who are in a high-risk group or are a caregiver for someone in a high risk group.

However, due to the minor nature of the offense, the potential for negative enforcement encounters, and anticipating the various ways in which the order could be violated, it would be inappropriate for deputies to criminally enforce the Governor’s directive. Accordingly, the Churchill County Sheriff’s Office will not be doing so. Rather, we will continue in an educational capacity in partnership with the Churchill County Board of Health.

The Churchill County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind you that 911 is for emergencies only. The reporting of potential mask violation would not fall into this category and we ask that you not use 911 to report any violations of the Governor’s directive via 911.

Thank you, stay safe and enjoy the great beauty that is in Nevada.

Concealed Carry Weapon permit

I wanted to take a moment and hopefully clear something up for some very concerned folks. There has been a post circulating on social media lately stating that if you have a CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) permit and wear a mask in public that this somehow nullifies your ability to carry concealed while wearing the mask.

I have read through our Nevada laws governing “Concealed Carry” and did not locate anything to support this claim. I also sought the guidance of our Churchill County District Attorney's office who confirmed what my research had found.

There is nothing in the law that states if you have a CCW permit that wearing a mask in public in any way nullifies or invalidates the CCW permit or your ability to carry concealed.

I sincerely hope that this clears this up and I want to thank those of you who took the time to contact me with your concerns and questions about this topic.

Old Glory
The high desert sun and Great Basin winds have made it necessary to replace Old Glory and our state flag.

The old flags were turned over to BSA Troop 1776 for proper retirement. We thank the members of Troop 1776 for taking care of our old flags. The ceremony for their retirement will likely take place on Veterans Day.