News Briefs

Windstorm sweeps through city;

no severe damage reported

No severe damage was reported after heavy winds swept through Boulder City on March 30. The city did say there were some downed tree branches and a short power outage.

That day, the National Weather Service issued a high-wind advisory until 10 p.m. and a dust advisory until 11 p.m. in the area.

Veterans department get new programs, services deputy director

The Nevada Department of Veterans Services named Fred Wagar its new deputy director of programs and services.

Wagar brings vast experience in connecting veterans to services and benefits with strong background and expertise in helping disabled veterans. He most recently served as a military service coordinator for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Las Vegas, where he helped people through the medical evaluation board process.

Wagar served as a combat engineer in the North Dakota National Guard from 1975 until 1983. After a seven-year hiatus, he joined the Army in 1990 and served as an Arabic linguist/interrogator. He was involved in numerous deployments to the Middle East. In 1998, he was discharged from the Army and joined the Army Reserves.

He returned to active duty in 2003, serving with a combat engineer unit at Fort Carson, Colorado, providing training to soldiers deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2006, he retired as a sergeant first class.

In addition to military service, Wagar has also played an active role in the veterans’ community. He was appointed supervisor of the Disabled American Veterans National Service Office in Reno, where he also supervised the Las Vegas office. At the same time, he co-founded the Northern Nevada Wheelchair Program, which provides mobility equipment to veterans and their dependents at no cost.

Wagar is a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.