Nevada officials to review group homes for mentally ill |

RENO, Nev. (AP) - Nevada public health officials will begin conducting independent inspections of group homes that serve the mentally ill.

The Reno Gazette-Journal says (http://on.rgj.com/1WRrdR3) the plan is in response to an investigative report the newspaper conducted of a state contractor that provides living arrangement services to mentally ill clients.

According to the newspaper, one home in Sparks operated by Project Uplift was on the verge of deteriorating.

The report also says the state often bent the rules to ensure Project Uplift remained a certified provider.

State Public and Behavioral Health Division administrator Cody Phinney says she plans to have several agencies inspect homes in northern Nevada over the next week.

Phinney says some state employees likely overlooked the state of a home because of how difficult it is to find other providers.

Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com

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...FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM PDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected. * WHERE...A portion of western Nevada, including the following county, Washoe. * WHEN...Until 730 PM PDT. * IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 434 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to thunderstorms. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly in the advisory area. Between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain has fallen. - Some locations that will experience flooding include... Sparks, Spanish Springs, Wingfield Springs, Spanish Springs Airport and Sun Valley. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. &&

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS FOR THE SIERRA FRONT... * CHANGES...No changes. * Affected Area...Fire Weather Zone 420 Northern Sierra Front including Carson City, Douglas, Storey, Southern Washoe, Western Lyon, and Far Southern Lassen Counties, Fire Weather Zone 421 Southern Sierra Front including Alpine, Northern Mono, Southern Lyon, and Western Mineral Counties. * Thunderstorms...Thunderstorm coverage and dry lightning potential will become more widespread by the afternoon into the evening. * Outflow Winds...Gusty and erratic thunderstorm outflow winds, even well away from rain cores. Gusts to around 50 mph possible today and Friday afternoon. * Impacts...Lightning can create new fire starts and may combine with strong outflow winds to cause a fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity before first responders can contain them. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Avoid outdoor activities that can cause a spark near dry vegetation, such as yard work, target shooting, or campfires. Follow local fire restrictions. Check weather.gov/reno for updates and livingwithfire.info for preparedness tips. &&