Consumer Services Publications from the state of Nevada

The Nevada Division of Insurance has some great guides for helping consumers navigate the ins and outs of obtaining and evaluating different types of insurance. There's a guide to auto insurance rates, earthquake insurance, flood insurance, home insurance, title insurance, and more. Check out their main page here.

Senators allowed to alter Congressional Record.

Check out this CNN article about a senator's alteration to his statements made on the floor. Certainly some food for thought!

The U.S. Government Manual is updated!

It's available online here. There's also a great informative post discussing what the Manual IS that was put together by the Federal Register--take a look at that here.

"The United States Government Manual is the official handbook of the Federal Government. (It is)updated to provide comprehensive and authoritative descriptions of the programs and activities of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The Government Manual also includes information about quasi-official agencies, international organizations with U.S. membership, and Federal boards, commissions, and committees."

A report from the Nevada Controller's Office

This is an interesting and short report that gives a brief overview of the state's revenues and expenses over the last fiscal year. It also discusses the plans and goals for the state's fiscal future.

Check it out here.

President Obama's speech on Libya

If you'd like to read the transcript of the President's speech it is available here. Or you can view the video here.

A fun government document that lets kids explore history--

Check out the History Mystery Examiner, an interactive government website that lets kids (or adults) explore mysterious happenings that took place on public lands. Check out the History Mystery Examiner here.

Reno Gazette-Journal highlights local census results.

Take a look at the article and some interactive charts here.

Want information on the Nevada Department of Transportation?

Check out their annual factbooks here.

"NDOT produces a helpful and informative Fact Book to provide the Legislature and the public historical and current statistical information describing the department's operations and factors that drive Nevada's multimodal transportation programs."

USGS National Map Viewer

Want detailed and customizable maps of the United States? Look no further than the National Map Viewer put together by the U.S. Geological Survey.

This map is a complex and powerful tool and FAQs and a quick-start guide are available here.

Tax help at Washoe County Libraries!

It’s that time of year again – tax season! AARP and IRS Certified VITA/TCE Volunteer Preparers will offer free tax help at the following Washoe County libraries:


* Downtown Reno Library: Mondays and Tuesdays, 12:30-4 p.m., February 1-April 18, no appointments taken.

* North Valleys Library: Thursdays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., February 3-April 14, appointments required; call 972-0281.

* Northwest Reno Library: Wednesdays, 2:30-6:30 p.m., Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., February 2-April 13; no appointments taken, preference given to seniors and low-income individuals.

* Senior Center (Reno Game Room): Mondays and Thursdays, 9-11:30 a.m., February 7-April 14, no appointment necessary.

* Sierra View Library: Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Saturdays, noon-4 p.m., February 2-April 13, appointments recommended but not required.

* South Valleys Library: Wednesdays, 4-6:30 p.m., Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., February 2-April 13. Appointments recommended but not required; call 851-5195 to schedule. Preference given to seniors.

* Spanish Springs Library: Thursdays, 1-4 p.m., February 10-April 14, appointments accepted and can be made by calling 424-1800.

• Sparks Library: Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., January 29-April 16. Appointments are required and can be made in person or by calling 352-3205.

For more information and tax help, the public should contact the IRS office at 200 South Virginia St., Reno, NV 89501, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., (775) 824-2218 or www.irs.gov.

Top government iPhone apps.

Check out this great article on the best government apps to put on your iPhone. They include a TSA app, an app for USA.gov as well as an app for searching for federal jobs.

Looking for a free and powerful tool for banking and financial information?

Look no further than the FDIC Bank Data Guide.

The FDIC provides a wealth of information from everything to numbers of banks to the banks' holdings themselves and offers many tutorials on how best to navigate its databases.

Check it out!

Business Opportunity Fraud

Check out a short informative video put together by the FTC about scammers selling bogus business opportunities. See the video here.

Fun facts from the Census.

Want to see some entertaining information put together by the U.S. Census Bureau? Sometimes Census data can be hard to understand or dry, but these collections of facts will show you some interesting information about American life.

Check it out here.

Check out an eclectic collection of government documents in PDF format at Rummaging in the Government's Attic here.

An in-depth look at oil spills.

Check out the new electronic government document, Resources on Oil Spills, Response, and Restoration: a Selected Bibliography. Long but informative! See it here.

Check out Thomas on your mobile device!

The legislative website thomas.gov has been optimized for use on your iPhone, Droid, Blackberry or other smartphone. It now displays easily on your mobile-sized screen. Give it a try!

Library of Congress releases over 1600 color photos taken during the Great Depression.

Check out the gallery here.

The Washoe County 2010 Street Atlas is online!

Check it out here.

Everything you wanted to know about historical Reno weather...

...has been published by the government. Check out the document here.