Battle Mountain Bouncing Back, KLAS-TV Report by George Knapp

For details about this report on 8 News Now:
www.8newsnow.co...
George Knapp's Special Assignment from July 2002 reports on how the Nevada community of Battle Mountain embraces the negative hype it received from a nationally prominent publication.

[@marshasimmons4365]

We lived in Battle Mountain during the 80's and loved the small town.

[@spignetti]

Do you know or remember a Dawneen Christianson? Whatever happened to her? She moved there in the late seventies with her family...

[@davidtosh7200]

Battle Mountain is the only unincorporated large community on I-80 in the state of Nevada. They tried to be the incorporate Battle Mountain back in either 1981 or 1982, but it was short lived. Today, the population of Battle Mountain Nevada is about 3,600 people, and could have more then 4,000 people by the year 2020, and maybe more the 5,000 people by the year 2030. Other unincorporated cities and towns along future I-11 are: Indian Springs, Beatty, Tonopah, and Hawthorne in Nevada with 1,000 or more people living in each town, but it will take a long time to build I-11 across from south to north of Nevada.

[@timothylindsey8468]

My son in law and his wife and son live there, I think it's a pleasant little town.

[@katehowe6018]

George Knapp it seems you have little nice to say about rural Nevada, well there are many beautiful places in our state that most people will never see, we like it that way. People like you use our inter-state highways, buy fuel, spend a night maybe & gamble, spend a little money here and there, that helps keep our economy going, but the best part is you always leave. You did not take time to see all the hard working ranchers, farmers, miners, construction workers and just everyday people, working to feed their families, pay their bills and make a life in this high desert country. On the contrary, all you could do was make classless remarks about an area of this great nation you will never understand and that is your loss, not ours........
Bill Howe, Winnemucca, NV

[@brianhartley2258]

Bill: Your commentary was well-put!
Over the past year the state of affairs with George Knapp may have taken a downturn. Nexstar taking ownership of KLAS in 2015 has radically changed the atmosphere of Channel 8, and not for the better. Insiders have informed me that all the veterans at the station are unhappy with the way Nexstar has made things generally shabby for all that work there. Even veteran anchor Paula Francis took an early retirement rather than to continue to tolerate the BS Nexstar was implementing at the station. BTW: The disparaging name in the industry about "Nexstar" is "Deathstar".
Knapp's investigative reports have become bland over the past year. His one-time vibrant on-air demeanor seems lackluster over the past year. Knapp's frustration with the station may have surfaced when he lashed out to me on a tweet I made where I called-out the ethically questionable practice of KLAS running political attack ads in conjunction with the US Senate candidates debate. The George Knapp I was acquainted with years ago would have been dismissive of the same tweet I made and would not have reacted to it.
It will be a matter of time when Knapp will be given his walking papers because of the tightwad mentality Nexstar has. A Nexstar station having an investigative reporter with seldomly appearing on-camera is a luxury Deathstar doesn't like to spend money on.

[@smokingdog9412]

First, this story aired many years ago, back when Gary and Paula still anchored our newscasts, so it has nothing to do with ownership of the station. Second, if you watched this report and somehow think it is a put down of Battle Mountain, you might want to think about switching to decaf because something is interfering with your cognitive abilities. It wasn't a put down back then and it isn't one now, though it does seem like so many people these days are eager to be outraged about something, anything. When the story aired, we received nothing but positive comments from the residents of Battle Mountain. Unlike you, they actually listened to the report, understood the message it conveyed, and invited us to return any time. Matt Adams and I love rural Nevada, which is why we have done reports from just about every small town in the state and we welcome any opportunity to get out on the road and to see the awesome wonders that exist beyond the Clark County line.

[@spignetti]

I knew a young lady that spent her whole life there..Dawneen Christianson....why, I don't know....I believe she finally left...maybe...who knows...

[@timumbra2476]

home sweet home 😄👍

[@erich84502ify]

But nobody looks at THEIR city!!!

[@metallampman]

Fun guys thx

[@Jaysgold]

Don't give up. New York should stay in New York. I lived there in the 70s

[@michellerogers6111]

YAY MY MOM LIVES THERE BUT I DONT!!!!!!

[@coolmotion5565]

Battle mountain is beautiful and friendly people armpit nah Brad Pitt.

[@greencasd89]

I heard they're cannibals there