Help For KOLO's Kendra Kostelecky

One of the bright spots on KOLO Channel 8's news team in Reno has been Kendra Kostelecky. Like others at the station, she has a blog and recently asked for money-saving tips. The biggest one given? Winco for groceries.

We might add if her car insurance is with anybody but State Farm or Progressive then there is a pretty good chance she is throwing away a good chunk of money every year. From personal experience, we can vouch that the difference between a Progressive policy and an Allstate or Farmers one is like night and day.

Traveling Nevada Blog Debuts

Want first-hand knowledge of some of Nevada's attractions written by an actual Nevadan?

Launched late last year, the Nevada Commission on Tourism's Traveling Nevada blog covers everything from Lake Tahoe golfing vacations, to recent Vegas airfare deals, to even Virginia City's annual Mountain Oyster Fry.

Never miss an update by signing up for their RSS feed.

Olive Garden Apparently Rules Italian Food In Reno

And it's kind of sad. With La Vecchia, Zozo's, Lulou's, Casale's or, if you're simply craving a chain restaurant, Romano's Macaroni Grill in town one has to do better than the Olive Garden.

Dullard Mush has the scoop in "Is Reno Really That Hard Up for Decent Italian Food."

Reno Area Food Establishments Up For Sale

Is it a sign of the times that a pair of specialty food, baked bread and ice cream, outlets in Reno are up for sale?

Great Harvest Bread Co., on Plumb and Arlington, is currently listed on Ebay for $250,000 (franchise fee not included).

Perhaps a better buy is Carvel Ice Cream on Steamboat Parkway in South Reno. Posted on Craigslist for just $30,000, it apparently includes everything, including a franchise transfer. But with Ben & Jerry's, Cold Stone Creamery, Marble Slab, Baskin-Robbins and good 'ol Swensen's in town it might be a tough nut to crack.

Super Bowl Upset Leads To Nevada Sports Book Loss

February was rough for Nevada sports books, as the New York Giants' upset led to a $6.8 million loss for the month. It's estimated that the Super Bowl itself cost casinos $12 million alone.

Fueling the loss was the popularity of the straight money bet, where no point spread is used, that tends to flow to underdogs late.

The overall win rate for Nevada casinos was $1.01 billion for February, with slots leading the way. Penny slots were especially popular with a win of $134.2 million.

February Casino Win
Slots -- $621.3 million
Baccarat -- $117.4
Blackjack -- $116.3
Craps -- $45.6
Roulette -- $35.5
Mini-Baccarat -- $10.8