Picon Punch is a quintessential Basque cocktail. Now, the tasty but potent drink could have even wider appeal if a Las Vegas lawmaker has his way.

The high-profile theft of bronze plaques from the National Monument to the Basque Sheepherder in 2011 has helped prompt a new bill by Nevada lawmakers that would stiffen penalties for stealing scrap metal.

Bronze plaques engraved with the names of hundreds of herders were stolen in January 2011

Bronze plaques with the names of hundreds of herders were stolen last year

The Nevada Historical Society in Reno is hosting an exhibit on Basque aspen art rubbings. The rubbings are made from the carvings left by Basque immigrants who worked as sheepherders. In the summer, Basque herders trailed with their sheep across the mountain ranges, taking advantage of abundant streams and lush pastures. RELATED EUSKAL KAZETA REPORTS: Video — Basque Tree Carvings [...]

The Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevado Reno has been spared from a state budget-cutting plan that would have eliminated all of its public funding. The cutback, which would have been about $500,000, or half the center’s annual operating budget, was averted after a last-minute budget compromise this week by the Nevada Legislature. “It’s fantastic news for [...]

The venerable Louis’ Basque Corner in Reno has new wood paneling and floors and a raised ceiling that makes it seem more spacious. But the good news is that the Basque menu and ambiance is still there — as well as the Picon punch, according to a report by KTVN Channel 2 in Reno. You can check out the report [...]

Donations being accepted from Basques whose family members were not listed on original plaques.

The Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada Reno could lose all public funding under a budget-cutting proposal being considered by the state Legislature. A loss of public funding, officials at the center say, would deal a major blow to the nation’s preeminent Basque research facility by eliminating half of its annual operating budget and forcing it to [...]

After more than 40 years under the same owners, the venerable Louis’ Basque Corner restaurant in Reno has changed hands. The landmark restaurant had been run by Louis and Lorraine Erreguible since it opened in 1967. Unlike other Basque restaurants, which hired younger cooks, Louis Erreguible continued to oversee the kitchen over the years. Originally from Mauleon, Zuberoa, Louis was [...]