The Yerington Lions Club hosted the 2026 District 46 Lions Club State Speaking Contest, bringing together members and community attendees from across Nevada. The competition, which began in January and progressed through several elimination rounds, featured student speakers addressing pressing global issues.
This year’s theme, “Global Warming vs. Climate Change: provide your thoughts,” challenged finalists to define the terms and explain their real‑world impacts. Competitors focused on how environmental shifts affect agriculture, with emphasis on Nevada’s farmers and ranchers, water systems, ecosystem health, wildlife sustainability, and carbon dioxide emissions. Speakers advanced through each round by earning first‑place finishes, ultimately reaching the state level in Yerington.
Churchill County High School senior Riggin Stonebarger earned the top honor after advancing through the semifinal round held Feb. 28 in Winnemucca and the final competition in Yerington. Stonebarger earned $1,250 in the semifinal round and additional winnings from the state championship, bringing total earnings to $6,250.
Stonebarger, a Churchill County High School Jumpstart student and intern at “The Fallon Post,” also reports on local government stories, including district court and city council meetings, while assisting with candidate advertising sales. He plans to attend the University of Nevada, Reno on scholarship, major in political science, and later pursue law school on the East Coast with an interest in corporate litigation or crisis management.
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