The Local Newsroom
The Week
A Raucous Caucus
February 2nd, 2012
Then there’s the caucus system itself, which Nevada can’t quite seem to master. In 2008, the Republican contest turned into a chaotic mess of long lines and voter confusion. The Democrats didn’t do any better: Hillary Clinton supporters sued the Democratic Party to prevent caucus meetings at Strip hotels, fearing that the location would be a boost to Barack Obama. This year, things may get even weirder. Read more »
Politics
Putting the Squeeze on Community Colleges
February 2nd, 2012
Southern Nevadans complain UNLV receives less money in the budget than it produces for the state. Northern Nevadans say that’s no reason to go changing things. Chancellor Dan Klaich has proposed a new plan to solve these imbalances. But it appears the plan would leave community colleges, such as the one where I teach, scavenging for the big boys’ leftovers. Read more »
Real Estate
The Next Construction Slowdown?
February 2nd, 2012
In the age of foreclosures and excess housing inventory, no one has built much in the Valley these past few years—with one significant exception. As people ditch the albatross of their underwater homes, they have moved into the rental market. That made for a mini-boom in apartment construction. Read more »
The Deal
Making the most of the Big Game
February 2nd, 2012
In fact, most veterans I know don’t go to any parties, because they feel that the best place to be is in a sports book. Almost all of the books will have food and drink specials, along with the big screens and an electric vibe you can find only in a place where 99 percent of the people have a monetary stake in the outcome of the game. Read more »
Wheels
Vegas Velocity
February 2nd, 2012
Dream Racing is open for business at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, joining companies that will put you in the driver’s seat of NASCAR racers, street-legal exotics and drifting cars. While there are other outlets where you can indulge those particular fantasies, Dream Racing is the only place in the world for laymen to buy time behind the wheel of a Ferrari F430 GT, a 2,700-pound, $250,000 purebred racing machine. Read more »
Comrade Grumpette’s Peeve of the Week
Powerless Lunches
February 2nd, 2012
I was told that the kids get 20 minutes to eat. It’s the same throughout the Clark County School District. The kids also get a micro-recess: 15 minutes. The principal explained they don’t have time for recess: They keep adding things to the curriculum, and it’s just too difficult to fit everything in. I now let my kids play more after school and on weekends. I give them smaller lunches and a larger, wholesome breakfast. Read more »
Vegas Moment
Keep Your Eyes on the Eyes
February 2nd, 2012
Do you need LARGER ... lashes? Do your feet hurt? If you’ve said yes to both of these questions, then you might have enjoyed Divas’ Day Out on Jan. 28 at South Point, where you could meet Donny Osmond and the fellows from Thunder From Down Under. Read more »
Seven Questions
Lucy Flores
The state assemblywoman on her freshman year in office, her list of goals if she’s re-elected and her occasional lead foot
January 26th, 2012
If ever there was a politician who got into the game for the right reasons, Lucy Flores appears to be it. The 32-year-old state assemblywoman from northeastern Las Vegas grew up in the very district she represents—save for a nine-month stint in juvenile hall when she was 13. It was part of a rough adolescence that included numerous run-ins with the law which eventually led to her dropping out of high school. Read more »
The Week
Putting a Lid on the Internet Soup
January 26th, 2012
The Protect IP Act (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) were crafted to make it easier to combat Internet piracy, but as the bills wended their way through Congress in recent weeks, many in the Internet community—from giants such as Google to dorm-room startups—have seen them as a threat to the very essence of the Internet. Read more »
Real Estate
The Hazards of Buying New
January 26th, 2012
Is it really worth buying that pretty new chunk of Vegas stucco when it’s parked next to a subdivision with comparable square-footage floor plans going for tens of thousands of dollars less? Read more »
