Nevada State News

Looking to keep wildlife out of the ‘emergency room,’ states expand managers’ role

Tue, 20 May 2025 11:30:43 +0000

The Mojave desert tortoise is among the species in need of conservation help. Earlier this year, Utah lawmakers enacted a tax on renewable energy development to provide more funding for wildlife managers to support non-game species. (Photo by Dana Wilson/Bureau of Land Management/Flickr)

State wildlife agencies have a big job.

While the federal government protects animals listed under the Endangered Species Act, states are tasked with keeping the vast majority of other species out of the “emergency room.” Habitat loss, pollution and climate change are making that job much more difficult.

At the same time, states are finding it harder to count on the hunting and fishing revenues that have long funded most of their work. Agencies say they have more challenges than ever before, and less money to take them on.

In many states, lawmakers are rethinking the long-standing model for wildlife management. They’re considering new funding sources to make the agencies less reliant on license fees. They’re asking wildlife managers to expand their work beyond traditional “game” species, adding protections for threatened insects and other animals. And some are scrutinizing the commissions that have long governed wildlife management.

Some of the proposals have seen broad support from outdoors lovers who want to strengthen their wildlife agencies. Others have drawn opposition from sporting groups, who fear the new focus will diminish hunting and fishing opportunities.

“We’re seeing quite a bit of action this year,” said Logan Christian, wildlife and habitat specialist with the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, a forum for state lawmakers. “We definitely have noticed that states are working on strengthening their wildlife agencies.”

As Stateline previously reported, New Mexico enacted the most sweeping overhaul this year. It renamed the Department of Game & Fish as the Department of Wildlife, giving it a more explicit focus on non-game species. Budget writers provided $10.5 million in new funding over the next three years to help threatened species. And lawmakers created a new process for appointing the agency’s commissioners, with guidelines ensuring a diversity of expertise and experience.

Wildlife advocates in other states say the New Mexico overhaul was a game changer. But lawmakers elsewhere are taking a more piecemeal approach.

Spending on saving

Numerous states are reconsidering their wildlife agencies’ funding model.

“There’s definitely a growing awareness that the current management system is outdated and really unfit for 21st century challenges,” said Michelle Lute, executive director of Wildlife for All, a nonprofit focused on overhauling state wildlife governance. “State wildlife agencies are seeing that they can’t rely on hunting and fishing license fees to be able to do this work.”

There’s definitely a growing awareness that the current management system is outdated and really unfit for 21st century challenges.

– Michelle Lute, executive director of Wildlife for All

Earlier this year, lawmakers in Utah enacted a new tax on wind and solar projects that will help fund the state’s wildlife agency. The revenue could double the department’s funding to protect non-game species, from $5 million to $10 million.

“We have a funding model in place for game species,” said Paul Thompson, administrator of the Species Protection Account with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. “Funding to work on some of our native species programs has been really hard to come by.”

The new revenue could allow the agency to invest in more biologists, conservation easements, watershed restoration projects and native fish hatchery programs. State Rep. Casey Snider, the Republican who sponsored the bill, argued that the clean energy sector should pay because its development is harming Utah’s habitat.

“Wind and solar projects have an outsized impact on [non-game] species, and they have not been contributing financially,” he said.

But industry leaders said the law will threaten the state’s energy development.

“[The measure will] severely strain the economics of an existing project and send a negative message to developers and the financial institutions that provide capital for these projects,” said Theresa Foxley, chief of staff to rPlus Energies, a renewable developer, in testimony to lawmakers.

Lawmakers in Oregon are considering an increase to the state’s tax on hotel and short-term rental stays to help fund non-game wildlife work. The proposal would bring in about $30 million annually. State Rep. Ken Helm, the bill’s Democratic sponsor, said the state wildlife agency’s division to manage non-game species “has come and gone over the last 30 years as funding is available.”

Growing concerns about climate change and biodiversity have created urgency to find a stable funding source, he said. Helm said the lodging tax is a logical source, because the state’s tourism industry is centered on the outdoors. He noted that Oregon’s natural resources agencies receive only a tiny fraction of the state’s general revenue.

Travel and tourism groups oppose the bill, arguing it could drive visitors elsewhere. Helm has also proposed a bill that would bring in wildlife funding through an income tax increase.

He said his message to fellow lawmakers was: “I’ve given you two ways to get the money we need for this agency. Nobody’s been able to come up with a better idea. Just pick one.”

The bill was heard in committee earlier this month, but has not yet advanced.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Hawaii approved a “green fee” — a lodging tax increase of 0.75% that Democratic Gov. Josh Green’s office estimates will bring in $100 million annually to help protect the state from climate change. While the fund is not explicitly focused on wildlife, it’s expected to contribute to efforts such as coral reef restoration and watershed protection that will benefit important habitats.

State Rep. Amy Perruso, a Democrat who was among the advocates for a green fee, said the COVID-19 pandemic was a wakeup call.

“With the absence of tourists, we saw a lot more fish in the ocean, everything about the environment was so much more healthy because we didn’t have 10 million extra people,” she said. “If we’re going to do something to protect the environment, [tourism] is a logical connection.”

Washington state was among the first to significantly invest in non-game conservation through state tax revenue, with legislation enacted two years ago. The budget passed by lawmakers this session continues that work, with $14 million set aside for biodiversity and species recovery each of the next two years.

Lawmakers in Kansas and North Carolina also proposed using more general fund revenue for wildlife work, although those measures have not advanced.

‘Invertebrates are wildlife’

In other states, lawmakers are focused on expanding their wildlife agencies’ mission to more non-game species. Last year, Colorado gave wildlife managers the authority to manage insects and other invertebrates, as well as rare plants.

“Invertebrates are wildlife, and their conservation benefits the entire ecosystem, including the species [state wildlife officials] traditionally managed,” said Richard Reading, vice chair of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission. “They do everything from creating our soils to filtering our water to pollinating the food we eat.”

Reading also serves as vice president of science and conservation at the Butterfly Pavilion, an insect zoo. He noted that studies are showing that many invertebrate species are in rapid decline. In addition to expanding the agency’s authority, lawmakers provided funding for six staff members to take on the additional work.

A similar bill in Nevada, focused on invertebrates, advanced through the Assembly’s natural resources committee.

“There’s definitely concerns about declines in pollinator species,” said Assemblymember Howard Watts, a Democrat who sponsored the bill. “Our wildlife agency can and should take proactive action to do research, surveys and habitat improvement to keep these species off the [endangered species list].”

Watts said the bill would allow wildlife managers to consider insects in state plans to protect imperiled species. He said the Nevada Department of Wildlife has requested an entomologist position if it’s asked to take on the additional species. Beyond that, he said, the measure would not require additional money, as it’s focused on voluntary, proactive work, rather than additional regulations.

Another bill in Pennsylvania would expand wildlife managers’ authority to include insects. That measure has been approved by the House Environmental and Natural Resources Protection Committee.

Sporting groups have largely been supportive of efforts to provide new funding sources to manage non-game species. But some are skeptical of plans to expand agencies’ mission without an increase in revenue.

“Most hunters and anglers understand that healthy game populations are dependent on ecosystem integrity,” said Devin O’Dea, Western policy and conservation manager with Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, a nonprofit focused on public lands. “But when you take a model that’s been developed with the intent of enforcing regulations for fish and game species, expand that scope without funding and additional capacity, it’s a recipe for something to fall off the plate.”

Governance

Meanwhile, some legislators want to rethink the commission model that oversees wildlife governance. Critics say that governors often select commissioners who are hunting guides, farmers and political donors. Once appointed, they enact wildlife policies to suit their economic interests.

Florida state Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, a Democrat, drafted a bill that would overhaul the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Her proposal would increase the board from seven to nine members. It would designate seats for scientists, conservationists, local officials, farmers, hunters and anglers.

“The commission has made decisions not based on science or conservation, but based on developers or landowners that engage in agricultural practices,” she said. “We tried to strike a balance to ensure there are voices with an environmental background, with a conservation and wildlife background, with an academic background.”

The bill did not advance, but Eskamani said grassroots support is building for systemic changes in wildlife management.

Some sporting groups are more wary of commission overhaul proposals.

“We have seen examples where proposed changes to commissions were politically motivated or motivated by anti-hunting and anti-angling interests,” said Kent Keene senior manager for Western states and agriculture policy with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, a group that promotes hunting and fishing priorities on Capitol Hill. “When those changes are focused on science-based needs, then the sportsmen’s community has a long history of supporting those steps to ensure we are protecting our heritage.”

Some hunting and fishing groups have emphasized that the expanded mission should come with additional funding, so agencies aren’t stretched thin. Keene noted that hunters and anglers pay an excise tax on the purchase of gear, which provides an important funding source for wildlife agencies. Some have proposed a similar “backpack tax” on gear for hikers, birdwatchers and others.

Another proposal in New Hampshire would give the wildlife agency’s executive director the authority to make policy decisions, relegating the Fish and Game Commission to an advisory body. That bill did not advance.

This article was originally published in Stateline.

Las Vegas beekeeper’s death drives call for safety

Tue, 20 May 2025 06:13:30 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A Las Vegas beekeeper’s death is causing his family to express caution about a bee that has put Nevada under quarantine.

On May 10, Scott Stromme, 62, was found lying on the floor of his home, allegedly stung to death after possibly knocking over a container of bees. His father, Phillip Stromme, said he discovered Scott only after several attempts at calling him.

“[I] went around the front door, opened that up, went in,” he said. “And I knew right then he was in a place you don't want to be.”

His son was cold to the touch and not moving, allegedly welled up from possible bee stings. Phillip said he saw his son’s beekeeping hat was set to the side around hundreds of dead bees.

Scott Stromme, 62, was found lying on the floor of his home, allegedly stung to death after possibly knocking over a container of bees.

“I have no idea, and had to put two and two together,” Phillip said.

Scott was a jack of all trades with a penchant for picking up a new talent at a quick pace and treating each job with an incredible amount of responsibility, according to Phillip.

“You have a job here, and a job there, and he started out working at the Rio in a shop there,” Phillip said. “And he stood guard outside, but he looked like a guard at the palace in England with a tall hat.”

Phillip Stromme (KLAS)

Friends still call Scott’s phone according to Phillip who said his daughter has broken the news to several of Scott’s acquaintances, pals, and clients.

“My daughter's been getting an awful lot of phone calls on his phone,” he said.

Phillip said it’s heartbreaking what happened to his son and warned others should express caution when around certain types of bees.

Africanized honeybees

The State of Nevada has been under a quarantine for the Africanized Honeybees, according to state law, but that hasn’t stopped trained beekeepers from answering the calls from concerned homeowners.

“So that [quarantine] means that they're more aggressive,” Daniel Millett, operations manager for Bee Master of Las Vegas, said. “They respond with more bees than our domiciled, domestic bees that we've trained for 1200 or 1500 years to be nice and produce a lot of honey.”

Daniel Millett, operations manager for Bee Master of Las Vegas. (KLAS)

The Africanized Honeybees do not produce as much honey as their more well known and temperate counterparts, according to Millett.

“All these Africanized bees are buck wild,” he said. “They think everything's a rhino or a hippo.”

Millett found out about what happened to Stromme and said the incident was awful but also allowed for a chance to remind residents about the danger of certain types of bees.

“When this poor fellow started to work with his bees, whatever gear he had on, they overwhelmed him,” he said. “And it's a darn shame that it happened.”

Millett said residents with any concerns or issue with bees can find licensed beekeepers through the Nevada Department of Agriculture.

Clark County project set to begin in central Las Vegas valley may push out homeless population in area

Tue, 20 May 2025 06:08:54 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- As the homeless crisis continues across the Las Vegas valley, Clark County is set to begin a new project in the central valley that may push some of the homeless population in the area out.

"I wanted to hold this meeting because starting Tuesday morning, we are doing major reconstruction on the Flamingo Wash," Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom shared.

Segerblom introduced the Regional Flood Control project at Monday's Town Hall meeting. The project will include construction from Maryland Parkway to Cambridge Street and improvements to the Tropicana and Flamingo washes.

Segerblom noted that a lot of homeless people will be pushed out during the construction process.

Joyce Foster, who has been homeless for seven years, told 8 News Now that living on the streets of Las Vegas is a gamble and she is constantly on the move.

"How are we supposed to sleep in fear that we will be pushed out. We can just be sitting on a sidewalk, minding our own business and then all of sudden we are forced to move," Foster said.

This $15 million project will focus on removing rocks and debris and lining the areas with concrete. In addition, access ramps, metal fencing and lateral storm drain connections will be added.

LVAC workers, members return to gym 3 days after deadly shooting

Tue, 20 May 2025 02:22:30 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Workers and members returned on Monday to the Las Vegas Athletic Club after Friday's deadly shooting.

One man died and three others were injured in the shooting at the gym on Rainbow Boulevard near Vegas Drive on Friday. Metro police officers shot and killed the gunman, identified as 34-year-old Daniel Ortega.

The man who died was 31-year-old Edgar Quinonez, who worked at LVAC for 15 years.

LVAC's Facebook and Instagram pages described Quinonez as more than a colleague. He was a source of kindness, dedication, and positivity, posts said.

“I think that it’s horrible that someone can walk into a gym unannounced with a rifle. They need to have some armed security guards here with actual guns so they can do what they need to stop that,” LVAC member Cory Ferraiuolo said.

For many who were at the gym Friday, coming back wasn't easy, but they wanted to show their support. LVAC member Ray Smith was at the gym about an hour before the shooting took place.

Smith believes situations like these are becoming too common and would also like to see additional security measures put in place.

“If there was a security guard at the gym, I’m sure that would have had some effect,” Smith said.

On the gym marquee, a message was posted from LVAC thanking Metro and first responders for their quick action and support.

Nevada Democrats unveil major education bill targeting CCSD, charter schools

Tue, 20 May 2025 02:05:06 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Nevada Democrats pitched their education bill Monday, which would bring major changes to the state.

Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D), Clark County - District 6, presented her bill before the Senate Education Committee for its first hearing.

The proposal has language that allows local school boards of trustees to block charter schools from opening and gives the state Department of Education the power to remove a superintendent if 30% of schools don't experience "academic growth."

Cannizzaro's bill takes aim at the Clark County School District. Her proposal would give the four appointed non-voting CCSD trustees voting power. However, her proposed reforms to charter schools have opposition.

"I rise in strong opposition to SB460 because it limits parental rights—the fundamental right of parents to choose the best learning environment for their children—at a time when Nevadans overwhelmingly support school choice," Jill Douglas wrote in opposition to the bill.

Based on enrollment, charter schools are the second-largest school system in Nevada, behind only CCSD.

According to Cannizzaro's proposal, all charter school teachers would be required to have a license or an endorsement. As it currently stands, charter schools are only required to have 80% of their teachers with a license or an endorsement.

Cannizzaro also seeks to reform the State Public Charter School Authority, which is the agency that oversees charter schools. Her proposal would reduce the agency's members from 11 to nine and change the criteria for appointment.

"I want to stress that I believe charter schools are an important part of our educational system," Cannizzaro said. "I do believe that when we talk about accountability, we can actually talk about accountability for all schools that are public schools and publicly funded, and that's why there are provisions in here that addresses some of those changes."

These charter school amendments potentially place her bill in peril as Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo could veto it.

"I've received plenty of emails for and against a bill, and I think there's concerns of the requirements we're putting forward for private and charter schools as to whether or not it's fair," St. Sen. Fabian Doñate, D-Clark County, said at Monday's hearing. He stated he is a supporter of more accountability for the state's charter schools.

Cannizzaro's proposal would also give the governor the authority to declare a state of emergency at a school district if its schools don't improve academically.

Lombardo's bill would go in the opposite direction, including transforming nonperforming public schools into charter schools. His bill has its first hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

Henderson Mayor counters calls for transparency amid launching re-election bid

Tue, 20 May 2025 01:44:49 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- From the Water Street Farmers Market to the White House, Mayor Michelle Romero has had a hand in Henderson’s three decades of progress but now she faces her next test—re-election.

Romero, a Henderson native, can trace her work in city government back to 1999 with her help in the opening of the Water Street Farmers Market and later the Super Run Car Show alongside business leaders. By 2007, she worked for the Henderson Redevelopment Agency and continued efforts to grow the city’s residential and commercial capacities.

Following a term as a Henderson Ward I councilmember, Romero was elected mayor in June 2022 and said she hopes residents look to her voting record to maintain rural neighborhoods, protect businesses, and support public safety. She acknowledged Henderson, along with other cities, is facing a tighter budget amid an initial $10 million deficit.

“We started with that, we were actually able to address it very quickly,” she said. “And our tentative budget that we approved a couple of weeks ago, there's no deficit.”

During an 8 News Politics Now interview, Romero addressed the city manager’s decision to fire the police chief, her legal action against another councilmember’s “spurious rumors,” and what transparency means.

Police chief shuffle

On Feb. 14, Henderson City Manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause made the decision to place the then-police chief, Hollie Chadwick, on leave. Garcia-Vause said she and Chadwick had differing leadership styles and declined to provide further explanation.

The departure has been at the center of numerous calls for more information regarding the decision, but both Garcia-Vause and Romero said residents are not entitled to employee information, citing city policy.

“We don't talk about personnel issues,” Romero said. “That's not fair to the employee.”

Romero said the departure is not indicative of any discord between the city and the police department.

“The city police department is wonderful,” she said. “They keep us one of the safest cities in America, and it's because of the hard work of the men and women in that department. Changes at the top don't really affect their job, and don't affect impact their ability to do their job well, and so it really has no bearing, one way or the other, on operations at the city, or how we view how we move forward.”

Amid Garcia-Vause’s decision to fire Chadwick, dismiss a police volunteer, and cancel city some “Morning Meet ups,” Romero said she supports the city manager’s decisions.

“I support the city manager in her right to do that, and I have full faith that she didn't do it arbitrarily, that she followed the appropriate processes,” Romero said. “She values our employees very much. She's not afraid to make a hard decision if that's what's best for the city. And I have faith in her ability to do that.”

Following the announcement of the interim police chief Itzhak Henn’s retirement, Romero faces the chance of a new police chief becoming the fourth person in the position in two months.

“We knew going in that the acting chief was going to be retiring very soon,” she said. “We knew that was happening. It wasn't a surprise. And I think it will be very close to, if there's any gap at all, it'll be very close to when he retires and we have a new chief in place.”

Fighting rumors

Distrust between Romero and Henderson Councilwoman Carrie Cox has reached a boiling point inside City Hall amid recent legal action.

On Jan. 7, the law firm Pisanelli Bice served a cease and desist to Cox on behalf of Romero. The purpose: to stop the spread of alleged rumors of an extra-marital affair, according to a copy of the letter 8 News Now obtained.

“I had people, both in person and written statements from a multitude of people that notified me of the things that she was saying,” Romero said. “My attorney has letter, after letter, after letter from people. Some of them I don't even know. Some of them inside city hall. Some of them outside city hall that wrote to me and said we were approached by her.”

Romero said she has a strong relationship with her husband, whom she met almost 40 years ago in school.

“We are high school sweethearts,” she said. “We have a rock-solid relationship, and anytime anybody tries to infringe upon that or make it look bad; I will take action against it.”

Cox told 8 News Now she denies spreading rumors about Romero and claims she had no knowledge of what spurred the cease and desist.

“It was completely unnecessary, and I don't know what the motivation was,” Romero said.

The cease and desist is one of multiple “made-for-TV” moments the city council has experienced. An abrupt call for recess and a plea for “transparency” have posed tense moments for elected officials.

“I think generally speaking, we have really strong relationships with each other,” Romero said. “At the council level, we try to focus on the work. Whenever there are issues at a council meeting, sometimes passions get high. People feel very strongly one way or the other.”

Romero said she views her role as mayor is to course correct during the meetings and keep the focus on the agenda and residents’ interests.

“If we need to take a recess and let people cool down, that's what we'll do,” she said. “Doesn't mean that there's chaos, you know, people like to portray that there is, you know, all kinds of chaos going on. That's not what's happening.”

Defining transparency

Romero said the criticism of the city’s transparency is not factoring in the multiple opportunities residents have to get to know their elected officials.

“I believe we are one of the most transparent governments out there,” she said. “We regularly hold meetings, informal meetings with our residents. We have coffee with the council. We have meetups with the mayor. We have quarterly meetings where we allow the residents to come and ask anything that's on their minds, and we answer their questions right there.”

8 News Now staff attend the public morning meetings regularly and have been told by city public information officers not to directly quote elected officials or ask questions for reporting purposes at the “Morning Meetups” and instead request statements through the communication office. City staff previously defended the meetings as an opportunity for specifically Henderson residents to be provided with access to their elected officials.

“I have had questions from reporters at morning meetups regularly,” Romero said. “And I answer them on a regular basis.”

Romero said that between the city’s public records portal and quick reply to residents at “Morning Meetups ups” the city is a leader in transparency.

“If we've heard something that's popping up, traffic or something like that. We try to focus on that, but at the end, we still allow questions and answers that are free flow,” she said.

Fiesta flip

When it opened in 1998, The Reserve was a hotspot hotel and casino for Henderson residents, later becoming the Fiesta Henderson in 2001.

In Mar. 2020, Station Casinos closed the Fiesta Henderson property due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The casino and hotel property never reopened, and its land was later purchased by the city for $32 million using city redevelopment agency funds.

Woodbury Corporation entered into a negotiating agreement with Henderson on the Fiesta site in 2024, only for it to end inconclusively.

“They were asking for more than we were willing to give to a private project,” Romero said. “And so we let the exclusive negotiation expire.”

Romero said the end of talks with Woodbury is not indicative of no plan, instead pointing to other proposals they have received.

“We will come forward again with a proposal,” she said. “But we're not going to irresponsibly spend public dollars on a project that we don't think gains the public benefit to that degree.”

Las Vegas-based nonprofit offers new hope for sex trafficking survivors

Tue, 20 May 2025 01:23:22 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- When there are major events in Las Vegas, Metro will use that time to prevent sex trafficking and locate victims.

But it happens whether there is a special event or not. In fact, Las Vegas lands on a list for its staggering sex trafficking numbers. Many victims, often between the ages of 12 to 16, answer ads for modeling jobs or meet strangers online.

One Las Vegas-based nonprofit was built by a woman who escaped the nightmare and now helps light the way for those still trapped.

Annie Lobert vividly remembers each time she nearly died.

"My pain was so severe... it was so severe," Lobert said. "I tried to kill myself several times."

Lobert was sex trafficked when she was just eight years old. It started decades of exploration, manipulation, and isolation. Crimes so vile, it was underground.

Now thanks to the internet and social media, the sex trade has exploded.

"And that's why trafficking has got, probably a thousand times worse," Lobert explained.

Las Vegas is one of the handful of hub cities that make it ripe for traffickers to exploit victims.

Here's why:

A high influx of tourists increases demand for commercial sex
The popular disbelief that prostitution is legal
A large transient population including runaways and unhoused teens
A 24/7 economy to exploit victims day and night
An interstate highway and airport make domestic and international trafficking easier

For Rachel, it wasn't opportunity, but vulnerability, that robbed her of her freedom, identity, and dignity.

"Feeling like I'm trapped inside my trauma and there's no way out," Rachel explained.

She was targeted by someone she trusted. After spending most of her adult life as a missionary outside of the U.S., returning home felt foreign.

She fell into the wrong crowd with the wrong people. Her doctrine and worship were replaced with drugs and alcohol, eventually developing a trauma bond with an abuser that led to prison.

"A year out of prison I was thinking if this was it," Rachel explained. "If this is the life that I'm stuck in, I don't know that I want it. I was in a place where I thought that maybe death was better."

Luckily, she heard about Pink Chair, the faith-based program that Annie Lobert created more than two decades ago.

"If I can share my house, my living room, my bathroom, whatever, I need to help someone with a child, with themselves get away from their evil tormentor trafficker," Lobert explained. "I did it, and I'm still doing it to this day."

She started outreach in 2004, but year's later she found Destiny House, the home base for the charity where hundreds of victims are given a second chance.

Less than a dozen women, like Rachel, sleep, eat, and receive extensive therapy there. They also receive life skill classes, trauma healing, and spirituality-led courses all designed to build a new secure life.

Ashley is a Pink Chair graduate who quickly paid it forward, working there and helping answer desperate calls for help.

"It can be someone calling who's literally leaving their trafficker running on the street as it's happening," Ashley explained. "Or it could be someone who is literally crying out for help, for resources. Maybe they're homeless. It could be someone who's dealing with their children and their trafficker has, custody over them or their abuser."

Talking to someone who knows exactly what you're going through is critical to program. It is survivor-led and survivor-oriented.

For Ashley, it turned her pain into purpose.

"When I was a client, I never thought that I was going to make it this far. And to hear someone say, 'You're the reason why I'm here, because you kept talking with me. You kept supporting me. You kept encouraging me,'" Ashley said. "And it just shows that no matter what you've been through in life, you can always give back and always, help other people with what you've been through."

Once Annie escaped, she wrote a book called "Fallen," and hosts a podcast to reach trafficking victims. Additionally, she serves on Metro's sex trafficking task force. Her work, her passion, never ends.

"I knew that if I help just one person, maybe I could create someone else like me," she added. "Because when I die, I don't want to die with with just me. I want to leave this to the survivors. This is their. This is their house. This is their organization. And I want to keep it that way."

Man arrested in California after fatal Las Vegas apartment stabbing

Tue, 20 May 2025 01:05:50 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A man was arrested in California a week after a deadly stabbing at an apartment in the southeast Las Vegas valley.

Las Vegas Metro police said they have arrested 26-year-old Delvison Escalona-Hernandez in connection with the stabbing incident that happened on Sunday, May 4, around 11:30 a.m.

Officers responded to reports of a man found with apparent stab wounds inside an apartment in the 3200 block of East Desert Inn Road, near South Mojave Road. Medical personnel responded and took the man to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Homicide detectives took over the scene. Through the investigation, police learned the victim was in a verbal fight with another person. At some point, the fight turned physical, and the suspect stabbed the victim before leaving the scene.

Police said Escalona-Hernandez was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department in California on May 14. He is currently in custody at the North County Correctional Facility, awaiting extradition to Las Vegas.

Dog dies after he was abandoned in south Las Vegas valley, rescue says

Tue, 20 May 2025 01:00:50 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- As Reba’s Law makes its way through the Nevada legislature, which would increase penalties for animal cruelty, another dog in the valley has died after being dumped, according to a Las Vegas rescue.

Video footage appears to show a man and a small dog walking in a roundabout near Eastern Avenue and 215 on Thursday, May 15. Moments later, the person drives off leaving the dog behind. A good Samaritan found the dog lying on the ground, not moving and took him to Vegas Roots Rescue, which helps abused and neglected animals.

“Given what is happening in our valley, so many animals, our shelters are full,” co-founder Lauren Mushkin said. “We just immediately said ‘You know what. We’re just gonna take him. Let’s do this. Let’s figure out what we can do for this guy.’”

Mushkin and her team named him Eastern. He tested positive for parvovirus, also known as parvo, an extremely contagious and often deadly disease in dogs.

“We genuinely believe that Eastern was probably sick for a period of time, which is why, whoever that person is, dumped him. They probably didn’t want to pay for medical care,” Mushkin said. “His health declined so quickly. He was vomiting. He started to vomit blood. His bowels were out of control. It was very, very terrible. It was very unfair.”

Eastern died one day after he was found. The identity of the person who left him for dead remains unknown. Mushkin is pushing for the community’s help to hold the person and others who commit animal cruelty accountable.

“If your neighbor is backyard breeding, report them to APS,” Mushkin said. “If you see someone selling puppies, report them. If you feel like someone is leaving their dog outside all summer, say something.”

She also wants tougher laws for animal abuse and neglect.

“I think that any sort of law that is telling people that we as a society are taking these cases of abuse and neglect seriously is a huge positive step forward,” Mushkin said. “But I will say that if we’re not going to have serious consequences, people are not going to take their actions seriously.”

If passed, Reba’s Law would elevate animal cruelty penalties to a felony and increase the punishment from a maximum of four years in prison to six years.

Gun malfunction stopped 'mass-casualty' event during Las Vegas gym shooting: police

Tue, 20 May 2025 01:00:49 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A gun malfunction during a deadly Las Vegas gym shooting Friday likely "saved the incident from being a mass-casualty event," police said Monday.

The gunman was identified Monday as Daniel Ortega, 34, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported.

Police shot and killed Ortega, of North Las Vegas, after the shooting inside the Las Vegas Athletic Club last Friday on Rainbow Boulevard near Vegas Drive. Edgar Quinonez, a longtime employee, was killed, the business said Saturday.

Three other people were injured in the shooting.

Body camera video shows Daniel Ortega, 34, just before police shot him. (LVMPD)

Ortega worked as a bellman at a Las Vegas Strip property, several sources told the 8 News Now Investigators. A funeral home caring for his remains had no comment Monday on behalf of the family.

On May 16, shortly after 1:30 p.m., Ortega arrived at the gym, armed with an Olympic Arms PCR-223 caliber rifle and "multiple" ammunition magazines, LVMPD Asst. Sheriff Jamie Prosser said.

Ortega walked passed several people who were leaving the gym and approached an employee, who was working the front desk. Prosser said Ortega then began to “pace” around the front desk while several other people left the business.

A second employee approached Ortega and the two “briefly exchanged words.” The employee ran away after Ortega raised the rifle and began to shoot, hitting the employee.

Surveillance video shows Daniel Ortega, 34, before a deadly shooting at a Las Vegas gym. (LVMPD)
Police show an image of the gun they say was used by Daniel Ortega, 34, in a deadly shooting at a Las Vegas gym Friday. (LVMPD)
Body camera video shows Daniel Ortega, 34, just before police shot him. (LVMPD)
Body camera video shows Daniel Ortega, 34, just before police shot him. (LVMPD)
Body camera video shows Daniel Ortega, 34, just before police shot him. (LVMPD)

Ortega followed the employee deeper into the business, continuing to shoot, before making his way back to the front lobby, where he continued to shoot, Prosser said.

At some point during the incident, Ortega's weapon malfunctioned, Prosser said, though she did not specify how. She later said this malfunction "saved the incident from being a mass-casualty event."

At around 1:35 p.m., several people called 911 to report what was happening, and officers were sent to the gym.

“I think I saw someone come in with an AR,” a person who called 911 said.

Moments later, shots could be heard over the call.

At 1:39 p.m., Officers Kaid Urban, Skeeter Black, and Aaron Javier arrived at the gym. All three officers approached the front doors and saw Ortega.

Javier fired a round through the window at Ortega, Prosser said. Shortly afterward, Ortega left the gym and attempted to run past the officers. Urban fired four rounds, and Black fired one, hitting Ortega.

Police then took Ortega into custody and began providing life-saving measures. Medical personnel arrived and took Ortego to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

Additional officers arrived and located Quinonez, as well as three other victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Medical personnel took them to local hospitals.

Police later learned another person took themselves to another hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Prosser said during the briefing that as of Monday afternoon, police could not confirm anything regarding motive as the investigation was still ongoing. She said Ortega was a member of the gym and worked out at that location, but there is no connection between the victim and the suspect.

Ortega would have faced the following charges if he had survived:

One count of murder with a deadly weapon
Three counts of attempted murder
Three counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a protected person
Five counts of assault with a deadly weapon

This incident marks the third officer-involved shooting in 2025 and the third fatal. At this time in 2024, Metro had three officer-involved shootings, with three fatalities.

Metro continued to ask for witnesses to come forward.

Michele Fiore suspended from Nye County bench with pay following Trump pardon

Tue, 20 May 2025 00:58:10 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Pahrump judge and former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore will remain suspended from the bench after receiving a presidential pardon, for now.

Last month, President Donald Trump pardoned Fiore, a Nye County Justice of the Peace, after a jury convicted her of taking money meant for fallen police officers’ memorials and spending it on herself. The jury deliberated for two hours, convicting her in federal court on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud.

Following Fiore’s federal indictment last July, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline suspended her from office with pay amid the proceedings. The commission later suspended her without pay after her conviction. The commission held a hearing on Friday, May 9, following the pardon to discuss its next steps.

In an order filed Monday, the commission kept Fiore suspended pending a final review, citing the allegations against Fiore as "a substantial threat of serious harm to the public and to the administration of justice." Fiore will be suspended this time with pay.

The order notes the commission "has received additional complaints against [Fiore]" since the pardon. There was no indication in the document filed Monday when the commission could complete its investigation.

“When does this end?” Paola Armeni, Fiore's attorney, said during the May 9 hearing. Armeni added the commission only has jurisdiction over a judge’s actions as a sitting judge.

“The commission can no longer issue, rescind, and reinstate based on this conviction, based on the pardon,' Armeni said. "There is nothing before this commission about her conduct as a judge, nothing.”

Trump pardoned Fiore on April 23. First elected as a Republican Nevada assemblywoman in 2012, Fiore later served as Las Vegas mayor pro tem and unsuccessfully ran for governor and treasurer as a Republican. Nye County Commissioners appointed her to her judgeship in late 2022. Last June, before her indictment, voters re-elected Fiore, who is not an attorney, to that position.

Las Vegas gentlemen's club employee pushes for no tax on tips

Tue, 20 May 2025 00:52:42 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - The House Budget Committee voted to advance President Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill," which includes a “no tax on tips” proposal.

The decision could significantly impact many workers in the valley, including Emily Eckie, who has spent the past four years at Scores Las Vegas Gentlemen's Club. As a mother, Eckie said tips are “everything” for supporting her family.

“As a whole in this industry, we need our tips,” Eckie said. “Minimum wage in Vegas is $12 an hour. That’s only a couple thousand during pay days."

Eckie, a Las Vegas native, has been in the nightlife industry since she was 18 years old.

“Most of the time, people, when they come to Vegas, that's one of the things that they want to do. They want to go to a gentlemen's club.”

According to Eckie, tips at the club can range anywhere from a couple of hundred to one thousand a night.

“We all talk about it. We're all rooting for this to pass,” Eckie said.

President Trump, during the 2024 campaign trail, repeatedly championed his promise to nix the tax on tips during his Las Vegas rallies.

However, it still faces opposition from some democrats, such as Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus. Titus said she will only vote in favor of it if the bill gets rid of the subminimum wage in some states, as the current version does not help low-income workers.

The bill’s next stop is the House Rules Committee, which is set for later this week.

Las Vegas man who brought meth, gun to meeting with probation officer sentenced to prison

Mon, 19 May 2025 23:24:03 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A Las Vegas man who brought methamphetamine and a gun to a meeting with his probation officer was sentenced to over 12 years in prison Monday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

In January, Anthony Valenzuela pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

According to court documents, Valenzuela was on supervised release for a felony conviction for felon in possession of a firearm when on March 7, 2023, he drove to the U.S. Probation Office for a meeting with his supervising officer. During a search of his vehicle, officers found a bookbag containing a digital scale, plastic bags, mail, and a fake drink can containing methamphetamine.

Left: Photo of methamphetamine powder in resealable bag concealed in drink can. Right: Photo of a black Taurus 9mm semiautomatic pistol in a bag. (U.S. Department of Justice)

In another bag, officers found more methamphetamine and a semiautomatic pistol. The total amount of drugs recovered from the vehicle was at least 150 grams but less than 500 grams of methamphetamine, according to the DOJ.

On Monday, United States District Judge James C. Mahan sentenced Valenzuela to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

Judge says case against Las Vegas police sergeant should move forward

Mon, 19 May 2025 23:23:25 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A judge said a criminal case against a Las Vegas Metro police sergeant should move forward.

Clark County District Court Judge Ron Israel denied a motion to stay, or temporarily halt criminal proceedings, in the case against Kevin Menon Monday.

Menon, 43, is charged with 13 counts, including three felonies and 10 gross misdemeanors, in his first case. Prosecutors said he abused his power as a police sergeant by creating fake scenarios that resulted in citizens, mainly Black men, being detained on the Las Vegas Strip.

Menon is charged with an additional 33 counts, including five felonies and 28 gross misdemeanors after police said they found child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices and cameras installed in Menon's private bathroom. Prosecutors allege Menon used the cameras to watch two family members use the toilet without their knowledge.

"I see no reason for a stay to prolong what has already been almost a year since the first case was filed," Israel said. "So I'm denying the stay."

Menon's legal team had argued for Israel to be removed from overseeing his criminal cases, in part due to allegations of abuse from his adult daughter.

Clark County District Court Judge Mark Denton ruled against Menon's request.

"The Court cannot find the defendant has met his burden to establish actual or implied bias or lack of impartiality warranting disqualification of Judge Israel," Denton wrote in his order.

Menon's legal team asked the Nevada Supreme Court to disqualify Israel on May 14.

His attorneys alleged "implied bias" from Israel, asked Nevada's high court to command Denton to order the disqualification of Israel, and questioned why there was no police investigation into Israel's daughter's claims in a petition for writ of mandamus.

A jury trial is scheduled for Aug. 18.

Menon has claimed in court documents he tried to expose racism within the police department and he is being retaliated against.

Menon is in custody on a $1 million cash bail.

To reach investigative reporter Vanessa Murphy, email vmurphy@8newsnow.com.

With two weeks left in the Nevada Legislature, lawmakers pick up the pace

Mon, 19 May 2025 23:04:22 +0000

Last week marked the second committee passage deadline for the Nevada Legislature. One major deadline remains before the final day of session June 2.

Las Vegas local boosts income through pet sitting

Mon, 19 May 2025 21:53:26 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A Las Vegas local is turning to caring for people's pets as a profitable side hustle.

By day, Ariana Vazquez of North Las Vegas crunches numbers in the mortgage world, but after hours, she swaps spreadsheets for squeaky toys, working as a pet sitter.

"I love it so much, I've met so many amazing pet parents and pets all over the Vegas valley," Vazquez said.

Vazquez joined the pet care platform Rover in October. Several apps like Wag, PetBacker, TrustedHousesitters, and Care.com connect pet owners with local sitters.

After passing a background check and getting approved, Vazquez set up her profile. The app offers pricing suggestions based on location and what nearby sitters are charging.

With a well-written profile and positive reviews, sitters can build a loyal client base.

"I'm booked almost every day," Vazquez said.

Thanks to her growing list of repeat customers, Vazquez now earns up to an extra $1,000 a month. She puts that money toward housing projects.

Vazquez said Rover is very easy to work with; it's upfront about taking 20 percent of one's income, and also, sitters have an opportunity to earn tips, which go directly to the sitter.

'Major milestone' in creation of 2nd Las Vegas airport as feds take initial step

Mon, 19 May 2025 21:14:34 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Clark County officials said the federal government has begun the process that could bring a second major airport to the Las Vegas area.

In a social media post on X, Rosemary Vassiliadis, Clark County aviation director, said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are moving forward, issuing a Notice of Intent to prepare the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA).

She called it "a major milestone in our region's aviation future."

Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas is ranked as the No. 8 busiest airport in the U.S., just behind Orlando and ahead of Charlotte. Officials have been working for years to address the need, which has focused on the Ivanpah Valley, along Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and the California state line.

The Clark County Department of Aviation (CCDOA) held a media briefing in early 2024 to outline the necessity of a second commercial airport for Las Vegas and explain why the southern dry lake bed near the California border was chosen. (KLAS)

"This important step brings us closer to addressing the increasing demand for air travel in one of the nation's fastest growing regions," according to Vassiliadis's statement, posted on the @LASairport account on X. "As a second commercial airport, SNSA will add much-needed capacity, improve service reliability, and ensure Southern Nevada continues to thrive as a global destination for business and tourism. We know the crucial role we play in the region, and SNSA represents the future of economic vitality for all the communities we service."

The site could see enormous growth, but questions about water availability and conflicts with endangered species habitat — the desert tortoise — will have to be addressed in the environmental analysis of the project.

"More than 25 years in the making, we thank our federal delegation, the FAA, BLM, Clark County Board of County Commissioners and countless partners who have supported this project. This is a pivotal step for our region, and upon receiving a favorable Record of Decision, we are committed to building an airport that supports the long-term growth of our region," Vassiliadis said.

Vassiliadis was appointed to her position in 2013.

Titus calls to remove provision to sell Clark County public lands from reconciliation package

Mon, 19 May 2025 19:17:17 +0000

Rep. Dina Titus filed an amendment to the reconciliation bill that would remove Rep. Mark Amodei’s amendment to sell public land in Clark County.

Nevada families to receive $120 summer grocery aid per eligible child

Mon, 19 May 2025 19:01:03 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- With summer break on the horizon and school cafeterias closing their doors, thousands of Nevada families are set to receive much-needed food assistance.

The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) program will give each qualifying student $120 to help families buy groceries over the summer months.

“Programs like Summer EBT are essential for reducing childhood hunger,” Kelly Cantrelle, Deputy Administrator at the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services, said. “Even a small amount of extra grocery support can ease the burden for working families during the summer months.”

DWSS expects as many as 280,000 Nevada children to qualify for benefits automatically this year, based on current enrollment in school meal programs and public assistance. Families who meet federal guidelines do not need to apply, benefits will be distributed automatically.

Households that received Summer EBT in 2024 will get this year’s benefits on the same card, as long as their school information has not changed. Families new to the program or those with updated school records should expect a new card to arrive by mail within two to three weeks.

In 2024, the program distributed $37 million in grocery support across Nevada, with nearly 80% of those benefits used, highlighting the need for continued summer food assistance.

The deadline to apply is Aug. 10. For more information or to check eligibility, click here.

Man wanted on felony charges killed in shootout with SWAT officers on Sunday

Mon, 19 May 2025 18:37:37 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A SWAT team shot and killed a suspect who opened fire on officers during a standoff on Sunday in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Case Taylor Chrouser, 38, died after officers returned fire, according to a news release from the Mohave County Sheriff's Office (MCSO). Chrouser, a Topock, Arizona, resident, was under investigation in a domestic violence report from Saturday. He was wanted on several felony charges, including aggravated assault-domestic violence, theft of a firearm and possession of a gun by a prohibited person.

SWAT teams from the Mohave County Sheriff's Office and the Lake Havasu City Police Department responded "due to Chrouser's history and current charges," police said.

He died after three MCSO SWAT officers fired on him. Medical personnel began life-saving measures, but Chrouser died at the scene. No officers were injured.

Officers deployed gas at a residence in the 1600 block of S. Smoketree Ave. after confirming Chrouser was there and he wouldn't respond when police tried to talk to him. He was observed looking out the window several times. Police didn't specify the type of gas they used.

Several hours later, SWAT officers entered the residence and narrowed their search to a bathroom. They used more gas and were able to use a camera to get a look into the room.

Police saw Chrouser pointing a handgun toward the door. SWAT officers gave verbal commands, and Chrouser opened the door a short time later, shooting as he came out.

The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave as the investigation continues.

The Kingman Police Department is conducting the investigation. It's standard procedure to have a police agency that wasn't involved investigate officer-involved shootings.

Lake Havasu City is about 150 miles south of Las Vegas.

What's Driving You Crazy? - A viewer complains about dust around road work

Mon, 19 May 2025 14:12:41 +0000

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) - A viewer says she can barely see through the dust in the wind around road projects.

Charisse writes:

“With the much needed road work on Maryland Pkwy around Charleston, aren't these companies mandated to wet down loose dirt and debris? Driving south down Maryland Pkwy can be dangerous with debris flying everywhere and near zero visibility. Where is code enforcement? Please help.”

Charisse because code enforcement can't be everywhere all at once, *you can be their eyes on the road.

Take a cue from building construction sites , where there's almost always a sign with this number for you to call: 702 385-dust (3878)

Charisse, thanks for writing.

I hope this helps, because, as well know, the wind and the dust will always be coming and blowing

Buckle up, drive carefully – and please put down that phone.

You can join the driving you crazy conversation: traffic8@8newsnow.com.

EDC traffic clogs up I-15, 215 and Las Vegas Boulevard

Mon, 19 May 2025 13:54:10 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The weekend Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) ended Monday morning, and it's causing major traffic delays for commuters.

Thousands of people attend the EDC every year at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and when the dance parties end, the carnival-goers head home, creating major traffic delays.

The heaviest traffic is on I-15 southbound. As of 6:40 a.m., the traffic was backed up to Craig Road. Also impacted are the westbound lanes of the 215 Northern Beltway heading into Centennial Bowl and Las Vegas Boulevard.

Motorists might want to find an alternate route or expect a longer Monday morning commute.

Nevada State Police said around 185,000 people attended each night of this year’s EDC. Around 150 state and local police officers work the event.

Las Vegas Athletic Club reopens after deadly shooting

Mon, 19 May 2025 13:09:08 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The Las Vegas Athletic Club reopened Monday morning following a deadly shooting on Friday.

Police investigate a shooting at LVCA in the 1700 block of North Rainbow Boulevard on Friday, May 16. (KLAS)

The LVCA, located near Lake Mead and Rainbow boulevards, had been closed since the Friday afternoon shooting.

Edgar Quinonez, 31, died in the attack. He had worked at the LVCA for 15 years. Three other people were injured in the shooting. The shooter, whose identity was not released by the police, was shot and killed by police.

Las Vegas Metropolitan police identified the three officers who killed the shooter as Kaid Urban, Skeeter Black, and Aaron Javier.

Police are expected to release more details on the shooting.

‘You are not alone’: Most Nevadans worry about climate change, poll shows

Mon, 19 May 2025 13:00:35 +0000

Though climate change is politicized, residents feel the effects of it either way, experts said.

Nevada homelessness, housing crisis will only get worse under Trump budget plans, providers warn

Mon, 19 May 2025 12:00:28 +0000

Trump and Republicans propose to reduce HUD’s budget by more than 40% amid a national housing and homeless crisis. (Getty Images)

Federal spending cuts proposed by President Donald Trump, including $33 billion from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, would be devastating to Nevada, social services providers and local officials warn.

“Prior to these proposed cuts, our social safety net was not overly strong,” said Catrina Peters, the Homeless Services Coordinator with Washoe County. Cuts planned by the administration will “reduce it to tatters.”

Trump’s budget requests are shaping legislation in the works by House Republicans that will slash Medicaid and food assistance programs in Trump’s “big beautiful bill” Congress is trying, with some difficulty, to pass. Assuming the bill makes it out of the House, Senate Republicans will attempt to pass it through the budget reconciliation process, which allows them to approve the bill with only a simple majority and circumvent Senate filibuster rules.

The proposal would reduce HUD’s budget by more than 40% amid a national housing and homeless crisis.

Many social service agencies and nonprofits, including HELP of Southern Nevada, rely on federal funding to supplement their budget and provide needed services.

HELP, one of the nonprofit organizations Clark County relies on to administer homeless support programs, receives roughly $10 million of its $30 million budget from HUD, said Fuilala Riley, the CEO of HELP of Southern Nevada.

The nonprofit has been able to use federal dollars to fund permanent supportive housing, which is subsidized for populations with significantly low or no income, such as folks experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, and comes with case management and wrap-around support services.

“This morning, 800 people woke up in a HELP of Southern Nevada program bed,” Riley said in an interview this month. “Half of those individuals are funded by federal funds.”

For every one person that asked for assistance to be connected to a program, “there’s probably 10 other ones that are out in the community,” who need help, she said.

“The outlook is bleak because before we couldn’t answer all the requests,” Riley said. “Now we are facing a significant possibility that 30% of our funding will go away.”

The list of proposed cuts to HUD funding nationally includes a $532 million decrease in homeless assistance programs and a consolidation of several grants, like those provided by the federal Continuum of Care program that states use to address homelessness.

Clark County received about $21 million in funding from the Continuum of Care program in 2024 while Washoe County is allocated roughly $3.2 million.

Last year Clark County directed funding from the Continuum of Care program to support permanent supportive housing programs, rapid rehousing programs and transitional housing beds provided by the Clark County Social Service Dept. as well as nonprofits, including HELP of Southern Nevada, St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth and Safe Nest.

Riley said HELP received about $7 million last fiscal year specifically from the Continuum of Care program. “There’s no way I can backstop $7 million in private funding on an ongoing basis” if she were to lose it or have it drastically reduced, she said.

Peters said in Washoe County the majority of the funding is used by agencies to provide rental assistance and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness.

The curtailment of vouchers for renters in particular “would have an absolutely devastating impact,” Peters said.

The federal budget proposed by Trump would also reduce the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which provides state and local governments with funding to expand the supply of housing, by $1.2 billion, and cut $196 million from programs to help housing assistance recipients become more self-sufficient.

Clark County allocated about $9 million in HOME funds it received last year to “support the development or rehab 1,018 affordable housing units across the county.”

Federal funding directed to nonprofits works in coordination with the resources they provide to create a fragile ecosystem.

Organizations and providers get allocated federal funding and use it to address specific programs or problems in the community.

If HELP, for example, doesn’t offer a particular resource or service, it will refer to another nonprofit that does.

“When you start pulling out the blocks, it’s like playing Jenga,” Peters said. “Eventually it’s going to topple over. That’s a concern for all.”

Trump’s budget request would also slash public housing assistance such as Housing Choice Vouchers, formerly known as Section 8.

While Washoe County isn’t the only entity that allocates housing vouchers, Peters said starting in 2021 the county received 137 emergency housing vouchers designed specifically to pay rent for people and families at risk or experiencing homelessness.

The program could also be at risk if the proposed cuts go through as currently written.

“All the people in that program were previously experiencing homelessness,” Peters said. “The vast majority of those folks would return to homelessness if it were not for these voucher resources.”

‘Potential unraveling’ of the social safety net

Federal funding provided in pandemic relief legislation helped governments and nonprofits alike keep people housed, offer food assistance, and keep the safety net from collapsing. Now those funding streams are all but dried up.

And even that funding could only go so far to stabilize people.

Rents across Nevada, as in much of the country, have skyrocketed and the state has a shortage of affordable and available housing.

Combine increased rents with other rising costs of living, and “$12 and $14 an hour, that doesn’t cut it,” Riley said.

More than 10,100 people experienced homelessness in Nevada in 2024 – a 17% increase statewide – according to data released by HUD in December.

“If these proposed cuts go through, it’s going to be very difficult to sustain” the work that’s being done to help unhoused people, Peters said. “I think we’re going to see a huge influx in the number of people experiencing homelessness.”

Close to a third of all state government spending in Nevada is made possible by federal funding.

“It takes all the revenue streams of public and private dollars to meet the needs of our community,” said Sam Rudd, President and CEO of United Way of Southern Nevada.

“It’s a very daunting reality.”

There are a lot of factors that make it “impossible to specifically state” the impact of federal cuts “without knowing what the final decisions are from the state support,” Rudd said in an interview.

“Many times there are federal cuts that then get stopped or are in legal battles and there is a lot of unknown,” he said.

While it might be hard to quantify the impact, there is no doubt that everyone in the community will feel the cuts.

“A lot of people see a headline, read an article and think that doesn’t impact me,” Rudd said. “But it does impact this community and it will begin to create a potential unraveling of issues I don’t know we can quantify.”

Nonprofits have already had some funding sources paused, including $1.2 million in Emergency Food and Shelter funds, which helps supplement various existing programs, Rudd said.

“That’s going to impact about 125,000 Clark County residents in that specific area,” he said. “They’ve already felt that impact. The funding was supposed to come through April … Not only are they not getting reimbursed for funds spent earlier this year, nonprofits have to put a hold on future expenditures” that would have been paid with that money.

While HELP has yet to suffer funding cuts directly, “we all understand the impact of the trickle effect of all these changes, including potential state challenges, and how the needs of our community are going to increase which will then trickle into other services,” Rudd said.

The proposed federal cuts come amid projections of a slowing economy that prompted Nevada budget analysts to reduce the state’s revenue outlook over the next two fiscal years by $191 million.

Need for eviction assistance ‘is only going to get greater,’ state lawmaker warns

Along with federal funds, municipalities and nonprofits have relied on state funds to provide resources, including rental assistance to prevent evictions.

State lawmakers allocated $18 million in rental assistance in 2023 to Clark County and Reno to help continue eviction diversion programs set up during the pandemic.

Assembly Bill 475 seeks to appropriate $25 million in eviction diversion rental assistance funds — $18 million to Clark County and $7 million to Reno.

It has yet to be voted on but has been declared exempt from legislative deadlines.

“So many folks in our community have a broken down car or a major medical expense from not being able to make rent and being evicted,” Peters said. “Unfortunately most of those folks we see in our emergency shelter system and we would love to be able to provide more proactive solutions like providing rental assistance to keep people stably housed.”

Even if people don’t feel the impact of reduced state and federal funding that addresses homelessness, Riley said they’ll see it in the form of “an increase in the visibly unhoused.”

A cascade

Federal funding to support housing and homelessness programs works in concert with other types of non-housing related federal resources, Riley said.

As examples, she pointed to weatherization and energy saving programs, which rely on federal funding, including from the Department of Energy.

HELP will use those dollars to help extremely low income seniors or households with children to modernize or fix homes to make them more energy efficient. Riley said it is a far less costly practice than moving households to places that are more energy efficient.

“If they lose their home, (seniors) are not going to be able to afford the market rate,” she said. “Then comes hundreds of households a year that are going to be affected. Weatherization is no longer just an energy conversation, it’s a prevention”

The proposed cuts to Medicaid could also have a sizable impact on people receiving housing and homeless assistance, Peters said.

“Many of the folks we serve are able to access medical, behavioral health and mental health services through Medicaid coverage,” she said. “If that is reduced, folks can’t obtain that care, which is critical.”

For people receiving housing assistance, help to weatherize homes to be more energy efficient, and food assistance, they could face yet another blow to their fragile support system if they are also kicked off Medicaid, Riley said.

“How many more whammies … can they take?”

Artbitrary deadline leads to bike bill death

Mon, 19 May 2025 11:58:26 +0000

Reno cyclist and realtor Misty Carter speaks in support of improving bike safety through Assembly Bill 168 at the Senate Growth and Infrastructure committee on May 7th. (Photo courtesy Ky Plaskson)

Friday was deadline day – the day hundreds of good bills died at the hands of committee chairs in the legislature. Since our legislature only meets every few years and is limited to 120 days to consider 1,174 bills this year – legislators run up against a deadline. They can’t possibly examine almost 10 bills a day and pretend to make informed decisions. So, they kill bills at extreme expense to Nevadans. In the case of one bike safety bill, killed on Friday, the arbitrary deadline will cost more lives on our roads and discourage cycling for years.

What is the point of the arbitrary deadline and what are its impacts? Some say it is about efficiency.

But when we dig down, it’s extremely inefficient and contributes to ill-informed decision-making on the part of legislators, leaving Nevada in the dark ages, unable to make real progress.

Assembly Bill 168 flew through the Assembly nearly unopposed. It allows cyclists to go through stop signs and stop lights if there are no other cars. We call it Stop-As-Yield and you can learn about it and how it’s working in other states in this video.

The bill had the backing of local transportation officials, federal experts at the Highway Administration, and even the Governor’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board. Police agencies testified in neutral, not opposed. Why? Forty years of data in other states shows that these same safety measures save lives immediately once enacted.

The bill would not have even cost taxpayers any money.

But Friday, AB168 hit a roadblock for no reason — or at least no readily identifiable reason — other than Nevada’s arbitrary legislative time limits. Bills had to make it out of the “second house” committee by Friday, or die.

AB168 had sailed through its “first house,” passing on the Assembly floor by vote of 41 to 1.

It died at the hands of one person. The chair of each committee has the power to forward bills to the full Senate and Assembly. But they had to do it by Friday. Democratic Sen. Rochelle Nguyen, chair of the Senate Growth and Infrastructure Committee, was in that hot seat on Friday, facing a deadline with lots of bill sponsors like us struggling to meet with her to try to get past the deadline. But, she said she would not let the bike bill move forward because she has an unspecified “concern.” She has offered no additional explanation despite repeated requests.

Because of the deadline, there is no opportunity to meet with Nguyen or educate her to address her concern, whatever it is. In the 120 day session, her committee had an average of only 2 days to consider each of the 52 bills in front of them. The Senate Growth and Infrastructure Committee passed 75% of its bills, half of which they waited until the last week to act on. Ten of their bills weren’t even heard, including one from the Nevada Highway Patrol, S.B. 38, that would have prohibited and penalized road rage in Nevada. That’s something cyclists experience on the road every day and we will now need to continue to endure it because the committee failed to act on that bill which was backed by law enforcement.

These are no-brainer bills but they don’t make it past committee because of these arbitrary deadlines.

Law enforcement and bike advocates will now need to wait another two years before trying again on road rage and our Stop-As-Yield bike bill. We will go through the process all over – volunteering countless hours of time, energy and money with the possibility of unceremoniously being whacked by one committee chair who is running up against an arbitrary deadline and doesn’t have time to thoroughly consider the facts. This is extremely discouraging.

If good policy that is backed by public safety experts, works in other states, modernizes our roads, saves lives and punishes violent criminals doesn’t make it over the finish line in the Senate Growth and Infrastructure Committee, it makes me wonder what are the common factors that do get a bill over the tight finish line.

For instance, AB 527 barely made it over the finish line at the last minute in the committee. It authorizes cameras to be installed on school buses to catch drivers who blast through school bus stop signs. The video of drivers almost killing children is alarming. That’s not the kind of bill that should have to wait years either, let alone until the last minute to pass because of arbitrary deadlines. Maybe a common factor that contributes to passage of bills is alarming and sensational video that grabs legislator’s attention and is an easy sell.

Here is another common factor in bills that pass and it points to another serious problem posed by Nevada’s arbitrary deadline. Similar to the bike bill, AB 527 is already working in other states to save lives according to the proponents. Because of their time crunch, Nevada legislators are more likely to just pass things that are already working in other states, but they take a lot longer to do it and ask a lot of questions as if the bill is a novel idea or they ask no questions at all, like they did with the bike bill. Since they spend their time on bills that already work in other states, they are less likely to innovate and come up with laws specific to Nevada.

If they had more time, they would not only pass the laws that are already working to protect residents in other states but they would probably come up with great new and innovative laws for Nevadans. Legislators are sharp, well educated and probably want more time too.

With more time for lawmakers to research, Nevada could make leaps on many levels, not just transportation. But because of the arbitrary deadlines, legislators are killing bills without regard for facts or what their own local experts say. They don’t even have time to explain to their constituents.

Most bill proponents don’t speak out about this, for fear of retribution – that legislators will kill their bills just because they spoke out. It’s time to seriously ask ourselves if arbitrary deadlines are worth the consequences. Now the consequences mean years of more unnecessary deaths on our roads.

I am confident that the Stop-As-Yield bill would have been ultimately signed by the governor. Over the years thousands of good policy bills have likely died this way, never to be visited again. The result is that Nevada is at or near the top of nearly every bad list in the nation, clawing its way at the bottom behind every other state.

It’s not just bills that died on Friday. Hope for change on our roads died.

The solution is simple: longer and more frequent legislative sessions so that we pass important bills and catch up with the rest of the nation.

U.S. House Republicans aim to ban state-level AI laws for 10 years

Mon, 19 May 2025 11:00:50 +0000

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas shakes hands with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman following a hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Thursday, May 8, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A footnote in a budget bill U.S. House Republicans are trying to pass before Memorial Day is the first major signal for how Congress may address artificial intelligence legislation, as they seek to create a moratorium on any AI laws at the state level for 10 years.

The measure, advanced Wednesday, May 14, as part of the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s budget reconciliation proposal, says a state may not enforce any law or regulation on AI models and systems, or automated decision-making systems in the next 10 years. Exceptions would include laws that “remove legal impediments to, or facilitate the deployment or operation of” AI systems.

“No one believes that AI should be unregulated,” said California Rep. Jay Obernolte, a Republican member of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, during a markup Wednesday. But he said he believes that responsibility should fall to Congress, not the states.

The AI law moratorium was packaged with a budget line item proposing to spend $500 million modernizing federal IT programs with commercial AI systems through 2035.

This move by House Republicans is not really out of left field, said Travis Hall, director for State Engagement at tech policy and governance organization Center for Democracy and Technology. Many have been itching to create a preemptive federal law to supersede AI legislation in the states.

At a Senate Commerce Committee session earlier this month, Chairman Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said it was in his plans to create “a regulatory sandbox for AI” that would prevent state overregulation and promote the United States’ AI industry. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, once open to AI regulations, testified that the country’s lack of regulation is what contributed to his success.

“I think it is no accident that that’s happening in America again and again and again, but we need to make sure that we build our systems and that we set our policy in a way where that continues to happen,” Altman said.

As the language of the bill stands, Congress would prohibit enforcement of any existing laws on AI and decision-making systems, and nullify any potential laws that could be put forth over the next decade, Hall said. Though they discussed AI research last year, Congress has not put forward any guidelines or regulations on AI.

“I will say what feels very different and new about this particular provision … both in terms of conversations about artificial intelligence and in terms of other areas of tech and telecom policy, is the complete lack of any regulatory structure that would actually be preempting the state law,” Hall said.

States have been developing their own laws around AI and decision-making systems — software that helps analyze and sort data, commonly used for job applications, mortgage lending, banking and in other industries — over the last few years as they await federal legislation. At least 550 AI bills have been introduced across 45 states and Puerto Rico in 2025, the National Conference of State Legislatures reported.

Many of these state laws regulate how AI intertwines with data privacy, transparency and discrimination. Others regulate how children can access these tools, how they can be used in election processes and surround the concept of deepfakes, or computer-generated likenesses of real people.

While lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have called for federal AI legislation, Hall said he thinks industry pressure and President Donald Trump’s deregulated tech stance won’t allow Congress to effectively act on a preemptive law — “states are stepping into that vacuum themselves.”

On Friday, 40 state attorneys general signed a bipartisan letter to Congress opposing the limitation on state AI legislation. The letter urged Congress to develop a federal framework for AI governance for “high risk” systems that promotes transparency, testing and tool assessment, in addition to state legislation. The letter said existing laws were developed “over years through careful consideration and extensive stakeholder input from consumers, industry, and advocates.”

“In the face of Congressional inaction on the emergence of real-world harms raised by the use of AI, states are likely to be the forum for addressing such issues,” the letter said. “This bill would directly harm consumers, deprive them of rights currently held in many states, and prevent State AGs from fulfilling their mandate to protect consumers.”

A widesweeping AI bill in California was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year, citing similar industry pressure. Senate Bill 1047 would have required safety testing of costly AI models to determine whether they would likely lead to mass death, endanger public infrastructure or enable severe cyberattacks.

Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, a Bay Area Democrat, has found more success with the Automated Decisions Safety Act this year, but said as a regulatory lawyer, she would favor having a federal approach.

“We don’t have a Congress that is going to do what our communities want, and so in the absence of their action, the states are stepping up,” she said.

The moratorium would kill the Automated Decisions Safety Act and nullify all of California’s AI legislation, as well as landmark laws like Colorado’s which will go into effect in February. State Rep. Brianna Titone, a sponsor of Colorado’s law, said people are hungry for some regulation.

“A 10 year moratorium of time is astronomical in terms of how quickly this technology is being developed,” she said in an email to States Newsroom. “To have a complete free-for-all on AI with no safeguards puts citizens at risk of situations we haven’t yet conceived of.”

Hall is skeptical that this provision will advance fully, saying he feels legislators will have a hard time trying to justify this moratorium in a budget bill relating to updating aging IT systems. But it’s a clear indication that the focus of this Congress is on deregulation, not accountability, he said.

“I do think that it’s unfortunate that the first statement coming out is one of abdication of responsibility,” Hall said, “as opposed to stepping up and doing the hard work of actually putting in place common sense and, like, actual protections for people that allows for innovation.”

Republican debt hawks vote ‘present’ to let Trump’s big bill move forward

Mon, 19 May 2025 10:26:19 +0000

Among the cuts in the bill as written, spending on Medicaid, the health program for low-income individuals as well as those with disabilities, would be reduced by more than $600 billion over the next decade. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on the Budget Committee moved the “one big, beautiful” reconciliation bill a step closer to the chamber floor in a rare Sunday night vote after a handful of conservatives blocked the bill Friday.

The massive deal squeaked through on a 17-16 vote, with four far-right panel members voting “present.” They were Reps. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Chip Roy of Texas. All four voted no on the bill Friday.

Rep. Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania flipped his Friday vote of “no” to support the massive budget reconciliation deal that cuts safety net programs to pay for extending, and expanding, President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax law — at a cost of $3.8 trillion over the next decade.

Smucker, the panel’s vice chair, switched his vote Friday because of committee procedural rules that allowed him to propose reconsideration of the measure.

Brecheen, Clyde, Norman and Roy voted “no” on Friday after demanding work requirements for some Medicaid recipients begin prior to the bill’s stated date of 2029, and that clean energy tax credits phase out at a faster pace.

Roy wrote on social media Sunday night that he changed his vote “out of respect for the Republican Conference and the President to move the bill forward” but that the bill “does not yet meet the moment.”

Other details on why the members changed their votes to “present” were unclear.

When asked by Democrats on the panel whether anything had changed in the bill, Budget Committee Chair Jody Arrington said negotiations were “fluid.”

“Deliberations continue at this very moment. They will continue on into the week, and I suspect right up until the time we put this big, beautiful bill on the floor of the House,” said Arrington of Texas.

Ranking Member Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania said his side of the aisle wanted “transparency.”

“If the bill has changed and there’s been some side agreement reached, I think it’s important that all the members have the full details on that in advance of any vote,” Boyle said.

Massive bill

The committee’s tense Sunday night meeting began nearly 30 minutes late.

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana told reporters on Capitol Hill shortly beforehand that talks were going “great” and that “minor modifications” had been made over the weekend.

The 1,116-page bill package that includes bills from 11 separate committees will now need to clear the House Committee on Rules to advance to a full House vote. House members are set to leave for Memorial Day recess on Thursday.

As written, the bill cuts more than $600 billion over the next decade from Medicaid, the government health program for low-income individuals as well as those with disabilities.

Credit downgrade

Sunday night’s vote came just two days after Moody’s Ratings downgraded the U.S. government’s credit rating, citing a gloomy outlook for U.S. debt and interest burdens.

“Successive US administrations and Congress have failed to agree on measures to reverse the trend of large annual fiscal deficits and growing interest costs,” a Friday statement from the investment rating service read. “We do not believe that material multi-year reductions in mandatory spending and deficits will result from current fiscal proposals under consideration.”

The reconciliation package could add up to $3.3 trillion to the national debt through 2034, reaching $5.2 trillion if temporary provisions are made permanent, according to analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The Congressional Budget Office has not yet released scores for all parts of the megabill.

The far-right House Freedom Caucus board released a statement shortly after Sunday night’s vote, saying the bill continues to increase deficits “with possible savings years down the road that may never materialize.”

“Thanks to discussions over the weekend, the bill will be closer to the budget resolution framework we agreed upon in the House in April, but it fails to actually honor our promise to significantly correct the spending trajectory of the federal government and lead our nation towards a balanced budget,” according to the statement posted on social media.

Members of the caucus who do not serve on the Budget Committee made similar public statements.

“America faces the reality of financial insolvency and looming bankruptcy. For 9 years, I have remained faithful to principles that include an end to the continuous growth of FedGov deficit spending. I will not support a federal budget that increases federal deficit spending,” GOP Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana wrote on his X profile Sunday.

Republican Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee wrote on the social media site, “The Moody’s downgrade is yet another wake up call. We need to decrease spending immediately!”

Thin margins

As expected, and following Friday’s same result, Democrats on the panel voted unanimously against the package.

Republicans hold a slim 220-213 margin in the House, meaning that if more than three Republicans vote with Democrats — who are all expected to vote against the package — the bill would fail on the floor.

Republicans swiftly voted down several last-ditch efforts by Democrats on the panel to protect low-income health care and food assistance programs, as well as clean energy and manufacturing tax credits.

Johnson must also contend with a parallel — and expensive — fight among his conference on the state and local taxes, or SALT, deduction. Republicans who represent high-income, high-tax blue states like California and New York, are demanding a more generous cap on the amount they can deduct.

Friends, family come together to honor UNLV student

Mon, 19 May 2025 06:15:49 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- UNLV honored 21-year-old, Janeah Lane, a criminal justice major, who died tragically last March after accidentally killing herself with a handgun, over the weekend.

Friends and family gathered at what would have been Lane’s college graduation, on Saturday. Her Mother, Simoni Lane took the stage in an emotional tribute and shared with 8 News Now just how special the moment was.

"UNLV was so amazing. It was healing and I felt the love," Simoni Lane shared.

In addition to UNLV'S ceremony, Lane's family held a balloon release at Sunset Park. Her aunt, Salina Bibbs shared with 8 News Now that Lane impacted a lot of people across the valley as an influencer.

"She was a hairstylist in Las Vegas and she has a big mural inside Lux Beauty Supply on Sahara and Valley View," Bibbs said.

When Lane's family could not get a hold of her, they reached out to her apartment complex.

"I called her complex for a wellness check. Come to find out someone called that Sunday about hearing a gunshot at the apartment complex," Bibbs added.

Janeah Lane (Courtesy of Salina Bibbs)
Janeah Lane (Courtesy of Salina Bibbs)
Janeah Lane (Courtesy of Salina Bibbs)

It was ultimately Lane’s mother, Simoni who found her body. Her aunt shared that her phone was lying by her side.

"I happen to look on her browser and it says how to unload a gun properly and when they found her, there was a full clip on the bed," Bibbs shared.

While Metro police ruled Lane’s death a suicide, her family believes her death was accidental. They now continue to keep her legacy alive by advocating for gun safety through her social media platform.

"I am blessed to have had 21 years of her and look at how many lives she’s changed through social media. She is what social media is supposed to be," Lane's mother told 8 News Now.

Officers involved in shooting at Las Vegas gym identified

Mon, 19 May 2025 00:32:52 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Metro police identified the officers involved in Friday’s shooting at a northwest Las Vegas valley gym that left two people dead, including the shooter.

LVMPD identified the officers as Kaid Urban, 29, with the department since 2020; Skeeter Black, 44, employed since 2015; and Aaron Javier, 37, with the department since 2016.

All three officers are assigned to the Community Safety Division under the Bolden Area Command. They have been placed on routine paid administrative leave pending a review of the incident, police said.

Just after 1:30 p.m. Friday, Metro police responded to a report of a shooting at the Las Vegas Athletic Club (LVAC) on North Rainbow Boulevard near Lake Mead Boulevard.

When officers approached the building, they encountered the suspect, who was armed with a firearm, Capt. Esmerelda Boveda said during a Friday evening briefing. The shooter then ran out of the door, and officers fired at him multiple times, police said.

Medical personnel took the shooter to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

Edgar Quinonez, who had worked at LVAC for 15 years, was fatally shot. Three additional people were taken to a local hospital, where one is in critical condition and the other two suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the latest update on Friday.

Police did not specify which officer or if all of the officers fired their weapons and hit the suspect.

Nevada gas prices fall by 43 cents from last year: AAA

Mon, 19 May 2025 00:25:52 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- With Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, many in Las Vegas are gearing up to hit the road for the long holiday. But before they do, some are keeping a close eye on gas prices at the pump.

Gas prices in Nevada have dropped 43 cents compared to this time last year, according to AAA.

The current average for a gallon of regular gas sits just under $4, at $3.956. Last year, that same gallon would have cost $4.388. Despite the dip, many drivers express how fuel costs are still straining their budgets, especially with the holiday travel weekend approaching.

“I want to (travel), but gas is just ridiculous,” Ronda Pruitt said.

“I don’t understand how all over town, they’re different prices,” Booker Henry said.

Gas prices can differ depending on the location, and drivers are feeling the impact.

At a Sinclair station near Desert Inn and Decatur, people said they are doing what they can to cut costs, choosing where to fuel up based on pump prices and whether the station offers rewards or loyalty points.

“If I go to Smith’s, I save on gas because they give you discounts. But if I come to Sinclair, their gas is lower than Terrible’s,” Henry said. “But if I go to Shell or any of those, they’re very expensive.”

According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of gas is currently $3.17. In Nevada, the record-high price per gallon was $5.67, set back in June 2022.

Employee identified as victim in deadly Las Vegas gym shooting

Sun, 18 May 2025 07:58:33 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The man killed in a deadly shooting Friday at a Las Vegas gym was identified as an employee, according to a social media post.

Edgar Quinonez, who had worked at the Las Vegas Athletic Club (LVAC) for 15 years, was fatally shot Friday afternoon, according to the post.

The shooting happened just after 1:30 p.m. at the LVAC on North Rainbow Boulevard near Lake Mead Boulevard.

The LVAC post described Quinonez as more than just an employee.

"In that time he became so much more than a colleague. He was a source of kindness, dedication and positivity. His presence touched the lives of so many members and teammates, and his impact will never be forgotten," the post said.

Las Vegas Metropolitan police said officers shot the unidentified gunman, who was pronounced dead at an area hospital. Three additional people were taken to a local hospital. One of the victims was last listed in critical condition, while two suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

As of Friday evening, investigators had not determined a motive, according to LVMPD Lt. Jason Boveda.

Those who work out at the LVAC on Decatur Boulevard and Tropical Parkway said they are bothered by the events that transpired.

"I have some friends that went to the other gym, and they were telling me that they are now going to stay home or go to another location. I used to go to the rainbow location, and I didn't like the area or the environment there, so I switched to this one," LVAC member, John Marquez said.

Others, like Zachary Krause, said it's unfortunate the amount of violence he's seen across the valley in recent years.

"I just started coming back to the gym and when I heard about this whole thing, it was a little scary. The past decade has been hard for our city. We've been hit with a lot of different things, especially recently. It sucks because we're a really small town and we all know each other," LVAC member, Zachary Krause said.

LVAC released a statement after the shooting: “We are heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred at our Northwest club. Our prayers are with the victims, their families, our members and our team. The club is temporarily closed as we support the LVMPD investigation. We will share updates as we have them.”

Police investigate robbery, shooting on Las Vegas Strip

Sun, 18 May 2025 07:50:10 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A robbery Saturday night on the Las Vegas Strip led to shots fired but no injuries, police said.

Las Vegas Metro police officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 3500 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard around 10:30 p.m., officials said. Both Caesars Palace and the Forum Shops are located on the block.

Video shared on social media showed police entering Caesars Palace on Saturday night.

Officers determined there was a robbery and at least one person fired a weapon. No one was hurt.

It is Metro police policy not to identify a specific business but to release only a generic address and block.

It was not immediately clear if anyone was in custody in connection with the shooting.

How Nevada State Police keep traffic flowing at EDC

Sun, 18 May 2025 07:37:04 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) is one of the Las Vegas valley’s biggest and brightest events. Every year law enforcement works together to keep the fun going as safely and smoothly as possible.

Nevada State Police Highway Patrol (NHP) gave 8 News Now a behind-the-scenes look at traffic enforcement. NHP expects 185,000 people each night at this year’s EDC.

“This event is so large, that it is all hands on deck,” Nevada State Police Trooper Ashlee Wellman said. “We treat it just like, as if it was like New Year's Eve. It is mandatory for all our officers.”

Each night of the festival is comprised of three shifts, each of which are around 11 hours. Each day, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway sees around 150 troopers and officers.

“We work together with one mission and one goal, and that's to get everybody here to have a good time safely and get them back home safely, and it just gets better and better every year,” Wellman said.

Nevada State Police (KLAS)
Nevada State Police (KLAS)
Nevada State Police (KLAS)

Regarding traffic safety, Wellman said one of the most common causes of traffic jams is people stopping and asking for directions, leading to almost everyone behind the lost driver slowing down or stopping entirely. Sometimes, it's not even a driver that interrupts the flow — it’s people walking.

“You cannot walk on the side of the highway,” Wellman said. “You're generating a call for service, which takes us from our post, or we have to pull someone from town to then get to you. It's a whole thing where we're trying to get everyone in and quickly, and it's yeah, it's a whole domino effect.”

When the festival ends in the morning, troopers make sure departing traffic can get home safely.

2 dead, including shooter in Las Vegas gym shooting; police report multiple victims

Sat, 17 May 2025 06:24:22 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Two people are dead and multiple were hospitalized after a shooting at a Las Vegas gym, which led to police shooting and killing a suspect, according to Metro police.

On Friday around 1:30 p.m., officers responded to the Las Vegas Athletic Club on North Rainbow Boulevard, near Lake Mead Boulevard after a report of a person with a weapon shooting inside the gym, LVMPD Undersheriff Andrew Walsh said in a briefing Friday afternoon.

As officers approached the building, they encountered the suspect, who was armed with a firearm, Capt. Esmerelda Boveda said during a Friday evening briefing.

The shooter then ran out of the door and officers fired at him multiple times. Medical personnel took the shooter to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

Police investigate shooting at gym in the 1700 block of North Rainbow Boulevard on Friday, May 16. (KLAS)
Police investigate shooting at gym in the 1700 block of North Rainbow Boulevard on Friday, May 16. (KLAS)
Police investigate shooting at gym in the 1700 block of North Rainbow Boulevard on Friday, May 16. (KLAS)

Three additional people were taken to a local hospital where one is in critical condition and the other two suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Metro police said there was no threat to the community. Boveda said Friday evening that police did not know the shooter's motive at this point in the investigation.

"They said get out, get out, get out," Claudio Vigani, a witness who was at the gym when the shooting started, told 8 News Now. "Then I saw the dead guy next to the machine."

"He was shooting around," Vigani continued. "And you could see the pool of blood pooling right there."

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said no officers were reported injured at the time of publication.

Video 8 News Now obtained showed the moment officers opened fire on the shooter. In the video, an apparent victim of the shooting is seen walking around with an apparent gunshot wound to his back.

Warning: The following video may be disturbing. Discretion is advised.

Las Vegas Athletic Club released the following statement after the shooting:

"We are heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred at our Northwest club. Our prayers are with the victims, their families, our members and our team. The club is temporarily closed as we support the LVMPD investigation. We will share updates as we have them."

RTC of Southern Nevada said all southbound and northbound lanes of Rainbow Boulevard were blocked off from Lake Mead to Vegas Drive.

Metro will provide a briefing with additional details within 72 hours.

This is a developing story.

Juvenile shot, killed in North Las Vegas

Sat, 17 May 2025 06:16:31 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- A juvenile was shot and killed in North Las Vegas Friday evening, according to police.

Around 5:05 p.m., police responded to the 2500 block of North Las Vegas Boulevard near Carey Avenue after reports of a shooting. When officers arrived they found a juvenile boy suffering from a gunshot wound, police said.

Despite life-saving measures the boy was pronounced dead at the scene, NLVPD said.

The suspect or suspects involved in the shooting left the area before officers arrived.

Anyone who may have information about this incident is urged to contact the North Las Vegas Police Department by phone at 702-633-9111. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers of Nevada by phone at 702-385-5555, or online at crimestoppersofnv.com.

Trail, picnic area reopen in Mt. Charleston 2 years after storm

Sat, 17 May 2025 01:41:13 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Nearly two years after Tropical Storm Hilary wreaked havoc on the trails and roads of Mount Charleston, two areas have finally reopened.

Deer Creek Picnic Area and Cathedral Rock Trail have both reopened. Hiker Cody Devolder spent his day checking out the new path.

"The last time I was on this trail was 2019. I'm so relieved things are getting back up and running. We had a nice walk," Devolder told 8 News Now.

8 News Now got an exclusive look at the reopened areas with U.S. Forest Service Officer Taylor Tims who described the destruction that was left behind after the storm.

"We got about 10 inches of rain in an hour so you can imagine the amount of water damage that caused to our trails," she said. "To reopen a trail, you first need to access it and see what the damage is. In Cathedral Rock specifically there were ruts probably three to four feet deep. That entails a lot of hard labor so what we had to do is fill those holes with boulders."

Mt. Charleston (KLAS)
Mt. Charleston (KLAS)

The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act provided grant money to get the trail up and running again, but Tims said there's still a lot of work to be done.

"Mary Jane and Trail Canyon are popular trails that remain closed. The timeline for those will be around 2027," Tims added.

The Forest Service, Southern Nevada Climate Coalition and Spring Mountain Youth Camp have also played a vital role in the rebuilding process.

The lower part of Bristlecone Trail is open to hikers; however, the upper portion will remain closed until 2029.

UMC unveils biggest renovation in nearly 100 years

Sat, 17 May 2025 01:40:45 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- After two years of construction, UMC held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday to unveil updates that began in April 2023.

Some of the improvements to their 26-acre campus include new exteriors, landscaping, and improved access for pedestrians.

“From our humble beginnings back in 1931 when we started out with one doctor, one nurse, to becoming the highest level of care in the state of Nevada,” UMC’s Chief Executive Officer, Mason Van Houweling, said. “It's just an exciting day for UMC.”

“This part of the valley is very important, with the medical district investment by the city, and the school of medicine UNLV and UMC’s partnership, to be able to grow and bring care to Las Vegas that no one else has,” He continued.

Neonatologist Dr. Francis Banfro attended the grand reveal. He told 8 News Now he was amazed by the updates.

“We saw the beginnings. We've been dreaming what this revitalization was going to look like,” Dr. Banfro, who said the move will benefit both doctors and patients, said.

“People say looks don't matter, but looks matter to patients,” he explained. “If the place looks dingy and way behind, they won't have confidence coming to the place.”

The project, which began two years ago, had a price tag of $55 million.

“The exteriors really reflect the great care that's happening inside the walls of UMC,” CEO Van Houweling said.

Brick by brick, exhibit brings LEGO built animals to life at Las Vegas Springs Preserve

Sat, 17 May 2025 01:40:00 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- LEGO bricks not only appeal to children but also to adults who have found ways to create joy and art by assembling the bricks.

Sean Kenny is an acclaimed artist who uses LEGO bricks to create sculptures, and some of his creations are being featured at the Springs Preserve Brick Planet exhibit. With more than 20 years of experience, his sculptures have been showcased in museums across the globe, blending creativity and conservation storytelling.

Artist Sean Kenny uses LEGO bricks to create award-winning exhibits. This exhibit is at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. (KLAS)
Artist Sean Kenny uses LEGO bricks to create award-winning exhibits. This exhibit is at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. (KLAS)
Artist Sean Kenny uses LEGO bricks to create award-winning exhibits. This exhibit is at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. (KLAS)
ArtiArtist Sean Kenny uses LEGO bricks to create award-winning exhibits. This exhibit is at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. (KLAS)st Sean Kenny uses LEGO bricks to create award-winning exhibits. This exhibit is at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. (KLAS)
Artist Sean Kenny uses LEGO bricks to create award-winning exhibits. This exhibit is at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. (KLAS)
Artist Sean Kenny uses LEGO bricks to create award-winning exhibits. This exhibit is at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. (KLAS)
Artist Sean Kenny uses LEGO bricks to create award-winning exhibits. This exhibit is at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. (KLAS)

The exhibit features more than 30 LEGO sculptures to show diverse ecosystems and animals, including a polar bear and deer family. The exhibit is designed to be fun while revealing scientific facts.

"Sean Kenny is an American artist and obviously just a wonder with Legos. He is really bringing this education through the creativity of our natural world around us, and that's what the Springs Preserve is all about," Bronson Mack with Springs Preserve said. “The exhibit not only highlights the beauty of our natural world but also emphasizes the importance of conservation and the interconnectedness of ecosystems.”

The exhibit opens on Saturday, May 17, and runs Thursday-Monday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., through September 8. More information can be found at this link.

New county report outlines fresh vision of historic Las Vegas Commercial Center

Sat, 17 May 2025 01:34:38 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- On Wednesday, Clark County’s Redevelopment Agency will review a draft report by design firm Gensler, offering a bold new vision for the 30-acre site near Sahara and Maryland Parkway.

Dubbed “Commercial Center 2.0,” the plan imagines a thriving cultural epicenter—complete with new arts venues, dining, festivals, and residential development. The architecture firm Gensler created the report.

Currently, the report is in draft form, but it will be presented publicly for the first time at the May 21 meeting.

It suggests turning Commercial Center into a “cultural epicenter known for celebrating the legacy of Las Vegas while incubating new experiences through innovative arts, dining, entertainment, retail, and residential.”

“Real intention, but just ideas right now,” said Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom, who represents the area.

Artist renderings and drawings of the proposed Commercial Center project. (Credit: Gensler Report)
Artist renderings and drawings of the proposed Commercial Center project. (Credit: Gensler Report)
Artist renderings and drawings of the proposed Commercial Center project. (Credit: Gensler Report)

The Gensler report presents a bold reimagining: a Clark County Arts and Cultural Center, a revamped Ice Palace turned entertainment venue, and a modernized New Orleans Square.

The last two items are “definitely going to happen,” Segerblom said.

At the same May 21 meeting, the Redevelopment Agency will vote on a proposal to buy land connecting Maryland Parkway to Commercial Center for around $7.1 million. According to the Gensler report, that property would be used for a large apartment complex.

Even if these are just “ideas,” it is a complete rethink of the Commercial Center. Images included in the Gensler report propose a mixed-use neighborhood, large-scale cultural events, outdoor space for events and festivals, encouraging new business and housing.

It’s touted as the creation of “Commercial Center 2.0.” The report cites other, similar projects around the country that have brought new life to struggling neighborhoods.

Nevada lawmakers plan to pull over $350M from Rainy Day Fund

Sat, 17 May 2025 00:56:17 +0000

A bill proposes transferring over $350 million from Nevada’s Rainy Day Fund to the state’s general fund.

‘Reba’s law’ passes Nevada Assembly floor

Sat, 17 May 2025 00:23:53 +0000

The bill to strengthen animal cruelty penalties passed the Nevada Assembly unanimously.

Student-made short films highlight mental health challenges in Nevada

Fri, 16 May 2025 23:51:43 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- When it comes to youth mental health, sometimes the best experts are young people themselves. Students at Advanced Technologies Academy in the north Las Vegas valley created short films demonstrating the ways teens experience mental health struggles.

“Young people need a seat at the table, and they should be a part of the conversations for the decisions that are made about them,” Brenna Hardtner with Youth Move Nevada said.

Her organization, which brings young people together to advocate for themselves, was at Friday's award ceremony for the "My Voice Matters" contest.

The goal of the contest is to give teens the opportunity to show their mental health challenges through their own lens. For example, showing how ADHD can affect school life, or how stress can lead to a panic attack while studying.

Students at Advanced Technologies Academy created short films demonstrating the ways teens experience mental health struggles. (KLAS)
Students at Advanced Technologies Academy created short films demonstrating the ways teens experience mental health struggles. (KLAS)

Trinh Dang-Mai with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Southern Nevada said in a world with social media and constant tech use, conversations with today's teens are different.

“What they're going through today, I didn't have to experience,” she said. “So to be able to see and hear what they're going through can help us get one step closer to potentially getting, finding a solution.”

Mental Health America ranks Nevada last in the nation for youth mental health. Experts say there is not enough access to support services for young people.

Janna Velasco's organization, Hope Means Nevada, is working to address the situation, but she said conversations also need to happen at home.

“It's kind of innate in us to want to shy away from having these conversations, but just start having the conversations with your youth and keep it up, because it just becomes more natural, and it's really, truly healing and connective,” Velasco said.

To view the student's videos, click here.

Tax extension to fund Las Vegas police jobs heads to governor’s desk

Fri, 16 May 2025 22:26:22 +0000

A property tax that funds hundreds of Metropolitan Police Department positions may be extended another 30 years after a key vote in the Nevada Legislature.

‘Medical aid in dying’ bill fails in Nevada Legislature

Fri, 16 May 2025 21:09:31 +0000

A proposal to give some terminally ill patients in Nevada access to life-ending medications failed to meet a key Nevada Legislature deadline on Friday.

Nevada AG charges fiber optic company owner over failed internet project

Fri, 16 May 2025 20:46:11 +0000

The state paid over $9 million to bring internet access to Lovelock. The funds went missing, and the project was never finished.

‘Big beautiful bill’ not big, beautiful enough for far right, tanks in committee vote

Fri, 16 May 2025 20:43:24 +0000

The U.S. House Budget Committee votes on Friday, May 16, 2025 on a massive reconciliation package. The vote failed, 16-21. (Screenshot from House webcast)

WASHINGTON — Republicans suffered a major setback to their “big, beautiful bill” on Friday, when amid conservative objections the U.S. House Budget Committee failed to approve the measure, a crucial step in the process.

In a 16-21 vote, Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Chip Roy of Texas and Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania broke from their GOP colleagues to block the bill from moving toward the floor, demanding changes to several provisions.

The breakdown over the 1,116-page bill marks an escalation in the long-running feud between centrist Republicans, who have been cautious about hundreds of billions in spending cuts to safety net programs, and far-right members of the party, who argue the changes are not enough.

The committee is scheduled to reconvene Sunday at 10 p.m. Eastern. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana has said he wants the package on the floor prior to the Memorial Day recess.

Speedier work requirements

Norman said he remains a “hard no” until new work requirements for Medicaid recipients phase in more quickly. As the bill is written, the requirements won’t begin until 2029.

“To phase this in for four years — We’re telling a healthy-bodied, a healthy American that you got four years to get a job. No, your payment stops now,” Norman said.

Brecheen criticized the bill for not going far enough to repeal wind and solar energy tax credits, which he contends are “undermining natural gas jobs.”

“We have to fix this,” he said.

Clyde denounced the measure for not adhering to President Donald Trump’s promise of “right-sizing government,” as Clyde described it. The Georgia Republican also pleaded for lower taxes on firearms and stronger cuts that would put Medicaid on a “sustainable path.”

“Unfortunately, the current version falls short of these goals and fails to deliver the transformative change that Americans were promised,” Clyde said.

Smucker initially voted ‘yes,’ but then joined his four colleagues to oppose the measure.

Trump wrote on his social media platform shortly before the committee voted that “Republicans MUST UNITE behind, ‘THE ONE, BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL!’”

“We don’t need ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ in the Republican Party. STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE! It is time to fix the MESS that Biden and the Democrats gave us. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

‘A wrecking ball to Medicaid’

Democrats, who as expected unified in voting no against the bill, slammed it as “ugly,” “cruel” and a “betrayal.”

“This bill takes a wrecking ball to Medicaid, on which 1 in 5 Americans and 3 million Ohioans depend for medical care — children, seniors in nursing homes,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who represents northern Ohio. “Please come with me to visit the nursing homes. … Perhaps too many on the other side of the aisle have not had to endure a life that has major challenges.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota said the proposed cuts to safety net programs would be “devastating.”

“Their changes will kick millions of Americans off their health care and nutrition assistance. That means more untreated illnesses, more hungry children, more preventable deaths,” she said.

Republican-only bill

Republicans are using the complex reconciliation process to move the package through Congress with simple majority votes in each chamber, avoiding the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster, which would otherwise require bipartisanship.

Reconciliation measures must address federal revenue, spending, or the debt limit in a way not deemed “merely incidental” by the Senate parliamentarian. That means the GOP proposals must carry some sort of price tag and cannot focus simply on changing federal policy.

Republicans are using the package to extend the 2017 tax law, increase spending on border security and defense by hundreds of billions of dollars, overhaul American energy production, restructure higher education aid and cut spending.

The 11 House committees tasked with drafting pieces of the legislation have all debated and approved their measures along party lines.

The Agriculture Committee, Energy and Commerce Committee and Ways and Means Committee all completed their work earlier this week, amid strong objections from Democrats.

Proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, could shift considerable cost-sharing onto states for the first time, presenting challenges for red-state lawmakers who need to explain the bill back home.

More than $600 billion in federal spending cuts to Medicaid during the next decade could also cause some difficulties for moderate Republicans, some of whose constituents are likely to be among the millions of Americans expected to lose their health insurance.

Republicans also have yet to reach an agreement on the state and local tax deduction or SALT, a priority for GOP lawmakers from blue states like California, New Jersey and New York.

The Budget Committee’s role in the process was to package together all of the bills and then send the one massive bill to the Rules Committee, the last stop before floor debate for major legislation.

That won’t be able to happen until after GOP leaders get nearly all the Republican lawmakers on the panel to support the package.

ACLU files lawsuit against CCSD over its graduation regalia policy

Fri, 16 May 2025 20:24:58 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Although Nevada has a law that allows students to wear certain regalia on their caps and gowns at school graduation ceremonies, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit on behalf of a student, stating that the Clark County School District isn't following the law.

“For the fourth year in a row, we are again hearing stories about CCSD schools enforcing unconstitutional restrictions on students’ decorating their caps and gowns at their high school graduation," the ACLU said in a news release. "Our clients and their families deserve the right to express themselves and celebrate their graduation."

The law states that students are "entitled to wear traditional tribal regalia or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance as an adornment at a school graduation ceremony." However, school boards and school officials can ban a specific item if it's "likely to cause a substantial disruption of, or material interference with, [a graduation] ceremony."

The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, said the graduating student wanted to wear the following items:

A stole with the written message "Black Girl Magic" to represent herself.
A black and red stole to represent her time with the ACLU of Nevada's Emerging Leaders program.
A pin signifying her membership in the National Honor Society.
The stoles and cords provided by her school signify her achievements at East Career and Technical Academy.
A cap decorated with small paper flowers, gems and crystals.

The ACLU gave all the students in its Nevada Emerging Leaders program a graduation stole and pin to wear at graduation, and states in the suit that not being able to wear these violates the Nevada law and the First Amendment.

The suit contends that CCSD has not provided proper guidance to schools, causing individual schools to create their own guidelines.

New faith-based Las Vegas private school holds open house

Fri, 16 May 2025 18:56:22 +0000

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- There's a new faith-based private school in Las Vegas, and they're having an open house on Saturday.

Tucked away in a beautiful campus in a church complex off Buffalo and Vegas Drive, the school is not just growing minds. That's the school's name: Growing Minds!

Head of Schools Cindy Capaci on the mission:

“We want to do play-based learning, project-based learning.”

She says the Open House is all about exploring:

“They get a little passport and they go to all the different stations and get a stamp.”

The Growing Minds Pre-School Director Debbie Kaye says enrolled students get hands-on learning, exploration a foundation for their social/emotional learning.

The school's Performing Arts Director, Rebecca Hill, says learning at the school is “cross-curricular” -

“We're bringing in drama, dance, music, musical theater.”

The Growing Minds Pre-School has been around for a minute. The Kindergarten through 8th-grade classes start in August.

To learn more about the Open House, click - - - > HERE.

We always want to know What's Cool At School. If you've got something, let us know. “What's Cool At School” is under the “Community” tab at 8newsnow.com. Or just email: whatscoolatschool@8newsnow.com

Wynn Resorts agrees to $5.5M fine related to illegal transactions

Fri, 16 May 2025 17:06:55 +0000

The fine, which could be reviewed by the Nevada Gaming Commission as early as next week, is related to Wynn’s $130.1 million forfeiture to federal authorities last year.