University Medical Center will be getting more hands-on attention from a new oversight board starting next year, after Clark County commissioners voted today to relinquish much of their authority over the public hospital.
Easy access to alcohol brings concerns about underage drinking and a potential increase in crime in the tourist area
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013
With 21 liquor stores already operating along or near the Fremont Street Experience downtown, the Las Vegas City Council is planning to hit the brakes on further such development in the area for at least six months.
Strip sidewalks could be getting a makeover for the new year if the Clark County Commission approves a ban on news racks along parts of Las Vegas Boulevard at its Tuesday meeting.
During the ongoing debate about whether to raise the county sales tax rate to hire more police officers, the effect on valley residents' pocketbooks has been a central concern for Clark County commissioners.
Sheriff Doug Gillespie struck a conciliatory tone Monday morning during a presentation to Metro’s Fiscal Affairs Committee in an attempt to stamp out controversy over a recent arbitrator’s decision that will cost the department $6.9 million.
Metro’s Fiscal Affairs Committee has agreed to pay a $1.5 million settlement to the widow of Stanley Gibson, the unarmed Gulf War veteran shot to death by police in December 2011. The action this morning clears the way for Rondha Gibson to end a federal lawsuit.
Cases of mistaken identity, improper arrest and police getting physical during traffic stops all have resulted in settlements in the past three years. Here’s a look at some cases that led to payouts.
Cases of excessive force by Metro Police, whether in a traffic stop gone awry or a fatal shooting, take their toll in lost lives and lingering physical and emotional trauma suffered by victims. Such instances of police misconduct also are costing taxpayers at an increasing rate in the form of expensive litigation and high-dollar settlements. Since 2011, Metro has paid out at least $5 million to settle civil rights lawsuits filed against it. That figure could grow Monday when officials consider a $1.5 million settlement with the widow of Stanley Gibson, an unarmed veteran who was shot and killed by a Metro officer in December 2011.
What constitutes an obstruction on sidewalks of the Las Vegas Strip has become a topic of increased importance those who rely on news racks to make a living or distribute their publications.
Eddie Munoz has operated news racks on the Strip since 1990 through his company Strip Advertising. He said he’d likely be put out of business should the Clark County Commission adopt a news rack ban at its Nov. 5 meeting, but he doesn’t plan to go down without a fight.
An arbitrator’s decision to award a cost-of-living raise and increase in health benefits to Metro Police officers did not meet standards required by Nevada law, according to a memo from Clark County’s in-house legal counsel. The Sept. 23 decision by Chicago-based arbitrator Robert Perkovich is at the core of an intensifying battle between Commissioner Steve Sisolak and Sheriff Doug Gillespie.
Renovations on the Clark County Detention Center will take a year longer and cost $20 million more than original estimates, but the commission approved a contract with a Nevada company for construction.
Clark County commissioners will take another swing at approving a sales tax increase that would benefit Metro Police and police departments in North Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City.
Las Vegas is considering filing a lawsuit against the federal government over a decision to double the amount of protected public lands in the northwest valley the city would like to see remain open for development.
They’ve got a lot of money and a big plan to peddle marijuana throughout Clark County. But they’re not a drug cartel pushing pot on the streets. They’re high profile lawyers, consultants and investors.
The Legislature began the process to fix the medical marijuana system earlier this year and starting next spring patients should have a variety of licensed and legal dispensaries to shop at. For now, though, a shadow network of delivery based medical marijuana businesses have stepped in to fill the void left by the once prohibited and now soon to be legal storefront dispensaries.
City officials, fed up with complaints about “party houses” disrupting Las Vegas neighborhoods, want to clamp down on the irreverence. Will an outright ban do the trick?
McCarran International Airport will pay $38 million to settle a 5-year-old legal dispute alleging that airspace restrictions imposed during the 1990s devalued 191 acres of property near Interstate 15 and Warm Springs Road.
Pat Mulroy's legacy will be tied to the success of the sprawling metropolis she helped water, the billions the Southern Nevada Water Authority spent doing it and the environmental costs of a controversial grab for groundwater in rural Nevada.
North Las Vegas and Las Vegas already share a border and a jail. Now the two cities will look at other areas — from park maintenance to business licensing to animal control — where they can partner up in an attempt to cut down on costs and be more efficient.
After the Southern Nevada Water Authority approved a rate increase last month, the agency has scheduled public workshops to reach out to residents before the hike takes effect in January.
Tom Collins is drafting a third proposal for the 'More Cops' sales tax increase
Friday, Oct. 4, 2013
Despite failing to pass twice during Tuesday’s Clark County Commission meeting, one county commissioner is already working on a new version of a sales tax increase proposal to pay for more police officers that he hopes to introduce later this month.
The Las Vegas City Council denied a pair of tavern licenses Wednesday for the troubled nightclub Krave Massive and the Drink & Drag bar due to improper paperwork and questions about the the downtown venues’ owners.
Clark County commissioners have decided to lengthen a construction project overhauling plumbing, electrical and other systems at the detention center by one year in order to cut down costs after the lowest bid came in $10 million over the initial estimate.
The Clark County Commission today turned back two proposals to increase sales tax rates to pay for additional police officers at Metro Police and other local departments.
A Las Vegas casino owner has snatched up 2.74 acres of prime downtown property for $10 million after winning a public auction today at the Clark County Commission meeting. The D Las Vegas co-owner Derek Stevens submitted the only bid for the site of the former county courthouse at Third Street and Carson Avenue, which sits diagonally across the street from his casino. Stevens said the site would give The D room to grow. “The location is great. It gives us a few options,” he said.
Las Vegas’ first attempt at imposing a downtown curfew was met with resistance and concerns that the affected area was too broad. On Wednesday, the city council will review revised boundaries for the curfew and possibly vote on the proposal.
After delaying the initial vote two months, the Clark County Commission will likely decide Tuesday whether to increase the region’s sales tax in order to pay for more police officers. The commission will debate the tax proposal and discuss how to finance $80 million worth of needed repairs at the county jail when they hold their regular meeting at 9:15 a.m. at the Clark County Government Center, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway.
Delaying maintenance projects of all sizes has become an increasingly common practice at municipalities throughout the valley in the wake of the recession. With general funds strapped by a steep drop in property tax revenue, funding for many capital projects has been virtually nonexistent in recent years.
After 10 months of intense lobbying and debate, the fate of the "More Cops" sales tax hike to pay for additional police officers remains up in the air as Clark County commissioners prepare to vote on the proposal Tuesday.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority board authorized an emergency $12 million construction project Thursday meant to keep a key part of the valley’s water infrastructure operating even as levels at Lake Mead continue to drop.
With an $80 million spike in its debt payment looming, the Southern Nevada Water Authority will implement a rate hike starting in January that will see residents and businesses across the valley paying more for their water.
Water bills for Las Vegas Valley residents could be going up for the second straight year to help pay off construction debt under a plan from the Southern Nevada Water Authority that will be considered Thursday. The proposal spreads the increase evenly between a hike in usage fees and an increase in the flat infrastructure charge billed to customers each month.
Pat Mulroy, one of the most powerful executives in the state, said Monday she was going to retire as general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, where she has worked aggressively to ensure that Las Vegas doesn’t go dry.
Motorists in downtown Las Vegas should keep an eye out for street closures and detours this weekend as road work continues at several intersections on Las Vegas Boulevard.
It’s been a hectic couple of months for Southern Nevada Water Authority GM Pat Mulroy. In August, the Bureau of Reclamation announced a record-low discharge of water downstream from the Lake Powell reservoir.
Las Vegas residents who rent fields or pavilions at municipal parks, swim at recreation centers or take their kids to Safekey could all find themselves paying more for services in the coming year after the city council gave staff permission today to begin raising fees at its facilities.
Action on a proposed curfew to keep teens off downtown Las Vegas streets on weekend nights was postponed for two weeks today while the city refines the boundaries of the area the new law would affect.
Entrepreneurs hoping to break into the medical marijuana business in Las Vegas will have to wait after the City Council today passed a six-month moratorium on pot-related businesses until the state has issued regulations.
As Clark County commissioners continue to wrestle with the fate of a sales tax increase designed to put more police officers on the street, their colleagues on the Las Vegas City Council have a message for them: Get on with it.
Choppers to start mulch drop to reduce runoff, encourage plant growth
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013
After a month of rains wreaked havoc on homes on Mount Charleston, forest officials say aerial mulch drops on the charred mountainside scheduled to begin later this week should help reduce runoff and lessen the severity of flash floods.
Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie says he’s willing to accept a reduced increase in the sales tax if it means his department gets some funding for more officers.