Tovin Lapan

Story Archive

Trial in fatal Strip shooting, crash delayed until September
Monday, Nov. 25, 2013
The trial of a man charged with murder in a shooting and deadly car crash on the Las Vegas Strip has been delayed until September, and his new attorneys said they may need even more time to prepare.
Community coalition identifies next target of concern: Helping the valley's seniors
Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013
The super-charged growth years of the early 2000s brought shinier, grander casinos, rapid housing expansion, new jobs and a lot of seniors to Nevada. As the number of retirees in Nevada continues to climb, one local organization has begun taking a hard look at issues the elderly face.
Metro seeking suspects accused of falsifying police reports to boost credit scores
Friday, Nov. 22, 2013
Metro Police are seeking several suspects in a racketeering scheme that involved boosting credit scores through falsified police reports.
Don’t expect the rain to stop anytime soon
Friday, Nov. 22, 2013
A slow and steady rain that contributed to power outages and more than 250 traffic accidents across the Las Vegas Valley is going to hover over the area through most of Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Groups urge investigation of Herbalife for promises made to Hispanic distributors
Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013
A trio of organizations serving the Hispanic community says nutritional supplement company Herbalife is misleading independent distributors, promising profits that are all but unattainable, and they have asked Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto to investigate the multinational company.
Groups protest plight of immigrant detainees, seek talks with Henderson officials
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013
Following the release of a UNLV Law Clinic report questioning the standards of care for immigrant detainees at the Henderson Detention Center, on Tuesday evening law professor Fatma Marouf asked the Henderson City Council to meet with herself and the other authors to address their concerns.
D.C. approves licenses for undocumented immigrants
Mexican Consulate to host meeting on Nevada driver's authorization cards
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013
The Mexican Consulate will host an informational meeting on Thursday on the new driver's authorization cards. Nevada is one of 11 states that allows residents to drive regardless of their immigration status. Washington, D.C., approved a similar measure this week.
Immigrant detention: Is Henderson’s financial boon part of a national boondoggle?
City has been paid millions annually to house immigrant detainees, but the center and reasons for detentions come under increasing fire
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013
With an average detainee population of more than 200 per day, the Henderson Detention Center has been the primary facility in Nevada for housing federally detained immigrants since early 2011.
Several injured, $100,000 damage reported in apartment fire
Friday, Nov. 8, 2013
Two people suffered minor injuries and one person was transported to the hospital with smoke inhalation after a pre-dawn fire today at an apartment complex.
Man hospitalized after fall from burning building
Friday, Nov. 8, 2013
A man who was hanging from a burning building and let go just before firefighters could get a ladder to him suffered minor burns and a possible fracture in the fall, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue officials said.
Texas-based family clothing store enters Las Vegas market
Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013
Melrose Family Fashions, which made its entry into the Southern Nevada market in late October, is not just sticking its toe in the water. The Texas-based clothing store is doing a cannonball into the Las Vegas Valley with more stores on the way. Geared toward the Hispanic market, Melrose opened its first store in the area Oct. 25 at 2335 E. Lake Mead Blvd. The North Las Vegas launch included a ribbon-cutting and a raffle for a shopping spree.
Immigration in brief: Obama meets with businesses; Border Patrol rejects changes
Immigration news from around the nation
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013
President Barack Obama met today with business leaders, including representatives from McDonald's, Lockheed Martin and Marriott, to discuss immigration reform.
Market's mass appeal offers answer to question, 'What else are you going to do in Las Vegas?'
Each weekend, thousands of shoppers, vendors descend on Broadacres Marketplace
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013
Before noon on Sunday, the busiest day at the Broadacres Marketplace & Event Center, the 22-acre parking lot was packed. Drivers wiggled their cars into any available space, whether marked for parking or not. Some people had already been at the market for hours and were filtering out as more shoppers – mostly families – steadily streamed into the complex at 2930 Las Vegas Blvd. On the other side of the fence were 22 acres of concrete lined with 1,150 vendor stalls, food stands and an events area visited by tens of thousands of people each Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Plenty of ways across Las Vegas Valley to celebrate Day of the Dead
Events for the holiday paying homage to the deceased keep growing
Friday, Nov. 1, 2013
There are two major Day of the Dead events in the valley, one at the Winchester Cultural Center and one at Springs Preserve, in addition to many smaller events and specials offered at bars, clubs and restaurants.
Immigration supporters target GOP House members seen as amenable to reform
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013
With the federal shutdown over, immigration-reform advocates are getting a message out to Congress, especially its Republican members: Now is the time to pass immigration legislation and prove Capitol Hill still can function. Armed with polls targeting specific congressional districts of GOP House members who are seen as flexible on the issue, a coalition of immigration-reform supporters is telling the lawmakers that leading the way on legislation will help, not harm, them politically.
Immigration-reform supporters urge Las Vegas' Catholic Church hierarchy: Speak up publicly, speak out publicly
Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013
After months of coordinated activities between immigration-reform activists and Catholic dioceses across the country, including a 150-mile march in Florida ending at a Catholic church, Las Vegas' Catholic reform advocates are asking why their own bishop is not marching beside them.
Program helps disabled veteran attain goal of crime-fighting career
Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013
Kevin LeDuc returned from four deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan relatively unscathed, only to see his hopes of a career combating crime dashed by a car accident. On Friday, he graduated from a new federal program that trains wounded veterans in the investigation of crimes against children, and he is on his way back to Las Vegas to put his new skills to use.
Coroner IDs toddler found floating in swimming pool
Friday, Oct. 18, 2013
A toddler who died Thursday after being found floating in a backyard swimming pool has been identified as 2-year-old Kloe Ann Vidal.
Inspiring Las Vegas senior honored as AARP Nevada's top volunteer
Friday, Oct. 18, 2013
Thursday morning at Springs Preserve, the state chapter of the AARP honored Shirley Waugh during its annual volunteer appreciation ceremony. Maria Dent, AARP Nevada community outreach director, said Waugh was so dedicated to her volunteer work, she showed up to an assignment after getting into a traffic accident.
Driver dies after truck catches on fire; eastbound 215 Beltway closed at Jones
Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013
A portion of the 215 Beltway is closed this morning after a concrete mixing truck overturned, resulting in the death of the driver, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Traffic being redirected to accommodate freeway construction projects
Friday, Oct. 11, 2013
Motorists should prepare for traffic migraines, both acute and long term, as the Nevada Department of Transportation and Clark County are set to alter traffic patterns for a couple of major construction projects.
Power restored, signals reset at St. Rose Parkway, Eastern Avenue
Friday, Oct. 11, 2013
Power has been restored and traffic signals reset at the intersection of St. Rose Parkway and Eastern Avenue, according to Henderson Police.
For NLV's first Hispanic councilman, the time is now
Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013
Councilman Isaac Barron stands at the large windows of his ninth-floor North Las Vegas City Hall office, or “roost” as he calls it, and points out all the markers of his upbringing. He looks to the north and points out his old neighborhood, where, as a teenager, he fought and lost a battle against an apartment development that he thought would exacerbate problems in a high-crime area. In June, he was sworn in as the first Hispanic to ever serve on the North Las Vegas City Council.
TB deaths of Las Vegas mother, baby traced to dairy product
Health district trying to contact those who might have been infected at Summerlin Hospital
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013
The Southern Nevada Health District believes it has identified the initial cause of a tuberculosis outbreak that killed a Las Vegas woman in July and led to the infection of at least 26 other people.
Lost in translation: Immigration advocates raise issues with regulations for driver's authorization cards
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013
The establishment of a Nevada driver’s authorization card, mainly for use by immigrants in the country illegally, is wrapped up in debate over who will translate required documents and concerns the Department of Motor Vehicles will unwittingly create a fertile field for fraud.
Phoenix Zoo gives animals from embattled Las Vegas business a new home
Several entities have taken in animals, but more still need to be relocated
Friday, Oct. 4, 2013
The Phoenix Zoo announced Friday that it has taken in some animals from the embattled Southern Nevada Zoological Botanical Park, but there are still animals that need homes, according to a local animal rights advocate.
Burglary call triggers pursuit using dogs, helicopter
Friday, Oct. 4, 2013
Metro Police have caught up to four burglary suspects on the western fringe of the valley, ending an afternoon pursuit aided by a police helicopter and search dogs.
Standoff ends without violence after three hours
Friday, Oct. 4, 2013
A standoff Thursday between a man accused of domestic abuse and the Metro Police SWAT team ended peacefully after three hours when the man finally exited his home without incident, according to Metro Police.
Man killed in motorcycle crash identified as 50-year-old Henderson resident
Friday, Oct. 4, 2013
The Clark County Coroner has released the identity of a man who died when his motorcycle collided with a car Thursday morning.
Cigarettes blamed for fire at Las Vegas mobile home
Friday, Oct. 4, 2013
A can of smoldering cigarettes started a fire late Thursday that damaged a home in the Meadows Mobile Home Park, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski said.
Immigration-reform supporters push forward, even as budget battle pushes issue to back burner
Friday, Oct. 4, 2013
A few months ago immigration was atop most federal lawmakers’ agenda, but a budget standoff and looming debt-ceiling showdown have stolen the spotlight for lawmakers and the public.
With river trip behind them, students head to D.C. to seek action on water issues
Monday, Sept. 30, 2013
A trip down the Colorado River last month offered 18 students a chance to learn firsthand about water conservation issues. This week, the students are taking their knowledge to Washington, D.C., to urge lawmakers to take action to preserve water resources.
Career change provides icing on the cake for Las Vegas business owner
Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013
Nilda Arias always has had an eye for detail and a love of the miniature. She initially chose a career that ignored those talents, but in the end – with a little help from her mom – the right profession found her.
With business booming, NLV-based counterterrorism expert getting last laugh
Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013
Doron Benbenisty does not sport the long brown locks, headband or penchant for going shirtless that the fictional John Rambo did, but Benbenisty is confident, solidly built and a student of crisis situations. His Crisis Response International center operates out of a nondescript warehouse in North Las Vegas, where a small office with pictures of men hogtied and in choke holds opens out into a big space lined with shooting targets and a storage area stocked with rubber knives, duct tape, pellet guns, dummies and other training paraphernalia.
Federal inspectors at Las Vegas zoo after complaint
Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013
Inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture visited the Southern Nevada Zoological Botanical Park today in response to a complaint from a member of the public, agency officials confirmed.
Man who aspired to be police officer dies in motorcycle crash
Friday, Sept. 20, 2013
A motorcyclist who had aspirations of joining the police force died in a traffic accident late Thursday night, according to Metro Police.
Kitchen fire displaces family of six
Friday, Sept. 20, 2013
A family of six was displaced from their home early this morning after a grease fire started in the kitchen, according to Las Vegas Fire and Rescue.
3 children critically injured when truck crashes, careens into bus stop
Friday, Sept. 20, 2013
A predawn crash sent a pickup truck careening into a Las Vegas bus stop this morning, critically injuring three children, ages 2, 4 and 5, according to Metro Police.
Man crashes into wall at MGM Grand after medical issue
Friday, Sept. 13, 2013
Metro Police are on the scene of a single-vehicle accident on the MGM Grand property. At 2:37 p.m. today, police received a report of a male driver crashing into a wall near the self-park area of MGM Grand after experiencing a “medical issue,” Officer Jose Hernandez said.
Dispute over meth fueled fatal shooting near Strip
Friday, Sept. 13, 2013
A fight over methamphetamine fueled a fatal shooting near the north end of the Strip earlier this week, according to an incident report released today.
Two injured when motorcycle collides with school bus
Friday, Sept. 13, 2013
Two people were airlifted to a hospital this morning after a school bus pulled out in front of their motorcycle, resulting in a collision, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Monsoon season coming to an end in Las Vegas
Friday, Sept. 13, 2013
Just 12 days into September and the month already has been one of the soggiest on record, but relief from persistent precipitation has arrived.
Live from Pahrump: Art Bell, master of the paranormal, makes radio return Monday
Friday, Sept. 13, 2013
Sixty-eight-year-old Art Bell has not been on air regularly since 2003, but he is coming out of retirement for a new show on SiriusXM that launches Monday from his home studio in Pahrump.
Strip performer Pia Zadora must undergo alcohol and anger counseling or face jail time in domestic abuse case
Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013
Broadway actress and Strip performer Pia Zadora will have to learn how to control her impulses and have her alcohol use evaluated before authorities dismiss a domestic violence case against her.
Henderson boy, 11, injured in possible arson
Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013
Henderson Police are investigating a possible arson in which an 11 year-old boy was injured, according to city of Henderson spokeswoman Nicole Johnson.
Action-packed schedule ahead for Mexican Independence Day, Hispanic Heritage Month
Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013
Like a multiple-day music festival with several stages, the plethora of Las Vegas events surrounding Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month requires a tactical approach to get the most from all of the offerings. Hispanic Heritage Month runs Sept. 15-Oct. 15, but most of the events in Southern Nevada are booked closer to Mexican Independence Day, which is Monday.
Flash flood warning issued as county braces for a wet weekend
Friday, Sept. 6, 2013
The National Weather Service has announced a flash flood warning for central Clark County as thunderstorms bringing heavy rain and strong winds are moving into Southern Nevada this afternoon.
Woman falls to her death in Zion National Park while hiking 'Subway'
Friday, Sept. 6, 2013
A woman slipped and fell to her death while hiking in Zion National Park on Thursday, according to the National Park Service.
Another senior officer leaving Metro Police
Friday, Sept. 6, 2013
An infusion of new leadership is in store for Metro Police as a senior officer announced his retirement today, following the retirement of another assistant sheriff in July and Sheriff Doug Gillespie’s announcement that he will not seek reelection in 2014.
City Hall to be awash in rainbow colors for Las Vegas Pride
Friday, Sept. 6, 2013
Las Vegas City Hall, continuing a new tradition of changing the lighting display on the façade of the building for special occasions, will be lit in rainbow colors tonight in celebration of Las Vegas Pride.