Daily Archives: March 11, 2022

The first course offered in the series is a college-prep class, which is FREE for high school juniors and seniors who are considering attending college. The eight-week course will be held on Saturdays from March 19 through May 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the East Las Vegas Library. Space is limited, and prospective students can register for the class by calling 702-651-2750.

"The Library District and CSN share the goal of uplifting lives through education," said Kelvin Watson, executive director of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. "Through this partnership, we are combining the Library District's infrastructure with CSN's educational content to provide local residents with easier access to college classes within our library branches. This is any example of how 21st-century libraries have evolved into the heart of the community, serving people from all walks of life and making room for educational support, activities, conversation, discovery, maker spaces, and hands-on learning for all ages."

More classes will be announced in the coming months and include career training, certificate programs, test preparation and more.

"CSN is thrilled to partner with the Clark County Library District to deliver the Academic Life Success course that will help students prepare for academic success at the East Las Vegas Library," said Dr. Federico Zaragoza, president, College of Southern Nevada. "Our commitment to helping students achieve, succeed and prosper has never been stronger and we are grateful for this opportunity to help our students pursue their goals in higher education. CSN students will be eligible to receive textbooks and a PC device at no charge."

About Las Vegas-Clark County Library District: The award-winning Las Vegas-Clark County Library District is an independent taxing entity that serves a diverse community across 8,000 square miles. Through its 25 branches and website, the Library District offers a collection of 3.2 million items consisting of books, movies, music (including streaming and downloadable), online resources, as well as free programs for all ages. The Library District is a vibrant and vital member of the community offering limitless learning; business and career advancement; government and social services support; and best of all, a place where customers find a sense of culture and community. For more information, please visit LVCCLD.org.

About CSN: The College of Southern Nevada empowers our students and communities to achieve, succeed, and prosper. Founded in 1971, CSN is a nationally recognized student success leader specializing in two-year degrees and a select number of bachelor's degrees in specialized fields. Connect with the state's largest and most diverse higher education institution on our Newsroom blog, via our press releases, or by following us on social media.

SOURCE Las Vegas-Clark County Library District

Excerpt from:

Las Vegas-Clark County Library District & College of Southern Nevada Announce Partnership to Bring Classes & Certification Programs to...

Complete 911 call made by Clark County School District Police

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The 8 News Nows I-Team has obtained the 911 call that led to the arrest of Brandon Toseland, 35. Toseland is accused of killing his girlfriends son, Mason Dominguez, 4, whose remains were found in the freezer in the garage of a home on Saddle Brook Park Drive in the northeast valley.

The call came into 911 dispatch the morning of Feb. 22 from a Clark County District School Police officer requesting a welfare check on a home.

The school police officer said school staff believed the students mother had contacted the school through notes she sent with her daughter as a plea for help telling school officials her boyfriend was holding her hostage and that she feared her son was dead.

In the call, the officer explains the first-grader handed the notes to a social worker when she walked into school. Administrators checked the childs school records to verify the mothers handwriting.

Please help, send police, there are guns in the house, read the note.

The call ends with the dispatcher saying police are responding to the welfare check.

An arrest report first reported by the I-Team details police found Masons remains in a freezer. Detectives believed the remains had been there for at least 10 weeks. Police also found a large hole in the backyard that may have been intended as a grave, the 8 News Now I-Team first reported.

Masons mother told police that she was locked in a room and separated from her children for months, and that she had not seen her son since Dec. 11, 2021.

The mothers attorney Stephen Stubbs said Masons mother and her older daughter were often locked in separate rooms, but that she devised a plan in December 2021 to write notes for help to send through her daughter.

A pen and sticky notes were in the car, and the mother was only able to access them for a few moments at a time, when she was hand-cuffed alone in the car as Mr. Toseland dropped off or picked up the 7-year-old daughter from the gate across the street from the school, Stubbs said. Fearing death if she was caught, the mother was able to write notes, little by little, and hide them from Mr. Toseland. 8 or 9 sticky notes were written. Then, 2 days before the rescue, Mr. Toseland finally allowed the mother to sleep with her 7-year-old daughter, and the mother coached the daughter on what to do.

Toseland currently faces two counts of kidnapping and one charge of open murder. He is due back in court Apr. 7.

Below is a partial transcript of the call Feb. 22 at 8:34 a.m.

Metro police: Metro Police Millington 16057, how can I help you?

CCSD police: Hey Metro, its school PD on a recorded line.

Metro police: Hi.

CCSD police: Hey, I need to set up a welfare check please.

Metro police: Whats the address?

CCSD police: Its gonna be 4307 Saddle Brook Park.

Metro police: Alright, and is this a house?

CCSD police: Yes. So this is all we have, we have a first-grader [REDACTED] that handed some sticky notes, or like post-it notes, to the social worker this morning when she walked into the school. They thought that she had found it in the cafeteria. So, reading the notes, they found that shes stating, basically, the mom said please help, send police, there are guns in the house. And they have a Metro officer name Contact Las Vegas Metro Police Department officer, name Southeast Command Ryan Levy.

Metro police: Okay, so it says, please help, send police, there are guns in the house, contact LVMPD officer Ryan Levy?

CCSD police: Yes.

Metro police: Okay, so it looks like the mother gave those notes to her daughter.

CCSD police: Yes, and we didnt know, originally the principal said we found it in the cafeteria, and I said did you guys go back to the cameras to see who put them there? So then she said said no, it was a social worker they gave it to. So I go back to the address (on the note), I look it up, and it goes back to the first grader there. Its her address. Theyre also giving me a plate, it says 601ZZX on another note and it says white Nissan Altima. And it says please help, call my mom or sister, tell them to call police for welfare check. And then on the other note, it says theres guns in the house. So, the student, shes in class, theyre gonna pull her out and theyre gonna bring her into the office, but we just wanted to set up that welfare check with the mom. Mom most likely gave that to her daughter.

Metro police: Okay, so the note said that about the license plate?

CCSD police: Yes.

Metro police: Okay, so do you know when she actually gave the note?

CCSD police: This morning at 7:40.

Metro police: Okay.

CCSD police: So the writing, now that the principal went to the registration folder, the handwriting is the moms writing. They verified the address with the application she filled out for registration, so its mom writing the note. And something about [REDACTED], hes the dad in there listed. So I have moms name and date of birth, and the father thats listed.

Metro police: So one of the notes also mentioned [REDACTED]?

CCSD police: Yes, which is the father listed on there.

Metro police: Okay, give me one moment.

CCSD police: And then [REDACTED], which is listed as dad, last name [REDACTED], same as the girl, so it is dad So, we have an officer who is gonna be making contact at the school with the principal I dont know if you guys have a report like that with your officer.

Metro police: We do have an officer by that name I have it set up as unknown trouble, our highest priority, well get someone out there as soon as we can.

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Mothers handwritten plea for help led Las Vegas police to boys remains in freezer, 911 call reveals - KLAS - 8 News Now

With NFL teams open to discuss contracts with free agents in just one week, lets continue to look at potential free agents who make sense for the Las Vegas Raiders.

That leads us to Carolina Panthers pass-rusher Haason Reddick, who could be one of the more interesting free agents available.

Like several potential free agents fits, Reddick could make sense for the Raiders to pursue because he has ties to the new coaching staff.

He played for the Carolina Panthers last season. Jason Simmons is the new defensive passing game coordinator for the Raiders. He was Carolinas passing game coordinator and secondary coach the past two years. Also, Las Vegas new defensive line coach is Frank Okam. He was the Panthers defensive line coach last year.

Reddick played right outside linebacker in the Panthers base defense last year. Still, Simmons and Okam are extremely familiar what Reddick could bring to the Raiders defense. Reddick had 12.5 sacks with the Arizona Cardinals, who drafted him in the first round in 2017, in 2020. Reddick, who turns 28 in September, signed a one year $6 million deal with the Panthers last season.

At first glance, adding a pass-rusher may not be Las Vegas biggest need because they have Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue. Both players were outstanding last year and both are entering the final year of their contract. So, adding another big-money player (Reddick will not come cheap with his sack success the past two seasons) as a pass-rusher may be difficult.

However, if the new staff thinks Reddick is a great fit, I can see them making a run at him.

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Las Vegas Raiders free agency preview: Haason Reddick - Silver And Black Pride

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Licensing Expo is gearing up to host the consumer product industry's most memorable and productive in-person get together in three years, with a growing roster of brands signing on daily to exhibit at the in-person event to be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV, May 24-26, 2022.

Produced in partnership with industry trade association Licensing International, the not-to-be-missed event continues to lock in cross-category brands from around the world, from sports to gaming, entertainment, corporate brands and artists, with 17 countries represented to-date. With 40 new companies confirmed in the past 4 weeks alone, the event now comprises more than 170 exhibitors signed on to date, indicating the appetite and confidence for the events return this May. The exhibitor list is now available online and is accessible here.

"Licensing Expo returns in-person for the first time since 2019, and excitement among the industry is palpable, said Anna Knight, SVP of Licensing, Informa Markets. "This is a business-critical time in the calendar for brands, manufacturers, and retailers alike they're coming with a pen in hand ready to ink new deals and discover the new trends that will line their shelves in the coming years, but also to reconnect in-person possibly for the first time since the pandemic.

Commenting on Licensing Expo's return, Knight also remarked: "The licensing industry is built on relationships, and were delighted to be able to provide a safe and comfortable environment for people to reconnect, strengthen existing partnerships, celebrate successes and do business at scale face-to-face for the first time in three years. Were also extremely excited to showcase Location-Based Experiences as the events theme, creating even more opportunities for brands to engage and inspire attendees in new ways."

The event is on track to showcase brands from all major and emerging categories, including character and entertainment, fashion and apparel, gaming and eSports, FMCG, attractions and theme parks, sports, art and design, non-profits, and museums. Latest exhibitors confirmed include Banijay Brands, Legendary Entertainment, Hasbro, MGA Entertainment, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Epic Story Media, Mattel, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Lego, Joester Loria Group, Beanstalk, Buzzfeed, The Pokmon Company, Falcons Creative Group, TOHO, Bravado, Zag, Ubisoft, Wildbrain CPLG, NFL Players Association, Shell Oil Company, Crunchyroll, Buzzfeed, Games Workshop, Jazwares, King Features, WWE, Moonbug Entertainment, Peanuts Worldwide, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America, Frida Kahlo, Yale University, MGM Studios, Spin Master, BBC Studios, Crayola Properties, and many more.

Licensing Expo 2022 exhibitor commentary:

"Society is adapting to and people are becoming increasingly comfortable with our 'new normal,' and as such, we're seeing consumers spending again and investing in brands and characters they built an emotional connection to while in lockdown," said Cynthia Modders, President, Firefly Brand Management. "Licensing Expo could not come at a better time for us, helping our clients tap into consumer trends born from the pandemic and get their exciting new products on shelves and e-commerce platforms."

"At Falcons, we are experts at creating worlds where your imagination can fly free. We are giving intellectual property owners the freedom to expand their brands into the realms of immersive destinations, entertainment content and consumer products. Falcon's will transport audiences into imagined worlds using our patented technology and storytelling prowess. We have already helped many of the worlds most iconic brands connect with their audience to build fandom at a whole new level, said Cecil D. Magpuri CEO at Falcons Beyond. "We cannot wait to showcase our experiential entertainment innovations and new themed destinations in development that will enable brands to take the connection with their desired audiences to new heights well `beyond what they could ever imagine.

"Excitingly, we're seeing a robust selection of brands represented from across the globe, including Europe, the U.K., Japan, South America and the U.S. We're taking every measure possible to ensure non-domestic exhibitors and attendees are fully equipped with the latest health and safety measures in place, in addition to providing logistical information that will simplify international travel to Las Vegas," Knight continued.

Thousands of retailers and manufacturers have already secured their free ticket to attend and meet with these brands, including Amazon, AMC Theatres, Bioworld, Build-a-Bear Workshop, Concept One Accessories, Difuzed, Funko, GAP, Hallmark Cards, Hot Topic, ItSugar, Jakks Pacific, Jazwares, Kelloggs, Macys, Moose Toys, Old Navy, Pacsun, Paladone Products, Primark, Spin Master, Zulily and many more. Attendance to Licensing Expo is free and tickets can be secured here.

Licensing Expo health and safety measures:

All participants at Licensing Expo 2022 must either:

The press credential request form is accessible here.

Explore the exhibitor list found here or see the full list below:

Follow Licensing Expo on social: #LicensingExpo

About Licensing Expo

Launched in 1980, Licensing Expo is the world's largest and most influential annual tradeshow dedicated to licensing and brand extension. Every year, more than 5,000 brands and 16,000 retailers, licensees, manufacturers, distributors, and licensing agents attend Licensing Expo from more than 70 countries. Licensing Expo is a part of the Global Licensing Group at Informa Markets, the licensing industry's leading tradeshow organizer and media partner. Its mission is to provide licensing opportunities around the world by bringing brands and products together.

About Licensing International

Licensing International is the leading trade organization for the $290+ billion global brand licensing industry. Licensing International's mission is to foster the growth and expansion of brand licensing around the world, raise the level of professionalism for licensing practitioners, and create greater awareness of the benefits of licensing to the business community at large. Founded in 1985, Licensing International members in over 40 countries enjoy access to an array of benefits, including extensive educational programming and worldwide networking events. Visit http://www.LicensingInternational.org for more information.

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Licensing Expo Heads to Las Vegas with 170+ Exhibitors and Growing from all Major Categories - Business Wire

LAS VEGAS With the first two quarterfinal games at the Mountain West Conference Tournament coming down to the final possession, the Aggies and Rams decided to make it three.

Yes, it came down to the final seconds Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center, which was not a good sign for the Aggie mens basketball team. Colorado States Chandler Jacobs made one bucket all game, but boy was it big. He scored with 1.8 seconds to play in what ended up being the game winner in a 53-51 victory for the 23rd ranked Rams.

I just want to give credit to Colorado State and (head) coach (Niko) Medved, USU head coach Ryan Odom said. I thought it was a really good college basketball game overall. Points were hard to come by. Defense was pretty solid. The intensity was, you know, what you would want in a tournament setting.

It was the ninth game this season the Aggies (18-15) were involved in that was decided by one possession. With the loss Thursday, USU is 2-7 in those contests.

It felt like there were a lot of lead changes there late in the second half, Aggie forward Justin Bean said. Just really back and forth. But I was proud of our guys, obviously, for how we competed. Certainly, we left it all out there.

The Rams (25-4) have now won four in a row and nine of their last 10. They were able to beat USU three times this season.

Theyre a great team, a tournament team for the past three years, said CSU forward David Roddy, who is the reigning MW Player of the Year, of the Aggies. We want to be at that level. And I think we can be. So, yeah, every time we play them, it's always a dogfight. They give us our best and we give them their best. They're a great program.

In the other quarterfinal games Thursday, the first two came down to the buzzer. Top-seeded Boise State escaped with a 71-69 win against Nevada, who missed a 3-point shot at the end. Fourth-seeded Wyoming held off fifth-seeded UNLV, 59-56. In the final game of the day, third-seeded San Diego State rallied to beat fifth-seeded Fresno State, 53-46.

Neither team led by more than five points and there were 10 lead changes and four ties during the game. Every possession became magnified as the game wore on.

You cant get too high and you cant get too low, said Bean, who had his 20th double-double of the season with 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. You just got to move on to the next play. And I thought we did that.

A dunk by Brandon Horvath and runner by Rylan Jones gave the Aggies a 45-44 lead with five minutes to play. The USU faithful were trying to urge on their team.

The Rams never got rattled. John Tonje made a fall-away bucket to put CSU back in front, 46-45, with 4:08 to play.

Our guys dug in, Rams head coach Niko Medved said. They found a way to make enough plays down the stretch. And they've been in these games all year and they never got rattled. And, hey, sometimes in this time of the year, you've just got to find a way to make one more play than your opponent. And that's what we did. Survive and advance. And we look forward to the semis tomorrow night.

Bean grabbed his own miss and scored to put the Aggies back in front, 47-46, at the 3:13 mark.

Both teams missed shots, and then Ram guard Kendle Moore banked in a shot just inside the 3-point arc to put his team back in front with 1:55 to play. CSU built a 51-47 lead with 54 ticks on the clock when Isaiah Stevens had a shot hit the front of the rim and crawl in.

The Aggies did not wilt. Jones drove in for a score to pull USU within two.

Steven Ashworth came up with a steal and fed Bean who was streaking down the court. Bean went hard to the bucket, drawing contact from a Ram who was hustling back. One official called a block, but the other whistled Bean for a charge. National talking heads later ridiculed the call.

We got the steal down two and the first thing I thought was get up the court, sprint and try to get to the rim, get a layup, Bean said. Saw two guys come in front of me and I tried to split them. And I thought I had the angle and they were -- I thought they were late. But, again, that's just basketball. You can't blame the refs, obviously.

I was hoping for a block, obviously, Odom said. But it didn't go that way. And, you know, I don't really have any feeling one way or another until I go back and really look at it. But there's calls every game, right? I make bad calls in terms of what we're going to run for a play or a defensive call. It is a human game.

The Aggies had to foul, sending Moore to the foul line for a one-and-one. He missed the front end, and USU was back in business. Bean was fouled and made both free throws with 12.3 seconds left to tie the game.

Jacobs then cashed in for the Rams as the clock wound down to prevent overtime.

Ashworth got off a wild shot from beyond halfcourt, but it was not close.

Proud of our guys for finding a way to win, Medved said. Kind of par for the course, right. You look at the first two games today, it came down to the last possessions. We just didn't want to feel left out. And you got to give a lot of credit to Utah State. That's a terrific team.

Horvath led the Aggies with a game-high 17 points and also grabbed eight rebounds. Jones had a team-best five assists.

Ultimately, shots just didn't fall like we wanted to, especially from three, Bean said. But like I said, that's basketball. And we have to live with the results and move on and learn from it. And like I was telling the guys in there, basketball, it's just a game at the end of the day. But everyone that came in there and played and competed, you know, they treated it like it was more than that. They treated it like it was their life they were playing for. And so I'm just proud of the effort from everyone that got out there and the guys that were on the bench. And unfortunately, we didn't get the win, but that's just basketball.

Stevens led the Rams with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Roddy added 13 points.

Moore drained a 3-pointer less than 30 seconds into the game to get things started. The Rams built a 9-4 lead, prompting a timeout by the Aggies three-and-a-half minutes into the contest.

Baskets were hard to come by most of the first half. The Aggies did put together a stretch where they outscored the Rams 12-4. Bean scored the first four points, Horvath had the next six points, and Bairstow capped it with a layup off a pass from Horvath. The Bairstow bucket gave USU a 25-20 lead with 5:16 left in the opening half.

That Aggie trio scored all of USUs points over the first 20 minutes.

Then the Aggies went ice cold offensively. The final six possessions of the first half came up empty. The Rams went on a 9-0 run over that timespan. Stevens drilled a 3-pointer just before the break to give CSU a 29-25 lead at halftime.

The Aggies ended their scoring drought by scoring the first six points of the second half to take their first lead since midway through the opening half. Bean scored on an offensive rebound to give USU a 31-29 lead.

The Rams scored six unanswered points to build a 37-34 lead with 13:50 to play.

Neither team could get any breathing room the rest of the way.

Now USU must play the waiting game to see if some postseason tournament comes calling.

I hate that were not going to continue on in this tournament, Odom said. But we'll see what else is out there for us. We'll wait and let the chips fall, you know, as they may.

Utah State began the day at No. 44 in the Kenpom rankings, up nine spots from Wednesday, while Colorado State checked in at No. 32. The Aggies are 18-106 all-time against Top 25 teams, including 0-2 this season. USU is 0-15 this season when scoring less than 70 points. The Aggies were 1 of 15 from 3-point range, tying their season low for 3-pointers in a game. USU fell to 2-7 on the season when trailing at halftime. The Aggies fell to 17-5 on the season when outrebounding its opponent as it had a 37-30 advantage on the boards. Justin Bean now ranks second all-time in MW and USU school history in career double-doubles with 46, while his 20 double-doubles this season are just one shy of Marvin Roberts 21. Bean ranks 17th in career scoring with 1,486 points and second in career rebounds with 1,011 as he passed Greg Grant (1,003) Thursday night. He played in his 125th game at USU to move into a tie with Jalen Moore for ninth. Brandon Horvath has now scored in double figures in 14 straight games. Brock Miller played in his 118th game, moving into a tie with Jeff O. Anderson for 13th in a career. ... The Aggies still lead the all-time series with the Rams, 66-43, the fourth most-played opponent.

Some shots didnt drop and some calls went against him, but Justin Bean gets the nod as he recorded his 20th double-double of the season with 15 points and a game-best 13 rebounds. The senior was 5 of 15 from the field, but made 4 of 4 from the free throw line. Bean also had three assists, two steals and blocked a shot. The forward played all 40 minutes.

The lane opened up and Sean Bairstow took advantage driving for a one-handed jam five minutes into the game. Brandon Horvath added to his team lead with a two-handed jam with six minutes left in the game off a nice pass from Rylan Jones.

Jones got run over with two minutes left in the first half for the first charge and only one called the Aggies way.

Season dunk count: Brandon Horvath 26, Justin Bean 20, Trevin Dorius 16, Sean Bairstow 12, Szymon Zapala 4, Zee Hamoda 1, Max Shulga 1.

Season charge count: Rylan Jones 27, Steven Ashworth 8, Max Shulga 4, Brandon Horvath 4, RJ Eytle-Rock 3, Sean Bairstow 3, Justin Bean 2, Travis Wagstaff 1, Trevin Dorius 1, Zee Hamoda 1.

The Aggies will have to wait and see if their season is over. They could possibly get a call from a postseason tournament other than the NCAA.

More here:

Heartbreak in Las Vegas for the Aggies - The Herald Journal

Away from the lights and fountains of the Las Vegas Strip, bulldozers are working overtime as the suburbs of Sin City are bursting out of their seams.

Las Vegas is growing at a staggering rate. Clark county, where the city is located, is home to roughly 2.3 million people, but forecasts predict the population could go beyond 4 million by 2055.

Attracted by the lure of cheaper costs of living, lower taxes, and newly built homes, more than half a million people are expected to flock to southern Nevada in just the next 15 years. To accommodate them, the regions arid landscape is being converted into strip malls and shopping centers as winding cul de sacs creep closer to the rocky hillsides.

But balancing growth and climate change has posed a formidable challenge.

Last year temperatures hit 116F (46.6C) in June, setting a new record for such dangerously hot weather so early in the year. Concrete cooked during the day, spitting out heat long after the sun set. Thousands of unhoused residents, outdoor workers and communities that couldnt afford the rising costs of air conditioning bore the brunt. By July, 12 people lost their lives to the heat. In 2020, the Clark county coroner counted 124 heat-related deaths.

Its only going to get worse. The city is warming faster than anywhere else in the US. And the future will get hotter, drier and more turbulent, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a consortium of climate scientists from around the world, warned in its most recent report.

The county is also grappling with a quickly waning water supply and intense air pollution thats affecting the most vulnerable. The issues are exacerbated by heat, which will be driven higher by both the climate crisis and the building boom. Temperatures are going to keep climbing - and people are going to keep coming.

Instead of curbing growth, the city known for excess is betting that it can conserve its way out of a climate catastrophe. Las Vegas leaders are making promises and setting ambitious sustainability goals.

We are one of the best-kept secrets in the world when it comes to sustainability, said Jace Radke, a senior public information officer with the city of Las Vegas, listing off achievements. Already, the city has added 450 miles of bike lanes, switched 52,000 streetlights to LED lighting, and public buildings, parks, and traffic lights are powered by renewable energy, Radke said.

Clark county, which adopted a new sustainability and climate action plan in 2021, aims to reduce emissions 100% by 2050. And, though water levels have drastically declined - and are expected to keep dropping - the region predominantly relies on recycling. Most indoor drains in southern Nevada filter directly back into the reservoir.

The sustainability work has had a positive impact, but theres still a long way to go.

In 2019, Clark county generated more greenhouse gas emissions than the city of Los Angeles - which is home to roughly 1.7 million more people - according to a new report issued by the county in February. Nearly half of the countys emissions are from energy used to power buildings and industry. The next biggest share at 37% was attributed to transportation. Both of these sectors are slated to increase as more homes and businesses are built and rising numbers of residents hit the roads. The construction equipment itself is expected to add to emissions as the county continues to grow.

Las Vegas ranks 12th in a list of the most polluted cities in the US for ozone, according to the American Lung Association. Residents - especially those in the hottest corners of the county - are already feeling the effects.

In Cinthia Moores East Las Vegas home, two air purifiers hum throughout the day. Still, the single mom said, her son struggles with breathing problems and rashes when the air is at its worst. Since moving to the area, she has also gotten more migraines and allergy symptoms that wont subside.

The community, which has a 15% poverty-rate and where 25% of the population are immigrants, is far hotter than its neighbors, with fewer trees to ease punishing summer temperatures. The neighborhoods older homes are less equipped to offer residents relief and renters, the majority of those who live there, are unable to add upgrades. Many residents cant afford to run their air conditioning as energy bills and rising rents have consumed increasingly larger portions of their incomes, Moore said.

Meanwhile, the slow churn of congestion on two major highways within a mile and a half of Moores home continues to spew pollutants. There is a lot of traffic and cars are just sitting there, she said. Commuters creep in and out of the city on the weekdays, and on Sundays scores of tourists idle in their cars in a crawling escape from Las Vegas. There are folks who are living right there and its going into their homes and they are experiencing pollution every day.

If the air and the weather continue to worsen, shes not sure how people will cope. I always talk about leaving but its not that easy to just get up and move, Moore said, noting the rising costs of living elsewhere. But more than that, shed be leaving her support system, she said. As a single mom it is hard. Thats why I stay here and fight for climate action.

Moore works as a real estate agent and has seen the housing crunch first-hand. But she is also coordinator for the Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition, a network of advocacy organizations pushing for sustainability. She and others have called on the county to more urgently address both pressing issues, which disproportionately affect people of color and the most vulnerable communities.

****

For Marci Henson, the director of Clark countys department of environment & sustainability, a controversial land bill, which would open up tens of thousands of acres of pristine desert to developers, holds the key in balancing growth and a sustainable future.

The federal legislation, pushed by the county and introduced in Congress last year, would authorize the sale of more than 36,100 acres of public land now operated by the Bureau of Land Management.

Dotted with yuccas, arid landscape that stretches for miles south of Las Vegas along the I-15 corridor is being considered for a new suburb. The area is currently home to threatened desert tortoises but the bill would carve out new protected habitat for the imperiled species, part of roughly 2m acres elsewhere in the region that will be set aside as new conservation and recreation areas.

It would also be a boon to local budgets. Funds from those land sales could funnel back to Clark county and be used to achieve its ambitious climate goals.

They will need them. The proposed expansion is miles from the city and could add scores of new commuters. Dense concentrations of concrete over natural landscapes will drive up temperatures, and more air conditioners will fight to keep new buildings cool. But Henson said the county is prepared to address the issues.

We cant say, We are full, you cant come here any more, said Henson. We were challenged to find the balance between making more land accessible and providing a relief valve for that urban growth without undermining the quality of life and the resources here.

The biggest challenge, she said, may be water. The Colorado River Basin, which supplies 90% of the regions water, is mired in the worst drought in recorded history. Nearby, Lake Mead now features an infamous and ominous bathtub ring showcasing the 150-foot drop in water levels over the last two decades.

Facing declining supplies and an increasing consumer base, the region is working to tighten its belt. The Southern Nevada Water Authoritys track record is strong - per-capita water use in the region decreased roughly 47% between 2002 and 2020 - but progress has plateaued in recent years.

Officials at the water agency say they have already taken care of the low-hanging fruit when it comes to conservation and are now stretching to get the harder-to-reach achievements. Because indoor use is almost entirely recycled, water waste is primarily attributed to older systems that cool large buildings like casinos and shopping malls, and to landscaping. Throughout the city, its easy to spot decorative grass lining parking lots or accenting the entrances to homes and businesses.

The agency is working with the county and the business sector to prohibit thirsty cooling systems from being installed in new developments. They are also limiting what goes to golf courses which together with resorts claim 10% of the supply. Lawns that dont have recreational use are being outlawed, with plans for full eradication by 2026.

But rising heat will add new pressures on the system, driving demand up by an estimated 10 gallons per capita per day (GPCD). Usage is now at 110 GPCD but adding new homes and water-users will increase the burden. Though they are being crunched in both directions, the agency has set an ambitious goal to bring down consumption from a projected 123 GPCD, based on models that account for higher demand due to the rising heat, outdated systems and expected growth, to 86 GPCD by 2035.

The agency is also looking to new sources for supply. The SNWA abandoned a controversial plan for a 300-mile pipeline that would pump in groundwater from eastern Nevada in 2020, after decades of pushback from conservationists, tribes and ranchers, but they still own water rights in the region. The department is also planning to help fund a water recycling project spearheaded by the Metropolitan Water District of southern California, which would grant them some of its output when construction is completed.

Still, facing a drier future where water sources are scarce, conservation will be key.

Implementing conservation programs successfully are the things that allow me to sleep at night, said Colby Pelligrino, the deputy general manager of water resources for the SNWA, adding that she wasnt concerned about continued sprawl. A Las Vegas native, she has watched the city grow and change, and sees the shifts as a hallmark of southern Nevada.

When people think about Las Vegas they think about living in excess, but we have been a world-leader in water conservation for at least the last decade and a half, she said. We have got work to do to balance our water use and our water demands.

Patrick Donnelly, a tortoise biologist and the Great Basin Director for the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy organization, doesnt see it that way. He has been fighting the lands bill since its inception and has grave concerns about unrestricted spread in southern Nevada. The lands bill has sharply divided environmental and justice advocates who disagree about the net effects of increasing both development and conservation areas.

The biggest issue with the Clark county lands bill is not the loss of tortoise habitat, its not even the water, its the climate crisis, Donnelly said, adding that it is like hammering in the nails to our own coffin.

He doesnt think the region can conserve enough to make up for a new sprawling suburb, more cars on the roads, and more concrete in one of the hottest areas in the country. It is perpetuating the same pattern of unsustainable development that brought us to the brink of climate collapse to begin with.

Donnelly has been pushing lawmakers to plan for growing upward instead of outward. Theres no doubt Clark county does not have control over demographic shifts, he said. But they are talking about Las Vegas metastasizing like a tumorous growth outside the valley. The idea that all those people need single-family residences to move into? That is wrong.

Ultimately though, people will continue to come and their future in the desert may be a precarious one. Those seeking more affordable options run the risk of getting stuck when the landscape becomes even less livable.

Theres a gallows humor when you live here, like, Ha ha, one day this place is going to be uninhabitable, Donnelly said. It is a dark joke but actually it is true. One day this place will be uninhabitable. And the question I pose when people say that is, Who gets to leave?

See the rest here:

Record growth, record heat, record drought: how will Las Vegas weather the climate crisis? - The Guardian

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Las Vegas-based Full House Resorts rebounds in 2021 - Las Vegas Review-Journal

It ends so suddenly. Like a glass crashing to the floor, small fragments and particles strewn across an incredibly far distance.

Get out the broom. UNLVs basketball team must put itself back together.

There will be no three wins in three days for the Rebels, no Cinderella run through the Mountain West tournament for an NCAA berth, no madness to their March.

UNLV fell to fourth-seeded Wyoming and what was a sea of gold and brown fans 59-56 in a conference tournament quarterfinal Thursday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

It just felt like Laramie, minus about 5,000 feet of elevation.

Hosting the event isnt any sort of home-court advantage for UNLV. Hasnt been for some time. The fifth-seeded Rebels last advanced to a semifinal in 2014.

Its just that the point is driven home more when most of Wyoming makes the 780-mile journey and, well, much of Las Vegas doesnt drive across town.

A terrible start

Obviously, down the stretch, the noise made it feel like a home game, said Wyoming guard Hunter Maldonado. With us being the higher seed, having our home (white) jerseys on, I told the guys before the game, We protect home court.

But the good folks of the Cowboy State didnt miss 12 of their first 13 shots and seven straight 3-pointers to open the game. They didnt get beaten up on the boards by allowing 25 rebounds (nine offensive) over the opening 20 minutes. They didnt wait a half to wake up.

They didnt get outscored 7-0 the final two minutes.

That was all UNLV.

It didnt guard for the first half but did in the second. It didnt make shots early, scored enough to actually lead by four with 2:04 remaining and then never again. It was too little, too late on most accounts.

It hurts, said Rebels senior Bryce Hamilton, who scored a game-high 22 in what is expected to be his final game at UNLV. We played so hard and fought all year. We fought to come back today and got the lead. We fought together. It didnt end how we wanted it to, but were going out proud of everyone.

The big picture is brighter than one loss. The Rebels finished 18-14 with a team that had 10 new faces to begin the year. They were a better side now than then, better each month since the season tipped off.

It took time. UNLV didnt beat anyone of note in its non-conference schedule nobody from which it was an underdog but found a definite rhythm this last month of conference play.

Whipped an NCAA Tournament team in Colorado State twice. Swept its in-state rival in UNR. Beat this same Wyoming team, presumably also NCAA bound, just last week.

There is some talk about UNLV possibly being considered for a final seed into the NIT. Its a long shot, although first-year head coach Kevin Kruger emphatically made his case afterward for such a bid. It still didnt erase the sting of defeat.

Well, losing is difficult, said Kruger. We just need get better. We keep working and stay after it. If we can have the fight and the starting point from where we finished, the group coming back can use that feeling.

Get your bread

San Jose State has an unofficial mascot that is a duck. It carries around a giant loaf of bread. This was Spartans coach Tim Miles following his teams overtime loss to Fresno State on Wednesday night:

Duck, man, get your bread. Thats what ducks do. And we just didnt get our bread. We were this fricking close to getting our bread. We did not get the bread.

Such is also UNLV today.

The Rebels didnt get their bread.

They were hungry enough.

Just not good enough.

Time to sweep up all the fragments and particles and move on.

Ed Graney is a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing and can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on The Press Box, ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.

The rest is here:

Graney: Home isnt where heart (or fans) is for UNLV in loss - Las Vegas Review-Journal