Newsmakers, May 7-13, 2015

During the annual Good Scout Luncheon March 19, the Las Vegas Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and business and community leaders honored Jeff Shaw for his consecutive terms as president of the Las Vegas Area Council.

​Kelly Knievel, son of Evel Knievel, received kudos March 14 as the best golfer over two days of competition at Highland Falls Golf Club and Palm Valley Golf Club to claim the Summerlin Amateur Scratch Division. The event was part of the Southern Nevada Golf Association Championship Series.

Mason Comastro, a student at Green Valley High School and a four-year golf letterman, recently made an oral commitment to golf at Aurora University in Aurora, Ill. A Henderson native, his parents are Ron and Denise Comastro.

Tatiana Holder of Las Vegas has received a Rising Star scholarship from the United Negro College Fund. Currently attending the Benedict College in Columbia, S.C., she is a graduate of Mojave High School. She is the daughter of Deborah Griffin.

Twenty-eight East Career & Technical Academy students traveled to the Nevada SkillsUSA State Conference in Reno on April 14-17. Awards included:

Nevada SkillsUSA Advisor of the Year (advisor for East Tech CT competitions), Fausto Vega

Nevada SkillsUSA Outstanding Advisor (advisor for East Tech CSI), Trish Benson

Construction Technology Program Teamworks Competition

Bronze: Angel Ayala, Ricardo Martinez, Pedro Sida, Gilberto Villegas

Culinary Arts Program Job Skills Demonstration Competition

Gold: Kyra Mathews; Silver: Alejandra Corona; Bronze: Jorge Martinez

Medical Professions Program Nurse Assisting

Gold: Gilbecca Smith; Bronze: Nadia Mora

Crime Scene Investigation

Silver: Sarah Benson, Karina Mata and Brianna Yanez

Wanda Tacey, a retired lieutenant colonel of the Air Force, has been elected to the position of vice-chairman of the Veterans Club of Sun City Aliante. Tacey rewrote the by-laws for the club and would like to work toward getting more female veterans involved in the club.

The Venetian and the Palazzo Las Vegas announced March 25 that Vice President of Yield Management Jack Easdale received the Mentor of the Year award from UNLV. Easdale lent his time and expertise to help mentor UNLV hotel college student Kaiyang Wu.

The Stratosphere casino presented a $1,000 donation to the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth during the property’s Celebrity Happy Hour event at McCall’s Heartland Grill April 2.

Three Square food bank announced April 1 that it received a $20,000 grant from The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation.

Air Force Airman Brandon M. Colon-Taylor graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio. Colon-Taylor is the son of John Taylor of Fort Myers, Fla., and Wanda Maldonado of Henderson and step-son of Luis Maldonado of Henderson. He graduated in 2013 from Liberty High School.

Air Force Airman 1st Class April Jacque graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio. Jacque is the daughter of Joyce Jacque of Las Vegas and is a 2005 graduate of Eldorado High School.

Air Force Airman 1st Class Aviayna L. Wesley graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio. Wesley is the daughter of Verchelle Wesley and Rodney Traylor and granddaughter of Edna Samuel, Richard Black, and Terry and Varetta Rivers, all of Las Vegas. The airman graduated in 2012 from the College of Southern Nevada High School and earned an associate degree in 2013 from the College of Southern Nevada.

Air Force Airman Jayme N. Strauss graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio. Strauss is the son of John Strauss of Auburn, Wash., and grandson of Pamela Austen of Las Vegas. He is a 2012 graduate of Cheyenne High School.

Air Force Airman Chance D. Parnell graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio. Parnell is the son of Foster and Jennifer Parnell of Las Vegas and is a 2014 graduate of Centennial High School.

Army Pvt. Patrick M. Quiazon graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. Quiazon is the son of Diosdado Quiazon and nephew of Lolita Caldwell of North Las Vegas.

Denpota Furugaki of Las Vegas made the fall 2014 dean’s list at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill.

Army Pvt. Dylan S. Garner graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. Garner is the son of Laura Petty of Las Vegas.

Chrissy McDowell of Las Vegas made the fall 2014 honor list at Oxford College in Oxford, Ga.

Tyler Teresi of Las Vegas made the fall 2014 dean’s list at the Emory College of Arts and Sciences in Atlanta.

Air Force Airman Shamus O. Eggleston graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio. Eggleston is the son of Thomas C. Eggleston of Strasburg, Va., and Nichole Allin of Henderson.