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Review-Journal launches new online public records resource

Ever wonder who the highest paid public employee in Nevada is?

Maybe you're just wondering about a particular homicide that caught your attention.

Or maybe you just want to know the cleanliness grade for that restaurant down the street.

Starting today, Southern Nevadans can find those answers and more all in one place, thanks to a new Las Vegas Review-Journal online tool aimed at making the business of Nevada government more transparent.

For the Record, at www.reviewjournal.com/fortherecord, provides free, searchable databases for public information such as government employee salaries and health department restaurant inspections. An interactive map shows the location of homicides in the Las Vegas Valley.

"Communities have historically depended on newspapers to promote transparency in government and to champion access to public records that are crucial to maintaining strong citizen oversight in the democratic process,'' said Review-Journal publisher Jason Taylor. "The Review-Journal is committed to using our digital platforms to help make this information more accessible than ever for our vast online audience."

The public employee salary database, which monitors how tax dollars are distributed throughout the public sector workforce, now includes salaries from state employees, workers at Nevada's public colleges, the Metropolitan Police Department, University Medical Center and the regional housing authority.

A quick look at the pay of those 41,700 public employees shows the top ten earners come from the state university system. Seven are professors from the University of Nevada School of Medicine; three are football or basketball coaches. Including retirement, health benefits and other pay, annual salaries for the 10 range from $552,300 to $1.3 million.

More public agencies, including the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson; Clark and Nye counties; and the Clark County School District, will be added over time. Users can perform searches by name, title or agency, and columns such as overtime and benefits can be sorted.

The homicide map lists victim identities and ages, known suspects wanted or under arrest, and links to Review-Journal articles about the case. All homicides in Clark County since 2012 will be included.

What the data shows: Clark County records about 100 homicides per year, most victims are young men, and the homicide rate is trending down.

The restaurant inspection guide made its debut on the Review-Journal's Food and Dining webpage, but readers can now access it through For the Record. It compiles searchable health inspection data from the Southern Nevada Health District into one map, and is updated every two weeks.

For those seeking government data not represented on the For the Record page, there are links to information about the state's public record law, including how to request information under the law.

The Review-Journal intends to expand the online resource in the future and is soliciting emails with any suggestions for additions at reviewjournaldata@gmail.com.

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