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Obama daughters try out thrill rides

First daughters Malia and Sasha Obama were allowed the freedom to test their wings on thrill rides during their visit to Las Vegas.

Unaccompanied by their mother, they rode three thrill rides atop the 100-story Stratosphere on Thursday with family members and friends. Michelle Obama was not with the group.

Secret Service agents looked on as Malia, 13, and Sasha, 10, took turns riding the Big Shot, X-Scream & Insanity about 3 p.m.

That likely makes them the first members from the first family to take thrill rides in Las Vegas.

They attended "KA" at the MGM Grand with the first lady on Thursday after dining at Craftsteak in the MGM Grand.

They had dinner in a private dining room at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill inside Caesars Palace on Wednesday, the day they arrived in Las Vegas.

SHOWTIME FOR ‘VEGAS ELITE’

No longer a rumor, here come the housewives and significant others of the "Vegas Elite."

The production company that put together "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and "The Real Housewives of Orange County" started the casting process last week.

Evolution Media, the production company, is looking for more than housewives, said casting director Michael Cimino.

It is not a "Housewives"-branded series, Cimino said, but the production company "believes it could be the next big thing. They are extremely excited about it."

The "Housewives"-like reality show will "explore the glitzy life of the Vegas power elite."

Rumors have been circulating for more than a year about a Las Vegas version of the "Housewives" franchise, which has been a staple on Bravo.

Cimino said the series will air on a "major" cable network. Taping will begin in April, he added.

Cimino said he is looking not only for wives, but fiancés and "partners of people who make the city run, the power players, casino and hotel moguls, nightclub owners, executive chefs, premier concierge service owners, show producers, headliners, doctors, surgeons, public officials and high rollers."

For more information, email: vegas.casting@evolutionusa.com or vegas elitecasting@gmail.com.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Gotta love the perks of being general manager of Shadow Creek Golf Course. Mark Brenneman gets to golf with many of the most famous people in the world. He’s played with the last three presidents, including a round last year with George W. Bush. Brenneman said Bush, who served from 2001 to 2009, said "he didn’t play golf the last seven years of his presidency because he didn’t feel it was appropriate with young men and women on the battlefield in countries at war. He didn’t’ begrudge President Obama for playing golf, it was just a decision he made."…

KDWN-AM, 720, and Alan Stock have agreed to a multiyear deal that moves him into the 6 to 9 morning talk show slot following the sudden departure of Heidi Harris last month. Stock joined the station in August after a long run at KXNT-AM, 840, that included being named multiple times to Talker Magazine’s list of top 100 talk show hosts. …

Former Clark County Sheriff Ralph Lamb is in New Mexico this week for filming of the CBS pilot "Ralph Lamb" in the Santa Fe area. Additional shoots are scheduled in Nevada. …

Comedy legend David Brenner is moving back to New York City, his hometown, after 12 years in Las Vegas. He’s leaving June 8. …

There’s buzz on Twitter that free-spending boxing champ Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. sent a member of his "Money Team" to Primm to take a shot at the $640 million Mega Millions jackpot. That seems to jibe with a report by Oskar Garcia of The Associated Press who tweeted "guy who runs Primm lottery store tells me ‘Vegas boxer’ bought $20K in MM tix yday."

SIGHTINGS

At Friday’s gala for the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational at Aria: Jordan, at the main table with his fiancée, Yvette Prieto, Aria President Bill McBeath, hockey legend Mario Lemieux and Toni Kukoc. Also at the event: Ne-Yo, Roger Clemens, John Smoltz, Joey Fatone, Brett Hull, Penny Hardaway, Marshall Faulk, Andre Johnson and Brandi Chastain. Entertainment included hip-hop violinist Josh Vietti, Cedric the Entertainer and Ne-Yo. … Toby Keith and Clemens, teaming up on stage at Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill (Harrah’s) late Friday. They performed about eight songs together.

THE PUNCH LINE

"Apparently Tim Tebow is looking for a house in the same neighborhood where Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez lives. It’s right at the intersection of Awkward and Yikes." — Jimmy Fallon

Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.

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