Las Vegas construction employment
 
Las Vegas construction employment

Developers are putting up subdivisions, apartments, retail centers and other projects across Las Vegas. But the local construction industry is still nowhere near as big as it was during the bubble years of the mid-2000s. 63,900 people work in construction in Southern Nevada. Employment has nearly doubled since early 2012 but is still far below the peak of 112,000 in mid-2006. It’s hard for me to imagine such a surge of population that you would need to build housing, retail, schools and other things on the scale that was happening in 2005. — Ken Simonson, chief economist, Associated General Contractors of America

Las Vegas’ housing market: Bubble vs. today
 
Las Vegas’ housing market: Bubble vs. today

Las Vegas home prices are rising at one of the fastest rates nationally, and builders are selling the most homes in years. But by almost any measure, the market remains a long way from the peaks of the bubble years last decade. The median sales price of previously owned single-family homes was $280,000 last month. That’s more than doubled since hitting bottom, but still below the peak of $315,000 in mid-2006. Builders sold 9,400 homes last year, the highest tally in almost a decade but far below the record of almost 39,000 in 2005. “Las Vegas has been climbing out of the hole for the better part of the last decade.” Brian Gordon, co-owner, Las Vegas-based Applied Analysis

Las Vegas’ Deadliest Air Disaster
 
Las Vegas’ Deadliest Air Disaster

A cross near Cactus Aveue and Decatur Boulevard marks the site of Las Vegas’ deadliest air disaster. On April 21, 1958, an Air Force fighter jet collided with United Airlines Flight 736 at 21,000 feet. Both aircraft plummeted to the ground and burned. All 47 people on the airliner and both men in the fighter jet were killed. The crash led to new air safety regulations, including the creation of what is now the Federal Aviation Administration. The crash site is now a parking lot. The cross on the hill behind it is the only sign of what happened there.

Spencer Gallagher on a roll
 
Spencer Gallagher on a roll

Spencer Gallagher posted his career best finish in last weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol, Tennessee. The second-year driver from Las Vegas started ninth and finished fifth. He called the impressive run a “watershed moment.” Gallagher, who struggled as rookie in 2017, has four Top 10 finishes after seven races and has yet to run outside the Top 15. Spencer Gallagher

MGM Resorts will use solar array to power Las Vegas casinos
 
MGM Resorts will use solar array to power Las Vegas casinos

MGM Resorts International is planning to power Las Vegas Strip casinos using solar arrays. MGM Resorts is partnering with a Chicago-based renewable developer on a new 100-megawatt photovoltaic array set to go online in 2020, about 25 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The dedicated solar array will be capable of supplying up to 90 percent of daytime demand at the company’s 13 Las Vegas casinos. The array will consist of 336,000 solar panels capable of producing enough power for about 27,000 homes. Construction is slated to start next year, and is expected to employ about 350 people during construction . All of the electricity generated by the array will go to MGM Resorts under a 20-year agreement.

2 rescued after car crashes into lake
 
2 rescued after car crashes into lake

Two people were rescued safely after a car crashed into a lake in the Desert Shores community in northwest Las Vegas. The crash was called in five minutes before midnight at a lake near Breakwater and Port of Call drives, according to Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski. A man and woman managed to get out of the car and onto the roof, Szymanski said. One of them couldn’t swim, so they waited for help to arrive. Firefighters pushed a raft over to the couple and used a fire hose to pull them back to shore, Szymanski said. No one was injured. No one was injured. Las Vegas Police took over the investigation to determine how the car got into the lake.

Golden Knights fans saving money on the road
 
Golden Knights fans saving money on the road

Golden Knights fans invaded Staples Center for Game 3 of a playoff series on Sunday night.
Ticket prices on the secondary market fell well below what they would be for a game at T-Mobile Arena.
Some fans who made the trip from Las Vegas paid as little as $112 per ticket for Sunday’s game.
“We saved enough money that we also took the kids to Knott’s Berry Farm today before the game,” said one Knights fan.
The series against the Kings continues in Los Angeles with Game 4 on Tuesday night.

NBA playoffs in Las Vegas
 
NBA playoffs in Las Vegas

In 1992, the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers played an NBA playoff game in Las Vegas. Game 4 of the Western Conference first round was originally set for the Los Angeles Forum. It was moved to the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas at short notice amid the Rodney King riots. The Trail Blazers won 102-76, eliminating the Lakers 3 games to 1. Clyde Drexler scored 26 points for Portland while Danny Ainge added 19. It was the last playoff game of the four major sports to be played in Las Vegas before the Golden Knights beat the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 on Wednesday.

Knights success far exceeds LVCVA’s tourism goals
 
Knights success far exceeds LVCVA’s tourism goals

Several months ago, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority set out to market the city as the sports capital of the world. With the addition of the Golden Knights and the Raiders, LVCVA saw the perfect opportunity to do so. The Knights’ success and current Stanley Cup playoff run has resulted in a marketing marriage with Las Vegas that has been far more successful than anyone could have imagined. This season, the Knights have managed to unite the community and made hockey fans around the country take notice. “The Knights, in my mind, really put the exclamation point that we’re the sports capital of the world, not only what they’ve done on the ice in this historic season but how they brought the community together.” Lisa Motley, director of sports marketing and special events for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Professional sports have been a staple for Las Vegas for decades with championship boxing matches, PGA golf tour events and the National Finals Rodeo. But big-league teams kept their distance from Nevada, due to lingering fears of sports betting somehow influencing games. “Las Vegas stands for something much more extensive and expansive now than what it once did” David Carter, executive director of the University of Southern California’s Marshall Sports Business Institute

Former Las Vegan and auto racing crew chief George Bignotti to be honored
 
Former Las Vegan and auto racing crew chief George Bignotti to be honored

George Bignotti will be inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame on June 21. The former Las Vegas resident raced stock cars but made his name as an Indianapolis 500 crew chief. He served as crew chief on seven Indy 500 winners, including twice with A.J. Foyt and Al Unser. He also was head mechanic on Indy winners driven by Graham Hill, Gordon Johncock and Tom Sneva. Bignotti was an avid golfer and lived on Canyon Gate golf course in Las Vegas. He was 97 when he died in 2013. “As far as I’m concerned, he was the greatest mechanic that ever turned a wrench on an Indy car.”

Movie in works about UNLV basketball, Las Vegas
 
Movie in works about UNLV basketball, Las Vegas

A movie is being made about former Rebels coach Jerry Tarkanian Paul Giamatti could portray the legendary Rebels coach. Leonard DiCaprio also could be interested in the role. Tarkanian’s Rebels made the Thomas & Mack the place to be. The Rebels also played a role in Las Vegas’ emergence as a major city.

Man sent to prison for Las Vegas 1-punch death
 
Man sent to prison for Las Vegas 1-punch death

A man was sent to prison Tuesday for a punch-and-fall death outside a downtown Las Vegas lounge. 28-year-old James Beach must serve three to 10 years for voluntary manslaughter in the death of 45-year-old Luis Campos. Campos died four days after he was struck once outside the Fremont Street Club in May 2017. According to the Clark County coroner, he collapsed and likely hit his head. In 2008, Beach pleaded guilty to charges of attempted murder & battery with a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm. The charges were in connection with a brawl between two groups of men in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Strip robbery spree ends in casino parking garage
 
Las Vegas Strip robbery spree ends in casino parking garage

A pair of robbery suspects led police to three parking garages around the Las Vegas Strip before they were caught early Tuesday morning.
The first robbery took place at the Treasure Island parking garage, where two suspects “battered” a 71-year-old, her adult daughter and a juvenile girl.
The suspects, one of who was armed, next demanded money and property from a pair of 18-year-olds at Fashion Show mall. The suspects were later spotted at the SLS Las Vegas parking garage. They tried to get away by ramming a patrol car with their vehicle. That effort failed and they were taken into custody.

Pursuing women’s Sweet 16
 
Pursuing women’s Sweet 16

An idea to bring the women’s Sweet 16 basketball tournament to Las Vegas is still alive. Former UNLV athletic director and men’s NCAA Tournament chairman Jim Livengood has been working on the concept. Livengood’s idea: To play all four NCAA women’s regionals in Las Vegas at the same time. This year’s women’s Final Four was exciting and was played in front of sellout crowds. The four regionals attracted only modest turnouts. The NCAA currently has a rule prohibiting championship events from being played in Las Vegas.

Thunderbirds pilot killed after jet crashes near Las Vegas
 
Thunderbirds pilot killed after jet crashes near Las Vegas

An Air Force Thunderbirds pilot died Wednesday after a crash outside Las Vegas. According to Nellis Air Force Base, his F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed over the Nevada Test and Training Range about 10:30 a.m. The jet crashed during a routine training mission. An investigation is being conducted into the cause of the mishap. This is the second crash in less than a year for Nellis. Another Air Force pilot was killed in September after a crash during a training mission. Wednesday’s crash was the third U.S. military aircraft crash this week.

Maj. Stephen Del Bagno died Wednesday after a crash outside Las Vegas.
 
Maj. Stephen Del Bagno died Wednesday after a crash outside Las Vegas.

Maj. Stephen Del Bagno died Wednesday after a crash outside Las Vegas.
According to Nellis Air Force Base, his F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed over the Nevada Test and Training Range about 10:30 a.m.
The jet crashed during a routine training mission.
Brig. Gen. Jeannie Levitt, the commander of the 57th Wing at Nellis Air Force Base.
This is the second crash in less than a year for Nellis.
Another Air Force pilot was killed in September after a crash during a training mission.
Wednesday’s crash was the third U.S. military aircraft crash this week.

5 things connecting Las Vegas and Marilyn Monroe
 
5 things connecting Las Vegas and Marilyn Monroe

1. Marilyn Monroe, known then as Norma Jeane, obtained her first divorce in Las Vegas at the age of 20 on September 13, 1946. 2. According to some biographers, Monroe lived at 604 S. 3rd Street for four months during the summer of 1946. The house has since been torn down and is now the site of a parking lot. 3. In 1954, Monroe almost married Joe DiMaggio in Las Vegas but the wedding was called off last minute. The wedding was to be held at the Hotel El Rancho Vegas which was located on the southwest corner of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. 4. Las Vegas has at least one road dedicated to the star. Marilyn Monroe Avenue is located in east Las Vegas and intersects with Betty Davis Street and Cary Grant Court. 5. There are currently more than 20 Marilyn Monroe impersonators for hire in the Las Vegas Valley.

Amazon plans 800K-square-foot warehouse in North Las Vegas
 
Amazon plans 800K-square-foot warehouse in North Las Vegas

A new Amazon warehouse could bring over 1,000 jobs to the Las Vegas Valley. Amazon executives are expected to announce plans Wednesday to build a 800,000-square-foot fulfillment center in North Las Vegas. The new warehouse is expected to be at a new industrial complex under construction near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The new facility is expected to pack and ship small items such as books, toys and household items. Amazon says the company will offer “competitive” pay and “comprehensive benefits starting on day one.” “This is Amazon’s third facility in North Las Vegas,” Mayor John Lee said. “A repeat customer is the best kind of customer, because it’s a testament to the quality we’re putting out and the results they’ve had in North Las Vegas.”

Famous Las Vegas underground house
 
Famous Las Vegas underground house

Did you know there is an underground house in Las Vegas? The home was originally built as a bomb shelter in 1978, and sits 26 feet below the surface. The midcentury-style home measures about 6,000 square feet, and features two bedrooms and three bathrooms. There’s a 6-foot-deep pool, a spa, a barbecue area, and a carpeted six-hole putting green. The Underground House has lighting that emulates different times of the day. And mountain and wilderness murals depict an outdoor setting. The home is accessed from a flight of stairs that’s part of a town home.

Man stabbed in head in downtown Las Vegas
 
Man stabbed in head in downtown Las Vegas

A man in his 50s was stabbed in the head early Thursday morning in downtown Las Vegas. The suspect is his girlfriend’s father. The man said he and his girlfriend were walking near the Golden Nugget when the incident occurred, around 5 a.m. The man and his girlfriend contacted casino security and he was taken to a hospital with a laceration to his head. Police are not sure of a motive and are looking for the suspect, whose age is unknown.