Reporters’ Notebook

In a news release last week about a March 15 armed robbery at a 7-Eleven, Henderson police said the suspect spent 10 minutes in the store asking the clerk about different beers.

The clerk returned to the counter with two 12 packs of beer. That's when the suspect pulled out a gun and demanded money from the cash register.

Police said the clerk quickly cooperated, but apparently the cash-grab wasn't the only thing on the thirsty suspect's mind.

He fled the store, but not without grabbing the beer.

ANTONIO PLANAS

Ann Coulter got Tea Partyers cheering during her recent appearance in Henderson, but it was the warm-up act -- a band called the Sin City Surfers -- that had one of the loudest crowd responses of the afternoon.

They were ripping through Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" and the singer ad-libbed a line: "But I shot a man in Vegas, he tried to raise my taxes."

The audience went nuts.

Here at Week in Review, of course, we do not condone violence. But at least he didn't shoot the guy just to watch him die, right?

ALAN CHOATE

OVERHEARD ON THE SCANNER: "The 4-year-old is choking the 2-year-old."

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman just can't resist a good mob joke.

In a recent speech to a group of business leaders, Goodman reeled off the three things he said Las Vegas must have to become a world-class city: first-rate medical centers, a major league sports team and abundant culture.

Goodman said a lot of progress is being made on the culture front at the historic Fifth Street Elementary School, which has been refashioned into an intellectual marketplace for architects, artists and cultural-affairs officials. The school also hosts kids learning to play musical instruments.

Said Goodman: "We have wonderful music lessons being given to 300 youngsters who are carrying violin cases in downtown Las Vegas with actual violins in them."

JENNIFER ROBISON