Top News

Two wildfires broke out almost simultaneously Thursday in separate parts of Clark County.

The largest was in Moapa. By Saturday, it had burned 601 acres and 18 structures were lost in the fire, including a ranch once owned by Howard Hughes. More than 100 firefighters fought the fire.

Area residents speculated that the fire was started by a work crew trimming dead palm fronds off palm trees to reduce the fire danger, but authorities have not yet named the cause of the fire.

The other fire burned about 20 acres on Mount Charleston. Authorities said it was started by an illegal campfire. About 250 firefighters fought the fire and many area residents were evacuated.

No houses burned in the Mount Charleston fire. No injuries were reported in either fire.

Monday

A glimmer of hope?

The state's taxable sales rose in April for the first time in almost two years.

The $3.3 billion in taxable items sold in April was 2 percent higher than April 2009, when they dropped 18 percent over the year before. It was the first increase since August 2008.

Despite the increase, the state is far from where it used to be. In December 2006, taxable sales were $4.7 billion, 43 percent higher than in April.

Tuesday

Rebel arrested

UNLV basketball star Tre'Von Willis was arrested by Henderson police on charges of felony domestic battery by strangulation, felony grand larceny and misdemeanor coercion for an incident involving Skye Sanders, 28.

Henderson police said Sanders said she had been attacked by her boyfriend.

Officers contacted Willis at his apartment in Las Vegas. Police determined there was a domestic relationship between the two and arrested him.

The arrest is expected to hurt the Rebels' team. Willis was the team's top scorer last season.

He is the second Rebels basketball player to encounter offseason problems. Forward Matt Shaw saw his career end when he failed a drug test and was suspended for his senior year.

Wednesday

Angle suffers setback

U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle suffered a mild setback in her effort to make Nevada ballot initiative laws more user friendly when a federal judge determined a statute regarding signature petitions is constitutional.

But the court hearing wasn't a total loss for the Republican candidate. U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan also ordered Secretary of State Ross Miller to remove a provision that requires petition circulators to swear under oath the signatories are legally registered voters.

Thursday

Bullies beware

A new state law went into effect that targets so-called cyberbullies.

The law criminalizes cyberbullying by students through 12th grade. District attorneys can start charging these bullies with misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor offenses that can lead to jail time.

The law applies to students who try to harm, threaten or cause emotional distress to other students, teachers or school employees. The law also directs teachers to explain to students why cyberbullying is harmful and to instruct them in the proper use of computers.

Friday

Las Vegas soldier killed

Spc. Matthew R. Hennigan, a 20-year-old soldier from Las Vegas, was killed after enemy forces attacked his unit with machine-gun fire in Tangi Valley, Afghanistan, about 40 miles south of Kabul, according to the Department of Defense.

He died of his wounds after he was taken to Forward Operating Base Shank. Hennigan was a 2007 graduate of Silverado High School.