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Republican Sue Lowden has the best chance of defeating U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, according to a new poll for the Review-Journal that also suggests the Democratic incumbent could beat Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle in the fall despite being as unpopular as ever.
For the first time, a Mason-Dixon Polling & Research poll indicates Reid could win re-election, even over Lowden, the one-time GOP front-runner whom the Democrat most fears and has most attacked. She is seen as moderate and a stronger general election foe than Angle, a staunch conservative now tied for the GOP primary lead.
The telephone poll of 625 Nevadans showed all three general election matchups, which include Danny Tarkanian, are near ties, which makes this anybody's race to win. Polls done before the GOP primary heated up showed Reid losing to the top three Republicans by double digits.
Monday
DMV WORKER SENTENCED
A Las Vegas woman who pleaded guilty to skimming money from vehicle registrations she handled at a Las Vegas-area DMV office was sentenced to four years of probation.
Lauren Jimerson, who had pleaded guilty to two felonies, changed vehicle registration records and swiped almost $8,700 while working at the Decatur Boulevard DMV office, authorities said.
Tuesday
BLAZING NEW TRAILS
The 35-mile River Mountains Loop Trail, which connects Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Hoover Dam, Boulder City and Henderson to the rest of the Las Vegas Valley, became part of the National Trails System.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar designated the River Mountains Loop Trail with 30 other trails in 14 states as part of the national system. The new trails add more than 716 miles to a network of 1,000 trails that stretch for more than 12,500 miles combined.
Wednesday
GOALLLLLLL!
Former Las Vegas High School soccer standout Herculez Gomez was named to one of 23 spots on the U.S. World Cup roster.
Gomez, who moved to Las Vegas from his native Los Angeles when he was 10, graduated from Las Vegas High in 2000 and still lives here, as does his large family.
Thursday
FIRE CONTRACT STALLS
Las Vegas firefighters declared an impasse with the city over a new labor contract, kicking off what could be a long and expensive legal battle .
City leaders have been pushing for 8 percent wage cuts to reduce expected layoffs for the next budget year, which starts July 1. The firefighters and city were moving toward an agreement in early May that would have saved an estimated $2.7 million, short of the $8.8 million city officials seek.
Friday
NEW LIFE FOR YUCCA?
The House passed a defense bill that calls for studies on what it would take to restart the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository and what the impact would be if the project is closed for good.
The studies were inserted into a 600-page bill report by two congressmen from South Carolina who have been protesting the Obama administration's decision to terminate the Yucca project.
Week In Review
More Information
NUMBERS
$89,000
The amount of a settlement Las Vegas police agreed to pay to a man shot by officers at his front door four years ago.
59 percent
The increase in the number of Clark County high school seniors taking the state’s proficiency exam in May, their last chance to pass the test before graduation.
4 years
The time a former DMV employee will spend on probation after she admitted skimming money from vehicle registration fees.
5 years
The federal prison sentence faced by a man accused of selling American Indian costumes containing feathers from protected birds to Las Vegas wildlife agents.
QUOTES
“The concern is they could ban something else. This really just interferes with someone’s First Amendment rights.”
Michael Ginsburg
An activist who voted on Wednesday while dressed in a chicken suit to protest a ban on such attire. The Secretary of State’s Office ruled that the costumes amount to electioneering because they have become synonymous with attacks on Senate candidate Sue lowden.
“If I wanted to vote as Uncle Sam would that be a problem? If I chose to dress as a gorilla, would that be a problem?”
Erin Neff
Liberal activist and former Review-journal columnist, in A letter to Secretary of State Ross Miller questioning the ban.
“Anyone else tired of chickens?”
Ross Miller
In a tweet he sent out Wednesday afternoon. Apparently he didn’t really mean it, because he spent most of the day coming up with chicken-related puns for reporters.
“This whole thing is ridiculous. You’ve got a state with a $3 billion deficit, a country that’s bankrupt, and that’s what we’re dealing with. We instructed our workers to let them vote.”
Larry Lomax
Clark County Registrar of Voters, explaining his decision to ignore the ban. Lomax added that people dressed as chickens would be escorted away from the polls after they cast ballots.
MULTIMEDIA
lvrj.com/multimedia
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