Week in Review: Reporters’ Notebook

The Review-Journal newsroom is full of basketball scribes and devoted sports gamblers, but last year's NCAA Tournament pool was won by Las Vegas City Hall reporter and casual fan Alan Choate.

His secret?

With only a few common sense exceptions, Choate used the flip of a dime to pick the winners as he filled out his bracket.

As such, he was the only R-J pool participant to correctly predict Duke's win over upstart Butler University in the championship game.

This year, Choate switched to dice and mostly let randomness rule, except in cases where a low seed was picked to go impossibly far. He wound up with a Final Four of Washington, Notre Dame, Memphis and St. John's.

Uh-oh.

But did we mention he had Butler in the championship game last year?

HENRY BREAN

During a recent court appearance, deputy prosecutor Stephanie Graham probably flashed back to junior high when Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Ann Zimmerman ordered a defendant to spit out her gum.

After a pause, an incredulous Zimmerman asked Graham if she just swallowed her own gum.

"I did," Graham said as the courtroom erupted in laughter. "I'm scared."

DOUG McMURDO

Clark County commissioners were discussing proposed pay cuts for managers and nonunion employees.

"I have issues," Commissioner Steve Sisolak said.

Audience members and fellow commissioners snickered.

Sisolak smiled, realizing the joke.

"I know I've got issues," he said. "And I know how that vote would go."

No one disagreed.

SCOTT WYLAND

TWEET OF THE WEEK: @LynnetteCurtis (Review-Journal reporter Lynnette Curtis): Overheard in the newsroom: "What's the purpose of a lap dance?"