WEEK IN REVIEW: Reporters’ notebook

When tribal leaders gathered Wednesday to blast a plan to pipe groundwater to Las Vegas from across eastern Nevada, they picked an ironic venue for their news conference: the Las Vegas Valley Water District-owned Springs Preserve.

Apparently there was no underlying message at work. The news conference was held at the Springs Preserve because tribal leaders were already there for a meeting with federal officials.

And the space was free of charge, which avoided the added irony of the tribes giving money to Las Vegas water officials in order to criticize them.

But get this: If there had been a fee for the conference room at the Springs Preserve, the tribes would not have had to pay it anyway. Their meeting with federal officials was considered part of the government's formal review of the pipeline project. And all costs associated with that review must be paid by the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

In other words, the water authority could have wound up paying a fee to the water district so a group of critics could publicly bash the two agencies.

Fortunately, this time the criticism was free.

HENRY BREAN

At a recent meeting in Henderson, Nancy Sutley, President Barack Obama's chief environmental adviser, had one of those awkward moments that happen when a taller person turns over the microphone to someone who is, well, shorter.

Sutley, barely peering over the top of the lectern, had to stop and lower the microphone after being introduced by Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen during a news conference at the Heritage Park Aquatic Complex.

"This is always the fun part," Sutley said, evoking laughter. "Podiums are not made for people my height."

CARRI GEER THEVENOT

TWEET OF THE WEEK: @blasky (hard-boiled RJ police reporter Mike Blasky) This only has 300 some views now but no doubt it has millions in the next few days: LIVE LIP DUB WEDDING PROPOSAL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_v7QrIW0zY&feature=youtube_gdata_player