Week in Review: Top News

The Las Vegas Police Protective Association is recommending that officers in the department refuse to talk to homicide detectives following officer-involved shootings or in-custody deaths, in addition to refusing to participate in coroner's inquests.

It's part of the fallout from the Clark County Commission's changes in the inquest process. So far, two officers who Tased a man who later died have refused to talk to investigators.

The union representing Henderson officers also is making the same recommendation to its officers.

It's unclear whether the North Las Vegas officer involved in a New Year's Day shooting spoke to investigators; that department's union has not made the same recommendations.

The union's stance bucks the trend for many police departments. Investigations of what often are highly charged incidents rely heavily on the testimony of officers involved.

Monday

Awand in contempt

A federal judge ordered Howard Awand held in contempt for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury investigating fraud in the legal and medical professions.

Prosecutors consider Awand, 66, the central figure in a network of lawyers and physicians that might have defrauded clients out of millions of dollars. He is in federal custody following his conviction in the investigation.

Tuesday

Salvation Army robbed

The Salvation Army headquarters in Las Vegas was robbed of $13,400, but the day was saved later on by a corporation with a heart.

The missing funds were discovered Tuesday morning after a long holiday weekend. A day later, Station Casinos announced it would cover the loss . Then the Golden Gate casino said it would pitch in another $14,000.

Wednesday

Boulder City woes

The O'Callaghan-Tillman Memorial Bridge that bypasses Hoover Dam is great for travelers. Not so much for the residents of Boulder City.

Vehicles traveling between Phoenix and Las Vegas, the two largest neighboring metropolises in the United States not connected by a full-fledged interstate, are pinched from four lanes into two in the city, creating a bottleneck.

Jacob Snow, general manager of the Regional Transportation Commission, announced plans to ask the Federal Highway Administration to persuade the agency to ban tractor-trailers from the bridge until traffic problems can be resolved.

Thursday

new chief justice

Michael Douglas is the new chief justice of the Nevada Supreme Court, taking the leadership job at a critical time.

The first African-American on the high court, he will serve as chief justice during what is expected to be a contentious year in the Legislature, which faces a potential $3 billion budget shortfall, the largest deficit in state history.

Friday

New Year's Eve party

Is it possible for Las Vegas' biggest annual event to be, well, uneventful? Aside from routine arrests, including 52 motorists on suspicion of driving under the influence, Las Vegas police said New Year's Eve went smoothly.

An estimated 320,000 revelers braved freezing temperatures to partake in the events and fireworks along the Strip and downtown.