WEEK IN REVIEW: Top News
A Las Vegas murder investigation took a disturbing turn on Tuesday, when police announced the arrest of 44-year-old Autumn Cole in the robbery and slaying of her mother, longtime Las Vegas resident Katherine Cole.
The 68-year-old was strangled after she walked in on a July 28 burglary at her home near Valley View and Oakey boulevards.
Lorenzo Cardenas-Sanchez, 37, and Joseph Perez, 44, also were arrested.
Perez, a felon with prior convictions for sexual assault and burglary, was Autumn Cole's boyfriend.
Friends and co-workers of Katherine Cole were shocked by her violent death. She was a 1961 graduate of Bishop Gorman High School and helped organize her class's 50th reunion earlier this year.
MONDAY
Deal Divides Delegates
With yes votes from Reps. Joe Heck and Shelley Berkley of Nevada, the House passed emergency legislation to raise the nation's debt ceiling.
The Senate would pass the measure on Tuesday, with Sen. Harry Reid voting yes and Sen. Dean Heller no on the contentious compromise.
Reid said the legislation should have included new revenue . Heller said it shied away from tough decisions.
TUESDAY
Sandoval visits troops
Gov. Brian Sandoval dropped in on Nevada soldiers in Iraq.
The surprise visit marked the start of a tour with three other governors that would take Sandoval to Afghanistan.
He reported that morale among the troops is "extremely high" and they love their jobs. He said he made the trip in his role as commander in chief of the Nevada National Guard.
WEDNESDAY
Making the grade
Nearly two-thirds of Clark County schools failed to make the grade under No Child Left Behind in the 2010-11 academic year, officials announced.
The low results garnered a flat reaction from Clark County School District leaders, who said they were not surprised by the schools' flagging performance under the federal education reform they view as flawed and expect to be short-lived.
Only 139 of 363 schools showed adequate progress this year, down from 151 in 2009-10 and 190 in 2008-09.
THURSDAY
Still a Two-wheel race
The developers of competing Ferris-wheel-type projects insist they are forging ahead with their proposals.
Caesars Entertainment officials said they hope to start work later this month on Project Linq, a $500 million complex between the Flamingo and Imperial Palace that includes a 550-foot Ferris wheel as its centerpiece.
Meanwhile, the developer of Skyvue, on the south end of the Strip across from Mandalay Bay, said he has acquired the two giant 23,000-pound bearings needed to operate a 500-foot tall London Eye-style wheel that is the centerpiece of his $300 million project.
FRIDAY
Firefighters fired, paid
Two Clark County firefighters fired for misusing sick leave received a total of $120,000 in severance pay and qualified for sizable pensions, the same money and perks they would have received if they had retired on good terms.
Battalion Chief Renee Dillingham and firefighter Donald Munn, both veteran firefighters, were fired in large part because emails they sent in 2009 indicated they used sick leave for vacation rather than for medical reasons.
That is a breach of the labor contract.
Dillingham and Munn were the only ones dismissed for sick leave abuse as the county wrapped up its internal probe.
Week In Review
More Information
NUMBERS
4
The gaming license number of the Railroad Pass casino, which is marking 80 years in business on the road between the Las Vegas Valley and Boulder City.
80 million
The number of computer files about Yucca Mountain no longer available to the public as of Friday because of the looming end of funding for a nuclear waste dump.
14 percent
Approval rating for Congress, according to a CNN poll taken after the debt ceiling fight. It is the lowest rating ever in a poll by the network.
1,500
Pounds of laundry that is done per day when the UNLV football team conducts two-a-day practices as part of training camp.
QUOTES
"It's not a flea market. It's the economic engine for the state."
Commissioner Steve Sisolak
who wants to see controls placed on people hawking goods on the Strip.
"You can be in touch with your emotions and still be one bad-ass dude."
Sgt. Clarke Paris
a Las Vegas officer who recently published a book on police depression and suicide.
"Am I going to be doing any cooking? No. Will I be drinking and bringing my friends? Yes."
Oscar Goodman
Talking about his first big venture since leaving the mayor's office: Oscar's, a new steakhouse and "speakeasy" at the Plaza downtown.
"I am at peace."
Warren Jeffs
in the only words of his 20-minute closing statement thursday at his rape trial in Texas. The polygamist sect leader, arrested near Las Vegas in 2006 after being put on the FBI's most wanted list, was convicted of sexually assaulting two child brides.
