SAY WHAT?

"I wanted to throw my shoe at the TV. They are trying to make it out that Las Vegas has become this toxic city that you can't even go to."

Phil Cooper, Chief executive officer of Encore Productions, which does event production work at many Strip resorts, responding to President Barack Obama's (LEFT) comment during a town hall meeting in Elkhart, Ind., Monday that "You can't take a trip to Las Vegas or down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer's dime." It was not clear what part of the president's duties required him to travel to Elkhart, Ind., "on the taxpayer's dime."

"The first people who suffer are the men and women at the front desk, the bell staff and the taxi drivers across this city."

Chuck Bowling, executive vice president at Mandalay Bay, also commenting on the growing tendency of politicians and the media to decry business travel to Las Vegas.

"It is our contention that they are putting the Moapa dace at greater risk of extinction."

Rob Mrowka, the former Clark County employee now dubbed "Nevada conservation advocate" for the Tucson, Ariz.-based Center for Biological Diversity, announcing Tuesday the group intends to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management for entering into agreements with the Southern Nevada Water Authority to extract groundwater in northeastern Clark County.

"I don't understand why the people of Clark County didn't elect this guy. I just think he's terrific."

Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice James Hardesty, singling out local attorney Vincent Ochoa, 56, as the most notable among five finalists whose names are being forwarded to Gov. Jim Gibbons for recommended appointment to Clark County Family Court seats in Department E and F. The Commission on Judicial Selection for the Eighth Judicial District Court is allowed to forward three names for each seat: the panel decided to recommend Mr. Ochoa twice.