WOW! Whadda week! Thanks, JMT.

Pretty sad news week for Vegas IMHO. Not your report, but in general events. Sounds like the streets are heating up, before the temps do!

Thanks for the updates, always an interesting read!

Two home invasions on Sunday afternoon in Henderson within hours. One home owner was a metro police officer who shot one of the invaders.

Two men tried to break into a car in North Las Vegas over the weekend. The homeowner came out with a gun and the two tried to get away in their own car. The homeowner shot at the getaway car, hitting both men. The car crashed and the two occupants were further injured. The homeowner was arrested immediately. On Wednesday, one of the thieves was arrested.

Nevada was granted some money to start the mag lev train from Las Vegas to Anaheim. Senator Harry Reid is opposed to this project, so he managed to steer that money away from the project and directly to the I-215 to airport connector project which is to help traffic to the new airport terminal that we don't need.

The infamous Boulder City Constable had his house searched. Authorities recovered 35 rifles and 6 shotguns. At least 2 of the rifles were fully automatic. One had the serial number obliterated. They say that the weapons appear to exceed the operational requirements of a Boulder City Constable. The Constable is an elected position and is allowed to carry a weapon. This particular Constable did not have receipts for any of the weapons in his home. The guy also had two dozen badges of positions he does not hold, including Boulder City Police Captain. They also found lots of drugs. The Constable is up for re-election this fall.

Cloud 9 Balloon ride took off again on Tuesday after repairs were completed. I had been getting free offers but since I am a cold weather sissy I have been waiting for warmer weather. About 7pm on Thursday night while the basket was tied down on the ground, a strong cold front came through and bounced the balloon around, ripping it to shreds. The future of Cloud 9 is uncertain at this time. It could take 45 days to get the balloon repaired or replaced. The balloon is being prepared to be shipped to France for evaluation.

Also at the Cloud 9 property, owners are preparing for a strip safari experience. A petting zoo of sorts, right there on the strip. A baby elephant, baby rhino, and a baby camel are among the attractions. It should be open this week. There will be a rotating list of animals that will be cycled through from a California preserve. The cost of this attraction has not been announced yet.

The Donny and Marie show went dark again. Marie needs more time to recover from her son's suicide. They will try again next Tuesday.

For those waiting for the wildflowers to bloom, the stage is set with almost ideal weather. Still, it is not time. My guess is 3 more weeks.

The Knight Rider convention is in town. See KITT and David Hasselhoff on Fremont St this weekend, along with 11 KITT car replicas.

Local Hells Angel "clubhouses" raided again. It was raided as recently as last December. Moving vans loaded up "all sorts of things" including guns. Guns seized appear to have come from Salvation Army. I bet you didn't know it was that kind of army.

Rum Jungle, inside Mandalay Bay has filed for Ch 11 bankruptcy. They claim that due to contract disputes, MGM/Mirage is trying to shut them down, and that a new club, Eyecandy violates their agreement and takes away their business. MGM/Mirage claims RumJungle owes about a million dollars in rent.

One and done for UNLV in March Madness. Our home town basketball team was beat out by Northern Iowa in the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament.

More gun news. The guns used in the local Federal Building shooting and the March 4 Pentagon shooting both came from the same place. They were both guns that the Memphis court system "took off the streets". The guns were once used in court cases and later sold to dealers. Next time you hear of a drive to get guns off the street, you might remember this. North Las Vegas says they destroy ALL guns taken in. Metro and Henderson were wishy washy with their answers.

Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary on the north side of town suffered a huge fire on Friday morning. It is a marshland area north of town near the orchards that mainly is a place for birds. It also has lots of other animals and reptiles. Hundreds of birds and animals died. Many more were injured.

Wild Mustang battles burro in Red Rock Canyon area. The red Ford Mustang was speeding when it collided with a wild burro. The Ford was destroyed and the burro died as it bounced up and went through the windshield. The driver of the Mustang was taken to the hospital and is lucky to be alive.

Some call it Spring Break. Some call it the worst season of the year. Tree pollen is pretty strong now. Mulberry and Olive trees are some of the worst offenders and are actually illegal to plant here. Existing one can stay though. But pollen season is just getting started. Grass and weed pollen is about a month away and it's much worse on many people.

Woman was in her car hiding from police in an alley behind the Stratosphere. When two policemen approach on foot, woman tried to run over one before he fired off 2 rounds, so she drove after the other policeman who also fired twice. Woman decided to give up.

Police saturation patrol officer shot twice. Once in his bullet proof vest and once in the leg striking a major artery. Other cop shoots bad guy twice in head. Bad guy dies, cop alive but not doing well.

Plenty of other shootings in town. 7-11 clerk killed in bad part of town. Jack In The Box employee killed on good side of town.

On a brighter note...maybe, Las Vegas is a showcase city in Earth Hour which happens at 8:30pm our time. Many, but not all hotels will turn off exterior lights for one hour, including the Luxor beam which goes dark every night after most people go to bed. The famous Welcome To Las Vegas sign is expected to participate this year also. Funny how when the lights go dark, Al Gore gets recharged. Not funny, ha ha. Funny as in scary.

Two men on foot walking along the strip near the Fashion Show Mall. Hummer pulls up, several men jump out and stab the guys multiple times, get back in Hummer and leave.

Tea Party Express kicks off this weekend with the Showdown in Searchlight. Just south of Las Vegas, Searchlight is the home of Harry Reid. We need a political overhaul.

Las Vegas has a new airline. Well, it's a Charter Airline company. Vince Neil Aviation rolled out this week. You may remember Vince Neil as the front man for the rock band Motley Crue. Or maybe you've seen his chain of tattoo parlors. Or maybe his tequila. Or maybe his Feelgoods bars. All of these business required him to charter airplanes to fly around the country or further. So he decided he would start a company and ride in his own planes. You too, can travel like a rock star if you like. He is using his wife Lia, and former Zowie Bowie gal Marley Taylor in the photo shoots for his promo and website. The Lear Jet is a really old and inefficient 1979 model. The Hawker HS125 is even older, being a 1978 model. Both seem to have comfortable interiors.

14 of the 18 properties that Stations Casinos owns could be sold off as part of a reorganization plan.

The only legal male prostitute has quit his job due to bad reviews and lack of business. The Shady Lady Ranch has no plans to replace him.

Lady drove her car deep into the desert in very rough terrain. Got out, locked her baby and keys in the car, then began walking back to civilization. This was late on Tuesday night. Late on Wednesday afternoon, she finally called police. Fortunately, the baby survived. The lady is in jail, the baby is in protective custody.

The Mint 400 kicks off today with about 250 off road vechicles traveling 4 laps of 100 miles of rough desert and mountain terrain.

New bar opened in Miracle Mile, run entirely by strippers. And the name of the bar is The Stripper Bar. A 30 foot tall stripper statue stands outside. Enter the bar between the strippers legs and a camera catches that special moment when you look up to see what's under the skimpy dress.

Democratic Attorney Generalette says NO to suing the federal govt over health care. Republican Love Governor not happy and might get other lawyers to join the 14 other states that are suing the govt.

The US Coast Guard will no longer operate in Nevada. It is shutting down it's operations in both Fallon NV and Searchlight NV. Both cities provided radio signals that could be used by boats in the Pacific Ocean for navigation.

Cal Neva Lodge is the latest victim of the economy. They shut down on Wednesday.

Mojave Max emerged from hibernation on Tuesday, signifying the beginning of Spring. This is a week earlier than last year but later than average. The desert tortoise is probably rethinking his timing about now. I hope he doesn't have pollen allergies.

The Best Of Las Vegas poll from the Las Vegas Review Jorunal is published. Go see how your favorites did.

The Exotic Animal Encounter has delayed it's grand opening again. It is now scheduled to open on April 10. The exhibit will mainly feature baby exotic animals in a limited petting zoo setting.

The Deuce bus route now stops going northbound at the Sahara, does a turnaround at Palace Station and goes south on the strip. The Deuce no longer goes downtown. If you are on the south strip and want to go downtown, you must catch the new ACE Gold Line which makes limited stops on it's route from south of the strip to downtown. There are two new ACE routes so be careful. The Ace Gold Line goes from the Premium Outlet Mall, through downtown, down the strip (with limited stops) on to past the old crappy outlet mall to a new park and ride terminal. Ace Express goes from way up in the northwest, through downtown, and on into UNLV. The ACE buses are new Diesel Electric Hybrid buses with all the latest and greatest technology. Currently, that technology is being tweaked as this new generation bus gets tested in the wild.

Hooters is out of credit and is running on cash flow fumes.

Rick Tabish, accused in the murder of Ted Binion, stealing Ted's silver, and other related crimes is now eligible for parole. He won't be released until terms of the parole are sorted out.

Local crime still running rampant. Nothing that doesn't happen country wide. They seem more brazen though. 3 bank robberies in one day, home invasions, etc.

Well I am glad you are finally getting spring Joe. Yesterday I was listening to KJUL 104fm vegas radio and the guy said it was 63 degrees. That was at 3:30pm, 6:30 my time and here in southern ontario it was 75 degrees. Just for reference if you look at a map and see Lake Ontario, I live at the very westernly tip of the lake. I cannot remember the last time it was warmer here than in Vegas at this time of year.
It has been a whacky winter and spring so far.

It was 83 degrees in the Detroit area on Friday.

You guys deserve some good weather. OTOH, just watch the cold fronts that come through here that produce wind and a 10 degree temp swing. By the time they get to the east coast, they are major weather makers.

This is what happens when I keep bad notes and don't follow through on any stories....

Lance Burton says Buh Bye to Monte Carlo after 14 years. He will leave in September. His new host hotel is still in the rumor stages. He has also missed a few shows due to a death in the family.

Earthquake in Mexico felt in Las Vegas. I didn't feel it. I did feel fairly miserable by 50 mph winds.

There is now free shuttle service to Montelago Village in Lake Las Vegas. It runs 3 times per day to Planet Hollywood on the strip. Can you say too little, too late?

37 year old woman babysitting in her apartment is drunk and passed out. Her 3 year old kid and 1 year old grandkid both fall from 3rd floor balcony. Both baby girls in bad shape. Babysitter is in jail.

Luxor being sued over name of bar, Liquidity. Some guy in Florida has a federal patent on the name?

More buzz about Cosmopolitan opening. It looks like a little over half of the rooms and the public area will open sometime in December.

Prive nightclub in Planet Hollywood has lost it's license and will likely close.

The old Steve Wyrick theater has been sold to David Sax who owns the V-Theater.

The Duece bus line returns to strip/downtown service. After many complaints to the RTC, it was decided that tourist would rather get on one bus to take them down one street to get to their one destination. Duh?

New Red Rock visitors center opens. It is very nice. It is big, open, and interactive. I prefer the old free version of Red Rock Canyon.

Old parking meters converted to "donation stations to end homeless". The meters are being installed downtown. The mayor got the idea from officials in Baltimore and Denver. Anyone notice that there are no more homeless people in those cities?

The NV Supreme Court will hear the appeal of OJ Simpson. On July 11, the court will hear separate 30 minute arguments from both OJ Simpson and CJ Stewart who were tried together for the strongarm robbery of sports memorabilia at the Palace Station.

Touring the Silverton on Wednesday and noticed that their buffet is only open for dinner and and maybe weekend brunch.

Arabian Breeders Horse Show in town. These are like the supermodels of the horse world. You oughta see all the horrible things they do to dress them up to like the owners want them to look.

The Pinball Hall of Fame was recently relocated closer to the strip. Burglars broke into the building on Tuesday night. They destroyed much of the place and took lots of stuff. Did they steal the pinball machines? Nope. Did they steal the parts? Nope. Did they steal the quarters? Nope. They stole copper wire from the building. The building will be closed for repairs while the copper wire is repaired/replaced.

The Tropicana has been undergoing a long overdue makeover in the last year or so. The pool, the rooms, the casino, the restaurants, etc. The new owners promise that nothing will be the same as it converts to it's Miami beach theme. The first exterior changes are taking place now as the Tropicana signs are being taken apart. The new signs are ready and standing by in the YESCO yard near the Orleans.

The state of Washington is suing because the US govt stopped funding for the Yucca Mountain project to store nuclear waste. Our governor responded that Washington should store all the waste in their own state. We need a political overhaul.

Speaking of the Love Gov, he was accused of being aggressive towards a woman in parking garage a few years ago. The victim is being ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation.

If you haven't been following the saga of Steve Wynn vs Joe Francis, don't start. Joe, is the guy behind the Girls Gone Wild videos. There is a cold ugly battle over money between the two, and it's far from over. It is a story of a pesky little troublemaker with a long history legal troubles trying to fight a big powerful company.

Big weekend for entertainment. In addition to the horse show, the country music awards show, pro bull riders world cup, Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Earth Wind and Fire, the opening of the new Gilleys in TI, and I think it was the broadcasters convention that was clogging up the strip this week.

Harrah's holding job fair for 500 jobs, less than 200 of them full time. Hundreds of other laid off Harrah's employees would like to have their old jobs back first.

What is your verdict on the new tropicana signs?

You visited the old pinball hall of fame and liked it, if I recall? What a terrible shame!

Okay, I guess. The marquee was old style where individual letter advertised the show. The name Tropicana was in big letters on top. Now the Tropicana name is on a one piece sign on top, and looks like the logo on their web site. Below that is two large one piece panels for advertising shows, hotel, or whatever.

They are really doing a lot of work on the Trop. I might have to investigate, as it probably deserves it's own topic.

The pinball place is a non-profit business. I hope things go well for them.

JMT, etal, I was just at the Trop last week and saw the gradual changes and was very impressed. I took some photos of the pool area modifications but since there was no admittance to the pool area itself, I took them from the walkway above the pool which leads to the tower in the back ..... the area where the buffet used to be.

Once this is completed (end May this year) I think that they may intend to give the major pool parties at the Hard Rock, the MGM Grand, and the Palms some major competition.

Those lowrise garden apartments surrounding the pool will also be redone at a yet to be disclosed date but I would assume that that job would be started once the pool season is over.

I'll post the photos in the photo section.

This might be the week for the peak of wildflowers blooming in the southern Death Valley area.

2 year old kid falls out of second floor apartment. This was big news since 2 baby girls fell from a 3rd floor apartment last week.

Stratosphere's newest ride opens. Sky jump opened this week allowing riders to enjoy a controlled free fall of approx 850 feet while being in a harness tethered to cables. This is a world record for the longest controlled fall.

Laughlin River Run happens this weekend as thousands and thousands of bikers converge on the small town for a bike festival.

Michael Jackson themed Cirque show being planned. It is a 50/50 joint venture between Cirque and the Jackson family. There are two rumors about this show. One says the show will kick off in Las Vegas and tour while a different version is planned for an MGM property in Las Vegas. The other rumor says there will only be one show that does a light tour and will find itself a home at an MGM property in Las Vegas.

MGM Mirage is asking shareholders for permission to change it's name. They claim that the current name implies that they only own two properties, MGM and Mirage. They want the new name to be MGM Resorts International.

The company that owned a piece of land near Planet Harrahwood and wanted to turn it into an Elvis themed casino has gone bankrupt and the property will be sold.

Against all odds and predictions, the Tropicana has extended Wayne Newtons show as Wayne is already working on it's next show.

Lance Burton ends his run at the Monte Carlo this summer. Rumor has it that he will move to the Sahara. Also, Rick Thomas is rumored to move from the Sahara to the Tropicana.

Construction for the new airport terminal added a new level of traffic problems for northbound automobile traffic through the tunnel. Take your time, follow the speed limits, pay attention to the signs, and you should be okay. Give yourself an extra 10-30 minutes depending on travel times.

Steve Wynn is considering moving the headquarters of Wynn to Macau, and OBTW, the Encore Macau just opened. That's not really what the local economy needs.

Thursday morning started the big day of violence for the week. Early in the morning, Metro cops make "routine" traffic stop in residential neighborhood. After the traffic stop was completed, a totally unrelated event took place. A garage door opened on a nearby house and out comes a guy with an assault rifle and confronts police for a shoot out. Police shoot the guy. Not to be outdone, Henderson SWAT had to end a situation in an Anthem neighborhood. A former NHP trooper (who was fired for excessive violence and rehired) and current fire marshal went nuts and started shooting from his home. Several nearby homes were hit, cars were hit, and finally the gunman was hit. And metro swat had issues with armed felons hiding in a house and they were finally found in the attic.

Two schools in Pahrump will be getting a new lunch room item....a salad bar.

I guess was wrong on Wayne Newton. Apparently, he has ended his Tropicana engagement. There's no reason to delete the rumor that he is working with David Saxe, possibly working on the new confirmed Vegas variety show that will open in the old Steve Wyrick theater.

The Overton Beach area of Lake Mead has closed as a result of lower lake levels. This closes boat ramps, RV dump, restrooms, water purification, fish cleaning stations, and other infrastructure. It is still open for foot traffic, but not much to see there. This comes as rates to enter the Lake Mead Recreational Area rise. The Overton arm of Lake Mead is the north finger near Valley of Fire.

The largest motorcycle festival in the west ended in Laughlin with very few incidents. There were a few alcohol related arrests. And there was one bike that burst into flames due to an oil leak. The driver was not seriously injured.

A Nye County Sheriff deputy was shot and killed at casino in Pahrump on Monday. It started as a domestic issue and the woman went to the casino to seek shelter...against orders from the 911 operator that told her to stay on the road. The sheriff cars rolled up on the man in the parking lot and he pulled out an assault rifle and began shooting. The bad guy was shot dead by another sheriff deputy. The dead sheriff had just spent a year in Afghanistan, took a month vacation, and was on his second day back at his civilian job as a deputy.

The rock and roll band Cheap Trick will play Sgt Pepper Live for a limited engagement starting Jun 11 at Paris.

The Riviera has a new show that will be coming soon. Their website calls it DAO and claims it will be a celebration of Asian dance, acrobat, and martial arts. I was surprised that it would be on level 3 of the Mardi Gras showroom. I would have guessed the old ICE theater.

McCarran opens Express Exit for all parking. In this system, you take your parking ticket with you. When you return, you stop by the kiosk in your parking lot and pay with cash, credit, or debit, and that validates your card for a quick exit. There will still be a human at an exit booth if you want to use that option. Gone are the quick turn parking meters that many people use to pick up friends and relatives.

High winds blew through all week, followed by cold. Watch out east coast. These winds blew over a construction crane at the Encore, tore off the sign face at The Mirage, flipped an airplane, and did lots and lots of other damage.

The Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort on Mt Charleston will close at the end of this weekend. This weekend will mark 188 days of service this season, which is a record. That's over 1/2 of a year. I was atop the mountain this week and it "looks" like it could stay open longer.

Clark County schools are converting from year around schools to 9 month schools, starting in August. This is an effort to save money.

Mayor Oscar, Wayne Newton, showgirls from Jubilee, and others came to the famous welcome sign as bikini clad skydivers dropped onto the strip to unveil the new sign that says Welcome To Camp Vegas. It is the first time the sign has been legally defaced. Camp Vegas means something like "summer camp for adults". No comment from Betty Willis.

Mark your calendar for Jun 27th. That's when the big Star Trek auction happens at Planet Harrahwood and that is also the date for the Daytime Emmy Awards at the LV Hilton. Note the irony of Star Trek at the movie star theme hotel and the TV stars at the old Star Trek home.

Vincent Spilotro, the son of the late mobster Tony "the ant" Spilotro, was arrested for a 6 year old outstanding DUI warrant. This comes just days after the Vincent and his mom sold much of their family artifacts to the Tropicana's Mob Experience, which also has a lot of resources from Sam Giancana's daughter. Until recently, it was assumed the Spilotro belongings would be going to the "mob museum" downtown.

It's been a pretty slow week. Same old weather constantly changing, layoffs and hirings, teachers sleeping with students, pedestrians hit by cars, and the political/budget arguments.

The Ritz Carlton at Lake Las Vegas checked out it's last customers and shut down for good on Sunday. Earlier, the Casino Monte Lago shut down. The old Ritz is for sale.

A two year old was the first victim this year of drowning in a pool while parents busy being irresponsible. Child Protective Services have been to the home before due to lack of care for this child.

Guy puts two of his kids with him on his crotch rocket motorcycle, one in front, one in back. Then he takes them for a ride and smashes into a car killing one of the kids.

Fremont Street Experience is suing the Plaza for 430,000 for their share in the FSE maintenance fund. They haven't paid their $39,000/mo share since June of last year.

Also on Fremont Street, they celebrated the Summer of '69 last year. This summer, they will celebrate the Summer of the 70s. It kicks off this coming week with a concert from Jefferson Starship.

The Perini group, who built City Center, is still claiming MGM owes them over 500 million dollars in construction costs to them and subcontractors. MGM says they will drag it through the courts.

MGM released it's first quarter financial results. Horrible, but no real shocker since they released a teaser report a couple of weeks ago.

Nye County DA Bob Beckett arrested for embezzlement of county funds. Add him to the political overhaul list.

Man shot and killed by someone in a group of friends at the gun range. Police are still sorting out details of the "accident".

Gloria Estefan is said to be working on a show that will open soon at the Tropicana. The show will feature the life and times of Gloria. She will work on getting the show going, but will not play a live part in the show.

The show Triumph, is beginning to take shape. The top secret multi million dollar extravaganza is supposed to open later this year at the Hilton. It is to be the greatest show in Vegas. So far, it has been a long time rumor. It is just now starting to come to life as advertising and promo shots are being made and stage sets are being put in place.

Another slow week of news. Only two idiots with guns approached police. One shot himself, another was shot by police.

Average home prices in Las Vegas have gone up for the first time in 3 years. Some people see this as prices have seen rock bottom and optimistically on the rise.

The county commissioner for District A which includes the strip walked down the strip and was disturbed by the smut peddlers. He wants them fingerprinted so that they can be tracked and held responsible for their actions. I think it's an election ploy to appear concerned as he found a helluva time to notice the smut on the strip. We need a political overhaul.

This week had unusually high winds, extremely cloudy, cool temps, warm temps, and it's gonna be a great weekend for Heldorado Days.

54 year old Steven Zegrean has died of a heart attack at hospital in Ely where he was less than a year into his prison term for shooting up the NYNY casino 3 years ago, injuring several people.

Human Nature got a 2 year deal at the IP and the showroom named for them.

Frank Lefty Rosenthal's old house in Las Vegas Golf Club Community is for sale. It's a 3200 sq ft 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bah mid century modern home. It has much of the original furnishings that lefty had. Price tag...$725,000

Liberace gets a birthday week and this is it with celebrations at various places all over town. It started on May 9, and leads up to his real birthday of May 16. He was born in 1919.

You know the smut pedlers don't disturb me, it's all the darn trash in the streets and sidewalks that make me mad. Those pedlers are their for a reason, and it must pay for them to be there or they would be long gone, IMHO, someone is using thier services they are peddeling!

Bad weather hasn't stopped. Major cold front passing though today with heavy winds. Look out if you're in it's path.

It's been a slow news week and that's okay by me. I'll blame it on the weather.

Happy Birthday Las Vegas. It turned 105 years old last Saturday.

Talks of a new basketball arena on the old Wet n Wild site? Sue Lowden is a major owner of the land and she is running for Governor to replace Harry Reid. Hello political overhaul, she's not on our side.

Rick Tabish, who was guilty of the murder of Ted Binion and then acquitted, was released on parole on Monday. He was approved for parole in January pending details that would require him to live with his parents in Montana and be under Montana parole monitoring. BTW, almost a million dollars of Ted Binion's valuables are still missing. This story may not be over.

Rumors floating about Steve Wynn acquiring the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss USA pageant is currently held in Planet Harrahwood.

The Smothers Brothers played The Orleans this week and made an announcement that they will take a 10 year break.

Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge passed another milestone in construction as Arizona has finished blasting on the mountain for the road leading up to the bridge. This has caused many delays for travelers in the past.

The NCAA allowed Las Vegas to hold football "bowl games" through at least 2013

The Lou Ruvo Center, that melted looking building downtown, on the other side of the tracks, had it's grand opening on Friday.

Nice to see a headline report without a shooting involved.