The Latest
Sports
Boxing Still King of the Money Ring
May 1st, 2013
When undefeated WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. steps between the ropes on May 4 to take on challenger Robert Guerrero, it will be another in a long history of Las Vegas superfights. Just when boxing seems to be fading from the mainstream, it’s a reminder of its continuing importance here. Read more »
The Week
Henderson’s Hail Mary
Beset by delays, developers still hope to get 'health village' moving forward
May 1st, 2013
As the one-time commissioner of the fast-paced Arena Football League, David Baker became accustomed to seeing a touchdown about every 90 seconds and final scores in the 74-68 range. Cue the irony: As the main man behind the $1.5 billion integrated health village planned for Henderson, Baker is involved in a game that’s scoreless … and has been for more than two years. Read more »
Ask a Native
Anthony Bourdain and Vegas's Under-the-Radar Restaurants
April 30th, 2013
Since it’s usually all about authenticity with Bourdain, I hoped—and still hope—for more from him. In a city of chain restaurants, chain clothing stores and gambling-financed replicas of famous spots, it’s easy to find the copies. If we get Round Two of Bourdain in Vegas, I’d like him to take on more of our originals. Read more »
About Town
Left in Scoring Position
Failure to secure bring Spring Training to Henderson still haunts Don Logan
April 30th, 2013
As Don Logan drives south into Henderson, the longtime Las Vegas 51s executive can’t help but look at the plot of undeveloped desert near Galleria Drive east of U.S. 95 and envision what might have been. On two separate occasions—the first starting in 1994, the second in 1999—Logan tried to bring Major League Baseball teams here for spring training, and the failure to make it happen still bothers him. Read more »
Going for Broke
Storming the Winner’s Circle
Strong bloodlines will carry Normandy Invasion to Derby victory
April 30th, 2013
When it comes to Kentucky Derby betting slumps, look no further than yours truly. I was the hottest horse-racing prognosticator around these parts from 2006-10, hitting four of five winners in the annual “Run for the Roses.” Since then, it’s been nothing but shredded tickets and crushed dreams. Read more »
The Deal
Derby Daze and Pop Rocks
The Run for the Roses comes with $6 mint juleps this year
April 30th, 2013
The Kentucky Derby is May 4, and several casinos are celebrating with events and parties. But the bigger, thematically related news is that the D is hosting the first-ever Sigma Derby tournament on May 3. Read more »
Seven Questions
Seven Questions for Tim Brooks, Emerald Island Casino Owner
The owner of Nevada’s only all-penny casino on surviving a decade, the allure of downtown Henderson and trusting your gut instinct
April 30th, 2013
Recipe for small-business success: Take over a failed casino—one that’s been vacant for three years—in a stagnant section of downtown Henderson. Rebrand it the Emerald Island (because your mother’s 100 percent Irish), complete with murals of 17th-century Irish village landscapes and faux stonework. Market it as “Nevada’s only all-penny casino.” Then wait for the money to roll in. OK, maybe that’s not the ideal recipe, but it certainly worked for Tim Brooks, who along with his twin brother, Michael, opened the Emerald Island just west of Water Street in 2003. Read more »
Slain Architect Had Vegas Ties
Graham Downes, known for his modernist, conceptual designs, died Sunday in San Diego.
April 26th, 2013
Modernist architect Graham Downes, who died Sunday as the result of injuries sustained in an assault in San Diego, collaborated on a number of residential and hospitality projects in Las Vegas and was reportedly set to work on a makeover of the Riviera. Read more »
Legislature Getting Serious About Long-Hauling
April 25th, 2013
In the midst of a taxicab driver’s strike, the Nevada Legislature recently released an audit of the industry in Clark County that says that long-hauling happens 22.5 percent during trips to and from McCarran Airport alone, accounting for $14.8 million in overpayments last year. Read more »
The Bard’s New Digs
William Shakespeare may be a big part of the future of Downtown Las Vegas. How do you build a fresh home for a timeless classic?
April 24th, 2013
The decades-long effort to revitalize Downtown Las Vegas (it didn’t start with Zappos, kids) has had its Shakespearean twists: good intentions gone awry, virtue unrewarded, high hopes, deep funks and soaring ambitions. So the area is an appropriate new home for the Las Vegas Shakespeare Company, which moved to the erstwhile Reed Whipple Cultural Center and is spearheading its $45 million expansion. Read more »
