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Local News

  • Council reluctantly OKs budget, criticizes state

    The City Council this week approved a budget that would make cuts in the general fund to meet state requirements. But city officials weren’t happy with the state agency that oversees the city’s finances.

    The council signed off on a $9.9 million general fund budget, which pays for everything from police to parks. That’s down from the $10.6 million budget approved during the summer.

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  • Winter shutoffs a possibility

    Las Vegas Mayor Tony Marquez isn’t saying whether the city will observe a state-mandated moratorium on winter heating gas shutoffs. And state government officials aren’t sure who may enforce it or how.

    The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, is a federally funded program intended to help pay the poor’s winter heating bills.

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  • RHS gets ready for big game

    It’s homecoming time at Robertson High School with the big game scheduled for 7 p.m. today at Cardinal Stadium as the Cardinals take on the Warriors from Ruidoso.

    At a pep rally on Thursday, students got a chance to laugh and have fun watching and taking part in skits, dance-offs, charades, an obstacle course and scavenger hunt.

    Of course, a pep rally wouldn’t be complete without cheerleaders cheering, the dance team dancing and the Red Wave band playing the school fight song.

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  • Luna plans out-of-town meeting

    The Luna Community College Board of Trustees once again plans to hold a meeting outside the school’s service area — away from the public it represents.

    The trustees had planned to hold a two-day training at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Albuquerque this last weekend, but it was postponed. The school hasn’t rescheduled the event yet.

    It costs $200 for a room at the Hyatt, although Luna may be able to get a bulk rate. The average single room is more than double that of the rate of $89 at Las Vegas’ Plaza Hotel.

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  • Las Vegas beefing up its public relations efforts

    The city has hired a new employee who will be in charge of public relations.

    It’s unusual for a city the size of Las Vegas to hire a public information officer, but Mayor Tony Marquez, who took the helm in March, has said he wanted an employee whose sole job would be to improve communications with the public.

    Mercy Lopez, a public relations employee with the state Department of Transportation and a former Optic reporter, was the recommended candidate for the position. The City Council voted unanimously for her appointment at its meeting Wednesday night.

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  • Students show up in cowboy garb

    Robertson High School students are celebrating homecoming week as they usually do, with a wacky theme each day where the campus is filled with crazy costumes and a lot of spirit.

    The 2008 Rockin’ to Homecoming began Monday with Punk-Emo Day where kids dressed in tight jeans and dark shirts emulating their favorite rockers.

    On Tuesday, the school grounds was a splash of color with students making a statement with hot pink, neon green and highlighter yellow outfits on Techno Day.

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  • Officials look into vandalism at West

    Is it school spirit that’s gone way too far?

    Last night, someone spray-painted red and black graffiti over the exterior walls of West Las Vegas High School. Red and black are Robertson High School’s colors. This week is Robertson’s homecoming.

    Police Chief Gary Gold, who is also a West school board member, said school officials are coming up with an estimate of the damage, but he speculates that it’s in the thousands of dollars.

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  • Las Vegas banks say they're doing fine

    Las Vegas’ three banks have about the same reaction to the nation’s financial crisis: They’re doing just fine.

    Keith Tucker, president of Community First Bank, said his institution hasn’t made the risky loans that are in the news these days.

    “Ninety-six percent of our loans are right here. We look at the land and the houses when we make loans. We are a small-town, conservative, risk-averse bank,” he said.

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  • Suspensions upheld

    The Las Vegas City Schools board on Tuesday upheld the one-year suspensions for three of the six students suspected of hazing at a football camp in August.

    A fourth student’s hearing before the board is set for 4 p.m. Oct. 9 at the central office.

    Another student was also suspended for a year, and still another was expelled.

    State police have yet to charge anyone in connection with the alleged violent hazing, which involved using broomsticks to sodomize younger football players.

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  • HU seeks to buy old hospital

    Highlands University is poised to acquire the old Las Vegas hospital property at its regular meeting Friday.

    President Jim Fries said the $6.5 million purchase would be a good investment in several respects. He said its closeness to the university’s athletic fields and Wilson Complex, which is across the street from the site, could ease parking congestion in the area during athletic and other events, and the building itself would be an asset for future growth.

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