Today's News

West Las Vegas officials thought they had a watchman on duty the night someone spray-painted graffiti over the high school’s outside walls.

They were wrong.

Because of scheduling confusion, no watchman was on duty last Wednesday night when someone spray-painted red and white graffiti on the school’s walls, Superintendent Jim Abreu said Tuesday.

He said each watchman thought the other was supposed to work that night. Schedules change each month, and the vandalism occurred during the first night of October, he said.

Martin Chris Romero describes himself as “freaked out” after he found out that his friend reportedly fired the gunshot that killed a 6-year-old girl.

But he didn’t call the police. Instead, he says he kept it a secret from the authorities until investigators asked about the murder months later.

Romero testified on Monday during the preliminary hearing of David Levi Chavez, 507 New Mexico Ave., who has been charged with an open count of murder in the June 15 death of Jasmine Garcia.

Gov. Bill Richardson spoke to a crowd of about 100 Las Vegans during a stop in the Meadow City in a last big push to encourage Democrats to register to vote.

Richardson told the Optic that Democrats in northern New Mexico are starting to really get enthusiastic about presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The city could reduce the amount of trash it hauls to the Wagon Mound landfill and help the environment at the same time, according to a Highlands University study.

For years, Highlands has been researching the use of what is known as mechanical biological treatment technology to help a small community such as Las Vegas better manage its waste. The study is funded by the federal government, and an advisory committee has been in place for the project.