Today's News

Paul Maez, who works in the county clerk’s office, is closely examining registrations to make sure voters are assigned to the right political districts.

In so doing, he’s finding some oddities.

At the beginning of the year, Maez, who is now the elections bureau supervisor, essentially swapped jobs with Melanie Rivera, who was elected county clerk. Maez served as county clerk for two four-year terms, but state law bars him from running for a third term in a row.

On the first day of school, Memorial Middle School teacher Clarabel Marquez has a way of getting kids to come out of their shell: They are introduced to Global Bingo, a game where they ask a number of questions and at the same time get to know each other.

Students are given a global bingo sheet with a number of questions like: Who traveled out of New Mexico this summer? Who knows at least 10 names of states in the United States? Who knows the name of the mayor of Las Vegas?

The new dorms have opened up at Highlands University, and they are a showcase for the school.

As sure as it rains during the Fiestas, local leaders will be contemplating about whom to name the new residence hall after. If history is any guide, it will be named in honor of a professor or a politician.

Last year, a group asked the Board of Regents to name the hall after state Sen. Pete Campos, D-Las Vegas. We’re not sure why a university building would be named after a state senator, except that he did his job and helped secure the state funding for the project.

An advocate for a police oversight board says she wants a constructive approach toward the issue.

Pat Leahan of the Las Vegas Peace and Justice Center, who helped organize a recent meeting dealing with police oversight, told the City Council earlier this month that an Optic headline, “Residents complain about police,” mischaracterized the meeting.

She said the meeting didn’t focus on complaints, but rather sought solutions.

“Our goal is partnership, not divisiveness,” she said.