Tovin Lapan

Story Archive

Nevada’s Hispanic voters stayed home, drifted away from Democrats

Friday, Nov. 21, 2014

There were no lines winding out the door, and occasionally idle poll workers would step outside and look around like the early arrivals to a party wondering if they have the wrong address. Miguel Amarista, a registered Democrat, made the trip to his polling place in East Las Vegas on election day ...

Mucking it up as they go along: World’s Toughest Mudder comes to Las Vegas

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014

Crawl through mud below barbed-wire, jump off cliffs into frigid water and pick up a few rope burns along the way. When you’re done with the first lap, keep doing it for the next 24 hours. For the 1,500 competitors in the World’s Toughest Mudder event, coming to Southern Nevada for the first time this year, that’s what a good time in Las Vegas sounds like. Tough Mudder, the obstacle course race, is ...

Survey: Democrat Lucy Flores, Republican Brian Sandoval won the Hispanic vote

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014

Lucy Flores won the Hispanic vote in Tuesday's election but she lost big in her race for lieutenant governor because of low turnout among Democrats and a popular Republican slate led by Gov. Brian Sandoval. About 71 percent of ...

Job picture looks bright as seasonal hiring season kicks into high gear

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014

The holiday hiring forecast is looking bright, and those on the hunt for seasonal work should find more options and perhaps even higher wages than in ...

Nonprofit AzulBlue helps parents understand autism

Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014

Being a parent of an autistic child can be an isolating experience. So imagine what it’s like when English isn’t your first language.

SLS helping keep north Strip from going south, nearby business operators say

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2014

For businesses on the north end of the Strip, the opening of the tourist corridor's first casino since the recession — SLS Las Vegas — hasn't been a game-changer. But it has led to ...

Your votes could win Las Vegas volunteer a $25,000 grant

Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014

Alan Aleman is a finalist in a national competition sponsored by Coors Light that awards money to a Hispanic leader to design and execute a community project. Aleman was nominated by the local chapter of the American Red Cross, where he serves as the youth representative on the board of directors. ...

Chess as a spectator sport? Organizers of big-money tourney say yes

Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2014

World-class players. Big prize money. A tournament based on a table game of strategy. But can the Millionaire Chess Open become the next World Series of Poker, or is it ...

Miss Asian Las Vegas pageant rewards go well beyond the crown

Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014

For the creator of the Miss Asian Las Vegas pageant, as well as one of the category winners in this year's competition, the importance of the event is ...

Deportation stats suggest Obama hasn’t upheld vow to target criminals

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014

The federal government deported a record number of immigrants in fiscal year 2013. The data showed that 438,421 immigrants were deported in 2013, up approximately 5 percent from the previous record of 418,397 in 2012. More than 2 million people have been deported since President Barack Obama ...

Scam alert: Beware of callers seeking bail for relatives, officials say

Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014

An old scam has been revived in Nevada, where at least 28 people have been defrauded through a scheme in which ...

For immigrants and others without insurance, nonprofit OB-GYN clinic is a blessing

Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014

In 2005, when Dr. Kord Strebel first came to Las Vegas, his obstetrics and gynecology practice was for-profit, but with an emphasis on keeping prices low for the uninsured population. But he soon realized that he couldn't provide many recommended tests or blood work at a low cost unless he ...

Homegrown soccer star says Las Vegas ready for pro team

Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014

Herculez Gomez is the unofficial ambassador of Las Vegas soccer. The former U.S. national team member is inarguably the most accomplished player to come out of the area. He's also a supporter of a downtown MLS stadium and says people in Las Vegas "are dying for a professional team."

Southern Nevada nonprofits suffer from huge funding gap, study says

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014

If you're a Nevada resident in need, a nonprofit organization in the northern part of the state can call on much greater resources to help you than ...

Dozens fulfill dream of citizenship in emotional Las Vegas ceremony

Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014

For the woman from the Philippines it happened while taking the pledge of allegiance. For the man from Israel it was during the rendition of the national anthem. The weight of the moment, becoming a citizen of the United States, hit them at ...

Culture Fest celebrates diversity through food, music and art

Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014

Having created a successful festival to celebrate Black History Month, Kimberly Bailey Tureaud and her husband, Charles Tureaud, found they wanted to expand their reach and ...

Charity works up a lather to donate soap to the needy

Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014

Clean the World has grown from a garage operation into an international nonprofit organization, and now it’s aiming for a world record.

Concerts, festivals, boxing and more on tap for Mexican Independence Day, Hispanic Heritage Month

Fiesta Las Vegas expands to two days

Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014

Like a weekend music festival with multiple stages, getting the most from the multitude of events related to Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Heritage Month in Las Vegas requires a tactical approach.

Las Vegans remain focused on immigration overload despite falloff in media coverage

Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014

The national news media may have moved on to topics like the racial crisis in Ferguson, Mo., and fighting in the Middle East, but immigration attorneys and advocates say the fight is just beginning over how to handle ...

Will impasse on immigration galvanize Hispanic voters, or leave them apathetic?

Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014

Inaction on immigration reform has left both parties in jeopardy of losing Hispanic voters, either by causing them to grow apathetic or by galvanizing them into a force of ...

Is it finally Las Vegas’ time to get a major pro sports team?

Sunday, Aug. 17, 2014

We’ve heard the pitches for years. One year it’s basketball, the next year it’s hockey, or baseball. So you can hardly blame Las Vegans for being skeptical about our ...

What a trip: New show in Las Vegas melds entertainment with tourism promo

Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014

The Mexican state of Veracruz has taken a new approach to marketing itself to tourists: It's launched a Las Vegas Strip show that features ...

How a wind turbine works

Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014

The wind can produce energy. We know that. But how much? At what cost? And is wind energy a solution for Nevada?

‘Love God Love People’: Las Vegas church leader reaches out to LGBT violence victims

Friday, Aug. 8, 2014

The Rev. Kathryn Obenour grew up in a household where helping those in need was a way of life. Now, at age 73, she's launched a final project: to provide members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community with ...

Chikungunya, a disease with an odd name but painful symptoms, turns up in Nevada

Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2014

It has a funky name, is transmitted by a particularly aggressive mosquito and has spread throughout the Caribbean and into the U.S. since its introduction to the Western Hemisphere late last year. Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus previously limited to Asia, has now appeared in Nevada, too. The Southern Nevada Health District has confirmed that the illness was found in a Clark County resident returning from vacation, adding Nevada to the list of states touched by the virus' expansion in 2014. The illness will most likely be limited ...

Suspect in Mexico stabbing death captured in North Las Vegas

Friday, Aug. 1, 2014

A Mexican national accused of a fatal stabbing in his home country nearly 16 years ago has been returned to Mexico after he was arrested last month in North Las Vegas. Pedro Curiel-Herrera, 35, was...

Advocate: It’s time to expand gun restrictions in domestic violence cases

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Sue Meuschke has fought domestic violence for 25 years as an advocate for victims. Today, she'll be in Washington, D.C., to lobby lawmakers and support a bill designed to keep guns out of the hands of ...

Citizenship delayed: Las Vegas businessman caught in limbo after questioning by FBI

Sunday, July 27, 2014

When the citizenship process goes smoothly, it typically takes five or six months for someone to go from application to taking the oath of allegiance. In the case of Lebanese immigrant Abdul Nasser Karouni, it's been almost two years, and a lot of scrutiny in airports ...

Colorado River Day message: ‘We need to conserve’

Friday, July 25, 2014

Following a cascade of increasingly bleak news about the health of the Colorado River, one of the nation’s most vital waterways, a collection of southwestern cities including Las Vegas ...

Helping others: UNLV senior launches group for undocumented students

Friday, July 25, 2014

A year ago, Greysel Sousa wouldn’t have made her recent trip to explore the international relations doctorate programs of several East Coast colleges, including Johns Hopkins, Tufts and Princeton. Such a trip would have been...

Effects of Southwest’s border crisis reaching into Nevada

As D.C. deliberates, Northern Nevada sees surge in requests for legal aid

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Every time the phone rings these days, Rosa Molina steels herself for a heart-wrenching story. She has been taking far more calls than usual from immigrants, and many of them are sharing tales of abuse and violence. This week, she has already taken a call from a mother who says she paid a smuggler $7,000 to escort her children from El Salvador to the United States, only to be contacted and asked for...

Report: Nevada Hispanics face many obstacles to scholastic, financial success

Bleak picture of student success emboldens push for reform

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

A new report says Hispanics in Southern Nevada trail their counterparts in neighboring states when it comes to ...

LVGEA endorses immigration reform

Local economic development group joins long list of business associations

Friday, July 11, 2014

The Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance became the latest business association to endorse immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for those without legal residency, when the board of directors approved a resolution on Friday.

Las Vegas fans catch a scorching case of ‘socceritis’

Friday, June 27, 2014

Across the Las Vegas Valley, and the nation, U.S. soccer fans have turned out like never before for the World Cup, filling ...

Police: Man who forced way into home, beat resident is arrested

Monday, June 23, 2014

Christopher Stiles allegedly forced his way into a home in the southwest valley near Blue Diamond Road and Buffalo Drive using a firearm. Stiles and his alleged accomplice ...

Man arrested after altercation, stabbing on the Strip

Monday, June 23, 2014

Three brothers chased down, disarmed and bloodied a man after he allegedly stabbed their cousin on the Las Vegas Strip early Sunday morning. Just before ...

Two Nevadans ID’d as victims of airplane crash last week near Lake Mead

Monday, June 23, 2014

Troy Saxton-Getty Jr., 48, of Carson City, and Natalie Jimenez, 28, of Overton, both died of multiple blunt-force injuries sustained during the plane crash …

Coroner probing second EDC-related death

Monday, June 23, 2014

The Clark County Coroner’s Office is conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death of a young man who was found unconscious at Vdara Saturday evening and later …

Jose Antonio Vargas documentary comes to Las Vegas

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Shocked by a lack of government response, Pulitizer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas wants to spark a national conversation about immigration in the United States by talking about ...

DACAmented: Two more years of deferred action work permits

Recently renewed program gives eligible young immigrants working rights

Saturday, June 14, 2014

On the ground in immigrant communities, those who received work permits through DACA say the program has been a psychological and financial boost, albeit temporary. In Nevada, thousands of young people have received the permits, leading to driver’s licenses, jobs and increased opportunities for education.

Cooling stations opening as valley comes under excessive heat watch

Friday, June 6, 2014

With triple-digit temperatures in the area forecast over the next six days, Clark County is preparing aid stations to help people …

Metro investigates double-stabbing at Treasure Island parking garage

Friday, June 6, 2014

Metro Police detectives are investigating a double-stabbing early Friday on the Strip. At 1:33 a.m. officers responded to a call to the parking garage at Treasure Island, where they found …

6 people suffer smoke inhalation in house fire

Friday, June 6, 2014

Six people suffered smoke inhalation today in an electrical fire that started near the air conditioning unit of a house in the 1900 block of Wengert Avenue, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue officials said.
The fire started about...

Raid on illegal clinic spurs question: Is enforcement adequate?

Friday, June 6, 2014

The arrest of an unlicensed health care provider in Las Vegas has prompted questions about how much progress has been made in a crackdown on illegal health clinics that began in 2012.

Immigration activists cited with trespassing at Rep. Joe Heck’s office

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Five protesters pushing for immigration reform legislation were cited on counts of trespassing at Joe Heck’s local office this morning after they demanded to be heard and refused to leave. A group of more than 30 protesters...

Reid: President justified to act on immigration reform if Congress doesn’t

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid joined this morning with representatives from the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce and other area business and tourism organizations to trumpet the need for urgent action on immigration reform. It has been nearly a year since the Senate passed...

Bill allowing immigrants here illegally to serve in military splits GOP

Saturday, May 24, 2014

By now, Brian Huerta thought he would be out of Marines basic training and settling in with his unit, combat training with his M-16, learning navigation and technical skills, building trust with his comrades and ...

Horsford applauds state decision to boot Buena Vista out of tax program

Monday, May 19, 2014

The Nevada Housing Division has kicked the Buena Vista Springs Apartments, where an elderly resident was found dead last week, out of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, a move that was lauded by ...

Court TV: Immigration cases lack personal touch

Sunday, May 11, 2014

With money tight and a growing backlog of cases as politicians get tough on immigration enforcement, judges have had to cut corners. For immigrant detainees, that has meant videoconferenced hearings rather than in-person appearances, which ...

Wind power experts: All things being equal, industry can compete

Friday, May 9, 2014

But given the tax credits given to other energy sources, financing for wind power projects is highly dependent on the production tax credit that expired at the end of 2013.