Category Archives: Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) In celebration of Black History Month, Metro police, and the Clark County commissioners joined together to honor southern Nevadas first black police officer during Tuesdays meeting.

Herman Moody served as a detective and joined the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department back in 1946.

Moody was a navy veteran at the time, and since there was no police academy at the time he tells 8 News Now he had to teach himself how to file reports that would stand up in court.

Moody also noted that he would oftentimes read books on Nevada law and would then teach others how to make good arrests.

He also says he believed in the historic westside of the valley and felt its residents deserved good police protection and dedicated his career to it.

Detective Herman Moody retired from Metro back in 1977.

He is now 97-years-old and says he enjoys spending time with his five children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

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Southern Nevadas first Black officer honored in Las Vegas - KLAS - 8 News Now

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2 Las Vegas hiring events this week offer hiring bonuses for all positions - FOX5 Las Vegas

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Las Vegas among cities with the highest average Uber rider rating - FOX5 Las Vegas

Las Vegas pool clubs had a monster summer last year as pandemic-weary partiers returned to the Strip in record numbers to celebrate once again. But one of the citys essential dayclub venues wasnt ready to reopen.

Tao Beach, the rooftop extension of the Tao restaurant and nightclub complex at the Venetian, actually hadnt planned to operate during the summer of 2020, when pool parties and so many other events and venues went dark on the Strip. Tao Beach had already shuttered for a complete renovation and expansion, part of a larger pool deck project at the resort that was delayed by COVID.

Its on track to restart the party this spring, but returning guests likely wont recognize the new version. This is no makeover; its an entirely new venue.

People will be completely mystified and have no correlation to what was before and what is now, Tao Group partner Jason Strauss said during a recent construction-site tour of the facility.

Originally opened in 2007, Tao Beach previously operated across an intimate 18,000 square feet, with a capacity of 1,586. Upon reopeningset for March 18 with a grand opening celebration on April 1-3it will be one of the largest dayclubs in Las Vegas: 44,000 square feet with an occupancy of 3,000.

The all-new, $50 million-enhanced experience will begin with a grand entrance, very different from what Tao Beach guests will remember. We made access dramatically better with this major investment, Strauss said. It was a herculean effort to build this escalator through the roof of the Venetian from Tao restaurant and nightclub to take you up here.

The Bali-inspired design marks a vibrant expansion on the style of the previous club, crafted by the Rockwell Group and Susan Nugraha, Taos Vice President of Design and Development. Every element is bigger, including the DJ booth (with LED screen), 21 cabanas and two huge bars.

Especially with the giant Temple Bar, I think well have the best bar experience and bar views. That was a big thing, Strauss said. Obviously the cabanas are important for guests who place a premium on that real estate, but for those people who are just coming to enjoy the bar and dance, we spent a lot of time creating unique experiences for them.

Tao Beach was one of the first Vegas venues built as a dayclub, and the first to operate daily, but its size resulted in limitations. Now, it will undoubtedly be one of the major daytime venues on the Strip. And after last springs merger with the Hakkasan Group, Tao Group is running many of those pool clubs, including the recently renovated Wet Republic at MGM Grand.

The pandemic might have taken attention away from the joining of those two global hospitality giants, but the new company has become a dominant force on the Strip (while also operating dozens of venues on five continents). Hakkasan restaurant and nightclub at MGM Grand, Omnia at Caesars Palace and Jewel at Aria are just a few more of the nightlife spots acquired by the Tao Group in that move.

As that deal moves into its second year, the arrival of the revamped Tao Beach brings the companys focus back to the Las Vegas property where it all began. This was the mothership of Las Vegas, the mother brand of the entire company, and this is close to our hearts, especially mine, because I came out here 16 years ago to open up Tao, Strauss said.

For us to see this evolution and come back to the market with something first-in-class, its almost like seeing your baby grow up.

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Las Vegas' revamped Tao Beach prepares to seize the summer spotlight - Las Vegas Weekly

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) Las Vegas is in a class by itself for so many reasons and is now at the forefront of Alzheimer's research.

Dave Courvoisier got wind of a groundbreaking new study that's unlike any in the world, happening right now at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. He met one woman who's grateful to be a part of it.

"So my mother had Alzheimer's and I was with her," said Jodi Manzella.

Alzheimer's disease is a sworn enemy for Manzella. It took her mother and then struck again. Her brother also had the disease before he passed away from complications from it.

Now she's taking part in a first-of-its-kind study focusing strictly on Alzheimer's in women.

"We opened the Women's Alzheimer's Movement Prevention Center because women represent two-thirds of the people currently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease," said neuropsychiatrist Dr. Jessica Caldwell with the Cleveland Clinic.

She's excited to be at the center of it, hoping to lead to better understanding and, ultimately, better prevention.

BETTER PREVENTION

"We know that up to 40 percent of current Alzheimer's cases might've been prevented if we had known then what we know now about lifestyle," Caldwell said.

It's a confounding puzzle, figuring out why it strikes mostly women.

"I didn't know how disproportionate this disease affected with gender, so it really was surprising when I had first seen information about this program and targeting women with Alzheimer's," Manzella said.

But a study of this size takes money and influence, and that's where Cleveland Clinic's partnership with the Women's Alzheimer's Movement headed by Maria Shriver comes in.

"The Women's Alzheimer's Movement Prevention Center here at the Cleveland Clinic is a landmark center. It's the first of its kind in the world to focus on women," Shriver said.

Shriver's appearance at the Lou Ruvo Center in Las Vegas energized the program with funds, advocacy, and momentum.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

"What's fantastic about this prevention center is it says, we want to get you when you're young, when you're healthy and when you can make a difference. That's got to save not only your family and yourself financially, emotionally, spiritually, cognitively it will save our country," Shriver said.

"Maria Shriver's Women's Alzheimer's Movement, they have a really amazing track record of raising funds for Alzheimer's disease, specifically. So to be able to have that resource in our corner is really amazing," Caldwell said.

And amazing because women like Jodi Manzella now have more hope to rise above their family history.

Right now the study is full, but there is a waiting list to get in on this first-of-its-kind study right here in Las Vegas. You can also help with program funding.

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First-of-its-kind Alzheimer's study happening in Las Vegas - KTNV Las Vegas

Every week seems to bring significant news about music festivals in Las Vegas. If it isnt the new emo-rock fest When We Were Young meeting wild demand by adding multiple days to its October debut on the Strip, its the homegrown Life Is Beautiful festival selling a majority stake to Rolling Stone magazine parent corporation Penske Media.

But a recent lineup announcement for the newest festival set to land in Las Vegas made news for an entirely different reason. Organizers of the Afterparty NFT Art and Music Festival, scheduled for March 18-19 at Area15, are calling it a first-of-its-kind event. Notable names like The Chainsmokers, The Kid Laroi, Charlie XCX, Gryffin and other DJs and artists will perform, but the festivals immersive digital art installations and unique connection to the NFT community will set it apart.

We want to bring NFT art to the forefront and create a celebration it deserves, says David Fields, co-founder and CEO of Afterparty. We believe this is a massive new movement, and were at the beginning of it. The centerpiece of the festival is the NFT art program, presenting it in a way it really hasnt been seen before, fully integrated into the experience.

And second is the idea of the communitys access to the event, that [attendees] will need to be a holder of the NFT or be a guest of theirs to actually attend. That creates a unique experience by really making the community the foundation of who can access the festival.

NFTs (nonfungible tokens) are unique, non-interchangeable units of data stored on a blockchain. Much of the current excitement around this new tech object is centered on selling digital art. For the festival, Afterparty has created an exclusive set of 1,500 NFTs curated by artists Nate Mohler and Alec Maassenknown as the Utopian collectionwhich will be among the installations at the festival and will also provide digital admission to the two-day event.

Chris Racan, formerly of the Kaaboo music festival in San Diego, and Ryan Doherty, former Life Is Beautiful partner and leader of Las Vegas-based Corner Bar Management, are serving as production partners for the Afterparty festival.

NFT art deserves to be seen and celebrated through an experience that is just as innovative as the NFT art itself, Doherty said in a statement. Were creating a festival that captures that energy and enthusiasm that fits into a future-ready environment that intensifies the impact these pieces have on the viewer.

Afterparty was founded last year and has attracted an investor group that includes Acrew Capital, TenOneTen Ventures, Reade Seiff and Craig Clemens. The company is based in LA.

Fields, a former Disney analyst who helped execute the companys acquisition of Pixar and later headed investments for former CEO Michael Eisner, says he decided he wanted to continue his career in the crypto world after reading the Ethereum Whitepaper, published before the 2015 launch of that open-source software project. Afterparty followed Fields founding of Wander, which uses low-cost wireless hardware proprietary software to provide wireless residential internet in Southern California.

We started to see NFTs had this potential to be a powerful tool for creators, something that can enable them to much more closely connect with fans, so we started building Afterparty to build that community and create the tools to enable that community, Fields says. Weve built a lot of technology around NFTs as access, more than just a one-off digital art piece, something that can serve as this verifiable digital asset that unlocks things in the virtual space and in real life.

Next months inaugural festival will take over several spaces at Area15, including the outdoor A-Lot and the indoor, interactive space the Portal. The 1,500 Utopian NFT holders and their plus threes could add up to 6,000 potential attendees, Fields says, though he is anticipating actual attendance to land between 4,000 and 5,000.

When we saw the [Area15] site, we just felt like it was meant to be the home for the festival, a special place that already has this immersive art feel, Fields says. Las Vegas is a great fit for a number of reasons beyond that this venue really spoke to us. Its an incredibly international city, and crypto and NFTs are international movements, so that is important to us as well.

Additional Afterparty NFT festival musicians and artists are expected to be unveiled in the coming days and weeks, and more information is available atafterparty.ai/festival.

Area15 has a similar-sounding event on the books earlier next month, the NFT Moonfest on March 4 and 5. 3LAU and Boombox Cartel will headline an extensive bill of dance music artists for that celebration of the NFT and crypto community, which will also include speakers and panels, an immersive art gallery, networking sessions and other NFT project activations.

ClickHEREto subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!

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Blockchain tech and entertainment converge in Las Vegas with an NFT music and art festival - Las Vegas Weekly

Black business owners told Gov. Steve Sisolak that they want their businesses to be judged by their competency and successes, not by their minority-owned status, several said during a Wednesday roundtable discussion.

About a dozen Southern Nevada businesspeople met with the governor at Illusion Salon of Beauty in Las Vegas, a Black-owned business in operation for 30 years. Activity in the salon didnt stop while Sisolak and participants gathered. Instead, several women sat under dryers or in salon chairs listening to the discussion.

Attendees represented various industries, including technology, marketing, cosmetology and construction. Despite the range, many agreed that Black entrepreneurs still face bias when conducting business. While some said their businesses were able to push through the early recession caused by the pandemic with the help of federal loans, others said banks were more likely to dismiss their loan requests despite having an existing relationship.

The old school of, I know you, you know me, theyre still handcuffed to that, Shaundell Newsome, owner of Sumnu Marketing, said. The local lenders, SBA lenders, are still handcuffed because theyre owned by corporations.

Others said it can be difficult to be seen as competitive solely for their work. Many said the Disadvantage Business Enterprise certification a state program that confirms a business is majority-owned by minorities, women, veterans or members of the LGBTQ community can work against them because others may assume their success came from a handout.

Tiesha Moore, owner of G3 Electrical in Las Vegas, said she is hesitant to promote the certification or add photos of the team in case of a potential clients bias. She said the company would rather clients get to know them through their presence in Las Vegas construction community.

Its super important for us to know, as the Black community and all of the communities, we want the same thing, Moore said. We want to do our jobs, do it well and we want to succeed as well as everybody else. And we just want the opportunity to do it.

Others said they wanted to see more successes similar to the Las Vegas Stadium Authoritys high percentage of hiring women and minorities while building Allegiant Stadium.

Sisolak noted ways the state could break up its procurement into smaller contracts to support more minority-owned businesses. The challenge is to extend that kind of goal setting to private industry, Sisolak said.

It was a little different because there was public funds going in, he said. When theres public funds, I can exert a little more pressure, influence, whatever you want to call it. When its the private sector, its not so easy to say, Look Caesars Palace, or MGM, or Boyd, youve gotta start doing it. Because were not giving them resources.

During the discussion, Sisolak also asked about ways the state could further provide support to Nevadas Black-owned businesses.

One suggestion was to create more diverse state boards and commissions that reflect Black business owners expertise. Others pointed out that representation would be especially helpful for the State Board of Cosmetology because of the different cosmetology needs and practices of people with textured hair.

McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on Twitter.

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Sisolak discusses recovery efforts with Black business owners - Las Vegas Review-Journal

1 shot during break-in at home in west valley

by: David Charns

(Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A homeowner fired gunshots at a group of burglars breaking into his home, injuring at least one who was identified when he left a car, registered in his familys name, in front of the crime scene.

The shooting happened Monday, Feb. 7, in a gated community near Cimarron Road and Oakey Boulevard.

The homeowner told police he was in an upstairs bedroom around 7:30 p.m. when his dogs started to growl, an arrest report obtained by the 8 News Now I-Team said. The homeowner then looked at home security cameras on his phone, seeing four people wearing hoods and masks attempting to break-in.

The man then went into his closet, got dressed and grabbed his gun.

As the burglars gained access to the house, the homeowner walked into a balcony area, which opens to the floor below, shooting at three of the suspects five times, the report said.

One round hit one of the suspects. All four suspects then ran from the home, police said.

During their investigation, Metro police noted an unregistered Audi sitting in front of the victims home. The VIN number came back to a woman out of Texas with the last name Freeman.

About an hour after the shooting, a man, later identified as Leroy Freeman, 28, arrived at Spring Valley Hospital with a gunshot wound, police said.

Police reviewed more surveillance videos, showing the Audi entering the gated community minutes before the shooting. The suspects are seen on camera breaking a back patio door to enter the home, police said.

Police matched the clothing in the video to two suspects. One of those suspects was Freeman.

Police arrested Freeman on charges of home invasion, burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary. He also faces similar charges for incidents in Henderson, records showed.

A second person was also charged with the same three charges, but their name was redacted due to their age. Information on the other two suspects was not provided in the report.

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I-Team: Las Vegas homeowner shoots burglar who left car parked in front of house - KLAS - 8 News Now

Caesars Entertainment to rebrand Bally's Las Vegas as Horseshoe casino

The Bally's Las Vegas is getting transformed into a Horseshoecasino, where the World Series of Poker is set to take place later this year.

Staff Video, USA TODAY

Las Vegas resorts seemed louder Friday night.

As of Thursday, guestsno longer need to wear a face mask while inside most Nevada businesses including casinos. That means no more cloth muffling a cheer at a lucky blackjack handor stiflingconversation among the crowds strolling the halls of the resorts.

And with the city packed for Super Bowl weekend, one of the biggest days of the year for sportsbooks, there were plenty of people to fill the air with chatter.

Thats not to say that casinos had been dead before this weekend. Far from it; more than 3 million people visited Las Vegas in December, just 13% below December 2019 levels, according to the latest data available from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Plus, the states now-defunct maskingmandate had allowed people to shed their face coverings indoors when eating, drinking or smoking, which means visitors saw plenty of bare faces before Thursday.

Nevertheless, the new mask policyhas been seen as Las Vegas gettingone step closer to a return to normalafter a two-month shutdown in 2020.

I keep thinking, wait, somethings missing but Im glad we can go back to normal. Im hoping we can go back to normal, said Jennifer Rios of Palm Springs, California, who was sipping on a Corona beer inside Paris Las Vegas casino Friday night. It makes me feel really hopeful that thats the way were headed.

GOODBYE, BALLY'S: Bally's Las Vegas hotel-casino to get multimillion-dollar renovation into Horseshoe Casino

Sidewalks on Fremont Street, the heart of downtown Las Vegas, were packed Friday night, and crowds danced and twirled on spilled beer as music blasted throughspeakers.Taxis lined outside the casinos advertised shows that are back up and running.

On Las Vegas Boulevard,the Bellagio's fountains danced to Frank Sinatras Luck Be a Lady. Crowds surrounded the spectacle,most without masks, cameras raised for videos.

A number of visitors admitted that the state's new masking rules took themby surprise. It waswelcome news for some, like Doug and Carolyn Pearsonof St. Louis, who were in Las Vegas to celebrate Dougs 63rd birthday.

Its kind of nice, Doug saidinside Resorts World Las Vegas.Its a hassle to have a mask.

It takes away some of the confusion, Carolyn added.

Danny Boyd of Miami, who was in town for a Luke Bryan concert and Super Bowl Sunday, was also pleasantly surprised to learn that masks would no longer be required during his vacation.

Its what were used to (in Florida). … Were going back to normal again, he said. I just hate the way (a mask)feels.

Despite the new rules, 10% or so of the indoor crowds opted to keep their masks on which can help prevent infection, especially if the masks are N95s or KN95s andworn correctly, according to studies.

Amanda Henry-Sander, who worea matching black surgical mask with her wife, Nicole Sander, said the two were keeping the masks on during their trip but didnt feel uncomfortable with the bare faces surrounding them. Both are fully vaccinated, and Amanda caught a mild case of COVIDafter a December trip to Las Vegas.

The thing is is that were still in a pandemic and its not over, Amanda said. We dont know when its going to be over. And Iknow a lot of people have mixed emotions on it. If you dont want to wear a mask, dont wear a mask, but dont give grief to the folks that are still wearing a mask.

NEVADA MASK RULES DROP: Masks no longer required at several major Las Vegas casinos: Where you still need to mask up

Nicole added that shes had multiple people remind her that the mask mandate has been lifted since they got into town Thursday.

Im like, we know, she said. Were going to see my 90-year-old aunt in two weeks and then were going to see her grandmother in Arkansas. … You got to do what you got to do to protect yourself.

Michelle Wenzel and her husband, Brian Wenzel, of Los Angeles noted that they were surprised to learn about the new masking rules during their trip.

"If I hadn't been boosted and just had COVID, I would've probably freaked out," Michelle said outside Paris Las Vegas.(Unlike the casino, the city of Paris still requires masks indoors.)

Others, like Julie Neff, couldnt help but feel uncomfortable seeing the COVID-19 mitigation measure drop.

This morning, we were like why is nobody wearing their mask? she said. "I think its a little too early. We kind of just came down off the spike.

The native of Hollister, California,was diagnosed with thyroid cancer a couple of weeks before her trip. She plans to schedule a surgery early next week, but her doctor warned her that a positive coronavirustest would mean the surgery would need to bepostponed.

Neff, who traveled to Las Vegas with her husband to watch Luke Brian and George Strait concerts,said she almost sold her tickets. Instead, the two "went for it" and plan to wear KN95 masks throughout the vacation.

Im a little nervous about it, but Im at the point where I want to live my life, too, she said.

MGM SELLS MIRAGE: MGM will sell iconic Las Vegas Mirage Hotel in $1 billion deal

Follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter: @bailey_schulz.

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'We're going back to normal': Las Vegas visitors shed their masks - USA TODAY

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) An important piece of Black history still stands tall on Las Vegas' Historic Westside.

The Harrison House was a place where black musicians and performers would stay after being told they weren't allowed to spend the night on the Las Vegas Strip.

Today, the Harrison House symbolizes "protecting the past and preserving the future." That's the motto, as the home has now been transformed into an educational center. Its current owners hope this piece of Black history helps newer generations learn for years come.

The grand tour begins outside of the home, where you have a clear view of the Bonanza bridge that reads, "Historic Westside."

"Bonanza Road was the legal boundary between the Black and the white community during the segregationist period of Las Vegas," explained Katherine Duncan, a historian and the executive director of the Harrison House. "If you were Black, you were not welcome or tolerated past that bridge."

Today, though the Historic Westside is no longer legally segregated. It is still home to many black families, some whose ancestors passed down the land for generations.

RELATED: Celebrating the legacy of trailblazing architect Paul Revere Williams

In those days, if you were a Black artist or performer, the Harrison House was the place to be.

"It's a gathering place for famous entertainers who would be performing at the Sands hotel or the Tropicana, but weren't allowed to stay there," Duncan said. "So, Mrs. Harrison opened up a guest home for those entertainers, and that's what makes Harrison House unique. It was famous for visitors like Sammy Davis, Jr., Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey, Joe Lewis."

Now, the Harrison House sits along the Pioneer Trail, a relic of the Black excellence of the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. Its history has been preserved through the advocacy of Duncan and others. Still, many questions loom as to whether the home will continue to stand the test of time.

"How do we sustain the house until the future? Like, who pays the bills? What happens here?" Duncan said.

Similar questions extend to other historic properties in the neighborhood.

"Are they important, historic buildings, or should they be torn down?" Duncan said. "Those are the kinds of questions we're grappling with today."

If you had come into Harrison House in 1940, you would have been brought into the sitting room. This was the exterior room of a standard of the 1942 house, Duncan said.

"So in those days, if you got into a person's sitting room, they would talk to you and get to know you. If they liked you, then they would invite you over into the living room. So, let's go in the living room," Duncan said.

Walking from the sitting room to the living room, it's hard not to admire the photos on the wall of stars like Sammy Davis, Jr. and Nat King Cole, and old memories of the Moulin Rouge that show the rich history the property at 1001 N. F Street holds.

"It was listed in the Negro motorist traveler's guide in 1949," Duncan said. "So, she (Mrs. Harrison) had to be doing well to be able to advertise to travelers across America."

"The Negro Motorist Green Book" was used by Black travelers all across the United States in the mid-'40s.

"It was just on the wrong side of town, so they came here because they could afford it, honestly, and Mrs. Harrison didn't have cheap rates," Duncan said. "She ran a first-class guest house. So she was, you know, high society."

In those days, Black entertainers weren't welcome to stay on The Strip, so if you wanted to sit down with Sammy Davis, Jr. or hang out with Harry Belafonte, you had to leave The Strip, too. That brought other well-known figures to the Harrison House.

"Of course, Marilyn Monroe, and I mean, all of these people would come through Harrison House to be with Sammy Davis, Jr. and Harry Belafonte and Joe Lewis. This is where they were," Duncan said.

"Having a one-bedroom suite with its own self-contained shower and walk-in closet I mean, this house was an amazing home," she added. "It had all of the amenities that any Las Vegas Strip hotel would have."

Over time, the Historic Westside has seen its ups and downs, including some wanting to get rid of the house.

"'All those old raggedy buildings over there,'" Duncan said. "I've heard that a lot. 'Why don't you just tear that stuff down and start over?' And I go, 'Oh, you know, why would we tear down everything and erase any foundation that we have as a people?'"

The Harrison House is currently open for educational tours. To learn more about the rich culture and history of the home that hosted the stars, you can visit their website at harrisonhouselv.org.

Find more Black History Month features at ktnv.com/blackhistorymonth.

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Las Vegas' Black History preserved through the Harrison House - KTNV Las Vegas