Megan McCloskey

« Older
Newer »

Story Archive

Next foreclosure wave building with defaults on fixed-rate loans: Monday, June 8, 2009; Back in 2000, long before subprime lending to credit-risky homebuyers overheated the housing market, Rosemary Murphy used her financial good standing to pay for a house the old-fashioned way. She’s now in trouble.
Col. Chris Chambliss: Commander, 432d Wing And 432d Air Expeditionary Wing, Creech Air Force Base; Monday, June 1, 2009; After two years as the first commander of the Air Force’s only dedicated unmanned aircraft wing, Col. Chris Chambliss hands over the reins today in a typical rotation of command.
Transfer order doesn’t wait for real estate to rebound: Wednesday, May 27, 2009; Brian O’Neill bought his house in Aliante in April 2006 for $360,000. It’s now worth less than half that. His is a familiar story in the Las Vegas Valley, but he’s in a worse predicament: Uncle Sam has ordered him to move.
Obama finds Bush-era language a sticky thing: Administration dislikes but can’t quite shake phrase ‘Global War on Terror’; Thursday, May 21, 2009; President Barack Obama hasn’t been shy about trying to scrub his predecessor’s lexicon from popular parlance, most notably ditching “Global War on Terrorism.” Obama prefers “Overseas Contingency Operation.”
Helicopter pilot school at Nellis on hold so trainers can fly in Afghanistan: Tuesday, May 12, 2009; The war in Afghanistan is stretching the ranks of the Air Force’s search-and-rescue helicopter pilots so thin, the service had to cancel an advanced training course so it could send the instructors to the front lines.
He brought limo service to Vegas: Entrepreneur who made his living off luxury was not afraid to roll up his sleeves; Friday, May 8, 2009; Jim Bell moved to Las Vegas from Montana in 1967 to join his uncle’s Whittlesea Taxi Service.
Find a voice, sure, but find a paycheck, too: Hollywood veteran teaches writers to be pragmatic; Thursday, May 7, 2009; John Hill has a message for wannabe writers: Forget heart and think commercial.
Who’s friending you next? The U.S. military: Brass takes cautious steps onto Web’s social networks; Tuesday, May 5, 2009; The U.S. military, long a champion of rigid, no-nonsense communications, is stepping into the freewheeling realm of social media.
Antiseptic made here can’t sanitize hands here: It can help prevent swine flu, its maker says, but it’s not approved for that use in U.S.; Monday, May 4, 2009; A Las Vegas company that makes a hand sanitizer capable of warding off the swine flu virus for four hours has been fielding calls madly from Canada, Great Britain, Mexico and from across the United States.
Nellis earns honors in Air Force competition: Friday, April 24, 2009; Nellis Air Force Base is runner-up in the competition for best installation worldwide in the Air Force.
Sheriff’s anti-terror force: Strip workers: He’s lobbying for analyst to field their tips, but privacy advocates cry foul; Friday, April 24, 2009; Law enforcement has long counted on casino security chiefs to report tips about suspicious behavior. To increase vigilance, authorities are leaning more than ever on casino and hotel employees for help — a strategy that may put hotel employees in uncomfortable positions.
More businesses say: We didn’t pay them ’cause we can’t: Recession brings on group wage complaints; Wednesday, April 22, 2009; Recently the doors at both Adam’s Ribs restaurants abruptly closed, hitting employees on their way out sans paychecks.
Fighter jet to go from Nellis to Creech, by helicopter: Monday, April 20, 2009; Tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. an F-15 fighter jet is taking a 50-mile flight from Nellis to Creech Air Force Base - by way of helicopter.
Air trained, ground tested: Changing nature of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan is putting more airmen in the ground fight — and earning them the Bronze Star with valor; Thursday, April 16, 2009; With his Humvee on fire after being ambushed by insurgents, injured Airman 1st Class Antonio Antunez pushed the squad’s translator out a door, escaped through the turret and then, under fire and the only one with a weapon, led his team to safety. Those actions in Iraq earned him a Bronze Star with valor. Antunez, stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, is one of 282 airmen who have earned the commendation for combat actions since Sept. 11, 2001. It’s a small number when compared with the 3,235 soldiers and 1,039 Marines who have earned them, but it reveals a changing warfare trend: Air Force personnel are increasingly involved in ground combat.
Restaurants in a time of struggle: With no ‘template’ for closing, process got ugly — especially for workers who haven’t been paid; Sunday, April 12, 2009; Imagine going into a popular rib joint and being told you can order anything you like — except ribs. That’s what happened to customers of the two Adam’s Ribs restaurants in town, a foreboding sign of what was coming.
Nellis flier gets pilot project: He’s tapped to master new aircraft, pass knowledge along — a “once in a lifetime” chance; Tuesday, April 7, 2009; As one of the 10 Air Force pilots hand-picked to be the initial cadre of instructor pilots for the military’s newest aircraft, Maj. Ben Bishop will essentially be writing the book on how to fly the F-35 for an entire generation of fighter pilots.
For lasting stimulus, parties have to play nice: Brookings report says collaboration, regional planning would pay off big; Monday, April 6, 2009; If Southern Nevada’s government leaders scramble for federal stimulus money like it’s candy spilling from a piñata, they could squander an opportunity to pursue grander valleywide projects that would do more than just boost the economy, a public policy think tank warns.
Obama’s checkbook for defense: In a changed world, should he close it to some fighter jets?; Wednesday, April 1, 2009; In promising to reduce the deficit eventually, President Barack Obama recently told Congress he would “reform our defense budget so that we’re not paying for Cold War-era weapons systems we don’t use.”
In this time of economic struggle, sewing's back: Monday, March 30, 2009; For all the ways the recession has affected our lives, this one is downright nostalgic: The old-fashioned and somewhat forgotten skills of sewing and mending are making a comeback.
Maj. Gen. Scott Smith, Director of the Institute of Security Studies at UNLV: Monday, March 30, 2009; Retired Maj. Gen. Scott Smith served in the Army for 33 years and has a broad view of veterans issues.
In a recession, a delay could be seen by rivals as a positive development: Saturday, March 28, 2009; If CityCenter gets mothballed, is that good or bad for the other properties on the Strip?
For the military in Nevada, not much stimulus: Wednesday, March 25, 2009; Out of the very large stimulus pie, defense-related projects are getting only a crumb.
Proudly catering to whales’ whims in their Mansion away from mansion: Thursday, March 19, 2009; In a city where hospitality is the reigning industry, the pressure is on Wu Ly Ping to be the most hospitable of all.
When in doubt, whip Las Vegas: This time it’s McCain, ranting against money sought by UNLV; Friday, March 6, 2009; Railing this week against “pork barrel corruption” in the $410 billion omnibus spending bill, Arizona Republican John McCain called the more than 8,500 earmarks in it an “outrageous insult to the American people.” Among the dozen examples he ticked off while venting on the Senate floor was one that, of course, mentions Las Vegas — specifically, $951,000 for a “sustainable Las Vegas” project. “What does that mean? What does sustainable Las Vegas mean?” the senator huffed, incredulous.
Combat tactics refined at Nellis: Local base plays key role in developing methods and equipment to adapt to new challenges; Sunday, March 1, 2009; With the desert north of Las Vegas serving as Iraq and Afghanistan, Nellis solves almost all of that kind of air-related problem faced by U.S. forces in the Middle East.
Nevada to serve as pilot state for injection safety: Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009; A hepatitis C outbreak in Las Vegas last year led to the discovery of a troubling lack of infection control standards in outpatient clinics nationwide.
Nellis in race for best Air Force base: Winner will get $1 million for improvements; Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009; Around the Air Force, Nellis has a bit of a reputation — and it could be officially acknowledged soon.
Court seeks to insulate veteran defendants: Program would offer special treatment, peer mentors, focus on rehabilitation; Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009; Military veterans facing criminal prosecution in Clark County and who have underlying drug or mental health issues could soon be shepherded to a courtroom of their own.
Lessons of Depression up for fresh discussion: Economists, politicians still haven’t pinned down the actions that ended it; Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009; As senators wrangle this week over Washington’s plan to stimulate the economy, the debate is laced with competing interpretations of something that happened seven decades ago: the Great Depression.
Air Force: Dogfighters out, warthogs in: Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009; Its nickname is “warthog.” That’s the first clue that flying an A-10 is not the Air Force’s most glamorous mission.
Man involved in military fire investigation in Iraq returning to Las Vegas: Friday, Jan. 23, 2009; Justin Price, a civilian contractor in Iraq who had been facing a potential court martial, will soon be reunited with his wife and 9-year-old stepdaughter.
Veterans keeping wish-list moderate: Agency chief hopes lawmakers will preserve benefits, services in a budget season marked by deep cuts; Friday, Jan. 23, 2009; For military veterans, the small things matter. Like being able to take advantage of disabled parking privileges and still have a Purple Heart license plate.
Civilian from Vegas won’t face court martial, will return home: Friday, Jan. 23, 2009; Las Vegan Justin Price won’t be court martialed in connection with a fire that damaged a Predator drone at an air base in Iraq, military authorities said Thursday.
Civilian challenging his expected court martial: Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009; In what could be a landmark case, a Las Vegas-based aircraft mechanic is challenging whether it’s constitutional for the U.S. military to court-martial civilians.
Next goal: Capitalize on election momentum: Union turns focus on policy setting, as business lobby gears up its opposition; Monday, Jan. 19, 2009; Unions, so integral to the Democratic victory in November, are staying in high-energy campaign mode, hoping to ride the momentum of their election efforts to win support for what they’ve identified as working-family priorities, such as changes in labor law and health care.
Left relieved by Obama’s words on card check: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009; Incoming president Barack Obama has made his most detailed statement since being elected about organized labor’s No. 1 priority, the Employee Free Choice Act.
Union group launches TV ad campaign: Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009
So Obama’s the new FDR, but Reid in tough spot: Author of new book on Roosevelt says history can be incoming president’s guide — to a point; Friday, Jan. 9, 2009; As the nation waits for Washington to find a way to fix the economy, two things are certain: The initials FDR are on everyone’s lips, and Sen. Harry Reid has the toughest job in town. If President-elect Barack Obama’s economic agenda falters, it will be in the Senate, where Reid manages a precarious majority.
Older workers ‘bumping’ young down jobs ladder: Those who need experience most are finding it ever tougher to get; Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009; For a variety of reasons, young adults are being forced out of the labor market as older workers take part-time and retail jobs that were once the province of the younger and less experienced.
Jobs secure, airmen still feel recession’s sting: Store at Nellis helps some stretch pay; Monday, Jan. 5, 2009; A pregnant woman, a couple huddling together and two others bounced on their toes and shuffled their feet trying to stay warm the other day, waiting for a volunteer-run secondhand shop to open its doors at Nellis Air Force Base.
A fitful effort to organize as business goes corporate: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008; There have been growing pains at MedicWest, one of the two ambulance companies that serve the Las Vegas area, after national giant Emergency Medical Services Corp. bought the local company in summer 2007.
Nevada roads less traveled: Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008; Nevadans are leading a national trend among motorists: In the past two years, we’ve been putting in fewer miles behind the wheel.
Lobby cheers Obama’s pick of union supporter: But many want labor secretary on economic team; Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008; After some grumbling about President-elect Barack Obama’s Cabinet picks being too centrist, the left is feeling good about his choice for labor secretary: California Rep. Hilda Solis.
Wall Street bailout hasn’t brought needed mortgage relief: Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008; The Treasury Department has been practically throwing money off the top of buildings on Wall Street — more than $300 billion — but so far the wind hasn’t blown much of it to Nevada.
Economy has many enlisting, reenlisting: In a recession, the promise of a paycheck, benefits is motivation for the jobless; Monday, Dec. 15, 2008; Jason Rainey has given himself a March deadline: If he hasn’t found a job in Las Vegas by then, he’s going to join the Army.
Six Questions for Francisco Pinedo: VA hospital chief of prosthetics; Monday, Dec. 15, 2008; Francisco Pinedo, chief of prosthetics at the VA hospital, lost part of his right arm in an ambush in Iraq when he was a 25-year-old Army staff sergeant. Now he is in charge of equipping veterans with prostheses such as hearing aids, implants and artificial limbs.
Found money has a keeper that wants it: Veterans office must give up $1.9 million — and make cuts; Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008; Rare is the time one desperately needs cash, and a check falls in your lap.
Wearers of sandals, crew cuts join forces: Conservationists, Nellis align to fight development; Friday, Dec. 12, 2008; Members of the conservation coterie Protectors of Tule Springs wear matching safari hats and shirts. One drives a Hummer. And that’s about all the environmental activists would seem to have in common with the U.S. military.
Area’s growth a threat to Nellis: Base tries to work with local governments but lacks clout; Monday, Dec. 8, 2008; The Las Vegas of 1941, when the Strip was still U.S. 91 and not even 10,000 people lived here, seemed a practical place to build a military base. The notion that it would be overtaken by suburban sprawl remained far-fetched for decades. But then the 1990s came, and no other metropolitan area in the country grew faster than the Las Vegas Valley, and it has remained among the top five fastest-growing since 2000.
A boom era for Nevada bankruptcy lawyers: When the economy is at its worst, their business does best; Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008; These are rich times for bankruptcy lawyers. “We don’t like to celebrate that fact,” one well-dressed attorney said this week outside Courtroom 2 of U.S. Bankruptcy Court.