Brian Eckhouse

Story Archive

Evangelical, but not monolithic: Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008; For months, Nevada-based Republican consultants had been saying presidential nominee John McCain had failed to excite religious and social conservatives, who appeared so disillusioned they might avoid the ballot box altogether on Election Day.
Six questions for Michael Sommermeyer: Information Officer, Clark County Courts; Monday, Sept. 8, 2008; Michael Sommermeyer is one of the Las Vegas Valley’s better-known public information officers — both locally and nationally.
Kitec maker agrees to pay $90 million over pipes: Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008; The manufacturer and distributor of a brass pipe fitting that can leach zinc into connecting pipes has reached a tentative $90 million settlement with legal representatives of an estimated 34,000 homeowners.
Concerned, but staying put: Two crashes into North Las Vegas houses worry neighbors, but most resigned to danger; Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008; Of the people shaken by the two airplane crashes near North Las Vegas Airport within six days last month, you might expect 86-year-old Mattie MacDavid to be among those seriously contemplating a move.
FAA releases audio recording in fatal plane crash: Friday, Sept. 5, 2008; A sound recording of the fatal flight that crashed into a North Las Vegas house on Aug. 22 -- the first of two deadly crashes in a six-day period involving planes that originated from North Las Vegas Airport -- was released to the public today by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The down payment for your new home: $0: But federal program that makes it possible will expire Oct. 1; Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008; A Green Valley home is advertised in the newspaper with 100 percent financing. It sounds suspicious, given how lenders are supposed to be demanding bigger down payments from buyers, but it’s a legitimate offer. Here's how.
No politics as local as Assembly politics: Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2008; With the primaries behind them, this is the Democrats’ goal as they look to the state Assembly elections in November: To occupy at least 28 seats in the 42-seat Assembly — one more than they have now — to give them a veto-proof majority.
Almost a bridge to nowhere: Construction, architectural issues on skywalk, security project have added $7.8 MILLION; if span opens in November, it will be more than a year BEHIND SCHEDULE; Monday, Aug. 18, 2008; The long-delayed skywalk connecting the B and C concourses at McCarran International Airport is no longer a bridge to nowhere, but the public still won’t be able to use it until late November at the earliest.
Nevada political roundup: Reid preps for prime-time: Friday, Aug. 15, 2008
State Democrats capitalizing on Reid’s party-building enterprise: Friday, Aug. 15, 2008; For Sen. Harry Reid, the day after the 2004 general election was bittersweet.
Halverson loses bid to stay on bench: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008; Elizabeth Halverson has been tossed off the bench. Not by state judicial officers, but by voters.
Brown, Weber to battle for Maxfield's commission seat: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008; As expected, Larry Brown and Valerie Weber will vie for the county commission seat being vacated by Chip Maxfield.
Mosley wins among 3 seeking judge seat: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008; Donald Mosley, who faced what appeared to be one of the toughest re-election bids among district court judges, retained his bench Tuesday night. For now.
Other races: Porter, Titus set for November contest: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008; Here's a roundup of other southern Nevada races.
Scroggins to represent Republicans in fall race for Woodbury's seat: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008; Brian Scroggins, who is seeking a seat on the Clark County Commission, has captured the Republican nomination for District A.
Allen concedes to McArthur in Assembly District 4 race: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008; Personal crises, including a domestic dispute, will preclude Republican Assemblywoman Francis Allen from defending her seat against Democrat Craig Ballew in the race for Assembly District 4. She has conceded the race to challenger Richard McArthur.
Ozark overcomes Beers in GOP Assembly District 21 race: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008; Upstart beats incumbent Assemblyman Bob Beers.
Collins takes more of Adelson’s money: Democratic commissioner ignores pleas by Culinary; Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008; Tom Collins, a former Nevada Democratic chairman and current member of the Clark County Commission, has again accepted campaign money from casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, his party’s nemesis.
New-fangled voting system gets a ‘NO’ from Collins: He employs pingpong paddles to protest machines’ flaws; Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008; It wasn’t exactly the image county officials envisioned when they pitched a $400,000 electronic management system to the Board of County Commissioners: Commissioner Tom Collins using pingpong paddles to register votes on agenda items, one with YES affixed, the other with NO.
Running anyway: Candidate’s very public problems haven’t kept her from campaigning; Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008; These are the obstacles facing one of the candidates running to represent part of Summerlin in the Assembly:
Nevada political roundup: Clinton, McCain visits put Vegas in spotlight: Friday, Aug. 8, 2008; The national political spotlight returns to Las Vegas today and should remain here through tomorrow night, with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, campaigning here.
Buried but embarrassing news: GOP unable to host convention: Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008; Amid all the other mishaps and scandals that have sullied the Republican brand recently, the state party’s canceling of its convention may seem insignificant.
Nevada political roundup: Dems upgrade Derby-Heller race (UPDATED): Friday, Aug. 1, 2008; We lead today's Early Line with big news for Democrat Jill Derby and her campaign to unseat incumbent Rep. Dean Heller in Nevada's 2nd Congressional District. The Democratic National Campaign Committee has upgraded Derby's race to its top-tier list of targets, meaning she'll receive financial and field help from the national party.
Dems launch Web site that picks on governor: Thursday, July 31, 2008; The state Democratic Party has launched a Web site asserting that Jim Gibbons is “America’s Worst Governor.”
Nevada political roundup: McCain visit rehash, veep whispers: Wednesday, July 30, 2008; Locals are still discussing John McCain’s town hall meeting in Sparks yesterday, a forum where the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is often at his best.
Fickle court elevators get new steward: County opts not to renew existing agreement; Tuesday, July 29, 2008; Elevator outages at the Regional Justice Center are less frequent today than earlier this year, a trend county officials hope will continue as they segue Friday to a new maintenance company that will manage the lifts.
Candidate turns investigator on rivals: Lou Toomin doesn’t get much against GOP rivals for right to oppose Dina Titus; Monday, July 28, 2008; All the suspense in the race to replace outgoing State Senator Dina Titus was supposed to be limited to the three-person Democratic field.
Augustine name resonates but for wrong reasons: Little-known daughter of slain state controller runs for Assembly; Monday, July 28, 2008; There was a time in Dallas Augustine’s life when she showed little interest in her mother’s doings.
UPDATE: Nevada political update: Court rules on term limits: Friday, July 25, 2008; We were collecting our daily roundup of political stories when Sun columnist Jon Ralston's flash delivered the biggest nugget of the day thus far: The State Supreme Court unanimously has ruled that term limits are constitutional, meaning longtime County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury and 20 other incumbents statewide cannot run for re-election.
UPDATED: Nevada political roundup: Berkley circulates article: Wednesday, July 23, 2008
UPDATE: Nevada daily political update: Gibbons, budget cuts: Wednesday, July 16, 2008; Jim Gibbons headlines the state’s political page today – and in some cases, the front page – and, again, the news isn’t favorable to our unpopular governor.
Man must walk before he flies: Or take a shuttle bus as McCarran economy parking lot gives way to construction; Wednesday, July 16, 2008; Construction of McCarran International Airport's Terminal 3 has reduced the number of parking spots at the airport’s economy lot from 4,100 to 3,000. And the parking situation could worsen by early September.
Nevada daily political update: Sheldon Adelson and the GOP: Tuesday, July 15, 2008; The national spotlight thrust again and again on casino mogul Sheldon Adelson this year may be a sign of just how damaged the Republican brand is. Adelson, who Sun columnist Jon Ralston playfully refers to as "Gondolier Numero Uno," is getting more attention nationally than some of America's most well-known Republican candidates.
Fire from their own party isn’t friendly: Two in Assembly face rivals in GOP primary — in one case, three; Monday, July 14, 2008; Name recognition, party support and a fundraising edge typically make the return trip to Carson City a smooth one for incumbent lawmakers. But the road to reelection could be bumpy for two Assembly Republicans, Francis Allen and Bob Beers.
Stalking the elusive iPhone: Friday, July 11, 2008; I thought I’d be sneaky, opting for an AT&T Store this morning to buy the new iPhone over one of the Apple stores on Las Vegas Boulevard. Surely, there’d be fewer people camping out at an AT&T store.
Candidate is a proud Republican — but he mentions it only if asked: Monday, July 7, 2008; We’re walking down the street with Sean Fellows to see how many doors he can knock on, campaigning for the state Assembly, without mentioning he’s a Republican.
How your D.C. servants are spending their holiday: Friday, July 4, 2008; Congress took the week off for the July Fourth holiday.
Assembly races pivotal: Wednesday, July 2, 2008; Among the state’s 42 Assembly districts, elections in three of the most contentious have drawn candidates with little name recognition.
When a gallon of gas is not exactly a gallon: Class-action suit says we’re getting cheated when high temperatures expand the fuel; Monday, June 30, 2008; A gallon of gasoline isn’t quite a gallon of gas in the summer, and that has Southern Nevadans in a court battle to get motorists more for their money.
HOAs have recourse in lien times: Friday, June 27, 2008; Homeowners associations trying to force owners of foreclosed homes to comply with neighborhood rules have at least one safeguard: liens.
Rory Reid & Co. formally throw their support to Obama: Monday, June 23, 2008
Vegas courts a magnet for reality TV: City’s sleazy reputation, ‘CSI’ factor draw studios to courthouse; Wednesday, June 18, 2008; Televising stories about how crime doesn’t pay in Vegas apparently does pay off for the community.
District Court misstates clerk errors, chilling relations: County clerk: Attorney deposit cards in right place after all; Tuesday, June 10, 2008; Relations between the office of the county clerk and District Court have been chilly, stemming from the court’s January 2007 takeover of a mismanaged trust fund. Now, they’ve turned arctic over details released by the court for a story on the fund reported by the Sun in mid-May.
Who dropped the ball?: After homes are foreclosed, it’s lenders, title companies, HOAs; Monday, June 9, 2008; Banks and other mortgage lenders are turning out to be lousy neighbors. Foreclosed homes featuring brown lawns and fetid swimming pools litter the Las Vegas Valley because the lenders that hold title have failed to keep the properties up.
Support hinges on healing: Clinton backers likely to swing if Obama reaches out; Thursday, June 5, 2008; With Sen. Hillary Clinton expected to concede this week, her campaign advisers in Nevada predict that most of her supporters will ultimately help Barack Obama carry the state.
That runs counter to sentiment expressed by many Clinton supporters at last month’s Democratic convention, however.
Mortgage fraud worse in nearby states: FBI finds mortgage-related crimes jump 31% nationwide; Nevada ‘significantly affected’; Monday, May 26, 2008; Nevada might be among the worst-hit states for housing foreclosures, but if it’s any consolation, other states are suffering more from mortgage fraud.
Why stores still sprout in valley: Strip economics, public backing are developers’ boon, conventiongoers told; Thursday, May 22, 2008; With today’s credit crunch, even the most appealing new development projects require substantial pre-leasing, according to real estate financing advisers who attended this week’s International Council of Shopping Centers’ annual conference at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Foreclosure fallout: When landlords lose homes, tenants face short-notice moves, loss of deposits; Tuesday, May 20, 2008; The biggest problem for renters is that a lease provides no safeguard against being evicted during foreclosure proceedings, even if the lease stretches beyond the date of foreclosure. And for the Montgomery family that has meant being forced to move for the third time in 18 months — paying $1,000 in expenses for each relocation — through no fault of their own.
Blunders yield bonanza: Millions in interest on unreturned attorney deposits can stay in coffers; Thursday, May 15, 2008; Shoddy accounting by a government usually drains coffers. But the county’s mishandling of one particular fund for more than a decade produced a windfall of extra interest on millions of dollars.
Jurors, don’t expect any shut-eye in these courts: Friday, May 2, 2008; If you’re selected to be a juror, then are immediately told you’re an alternate, isn’t it likely you will be prone to tuning out, maybe even dozing off?