2006

Thursday, June 10, 2010 | 4:09 p.m.

Big stories

Red Rock Opens – Station Casinos Inc. opened its $925 million Red Rock Resort in Summerlin.

Harrah’s Buyout – Two private equity firms with no experience in the gaming industry offered to buy Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. for $15 billion.

Foreclosures Emerge – With the economy starting to slow down, home foreclosures started to become a news story. Nevada had 2,016 foreclosures in August 2006, up sharply from 568 in August 2005.

Downtown Condos – The transformation of downtown Las Vegas continued with the opening of the 16-story SoHo Lofts condominiums.

Station Taken Private – Station Casinos executives and Colony Capital announced plans to take the company private for $4.7 billion.

Notable Q&As

Jim Gibbons, then a Nevada congressman, told us in March 2006 that when it comes to economic development, it’s important for the state to be “less invasive, less intrusive in terms of regulatory restriction, yet helpful in making sure businesses comply with the laws and allowing them to be successful.’’

“Making taxes as low as possible is an enormously important aspect of attracting new businesses to the state,’’ Gibbons said.

Bobby Siller, a member of the state Gaming Control Board who had run the local FBI office, was asked in 2006 about diversity efforts by gaming companies.

“The whole purpose (of diversity) is not to give anybody anything: it’s to create an environment where everyone has an opportunity to develop and grow,’’ Siller said.

Heather Murren, co-founder of the Nevada Cancer Institute, told us in September 2006 that the institute had helped put Nevada on the national medical map.

“I think people are starting to think of Nevada as a place they can go for great medical care,’’ Murren said.

Asked about economic development issues and attracting technology companies to Nevada, Sen. John Ensign told us in an October 2006 Q&A: “The No. 1 issue that comes up is education. It’s education, education, education. It’s K though 12, community colleges as well as our universities. We have to improve them."

“Secondly, we have to maintain that low-tax, low-regulatory climate that we have,’’ he said.

Award winning journalism

Nevada Press Association awards won in 2006

First Place

• Best Overall Design

• Best Page Designer – Wade McAferty

• Best Information Graphic – Adam Bucci

• Best Special Section (Advertising)

Second Place

• Best Special Section (Editorial)

• Best Illustration – Adam Bucci

40 Under 40: Where are they now?

Caroline Ciocca: Class of 2006

Ciocca was a part of our 2006 class of 40 Under 40 honorees when she was executive director of Aid for AIDS of Nevada.

Under Ciocca’s leadership, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce as its 2006 Nonprofit Organization of the Year honored AFAN. At the time, the organization was serving more than 1,500 individuals in the community with the disease.

Today, Ciocca serves as director of community relations for Cash America/SuperPawn, a company that owns and operates more than 1,000 stores and offices nationwide.

Since joining the company more than two years ago, she has applied her 10-plus years of experience in the nonprofit sector to the company’s goal of strengthening the communities where it operates.

In 2007, Ciocca earned her Master of Business Administration degree from UNLV. She also has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island.

She serves on the board of directors of Crime Stoppers and is a member of UNLV’s College of Business executive advisory board.