Conor Shine

Local Government Reporter

A Kansas native, Conor studied engineering at the University of Minnesota but switched to journalism because it was infinitely more fun. It was in his blood, too; he's a third-generation journalist. Conor worked for the Wichita Eagle and the St. Paul Pioneer Press before joining the Sun in 2011.

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Story Archive

County to select Brooks' replacement from field of nine applicants: Tuesday, April 9, 2013; Clark County commissioners will have nine candidates to consider next week when they’re expected to appoint a replacement for expelled Assemblyman Steven Brooks.
Unions, cities spar over bill to change oversight of fire chiefs: Monday, April 8, 2013; The ongoing battle between firefighter unions and local governments took the stage in Carson City on Monday, as the two sides sparred over a bill that North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck said could have “disastrous” results.
By the numbers: A look at Las Vegas fire calls in 2012: Monday, April 8, 2013; Continued economic recovery across Las Vegas in 2012 led to a busy year for the city’s fire department. Las Vegas Fire & Rescue spokesman Tim Szymanski said 2012 was busier than years past and that 2013 was shaping up to be even more active.
Maintaining a city is a costly, never-ending endeavor: Thursday, April 4, 2013; Keeping the roads, sewers, storm drains and parks in Las Vegas in working order costs the city tens of millions of dollars each year. But shrinking revenues have led to a $16 million shortfall in the maintenance budget that threatens to grow worse with time, meaning needed repairs aren’t made as soon as they should be, according to a report presented Wednesday to the Las Vegas City Council.
Budget-strapped Las Vegas hunts for ways to boost revenues: Wednesday, April 3, 2013; With Las Vegas facing another year in the red, the city council started a discussion Wednesday on ways to increase revenues to help balance the budget.
Las Vegas infrastructure, budget outlook take stage for city council: Wednesday, April 3, 2013; Las Vegas City Council members will need to bring their calculators with them Wednesday for two in-depth discussions of the city’s financial future.
County commissioners vote to give themselves 10 percent pay raise: Tuesday, April 2, 2013; Despite continued demands on the county budget, Clark County commissioners approved a 10 percent raise for themselves at their Tuesday meeting. The raise, which is optional for commissioners, would increase their salaries to $80,008.
No replacement for Brooks in Assembly for at least 2 weeks: Tuesday, April 2, 2013; It will be at least two weeks before a replacement for ousted Assemblyman Steven Brooks is chosen, after Clark County commissioners declined to make an appointment at their Tuesday meeting.
County moves fire inspectors into Building Department: Tuesday, April 2, 2013; Over the objections of fire inspectors and several commissioners, the Clark County Commission voted Tuesday to merge the Fire Prevention Bureau into the Building Department. It has been under the Clark County Fire Department.
Primary Election Day arrives for candidates in Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas: Polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday, April 2, 2013; Several races for municipal office could be settled today when voters in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson take to the polls to cast a primary ballot.
Metro budget, Brooks' replacement, fairgrounds on the Strip on county's radar: Monday, April 1, 2013; Clark County’s new budget must be finalized in the coming months, leaving commissioners with some tough decisions about what to fund in the fiscal year that begins in July. At their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, they’ll discuss what to do about Metro Police’s budget, which faces a $46 million deficit in fiscal 2014.
Man arrested in parents' deaths says argument led to shootings: Monday, April 1, 2013; A Las Vegas man accused of shooting his parents to death last week told police an argument and subsequent struggle over a gun led to the killings, according to a report released Monday.
Three challengers seek to unseat NLV Mayor Shari Buck: Sunday, March 31, 2013; Mayor Shari Buck stood at the helm as the City Council was forced to make tough cuts to staff and services, all with a potential state takeover of the city government looming.
Flush with campaign cash, Henderson’s Hafen seeks second term as mayor: Sunday, March 31, 2013; When Andy Hafen first ran for Henderson City Council in 1987, he and his family hand painted campaign signs and printed mailers on plain sheets of paper. He won, and he’s been on the City Council ever since. Now facing his eighth election, the incumbent mayor’s campaign operations have grown significantly in size and sophistication.
Dozens rally, saying now is the time for immigration reform: Saturday, March 30, 2013; Supporters gathered Saturday at the downtown offices of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada to rally support for immigration reform, which is expected to be a hot topic of national debate in the coming months.
18-year-old accused of DUI after rear-end crash on interstate kills 5: Saturday, March 30, 2013; An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after a car he was driving struck another vehicle on southbound Interstate 15 near Mesquite early Saturday morning, causing a rollover crash that killed five people, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
No bodies found at first Key Largo site targeted by cadaver dogs: Saturday, March 30, 2013; Cadaver dogs alerted firefighters working to clean up debris from Thursday’s Key Largo casino fire to possible bodies. No bodies were found at the first location.
After fire, county orders owner to raze vacant Key Largo casino: Friday, March 29, 2013; Clark County has ordered the vacant Key Largo casino near the Las Vegas Strip, which was gutted Thursday by a fire, be demolished by the end of April.
County, despite commissioner's entreaty, won't rush to name Brooks' replacement: Thursday, March 28, 2013; With the legislative session nearing its midway point, Clark County commissioners won’t have the luxury of time when considering a replacement for ousted Assemblyman Steven Brooks. Commissioners have a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, but there currently is no item on the agenda to appoint a replacement for Brooks, who was expelled Thursday from the Assembly.
Henderson mayoral candidates: Thursday, March 28, 2013; Seven candidates are running to be mayor of Henderson.
Las Vegas City Council Ward 2 candidates: Thursday, March 28, 2013; Two candidates are running to represent Ward 2 on the Las Vegas City Council.
Las Vegas City Council Ward 6 candidates: Thursday, March 28, 2013; Three candidates are running to represent Ward 6 on the Las Vegas City Council.
Las Vegas City Council Ward 4 candidates: Thursday, March 28, 2013; Two candidates are running to represent Ward 4 on the Las Vegas City Council.
Candidates for local office answer questions in advance of Tuesday's primary elections: Thursday, March 28, 2013; Candidates for municipal office in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson share their views on the biggest issues facing their cities.
Henderson City Council Ward 3 candidates: Thursday, March 28, 2013; Four candidates, including incumbent John Marz, are running to represent Henderson's Ward 1 on the city council.
North Las Vegas City Council Ward 3 candidates: Thursday, March 28, 2013; Three candidates are running to represent Ward 3 on the North Las Vegas City Council.
North Las Vegas City Council Ward 1 candidates: Thursday, March 28, 2013; Four candidates are running to represent Ward 1 on the North Las Vegas City Council.
North Las Vegas mayoral candidates: Thursday, March 28, 2013; Four candidates are running for mayor of North Las Vegas.
How to curb taxi long-hauling? A flat rate to Strip might do trick: Wednesday, March 27, 2013; The illegal long-hauling of taxi passengers could be a thing of the past under a new bill that would create a flat-rate fare system for all trips between McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip. Assembly Bill 329 would give the Nevada Taxicab Authority the power to create zones in Las Vegas in which taxi rides between specific locations would cost the same amount, regardless of the distance traveled or amount of time it takes to get there.
No free parking: Las Vegas' most-ticketed lots: Tuesday, March 26, 2013; The presence of new meters that accept credit card payment is expected to alleviate parking frustrations in the city’s busy core, especially near areas like the Regional Justice Center, where five of the top six most-ticketed spots in Las Vegas can be found.
Top 10 parking scofflaws in Las Vegas face thousands of dollars in fines: Tuesday, March 26, 2013; If you’re out of quarters and can’t pay the meter or if it expires before you get back, you could face a $20 parking ticket from the city of Las Vegas. The default amount may seem small, but it can quickly escalate to more than three times the original fine.
Expert: We can't keep taking clean water for granted: Saturday, March 23, 2013; Water expert Kellogg Schwab says a global effort is needed to share existing water resources and protect them for future generations. Schwab visited Las Vegas for World Water Day and Cirque du Soleil's "One Night for One Drop" event to raise awareness.
County commissioners see real need for ability to raise gas tax: Friday, March 22, 2013; Legislators heard the reasons Thursday why they should give Clark County the authority to raise gas taxes. But the question remains as to whether the Clark County Commission would actually use that authority to apply an “index tax."
Loading or unloading an RV? Now you'll have longer to do so while parked on Las Vegas streets: Wednesday, March 20, 2013; Las Vegas residents wanting to hit the road or returning from a trip in their recreational vehicles will have more time to load and unload under a new ordinance approved by the city council Wednesday.
CSN to begin offering classes, training at Las Vegas City Hall: Wednesday, March 20, 2013; The College of Southern Nevada will set up an office at Las Vegas City Hall to provide training to city employees and other residents after the city council approved a lease agreement Wednesday.
A third observation wheel proposed for the Strip? Really?: Wednesday, March 20, 2013; A third observation wheel could be coming to the Las Vegas Strip, joining the under construction 500-foot tall wheel near Mandalay Bay and the 550-foot tall wheel at Caesars Entertainment’s Linq project, which continues to grow skyward behind the Quad casino. The third wheel would be built on the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard south of Harmon Avenue, in a spot currently occupied by parking and several retail stores.
Firefighter recruits won't graduate amid suspected cheating: Tuesday, March 19, 2013; A group of 14 Las Vegas Fire & Rescue academy members were kept from graduating after officials discovered suspected cheating on one of the class exams.
Commissioners put themselves in line for $6,000 bump in salary: Tuesday, March 19, 2013; Clark County commissioners will have the option of taking a raise on their $72,488 salary in the coming months after a decision at their Tuesday meeting.
County residents' sewer bills to drop starting in July: Tuesday, March 19, 2013; Residents in unincorporated Clark County will save money on their sewer bills starting in July after the Clark County Commission approved a rate cut on Tuesday.
It's unanimous: County commissioners vote to abolish Constable's Office: Tuesday, March 19, 2013; Barring a legal decision to the contrary, the Las Vegas Township Constable’s Office will be abolished in 2015. The Clark County Commission voted unanimously to abolish the office, effective when the term of the current elected constable, John Bonaventura.
Public works projects, downtown development on tap for Las Vegas council discussion: Tuesday, March 19, 2013; Running a city isn’t cheap, and on Wednesday the Las Vegas City Council will get a look at the long-term costs of maintaining its infrastructure. The council will also discuss downtown development when it meets at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Constable's missteps, county commission's aggravation come to a head: Decision on whether to abolish constable's office expected today; Tuesday, March 19, 2013; For years, employees of the Las Vegas Township Constable’s Office kept a low profile as they went about their work serving court documents and evictions. That changed after late 2010 when John Bonaventura was elected constable.
Court rejects constable's request; county commission hearing to abolish office can go forward: Monday, March 18, 2013; A Clark County district judge says county commissioners can move forward with their discussion about whether to abolish the Las Vegas Township Constable’s Office.
Constable, commissioner pay and drones on tap for discussion at County Commission: Sunday, March 17, 2013; The ongoing feud between Clark County commissioners and Las Vegas Township Constable John Bonaventura will come to a head Tuesday when the board will discuss abolishing his office.
County commissioners to consider raising their $72,488 annual salaries: Thursday, March 14, 2013; After several years that included salary freezes and a pay cuts, Clark County commissioners next week could put themselves in line for a raise. The commission will discuss setting a new salary schedule for the board at its Tuesday meeting.
Wind farm near Searchlight gets OK, could power 70,000 homes: Wednesday, March 13, 2013; A major renewable energy project for 87 wind turbines on federal land near Searchlight received government approval Wednesday. The wind farm would cover about 160 acres of a 19,000 acre piece of Bureau of Land Management property west of Searchlight.
Early voting for municipal election primaries begins this week: Tuesday, March 12, 2013; With primaries for municipal elections only a few weeks away, early voting starts this week for city council and mayoral races in North Las Vegas, Henderson and Las Vegas.
Embattled Brooks no longer employed by city of Las Vegas: Monday, March 11, 2013; Embattled Assemblyman Steve Brooks is no longer employed by the city of Las Vegas. City spokesman Jace Radke, in an email early Monday afternoon, confirmed the news.
NLV agrees to settle lawsuits over 2006 detention, 2007 firing: Thursday, March 7, 2013; North Las Vegas has agreed to settle two lawsuits against its police department for more than $250,000. One suit, which was settled for $150,000, stemmed from the 2006 detention of Mohamed Majed Chehade Refai on an immigration hold at the North Las Vegas jail. Nicole Wilson will receive a $117,345 payment to settle a discrimination complaint she filed against the city after she lost her job with the police department in 2007.
Unconventional approach to lift underwater homeowners piques interest in NLV: Thursday, March 7, 2013; The North Las Vegas City Council will take its time considering whether to implement a complicated and controversial program using eminent domain to help underwater homeowners.