Ed Komenda

Story Archive

Final piece of giant observation wheel set in place: Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013; The High Roller’s towering wheel is complete. Under overcast skies, construction crews today installed the last section of the observation wheel on the Las Vegas Strip. Resembling a giant bicycle rim, the 550-foot wheel is one step closer to becoming the largest in the world — bigger than the London Eye and Singapore Flyer.
Decision about newspaper joint operating agreement put off for another day: Friday, Sept. 6, 2013; A federal judge today said a lawsuit that would have blocked the termination of a business agreement between the Las Vegas Sun and Las Vegas Review-Journal was premature, leaving the issue to be decided another day.
Not just for strippers: Enthusiasts say pole dancing is a great workout for anyone — even children: Friday, Sept. 6, 2013; If Fawnia Dietrich gets her way, the 2016 Olympic Games will come equipped with a stage anchored by two poles – one that spins and one that doesn’t. The Las Vegas pole fitness instructor is one of a number of pole enthusiasts pushing to make pole dancing an Olympic sport. An online petition, sponsored by Vertical Dance and Labfitness, has more than 7,000 signatures. It has been a tough sell trying to get the International Olympic Committee to recognize pole dancing as a legitimate sport.
Four pole dancing moves that will make you look like a pro: Friday, Sept. 6, 2013; If you're not hip to the language, conversations between pole dancers might surprise you. Like any sport or hobby, pole dancing has its own lingo. It's not too hard to catch on, though. Many moves explain themselves and are literal representations of the concept they depict.
Justice Department opens probe into Stephens Media over monopoly concerns: Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013; The Justice Department is investigating the legality of Stephens Media’s efforts to terminate a business agreement in which its Review-Journal prints and delivers the Las Vegas Sun, according to an attorney for Sun Editor and Publisher Brian Greenspun.
OSHA orders MGM to rehire whistle-blower, pay $325,000 in damages: Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013; MGM Resorts International has been ordered to reinstate a wrongfully terminated whistle-blower and pay $325,000 in damages for violating whistle-blower laws.
Cosmopolitan channeling Johnny Carson, Desi Arnaz for new club slated as a rebirth of the social club: Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013; A new club is slated to open at the Cosmopolitan in late December. Marketed as a rebirth of the social club, Rose.Rabbit.Lie will be a complex mix of restaurant, bar, club and entertainment venue, resort officials say.
Sun lawyer: Apartment guides don’t replace news: Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013; Attorneys for Las Vegas Sun Editor and Publisher Brian Greenspun scoffed today at suggestions that the newspaper’s role can be replaced by the likes of publications that target niche audiences such as car buyers, pet fanciers and brides.
Looking for a good place to eat? Apparently, North Las Vegas isn't it: Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013; The culinary excellence of North Las Vegas is wrapped up in a joint called the Road Kill Grill. So perhaps it’s no surprise Movoto’s real estate bloggers named the city one of the worst in America for food lovers.
Caesars announces new retail tenants in Linq project: Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013; Caesars Entertainment has revealed a list new tenants slated to open within its $550-million Linq development.
Crash and learn: The dramatic drop of land values on the Strip: Prime property used to cost up to $34 million an acre; today it can sell for as little as $3 million to $6 million; Monday, Sept. 2, 2013; A decade ago, when business was booming in Las Vegas and tourists flooded the Strip with cash, developers seemed destined to pull in record profits with each new multibillion-dollar project they announced. America’s zeal for spending and fun, coupled with consumers’ disposable income, fortified builders’ confidence. Many inked absurd deals to gain a foothold in Las Vegas’ real estate market. Some paid as much as $34 million for a single acre of land.
Review-Journal's attorneys say ending deal with Sun wouldn't create monopoly: Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013; The claim was filed in response to a lawsuit by Sun Editor and Publisher Brian Greenspun, who says R-J owner Stephens Media's efforts to dissolve a joint operating agreement between the two papers would effectively kill the newspaper his father, Hank Greenspun, started in 1950 and make Las Vegas a one-newspaper city.
Galaxy Gaming executive remembered as a pioneer in his industry: Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013; Bill O'Hara, the chief operating officer of Galaxy Gaming and an original executive of Shuffle Master Gaming, died Wednesday morning after a long bout with an unnamed illness. He was 73.
William Hill to bring 'traditional sports book model to a whole new level' at SLS Las Vegas: Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013; SLS Las Vegas has partnered with William Hill to roll out its sports book when the forthcoming Strip resort opens in fall 2014.
Drinking at the Bellagio: How booze travels from a secret room to your glass: Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013; An outsider might conclude there's a lot of partying going on in an employees-only floor at the Bellagio. There's no bar in sight but still the place smells like booze. Inch closer to a pair of double doors across the hall from the resort’s carpentry office, and the alcoholic aroma grows stronger. Peek through a pair of windows and you find the source.
Federal judge sets hearing for Sun-Stephens Media dispute: Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2013; A federal judge today granted Las Vegas Sun Editor and Publisher Brian Greenspun a temporary restraining order blocking an effort by Stephens Media, owner of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, to terminate a longstanding agreement in which the R-J prints and delivers the Sun.
Elton John’s spouse to pop open a Champagne lounge at Caesars Palace: Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2013; David Furnish, Elton John’s spouse, is opening a new Champagne lounge at Caesars Palace, between the Strip resort’s Colosseum and Forum Shops. Fizz Las Vegas will clock in at 2,750 square feet and feature a high-end selection of Champagnes and spirits.
On beef and business: Burger entrepreneur hopes to achieve same success as he did at Pizza Hut and McDonald's: Friday, Aug. 23, 2013; Tom Ryan is the guy who came up with the idea to stuff cheese into a Pizza Hut crust and tuck McDonald’s egg, meat and cheese into sweet maple pancakes.Ryan now has a new project: his growing Smashburger brand.
‘Pawn Stars’ shop temporarily closing for renovations: Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013; Famed Las Vegas haunt Gold & Silver Pawn Shop is closing for a week of renovations. Featured on the History Channel’s smash show “Pawn Stars,” the shop will be closed from Aug. 25 to Aug. 30.
New MGM lounge to offer whiskey, blackjack and video poker: Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013; A new high-end gaming lounge is opening at the MGM Grand. Set to open Aug. 28, Whiskey Down will take over the former space of Tabú.
With the push of a button, Las Vegas comes to life — or goes dark: Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013; Ask about power on the Las Vegas Strip and you’ll likely hear about casino executives, pit bosses and county commissioners. Though their roles might be pegged to running Las Vegas, you can’t ignore the power hidden in control rooms — under buttons and switches.
Sun Publisher Greenspun sues to block R-J from gaining newspaper monopoly: Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013; Sun Publisher and Editor Brian Greenspun has sued Stephens Media, owner of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, in an effort to derail Stephens’ plan to dissolve a long-standing business agreement in which it prints and distributes the Sun and shares advertising revenues with the Sun.
Crowds smaller as Culinary begins weekly picket of Cosmopolitan: Friday, Aug. 16, 2013; The Culinary Union scaled back its prolonged protest campaign Friday, limiting the picket line to the sidewalk in front of the Cosmopolitan.
Giving gambler pays it forward with gift cards and grants: Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013; In a lifetime of gambling, Marcus Mitchell has learned that luck is rare. Big breaks come around maybe once or twice. But Mitchell has experienced more than his share of victories. He sees that as something other than luck.
World’s largest observation wheel coming together on the Las Vegas Strip: Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013; The High Roller is taking shape on the Las Vegas Strip. Half of the 550-foot-tall observation wheel is jutting into the sky above the Linq entertainment district, which is under construction between the Imperial Palace and Flamingo. When finished, the High Roller will be the largest observation wheel in the world — bigger than the London Eye or Singapore Flyer.
Bally introduces second Michael Jackson slot machine: Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013; The King of Pop is back for an encore. Bally Technologies Inc. has unveiled a follow-up to its Michael Jackson King of Pop slot machine. The new game, expected to hit casino floors in Las Vegas within the next two months, is called Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.
Bail bondsman Jon Foster is a nice guy — until you skip court: Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013; It’s 11 a.m. on a recent Wednesday, and Jon Foster is sitting at his desk, waiting for the next call. A loaded .38 special rests on a cabinet next to his leg.
A Cirque du Soleil performer walks into the bail bonds office holding a crisp $100 bill.
Wearing a backward hat, baggy pants and high-end sneakers, the performer blends well with the clientele at Bail Bonds Specialists on Casino Center Boulevard. Most of the people who use the get-out-of-jail service are normal folks, first-time offenders.
Culinary union to be a more frequent presence at Cosmopolitan until contracts are signed: Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013; After four major protests outside the Cosmopolitan since January, the Culinary Union is turning up the pressure. The Culinary now plans to picket outside the Strip resort every weekend until they secure solid contracts for the 2,000 workers.
Woman hits $937,000 jackpot with 2 spins on slot machine: Monday, Aug. 12, 2013; All it took was two spins on a 25-cent slot machine for a lucky Delaware native to leave the Riviera with a pinch under $1 million on her birthday.
Female executives encourage women: 'Don't shy away from the word power': Friday, Aug. 9, 2013; There’s no reason a woman can’t take the leading role. That was the takeaway of MGM Resorts International’s 7th Annual Women’s Leadership Conference this week.
Power knocked out for hours to part of Flamingo on Las Vegas Strip: Friday, Aug. 9, 2013; Power to part of the Flamingo on the Las Vegas Strip was knocked out for hours today as a result of ongoing construction at the adjacent Gansevoort, a company official said.
Caesars to use $438 million from Macau golf course sale to pay debt: Friday, Aug. 9, 2013; Caesars Entertainment Corp. is selling its Macau golf course to an Asian developer for $438 million. The gaming giant announced the sale Friday in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em: Dotty’s to buy full-fledged casino: Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013; Dotty’s wants to buy the Hacienda. If state regulators approve the sale, the resort would be Dotty’s first full-scale casino. The Hacienda sits about three miles from the Hoover Dam, just outside Boulder City, where gambling is illegal. Built on the former site of the Gold Strike Casino, it features 19,000 square feet of gaming space, a William Hill sports book, retail shops and a movie theater.
Caesars' Las Vegas exec shifting to Atlantic City: Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013; An executive from Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas is heading to Atlantic City to take on a top role in the casino company's East Coast operations.
Four ways to survive a zombie apocalypse in Las Vegas: Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013; Joel Weiner is a self-proclaimed zombie expert. He has seen the movies. He has attended the conferences. And he's trying to make a living selling zombie wares. So he knows exactly what he would do to survive a zombie apocalypse.
Cashing in on the undead: Owner of zombie shop banks on popularity of brain-eating monsters: Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013; Joel Weiner knows where he’d hole up if hordes of zombies took over the Strip. “The Stratosphere,” he says straight-faced, looking out the storefront window of his recently opened specialty shop, the Zombie Zone. “I’ve scoped it out.” Weiner’s zombie escape plan includes racing up to the top of the Stratosphere, turning off the elevators and bungee jumping off the side of the building. Weiner isn’t the least bit shy about his morbid imagination. He opened the Zombie Zone about eight months ago, after years of chewing over the idea with his wife, Susan.
M Resort shutters poker room, making way for slot-tourney area: Monday, Aug. 5, 2013; The M Resort has closed its poker room to make space for a new slots tournament area. The resorts previously held it slots tournaments in a conference style ballroom, but players were unhappy with the lack of space, according to Rina Foster, an M Resort spokeswoman.
Treasure Island plans to build mall on Las Vegas Strip: Monday, Aug. 5, 2013; Treasure Island wants build a three-story shopping center on the Las Vegas Strip. If approved by Clark County commissioners Wednesday, TI would have to eliminate a third of its Sirens of TI lagoon to make room for the 46,000-square-foot center. Spread over 19.5 acres, it would include a pharmacy, retail shops, restaurants and an automobile salesroom.
Cosmopolitan posts $25 million loss, but execs remain optimistic: Friday, Aug. 2, 2013; The Cosmopolitan lost $25.2 million in the second quarter, according to an earnings report released Friday afternoon. Casino revenue suffered most, generating $30.6 million compared with the $38.6 million pulled in the second quarter last year.
Station turning two neighborhood bars into Wildfire Casinos: Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013; Station Casinos has bought and closed a pair of popular Southern Nevada bars to open new Wildfire Casinos. The locals casino operator has shut down the Lift Bar, a popular joint at 3045 S. Valley View Blvd., and Doc Hollidays in Henderson.
'We'll be back': California union joins Culinary in latest protest of Cosmopolitan: Wednesday, July 31, 2013; The rowdy sea of red and blue flooded a short stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard. About 3,000 workers from the Culinary Union and California School Employees Association rallied together for the 2,000 hospitality workers at Cosmopolitan.
Seattle man plays music director for a day for Bellagio fountains: Social gamer turns slot points into a special birthday gift for his wife; Tuesday, July 30, 2013; A Seattle man has parlayed a hobby of playing social games on Facebook into an unforgettable birthday present for his wife. Eric Wiebusch recently earned 1 million points playing slots on the MyVegas social game. That was enough to earn the game’s top reward: the chance to pick the song for the Bellagio fountains.
Coming soon: Six features of the Linq, Caesars' new entertainment-dining-shopping promenade: Tuesday, July 30, 2013; For months, there has been the steady buzz of saws, the hammering of nails and the grumbling of bulldozers. Now, at the end of a 1,200-foot pedestrian walkway, a 550-foot-tall observation wheel is taking shape. Developers of Caesars Entertainment's Linq offered a sneak peek today of the development, a $550-million dining, retail and entertainment promenade expected to open in December.
Palace Station opens new video poker bar as part of renovations: Tuesday, July 30, 2013; Palace Station has opened a new gaming area called The Casino Bar. The bar is outfitted with 10 55-inch flat-screen televisions all tuned to sports, as well as 30 $1 and 25-cent video poker machines on the bar.
It's hard to be the little guy in a world of McDonald's and Starbucks: Tuesday, July 30, 2013; Tom Gourley wouldn’t turn down a chance to open a Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop on the Strip, but he’s not fighting for the opportunity, either. He says he sleeps better knowing he’s free from the control of major casino companies, whose oversight he compared to dictatorships.
Thousands to picket Cosmopolitan as contract talks wear on: Monday, July 29, 2013; The last time the Culinary Union protested outside the Cosmopolitan, members chanted: “We’ll be back! We’ll be back!”
Station Casinos now offering sports book players betting on the go: Friday, July 26, 2013; Station Casinos has released a mobile sports wagering app.
Adelson: Casino competitors drag down business with low room rates: Thursday, July 25, 2013; Sheldon Adelson has never been shy about blasting his Las Vegas competitors during earnings calls. On Wednesday, he jabbed at MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment Corp. for low room rates.
Despite planned boycott, players are all in at Venetian poker tables: Tuesday, July 23, 2013; At the stroke of midnight Monday, a boycott of the poker room at Sheldon Adelson's Venetian began. But virtually no change was visible Monday afternoon. Dozens of visitors crowded the tables. The only sign of a boycott was online.
Scientists give out-of-this-world preview of UFO symposium: Friday, July 19, 2013; In a tiny conference room about 15 miles west of the Strip the scientists spoke of extraterrestrials as preparation for this weekend's Mutual UFO Network Symposium.