Sam Skolnik

Reporter/Las Vegas City Hall

Contact Sam via e-mail

Call Sam at 702-229-6436.

Recent Stories (view all stories)

City adopts ordinance requiring pets be spayed, neutered: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009; The Las Vegas City Council, heeding the call of a wide coalition of spay-and-neuter proponents, on Wednesday passed the toughest such ordinance in the region in an attempt to reduce rampant pet overpopulation. After a hearing that lasted almost three hours, the council voted 5-2 to pass the measure. Regionwide last year, 55,000 stray animals found their way to shelters. More than 30,000 were put to death.
Henderson mayor says closed-door council sessions were proper: But in one case, state attorney general’s office disagreed; Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009; The city of Henderson appears to be getting used to conducting important business in private. Secret meetings or votes by the Henderson City Council have occurred twice in the past several months.
New city hall bonds have given project stimulating effect: Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009; President Barack Obama’s federal stimulus bill might bail out Mayor Oscar Goodman’s new city hall project.
In recent weeks each of the three major rating agencies, Fitch, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s, gave the city hall financing plan their fourth-highest rating — increasing the likelihood that the city will be able to raise the $179 million needed for the project.
Henderson's toughest challenges: Mark Calhoun, City Manager: Monday, Nov. 16, 2009; Henderson City Manager Mark Calhoun moved to Henderson from Michigan in 1983 to take a job as city engineer.
Survey reveals residents’ priorities: In tough economy, they want safety ensured above all; Friday, Nov. 13, 2009; Before city coffers fell on hard times, the big City Council debates over spending focused on which districts would get money for new parks.
ICE wants to build in LV; city wants a certain builder: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009; The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency wants to build a Las Vegas headquarters. That news was broken at last week’s Las Vegas City Council meeting by representatives of the Molasky Group, the developer behind several large government projects.
For the record, commissioner offers passionate defense: Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009; Former Councilman Larry Brown was always among the cooler characters on the Las Vegas City Council. In contrast to Mayor Oscar Goodman with his outbursts and lectures, Brown usually laid out the facts in measured tones.
City found at fault in tennis court defects case: Arbitrators award contractor total of $2 million; each side spent more on attorney fees; Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009; State-appointed arbitrators have found that Las Vegas managers “knew from the beginning” that their plans for the Darling Memorial Tennis Center were defective — long before the center’s cracked courts launched a costly, four-year legal dispute.
Jail filling up, suburb to try new approach: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009; In an effort to save money and reduce crowding in an often filled-up local jail, Henderson is set to establish an Alternative Sentencing Division at its next City Council meeting. The new division would be responsible for supervising misdemeanor probationers.
LV council member in a fix over other job: Ross to face ethics panel in complaint that votes clashed with role as union leader; Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009; Before July, Las Vegas Councilman Steve Ross was a consistent “yes” vote on Mayor Oscar Goodman’s plans for a new city hall. It stands to reason. Ross is secretary-treasurer of the Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council.

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Recent Blog Posts (view all entries)

Obama: 'There's nothing like a quick trip to Vegas': Wednesday, May 27, 2009; WASHINGTON — Vegas just got a new slogan. Right there in an otherwise policy-wonkish speech this morning, President Barack Obama delivered a one-liner to make civic boosters proud. “There's nothing like a quick trip to Vegas in the middle of the week,” the president said. No apology over what had been said before about the city. No dwelling over what was being said now.

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