Tovin Lapan

Latino Community, Immigration and General Assignment Reporter

After working for his college paper, Tovin started his professional career in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he fell in love with the variety and excitement of working in daily journalism as well as with a sandwich called the torta ahogada. He comes to the Las Vegas Sun from the Santa Cruz Sentinel, where he covered higher education, city government and immigration. Prior to Santa Cruz, Tovin was on staff at the San Diego Union-Tribune, Miami New Times and Naples Daily News and worked as a freelance journalist for numerous publications. He has reported extensively in Latin America, including Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia and Mexico, and holds masters degrees in journalism and Latin American Studies from UC Berkeley.

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Story Archive

Five injured in rollover crash in North Las Vegas: Friday, Feb. 1, 2013; Five people were transported to area hospitals with injuries Friday morning after a two-car, rollover crash in North Las Vegas, police said.
Man, 69, hit by motorcycle in crosswalk: Friday, Feb. 1, 2013; A 69 year-old man was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries early today after being struck by a motorcycle.
Workers picket Cosmopolitan to spur negotiations: Hundreds show up to first Culinary Union action on the Strip in a decade; Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013; Several hundred people picketed in front of the Cosmopolitan Thursday, where workers say ownership has failed to come to the negotiating table prepared to discuss larger contract issues such as seniority and health care. The Culinary Union Local 226 organized the protest, the first time the union has picketed a Strip property in a decade, to spur Cosmopolitan owners Deutsche Bank to accelerate negotiations, union representatives said. Workers at the Cosmopolitan chose to unionize via a card check 18 months ago.
Obama: The time for immigration reform is now: Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013; President Barack Obama put the U.S. Congress on notice Tuesday. This is the year for lawmakers to pass an immigration reform package, and if the old partisan quagmire over the issue returns, he will force their hand. Just before noon, the president addressed a crowd of several hundred at Del Sol High School, stating repeatedly that “now is the time” for reform.
Las Vegans weigh in on what they would like to hear in Obama's immigration speech: Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013; Today the estimated 11 million immigrants who reside in the United States without legal status will watch closely as President Barack Obama follows on the heels of a bipartisan U.S. Senate proposal announced Monday with his own guidelines for approaching immigration reform.
Mexican consul returning to homeland after eight strong years in Las Vegas: Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013; Eight years after taking the position as the consul general of Mexico in Las Vegas, Mariano Lemus is moving back to Mexico. He’ll leave behind a legacy of community building and bolstering the consulte to better serve both Mexican nationals living in Southern Nevada and the community as a whole.
Driver pronounced dead after crash in parking lot: Friday, Jan. 25, 2013; One person was pronounced dead Friday after an accident in a parking lot, Metro Police reported.
Fire department spokesman: My house caught on fire: Friday, Jan. 25, 2013; The spokesman for the Las Vegas fire department learned Friday morning that fire can strike even the most prepared. An exhaust fan in a second-floor bathroom started a fire about 7:20 a.m. at the Summerlin home of Tim Szymanski.
Ramps around airport to be closed for bridge work: Friday, Jan. 25, 2013; Ramps between the Airport Connector and the eastbound 215 Beltway will be closed overnight Sunday as construction crews work on a bridge expansion project.
Las Vegas vendors arrested in crackdown on unlicensed sports merchandise: Friday, Jan. 25, 2013; Authorities say they confiscated hundreds of pieces of counterfeit sports merchandise from two downtown kiosks as part of a nationwide crackdown in advance of the Super Bowl on Feb. 3.
Power restored to 10,000 NV Energy customers: Friday, Jan. 25, 2013; Power has been restored to approximately 10,000 customers in central Las Vegas whose lights went out about 6 a.m. today.
GOP tough talk on immigration turned off Hispanic voters in 2012: Polls shows GOP can make inroads with right steps; Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013; In a postmortem analysis of the 2012 presidential election, polling firm Latino Decisions suggested Wednesday that while President Barack Obama did extremely well among Hispanic voters, Democrats cannot be complacent about that segment of the population and Republicans have room for growth with Hispanic voters, especially if they collaborate with their colleagues across the aisle on immigration reform.
Winner named in contest to name Wet ‘n’ Wild wave pool: Monday, Jan. 21, 2013; Wet ‘n’ Wild, the Las Vegas water park due to open in May, has announced the winner of its wave pool naming contest.
Car hits bus stop on Las Vegas Strip: Friday, Jan. 18, 2013; A car involved in a three-vehicle accident on the Las Vegas Strip slammed into a bus stop near the Circus Circus casino Friday afternoon, Metro Police said. No pedestrians were injured, but the driver of one of the vehicles was transported to Valley Hospital Medical Center.
Reid insists immigration reform must include path to citizenship: Majority leader lays out 2013 agenda, top priorities; Friday, Jan. 18, 2013; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he is hoping to build an immigration reform bill with bipartisan support but that some related issues are not up for debate in his view. Meeting Thursday morning at his Searchlight home, Reid outlined his top priorities for the U.S. Senate in 2013, including immigration reform, to reporters who cover the Southern Nevada Hispanic community. “There will be nothing done in my Senate (on immigration reform) without a pathway to citizenship,” he said.
Final documentary in Mexican drug war trilogy opens in Vegas: Director Charlie Minn has chronicled life in Juarez for three years; Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013; Charlie Minn has spent the last three years filming documentaries in Juarez, enough time to see the city come full circle from murder capital of the world to a city with above average, but not outlandish, crime figures.
SHOT Show attendees respond to Obama gun control proposal: While background checks are supported, ban on assault rifles deemed 'silly'; Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013; As President Barack Obama laid out his plan for increased gun control in a Washington press conference just before 9 a.m., approximately 60,000 people were roaming the Sands Convention Center for the second day of the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade, SHOT, show.
As the flu takes hold elsewhere, Nevadans wait, prepare for their turn: Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013; Nevada so far has been spared from a flu outbreak that hit much of the nation earlier than expected. But with temperatures dipping below 30 degrees, Clark County students returning to school last week and UNLV’s campus starting a new semester this week, local health officials are on the lookout for a spike. For the week of Dec. 30 to Jan. 5, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 9 of the 10 regions it monitors reported higher-than-normal outpatient visits for flu-like symptoms.
Suspects in Las Vegas murder arrested in New Orleans: Friday, Jan. 11, 2013; A man and woman wanted in connection with a Las Vegas murder investigation were arrested Tuesday in New Orleans and are awaiting extradition to Las Vegas, Metro Police reported.
Henderson Olive Garden reopens after fire: Friday, Jan. 11, 2013; A Henderson Olive Garden reopened Friday after being closed due to a fire on Dec. 27.
Sidewalk on Hoover Dam bypass bridge to close for inspection: Friday, Jan. 11, 2013; The Nevada Department of Transportation will conduct a rolling closure of the sidewalk on the O’Callaghan-Tillman Memorial Bridge, which bypasses the Hoover Dam, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 15 through 18.
Missing man found with help from local nonprofit: Friday, Jan. 11, 2013; An elderly adult who went missing from his home in the northwest valley early Thursday has been located, Metro Police reported.
Police say raid netted $4.5 million of marijuana: Friday, Jan. 11, 2013; Metro Police released new details Friday about the raid of Spring Valley marijuana grow house, the largest indoor pot bust on record for the agency.
Police investigating early morning shooting in northeast valley: Friday, Jan. 11, 2013; Metro Police are investigating a shooting early Friday on Gaviota Avenue, near East Stewart Avenue and North Pecos Road.
Coroner IDs 83-year-old woman killed crossing street: Friday, Jan. 11, 2013; The Clark County Coroner’s Office has identified an elderly woman who died Thursday after being hit by a pickup truck while crossing the street.
Customs officials: Man tried 5 times to enter U.S. illegally: Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013; In this case, perseverance was not a virtue. Jared Gonzalez-Borjorquez, who had been deported a month earlier, flew into McCarran International Airport and made his fifth attempt at entering the country illegally, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials allege.
Las Vegas dance troupe to perform in Inaugural Parade: In two years, Comparza Morelense goes from birthday parties to prestigious invites; Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013; In the past two years the Las Vegas dance troupe Comparza Morelense has quadrupled in size and gone from dancing at birthday parties and first communions to winning multiple parade trophies and performing in November at the Latin Grammys. Despite the rapid rise in the group’s popularity, no one expected the invite that arrived Dec. 20. In fact, some members of the group demanded to see proof the White House had indeed requested they participate in the parade at the 57th presidential inauguration.
Report: Federal spending on immigration enforcement $18 billion in 2012: Immigration enforcement budget totals more than all other law enforcement agencies combined; Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013; The Obama administration spent roughly $18 billion on immigration enforcement last year, more than the federal government spent on all other law enforcement areas combined, according to a report released Monday.
Fahrenkopf stepping down as head of American Gaming Association: Monday, Jan. 7, 2013; The president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, Frank Fahrenkopf, is leaving his position at the end of June, the gaming industry lobbying group announced Monday.
A 'forever family' in time for Christmas: How one Las Vegas family made it work with 11 adopted children and is now helping others; Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012; It was a day full of adoptions in Judge Frank Sullivan’s courtroom. Thursday was one of a few days set aside toward the end of the year by the Clark County Family Court judge for signing off on adoptions. On this occasion, the jovial Sullivan wore ruby red robes and a Santa Claus hat, and every kid who walked through the doors to his courtroom received a lollipop. One family put an especially large dent in Sullivan’s candy bowl.
1 dead, 3 at large in home invasion at apartment complex: Monday, Dec. 24, 2012; A suspect is dead and police are seeking three of his cohorts after an apparent home invasion Monday morning at a Las Vegas apartment complex. Metro Police responded about 10:10 a.m. Monday to La Ventana Apartment Homes, 2901 N. Rainbow Blvd., near West Cheyenne Avenue, after a 911 call from neighbors.
Immigration news: Record number of deportations in 2012; ICE ends local law-enforcement collaboration: 23 percent of deportations in past two years involve parents of U.S. citizen children; Monday, Dec. 24, 2012; ICE has announced that deportations in the last fiscal year set a record, and the federal agency is ending a controversial enforcement partnership with local authorities.
Mobile home fire in northeast valley does $8,000 damage: Monday, Dec. 24, 2012; A fire early Monday in the northeast valley caused about $8,000 damage to a mobile home, but nobody was home when the blaze broke out, the Clark County Fire Department reported.
Road accessing Mount Charleston opened for holiday: Monday, Dec. 24, 2012; The Nevada Department of Transportation has reopened State Route 158, which had been temporarily closed for road work.
Call to action sounded on Colorado River’s future; stakeholders ready to respond: Monday, Dec. 24, 2012; A three-year study into future water demands on Colorado River water is now completed. Now a variety of stakeholders will want to weigh in on the issue.
UNLV Dental School partners in program to increase minority interest in medical fields: Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012; The UNLV School of Dental Medicine is one of 11 schools nationwide chosen to partner with the American Dental Education Association on a program to encourage minority students to enter dentistry.
Nevadans' right to own guns enshrined in state constitution: Clark County weapons laws somewhat more restrictive than state's; Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012; In the wake of the Friday shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., communities across the country are looking inward to assess what provisions they have in place to prevent firearms from ending up in the wrong hands. Nevada’s laws are fairly straightforward, with few restrictions other than those imposed by federal law. Clark County, the largest municipality in the state, has somewhat stricter regulations.
Health care reform exclusions raise concerns over funding for uninsured: Decisions on eligibility run contrary to reform goals, critics argue; Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012; Armando Hernandez first felt a searing headache, then his legs began to swell. He lived with the pain for two days but finally relented and went to a hospital on day three. The Reno resident was 19 years old at the time. His kidneys were failing.
Soaking rain to move out by midday: Friday, Dec. 14, 2012; The Las Vegas Valley received a thorough soaking during the last 24 hours, but the slow and steady rain does not pose a danger of causing floods, and the precipitation should mostly be gone by midday, according to the National Weather Service.
Department of Interior releases Colorado River study: First-of-its-kind study looks ahead 50 years at population growth, water shortages; Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012; Future demands on the Colorado River water supply due to projected population growth far outweigh supply, according to a highly anticipated Department of the Interior study released Wednesday.
Young, progressive Las Vegas organizer wins national award for activism: Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012; Bob Fulkerson, director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, had known of the Mario Savio Young Activist Award for some time but never knew someone he thought could win it until Howard Watts III came along.
U.S.-Mexico accord hailed by business interests on, around Lake Mead: Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012; A recent agreement for sharing the Colorado River between the United States and Mexico garnered the most attention for bringing a decades-old accord up to date with modern realities, but it also is being celebrated by Southern Nevada businesses for what it means for water levels at Lake Mead.
Beyond tacos and tamales: Restaurants around the valley represent a variety of South and Central American cuisines; Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012; Look up Mexican restaurants in Las Vegas on Yelp.com, and more than 500 entries will come back. It is safe to say that most Las Vegas residents know where to find a carne asada taco or even a good chicken mole.
Restaurants representing Mexico’s Latin American neighbors, though, are a little more elusive. Diners who stick to Mexican restaurants are missing out on arepas, pupusas, empanadas, soups and ceviches that can only be found by exploring Las Vegas offerings from the rest of Latin America.
Las Vegas Latino Film Festival branches out: Once exclusively for short films, the festival adds feature-length works for the first time; Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012; In 2003 a total of 18 people attended the first Las Vegas Latin Short Film Festival, which launched with a trio of short films at the Charleston Heights Arts Center.
Immigration status of UNLV student senate candidate sparks controversy: War of words plays out in student newspaper letters section; Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012; Election Day has come and gone, but the name-calling, accusations and uncivil nature of election season are still playing out at UNLV.
Q&A: Assemblywoman discusses upcoming session, social media strategy and new PAC for Hispanic Democrats: Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012; Nevada Assemblywoman Lucy Flores was unopposed in the general election after winning her Democratic primary by a wide margin, but that does not mean the attorney took the summer off from politicking.
On anniversary of JFK assassination, investigator looks back: Q&A with Robert Blakey, former chief counsel of House Select Committee on Assassinations; Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012; Forty-nine years ago today, on Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas’ Dealey Plaza. The assassination and subsequent slaying of shooter Lee Harvey Oswald shocked the country.
After losing everything, Brazilian fashion designer resurrects career in Las Vegas: Aldo Mencatto came to Las Vegas with $50 and a goal: Get his business back; Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012; “I left Brazil with nothing. I had $50 and a visa for the United States,” Aldo Mencatto said. “I didn’t even know any English. I just knew I had to get my name back." Three years earlier, Mencatto was dressing celebrities and traveling with the country’s president.
Mob Museum marks anniversary of hearings that introduced much of the U.S. to organized crime: Government lawyer who authored RICO anti-corruption law speaks at museum; Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012; On Nov. 15, 1950 — 62 years ago to the day — the Kefauver committee stopped in Las Vegas for one of its several hearings exploring organized crime in America.
Yes, by the hair of their chinny-chin-chins: Beard and mustache contest draws 300 competitors to Las Vegas; Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012; Las Vegas is home to the wild world of competitive facial hair this weekend, and several bearded and mustachioed Southern Nevadans will be entering their whiskers into competition for the first time. The third annual Beard Team USA National Beard and Moustache Championships are coming to Las Vegas for the first time, and at least 10 of the contestants are from Southern Nevada.