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COVER ART Photo by Wade Vandervort ON
14 WEEKLY Q&A
North Las Vegas
mayor Pamela GoynesBrown talks about the city she’s helped build and refine.
Longtime Las Vegas Valley on-air hosts weigh in on why they cherish the medium of radio more than ever.
22 NEWS
Neighborood LVMPD commands are working with business owners to halt a rash of crime.
24 SPORTS Record-holding
fighters Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira meet again in UFC 326.
26 MUSIC
Superstar DJ and producer Illenium is building a new world inside Sphere.
28 THE STRIP A winter dayclub? Why now? Après Beach comes to LIV at Fontainebleau.
32 FOOD & DRINK
Carbone Riviera serves up Italian coastal delights lakeside at Bellagio.
Nine Inch Nails’ Peel It Back tour, Charli XCX documentary The Moment, comic Butch Bradley and more happening this week.
WCC BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP Thru 3/10, times vary, Orleans Arena, ticketmaster.com.
SUAVE BEATS
10 p.m., Ghostbar, palms.com.
SWEETTOOTH & DMZ
With Praxxis, Hed SPC, 10 p.m., We All Scream, tixr.com. DO IT ALL
We don’t care if it’s been two years since Charli XCX’s breakout album Brat dropped— we keep falling in love with it again and again. The Moment rewinds to the start of the Brat boom, o ering a satirical look at the machinery of pop stardom and the music industry’s less-than-glamorous truths. While it mirrors elements of Charli’s real-life ascent, the film never loses its bite or its fun thanks to cameos from it-girls like Kylie Jenner and Rachel Sennott, along with pop-culture fixtures Anthony Fantano and Julia Fox making this an over-the-top romp from start to finish. Thru 3/10, times vary, $15, Beverly Theater, thebeverlytheater. com. –Gabriela Rodriguez
With Damian Lazarus, Kaskade, Mau P, Testpilot, the Martinez Brothers, more, thru 3/8, 10 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.
NEW YORK GILBERT & SULLIVAN PLAYERS: THE
MIKADO
7:30 p.m., Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, unlv.edu.
KNIGHTS VS. MINNESOTA WILD
7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.
Photo by Steve Marcus
MUSIC PARTY
SPORTS FOOD COMEDY MISC ARTS
SATURDAY MARCH 7
NINE INCH NAILS
Few bands have turned alienation into high art quite like Nine Inch Nails. Coming o an already extensive 2025 run, the band added more than 20 additional dates to its Peel It Back tour, giving fans plenty of opportunities to catch what’s being called their most complex arena production yet. Split into four acts, the main stage is draped with curtains of translucent gauze that catches fractured light and projects live images of the band that flicker like massive fever dreams. Trent Reznor reconceptualizes deep cuts, incorporates film material and delivers enduring staples like “The Hand That Feeds” and “Head Like a Hole.” Decades in, the noise still feels edgy. 8 p.m., $76+, MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez
UFC 326
2 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.
BIG LEAGUE WEEKEND:
ATHLETICS VS. LA ANGELS
1:05 p.m., & 3/8, Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com.
MOUNTAIN WEST BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Thru 3/14, times vary, Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com.
USA GYMNASTICS
AMERICAN CUP
11 a.m., Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com.
LAS VEGAS MEN’S CHORUS SPRING FLING GALA
5 p.m., Sonoma Ballroom at South Point, lvmenschorus.org.
BARK IN THE PARK
10 a.m., Cornerstone Park, cityofhenderson.com.
CHELSEA HANDLER
8 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com.
JIM BREUER
10 p.m., Palazzo Theatre, ticketmaster.com.
BILLY OCEAN
7 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com.
GERALD ALBRIGHT
8 p.m., Chrome Showroom, ticketmaster.com.
BEAR GRILLZ
8 p.m., the Portal at Area15, posh.vip.
STRAWBERRY FUZZ
With Fake Dad, Pure Sport, 8 p.m., the Usual Place, dice.fm.
TIGER & DOVE
With Fuzzsolow, 9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com.
ITS MURPH
11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.
CLOONEE
11:30 a.m., LIV Beach, livnightclub.com.
SUPER SAKO
10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com.
LAVERN
10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com.
CHASE B 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com.
KAMINO With Beef Deckington, Dmac, 10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com.
DESEO LATIN SUNDAYS 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com.
SIMP CITY
10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com.
BRAD GARRETT
With Dulce Sloan, Tom Clark, 8 p.m. (& 3/11-3/15), Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand.com.
BRANDT TOBLER
With Brandon Vestal, thru 3/15, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy.com.
EXHIBIT: ‘TIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF Thru 3/26, Mon.-Thu. 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Clark County Government Center, clarkcountynv.gov.
EXHIBIT: HEALING THE HEART Thru 3/28, times vary, Nuwu Art Gallery, nuwuart.com.
MONDAYS DARK 8 p.m., the Space, mondaysdark.com.
DJ SOURMILK 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.
BUTCH BRADLEY
With Erin Jackson, Daniel Simonsen, Rich Aronovitch, thru 3/15, 7 & 9:30 p.m., Comedy Cellar, ticketmaster.com.
Rich Aronovitch
Daniel Simonsen
Erin Jackson
Butch Bradley
Daniel Simonsen by Mike Lavin; Rich Aronovitch by Brian Bennett/all
photos courtesy
Funny Girl Comedy Night
Penny Wiggins will kick off the show with her wit, followed by the hilarious Erin O’Connor. The bold Andrea Abatte will headline the show.
Friday, March 6 | 7 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.
WINDMILL LIBRARY
AGES: Adults
Breaking Boundaries, Celebrating Women in Dance
Join Don Bellamy and the dancers of NBT II, the official second company of Nevada Ballet Theatre, for an innovative afternoon of ballet beyond traditions.
Sunday, March 8 | 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
SUMMERLIN LIBRARY
AGES: Adults
A Celebration of Women’s History: presented by EmpowerHer
Performing artists with Miss Juneteenth Nevada & the Queens Court will honor the achievements of six women throughout history through narration and music.
Saturday, March 14 | 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
CENTENNIAL HILLS LIBRARY
Saturday, March 21 | 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
WHITNEY LIBRARY
AGES: Adults
Women’s DJ Afternoon
CELEBRATE WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH AT THE LIBRARY DISTRICT
Saturday, March 14 | 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
EAST LAS VEGAS LIBRARY
AGES: Teens & Adults
Magic, Mystery & Illusion
Learn the basics of DJing in a supportive environment with other women!
Little ones will learn about the Queen of Magic, Adelaide Hermann, and discover a few magic tricks.
Wednesday, March 18 | 4:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
CENTENNIAL HILLS LIBRARY
AGES: Kids (Grades K-5)
Celebrating Women’s History Through Music
Join the Nevada Chamber Orchestra for this extraordinary tribute to women composers.
Friday, March 20 | 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
WEST CHARLESTON LIBRARY
AGES: Adults
Marina Pendleton Concert
Yayoi Kusama Art: Women’s History
Explore the colorful, dot-filled world of the Japanese artist!
Tuesday, March 31 | 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
WHITNEY LIBRARY
AGES: Kids and Tweens
Shop ... Slay ... and Soul
Performing songs written by Dolly Parton, Elizabeth Cotten, Loretta Lynn, Ola Belle Reed, and Cindy Walker.
Saturday, March 21 | 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
WINDMILL LIBRARY
Sunday, March 22 | 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
SAHARA WEST LIBRARY
AGES: Adults
Shop our Women’s Marketplace, network at our Mixer, enjoy a fashion show by Veronica Rene, and live soulful music.
Tuesday, March 31 | 4 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
WEST LAS VEGAS LIBRARY
AGES: Adults
Scan for even more events & programs this month:
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LAST LAP, BEST LAP
North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown is building a “complete city”
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
to transform the town she’s lived in since 1964 into a “complete city.”
these same issues he faced are still prevalent today, it’s like, wow, we still have some work to do.
You were a music teacher and an assistant principal before entering politics. How has your education background informed your approach to governance?
Just like in government, the job is about making sure the kids feel comfortable and safe to come to school, that they have the supplies they need and know that they’re fed and clothed. I joke and say I dealt with little people and their families. And it’s the same today. They’re adults, they still have some concerns and issues, and it’s my job to make sure they’re okay.
The Downtown Gateway project is transforming the city’s core. What can residents look forward to?
The office of North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown tells the story of a life in public service. Photos with presidents are right at home alongside thank-you notes from local youth sports teams. And after 35 years as a Clark County School District educator, a decade with the city council and now serving as the first Black mayor in Nevada’s history, Goynes-Brown’s focus remains squarely rooted at home. Elected in 2022, she’s helped usher in a slew of signi cant projects, including a new Nevada State University campus, the Apex Industrial Park that she says could add more than 70,000 jobs, a multifaceted plan to revitalize the city’s downtown and nearly 1,000 new housing units. Set to term out in late 2026, she’s running all the way through the nish line in her quest
Your father previously served on city council, and now you’re the first Black mayor in Nevada’s history. What does that lineage mean to you personally? And what does it say about how much—or how little—the city has changed?
First of all, as the rst African American mayor in the state of Nevada, I don’t want to be the last person in a leadership role like this.
And my lineage means a lot to me. I was talking to my father before he passed away and said, “I hope that you are as proud of me as I was of you when you started your political journey.” He was right there when I swore my oath. I had the Bible in one hand, and I reached back for his other hand. That he could be there to witness that meant the world to me and just melted my heart. But knowing that some of
For years, even when I was on the city council, I got asked, “Does North Las Vegas even have a downtown?” And ... we do, but it wasn’t clearly de ned. So, we’re changing that conversation. NSU is one component of that. And bridging further east, on Lake Mead and Las Vegas Boulevard, we’ll have a walkable downtown where there’s shops, cafes, housing, green spaces and other places where people can gather and have a good time.
How does the new Nevada State University campus fit into this vision?
More residents who live in North Las Vegas will be able to get their educational goals met without having to travel 30 or 40 minutes to classes. For those who have transportation barriers or childcare needs, that will help them tremendously. You have more of a stake in your community when you can grow and learn right here
in your own backyard, and you’re also more apt to want to stay in a community that helps develop you.
You’ve also helped bring almost 1,200 new a ordable housing units to the city. Why is that such an important issue to you?
I have a son who’s here, and the idea of being able to a ord a mortgage right now isn’t something he sees in his future over the next ve years. And I understand why, because you look at the price of a house and think, how can I ever a ord a $500,000 home?
People want a place to live that’s attainable and a ordable—whether they’re single, multi-family or senior projects. We can o er that here, and we’re trying to move on that as quickly as we can get shovels in the ground.
What are you most proud of during your tenure?
I’m proud of the progress that North Las Vegas has made overall since I joined city council in 2011. I’m also really excited that the projects we have now are no longer something that we’re thinking about for 10 or 20 years down the road. We were the hardest hit municipality during the Great Recession, and to see us on the rebound—even though North Las Vegas has always had its own identity—it’s going to be an even greater place to live, work and raise a family.
Your time as mayor is up later this year, and you’ve hit your term limit. What’s next?
I’m asked that probably once or twice a week, and I just don’t know yet. I’ve just been so focused on what we’re doing right now. It’ll come. I am not ready to just totally stop and sit on the couch every day. I will get involved in something.
by
Photo
Wade Vandervort
Longtime on-air personalities discuss the evolving landscape of radio and why they cherish the medium like never before
STILL TUNED IN
BY AMBER SAMPSON WITH PORTRAITS BY WADE VANDERVORT
At one point or another, most of us adopted the ritual of radio. We drove to school listening to the Top 40 of the time as part of our morning routine. We laughed along to the prank calls performed during on-air morning shows, in some cases fueling them. We chased that coveted caller No. 10 for the big ticket giveaway—even if it meant hogging the house phone all day.
The ubiquitous nature of radio, that trusty medium with round-the-clock comfort, was a cultural lifeline. And then streaming arrived. And then podcasts. And then TikTok algorithms that could in uence your tastes more e ciently than any disc jockey could.
Radio, it seemed, had lost its place in the conversation. But it never left.
“I feel like there’s a stigma that radio is dead, and it’s not. … The radio was a part of every person’s life every day. It was the original podcast. Radio DJs were like the original in uencers,” says Heather Collins, an afternoon host at Mix 94.1. “People don’t give radio as much credit as they should. It’s still very much a part of a lot of people’s lives.”
The staying power of radio stems from the people behind the mics. They’re the voices of our Valley who never tuned out. Still to this day, they show up, ready to make memories through the medium, and remind us why radio is as essential to the community as ever.
THE BAND WHISPERER
Heather Collins afternoon host at Mix 94.1 FM
While her 250,000 Instagram followers know her as the content creator @RaisedinVegas, the rest of the Las Vegas Valley recognizes Heather Collins as the lively host of one of the leading local pop variety stations.
“I joke around that it’s my Hannah Montana life, and that I’m a radio DJ in the morning and an in uencer at night,” she says.
Now in her 16th year at Mix, it still doesn’t feel like a job to Collins. It’s more akin to a dream. Since the age of 12, she’s been immersed in the world of radio, attending annual events like Bite of Las Vegas and unknowingly laying the groundwork for what came next.
“I loved those concerts growing up because they were very much in our backyard at Desert Breeze Park, and they were so fun and exciting,” Collins says. “I remember going every year and being like, I want to be one of those radio DJs. I want to be a part of this one day because I love music.”
Collins got her start in audio engineering, where she worked with live bands. But after taking radio courses at the Art Institute, she fell in love with what would become her life. Mix initially brought her on as a concert photography intern, and that quickly snowballed into a job with the opportunity to go on air.
“The week before I went on the air for the rst time live, I went to the Stratosphere for the rst time ever and went to the top,” she remembers. “All I could think of looking over the Valley was at any moment, all these people could turn on the radio and hear me. Don’t mess up next weekend.”
She might’ve stumbled that rst break—“It was the worst break ever,” she laughs—but if that 12-year-old girl could see Collins now, she’d be in awe of the signed band posters on her o ce walls, the sel es with Ed Sheeran and 30 Seconds to Mars, and every fangirling account of meeting her favorite band, Matchbox Twenty. The bands she grew up idolizing now come to her. And in a full circle moment, she gets to pass that excitement down.
“That’s something I think people forget,” Collins says. “Not only do we give away prizes and create events for listeners, but we also create moments where you can meet your band. That’s the best part about my job.”
As Collins continues, she’s noticed Gen Z becoming interested in radio again thanks to social media and on-air personalities like 98.5 KLUC’s Josh “Bru” Brubaker showcasing how cool the medium can be. But in the age of short attention spans and eeting trends, the longevity of radio—a free, wi -less medium—can’t be contested.
“If an apocalypse comes, radio is still going to be kicking it,” she says. “If this building blows up, the radio will still play because this is all playing on towers. If the internet goes down tomorrow, radio would be the way that you would nd out information. It’s very primal, but it’s still very much there.”
THE MORNING SHOW
QUEEN
For more than 25 years, Las Vegas has been waking up with Mercedes in the Morning. As host of Mix 94.1’s long-running weekday morning show, Mercedes Martinez is comfortable saying she’s a staple of our daily routine—because we won’t let her forget it.
“I’ll meet someone who’s 30 now, and they’re like, I listened to you in elementary school, and I’m like, what? You were part of the fabric of their lives, and that’s where it really hits me that this is important,” she says. “This is important to a lot of people, and it’s so cool.”
Martinez has called Las Vegas home since 1997, but radio took up residence in her life much earlier than that.
“I was pretty obsessed with the radio growing up,” she says. “I used to call in and request
Mercedes Martinez morning show host at Mix 94. 1 FM
songs. The funny thing is … I didn’t know it was a real job. I thought you were assigned to be on the radio. I did not know how it worked.”
While at the University of Colorado studying to become a pharmacist, Martinez discovered a love for public speaking and, through internships, radio. Before she knew it, she had a job offer at Mix and a lot of convincing to do with her dad.
“I didn’t know what I was doing. I was a kid moving out here. I’d never lived far from home,” Martinez says. “He really did let me take this leap of faith. And I think back—if he would have said no, where would I be? It’s one of those sliding-doors moments. One thing changed everything.”
A lot’s changed about radio since Martinez got started
almost 30 years ago.
“Radio isn’t just radio anymore. It’s media, and if we want to stay relevant you have to integrate with the way that people live now, and that’s with their phones,” Martinez says. “You’re not just competing with other radio stations. You’re competing for attention in general.”
There are now more ways than ever to access radio outside of our cars. Every station has an app and Mercedes in the Morning even has a podcast platform. Stations are meeting their audiences where they’re at, but Martinez affirms one of the most important places to do that is still in person.
“When you go out and you’re a part of the community, I feel like people know you’re real. You’re not just a voice,” she says. “There’s a lot of mediums
where it is just a voice, and you probably won’t ever meet that person, but if you go out, you show that you care about this community. That’s why I do a lot of things here in charitable events, because this city has given me everything.”
When Martinez reflects on her favorite moments in radio, she cites the surreal moments, like a charming interview with Lady Gaga, but also the times she’s gotten to hear the stories of her community firsthand.
“It’s a listener coming up to you at an event and saying, you got me through the hardest year of my life. Or it’s a woman who tells you that she listened every morning while she was getting chemo and that we were the only thing that made her smile,” Martinez says. “Those are the biggest standout moments for me.”
INNOVATOR THE ON-AIR
paving the way,” Tempesta says. “Since then, I’ve just been an evangelist for the industry to try to get these cameras and install them all around the country.”
As Tempesta puts it, “we’re just varying levels of a digital entity at this point” and hosts must be willing to do it all.
Shawn Tempesta formerly 96.3 KKLZ, 102.7 VGS, The Morning Blend and more
Shawn Tempesta has had a hell of a radio career and a hell of a week. When we reach the former 96.3 KKLZ morning host by Zoom, he’s well into his rst week as a free agent after being let go by the classic hits station. But he’s never believed in the medium of radio more than right now.
…But podcasts are a one-way conversation. Streaming is fun, but it doesn’t necessarily have, in 99.8% of cases, the ability to create huge change.”
In 2019, Tempesta introduced the daily digital talk show Free4All on Mix 94.1, where he invited listeners to participate in games, outlandish competitions and to raise thousands for charity. That content alone helped Tempesta build real relationships with his listeners.
“Radio used to be the thing that people go to, and so people would sh for us. Now the reel’s in our hands and we’re shing for them because there’s a lot of places for attention,” he says.
“What I found success in is being unabashedly—and this is the truth for anything social media—being unabashedly real.
“There’s something about radio, when it’s done correctly, that is so powerful,” says Tempesta. “It’s engaging. It can get an entire community to step up and go to one purpose.
“I believe in podcasting. I believe in streaming. I’m one of the earliest people in radio to put cameras in the studio.
If anyone can make these claims, it’s Tempesta. The seasoned host has worked across markets and every medium imaginable. Since age 8, he’s worked in public access TV, working both on and o camera, and he’s brought that Renaissance-man mentality to local stations as well.
“When the cameras entered my studio at Mix [94.1] … I spent $14,000 building out my own studio, breaking it down and setting it up every day, and kind of
That said, nothing tested that sense of community, or radio’s role in it, like the October 1 mass shooting. Tempesta recalls just leaving a Vegas Golden Knights game at T-Mobile Arena when he saw an alert about UMC being at full capacity.
“I contacted my program director and I’m like, I’m going in. I went in from midnight to six until Mercedes got in, went live, elded calls, gave the latest updates and put the press conferences on the air. That’s where radio shines, in moments like that,” he says.
“No one’s in love with Mix because they play Taylor Swift. No one’s in love with KKLZ because they play Foreigner. They are going to have some sort of emotional connection if that station and the people on it make an emotional connection with them, not by swinging records.”
As he looks toward what’s next, Tempesta says he has no intention of leaving Las Vegas or radio.
“I know I can do other things essentially,” he says. “But it will never be as rewarding as this has been, as positively a ecting a community as this has been.”
IN THE NEWS
WATER
U.S.
SENATE
PASSES BILL FOR NEW SOUTHERN NEVADA WATER PIPELINE
A bill allowing the Southern Nevada Water Authority to build an underground water pipeline through Sloan Canyon was unanimously passed in the U.S. Senate.
The Senate acted on the Sloan Canyon Conservation and Horizon Lateral Water Pipeline Act, a proposal sponsored by Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev. that previously was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.
The legislation grants the water authority permission to tunnel underneath a portion of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area to construct a pipeline that will provide water to over 1 million people in Southern Nevada. The bill now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk.
Leaders say this will improve the reliability of Las Vegas’ water system, protecting people from potential outages and disruptions. The initiative to build 30 to 40 miles of pipeline is estimated to cost between $1.6 billion and $2.7 billion.
“Right now, almost 40% of Las Vegas residents and businesses depend on the South Valley Lateral pipeline. That’s one single pipeline for nearly three million people,” Sen. Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said in a statement, adding that a new pipeline “will improve the reliability and capacity of our existing water system and will protect the water supply
for nearly half of Las Vegas residents and businesses.”
The bill also expands the Sloan Canyon National Conservation area southwest of Henderson by nearly 20% from 48,438 acres to almost 58,000 acres, adding 9,290 acres to further protect the desert landscape.
Water deliveries to Henderson and the southern region of the Las Vegas Valley rely on an existing large-diameter transmission pipeline called the South Valley Lateral, which was completed in the 1990s prior to much of the area’s development and now supplies 40% of the region’s water.
Water users in Southern Nevada will fund the work through infrastructure and commodity charges along with regional connection fees paid by developers, the SNWA said.
The pipeline won’t increase the amount of water drawn from the Lake Mead reservoir, and the SNWA stressed that the Horizon Lateral Program as a whole “can meet the target level” of system reliability by 2030 and adapt to future community water needs.
The project would begin in early 2027 with the construction of various pumping stations, pipelines and pressure regulating valves along with a reservoir west of Nawghaw Poa Road south of Democracy Drive. –Grace Da Rocha
ARTS
“The [Neon] Museum’s goal is to go beyond showcasing a beautiful sign but to give the visitor a chance to experience the sign the way it would have looked at the time it was created. This is living history.”
–Aaron Berger, executive director of the Neon Museum, looking forward to several notable additions to the Neon Boneyard this year, including Siegfried & Roy’s bronze tiger sculpture, the Mirage lagoon sign and the Binion’s Horseshoe sign.
That’s the drop in the number of travelers at Harry Reid International Airport in January compared to January 2025, marking 12 straight months of decline in the number of passengers going through the airport. International travel took a larger loss at -19.2% compared to last January. Much of the decline came from Canadian carriers.
WALK THIS WAY Lion dancers from the Lohan School of Shaolin Kung Fu cross Spring Mountain Road at a newly installed crosswalk on February 28. The crosswalk is part of a series of infrastructure improvements coming to Chinatown, said Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones. (Steve Marcus/staff)
Sewing Classes
Celebrate Maker March at the Library District through exploring, making, designing & engineering with these FREE events!
3D Printing Training
Learn the basics of using a 3D printer at the Library District.
Multiple Dates & Times
Enterprise Library
AGE GROUP: TEENS & ADULTS
LEGO Club
Build with others to your heart’s content!
Every Tuesday
4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Sandy Valley Library
AGE GROUP: ALL
Crochet Club
Learn to crochet or teach someone else.
Every Wednesday
5 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunrise Library
AGE GROUP: ALL
Music Production 101 for Teens
All levels are welcome to join this hands-on workshop.
Tuesdays, March 10, 24 & 31
3 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Clark County Library
AGE GROUP: TEENS
Come Out and Clay Jr.
Learn to make some of our favorite storytime pals in clay.
Saturday, March 14
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Sunrise Library
AGE GROUP: PRESCHOOLERS, KIDS
Intro to Machine Sewing and Safety – Ready, Set, Sew!
Registration is strongly encouraged.
Saturday, March 14
11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Friday, March 27
3 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
West Las Vegas Library
AGE GROUP: ADULTS (16+)
In the Loop –
A Fiber Arts Group
Come crochet, knit, or practice other needlecrafts with fellow crafters.
Sunday, March 15
10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Centennial Hills Library
AGE GROUP: TEENS & ADULTS
Teen Tuesday –Maker Break Bags
Turn your Spring Break into a Maker Break! We have fun kits to give away.
Tuesday, March 17
4 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Enterprise Library
AGE GROUP: TEENS
Take Better Photos on Your Cell Phone
Learn cell phone camera features, angles, lighting, setting up a shot, and more from photographer Victor Esquivel.
Thursday, March 19
3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Rainbow Library
AGE GROUP: TEENS & ADULTS
Digital Drawing
Learn digital drawing basics using the Wacom tablet
Friday, March 20
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Enterprise Library
AGE GROUP: TWEENS, TEENS & ADULTS
Maker March Craft Stick
Engineering Challenge
Join us for the Building Challenge.
Saturday, March 21
11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Moapa Town Library
AGE GROUP: KIDS, TWEENS & TEENS
Creating with Canva
Learn how to create amazing and eye-catching graphics, documents, and more.
Wednesday, March 25
4 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Enterprise Library – Flex Lab
AGE GROUP: ADULTS
Teen Maker Fair
Design, build, and create using Cricut machines, laser engravers, and hands-on craft stations.
Thursday, March 26
3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Centennial Hills Library
AGE GROUP: TEENS
West Las Vegas Library
Maker Fair
See and explore the latest trends in arts, crafts, and maker technology!
Thursday, March 26
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Adam Seely, a Las Vegas Metro Police captain from the Downtown Area Command, and Kristen Corral, co-founder of Tacotarian, outside the restaurant in the Arts District, February 24. Corral and Seely worked together to change how downtown businesses report and address crime-related issues in their area.(Photo by Steve Marcus)
DROPPING THE HAMMER
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
For several weeks in March 2024, a serial burglar went around plunging a hammer through windows of nearly a dozen Downtown Las Vegas Arts District businesses in an incident the Metropolitan Police Department informally dubbed “Hammertime.”
Tacotarian co-founder Kristen Corral’s restaurant on Casino Center Boulevard was among the targets.
“Our entire window and the door were shattered. Someone came in and tried to steal our cash box, which was thankfully empty. Another guy threw rocks through our windows, and there were people stealing stuff off our back patio, even though it was locked and we had it fenced in,” Corral
says. “I was just so frustrated because we were spending all of this money to improve security, and we weren’t getting any help.”
She appealed to Las Vegas City Councilmember Olivia Diaz, who passed her concerns along to LVMPD captain Adam Seely. In just his third day after being promoted to lead the Downtown Area Command (DTAC), Seely’s first encounter with Corral was fiery.
“I started yelling at him before he even got a word in,” Corral recalls with a laugh.
“I told her the same thing I tell everyone: I can help you,” Seely says. “We came up with a plan to increase police presence during the times the suspect was committing the crimes. About two weeks later, we had them in custody.”
From there, Seely set out to build a better relationship between the community and his team of 165 officers. His message was simple: “Anyone who wants to have a relationship with the police and with me, they get to have one.”
It was especially important for him to foster trust with business owners who were previously hesitant to call about crimes because DTAC’s annual allocation of officers and resources is based on the number of reports it receives.
“There’s a disconnect between some business owners and Metro, and we sometimes feel powerless,” Corral says. “In the moment, reporting sometimes feels like a waste of time because you think they won’t catch that person. But when we don’t report or under-report, it skews the facts. I think forming working relationships with them specifically gives us a little bit of power back.”
The numbers indicate some progress. Between 2024 and 2025, Seely says incidents of violent crime and property crime decreased by 11% and 15%, respectively, across the 10 square miles the DTAC covers. In the Arts District alone, both categories also fell by 3%.
According to the LVMPD’s February 22 weekly crime report, DTAC has had 5.6% more calls for service this year than at the same point in 2025, while citations issued because of those calls are up 36%.
Now, Corral says she has Seely “on speed dial,” adding there’s been a “noticeable difference” in the issues she and her employees have faced since he took over.
She also credits the Deputy City Mar-
shals’ Problem Oriented Policing (POP) team with helping address the adjacent issue of homelessness in the Arts District. Formed in 2023, the six-member team regularly patrols the area to check in with businesses, offer support to homeless individuals who want it and issue citations or make arrests when deemed necessary.
Could this model of maximizing community engagement be replicated elsewhere in the Valley?
Colin Fukunaga, owner of Fukuburger in Chinatown, says it has been. Over the last several years, he’s worked with captain Jimmy Lorson of Spring Valley Area Command (SVAC) to develop a similar system that includes monthly community meetings and a Facebook group connecting business owners with the SVAC.
For years, Fukunaga says the area was plagued by crimes like recurring car break-ins that were frequently under-reported due to what he describes as the Asian American community’s cultural tendency to be less likely to trust law enforcement. But after speaking with one of Lorson’s predecessors, Fukunaga started rallying his peers.
“I had a light bulb go on, like, oh my God, we’re killing ourselves by not encouraging reporting. After that, I went on a mission to let all the other businesses know that it will only get worse if they try to sweep it under the rug,” Fukunaga says.
Fukunaga and Seely both say another benefit of reporting is that perpetrators
often repeat their crimes until they’re caught. By studying similar reports, detectives can catch suspects sooner.
“The more they do it, the more they leave crumbs,” Fukunaga says. “People just don’t realize how easily a lot of these crimes are solved, and reporting is a big part of that.”
For him and other Chinatown businesses, “the pervasive feeling is optimistic.”
“Everyone who’s getting involved and reporting feels very supported and confident about where things are going with the SVAC,” he says. “The department is not just talking. They’re being proactive and reactive.”
Corral shares a similar outlook on the Arts District.
“While the city still bears a lot of responsibility—and I still do not think they’re doing enough—I think that Metro has really stepped in to try to fill the gaps,” she says. “It speaks to the importance of participating in government and advocating for what we need as business owners. Whether that’s with Metro or the city, you can’t just sit back and expect everybody else to do it for you.”
Seely urges others to follow that lead.
“The best information that the police department gets comes directly from the community, because we simply can’t be everywhere at once,” he says. “The squeaky wheel gets the oil, and when people come forward to tell us about public disorder, I can almost always fix it overnight.”
Tacotarian in the Arts District (Photo by Steve Marcus)
CHARLES OLIVEIRA
MAX HOLLOWAY
Holloway said of Oliveira at a news conference promoting the bout in Las Vegas. “I can’t wait to go out there and give it to him.”
ALL-TIME GREATS ALL-TIME GREATS ALL-TIME GREATS
Record-holding fi ghters Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira meet again at UFC 326
BY CASE KEEFER
Max Holloway put on what immediately went down as one of the most legendary performances in UFC history the last time he fought in Las Vegas.
The former longtime featherweight champion was comfortably ahead of Justin Gaethje in the co-main event of UFC 300 in April 2024 and could have cruised to an easy decision victory in the nal seconds of their ve-round ght.
Instead, Holloway motioned to the center of the octagon and challenged Gaethje to a striking exchange. Gaethje didn’t hesitate to accept, knowing a late knockout was his only path to victory, but paid the price for his eagerness.
Holloway knocked Gaethje out cold with one second left on
the clock, receiving a standing ovation from the T-Mobile Arena crowd.
The 34-year-old Hawaiian native returns to the site of the most famous moment in his storied career on March 7 when he takes on former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira of Brazil in the main event of UFC 326.
The symbolic “BMF” title will be on the line with Holloway looking to claim it for a third straight time following the Gaethje win and a unanimous-decision victory over Dustin Poirier in the latter’s retirement bout last July.
Perhaps Holloway’s favorite perk of the Gaethje bout was banking $600,000 in bonus money, winning both of the UFC’s traditional awards, Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night.
That put Holloway at $1.1 million in ght-night bonus-
es for his career, the most in UFC history. Oliveira holds the record with 21 all-time bonuses received—Holloway is ninth with 13 bonuses—but has only accumulated $1.07 million through them without the boosted totals from a landmark event like UFC 300.
Those aren’t the only categories Holloway and Oliveira dominate in the UFC record book.
If Holloway wins—and the odds paint him as about a -200 (i.e. risking $200 to win $100) favorite—he’ll move into a tie with Oliveira for the second-most all-time victories in the octagon. The 36-year-old Oliveira currently holds 24 victories to Holloway’s 23, with both behind only lightweight veteran Jim Miller’s 27 all-time wins.
“He’s a legend of the sport,”
UFC 326
March 7, 2 p.m., main card 6 p.m., $316+. T-Mobile Arena, axs.com. TV: Paramount+.
UFC 300 was the biggest mixed martial arts event of 2024 with UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena taking the mantle the next year. Oliveira headlined the latter, losing his championship belt by getting knocked out in the rst round by the undefeated Ilia Topuria.
But he wasn’t ready to walk away from the sport that gave him global stardom after humble beginnings growing up in the crime-ridden, poverty-stricken favelas of Sao Paulo. Oliveira brushed o concerns about any dip in ability by submitting Mateusz Gamrot in the second round of a main-event bout in a Fight Night card last October in Rio de Janeiro.
“A wounded lion is still a lion,” Oliveira said through a translator. “All I’m focused on is a win … All I want now is to ght Max Holloway, win the ght and then, God willing, if that’s his wish, I’ll get a title shot after getting him.”
Oliveira said there was no extra, personal incentive to beat Holloway despite losing to him in an August 2015 bout in the main event of a Fight Night card in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Holloway was picking apart Oliveira in the earlygoing of that ght, but it ended prematurely when the latter shot for a takedown and su ered a freak shoulder/ neck injury. Oliveira was unable to continue, rendering Holloway the winner by rst-round TKO.
Both were considered hot prospects at the time, and both have gone on to reach—if not surpass— their potential. Given the places they’ve etched out for themselves in UFC history, they had to face o again.
“We had some un nished business from 11 years ago,” Holloway said. “We got to go out there and gure it out.”
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Grammy-nominated DJ and producer
Illenium on how he built the world of Odyssey at Sphere
BY AMBER SAMPSON
Nothing about Illenium’s Odyssey was normal. The DJ and producer began his sixth studio album exclusively with a Sphere residency in mind. Every visual, every track was designed with the goal of performing on the world’s most technologically advanced musical stage.
“Everything is a brand-new experience. Nothing has been seen. Everything that I do, I love making a world around it,” Illenium tells the Weekly. “I’m a big movie nerd, and I love video games and just being sucked into something. We wrote a very rough outline of what became a really beautiful journey of pretty much finding balance between light and dark, finding peace in suffering—all this stuff that I really care about, that I get from music.”
The 19-track album is a euphoric voyage, magnified by Illenium’s moody melodies, chill-worthy choruses and gritty, synth-laden textures. Where tracks like “Forever” build to a swelling hook of harmonies undercut by bass and drums, others like “War” punch through the reverie with metallic, punk-infused precision.
Thousands will get to experience EDM through Illenium’s cinematic lens, along with immersive visuals by Berlin-based animation studio Woodblock. And this isn’t the first time he’s had a major milestone play out on the Strip. The DJ’s last history-making move happened in 2021, when he became the
first musician to perform at Allegiant Stadium. Performing his album trilogy—Ashes, Awake and Ascend—there marked a capstone in his career.
With his nine-show residency running through April 4 at Sphere, he’ll soon reach another.
When you first toured Sphere, it wasn’t even built yet. Could you envision the possibilities at that point?
When I was visiting, I was actually here doing our first tour of Allegiant Stadium for the trilogy, and so that was all that was on my mind. I only had so much capacity. But I knew for sure, maybe within a close amount of time of visiting it, that it was going to be game-changing in terms of an artist wanting to create an immersive experience. There’s nothing like that, especially the first show I saw, which was Dead [& Company]. It’s just nuts when you step into it, when it’s all done. That’s when I was like, oh f**k, this is crazy. And each show I’ve been to, I think each artist has crushed it and done such cool, unique new stuff.
Anyma was the first EDM show at Sphere. What did you think of how he utilized the venue for his set?
I think he crushed it. His brand and his entire visual team have always been so emotional and really high quality. He had a really good balance of everything, I think. It was a bit long, in my opinion, but I think the whole thing was extremely well
done. It was just good music, and it was cool that he had so much unreleased music when he was playing it there. I kind of went the other way. I really wanted my album to be out first. For me, I just have such a better time when people are a little bit more familiar with it.
Your Allegiant Stadium show was a big moment for Vegas, and it also closed the chapter on those albums in a symbolic way. What era does Odyssey represent for you musically?
Musically, with the show always being in the back of my mind, it was really fun to create from the ground up. I’d look at a scene like, I want to write a song for this scene, which is something that I’ve never gotten to do. I feel like the undertone of the entire album is much more electronic; it’s EDM with an undertone of cinematic in everything. And I think jumping back and forth with genres is okay as long as there’s a similar undertone. Like, I love Hans Zimmer stuff and having those types of moments in each song helps you be able to jump around and be creative with different genres.
I’m a big Hans fan myself. What movies inspire you?
Blade Runner vibes.
Oli too. He literally said, “I wanted more Blade, I wanted more Blade.’ But he was talking about the Wesley Snipes Blade. There’s a great scene that uses that same acidy sound.
You’ve been running through all the songs at this point. Which sequences do you anticipate giving fans chills?
ILLENIUM: ODYSSEY March 5-7 & 12-14, April 2-4, 9:30 p.m., $136+. Sphere, ticketmaster. com
There’s a moment with my new song, “Paris,” and I matched it up with an old song of mine, “Gorgeous.” That moment in the Sphere is so sick, just with the visuals that are happening. It’s very cool. I think “Slave to the Rithm” is awesome. It’s psychotic and freaking crazy with the visual we have. There’s a lot of sick moments. The “Into the Dark” moment is also fire at the show. It’s very much story driven, emotional. We have a string quartet for the show, so there’s this really cool cello movement for it.
How do you think this next-level show is going to deepen the connection you already have with fans?
Dune: Part Two, 100%. Dune: Part Two is one of the greatest f**king things of all time (laughs). I feel like we’re very much inspired by that. Or a lot of really fun sci-fi stuff that I nerd out on so hard. I love Star Wars I think it’s gone a little bit downhill, but I think Andor is sick.
“Slave to the Rithm” with Bring Me the Horizon’s Oli Sykes also gives me hardcore
Everyone involved has been really on the same path, and I think we’ve created a really moving story. There’s really dope highs, and there’s intense lows and dark moments. I think it’s gonna be a really cleansing experience. I saw M83 at Red Rocks, and that was a cleansing f**king experience (laughs). It felt really beautiful. That type of experience at this place, I feel like it takes you to the next level.
Read more of this interview at lasvegasweekly.com
New winter dayclub experience brings a ski rager to LIV Beach
BY AMBER SAMPSON
Las Vegas’ idea of winter couldn’t be more di erent from the rest of the country. As other cities battle blizzards, we’re gearing up for pool season ... mostly.
Even the desert has its moments. Temps dipped below freezing just two weeks ago before swinging back into the sunny 80s in record time. But why not have both?
Case in point: Après Beach, a new winter ski experience dropping into LIV Beach’s sun-soaked party atmosphere on March 7. Here’s the mood board: shotskis and Champagne showers, cabanas and cozy cashmere, fresh powder raining down as British tech-house DJ Cloonee pumps us up. The pool also will be red up for those brave (possibly Midwestern) souls ready to have some fun in the winter sun.
“We want people to come in their ski out t, or their fur or their goggles. We’re expecting a lot of Champagne to be sprayed,” says Michael Waltman, senior vice president of hospitality and nightlife at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. “We want to have ice luges, espresso martini bars, a French fries station. A big thing now is French fries and martinis, and you always have to have a great photo moment. We have this cool gondola photo set up as you walk in. We have 10 snow machines.”
Waltman says this Après Beach party could be the first of many depending on how the weekend goes. But it’s also a way to test out something popular from other markets and showcase how LIV Beach does it, the Vegas way.
APRÈS BEACH With Cloonee, March 7, 11:30 a.m., $39-$61. LIV Beach, livnightclub. com
“It was a big wake-up call for us in one of these creative meetings that we had. Everybody was posting that [online trend] 2016 is the new 2026. We saw some venues actually post that, and literally nothing was di erent. And we were like, that can never be us,” Waltman says.
The winter experience will also lead into a series of new Sunday events at LIV Beach that Waltman says will o er a balance between partying and prioritizing wellness. They’re looking at organizing workouts before the dayclub opens, holistic treatments and even co ee and hydration stations in place of cocktails for those taking a break from drinking. These monthly wellness events kick o March 29.
“We want to be ahead of the curve when it comes to all of this,” Waltman says, “and be able to o er not only the same old, amazing daylife experience, but also ask, how can we curate what’s trending, what’s new, into that as well for what people are looking for.”
Fantastic voyage
Funk, fashion and emerging musicians meet at Midnight Train to Vegas, a disco-leaning, after-dark experience
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
Come aboard and strut your stuff on the next Midnight Train to Vegas, a homegrown immersive production that’s blending the flair and funk of Soul Train with the showcasing ferocity of TRL.
Presented by Sofar Sounds Las Vegas, the multi-track nightlife phenomenon transforms its venue into something akin to a Studio 54 party from the moment you arrive.
“When people walk through that door, the walls are just completely melted with the dancers and the talent walking through the room,” says Beverly Chillz, executive producer and host. “That energy just becomes so infectious.”
While rooted in grandiose party production, the event also offers a chance to discover emerging artists making waves before the rest of the world catches on. To get to know them more, live interviews are conducted seconds after they hop off stage. Hosted by CoCo Jenkins, co-founder of There’s Nothing to Do in Vegas, the recorded segments get shared online after the night.
“We feature a touring act each time. Our last show we had Isaiah Mostafa from New York, and we were blessed. He brought along his homie Tofu Jack from LA who’s the inventor of this crazy guitar,” says Chillz. “And our dancers are spread out from the show Awakening on the Strip to Unity at Sphere.”
Those dancers act as the lifeblood of the party. Denizens of the local dance scene like Charlie Chillout, Stephanie
Sacio, Sadboy Shakur and Shadae Simone make it easy to shed your inhibitions and submit to the groove.
“We also have [singer] Estevan Velasco from Dita Von Teese’s show on the Strip. He’s a solid act every time, so we’re lucky to have him back at the next one,” says Chillz.
But before you join that Soul Train line, dust off your boogie shoes and don that disco attire to add to the essence of the evening.
A crew of locals—from wardrobe stylists and makeup artists to videographers and backup vocalists— helps make this quarterly event happen. When in full effect, Midnight Train to Vegas resembles the real intimacy of what’s it’s like to get out, get moving and make lasting memories with people who also crave that electrifying human connection through sound.
“I’m from Vegas, and I’ve never experienced something with this type of energy before, with this type of spectacle,” Chillz says. “To me, it is such a magical piece of [nightlife] real estate in Las Vegas.”
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I suppose my invitation to visit Italy’s Amalfi Coast—to enjoy its picturesque views, to go yachting with Beyoncé and Leo, and to dine in its Michelin-starred restaurants— has been misplaced by Louis DeJoy’s U.S. Postal Service. (Same with my invite to George Clooney’s Lake Como getaway. Shake a damn leg, Louis.)
But I’m cool with it, because we’ve got Carbone Riviera at Bellagio. And as family-style, celebrity-chic, coastal Italian dining experiences go, it’s a peerless buona sera. Located in the waterfront space formerly occupied by the resort’s signature restaurant Picasso, Carbone Riviera serves up visual deliciousness from the jump. Its warm, handsomely appointed dining room is close enough to Bellagio’s spectacular fountain show for its bright jets to fill your entire view out the floor-to-ceiling windows. Every few minutes, those windows fill with warm, diffuse white light, like the way you’ve always imagined heaven—a comparison borne out by the celestial tastes served on Carbone Riviera’s plates.
The meal “captain” comes out strong with a complimentary olive and tomato foccacia, accompanied by a whisper-light white bean and basil puree spread. Its savory goodness will nudge you towards the cocktail list, where some bold tastes await, among them the Sunrise Margarita (Reposado, Aperol, tangerine and chili spice) and the Pistachio Colada (Absinthe, pineapple, pistachio and Amaro), both $22. Your captain—a fixture of Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi and Jeff Zalaznick’s Carbone restaurants who’s more tour guide than waiter, knowledgeable and attentive—will prove especially invaluable here, guiding you through some expansive waters. Perhaps they’ll lead you to some truly delicious antipasti, including calamari fritti ($35), beef carpaccio Piemontese ($36) or the to-die-for lobster meatballs ($49). Strongly recommended are the red Sicilian prawns ($37), served with a Honey Bomb tomato confit, fresh horseradish and pickled shallots. Or you’ll allow them to talk you into the Caesar Alla ZZ salad ($31), prepared tableside with splendidly fresh anchovies, or Mario’s Famous Insalata de Mare ($55), a winning assortment of calamari, lobster, scallops and shrimp served oreganata style.
The macaroni islands beckon next. There are Carbone favorites on the horizon, such as the spicy rigatoni vodka ($36), but also rare discoveries such as the ricotta gnocchi con caviar ($110), sheep and cow’s milk gnocchi in black truffle butter with dollops of Ossetra. Or Carbone’s Famous two-pound lobster fettuccine ($175), whose glory is neatly contained in its name.
By the time you get to the mains, you’re primed for something spectacular, and Carbone Riviera delivers. Branzino al Sale Verde ($325), serving four to six people, is a temptation worth indulging. Ditto the Dover sole ($155), Alaskan King Crab (market price; reserve it 24 hours ahead), and the rich and marbled Snake River Farms Gold Label American Wagyu, available in cuts from a 16-ounce ribeye ($150) to a 40-ounce Florentina ($465).
Carbone Riviera’s plates are sizable, its tastes distinctive—and its vibes are star-quality. Leo only wishes he were here.
Lobster fettuccini, whole turbot and more at Carbone Riviera (Photo by Steve Marcus)
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CAN ASSEMBLY LINES FIX AMERICA’S HOUSING CRISIS?
BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF
ANevada company hopes to help solve a nationwide housing crisis by producing modular homes in an assembly-line style—just like the production lines of the automotive industry.
“We have very high ceilings, big windows. We don’t really build a product that looks a ordable,” said Martin Costas, chief nancial o cer of BOXABL, which has 400,000 square feet of space across three buildings in North Las Vegas. “I hate the word a ordable. I like the wording cost-e ective, because unfortunately, what is happening in the market is when you talk about a ordable housing, they look bad. They look cheap. They are built cheaply.”
There’s a shortage of over 4.7 million homes in the U.S., according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. That number doubles when taking into consideration the shortage of a ordable leasing units, Costas said.
“So people are su ering,” he said. “And I truly believe it’s because housing is broken.”
A house can take nearly two years to build, with trucks coming and going to the construction site, while a BOXABL can be manufactured in hours, he said.
BOXABL’s solution is houses that can fold so that two studio-style homes, or Casitas, can t in one truck, making it cost-e ective and ready to be delivered to places like Hawaii and Cuba, as they have already, Costas said.
The 361-square-foot Casitas studio was BOXABL’s agship product. It’s approved in Nevada, South Carolina, New Mexico and other states.
“Our mission is to really x the housing situation with a housing solution,” Costas said.
The Casita one- and two-bedroom units have since been introduced and are approved in California, Costas said. The three available units range in cost from $150,000 to $205,000, considering shipping installation, land preparation
for utilities and the foundation and more.
Now, the company is moving to o er single-family houses, townhomes and more, Costas said. BOXABL is in talks with developers in Nevada about providing Casitas for a ordable leasing, Costas said.
BOXABL has a few existing projects in Las Vegas, including in RV parks, and is exploring opportunities to build a ordable leasing communities that Costas said he expects will have “a serious impact.”
In Oklahoma City, it already has.
Zach Punnett of Punnett Construction in Oklahoma in October completed development of transitional housing for Catholic Charities in which he stacked two BOXABL units on top of each other six times, to ultimately create six vertical duplexes and 12 individual units.
He chose to stack them on the site to t more units on a smaller piece of land, Punnett said. The development took about three years to reach the nish line.
“I still think it takes the developers’ mind, the builders’ eye to make these things work,” he said.
Punnett is now in the process of developing 12 single-story BOXABL units as an Airbnb park outside of Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Eventually, if BOXABL is producing enough units they will be able to negotiate good deals and
help drive costs down, Punnett predicted.
“I think the most valuable thing that BOXABL has is their long-term vision,” he said. “If they can really get to a point where they can start getting a set of plans, having their computer generate several BOXABLs that would come together to make one larger house—I think that would be fantastic.”
The assembly line relies on unskilled labor, meaning it gives people who may not otherwise have one a unique training and career opportunity, Costas said.
There’s also constant research and development of new products, he said. BOXABL is working toward having technology embedded in the house to enhance its functionality and consumers’ living experience.
BOXABL is focused on ramping up operations, sales, product o erings and technology, Costas said. Another goal is to work with the government to streamline permitting and allow more competitors to crop up and increase housing volume.
“We need to catch up (on) years of lack of building,” he said. “We need to catch up (on) years of trying to x a ordable housing in the wrong way. ... People think it’s about giving a loan or assistance, or the interest rate. The reality is every single time that you put more money in the potential buyer, the price goes up. There is no more supply.”
A BOXABL Casita model home is displayed outside the BOXABL factory in North Las Vegas in 2022. (Photo by Steve Marcus)
VEGAS INC NOTES
Spotlighting the best in business
Ellis Island Casino & Hotel unveiled phase two of its $35 million expansion and renovation. Work is underway on the Karaoke Lounge, Ellis Island BBQ and Village Pub & Café.
For the seventh year, 20 team members of WOW Carwash visited Three Square Food Bank to assist with the nonprofit’s daily operations, including packing more than 25,000 pounds of canned goods, resulting in 21,000 meals.
Cirrus Aviation Services appointed Kalika Moquin as director of global partnerships, a newly created role supporting the company’s continued growth and expansion. Moquin brings more than 20 years of experience across entertainment programming, talent buying, brand partnerships and large-scale event production. Most recently, she served as executive director of entertainment for Zouk Group at Resorts World Las Vegas and Zouk LA.
MGM Resorts International was recognized by Forbes Travel Guide with Five-Star awards for its hotels, spas and restaurants in Las Vegas and Macau. This year, MGM Resorts received 13 Five-Star designations with multiple consecutive accolades for several of its hotels, spas and restaurants.
Station Casinos was included in Forbes’ America’s Best Employers 2026 list, an annual recognition presented in collaboration with Statista, a global statistics and industry ranking provider. The recognition is based on an independent survey
conducted by Forbes and Statista that gathered feedback from employees across a wide range of industries and organizations with at least 1,000 employees nationwide.
The Federal Aviation Administration awarded Maverick Helicopters the 2025 Diamond Award of Excellence in each of its locations including Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and California. This is awarded to companies with the highest level of maintenance, training and aircraft safety standards and is the top honor for aviation maintenance technicians.
Fremont Street Experience appointed veteran hospitality executive Cliff Atkinson as its new president and CEO. Atkinson brings more than two decades of leadership experience in luxury hospitality, gaming operations, large-scale property transformations, and team development across globally recognized hotel and resort brands.
CareSource Nevada and the UNLV School of Public Health announced a grant challenge supporting nonprofit initiatives and research focused on key community health priorities, backed by a $300,000 investment from the CareSource Foundation. Hal of the $300,000 investment will provide grants of up to $25,000 to as many as six Nevada nonprofits. The remaining $150,000 will support UNLV faculty research and the work of the Nevada Community Health Coalition in the areas of maternal and child health, social drivers of health, and immunization awareness and confidence.
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With 16-Down, way out in front
A-E linkup
See 14-Down
Mattress brand
Failed Ford
Less difficult
Karaoke need, in brief
That, in Chile
Onion rolls
“Got a clue?”
Having a certain citrus flavor
ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Many ancient cultures used myths to explain solar eclipses—dragons in China, wolves in Norse lore. You are currently in a metaphorical eclipse, Aries, but your sun won’t be gobbled up. Instead, you will rouse an appetite for transformation that consumes outdated ideas. Whatever disintegrates will become fuel for new stories, converting old pain into vital energy. Your luminous vigor will return even stronger.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If you haven’t become a billionaire or landed the “perfect” job following my advice, you might want a more results-oriented oracle. But if your goal is to cultivate the steady gratification of feeling whole and authentic, stick with me. The coming days offer abundant opportunities to feel exactly that. Take advantage of them.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1557, a mathematician invented the equals sign (=) to avoid repeatedly writing the words “is equal to.” Some breakthroughs come from finding better ways to use what is already known. You are primed to devise your own equivalents of the equals sign. Find shortcuts that aid productivity without sacrificing precision.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): As an astrologer, I sometimes take a sabbatical from my own sign to play at being others. I always return with a renewed appreciation for my identity. Now is an excellent time for us Cancerians to enjoy such a “vacation.” We can attract inspiring experiences by experimenting with the qualities of other signs, like Sagittarius or Aries.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Scandinavian folklore features utiseta, or “sitting out” at night to wait for visions or wisdom. You could benefit from the equivalent right now. Do you dare to refrain from forcing solutions through sheer will? Your strength lies in your willingness to be still and let answers wander into your midst.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are a devotee of the “sacred particular.” While others deal in vague abstractions, you understand that vitality thrives in the details. This isn’t fussiness; it’s a form of love. The world needs your superpower of precision now more than ever. Your refusal to treat life carelessly is an act of respect.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Architect Antoni Gaudí spent 40 years on Barcelona’s Sagrada Família, knowing he wouldn’t see it finished. “My client is not in a hurry,” he said, referring to God. Release yourself from the tyranny of urgency, Libra. Align yourself with deep rhythms and a process that may take time to unfold. Your best work transcends conventional timelines.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The Tao Te Ching teaches that the usefulness of a cup is in its emptiness. If you are crammed with opinions and “righteous certainty,” you lose the capacity to receive. Wonders are trying to reach you, but they can’t get in if you’re full. Temporarily empty yourself of cherished positions or stories about how things “must” be.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The Yoruba concept of ashe refers to the life force used to make things happen. Your ashe is strong but scattered across too many commitments. Choose the two things that matter most—by concentrating your vitality, you become a conduit for larger blessings.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What are you waiting for? Pining for cosmic deliverance is wasted energy. As long as you sit still, the “sweet intervention” you crave will keep its distance. The instant you claim the authority to act, the path forward will become clear. You don’t need a perfect sign or fate’s permission slip.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): March is “Amnesty Month” for Aquarians willing to graduate from their past missteps. We all have moments of careless passivity, but as you work to unwind the patterns that led you off course, life will release you from the drag of old failures. Own your history, then move beyond momentum.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In systems theory, “critical points” occur when small changes accumulate and suddenly erupt into a big shift—like ice becoming water. You are nearing such a pivot. You’ve been gathering strength in subtle ways, and soon those persistent changes will result in a graceful,
BACKSTORY
CLARK COUNTY WETLANDS PARK | FEBRUARY 10, 2026 Here’s some trivia about the North American beaver, known in scientific circles as Castor canadensis: It’s one of the largest rodents in the world. Its teeth are orange because the enamel is enriched with iron, which gives its chompers the needed strength to fell trees for dam-building. It is a national symbol of Canada and the state mammal of New York and Oregon. And it doesn’t just inhabit the tundra or Pacific Northwest. A community of beavers calls the streams and ponds of Las Vegas’ Wetlands Park home. They can be elusive during the park’s operating hours, so look for these telltale signs: Heaps of gnawed-down cattails. Holes in the trails that are doors to their underground tunnel systems. And, atop the beam-like concrete weirs that act as manmade speedbumps to regulate the streams’ flow, mounds of muddy sticks and reeds. Park and state wildlife officials don’t track beaver populations so they don’t know exactly how many live here, but they know that the animal is native to the Colorado River drainage and figure a few followed the backwaters to the Las Vegas Wash to the human-constructed wetlands. “The beavers are just going to do beaver things, like eat aquatic vegetation, build lodges and kind of muck things up in terms of what we’re doing,” said Nevada Department of Wildlife biodiversity supervisor Matthew Flores. Leave it to those beavers. –Hillary Davis
Photo by Wade Vandervort
MARCH 19-21, 2026
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