2026-06-04-Las-Vegas-Weekly

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EDITORIAL

Senior Editor GEOFF CARTER (geoff.carter@gmgvegas.com)

Managing Editor BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com)

Arts & Entertainment Editor AMBER SAMPSON (amber.sampson@gmgvegas.com)

Staff Writer GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ (gabriela.rodriguez@gmgvegas.com)

Staff Writer TYLER SCHNEIDER (tyler.schneider@gmgvegas.com)

Contributing Writers GRACE DA ROCHA, HILLARY DAVIS, KATIE ANN MCCARVER

Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, CASE KEEFER, DAVE MONDT

Office Coordinator NADINE GUY

CREATIVE

Las Vegas Weekly Art Director CORLENE BYRD (corlene.byrd@gmgvegas.com)

Marketing & Editorial Designer CHRISTINA TRIMIDAL

Contributing Graphic Designers WESLEY GATBONTON, THERESE BAUTISTA

Photo Coordinator LAUREN VINTON

Photographers CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS, STEVE MARCUS, WADE VANDERVORT

DIGITAL

Publisher of Digital Media KATIE HORTON

Web Content Specialist CLAYT KEEFER

Associate Editor of Social Media EM JURBALA

LAS VEGAS WEEKLY

P.O. Box 94018

Las Vegas, NV 89193

702-990-2550

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Editor SHANNON MILLER shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

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Account Executives LAUREN JOHNSON, MELINA TAYLOR

Events Director SAMANTHA LAMB

Events Manager HANNAH ANTER

Events Coordinator APRIL MARTINEZ

Event Sales Coordinator YAZMINE VALMONTE

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX

Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY

Production Manager BLUE UYEDA

Multimedia Production Designer MARISSA MAHERAS

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Fulfillment Operations Coordinator CASANDRA PIERCE

GREENSPUN MEDIA GROUP

CEO, Publisher & Editor BRIAN GREENSPUN

Chief Operating Officer ROBERT CAUTHORN

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All content is copyright Las Vegas Weekly LLC. Las Vegas Weekly is published Thursdays and distributed throughout Southern Nevada. Readers are permitted one free copy per issue. Additional copies are $2, available back issues $3.

ADVERTISING DEADLINE EVERY THURSDAY AT 5 P.M.

SCAN TO BUY TICKETS

Vegas Golden Knights fans at T-Mobile Arena cheer as their team advanced past Colorado and on to the Stanley Cup Final on May 26. (Photo by Wade Vandervort)

After a season of ups and downs, the Golden Knights head to their third Stanley Cup Final.

14 WELLNESS Las Vegas clinicians provide effective mental health treatment with ketamine-assisted therapy.

24 NEWS

Endorsements, voting sites and what you need to know for the 2026 Primary Election Day.

COVER ART

32 STAGE Fallout Fringe Festival returns, sprinkling explosive theatrical acts all over Downtown.

34 FOOD & DRINK

Upscale yet unpretentious, Hayworth offers an elevated taste of home.

Baseball’s Athletics take another step toward Vegas with regular season games in Summerlin.

SUPERGUIDE

THURSDAY JUNE 4

FIRST FRIDAY

5 p.m., Downtown Las Vegas, ffflv.org.

CHRIS D’ELIA

FALLOUT FRINGE FESTIVAL

Thru 6/25, times & venues vary, falloutfringe.org.

SHUCKED

Thru 6/7, 7:30 p.m. (& 6/6-6/7, 2 p.m.), Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com.

LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. RENO ACES

Thru 6/6, 7:05 p.m. (& 6/7, 12:05 p.m.), Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com.

BRYAN ADAMS

Thru 6/7, 8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.

ROD STEWART

7:30 p.m., & 6/6, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com.

BRAT NIGHT

With Lucky Locaine & Yo Yolie, 10 p.m., Substance, eventim.us.

ISLAND VYBEZ

9 p.m., Ghostbar, palms.com.

STELLER

With Dreamkloud, Echoes Lab, 10 p.m., We All Scream, tixr.com.

7 & 9:30 p.m., & 6/6, Wiseguys, wiseguyscomedy.com.

NO DOUBT

8:30 p.m., & 6/6, 6/10, Sphere, ticketmaster.com.

LOS LOBOS

8 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, rwlasvegas.com.

ALPHA WOLF

With Gideon, Mugshot, Resolve, 6 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com.

SPOTLIGHT EVENT

OUIJA MACC

With Darby O’Trill, Wakko the Kid, more, 8 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com.

FRIDAY JUNE 5

JOHN LLOYD YOUNG

8 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com.

ZEDD

10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com.

FRICTION

10 p.m., We All Scream, tixr.com.

THE PIT WITH BOLO 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com.

AZÚCAR BANDA & LATIN NIGHTS

GIRL MATH

11 a.m., Marquee Dayclub, taogroup.com.

Las Vegas finally has its Latin party—and it’s happening every Friday and Saturday on the Strip. Azúcar brings together a live banda performance, Latin DJ, and an open bar with breathtaking rooftop views of Las Vegas Boulevard at Sugar Factory. From reggaeton to cumbia, bachata to salsa, Azúcar is the most electric Latin night in the city. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, bachelorette, or just an unforgettable weekend, this is the party you’ve been waiting for. Ages 21+. azucarvegas.com

OPERA LAS VEGAS: PAGLIACCI

The opera Pagliacci revolves around an Italian street theater troupe whose backstage jealousy and betrayal erupt into a shocking tragedy. You’ll want to see that unfold in real time, as Opera Las Vegas brings an esteemed cast to Ruggero Leoncavallo’s 1892 masterpiece for the nonprofit’s season finale. Singing in Italian with English and Spanish supertitles, tenor Ben Gulley plays head of the troupe, Canio. Joining him is OLV general director Cecilia Violetta López as Canio’s adulterous wife, and Grammy Award-winning baritone Gabriel Preisser as the wife’s lover. Baritone Daniel Scofield and tenor Collin Salmon round out the acclaimed cast of characters in this animated affair. 7:30 p.m. (& 6/7, 2 p.m.), $57+, Judy Bayley Theatre, operalasvegas.com. –Shannon Miller

MUSIC PARTY

SPORTS FOOD COMEDY MISC ARTS

SATURDAY JUNE 6

TOTALLY ‘80S POOL PARTY CONCERT

For those of us who actually existed in the 1980s, the enduring appeal of the decade’s music, fashion and pop culture for younger generations is a source of joy and true wonder. How do you even know about it? Probably because of seemingly random events like this nostalgia concert and swim party at the Strat’s charming Swim & Social Pool, something of a hidden Strip gem. New wavers Missing Persons (“Destination Unknown”), Prescott Niles’ The Knack (“My Sharona”), Bow Wow Wow (“I Want Candy”) and Tommy Tutone (“867-5309/Jenny”) will keep the crowd singing and dancing between dips in the pool, and don’t forget that parking is free for locals at the Strat, no matter what decade you’re from. 4 p.m., $44, Swim & Social, thestrat.com. –Brock Radke

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. CAROLINA HURRICANES

5 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

LAS VEGAS ROCKERS VS. ARIZONA JUGGERNAUTS

6:30 p.m., Orleans Arena, ticketmaster.com.

LAS VEGAS LIGHTS VS. OAKLAND ROOTS SC

7:30 p.m., Cashman Field, lasvegaslightsfc.com.

DAY OF GRATITUDE

With Big & Rich, noon, Allegiant Stadium, dayofgratitudeamerica.com.

NEW VISTA WINE WALK

5 p.m., UnCommons, eventbrite.com.

THIRD EYE BLIND

8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, axs.com.

CHRISTOPHER CROSS

8 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com.

DON MCLEAN

7 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com.

DAMAGE INC

7:30 p.m., House of Blues, ticketmaster.com.

RICHARD ELLIOT

8 p.m., Chrome Showroom, ticketmaster.com.

AL DI MEOLA

5 p.m., Clark County Government Center Amphitheater, clarkcountynv.gov.

HOUSE OF HEAVY

9:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com.

INFECTED RAIN

With Stitched Up Heart, Silent Throne, 6 p.m., Bizarre Bar, dice.fm.

THE EMO NIGHT TOUR

8 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com.

KASKADE

11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

ALESSO

11 a.m., Omnia Dayclub, taogroup.com.

DJ PAULY D

11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com.

THE CHAINSMOKERS

10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

TY DOLLA SIGN

10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com.

TIËSTO

10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com.

RELLO

2 a.m. (Sunday), Club Ego, posh.vip.

SUPERGUIDE

SUNDAY JUNE 7

TRAVIS CLOER

7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

HNTR

11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

LOUIS THE CHILD

11 a.m., Palm Tree Beach Club, taogroup.com.

DJ SNAKE

11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com.

PARTY PUPILS

11 a.m., Marquee Dayclub, taogroup.com.

DEORRO

11 a.m., Omnia Dayclub, taogroup.com.

MATRODA

11 a.m., LIV Beach, livnightclub.com.

REALITY AFTER DARK

With Kaylor Martin, 5 p.m., Tailgate Beach Club, tailgatebeachclub.com.

CODY RAY

1 a.m. (Monday), Drai’s, draisgroup.com.

MONDAY JUNE 8

LEWA

10 a.m., Palms Pool, palms.com.

ATHLETICS VS. MILWAUKEE BREWERS

7:05 p.m., & 6/9 (& 6/10, 6:05 p.m.), Las Vegas Ballpark, mlb.com/athletics.

LAS VEGAS ACES VS. SEATTLE STORM

7 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com.

MONDAYS DARK

8 p.m., the Space, mondaysdark.com.

WRAITH

With Witchtrap, The Black Moriah, Burial Oath, 7 p.m., the Griffin, dice.fm.

DIVE IN MOVIES

Make Monday night a movie. Every Monday, the Boulevard Pool transforms into an open-air cinema at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Float in as hit movies roll across a 65-foot digital marquee, perfectly paired with a curated selection of cocktails and poolside bites. Locals get even more with Unlock Your Mondays offers across the property, including complimentary parking. Make a whole night of it and upgrade viewing experience with a daybed or cabana reservation. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

DJ E-ROCK

10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.

CHLOE HILLIARD

With Mike Yard, Orion Levine, Jeff Leach, thru 6/14, 7 & 9:30 p.m., Comedy Cellar, ticketmaster.com.

Help Out By Dining Out

Three course meals from $30 at participating restaurants. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Three Square Food Bank.

SUPERGUIDE

TUESDAY JUNE 9 WEDNESDAY JUNE 10

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. CAROLINA HURRICANES

5 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

STEPMOM

CITY OF LAS VEGAS VOTE PARTY

Early voting ends on June 5, but no matter where you live in Clark County, all registered voters are eligible to vote or drop off mail ballots at Las Vegas City Hall on Election Day, June 9, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. And it’s going to be a party. Enjoy free ice cream (while supplies last), food trucks, live entertainment and a celebratory atmosphere as you and your neighbors exercise the right to vote.

Validated parking and drive-thru mail ballot drop-off will be available at the City Hall garage (500 S. Main St.). See page 26 for a full list of official voting and mail ballot drop-off sites, and don’t forget to cast your vote by June 9! 11 a.m.-2 p.m. & 5-7:30 p.m., free, Las Vegas City Hall, clarkcountynv.gov/vote. –Shannon Miller

With Switterbeet, Sugar Bloom, 8 p.m., the Griffin, dice.fm.

CHRIS TOFIELD

10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv.com.

GREG MORTON

Thru 6/14, 8:30 p.m., Laugh Factory, ticketmaster.com.

MICHAEL YO & JOHN CAPARULO

7:30 & 9:30 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com.

FRIDAY JUNE 12

NATALIA LAFOURCADE

7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com.

FRAGILE ROCK

9 p.m., Red Dwarf, reddwarflv.com.

CHRISTINE SHEBECK

7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.

’80S NIGHT & TOSSING STEEL

6 p.m., Downtown Summerlin, summerlin.com.

LAS VEGAS PRIDE FAMILY BINGO

7 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com.

VAVO

10:30 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

ERIC FORBES 10 p.m., Ghostbar, palms.com.

REX THE DOG 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.

THE BLACK KEYS

Catch The Black Keys as they bring their new album Peaches! to life onstage in Las Vegas at the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on Friday, June 12. Joined by special guest Fai Laci, the night promises a high-energy mix of gritty bluesrock, fresh tracks and fan favorites from one of rock’s most celebrated duos. axs.com

Las Vegas clinic gives an inside look at ketamine therapy for mental health

BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

etamine is a drug often clouded by misunderstanding. While many associate it with illicit use, the pharmaceutical version has been part of modern medicine for decades. First synthesized in 1962 and approved for medical use in 1970, ketamine has long been used as an anesthetic. In recent years, however, it has emerged as a promising treatment in mental health care.

At the Cairn Center in Las Vegas, psychiatrist Dr. Shaily Jain and licensed clinical social worker Caasi O’Day are among a growing number of practitioners offering ketamine-assisted psychotherapy to patients struggling with severe depression, PTSD, anxiety disorders and more.

Despite its reputation, ketamine is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, meaning it carries accepted medical uses and a lower potential for abuse than substances in Schedules I or II.

“Ketamine has been available in medicine for over 50 years. It’s one of the 50 most essential drugs that were designated by the [World Health Organization]. ... It’s an anesthesia medicine, but in mental health we use it very differently,” says Jain.

Mental health practitioners began exploring ketamine’s psychiatric applications in the early 2000s, particularly for treatment-resistant depression. Jain says the treatment has shown promise for carefully screened patients who have not responded to traditional therapies.

For O’Day, she too was under the impression that ketamine was just a street drug. In 2020, she began unpacking those misconceptions and started working with Jain to become licensed to provide ketamine therapy for her social work clients.

“Ketamine can be found on the streets, which is scary. But when you’re working with a client it’s about educating them and making sure that they’re ready to go on a journey.”

Caasi O’Day, licensed clinical social worker (left), and Dr. Shaily Jain/ Photo by Wade Vandervort

There are two primary forms of ketamine treatment used in mental health care—racemic ketamine, commonly administered through intravenous infusion or intramuscular injection, and esketamine, a nasal spray sold under the brand name Spravato.

Spravato is the FDA-approved esketamine treatment that is covered by many insurance plans. The Cairn Center uses racemic ketamine, an off-label generic version commonly administered at infusion clinics. Both forms are prescribed and monitored in controlled clinical settings.

“Ketamine is an NMDA receptor antagonist. It works on glutamate pathways which are unique pathways in the brain that help with depression,” says Jain. “I always tell people it’s not a psychedelic, it’s a dissociative anesthetic.”

Researchers believe ketamine may help repair neural pathways damaged by chron ic stress and depression while increasing neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new connections and adapt. For some patients, that can make psychotherapy more effective by helping them move beyond emotion al barriers and entrenched thought patterns.

Treatment schedules vary by patient. Some may benefit after a single session, while others require ongoing care.

Patients often describe feeling lighter or more hopeful after treatment sessions, providers say, marking a significant shift for people who have struggled for years with severe mental health symptoms.

“A lot of times when I’m working with my clients and they’re stuck …They’ve gone through therapy, they’ve gone through other treatments, and they get right there and they’re afraid, don’t want to talk about it out loud, or somatically, their body will freeze,” says O’Day. “The medicine gives people an opportunity to let that go by the side and let some of those things come forth in a gentle way.”

Clinicians say ketamine is not a cure-all, but rather a tool used alongside psychotherapy and other mental health treatments.

Jain and O’Day explain that ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is primarily considered for patients struggling with severe or treatment-resistant mental health conditions, including depression, PTSD, anxiety disorders and suicidal ideation. Most patients have already undergone extensive therapy or other interventions before being considered for treatment.

“We don’t always rush into it. There’s work to be done,” says O’Day.

The providers also avoid ketamine treatment for individuals with a history of psychosis or active substance use disorders because of potential risks and safety concerns.

As ketamine therapy becomes more visible nationwide, public understanding is slowly evolving alongside the science, clearing the way for more efficient treatments for those struggling with mental health.

READTO WIN! May 15 to July 15

All participants ages 0 – 17 receive a book reward, and participants ages 18+ receive a Book Buck that can be redeemed for any one item at any Library District bookstore. Participants of all ages also receive a voucher for five free boneless wings from Wingstop.

Then, when you complete the challenge, you will receive a voucher for a free treat from Freed’s Bakery, one free personal pizza from Pizza Hut, and your choice of one of these cool rewards.

Buckets N Boards A hilarious and high-energy show chock-full of amazing percussion, ridiculous songs, spectacular tap dancing, and inventive instrumentation.

Tuesday, June 23 at 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.

Whitney Library

Tuesday, June 24 at 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.

West Charleston Library

All Ages

Dreamcatcher by Leland Faulkner

Traditional tales will be brought to life through modern storytelling.

Thursday, June 25 at 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.

Sahara West Library

Friday, June 26 at 11 a.m.

East Las Vegas Library

Ages 5 – 11 Anime Your Way with Carlos Nieto* Learn how to create unique characters!

Multiple dates & locations in June Ages 12 – 17 Paige in Full with Paige Hernandez*

Move your body in this beat-filled visual mixtape that blends poetry, dance, media, and music.

Tuesday, July 14 at 4 p.m.

West Charleston Library

Ages 12 – 17

Scan here for event details

and tricks to master exposure and composition.

June 22 at  6 p.m.

June 27 at 3:30 p.m.

Tapahonso* – Lecture

Las Vegas knows baseball. It’s the professional team sport that has had the longest, most consistent presence in Southern Nevada. The minor league Stars (now the Aviators) began play at Cashman Field Downtown in 1983, years before the casino resort boom that established Las Vegas as the modern tourism destination everyone knows.

And Vegas knows baseball is special and unique. Here’s an example: Radio is still a thing in baseball. This game hasn’t changed as much as the others, and it’s slow-and-steady pace naturally fits the best broadcasters’ ability to incorporate some real storytelling into the game’s action, the statistics and analysis. It’s a big reason why baseball feels old-timey.

“When you do what I do for a living, the most important thing is to foster an emotional relationship with the ball club,” says Ken Korach, now in his 31st season with the Athletics, and 21st as the team’s lead radio announcer. “You want people to care. You want fans to care, to have that attachment with the team.”

Korach knows that Vegas fans care a great deal about baseball, because he’s spent his offseason living in Henderson since 1992; he was hired to broadcast for the Stars in 1989. “I’ve always appreciated the tradition and history in Las Vegas, and I think a lot of people do because so many players have gone on to play in the big leagues, names like Greg Maddux and Bryce Harper,” he says. “But there’s always been a great tradition here and it’s clear the game was important to people.”

The people and the place will see another baseball milestone this week as the A’s, preparing to move to their new ballpark on the Strip in time for the 2028 season, play six “home” games at the Las Vegas Ballpark in Downtown Summerlin June 8-14.

These are Major League Baseball regular season games, not the Big League Weekend exhibitions that have long visited the local park. And it’s not the first time the A’s have played real games here (see page

20), but it’s a significant step for a team on the rise that’s doing a lot to connect with its new home.

“These games are important for us because they give us an opportunity to continue building relationships before the ballpark opens,” says Catherine Aker, senior vice present of marketing and communications for the A’s. “We’ve said from the beginning that we want to be part of the community long before opening day in 2028, and playing regular season games here helps make that connection feel real and tangible for fans.”

Baseball becoming the third of the “big four” sports to move to Las Vegas has been feeling very real for locals since construction on the Strip venue has blossomed in recent months. The lower bowl of the $2 billion domed stadium is developing quickly, and upper deck work went vertical in April. “What’s exciting now is that people can really start to see the ballpark take shape when they drive by the site,” Aker says.

Team president Marc Badain, at the Las Vegas Stadium Authority meeting just before Memorial Day weekend, said initial suite sales have sold out and 80% of season-ticket packages for the seats behind home plate have been sold.

But that’s for 2028—right now, the A’s are on top of the American League West, playing out of their temporary home in the 14,000-seat Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California. For their Summerlin games against the Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies, the 10,000-seat Las Vegas Ballpark— home of the Aviators—is expected to be packed. “We’ve been there the last several years for those spring training games, and it was really well attended if not a sellout,” says Korach. “Everyone knows that ballpark is a gem.”

Every time a major sports franchise has moved to Las Vegas—or an expansion team has been granted, in the case of the Vegas Golden Knights—there are always questions or doubts about its potential for success. It’s getting harder all the time to doubt the A’s. Ground was broken for the sta-

dium in June 2025 and construction has continued on pace. But the team’s play so far this season has generated an equal or greater amount of enthusiasm, especially after the A’s locked up a group of talented young players with longterm contracts in shortstop Jacob Wilson and first baseman Tyler Soderstrom, and earlier, outfielder Lawrence Butler and designated hitter Brent Rooker.

“A lot of the momentum began to build this past offseason. That’s when I really could feel it,” says Korach, who pinpoints the hiring of Badain, the former president of the Las Vegas Raiders who helped guide the arrival of Allegiant Stadium, as a crucial step. “He has so many ties to the community and he was living in Vegas before he was hired. That was an important message.”

The best way to endear yourself to fans is to win, and that goes for any team in any sport, but there’s a lot of effort happening behind the scenes and away from the diamond. In mid May, the Athletics and Spread the Word Nevada opened a new Book Nook, a literacy hub for local children and families. The grand opening event welcomed local families to check out the nook and children received A’s-branded tote bags to fill up with books.

The $15,000 project didn’t garner headlines but it’s a great example of a community connection with meaningful impact.

“One of the best parts has been seeing how welcoming and engaged the Las Vegas community has been with us,” says Aker. “Whether it’s

youth baseball and softball programs, school visits, nonprofit partnerships or community events, the most impactful moments have been the ones where we’re able to have direct interaction with families and local organizations.”

But perhaps most importantly, the A’s have been building the foundation for success in Las Vegas on the field. “Most people would agree this team has some of the best, if not the best, young players in the game,” says Korach.

And if you’re a local baseball fan, you probably already know that every A’s game can be heard on the radio in Las Vegas, on ESPN KWWN 1100 AM, 100.9 FM and KLAV 1230 AM The Game. Korach is making the call with Johnny Doskow and Chris Caray, and trusted voices mean a lot in the world of the national pastime.

“I don’t think you can come into town and say, here we are. You’re going to have to work hard at it, and everybody knows that. You have to be in the community, and you have to do a great job in how you run the franchise and I’m confident we will,” says Korach. “There will be a huge effort, not only on the field, but in sales and marketing and the job you do integrating in the community, too. It has started with charitable efforts and working with little leagues and youth groups. That’s really important.

“But you gotta win, in any sport, in any city. And that’s one thing with this year’s club, they are embracing those expectations, and I think you should.”

BY RAY BREWER

Walking through a sporting apparel store in Downtown Summerlin, it’s hard not to stop at the kelly green and yellow Athletics hat. Something about that color combination—and the weight of franchise history behind it—just pulls you in.

Close your eyes and you can see it: Rickey Henderson’s batting helmet flying off as he terrorizes on the base paths, or Dennis Eckersley’s legendary hair tucked under his lid while he shuts the door on another opponent. This was the early ‘90s, when the A’s were simply the best team in baseball.

Those winning ways are expected to follow the franchise here. When the Athletics officially debut in Las Vegas in 2028, they’ll do it inside a 33,000-seat, retractable-roof ballpark right on the

But Las Vegas won’t have to wait that long for a first look. The A’s bring a three-game series to the Las Vegas Ballpark June 8-10 against Milwaukee, then another trio of games against Colorado June 12-14, offering fans an early glimpse of what’s coming.

If the present is any indication of the future, there’s plenty to be excited about.

A Lawrence Butler home run robbery in the outfield. A patient,

fair swing from Tyler Soderstrom. Every highlight feels less like a moment and more like a preview. This team has our attention— just like those hats.

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in April 1996, and we had settled into the bleachers on the third base side of Cashman Field, hoping the A’s and Detroit Tigers would put on a show. They didn’t disappoint.

When the Athletics roll into town this week, it won’t be the first time the franchise made a cameo in Las Vegas. They didn’t disappoint 30 years ago.

Detroit had Cecil Fielder, a mountain of a man just a few years removed from clubbing 51 home runs. Every time he stepped to the plate, the nearly 10,000 fans in attendance seemed to collectively

Photos Courtesy

a thrill. Watching that high leg kick and thunderous swing? Even better.

Major League Baseball’s brief, sixgame Las Vegas appearance to open the season delivered the goods, capped by a walk-off blast from Oakland’s Geronimo Berroa over the left field fence. We made sure to catch the highlights on ESPN that night, half-hoping the camera had caught a glimpse of us in the stands as Berroa joyfully rounded the bases.

The unlikely detour came courtesy of a delayed overhaul at the Oakland Coliseum, making it the first time in nearly 40 years that a major league club had played regular-season games in a minor league park.

The Coliseum’s best days were already behind it, and eventually the stadium became unusable altogether. The Athletics tried to make a new ballpark work in the Bay Area, but a public-private partnership never came together.

So they looked elsewhere—and Las Vegas answered.

Nevada committed up to $380 million in public funding toward the build, including $180 million in transferable tax credits and $120 million in bonds from Clark County.

Drive past the old Tropicana site today and you can see the ballpark taking shape. It’s nothing short of breathtaking—the kind of sight that makes it easy to imagine warm summer nights and the crack of a bat echoing down the Strip.

The marriage between professional sports and Las Vegas has been a perfect match. And it all starts with the Golden Knights.

When the NHL expansion franchise debuted in 2016-17, skeptics had a ready question: Could a city best known for one-off spectacles—a prize fight, a NASCAR weekend, a mega-concert— actually sustain a fanbase through the grind of a full professional season?

The Golden Knights answered it emphatically. Their run to the Stanley Cup Finals in their very first season turned the city into a hockey town overnight, and in doing so, threw open the door for

every franchise that followed.

The Raiders arrived from Northern California in 2021 and quickly learned what it means to play in Las Vegas.

Forbes now values the franchise at $11 billion—a figure that underscores just how much this market has transformed the team’s fortunes since they touched down on the Strip.

The NBA is in exclusive expansion talks with Las Vegas and Seattle, which would give the city all four major pro fessional sports. That’s a remarkable turnaround for a market that franchises spent decades flirting with before ultimately walking away—cit ing the lack of a suitable sta dium, or discomfort with a city built on gambling.

Those objections feel like a distant memory now. We build world-class facilities, attract world-class crowds and turn the fortunes of a fran chise upside down.

The Athletics figure to follow a similar script. The franchise was long synonymous with one of baseball’s lowest payrolls; Brad Pitt starred in a film documenting the team’s quest to build a championship roster on a shoestring budget.

Resourcefulness was a necessity, not a choice. But Las Vegas changes things. The financial upside of relocation has already begun reshaping how the organization operates. In anticipa tion of the move, the team has started locking up its young core, most notably shortstop Jacob Wilson, who signed a seven-year, $70 million extension. Management has pledged to keep spending.

That’s smart. Las Vegas has little pa tience for a rebuild and no interest in a loser. The Athletics know what this city expects, and by all indications, they plan to deliver.

We’ll get a small glimpse of that in the coming days at the Las Vegas Ball park in Downtown Summerlin. Make sure to grab one of those kelly green and yellow hats.

fter what turned out to be his penultimate game as head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights in late March, Bruce Cassidy was asked if he allowed himself to look ahead to his team’s Stanley Cup playoffs potential.

Cassidy responded emphatically that no, the Golden Knights had not played well enough for that to be a consideration.

A long season leads the third Stanley Cup Final in franchise history

BY CASE KEEFER

“We’re just trying to get our game together and get in (the playoffs),” he said. “It’s been a battle for us.”

“Battle” remains an accurate depiction of most of the Golden Knights’ 2025-2026 campaign, where they set a franchise record with 43 combined regulation and overtime losses in the regular season.

Expectations had arguably never been higher coming into a season as Vegas shot up as high as the second favorite to win the Cup last summer after landing the best

available player, Mitch Marner, via sign-and-trade with Toronto. But it continually failed to live up to those standards from a win-loss perspective.

While the Golden Knights’ underlying metrics remained strong, they endured several offensive slumps and suffered through atrocious goaltending play to flirt with not even making the postseason. Everything kept failing to come together at once. Until now.

Hurricanes, which started June job is to get rid of the obstacles in front of them so they can go play, but this team activated itself. It’s a group that understands.”

The inconsistency cost Cassidy his job less than three years after winning the Stanley Cup but the controversial move now looks like the right one with the Golden Knights surging under replacement John Tortorella. They’ve gone 19-5 overall under the longtime NHL veteran coach, including 12-4 in the playoffs capped by the most impressive series win in franchise history. Vegas swept the President’s Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final to reach the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina

Vegas arrived at its third-ever Stanley Cup Final after the Tortorella-guided tear, tying the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning for most Cup appearances since it joined the league in 2017. Now the Golden Knights look to match those two clubs with a second championship. They already passed the Lightning for most playoff wins, 74, and series victories, 15, earlier this postseason.

The path wasn’t as smooth as in the inaugural season in 2017-2018—when the Knights ultimately lost to the Washington Capitals in five games—or in the triumphant 2022-2023 run, when they dispatched the Panthers in five games—but in some ways that’s made this year all the more memorable.

“It’s been a long season for us,” top defenseman Shea

Theodore said when asked what differentiates this Stanley Cup trip. “A lot of ups and downs and some changes in the middle of it, but it’s exciting to be back.”

Of the 20 players in the Golden Knights’ projected 2026 Stanley Cup active lineup, Theodore is one of three to have appeared in all three franchise championship series. His defensive pairing partner Brayden McNabb and second-line center William Karlsson are the others.

Reilly Smith also remains on the roster but hasn’t been active for a game since a first-round win over the Utah Mammoth.

Six more players remain holdovers solely from the 2023 championship team, including captain Mark Stone and alternate captain/highest-paid player Jack Eichel. The others are current playoff co-leading goal scorer Brett Howden, Eichel’s linemate Ivan Barbashev, enforcer Keegan Kolesar and current backup goalie Adin Hill.

“Every team is different and I think every season and game has its own story,” Eichel said.

“With that being said, I think you can take the experience you’ve had playing big games in the past. Obviously, a lot of guys were here in ’23 for that run and there are guys in the locker room that have played in big games in other scenarios. I think you draw from those.”

Current captain Jordan Staal also won a Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009. And make it five original Golden Knights who have been in every one of the franchise’s Cup trips as hard-hitting Hurricanes fourth-line winger William Carrier was a fan favorite of the 2018 and 2023 Vegas teams.

But it’s appropriate that the majority of the players for the Golden Knights are new to the Cup now because this has been a wholly different season than any previous one. The biggest driving forces of this championship run are first-year Golden Knights in Marner and goalie Carter Hart.

After years of playoff underperformance in Toronto, Marner has exploded in Vegas with a league-leading 21 points and elite-level defense. Tortorella has said repeatedly that Marner has been the Golden Knights’ best player—even after he didn’t score a goal in the Avalanche series—and it’s hard to argue otherwise.

Flyers’ coach.

Vegas also sacrificed future assets for trade-deadline ac quisitions Rasmus Andersson, Nic Dowd and Cole Smith, and they’ve all come up big at different times of the playoffs. Cole Smith emerged as the unlikely se ries-winning goal scorer against the Avalanche in a moment he said words can’t describe.

“That’s how it happens,” Tor torella said. “Your stars are going to be your stars, but to keep it advancing and get to the position we’re at now, playing in the fourth round, playing for the Cup, those other pieces have to come through and they have.”

But Marner gave Hart that distinction in what has perhaps been a more unexpected playoff breakout. The Golden Knights controversially signed Hart before the season after the former Flyers goalie had spent a season and a half out of the NHL facing a highly publicized sexual assault trial in his native Canada.

Hart was acquitted but suspended for the start of the year for violating the league’s code of conduct policy.

The Golden Knights have a lot more big-game pedigree to draw upon than the Hurricanes, though current coach Rod Brind’Amour was the captain of the Carolina team that lifted the Cup 20 years ago.

He struggled in his first regular-season action and looked not worth all the criticism that came the Golden Knights’ way but has now locked in for the best stretch of his career under Tortorella, his longtime mentor and former

This year’s playoff run hasn’t been without its distractions off the ice. Already seen as the vil lains of the NHL for their ruth less operating nature, the Golden Knights have only elevated that profile over the last two months.

Tortorella has long been a firebrand who’s warred with league powers, media members, his own front offices and his own players in the past. He said he was trying to change with the Golden Knights but the players are the only group that have appeared to escape his antics so far.

Vegas lost a second-round pick in this year’s draft for Tortorella refusing to comply with the league’s media policies after a series win over the Anaheim Ducks, and general manager Kelly McCrimmon blamed the situation squarely on the coach.

McCrimmon is deep in his own dispute, however, as he has not allowed the fired Cassidy to interview for job openings with the Edmonton Oilers or Los Angeles Kings while still under contract with the Golden Knights.

Cassidy has admitted frustration and the NHL Coaches’ Association has condemned the cutthroat move.

The Golden Knights were never beloved in NHL circles as other fanbases resented their immediate success, but the enmity is at an all-time high this year.

The 2018 team had a Cinderella quality while the 2023 squad was at least regarded as deserving after so many previous close calls for the franchise, including a pair of conference-final ousters in 2020 and 2021. It’s an all new feeling this time around.

“It feels like just yesterday was the first year we were doing this,” McNabb said. “It’s been an awesome ride. I’m very fortunate that I’ve been here this long and have another opportunity to try to win one.”

A PRIMER FOR PRIMARY ELECTION DAY, JUNE 9

tarting in mid-May, Clark County election workers—paired in groups of different political affiliations, with each wearing a pin identifying them as Democrat, Republican, Independent or another minor party—were already hard at work at the county’s newly redesigned election headquarters, sifting through mail ballots a machine has flagged for verification.

If a bipartisan team doesn’t agree that a signature matches previous records— or if no signature is present at all—the county will redirect the ballot through what’s known as the signature curing process, in which it will attempt to contact the voter to ensure the ballot wasn’t fraudulent. Political scientists have said this part of the voting process disproportionately affects young voters who were not taught to write in cursive.

Officials recommend voters update their contact info at vote.nv.gov to ensure they can be reached for signature curing or for any issues that may arise with their ballot. The process can last up to six

days after election day (June 15). As of press time, this has resulted in 1,230 ballots being reviewed and 327 cases resolved in Clark County.

And while that’s just a small percentage of the total 111,196 mail ballots received statewide, Clark County Registrar of Voters Lorena Portillo says it’s one of many important components of the county’s ongoing effort to streamline its election procedures and bolster voter confidence in the process ahead of the June 9 primary.

“We’re always improving, always enhancing our equipment, making things more efficient, training our workers ahead of time and making sure they feel confident,” Portillo says. “We have a new intake room, the new sorter room, and just for the mail ballot readers alone, we had six working in the general election in 2024 and now we have eight.”

Another important alternative to voting on election day is early voting, which began May 23 and wraps up June 5. As of press time, more than 35,000 Clark County residents have taken advantage of this option

across more than 75 locations throughout the Valley.

If you haven’t voted yet, officials advise dropping off your mail ballot at city clerk’s offices, the Clark County Election Department headquarters in North Las Vegas, or any official vote center. In-person voting also will be available on Election Day, June 9, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (See page 26 for a full list of locations.) You can also mail your ballot through the Postal Service; however, officials have advised mailing them by June 2.

If you already sent your ballot through the mail, you can check its status through the county’s new public ballot tracking service (available at myballot.nv.gov .)

Under Nevada law, election departments are required to process any ballots they receive without a postmark through June 12, while those with a postmark of June 9 or earlier will be accepted through June 13.

But this policy could change before the November general election, pending an expected summer Supreme Court ruling on whether Nevada and 13 other states

BY TYLER SCHNEIDER

can continue counting mail ballots that arrive after election day.

Another potential threat to voting accessibility comes through President Donald Trump’s March 31 executive order, which seeks to create federal citizenship lists to determine who can receive a ballot, directs the USPS to withhold ballots from those not listed, and threatens criminal prosecution for noncompliance.

Neither will impact your vote on June 9, but Portillo says the county is ready to adapt to any new developments that could materialize prior to the November 3 general election.

“We are in continuous conversations on what to do for the next election cycle. This is no different,” Portillo says.

As far as the primary is concerned, she likens its importance to the “semifinals” in sports, urging as many voters as possible to participate.

“You’re electing the candidate that’s going to represent your party in the general election. It’s very, very important—just as important as a general election,” Portillo says.

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EXPLORE OUR COMPLETE EVENTS CALENDAR

Election Day Vote Centers/ Mail ballot drop-off locations for Primary Election Day

Voting is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m on June 9 at the following locations:

KEY:

asterisk (*) means look for the vote center event tent in the parking lot.

Election Department and City Clerk mail ballot drop-off locations

Clark County Election Department

965 Trade Dr., North Las Vegas.

June 4-8,

7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.;

June 9, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

City Hall, Boulder City

401 California Ave.

June 4 & 8, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.;

June 9, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

Henderson City Hall

240 S. Water St.

May 16-22, June 6-8, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; June 9, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Las Vegas City Hall

495 S. Main St., validated parking.

June 8, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; June 9, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Mesquite City Hall

10 E. Mesquite Blvd.

June 4 & 8, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.;

June 9, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

North Las Vegas City Hall

2250 Las Vegas Blvd. N.

June 8, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.;

June 9, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Alexander Library 1755 W. Alexander Rd.

Allen, Dean Lamar Elementary School 8680 W. Hammer Lane

Arroyo Market Square* 7225 Arroyo Crossing Pkwy.

Bailey, Sister Robert Joseph Elementary School 4525 Jimmy Durante Blvd.

Blue Diamond Crossing Center* 4100 Blue Diamond Rd.

Boulder City High School 1101 5th St.

Boulder City Recreation Center: 900 Arizona St.

Bowler, Grant Elementary School 1415 W. Whipple Ave.

Bozarth, Henry and Evelyn Elementary School 7431 Egan Crest Dr.

Bridger, Jim Middle School 2505 N. Bruce St.

Brinley, J. Harold Middle School 2480 Maverick St.

Brown, B. Mahlon Academy of International Studies 307 Cannes St.

Bunkerville Community Center 150 E. Virgin St.

Burkholder, Lyal Middle School 355 W. Van Wagenen St.

Cadwallader, Ralph Middle School 7775 Elkhorn Rd.

Cambridge Recreation Center 3930 Cambridge St.

Centennial Hills YMCA 6601 N. Buffalo Dr.

Clark County Building Department (CCBD) 4701 W. Russell Rd.

Coleman Senior Center 2100 Bonnie Lane

Coronado High School 1001 Coronado Center Dr.

Cortney, Francis H. Junior High School 5301 E. Hacienda Ave.

Cox, David M. Elementary School 280 Clark Dr.

Craig Ranch Regional Park*

Parking lot east of Revere St. entrance from W. Craig Rd.

Cram, Brian and Teri Middle School 1900 W. Deer Springs Way

College of Southern Nevada Henderson Campus 700 College Dr.

College of Southern Nevada N. Las Vegas Campus 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave.

College of Southern Nevada W. Charleston Campus 6375 W. Charleston Blvd.

Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts 3100 E. Patrick Lane

Derfelt, Herbert A. Elementary School 1900 S. Lisa Lane

Desert Breeze Community Center 8275 Spring Mountain Rd.

Desert Oasis High School 6600 W. Erie Ave.

Desert Pines High School 3800 Harris Ave.

Desert Vista Community Center 10360 Sun City Blvd.

Detwiler, Ollie Elementary School 1960 Ferrell St.

Dickens, D.L. “Dusty” Elementary School 5550 Milan Peak St.

Dooley, John Elementary School 1940 Chickasaw Dr.

Doolittle Community Center 1950 J St.

Downtown Summerlin*

Parking lot east of S. Pavilion Center

Dr. Enter on S. Spruce Goose St. south of Marketwalk Pl.

Durango High School 7100 W. Dewey Dr.

East Las Vegas Community Center 250 N. Eastern Ave.

East Las Vegas Library 2851 E. Bonanza Rd.

Eldorado High School 1139 N. Linn Lane

Ellis, Robert and Sandy Elementary School 3200 Artella Ave.

Faiss, Wilbur & Theresa Middle School 9525 W. Maule Ave.

Fertitta, Victoria Middle School 9905 W. Mesa Vista Ave.

Findlay, Clifford O. (Pete) Middle School 333 W. Tropical Pkwy.

Fine, Mark L. Elementary School 6635 W. Cougar Ave.

Forbuss, Robert L. Elementary School 8601 S. Grand Canyon Dr.

Galleria at Sunset 1300 W. Sunset Rd.

Goolsby, Judy and John Elementary School 11175 W. Desert Inn Rd.

Gray, R. Guild Elementary School 2825 S. Torrey Pines Dr.

Green Valley High School 460 N. Arroyo Grande Blvd.

Hayes, Keith and Karen Elementary School 9620 W. Twain Ave.

Henderson City Hall 240 S. Water St.

Heritage Park Senior Facility

300 S. Racetrack Rd.

Hollywood Recreation Center: 1650 S. Hollywood Blvd.

IKEA*

6500 IKEA Way

Indian Springs Community Center 715 W. Gretta Lane

Johnson, Walter Junior High School 7701 Ducharme Ave.

Keller, Duane D. Middle School

301 N. Fogg St.

Kesterson, Lorna J. Elementary School 231 Bailey Island Dr.

Knudson, K. O. Academy of the Art

2400 Atlantic St.

Las Vegas Athletic Club (Decatur)* 6050 N. Decatur Blvd.

Las Vegas Athletic Club (Rainbow)* 1725 N. Rainbow Blvd.

Las Vegas City Hall

Validated Parking 495 S. Main St.

Laughlin Library 2840 S. Needles Hwy.

Lawrence, Clifford J. Junior High School 4410 S. Juliano Rd.

Leavitt, Justice Myron E. Middle School 4701 Quadrel St.

Long, Walter V. Elementary School 2000 S. Walnut Rd.

Manch, J. E. Elementary School 4351 N. Lamont St.

Mannion, Jack and Terry Middle School

155 E. Paradise Hills Dr.

May, Ernest Elementary School 6350 W. Washburn Rd.

Meadows Mall 4300 Meadows Lane

Mendoza, John F. Elementary School 2000 S. Sloan Lane

Mesquite Jimmie Hughes Campus 150 N. Yucca St.

Miller, Bob Middle School 2400 Cozy Hill Circle

Moapa Justice Court (Recreation Center) 1340 E. State Hwy. 168

Moapa Tribal Administration Building 1 Lincoln St.

Moapa Valley Community Center 320 N. Moapa Valley Blvd.

Molasky, Irwin and Susan Junior High School 7801 W. Gilmore Ave.

Monaco, Mario C. and Joann Middle School: 1870 N. Lamont St.

Moore, William K. Elementary School 491 N. Lamb Blvd.

Mountain’s Edge Regional Park* 8101 W. Mountains Edge Pkwy.

Mountain Crest Community Center 4701 N. Durango Dr.

Mountain Shadows Community Center 9107 Del Webb Blvd.

Nellis Crossing Shopping Center* 1250 S. Nellis Blvd.

Nevada State University 1300 Nevada State Dr.

North Las Vegas City Hall 2250 Las Vegas Blvd. North

O’Roarke, Thomas Elementary School 3035 Desert Marigold Lane

Ober, D’Vorre and Hal Elementary School 8455 O’Hare Rd.

Paradise Recreation and Community Center 4775 S. McLeod Dr.

Parkdale Recreation and Senior Center 3200 Ferndale St.

Pearson Community Center 1625 W. Carey Ave.

Rainbow Library 3150 N. Buffalo Dr.

Rancho High School 1900 Searles Ave.

Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) 600 S. Grand Central Pkwy.

Sahara West Library 9600 W. Sahara Ave.

Sandy Valley School 1420 E. Pearl Ave.

Saville, Anthony Middle School 8101 N. Torrey Pines Dr.

Schofield, Jack Lund Middle School 8625 Spencer St.

Schorr, Steve Elementary School 11420 Placid St.

Searchlight Community Center 200 Michael Wendell Way

Sedway, Marvin M. Middle School 3465 Englestad St.

Shadow Ridge High School 5050 Brent Lane

Silverado Ranch Park* 9855 Gilespie St.

Simmons, Eva G. Elementary School 2328 Silver Clouds Dr.

Skyview Multi-Generational Center 3050 E. Centennial Pkwy.

Stevens, Josh Elementary School 550 Dave Wood Circle

Stupak Community Center 251 W. Boston Ave.

Sun City Aliante Community Center 7390 Aliante Pkwy.

Sun City MacDonald Ranch Community Center 2020 W. Horizon Ridge Pkwy.

Sun City Mesquite 1350 Flat Top Mesa Dr.

Sunrise Mountain High School 2575 Los Feliz St.

Swainston, Theron L. Middle School 3500 W. Gilmore Ave.

Tarkanian, Lois and Jerry Middle School 5800 W. Pyle Ave.

Tarr, Sheila Academy of International Studies 9400 W. Gilmore Ave.

Thompson, Sandra Lee Elementary 7351 N. Campbell Rd.

Thunderbird Family Sports Complex* 6105 N. Durango Dr.

Tobler, R. E. Elementary School 6510 W. Buckskin Ave.

UNLV Student Union 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy.

Valley High School 2839 S. Burnham Ave.

Vegas Verdes Elementary School 4000 El Parque Ave.

Veterans Memorial Community Center 101 N. Pavilion Center Dr.

Walnut Recreation Center 3075 N. Walnut Rd.

Ward, Gene Elementary School 1555 E. Hacienda Ave.

Webb, Del E. Middle School 2200 Reunion Dr.

West Career and Technical Academy: 11945 W. Charleston Blvd.

West Flamingo Senior Center 6255 W. Flamingo Rd.

Whitney Recreation Center 5712 Missouri Ave.

Wiener, Louis Junior Elementary School 450 E. Eldorado Lane

Williams, Wendell P. Elementary School 1030 J St.

Winchester Dondero Cultural Center 3130 McLeod Dr.

Wolfe, Eva M. Elementary School 4027 W. Washburn Rd.

Woodbury, C. W. Middle School

3875 E. Harmon Ave.

Woolley, Gwendolyn Elementary School

3955 Timberlake Dr.

TAKE THIS PAGE WITH YOU TO THE POLLS!

Candidates with an asterisk (*) are incumbents.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

District 1, Democratic primary: Titus, Dina*

District 1, Republican primary: No endorsement

District 3, Democratic primary: Lee, Susie*

District 3, Republican primary: Nagy, Aury

District 4, Republican primary: No endorsement

NEVADA LEGISLATURE

Senate District 2, Democratic primary: Barron, Isaac

Senate District 8, Republican Primary: No endorsement

Senate District 21, Democratic primary: Ohrenschall, James*

Assembly District 1, Democratic primary: Cato, Jo

Assembly District 2, Democratic primary: Bywaters, Kamilah and Kung, Mike (dual endorsement)

Assembly District 3, Republican primary: No endorsement

Assembly District 5, Republican primary: No endorsement

Assembly District 6, Democratic primary: Jackson, Jovan Alexander*

Assembly District 8, Democratic primary: Nguyen, Duy*

Assembly District 8, Republican primary: Charafi, Joseph “Joey”

Assembly District 9, Democratic primary: Hampton, Ryan

Assembly District 9, Republican primary: No endorsement

Assembly District 10, Democratic primary: Karris, Venise L.*

Assembly District 15, Democratic primary: Watts, Howard* and Davila, Miguel (dual endorsement)

Assembly District 16, Democratic primary: González, Cecelia*

Assembly District 17, Democratic primary: Hunt, Linda F.*

Assembly District 18, Democratic primary: Considine, Venicia*

Assembly District 19, Republican primary: Patchett, Jason*

Assembly District 20, Democratic primary: Orentlicher, David*

Assembly District 22, Democratic primary: Booth, Shenea

Assembly District 29, Democratic primary: Combs, Brad

Assembly District 34, Democratic primary: Nadeem, Hanadi*

Assembly District 41, Democratic primary: Spotleson, Vinny

Assembly District 41, Republican primary: Alofipo, Tofuola “Tofu”

Assembly District 42, Democratic primary: Brown-May, Tracy*

Assembly District 42, Republican primary: No endorsement

STATE RACES

Governor, Democratic primary: Ford, Aaron D.

Governor, Republican primary: Lombardo, Joseph*

Lt. Governor, Democratic primary: Jauregui, Sandra

Secretary of State, Republican primary: Folkins-Roberts, Shirley A.

Attorney General, Democratic primary: Conine, Zach

Attorney General, Republican primary: No endorsement

Controller, Democratic primary: Blackstock, Robert K. “Bob”

State Treasurer, Democratic primary: Mathis-Coleman, Tya

State Treasurer, Republican primary: Carter, Jeff

NSHE BOARD OF REGENTS (nonpartisan)

District 2: Villa, Patrick L.

District 5: Denis, Moises “Mo” and Molina, Stephanie (dual endorsement)

District 8: Goicoechea, Pete* and Talib-deen, K. (dual endorsement)

LOCAL RACES

Clark County Commission

District E, Democratic primary: Segerblom, “Tick”*

District E, Republican primary: Kess, Manny

District F, Democratic primary: Yan, Minja

District F, Republican primary: Mack, Albert

District G, Democratic primary: Gibson, Jim*

District G, Republican primary: Henderson, Leo “The Diesel”

Clark County partisan offices

County Assessor, Democratic primary: Martinet, Melissa

County Assessor, Republican primary: No endorsement

County Clerk, Democratic primary: Goya, Lynn Marie*

County Recorder, Democratic primary: Flanagan, Tanya

County Recorder, Republican primary: No endorsement

Public Administrator, Democratic primary: Itkin-Goodman, Stephanie

Public Administrator, Republican primary: Murphy, Michael

Board of Trustees, Clark County School District (nonpartisan)

District F: Bustamante Adams, Irene* and Hutchinson, Robert E. (dual endorsement)

City Races (nonpartisan)

Las Vegas City Council Ward 2: Booker, Marilyn

Las Vegas City Council Ward 6: Brune, Nancy

Henderson Mayor: Romero, Michelle* and Price, Adam (dual endorsement)

Henderson City Council Ward III: Atlas, Jennifer and Owens, Annette Dawson (dual endorsement)

North Las Vegas Mayor: Monroe-Moreno, Daniele

North Las Vegas City Council Ward 1: Villeda, Esmeralda

North Las Vegas City Council Ward 3: Zeiler, Ida

If modern civilization ever finally collapses under the weight of its own exhaustion, there’s a good chance it’ll sound something like Scrutiny’s latest EP, 3.

Distributed in April, 3 arrives like a much-needed release valve. Across seven tracks, the four-person outfit turns working-class frustration into a ripping frenzy of blast beats, driving basslines and dissonant guitar work.

the genre’s boundaries. All four members are multi-instrumentalists involved in other projects, something that lends the band an elasticity beneath all the abrasion.

“I’m a real stubborn kind of contrary person,” says Big Mountain. “Whenever people are doing one thing a whole lot, I want to do the opposite. It’s better to stand out and put as much as your own character into it, rather than trying to follow a formula.”

scrutinylvhc.bandcamp.com

what longevity in heavy music can actually look like.

Checking in with Scrutiny as the local hardcore band delivers tightly wound new EP

BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ

Formed in 2020 through overlapping circles in the local music scene, Jacodie Big Mountain (vocals), Yari B. (guitar), Bren Medina (bass) and Chuck Fleisher (drums) have carved out something authentically their own. The cover art, largely pulled from anti-nuclear war ads found in a thrifted book, mirrors the band’s scorched earth philosophy toward hardcore itself.

“The goal is always to be more evil,” says Yari with a semblance of humor.

That nefarious musical intention is derived from more than just hardcore itself. Scrutiny’s influences stretch far beyond

Everything about Scrutiny’s stage presence affirms that. In the pit, bodies collide with enough force to leave bruises, and Big Mountain always looks seconds away from combusting as he spits out the words.

“We made the music with the intent to play it live,” says Yari. “Just constant mosh fuel ... bringing and expressing different forms of intensity.”

As the internet grows increasingly more obsessed with streams and algorithmic validation, Scrutiny seems more invested in real-life community. A year ago the band shared a bill with metallic hardcore legends All Out War, an experience that left them with a clearer sense of

“We had a conversation with the vocalist of All Out War after and it was like talking to a friend,” says Fleisher. “There was no ‘I’m in a bigger band’ sort of ego’.”  A similar realization hit when the band crossed paths with hardcore veterans Negative Approach. The conversation drifted naturally into shared musical obsessions and influences outside the confines of hardcore itself.

“It was affirming to meet musicians who play crazy music similar to us,” says Yari. “But [they] also have heavy interest in other types of music because we were geeking about Parliament-Funkadelic.”

“It was like meeting an older version of us,” adds Big Mountain.

While the EP feels designed to leave dents in the floorboards, Bren points to “Watch You Burn” as the clearest distillation of the band’s ethos.

“Listen to as much as possible,” Big Mountain says. “Don’t take it for granted and you’ll find things you love and things that you don’t expect.”

by

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Fallout Fringe Festival returns with

a bigger bang

BY GEOFF CARTER

et me try to explain this without going full Wikipedia: The concept of a “fringe” festival was born in Scotland in 1947, when eight theater companies were excluded from performing at an international arts festival held in Edinburgh. Undeterred, the eight companies—not all of which were Scottish—held a festival of their own, using venues on the fringes of the city. Over time, Edinburgh Fringe became the world’s largest performing arts festival, and the term “fringe” came to represent theater that’s not just removed from the spotlight, but willfully bold, experimental and raw. Invitational fringe festivals proliferated around the globe. It was probably inevitable that Las Vegas, a fringe city if ever there was one, would make its own.

The sophomore iteration of Fallout Fringe Festival, returning June 3-25 after a bold 2025 debut, promises to improve on Las Vegas’ upstart fringe festival in nearly every way. New venues are participating, including Bizarre Bar, the lounge at Cornish Pasty and the new THIRD Street theater incubator. More than 35 different productions, from monologues to musicals to workshops, stand ready behind the curtain. And Breon Jenay, Fallout’s artistic director, promises it’ll irradiate your imagination properly.

FALLOUT FRINGE FESTIVAL

one’s seen before. Risky and bold and maybe a little bit dangerous,” Jenay says. “We didn’t really have any trouble finding that, once the floodgates were opened. Especially this year, now that we’re a proven thing.”

Thru June 25, times vary, $22-$27 per show (festival pass $362).

Falloutfringe.org.

Some of this year’s notable productions, featuring writers and performers from Vegas and across the country, include Dentata, a “riotous, feral exploration of feminine ferocity” from Jess Lazar and Lucy Smith featuring an “operatic vagina puppet”; the apocalyptic “circus cabaret comedy clown chaos” of Broken Planet Show; The Hum’s mind-bending physical theater piece Volta, a story of love enduring in the afterlife; A Hollywood Horror Story, Ingrid Garner’s homage to TV host and Plan 9 From Outer Space star Maila “Vampira” Nurmi; Hysterics, Allison Martone’s taut psychological drama set during the Salem Witch Trials; A Public Fit’s The Outburst, a night of storytelling tied to the theme “we’re still f---ed”; and Señor Babyhead, a drag- and desperation-fueled journey of discovery featuring “Mexico’s most (washed up) famous sitcom star.”

“In the launch for submissions, we were straightforward about the fact that we’re looking for stuff that’s edgy and weird, stuff that no

There are too many more hot prospects to name here. Go to falloutfringe.org and begin making tough choices, or just spring for the all-inclusive festival pass, which may seem like an indulgence at $362 but is an imperative need for theater junkies. After a few tastes of Fallout Fringe, you may well become one.

“We have a pretty great selection of things that are completely wild, as well as some straightforward drama and stuff for burlesque clown fans,” Jenay says. “There’s definitely something for everyone.”

BY AMBER SAMPSON

here’s an old saying about dining out: Never order something you can make at home. At Hayworth, Alex Reznik makes that rule obsolete. There’s no universe in which this menu exists outside of the Top Chef alum’s heart. It’s a love letter to his personal lore— growing up in Jewish households, working in French restaurants in Las Vegas and kosher kitchens in LA—and it’s exactly what Henderson deserves.

Everything the Kyiv-born, Brooklyn-raised chef has created at this Eastern European-inspired steakhouse is upscale, yet unpretentious and earnest. Hayworth earns its place in the neighborhood by existing for the neighborhood.

It’s a warm embrace from the moment you step inside, the dining area warmly lit and inviting. Reznik, who also operates SMKD BBQ under his Ogden Hospitality Group, has a habit of building such places. The Hayworth menu announces itself from the very first bite. Freshly baked challah

bread is served with a side of schmaltz ($9), which beats butter any day. It’s a savory reminder of Reznik’s roots, magnified later by an absurdly delicious chicken consommé with mini matzo balls ($18). The broth alone could be bottled and sold. Hayworth has found a way to make me love my vegetables. Traditionally, Caesar salads are pretty busy, all slippery romaine and croutons crumbling over the plate. But here, Reznik simplifies the Caesar ($17), reducing the croutons to a fine, garlicky powder beneath a snowfall of parmesan and a mystifying layer of “anchovy angel dust.” I also had to pinch myself when I saw the charred cabbage ($21), beautifully dressed in herbs, trickles of tahini and cultured yogurt. I mistook it for a chicken breast at first, it was so richly spiced, explosive in flavor and full of crunch.

And the raw and cold courses—everything from the whole roasted

branzino ($46) to the sablefish—($41) carry that same level of care. The Russet potato latke ($19), topped with fresh salmon and pearls of trout roe, won me over with each delicately assembled bite. Leaning into that richness, Reznik dedicates a whole section of the menu to “indulgence,” where dishes like bone marrow with brisket jam ($25) and beef tongue agnolotti with duck fat crumble ($27) belong.

Hayworth’s steaks are also a luxury. The prime ribeye, dry-aged for 60 days ($99), is earthier and pungent, definitely recommended for those who love a bit more funk. The 14-day dry-aged Cowboy Ribeye ($129) strikes a fine balance of beefy and buttery. Hayworth’s side of green shug sauce, a herbaceous and spicy Middle Eastern condiment, tops the whole thing off.

With each course, Reznik reaches for something elevated without ever making you feel like an outsider in someone else’s home.

INNOVATIVE ‘WHEEL OF FORTUNE’ SLOT MACHINE CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AFTER 30 YEARS

BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF

Jean Venneman remembers being on the casino floor at the Mirage watching strangers be among the first to play gaming developer IGT’s latest innovation at the time: the Wheel of Fortune slots.

It was December 1996, and the game—among the first to partner with a licensed brand—was debuting in a field test at the Strip resort. Venneman, now chief studios officer at IGT, was a key player in the slot machine’s design three decades ago and recalls how its spinning wheel, reminiscent of that on the TV game show itself, threw people for a loop, at least at first.

“Watching those first players play was very exciting, but also a little bit frustrating,” she said. “Because it was new, they didn’t necessarily know what to do. So they would trigger the wheel sequence, and then they would just stare at it, like saying, ‘Now what?’ And we had a big button that was flashing, saying, ‘Spin the wheel.’

“There was messaging, but it took the players a small amount of education those first early days, because it was, again, so unique in the industry at the time. They weren’t accustomed to having a separate feature of the machine do anything.”

The inaugural Wheel of Fortune machine, which Venneman said she and her team created in an unusually short time frame of just four months, was a “stepper slot,” meaning it had physical spinning reels, with the Wheel of Fortune symbol on the third reel, and an opportunity for the player to spin a wheel for the bonus.

The slot machine was Las Vegas-based IGT’s first to feature a customized sound package created by the company—so the game says and sings “Wheel of Fortune”—and accessories like the wheel. And although the latter may have been a new experience to players, Venneman said, they quickly caught on.

“It was all about the spinning of the wheel,” she said. “Players played, especially in those early days, entirely to be able to spin the wheel. In fact, there’s

a couple of stories where the players would win one of the major jackpots and be unhappy because they weren’t able to spin the wheel, as well.”

It was one of the first games that created crowds that would stop and watch if they heard that distinctive sound of the wheel about to be spun, Venneman said.

The game—now a gaming staple—this year celebrates its 30th anniversary. It all started with a conversation between IGT leadership and Sony Pictures Entertainment, which produces the game show, about integrating the Wheel of Fortune brand with a slot machine, Venneman said.

The concept of household branding like that on the casino floor was completely new, she said.

Understandably, Venneman admitted, producers of the family-friendly show had their concerns.

“They wanted to make sure that we really represented the brand on the slot machine as if it were a family show, as well,” she said.

That first iteration, the stepper game, has evolved into over 300 versions, from video games and video slots to machines with super spins, other bonuses or 4D, all with different variations of play mechanics, art styles, bet styles and more, Venneman said.

There are many varieties of Wheel of Fortune on the casino floor and all of them are audibly chanting the show’s iconic theme, said Roger Pettersson, vice president of premium and core products at IGT.

While the game evolves, and IGT incorporates and modernizes the experience to stay on the forefront of player trends, Pettersson said the iconic wheel feature is still what they’re ultimately looking for.

“It’s just a huge part of the gaming experience in North America,” he said.

The game was such a success in the late 1990s that IGT and other gaming manufacturers began to wonder how else to maximize brand concepts, Venneman said. It wasn’t too long after Wheel of Fortune that many additional brands began to enter the market.

Over the years, the popularity of these games has ebbed and flowed, Venneman said. She credits the Wheel of Fortune game’s endurance over decades to the “classic as well as current” nature of the show itself. “The fact that grandmothers and teenagers both know what Wheel of Fortune is, I think, is one of the keys,” she said. “And the other key is it’s one of the few brands in the industry that the brand has a direct tie into the bonus experience.”

The actual spinning wheel of Wheel of Fortune turning into the actual spinning wheel of the slot machine is a uniquely direct tie-in, Venneman said.

Another reason for the game’s longevity is its jackpot, Pettersson said. The slot machine has made over 1,200 millionaires since its inception and has paid out over $3.7 billion, he estimated.

“It’s something that is a huge part of the brand, and it’s something that players absolutely are very much in tune of,” he said.

The Wheel of Fortune slots anniversary celebrations include the game being featured on the show itself, activations on casino floors, new game launches and more.

Both IGT and Wheel of Fortune itself are evolving and being innovative with how they treat the brand, Venneman said.

“We are 30 years into this partnership, and there’s no end in sight,” she said. “There’s no stopping us now. We continue to really enjoy creating unique, innovative content, and they’ve been a terrific partner throughout this entire time, and we couldn’t have asked for better.”

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VEGAS INC NOTES

StartUpNV, a nonprofit incubator and accelerator for Nevada-based startup companies, is now managing the International Innovation Center in downtown Las Vegas. The center provides infrastructure, community and support for entrepreneurs to build and scale their ventures.

The Athletics and Spread the Word Nevada celebrated the grand opening of the newly designed Book Nook, transforming a $15,000 investment into a vibrant literacy hub for local children and families. The project, which originated from a partnership during Nevada Reading Week, expands Spread the Word Nevada’s facilities to better serve children in Southern Nevada’s underserved communities.

Cirrus Aviation Services launched its inaugural weekly by-the-seat service between Las Vegas and Van Nuys, Cali-

fornia, through its new membership program, Theos, which will operate weekly roundtrip service between the two cities on Fridays and Sundays.

Nevada State University honored community leaders and organizations during its third annual Community Awards celebration, recognizing partners whose support has helped expand educational access, strengthen workforce development, and create new opportunities for Nevada students. The honorees included Roberto’s Taco Shop; Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada; Walter Hashimoto; Las Vegas Raiders Senior Vice President of Government and Community Relations Piper Overstreet-White; and the City of North Las Vegas. Each recipient was recognized for demonstrating an ongoing commitment to Nevada State’s mission of student success, community engagement, and educational innovation.

The Penta Building Group has relocated its headquarters to Henderson. It also introduced its charitable initiative, Penta Cares, to the Henderson community. Through the program, Penta donates more than $2 million annually to support local nonprofits, schools and community organizations in the areas where its employees live and work.

Illusions Attractions, the company behind Dinosaur Outpost, has acquired Velocity Esports, a family entertainment venue at Town Square Las Vegas, expanding its footprint in the experiential entertainment space. The space will be rebranded as Velocity Vegas, with a renewed focus on its arcade, bowling, and food and beverage.

Richtech Robotics Inc., a provider of AI-driven robotic solutions, was named “Rookie of the Year” in the 2026 Vegas Golden Knights Global Partner Awards.