A fourth grade student from Nevada helped light the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree on Tuesday evening.
Grady Armstrong, a fourth-grade student from Virginia City, Nev., stands with members of the Nevada Congressional Delegation during the lighting of the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., and his wife Kelly Johnson, stand with Grady Armstrong, a fourth-grade student from Virginia City, Nev., as they light the Capitol Christmas tree, a red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican from Louisiana, attends the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, December 2, 2025. The 53-foot red fir tree is from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, the first time the state has provided the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.
(Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 02: The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree stands prior to the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. This year’s tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, marks the first U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the state of Nevada.
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 02: Ornaments crafted by Nevada residents adorn the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree prior to the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. This year’s tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, marks the first U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the state of Nevada.
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 02: Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Band perform during the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on the West Front Lawn at the U.S. Capitol on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. This year’s tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, marks the first U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the state of Nevada.
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
The Capitol Christmas tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, is illuminated in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
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Grady Armstrong, a fourth grader from Virginia City, Nevada, helped U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and members of the Nevada Congressional Delegation light the Capitol Christmas tree on Tuesday night.
The tree is a 53-foot-tall red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada. It’s the first time in 61 years that a tree from Nevada is featured on the West Lawn of the Capitol.
The tree traveled roughly 3,000 miles to D.C., and is decorated with about 6,000 LED lights and more than 5,000 ornaments, many of them made by children from across Nevada.
Armstrong earned the honor of lighting the tree after winning an essay contest.
“You don’t have to go far to enjoy Nevada. Right from my school playground, you can look east for hundreds of miles over the mountain ranges that make up the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest,” he said.
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“I want the country to know how special Nevada’s public land and national forests are. These lands are full of wonder, from big animals like elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep and even moose,” Armstrong added.
The tree, nicknamed “Silver Belle” as a nod to Nevada being the “Silver State,” will be lit from dusk until 11 p.m. every night through early January 2026.
WTOP’s Alan Etter contributed to this report.
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Mojave (Nev.) head football coach Wes Pacheco announced on Sunday morning that he’s stepping down from his position, according to a social media post.
Pacheco announced his resignation after six seasons at the helm of the Rattlers, putting together a 29-22 overall record from 2020-2025.
“I have officially stepped down as Head Coach of the Mojave Football Program,” Pacheco said in his social media post. “Thank you to Principal Cole for giving me the opoortunity make an impact on the lives of Mojave Student-Athletes. I am grateful and blessed to have labored through a 6-year journey of successes, failures, life lessons, character building and growth with the student-athletes myself and my coaching staff have served. I will forever love my Mojave Family, the Mojave Community and believe in the notion that SUCCESS can be attained by showcasing character, treating everyone with respect, and always have the courage to dream big and trust that “ATTACKING THE HARD WORK” & “HIGH MOTORING EVERYTHING” can yield SUCCESS that you want to achieve in life!”
During Pacheco’s half dozen seasons leading Mojave, his best record came in the 2024 season when the Rattlers finished with a 12-1 record. Located out of North Las Vegas, Mojave had to compete against the likes of national high school football powerhouse Bishop Gorman during the regular season.
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Mojave ended the last season with a 4-6 record and as the state’s No. 23rd ranked team, according to the final 2025 Nevada High School Football Massey Rankings.
More about Mojave High School
Mojave High School, located in North Las Vegas, NV, is a dynamic public high school that fosters academic excellence, personal growth, and community involvement. Home of the Rattlers, MHS offers a wide range of academic programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities. With a strong commitment to student success, Mojave emphasizes leadership, college and career readiness, and a supportive school culture that prepares students for life beyond graduation.
For Nevada high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Silver State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across Nevada.
A recent Review-Journal letter to the editor mischaracterized Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto’s Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Lands bill. As the former executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, I wholeheartedly support this legislation, so I wanted to set the record straight.
Sen. Cortez Masto has been working on this bill for years in partnership with state and local governments, conservation groups like the NCL and local area tribes. It’s true that the Clark County lands bill would open 25,000 acres to help Las Vegas grow responsibly, while setting aside 2 million acres for conservation. It would also help create more affordable housing throughout the valley while ensuring our treasured public spaces can be preserved for generations to come.
What is not correct is that the money from these land sales would go to the federal government’s coffers. In fact, the opposite is true.
The 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act is a landmark bill that identified specific public land for future sale and created a special account ensuring all land sale revenues would come back to Nevada. In accordance with that law 5 percent of revenue from land transfers goes to the state of Nevada for general education purposes, 10 percent goes to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for needed water infrastructure and 85 percent supports conservation and environmental mitigation projects in Southern Nevada. This legislation has provided billions to Clark County and will continue to benefit generations of Southern Nevadans. Sen. Cortez Masto’s lands bill builds upon the act’s success.
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So here’s the good news: All of the money generated from land made available for sale under Sen. Cortez Masto’s bill would be sent to the special account created by the 1998 law. Rather than going to an unaccountable federal government, the proceeds would continue to help kids in Vegas get a better education, bolster outdoor recreation and modernize Southern Nevada’s infrastructure.
I know how important it is that money generated from the sale of public land in Nevada stay in the hands of Nevadans, and so does the senator. That’s why she opposed a Republican effort last year to sell off 200,000 acres of land in Clark County and other areas of the country that would have sent those dollars directly to Washington.
Public land management in Nevada should benefit Nevadans. We should protect sacred cultural sites and beloved recreation spaces, responsibly transfer land for affordable housing when needed and ensure our state has the resources it needs to grow sustainably. I will continue working with Sen. Cortez Masto to advocate for legislation, such as the Clark County lands bill, that puts the needs of Nevadans first.