Nevada
Nevada Trump loyalists hopeful he can finally take the state after Biden’s disastrous debate
LAS VEGAS — Sin City Republicans felt a rare emotion this week as President Biden rambled on during a shambolic 90-minute debate performance — optimism that Nevada will pick former President Donald Trump come November.
It’s been 20 years since a Republican won the Silver State’s electoral votes. In 2004, President George W. Bush claimed the state’s five electors, now standing at six. Trump lost Nevada to Hillary Clinton eight years ago and to Biden in 2020, as the state became more and more blue.
Gathering for a state GOP watch party at the Italian American Club, one of the city’s oldest eateries, the ex-prez’s supporters were at first hopeful but guarded, a mood that was not helped by initial glitches in getting the video and audio of the CNN-hosted debate working properly.
But as the match wore on, Biden’s clear issues answering questions by turns shocked and saddened the crowd.
“I could not understand even two sentences [of] what he was trying to say,” noted Cristiane Mersch, a Summerlin resident and development manager for a crisis pregnancy center. “It worries me. I think he needs a medical, mental exam because he’s not capable to be a president right now.”
Joe Burdzinski, a Las Vegas resident, said “the look at times” on the president’s face was concerning.
“He had a blank expression on his face, his eyeballs would be bulging sometimes,” he said. “His words, especially in his closing statement, he mumbled in his last two minutes.”
Burdzinski said Biden’s comment about more “fentanyl machines” being needed to combat the influx of the deadly synthetic opioid bewildered him.
“During the debate, when he was talking about machines, I couldn’t figure out what kind of machines he was talking about as related to drugs. I don’t know where that fit in or how that worked,” the local said.
Burdzinski, who’s been involved with GOP efforts for 49 years, said he was “feeling the same type of momentum, if you will, that Ronald Reagan experienced in 1980 against Jimmy Carter.”
He added, “I think the economy is a key issue in this election. And under Donald Trump, the economy was doing better gas prices, lower food cost and so on were lower and that will make a big difference here with Democrats and independents.”
Mersch, who heads the local Moms for Liberty chapter and spoke at the June 9 outdoor Trump campaign rally, said the ex-prez’s promise to end taxing of tips offers “a great potential of Trump winning here.”
She said, “I see a lot of people, especially in the culinary industry,” moving toward the presumptive GOP nominee over tax-free tipping.
“Those Latinos, the hard-working families, are being affected by Biden’s policies,” she said.
Political consultant Zachary Hayes said he believes Trump “will probably take the state,” having “come close” in 2020, when he lost to Biden by 33,606 votes.
“I think Biden’s lost too much ground in the state, and the state is getting more favorable to the GOP over time, because it’s more blue collar and working class,” Hayes said. “And the demographic, the changes in how the electorate is voting based on class lines favors the GOP.”
Linda Cassaro, a Buffalo, New York, native who’s lived in Las Vegas for 40 years, believes Biden’s debate disaster should be a wake-up call for Nevada’s Democrats.
“I’m not sure who they would put in his place, but they should be worried.”
She thinks Trump will “definitely” win the state and is “gonna do good things for the country like he did the first time he was elected.”
The Arbor View boys volleyball team has embodied the mindset that it would take the efforts of all 16 players to win the school its first boys volleyball title.
It proved to be the case on Wednesday night against rival Centennial in the Class 5A state championship match, and the Aggies’ efforts all season showed up in the biggest game of the season.
No. 3-seeded Arbor View claimed its first boys volleyball title with a 25-20, 25-27, 25-19, 25-19 victory over top-seeded Centennial at Sunrise Mountain.
“It feels amazing. The boys have worked hard, I don’t even know if I could put it into words,” Arbor View coach Nicole Adarme said. “Our big goal was to stay calm and collected the entire time. I just wanted to reflect that for them.”
Arbor View (28-13-1) let its emotions out after the final point on an Owen Wenger kill. The Aggies huddled and jumped for joy, helped carry injured teammate Gunnar Robinson off the bench, and eventually moved the celebration into the stands with a sea of red from the Arbor View student section.
“It feels absolutely great,” junior middle blocker/outside hitter Risden Miller said. “We trust each other so much. We’re best friends in and out of volleyball, and that really helps us on the court with just competing as a team.”
Even though the two team’s previous meeting on April 14 was a three-set win in league play by Centennial (32-6), Adarme said she knew the fourth meeting of the season for the two northwest rivals wasn’t going to be a sweep on either side.
Arbor View won a back-and-forth first set on a kill from Miller. Then it looked like the Aggies were going to win a close second set, but Centennial got a point for Arbor View being out of rotation, and the Bulldogs won four of the last five points to even the match score to one set apiece.
“That’s the traditional thing (when we play) Centennial (to play long matches), so for us, we just treated it like another set,” Adarme said. “We knew they were going to fight, so how do we respond to that? Our constant conversation was responding to the negative and moving forward in a positive direction.”
Arbor View scored six straight points in the third set to take a 20-15 lead, and the Aggies never let up to get to the fourth set with a chance to win the title. The Aggies took advantage of several Centennial errors to take the lead in the third set on their way to the title.
“We took three deep breaths and reset and recollected ourselves as a team,” Miller said of closing out the final two sets. “That’s just completely huge for rebounding from a lost set.
“For me, personally, just looking at all my best friends on the court, that truly calms me down and I know it calms them down as well.”
Miller recorded 18 kills and Wenger was key at the net with eight kills and eight blocks. The Aggies also got contributions from Graham Blanchard, Kenyon Wickliffe and Robinson before he went down with a lower left leg injury in the fourth set.
Lincoln Larson led Centennial with 19 kills. It’s the first boys volleyball state title for Arbor View and first appearance in the title game after the program reached the state semifinals four previous times.
“We can’t (win) with six, we have to do it with all 16,” Adarme said. “We’ve been training all of them to be ready for big moments and it was an amazing moment for Cooper (Ball, coming in for an injured Robinson) to be able to come in for us.
“We just had to know we couldn’t be outside of ourselves. Where we fell short in the past was trying to be more instead of focusing on what our role is and what our job is.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — An 81-year-old man died after his motorcycle crashed on an eastbound 215 flyover ramp Saturday evening, Nevada State Police say.
The Nevada Highway Patrol responded to the crash at approximately 5:16 p.m. on the eastbound 215 to I-11 northbound flyover on-ramp in Clark County.
According to NHP, a black 2018 Triumph Bonneville T120 motorcycle was traveling eastbound on the flyover ramp in the number one travel lane.
The rider failed to negotiate a curve and traveled right, entering the shoulder and striking a concrete traffic barrier. The motorcycle overturned and the rider was ejected.
William Keith Kolb was transported from the scene to a local area hospital in critical condition and later died that evening from injuries sustained in the crash, police say.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
The Nevada State Police Highway Patrol Southern Command has investigated 26 fatal crashes resulting in 29 fatalities so far this year.
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As part of the ongoing America250 commemoration, the Nevada State Museum, Carson City will celebrate the grand opening of its newest exhibition, “RIVETING AMERICA: Bringing Together Fabrication, Fashion, and People,” on Thursday, May 14, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m., featuring a special guest presentation by Tracey Panek, historian and director of archives for Levi Strauss & Co.
Located in the “Our Nevada Stories” gallery, the new exhibition explores how everyday objects and the people who used them helped shape Nevada and the American West, highlighting the innovation, resilience, and labor that built industries ranging from mining and ranching to farming and manufacturing. Through artifacts and historic objects, the exhibition examines the untold stories behind the tools, technologies, and working hands that contributed to Nevada’s development and America’s industrial growth.
Panek, who oversees the archives at Levi Strauss & Co. headquarters in San Francisco, is widely recognized for her work preserving and interpreting the nearly 175-year history of one of America’s most iconic heritage brands. During the opening event, she will discuss the importance of corporate archives, the cultural evolution of denim, and the enduring influence of Levi Strauss & Co. on American identity and fashion.
As historian for Levi Strauss & Co., Panek manages the company’s archives as a key corporate asset, supporting designers, executives, and brand teams while also acquiring rare vintage Levi’s garments and historical artifacts. She is also a contributor to the company’s “Unzipped” blog and narrator of the “From the Levi’s Archives” video series across YouTube and TikTok.
“RIVETING AMERICA reflects the stories of the workers, makers and innovators who helped build Nevada and shape the American experience,” said Jen Roger (roh-JAY), Director of Nevada State Museum, Carson City. “As we commemorate America250, this exhibition offers an opportunity to reflect on the ingenuity, resilience, and craftsmanship that helped define both our state and our nation. Having Tracey Panek join us for the exhibit opening brings an exciting and culturally relevant perspective to those conversations, particularly through the lens of a brand like Levi Strauss & Co., which remains deeply connected to American history while continuing to evolve with modern culture.”
The exhibition highlights how objects left behind by past generations provide tangible evidence of Nevada’s history, from Indigenous basket weaving and agriculture to mining, ranching, and industrial labor. Each artifact featured throughout the exhibit reflects themes of creativity, resilience, and hard work that continue to define both Nevada and the broader American story.
The grand opening event is open to the public and is complimentary to attend with museum admission. Additional information about the exhibition is available on the Nevada State Museum, Carson City website.
About Nevada State Museum, Carson City
Located in downtown Carson City inside the historic former U.S. Mint building, the Nevada State Museum brings the story of the Silver State to life through immersive exhibits, historic artifacts, and hands-on experiences. It is located at 600 N. Carson Street in Carson City and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.carsonnvmuseum.org.
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