RENO, Nev. (AP) — Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment that would require voters to show photo identification at the polls have turned in signatures as part of an effort to get the proposal on the 2024 ballot.

The Repair the Vote political action committee submitted about 179,000 signatures to state and county election officials for review, the organization said Monday. Just over 100,000 signatures need to be valid for the measure to be eligible for the ballot.

The measure would then have to be approved by voters in November and again in 2026 to amend the Nevada Constitution.

Along with the photo identification requirement, the initiative also calls for an extra layer of verification for mail ballots, such as the last four digits of a driver’s license or Social Security number.

“By requiring voter identification, we aim to strengthen the integrity of our elections and ensure that every vote counts,” said David Gibbs, the chairman of the PAC in a statement.

Voter ID has been a contentious issue in the Western swing state, particularly in its split-party government. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo outlined it as one of his main priorities last year, but Democrats who control the state Legislature refused to give the issue a hearing.

The Nevada Supreme Court last month ruled unanimously that signatures could be gathered for the ballot initiative. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed in December by a member of the progressive immigrant advocacy group Make the Road Nevada that sought to block the initiative. The high court said the proposal would not amount to an unfunded mandate and was descriptive enough to inform voters of its effect.

AV/IT TEAM: Frank Alaimo CTS-I, manager of Classroom Technology Services; Michael Theil CTS, senior AV/IT control systems specialist

GOALS: The goal was to create a cutting-edge AV experience that seamlessly integrates into the new Advanced Engineering Building, enabling UNLV to meet skyrocketing enrollment demand in engineering and supporting a highly skilled workforce that is integral to Nevada’s economic future. Ultimately, the objective was to elevate the learning environment and empower both faculty and students to achieve their academic goals effectively.

CHALLENGES: Our main challenge was navigating design changes and adapting to evolving product selections. Initial project discussions began in 2018, with intense design work continuing through 2019. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 halted progress due to funding and meeting disruptions. Fortunately, in July 2021, we received approval to resume the project. Designing amidst supply shortages proved particularly challenging, as uncertainty surrounded the availability of materials for installation. Despite these obstacles, our team employed creativity and resourcefulness, leveraging connections to overcome hurdles.

FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: Students immerse themselves in theory and fundamentals in the RebelFlex classroom, a dynamic learning environment. Here, hybrid learning is redefined through innovative features such as web conferencing and lecture capture capabilities. The classroom is designed with movable tables and chairs to foster teamwork and adaptability. The neighboring Makerspace effortlessly integrates into a Showcase area, where students proudly display capstone projects or where special events can take place.

Flexatorium, a unique and adaptable auditorium, serves as a lecture hall during the day and transforms into a dynamic event space at night. Its flexible design features collapsible theater-style seating that can be easily customized to suit diverse needs, supported by state-of-the-art instructional technology to facilitate active and engaging classroom experiences. Adjacent to the Flexatorium, two smaller classrooms offer additional versatility. They can function independently or be combined to accommodate various group sizes, serving as overflow spaces when needed.

[InfoComm Tour Takes Higher-Ed Professionals Back to School]

As part of the features of the Advanced Engineering Building, UNLV expanded its digital signage and display capabilities with three new Nanolumens video walls. Highlighting the courtyard adjacent to the entrance is a 3.9mm-pitch outdoor video wall used for promotional videos, digital signage and event marketing. Inside the Flexatorium is an ultrawide 32×9 ratio 1.56mm pitch video wall that can display two full-screen 16×9 sources side by side for classes during the day or run custom marketing for events at night. The Showcase space contains a full 4K UHD 1.25mm video wall that is utilized for special events, capstone projects, and fundraising for student projects. 

With all displayed content being 4K resolution, the power to process a massive amount of data is paramount. For this reason, UNLV opted for Datapath’s experience in this sector to deal with video data and image processing, in addition to its huge “wow” factor with a flexible digital canvas.

Utilizing a VSN1172 video wall controller, equipped with three Image2K 4 Channel graphics cards and eight VisionSC-UHD2 4K capture cards, the powerful solution provides the flexibility and customizability to achieve every presentation need, from mixed content for breakaway classrooms to building-wide events. The Datapath video wall controller ensures the content scales for each of the video walls with their distinct resolutions.

Presenters can dynamically change sources and recall presets from Crestron touch panels utilizing Crestron NVX system to distribute and output the content to the Datapath video wall controller, where its straightforward Application Programming Interface (API) integrates easily with the Crestron control system.

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Ranchers scanned the Red Rock Canyon for the wounded mustang they were tasked to save, but time was running out as the brutal blizzard conditions set in.

Two days prior, on April 5, a group of state officials from the Nevada Lieutenant Governor’s office toured the Red Rock Canyon area with JP Hoffman, owner of Shiloh Ranch, and his staff to a nearby watering hole for the wild mustangs.

During the education tour, one official saw something strange on a young female mustang and called for Hoffman to look—it was a gunshot wound.

“I knew it was bad,” Hoffman said. “It was bleeding bad and had a lot of fluid coming out.”

The tour quickly ended, and Hoffman immediately contacted the Nevada Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to relay the mustang’s condition.

Officials were already tracking the 11-month-old female mustang, Oakley, due to her bloodline’s importance to the small herd, and asked Hoffman to rescue the wounded wild horse.

“It was quite western,” he said.

Hoffman geared up with his posse and drove back to Red Rock Canyon to find Oakley but they noticed something in the sky, snow.

“It was cloudy, super windy, freezing cold,” Hoffman said. “It was shocking because it was April, and we are right by Las Vegas.”

The posse split up upon arrival in search of Oakley, but problems began to arise as the herd spread out and the posse’s rendezvous points were difficult to manage due to a lack of cell service.

“We lost daylight pretty quick,” Hoffman said.

The group ended their day’s search and returned to the ranch as Oakley continued to struggle, wounded in the blizzard.

That next Saturday morning the posse resupplied the trailer and set out again into Red Rock Canyon, but a new obstacle would present a challenge, tourists.

“There were people coming into take pictures and ride ATVs,” Hoffman said. “Which is allowed.”

Finally, the posse spotted Oakley and Hoffman attempted to rope her for hours but due to a hand injury that never quite healed he failed to capture the injured mustang.

Again, the group returned to the ranch as Oakley’s injuries worsened.

The next morning the posse had better luck as they warned off the tourists in the area, but just as Hoffman found and attempted to rope Oakley, a videographer stopped him.

“He was going off on me,” Hoffman said. “Which is the right thing, I would have done the same thing.”

Hoffman lost two hours while he explained to the videographer the permissions they were given by BLM and the organization they worked with, and now Oakley was miles away.

“We rode literally every inch,” he said. “We were really concerned she was down somewhere.”

As daylight and provisions ran low one member left to grab more supplies, but that’s when she was spotted again on the side of the road.

Luckily, Oakley was not alone as a male stallion, Venture, stayed by her side as she roamed the canyon—records show he had been attempting to sway her.

Hoffman had one more chance to capture Oakley and his hand wasn’t any better.

“I missed twice with the rope,” he said. “So, I did a little trick I remembered as a kid, and I was able to get her with the third loop.”

It would take another two hours before Oakley was calm enough to go into the horse trailer, but finally, she was safe.

#Whoshotoakly

Doctors and surgeons at Desert Pines Equine Center got to work tending to Oakley’s gunshot wound which Hoffman said came from a 9mm round that was still in her shoulder.

“We want to thank Doctor Ivy and Garcia along with Surgeon Winchell,” he said.

Hoffman said unfortunately he wasn’t too surprised when he realized the scope of the wound since the bullet injury is common.

“We’ve had issues in Red Rock Canyon before,” he said. “Arizona had almost an epidemic there with a lot of their wild horses day to day, it’s a senseless crime.”

It’s like a needle in a haystack according to Hoffman who said he believes BLM and law enforcement are doing the best they can to crack down on people who shoot equine wildlife.

Two months after the initial recovery, Oakley has nearly fully recovered and can be seen bouncing her hooves in her water trough.

“I think she’s part labrador,” Hoffman said.

Shiloh Ranch in Sandy Valley, Nevada has become home for Oakley who is no longer wild, which means she cannot return to Red Rock Canyon.

“From our understanding, it’s never been done before,” Hoffman said. “We knew it was tough, but we weren’t going to give up on this test.”

America lives in Germany

A major obstacle for the Nevada BLM is the overall horse headcount which has been overwhelming for officials, according to Hoffman.

“Typically, you look at a 5,000 headcount per year in all western states that have wild mustangs,” Hoffman said. “This year, BLM needed to ramp that number up to 21,000, that’s a big number.”

Hoffman sees Shiloh Ranch playing a role in horse handling with the Nevada BLM, and he has a plan: training and re-homing.

“What we’re trying to do is be that guy in the middle that creates the value of the markets here,” he said. “We want to take it to an advanced level of training, and then actually turn this into a business by assisting BLM with their goals and help these [horses] get into safe homes where they can afford to be taken care of.”

Some Nevada mustangs have already gone through the process and following training been shipped to Europe, where they are given a home.

“It’s funny, there’s a mustang right off Red Rock, his name is America and he lives in Germany,” Hoffman said. “It literally is kind of spreading across Europe.”

Hoffman said his European customers have come calling for true-blue American mustang from Nevada, even asking for an American F-150 and horse trailer to boot.

“I don’t know if it’s the western thing in the culture,” he said. “But we’re definitely seeing that push.”

Hoffman also said it’s important for people to remind others that Shiloh Ranch is no longer a “horse rescue” as it was when owned by Hollywood actors Tony and Jill Curtis.

Horses would be left tied to the front posts of the ranch according to Hoffman who said he has seen his fair share of horses brushed aside.

Volunteers and investors who are seeking to help Hoffman and the staff at Shiloh Ranch are asked to visit their website where they can learn more about the property and even buy a #whoshotoakley t-shirt.