Nevada

Rating the Raiders Relocation to Las Vegas Nevada

Published

7 months ago

June 3, 2024

Franchise relocation is always challenging. It’s an uprooting of identity and community, pure and simple. However it isn’t uncommon, and it frequently turns out well.

For instance, the 2021 Super Bowl Champions, the Los Angeles Rams, have been a notable threat since their relocation from St. Louis. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been a perfect franchise since they took over from the Seattle Supersonics.

It can work; it has worked. When it came time for the Oakland Raiders to leave and head to Nevada, the question was, would it be for the better?

The Financial Motive

The Raiders didn’t relocate just for the love of the game; they were chasing revenue. Their value has skyrocketed since the move to Nevada. What helps is Allegiant Stadium, which seats a meaty 65,000 roaring Raiders fans.

It was a key reason they moved from Oakland: they couldn’t get permission to renovate their old stadium or relocate within the city. They had to leave to improve their infrastructure. And, you know what, it’s worked. But as the saying goes, “mo’ money, mo’ problems.” The Raiders have had to navigate a minefield of challenges and are looking healthy out the other side!

Attracting a New Audience

While Oakland has its well-established and rooted culture and credentials to be a host city for a major American sports franchise, it isn’t Vegas. What Vegas can do for a franchise has a potentially higher upside than Oakland.

In today’s age, views and engagement are king. The iGaming industry is a clear example of how to embrace that Vegas vibe. Leading operators are bound to offer competitive customer-centric perks – from the top US casino bonuses to exciting new games – but it often boils down to how they portray a culture they know and want. Can an online platform distill Vegas to its purest essence and ensure users feel that? If the answer is yes, success. If not, well, good luck.

The On-Field Push

On the field, well, the Raiders are still finding their feet. Their 2021 Playoff run did a lot to get things looking rosy. (In fact, it was a year for relocated teams to do well in the post-season, with the Las Vegas Rams lifting that most coveted trophy.) However, around that one stretch, it’s been mixed. Winning isn’t everything, but this is Vegas, after all, and why else would anyone come to the city? The Raiders need those dubs regularly, not simply to make up the league’s numbers. The top US casinos don’t rate the Raiders as Super Bowl contenders for the upcoming season and are still looking for a title challenge in the coming seasons.

Never Overlook Las Vegas

When has Las Vegas really ever been closed to outsiders? By definition, it’s Las Vegas. You’re encouraged to come and go, and hey, if you come again, you’ll be embraced just the same. It’s no surprise the Raiders have been very warmly welcomed—not least because before now, they hadn’t had an NFL team. To return the favor, the Raiders have been out and about in the community, shaking hands, kissing babies, and building goodwill.

Again, the stadium helps. It’s an attraction of almost alien proportions. They love big and shiny things in Vegas, and the Allegiant Stadium fits that bill very nicely.

The Road Ahead

We can be optimistic about the outlook, but simultaneously, it’s like trying to predict the outcome of a high-stakes poker game. On the one hand, the Raiders have a lot going for them – a fancy new stadium, a growing fanbase, and a city that knows how to party. On the other, they’ve got some stiff competition breathing down their necks, both on and off the field. It will take some severe hustle (and some hard graft) along with some bold moves to stay ahead of the game.

Our Two Cents

The Raiders’ relocation to Las Vegas has mixed reviews. We’re not in doubt that the move has been a financial boon for the franchise, but the jury’s still out on whether it will translate to long-term success on the field and in our hearts. One thing’s for sure, though – the Raiders have never been a team to play it safe, and their Vegas gamble is a testament to that spirit. They need to harness that ahead of the new season.

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Nevada

Nevada fuel line will return to normal service

Published

5 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Nevada fuel line will return to normal service

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Clark County asks consumers to ”not panic buy at the pump.”

After messages from Clark County saying the fires in California were potentially affecting the fuel lines servicing Southern Nevada, the County is advising the public to not run out and buy gas for their cars.

The gas line from California to Nevada will re-start and be operational by Friday.

Message from Clark County:

“In working with California, a solution has been put in place which will power the Kinder Morgan fuel line into southern Nevada and fuel should start to flow into the valley in the next 12-24 hours. Clark County Office of Emergency Management remains engaged on this issue with regional and state partners. The public is encouraged to not panic buy at the pump.”

FOX5 will have a full report on the gas line running from California to Nevada at 10 and 11 p.m.

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Nevada

Missing Southfield girl might be in Nevada with man who just found out he’s her father, police say

Published

13 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Missing Southfield girl might be in Nevada with man who just found out he’s her father, police say

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – A 4-year-old Southfield girl who has been missing for two months might be in Nevada with a man who just found out he’s her father, police said.

Bali Packer was picked up by her biological father, Juwon Madison, on Nov. 10, 2024, and has not been returned to her mother, Timeah Wright-Smith.

Packer was last seen wearing a blue PJ mask shirt, pink hat, pink leggings, and pink boots.

Madison is not listed on Packer’s birth certificate, and no court order in place states he has any parenting time.

He recently discovered that he may have been the father of Packer prior to picking her up with her mother’s permission, who is the sole guardian of the 4-year-old girl.

Madison is believed to have left Michigan and went down to Nevada.

Wright-Smith does not believe Packer is in any danger.

Bali Packer	Details
Eyes	Brown
Age	4
Height	3′3″
Hair	Brown
Weight	3 pounds

Anyone with information should contact the Southfield Police Department at 248-796-550 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up.

All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous. Click here to submit a tip online.

READ: More Missing in Michigan coverage

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Nevada

Southern Nevada’s desert tortoises getting help to cross the road

Published

21 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Southern Nevada’s desert tortoises getting help to cross the road

Long before Southern Nevada built its winding highways, desert tortoises roamed freely without consequence. For these federally protected animals, crossing the street without a dedicated path could mean a death sentence.

Along a 34-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 93 near Coyote Springs, fencing and underground tortoise crossings will allow for more safe passage.

“We see substantial road mortality and near-misses in this area,” said Kristi Holcomb, Southern Nevada biological supervisor at the Nevada Department of Transportation. “By adding the fencing, we’ll be able to stop the bleed.”

The federal Department of Transportation awarded Nevada’s transportation agency a $16.8 million grant to build 61 wildlife crossings and 68 miles of fencing along the highway. Clark and Lincoln counties, as well as private companies such as the Coyote Springs Investment group, will fund the project in total.

Under the Endangered Species Act, the federal government listed Mojave desert tortoises as threatened in 1990. The project area includes the last unfenced portion of what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers to be the desert tortoise’s “critical habitat.”

In Clark County, some keep desert tortoises as pets, adoptions for which are only authorized through one Nevada nonprofit, the Tortoise Group. Environmentalists in the area have long worried that sprawling solar projects may have an adverse effect on tortoise populations. As many as 1,000 tortoises per square mile inhabited the Mojave Desert before urban development, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

Crossings prevent inbreeding

One major reason that connecting critical habitat across a highway is paramount is to prevent inbreeding, Holcomb said.

“When you build a highway down the middle of a desert tortoise population, they become shy about crossing the highway,” Holcomb said. “By installing tortoise fences, we’ll give the tortoise population a chance to recover.”

Desert tortoises tend to walk parallel to the fences, which will lead them to the crossings they need to go to the other side. Promoting genetic diversity is one way different tortoise populations can be stabilized, Holcomb said.

The Nevada Department of Transportation doesn’t have a set timeline, and the project will need to go through an expedited federal review process to ensure full consideration of environmental effects.

“Be mindful, not only of tortoises that might be on the roadway, but also of our impacts on tortoises,” Holcomb added.

Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.

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