Nevada
Thanksgiving meal means ‘everything’ at Catholic Charities
For David Wheeler and Lisa Kasyan, sitting over their Thanksgiving meal at Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada was a chance to reflect. Wheeler sipped on hot chocolate and remembered his grandmother’s homemade chocolate pudding. Kasyan recalled the first dessert she made for Wheeler — a fried pineapple dish with hot raspberry sauce.
“That was the first dessert I ever made for him. I said, ‘You ain’t going nowhere!’” Kasyan joked.
“I miss her cooking, really,” Wheeler said.
The couple, both 62, moved to Las Vegas in May from Tennessee and had never been to a free Thanksgiving meal service before. It meant “everything,” Wheeler said, to have the traditional feast on Thursday before returning to a parking lot on Main Street where they stay while awaiting a more permanent housing solution.
Catholic Charities and 50 volunteers served roughly 700 of Las Vegas’ most vulnerable men, women and children for their 59th annual free holiday feast at St. Lied Vincent Dining Facility. Familiar faces in the volunteer line included Mayor-elect Shelley Berkley, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford and Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs.
The meal included roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, corn bread stuffing and green bean casserole — 300 pounds of each, to be precise. Not to mention tens of gallons of gravy, cranberry sauce and hot cocoa, plus 700 slices of pumpkin pie.
It’s only a sliver of what is needed to help alleviate hunger in Southern Nevada. Deacon Tom Roberts, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, said the organization’s food pantry also gave away 3,300 turkeys and fixings this month.
“People’s edge of economic problems is really affected by a couple of points of inflation,” Roberts said. “What’s an aggravation maybe for you and me, for them, it’s the difference between, ‘Do I have enough food or can I afford to do something like this?’ So we’ll see more, sadly, families here today than we normally do, because parents are trying to do what we all do, which is take care of our families.”
Volunteer Humberto Trueba said he and his family have volunteered for holiday meals the last five years. He stayed in Las Vegas for work while his family went out of town for the holiday — but still made time for the work and reward of supporting the feast.
“You spend a lot of time cleaning and doing stuff, but at the end of the day, you feel rewarded, feel like you did something for the community,” Trueba said. “Our community right now is going through a lot. It has not been easy. And I feel that this is something to give back and to help people.”
For Roberts, the holiday has an additional meaning. He retires next month after 12 years leading the organization.
“It’s an emotional day to come in some ways for me, because I’m so proud of the 300 staff that put their wounds aside every day when they come to work to focus on someone else’s — that’s hard,” Roberts said. “I’ll miss being a part of that. I’ll also miss the connection with clients that saved me. This has made a difference in their lives and that’s what I’ll carry with me.”
Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.
Nevada
Primm Valley Casino not open after recent ownership change
‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘livewell’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-sponsored-full’).length>0) {
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-2026-yearahead’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ‘
Las Vegas 2026
‘;
html += ‘
What will the new year bring to the valley? These are the biggest stories we’re watching.
‘;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘yea4-2025-embed’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-2025-year-in-review’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ‘
2025: Las Vegas Year in Review
‘;
html += ‘
Look back at the biggest stories and events that took place in Las Vegas in 2025
‘;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘yea4-2025-embed’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-thacker-pass’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ‘
Nevada’s ‘white gold’ rush
‘;
html += ‘
Read our six-part series about the Nevada communities that are bearing the brunt of the country’s clean energy future.
‘;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘thacker-pass-embed’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-judging-the-judges-2025’)) {
html=””;
html += ‘
html += ‘
JUDGING THE JUDGES 2025
‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘
‘;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘black-book-embed’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-black-book’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ‘‘;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘black-book-embed’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-telles-murder-trial’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘Robert Telles On Trial: Full Coverage‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘telles_murder’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-jeff-german-murder’) || $(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-remembering-jeff-german’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘jeff_german’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-what-are-they-hiding’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘
WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?
‘;
html += ‘
Exposing officials and agencies keeping public records from the public.
‘;
html += ‘
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘2023-year-in-review’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-2023-year-in-review’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘
2023 YEAR IN REVIEW
‘;
html += ‘
CLICK HERE FOR MORE
‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘2023-year-in-review’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-msg-sphere’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘tag-msg-sphere’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-911-anniversary’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘
REMEMBERING 9/11: 20 YEARS LATER
‘;
html += ‘
Looking back at the 2001 terror attacks and how they affected Las Vegas and the world.
‘;
html += ‘
Read more
‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘anniversary-911’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-class-of-2021’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘
MEET THE UNFORGETTABLE CLASS
‘;
html += ‘
html += ‘
html += ‘
html += ‘
‘;
html += ‘
2021
‘;
html += ‘
html += ‘
html += ‘
‘;
html += ‘
‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘class-2021’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-2022-election’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘election-2022’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-harry-reid-1939-2021’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘
html += ‘
Harry Reid
(1939-2021)
‘;
html += ‘
‘;
html += ‘
html += ‘
html += ‘
‘;
html += ‘
html += ‘
Senate leader and Nevada political titan
‘;
html += ‘
Read more
‘;
html += ‘
‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘harry-reid’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-henry-ruggs’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘
html += ‘
HENRY RUGGS
DEADLY CRASH
‘;
html += ‘
‘;
html += ‘
html += ‘
html += ‘
‘;
html += ‘
html += ‘
CLICK FOR MORE
‘;
html += ‘
‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘henry-ruggs’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘category-homicides’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘homicides’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-sheldon-adelson’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘
html += ‘
Sheldon Adelson
(1933-2021)
‘;
html += ‘
‘;
html += ‘
html += ‘
html += ‘
‘;
html += ‘
html += ‘
Las Vegas visionary and Philanthropist.
‘;
html += ‘
Read more
‘;
html += ‘
‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘sheldon-adelson’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-tony-hsieh’)) {
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘
html += ‘
Tony Hsieh
(1973-2020)
‘;
html += ‘
‘;
html += ‘
html += ‘
html += ‘
‘;
html += ‘
html += ‘
Ex-Zappos and Downtown Project CEO left a lasting impression on Las Vegas.
‘;
html += ‘
Read more
‘;
html += ‘
‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘tony-hsieh’).html(html);
return;
}
if ($(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-vegas-weekend’)) { //vegas-reawakening
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ‘
VEGAS REAWAKENING
‘;
html += ‘
A year after the pandemic began, the first weekend of spring showed a perfect storm of promise for Las Vegas’ recovery and brought optimism that visitors would indeed return to the city
‘;
html += ‘
Read more
‘;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).addClass(‘vegas-reawakening’).html(html);
return;
}
//add newsletters embed
var default_category_to_show = [‘News’, ‘Local’, ‘Life’, ‘Crime’];
var newsletter_1st_lv = [];
newsletter_1st_lv[‘default’] = {‘id’:’starting_point,pm_update’, ‘track_name’:’StartingPoint’, ‘title’:’LOCAL NEWS YOUR WAY‘, ‘subtitle’:’Sign up for our free daily Morning and Afternoon Update newsletters.’};
newsletter_1st_lv[‘Sports’] = {‘id’:’sports’, ‘track_name’:’Sports’, ‘title’:’SPORTS NEWS YOUR WAY‘, ‘subtitle’:’Sign up for our free Sports Update newsletter.’};
newsletter_1st_lv[‘Business’] = {‘id’:’business’, ‘track_name’:’Business’, ‘title’:’BUSINESS NEWS YOUR WAY‘, ‘subtitle’:’Sign up for our free Business Update newsletter.’};
newsletter_1st_lv[‘Live Well’] = {‘id’:’livewell’, ‘track_name’:’livewell’, ‘title’:’LIVE WELL NEWSLETTER‘, ‘subtitle’:’Your weekly source for living your healthiest and happiest life.’};
newsletter_1st_lv[‘Entertainment’] = {‘id’:”,’alert_id’:’entertainment’, ‘track_name’:’Entertainment’, ‘title’:’WANT THE LATEST ON LAS VEGAS ENTERTAINMENT?‘, ‘subtitle’:’Sign up for free entertainment email alerts’};
//newsletter_1st_lv[‘Nevada Preps’] = {‘id’:’nevada_preps’, ‘title’:’HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS YOUR WAY‘, ‘subtitle’:’Stay up to date with our free Nevada Preps newsletter.’};
//newsletter_1st_lv[‘Investigations’] = {‘id’:’rj_investigates’, ‘title’:’INVESTIGATIVE NEWS YOUR WAY‘, ‘subtitle’:’Sign up for our free RJ Investigates newsletter.’};
var cat_has_subcat = [‘News’,’Business’,’Entertainment’,’Sports’, ‘Opinion’];
var newsletter_2nd_lv = [];
newsletter_2nd_lv[‘Politics and Government’] = {‘id’:”,’alert_id’:’political’, ‘track_name’:’Political’, ‘title’:’LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL POLITICS COVERAGE‘, ‘subtitle’:’
Sign up for our free RJ politics email alerts.
‘};
//newsletter_2nd_lv[‘Politics and Government’] = {‘id’:’political’, ‘title’:’ELECTION 2020: BE INFORMED’, ‘subtitle’:’
Sign up for our free RJ Politics newsletter.
‘};
//newsletter_2nd_lv[‘Debra J. Saunders’] = {‘id’:’44’, ‘title’:’YOUR WEEKLY POLITICAL FIX‘, ‘subtitle’:’Sign up for our free DC-LV newsletter with political stories from the swamp to the Strip.’};
//newsletter_2nd_lv[‘CES 2021’] = {‘id’:’ces’, ‘title’:’CES 2021: STAY IN THE KNOW’, ‘subtitle’:’
Sign up for our free newsletter below.’};
//newsletter_2nd_lv[‘TV’] = {‘id’:’tv_briefing’, ‘title’:’GET YOUR TV LISTINGS‘, ‘subtitle’:’Your Weekly TV Briefing.’};
//newsletter_2nd_lv[‘UNLV’] = {‘id’:’unlv_rebel_news’, ‘title’:’UNLV SPORTS YOUR WAY‘, ‘subtitle’:’Stay up to date on the Rebels with our free newsletter.’};
newsletter_2nd_lv[‘Rodeo’] = {‘id’:’rodeo_nfr’, ‘track_name’:’RodeoNFR’, ‘title’:’RODEO NEWS YOUR WAY‘, ‘subtitle’:’Don’t miss any of the action! Click here for full NFR coverage or Sign up for our free newsletter below’};
newsletter_2nd_lv[‘Raiders News’] = {‘id’:’vegasnation’, ‘track_name’:’VegasNation’, ‘title’:’WANT EVEN MORE RAIDERS NEWS?‘, ‘subtitle’:’Sign up for our free Vegas Nation newsletter.’};
newsletter_2nd_lv[‘Golden Knights’] = {‘id’:”,’alert_id’:’golden_knights’, ‘track_name’:’GoldenKnights’, ‘title’:’WANT MORE KNIGHTS IN YOUR DAY?‘, ‘subtitle’:’Sign up for free Golden Knights email alerts for all the latest updates’};
var main_cat=””;
var m_hierarchy = [];
var m_cat = [];
var m_hl_cat=””;
if (window.dataLayer[0].metrics) {
main_cat = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.section; //National Finals Rodeo
m_hierarchy = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.hierarchy.split(‘ | ‘); //”Sports | Rodeo | National Finals Rodeo”
m_cat = window.dataLayer[0].metrics.categories; //[“National Finals Rodeo”,”Rodeo”,”Sports”]
m_hl_cat = window.dataLayer[0].metrics[‘hl-category’]; //Sports
}
var i, k, found, newsletter;
newsletter = false;
found = false;
if (default_category_to_show.includes(m_hl_cat)) {
newsletter = newsletter_1st_lv[‘default’];
}
if (newsletter_1st_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_hl_cat)) {
newsletter = newsletter_1st_lv[m_hl_cat];
}
// check main category
if (newsletter_2nd_lv.hasOwnProperty(main_cat)) {
found = true;
newsletter = newsletter_2nd_lv[main_cat];
}
if (!found) {
// check in hierarchy (main category hierarchy)
i = m_hierarchy.length;
while (!found && i >= 0) {
i–;
if (i > 0) {
if (newsletter_2nd_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_hierarchy[i])) {
found = true;
newsletter = newsletter_2nd_lv[m_hierarchy[i]];
}
} else {
// i=0, check first level
if (newsletter_1st_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_hierarchy[i])) {
found = true;
newsletter = newsletter_1st_lv[m_hierarchy[i]];
}
}
}
}
if (!found) {
// check in category
i = m_cat.length;
while (!found && i > 0 && cat_has_subcat.includes(m_hl_cat)) {
i–;
if (newsletter_2nd_lv.hasOwnProperty(m_cat[i])) {
found = true;
newsletter = newsletter_2nd_lv[m_cat[i]];
}
}
}
if (newsletter !== false && !$(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘tag-hide-newsletter’) && !$(‘.rj-story-full’).hasClass(‘ rj-story-sponsored-full’)) {
var alert_id = ”;
if (newsletter.alert_id) {
alert_id = newsletter.alert_id;
}
html=””;
html += ”;
html += ”;
html += ”;
$(‘.nlsm-small’).html(html);
}
//});
})(jQuery);
Nevada
Exclusive | California’s illegal fireworks trade fueled by nefarious interstate pipeline
California fireworks fans hungry for more high-powered pyrotechnics not sold in the state are heading for the Nevada border to get their illegal Fourth of July fix.
The Golden State only sells firecrackers that are certified “safe and sane” and sold by licensed sellers. But dozens of dealers in Nevada just miles from the California border have become a magnet for buyers looking for a bigger bang.
At Cosmic Boom Fireworks in Amargosa Valley, cashier Jovon Oseguera said business has picked up sharply among Californians.
“It’s making [us] busier, people from everywhere just come by in the past week or so with roughly 25 to 30% of customers in a day from California,” he said.
Oseguera said Californians are drawn to higher powered aerials “mostly mortar shells and fireworks cakes” they can’t buy in their own state.
At a Fourth of July party last year, a man lit an illegal $400 cake containing professional-grade explosives that malfunctioned and killed an 8-year-old girl.
“A lot of them ask if they can take the fireworks back across the state line, but I tell them there’s not much [they] could really take back, except… really small stuff,” Oseguera added.
While some Nevada stores require that customers fill out forms for their purchases, his shop only checks that buyers are over 18.
A worker at Blackjack Fireworks in Pahrump, Nevada, said that the shop attracts hundreds of buyers from outside Nevada, with a significant number arriving from California during the week of July 4.
“If you come to the store, there will be several hundred cars all year round,” said the employee, who declined to provide her name.
The staffer said some choose light the fireworks off near Walker Lake on the Nevada side, but the shop doesn’t keep track of where buyers go after their shopping sprees.
“I have no business asking where they are coming from or what their final destination will be, as it will be a violation of their rights,” the worker said.
Getty Images
According to the latest California Department of Public Health data from 2023, the state saw 200 nonfatal hospitalizations and 718 emergency department visits due to fireworks.
In 2024, Cal Fire reported over 1,200 illegal fireworks-related fires and hundreds of injuries.
“Each year, we continue to see illegal fireworks, particularly those purchased online or shipped into California from out of state, pose a significant threat to public safety, property, and our natural resources,” a Cal Fire spokesperson told The California Post.
While Cal Fire could not share details about sensitive operations ahead of July 4 or ongoing investigations, the department is “working in close partnership with local, state, federal, and out-of-state law enforcement agencies to investigate the illegal sale, distribution, and use of dangerous fireworks.”
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman urged the residents to report illegal fireworks activity, saying that celebrations with illegal fireworks and explosives are not harmless entertainment.
“These devices can kill people, causing devastating injuries and destroying entire neighborhoods,” he said.
The DA is also currently investigating several cases of illegal fireworks possession.
- East Los Angeles/Pico Rivera: Four individuals were charged after approximately 8,500 pounds of illegal fireworks and homemade explosive devices seized on June 22, 2026.
- South Los Angeles: Over 37,000 pounds of fireworks were discovered at a residence on May 27, 2026, leading to charges against four p eople, including child abuse charges for two defendants due to a child living in the home.
- 6th Street Bridge: Three individuals face 21 felony counts each after the LAPD Bomb Squad recovered homemade explosives from a car on May 2, 2026.
- Whittier: A seizure on January 13, 2026, uncovered over 24,000 pounds of fireworks and explosive-making materials in a storage unit near a preschool.
Nevada
How Chinese-Americans contributed to mining in Nevada
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — We’re celebrating America’s 250th birthday this weekend, and that means looking at some of the people who helped build our country into what it is today.
One group with a large impact on the country, including Nevada, is the Chinese.
In fact, Chinese-Americans were involved in mining in Nevada, and an exhibit at the Clark County Government Center is showcasing their contributions.
Dr. Zhida Song-James, curator of the exhibit, and Moon Xia, vice president of the Nevada Chinese American Association, joined us to share more about this part of Nevada history.
The exhibit is on display now through July 16.
-
Health2 minutes agoThe ‘1776 Diet’: What Americans really ate during the nation’s founding
-
Sports9 minutes agoKylian Mbappé’s seventh goal of the World Cup lifts France past Paraguay in physical Round of 16 match
-
Business17 minutes agoCalifornia is bringing back EV rebates. This is how to get one
-
Entertainment24 minutes agoComedy saved her life. Now Teruko Nakajima’s ‘Made in America’ is saving others
-
Politics32 minutes agoLegal correspondent Paula Reid expected to join MS NOW after CNN departure
-
Sports42 minutes agoFour more Dodgers players selected as National League All-Stars
-
World54 minutes ago80 vials of fentanyl stolen from Rome hospital
-
News1 hour agoCrowds ordered to evacuate National Mall area as stormy weather slams DC