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World-famous rock climber celebrates unanimously passed ‘EXPLORE Act’

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World-famous rock climber celebrates unanimously passed ‘EXPLORE Act’


Since moving to Las Vegas eight years ago, rock climber Alex Honnold has become all too familiar with the dangers of scaling Nevada’s high mountains.

Honnold starred in the Oscar-winning documentary “Free Solo” for his climb of Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan rock wall without ropes or other support. But lately, he’s an advocate for making climbing safer, especially through a piece of legislation signed into law this month by then-President Joe Biden.

“It’s rare for something like the EXPLORE Act to pass unanimously in the House and Senate,” Honnold said Friday, with Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area’s massive, bright hills behind him. “There aren’t that many winning issues, but everybody loves outdoor recreation.”

Honnold, who said he’s climbed the entire north-to-south expanse of Red Rock in 36 hours, joined U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., and other recreation advocates to celebrate Congress’ passage of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, a large package of bills targeted at recreation.

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Rock climbing protected

Lee co-sponsored two bills underneath the umbrella of the package: the Biking On Long-Distance Trails (BOLT) Act and the Protecting America’s Rock Climbing (PARC) Act, both of which she said have implications for her district, which contains land as far north as Red Rock and as far southeast as Searchlight.

Outdoor recreation is an $8.1 billion industry in Nevada, state estimates show, and Red Rock welcomes about 3 million climbers every year, officials said.

“The EXPLORE Act is the most comprehensive upgrade to federal recreation policy in recent history,” said Elisabeth Johnson, deputy administrator of the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation. “This is especially pivotal for Nevada.”

Lee said she noticed a need for the PARC Act when the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service proposed classifying fixed anchors, or the permanent hardware bolted into mountains for climbers to secure themselves, as prohibited in wilderness areas. The law now protects these fixed anchors, of which there are thousands across Southern Nevada.

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“This is really about making sure that we continue to build on this incredible resource we have, but also doing it safely,” Lee said.

The BOLT Act will direct the Interior Department to identify, map and promote at least 10 long-distance, outdoor biking trails — usually ones that span multiple states. It’s unclear yet which ones may be identified.

Lee, who is consistently ranked one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and serves as the House Democratic Caucus’ battleground leadership representative, said she’s proud of how well-supported the legislation package was across the aisle.

“In today’s environment, as we all know, bipartisanship — sometimes it’s a little bit difficult to achieve,” Lee said. “But this bill was so important because it really brought together Democrats and Republicans across the country.”

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

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Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads

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Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads


A string of deadly crashes in and around Pahrump has prompted Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill to push for more safety measures along dark, sidewalk-free roads.

“The worst penalty is death, if you consider that,” McGill said.

The recent deaths include a single-vehicle rollover on State Route 160 during the morning hours of the last Wednesday in January that killed one person and injured another.

Then, into February, two pedestrians were killed in less than three days.

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The first was a 7 p.m. crash on Quarter Horse Avenue. Investigators believe a 2006 Jeep Liberty was driving on the street when it hit a pedestrian, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

A few days later, this last Saturday, state troopers responded to a crash just after sundown at Charleston Park Avenue. A sedan hit a pedestrian, who was also pronounced dead at the scene.

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Nevada State Police investigators are still investigating both pedestrian cases before more details are released.

McGill said the recent crashes were enough to spur action.

“When the third one came out, I was sitting at home and watching TV. I looked at my wife and I said, ‘We got to do something about this,’” McGill said.

McGill is responding with a reflective vest giveaway, pointing to limited infrastructure as a possible factor. He noted a lack of street lights off State Route 160 and no sidewalks inside the community.

“The only light that you have is the ambient light from houses and cars so it is really dark,” McGill said.

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John Treanor of AAA Nevada said poor visibility can quickly turn dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians.

“It is very easy to be confronted with a situation that you cannot see coming because the visibility might be bad,” Treanor said.

Treanor encouraged pedestrians to carry lights and drivers to be prepared if they end up outside their vehicles in dark conditions.

“Having lights on you. Even carrying a flashlight allows something where a driver can see it,” Treanor said. “If you are a driver, make sure you have the right stuff in your car, in case you do get in a situation where you are on the side of the road and now you are in dark. Make sure you have a kit with some reflectors, some lights. Anything the trunk of your car in case you need it.”

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McGill said vigilance is important even in daylight.

“Any time of the day, you have got to be vigilant. You have to keep aware of your surroundings if you are a walker or on a bicycle or if you are the driver,” he said.

Authorities also urged caution as more people may pull off roads in rocky areas along the route toward Death Valley National Park during springtime blooms, increasing the need for drivers and pedestrians to stay alert.

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Mansion on the Nevada Side of Lake Tahoe Swiftly Sells for $46 Million

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Mansion on the Nevada Side of Lake Tahoe Swiftly Sells for  Million


A waterfront mansion on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe just sold for $46 million, less than three weeks after hitting the market. 

The speedy deal marks a departure from the typical U.S. market.

Nationwide, homes took a median 78 days to land a buyer in January, five more than the same time last year and the 22nd straight month of homes taking longer to sell on a year-over-year basis, according to data from Realtor.com. 

Mansion Global Boutique: Book Lovers Rejoice: 8 Must-Haves To Build Your Perfect Reading Nook

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The lavish log cabin-like residence, in Incline Village, listed on Jan. 24 for $47.5 million. It sold 20 days later, on Feb. 13, listing records show. 

The more than 7,000-square-foot residence was built in 2014, and has double-height living spaces, walls of windows, beamed ceilings, fireplaces, and plenty of rustic exposed stone and wood, listing images show. 

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There’s also a gym, a wet bar, a spa, a wine room, an office, two separate game rooms, seven bedrooms and dramatic Lake Tahoe views. Outside, there’s a private sandy beach, multiple decks, a heated driveway and two exterior fireplaces, according to listing information. 

MORE: Visited by Kings and Larger Than Manhattan, Giant Scottish Estate Asks £67 Million

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The seller and the buyer are both limited liability companies, according to property records. Both parties were represented by Jeff Brown of Tahoe Mountain Realty, who declined to comment on the deal. 

The median home price in Incline Village was $1.595 million as of December, a fall of 3.3% from a year earlier, according to data from Realtor.com. Listings, meanwhile, spent an average of 130 days on the market. 



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Green Valley edges Liberty in Class 5A softball — PHOTOS

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Green Valley edges Liberty in Class 5A softball — PHOTOS