Properties prepare to welcome tourists; locals worry about safety amid possible travel resurgence

Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, 9:35pm

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — As many casino and hotel properties prepare to welcome tourists back next week, some locals wonder how Las Vegas will handle a travel spike in a new age of social distancing.

Gaming properties are allowed to open their doors on June 4, so downtown owner and CEO Derek Stevens wants to give things an extra boost.

“I just want to get things going,” Stevens, owner of the D and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino told 8 News Now, “and jump start things as much as possible.”

Stevens announced his “Keep America Flying” promotion Wednesday, offering 1,700 free, one-way tickets to Las Vegas from 20 major cities across the country.

“We’ve got to get people back to work,” Stevens added. “So it’s good for us.”

The trips were claimed in a matter of hours, showing signs of a coming tourist demand.

Some locals told 8 News Now they’re excited, while others wish travelers would wait a little longer... Read More

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Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, 8:40pm

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Metro police are investigating the death of an inmate who was on house arrest. Police found the inmate on Wednesday morning after learning their ankle monitor had lost power.

After knocking on the inmate’s door with no answer, police entered to perform a welfare check. There, the inmate was found dead.

Police say there was no evidence suggesting the inmate was the victim of a crime. They believe the inmate may have had a medical episode.

The deceased was booked into Clark County Detention Center on March 26 on robbery charges and was released to house arrest earlier this week.

Police had yet to release the inmate’s identification... Read More

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Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, 7:08pm

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Metro police are asking for the public’s help in finding a missing 13-year-old girl. Police say Alajah Zurita was last seen at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday near the 7500 block of Oso Blanca in Las Vegas.

Alajah is 4′ tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. Officials say she was last seen wearing a black shirt with black leggings and no shoes.

Police fear she may be in severe emotional distress and in need of medical assistance.

If you have any information, call the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department – Missing Persons Detail at (702) 828-2907 or (702) 828-3111... Read More

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Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, 6:59pm

CARSON CITY, Nev. (KLAS) — Gov. Steve Sisolak has tested negative for COVID-19 after learning of possible exposure to the virus on Tuesday.

According to the governor’s office, he visited the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation’s Carson City offices late last week where an employee later tested positive. The employee was not in the building at the time.

The possibility of exposure led Sisolak to cancel his in-person press conference regarding Phase 2 of Nevada’s Roadmap to Recovery on May 26. ... Read More

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Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, 6:10pm

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A man is set to be sentenced later this year after pleading guilty to charges stemming from a DUI crash last summer. Daniel Lovato pleaded guilty on Wednesday to “driving under the influence resulting in substantial bodily harm.”

Lovato reportedly told police at the scene of the crash he was on the way to the liquor store when the crash happened. Lovato refused to take a breathalyzer test, and was unable to pass a field sobriety test because he didn’t follow directions, police said. He was given three chances before he was taken for a blood alcohol test. Results were not released.

A witness to the July 23 crash told police there was “a little vodka bottle” inside Lovato’s 2019 Chevrolet Silverado pickup... Read More

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Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, 5:49pm

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Just in time for the weekend, bars across the valley are preparing to reopen.

During Phase 2, bars and taverns that don’t serve food can reopen at 50% capacity and with strict social distancing. Guests wanting to order a drink will not be allowed to walk up to the bar, but will have a server come to them.

“It’s been a little different,” said Amy Vandermark, marketing manager for Distill Bar. “Our amazing guests who are normally sitting at the bar are sitting at lounge tables and enjoying our dining room. They’re getting a little bit of a different feel of your local bar.”

Bar areas within restaurants will also reopen. If you’re planning to sit at the bar, it will have to be six feet apart from other people.

At Distill in the Northwest, they’re turning on these gaming machines and preparing the bar area as they await even more guidance from the Nevada Gaming Control Board... Read More

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Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, 5:16pm

NEW YORK (AP/KLAS) — Discount goods retailer Tuesday Morning has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and becomes the fifth major retailer in the U.S. to do so since the pandemic.

As part of the bankruptcy reorganization, the Dallas-based chain said Wednesday it plans to close approximately 230 of its 687 stores over the summer to focus on high-performing locations and will do so with a phased approach.

The Las Vegas area has four Tuesday Morning locations and according to the filed documents, the Southern Nevada locations do not appear on the first phase list of the 130 stores closing.

LOCATIONS IN LAS VEGAS- HENDERSON AREA... Read More

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