Denmark to Work with Nevada on Renewable Energy

Governor Joe Lombardo has signed a Declaration of Understanding with Denmark’s ambassador to the United States, Jesper Møller Sørensen, to explore opportunities to work more closely on renewable energy projects. One of the first collaborations will target the establishment of a renewable energy powered industrial park in Lincoln County. The collaboration is projected to attract $260 million in investment and create 150 jobs. Lincoln County has made a 200-acre site available for development that has access to rail with the ability to transport the newly created biofuel internationally.

Nevadans at Highest Risk for Cybercrime in the Country

A recent study conducted by NetworkBuildz found that Nevadans are at the highest risk for cybercrime in the country. The study relied on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) annual internet crime reports from 2018 to 2022. The data combined the number of cyberattacks reported over the five-year period and calculated the number of victims per 100,000 people in each state to devise a ranking. According to the report, Nevada had 1,756 cyberattacks per 100,000 people. Alaska ranked second with 1,153 attacks. Nevada recorded 54,515 cyberattacks during the time period tracked which equates to a total victim loss of over $320 million.

Clark County Funds Crime Victim Services through Resiliency & Justice Center

The Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada announced that Clark County has awarded funding for the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center, which will now be named the Resiliency & Justice Center. Born after the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival on October 1, 2017, the center was southern Nevada’s first multi-agency collaborative comprehensively serving survivors of mass crime. The additional funding from Clark County allows the center to expand its services to all survivors of violent crime and assist any future mass violence incidents that may occur. The Clark County Office of Emergency Management will activate the Resiliency & Justice Center during any community incident of mass violence, as it did recently for the mass shooting at UNLV late last year.

Impact Las Vegas to Award Grant to Local Nonprofit

Currently seeking applications, Impact Las Vegas, a nonprofit women’s giving circle, plans to award over $100,000 to a southern Nevada charitable organization in May of this year. Impact consists of women who donate at least $1,000 in a year. Those donations are pooled and given out as an annual grant to a deserving nonprofit. The money will be given to an organization to fund a program in one of five focus areas: culture, education, environment, family or health and wellness.

Food Bank of Northern Nevada Receives Funding for Prescription Pantry Program

The Food Bank of Northern Nevada (FBNN) announced a $450,000 grant from the Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the Elevance Health Foundation, to continue the “Food as Medicine” Prescription Pantry program. The initiative will support the food bank with $150,000 each year for the next three years. FBNN will collaborate with local healthcare partners to screen patients for food insecurity during healthcare visits. The partner will then connect patients to food assistance resources onsite and at community-based food pantries and meal programs. The initiative is expected to help 30,000 people facing hunger annually and distribute healthy food options.

Housing Supply Tightens, Slowing Sales

According to a report from Las Vegas Realtors ® (LVR), last year was the lowest year for southern Nevada home sales in at least a decade. Regardless, in 2023, home prices increased slightly but remain below the all-time record high of $482,000 set in May 2022. In addition, the southern Nevada market remains tight with only 3,766 single-family homes listed for sale in December without an offer. That’s down 39.4 percent from the previous year. In addition, according to Redfin, the median price of a home in Reno was up by 6.7 percent compared to the previous December. There were 202 homes sold during that time frame, a decrease of 19.5 percent year over year.

Roseman University Unveils Plans for Expansion

Expanding the school’s Summerlin Campus, Roseman University of Health Sciences recently unveiled a three-phase plan of growth, including relocating the Henderson campus to Summerlin to consolidate operations. According to a study commissioned by the school, by 2032, the capital projects included in the university’s strategic growth plan will generation $1.86 billion in economic impact, support 10,624 jobs and generate $37.5 million in tax revenue. The Summerlin campus currently spans 14 acres and has three buildings totaling 431,425 square feet. The three phase plan will stretch eight years and include an additional 540,000 square feet of education buildings, an events center and a retail center. The expansion will be constructed on 32 acres of vacant land adjacent to the campus and owned by the university.

UNLV Receives Equipment to Power On-Campus Gaming Center

HyperX Arena Las Vegas, in partnership with parent company, Allied Esports, has donated gaming equipment to University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) to support the launch of an on-campus gaming center for students. Located in the Tonopah dormitory at UNLV, the Tonopah Esports Lounge will be open daily and equipped with the latest in gaming technology. The lounge is anticipated to help faculty and students in their pursuit of teaching, learning and research in the esports field.

BLM Releases Revised Environmental Review for Solar

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently released a revised environmental review of the Western Solar Plan, known as the Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). The revised document governs leasing public lands for solar. The revision opens 22 million acres of federal land for solar development. In addition, the proposal also identifies 200,000 acres of land near transmission infrastructure. The proposal updates a decades-old plan. The PEIS encompasses areas with high solar potential and low resource conflicts and includes Nevada among the states for potential growth.