Best of 2023: Top 5 stories by Ricardo Torres-Cortez

Aboard public transportation, in a small, storied Moapa neighborhood, at eviction court hearings, and on the streets, where the homeless population increased to a seven-year-high, the Las Vegas Review-Journal took a close look into how housing and public safety issues affect Southern Nevadans in 2023.

‘Why my kids?’ Empty kitchen haunts NLV parents of crash victims

Sitting in their now-nearly empty house in January, Erlinda Zacarias and Jesus Mejia-Santana were ready to observe the grim first anniversary of the day an impaired driver plowed into the family’s minivan and killed all seven of their children, who ranged from ages 5 to 35.

“The kitchen was never used again,” the father said of the place that was once was the home’s liveliest.

In this neighborhood, neglect floods the streets every time it rains

Residents of the majority-Latino Lytle Ranch neighborhood, located about 60 miles north of Las Vegas, are fed up with the poor flood-control infrastructure and Clark County’s inaction to pave their streets.

Any rainfall, they said, causes terror because they know what’s coming: flooding that washes away their dirt roads.

“It’s just like if we were in the middle of a lake,” said resident Alma Perez about a March storm. “It was just flowing, all the ground was covered. If we needed to get out, it’ll be like we would’ve had halfway-up-our-leg water.”

‘A real fear’: Drivers, passengers sound alarm about violence on public buses

The union that represents Regional Transportation Commission bus drivers has been sounding the alarm about safety concerns. The Review-Journal spent weeks riding different routes to get a first-hand look at the day-to-day challenges facing drivers.

“We’re a microcosm of what’s happening in our community, and the community saw an increase in crimes and, unfortunately, so did we,” now-former RTC deputy CEO Francis Julian said in an interview.

A veteran’s eviction was halted at the last minute. Many more aren’t as fortunate

The end of state eviction protections, lagging rental-assistance programs, and economic turmoil throughout the year resulted in an explosion of evictions.

Burke Hall, whose broken-down vehicle triggered a cascading effect of economic woes, packed up his apartment, uncertain about where he and his children would live.

A nonprofit helped pay his rent, but Clark County’s rental assistance program didn’t come through before his eviction hearing.

“I’ll be living in my car, and I’m one of the lucky ones,” Hall said the day before the landlord was expected to lock him out of the apartment. “I have a car to live in. A lot of the families living out on the street, they don’t have that; they need our help.”

Those living on the streets faced continued threats from floods in underground tunnels.

Las Vegas and Henderson officials petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case that can determine whether their so-called camping bans are constitutional.

Las Vegas approved the creation of an “order out corridor” surrounding downtown tourist attractions for those facing jail sentences for misdemeanor crimes committed in the area. The new mandate makes it a crime for those who receive the court order to enter the area for up to one year.

And earlier this month at a sidewalk homeless encampment, one man was killed and four others wounded by a gunman who remains at large.

Pickleball craze spreads in Southern Nevada

In a lighter story, the Review-Journal looked into the growing popularity of pickleball and how local governments are trying to build enough courts to meet burgeoning demand.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.