Paul Pearson’s tour of impactful stories from 2023

As the digital content planning producer for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, I could be working one topic one day and a completely different topic the next. My position does not come with a natural “beat.”

And as this brief tour of 2023 shows, my position also doesn’t have many dull moments.

We begin this tour with some politics.

Sponsor blames ‘Woke Marxists’ for scrapped Kyle Rittenhouse event in Las Vegas

Rittenhouse is best known for being acquitted in 2021 in a deadly shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Back in January, a gun rights group planned to hold a “private reception” for Rittenhouse at the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian. But the day the event was due to take place, a spokesperson for the shops sent an email saying, “Our tenant informed us that they have canceled the event.”

A little entertainment next.

Want to usher in U2? MSG Sphere looking to hire 3K workers

It seems the only thing bigger than the 580,000-square-foot-exterior was the public’s interest in Las Vegas’ newest entertainment venue. Even this story about the jobs available at the Sphere generated thousands of page views.

What else did it generate? A few emails to this author from readers who wanted one of those jobs.

From the spectacular to the heartwarming…

Ex-motel gets new mission: Helping the homeless

This story is not as flashy as anything about the Sphere, but it does show the continuing efforts in this community to help those who are less fortunate.

The former Safari Motel in downtown Las Vegas has been turned into the BETterment Community, a bridge housing program for the homeless that offers services such as counseling and employment assistance. The program is run by the nonprofit U.S. Vets and is based on a similar one it offers for veterans.

Now let’s take a detour into the workings of our state government.

DMV changing its walk-in, appointment calendars

You’d be hard pressed to find someone who enjoys a visit to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, but in June the DMV made things a little bit easier with “Walk-in Wednesdays,” which let customers visit the department’s offices without booking an appointment first.

And while we’re on the subject of motor vehicles…

I-15 opens ‘part-time’ lane near Primm

The lines on Interstate 15 heading to California after a weekend or holiday are legendary. So when the California Department of Transportation announced the opening of a “part-time” lane to traffic on southbound I-15, motorists rejoiced.

Don’t get me wrong. You’ll still wait in long lines if you want to drive to Los Angeles on a Sunday afternoon. The traffic hasn’t gone away altogether.

Maybe that can be part of the 2024 tour.

Contact Paul Pearson at ppearson@reviewjournal.com.