Compromises make special session unlikely

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Gov. Jim Gibbons and most of the legislative leadership on Tuesday announced budget compromises on education and other major issues that had threatened to extend the session past its Monday adjournment date.

The deal, which proposes no new taxes, includes expanding all-day kindergarten to 63 new schools at a cost of $15 million. The agreement also includes almost $10 million for an empowerment program at 29 additional schools statewide, at a cost of $400 per pupil.

The deal will also keep the state’s modified business tax at 0.63 percent.

Meanwhile, the highway funding bill hit a road bump when two Democratic senators threatened Friday to hold up passage to divert three existing taxes to a road building fund.

The Democrats objected to putting only $1 billion toward the state’s $5 billion highway construction shortfall.

The bill would allow the state to float a $1 billion bond and begin work on some highway projects. Others would have to wait.

MONDAY

8-year-old home from hospital

Zion Castillo, 8, headed home from the hospital with two broken legs, three days after his 4-year-old sister was killed when she was run over in her stroller in a hit-and-run wreck in North Las Vegas.

Zion and his mother, Yolanda Shirley, survived being struck by a 1994 Honda that killed Ziyana Castillo.

The family had been walking along Civic Center Drive near Lake Mead Boulevard about 11:30 a.m. May 25 when the speeding Civic drove up onto the sidewalk and struck them.

Christian Cortes, 18, ran away after the crash but later surrendered to police. He faces numerous felony charges.

TUESDAY

Condo inventory projections dip

Potential inventory levels declined for the first time since the condo boom struck Las Vegas in 2003, according to a report by Brian Gordon, principal of Applied Analysis, a Las Vegas financial consulting firm.

The report showed there are 4,214 existing units with another 13,409 under construction. Most of those have been sold or reserved.

Industry insiders said many high-rise condos are being put back on the market for resale and, like single-family detached homes, are not selling.

WEDNESDAY

Henderson officer shot in standoff

Veteran Henderson police officer Joe Yzaguirre was shot after he and five other officers responded to 608 Breezy Sage Court, near Boulder Highway and College Drive, about 7:15 a.m. after receiving a 911 call that shots had been fired inside the house.

The officers ran into the house and gathered outside the second-floor bedroom holding a woman and her estranged husband.

Yzaguirre tried to kick in the door and was shot in the leg. Yzaguirre and four other officers returned fire through the closed door.

Four hours later, a police robot found the two bodies.

The Clark County coroner’s office said Friday that Naira Villarreal-Gonzalez, 21, had died from multiple gunshot and stab wounds. The man’s identity was withheld. Police believe the man shot Yzaguirre.

Police said they don’t think their bullets hit the woman.

THURSDAY

Contract expires for casino workers

Despite months of negotiations between the Culinary Workers Local 226 and casino management, some 50,000 Strip and downtown hotel-casino workers watched their work contract expire.

Union officials said Tuesday that additional meetings with representatives of the largest gaming companies, were planned.

D. Taylor, the Culinary’s secretary-treasurer, said the union plans to begin holding contract talks shortly with smaller casino operators.

Workers covered by the Culinary contracts will continue to be employed indefinitely under the old agreements.

FRIDAY

Obama drops in seeking votes

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., campaigned in Las Vegas, making appearances at the Culinary union and Silverado High School.

Obama was one of three Democratic presidential candidates to visit Southern Nevada last week.

His visit fell between a visit from Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., on Wednesday and former Sen. John Edwards, who addressed the Culinary union on Saturday.

COMPILED BY FRANCIS McCABE

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