LAS VEGAS, Nev. (KTNV)— The Lucky Club Casino in North Las Vegas is being revamped and rebranded to become the nation's first Latino-themed casino.

The new casino will be called Ojos Locos Sports Cantina y Casino at Hotel Jefe.

The Las Vegas area is home to a large Latino community, and they are excited to be represented in a casino.

"Hopefully everyone will want to improve a little here and there and make things better and grow in a positive way. Give the community service we all deserve," said Ana Tare, manager of Hamburger Hut.

Tare explained that people in all walks of life, generation after generation have come through her doors. She hopes the casino will encourage other businesses to come into the area and serve its diverse community.

"I believe there is a positive impact for success for everyone in the community. For Blacks, whites and Hispanics. It does bring a lot of business as well when something improves the community like this. It should be something that profoundly benefits everyone. It has for us even though we’re a hole in the wall," says Tare.

The plan is to begin operations at the new casino by the end of 2022. This will be the second casino owned by Fifth Street Gaming. The company also owns the Silver Nugget Casino.

This story was originally reported by Bree Guy on ktnv.com.

It's getting more expensive to live in Las Vegas. Rent has jumped for tenants who live in Sin City's metro area.

Las Vegas area resident Lamesha Rowe said she doesn't know what she's going to do. The rent just increased for her North Las Vegas home near Gowan Road and Clayton Street.

"It went up $205, which is a big increase. I wasn't prepared for that," Rowe said.

Rowe said she has applied to be in a program to help people in her situation. Making matters worse, Rowe lost her childcare job during the pandemic. Even though she's working again, she's still playing catch up.

"Behind on rent. Still behind a little bit on utilities, water, gas, electric. But it's definitely, it's scary at this point. I'm just thinking like, 'what are we going to do next?'" Rowe said.

Rowe says she applied for assistance from a program offered in her area called the CARES Housing Assistance Program, or CHAP, to see if she can get some help.

But she isn't alone in this struggle. According to Rent.com, Las Vegas rental prices jumped nearly 30% last year. Keith Thomsen with Large Vision Property Management says some had it even worse.

"Some owners socked it to them. I mean, 33 percent, 40 percent raises in rents, which has created tremendous problems for these tenants," Thomsen said.

PRICED OUT

Thomsen says in some cases, tenants are being forced to find roommates.

"You're seeing more and more people move in with family and friends. You're seeing more and more families grouped together...our biggest thing that we're seeing now is people who do apply aren't making the three-times-the-rent standard," Thomsen said.

To make matters worse, Thomsen expects the rental market to heat up, as potential homebuyers face climbing home prices and interest rates.

"They will be coming back into the rental market, and I think those people will start driving up the rental prices again...I see that becoming a problem," Thomsen said. "We do not have enough houses or rentals in this city for the number of people who live here."

"I think by the end of this year, rents will start going back up again," he said.

ANY RELIEF?

So the real question is when can renters expect to finally see some relief? Some say that may not happen.

Rent.com says hot markets are remaining hot, so don't expect to see a decrease any time soon.

In fact, Rent.com data journalist Jon Leckie said he would be surprised if rents ever return to pre-pandemic levels, even if they level off some. Thomsen agrees.

"As more sports teams come here and as we grow into so many more avenues where we didn't have before, yeah, we're going to become the expensive city to live in," Thomsen said.

That's not very reassuring news for renters like Lamesha Rowe.

"I don't know what to do at this point. I don't know, because again, I'm behind, and I haven't really been able to set aside any savings," Rowe said.

WORK WITH LANDLORD

Rowe is working with her landlord and keeping him aware of her situation. She says other struggling renters should do the same.

"I've already let him know. Going into March, I'm trying to catch up," Rowe said.

But if she can't get help from CHAP, Rowe admits she might have to make a difficult decision.

"I'd have to leave the state. I have no family here. I'd have to go back to California, which is ridiculous," she said.

If you're struggling to pay your rent, the CARES Housing Assistance Program, or CHAP, may be able to help.

This story was originally published by Tricia Kean of KTNV in Las Vegas, Nevada.

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — President Joe Biden is expected in Las Vegas Saturday to attend a memorial service for former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who died last week from pancreatic cancer.

Organizers of the memorial service at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts confirmed the president is expected to attend.

Reid was Nevada's longest-serving senator. He and the president worked closely with each other for two decades in the Senate and for the eight years Biden was vice president in the Obama administration.

Biden previously issued a statement on Reid's passing in which he called the former senator one of "the all-time great Senate Majority Leaders in our history," "a dear friend," and "a giant of our history."

On January 12th, Senator Harry Reid will lie in state in the United States Capitol Rotunda.

It will be an honor to pay tribute to him in the Capitol next week.

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 3, 2022

Reid will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol next week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said.

This story was originally reported on ktnv.com.

LAS VEGAS — A newly-released 911 call recording from the night of a UNLV fraternity's amateur charity boxing event is shining more light on what happened in the moments after a participant collapsed.

He died days later.

Nathan Valencia, 20, died on Nov. 23 after taking part in a boxing match on Nov. 19.

His death was ruled a homicide by the coroner's office.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department told 13 Action News in a statement, "Although Mr. Valencia's death is tragic, the circumstances surrounding his death are not criminal, and no charges will be filed."

The agency says the definition of homicide is "an act of a human killing another person" and that it did not have information that there is any criminality on the part of the venue.

Meanwhile, the Nevada State Athletic Commission investigates the "fight night" event.

Below is a transcript of the 911 call obtained by 13 Action News and provided by Clark County. The transcript has been shortened for clarity, and parts of the recording have been redacted, per HIPAA.

Caller: We are at the Sahara Event Center. There's a roller hockey rink. We need medics here like right now.

911 Operator: What's the number that you're calling from? What happened?

Caller: So we're hosting a fight night for a fraternity's charity, and something happened, and we're not sure what happened. There's a fight that broke out, and one of the fighters, like, actually got injured. The address is 800 Karen Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89109.

Operator: All right, so I just want to make sure, like, when you said you guys are holding a fight event, this wasn't like an assault, correct?

Caller: No. No, not an assault.

Operator: All right. Are you with the patient right now?

Caller: Yes.

Operator: I have help already started, OK? Just a couple of questions. Is there any serious bleeding?

[redacted]

Operator: Is he completely alert?

[redacted]

Operator: Alright, so I have paramedics already on the way, OK? Just stay on the line. I'll tell you exactly what to do next. Just make sure not to do not move him unless he is in danger.

[inaudible]

Caller: He's in the ring. We only have eight people here in the ring. Everyone else is out. We have nurses here, but we need, like, real medical.

Operator: I understand, and they're already on the way, OK? They are coming to you guys, lights and sirens. Just make sure nothing -

Caller: Do you know how long?

Operator: Well, they're coming lights and siren, and so it's just going to be a short time between when they get there, okay? They're not too far from you guys. Just nothing for him to eat or drink. That might make him sick or cause further problems.

Caller: They said to give him water. Like, lots of water.

Operator: No, no, no — do not.

Caller: No water!

Operator: And then do not move him unless it's absolutely necessary. OK?

Caller: OK.

Operator: Alright, I'm going to go ahead and stay on the line with you, okay? As long as I can. Just watch him closely and look for any changes.

Around the five-minute mark of the call, the operator says, "It looks like the ambulance is there. They're going to grab your equipment, and they'll be right in. I need you to tell me as soon as they're inside."

About one minute later, the caller is heard saying, "Oh my god, did he get hit with something or? Is the main event of the fight that happened the last event? If we're being honest, I was in the VIP section, and then a citizen fight kind of broke, but everyone's fine there. And then, all of a sudden, he's on the floor."

Around six minutes and thirty seconds, the caller asks, "Why did I have to be the one to call 9-1-1?"

The operator reassures her by saying, "Because you are the most calm one to do it for me."

At six minutes and 50 seconds, the caller confirms, "Okay, the paramedics are here."

The "fight night" was organized by the Kappa Sigma fraternity, which has had its activities suspended while the incident is investigated. Its international headquarters is also reviewing whether the local chapter followed internal policies and standards.

UNLV has since announced it will start looking into new safety protocols going forward. The university has more than 300 student groups, and it is currently reviewing the safety of all of them.

Scripps' Vegas station KTNV first reported this story.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — (KTNV) Former Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach John Gruden filed a lawsuit against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, claiming there was a "malicious" and "orchestrated campaign" against him.

Gruden resigned in October amid controversy sparked by emails containing derogatory comments.

In a complaint filed in court, attorneys representing Gruden claim Goodell and the league "sought to destroy" his "career and reputation."

They also say Gruden was subject to a "Soviet-style character assassination."

News first broke in October of a 2011 email that shows Gruden using racially insensitive remarks against NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith.

Other emails reportedly show Gruden using derogatory and homophobic names for Goodell and players who protested during the playing of the national anthem.

Gruden was is in the fourth year of a 10-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Raiders in 2018.

Gruden is seeking "the recovery of money in excess of $15,000.00."

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that a spokesperson for the NFL called the allegations in the lawsuit "meritless," and vowed to "vigorously defend against these claims.”

This story was originally reported on KTNV.com.

The White House took sweeping actions on Thursday regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. President Joe Biden announced a new vaccine mandate for federal employees, those in health care, and any company with 100 or more workers.

Richard Dreitzer, a specialist in labor and employment matters, says the decision was due to employers’ sense of urgency to keep employees safe.

RELATED: Biden lays out 6-pronged plan to combat COVID this fall

“Vaccines are proven by the FDA, they are safe and effective – that’s why they were proven for wide use – and there haven’t been any bad outcomes with people or very few of them, so people have more confidence that this is going to help them,” said Dreitzer.

President Biden also announced that the Department of Labor is developing an emergency rule to require all employers with 100 or more employees to get vaccinated. When it comes to potential mandates like this, Dreitzer says, it can get tricky at the state level.

“I think the federal government cannot do that. In our country it is sort of an instance of a federalism thing, because the federal government has to defer to the authority of the states on certain matters, and regulating the health and safety of the public usually falls on the states first and the federal government second,” Dreitzer said.

Dreitzer says the federal government does have the power to require vaccination for federal employees. He says certain employees are running out of options. You either get vaccinated or leave your job.

“Vaccines are safe, they are effective, they work," said Dreitzer. "The history of them is good. In terms of bad outcomes, it is minimal, so it is harder and harder for them to say without any credibility, 'I don’t trust these vaccines because they make me sick.'”

Dreitzer says people will not receive unemployment benefits if they get fired for not being vaccinated.

“No, because that is a direct order from an employer that has a legitimate interest in keeping their workplace safe. And they come up to you and present that to you as an employee, and you say, 'You know what? I don’t want to,'” said Dreitzer.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Sofia Bella is a 3rd-grade teacher at Mater Academy Mountain Vista. She teaches a couple of dozen kids each day, but beyond the classroom, she’s using social media to show the world what a difference teaching can make.

Sofia has 2.9 million followers on TikTok with many of her videos garnering hundreds of thousands of likes. One of her popular videos shows her classroom decor, which is meant to make every one of her students feel comfortable.

“Because of everything that is going on now in the world, and since they’re so connected, like way more than I was when I was in 3rd grade, I know that they’re aware of like issues that are happening in the world. And I wanted them to just feel like whatever is going on outside, you’re OK in here. It doesn’t matter.,” said Sofia.

Sofia’s 3rd-graders can read books like "Pink is for Boys," "Hair Love" and "All Are Welcome." She says it’s not about politics, it’s about being inclusive.

“When you come to school, I want you to have this as your safe place. So, that's why I bring those books out because I do have boys that like pink, I do have girls with curly hair, and I want them to read books and see themselves and be like, 'Oh, I’m normal, you know? I’m just like everyone else,'" said Sofia.

Sofia says she’s using her platform to show future educators and students that school can be a positive experience.

“My goal was to inspire people, so I’m not only inspiring my kids. Now, I’m inspiring kids all over the world to love school and I’m inspiring people all over the world to become teachers, which is what we need. We need a lot of teachers who love what they do,” Sofia said.

This story was originally published by Kelsey McFarland at KTNV.

Four people were injured, but not seriously, when the storefront of a grocery store in Vegas collapsed Friday morning.

According to the Associated Press, fire crews had to pull one victim from the debris around 6:20 a.m. local time at the La Bonita Supermarket.

Four people were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

La Bonita sent the following statement:

At this point, we don’t know the cause of the incident and are working with the proper authorities in charge of the investigation of the awning collapse that injured four people early Friday morning. The people injured were transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Our Desert Inn location will remain closed until further notice and/or cleared by the proper authorities.

All employees will be given the day off fully paid and offered any medical or emotional support services if needed. Once they are ready, they will be relocated to another location until we can reopen the Desert Inn store.

At this moment we can only thank God that this happened so early in the morning and not during busier hours. As we get more information, we will update everyone via social media and our website. We would like to thank all the first responders who arrived quickly and helped the injured.

– Armando Martinez
La Bonita Supermarkets General Manager

According to the AP, no one else was injured and there was little damage to the front of the store.

WATCH RECAP:

At this time, it is not known what happened or how much the damage will cost.

The AP reported that the store was built in 1979.

Other shops did not appear to be damaged and county officials took over the investigation to check for structural strength.

Joyce Lupiani at KTNV first reported this story.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — An emergency room nurse in Las Vegas is going above and beyond her call of duty.

Brooke Johns has been a nurse for two and a half years. She sees people at their worst— hospitalized, uncomfortable, and often too tired to take care of their own appearance.

Johns comes into Southern Hills Hospital on her days off to brush and braid the hair of any patient who wants it. She says her acts of kindness go far beyond vanity and believes the human connection can help heal.

"There's something therapeutic about the human touch, as well. Human talking, human touching, it's that connection that we're all hard-wired for," Johns said.

Johns started pampering her patients five months ago when a friend was in the hospital battling illness.

“Her hair was very snarled, she was too weak to brush it out herself and it was something she was very worried about. So, one of the times I was up there I was able to brush out her hair and braid it and just talk with her,” said Johns. “She was a different person when I left that room.”

Recently, she visited Sierra Stein during a surprise reunion. Johns previously cared for Stein in an emergency room and encouraged her to seek additional care.

“It's because of her that I was admitted to the hospital getting the care and treatment I need,” Stein said.

Stein says the care Johns provides brings her comfort during an uncertain time.

“COVID is going around and there’s a lot of isolation. You can’t have visitors or someone to come in with you or hold your hand and to have someone just to be able to braid your hair makes you feel like you’re at home again,” Stein added.

Other nurses are joining in on braiding patients' hair, proving kindness is contagious.

“Nurses, in general, get into this to help other people,” Johns said.

And Johns says she doesn’t want to stop here. Once visitation restrictions are lifted she plans to start visiting patients at Sunrise Children’s Hospital dressed up as Elsa from "Frozen."

This story was originally published by Kelsey McFarland at KTNV.

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- Despite being in the midst of the longest sustained drought we've ever seen, and on the verge of a federally declared water shortage, every day in Las Vegas water is used for play.

The valley is home to not one but two waterparks. Cowabunga Bay and Wet'n'Wild provide relief from the sweltering heat for hundreds of thousands of locals and tourists every summer.

And it's not just mega-slides and lazy rivers where we get our water fix. Water plays a recreational role on the Las Vegas Strip, too. Many casinos have multiple pools or fountains, perhaps the most obvious and grandiose example being at the Bellagio.

So, are we being flippant and wasteful? Isn't Lake Mead's water level at its lowest point since the dam was created in the 1930s? The answer to the latter is yes, but the first question is not what it seems on the surface.

LAS VEGAS' BIG ADVANTAGE

Las Vegas has a luxury that so many other cities do not: we are close to our water source.

Being physically close to Lake Mead -- one of the Colorado River's primary water storage reservoirs and our largest source of water locally by far -- allows us to recycle much of our water back into the lake after it's used.

DROUGHT CRISIS | More stories about drought's impact in Las Vegas area, nationally

The Southern Nevada Water Authority says 40% of the region's water is used indoors, and all of that indoor-use water is captured, treated and returned.

Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City and the Clark County Water Reclamation District each operate wastewater treatment facilities to assist with this.

WHAT ABOUT WATERPARKS, POOLS, FOUNTAINS?

Outdoor water use is a different story.

60% of the water delivered by the water authority cannot be recycled, and that water is primarily used for landscape irrigation and cooling. But companies can, and do, reuse the water that fills their pools and fountains.

"It keeps our costs down because the more freshwater we have to put in, the more it costs us in chemicals,” explained Chris Norman, who is in charge of maintenance at Cowabunga Bay in Henderson.

“The more water we can retain and balance properly for our guests, it helps everybody out in the long run," he added.

Norman says the pool water at Cowabunga Bay is filtering 24 hours a day and the park hangs on to all of that water, with the exception of backwash cycles.

"You might say we retain as much as we can,” he said.

The park also saves irrigation for the overnight hours when the sun can't evaporate the water before the plants can absorb it.

“We use a lot of drip pipes so the water is going directly to the plants that need it and not the dirt,” added Norman.

13 Action News asked the park how much water is used during a typical summer month and annually, and it said it didn't have that information immediately available. Check back for updates.

In the meantime, authorities with the SNWA have made it pretty clear that water usage on the Las Vegas Strip and at waterparks is not nearly a threat to conservation efforts as something much more common and yet much less obvious.

THE WATER-WASTER HIDING IN PLAIN VIEW

If proximity to Lake Mead is our secret weapon, grass is our kryptonite.

Specifically, non-functional grass. The kind of grass you might see while driving on the highway, used for decorative purposes and only ever touched by the person who mows it and keeps it looking pristine.

Bronson Mack, a spokesperson with the water authority, told 13 Action News earlier this year that there are about 5,000 acres of non-functional turf in Southern Nevada. He says that turf absorbs about 12 billion gallons of water every year.

But, not forever. It's also the kind of grass that was recently banned for decorative use at office parks, entrances to housing developments and street medians.

Gov. Steve Sisolak signed legislation back in June making Nevada the first state in the country to ban certain kinds of grass.

The law will take effect in 2027 and does not apply to homes or parks.

STAYING DILIGENT ABOUT CONSERVATION

In the water authority's 2020 Water Resource Plan, the highest reported use for water was for residential purposes.

Southern Nevada Water Authority

Officials say water conservation is vital for Las Vegas' future, but conserving water doesn't have to mean shutting down waterparks.

The message, rather, is that water recreation is part of the reason why we conserve.

When Las Vegas is in triple-digit heat on a summer day, let's say on a day when it's 117°outside, jumping cannon ball-style into a swimming pool can make the heat a bit more bearable.

And then covering that swimming pool when it's no longer in use can save water from evaporating and becoming part of the 60% of water lost, helping to stretch out our resources for the next record-hot day.

This story originally reported by Amy Abdelsayed on KTNV.com.

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) -- A defensive end with the Las Vegas Raiders is the first active NFL player to announce that he is gay.

28-year-old Carl Nassib made the announcement on Instagram on Monday.

In his video, Nassib says, “I just want to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now, but finally feel comfortable getting it off my chest. I really have the best life, the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for.”

Nassib, who was the third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and is headed into his sixth pro season, also said that he is a pretty private person and he is not doing it for attention. He said representation is important.

Additionally, Nassib said that he is going to do his best to cultivate a culture that’s accepting and compassionate and he is going to start by donating $100,000 to The Trevor Project.

The Trevor Project was founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award-winning short film “Trevor.”

The Trevor Project is a national organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning young people under the age of 25.