Nearly a century ago, a towering wall of concrete and steel slowly filled Nevada’s Black Canyon. Behind it pooled millions of gallons of water, stopped in their downstream flow by the newly constructed Hoover Dam. A tremendous feat of human engineering, the dam reshaped not only the canyon but the face of the American West.

The best and worst of Las Vegas history will be on display for the world to see starting this weekend with the debut of two documentary series.

A long-time poet, civil rights activist and autism advocate in Las Vegas is gaining more attention for another hat she wears: balloon entrepreneur.

This Black History Month, Channel 13 is honoring a woman who has long championed the rights of low-income families in Nevada. From leading marches on the Las Vegas Strip, to starting an innovative nonprofit in the Historic Westside, Ruby Duncan is a changemaker whose legacy has left a lasting impact.

Today, I opened a copy of the Las Vegas Sentinel dated January 14, 1982. This was the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. issue, and on the front page was a Stevie Wonder quote, “I and a growing number of people believe that it is time for our country to adopt legislation that will make January 15, Martin Luther King’s birthday, a national holiday, both in recognition of what he achieved and as a reminder of the distance which still has to be traveled.”

In Las Vegas, activists and community leaders helped preserve landmarks to both the discrimination against African Americans and the growth in their numbers and their migration to Las Vegas’ Historic Westside.

What are the current plans for businesses in the Westside Business core? During the years from the early 1940s through the 1970s, businesses on the Westside were vibrant and successful. There were restaurants, nightclubs with gaming, a bowling alley, taxicab company, malt shop, beauty shops, and barbershops.

A pair of top executive branch officials left Nevada earlier this week, potentially leaving no formal acting governor as required by state law.