The Daily Rundown - November 18th, 2025
☔ Rain is in the forecast for the next couple of days in Las Vegas, but it should clear before Saturday’s Formula One race on the Strip. The National Weather Service says there is a 90% chance of rain today, a 70% chance overnight and a 40% chance tomorrow.
Rain is unlikely Thursday and Friday but remains possible. Tomorrow is the first scheduled day of use for the race circuit. Highs this week will drop into the upper 50s and low 60s, with overnight lows in the upper 40s.
🪫 NV Energy’s controversial daily demand charge is expected to get another review by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada at its meeting Tuesday. The charge was approved in September but prompted petitions for reconsideration. The fee bills customers based on their highest 15-minute period of energy use each day and is set to begin in April.
Consumer groups say it could increase bills more than NV Energy projects. The company says 90% of customers should see lower bills under the new rate structure. Rooftop solar customers will pay more, which NV Energy says addresses past shortfalls. Learn more about the utility company's controversial billing changes.
📚 The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation is investing $6.5 million to support after-school and childcare centers statewide. The Up Next Initiative will fund leadership training to build a professional youth development workforce. It aims to address challenges in recruiting and retaining staff and to provide career pathways in education, energy and health care for teens and young adults. DETR Director Christopher Sewell says the program will offer mentorship, career coaching and competitive wages to 210 workers ages 15 to 24.
💧 The Bureau of Reclamation released a 24-month study last week projecting a new all-time low water level for Lake Mead: 1,038.5 feet above sea level. The previous low was 1,040.5 feet in 2022. The projection stems from two factors: low forecasted inflow into Lake Powell—about 7.5 million acre-feet, which is below average—and a plan to hold back about 500,000 acre-feet in Lake Powell between December 2025 and April 2026.
The water would be released later in the year. Dams along the Colorado River require minimum operating levels, prompting actions like these. While the Colorado River and Lake Mead often dominate Nevada’s water discussions, KNPR’s Paul Boger examined a proposed water rights buyback program that focuses on another critical source: groundwater.
🏠 State lawmakers have approved $25 million to help relocate residents of Windsor Park, a North Las Vegas neighborhood where homes are sinking into unstable ground. Built in the 1960s, the area was one of the few places where Black families could buy homes in Southern Nevada. Groundwater pumping led to structural damage beginning in the 1980s.
Lawmakers approved $37 million in 2023 to build new homes, but the funding covered only 59 of the 93 needed. Sen. Dina Neal, D-North Las Vegas, says the new funding could finally resolve the issue. Listen to KNPR's coverage of the neighborhood's first approval by the city of North Las Vegas in July.
🎒 According to Henderson City Council documents, only 40% of 3- and 4-year-olds in the city are enrolled in preschool, with the rate falling to 12% in high-need neighborhoods. To expand access, the city is building a new early childhood education center near Lake Mead Parkway and Boulder Highway. It will be Henderson’s second preschool, alongside the program at the Valley View Recreation Center.
Council members are expected to approve increasing the project budget by about $6 million, bringing it to $21.5 million. The funding comes from redevelopment revenue. Back in August, KNPR sat down with CCSD Superintendent Jhone Ebert, along with faculty and members of the CCSD community, to discuss their thoughts and how they prepared for the current academic year.
Part of these stories are taken from KNPR's daily newscast segment. To hear more daily updates like these, tune in to 88.9 KNPR FM.
