The Daily Rundown - December 30, 2025
🏠 A District Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit aimed at halting construction of the homeless services hub, Campus for Hope. The suit, brought by nearby residents, urged officials to find a different location for the campus, which is currently slated for Charleston and Jones. Judge Danielle Pieper's ruling called residents' concerns about nearby property values and neighborhood safety speculative. Pieper dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning residents can refile it if neighborhood conditions change. The $200 million Campus for Hope is expected to open in 2028, with 900 beds. Read and listen to more about the Campus for Hope project here.
🚍 The city of Las Vegas says keeping roads safe during holiday festivities is important. To ensure a safe travel option, RTC offers free rides on all transit routes from 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve through 9 a.m. New Year's Day. Buses will follow a Saturday schedule on Wednesday and a Sunday schedule on Thursday.
🚨 Las Vegas Metro arrested 15 people and handed out 70 citations during a DUI blitz operation. Las Vegas Metro Police wrote in a social media post, "Remember, there are too many safe options to drive impaired!" Signed into law last month, Assembly Bill 4 increases penalties against drunk drivers. The bill, also known as the "Safe Streets Act," is set to take effect at the start of the new year.
🎉 The Nevada National Guard will have about 190 soldiers in Las Vegas to help with security during New Year's Eve celebrations on the Las Vegas Strip and in downtown Las Vegas. The soldiers will be stationed at major intersections Wednesday and Thursday, according to a news release by a guard spokesman. They will help with crowd control, triage support and safety operations, mostly working alongside Las Vegas Metro Police units. The Nevada Division of Emergency Management said there is no specific threat. The Nevada National Guard has helped with New Year's Eve security in Las Vegas for more than 25 years.
🃏 The Nevada Gaming Control Board's new chairman, Mike Dreitzer, says he wants to take a more business-friendly approach as the state's top gaming regulator. In an interview with the Nevada Independent, Dreitzer expressed frustration that the board is not "moving at the speed of business." Appointed in June, Dreitzer's background is in gaming technology companies. He says Nevada is no longer taking the lead in approving new gaming-related technology, and that companies are launching games in other states with faster approval times.
However, the board has had no qualms regulating businesses offering prediction markets such as FanDuel and DraftKings. Earlier this year, the two companies agreed to withdraw applications for sportsbook operations in Nevada to instead focus on their online prediction market offerings. In that vein, executives with the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers have voiced appreciation for Dreitzer's leadership. They say changes in the regulatory process will allow the industry to include Nevada in their national rollout of new slot machines.
🐶 The city of Las Vegas is touting the success of an effort to crack down on illegal puppy mills. Since Operation Pawsitive Change's inception in January, law enforcement has issued 56 citations and has recovered 28 puppies. Las Vegas Department of Public Safety Chief Jason Potts said in a city council meeting earlier this year that backyard breeding was the "root cause" of overpopulation of animals in the valley. Last year, the Las Vegas City Council voted to ban the sale of most live animals at all pet stores within city limits by 2028, citing concerns over potential connections with puppy mills.
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.
