The Daily Rundown - February 19th, 2026
🚨 Plans for a new joint emergency dispatch facility in Clark County are moving forward. The Las Vegas City Council voted yesterday to amend an interlocal agreement that would split the facility's costs among local governments. The facility will serve as the 911 dispatch center for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, as well as the Las Vegas, Clark County and North Las Vegas fire departments.
It will be located on the southeast corner of West Deer Springs Way and North Shaumber Road. LVMPD will conduct an annual audit to determine the number of workstations assigned to each participating agency. Governments will then be billed based on the number of workstations they use.
❄️ Crews have recovered the bodies of eight backcountry skiers and are searching for one more missing after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe. Authorities said Wednesday it is the deadliest U.S. avalanche in nearly half a century. Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said during a news conference that the mission has shifted from rescue to recovery.
Six others from the same guided group were rescued Tuesday. They were on a three-day trek in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada during a powerful winter storm. The bodies were found fairly close together, authorities said. Three of those who died were guides. Crews have not yet been able to remove the victims because of extreme conditions. Read the full story here.
🏫 The Clark County Education Association says it is confident teachers declared surplus will find new positions. The Las Vegas Sun reports the union told members that, before this school year, there were more than 1,500 openings for licensed staff. There are currently 284 openings.
The Clark County School District has identified 706 educator positions as surplus for next year, up from an earlier figure of 682, citing declining enrollment and reduced funding. District officials said many teachers may need to change schools.
🚰 A new study from researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno, finds elevated mercury levels in wood ducks along the Carson River, downstream from Nevada’s historic Comstock Lode.
In the 1800s, miners used mercury to extract gold and silver from crushed rock. Much of that toxic metal washed into nearby waterways, where it settled into sediments along riverbanks and floodplains.
Researchers analyzed 15 years of feather samples from wood ducks living year-round along the Carson River. They found that some ducklings carried mercury concentrations far above federal safety thresholds for human consumption. Hear the full story by KUNR's Kaleb Roedel here.
🌧️ Another round of windy, rainy weather is expected in the Las Vegas Valley before conditions improve. Rain could last until 7pm tonight, followed by mostly clear skies for the weekend. A wind advisory is in effect for the Valley overnight until early Friday morning. Reno could see snow later tonight, with the storm system expected to clear by Friday.
🥊 Manny Pacquiao will return to the ring April 18 for a 10-round welterweight exhibition in Las Vegas. The 47-year-old will face former junior welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Pacquiao last fought July 19 against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, losing by majority decision. Two judges scored the fight a draw, while Max DeLuca awarded Barrios a 115-113 victory. The loss dropped Pacquiao’s record to 62-9-2.
“Returning to Las Vegas means so much to me, and I’m excited to work with a team focused on creating a world-class experience for the fans,” Pacquiao said in a statement. “I’m coming back to give them a great fight — and I’m ready.”
Desert Companion’s Anne Davis looks to the storied history of the sport as major sports teams flock to a city once renowned for blockbuster pay-per-view bouts. Read that story here.
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.
