The economy might seem mired in recession in Southern Nevada but elsewhere the sick economy is creating a boom - the gold-mining counties have little or no unemployment, construction work for those who want it and the good times are rolling. This counter-cyclical boom is the other side of the bubble that burst in 2008.
KNPR's "State of Nevada" first went on the air in 2003. And nearly eight years later, we've reached our 2,000th program. We listen to some of our favorite moments and we talk about what's been happening in Las Vegas in the boom and bust years since 2004. We also reflect on the big stories over those years and think about the future of Southern Nevada.
There's a golf course 50 miles north of Las Vegas, sitting in the middle of nowhere. It's called Coyote Springs, and builders hoped it would be a boomtown.
