A terrific new bio of Benny Binion tells the whole, unvarnished storySomehow, Doug Swanson, in his new biography of Benny Binion, successfully conveys two seemingly discordant messages: (1) that Binion was a gangster as cold-blooded as a Mafia hitman; and (2) that he was one of the nicest fellas who ever walked the planet.In other words, Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Invented Vegas Poker (Viking, 310 pages) aims to tell the whole story of Benny Binion, because, indeed, he was both an organized crime kingpin and a community treasure.

General Tso’s chicken wings at F.A.

The school district is facing another teacher shortage. How do we recruit fresh talent for the long term? Step 1: Change everythingAccording to school district officials, the 2014-2015 school year will have started last week with a shortage of about 400 teachers.

Vegan blogger, author, entrepreneurLas Vegas has become a land of farmers markets and artisanal vegan cheeses seemingly overnight, and it now has one of the most active and connected vegan communities in the country. At the center of it all is Paul Graham and his popular blog Eating Vegan in Vegas(eatingveganinvegas.

Global cuisine and scented (!) bowling ballsSprinkled among the detail shops and flooring outlets of South Decatur is a buffet of surprising cultural treasures — from a natural park to a Mexican restaurant, a bowling supply to an international supermarket1. CHARLIE FRIAS PARKWith its drought-tolerant design, remnants of the corner’s natural topography and hangout perks such as a dog park, this 32-acre spot feels like a collaboration between Mother Nature, Save Our Streams and the local kids who rode their bikes here in the ’70s.

Trendsetters: Ashley Grondel and Kristen Laidlaw, Publishers of The Allure Avenue style and fashion blog Your personal style?Kristen: A little bit of everything, I would say.Ashley: A blend between classic and trendy.

Mexican Independence Day tequila dinnerSept. 16Border Grill is celebrating Mexican Independence Day with a special south-of-the-border-inspired tequila dinner, featuring world-renowned premium Sauza Tequila.

As First Friday achieved rumbling liftoff in 2002, the art, music and spontaneous street scene beguiled me, but something else bemused. It was who showed up.

An excerpt from this month's new Vegas-set novel, Gangsterland The setup: It’s 1998 and Sal Cupertine, hitman for the Chicago mob, has been dispatched to Las Vegas after a botched job ends with three FBI agents dead. Six months of surgeries and rabbinical studies have turned him into another person altogether: Rabbi David Cohen, youth rabbi at a thriving Summerlin temple run by Rabbi Cy Kales, father-in-law of local gangster Bennie Savone.

A conversation with acerbic comedian Doug Stanhope as he returns to where he began Straight from the American id, it’s Doug Stanhope — trampler of pieties, smasher of taboos, peddler of dangerous ideas (such as, it’s okay to stop caring about 9/11). Also, crucially: a comedian.