Laughlin Buzz

Apr 21, 2017

Pin Up Pizza coming to Harrah's Laughlin

Laughlin, Nevada 

 

The latest "Buzz" we heard on Twitter and elsewhere is that Pin Up Pizza is coming to Harrah's Laughlin.  It looks like it will be going in where the ice cream and/or Cinnabon outlets where.

Pin Up Pizza has been a hot spot for a slice on the Las Vegas strip for about 3 years now.

Pin Up Pizza features very large 15 inch slices at a decent price.  Especially by Vegas Strip pricing standards.

For more information about Pin Up Pizza check out one of our favorite Vegas blogs - Vital Vegas.
Here is their article which was published when Pin Up Pizza opened at the Planet Hollywood location: https://vitalvegas.com/pin-pizza-planet-hollywood-wins-us-surfboard-sized-slices/

P.S.  The above picture is by Vital Vegas too!

Perhaps next year Pin Up Pizza Laughlin will be a new contender for Best Pizza in the Best of Laughlin awards.

A Mid-May 2017 opening date is expected.

Check back for more details to be shared soon.






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Apr 20, 2017

Minato Restaurant & Sushi Bar Latest Inspection


Laughlin, Nevada 

Minato - Southern Nevada Health District Restaurant Inspection April 14, 2017

Both the Minato Restaurant and it's Sushi Bar were hit with less than stellar health inspections.

The Minato Sushi Bar (located in the Minato Restaurant) received a C grade and 33 demerits.









Violations resulted in demerits are shown below (from the SNHD website):





The Minato Restaurant received a B grade and 17 demerits.   



Violations resulted in demerits are shown below (from the SNHD website):



The list of prior inspections are shown below:







This is not the first negative restaurant inspection for Minato in recent memory.  In January of 2014 they received 40 demerits with a C grade.   

Most times the Southern Nevada Health District Restaurant will shut down an establishment with 40 or more demerits. 

Keep in mind, this reported inspection was on April 14, 2017 and they will most likely have a re-inspection soon.  Results are posted afterward on the SNHD website.  Establishments are required to post their latest inspection in a noticeable location.   Always check before dining.  

Sadly, most times people have dined under the circumstances found in the inspection BEFORE the bad inspection occurs.  When we see a new re-inspection result posted for Minato, we will update this article. 



Minato is located on the 2nd level of the strip mall across from the Pioneer Casino.






There is a search feature.  For Laughlin put in Zipcode 89029. 

You can even file a complaint using the online form if you find a problem with somewhere you dined.
Go here for the complaint form process.





Update:  On April 26, 2017 Minato had a re-inspection and is as of that date back to an
A grade.  See details here. 





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*All content in this article is presented for informational purposes only and uses data taken from the Southern Nevada Health District website.   We received no compensation from the properties or restaurants in this blog post and are not in any way affiliated with them.  


Apr 18, 2017

Kiss Concert, Riverwalk Festival in Laughlin this Weekend

Laughlin, Nevada 

April 22, 2017 

KISS - Freedom to Rock Tour
Laughlin Event Center







Early this week all 4 Kiss members showed up on Casino Drive at various hotels. 


Tropicana Laughlin - Picture shared by Tropicana on Social Media



Aquarius Casino Resort 




Golden Nugget Laughlin Roof 



Edgewater Casino 





#ThingsYouSeeInLaughlin early on a Monday morning.    Fill in the blank. 








Coinciding with the Kiss Concert, the Colorado Belle and Edgewater is holding a Festival on the Laughlin Riverwalk. 



Rock on the Riverwalk Festival
April 21-23, 2017

Free Live Entertainment on the Loading Dock Stage by:
- KK Martin
- Wolf Creek 


KK Martin

Loading Dock Stage - Just outside the Riverwalk entrance at the Colorado Belle



Food, beer, and other beverages available for purchase. 

No doubt the Tongue Taco is in reference to Gene Simmons.  Still, I think we will take a pass on trying one. 





Festival hours: 
Fri. & Sat. 2pm–10pm
Sun. Noon–7 pm






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* Show and ticket information, including prices, dates, times are subject to change by the establishments hosting the events.   We received no compensation of any kind for sharing this information and are not affiliated with any establishment mentioned herein.  

Apr 14, 2017

Out-of-State electric companies lambasted for another Mohave Station postponement

Out-of-State electric companies lambasted
for another Mohave Station postponement

LA DWP, Edison snubbed Public Utilities Commission of Nevada on 2015 law requiring listing of surplus assets to be sold for economic development

For Immediate Use/contact jimmaniaci@centurylink.net or 505-879-3142

LAUGHLIN – The owners of the former Mohave Generating Station were blasted on April 11 at the Laughlin Town Advisory Board meeting for yet another postponement of announcing a buyer for 80 percent of the 4-square-mile site in the middle of town.

Representatives of Southern California Edison, Nevada Energy, and sales agent CBRE of Las Vegas – but not the Los Angeles City Department of Water and Power -- spoke to a large audience at the Clark County Regional Government Center in Laughlin to give their excuses for once again failing to meet their publically-announced deadlines, saying there were no buyers. They did cite the first week in May for their next “progress” report.

Notably, the utilities have pushed a sale deep into the Nevada Legislature’s biennial session when it is difficult, if not impossible, to get bills introduced.

The non-sale ties directly into proposed SB-347 that would correct not having any penalty for violating a 2015 Nevada law that required in-state and out-of-state electric companies (no matter what facilities they used to generate and transmit the power) to give the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada a list, by category, of the status of each such asset if it is more than 50 acres.

Those which are surplus – vacant, such as the former MGS, and not in an active reserve status – are required to get with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development to actively sell the property within 3 years. No utility submitted such a list, GOED confirmed with the PUCN. One estimate puts the number of such parcels throughout Nevada at 1,400, although it is impossible to obtain a full count until they do.

When the 2015 law was passed the owners told the State Legislature and Laughlin residents they would have an on-site representative living in the community, and that the sale would be all of the site, except the switch station, the Nevada Power Company (NV Energy) Laughlin substation, and the high-voltage transmission lines. No mention was made of setting aside 100 acres for LA DWP. While the owners have not denied the 100 acres could possibly be used for a future natural gas-fired generating station, at the LTAB meeting the board was told that no type of a generating facility had been determined. A natural gas pipeline ends at the 100 acres that sits next to the switchyard and high-voltage transmission lines. Such a plant would irrepairably damage any mixed-use, master-planned retirement community compatible to the existing neighboring residential and commercial development in Upper Laughlin.

The 100-acre not-for-sale property also defies a fall 2015 town hall held by Dr. Joe Hardy, Laughlin’s state senator (District 12), in which residents by margins of at least 7-1 voted to place gas generating power stations on either side of the Needles Highway at Mile Post 4 on the Laughlin Southland’s 9,000 acres that extend to the California border. That would put a gas-fired plant about 7 road miles from the LA DWP proposed plant that also would be about one-half mile west of Casino Drive.
Bob Stein of Edison’s government affairs office, Keith Spencer of CBRE, and Cynthia Alejandre of Neveda Energy’s government affairs office, said the sale announcement went to more than 750 potential buyers, starting Oct. 11, 2016, and “the co-owners have not received any acceptable offers”. While the owners did reject an offer for a 2,000-acre solar project, saying they understood the community did not want a solar farm in the middle of town, they neglected to mention that LA DWP has demanded the 100-acre site that is too small for a commercial-style solar field.
They told the Laughlin audience the unidentified purchasing prospects claimed the site is too big “for anticipated absorption”, has higher construction costs compared “to nearby markets”, and there are other sites with existing improvements still available.

Board Member Bruce Henry asked why an initial asking price was not disclosed in October 2016 when the offering started but was only released last week. He received “possibly” reasons and a statement that the $15 million is slightly less than the assessed value. The Clark County Assessor’s Office lists the 2017-18 value as approximately $10 million.

The buyer must pay a non-refundable 10% cash deposit and the plant owners would not give prospects a firm escrow closing date, in days, months or even years. 

It is well-known that the last 2 small parcels the owners sold took 3 to 4 years to close escrow. Three different regulatory bodies also would have had to give their approval to the sale of the 2,100 acres.
Continuing to recover their millions of dollars (which should be concluded this year) of costs to demolish or “decommission” the site, and potential flood problems for homebuilders also were cited.
Board Chair James “Jim” Maniaci said he testified in Las Vegas on SB-347 as an economic development bill designed to integrate the fallow lands and buildings in many Nevada communities. 

By selling them to private developers the lands, buildings, and lines would be put on the property tax rolls, and removed from each utilities rate base from its rate-paying customers. But nothing can be done until the utilities are forced to sell off the surplus property. Until then, he said, the property will continue to be included in the formula state utility commissions use to approve the rates charged by the utilities to their customers, even though the surplus does not contribute to generating or distributing power.

The plant opened in the early 1970s, producing 1,500 megawatts for customers in the LA, Phoenix, and southern Nevada areas, using coal pumped some 275 miles from the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations in northeastern Arizona. On Dec. 31, 2005, it ceased commercial power production under a federal court order that had given the owners 6 years to install air pollution control equipment.


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Southern Nevada Fishing Reports - April 2017 - Laughlin, NV

Laughlin, Nevada

April 2017 

Southern Nevada Fishing Reports 

Excerpts for Laughlin, NV area. Save this page, updates to be added when a new report comes out. 





Southern Nevada Fishing Report - April 21, 2017
Source: Nevada Dept. of Wildlife



Laughlin
Anglers are catching striped bass are up and down the river. Some are catching the fish from boats along Casino Row while drifting anchovies. Anglers on the north end of Big Bend are finding good action for both catfish and stripers in the marshy areas. 

Lake Mohave
Striped bass are active at the north and south ends of the lake. Some lucky boaters have reeled in fish as large as 18-pounds with anchovies in deep water. Though black bass are spawning in the shallows, anglers are finding that many beds are already vacant. In recent days fishermen have been finding the fish in shaded areas of coves and along weed beds. With weekly trout plants on tap, the fish have made their way downstream from Willow Beach.

Lake Mead
All warm water species are very active. The big news this spring is crappie. After several years on the slow end, the slab-sized sunfish has provided anglers with good action in the Overton Arm. Small jigs in white or silver colorations, and small crankbaits will catch the fish. Striped bass are pursuing shad near 33-Hole and along the east side of Boulder Basin. Government Wash has provided shoreline anglers with good fishing for stripers, some in the 5-pound class. Bass are still spawning, so catch-and-release fishing is encouraged.


Older Fishing reports are included below. 





Southern Nevada Fishing Report - April 13, 2017
Source: Nevada Dept. of Wildlife

Laughlin
Anglers are catching striped bass are up and down the river. Some are catching the fish from boats along Casino Row while drifting anchovies. Anglers on the north end of Big Bend are finding good action for both catfish and stripers in the marshy areas. 

Lake Mohave
Large striped bass are bending rods near Willow Beach. Anglers are pulling in stripers near Katherine Landing as well, though they are smaller than those caught at Willow. The fish are taking anchovies, swimbaits and poppers. Black bass action slowed over the weekend. Anglers are finding lots of vacated beds. Drop shots are catching and crankbaits are fooling fish still hanging out near beds.

Lake Mead

Warm water fish species like crappie and black bass are active in the Overton Arm. Water elevation is still up in the lake, so there are a few more fishing spots than we have had in the past. Anglers are catching striped bass in the 1- to 3-pound range outside Government Wash and along the east side of the Boulder Basin. Fishing has been best early in the morning and late in the day. 




Interested in older reports from previous months?





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Contents of this post are provided for information only.  Source:  Nevada Department of Wildlife.  Pictures are by Laughlin Buzz, unless otherwise credited, and may be used for personal, non-commercial use with attribution.  

Apr 12, 2017

Mining for Gemstones at the Laughlin River Lodge

Laughlin, Nevada

Laughlin River Lodge
General Store

A unique attraction greets visitors when the visit they recently opened General Store in the Laughlin River Lodge.

You can purchase a bag of Mining Rough (cost $6.95) and pan for gemstones.  

See the video clip at the end of this article 










There are apparently gemstones or a gemstone (we aren't sure how many) in the bag of mining rough you choose  When you place he contents of the bag in the screen box and run it though the sluice, your gemstones will be revealed.  No, we didn't try it, yet.  This looks like a fun activity for people with children, or even adults if you like gemstones.  

They also have a large selections of gemstones you can buy without mining for them. 







Short video clip of the mining set up.   




See more #10SecondsInLaughlin video clips on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by searching for the hashtag. 








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*We have no affiliation with and received no compensation from any business or property mentioned herein. 

Apr 10, 2017

Blues & Brews Festival in Laughlin

Laughlin, Nevada


19th Annual Blues & Brews Festival

Colorado Belle Riverwalk Area/Loading Dock Outdoor Stage




Live Music Featuring:
  • Preston Shannon
  • Chris Hiatt
  • Bill Magee
  • John Earl & the BoogieMan Band featuring guitarist Chris Tofield



Entertainment is free.

Music takes place outdoors on the Riverwalk at the Loading Dock Stage overlooking the Colorado River and Mountains in the background.


2016 Blues and Brews 


Plenty of cold beer, wine, other beverages available for purchase.  Including selections from Pint's Microbrewery. 






Food will be available for purchase on the Riverside from vendors.  Items include:





Festival Hours:
Fri. & Sat.: Noon – Midnight
Sun.:        Noon – 8 pm







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*We have no affiliation with and received no compensation from any business or property mentioned herein.