Lyle Rivera died recently. His story is worth telling, and so is a bigger story he was part of.

Norm Clarke died recently. He covered Las Vegas legends, and became one in his own right.

Recently, an anniversary passed unnoticed: when Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin became part of the national consciousness with his anti-communist crusade. Nevada was part of its beginning, seventy-five years ago.

On New Year’s Day, the California Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas turned 50. That meant it also was the fiftieth anniversary of Boyd Gaming. Both of them are success stories.

No president lived as long as Jimmy Carter, or was an ex-president longer. He died late in 2024 at age 100, almost 44 years after leaving the White House. He left a great legacy, from Habitat for Humanity to the Camp David Accords. He also had some interesting ties to Nevada history.

Did you enjoy the World Series? There are plenty of Nevada connections to the Fall Classic, from Tuscarora native Wheezer Dell pitching in the 1916 series for Brooklyn to Greg Maddux pitching for Atlanta in the 1990s.

Husband-and-wife political teams have been unusual in Nevada, but then again, the Goodmans weren’t expected to be one of those teams.