Today's News

•March 9, 2010 Osmonds Return: Just over a week since Marie's son's apparent suicide, Donny & Marie will return to the stage at the Flamingo tonight. The brother-sister duo have also generously added additional dates in April, when the show was due to be dark, to accommodate those customers who had tickets for missed shows.

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•March 9, 2010 Las Vegas Showcase for Earth Hour: Las Vegas will be a "showcase city" for Earth Hour 2010, which will take place on Saturday, March 28th when, for one hour beginning at 8:30 p.m. PST, casinos and hotels on and off the Strip will dim or turn off neon and flashing lights and Clark County will participate by shutting off the exterior lights to nine of its buildings. Lights for the Welcome to Las Vegas sign also will be shut off and Las Vegas residents are asked to support the effort by turning off their lights and enjoying candlelit dinners or game nights, acoustic concerts, or simply taking advantage of the hour to spend it with family and neighbors.

For up-to-date information on all things Earth Hour in Las Vegas including a list of participants, visit earthhourus.org.

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•March 9, 2010 Free Cooking Demo: From 6-7 p.m. this evening, Chef Stacey Dougan will be doing a vegan cooking demo at the Whole Foods Market at Tenaya and Lake Mead, with a menu of Southern Style Comfort Meals. Dishes she'll be preparing include, Mock BBQ Chicken, Easy Vegan Potato Salad, and Southern Style Kale Greens. RSVP with Customer Service or email Sara in Marketing at sara.taylor@wholefoods.com. If you're looking for vegetarian-friendly/vegan dining options in Las Vegas, don't forget to check our our new-and-improved Restaurant section, where you can find all kinds of special-diet needs catered to.

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•March 9, 2010 Last Chance to Vote in Poll: The current LVA Reader Poll closes at midnight tonight, when a new (foodie) one will go live. Vote now if you haven't already, then come back and vote again tomorrow!

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•March 9, 2010 PBR Bar to Open Early Summer: Occupying the space formerly housing Hawaiian Tropic Zone, the new PBR Rock Bar is set to debut early summer, featuring live music, mechanical bull riding, BBQ, beer, and all things PBR. "After millions of dollars in extensive market research, we have concluded that people like hot women serving beer," announced Fine Entertainment owner and founder, Jonathan Fine.

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•March 9, 2010 Hard Rock CEO Found Dead: Celebrity gossip site TMZ reports that Andrew Kwasniewski, President and CEO of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, was found dead at his Las Vegas home this morning, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. We'll bring you more information as it's released.

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•March 9, 2010 Balloon Grounded: The Cloud Nine balloon ride that opened opposite Mandalay Bay last year has been temporarily suspended, pending repairs required after the tethered attraction was damaged by strong gusting winds over the weekend. Apparently, the balloon requires a part from France to be fixed and so will likely be out of action for some days.

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•March 9, 2010 Harrah's Tells Privé, "Pay Up, or Pack Up" Harrah's Entertainment, the new owner of Planet Hollywood, has told the owners of the bankrupt Privé nightclub and Living Room ultralounge to either pay past-due rent and their share of the $500,000 fine levied by the Gaming Commission last year, or face eviction. The Miami-based Opium Group is still under investigation for numerous violations, including underage drinking, drug use, nudity, and sex. Today's R-J reports that they've asked for an extension on paying their outstanding debts while they decide if they want to retain their lease.

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•March 9, 2010 Casino Revenues Down: The latest report from the American Gaming Association comes as no surprise: According to a preliminary estimate, gaming revenues in the 12 U.S. states with authorized casinos fell 5.7 percent last year, following a 4.6 percent drop in 2008. In addition to the general global economic malaise, other contributory factors cited by analysts include competition from home entertainment (HDTV, high-end video gaming, and the Internet, including online gambling), suggesting that trend is not solely a result of the recession, and hence is likely to persist after the recovery kicks in.

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•March 9, 2010 Dancer Classes: Video poker maestro Bob Dancer continues his classes in the South Point Showroom this month, with "What Video Poker Players Should Know About Slot Clubs" at 1 p.m. on March 11 and "Secrets of a Video Poker Winner" at the same time and place on March 18. The classes are free to attend and anyone aged 21+ is welcome.

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