Nevada

In the state's first decision involving juries and social media, the Massachusetts Appeals Court has called on judges to better police jurors' use of the Internet to make sure they do not discuss cases online, and thus risk a mistrial. The court said judges need to do more to explain to jurors that refraining from conversations about a case also means not posting anything about it on Facebook or Twitter, common practice in today's technology-driven world. "Jurors must separate and insulate their jury service from their digital lives," the court said in a ruling involving a Plymouth Superior Court...

A fast-moving wildfire erupted in a rural neighborhood near the Nevada-California line and destroyed two homes Tuesday but no injuries were reported and the danger from what one frightened resident described as a "wall of fire" was subsiding as winds died at nightfall along the Sierra's eastern front. Between 100 and 200 homes were threatened at one time in the Topaz Ranch Estates about 50 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe after the fire broke out about 1:45 p.m. — possibly after a controlled burn conducted on residential land rekindled in winds gusting up to 40 mph, authorities said.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Senator Harry Reid took aim at the world’s oldest profession yesterday, telling state lawmakers the time has come to “have an adult conversation’’ about Nevada’s legal sex trade if the state hopes to succeed in the 21st century. The Democratic Senate majority leader’s comments before a joint session of the state Legislature came as owners, lobbyists, and working girls for Nevada’s brothel industry looked on from the gallery. Reid, who won reelection to a fifth term in November, focused his speech on the job creation efforts in a state hit hard by...

Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Nick Diaz is being fined $79,500 and banned from fighting until next February for testing positive for marijuana use following a fight in Las Vegas. Nevada Athletic Commission executive Keith Kizer said the fine imposed following a Monday hearing amounts to 30 percent of Diaz's $265,000 purse and bonus following his Feb. 4 UFC welterweight title loss to Carlos Condit. The one-year suspension dates from that fight. Diaz and his lawyer, Ross Goodman, failed to convince commissioners that Diaz had a prescription from a doctor in California...

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has won Nevada's Republican presidential caucuses. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul remain in a tight race for second, with former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum finishing last. Returns from all but five of Nevada's 17 counties show Romney with 41 percent, Gingrich with 25 percent, Paul with 22 percent and Santorum with 13 percent. No votes have been reported yet from Clark and Washoe Counties, which are expected to account for about three-quarters of the total vote.

HONOLULU - Freshman Kyle Padron threw for a team-record 460 yards last night, leading Southern Methodist to a 45-10 victory over Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl - SMU’s first postseason appearance in 25 years. It was a triumphant return to the postseason for the Mustangs (8-5) and second-year coach June Jones, who left Hawaii after nine seasons and revived an SMU program hit hard by the NCAA death penalty. The Mustangs, who were 1-11 each of the past two seasons, have their most victories since their last postseason game - also in Hawaii.

SEATTLE -- There was a little more than a minute left when Kirk Snyder finally showed some emotion and nodded knowingly to the wildly cheering Nevada fans. Snyder hit a 3-pointer that put the Wolf Pack ahead with 2:52 left and Nevada went on to upset seventh-seeded Michigan State, 72-66, last night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. It was 10th-seeded Nevada's first win ever in the tournament and its first victory in nine games against Big Ten opponents. Snyder, the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, finished with 19 points.

Where to stay Cold Springs Station 52300 Austin Highway(Highway 50), Fallon, Nev. 775-423-1233 coldspringsstationnv.com Don't let the mailing address fool you; this is out in the desert of Edwards Creek Valley. Basic rooms $39.99 a night. RV sites offered. Holiday Inn Express 55 Commercial Way, Fallon 775-428-2588 In town (population 8,300), an hour west of Edwards Creek Valley . Doubles from $79. Where to eat Toiyabe Cafe 150 Main St., Austin 775-964-2220 Standard roadside fare at this cozy restaurant in the heart of a historic...

BOISE, Idaho -- Larry Coker went out a winner, just as his players promised. Kirby Freeman threw for 272 yards and two long TDs, ran for another score, and Chavez Grant made a diving interception with 18 seconds left in the Hurricanes' 21-20 victory over Nevada in the MPC Computers Bowl last night, Coker's final game at Miami. "I still love these players," Coker said. "And I'm very happy for the win. " Nevada had a first down at the Miami 36 in the final minute, but Grant's pick sealed the win and got Coker the perfect send-off.

LAS VEGAS — Workers clearing brush sparked a desert wildfire that destroyed 15 buildings in the southern Nevada desert ranching hamlet of Moapa, while an illegal campfire is to blame for a pine forest blaze that forced people to leave their homes on Mount Charleston, authorities said yesterday. “The goal today is to contain the perimeter and keep it from spreading,’’ said Hillerie Patton, Moapa fire spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Land Management. “It’s expected to pick up again today.’’ Patton dramatically cut estimates of the size of the...

Lamont Peterson will try to explain to Nevada boxing regulators why he failed a doping test, prompting the cancellation of what would have been a rematch this Saturday against Amir Khan with Peterson's WBA and IBF junior welterweight titles at stake. Nevada Athletic Commission executive Keith Kizer said Wednesday that Peterson will appear before the commission the week of June 13 in Las Vegas. An exact date isn't set. Peterson's lawyer, Jeff Fried, says in a letter that Peterson will respond to "inaccuracies" about his positive urine test in March for unacceptably high levels of...

A new lawyer for O.J. Simpson filed a new attempt Tuesday to gain his release from Nevada state prison, alleging the former football star was so badly represented by lawyers in his trial and previous appeals that he deserves a new trial. A 94-page document filed Tuesday in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas faults the trial strategy and performance of attorneys Yale Galanter of Miami and Gabriel Grasso of Las Vegas, but maintains Simpson's same basic defense. It says the NFL Hall of Famer wanted to recover from sports memorabilia dealers family photos and personal...

Nevada's taxable sales in February jumped 10.2 percent from the same month last year as residents reached into their wallets to buy big-ticket items like vehicles and home furnishings, the Department of Taxation reported Thursday. Many sectors reported double-digit increases, and the report marked the 20th straight month of sales gains that began in July 2010 when the Great Recession started to ease its chokehold on Nevada's economy. Merchants in February sold $3.2 billion in taxable goods, meaning the state collected $259 million in gross revenue.

Since we're on the subject of insane double IPAs, let's talk about Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.'s Hoptimum, a ridiculously intense ale that has a lot in common with Green Flash Palate Wrecker (which I wrote about yesterday ). Sierra Nevada, based in Chico, Calif., first bottled Hoptimum last year, in 24-ounce bombers. This year it's in 12-ounce bottles, which is a positive development, since it's all but impossible for one person to drink 24 ounces of this extremely bitter, high-alcohol beer.

A group pushing an initiative to raise the cap on Nevada mining taxes says a lawsuit seeking to block the measure lacks merit. In a response filed Wednesday in state court in Carson City, attorney Maggie McLetchie says the petition filed by Nevadans United for Fair Mining Taxes doesn't raise taxes, but gives the Legislature and the governor authority to do so. Net proceeds taxes paid on minerals are capped at 5 percent under the Nevada Constitution....

Before Saturday's Nevada caucuses, Texas Representative Ron Paul tried to make inroads with the state's Mormon voters. It didn't matter. According to an analysis of the Nevada results by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, based on exit polls, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's support among Mormons dropped slightly between 2008 and 2012 – from 95 percent to 88 percent. That remains an overwhelming amount of support for Romney, a former leader in the Mormon Church.

HONOLULU - Austin Davis made the plays when it counted to send Southern Mississippi coach Larry Fedora out a winner. Davis threw two touchdowns, including a 4-yarder late in the game, and No. 22 Southern Miss earned a school-record 12th victory by holding off Nevada, 24-17, in the Hawaii Bowl Saturday night. "It wasn't his best game, but he did enough to help us win this football game," said Fedora, who is leaving after four seasons to take over at North Carolina. Davis overcame a shaky game for the Conference USA champion Golden Eagles (12-2)

Sports fans bet $93.9 million at Nevada casinos on Sunday's Super Bowl matchup between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, the most wagered in the past decade. The Gaming Control Board says unaudited tallies show 184 sports books won a little over $5 million on the football action. New England was about a 3 point favorite, but the Giants won 21-17. It was a different story for Nevada casinos when the same two teams played in the 2008 Super Bowl. The Patriots opened as 14-point favorites four years ago, but Giants backers bet the line down to 12 points and got paid when...