Mayor Says No To Using Fire Dept. Savings For Crossing Guards

A full house greeted the mayor at the quarterly Citizens Coffee held at City Hall on Friday, July 30.
At the opening of the meeting and to head off the hot button issue of the layoff of crossing guards, the mayor had Chief of Police Doug Law address that issue.
Chief Law explained the police department tried everything to avoid layoffs of fulltime employees and despite painful cutbacks and concessions made by the police association, the crossing guards had to be cut.
“However, we will make sure someone is always there for the kids,” said Chief Law. “If I need to be out there and put my wife on a corner, we will protect the kids going to and from school.”
The Chief also said patrol cars will be at school crossings morning and afternoon to insure safety and to aggressively write citations for violation of school zones.
“We will not compromise the safety of our children,” he said.
Mayor Holecheck explained that any savings from the fire department personnel retirements could not be used for crossing guards because different budgets could not be commingled.  [Read full story]

Male and female bowling enthusiasts will get the chance to rub shoulders with various Elvis Tribute Artists when the Elvis Shake Rattle and Bowl tournament is presented Friday, Aug. 6 at the Virgin River Bowling Center.
Participant’s results will be based on three-game totals with prizes given for top total scores.
A $10 entry fee will be charged and includes rental shoes.
Anyone 21 or older can participate.
Competitors should check in at the Virgin River Bowling Center by 11:30 a.m.
The event will run from noon until 2 p.m.
Prizes include two tickets to the final Elvis Tribute competition Saturday at 7 p.m. in the CasaBlanca Showroom; two free dinners at the Virgin River; free games of bowling; and two-for-one buffet tickets at the Virgin River.
The number of prizes awarded will be based on the amount of entries.
Elvis Tribute Artists participating in Elvis Rocks Mesquite will be in attendance during the bowling tournament. [Read full story]

Residents on Sea Pines Street in Sunset Greens were awakened by sirens and commotion around midnight on Tuesday.
With no storms in the area, a single bolt of lightning struck a twin palm tree located 15 feet in front of the home of Bill and Mary O'Connell, setting the tops of the tree on fire.
Bill O'Connell, also known as "Master O" at the Mesquite Tae Kwon Do Center, was awakened by the noise.
"The police officers and firemen all said they heard the boom from all over town," Bill said on Wednesday.
It was a dramatic and unwelcome night-time "welcome home" for Mary, who had returned home that afternoon after spending six days in the Dixie Medical Center recovering from surgery.
After looking outside and seeing the trees on fire, Bill called 911 before going outside to try and keep the blaze at bay. [Read full story]

When you think of a factory, especially one which manufactures electrical equipment, images of smokestacks and urban decay immediately spring to mind.
But unless you knew what goes on inside the Loadtec facility located in the Mesquite Technology and Commerce Center, you might drive by and think that it's nothing more than a nice two-story office building.
Inside the immaculate structure on West Pioneer Blvd., the company is making large industrial switching and testing equipment for customers all over the world.
Loadtec was founded in 1984 by Dave Ballweg, initially to make high-power resisters that he originally designed.
After operating in La Mirada, Calif., Ballweg moved the company to Las Vegas in 1994.
Halfway through the first decade of the new millennium, he realized that he needed more space to take care of his growing customer base.
"We had a 25,000 square foot building in Vegas, and we couldn't produce enough product," Ballweg said. [Read full story]

Job Cuts A Factor In Decision To Leave

Deputy Fire Chief David Petersen is heading to Utah.
On Monday, Petersen confirmed that he is leaving his job with the Mesquite Fire Department to take a position at Brigham Young University overseeing their emergency management and Homeland Security office.
"It's a good move, and a good thing for the family," Petersen said, explaining that while the pay is similar, working for BYU has the added benefit of reduced tuition at the school for his children.
Petersen, who submitted his 30-day resignation notice to the city last week around the same time that Fire Chief Derek Hughes suddenly resigned, said the timing was a coincidence.
"It's a bad timing issue, that's all," Petersen said. "This has been an ongoing process." [Read full story]