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We make podcasts and newsletters that connect people with the cities they love.

City Cast Las Vegas

Tips and tricks by Las Vegas locals, for locals.

Yes. The law is very clear. NRS 171.126 provides that any citizen can arrest a person for a misdemeanor (or larger offense) committed in their presence or any felony whether it is witnessed or not, as long as there's reasonable cause to believe the person did the crime. In making the arrest, the person can't use any more force than is necessary and reasonable under the circumstances — and certainly not deadly force unless it's in self-defense.

 That's the tricky part. There are no clear guidelines as to how to conduct a citizen's arrest, and when it 

 been used, it's usually just detaining the person until the police arrive.

 NRS 171.134 says “the person from whose custody he or she escaped … may immediately pursue and retake the person at any time and in any place within the state.”

 The obvious concern involves the person who's not happy to be citizen-arrested and gets physical. Also, what if the citizen is wrong? The person arrested could sue for things like false imprisonment or assault with a deadly weapon (if you use one to detain the person). The better course is the obvious one: Get as much information as you can and relay it to cops.

You can, but it's probably not your best move.

Can You Make a Citizen's Arrest in Las Vegas?

Las Vegas Life Hacks

It’s about time to resume hiking, and wherever you get your steps in, from Mount Charleston to Sloane Canyon, Red Rock to McCullough Trail, here’s a refresher in outback behavior, compiled from a number of 

; don’t disturb their momentum. Keep single file when you can; pass on the left. And because trails often serve a mix of users, it’s good to know the proper hierarchy: bikers yield to hikers, and both yield to horses.

This commonly refers to packing out your garbage — a good habit on or off the trail. It also refers to your dog’s poop (though 

, 200 paces off the trail). But it also means don’t etch or jot your initials on a rock or tree; you’re not “leaving petroglyphs for future generations,” you’re just defacing nature.

Different guides offer different advice — keep your music all the way off; or listen in earbuds at low volume. Basic point being, 

 with your loud music or phone calls. But keep your phone handy in case of a snakebite (they’re said to be active in October), an accident, or getting lost.

. And, in case a search party has to find you, maybe the other person will remember you from your friendly demeanor.

🐕 Taking your dog hiking? We’ve got a podcast episode about that! 
[City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]

🐕 Click to Listen

Trail Etiquette for Hiking Around Las Vegas

 creates all sorts of dead zones into which official communications vanish. You move, lose an envelope, delete an email. Sometimes those missing documents have money attached — refunds and the like. After three years, that moolah reverts to the state treasurer’s office for safekeeping.

But it’s still yours. And you can get it — for free.

 The state is hanging on to nearly a billion dollars in unclaimed funds.

 Refunds, rebates, safety-deposit-box contents, overpayments, utility deposits, stocks and bonds, dividends, and more.

 Forever! The state treasurer’s office holds it “in perpetuity.” So if you never claim it, your heirs can.

 This differs depending on the claim. With some, you may have to prove that you lived at a prior residence. Or you may have to show a connection to the entity from which the money came. In some instances, other documents might be required.

 You fill out an online form, print it out, and snail-mail it in.

 Before you send in your claim, you have to sign it in the presence of a notary; their fees vary.

 Click below 👇 to search the state’s holdings and initiate the process. 

Begin Your Search Here

After three years, unclaimed funds revert to the state treasurer’s office for safekeeping. But it’s still yours. And you can get it — for free.


How to Get Free Money From the State of Nevada

How to Get Free Money From the State

 City Cast Las Vegas convened co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Vogue Robinson, plus Vegas lifer Andrew Kiraly (publisher of 

), to talk about some of the informal but often urgent guidelines for surviving in this town. A few excerpts:

“If you mentally shift and think of commuting as part of living in Las Vegas,” Andrew says, “that takes a lot of the stress and frustration out of it.”

“Wait five to 10 seconds before you pull into the intersection,” Dayvid advises. Ever in a hurry, many residents blast through intersections just after the light turns red. This rule “has saved my life countless times,” he says.

The “Vegas flake” is a real thing; lots of people here are one flimsy excuse away from ghosting. So to maintain friends in a valley of oddball job shifts and cross-town suburbs, do the work, Vogue says. “Say, ‘Hey, I can meet you on these days, at these times, at this location — see you there.’ And then send the reminder text.”

In a tourist town full of buzzy restaurants, it’s not always easy to snag a table. But, Dayvid says, there’s probably a place in the bar. “The bar is the workaround if you don't have a reservation,” Vogue adds. “You can get in, your food's usually faster, you've got some good convo.” Andrew agrees: “It's much more social to eat at the bar.”

For more useful tips, listen to the full episode:

Rules for Living

Not long ago, City Cast Las Vegas convened co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Vogue Robinson, plus Vegas lifer Andrew Kiraly (publisher of TheList.Vegas), to talk about some of the informal but often urgent guidelines for surviving in this town.

Rules for Living Your Best Las Vegas Life

Rules for Living Your Best Vegas

remind anyone of this — I value my quiet time — but today begins the period during which residents are allowed to light fireworks to celebrate Fourth of July, irritate their neighbors, and frighten nearby pets. The window closes at 11:59 p.m. on July 4. This is the only period fireworks are legally OK.

 fireworks are allowed. Gone are the days when, let’s say, 

 and definitely not a younger, more reckless version of myself, could order rockets and other potent boom-makers from the back pages of Soldier of Fortune magazine and rock this town.

 Roman candles, firecrackers that spin or bounce and can’t be controlled, and “anything made of highly combustible materials” are all prohibited. (Note to the folks down the street: This means you.)

 Under the lamely titled “You Light It, We Write It” program, you can be ticketed for amounts ranging from $500 up to $10,000 depending on what fireworks you have and where (hint: public land) you use them.

 or 311 to report the use of illegal fireworks. Instead, go to 

 and fill out the online form. July 4 is typically one of the busiest nights for cops and firefighters, and overuse of those phone numbers only complicates their jobs.

Boom Time, Safety, and Other Las Vegas Fireworks Tips

Last week, smoke from wildfires in Canada had the New York City skyline looking like the movie Blade Runner 2049. The smoke eventually cleared out of NYC over the weekend, but ABC News reports that Canada’s ardent start to its wildfire season is 

likely to affect air quality throughout the United States this summer,

?). Air purifiers can be expensive, so here’s how you can make your own at home with a few simple items.

Necessity is the mother of invention, so let’s start with the most simple version of a DIY air purifier.

: Acquire a square fan (most air filters are squares or rectangles, so we’re applying basic geometry).

: Get yourself a HEPA filter (shoot for one similar in size to your fan).

: Secure the filter to your fan via duct tape or packing tape, making sure to seal the connection as tightly as possible.

 from the New York Times’ Wirecutter. Their testing showed this simple version outperformed a fancy $800 air purifier!

After covering the COVID-19 pandemic, The Washington Post reporter Lena H. Sun took it upon herself to build what’s called a Corsi-Rosenthal Box, which basically takes the version above and gives it superpowers. She has a great 

If you build one of these we want to hear about it.

Share Your DIY Experience

How to Make Your Own Air Purifier

 The Bureau of Land Management is soliciting public comment as it 

 for the La Madre area of the Red Rock National Conservation Area.

 The planning area in question sits roughly between Calico Basin and Kyle Canyon Road, to the west and north of the valley. 

 Once more remote, the area is — surprise! — being encroached upon by civilization. “Suburban housing development at Skye Canyon and Cliff Shadows is increasing recreation pressure on the area,” says Jon Prescott, BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner for the project. Along with roads, the area hosts approximately 30 miles of “unsanctioned” trails and some climbing areas. Given the increasing human presence there, the agency wants to figure out how best to balance its recreational potential with the need to protect natural resources.

 scheduled for a week from today, after which you can 

How to Have a Say in Wilderness Management

 Seeing the number of old vehicles registered as “classic” jump from about 5,000 to 32,000, the state DMV knew it had a an issue. “A lot of people were getting classic vehicle plates on their cars because they could get around the smog checks,” Kevin MacDonald from the Clark County Department of Environment & Sustainability.

 New state rules went into effect this year — to designate your car as a “classic,” it needs to be covered by classic vehicle insurance. Otherwise, it must pass an emissions check.

 Some people just can’t afford the repairs needed to make  old beaters meet smog standards. MacDonald sympathizes. “The last thing we want to do is jam people up,” he says. “We want to make sure people can get to and from work, get their kids without a hassle, 

 we want to make sure they’re driving legally.”

 The county has created a smog-check assistance program. If you qualify, you can get up to $975 in free repairs.

 People whose car’s model year is 1968-1999, or who have a “classic rod” plate; an income that’s 275% of the federal poverty limit or proof of enrollment in a Nevada assistance program; a failed smog check from the last 12 months.

 Gather documentation of the above and either call 702-805-5882 or 

. If you’re approved, you’ll have to take your vehicle to a designated repair site.

For More Information 

Get Help Smogging Your Old Car

 Just toss it to the curb for the trash guys.


, operated by the Southern Nevada Christmas Tree Recycling Committee. 

 is one spot, for instance, and with more than 

, you should be able to find a convenient one. The trees will be 

 from landfills, conserving water, and beautifying our local communities,” a committee spokeswoman 


I suppose you have some interesting contextual facts?

 Yes! The committee has recycled more than 

 since starting the program in 2001. That's a lotta mulch.

