BY IAN WHITAKERA version of this story was posted on lasvegassun.com.

UNLV offi cials’ efforts to pur-chase 42 acres just west of the Thomas & Mack Center have been ongoing since March, but they will have to decide soon exactly what they want to do with the land.

The deadline to draw up a plan for the property is December, when higher education offi cials are scheduled to decide whether to move forward with the pur-chase.

It’s more than big enough to

accommodate a stadium, which is the university’s fi rst choice, but UNLV now has to fi gure out how it will pay for the space as well as what it will do with it if it can’t build a stadium.

The lot, about a half-mile west of the Thomas & Mack Center, costs $50 million and the univer-sity would have to foot the bill, said UNLV fi nance chief Gerry Bomotti. The money likely would come from a 30-year fi nance plan.

Revenue from two billboards on the site is expected to make up for some of the purchase costs, as would leasing out a portion of the

expansive space to commercial developers.

But fi rst the university has to come up with a blueprint for the land, which sits on a busy stretch of Tropicana Avenue between McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip.

Offi cials believe a stadium could help clean up the area and make it more attractive to visi-tors coming from the airport.

“I think it’s an exceptional location for a stadium,” Bomotti said. “There’s plenty of space for it here.”

University offi cials told the board of regents last week that

they will still seek to buy the land even if they don’t end up using it for a stadium.

“It’s close enough that it can be connected to campus, it’s eas-ier to service for traffi c and trans-portation and a lot of the activi-ties in the venue would be ones that tourists would come for,” Bomotti said. “If you could con-nect it to campus, you could also develop and maximize the use of existing parking.”

The site also is attractive because it’s not in the airport fl ightline. The Federal Aviation Administration vetoed the uni-versity’s fi rst choice for an on-

campus stadium — across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel — because it would have been unsafe for airplanes landing and taking off from McCarran’s two north-south runways.

The university is working out how it could connect the land to the main campus.

The next step is a December meeting of the b oard of r egents, where higher education offi cials could review and approve a pro-posal for the land.

ian.whitaker@lasvegassun.com / 702-990-8949 / @ianm_whitaker

HIGHER EDUCATION

UNLV developing expansion blueprint

BY DON CHAREUNSYThis story was posted on lasvegassun.com at 2 a.m. today.

La Jolla, Calif., along the Pacifi c coast-line of northern San Diego is nicknamed “The Riviera of the West” and “The Jewel of San Diego” for a reason: With its ocean views and beaches, fi ne dining, outdoor activities aplenty, moderate climate and well-heeled residents, the ocean side hamlet is an escape into the lap of luxury.

And it’s an escape from the desert heat via fi ve-hour drive or quick plane trip; no pricey travel expense here. I lived in San Diego from 2002 to 2008 before moving to Las Vegas, and La Jolla was an occa-sional day trip . Now it’s an annual August trip for brunch and to catch up with fam-ily members and friends.

In the past year, I’ve stayed in La Jolla at two accommodations that were at the time the No. 1- and No. 2-rated on Tri-p Advisor: The Lodge at Torrey Pines and

the Pantai Inn, respectively.The Pantai Inn, 1003 Coast Blvd., is

Bali-inspired and beyond charming. Across the street from where the sea lions sun bathe and swim and the shopping and dining center La Jolla Village, the Pantai Inn is bungalow-style with full kitchens and accommodations. Each unit is unique

and includes parking — which comes at a premium in La Jolla. Day or night, the ocean waves and sea lions can be heard at the Pantai (pronounced “pawn-tai” and meaning “beach” in Malay).

My fi rst weekend getaway in La Jolla was pretty much a fi ne-dining tour, and it was a fabulous feast: lunch at A.R. Val-entien at the Lodge at Torrey Pines (with incredible views of the Torrey Pines Golf Course and the Pacifi c) and dinner at Nine-Ten at the Grand Colonial Hotel on Prospect Street in La Jolla Village (a unique his-and-her tasting menu, titled “Mercy of the Chef,” that’s great for shar-ing).

The next day, brunch was at the Med in the historic La Valencia, also on Pros-pect Street (Old Hollywood glamour in a Mediterranean villa-inspired restaurant, gorgeous Pacifi c views and a menu pre-pared from local organic and sustainable fi sheries, ranches and farms) and dinner

WEEKEND GETAWAY: LA JOLLA

‘Riviera of the West’ a five-hour drive away500 vehicles wait out I-15 closure at Nevada-California line. Closing the high-way between Los Angeles and Las Vegas

forced about 500 vehicles to pass the time at a casino resort area in Nevada.

Preview: Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn begin Caesars residency. It’s the opening of their fi rst set of residency

dates through July 4.Police release picture of suspect in Henderson bank robbery. The suspect went into the store at 1000 North Green

Valley Parkway about 12:30 p.m. and demanded money from a teller, police said.

Boy, 4, dies after falling into back-yard swimming pool. Henderson police spokeswoman Michelle French notes that

fi ve other children have nearly drowned in the city so far this year.

Drai’s announces $5,000 costume contest for ladies ahead of 2015 EDC. The winner receives $3,000, second

place $2,000 and third place $1,000, enough for a VIP helicopter ride, plus money left over for food, drink and merchandise.

THE SUN’S MOST-READ STORIESThe most-read stories on lasvegassun.com as of 9:15 a.m. Thursday.

ANNIE PEARSON

The Pacific Ocean laps at the shoreline of La Jolla, Calif.

1

23

4

5

SUN FILE (2002)

UNLV officials want to purchase land near the existing Maryland Parkway campus that could house a stadium, replacing the university’s aging Sam Boyd Stadium, shown above.

BY CHRISTOPHER DREW AND DAVE PHILIPPSNew York Times News Service

CREECH AIR FORCE BASE — After a decade of waging long-distance war through their video screens, America’s drone operators are burning out, and the Air Force is being forced to cut back on the fl ights even as military and intelligence offi cials are demanding more over inten-sifying combat zones in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

The Air Force plans to trim the fl ights

by the armed surveillance drones to 60 a day by October from a recent peak of 65 as it deals with the fi rst serious exodus of the crew members who helped usher in the era of war by remote control.

Air Force offi cials said that this year they would lose more drone pilots, who are worn down by the unique stresses of their work, than they can train.

“We’re at an infl ection point right now,” said Col. James Cluff, the commander of the Air Force’s 432nd Wing, which runs the drone operations from Creech, a des-

ert outpost about 45 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

The cut in fl ights is an abrupt shift for the Air Force. Drone missions increased tenfold in the last decade, relentlessly pushing the operators in an effort to meet the insatiable demand for streaming video of insurgent activities in Iraq, Afghanistan and other war zones, including Somalia, Libya and now Syria.

The reduction could also create prob-lems for the CIA, which has used Air Force pilots to conduct drone missile attacks

on terrorism suspects in Pakistan and Yemen, government offi cials said. And the slowdown comes just as military advances by the Islamic State have placed a new pre-mium on aerial surveillance and counter-attacks.

Some top Pentagon offi cials had hoped to continue increasing the number of daily drone fl ights to more than 70. But Defense Secretary Ash Carter recently signed off on the cuts after it became apparent that the system was at the breaking point, Air

MILITARY

Operator exodus forces Air Force to cut drone flights

[See Air Force, Page 5]

[See La Jolla, Page 4]

L O C A L L Y O W N E D A N D I N D E P E N D E N T | F R I D A Y , J U N E 1 9 , 2 0 1 5

2009 PULITZER PRIZE WINNER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE LASVEGASSUN.COM2

BY IAN WHITAKERA version of this story was posted on lasvegassun.com.

UNLV offi cials’ efforts to pur-chase 42 acres just west of the Thomas & Mack Center have been ongoing since March, but they will have to decide soon exactly what they want to do with the land.

The deadline to draw up a plan for the property is December, when higher education offi cials are scheduled to decide whether to move forward with the pur-chase.

It’s more than big enough to

accommodate a stadium, which is the university’s fi rst choice, but UNLV now has to fi gure out how it will pay for the space as well as what it will do with it if it can’t build a stadium.

The lot, about a half-mile west of the Thomas & Mack Center, costs $50 million and the univer-sity would have to foot the bill, said UNLV fi nance chief Gerry Bomotti. The money likely would come from a 30-year fi nance plan.

Revenue from two billboards on the site is expected to make up for some of the purchase costs, as would leasing out a portion of the

expansive space to commercial developers.

But fi rst the university has to come up with a blueprint for the land, which sits on a busy stretch of Tropicana Avenue between McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip.

Offi cials believe a stadium could help clean up the area and make it more attractive to visi-tors coming from the airport.

“I think it’s an exceptional location for a stadium,” Bomotti said. “There’s plenty of space for it here.”

University offi cials told the board of regents last week that

they will still seek to buy the land even if they don’t end up using it for a stadium.

“It’s close enough that it can be connected to campus, it’s eas-ier to service for traffi c and trans-portation and a lot of the activi-ties in the venue would be ones that tourists would come for,” Bomotti said. “If you could con-nect it to campus, you could also develop and maximize the use of existing parking.”

The site also is attractive because it’s not in the airport fl ightline. The Federal Aviation Administration vetoed the uni-versity’s fi rst choice for an on-

campus stadium — across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel — because it would have been unsafe for airplanes landing and taking off from McCarran’s two north-south runways.

The university is working out how it could connect the land to the main campus.

The next step is a December meeting of the b oard of r egents, where higher education offi cials could review and approve a pro-posal for the land.

ian.whitaker@lasvegassun.com / 702-990-8949 / @ianm_whitaker

HIGHER EDUCATION

UNLV developing expansion blueprint

BY DON CHAREUNSYThis story was posted on lasvegassun.com at 2 a.m. today.

La Jolla, Calif., along the Pacifi c coast-line of northern San Diego is nicknamed “The Riviera of the West” and “The Jewel of San Diego” for a reason: With its ocean views and beaches, fi ne dining, outdoor activities aplenty, moderate climate and well-heeled residents, the ocean side hamlet is an escape into the lap of luxury.

And it’s an escape from the desert heat via fi ve-hour drive or quick plane trip; no pricey travel expense here. I lived in San Diego from 2002 to 2008 before moving to Las Vegas, and La Jolla was an occa-sional day trip . Now it’s an annual August trip for brunch and to catch up with fam-ily members and friends.

In the past year, I’ve stayed in La Jolla at two accommodations that were at the time the No. 1- and No. 2-rated on Tri-p Advisor: The Lodge at Torrey Pines and

the Pantai Inn, respectively.The Pantai Inn, 1003 Coast Blvd., is

Bali-inspired and beyond charming. Across the street from where the sea lions sun bathe and swim and the shopping and dining center La Jolla Village, the Pantai Inn is bungalow-style with full kitchens and accommodations. Each unit is unique

and includes parking — which comes at a premium in La Jolla. Day or night, the ocean waves and sea lions can be heard at the Pantai (pronounced “pawn-tai” and meaning “beach” in Malay).

My fi rst weekend getaway in La Jolla was pretty much a fi ne-dining tour, and it was a fabulous feast: lunch at A.R. Val-entien at the Lodge at Torrey Pines (with incredible views of the Torrey Pines Golf Course and the Pacifi c) and dinner at Nine-Ten at the Grand Colonial Hotel on Prospect Street in La Jolla Village (a unique his-and-her tasting menu, titled “Mercy of the Chef,” that’s great for shar-ing).

The next day, brunch was at the Med in the historic La Valencia, also on Pros-pect Street (Old Hollywood glamour in a Mediterranean villa-inspired restaurant, gorgeous Pacifi c views and a menu pre-pared from local organic and sustainable fi sheries, ranches and farms) and dinner

WEEKEND GETAWAY: LA JOLLA

‘Riviera of the West’ a five-hour drive away500 vehicles wait out I-15 closure at Nevada-California line. Closing the high-way between Los Angeles and Las Vegas

forced about 500 vehicles to pass the time at a casino resort area in Nevada.

Preview: Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn begin Caesars residency. It’s the opening of their fi rst set of residency

dates through July 4.Police release picture of suspect in Henderson bank robbery. The suspect went into the store at 1000 North Green

Valley Parkway about 12:30 p.m. and demanded money from a teller, police said.

Boy, 4, dies after falling into back-yard swimming pool. Henderson police spokeswoman Michelle French notes that

fi ve other children have nearly drowned in the city so far this year.

Drai’s announces $5,000 costume contest for ladies ahead of 2015 EDC. The winner receives $3,000, second

place $2,000 and third place $1,000, enough for a VIP helicopter ride, plus money left over for food, drink and merchandise.

THE SUN’S MOST-READ STORIESThe most-read stories on lasvegassun.com as of 9:15 a.m. Thursday.

ANNIE PEARSON

The Pacific Ocean laps at the shoreline of La Jolla, Calif.

1

23

4

5

SUN FILE (2002)

UNLV officials want to purchase land near the existing Maryland Parkway campus that could house a stadium, replacing the university’s aging Sam Boyd Stadium, shown above.

BY CHRISTOPHER DREW AND DAVE PHILIPPSNew York Times News Service

CREECH AIR FORCE BASE — After a decade of waging long-distance war through their video screens, America’s drone operators are burning out, and the Air Force is being forced to cut back on the fl ights even as military and intelligence offi cials are demanding more over inten-sifying combat zones in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

The Air Force plans to trim the fl ights

by the armed surveillance drones to 60 a day by October from a recent peak of 65 as it deals with the fi rst serious exodus of the crew members who helped usher in the era of war by remote control.

Air Force offi cials said that this year they would lose more drone pilots, who are worn down by the unique stresses of their work, than they can train.

“We’re at an infl ection point right now,” said Col. James Cluff, the commander of the Air Force’s 432nd Wing, which runs the drone operations from Creech, a des-

ert outpost about 45 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

The cut in fl ights is an abrupt shift for the Air Force. Drone missions increased tenfold in the last decade, relentlessly pushing the operators in an effort to meet the insatiable demand for streaming video of insurgent activities in Iraq, Afghanistan and other war zones, including Somalia, Libya and now Syria.

The reduction could also create prob-lems for the CIA, which has used Air Force pilots to conduct drone missile attacks

on terrorism suspects in Pakistan and Yemen, government offi cials said. And the slowdown comes just as military advances by the Islamic State have placed a new pre-mium on aerial surveillance and counter-attacks.

Some top Pentagon offi cials had hoped to continue increasing the number of daily drone fl ights to more than 70. But Defense Secretary Ash Carter recently signed off on the cuts after it became apparent that the system was at the breaking point, Air

MILITARY

Operator exodus forces Air Force to cut drone flights

[See Air Force, Page 5]

[See La Jolla, Page 4]

L O C A L L Y O W N E D A N D I N D E P E N D E N T | F R I D A Y , J U N E 1 9 , 2 0 1 5

2009 PULITZER PRIZE WINNER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE LASVEGASSUN.COM2

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THE LAS VEGAS SUNSUMMER CAMP FUNDEvery child deserves a camping experience and the Sun Camp Fund is committed to providing camping opportunities for disadvantaged children ages 8-14. Approximately 700 kids benefi t from a camp-ing experience every year. Help us bring the joy of the outdoors to more Las Vegas area children.

TO FIND EVERYTHING WE’VE GOTThe news and feature stories you’re reading in this paper

are only a small part of what we present each day. To get it all — local, national and world news, features,

business, sports, arts & entertainment, editorials, opinions and reader comments — go online to lasvegassun.com.

lasvegassun.com/weather

TodayHigh: 111, Low: 84

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SundayHigh: 110, Low: 85

at the 70-year-old Marine Room in the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club on Spindrift Drive (directly on the beach, the elegant Marine Room features sensational surf, surfer and sunset views, plus award-winning global cuisine).

For a more casual setting, and one of my favorites as a resident, Richard Walker’s Pancake House on Prospect Street is great for a good, no-fuss meal to start the day.

I did venture from La Jolla to check one item off the bucket list that escaped me as a resident of San Diego: brunch at Hotel Del Coronado. It was fabulous and could compete alongside Las Vegas’ fancy brunches, except that it’s on an isthmus in a his-toric hotel on San Diego Bay. An absolute treat worth the expense for a special occasion.

Driving back to La Jolla, there was no escaping Las Vegas, as this

trip’s fi nal dinner was at “Top Chef” star chef Brian Malarkey’s Herringbone in La Jolla (since this weekend getaway, Malarkey has opened Searsucker in Cae-sars Palace). The indoor-outdoor design is charming — the restau-rant is built around large trees — and the fi sh fry special was, well, special.

I returned to La Jolla last Sep-tember for the San Diego Char-gers’ game against the then-Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks (the Bolts defeated Seattle, 30-21) and stayed at the Lodge at Tor-rey Pines, 11480 N. Torrey Pines Road. The accommodation was what one would expect from a place called the Lodge — woodsy and quaint.

But, given that we’re in La Jolla, it also is luxurious with ocean views and world-class golf, the home of one of the most sce-nic stops on the PGA Tour. This

trip was my introduction to Sear-sucker, the lively location in the Gaslamp Quarter and Malarkey’s inventive and savory small-plates menu and cocktail program.

La Jolla is an outdoor lover’s destination with surfi ng, trails for hiking, the family-friendly Birch Aquarium at Scripps, museums (La Jolla was home to Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, and there is a small exhibit on Prospect at Legends Gallery), shopping (boutiques galore), a kayak tour of caves, paddle boarding and more.

La Jolla is truly a gem in Southern California that is to be treasured, and I’ll be back in August and October, the latter for a wedding at the La Valencia. Brunch, anyone?

don.chareunsy@lasvegassun.com / 702-990-2464 / @vdlxeditordon

LUXURIOUS OCEAN VIEWS, WORLD-CLASS GOLF PLENTIFUL

LA JOLLA, FROM PAGE 1:

BOB YARBOROUGH

A golfer gets ready to putt on the third hole at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif.

BY RILEY SNYDERAssociated Press

CARSON CITY — News that U.S. Rep. Joe Heck is consider-ing a bid for Nevada’s open U.S. Senate seat has national groups courting several high-profi le Nevada Democrats in an effort to recruit candidates for the Las Vegas Republican’s congressio-nal seat.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee members met with former Nevada Secre-tary of State Ross Miller and state Senate Minority Leader Aaron Ford on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

Miller and Ford are being recruited to run for Congressio-

nal District 3, which covers an area including Henderson and unincorporated Clark County. Heck has represented the dis-trict since 2010 and has beaten back Democratic challenges the past six years, despite nearly even voter registration numbers between Democrats and Repub-licans.

Heck said he was seriously exploring a bid for the Senate seat currently held by longtime Democrat Sen. Harry Reid, who announced in March that he would retire at the end of his term.

Miller, who lost a close race for attorney general to Adam Laxalt in 2014, said he was “fl at-

tered” to be contacted but was concerned that running would mean leaving several private-sector jobs and could be diffi cult on his family.

“I’m trying to get as much information as I can,” he said to The Associated Press. “Serving as a commuting Nevada congress-man probably wouldn’t be the easiest job, but certainly I think serving in Congress would be a tremendous opportunity with how frustrating things are going in (Washington) D.C.”

Miller said he ha d no timeta-ble on a decision to run.

Ford didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

NEVADA POLITICS

High-profile Democrats courted for run for Congressional District 3 seat

BY ROBIN LEACHA version of this story was post-

ed on lasvegassun.com.

Bidding for the beautiful cus-tom-designed necklace donated to this weekend’s Keep Memory Alive Power of Love Gala by the Lynne Ruffi n-Smith Charitable Foundation by its president, R.T.Smith, was fast and furious.

The winner was Bill Edwards, who is another generous donor, supporter and co-producer of the star-studded event that

took place Saturday at the MGM Grand.

The Lynne Ruffi n-Smith Charitable Foundation has been a huge supporter of Keep Mem-ory Alive through the years and makes a donation that provides every patient a fl ower when they depart the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Brain Health Center after their appointment.

Bill Edwards, whose mortgage investment empire totals over $20 billion, is chairman and CEO of the Big3 Entertainment Group which presented the Friday night

VIP pre-party for Keep Memory Alive honoree Andrea Boce-lli with the group’s new recording star Danny Orlando. Bill’s Big3 Record label also features such stars as Cheap Trick and rocker Rick Derringer.

“It was great that two very generous supporters of Keep Memory Alive wound up con-nected through a unique piece of jewelry that helped raise almost another $100,000 for our clini-cal trials and the search for the cure,” said Larry Ruvo, founder of KMA.

POWER OF LOVE GALA

Necklace bidding war brings nearly $100K for KMA

COURTESY

La Jolla, Calif., offers plenty of activities for visitors.

LAS VEGAS SUN FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 20154 | NEWS