The U.S. Census Bureau needs to hire hundreds of temporary workers to conduct the upcoming 2010 census.

On Tuesday, the census office will open in Las Vegas and as many as 500 employees may be needed locally to count Clark County residents.

Determining how many people live in Clark County will determine how much money Southern Nevada gets from the federal government.

“Census is about money and power. Congressional seats in Congress, districting in the states and also federal distribution of funds. About $300 billion a year are distributed to the states based on census counts,” said Vicki McIntire, U.S. Census deputy regional director.

The people hired to do the census in Clark County will be paid $14.50 an hour. If you are interested, call the Census Employment Hotline is 866-861-2010.

Harrah's is in a tough spot. They are still swimming in debt, they recently delayed the billion dollar Octavius tower at Caesars and now their arena project is laughably behind schedule.

It still doesn't have a traffic study, it hasn't broken ground and neither Harrah's, nor their partners Anschutz Entertainment Group want to talk about it. All they will say is that it's full steam ahead.

The hopes of a city rise with success and fall with every failure. Still, the hopes of an arena and a team to go with it burn very dimly for Las Vegas. Deutsche Bank Gaming Analyst Bill Lerner agrees, “It was, and is, just a concept.”

Lerner has waited like everyone else for word from Harrah's on their arena. In August of 2007, it was hailed as a masterpiece of planning and success. Since then there hasn't been much done.

Harrah's arena partner, AEG, has not submitted a traffic study for Koval and Flamingo, a busy intersection. They've said in the past they didn't even know if they need one.

Now they won't talk and neither will Harrah's.

Lerner says Harrah's financial problems that led to the botched Octavius tower could be causing problems here, too, “This is not really a Harrah's-specific thing, frankly. It's a market-related issue.”

While the shelving of Octavius was bandied about town the arena plans still sit silent. The groundbreaking was supposed to have happened in June of 2008, nearly seven months ago.

“I wouldn't imagine a shovel will be put in the ground for that arena for several years, frankly,” said Lerner.

AEG sticks by its plan to open the arena next year — thousands of seats, new roads in and out and bureaucratic hurdles. Lerner is skeptical, “I don't think it's physically possible.”

Yet Harrah's and AEG will only say all is well. Lerner doesn't buy it and perhaps neither should Las Vegas, “I'll eat my shoe in the lobby of KLAS if that thing's open in 2010.”

Harrah's and AEG refused repeated attempts for full comment and interviews. What little they would say is that AEG has always completed a project it has announced. Time will tell if the promise will actually come true

Thousands of people gathered in downtown Las Vegas to watch the annual parade to honor Dr. Martin Luther King who would have been 80 years old.

Parade goers say they are full of appreciation for the sacrifice Dr. King made for this country. They danced, chanted and celebrated in the streets of Las Vegas for this 27th annual parade. Many parade goers say this year's parade is especially significant because they say when President-Elect Barack Obama's takes the oath of office, they will no longer have to dream about equality.

“It is really significant it seems like the timing is just perfect so that's the best way to honor Dr. King's memory as well and that his dream did come alive and it's through Barrack Obama,” said Margaretta Rice.

“Living the Dream: For One America” was this year's theme. The grand marshals were Dr. Barbara Jackson and Dr. James Tate.

“Now we know in this country, all are created equal. We can all achieve to be anything we want to be,” said Kenyatta Lewis. 

“I think it's great. I am Puerto Rican. I hope one of my children will be president next time,” said Carlos Vega.

At one time, Nevada was dubbed the Mississippi of the West because of harsh race relations between blacks and whites. Many of the people at the parade commented on how far Las Vegas has come in race relations.

The annual Las Vegas MLK parade will take place on Monday, the Martin Luther King Junior holiday.

The parade, which is in its 27th year, will start at 10 a.m. in downtown Las Vegas. The parade starts at 10 a.m. on Fourth Street and Clark Avenue and will head north through downtown, ending at Ogden Avenue.

“Living the Dream: For One America” is this year's theme. The grand marshals are Dr. Barbara Jackson and Dr. James Tate.

Last year's parade drew thousands of people and had more than 100 parade entries.

After months of not being allowed to perform kidney transplants, UMC's program is back online with the help of some Utah doctors. Thanks to them, one local couple is starting a new life — one free of dialysis and stress.

And while it has a happy ending, the beginning and middle of Kevin and Jennifer Johnson's story is full of stress and worry. In the midst of planning Jennifer's kidney transplant, UMC's program stopped performing transplants, leaving them wondering where they would go for help.

The last six months of Jennifer's life has been full of dialysis and pills. Her kidneys were failing and she was in desperate need of a transplant, “If I would have chosen not to do dialysis, I would have ultimately died.”

Kevin, her husband of three years and a Metro Police detective, said there was no question what he needed to do, “It was something I wanted to do for her. If I had the ability and was a match for her, I would definitely give her one of mine.”

Kevin was a match. They were set for surgery until UMC's kidney transplant program was forced to stop performing transplants after being told the program had too many deaths. For the Johnson's, the news was devastating. They would have to go out of state, start the testing process all over, pay even more money and Jennifer would stay on dialysis.

But UMC's program fought back. They struck an agreement with four Utah doctors to take turns commuting to Las Vegas to perform the transplants.

Surgeon Tim Gayowski stepped up, “We thought if we can help, let's help rather than the program closes down and the people of Nevada are really disadvantaged.”

The Johnson's were the first kidney transplant since the program was re-activated and it was a success.

Life for the couple has already changed, “I'm not hooked up to anything. I can just get up, get out of bed, get a glass of water without having to disconnect.”

“I think it's a blessing. I looked at her in bed this morning and my kidney is working inside of her and it's making her feel healthy,” said Kevin.

The Johnson's call the transplant team family and Jennifer calls her husband hero, “He is my hero. He's my savior. I know God brought him to me. He brought him to save me.”

The kidney transplant program is the only one in Nevada. Right now there are more than 300 Las Vegans on the waiting list for a kidney. UMC is actively recruiting other surgeons to keep their program running.

Family, friends and patients gathered Wednesday to remember the doctor whose life was cut short this week. Doctor Edna Makabenta had gone into the exam room with Eliseo Santos when he pulled out a gun and shot her dead. He then turned the gun on himself.

Wednesday night, people remembered Makabenta as a caring person who'd go out of her way to help those in need. The parking lot at the clinic where Makabenta practiced was barely big enough to hold all the people who came to say goodbye to their doctor and friend. It was a outpouring of support her family never expected.

Surrounded by flickering candlelight, the Makabenta family came from the office into a crowd of friends and strangers alike, all there to offer support and remember a woman who is deeply missed.

“I'm sorry that this happened to her but she is in good hands right now. And with all the good things that she had done, I don't think she deserved to go this way — to go home to God this way,” said family friend Remy Caballero.

Her family says she died doing exactly what she loved — helping her patents.

“That is what I loved about my mom. She wanted to make everybody happy and she gave her life to everyone and she wanted to save lives, and she did,” said Edna's son Mike.

Those patients have now turned the doctor's doorway into a garden of flowers, a tribute to a woman they say was much more than a great doctor, but also a friend.

“She could just look you in the eye and tell what was wrong with you. She was that good,” said patient James Ford. “Everyone liked her. I've never heard a word against her.”

For her family, living without the smile of their mother each day is very hard, “When we wake up in the morning, it's hard knowing that she is not here, but we are holding together.”

They say it helps to know that they share their loss with so many who also loved their mother, “For them to come out and support us like this, it is an unbelievable feeling. It's helping us a lot with the grieving and it has been hard for us, but seeing everyone out here puts a smile on our face and let my mom rest at ease.”

The Makabenta family says spending time together is what they really need. At the time of the shooting, most of the family was either out of state and out of the country, so they just hope that can spend some much-needed time together to grieve.

It was the tenth and perhaps most important State of the City Address delivered by Mayor Oscar Goodman. In the last year, Las Vegas has seen record foreclosures, layoffs and major projects halted. Tuesday night, the mayor outlined how the city will survive this economic crisis.

The mayor says, despite economic challenges, the city skyline will continue to evolve as he focuses on the big picture and the long-term.

“Times have changed, more dramatically than anyone could have expected,” he said. “The very foundation of what made us great appears to be crumbling around us.”

Goodman said he didn't want to focus on the economic gloom and doom, but instead look at long-term investments like the $6 billion downtown Union Park development, a mixed-use urban community with shopping, gaming, an arts center, medical research facility, and more.

“We have some things to work through in the economy, but the vision is still strong at Union Park, and it's continuing to move forward and the city's commitment is what's allowing that to happen,” said Rita Brandin with Newland Communities.

Union Park would create up to 10,000 construction jobs and when fully completed in 10 to 15 years, 12,000 people would work there. City officials want to keep the momentum going.

“If we show leadership and move forward with that, it shows confidence to the private sector that we mean business — we're here to stay,” said Scott Adams, Director of the Office of Business Development for the City of Las Vegas.

With all the economic stimulus talk out there, the mayor hopes the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Union Park is something that can be funded by a federal stimulus plan.

After his address, Mayor Goodman talked about his vision to create an international reputation for Union Park, “It doesn't get done without the city being the one who is behind it, showing confidence in their community, and knowing that we will come out of it faster than any place else.”

His speech was shorter than in year's past, but the world's happiest mayor remains pretty optimistic, even in bad times. Goodman says with the downturn in construction, the city can get better prices today on public construction.

He also says he will remain focused on improving government efficiency.

A fire official says five people are recovering from smoke inhalation, and one also had minor burns after fire gutted a unit at a downtown apartment complex in Las Vegas.

Fire spokesman Tim Szymanski says three of the injured were taken to the hospital and two were given oxygen at the scene.

Firefighters quickly doused flames after the fire was reported about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday at the three-story complex on Fourth Street near Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue. One apartment was gutted and a downstairs unit had water damage. Fire investigators say the blaze might've been fueled by medical oxygen.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

A Las Vegas doctor was murdered in her office Monday morning and Metro detectives are working to piece together the motive.

The shooting happened around 9:30 a.m. at Dr. Edna Makabenta's office located near Charleston and Rancho. Police say the gunman, who is described as an elderly man, walked into an exam room and shot Dr. Makabenta and then turned the gun on himself. He later died at UMC.

Another patient, Cynthia Marshall, told Eyewitness News, that Makabenta was a special doctor who was never too busy to spend time talking with her patients.

A doctor who works nearby told Eyewitness News that the suspect's wife was a patient of Makabenta. The man's wife was not with him at the time of the shooting.

If you are a bus rider, you will be paying more to get around the Las Vegas Valley.

The Regional Transportation Commission has announced it is increasing its transit fares starting Sunday, January 11th. A single ride fare will increase from $1.25 to a $1.75 and a monthly full fare pass will go up $15 a month. The only fare that will not change is the reduced fare 30-day pass which is $25.

The RTC is also making changes to more than 30 of its routes. The following routes will have some changes. For more specific information, click here. You can also call 228-RIDE.

• 101 – Rainbow
• 102 – Jones 
• 103 – Decatur 
• 104 – Valley View 
• 105 – Martin L. King 
• 106 – Rancho / Centennial Hills 
• 107 – Boulder Highway 
• 108 – Paradise 
• 109 – Maryland Parkway 
• 110 – Eastern 
• 111 – Pecos / Green Valley Parkway 
• 113 – Las Vegas Boulevard North 
• 114 – Mountain Vista / Green Valley Parkway 
• 115 – Nellis / Stephanie 
• 116 – Koval / Industrial 
• 117 – Las Vegas Boulevard South / Silverado Ranch 
• 119 – Simmons 
• 201 – Tropicana 
• 202 – Flamingo 
• 203 – Spring Mountain / Twain 
• 204 – Sahara 
• 206 – Charleston 
• 207 – Alta / Stewart 
• 208 – Washington 
• 209 – Vegas Drive / Owens 
• 210 – Lake Mead Boulevard 
• 211 – Smoke Ranch / Carey 
• 212 – Sunset Road 
• 213 – Desert Inn / Lamb 
• 214 – H Street / D Street 
• 215 – Bonanza 
• 217 – Warm Springs / Downtown Henderson 
• 218 – Cheyenne 
• 219 – Craig 
• Deuce – Las Vegas Boulevard

RTC staff members will host Transportation Fairs this weekend to answer questions on the changes. Staff members will be available Saturday, Jan. 10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 11 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Brookstone Court area of the Boulevard Mall, located at 3528 S. Maryland Pkwy.