The men and women who are called in for the most dangerous situations are often forced to face desperate people who feel caged in and may be unstable. They are members of the elite SWAT team, and they train extensively for the missions that could mean life or death.

It takes a lot of skill and Eyewitness News took a real-life look at the training Henderson's SWAT team goes through to save lives.

When police find themselves in risky situations, every move matters. They're practicing for the real thing, and that practice that can mean the difference between life and death, a good ending or a bad one.

Henderson Police Lieutenant Marc Cassell holds SWAT school on a range outside Boulder City, and just trying out for this highly-skilled tactical team is not always a walk in the park.

It is a job where precision matters, “Although these situations are dangerous, by bringing SWAT into them, we deescalate that danger.”

On the surface, the drills may look exciting, but SWAT school is rigorous and competitive. Not everyone is cut out for it, “We lose about 50-percent of our officers in this school because it's so tough.”

Those that do sign on have to be ready for anything, at anytime, “If the pager goes off, or the phone rings, they're so dedicated, they drop what they're doing and they come and they're on call 24-7.”

The SWAT team trains for a lot more than just hostage situations. Henderson deals with suicidal subjects, serve search warrants to dangerous scenes, protect dignitaries and they train in counterterrorism.

SWAT members and negotiators always aim for the innocent to go home safely and the criminals to go to jail. At the end of the day, that's what they train for.

Henderson's SWAT team is called out on average a hundred times a year. While the calls may not have the Hollywood drama like you see on CBS's Flashpoint, they all have to be handled carefully.

Email your comments to Reporter Aaron Drawhorn

Henderson Police Detective are trying to figure out who shot and killed a 23-year-old man.

He was found Tuesday morning in a home near Arroyo Grande Boulevard and American Pacific Drive by the homeowners. He was taken to the hospital where he died.

The man did not live at the house and officers are still trying to figure out the circumstances surrounding his death. So far, no one has been arrested.

If you have any information, please call CrimeStoppers at 385-5555.

Fiesta Henderson employees will find out Tuesday night if a new apartment complex that will benefit them can be built.

The complex has been proposed by developer Trammel Crowe, who have an agreement with Station Casinos to provide Fiesta Henderson employees with priority leasing and a discounted rate.

Neighbors in the area have been torn over the project for weeks.  A few residents living behind the railroad tracks on Fiesta Henderson Drive don't want the complex to be built because they think it will increase traffic, crime rates and have too much of an impact on schools in the area.

Residents from Fiesta Park, across the street from where the complex could be built, disagree.  They want the complex so that the dirt lot will be used for something more positive.

“Of all the alternatives that they've offered, the apartment is the lesser of all the evils… We're going to get something built back there.  That land is not going to sit empty,” Fiesta Park HOA President John Thiessen said.

Douglas Zook lives in Fiesta Park and has attended every meeting about this complex since it was suggested.  He thinks that a compromise will be reached and that the building will be beneficial to the area.

“I am strongly in favor of concentrating people with their workplace.  I think we have to do that for the future because of the conditions that exist with fuel,” Zook said, “There were at least 40 Fiesta employees that were there in favor of the project.”

The Henderson City Council will be voting at their regular meeting Tuesday night, and the Henderson Planning Commission has already approved the complex, with conditions. Minutes from the City Council and Planning Commission meetings surrounding this issue can be found here.

The Hawaiian Civic Club was busy setting up for the 18^th annual Pacific Island Festival in downtown Henderson on Friday.

Organizers say that this year’s will be a record breaker, quite a feat considering this is only the second year the festival has been held in this location.

 ”I think we’re going to bring out a big crowd, only because admission is free…and it’s a very family type setting,” Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club President Charles Herring said.

Herring is trying a few new things — Water St. will be shut down for the weekend to accommodate two performance stages, and there will be extra food vendors. This year’s festival will also feature “make it and take it” craft demonstrations with feathers, flowers and board games.

Many of the vendors, like gourd carver Ray Diaz, are visiting from California.  What Diaz says is different about this festival in particular, is that the majority of the vendors are not part of corporations.

“I would say that 99% of the vendors really enjoy themselves…you’ve got a few that work for a commercial company, and that’s just going to work for them, you know? But most of them, it’s their own thing,” Diaz explained.

Of course the biggest part of this festival, and any other, is the food.

“Oh the food…I really love the food.  I’m not big on sushi, but I like all the Polynesian chicken, teriyaki chicken, the beef, the bowls, that’s great. I look forward to eating that,” Diaz said.

The festival serves as the Civic Club’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and according to Herring, the money is used for scholarships and cultural speakers.

Police need your help finding a missing Henderson woman. No one has heard from 29-year-old Neyda Mabel Salinas since August 30, 2008.

She was last seen in the area of Flamingo and Koval wearing a red button down shirt with black, restaurant-style pants.

If you have any information on where Salinas may be, please call Henderson Police at 267-4750.

Cell Reception Improves

Enough people in the Anthem and Seven Hills area complained about spotty cell phone reception, and now, new devices have been installed to improve reception.

The devices were installed on Eastern Avenue just south of the Anthem Hills Drive split by Clear Choice Development Group.

The Henderson Symphony Orchestra is kicking off their 22^nd season under the direction of Conductor Taras Krysa with guest artists Katherine Mathiasmeier on trumpet and Molly Murphy on English horn.

A pre-performance discussion will be held at 1 p.m. to introduce the audience to the history of the pieces being performed.  The concert will feature Aaron Copland’s “Quiet City,” as well as pieces from Richard Strauss and Mozart. 

The first concert of the season is free, and it begins at 2 p.m. at the Henderson Pavillion on Sunday Sept. 14.

The Acacia Demonstration Gardens at Acacia Park offer fall gardening classes to help gardeners with their seasonal gardens beginning Sept. 13.

One of the most popular classes offered every year is “Growing Cool Season Veggies,” where a master gardener will offer tips and tricks on growing things like garlic, spinach and various lettuces for free.

The gardens are open year round, and they display different types of gardens that are drought tolerant and water smart. Acacia is located near Gibson and the 215.

Neighborhood Guide Reporter Shannon Onstot was driving near Henderson Executive Airport when she saw two giant dust devils. They were over 100 feet high, and were swirling around a construction site.

Check out the video she managed to capture from the side of the road.

What’s going on next week in Henderson or Green Valley? Let Neighborhood Guide Reporter Shannon Onstot know by email, or just leave a comment.

The final phase of the City of Henderson's Eastern Avenue rehabilitation project is set to be completed this weekend after a “pave-a-thon” is held Sept. 12-15.

After last weekends push, public works refinished as much of the roadway as they could in the overnight hours and plan to finish the stretch between Horizon Ridge Parkway and Reunion Drive.

“Eastern Avenue has some of the highest traffic counts in Henderson,” said Tom Davy, project manager. “But making the effort to conduct the work during overnight hours and keeping lanes open during daytime travel, has helped this project move along smoothly.”

Part of the project has included the installation of new incident management cameras that relay traffic information to engineers, who then control the timing of lights or contact emergency response when there are incidents at intersections that have the cameras.

Before the project is finished, be advised that the road is uneven, especially around the area where Anthem Hills Drive separates from Eastern.

City officials say that paving will be done after this weekend, and the project will be completely finished after manhole covers are replaced later this month.

A boy was killed Friday after getting ejected from the golf cart he was in, which was being driven by his father in the Anthem Country Club.

The father was driving with 12-year-old Josh Stevens at about 10 p.m. on the Chenal Pass. As he drove down the street, the father saw a parked trailer with a boat in front of him. He swerved to avoid the boat, but the cart clipped the boat — causing the cart to tip onto two wheels. Both father and son were ejected from the cart.

The son was taken to St. Rose Siena Hospital, but he was pronounced dead. The father suffered non life-threatening injuries.

The street was in a gated, private community, so it is not illegal for the golf cart to be driven on the street.

Toxicology tests will determine if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash.

Judi Palumbo took a big risk by holding her first craft and gift expo the same weekend as the Harvest Festival, and she’s doing everything she can to draw in Henderson craft fair hunters.

“There are 35 vendors.  There’s hot dogs and cotton candy.  Later today Karate for Kids will be putting on a demonstration.  We’ll have a magician here…tomorrow we’ll have Marty Cordova, the retired baseball from the Baltimore Orioles doing free autographs.  It’s just a fun weekend!”

All the proceeds from raffles held over the weekend will be used to help needy and homeless children.  Palumbo plans on giving the money to the Henderson Fire Department, and letting them choose children to take on a shopping spree.

“I didn’t know what I was in for when I started this.  It’s been a long journey, but the payback has been overwhelming, and not just the financial — the payback of knowing that the kids are going to get things that they need.  It’s fun giving back to the community!”

At future expos, funds will be raised for different charities. To be sure that this event was a success Palumbo would like suggestions from those who attended on how to improve and what charities to donate to. 

This weekend’s show is in the shopping center at Marks and Warm Springs and it is free and open to the public. 

While the Water Street District redevelopment project hit a roadblock this week, the Lake Mead Crossing shopping center nearby is right on track.

This weekend the grand opening for an anchor store, Sportsman’s Warehouse, is being held after the store had a soft opening last month.

“Business has been booming…we’re really looking forward to this weekend.  We think it’s going to be a lot busier.  Right now, nobody really knows that we’re open yet,” Office Manager Aaron Barnette said.

The store is pulling out all the stops to draw in crowds - especially those heading to lake Mead to fish.  They plan on offering incentives, plus displaying taxidermists and even a live baby tiger.

“The first 150 customers are going to receive 10 dollar gift cards and we open at 10 am on Sunday so I’m sure there are going to be lines out the door,” Barnette said.

Don’t expect to find tennis rackets or golf clubs at this store though, Sportsman’s Warehouse caters to the hunting and fishing crowd.