Before police officers hit the streets to serve and protect they have to go through a lot of training. Part of that training is on motorcycles. Photojournalist Alex Brauer caught up with the North Las Vegas police officers in training and gives us an inside look at 4:30.

Eight Clark County schools received honors in the Magnet Schools of America Merit Awards for their high academic standards.

There were more than 50 schools around the country which received an Excellence Award. Three of those schools were in Clark County and are Jim Bridger Academy of Math, Science and Technology, Roy Martin Middle School, and Sandy Searles Miller Academy of International Studies.

Five other Clark County schools received a Distinction Award. Those schools are The Advanced Technologies Academy, Jo Mackey Academy of Leadership and Global Communication, Mabel Hoggard Magnet School, Southeast Career and Technical Academy, Walker Bracken Magnet Empowerment School for Math & Science through Technology.

Only 119 schools nationwide received the awards.

Children who need specialized in-home healthcare are being denied treatment because Medicaid isn't paying its bills. More than a hundred parents are left wondering where to turn after their medical provider turned them away.

The in home health care provider says it's a tough choice, but the state hasn't paid them the hundreds of thousands of dollars they're owed. Without payment, it's a service they can no longer afford to provide.

7-year-old Savannah Gibbs lost oxygen at birth, causing permanent developmental disabilities. Savannah even has to be fed through a tube. It's a heavy load for her mother to carry alone.

“I need help to take care of her,” said Michele Gibbs.

For the last four years, Michele has had help from two in-home care nurses. They're paid for by Medicaid. But on Friday, Savannah's mother got notice that in 30 days, her in-home help would be taken away.

“This is a nobody-wins situation, but as a business decision, we were forced,” said Pamela Rossen with Colonial Home Care.

Colonial Home Care supplies the nurses who tend to Savannah everyday. Rossen says a 4 year fight with the state over Medicaid reimbursement payments is forcing them to cut off help to 150 disabled children.

She says Medicaid owes them nearly $400,000 in back payments.

“There comes a point when you have to stop. We should have done this a few years ago but we kept tying and trying,” said Rossen.

Nevada's Medicaid administrator says Colonial Home Care is under contract and can't just stop caring for patients.

Colonial Home Care officials say they haven't received a rate increase in eight years and costs continue to rise.

They're hoping the legislature will help overhaul Medicaid, but it will be at least two years before they take the issue up in Carson City. Rossen says Colonial Home Care is within their regulations and requirements and plan on cutting those patients off in 30 days.

That puts Gibbs in a time crunch — pouring over pages of in-home healthcare providers, hoping someone will take Medicaid so her daughter gets the medical attention she needs.

Nevada's Medicaid administrators says they will do whatever it takes to make sure all 150 children will receive care. That could mean sending them to nursing homes, hospitals or even shipping them out of state for care.

Email your comments to Reporter Travell Eiland

Shoppers in North Las Vegas will be able to shop at several new stories including Target, Home Depot and Babies R Us by March of 2009.

Construction for a large retail center that will be located at North 5th Street and the 215 Beltway will kick off with a groundbreaking ceremony on March 4.

The Deer Springs Town Center will feature approximately 700,000 square feet of retailers, banks and restaurants and is being developed by Regency Centers, a national developer of community shopping centers.