UPDATED August 19, 2008:

Clark County Commission members gave the green light to open the Lake Mead interchange in the Summerlin area, even though it was not scheduled to open until 2010.

County Commissioners Chip Maxfield and Susan Brager asked to have an earlier opening considered after receiving numerous complaints that, although the interchange was essentially done, it was not open for public use.

The opening had originally been delayed because of concerns voiced by some residents that it would be unsafe to open it before the Far Hills and Cheyenne interchanges were completed.

“I think there were decisions made in years past to build other parts of the Beltway and there was probably some good reason for that. But now that it’s been constructed, there’s not a good reason not to open it to the public,” said County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury. He also added that surrounding neighborhoods, such as Sun City, need to be protected.

“I think sometimes our job is difficult but what were supposed to do is what’s in the public interest. This would benefit the community and we spent significant public dollars and we need to finish the job,” said Commissioner Rory Reid.

The interchange could open within a few weeks. 

UPDATED August 12, 2008: 

Based on the complaints and questions Clark County Commission has been receiving, Commissioners Chip Maxfield and Susan Brager will be asking their fellow commissioners to open the interchange at a board meeting on August 19th.

“It’s clear from the calls, letters and emails that I have received that the public thinks we need to open this interchange as soon as possible,” said Maxfield, who represents the area, in a statement released by the county. “I wasn’t convinced that was the case two years ago when we held public hearing.  The feedback at that time was mixed.  Today, from a public policy perspective, I think it’s the right decision…The sooner we open this interchange, the better off the traveling public will be.”

Robert Hall, a Sun City Summerlin resident and president of the Nevada Environmental Coalition sent a statement to KLAS stating that because Lake Mead Boulevard is “steeply downhill” with a “blind curve,” that opening it to traffic will be dangerous, especially to those who travel the area in golf carts. 

Hall also stated that opening the bridge will mean Sun City Residents will be exposed to more air and noise pollution and increased crime “against those who can defend themselves the least.”

Brager agrees with Maxfield in that the bridge needs to be opened.  

“We need to do all we can to keep traffic moving and opening this interchange will do that.  That’s a benefit not only for our citizens, but for our police and fire departments, who count on uncongested roads to improve their response times,” Brager explained. 

Not all Sun City Summerlin residents think that the bridge should remain closed, but Clark County Public Works as well as the commission did not hear their side of the argument until the bridge began to look finished, but was still not open.

The Clark County Commission meeting will be held at 9:15 a.m.  on Aug. 19 and is open to the public.  If you have an argument for or against the bridge opening, you can comment below, attend the meeting or contact Maxfield and Brager. 

Posted July 29, 2008:

Three to five calls have been coming in every day to the Clark County Department of Public Works about the Lake Mead and 215 interchange in northwest Las Vegas. Although the bridge will be complete in two weeks, it won’t be ready to use for two years and that has some wondering why.

Sheila McCanna was part of a group of Sun City Summerlin residents that reached a verbal agreement to keep the bridge closed until construction at the Far Hills and Cheyenne interchanges is done. Sun City residents did not want their neighborhood used as a shortcut around construction.

“Until there’s development on the west side, what reason is there to open a bridge?” McCanna asked.

However some residents want the bridge open for easier access to the 215, but public works and planning commission say they never heard from these people until recently, after an agreement to hold off the opening was already reached.

“We’re of a belief from the public works standpoint that anytime we build a roadway structure, or a bridge structure that we like to see it put into use. We believe that people will use the interchange once it’s opened, both because you have right now, you have Far Hills and Summerlin Parkway that are under construction, so you have a little bit of congestion down there. Opening up the Lake Mead might relieve some of that congestion,” Bobby Shelton said.

Shelton suggests that if you have a complaint and live in the area that you contact County Commissioner Chip Maxfield. If enough complaints come in public works says the agreement could be changed. 

A fight over a natural gas line in the northwest part of the valley is heating up. Some nearby residents are worried about one company's plans to move more gas through the pipeline.

A main line has been there for years. In fact, it helps supply Southwest Gas and power plants in the area. The community has grown around the line for years and some residents are worried increasing the gas line's pressure could spell trouble.

“People's lives — this is dangerous. We're talking about gas,” said Summerlin resident Bill Krane.

Krane is a concerned citizen who's organizing a petition drive. He's putting on the pressure to stop a plan to raise the pressure of a gas line near his Sun City Summerlin home, “I'm worried that there's going to be a leak and we're going to kill people.”

The proposal by Kern River Gas Transmission Company will increase the lines pressure from 1,200 pounds per square inch to 1,333, allowing more gas to flow. The line passes through several states for more than 1,600 miles, starting in Wyoming and ending in southern California.

In Clark County, it runs along the outer edge of parts of our valley — through North Las Vegas, Centennial Hills and Summerlin.

“Kern River is one of the newest systems that you will find,” said Kern River Gas Transmission Company Las Vegas District Manager Dave Dahl.

Dahl says the company is committed to safety, while meeting the west's increased demand for energy, “The pipeline is of a quality and a strength, and our safety practices are such, that we'd be able to increase the pressure of that pipeline in order to meet more of that demand.”

Dahl says the increased pressure will not strain the pipeline. Krane's still not convinced. His petition drive is just starting.

Kern River is working with some governmental offices to get this request for more pressure approved. Ultimately it could be the year 2010 before this even happens.

Email your comments to Reporter Aaron Drawhorn

In response to high gas prices, a growing number of cities are allowing golf carts on streets. That is not yet the case in the city of Las Vegas. But Eyewitness News uncovered some local communities that are already golf cart friendly.

Gas prices are definitely a factor as to why people drive golf carts in Summerlin. But more than anything else, it's become their way of life.

“That's one of the benefits of living here in this community,” said Robert Bower.

In the retirement neighborhood, golf carts are a common sight on the greens and off. Sarah Storm takes hers out for a spin everyday to run errands and go to the pool. “These short trips, running these short trips are what uses the gas up.”

Storm is one step ahead of the game. She bought an electric cart last year. So all she has to do is recharge it. “It's really handy,” she said.

And it's the convenience that's allowed 82-year-old Norbert Glaser to give up his car entirely. “I found my vision was deteriorating so bad I didn't trust myself to drive.”

But a golf cart allows him to still be independent. “I can go to the fitness center, grocery store Smiths is nearby,” he said.

And he likes to drive to his sister's house. “She lives as I said 3/4 of a miles away.”

The rules are pretty relaxed when it comes to driving your golf cart there; the speed limit is 30. The cart only goes about 20. The single most important rule is that you don't take your golf cart outside of the compound, and most folks said that's no problem at all.

“I guess with gas problems, it's a very good thing to have,” said Glaser.

If you're wondering – you can get a used electric golf cart for as little as $2,000. The golf carts have a two and a half gallon tank, which means that will cost you less than $15 to fill up.

Not a bad alternative if you live in a golf cart friendly neighborhood.

Email your comments to Reporter Janet O.

Ken Lanier moved into a house on the side Sun City Aliante's Golf Course for the ambience and the scenery. Now, he and his wife feel like they live in a war zone. Their home, their bodies and their neighbors have been hit by stray golf balls multiple times. The couple is tired of not being able to enjoy their patio and want some changes to be made on the course.

“Why do we have to wait until somebody is seriously injured before something is done?”

This is the question Lanier has asked Pulte Del Webb, the master home owner's association, the sub-association, O.B. Sports and even North Las Vegas Councilwoman Shari Buck. Everyone but Buck told him the same thing: you chose to live on a golf course, so you have to accept responsibility.

“I expected occasionally maybe somebody would hit a golf ball, but I've repaired in the almost four years that I've owned this house, about 100 golf ball strikes. I never expected that. I never expected to be hit by a golf ball or my wife to be hit by a golf ball or to see the damage done to the houses around me by golf balls. And I never ever, ever expected the association not to care,” Lanier said.

Pulte Del Webb home buyers are required to sign a disclosure that says neither the developer, seller nor the home owner's association is responsible for any damage. Lanier claims he never saw or signed a disclosure.

The Pulte Del Webb sales office can't confirm the Laniers claim, but they did find that the couple signed an Aliante Homebuyer Information Statement. Section D of that statement says that “errant golf balls may result in a certain loss of privacy and/or damage to neighboring homes.”

Randy Weigman, the general manager of Aliante Golf Club said in a written statement that “the staff at Aliante Golf Course staff is well trained to provide assistance in making every attempt to connect a homeowner with a golfer when an errant golf ball causes damage to a residence. However, the golf course operator and its staff assume no liability for unintentional errant golf balls that are hit by a golfer and have no authority that would force either of the parties involved to accept responsibility.”

Lanier believes there is a simple solution to reducing the number of by 90-percent. “We don't want the golf course shut down. The thing that we requested was that they shut down the two furthest tees and just use the third and the fourth tee to tee off,” Lanier said.

When people tee off from the furthest tees on the sixth hole, the Lanier's home becomes situated directly under a dogleg. They believe this is why so many strikes have hit in their area. 

“I've seen them slice a ball completely over my house into the street out front. Could you imagine driving down the street and having a golf ball come through the window of your car?”

The Laniers say that netting may help protect them further. They installed an aluminum cover in front of their porch — it cost $3,000 and still doesn't make them feel safe when they're outside.

“It's just very, very, very frustrating because nobody wants to take the time to show some compassion or to deal with you.”

Email your comments to Neighborhood Guide Reporter Shannon Onstot

More trouble for the already troubled mortgage industry today. The NAACP is filing a class action lawsuit and holding rallies in multiple cities, including Las Vegas, alleging discrimination based on race.

It was a very small group with a big message. In fact, an HSBC employee came by and said the company gave its employees a day off so they wouldn't have to see the protest.

The group wasn't interested in disrupting operations. They just wanted to raise awareness about some pretty alarming discrimination statistics.

One of those statistics, according to a July 2007 report by Freddie Mac, African Americans pay 1.25 to 2.75-percent higher loan rates than white Americans who have the same credit scores and incomes. Today, the NAACP in its lawsuit is calling for banks to do something about it.

“I don't know why this happens and that they know — its time for them to take steps to fix that. And if no one comes out here, then nothing is going to happen,” said Richard Boulward of NAACP.

That's what NAACP members are raising awareness about today in 16 cities about 17 lending institutions. The NAACP isn't asking for any compensation in its lawsuit, just that the courts create a system for banks to monitor and stop this discrimination.

Discrimination in mortgage lending is prohibited by the Fair Housing Act. There are penalties between $11,000 and $55,000. But it's a complaint process, and you can imagine for an individual to take on a bank would seem like the odds are against you.