Students at one local elementary school are learning a tough economic lesson at a very young age. The owner of a local sign making company took their hard-earned money and closed up shop before building their new school marquee.

A brand new electric marquee should have been erected on a blank wall at the school several months ago.

The students and parents of Jacobsen Elementary spent two years raising thousands of dollars to buy the new school sign. But the only message they've received so far is buyer beware.

“Our school raised a lot of money for that sign,” said fourth grader Rydman Terry.

Rydman was only in the second grade when he started selling cookie dough to raise money for a new electric marquee for his school.

“It took a lot of cookie dough for these kids, buying and selling to their families and friends to raise the funds for the marquee,” said PTA Vice President Simone Barreto.

$9,000 is a lot of dough, “It was going to be right over our front door.”

The Jacobsen Elementary PTA eventually chose a Henderson franchise of a well known national company, Sign-A-Rama, to build and install the marquee.

So upon request, the school's PTA paid a large chunk, 75-percent, up front. That's $5,325. Barreto says the marquee was supposed to be installed by February, but now there's no sign of Sign-A-Rama at its former Henderson location on south Eastern.

“That's bad because we worked hard for the sign,” said fourth grader Ali Barreto.

The school's PTA says Sign-A-Rama's corporate headquarters in Florida feels bad about what happened to the student's hard earned money, but say they're not responsible for the actions of an independently owned franchise.

“People were doing business with that franchise because they trust the name,” said Barreto.

And the students learned a tough lesson, “That some people just aren't good.”

The PTA is hoping Sign-A-Rama's corporate headquarters will have a change of heart. “They need to know it's still good to work together on a common goal and that it's worth it — that it doesn't always end up like this. We know we can make this into a happy ending,” said PTA President Rachel Terry.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, minority purchasing power in America is expected to represent 32-percent of all purchases by the year 2045. It is the fastest growing segment of buying power.

Minority businesses are also growing quickly nationally and here in Nevada. A national group of minority business owners chose Las Vegas for the site of its convention this year.

According to the state chapter president, there are more than 20,000 minority owned business in Nevada. And even the most successful businesses started modestly.

Minority Business Development Agency

From the video playing on the monitor in the conference room, you might not think of Arcata Associates as a typical small, minority owned business. It is a defense aerospace company which has been in Las Vegas since 1985 and is located in northwest Las Vegas.

CEO Tim Wong's father founded the company, “His very first federal prime contract was here at the air warfare center at Nellis Air Force Base.”

Wong says the company was welcomed by the Nevada business community, but did face unique challenges, “From the Air Force's perspective, at the time it was a little bit different viewpoint. Because at that time there were not a lot of small, minority-owned companies running technical services for the United States Air Force.”

Nevada Minority Business Council

Arcata's lunch room is lined with awards from NASA and the Small Business Administration for the work the company does with the military. But Wong says growth was not always easy, “There definitely was some resistance. I think a lot of people didn't know whether a small, minority-owned company could do this work.”

Arcata was one of the local exhibitors at the meeting of the National Minority Supplier Development Council held at the convention center. Diane Fontes is the Nevada chapter president, “I think if there were any special challenges it is always financing and access.”

Wong says with his company's local success, he's willing share lessons learned along the way, “I think the customer relationship is very, very important. You need to come in and understand that you bring something of value to the customer. Nobody is going to hand anybody a piece of work.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration says the largest number of minority businesses in Nevada are owned by Hispanics, followed by Asians and Pacific Islanders, Blacks and American Indians.

Apparently no one has told the owners of Southern Nevada Harley Davidson that there is a recession. The company is celebrating the grand opening of its second Las Vegas location — Red Rock Harley Davidson on Rainbow near Sahara.

“People are addicted to Harley Davidson; it's not just a motorcycle, it's a lifestyle,” said Mark Dukes, general manager.

If that just sounds like a sales pitch, just ask the customers who are buying the product. “It's the wide open road, the wind in your face. It just makes you zero everything else out and you're in the moment,” said Gene Mitchell, customer.

Without a doubt, companies with niche products or who sell to a higher-end clientele are weathering the recession better than others.

A recent survey by the national Small Business Administration shows that 70-percent of all small businesses have been adversely affected by the nation's current credit crunch — lending sources to start-up, expand or just survive by refinancing debt are sparse and even tougher to get these days.

“The big companies are also facing some of the very same challenges as the small businesses but they have deeper pockets to deal with them,” said Janet Runge, UNLV College of Business.

But even big companies are finding their pockets aren't deep enough. Whether big or small, Runge says the businesses that survive this recession will be those that had sound business plans in place before the economic troubles began.

What happens in Nevada could be the deciding factor in the presidential election and both campaigns have pulled out all of the stops to get votes. The campaigns have even targeted a niche group of voters.

Las Vegas is known as the 9th island to people from Hawaii. It's a popular tourist spot for Hawaiians and thousands of Hawaiians call Nevada home.

The latest Reuters/Zobgy poll shows Obama leading McCain by 4-percentage points which is close to the margin of error for the poll. Still, in Nevada, almost 8-percent of voters were undecided.

The feeling is that it's so close even a small group Hawaiians voting one way or the other could make the difference.

“Hi. My name is Susan Serrano. I am a volunteer with the Obama campaign.” Volunteers made tens of thousands of these phone calls to voters across Nevada. Only, this call center sits in Hawaii.

Andy Winer runs the Hawaii for Obama Campaign. “We believe that we are having a real significant impact because of the connections that there are between Hawaii and Nevada,” said Andy Winer, Hawaii For Obama.

Winer says they have already made more than 25,000 phone calls to Hawaiians in Nevada. Las Vegas resident Rozita Lee received one of those calls.

“By connecting with friends and people from Hawaii, we feel a lot closer to one another and we feel better,” Lee said. She moved to Las Vegas 29 years ago from her hometown on Maui. She still has friends and family there.

The campaigns hope to use that connection to foster a feeling Hawaiians call Ohana, which means family. ”You don't have to be blood relatives or blood sister of brother. We call each other cousins or brother or sister,” Lee said.

Both Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama have volunteers in Hawaii making the phone calls. McCain's started from Hawaii at the end of August. Senator Barack Obama was born in Hawaii and it's hope that connection will help.

David Hudson, an Obama volunteer in Hawaii, has already made hundreds of calls to Nevada.”There's a list of names and you call people and you ask them if it's a convenient time to talk to them and then you ask them if they voted,” he said.

“We've become familiar now with the voting laws in Nevada. We understand the early votes. So if voters have any questions we are able to respond a lot easier,” Winer said.

Plus, Lee says it's nice to hear a friendly voice from the islands she once called home.

A 16-year-old teen has surrendered to police and has been booked into the detention center for murder with a deadly weapon.

Police say Steven Hogue stabbed 17-year-old Richard Martinez to death during an after-school fight that escalated on Oct. 8. The stabbing happened near Torrey Pines and U.S. 95. and numerous students from nearby schools witnessed the fight.

Police say Hogue pulled out a knife and stabbed Martinez several times. Martinez died at the hospital.

For some businesses, the poor economy is translating into more customers and money.

Just one look around Colleen's Classic Consignment store and you will see plenty of sold signs. In this case, it's out with the new and in with the old. The store sells second-hand furniture.

Kathleen Huseby has found herself in a place she's never really shopped before. ”If you're out to save money, this is the great place to go.”

Like many others, Huseby is living on a fixed income to get through these tough financial times.  She's said goodbye to newer clothes and furniture and is now heading to second hand shops to save cash.

“I'm looking for quality furniture at a good price,” she said. Colleen Aiken is the owner of Colleen's Classic Consignment. She says sales have doubled with the downturn in the economy. Not only are people buying, they are also selling.

“We've been picking up at a lot of homes that have gone through foreclosure,” Aiken said. About 40-percent of the furniture at the shop is from foreclosed homes.

Aiken says she is doing so well that she has opened  44,000 square foot shop in Henderson.

An after-school fight escalated into murder. This time, a teen was killed in a vicious knife attack, and Metro police are hunting for the killer behind the murder.

The young man was outside the Christ Lutheran Church near Torrey Pines and U.S. 95 when a fight turned deadly. A lot of students from nearby Garside Middle School and Western High School were walking home at the time and saw the ugly scene unfold.

The violent, after-school episode had police closing off the neighborhood, crime scene analysts following a trail of blood and a life lost feet from a church.

“I didn't see him moving at all.” Raquel Gallegos works at Christ Lutheran Church's daycare. The knife attack happened too close for comfort. “The cops had just arrived, and there was someone laying on the floor. We weren't sure who it was, and we found out later it was one of the guys that actually does community service up here.”

The teen was rushed to UMC Trauma where he later died — a senseless death over an after school scuffle.

“We don't have a real motive as to why this occurred,” said Metro Homicide Lt. Lew Roberts.

Police say a number of students saw the argument escalate, before one young person stabbed another, “During the course of the argument, our victim was stabbed. He ran across the street and stumbled into that yard over there where he fell.”

Students from nearby campuses say the violence is nothing new.

“The cops are always telling them to go home and they'll take it somewhere else around this area,” said Western High School student Crystal Clark.

Panicked parents were relieved to know their children at the church daycare avoided danger, but this deadly drama shows these acts of violence are still a community-wide problem, “If you see signs that your kid has started going down that slippery slope, then obviously there's things that you could do to address that or get some help.”

Police have talked to eyewitnesses, trying to determine if there's a history between the victim and the suspect. At last check, detectives have a suspect they're looking for.

Police have not released any specific information on the victim or the suspect, but they do say one subject is a high-school aged kid.

If you don’t already know this, there is a place you can buy fresh produce in the valley and also go shopping for a Halloween pumpkin, right out of a real pumpkin patch.

Gilcrease Orchard kicks off its fall season on Wednesday, Oct. 1st. The orchard is expecting 1,000-plus pumpkins of all different sizes to be available.

Gilcrease Orchard is a working farm that sells its fruits and vegetables. All you have to do is be willing to pick it. They have apples, pears, zucchini, eggplant, peppers and cucumbers. The orchard also sells fresh homemade apple juice.

The orchard is open Tuesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to noon. The admission is $2 for an adult and $1 a child. Gilcrease does close during the winter months. Call 645-1126 for an update on hours.

Gilcrease is located in northwest Las Vegas. Take US95 north to Ann Road exit. Turn right at Ann Road, and immediately get into the left lane. Take the first left at Tenaya, then follow Tenaya to the right to 7810 N. Tenaya Way.  Gilcrease Orchard is located at the corner of N. Tenaya Way and Whispering Sands.

The College of Southern Nevada's Desert Garden will close its doors to the public in October citing declining sales.

The desert garden has been around for 12 years and employed CSN students and made money through the sale of plants to the public.

A massive inventory clearance sale will take place at the Desert Garden Center from now until Oct. 30, 2008. The center is open on Tuesday to Friday from 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The center is located at 6221 W. Charleston Blvd.

CSN will continue its education events associated with the garden so Southern Nevadans can learn about desert horticulture.

Governor Jim gibbons and Mayor Oscar Goodman were on hand for the grand opening of the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson Educational Campus in Summerlin.

The Adelson school is the first and only Jewish pre-K through 12th grade school in the entire state.

Classes started in August with about 400 students. The complex is complete with state-of-the-art classrooms and a fitness facility. The school is located at 9700 West Hillpoint Road.