🦟 What’s up with all these mosquitos?

🔥 A Spicy Critique on a Hot Housing Issue

In the midst of the current eviction uptick, crisis, tsunami that’s plaguing Las Vegas, Rep. Steven Horsford is aiming pointed shots at Gov. Joe Lombardo for killing tenant protections passed by the legislature. After personally observing inequities in the North Las Vegas eviction court, Horsford also had unkind words for corporate speculators manipulating the housing market and touted his Federal legislation to curb it.

• Our podcast guest predicted the “tsunami” earlier this year (City Cast Las Vegas 🎧)

🏆 We’re Still the Champions

Hot off last year’s Stanley Cup earning ice, the Vegas Golden Knights return to the T-Mobile Arena for their season opener against the Seattle Kraken! Slight struggles in the pre-season aside, our Knights are poised once again to be a powerhouse in their quest for the holy grail of a repeat.

• Pairs well with: Reliving the glory of last season’s VGK comeback (City Cast Las Vegas 🎧)

🎰 World’s Luckiest Trespasser

A gambler was repeatedly trespassed from a Mesquite casino for not paying for drinks (yes, gamblers pay for drinks somewhere). Sneaking back in, he won jackpots! But surprise, the casino refused to pay because… trespassing. The Nevada Gaming Control Board upheld a law mandating payoff, but now the Board is holding an October 18th workshop to consider rule changes to prevent that. No word if, on the flip, casinos would have to give trespassers their wagers back, too.

If you’ve noticed that the mosquitoes are out in unusually full force, there’s a reason: A new invasive species of mosquito, the Yellow Fever Mosquito, has taken hold in the valley. And even worse news, their favorite food source is… people. Factor in all that extra rain we got this year, and you’re looking at a mosquito boom town.

This isn’t our first mosquito rodeo, though. If you were a mosquito in Las Vegas during the Great Recession, you were living your best bug life, even if it only lasted 4-8 weeks. Among the tens of thousands of foreclosed and abandoned homes were many neglected, green-slimed, algae-choked pools and spas that made this party central for you. Indeed, mosquitoes became such a rapidly hatching nuisance back then that local health officials actually plopped egg-eating fish — Gambusia affinis, often called the “mosquito fish” — into the green goop pits to help curb the population. (Their handlers even hung “Fish at Work” signs on some gates.)

Actually, “nuisance” is probably the wrong word. Mosquitoes are known disease vectors, particularly with the Zika and West Nile viruses. In 2019, health officials found infected mosquitoes in 40 local ZIP codes.

Fun fact: It’s pregnant female mosquitoes that do the biting and blood-sucking. (Thirteen of the 17 varieties of mosquitoes that live here are biters.) They’re active in the mornings and evenings — but they really start jonesing for blood a couple hours after sundown. They’re drawn by the carbon dioxide in your breath, and studies suggest that they prefer type O blood over type A, though not B or AB.

🎵 The Composers Showcase | Tomorrow | 9:30pm

Long running monthly event featuring all-original music by some of Las Vegas’ most interesting musical creators, often including Las Vegas Strip entertainment veterans. (Myron’s Cabaret at the Smith Center, downtown; $25-$35).

🎸 The Dollheads | Thursday | 5:30pm

This all-sibling teen punk band from Las Vegas has been wowing local and regional crowds since they were all knee-high, which honestly wasn’t too long ago! (Windmill Library; Free)

🎩 Debbie Reynolds Exhibit | Thursday | 9:00am to 5pm

Your opportunity to catch the fabulous collection of Debbie Reyolds memorabilia and costumes is ending soon. This collab with Neon Museum covers the entertainer’s Las Vegas legacy from 1962-2014 (Las Vegas City Hall Grand Gallery; Free)

🏎️ Star Nursery 150 | Friday | 7:15pm

The kick-off for the big South Point 400 NASCAR weekend, this is the 4th Annual version of the event in the ARCA Menards Series West race on a fast 3/8-mile paved oval featuring many of the West Coast’s top drivers. A free parade open to the public starts at 11:30am; the evening race is ticketed. (Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring; $35)

🎨 Downtown Summerlin Festival of the Arts | Friday-Sunday | 9:00am to 4:00pm

Celebrating its 27th year, the three-day event features the works of more than 100 curated works from local and national fine artists as well as children’s activities and entertainment. (The Lawn at Downtown Summerlin; Free)

⛺ Camp Like a Champ

With temps finally in the double-digits, Las Vegans have so many more options for camping nearby without burning to a crisp. Today, host Dayvid Figler chats with Bertha Gutierrez, program director for the Conservation Lands Foundation. She shares her favorite campsites near Vegas, organized by level, from glamper to survivalist, along with insider tips, like where to get the best pie in southwest Utah!