✈️ ‘Warfare’ comes to Nellis

Nellis Air Force Base Gets a New Name

If you’ve recently logged into the official Nellis Air Force Base website or visited its social media accounts, you may have noticed a distinct shift. The base is undergoing a digital rebrand, changing its social handles and website info to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center. Notably, military officials say the name of the physical base isn’t changing. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

Why Change the Name Now? Splashing the word “Warfare” across the base’s digital assets highlights a larger shift under President Trump. The administration is working to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War and embarked on reversing recent changes to bases previously named after Confederate generals. [Politico/NPR]

Deep-Rooted Local History: Long before Nellis earned its reputation as the “Home of the Fighter Pilot,” the base originated in 1941 at the Las Vegas Army Air Field, a vital training hub for machine gunners and co-pilots during World War II. After closing briefly at the war’s end, it reopened and was officially renamed in 1950 to honor Lt. William Harrell Nellis, a Southern Nevada native who flew 70 combat missions before being shot down and killed during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. [DVIDS]

Home of the Thunderbirds: The base just north of Las Vegas is internationally recognized as the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, better known as the Thunderbirds. You may have heard or seen them over the weekend when they roared over the valley and the Hoover Dam to mark the start of the “Battle for Vegas” charity softball game while launching the region’s America250 celebrations. [Air Force Association/KTNV]

🧑‍🍼 Parents Demand Answers

Following the arrest and apparent suicide of Somerset Academy Lone Mountain counselor David Vander Meer — suspected of pushing his first wife off Zion’s Angels Landing in 2006 — the public charter school’s principal issued a statement to families noting that Vander Meer was on leave, and that all legal hiring policies had been followed. Parents say the vague statement is “not enough,” and are demanding more transparency about how he was vetted to work with children. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

🚰 A Major Glow-Up For Nevada’s Water Laws

After a winter of record-low snowpacks up north and worsening summer droughts out east, an interim legislative workgroup is crafting a sweeping new state water policy. The omnibus bill focuses heavily on saving the state’s dwindling groundwater. If passed, it would allow the state to spend millions more to buy out and permanently retire over-allocated water rights, while also creating new county groundwater boards to give locals more say in managing their water basins. [Nevada Current]

🎒 Shaq’s Latest Slam Dunk

He wasn’t exactly known for his free-throw accuracy during his playing career, but Shaquille O’Neal just hit nothing but net for local kids. His foundation gifted 260 backpacks packed with school supplies to Southern Nevada students this week to help them start the 2026-2027 school year off fresh. [KSNV]

• The legendary big man, who lives part-time in Vegas, tossed his hat in the ring as part of a potential ownership group for an NBA expansion team. [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

🎰 What's Your Favorite Locals Casino?

Station Casinos is celebrating 50 years of serving locals, and we're marking the occasion by revisiting one of our favorite conversations today on the City Cast Las Vegas podcast. Sarah Lohman sits down with Dayvid Figler and Heather Collins of @raisedinvegas to break down the best local casinos in the valley — from Durango to Green Valley Ranch — plus the best deals, free perks, and a tip that could score you a room upgrade for just $20. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]