🌱 'Rex's Law' Bill Proposal + Tax Preparer Falsifies Returns, Charged

Hello, hello. Lauren Kubiak here with your Friday edition of the Las Vegas Patch newsletter, filled with all the local information you need to know right now.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and cool. High: 60 Low: 41.

🏘️ Looking to differentiate yourself from other real estate agents in Las Vegas? Partner with the Las Vegas Patch and gain access to a targeted, engaged audience through our premium newsletter sponsorships. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top three stories in Las Vegas today:

1. A proposed bill is cracking down on reckless drivers. "Rex's Law," which was developed after Mannion Middle School student Rex Patchett was hit and killed by a driver speeding at 90 mph in a school zone, aims to increase prison sentences for reckless driving from one to six years to 10 to 20 years – with an additional seven if in a school zone. (News3LV)
2. A Las Vegas woman was charged with tax fraud for preparing and filing false income tax returns for her clients. On Wednesday, a grand jury charged Jessica Avras with 31 counts of assisting in preparing false income tax returns. Avras could face three years in prison for each count. (Las Vegas Sun)
3. Mayor Carolyn Goodman held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new downtown restaurant on Thursday morning. Vic's Las Vegas is the perfect combination of a restaurant and jazz club and features a replica of the "Vegas Vic" sign at the Fremont Street Experience. (News3LV)

Today in Las Vegas:

• Music Fridays At West Charleston Library (3:30 PM)
• Movie Matinee At Rainbow Library (3:30 PM)
• Dom Irrera & Friends At Laugh Factory Las Vegas (10:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Are you looking to fill your social calendar this week? Check out the list of events happening in and around Las Vegas this week at the link! (Subscription: Las Vegas Review-Journal)
• Bed Bath & Beyond announced in a new list of store closures this week that the store on Arroyo Crossing Parkway will close. For additional closures in the Las Vegas Valley, visit the link. (News3LV)
• A timelapse video showed part of the Tropicana bridge demolished last month. You can watch it at the link! (News3LV)
• Severe weather can cause widespread devastation, and some states are more prone to disaster-related property damage than others. Due mainly to flooding, Nevada ranks No. 35 in the U.S. for total property damage, with an average of $467.54 per capita. See how our state stacks up against the rest of the country in this new interactive study. (NeighborWho)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Las Vegas Gyros — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Featured events:

• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (February 11)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday. I'll see you around!

— Lauren Kubiak

About me: Lauren is a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism. She is a full-time editor at an association management firm, editing peer-reviewed nursing journals, textbooks, and newsletters.