Survey has U.S. Senate contest in dead heat
Apoll released Wednesday has the race between Republican Sen. Dean Heller and Democratic U.S. Rep. Jacky Rosen in a dead heat.
The survey of 1,039 likely voters was conducted Sept. 7-17 by the research firm Ipsos on behalf of Reuters and the University of Virginia Center for Business Analytics. It found that 46 percent of likely voters support Heller, while 43 percent support Rosen, putting the two candidates in a statistical tie.
Ipsos said statistical margins of error are not applicable to these types of polls, but it does have a “credibility interval” of plus-or-minus 3.5 percentage points.
The poll, which asked questions of 465 Democrats, 444 Republicans and 99 independents, also revealed a tight governor’s race. Republican Adam Laxalt led Democrat Steve Sisolak by a margin of 43 percent to 40 percent, also within the credibility interval.
Likely voters are also split on the most important issue Nevadans face. Health care and immigration were the two top choices, but voters said immigration is more important when it comes to casting a vote this November.
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downtown area command, where the three-day music festival shuts down roughly 18 city blocks every September.
“You probably won’t see them because they’ll be in positions conducting surveillance in higher positions,” he said.
Vulnerabilities in the festival’s planned security measures came to light last year, when a gunman on the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay opened fire into a crowd of more than 22,000 concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest music festival. He killed 58 people and injured hundreds more in the Oct. 1 attack.
The weekend before the gunman carried out his deadly attack, he had booked a room at The Ogden, a highrise condominium project overlooking Life is Beautiful. The festival site is surrounded by high-rise hotels and residential properties.
“When you talk about the world we liveinnowandthefactthatwehave evidencethatthegunmanwasatlife is Beautiful, obviously that changes the vulnerabilities we face as law enforcement,”walshtoldthelasvegas Review-journal.
A Metropolitan Police Department report issued in January detailed internet searches the shooter made on his laptop in the month before the Oct. 1 attack. Among them was ”expected attendance for the Life is Beautifulmusicfestivalindowntown Las Vegas.” Others included “How tall is Mandalay Bay,” Las Vegas Academy of the Arts Performing Arts Center, Discovery Children’s Museum, and expected attendance for the Route 91 Harvest festival.
Citing security concerns, Walsh de- clined to further elaborate on the department’s plans but said that festivalgoersshouldtrytoenjoythemselves this weekend, knowing that Metro’s goalistopreventanyviolentcrime.
“We’ve always had good solid plans for big events prior to 1 October,” Walsh said, noting that Metro’s training and planning for large-scale events is ongoing throughout the year.
Ogden buckles down
During the planning stage for Life is Beautiful, Las Vegas police also workedcloselywiththeogdenunit Owners’ Association and casinos in the festival’s vicinity, Walsh said.
New safety measures have been implemented to enhance security at The Ogden during the festival, including an ongoing Metro presence, a tightened check-in system for new tenants, guests and package deliveries, restricted access to the parking garage and a new resident access system for elevators and amenities.
“The safety of our occupants, including owners, tenants and guests, has been and will always be our top priority,” the Ogden Owners’ Association said in a statement. “We will workcloselywiththecityoflasvegas to ensure strict adherence to the city’s regulations governing use and occupancy of the units. We will continue toworkcloselywithbothmetroand organizers of Life is Beautiful to ensure a well-planned and coordinated security program before and during the festival.”
Life is Beautiful declined to comment on security, but the event’s official website outlines a new bag policy “meant to enhance safety, securityandentranceefficiencyfor attendees.”
Small bags, purses and totes no larger than 6 inches in length, 8 inches in width and 3 inches in height do not have to be clear, otherwise larger backpacks or bags with multi- ple pockets must be clear. Drawstring bags or other bags with one opening do not have to be clear, according to the guidelines.
Staying vigilant
Festivalgoers will be patted down beforeenteringandaresubjectto search anytime after entering the festival grounds, which will have four medicaltentssetup.
“There are several components to planning,” Walsh said. “If all your plans are just prevention, then you bear fruit.”
Walshaskedthatthepublicstay vigilant this weekend and that attendees make note of the nearest medical tents and exits. Approximately 55,000 people are expected to attend each day, according to a festival spokeswoman.
“People shouldn’t hesitate to say something. Tell us what you see that we may not see,” Walsh said. “Let’s say there’s 50,000 people on the ground, then that’s an extra 100,000 eyes.”
Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.