Vegas Tours Of Grand Canyon

Washoe's DUI sentences lighter than in Las Vegas

"If we are, then we're going to correct it," he said.Bruce Nelson, a Las Vegas deputy district attorney in a vehicular crimes unit, said his office has a policy that requires prosecutors to demand longer sentences in drunken driving crash cases."We take DUIs very seriously here, especially when somebody dies," he said. "It's rare for us to agree to a two-to-five year sentence, especially when there's a death. Usually, I go in and recommend six to 15, and in a majority of cases, they get a four- or five-year minimum."Washoe District Judge Jerry Polaha said a Gazette-Journal investigation and concerns about letting serious drunken-driving offenders out of prison too soon have made him change a way he orders sentences in such cases."I'm upping a minimums with that thought in mind," he said.Cases comparedMichael Giandrea, a 34-year-old assistant shift supervisor at a Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas was driving north upon U.S. 95 upon his way home from work at 1:30 a.m. upon June 6, 2008, when James Leggiero got upon a turnpike heading in a wrong direction and crashed into Giandrea's Toyota Celica.Giandrea died at a scene. Leggiero's blood-alcohol level was .23 percent at a time of a crash, according to grand jury testimony.Leggiero agreed to plead guilty, and in exchange, Nelson, a Las Vegas prosecutor, agreed to drop other charges against him. But he made clear that a prosecution would recommend a sentence of 12.5 years with parole possible after serving five years. Parole and probation officials recommended an eight-to-20 year term. Clark County District Judge went with a plea deal and sentenced Leggiero to five-to-12.5 years in prison.But identical cases in Reno have ended differently.Debra Paige Marshall was high upon methamphetamine when she turned onto Pyramid Highway at 2 p.m. upon March 1, 2003, into a path of motorcyclist Johnny Henderson, 57, of Sutcliffe. He died in minutes.She also had prior DUI convictions in 1995 and 1999, records show.Marshall pleaded guilty to DUI causing death, and in exc! hange, a prosecutor agreed to ask for a sentence of 10 years with parole possible after serving 2.3 years. The parole and probation division disagreed and recommended a six-to-15 year term. Washoe District Judge Connie Steinheimer went along with a plea negotiations and ordered at 2.3-to-10 year sentence.

Articles 20VN | Las Vegas Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours | grand ...

There are plenty of ways to visit the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas. Bus, airplane, rental car. But the one that tops everyone's list are helicopter tours. These aircraft are fun, fast, and deliver a sightseeing experience like no other.

First, some key facts about helicopter tours:

1. Helicopters fly at a lower altitude than airplanes. The range is between 1,000 to 3,000 feet, which translates into better views.

2. Helicopters can go to hard-to-reach places. Helicopters don't need runways to land, just landing pads, which allows them to fly and land at the bottom of the canyon.

3. Every seat is the best in the house. Tours are conducted aboard EcoStar 130 helicopters, which feature stadium-style seats wherein all passengers face forward for views through a 180-degree windshield.

4. You will see in 30 minutes what would take days on the ground. This is especially true of the South Rim helicopter tour, which flies to the isolated North Rim and back.

5. The upgrade options are incredible. From the basic air tour, you can add Grand Canyon Skywalk tickets, a pontoon boat ride, horseback riding, a kayak cruise, or an ATV trail ride.

The majority of Las Vegas helicopter tours go to the West Rim (Grand Canyon West). This area is 120 miles away and requires a 45-minute flight, making it the ideal day trip. The South Rim, which is more than 270 miles away, requires that you take either a bus/helicopter trip or a airplane/helicopter package (I recommend you take the 45-minute plane flight).

West Rim tours depart year round from the Las Vegas area. I find the trip over as interesting as being at the canyon itself. En route, you'll go over Lake Mead, the largest man-made reservoir in the U.S., and Hoover Dam, the second largest dam in the country. You'll also see the incredible Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (a.k.a. the Hoover Dam Bypass), a twin-rib concrete structure that soars 900 feet above the Colorado River. The flight continues over some of finest parts of the Mojave Desert and Grand Cliffs Wash before entering West Rim airspace.

Three options happen at this point:

1. You fly over Grand Canyon West and return to Las Vegas. This is the air-only tour. Great views of Guano and Eagle Points, the Grand Canyon, the Colorado River, and the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which, made of glass, sparkles under the western sun.

2. You land at Grand Canyon West. In most cases, you'll deplane and take a tour of the Grand Canyon Skywalk. This is a "must-see" attraction. It extends 70 feet past the lip of the rim and raises you 4,000 vertical feet above the Colorado River. Many describe it as a "gravity defying" moment.

Lonely Planet Las Vegas City Guide

Grand Canyon, national park

Fodor's 2009 Las Vegas

Moon Grand Canyon

Fodor's In Focus Grand Canyon National Park