Deborah Rose Harris of Elko High School was selected to receive a National Merit Scholarship from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

FOR a picture of America’s pre-crisis economy, pay a visit to the south-east corner of Las Vegas. Where the valley begins to rise into the high desert, a Chinese developer has carved the top off a mountain. A wide, empty, road rises into what looks like the remnants of an Inca city. The project, named “Ascaya”, was once America’s biggest excavation site. The idea was to sell the plots to Las Vegas’s elite, whose mansions would enjoy a view over the desert in one direction and the bacchanalia of the Strip ten miles away in the other.

Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s First District announced today that the U.S. Department of Education will award grants totaling $799,213 to Student Support Services (SSS) programs at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the College of Southern Nevada. These vital programs help students address their financial and academic concerns by teaching good study habits, time management, financial literacy, and decision-making skills. They also offer career counseling and help students identify and apply for financial aid opportunities. One of the grants allocates money specifically to UNLV’s Student Support Services program for students majoring in the fields of science, technology, education, and math (SSS-STEM).

Wow, Local Motors sure is busy this year. This unusual auto manufacturer specializes in collaborative open source design, microfactories, and 3D printing, and we took note when the company kicked off 2015 by hooking up with the US Energy Department for a new lightweight design challenge. What we didn’t note was this other challenge launched by Local Motors, which could put you behind the wheel of a fully customized 3D printed car some time next year.

A new study has surprisingly revealed that only 46 percent of 168 cultures kiss as a romantic gesture and many parts of the world are disgusted by it.