Word comes from the Review-Journal that the iconic sign that greets travelers to Las Vegas has been tagged by graffitti artists:

The famous, diamond-shaped “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada” sign has received an unwelcome addition to its image — in the form of red marker.

A series of initials were scribbled onto the iconic sign sometime this weekend. It was the first act of graffiti on the sign that Russell Davis, a Clark County public works spokesman, can remember.

“It looks like someone got on someone’s shoulders (to do it),” he said. “It’s unfortunate because it’s not the iconic Las Vegas sign when it’s covered with graffiti.”

A cleaning crew will be dispatched Tuesday to clear off the marker, Davis said.

In December a $400,000 project to add a parking space and a paved walkway on the traffic median holding the sign was finished.

The improvements made accessing the sign easier and safer for tourists, he said.

It’s apparently also made accessing the sign easier for vandals.

“Probably just some kids,” Davis said.

Anyone with information on the graffiti is asked to call the county's graffiti hotline, 455-4509.