This is off the path of our usual postings I know, but almost a year ago my husband and I attended the wedding of Doug Henry and Beth Devine.  I have known Beth since our days at Garside Jr. High back in the late 1960s.

They live in Reno. 

Reno propane truck driver, Doug Henry is missing. He was last seen at the Chevron station at the corner of 4th and Keystone. He used his credit card there at 6:50am on 5/21/07. He has not been seen since. He was driving a ’95 Saturn 2-door car with Nevada plates 106-TFC. Mr. Henry is 54 years old, 6 foot tall with green eyes and a gray moustache and beard. He has a shaved (bald) head.

Sometime around June 10th, the authorities found Doug’s car in a remote wilderness recreation area nearby. The VIN# plate and tags had been removed. Police were puzzled that the car was very clean with nothing in the glove box or the trunk. According to his wife Beth, Doug kept a messy car. 

The police are now treating this case as a crime.  They are not sure if it is a kidnapping, a robbery, a murder or a suicide.  The car is being combed over by Reno CSI members.  It could take up to three weeks for any results to be known.  One of the investigating detectives says it is the strangest case he has had in 15 years. 

Doug Henry was last seen wearing a tan “Dickies” workshirt and cammo shorts. If anyone has seen this man, please contact the Reno, NV police department at (775)-334-2677.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Beth and the family.

The following excerpt is from a flyer that has been going around locally in the Reno/Tahoe area:

From Beth Devine, Doug's wife:

This past Monday (5/21/07), my husband Doug Henry disappeared. What I mean by disappeared is that we got up Monday morning, we both got dressed for work, had coffee together, talked about our upcoming day, made our lunches and went to work. The last thing he said was "I will see you tonight" and I gave him a kiss. What happened after that, I'm not sure. I do know he stopped at the Chevron station on 4th & Keystone at 6:50 am (he used a credit card) and that he never made it to work. I am asking each and everyone one I know to PLEASE first pray for my husband’s safety, then if you would please email this flyer to everyone on your email list If they live in the Reno-Sparks-Carson City-Washoe county-Northern Nevada-Northern California areas.

It's been announced that MTR Gaming Group, which took over Binion’s in 2004 from Harrah's Entertainment who kept the name Horseshoe, is selling the 55-year-old downtown casino to TLC Casino Enterprises for $32 million in cash. TLC also owns the Four Queens downtown. The deal has to close by the end of the year (though TLC can request a six-month extension).  It needs the approval of the Gaming Regulators and the City of Las Vegas.

I think Benny is spinning in his grave.  How about you? 

For more on the history of Binions and the Horseshoe click here 

Chaz Higgs, the husband of the late State Controller, Kathy Augustine, is on trial for her murder. He slashed his wrists earlier today in a second suicide attempt.  He was hospitalized and the trial was suspended until Wednesday.  Higgs attempt at suicide came just hours before he was to undergo cross examination by the Prosecutors in the Augustine murder trial.  Higgs' attorney, David Houston, has predicted a mistrial will be declared.

Late this afternoon in another bizarre twist to this already bizarre case, Charles Higg, on trial for the murder of his wife,  Kathy Augustine, has asked that the trial resume on Thursday morning.  Higgs was released earlier in the afternoon from the Reno Hospital that he was rushed to after slitting his wrists.

Higgs was re-arrested and taken to jail where he is on suicide watch. 

For those who follow Hotel Auctions and might want to own a piece of history:

Great American Auctions has announced the following auction dates:

Nevada Landing which closed after 18 years, items from the hotel/casino will be auctioned off on

July 17th at 11:00 am

The New Frontier Hotel, which closed after 65 years, items from the hotel/casino will be auctioned off on:

July 31st at 10:00 am

For more details click on the link:  http://www.greatamerican.com/Services/auctions.aspx 

Last night was the first annual Las Vegas Lites Neon Tour sponsored by the Los Angeles based Museum of Neon Art.  The busload of travelers started their tour via bus at noon in Los Angeles and  arrived in Las Vegas about 6:00 pm.   After dinner, they began their Neon Lites tour on an open-air double decker bus.   The tour started from Caesars Palace.   Their tour guide was Classic Las Vegas pal, Eric Lynxwiler.  Another CLV pal, RoadsidePictures, was on board as the unofficial photographer.

The tour, as we understand it, took a little over three hours and was a success.  Look for them to do it again next year.  The Museum of Neon Art, each summer, offers week-end (Friday and Saturdays) Night Neon Tours of Los Angeles (aboard a double decker bus with Eric Lynxwiler as your guide) and these are wildly successful.  We know, we've been on one of them.

Our good friends here in Las Vegas at the Atomic Age Alliance, had one last winter as part of their Mondo Lounge Atomic Frolic and it, too, was a rousing success. 

Which begs us to ask the question, why isn't the Las Vegas Neon Museum offering week-end night time bus tours of Las Vegas?

We hope to have pictures later today that show some of the sites they stopped at! 

The Bus

It's Classic, It's rare, It's still lit.  One of our faves.

An angle you don't usually get from Atomic Liquors.

Thanks to RoadsidePictures for allowing us to use these images.