The not-so-artsy side of the Artisan Hotel
Bugs in the booze, moldy ice machines and soiled mattresses... Just a few of the reasons why the Health District recently shut down parts of the Artisan Hotel.
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Danger in the air
Imagine having trouble with something as simple as taking a deep breath. Oxygen therapy helps people of all ages stay healthy but a lawsuit filed by a local family says there can be danger in the air. Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears looks at one man's near-death experience, and how lax regulation fails to protect patient health.
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Part II: Overpriced poison?
A former government insider says the manufacturer of a highly toxic drug has been misleading everyone--including the FDA--and putting profit far above patient care.
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Overpriced Poison?
Doctors and a drug company getting rich at the expense of patients and taxpayers. Devastating side effects kept secret. And ineffective government oversight. It sounds like a movie script, but it's playing out in reality.
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Contact 13 Investigation: Credit repair
Nevadans are struggling with unemployment. You probably know someone who's lost their job and with no wages, bills often go unpaid and your credit is ruined. Some Valley residents turned to a local credit repair company for help but say they were ripped off instead.
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Changes afoot at Las Vegas Zoo after Contact 13 Investigation
A lot is new at the Las Vegas Zoo in the wake of a Contact 13 Investigation. Changes are on the way to make it a better place for the animals to live and the public to visit.
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Tire Works loses bid to have state's case against them thrown out of court
Tire Works has lost a bid to have the state's case against the auto repair chain thrown out of court. Instead, the case will go forward without a key piece of evidence.
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Desks will create a more discrete way to watch porn in libraries
Imagine walking into a place that's supposed to be family friendly and running into a barrage of porn. A Contact 13 investigation revealed just that on local library computers.
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State fights to keep case against Tire Works alive
The auto repair chain Tire Works is being sued by the State for deceptive trade practices.
Now, newly filed State documents say the Attorney General's case against Tire Works should go forward.
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Officer arrested in dispute with neighbor
Most people would find it comforting to have a cop living next door. But comfort is the last thing for one Henderson family. Their police officer neighbor is under arrest for shooting at their home.
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No money, no job, and big debt
New construction jobs in Southern Nevada are few and far between with the troubled economy. But even when things were slowing down, vocational schools were training students for construction jobs. We've reported on some of those schools shutting down. Now, local students tell Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears they're left with no money, no job and big debt.
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Tire Works wants a judge to toss out state's case
Tire Works wants a judge to toss out the state's case against the auto repair chain for what it calls destruction of evidence. It's the latest legal volley in a case the state has been pushing since March, to protect Nevada consumers.
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Customer sues Tire Works in Small Claims Court
Tire Works is being sued by the State Attorney General for unlawful, unfair and deceptive trade practices. This week, the auto repair chain was sued by a customer in Small Claims Court. Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears was there, and she found sometimes David can beat Goliath.
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Conflict of interest plagues school landscaping program
Mentally challenged students pulling weeds, picking up trash, sweeping up freshly cut grass... At the homes of school district employees.
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Cops investigate "pay to stay out of jail" program
If you get caught committing minor crimes at certain casinos, you may be able to get out of going to jail, but it's not free. It's a program Metro says may amount to extortion.
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Construction college students try to get their certifications they've been paying for
Vocational schools attract students by offering specialized training for high paying careers. But many of those schools have disappeared and now, former students of one construction college say they've been left paying a lot of money for nothing. Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears found problems that have crossed our border into California.
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Pfizer Inc. to pay $2.3 billion in historic settlement
Pfizer to pay largest settlement in history in a health care fraud matter.
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Who's responsible for medical records?
Patients left in limbo turn to Contact 13 for answers about what happened to their medical records in the wake of a tragedy.
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One teenage mother, two dead babies
She's being charged with her newborn's murder, but it's not the first time Carmela Camero has been questioned by police about a baby's death.
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4 Charged in marijuana grow operation
Federal charges have been filed against four individuals alleging that they operated a sophisticated indoor marijuana growing operation in Las Vegas.
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Charges reinstated in doctor/lawyer collusion scheme
Federal criminal fraud and conspiracy charges are reinstated against Noel Gage and Howard Awand.
The men are accused of being part of a network of Las Vegas physicians and lawyers who cheated clients out of honest services by inflating medical costs, protecting doctors from malpractice lawsuits and sharing kickbacks from legal settlements.
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Former IRS employee pleads guilty to accepting a bribe
A former IRS compliance officer in Las Vegas has pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe in exchange for preparing a false audit report for a taxpayer.
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City seeks to ban animal sales at Broadacres swap meet
Dramatic undercover video captures tiny cages housing too many puppies in extreme heat. It was shot at the Broadacres swap meet and handed over to Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears.
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Mayor Goodman meets with Humane Society members on conditions at the Las Vegas Zoo
Monday, Mayor Oscar Goodman met with members of the Humane Society to talk about whether animals at the Las Vegas Zoo are being properly cared for.
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San Diego Zoo responds to Contact 13 investigation of conditions at the Las Vegas Zoo
A Contact 13 hidden camera investigation into the as Vegas zoo has generated uproar across the country. As far away as Washington, DC and as close as San Diego, home to what's often considered the best zoo in the country. So, Chief Investigator Darcy Spears asked, why are they sending animals to a place the Humane Society of the United States says needs to be shut down?
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Humane Society President responds to Contact 13 investigations on the Las Vegas Zoo
A Contact 13 investigation is getting some national attention. Zoo supporters have disputed claims that the animals aren't being cared for in the best possible way.
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County leader pledges action after Contact 13 investigation
A County leader is so disturbed by something exposed in a Contact 13 investigation, that he's speaking out and pledging action. It's all because a county employee is suing a private citizen over work he
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Las Vegas Zoo questions raise mayor's ire
Things get heated during Mayor Oscar Goodman's weekly news conference when Contact 13 asks tough questions about the Las Vegas Zoo.
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Are minimum standards truly humane?
The Las Vegas Valley Humane Society says its phone has been ringing off the hook since our undercover zoo investigation first aired.
And the organization isn't even the one Action News teamed up with.
The complaints they're hearing are years in the making, so why hasn't anything been done?
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Humane society demands change at the Las Vegas Zoo after Contact 13 investigation
Longstanding problems and no culture of professionalism or science. That's just some of the language used to describe the Las Vegas Zoo in letters sent Monday from Washington, DC.
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Reaction pours in after Contact 13 investigation on conditions at the Las Vegas Zoo
Reaction is coming in from a national level following an undercover Contact 13 investigation into the living conditions for animals at the Las Vegas zoo.
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Airbag Accidents
Imagine driving down the road or even sitting in your parked car and all of a sudden, your airbag explodes unexpectedly, and unprovoked. Contact 13 found the devices designed for safety can put you in harm's way, and leave you holding a big bill.
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Should the Las Vegas Zoo be shut down?
The Humane Society of the United States is calling for the Las Vegas Zoo to be shut down. They say conditions at the unaccredited facility are inadequate, unhealthy, and the animals are suffering.
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Silent victims - part 2
Imagine a first-grader so stressed that he chews plaster off the wall at home. That's what one mother is dealing with as she fights for answers over the alleged abuse of her 7-year-old son at the hands of a teacher. Hers is just one of many such cases that Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears has been uncovering.
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Silent Victims
Children being force-fed, dragged across the ground, poked with pencils, held down... All by teachers and aides. It may sound unbelievable, but those are just some of the disturbing allegations that Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears has uncovered within the Clark County School District.
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Arabella's Law
A big hole in Nevada law often leaves people with mental illness on their own. And some say a proposed law could have saved a little girl who was murdered by her mentally ill mother.
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To serve and protect
A local family says their little girl would still be alive today if Metro officers did their job.
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Knowledge can help prevent your car from being towed away
When you tow someone's vehicle in today's economy, you're often taking their most valuable asset. So make sure you're doing it right. That was the message in a first of its kind conference held Tuesday in the wake of a Contact 13 investigation.
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Search for suspect in deadly DUI accident
It's impossible to know a family's pain after losing someone to a drunk driver. But when the suspect disappears, it adds insult to a devastating injury.
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Who's responsible for safety?
When you hire a contractor to fix your leaky roof, you hope it's done right. You rely on county inspectors to ensure the work is safe and sound. But what happens when the inspector turns against you?
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Lawsuit accuses Ringling Bros. of abusing elephants
The circus is in town, but if animal welfare activists get their way, this may be the last time the show will go on with its famed elephants. The self-proclaimed "Greatest Show on Earth" is operating under a cloud of abuse allegations brought forth in a federal lawsuit, which is in its final stages.
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Viewers sound off on public porn
Should your tax dollars be used to pay for people to view porn on public library computers? It's a hot topic recently exposed by Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears. Many of you sounded off about it in e-mails. And most of you agree it shouldn't be allowed.
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DUI case may change Nevada law
A family finds a small measure of justice at the end of a long road... a road that began with a young man's tragic death, and will likely end in new state law that could forever change how DUI cases are prosecuted in Nevada.
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Porn only allowed at some public libraries
They say sex sells in sin city. But you can get an eyeful of it for free at public libraries, even if you don't want to. Our recent story about pornography on public library computers sparked outrage from many viewers.
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Corporation guilty of causing woman's gruesome death
A corporation that's paid by the state to care for mentally challenged adults is guilty of causing a woman's gruesome death. She literally baked to death after being trapped in a hot car.
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 State fights back against Tire Works
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Porn in public
Sex is everywhere on the Las Vegas strip but this story isn't about the racy billboards. It's explicit adult material on public display in a place you've probably taken your kids and it's all perfectly legal.
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Breaking his silence
For the first time a victim breaks his silence, a victim of the former Boulder City teacher, coach and police officer accused of sexually assaulting children. Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears spoke exclusively with one boy's family who ask why so many people missed so many signs.
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Facility admits neglect led to woman's death
A corporation taking taxpayer dollars to care for mentally challenged adults admits their neglect led to a woman's gruesome death.
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A war over wages at Tire Works
Doctored documents, threats and intimidation. That's what's been going on behind the scenes at Tire Works according to former employees and the state Labor Commission.
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Contact 13: Foster care investigation
Two kids were put in foster care and one ended up in the hospital. Now, serious questions are being raised about why they were there in the first place. Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears looks for answers to that, and to why the county agency responsible for placing the kids in an abusive home isn't being held accountable for its actions.
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Trolling for Tows
Tow trucks trolling the streets, looking for prey. It's a scenario state investigators hear about every day.
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Three strikes against special needs school bus
Every parent expects the school district to get things right with their children's education, care and safety. With special needs kids, getting it right is paramount. So why does the district keep getting it wrong in the case of one second-grader with something as simple as a bus ride?
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Critical Care: The Death of Jimmy Comito
When you have a brain injury, time is of the essence. It could mean the difference between life and death. But in the case of Jimmy Comito, it seems those with the power to help him failed to recognize that.
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Health District sued over toxic mold
The agency in charge of protecting the public's health is charged with poisoning its own employees by forcing them to work in a toxic environment.
So says a newly filed lawsuit against the Southern Nevada Health District.
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Lawsuit filed against Southern Nevada Health District over former employee's death
The state agency charged with protecting and promoting public health may be harboring a killer, a killer in the form of toxic mold. So says a second lawsuit just filed against the Southern Nevada Health District.
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Tire Works e-mail not meant for customer's eyes
Contact 13 has obtained an internal Tire Works e-mail that leaked out to a customer. It's an e-mail Tire Works certainly didn't intend for that customer to see!
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DMV responds to Contact 13 investigations on handicap placard parking abuse
How low can you go? How about illegally using someone else's handicapped placard just to get a better parking spot or avoid paying a meter? That's what Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy spears has been uncovering for the past three months. Now the DMV is taking action as a result of her stories.
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Former Tire Works employee weighs in on lawsuit
Tire Works may not be giving its customers the works for much longer if the Nevada Attorney General gets her way. The auto repair chain is now the subject of a lawsuit and the state wants a judge to force them to clean up or close up shop.
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Auto Repair Sting
Auto repair is always high up on the list of consumer complaints collected by the State. Tire Works currently occupies the number one spot on that list. Contact 13 went undercover with the Nevada Consumer Affairs Division to investigate allegations of deceptive trade practices at the auto repair chain.
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Valley Eye Center files bankruptcy
Valley Eye Center, the lasik surgery clinic that was forced to close down in the midst of a Contact 13 investigation, has filed bankruptcy.
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Getting away with murder?
It's a case that's been plagued with mistakes, starting with the wrong accident time on the police report and ending with the destruction of evidence. Now, one man may get away with murder, and a freak event in his DUI case could also affect hundreds of others.
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Has "Big Brother" gone too far?
Instead of going to jail, a high-tech bracelet gives some a second chance to prove themeselves, keep their jobs and stay with their families. But some say it's a dangerous device that's putting innocent people in jail.
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Hitting the brakes on handicapped parking abuse
Willful disregard for people with disabilities and flagrant abuse of a system designed to help them. That's what Contact 13 uncovered at a local college campus where we found handicapped parking abuse is rampant.
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Seeing The Signs
A Clark County school teacher sits behind bars for sexual misconduct with two female students. It's a situation his own family says didn't have to happen and a newly-filed lawsuit claims the school district could have prevented it.
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Viewers Valleywide seeing red over ambush-style towing
Ambush-style towing stirs up viewer ire across the valley.
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Company responsible for hazardous spill has history of citations
Sanders construction is responsible for an early-morning chemical spill. Contact 13 learned both the company and its drivers have a history of violations.
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Ambush-style towing hits Southwest neighborhood
A recent Contact 13 investigation focused on an ambush-style mass tow of cars in one southwest valley neighborhood--cars that were parked right in front of the owners homes. We soon learned the problem is much bigger than what we first reported.
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Two former McCarran baggage handlers sentenced for swiping weapons
Salvatore Lanzafame and Carlos Lomeli will both spend five years and three months in prison. Both men confessed to stealing the weapons, dividing them up, taking them to their cars in the employee parking lot and then taking them home.
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Second lawyer in Valley Eye Center case wants out
For the second time since the State's case against Valley Eye Center began, an attorney for the doctor who owns the clinic wants out.
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Dr. Dipak Desai ordered to undergo independent medical evaluation
Is the doctor at the center of the hepatitis scare fit to assist in his own defense? After months of waiting, the state still doesn't know.
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Doctors in Valley Eye Center case split up
Taxpayers will have to fund three separate hearings in the state's case against Valley Eye Center. This after the doctors involved complained that a joint hearing would be unfair.
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