Happy Friday, Nevadans!

Are you part of a registered neighborhood association within the city of Las Vegas and looking to spruce up your community?

Applications for the Neighborhood Partners Fund grant are now open. The grant offers up to $10,000 to neighbors to launch community projects such as gardens, safety programs, murals, and more.

Submit pre-applications online by Feb. 12. Full applications are due March 12.

In today’s newsletter:

🥙 Whether you’re a busy-bee looking to try meal-prepping to save time, or starting a special diet like keto or paleo for the new year, check out these Nevadan meal kit services.

🇻🇪 A couple of weeks ago, we saw Venezuelans across the US celebrate the capture of dictator Nicólas Maduro. Naoka Foreman spoke with local Venezuelans who are split on Trump’s actions and the South American country’s future.

Have a great weekend!

Jannelle Calderón

Newsletter Editor, The Nevadan

12 best local (and healthy) Nevada meal kits

A delicious array of boxed meals. (Getty Images/Unsplash)

By Aleza Freeman

Not only are these food services reasonably priced with plenty of healthy pre-portioned options, but some are even local to the Silver State. That means freshness is guaranteed, and you’re supporting your community’s economy.

When it comes to preparing meal kits, which are delivered to your door, typically all that’s required is popping it in the microwave or oven, heating it, and serving. It’s like having a personal chef or going out to eat for every meal, without the hefty price tag. Best of all, no dirty dishes.

Discover local meal-prep favorites

Venezuelan Nevadans have complicated feelings about Maduro’s ouster

A photo of Miguel Dávila Uzcátegui that he supplied to The Nevadan-El Nevadense.

Miguel Dávila Uzcátegui speaks at a press conference. (Courtesy of Miguel Dávila Uzcátegui)

By Naoka Foreman

Earlier this month, at the command of President Donald Trump, the US military forcibly removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power. He now awaits trial in federal custody on American soil for narcoterrorism.

However, it’s unclear what Trump intends to do long-term regarding the Venezuelan government and the country’s right to self-rule.

Las Vegas city planner Miguel Dávila Uzcátegui, who was born in Venezuela and fled in 2006, said he fears that it’ll only worsen authoritarian conditions in his home country.

“I don’t have any faith that somebody who is committed to consolidating more power for himself and his friends, like Donald Trump … that he’s committed to transitioning a country like Venezuela into a democracy,” Dávila Uzcátegui said.

Meanwhile, Rosemary Rivas, a local nurse who fled Venezuela for the US in 2019, said she hopes the Trump administration will take further action.

“I’m really grateful for what the United States is doing,” Rivas said. “Because we were knocking doors around the world … we never received a response.”

Venezuelans reflect on US intervention

As measles outbreaks ramp up in surrounding states, can Nevada maintain its low case counts? “The western US has experienced its fair share of those cases, most notably in Utah and Arizona, which recorded over 360 infections combined. Closer to home, late last year, both Clark and Washoe County reported their first measles cases in residents since 2018. That brings Nevada’s official 2025 measles tally to two.” (KNPR)
State lawmaker questions whether LVCVA should be all-in with Vegas Loop, Boring Co.: “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. That is the attitude some state lawmakers have about the Vegas Loop, Elon Musk’s Boring Company project, a 4-mile underground tunnel system beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center that critics fear is expanding faster than its oversight.” (Nevada Current)