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Welcome to Happening in Henderson, the weekly show where hosts Mark and Joleen serve up Henderson’s news with equal parts insight, cynicism, and sharp-edged humor. From local headlines and community events to crime updates, school district drama, weather forecasts, sports highlights, and brutally honest restaurant reviews, nothing is off limits.
Whether you’re a lifelong local or new to the 890xx life, this is the place to stay informed… without falling asleep.
MARK: Welcome to 'Happening in Henderson', the only podcast that bothers to tell you why your neighbors' pool looks like a radioactive swamp and why your rent's going up while the temperature's trying to melt your car tires. I'm Mark, and I'm currently holding a bag of frozen peas to my forehead just to get through this recording.
JOLEEN: And I'm Joleen. Honestly, Mark, if the heat doesn't kill us, the sheer audacity of this city will. It's Monday, July 20th, 2026, and we've got a lot of shit to talk about. We're happy you're here, even if you're just listening to avoid going outside and catching a literal heat stroke. If you've got something to say, or if you just want to tell us we're assholes, hit us up at henderson@thehappeningnetwork.com. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment, though let's be real, most of you're just here for the restaurant reviews.
MARK: Speak for yourself, Joleen. I'm here for the paycheck and the air conditioning. Let's start with some headlines that'll make you want to stay in your bunker. First up, Emeril Lagasse has officially landed in Henderson. He just opened 'Meril' over at the M Resort. Because apparently, we didn't have enough places to spend seventy bucks on a piece of fish. It's his first restaurant in the valley that isn't on the Strip, which is great for people who hate tourists but love overpriced appetizers.
JOLEEN: Oh, god, the 'Bam' guy is here. Look, I like the M Resort. It's the only place in town where you don't feel like you're in a scene from 'The Hangover' just by walking through the lobby. But do we really need another celebrity chef? It feels like Henderson's becoming the retirement home for Food Network stars. I'm sure the food's fine, but I'm more interested in the fact that it's taking over the space where the burger joint used to be. It's like we're slowly replacing everything affordable with things that require a dress code.
MARK: Well, it's not all high-end dining and ego. Over in Downtown Summerlin, the TikTok 'Discover America' tour made a stop at the farmers market this past Saturday. They were spotlighting 'local creators'. I'm assuming that means people who film themselves eating tacos in their cars or doing dances while traffic's backed up on the 215. It's a bold move to call that a tour of America, but I guess it beats looking at actual landmarks.
JOLEEN: You're such a dickhead about social media, Mark. Those creators are probably making more money than we're. But seriously, the farmers market in Summerlin? In this heat? I hope those TikTokers had some heavy-duty setting spray, or their faces probably melted right into the organic kale. It's a nice gesture, I guess, to promote local business, but seeing a bunch of twenty-somethings with ring lights in the middle of a parking lot is my personal version of hell. I'd rather spend the day at the DMV, and we know how much that sucks.
MARK: Speaking of hell, let's talk about the 'Green Pool' situation near Green Valley and Deer Springs. Residents there're losing their minds because a neighbor's backyard has turned into a breeding ground for mosquitos. The city's responded six times, but the pool's still looking like a Shrek-themed science project. It's July, we've got West Nile warnings popping up, and this guy's just cultivating a private swamp in his backyard. That's the Henderson dream right there.
JOLEEN: It's disgusting. I've seen the pictures. It isn't just green; it's a vibrant, neon shade of 'I don't give a fuck about my neighbors'. Imagine trying to have a barbecue and being carried away by a swarm of mosquitos that're probably carrying a new variant of the plague. The city says they're working on it, but the red tape's thicker than the algae in that water. If I lived next door, I'd be throwing chlorine pucks over the fence like they're grenades. It's a health hazard, and honestly, that neighbor's a total dick.
MARK: You can't just throw chemicals into people's yards, Joleen. That's how you get a lawsuit. But I get the frustration. It's the middle of summer, and we're dealing with stagnant water and 110-degree heat. That's a recipe for disaster. Moving on to things that're actually being handled by the law, we've got a major crime update. Allison Howlett, the woman who was caught at Sunset Station with a literal stockpile of weapons, was arraigned on 35 felony counts recently. This wasn't just a few handguns; we're talking about a serious arsenal.
JOLEEN: Yeah, that story's terrifying. She had enough fire power to start a small war, and she was just hanging out at a casino. The cops say she was planning a mass shooting. It's one of those things where you realize Henderson isn't just the quiet suburb people think it is. We've got our share of crazy assholes. Thirty-five felony counts is no joke. I hope they lock her up and throw away the key. We've got enough problems with the heat making people irritable without having to worry about someone losing their mind at a local hotel.
MARK: It's a sobering reminder. And while we're on the topic of safety, hit-and-runs are on the rise again. There's been a trend of people just hitting pedestrians or other cars and vanishing into the night. It's gotten so bad that the Metro police are basically begging people to use their eyes. Between the reckless driving and the weapons stockpiles, maybe the green pool doesn't seem so bad. At least the mosquitos don't have semi-automatic rifles.
JOLEEN: Don't give them ideas, Mark. But seriously, the driving in this city has reached a new level of insanity. I saw someone blow through a red light on Eastern yesterday like it was a suggestion. If you're driving in Henderson right now, you've got to have the reflexes of a cat just to survive your commute to Smith's. It's a goddamn jungle out there.
MARK: Let's pivot to school news before I get too depressed. The Southern Nevada Health District's already out here reminding parents to get their kids' vaccinations done for the new school year. They're trying to avoid the massive clusterfuck that happens every August when everyone realizes they can't enroll their kids without their shots. It's only July 20th, but apparently, we're already supposed to be thinking about the fall.
JOLEEN: I hate that. The summer's already short enough without the health district breathing down your neck about needles. But I get it. If you wait until August, you're going to be sitting in a waiting room for six hours with a bunch of screaming toddlers. It's better to just get it over with. On a more positive note, there's a mom in Las Vegas who's turning her kids' birthdays into a school supply drive. Since they've got July birthdays, she's asking people to bring backpacks and notebooks instead of toys. It's actually a pretty cool move, even if those kids probably just wanted a PlayStation.
MARK: Yeah, those kids are going to resent that in about five years. 'Happy birthday, here's some No. 2 pencils for the underprivileged.' But no, it's a great cause. CCSD is always struggling for supplies, so anything helps. Speaking of CCSD, they finally broke ground on the replacement for Matt Kelly Elementary. It's over on the Historic Westside, so not exactly Henderson, but it's part of the broader district mess we all pay for. It's good to see some actual construction that isn't just another apartment complex that nobody can afford.
JOLEEN: Don't get me started on what we can't afford. Let's talk about the real estate market here in Henderson. There's a senior mobile home community where the residents are basically being pushed out because the land rent's skyrocketed. These people are on fixed incomes, and the company owning the land, Equity Lifestyle Properties, keeps hiking the price. It's a shitty situation. You spend your life working, you buy a modular home to simplify things, and then some corporate dickhead decides your dirt is worth triple what it was last year.
MARK: It's the 'Great Housing Reset' they've been talking about, Joleen. Except the reset button seems to be stuck on 'Fuck the Seniors'. At the same time, you've got MacDonald Highlands where the median list price is over 3.6 million dollars. The wealth gap in this city is wide enough to fit the Grand Canyon. You've got people struggling to pay five hundred bucks in lot rent while someone else is buying a ten-million-dollar estate with a view of the Strip. It's classic Henderson.
JOLEEN: It's gross. And the market's supposed to be 'stabilizing'. If stabilizing means prices are just staying high while people stop buying, then sure, mission accomplished. I'm looking at these new-construction master-planned communities, and I'm wondering who's actually buying these houses. With interest rates where they're and the cost of living, it feels like a house of cards. But hey, at least the luxury tier has pickleball courts at DragonRidge. Priorities, right?
MARK: Hey, don't knock the pickleball. It's the only thing keeping some of those people alive. Now, let's talk about the roads, because that's everyone's favorite topic. There's a new 23-million-dollar project starting up on Stephanie Street. They're trying to improve traffic flow, which usually means they'll tear up the road for two years and leave us with one lane during rush hour. If you take Stephanie to get to the 215, I'd suggest finding a new route or just quitting your job and staying home.
JOLEEN: Twenty-three million? That's a lot of orange cones. I feel like Stephanie's been under construction since the 90s. Every time they 'improve' it, it just creates a new bottleneck somewhere else. And with the heat, the crews can only work at night, so we get to listen to jackhammers while we're trying to sleep. It's a win-win for everyone involved. I'm already dreading the detours. Between that and the ongoing nightmare on Boulder Highway, it's like the city's trying to trap us in our neighborhoods.
MARK: Maybe that's the plan. Keep us from seeing the green pools and the rising rent. Let's shift gears to something a bit more appetizing. I actually went to Meril at the M Resort over the weekend. I know we talked about it earlier, but I wanted to give you a real review. It's Emeril's fifth Vegas spot, and honestly, it's pretty solid. It's got that open kitchen vibe where you can watch people work way harder than we're. I had the wood-fired pizza and some of the small plates. The yellowtail crudo was actually impressive, which is rare for a place that far from the ocean.
JOLEEN: Of course you went. You're such a sucker for a name on a menu. Was it actually worth the price, or were you just paying for the 'Bam' nostalgia? I've heard the service is a bit hit-or-miss since they just opened. New restaurants always have that 'I don't know where the forks are' phase. Did you feel like you were in Henderson or did it feel like a Strip restaurant that got lost on the way to the airport?
MARK: It felt like a Strip restaurant that realized it didn't need to deal with the valet at Caesars. The prices are high, yeah, but for the M Resort, it fits. It's definitely better than the old burger place. The flatbreads are around twenty bucks, which isn't insane for a 'celebrity' spot. But the cocktails... man, that's where they get you. Fourteen bucks for a drink that's mostly ice. I'm pretty sure I could've bought a whole bottle of gin for what I spent on two drinks. But the food? It's good. If you want to impress a date without driving to the Strip, it's a safe bet.
JOLEEN: I'll stick to my local dive bars where the drinks are cheap and the only celebrity is the guy who's been sitting at the end of the bar since 1984. But speaking of things that are overpriced and disappointing, let's talk about sports. The Vegas Golden Knights are still in their post-season depression after losing the Stanley Cup to Carolina last month. I'm still not over it. Game 6 was a disaster. They couldn't even score a goal. Shut out in a clinching game? That's just embarrassing.
MARK: It was brutal. John Tortorella really tried to pull a miracle after replacing Bruce Cassidy, but the Hurricanes were just better. Now we're in the off-season, and the team's making moves. They signed Jeremy Lauzon to a six-year deal and Rasmus Andersson to a seven-year deal. They're clearly trying to fix the defense. But losing the Cup at home in T-Mobile Arena? That's a scar that's going to take a while to heal. At least we've got the Silver Knights to look forward to.
JOLEEN: The Silver Knights just hired Alex Loh as an assistant coach. He was with the Savannah Ghost Pirates before this. It's a good hire, I guess. He's got experience. They also brought back Samuel Mayer on a one-year extension. The schedule for the 2026-27 season is out, and they open at Lee's Family Forum on October 3rd against Bakersfield. It feels like hockey's the only thing that keeps this city's spirits up when it's 115 degrees outside.
MARK: Well, the Aces aren't exactly helping lately. We can't talk about their loss to Indiana last week because it's 'old news', but man, the WNBA season is in full swing and we're all just waiting for A'ja Wilson to carry the team on her back again. It's a lot of pressure for one person. But hey, if you're bored of professional sports, the Rainbow Company Youth Theatre is holding auditions for 'High School Musical' this week. So if you want to see a bunch of teenagers pretend they're in a Disney movie while they're actually in a desert heatwave, that's your weekend plan.
JOLEEN: God, I hate 'High School Musical'. If I have to hear 'We're All In This Together' one more time, I'm going to walk into the green pool. But it's good for the kids, I guess. They're also offering fall classes. It's a nice way to get them out of the house so they don't spend the whole summer playing Fortnite and eating all your snacks. Auditions are July 16th through the 20th, so you've basically got today to get your kid in there if they're the next Zac Efron.
MARK: I'm sure the parents are thrilled. Let's look at the weather, because this is where the real sarcasm comes in. Today's high is 106. That's the 'cool' day of the week. By Sunday, we're looking at 112 degrees. 112! That isn't weather; that's an oven setting. We've got isolated thunderstorms today and tomorrow, which just means it'll be humid and miserable instead of just dry and miserable.
JOLEEN: I saw that. Wednesday's 107, Thursday's 109, and then it just keeps climbing. It's like the sun is personally offended by our existence. If you're planning on being outside this weekend, don't. Seriously. 112 degrees is dangerous. Your car is going to feel like a death trap, and the pavement will melt your shoes. I'm staying inside with my AC set to 'Arctic' and I'm not moving until October.
MARK: The overnight lows are only dropping to 94. Think about that. When you wake up at 6 AM, it's already 94 degrees. That's the kind of heat that makes you rethink every life choice that led you to living in a desert. But hey, it's sunny! Every single day. Sunny and clear. So at least you'll have plenty of light to see your skin peeling off.
JOLEEN: You're such a ray of sunshine, Mark. But he's right. Keep an eye on your pets, too. I saw that story about the injured puppy found near a dumpster at a Henderson animal hospital. Hearts Alive Village took him in. Some asshole just dumped a dog in this heat. It makes me sick. If you can't take care of an animal, especially when it's 110 degrees, don't fucking get one. There's no excuse for that kind of cruelty.
MARK: People are the worst. That's the recurring theme of this show, I think. Whether it's dumping puppies, stockpiling weapons at a casino, or letting your pool turn into a mosquito farm, we've got some real winners in this town. But we've also got some good stuff, like school supply drives and... well, I'm sure there's something else. Oh, the TikTok tour! That was 'great'.
JOLEEN: You're struggling today, aren't you? Look, Henderson's a great place, even if it's currently trying to kill us with heat and high rent. We've got good food, some decent hockey, and at least we're not Las Vegas. That's our unofficial motto, right? 'Henderson: We're not as bad as the Strip'.
MARK: Exactly. We've got our own problems, but at least they're ours. Before we go, don't forget to check out the weekend guide. If you can stomach the heat, the Summerlin Farmers Market is still going on Saturday mornings. Just get there early before the produce cooks itself. And keep an eye out for those construction zones on Stephanie. If you see a guy crying in a Honda Civic near the 215, it's probably me.
JOLEEN: And if you see a woman yelling at a mosquito while holding a bottle of cheap tequila, it's definitely me. We're out of here for this week. Remember to like, subscribe, and leave a comment. We actually read those, even the ones from the dickheads. If you want to reach us directly, hit up henderson@thehappeningnetwork.com. We'll be back next Monday with more news, more sarcasm, and hopefully a slightly lower temperature forecast, though I wouldn't bet on it.
MARK: Yeah, don't hold your breath. Stay hydrated, stay inside, and for the love of god, put some chlorine in your pool. See you next week.