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In business the strip state government higher education Final piece of giant observation wheel set in place new energy director named nevada state college gets OK for new nursing center By Cy Ryan staff writer An executive with a geothermal energy company has been named director of the state Office of Energy by Gov. Brian Sandoval. Paul Thomsen, director of Ormat Technologies since 2005, will succeed Stacey Crowley, who resigned this year to take a job in California. He will earn a maximum of $106,904 as director of the office that promotes alternate sources of energy in Nevada. He will take over the job Oct. 14. At Ormat, Thomsen was involved in federal, state and local regulations and in geothermal project development in the United States. Previously he served as a regional representative for U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. and was a legislative correspondent for former Sen. Dick Bryan. In announcing the appointment, Sandoval said, "Paul has extensive experience managing federal, state and local legislative, regulatory and strategic public relations programs in the energy industry." By Cy Ryan staff writer By Ed Komenda staff writer The High Roller's towering wheel is complete. Under overcast skies, construction crews installed the last section of the observation wheel Sept. 10 on the Las Vegas Strip. Resembling a giant bicycle rim, the 550foot wheel is one step closer to becoming the largest in the world — bigger than the London Eye and Singapore Flyer. It is set to open in December. Planted at the eastern edge of the Linq entertainment plaza's 1,200-foot pedestrian walkway, the High Roller will feature 28 glass-enclosed cabins for wide views of the Strip. Each cabin was designed to hold 40 people. Executives at Caesars Entertainment Corp., the gaming giant behind the $550 million retail-dining-entertainment development, expect between 4 million and 5 million riders in the High Roller's first year of operation. One revolution takes 30 minutes. A financial plan to construct a nursing and education building and a student center at Nevada State College has been approved by the state Board of Finance. The college will enter into a lease-purchase agreement with Nevada Real Property Corp. for the property and construction of the proposed buildings, with the ownership to revert to the college at the end of 30 years. Nevada State College President Bart Patterson said there is a "huge demand for building space" and the state doesn't have the money to finance these buildings. But he said it is important to the state to establish a campus whose student enrollment has grown from 177 in 2002 to 3,389 in the fall of 2012. The college leases 86,172 square feet of space mostly in downtown Henderson, about 5 miles from the campus. The new buildings are expected to cost $61 million, with construction to start by January 2014 and completion by July 2015. This plan, Patterson said, has been approved by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents and the Legislative Interim Finance Committee. The 2013 Legislature approved $1.2 million from the estate tax fund to help with the development of the campus. In addition, documents presented to the finance board said there will be a $150 fee per semester for all students who are taking more than three credits to help pay off the lease-purchase agreement. Get a world view. Subscribe to www.economist.com/913CBJ/us 1-800-456-6086 and mention code: FFV90 Econo9.5x6Ad.indd 1 10 20130930_VI10_F.indd 10 | 9/24/13 10:54 AM 30 SEPTEMBER 2013 | 9/26/13 4:06:31 PM