Phil Scherer

1 week ago | lasvegasoptic.com | Phil Scherer

There are few things more devastating than the loss of a young life. Kids fresh out of high school are so full of life, so full of potential. And in the blink of an eye, everything can change. It’s cruel. It’s unfair. It’s unimaginable. But it can happen, as we experienced this past week in Las Vegas. Two young men, Orlando Romero and Marquez Espinoza, both just 18 years old, were taken from us far too soon. I think as a community we are all still in a state of shock.

2 weeks ago | lasvegasoptic.com | Phil Scherer

Last week, the world bore witness to a seemingly unique kind of breakup, between one of the most wealthy men in the world, and the President of the United States. Most of it took place on social media, with Elon Musk spewing thoughts on X (formerly Twitter), and Donald Trump taking to Truth Social with his responses.

3 weeks ago | lasvegasoptic.com | Phil Scherer

I’m writing this column right after the Indiana Pacers clinched a spot in the NBA Finals, something they haven’t done since 2000. They are taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder to play for a championship. Neither Indianapolis or Oklahoma City are media hubs, and neither place typically receives a ton of attention throughout the season, making this such a fun matchup for people who like rooting for the underdog. Sports media is notorious for spending all its time talking about big market teams.

3 weeks ago | lasvegasoptic.com | Phil Scherer

For the first time since 2008, the Robertson High School girls golf team earned a podium finish at the state tournament, ending up in third place in Class A-3A. They also took home the district championship as part of their outstanding season. Their outstanding performance was highlighted by junior Payton Woolf, who finished in their place in the individual standings. She finished just three shots behind the co-state champions, Socorro’s Abbegail Munguia and Natasha Apodaca.

4 weeks ago | lasvegasoptic.com | Phil Scherer

Sometimes in our lives at home and at work we come up with solutions, without fully thinking through all the actual problems. We see one problem staring us in the face, but don’t recognize several other problems waiting right under the surface. These things may not impact us directly so we don’t recognize them, while the people around us struggle with an entirely different set of problems. I like to call this intent vs. impact.