Nevada

An "extraordinary exhibition" of holy relics including what is claimed to be the crown of thorns placed on Jesus Christ's head and a piece of the cross on which he was crucified opens this month in Nevada. The items may or may not be authentic, but nonetheless offer believers a "tangible link between heaven and earth," an official tells The Christian Post.

"The Relics of the Passion" is an exhibition organized and presented by La Virgen de Guadalupe Church in the Diocese of Las Vegas with the sponsorship of the Nevada Knights of Columbus and the Apostolate for Holy Relics. Proof of the authenticity of the relics is presented in documents signed by the Vatican itself.

"Each relic for public veneration has to have a document attesting to its authenticity. Relics that don't have documents can be used privately but not publicly. I have those documents in my custody," explained Thomas Serafin, Photographic Arts Manager at the Knights of Columbus, in a phone call with CP. more >>

It's the football off-season and Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow made appearances in Las Vegas, Nevada, over the weekend and spoke to thousands of his Christian fans about "Tebowing," printing Bibles verses on his eye black and what Jesus means to him.

The 3,000-seat Canyon Ridge Christian Church at Lone Mountain Road and Jones Boulevard could not hold the crowd Sunday and about 1,800 people had to sit under a tent outside to watch the service via video feed, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The Christian football star, who had brought the Bible he has used since his high school days, showed Senior Pastor Kevin Odor how to "Tebow" and prayed for those hoping to welcome Christ into their hearts, the Journal reported. more >>

Inspiring people on and off the field, Tim Tebow will be speaking this weekend at a megachurch in Las Vegas.

Canyon Ridge Christian Church in northwest Las Vegas invited the Denver Broncos quarterback to share his story with more than 20,000 people during their four worship services on Saturday and Sunday.

The church, which usually draws 6,000 people to their weekly services, hopes that the 24-year-old star will be able to help them reach out to nonbelievers in their community. more >>

A Las Vegas pastor on the run has been arrested in Mexico and brought back to Nevada for trial stemming from child sex abuse charges.

Otis Holland, now in federal custody and awaiting extradition in San Diego, is being charged with 11 counts of sexual assault of a victim under 16, one count child abuse and one count of conspiracy to commit a crime, Henderson Police said.

He is accused of counseling troubled teens, bringing them home to a sound-proofed "torture" room in his home, and even videotaping them as he abused them. more >>

A helicopter carrying four passengers on a luxury sunset tour collided into a mountainside Wednesday night, killing all five people on board, including the pilot. Due to the remoteness of the crash, recovery of the bodies and investigation into what caused the crash will be complicated, investigators said.

The helicopter, operated by Sundance Helicopters, crashed into the River Mountains shortly before 5 p.m., said National Park Service spokesman Andrew Munoz, according to The Associated Press. The crash occurred during a sunset sightseeing flight over the Las Vegas Strip and Hoover Dam.

Authorities have yet to release the names of the passengers, but Sundance Helicopters said the pilot was Landon Nield, 31. He had just gotten married in June, the AP reported. more >>

Photographs were released revealing the damage caused by the devastating Cauglin fire that blazed through Reno late last week.

Thirty homes were burned and more than 40 others were significantly damaged, according to The Huffington Post. The Nevada city’s Fire Department reported that the fire raged over nearly 2,000 acres and started near Sierra Pine Drive before it was finally contained on Sunday.

An investigation into the cause of the fire continues and Fire Chief Michael Hernandez announced Monday that his department is working with the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to find the underlying cause of the case. more >>