Favorite Sons & Daughters

Joshua Becker, a 2007 graduate of Desert Rose Adult High School, has been promoted to sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

He is now serving his second deployment to Africa.

Becker is the son of Terri and Idrees Jenkins of Rapid City, S.D., and husband of Sabrina Bendik, father of James Becker and grandson of Andee Younkin, all of North Las Vegas.

Preston Keeler, 15, has achieved Eagle Scout status in the Boy Scouts of America.

For his Eagle project, Preston organized a group that built 18 park benches for the Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary.

Preston is the son of Raymond and Gale Keeler of Las Vegas.

Nicholas and Zachary Waldren have achieved Eagle Scout status in the Boy Scouts of America.

Nicholas helped create the "heart track" at Martin Luther King Elementary School for his Eagle project. He enjoys working on computers in his free time.

Zachary helped with landscaping at the Old Mormon Fort for his Eagle project. He enjoys riding scooters, skateboarding, biking and being outdoors in his free time.

Nicholas and Zachary are the sons of Bill and Tina Waldren of Las Vegas.

Samuel Cox has achieved Eagle Scout status in the Boy Scouts of America.

For his Eagle project, he helped coordinate a blood drive.

He enjoys basketball, soccer, volleyball, church, camping, hiking, shooting and wake boarding in his free time.

Cox is the son of Matt and Jennie Cox of Las Vegas.

Katalina Gonzalez, 12, a student at Johnson Junior High School, recently represented the American Legion Auxiliary Junior Unit No. 14 as "Little Miss Poppy" and presented a paper poppy to Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman .

During the meeting, Katalina and the mayor discussed World War I and the history of the poppy and the American soldiers at Flanders Field in Belgium.

Las Vegas City Councilmen Ricki Y. Barlow and Steve Wolfson also have accepted poppies from the ALA Junior Unit No. 14.

Gonzalez is the daughter of Carlos Gonzalez and Josland Finch, both of Las Vegas.

Armando Ronconi of Henderson has been named to the dean's list for the fall 2011 semester at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

Ronconi is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater arts.

Robert Avalos and Kaushik Venkatesh have earned a place on the dean's honor roll for the fall 2011 semester at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan.

Avalos is a senior majoring in general studies, and Venkatesh is a senior majoring in management information systems.

Steven Garcia has graduated from U.S. Army One Station Unit Training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri .

Training included assisting in assembly and maintenance of float and fixed bridges, preparing and installing prime firing systems for demolition and explosives, and arming and disarming anti-personnel and anti-tank mines.

Garcia is a 2006 graduate of Silverado High School.

Mario Motta has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.

Motta, a member of the Air National Guard, graduated from high school in 2009 in Jacksonville, Fla.

He is the son of Irma Nelson of Las Vegas.

Aaren Fisher of Henderson graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., on Dec. 17 .

Fisher earned a Bachelor of Science degree.

Jordan Gonzales has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.

Gonzales, a 2008 graduate of Las Vegas High School, is the son of Danny and Bernadette Gonzales of Las Vegas.