Mesquite Police Detective Hardy retiring

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Mesquite Police Department will be saying goodbye to Detective (Det.) Vernon Hardy on Thursday afternoon after a colorful career.

Det. Hardy first worked for the Mesquite Police Department (MPD) from 1990 to 1994 when he left to join the U.S. Navy and served honorably until 1999. After leaving the Navy he then joined the U.S. Army where he served until 2004. In September of that year he returned to MPD where he served as a patrol officer for three years before being reassigned to the detective bureau in 2007 and was then reassigned to the Drug Task Force shortly thereafter.

Det. Hardy has also served as the department firearms, CPR, and first aid instructor, as well as being on the S.W.A.T. team where he served as a Breacher and Sniper Observer.

Det. Hardy has decided to leave MPD to take a position with a major firearms manufacturer that was impressed with his military and police background.

“Det. Hardy will be extremely missed by all members of this department,” said Chief Troy Tanner. “We wish Vern and his family all the best on this new chapter in their life.”

The Desert Tortoise

Like many desert creatures, desert tortoises spend most of their lives "holed up." In spring and summer, they roam grazing on grasses and wildflowers, then head for their burrows when it gets too hot. In fall and winter, when it is cold and there is not much to eat, they stay burrowed in for six months or more at a time.

If you see a desert tortoise, you are seeing an endangered species. Please watch out for them on the roads. Tortoises live in washes and valleys where the soil is soft enough for them to burrow into, yet stable enough so they do not collapse. Remember, desert tortoises are protected under the Endangered Species Act and may not be handled or removed.

Golf in the Desert

The city of Mesquite combines calm, small-town flavour with big-city attractions and championship golf. The Palms and the Oasis Golf Clubs are only two of the half-dozen challenging courses in the area.

Golf Highlights in Mesquite

Golf built on the dramatic Virgin Foothills of Nevada makes for a unique landscape and golf setting.
Enjoy a spa treatment at the Spa at Casablanca or the Spa at the Oasis.
Mesquite serves as a gateway to the national parks of Southern Utah and Zion National Park, which is less than two hours away.

View more information about golf courses in Mesquite

The Speedy RoadRunner

Called paisano in Mexico, the roadrunner is a well-known desert resident that only superficially resembles its popular cartoon portrayal. The greater roadrunner has adapted to life on the run. Though it can fly well, it prefers to use its strong legs and X- shaped toes to run rapidly over the desert landscape. Active predators, roadrunners aggressively chase insects, lizards, snakes, small birds and mammals.

Tolerant of humans, they sometimes nest in protected eaves and garages when they are not building large stick nests in desert trees. Their vocalizations include bill clicking noises and a mournful cooing made during breeding seasons. They do not meep-meep.