Yacenda subsequently worked on the re-election campaign of Governor Charles H. Russell before founding the North Las Vegas based Valley Times in 1959 as a weekly publication.
[2] After leading Nixon's successful senate campaign over Helen Gahagan Douglas, Yacenda moved to Las Vegas in search of a warmer climate.
However, late in the campaign the Sun published a story alleging corruption by Russell's opponent, Vail Pittman, which helped ensure re-election.
On March 26, 1959, the first issue of the weekly North Las Vegas and Moapa Valley Times was published, named for the two areas it aimed to serve.
)[2] Through his paper, whose mission statement read "A Newspaper Dedicated to Serving the People", Yacenda became an active promoter of growth in North Las Vegas.
[2] The Valley Times quickly surpassed its rival North Las Vegas News, published by Greenspun, and in November the two papers merged.
Explaining the growth years later, reporter Bruce Hasley remarked "[Yacenda] really understood how to make a small community paper succeed.
The city council was in turmoil and the community received little support from the state government which did not view it as having a unique identity separate from Las Vegas.
He attempted to aid Democrats Ed Fike and Mike O'Callaghan in late 1960s election campaigns, but was blocked by the party who felt he was too independent.
"[2] After selling the Valley Times, Yacenda contributed to a variety of Las Vegas area publications, including helping with the Sun's youth forum in 1984.