Local briefs for August 27, 1999

Tri-service center opens at Nellis

A $13 million Tri-Service Reserve Center has been opened at Nellis Air Force Base.

The two-story, 84,000-square-foot building is nearly three times the size of the previous reserve facility, which was 10 miles away. It will house the Army's 257th Transportation Company, a 6252nd Army Hospital detachment along with Navy and Marine Corps units.

The building will include administrative offices, medical examining rooms, a gymnasium and computer learning center.

The Army owns the facility, and the Army Reserve will provide a facility manager and reserve center board president.

Man found dead in shopping center

Metro Police are investigating the apparent homicide of a man found early Thursday morning in a shopping center parking lot near a busy Las Vegas intersection.

Delbert Leon Hicks, 68, was found dead at about 1:15 a.m. in a parking lot between a Lucky and McFrugals stores at Decatur Boulevard and Spring Mountain Road, police said.

Homicide Sgt. Kevin Manning said there were no obvious fatal wounds from a weapon such as a gun or knife.

Manning urged anyone with information about the incident to call Metro's homicide section at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 229-3521.

State can't cover punching incident

The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that Russell Mauer of Las Vegas isn't entitled to workers' compensation benefits after he fractured his right hand when he angrily punched an air conditioning unit while working as a roofer.

The court said, "Compensating individuals who engage in self-injurious conduct seems both unwise and contrary to the spirit of workers' compensation laws."

Mauer, an employee of Bryant Universal Roofers, accidentally hit his head on the corner of a large rooftop air conditioning unit while he was on the job in November 1995. When he banged his head a second time, he slammed the air conditioner with his right hand.

Employers Insurance Co. of Nevada agreed to pay for Mauer's claim for the skull injury suffered in the accident but denied benefits for the broken hand.

Woman pleads guilty to mistreatment

Marie Dennis, 45, Thursday pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor count of mistreating a 98-year-old man in a nursing home in Las Vegas.

District Judge Donald Mosley set Oct. 14 for sentencing of Dennis, who could receive up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

Deputy Attorney General Mark Kemberling said Dennis was fired from the El Jen Convalescent Center after the incident. He said she negligently force-fed the elderly man, causing him to choke and gasp for air.

The health care worker then forcefully pushed his wheelchair out of the dining room, which resulted in his feet being entangled beneath the unit.

Groundbreaking held for new building

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday for the $21 million Metro Police communications building that will upgrade the department's 911 emergency system capabilities.

The high-tech facility called "MetroComm" will be built at 4591 W. Russell Road and is expected to be in operation by next summer, police said.

The 32,000-square-foot building will allow Metro to double the number of dispatch consoles and, police officials hope, eliminate having to put 911 callers on hold.

Also at the facility will be a radio service repair and installation center.

Cleaner diesel fuel to be used in buses

The Clark County Health District board on Thursday morning approved taking a $500,000 grant from a utility company to provide cleaner-burning diesel fuel for school buses and Citizens Area Transit buses and vehicles.

The grant will pay 8.5 cents of the 9.5-cent difference between the cleaner-burning diesel and the standard diesel fuel used in Nevada. The cleaner-burning fuel will be brought in from California, where it is used throughout the state. The Regional Transportation Commission and the Clark County School District will pay the remaining 1-cent difference.

El Dorado Energy, now building a 492-megawatt, natural gas fueled generating plant in Boulder City, agreed to provide the grant under the terms for building the plant, said Michael Naylor, air pollution control director for the health district.

Doyle selected to grant committee

Former Clark County Commission candidate Milt Doyle was recently named to the Community Development Grant Committee overseen by the Whitney Town Board.

The committee is currently working on the Boulder Strip Beautification project, which extends from Henderson to Las Vegas along the Boulder Highway.

Doyle, who lost his bid for the commission to Dario Herrera, was appointed to the Whitney Town Board by Herrera in January.

Laughlin facility gets county approval

Despite the protests of the Laughlin Town Board and a former health district staff member, the Clark County Health District board approved expansion of Laughlin's solid waste landfill Thursday morning.

The approval allows Republic Silver State's subsidiary, DUMPCo, to add a fourth "cell," or disposal site, to its 40-acre landfill 5 miles west of Laughlin. Approval from the board was needed because the cell would have a 50-foot setback from the edge of the landfill, and state regulations require a 200-foot setback unless the health district board grants a waiver.

Lorraine Haywood, chairwoman of the Laughlin Town Advisory Board, asked the health district board to deny the waiver because of concerns over smells from the landfill and because the town hopes to eventually develop the adjacent property, now owned by the Bureau of Land Management.

Guinn names LV doctor to board

Gov. Kenny Guinn Thursday named funeral director Shawn Wiscombe of Caliente to the Lincoln County Commission and Dr. Joey Villaflor of Las Vegas to the state Board of Health.

Wiscombe, president of Wiscombe Funeral Home, replaces L. Rey Flake, who resigned from the commission.

Villaflor, medical director of two family health care clinics in Las Vegas, succeeds Dr. Frank Nemec, who resigned. Villaflor is a licensed physician and surgeon with certifications in pediatric and cardiac life support.

Retirees invited to join council

Military retirees are being invited to join the Nevada Military Retiree Council, a newly-created organization whose goal is to protect the interests of former members of the military.

Bob Zweck, 74, of Las Vegas, said the council was created by the Department of the Army and has similar organizations in every major city.

Zweck said the council meets four times annually, but committees within the council meet throughout the year as needed.

The next committee meeting is tentatively set for Monday at Nellis Air Force Base. The time and exact location has not been announced.

"We bring concerns of military retirees up through the proper channels," Zweck said. "We're interested in anything of value to the retiree."

For more information contact Zweck at 228-6704.

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