Las Vegas news briefs

Gov. Kenny Guinn said Wednesday he will hire a brokerage firm to help solve the problems of the financially troubled state employees health insurance program.

He said he will ask for bids next week from interested firms. There is no set price on what the governor plans to pay the brokerage firm, which would help in future health insurance contracts.

The Legislature this session appropriated an extra $26 million to allow the system to continue through this fiscal year. A bill is going through the Assembly that will overhaul the governing structure of the insurance system, which covers 47,000 people.

Building named for former governor

A state building that houses the Tourism Commission in Carson City will be dedicated as the Paul Laxalt State Building Saturday.

Laxalt, formerly from Carson City, served as lieutenant governor, governor and U.S. senator. He now practices law in Washington D.C.

Man makes court appearance

A man charged with making a telephone threat to blow up the Venetian hotel-casino's administration clinic made his initial appearance in federal court on Tuesday.

William Fenton Shelton is charged with using a telephone to make a bomb threat, an FBI spokesman said.

The criminal complaint against Shelton alleges that on April 26 he made a call to the clinic and threatened to blow it up. The complaint also alleges that later that day Shelton again made the threat while on the phone to a local doctor's office.

Shelton's case will be heard by Judge Robert Johnston.

Police returning stolen property

Police officers working in the valley's southwest area problem-solving unit are in the process of returning property to residents after recovering $50,000 in stolen items believed to have been taken in the last six months by a burglary ring, police said.

The ring had been primarily targeting car and boat lots, taking tires, wheels and stereo equipment, police said.

Man wounded while running away

North Las Vegas Police are investigating an argument that ended up with a man being shot in the buttocks Wednesday night.

George Lee, 27, was shot about 6 p.m. along the 2500 block of Tuskegee Street shortly after a verbal argument with an unidentified man.

"Witnesses say that the unidentified man pulled a gun and shot Lee as he was running away," Sgt. Jim Neal said. "I don't think he was aiming there, but that's where he hit him as he was running away."

Lee was taken to University Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

Neal said that victims being shot in the buttocks is fairly common in North Las Vegas.

"There have been a number of cases of it happening," Neal said. "People are pretty lucky because usually they'll get shot there and it won't hit anything vital."

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 633-9111 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

FOR THE RECORD

Students at Swainston Middle School had an extra day off today while the Clark County School District installed a new electrical system. On Wednesday an electrical arc occurred in the main panel supplying power to the school at 3500 West Gilmore Ave. Crews were to work around the clock if necessary to get the new system in place to open the school on Friday, a district spokesman said.The Boulder City Council unanimously certified the results of the May 4 primary election at Tuesday's council meeting. "I had zero irreconcilable errors and so the tabulation was 100 percent accurate," City Clerk Vicki Mayes said. Of the city's total registered voters, 46.55 percent turned out for the election.The Pebble Market Place Utilities Services office, 1000 N. Green Valley Parkway, Suite 720, replaces the city's former satellite location at 2600 N. Green Valley Parkway. Among other services offered at the new location, residents can pay city utility bills, obtain pet licenses and initiate or terminate water and sewer services.

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