Las Vegas news briefs

Monday, Oct. 20, 1997 | 9:42 a.m.

* CALIFORNIA MAN DIES -- A Sherman Oaks, Calif., man was killed early today when his 1987 Nissan Pathfinder veered off Interstate 15 about 11 miles south of Las Vegas. The 39-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was headed north on I-15 at 3:35 a.m. when, for an unknown reason, he veered to the right, sending the Pathfinder into a broadside skid, flipping it several times, Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Steve Harney said. The driver was partially ejected through the sunroof and was dead at the scene, Harney said. The driver appeared to have been speeding, Harney said.

* HOME DESTROYED -- A fire destroyed a large estate home under construction in northwest Las Vegas, Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said. When firefighters arrived at 12:36 a.m. Saturday, the two-story home, in the process of being framed, was engulfed in flames, Szymanski said. The house was one of several in an estate subdivision being built off Town Center Drive and Hualpai Way by Christopher Homes. The estimated loss wasn't known, but the houses, once completed, will range from $350,000 to $1 million, Szymanski said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

* TEEN SHOT -- A dispute ended this morning with a teenager being shot, Metro Police said. The youth, whose name has not been released, was standing in front of a storage unit at 2600 Vegas Drive at 7:20 a.m. when the shooting occurred, police said. He was taken to University Medical Center where he was in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

* UNLV PRAISED -- The College Board, a national coalition of colleges and universities, says UNLV has maintained affordable tuition, posting the sixth lowest among state schools surveyed. In relation to similar state schools in the West, the board says UNLV's tuition is the third lowest. UNLV charges $1,995 for a typical year of 30 credit hours, compared with the national average among state schools of $3,000. Nevada's Board of Regents adopted a policy in June 1996 stating that student fees will increase only 1 percent beyond the cost of inflation each year. Kari Koburn, a UNLV administrator, said states nationwide are reversing the 1980s trend of putting increased financial burden on students.