Las Vegas news briefs

Friday, April 9, 1999 | 11:24 a.m.

A 28-year-old woman who drowned her 2-year-old son and then tried to kill herself has been given a 5- to 20-year sentence on her guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter and child abuse charges.

Melissa Jean Aris-Swilley originally faced a murder charge that carried a minimum life prison sentence and 20 years in prison before eligibility for parole.

Aris-Swilley and her son had been staying at the Budget Suites on Boulder Highway for almost a week when the woman banged on a neighbor's door to report that her son, who was a month shy of 3 years old, had drowned in the bathtub.

Police said Aris-Swilley, who had moved to Las Vegas from Birchrun, Mich., a week before the incident, had attempted to kill herself by taking an overdose of over-the-counter sleeping aids.

The woman was despondent over the shooting of her husband in Michigan six months before, Metro homicide detectives said. The husband survived and Aris-Swilley was not a suspect in that shooting.

Two arrested in raid in Laughlin

Metro Police arrested two male juveniles whom they believe were supplying a large number of Laughlin High School students with marijuana.

At about 5 p.m. Tuesday, detectives served a search warrant at 2281 High Terrace St. in Laughlin and found 40 individually wrapped plastic bags of marijuana. The search led police to a second location at 3225 Rio Vista Drive, where 11 marijuana plants were found.

Assorted knives, martial arts weapons and cash were also seized at the two locations, police said.

The two juveniles were charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.

LV administrator to take state position

Monteria Hightower, a regional administrator in the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, has been named state librarian.

Hightower joined the district in November 1994 and will begin her new position in Carson City May 3.

The state librarian provides library services for the executive and legislative branches of state government, is responsible for library standard policies and procedures in districts throughout the state, administers federal funds for state libraries and oversees library services for the blind and physically handicapped.

Hightower began her career as a library clerk in Los Angeles, worked as a branch librarian in Connecticut and was an institutional consultant in Maryland for the state Department of Education.

Hightower also was an assistant librarian in Washington, D.C., Washington state and in Missouri.

Last year she was appointed acting director of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District during a search for an interim director, who served until the appointment of the district's present director, Dan Walters.

Kids of teacher killed by DUI driver helped

Students in Boulder City have raised more than $2,200 to help the two children of a Nate Mack Elementary School teacher who was killed by a drunken driver in February. The Garrett Middle School students held a read-a-thon for the children of native Nevadan Cindi Turner, 30. She was a graduate of Boulder City High School. Turner's children, ages 5 and 3, were injured in the accident on Valle Verde Drive.

Students have pledged to donate the money from future read-a-thons to promote drug-free awareness.

Public invited to forum at Cashman

The public is invited to a forum that focuses on how to make schools safer in Clark County. The second Community Conversation about Schools forum will be 5 p.m. Tuesday at Cashman Center.

The event is free and dinner is included. Call 733-3063 to reserve a space. The National Education Association, Clark County Education Association, UNLV College of Urban Affairs, Nevada PTA and Las Vegas Rotary Clubs are hosting the event.

AKC show planned at Cheyenne complex

More than 2,000 of the most beautiful dogs in the nation will be in town this weekend when the Silver State Kennel Club sponsors its All-Breed AKC Dog Show at the Cheyenne Sports Complex, near Cheyenne Avenue and Pecos Road in North Las Vegas.

Dogs will be showing in both obedience and confirmation. All breeds deemed acceptable by the American Kennel Club will be represented. Show times are from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Only dogs entered in the show are permitted to be on the grounds. The public is invited to attend free of charge. There will also be many dog-related shops and exhibits.

Committee passes marijuana measure

A bill to make possession of less than an ounce of marijuana a misdemeanor passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee today.

Assembly Bill 577, sponsored by Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, passed on a 7-3 margin.

"I think this gives more credibility to our law. It's how our court systems in reality are already handling the issue of marijuana," Giunchigliani said.