Local news briefs for December 13, 2000

Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2000 | 11:06 a.m.

Crash kills one, injures another

A man died this morning and another was seriously injured in a two-vehicle accident on U.S. 95 that shut down traffic on the northbound lanes for about two hours during rush hour.

Apparently a driver was either stopped or barely moving in the slow lane of northbound U.S. 95 near Charleston Boulevard without its lights on about 6:20 a.m., Trooper Alan Davidson, a Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman, said.

A truck collided into the rear of the car, killing the car's driver. The car's passenger was taken to University Medical Center and was in very critical condition this morning, Davidson said.

Troopers are trying to determine why the car was stopped or moving so slowly on the highway. The truck driver was not seriously injured.

The northbound lanes were shut down for about two hours, and most northbound traffic was diverted onto Charleston Boulevard. The southbound lanes were not closed, but slow-moving drivers peering at the accident caused a massive backup, police said.

The investigation is continuing.

Boulder City buys fruit trees

You've heard of 10-gallon hats.

How about 15-gallon fruit trees? The Boulder City Council formalized the purchase of 200 such trees Tuesday night as part of its ongoing Community Urban Forest Program.

Costing $6,000, or $30 each, the trees will be planted on private property throughout town as part of an effort to "green" the town and improve air quality.

More than 3,200 trees have been distributed throughout town during the three years of the program. About 500 are fruit trees.

This year's crop includes peach, apricot, plum, apple, pear and cherry trees.

Senior food pantry to open

A food pantry for senior citizens opened today to help ensure that seniors stay healthy.

The pantry, at the downtown community center at 302 S. Ninth St., is funded by a $50,000 grant from Albertson's and will be run by the city of Las Vegas.

City Councilman Lawrence Weekly sees the pantry as a way to support Las Vegas' senior population.

"Many local seniors are on fixed incomes and there are times when some seniors must choose between paying for their medicine and eating," Weekly said. "This pantry keeps them from having to make that decision."

PUC counsel gets appointment

CARSON CITY -- Renee Lacey, assistant general counsel for the state Public Utilities Commission, has been named to the $65,000-a-year job as chief deputy secretary of state.

The appointment was announced Tuesday by Secretary of State Dean Heller. Lacey will succeed Donald Reis, who retired. She will be based in Carson City while Reis was stationed in Las Vegas.

Lacey has worked for the utilities commission since 1997. Before that she worked in corporate and securities law at a private law firm. She takes office Dec. 26.

Twelfth subcritical test is planned

The Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has scheduled the 12th in a series of subcritical experiments for Thursday at the Nevada Test Site.

Subcritical experiments produce essential scientific and technical information about nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal. They replaced underground nuclear experiments, which were halted in 1992.

The experiments are subcritical because no nuclear chain reaction occurs. Scientists have named the proposed test "Oboe 6."

FOR THE RECORD:

Rep. Shelley Berkley,

D-Nev., has a new address for her Washington. D.C., office. She and her staff can be reached at 439 Cannon H.O.B., Washington, D.C., 20515.

The director of Nevada's Nature Conservancy

is leaving the position to take a post as the executive director of the conservancy's California program. Graham Chisholm led conservation efforts in Nevada for the last two years, increasing private fund-raising by nearly 50 percent. The Nature Conservancy's mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities.