Local news briefs for July 19, 2000

Wednesday, July 19, 2000 | 11:37 a.m.

UNR dance coach quits

The head coach of the University of Nevada, Reno cheerleading and dance squads has resigned less than two months after two of her athletes alleged she extorted money from them.

Assistant Attorney General Bob Pike has been investigating claims by two students who say they refused to pay coach Heather Soper-Wilson $700 to set up a trip to a national cheer competition in Florida. When the two students returned, the coach fined them each $500. Shortly after the students filed a police report with campus police, the university said the fine was inappropriate and that it would be returned.

Soper-Wilson said it was in the best interests of the university and her family for her to resign. She led the cheerleading squad to four national finals and two top 20 finishes during her 11-year tenure.

An internal review by UNR's Office of Alumni Relations, which oversees the cheerleading program, determined that Soper-Wilson did not use or receive any public or private funds designated for her program. Pike was unavailable for comment this morning.

More than $12 mil. for Nevada

The U.S. Senate Interior Appropriations bill will provide more than $12 million for Nevada projects. This includes $50,000 to protect the Sloan Petroglyphs, a large array of Native American rock drawings just outside of Las Vegas, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said.

Another $300,000 is slated for environmental research on Lake Mead watersheds and $10.5 million for protecting and preserving the Lake Tahoe basin. More than $1 million will support cutthroat trout restoration efforts on the Walker and Truckee rivers. An Elko center that chronicles the California Trail will receive $200,000.