Local news briefs for March 30, 2000

Thursday, March 30, 2000 | 11:09 a.m.

Woman arrested in string of heists

The FBI and local law enforcement agencies arrested a woman Wednesday in connection with a string of bank robberies in Las Vegas and Henderson.

Caroline M. Mullan, 36, was charged with multiple robberies and is now in custody at the Clark County Detention Center, an FBI spokesman said.

Mullan was arrested within an hour of a 10:45 a.m robbery at a First Security Bank branch at 4001 E. Sunset Road.

FBI agents spotted Mullan's car in the parking lot of the Reserve hotel-casino and arrested her as she came outside to get into her car. In the car, authorities found a gun, an undisclosed amount of money and a large hat believed to have been used in the robbery, the FBI spokesman said.

Mullan has also been charged in connection with three other bank robberies this month in Las Vegas and Henderson.

900 number will be dropped

Secretary of State Dean Heller said Wednesday the commercial recordings division will discontinue its automated 900 telephone number effective April 3.

Customers seeking information on corporations, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, limited partnerships and business trusts may call (775) 684-5708 and work directly with the state staff or search the Internet website (http://sos.state.nv.us).

Customers who used the (900) 535-3355 number were charged $3.50 per call. Heller said eliminating the 900 number will enhance service and it will be simpler for the customer to get the information.

The 900 number receives about 350 calls per week, down from the nearly 800 calls received prior to the opening of the website. Heller said the addition of new staff will help handle the expected increased telephone volume once the 900 number is discontinued.

Autopsy called to determine cause

An autopsy was scheduled for today to determine what caused the death of a 52-year-old Las Vegas man who died after his motorcycle hit a parked car in the parking lot of Lake Mead Hospital.

Investigators suspect the Wednesday accident may not have killed 52-year-old Thomas Seaman Jr. but that an unknown medical condition caused the accident and the man's death, North Las Vegas Police said.

Police said Seaman drove his motorcycle into the parking lot on the north side of the hospital at about 4:30 a.m. He then lost control of the motorcycle, hit the right fender of a legally parked car and was thrown to the ground.

Henderson enjoys higher ratings

Henderson now has the highest bond rating of any city in Nevada according to the two primary rating services for municipal bonds, city officials said.

Standard and Poor's Rating Service upgraded Henderson's general bond rating from A+ to AA-. The highest S&P rating is AAA. Moody's Investors Service upgraded the city's rating from A1 to Aa3. The highest Moody's rating is Aaa.

The upgraded bond ratings have been applied to the sale of $50 million of general obligation bonds sold March 22 to finance construction of Phase III of the City Hall project, build fire stations and cover the cost of closing the landfill formerly operated by the city.

Rating agencies rate municipal bonds on the ability of a local government to repay the principal and interest.

Bryan pushes protection plan

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., says he's moving ahead with his plan to protect the Black Rock Desert and has received new assurances the bill will get a fair committee hearing in the Senate.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said last week there wasn't enough time to get Bryan's measure through the House and Senate this year.

But Bryan said he already has put in a formal request for a hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

And Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairman of the committee, said in a handwritten note to Reid this week that the Nevadans can count on his support.

Home to golden eagles, wild horses, bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelope, the vast desert and neighboring High Rock Canyon in Northern Nevada remain much the way they did when pioneers made their way across the Applegate-Lassen Emigrant Trail to the California Gold Rush 150 years ago.

Traffic on Bonanza Road

between Maryland Parkway and 14th Street will be reduced to one lane in each direction between 9 tonight and 6 a.m. Friday while the Las Vegas Valley Water District repairs an 8-inch main along Bonanza.