Local news briefs for November 13, 2000

Monday, Nov. 13, 2000 | 11:38 a.m.

Evicted woman arrested as suspect

A woman was booked into the Clark County jail this morning on arson charges, accused of burning down a house after she was kicked out, Las Vegas fire officials said.

A woman in her 30s returned about 4 a.m. to a house in the 7500 block of Barkentine Street, near Buffalo and Alta drives, and found all of her belongings outside with a note stating she could no longer stay in the home, officials said.

A 74-year-old man owned the house and was letting the woman stay there, officials said. The woman, whose name was not available this morning, was heard screaming by neighbors and the man. A few minutes later the man said he saw a glow coming from the front door, officials said.

The man escaped unharmed.

Firefighters were called about 4:30 a.m. and found flames coming through the roof of the one-story house. The fire was brought under control in about 30 minutes. The fire gutted the inside of the house and destroyed two cars that were in the garage. The damage was estimated at $130,000, officials said.

Investigators believe the woman set her belongings on fire, and the blaze spread up the front door and into the attic, where it spread across house, officials said.

Police say man was jaywalking

A pedestrian was struck and killed Sunday night as he was jaywalking across Nellis Boulevard near Twain Avenue, Metro Police said.

Eric Martinez, 27, of Las Vegas, was trying to cross Nellis Boulevard about 10:15 p.m. Sunday outside of a crosswalk, police said. George E. Chrapkowski, 75, of Las Vegas, was driving a 1999 Lincoln Town Car in the center of three lanes when Martinez apparently stepped into the path of the car, police said.

Two killed as driver loses control

Two people died this morning in a one-car accident on Eastern Avenue near Tropicana Avenue.

A male driver of a 1988 Nissan Sentra apparently lost control of the car, which started sliding sideways, crashing into a utility pole, then smashing into a street light pole, Metro Police said. The accident occurred about 3:20 a.m.

A female passenger was ejected from the car. Both the driver and the passenger died at the scene. Their names were not released this morning pending the notification of their families.

Steps made to speed up process

Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge Betsy Kolkoski is implementing several changes in her Department 2 traffic court.

Changes include a special attorney window and alternative resolutions of many matters that previously required a court appearance.

Citizens will now be able to resolve cases such as failure to present proof of valid driver's license or insurance or expired license plates by presenting evidence that the problem is resolved and paying the fine at the front counter of Municipal Court.

Defendants can now be scheduled for traffic school via telephone.

The changes are expected to free court time for more serious and complex issues.

Work to begin on northwest street

Work on the $8.7 million Jones Boulevard improvement project will break ground Tuesday at the intersection of Jones and Craig Road.

The project includes widening of Jones between Rancho Drive and Centennial Parkway to two travel lanes in each direction. Traffic signals along that section will be upgraded, and curbs, sidewalks, gutters, street lights and storm drains will be put in, city of Las Vegas Public Works officials said.

The project is slated for completion in fall 2001.

UNLV makes new degree available

Degrees in Afro-American studies are now available as part of the curriculum at UNLV.

Afro-American studies has been offered as a minor at UNLV since 1998, but in September the state Board of Regents agreed to make a bachelor of arts program available.

The program is housed in the department of anthropology and ethnic studies, and is part of the College of Liberal Arts. For more information, call 895-0943.

Carson Nugget gives to needy

For the 43rd year, the Carson Nugget will be offering free Thanksgiving dinners to the needy.

The holiday dinner, to be served Nov. 23, will include turkey or ham and will be available to families with small children and those who cannot afford the meal.

To accept the offer, one simply signs the check and hands it to the cashier with the comment, "I'm a guest of the Nugget today."

Blackened acres to be reseeded

The Nevada Division of Wildlife is stepping up efforts to reseed thousands of acres of critical wildlife habitat blackened by wildfires across the state the last two summers.

The fires burned about 660,000 acres this year and 1.8 million acres in 1999. NDOW biologists estimate the affected areas provided habitat for more than 40 percent of Nevada's wildlife.

"It is difficult to even contemplate the time, complexity and costs associated with the rehabilitation of well over 2 million acres lost during the past two years, but that's our ultimate goal," said Doug Hunt, NDOW's chief of habitat.

"Last year, the Bureau of Land Management was able to seed just over 500,000 acres and NDOW was able to complete revegetation of over 17,000 acres, so we have a long way to go."

Sixty-nine separate fire rehabilitation plans are in place with a number of others pending, Hunt said.