Local news briefs for September 19, 2000

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2000 | 11:10 a.m.

Rev. Jackson makes stop in Las Vegas

The Rev. Jesse Jackson was to meet today with Las Vegas black ministers and voters to push for voter registration.

Jackson, who is stumping for Vice President Al Gore in his bid for the presidency, was to speak at 3 p.m. today at the West Las Vegas Library Auditorium, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd.

David Cherry, spokesman for the Nevada State Democratic Party and the Gore campaign in Nevada, said Jackson planned to urge ministers at churches in predominantly black neighborhoods to talk about the importance of registering to vote as they address parishioners during services.

Other issues, such as wages and other labor matters, also are expected to be discussed, Cherry said.

The African-American Leadership Meeting is open to the public.

Mapping system available online

Information from environmentally polluted sites to population breakdowns is available with a click of a computer mouse from an online mapping program unveiled Monday by federal Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo.

The free Internet mapping program combines information from several federal agencies to give the public a glimpse of what's in their back yards.

Computer users can use street addresses or cities and states to build a diagram with selected information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on brownfields, hazardous waste, air pollution levels or waste water discharges in the area.

The site also includes locations of various federal programs from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

CCSN, SUU sign transfer agreement

Presidents of the Community College of Southern Nevada and Southern Utah University are expected to sign an agreement in Mesquite Wednesday that would allow two-year graduates of CCSN to transfer as juniors to the Utah school and earn four-year bachelor degrees.

Under the agreement, associate degree holders from CCSN automatically qualify for 122 semester hours toward Southern Utah core and degree requirements, CCSN Interim President Robert Silverman said.

"It truly benefits our graduates to automatically transfer their course credits in a block to a university, rather than having to try and negotiate on their own for credit transfers course by course," Silverman said.

The pact also will enable students from Mesquite and the Virgin Valley to take Southern Utah classes via distance learning technologies.

CCSN has similar credit transfer agreements with other academic institutions, including UNLV; University of Nevada, Reno; Regis University of Colorado; and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University of Arizona. Both Regis and Embry-Riddle offer classes in Southern Nevada.

FOR THE RECORD:

FIREFIGHTER CRITICAL:

Las Vegas Fire Captain Nathan Pechacek was still in critical condition this morning after being injured during a car crash Sunday night, a supervising trauma nurse at University Medical Center said. Pechacek was driving through an intersection Sunday night when his vehicle was struck by a 1998 Ford Expedition driven by Dorin Geba. Police said Geba, who received minor injuries, failed to stop at a stop sign. He was charged with felony driving under the influence.

INMATE STILL AT LARGE:

Prison officials this morning were searching for leads in the escape of an inmate Sunday from Indian Springs Boot Camp. Daniel Weathers, 20, walked away from the boot camp on Sunday. Two other inmates who escaped Sunday were apprehended a short distance from the boot camp the same afternoon. The Metro Police Department has taken over the search, Bureau of Prisons spokesman Howard Skolnick said.