Las Vegas news briefs for April 16, 2001

Monday, April 16, 2001 | 11:37 a.m.

Woman dies in one-car collision

A 33-year-old Las Vegas woman was killed early Sunday morning when the car she was driving struck a signal light pole and a utility pole.

The accident occurred about 4:30 a.m. on Cheyenne Avenue east of Michael Way. Tina Griffith was headed east on Cheyenne at a high rate of speed when her car drifted onto the sidewalk and collided with the poles, Metro Police said.

Griffith was taken to University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Police are continuing to investigate, but say that speed and failure to maintain a travel lane played a role in the crash.

Watercraft to be evaluated

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Superintendent Bill Dickinson has said he will analyze the environmental impacts of personal watercraft on the lake in light of a federal judge's order last week banning the craft in national parks.

A stipulated agreement signed by U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler requires parks excluded from an April 2000 craft ban to analyze the environmental impacts on wildlife and habitat, Dickinson said.

In preliminary results of an analysis already under way at Lake Mead, Dickinson said continued use of the personal watercraft would be appropriate.

The agreement reached on Thursday resulted after negotiations between the National Park Service and the Bluewater Network of San Francisco.

Man indicted on assaults

A Clark County grand jury last week indicted a Las Vegas man on charges alleging he tried to poke out the eye of another man and attacked him with a hatchet.

According to the indictment, unsealed Friday, William Charles Merritt was indicted for attacks in October and November. He has been charged with attempted mayhem, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a stolen vehicle and malicious destruction of property.

In addition, Merritt faces stolen credit card and possession of a controlled substance charges.

Merritt served 10 years in prison for the September 1986 death of James Cotton Kelly, who was lured out into the desert and shot in the head.

Merritt remains in the Clark County Detention Center on $200,000 bail.

Hotline opened for Yucca comments

Clark County's Nuclear Waste Division has opened a hotline so Southern Nevada residents can voice an opinion about the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

The new hotline is part of the county's INFORM -- Informing Nevadans about Facts on Radioactive Waste Management.

The hotline number is: 455-5820.

Thousands delayed at McCarran

Several thousand passengers flying out of McCarran International Airport are back on schedule following a possible security breach Sunday morning that caused about an hour's delay, airport officials said.

A person running up the down escalators between baggage claim and security about 10:45 caused security to shut down all of its checkpoints and rescreen passengers at the "C" and "D" gates, airport spokeswoman Hilarie Grey said.

The security checkpoints were reopened about 11:45, Grey said.

About 30 flights were affected, many of which were delayed about an hour.

FOR THE RECORD:

An 8-year-old boy

who was critically injured in a house fire died Sunday from the injuries. Hugo Reyes "never really got better" after the fire Thursday morning in the 5500 block of Seabaugh Avenue, Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said today. His 13-year-old brother, Nick, was in fair condition this morning and expected to recover. The "Fund for Nicky and Hugo Reyes" has been set up at Well Fargo Bank.

A 42-year-old Las Vegas man

wanted in connection with the February shooting death of a teen in Las Vegas was arrested in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Thursday. Rick Rodman was wanted on charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of Rory Jackson, a 14-year-old boy who was found dead on Feb. 20 in an apartment at Budget Suites, 4855 S. Boulder Highway. Rodman is in the process of being extradited back to Las Vegas.