Local news briefs for January 5, 2001

Friday, Jan. 5, 2001 | 10:58 a.m.

Public can go to health district

The Clark County Health District will begin offering flu shots to the general public on Monday.

Because of a shortage, the vaccine has been available only to those most in need.

Vaccinations for all will be available at the Ravenholt Public Health Center, 625 Shadow Lane; the East Las Vegas Public Health Center, 560 N. Nellis Blvd., and the Henderson Public Health Center, 129 W. Lake Mead Blvd. The clinics will be open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

At the Ravenholt center, vaccinations will also be offered Jan. 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

More than 4,000 people have already been immunized, the district said Thursday.

Dr. Donald Kwalick, chief health officer, said, "Thankfully, the flu season got off to a slow start and it is not too late for people to benefit from getting the shot."

The immunization is free to most of those covered by Medicare. Others will pay $10. For more information, call 383-1351 or 383-1494.

Tests reveal no broken neck

A Metro Police officer injured when a driver slammed into his patrol car on Interstate 215 was released from University Medical Center Thursday after tests revealed his neck wasn't broken.

Doctors suspected Officer Armando Leija, 45, may have broken a vertebra in his neck, but a test showed that the bone wasn't broken and there was no paralysis, officials said.

Leija was struck by a car driven by Lawrence Ransom Wednesday about 9:30 a.m. Leija had pulled the driver of a pickup truck over to the shoulder of the beltway for speeding when his patrol car was hit.

Ransom was charged with driving under the influence.

Calhoun named to new post

Henderson Public Works Director Mark Calhoun has been promoted to assistant city manager.

Calhoun, 52, a 17-year city employee, will manage the Henderson Police, Parks and Recreation, Human Resources, Public Works and information technology departments.

Calhoun replaces Terry Zerkle, who is retiring in April. Calhoun will earn between $101,000 and $133,000.

Finalists picked for northwest LV

Then there were two.

Arrow Canyon and Centennial Hills have made the cut as official finalists in a community effort to place a Summerlin-like name on Las Vegas' sprawling northwest region.

A blue ribbon committee of eight area residents narrowed the list of the top 11 names culled from more than 500 submissions from schools, senior centers, businesses and residents in Ward 6.

The finalists will now be subject to an open vote via e-mail or fax, with the winner announced Jan. 17.

Mayor Oscar Goodman oversaw the committee's last meeting Thursday in place of Councilman Michael Mack, who is on a Disney cruise with his two sons. But Goodman wasn't too thrilled about the finalists and later joked he wanted a write-in campaign for his selection, Cielo de Oro -- sky of gold in Spanish.

Votes can be e-mailed to Mack at mmack@ci.las-vegas.nv.us or faxed to 464-2621.