Local news briefs for March 2, 2001

Friday, March 2, 2001 | 10:43 a.m.

Woman hit by pickup

Metro Police detectives are investigating a Thursday evening fatal accident that appears to have been caused by jaywalking.

Josephine Sbarra, 57, of Las Vegas, was hit and killed by a Chevrolet pickup on Tropicana Avenue west of Decatur Boulevard at about 5:45 p.m.

Police said Sbarra was crossing Tropicana in mid-block, outside of a crosswalk, when she walked in front of the pickup.

The driver of the pickup attempted to stop, but couldn't, police said. Sbarra died at the scene.

Proposal runs into opposition

A proposed $24 annual fee for parking to enter the Mount Charleston area ran into a mountain of opposition from a citizen's advisory panel on Thursday.

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to charge visitors for parking in the Spring Mountains to help fund repairs to run-down and over-used facilities.

The 15-member Bureau of Land Management Mohave Southern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council, which makes recommendations on public land issues, disagreed with the proposal by Forest Service District Ranger Tom Kuekes.

The Spring Mountains, including the popular Mount Charleston attractions in Kyle and Lee canyons, are part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which is found in sections throughout the state.

One proposal offered to relieve the crush of thousands of cars trying to park in overcrowded areas is the purchase of a 120-acre golf course site. The Forest Service and Outside Las Vegas, a new Las Vegas foundation created to preserve wild lands while allowing public access to them, may acquire the unfinished property for a visitors center and parking area for shuttle service, Kuekes said.

$1 million raised for lake

Lake Tahoe license plates have helped generate more than $1 million in funds to protect the lake, according to the Nevada Division of State Lands.

Since the Lake Tahoe license plate became available in February 1998, more than 20,000 of the plates have been registered. For each new plate purchased, $25 goes into the special fund. For each renewal, $20 goes into the funds.

The money is used to fund grants for a wide variety of programs, including water quality projects, scenic quality improvements, public outreach and protection of sensitive species.

A similar program in California -- started in 1997 -- has generated $2.5 million for environmental restoration and recreational access on the California side of Lake Tahoe.

Advisory board plans meeting

The Community Advisory Board for Nevada Test Site programs will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Desert Research Institute, 755 E. Flamingo Road at Swenson Avenue.

The board will consider recommendations for funding cleanup activities at the Nevada Test Site, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The agenda also includes a discussion about a joint low-level radioactive waste transportation study to be conducted by UNLV and the Desert Research Institute.