News briefs for October 12, 2001

Friday, Oct. 12, 2001 | 10:03 a.m.

Nevada projects to get funds

The House and Senate on Thursday approved a budget bill for the Department of Interior that included $4 million in special projects for Nevada.

The projects include more money for Lake Mead research: a $750,000 appropriation for environmental studies of lake watersheds.

Also included in the bill were projects for Northern Nevada, including $2 million for development of a California Interpretive Trail that chronicles the travels of more than 300,000 U.S. settlers in the West; and $600,000 for Lahontan cutthroat trout species restoration in the Truckee and Walker rivers.

Approval of the Interior Department budget came as lawmakers try to hammer out agreements on 13 annual budget bills that fund federal government programs.

Man killed on sidewalk

Metro Police are investigating a Thursday evening drive-by shooting death on Vegas Drive east of Rancho Drive.

Police, responding to the 2500 block of Vegas Drive after getting reports of a shooting, found a man dead from bullet wounds on the sidewalk.

Witnesses said they heard several shots and saw a small, red car driving from the area at high speeds, police said.

The car is described as having two doors, tinted windows and was possibly a Ford Probe or Escort, police said. Witnesses told police that there may have been two people in the car.

Police have not yet identified the victim, and are asking that anyone with information about this homicide call detectives at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

Feds reimburse county agencies

The Clark County Regional Flood Control District Thursday received a $1.6 million reimbursement for the first time from the federal government for funding advanced by the Regional Flood Control District and Clark County.

A total of $24.7 million is the federal share for flood control projects along Flamingo and Tropicana washes that protect the southwestern portion of the valley.

The repayment is the first installment from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The entire project includes five detention basins, three debris basins and 28 miles of channel. The entire project will be complete in 2005.