News briefs for October 31, 2001

Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2001 | 9:39 a.m.

Worker dies from injuries

A 65-year-old man who suffered second- and third-degree burns during an Oct. 15 explosion at a Las Vegas model rocket factory has died.

Avelino Corpuz, an employee of the AeroTech plant that exploded and burned at 1955 S. Palm St. died Friday at University Medical Center, a hospital spokesman said.

The hospital also said that another seriously burned victim of that incident, Virgilio Yalapan, 24, remains in critical condition. Samuel Pagdilao, 53, also injured in the blast, was released from UMC on Friday, officials said.

AeroTech was storing an estimated 3,300 pounds of rocket fuel materials at the time of the explosion that forced the evacuation of hundreds of nearby residents.

Clark County officials said the company was licensed and zoned to store the material.

Health District running low

The Clark County Health District is running low on flu vaccines, and patients are being redirected to neighborhood clinics for the shots.

The Health District has already vaccinated more than 13,000 people against the flu, all members of the high-risk groups eligible for the shots. The district is expecting the remainder of its flu vaccine supply to be delivered in mid-November, and additional doses are being purchased, Dr. Donald Kwalick, chief health officer for the district, said.

The high-risk group includes people 65 and older, people with chronic illnesses and pregnant women in their second or third trimesters.

People eligible for free vaccinations through Medicare or Medicaid must present an insurance card. For those not eligible under insurance plans, the flu vaccine is available for $15, the pneumonia vaccine for $20.

Citizens board hears complaints

The Citizen Review Board's screening panel reviewed six complaints against Metro Police officers in October, dismissing four, forwarding one to the department's Internal Affairs Bureau and requesting more information on another.

In the complaint forwarded to internal affairs, an inmate at the Clark County Detention Center accused an officer of belittling him in front of other inmates.

"The board felt that, at least on the face of the complaint, it was enough to warrant investigation," board executive director Andrea Beckman said. "That doesn't mean that after it is investigated, they won't change their minds."

The board concurred with internal affairs findings in three cases and dismissed a harassment complaint for lack of information -- the complainant did not know who the offending officer was or when and where the incident happened.

The board requested more information on the sixth complaint, one that alleged use of force by two officers.

BLM to sell 162 acres in valley

The federal Bureau of Land Management on Thursday will auction 162 acres scattered around the Las Vegas Valley.

The land is valued at $14.2 million and cannot be sold for less than its appraised market value.

The largest piece of land is 42.5 acres, the smallest is 1.25 acres.

The auction is the sixth authorized by 1998's Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. The auctions have sold more than 450 acres and generated more than $48.5 million.

Funds generated by the sales are used to support environmental needs, improve recreational areas in Southern Nevada, support local schools, the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Clark County Aviation Department.

Over the next two decades the BLM plans to sell off 27,000 acres of Las Vegas Valley public land. The agency manages about 47 million acres in Nevada.