News briefs for February 21, 2002

Thursday, Feb. 21, 2002 | 9:51 a.m.

First part of north leg opens

The first segment of the northern leg of the Las Vegas Beltway between U.S. 95 and Decatur Boulevard was slated to open this morning.

The newest link runs through parts of Clark County, the city of Las Vegas and the city of North Las Vegas.

More than 30 miles of the 53-mile beltway will be operating once the latest segment opens today.

The northern beltway from Decatur to Interstate 15 is expected to be completed this fall. The final northwest piece between Cheyenne Avenue and El Capitan Way is being designed and construction is scheduled to start later this year.

No suspects found in killing

Metro Police are investigating the shooting death Saturday of a 28-year-old Las Vegas man.

Police called to the area of Doolittle Avenue and J Street about midnight Friday found John Smith shot. He was taken to University Medical Center, where he died about 3 a.m.

No suspects have been arrested or identified.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call Metro's homicide unit at 229-3521 or Secret Witness at 385-5555.

$6 million collected in state

The Nevada U.S. attorney's office collected more than $6 million in civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and third parties in 2001.

The funds are distributed to state and local law enforcement agencies for use in future operations, and to crime victims.

"While the payments in restitution go directly to the victims of crime, the criminal fines and special assessments recovered are deposited in the crime victims' fund," U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said.

Moapa ranch to be preserved

The Conservation Fund, Nevada Power Co. and the Bureau of Reclamation have formed a partnership to protect and preserve 391 acres of natural habitat at the Perkins Ranch near Moapa, about 45 miles north of Las Vegas.

Nevada Power purchased the land from the Perkins family in 1986 to supply water to its nearby Reid-Gardner power plant. Under the new agreement the utility will maintain its water rights, but the property will be managed as public lands by the Department of the Interior.

The agreement also furthers the Bureau of Reclamation's goal to acquire habitat to help protect the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher, a small bird that lives in willow, cottonwood and tamarisk thickets along streams and rivers.

The Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit conservation organization based in Arlington, Va., with an office in Las Vegas, worked with Nevada Power and Reclamation's Lower Colorado Region and the Bureau of Land Management to reach the agreement.

A 78-year-old Las Vegas man

who was beaten outside a convenience store in January died last week. Jay R. Huntsman was found beaten near a convenience store in the 400 block of Lamb Boulevard near Stewart Avenue Jan. 5. Huntsman was taken to University Medical Center but died Feb. 12, Metro Police said. Police suspect robbery was a motive in the beating, but no one has been arrested.