News briefs for February 25, 2002

Monday, Feb. 25, 2002 | 11:08 a.m.

Arraignment set March 19 for Mack

Las Vegas Councilman Michael Mack will be arraigned before a Municipal Court judge March 19 on allegations that he broke the city's ethics code in February 2001.

Mack will enter his plea before Municipal Judge Bert Brown, who will then schedule a hearing date.

A criminal complaint, filed by attorney John Graves Jr. on behalf of the Las Vegas Ethics Review Board, accuses Mack of intentionally violating the city's ethics code when he voted Feb. 21, 2001, to postpone a car dealership application by John Staluppi Jr., without disclosing he had an outstanding loan from a rival car dealer.

Guinan takes nonprofit's post

Former state Health Officer Dr. Mary Guinan has been named executive director of the nonprofit Nevada Public Health Foundation, an organization that aims to address unmet public health needs.

Guinan had 20 years' experience working with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention before she took the Nevada position. She resigned the state position last year.

The foundation prepared a report on the public health system in Nevada last year. "Compared to the rest of the nation, Nevadans report poorer health and engage in more risk behaviors that will result in poor health later in life," it said.

The foundation said many of the health problems can be prevented with a well functioning public health system and community support.

Car searches won't be needed

Valet parking at McCarran International Airport will move just one floor Tuesday, but it will mean a world of difference to patrons who no longer will be inconvenienced by security searches of their vehicles.

Airport officials will move valet from the third level on the right-hand side -- the garage closest to the terminal in the 300-foot heightened security perimeter -- to the second level on the left-hand side, adjacent to the pedestrian bridge that leads into the main terminal building.

"Moving valet operations outside the 300-foot heightened security level will eliminate the need to search every vehicle entering the valet area," Clark County Department of Aviation Deputy Director Rosemary Vassiliadis said of the change that begins at 4 a.m. Tuesday.

Current valet parking spaces will be converted to additional employee parking.