News briefs for January 24, 2002

Thursday, Jan. 24, 2002 | 9:25 a.m.

Another public hearing scheduled

The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada has scheduled another public hearing to accept comments on proposed Nevada Power Co. rate increases.

The session will be held 2 p.m. Monday at the Winchester Community Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive.

Nevada Power is seeking to recover $921 million for energy that has already been used by Southern Nevadans plus an additional $22.9 million to cover administrative costs. The utility has said that it pursued a strategy of keeping the lights on locally while California was suffering rolling blackouts last year as the result of a failed attempt at deregulation.

Critics of Nevada Power argue, however, that the utility paid far more for power from other generators than it should have and that consumers should be granted relief.

The commission will begin taking testimony next month in Las Vegas from the utility as well as from consumer advocates and representatives of businesses and local government that also would be hurt by higher electricity rates.

If approved by the commission, the rate increases could go into effect as early as April 1 and cause consumer bills to go up as much as 25 percent over the next three years.

Device thought to be a bomb

Six guests were evacuated from their rooms at Arizona Charlie's East at 4575 Boulder Highway Wednesday night after security guards found a suspicious object they suspected could be a pipe bomb, Metro Police said.

The guards searched a room after a guest left a stolen gun behind, police said. The Las Vegas Fire Department bomb squad determined that a canister, which had been taped shut, was not an explosive and allowed the guests to return to their rooms by 10:30 p.m., police said.

IAP's Hansen dies in crash

Independent American Party of Nevada leader Dan Hansen was killed Tuesday when his truck rolled on an icy highway. A man who stopped to help also died after being hit by a tractor-trailer rig, and two others were injured.

The Nevada Highway Patrol said Hansen, 60, of Sparks, was traveling too fast for icy conditions and lost control of his truck on Interstate 80, about 13 1/2 miles east of Winnemucca. The truck overturned several times, ejecting Hansen. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Keith Strande, 19, of Billings, Mont., and Arthur Workman, 49, of Las Vegas, stopped to help Hansen's wife, Luz, who was trapped in the truck. They were hit by a skidding tractor-trailer as they crossed the road. Strande died Wednesday after being airlifted to Washoe Medical Center in Reno.

Luz Hansen and Workman were taken to Humboldt General Hospital in Winnemucca for injuries that were not life-threatening.

In addition to his IAP leadership role, Hansen was a perennial IAP candidate for public office. He ran for governor in 1994, Congress in 1992, 1996 and 2000, and lieutenant governor in 1998.