News briefs for July 1, 2002

Monday, July 1, 2002 | 11:01 a.m.

Haze is actually wildfires' smoke

Area residents woke up to find a brown haze covering the Las Vegas skyline this morning, but the brown haze covering the city appeared worse than it was, officials of the National Weather Service said.

While it may look like smog, the haze is actually smoke blown in from the fires in Arizona and Colorado, said Ernie Cobb, cooperative program manager for the National Weather Service.

"Considering the size of the fires, it's not unusual," he said.

Because of the smoke's height, between 18,000 and 25,000 feet, Las Vegans don't have to worry about the effect on their lungs. Any solid particulate matter in the air would be small by the time it reached Las Vegas, he said.

Cobb estimated the smoke rolled in Sunday afternoon and it should dissipate in a few days as firefighters in Arizona and Colorado continue to contain the blazes.

While the smoke is not pretty, it is not less healthy than normal, he said.

"I don't think the air quality in the valley is any worse than usual," Cobb said.

Man shot to death in NLV street

A 21-year-old Las Vegas man was found shot to death Saturday night on a North Las Vegas street.

A resident in the 2000 block of Ona Marie Avenue, near Carey Avenue and Martin Luther Kind Boulevard, heard a gunshot about 9:30 p.m. Saturday. The resident looked outside and saw a man lying near the curb in the cul-de-sac, North Las Vegas Police said.

The man, Walid Ayoub Garad, was found dead with a gunshot wound in the head, police said.

Detectives were able to determine that a vehicle was seen leaving the scene at the time of the gunshot.

North Las Vegas Police requests anyone with information on the vehicle or the shooting to call Secret Witness at 385-5555 or the North Las Vegas Police Department at 633-9111.

Boy, 8, hit by delivery truck

An 8-year-old boy was struck Friday by a car in North Las Vegas as he ran across the street.

He was hit by a 1999 Isuzu delivery truck, taken to University Medical Center, treated and was released Saturday, hospital officials said.

The boy, along with several other children, ran across the 2600 block of Craig Road, west of Martin Luther King Boulevard, about 5 p.m. Friday. The boy ran out in front of traffic, stopped and then tried to run back, North Las Vegas Police said.

The 35-year-old driver tried to brake and steer left of the boy, who was not in a crosswalk, witnesses told police.

BLM pays state $11.5 million

Nevada will receive $11.5 million from the Bureau of Land Management.

The funds are called payment in lieu of taxes and are made by the federal government to offset tax revenue lost because of tax-exempt federal land. Last year Nevada received about $10.9 million from the BLM.

Clark, Elko and Washoe counties received the most, at $1.5 million each. Storey County received the smallest amount, $16,921.

All states except Rhode Island received the payments this year.

Work to begin on outlet mall

A nearly 500,000-square-foot outlet mall will begin its rise out of the Las Vegas desert west of downtown on Tuesday.

Chelsea Property Group will break ground on the Las Vegas Premium Outlets Tuesday on 39 acres across from the County Government Center.

Chelsea and Simon Property Group, owner and operator of the Forum Shops at Caesars, closed escrow last week on the parcel in the joint-venture project.

Project officials say the $90 million outlet mall will attract more than 8 million people per year to downtown Las Vegas.

The project is being helped by the city of Las Vegas, which is offering a property tax rebate that will equal approximately $200,000 over 13 years.

The mall is expected to open in fall 2003.

Fake INS agent given prison time

A Las Vegas woman was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay almost $18,000 in restitution in U.S. District Court on Friday for posing as an Immigration and Naturalization Service employee.

Norma Olga Benavidez began telling people in June 2000 that she was the personal assistant to the head of the INS office in Las Vegas, and that she could help them with immigration for a fee, according to a criminal indictment.

Benavidez was ordered to pay $17,965 in restitution to the victims of the scam.

Chinnock to head tax department

Charles Chinnock, who has been deputy director of the state Department of Taxation for the past year, has been named director of the agency, which collects most of the state's taxes.

Chinnock will succeed Dave Pursell, who retired from the $94,000-a-year job in May.

Chinnock has served in the Nevada Air National Guard since 1967. He is currently chief of staff, state headquarters, and was wing commander from 1994 until 2001.