News briefs for March 1, 2002

Friday, March 1, 2002 | 10:47 a.m.

Winds cause motorcycle crash

A 36-year-old Las Vegas man was killed this morning when high winds apparently blew his motorcycle into a raised concrete median, Metro Police said.

Witnesses told police the winds caused Harley Scott Smith to hit the median and then a light pole as he was riding on Flamingo Road near El Camino Road about 1:30 a.m.

The accident is under investigation. Smith's death is the 22nd traffic fatality in Metro's jurisdiction this year.

Red Cross helps affected family

The American Red Cross is assisting three adults and a child after fire gutted the kitchen of their northwest Las Vegas apartment Thursday afternoon.

Three adults and four children were in the apartment at the time of the fire and escaped without injury. Las Vegas Fire Department investigators believe a compressor motor on a refrigerator malfunctioned and overheated, causing the fire. They ruled the blaze accidental.

Firefighters reached the Phillip Apartments at 5216 Pebble Beach Blvd. near Vegas Drive and Decatur Boulevard about 1:25 p.m., fire department spokesman Tim Szymanski said.

Former Philippine presidential

gambling adviser Charlie "Atong" Ang lost a bid to go free on bail and will remain in a Las Vegas area jail pending an extradition hearing in May. U.S. Magistrate Lawrence R. Leavitt ruled Thursday that bail can be granted only in extraordinary circumstances in an extradition case, court officials said. Ang, 43, faces charges in the Philippines of plunder, or the theft of public funds.