News briefs for March 27, 2002

Wednesday, March 27, 2002 | 9:37 a.m.

Woman tries to cross highway

A woman trying to cross Boulder Highway near the Jokers Wild casino Tuesday night was struck and killed by a car.

Henderson Police said the woman, whose name was not released this morning, was crossing in a poorly lit area near Warm Springs Road about 9:45 p.m. outside a crosswalk and was struck.

The woman died at the scene, police said. The driver of the car, whose name also was not released, was taken to St. Rose Dominican Hospital on Lake Mead Drive for minor injuries.

The accident is under investigation.

Goodman's mail tests negative

The city's system for checking all mail sent to Las Vegas City Hall to protect against anthrax was tested Tuesday when a mysterious white powder was found in an envelope addressed to Mayor Oscar Goodman.

The Las Vegas Fire Department's hazardous materials team was called in after mailroom staffers reported the suspicious substance. The bottom level of the city's parking garage was shut down as a precaution.

The powder was tested and determined not to be anthrax, Erik Pappa, the city's senior public information officer, said. No additional testing was done to identify the substance.

New mail procedures were put in place after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to protect City Hall and mailroom workers from anthrax. Mailroom staffers wear rubber gloves and surgical masks when checking each piece of mail sent to City Hall.

NLV captain is accepted

Capt. Dan Lake of the North Las Vegas Detentions and Corrections Department has been accepted to the FBI National Law Enforcement Academy in Quantico, Va.

Lake is scheduled to attend the 209th session of the academy April through June.

Candidates must be nominated by the local FBI agent in charge, pass an extensive background investigation and commit to a minimum of three years of continued law enforcement service upon course completion.

Only one other North Las Vegas Detention and Corrections officer has attended the FBI academy. Lake will earn graduate credits through the University of Virginia when he completes the course, as well as a certificate of completion.

Lake joined the city of North Las Vegas in 1995 as a corrections officer. He was promoted to sergeant in 1998 and to captain in 2000. He holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration from Columbia Southern University with graduate credit from the University of Northern Iowa in education administration. He expects to complete a Ph.D. in public administration in 2002.