Community briefs for August 1, 2003

Friday, Aug. 1, 2003 | 9:56 a.m.

Corrections Dept. has female chaplain

CARSON CITY -- The state Department of Corrections has hired its first female chaplain, the Rev. Jane Foraker-Thompson, to supervise the other three chaplains in the system.

Foraker-Thompson, an ordained Episcopal priest, will succeed the Rev. James Kelly, a Catholic priest who resigned this summer after allegations were made that he sexually abused young boys at Boys Town in Nebraska. Kelly denied the charges.

Foraker-Thompson, who lives in Gardnerville, has been a volunteer chaplain at the prison system and was named acting supervising chaplain when Kelly left. She will earn $56,396 in her new job that calls for coordinating religious services for 10,480 inmates at 20 prisons and camps statewide.

She is called "Reverend Jane" by the inmates.

Guinn appoints ex-LV manager

Ashley Hall, a retired brigadier general from the Nevada Army National Guard and former city manager of Las Vegas, has been named to represent Nevada on the Southwest Defense Alliance board of directors.

The appointment was announced Thursday by Gov. Kenny Guinn.

The alliance is a private organization that advocates the joint use of military research, testing and training facilities in the six southwestern states.

Hall joins Frank Tussing of Las Vegas on the board. Guinn said the third Nevada representative would be named soon.