News briefs for March 20, 2003

Thursday, March 20, 2003 | 9:24 a.m.

NLV hires firm to track carts

More than five months after a shopping cart ordinance was passed by the North Las Vegas City Council, residents should begin seeing the effect of the law.

The council on Wednesday voted 4-1 to pay California Shopping Cart Retrieval Co. Inc. up to $12,000 a year to pick up shopping carts found on sidewalks or city streets.

The company was to start work as early as today, Community Development Director Jacque Risner said.

In October the council adopted an ordinance that requires businesses to either keep their shopping carts on their property or have a plan to retrieve carts found off their property.

Stores without such a plan could be fined $25 a day.

The law also gives the city the authority to pick up abandoned shopping carts.

Under the contract approved Wednesday, the city will pay the company $3 for every shopping cart the company picks up. That cost will be passed on to the businesses.

When approving the ordinance in October some council members said abandoned shopping carts have ended up on sidewalks and in streets, causing a safety hazard for motorists and pedestrians.

LV budget workshop faces bad news

The prognosis for Las Vegas' upcoming budget is not good, City Manager Doug Selby said Wednesday.

Selby told City Council members they are not in for good news when they have their first budget workshop April 23.

"There are lower revenue forecasts," Selby said. "We will have to maintain programs and staff at their current levels."

Selby said the downturn can be attributed to the economy and he does not expect things to get better due to the war.

Woman on diverted LV flight arrested

An American Airlines flight to Las Vegas was diverted to New Orleans after passengers and crew members had to restrain a passenger who created a disturbance, the FBI announced Wednesday.

Laura Roberta Mena, 40, of Miami, was "very disruptive" on flight 2473 from Miami on Tuesday evening, and two passengers and two flight crew members restrained her, FBI special agent Sheila Thorne said. Mena was expected to be charged with one count of interference with a flight crew, a felony with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, Thorne said.

Thorne had no details about Mena's behavior on the flight. Mena was arrested by FBI agents and Jefferson Parish deputies when the plane arrived at the New Orleans international airport, Thorne said.

The flight continued to Las Vegas after about an hour in New Orleans, Thorne said.