News briefs for April 14, 2004

Wednesday, April 14, 2004 | 10:34 a.m.

Two girls hurt in scooter crash

Two girls were seriously injured when a pickup truck hit their scooter Tuesday evening near Boulder Highway and Russell Road, Metro Police said.

The Schwinn electric scooter was heading east on Dodd Street approaching Steptoe Street shortly before 6 p.m. when the 10-year-old driver failed to stop at a stop sign and drove into the path of a 1999 Chevrolet pickup truck. The truck was traveling south approaching Dodd.

Henderson resident Mark Miles, 22, the driver of the pickup, saw the scooter but couldn't stop in time. The driver of the scooter and her 9-year-old passenger were thrown and the pickup truck rolled over the scooter, police said.

Both were admitted to University Medical Center in serious condition. No one was cited. Police are still investigating.

River closed to protect flycatcher

The National Park Service will close two areas of Grand Canyon along the Colorado River to all visitors from May 1 through July 15 to protect nesting sites of the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher.

The closures affect the river from Mile 28.1 to 28.5 and from Mile 50.2 to 50.6.

No visitor activities will be allowed in those areas, including hiking, camping or river landings. Alternate campsites and routes will be available.

The Southwestern willow flycatcher is a small songbird that requires specific vegetation in the Colorado River for nesting and rearing young.

No West Nile seen in Nevada

Although West Nile virus was discovered in Southern California birds earlier this month, it has not been detected in Nevada, the state Health Division said.

Nevada is one of four states that have not reported signs of the virus, transmitted from mosquitos to birds to humans.

Nationwide in 2003 West Nile virus was linked to a total of 9,858 illnesses and 262 deaths. The virus was first detected in New York in 1999 and has been found in 46 states and the District of Columbia.

Mild symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, occasionally a skin rash on the trunk of the body and swollen lymph glands.

Symptoms of severe infection include headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis.

Although West Nile virus illnesses are usually mild, serious illness and death are possible, particularly for those over the age of 50.

Guard unit may be deployed soon

About 150 Henderson-based soldiers could be deployed in the next 30 to 45 days, a spokesman for the Nevada National Guard said.

The soldiers are a part of the 1864th Transportation Co., a unit that hauls ammunition and dry cargo on tractor-trailers.

The unit was alerted Saturday that its members should prepare for possible mobilization in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom or Noble Eagle. Where they would go and what their mission might be is not yet known, National Guard officials said.

The unit has been mobilized on training missions to North and South Dakota and Egypt in the last four years.

Currently about 50 soldiers with the Nevada Army National Guard's 777th Engineer Team Utilities Co. are deployed in Baghdad, and about 100 soldiers with the 321st Signal Co. are in Kuwait.