News briefs for August 13, 2004

Friday, Aug. 13, 2004 | 9:46 a.m.

Federal funds to help pay for fire

CARSON CITY -- The Legislative Interim Finance Committee Thursday agreed to accept $8.7 million in federal funds as reimbursement for the cost of firefighting and rehabilitation of the more than 8,000 acres burned last month in the hills west of Carson City.

The money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance Funds will be used to help pay for the cost of fire suppression and seed planting on the hills.

Frank Siracusa, director of the state Emergency Management Division, said part of the money will be used for "emergency protection measures" because of the potential for floods, mud slides and contamination of the water supply.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, asked whether owners of destroyed homes that were uninsured were eligible to receive any federal funds. Siracusa said they did not qualify under the federal regulations.

Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, asked if the money could be used to help pay the costs of the Mount Charleston fire in Southern Nevada. Siracusa said that fire was on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service but the state did incur some costs. He indicated there may be some reimbursement.

Three charged in illegal DVD case

Three Las Vegas residents face federal charges that they illegally copied and sold DVDs of "Spiderman 2," "Fahrenheit 9/11," "The Bourne Supremacy" and other first run movies.

Charged in a federal indictment released Wednesday are Michael L. Young, 46, of Henderson and Las Vegas residents Kelly J. Ryan, 31, and Kristin M. Trueman, 21.

Each is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit willful infringement of copyright and one count of willful infringement of copyright. If convicted, they face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.

Prosecutors allege that Young and Trueman sold illegally copied DVDs at the Fantastic Indoor Swap Meet, 1717 S. Decatur Blvd., for $10 apiece on June 25 and July 17. Kelly allegedly burned or copied the movies onto DVDs for sale, the indictment states.

On July 23 Young allegedly sold 40 illegally copied DVDs to a Motion Picture Association of America undercover investigator at the swap meet.

The defendants are free on bond, and are scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Leen on Aug. 20 to be arraigned and enter pleas.

Web site will track schools' progress

The Nevada Education Department will unveil a new accountability Web site Monday aimed at keeping the public informed on the progress of the state's public schools.

The Web site's Annual Reports of Accountability will include each individual school, overviews of the 17 districts and a breakdown of results statewide.

State and federal law require annual reports to be compiled and distributed for each public school; Nevada has gone a step further and put the material online, said Schools Superintendent Keith Rheault.

The Web site will also have interactive features with visitors able to compare characteristics of multiple schools.

For several years the Clark County School District has posted its own version of school accountability reports on its Web site. The new report format adopted by the state will now be used by all districts.

The state's new Web site is nevadareportcard.com.