News briefs for Feb. 13, 2004

Friday, Feb. 13, 2004 | 9:49 a.m.

Car-theft probe nets two arrests

A six-week investigation into car thefts in eastern Las Vegas resulted in two arrests Wednesday.

Police allege Richard C. Fields, 32, who has at least nine felony convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle, is responsible for hundreds of thefts, Lt. Jim Moses of Metro Police's career criminal section said.

A detective with the department's repeat offender program purchased stolen property from Fields on numerous occasions during the investigation, Moses said.

Police said Fields and another man, Steven Hinrichs, were seen stealing a vehicle in the 1300 block of Sloan Avenue when they were taken into custody.

Fields was charged with grand larceny auto, attempted grand larceny auto, possession of a stolen vehicle, auto burglary and possession of burglary tools. Hinrichs was charged with similar offenses.

Detectives are sifting through evidence connecting Fields to other thefts, Moses said.

New trial ordered in salon suit

A Las Vegas woman is going to get another chance to prove to a District Court jury she was injured when she fell out of a chair at a beauty salon while blow-drying her own hair.

The Nevada Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a new trial to allow Katherine Wright to try to prove her case against Lois Dobiez and Margaret Zelmo, operators of Peggy's Hair Shop.

Wright sued, saying she fell out of the chair in December 1998 and suffered injuries requiring shoulder surgery and two neck surgeries as a result of the accident.

A District Court jury rejected her claims.

The Supreme Court, in overturning the verdict, said District Judge Mark Denton should not have allowed into evidence amounts paid to Wright in lawsuits in prior injury cases.

It said attorneys for the beauty salon could introduce evidence about the prior injuries but not the settlements or the sums.

Evidence was introduced that Wright had twice recovered $100,000 from car accidents.

Silica plant fined in Overton

An Idaho-based company has been fined $525,000 and ordered to install $2 million in machinery to its silica plant in Overton.

The J.R. Simplot Co.'s factory in Overton was found to not have proper clean air equipment at its plant, resulting in increased sulfur dioxide emissions, officials at the Environmental Protection Agency said.

The company removed pollution control equipment from the plant in 1998 and may have been emitting as much as an additional 150 tons of sulfur dioxide a year.

The company dries silica sand in coal-fire dryers, EPA officials said.

Silver medallions will be minted

The historic coin press at the Nevada State Museum will begin on Feb. 27 minting a new, limited edition silver medallion commemorating the Valley of Fire State Park.

The 350 silver medallions produced on the first day will be numbered and available for purchase for $40. A maximum of 1,000 medallions will be made this year. It is the first in a series commemorating state parks in Nevada.

The 35,000-acre Valley of Fire became a state park in 1935.

The coin press was manufactured in 1869 and struck its first coin in Carson City in 1870 at the U.S. Branch Mint.