News briefs for Jan. 16, 2004

Friday, Jan. 16, 2004 | 11:17 a.m.

Commissioner endorses Dean

Clark County Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates officially announced Thursday that she will endorse Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean.

Atkinson Gates, who confirmed earlier this week that she will chair Dean's campaign in Nevada, is the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee's Black Caucus. She was quoted in a news release as saying that she supports Dean because his economic plan would bring more tourism dollars and jobs to Nevada than President Bush's economic plan.

Other Nevadans who will support Dean's campaign include Las Vegas City Councilman Michael Mack; Nevada Democratic Party Secretary Dan Hinckley; John A. Hunt, a partner in law firm Raleigh, Hunt and McGarry; Hispanics in Politics President Fran Montes; Dr. Mel Pohl, medical services director of Montevista Hospital; and former Nevada Democratic Party Chairman Richard Segerblom.

Scenic corridor listing sought

Las Vegas will sponsor a meeting meant to bolster the municipal effort to name Las Vegas Boulevard North a federal scenic corridor, a designation that could bring the city money for preserving, enhancing and promoting the route.

The meeting, led by the city's Department of Neighborhood Services, is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 26 at the East Las Vegas Community Senior Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave. The state already has designated this route as a scenic byway.

Driver injured in crash of pickup

A 45-year-old man was seriously injured Thursday afternoon when he crashed his pickup truck while fleeing from an earlier accident, Metro Police said.

Kenneth Wood of Las Vegas allegedly was involved in a crash on Las Vegas Boulevard at Pebble Road shortly before 3:30 p.m. and raced away in his 1997 Dodge Ram 1500. He went south on Las Vegas Boulevard, swerving from lane to lane, Detective Doug Nutton said.

Wood tried to turn right onto Windmill Lane but he was going too fast and he lost control of his truck. The truck slid sideways and hit a concrete center median then flipped into the westbound lanes of Windmill, Nutton said.

Wood's vehicle struck a 1999 Dodge pickup truck driven by Carmen Knepper, 38, of Las Vegas. She was westbound on Windmill approaching Las Vegas Boulevard. Wood and his passenger, Gary Elliott, 51, of Ogden, Utah, were thrown from the vehicle. Both were taken to University Medical Center. Elliott suffered moderate injuries. Knepper was not hurt.