News briefs for July 15, 2004

Thursday, July 15, 2004 | 9:40 a.m.

Herrera court hearing delayed

An initial court appearance for former Clark County Commission chairman Dario Herrera on a charge of punching a man at a construction site on the Strip was delayed this morning until Aug. 19.

Herrera, 30, did not appear in court today, but Justice of the Peace William Jansen made it clear that he is required to be in court in August.

The offense carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000.

The charge stems from an argument he got into with an unidentified man at the Hawaiian Marketplace shopping center, which was under construction in front of the Polo Towers on Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Herrera, a consultant for Torino Companies, got into an argument over that escalated, according to police.

Dead woman is identified

A woman found dumped along a U.S. 95 on-ramp last month has been identified as 23-year-old Malie Chow, Metro Police said.

Chow had lived in Las Vegas and Henderson for the past year.

Her body was found June 27 by a couple walking in the area of the Snow Mountain on-ramp to U.S. 95. She was last seen late at night on June 15 taking a taxi to a hotel, police said.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

County violating watering rules

Clark County is violating its own water restrictions, a county spokesman said Wednesday.

Erik Pappa, county spokesman, said the amphitheater at the county government building, a grassy circular area where concerts are held, has been getting water an hour before the water rules allow it -- between 6 and 7 p.m.

The contractor set the clock wrong, he said, and has been asked to change it.

"We try to be an example to the community," he said.

The Clark County Commission is considering taking out the turf at the amphitheater, replacing it with artificial turf and desert landscaping, Pappa said.

Jackknifed truck closes U.S. 95

U.S. 95 near Las Vegas Boulevard was closed during this morning's rush hour after a tractor-trailer slammed jackknifed, blocking all northbound lanes.

The road was closed from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m., when northbound traffic was back to normal, Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Angie Wolff said. An unidentified liquid that spilled from the truck had to be cleaned up, she said.

Judge refuses regents' appeal

University system attorneys failed on Wednesday to change a district court judge's decision that the Board of Regents violated the state's open-meeting law in November.

Lawyers for the regents had asked District Judge Jackie Glass to alter her written decision because they claimed it did not follow the oral ruling she made last month.

Glass's written order, authored by the attorney general's office, said the regents violated the open-meeting law by not properly informing all of the individuals discussed during a Nov. 17 and Nov. 20 closed personnel sessions that their character would be considered.

Glass denied the motion without hearing argument on Wednesday.