News briefs for October 18, 2004

Monday, Oct. 18, 2004 | 11:07 a.m.

Seminars planned for firefighter job

Clark County will conduct the second of six informational seminars about the job of firefighter 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Winchester Community Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive.

"Becoming a firefighter is a highly competitive process," County Manager Thom Reilly said. "We want to reach out to everyone in the community who may be interested in becoming a firefighter to ensure that all groups are represented in the selection process."

Firefighter applications will be accepted Nov. 2 through Nov. 19 at the Clark County Government Center's Human Resources Department.

Mount Charleston restrictions lifted

The Nevada Division of Forestry on Friday announced it was dropping the drought-related restrictions that had been in place at Mount Charleston since June 15.

Campers are no longer barred from starting fires or smoking outside developed campgrounds, and campers can again drive off existing roads.

The restrictions were put in place at the the height of a particularly dry summer.

Cooler fall temperatures and recent rainfall have reduced the dry conditions that prompted the restrictions, according to the Forestry Division.

Hardcastle keeps chief judge job

District Court judges in Clark County have selected Hardcastle to serve a two-year term as the chief judge, effective Jan. 1.

Hardcastle has been chief judge since April 14, following the resignation of Justice Michael Douglas, who left the court to accept a seat on the Nevada Supreme Court.

In the eight years Hardcastle has served on the bench she has presided over a variety of criminal, civil and probate matters and has served on numerous committees and led the implementation of court technology services and case management procedures, court officials said.

Hardcastle is a native of Amarillo, Texas, and is married to Family Court Judge Gerald Hardcastle. They are the first wife and husband judicial team in the history of Nevada.

Mobile hospital is planned

State and local health agencies are testing the best methods to quickly set up and operate a mobile hospital that could be used in the event of a terrorist attack or a disaster.

The weeklong drill was scheduled to begin today at Sunset Park and was to include representatives of the Nevada Hospital Association, the Clark County Health District and the Nevada State Health Division.

The Clark County Emergency Management office will also participate in the drills designed to set up and run a 50-bed hospital within 24 hours of an attack or disaster.

The mobile hospital is based on field hospitals currently being used by the military and is capable of providing triage and treatment of traumatic injuries, burns and exposure to biological agents, officials for the Nevada Hospital Association said.

Trial set in killing of homeless man

A man who police said confessed to shooting homeless people across the country because he wanted to go to death row entered a plea of not guilty in District Court this morning.

Robert Davis, 41, is to be tried on Dec. 20 on a charge of murder with a deadly weapon for the 1998 shooting of transient Billy Ray Owens as he slept near the railroad tracks in North Las Vegas.

Police said Davis recounted his crimes in a detailed confession, stating that he also shot homeless men in Las Vegas and New York and was planning to target another in Washington, D.C.

Davis allegedly said he wanted to get the death penalty and believed it would take five brutal murders, but he ran out of money and bullets before he could complete his quest.

Forum planned on presidential race

Several prominent journalists will hold a nonpartisan forum to talk about what they think the nation should look for in a new president.

"Who Do We Need? The 2004 Presidential Election," is a free event set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall.

Journalists include Ron Brownstein, senior political correspondent for the Los Angeles Times; David Gergen, former adviser to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton and an editor-at-large of U.S. News and World Report; and Dotty Lynch, senior political editor of CBS News.

The event will be coordinated by the National Association of Women Business Owners of Southern Nevada. People interested in attending can RSVP at www.nawbolasvegas.org/forum.