Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004 | 11:10 a.m.
LV chamber endorses Buck
The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce endorsed Republican Shari Buck for the hotly contested Clark County Commission District B seat.
Buck, a North Las Vegas city councilwoman, said she was happy to accept the endorsement from the chamber, which represents 6,500 businesses in Clark County.
"It shows the confidence the business community has in me, especially because of my past service in North Las Vegas," Buck said. "They know I'm fair-minded and a hard worker."
Assemblyman Tom Collins, the Democratic candidate for the seat, has locked up key labor endorsements, including the Culinary Union and Service Employees International Union. Collins was not immediately available for comment.
Buck said the race is not simply labor versus business. She said she has endorsements from the police union representing North Las Vegas officers and the Fraternal Order of Police.
"I just view it as people who support good government wanting to get behind the best candidate," Buck said.
Texan arrested on murder charge
A former police officer from Texas was arrested on a charge of murder Monday after he was released from a local mental health facility, Metro Police said.
Steven Hoffman, a former Dallas police officer, is accused of fatally shooting his stepmother in Missouri in a dispute over inheritance money, Sgt. Dan Flaherty, of Metro's fugitive detail, said.
Police allege that Hoffman recently flew from Dallas to Kansas City, Mo., then drove to his stepmother's home in St. Joseph, Mo., and shot her several times.
Detectives received a tip that Hoffman was checked into a local mental health facility in Las Vegas and was due to be released.
Hoffman was booked into the Clark County Detention Center, where he will remain pending an extradition hearing.
Man arrested in hit and run
An 18-year-old man was arrested this morning on charges of felony hit and run after a collision that left a woman with serious injuries, Metro Police said.
Moments before the collision, which occurred about 12:40 a.m. on Eastern Avenue near Warm Springs Road, police allege, Joseph Archuleta was apparently racing or chasing another vehicle in his 1986 Pontiac 6000 STE.
The other vehicle turned left onto Warm Springs, and Archuleta was apparently trying to make a quick left into a parking lot to catch up with it when he cut off a 1991 Nissan Pathfinder, police said.
That vehicle, driven by 38-year-old Ledi Vanslate, was forced into a palm tree, Detective Doug Nutton said.
Police allege Archuleta's passenger, 18-year-old Ricky Douglas, ran from the car and Archuleta drove away. A witness alerted police, who found both men a short distance away.
Vanslate was taken to St. Rose Dominican Hospital with moderate injuries. Her passenger, Sara Hansen, 28, was taken to University Medical Center with serious injuries, which may include two broken arms and possibly a broken neck, police said. She also suffered facial injuries.
Nutton said it did not appear the women were wearing seat belts.
Archuleta was arrested on charges of felony hit and run with substantial bodily harm.
archive
