News briefs for August 26, 2005

Friday, Aug. 26, 2005 | 11:08 a.m.

Inmate escapes during transit

An inmate serving time for 12 counts of larceny, robbery and use of a deadly weapon escaped Thursday while being taken from Carson City to the prison in Lovelock.

A prison spokesman said Jody Thompson, 25, of Nye County was in a prison van. When it stopped in Fallon, he pried open the back door while the van was unattended.

Prison officials said Thompson has contacts in Las Vegas.

He was last seen wearing prison blue jeans and a blue denim shirt. He has tattoos of an eagle on his back, a bird on his leg and "CJ" on his shoulder.

Power outage knocks out station

Nevada Public Radio station KNPR was off the air Thursday afternoon after a random power outage interfered with the station's transmitter, an official for the radio station said.

The outage occurred a little after 3 p.m. Thursday, Phil Burger, director of broadcast operations, said. When the power came back on, the transmitter was not able to broadcast.

Engine fire blamed in crash

An engine fire was to blame for the March 27 crash of a Nellis-based MQ-1 Predator over Southwest Asia, the Air Force reported this morning.

Military investigators found "substantial evidence" that a fuel leak in the left part of the aircraft's engine sparked the fire, which grew to encompass the entire engine bay and tail section. The left tail then separated from the Predator, causing the engine of the $3.7 million Predator to fail.

The remote-piloted aircraft was assigned to the 15th Reconnaissance Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base.

No injuries or damage to other property was reported in the crash.

Fire officials investigate blaze

Henderson Fire officials are investigating a blaze at a Henderson apartment complex that appears to be arson.

About a dozen residents of the complex near Lake Mead Parkway and Warm Springs Road were displaced after the fire started about 10 p.m. Thursday.

Authorities said a woman was being questioned in connection with the fire. No one was injured.