News briefs for June 3, 2005

Friday, June 3, 2005 | 9:34 a.m.

Mayor introduces centennial couples

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman on Thursday introduced the two Las Vegas couples who will be part of an international collection of couples getting married next week at the Fremont Street Experience as part of the city's ongoing centennial celebration.

Cynthia Pace, 38, a nursing student, and fiance Aron Suzuki, 31, a Clark County firefighter, and Serena Howard and Rob Lange will be among the 100 couples treated to four days of celebration ending with the massive wedding ceremony 8 p.m. Thursday near the First Street stage.

"Once Upon 100 Weddings," as the event has been named, includes couples from Phoenix, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Diego and Houston, as well as Germany, Korea and England.

Howard, who works in human resources at a local home health care company, and Lange, 27, a carpenter, and Pace and Suzuki were selected from a group of more than 80 couples who applied to be one of the 100 couples. A panel of local judges made up of a divorce attorney, a marriage and family therapist, and a couple married for 25 years, picked the two local couples based on essays the couples submitted that described their personal love story, explained why they are compatible and their secret to a long-lasting marriage.

Reilly expected to ask for raise

Clark County Manager Thom Reilly is expected to go before county commissioners on Tuesday to ask for a 3 percent raise, he said Thursday.

Reilly is scheduled for an annual performance evaluation next month, a matter typically discussed in a closed-door meeting. By moving his request to Tuesday's public meeting, the county manager foregoes the private evaluation.

As county manager, Reilly oversees a $4.5 billion budget and roughly 9,300 employees in 38 separate departments.

State gets funds for crime victims

Nevada has been awarded $4.8 million from the Justice Department's 2004 Crime Victims Fund for state victim compensation and assistance programs.

Victim assistance funds of $3.1 million and victim compensation funds in the amount of $1.68 million have been awarded to the Nevada Departments of Human Resources and Administration to provide support and services to thousands of victims statewide.

Since the Crime Victims Fund was established in 1986, Nevada crime victims have received services and economic assistance totaling $34.86 million, said U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden.

Crime victim assistance funds are competitively awarded by the state to local community-based organizations that provide direct services to crime victims.

The Crime Victims Fund is supported primarily by fines paid by federal criminal offenders, not taxpayers.

Health worker pleads guilty

Home health care worker Kelly Hooton of Las Vegas pleaded guilty Thursday to theft, a misdemeanor charge after she overbilled the state's Medicaid system, Attorney General Brian Sandoval said.

Justice of the Peace Nancy Oesterle sentenced 36-year-old Hooton to serve 80 hours of community service, pay $860 restitution, costs and penalties, and suspended a 30-day jail sentence.

The state investigated Hooton's time sheets, which had been inflated for one of her clients, said Tim Terry, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit chief.

Taxicab thief suspect caught

A suspected taxicab thief caught on an in-cab camera has been captured by police in Ventura, Calif., the state Taxicab Authority said Thursday.

James Bradley Palen was arrested on May 26 on several charges, police said.

Taxicab Authority investigators are working with the district attorney's office to extradite the 37-year-old Palen. He faces five felony charges including grand larceny, possession of stolen credit cards and identity theft.

The cab was stolen May 2 from the Commercial Center at 953 E. Sahara Ave., near Maryland Parkway.

The driver left the cab running while he went into a business to drop off a meal for his wife. Returning moments later, he found the cab and his wallet gone.

Security guards at the Sahara hotel found the cab parked in its parking garage two days later.

Palen, described by investigators as a transient who travels between Las Vegas, California, Oregon and Washington, was identified from several images downloaded as he drove the cab.