News briefs for March 24, 2005

Thursday, March 24, 2005 | 11:17 a.m.

Equal rights panel gets new chief

Susan L. Gray, a deputy attorney general who has represented the Nevada Equal Rights Commission, has been named administrator of the agency by Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Gray, 34, will take over the $72,140 a year job from Lynda Parven, who resigned last month.

The governor said Wednesday that Gray, of Henderson, has devoted much of the past five years as the attorney for the commission that handles discrimination complaints. He said she has extensive experience interpreting equal rights case law and has worked closely with the staff and federal programs that handle these issues.

Parven was promoted to deputy administrator of the state Employment Security Division.

Downtown stabbing victim identified

The Clark County coroner's office on Wednesday identified the man who was found stabbed to death in downtown Las Vegas as 58-year-old Harry Hays Howard.

The coroner established that Howard was killed by penetrating stab wounds to the chest.

Howard was found on Seventh Street between Stewart and Mesquite avenues at 3:45 a.m. on Tuesday.

Metro Police have established that the killing was not related to a robbery but are still investigating the case, Sgt. Rocky Alby said.

Howard, a long-time resident of Las Vegas, worked at the California hotel downtown.

Former sheriff's conviction upheld

A federal appeals court Wednesday upheld the conviction of former Lander County Sheriff Michael Kranovich for stealing an estimated $15,000 from criminal forfeiture funds.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected of Kranovich's argument that there was insufficient evidence to justify the conviction.

From July 2001 to January 2002, Kranovich cashed checks on the account, and he also kept funds in a locked box to which only he had access. The account was drawn down from $21,600 to $5,000.

The money belonged both to the federal and state governments.

Work being done at beltway, U.S. 95

Some construction and the opening of a new onramp will change traffic patterns next week for motorists who use the U.S. 95 and Las Vegas Beltway interchange in northwest Las Vegas, the Clark County Department of Public Works said.

The section of Oso Blanca frontage road between Interstate 215 and Centennial Center Boulevard will be permanently closed to through traffic on Monday, public works spokesman Bobby Shelton said.

Construction crews will be working to complete the eastbound beltway connector ramp to southbound U.S. 95.

The construction work is the final phase of a project that includes roadway improvements for Centennial Center Boulevard between Oso Blanca Road and Durango Drive.

Once the frontage road is closed, motorists needing access to Centennial Center will have to exit the beltway at Durango or U.S. 95 at Ann Road.

Once the new on-ramp to U.S. 95 is completed by the end of April, traffic is expected to ease, Shelton said.

Early voting change for Easter

Because of Easter, the Las Vegas early voting site at the Meadows mall will be closed on Sunday.

Instead, the Food 4 Less at the intersection of Sahara Avenue and Valley View Boulevard will be open for early voting from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Early voting lasts through April 1 in the city races for judge of Municipal Court Department 5 and the Ward 6 seat on the City Council. Primary Election Day is April 5.

Winnemucca replica to be dedicated

A full-size replica of the Sarah Winnemucca statue representing Nevada in the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary hall will be dedicated at the state Capitol in Carson City April 6.

Artist Benjamin Victor will join Gov. Kenny Guinn and his wife, Dema, in the event that is open to the public.

The original statue of Winnemucca, a prominent American Indian figure, was unveiled in Washington, D.C., on March 9.

Pilot blamed for Predator damage

Mistakes by a pilot and sensor operator are to blame for $2.8 million in damage to an MQ-1 Predator that suffered a hard landing in September, according to an Air Force report released today.

The $3.3 million remote-piloted drone aircraft made a hard landing at Indian Springs Auxiliary Feild on Sept. 22, after failed to correct an unstable final approach and a sensor operator failed to make corrective calls for excessive airspeed and windshear, the report states.

The MQ-1 Predator was assigned to Nellis Air Force Base's 11th Reconnaissance Squadron, and was being flown as part of a routine training mission when it was damaged, Nellis officials said.