News briefs for May 12, 2005

Thursday, May 12, 2005 | 9:30 a.m.

Cars wrecked at dealership

An out-of-control BMW hit eight cars at a car dealership at Decatur Boulevard and Sahara Avenue on Wednesday afternoon, causing about $250,000 in damage to the vehicles, authorities said.

Shortly after 2 p.m. a man was driving a 1989 BMW 535i in the parking lot of Desert BMW of Las Vegas when the car suddenly accelerated, went over a fence and onto Decatur, Metro Police Sgt. Chris Tetko said.

The car sideswiped a southbound Mustang and then veered back into the lot. It went through the fence and dragged it over a 1990 Oldsmobile coupe and a 2002 Audi A6, which are owned by employees of the dealership, police said.

It then crashed into a 2005 BMW 325i sedan, which got pushed into a 2005 BMW station wagon, Tetko said.

The driver, who works for Manheim Greater Las Vegas Auto Auction, was taken to a hospital to be checked for injuries. Police are investigating. No charges had been filed as of Wednesday afternoon.

UNLV provost eyes Florida post

Ray Alden, UNLV provost and executive vice president, is one of six finalists for the same position at the University of Florida, the Gainsville institution announced this week.

The Florida land-grant institution has invited Alden for an interview May 17 and 18, and media there have called Alden a frontrunner in the race because of his experience at UNLV.

It is the second job interview Alden has gone on in recent weeks. He's currently one of three finalists for the open provost job at the University of Missouri.

During his May 2 interview in Columbia, Alden caught flak from Missouri faculty for his treatment of UNLV economics professor Hans-Hermann Hoppe. The faculty there questioned whether Alden would support their academic freedom, according to multiple Missouri media reports.

He endured similar criticism from faculty at UNLV. Alden was not available for comment Wednesday.

Suicide victim at school ID'd

The man who Henderson Police said hung himself on the campus of Green Valley High School has been identified as 25-year-old David J. Johns of Henderson, the coroner's office said.

Johns was found Wednesday morning by a school employee. A Clark County School District spokesman said Johns apparently had no connection to the school. He wasn't a former student nor was he an employee.

Party honors Israel Independence Day

The Jewish Federation of Las Vegas and United Jewish Community will hold a free celebration in honor of Israel Independence Day.

The celebration will be at the Venetian Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Venetian Ballroom.

Organizers bill the occasion as the largest Jewish event in the greater Las Vegas area and expect at least 8,000 people to attend. It honors the establishment of Israel on May 14, 1948.

Attractions include more than 120 booths of Israeli goods, arts and crafts, gifts, clothing, and jewelry. There will be rides, games, cultural exhibitions, local media personalities, and entertainment featuring cast members of "Forever Plaid." Food will be provided by Venetian Hotel chefs.

Attendance is free. Food costs extra. For more information or to help by volunteering for the event, call 732-0556.

Worker killed in accident identified

A construction worker killed Tuesday on Centennial Centre Boulevard has been identified by the coroner's office as 26-year-old Jeffrey Stombaugh of Las Vegas.

Stombaugh was working for Southern Nevada Paving at the site when he was struck by a diesel truck, authorities said.

The Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.

Four arrested in stolen car case

Members of the Vehicle Investigation Project for Enforcement and Recovery team, a car theft investigation unit comprised of local, state and federal law enforcement, arrested four people after police followed a stolen car with a tracking device Wednesday.

Officers surrounded the house where the driver ended up, near Civic Center Drive and Owens Avenue, and arrested four people on vehicle theft-related charges after several other stolen cars were found at the house, police said.

Ensign finishes second in race

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., had the second fastest finish Wednesday among members of Congress who ran in the Capital Challenge, a 3-mile road race.

The race included teams assembled from various offices and the media.

Rep. Bart Gordon, the dean of Tennessee's congressional delegation, retained his claim as the fastest member of Congress.

Gordon, 56, finished the race in 18 minutes and 17 seconds, nearly a minute and a half faster than Ensign.

Gordon has won 16 times since he first entered the race in 1988.

Sentencing delayed in hunting case

Ex-wildlife Sentencing has been postponed again for a former Nevada wildlife commissioner and his son who pleaded no contest to hunting violations.

District Judge Robert Estes on Tuesday a May 19 hearing to consider whether former commissioner Bradley Quilici and his son, Dario, should be allowed to withdraw their pleas.

Father and son each pleaded no contest in September to a gross misdemeanor of providing false information to illegally obtain a resident hunting license for Dario Quilici.

Prosecutors and state game wardens allege the younger Quilici also claimed residency in Utah at the time and was attending school there as a Utah resident.

Nevada, like many other states, put restrictions on nonresident hunting tags.

Under a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop more than a dozen other criminal charges - including two felonies - that were filed against the pair in three separate counties.