Local news briefs for September 28, 2005

Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2005 | 11:10 a.m.

Melting keyboards spark school fire

Computer keyboards left on top of a stove in a home economics classroom Tuesday afternoon caused considerable smoke at Orr Middle School in the 1500 block of East Katie Avenue behind the Boulevard mall, the Clark County Fire Department said.

Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach said it appeared someone accidentally placed computer keyboards on top of a hot stove, causing the keyboards to melt. He said it appeared to be accidental.

School security extinguished the fire before the fire department arrived, Leinbach said. Once there, firefighters helped ventilate the area.

All students had left classes for the day at the middle school before the fire started, Leinbach said.

Damage is estimated at $5,000.

Work continues on airport connector

Southern Nevada motorists are urged to use an alternate route as repair work on the southbound airport connector tunnel continues until mid-November.

Repair crews are sealing the tunnel roof by injecting expansive foam into overhead cracks. The northbound side of the project is complete.

Traffic is reduced to one lane from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays.

Motorists may reach Interstate 215 by taking Eastern Avenue and turning west on Sunset Road. The beltway entrance is west of Paradise Road, off Sunset Road.

Motorists using the southbound tunnel should expect delays due to lanes closed and be prepared to reduce speed to 35 mph during repair periods.

Work to seal cracks in the airport connector tunnel began in June.

County manager Reilly honored

Clark County Manager Thom Reilly will join hundreds of high-powered local and federal officials as part of a prestigious professional academy.

Reilly on Tuesday was named a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administrators, a network of public institutions, nonprofit organizations and private companies that work at all levels of government.

The academy's 550 fellows include 22 current or former secretaries of federal departments, 11 current or former members of Congress, seven current or former governors and 12 current or former majors, according to the county.

Fellows are elected by their peers and are evaluated based on their contribution to public administration, officials said.

They include former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former CIA Director John M. Deutch and Vice Adm. Thad Allen, now coordinating the federal government's efforts to clean up the destruction in New Orleans left by Hurricane Katrina.

Sewer pipeline project completed

The Clark County Water Reclamation District said a $13.2 million sewer pipeline rehabilitation project that began in March has now been completed.

It was the first phase of a $50 million rehab project. The next phase begins in October on a five-mile portion of Nellis Boulevard between Flamingo Road and Las Vegas Boulevard North.

The first phase began on Desert Inn Road, continued on Sahara Avenue, Tropicana Avenue and Flamingo Road. Some work was also completed on Karen Avenue. In August inspectors discovered that part of a sewer line under Maryland Parkway needed to be repaired and completed that project within days.

The project is to prevent pipes from collapsing and causing larger, more costly projects.