Vol. 1,
No. 14
May
15,
2004
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CRIMINAL DEFENSE |
COPYWRITING
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Las Vegas Mayor Has His Day
Before Ethics Panel
Compared Himself To Caesar's Wife
Saying more than once that he was above reproach, Mayor Oscar Goodman testified for more than eight hours before the Nevada State Ethics Commission. Challenged from several angles on alleged ethics violations, the mayor was a little more subdued than during a recent press conference where he was, as some said afterward, vituperative.
During the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington, DC earlier this year, the mayor hosted a cocktail party, allegedly to promote a business his son, Ross runs called iPolitix. He is charged with an ethics violation in using his office as a promotional tool. He also is being questioned on selling himself as the man in the ad for a gin company, getting special treatment for the use of a luxury car, and an involvement with a magazine promotion that involved renaming street in Sin City.
At one point, Goodman said, "I am like Caesar's wife. I am above reproach."
The hearings are continuing as this edition of The Nevada Observer goes to press. During the Wednesday, May 12 hearing, Goodman continued to say how much his promotional abilities were helping the city while the ethics panel seemed much more intent on finding out whether those promotional abilities were used to benefit members of his family, as well as himself personally.
If the mayor is found guilty of any of the alleged violations, he can be fined. If three or more of the violations are proved, the Ethics Commission would be required to ask for a District Court hearing to decide whether he should be removed from office.
Among Ross Goodman's partners in iPolitix is Las Vegas City Councilman Michael Mack. The iPolitix name has been joined with a company called iMedia.
During the hearing, videotapes of some of Mayor Goodman's press conferences were shown, one in particular shows him saying a phrase that has since been quoted in hundreds of magazines and newspapers across the county. "I'm going to run the city the way I want to run the city." Another tape showed the mayor endorsing Bombay Gin, an endorsement for which he was paid. The endorsement came during a city-sponsored press conference.
According to the Las Vegas City Manager Doug Selby, city policy would forbid the mayor from making that endorsement during a city managed press conference, using city resources.
High Balling To Yucca, That Train Gathers Speed
Still One More Meeting To Go
by Johnny Gunn
Public "Scoping" meetings are continuing, hosted by the Department of Energy (DOE), and at each of the meetings held, more people have come out against the projected 319-mile railroad than have voiced approval. Meetings in Amargosa Valley, Goldfield, and Caliente drew fair crowds, the meeting in Reno was smaller yet, and the last in the series will be held May 17 at Cashman Center in Las Vegas.
Although DOE officials couldn't understand the very low turnout in Reno, it probably had a lot to do with a lack of advertising for the hearing, on the one hand, and the 500 miles separating Reno from Yucca Mountain. There were just 41 people in attendance compared to 114 in Caliente, 91 in Amargosa Valley, and 60 in Goldfield.
The proposed road is to begin in Caliente and parts of it will run through areas very close to Amargosa Valley and Goldfield. The new line would connect to tracks that have been in place for 104 years.
The DOE representative at the meetings, Robin Sweeney, insists the line can be ready for service within 48 months, and at a budget of $880 million. Nevada estimates put the cost figure at more than double that figure, and say building more than 300 miles of roadbed through Nevada desert is going to be a much longer project than DOE can even think of.
At all the meetings so far, the general public, ranchers and miners in particular, are fearful of losing grazing and mining rights on the right-of-way, scheduled to be between 60 and 200 feet wide. DOE is asking to withdraw a length of land more than a mile wide for the corridor.
In Amargosa Valley, some questioned whether the rail line would only be used for transporting nuclear waste, or whether the line would be open for other transportation. Some were thinking commerce, others tourism. In Caliente, the question of job openings is high on many lists. The railroad would have a railhead in the Lincoln County town with switching facilities, and more than likely, maintenance terminals.
There is no answer forthcoming on whether the rail line will be fenced. Questions of whether the rail line should be built across the Nevada Test Sight and Nellis Air Force Base bombing range were answered by the Air Force. No. They say with trains coming through up to three time per week over a period of more than 20 years would foul up logistics and planning for air combat missions.
All told, the meetings so far have hosted some 263 concerned citizens.
Them That Is, Them That Ain't
And Everything In Between For '04
by Johnny Gunn
As the official period for filing comes to an end, it appears as though the ballot for this year's Primary Election will be filled, maybe not to capacity, but near the rim. In these next few paragraphs, we'll try to put things into perspective. In this edition of The Observer, we are going to focus on the races for congressional seats, the Supreme Court, and the legislature.
Supreme Court Races
Three seats on the highest Nevada judicial bench will be contested this year, but so far, only two of those will have a primary election. For Seat F, that held by recently appointed Justice Michael Douglas, only Douglas has filed.
Chief Justice Miriam Shearing has announced her retirement from the bench, and Justice Deborah Agosti recently said she would not be running for her seat either. All Supreme Court seats are non-partisan, so anytime more than two people file for an open seat, there would be a primary. The two with the most votes in the primary would then move on to face each other in the general election.
Seat A: Cynthia Steel, Don Ashworth, and James Hardesty have filed to fill that vacancy.
Seat E: Doug Smith, John Mason, Ron Parraguirre, and Lori Lipman Brown have filed for the vacancy.
Justices Nancy A. Becker, Mark Gibbons, A. William Maupin, and Robert E. Rose are not up for reelection during this cycle.
The race for Seat E, that being vacated by Justice Agosti, is being called the "million dollar" seat by some running for the office. It's expected that more money will be funneled into that campaign than ever before spent for a Supreme Court seat. Lipman Brown, a former state Senator says she has no intention of getting into a spending match. She's simply going to offer integrity and background. "I won't accept any contribution of more than $100 per contributor," she said.
Nevada Assembly
All forty Assembly seats will be contested in one form or another during this election year. Here is how they stack up, as we go to press. Our deadline for this issue coincides with the filing period, unfortunately, thus we may not have every filing.
* Candidate has filed for election
#1, Clark County
Collins, Tom Democrat, Incumbent
* Brent Howard. Democrat
* Bill Dolan. Republican
* Shane Byrne, Republican
* Steven Saul, Republican
#2, Clark County
* Mabey, Garn Republican Incumbent
#3. Clark County
* Pierce, Peggy Democrat Incumbent
* Tonie Sison, Democrat
#4, Clark County
Beers, Bob (Retiring) Republican
* Justin Doucette. Republican
* Richard McArthur, Republican
#5, Clark County
* Weber, Valerie Republican Incumbent
* Kirk Kaplan, Democrat
* Kevin Kennedy, Democrat
#6, Clark County
Williams, Wendell P. Democrat Incumbent
* Harvey Munford, Democrat
* Cornell Clark, Republican
#7, Clark County
Arberry Jr., Morse Democrat Incumbent
* Gary Steven Seward, Sr. Republican
* Stan Vaughan, Independent
#8. Clark County
* Buckley, Barbara Democrat Incumbent
#9. Clark County
* Giunchigliani, Chris Democrat Incumbent
#10. Clark County
Goldwater, David Democrat Incumbent
* Rex Wilhoite, Republican
* Glenn Brown, IAP
#11. Clark County
* McCleary, Bob Democrat Incumbent
* Doug Bache, Democrat
* David Adams, Republican
#12. Clark County
* Ohrenschall, Genie Democrat Incumbent
#13. Clark County
Christensen, Chad Republican Incumbent
* Lois Decker, Republican
#14. Clark County
Koivisto, Ellen Democrat Incumbent
#15. Clark County
McClain, Kathy Democrat Incumbent
* Lou Toomin, Republican
* Bob Anderson, Republican
#16. Clark County
* Oceguera, John Democrat Incumbent
* Bob Spretnak, Republican
#17. Clark County
* Atkinson, Kelvin Democrat, Incumbent
* Angelo Carvalho, Republican
* David Gibbs, Republican
#18. Clark County
* Manendo, Mark Democrat Incumbent
* Kris Munn, Republican
* Drew Spangler, Republican
#19. Clark County
* Claborn, Jerry D. Democrat Incumbent
#20. Clark County
* Hardy, Joe Republican Incumbent
#21. Clark County
Andonov, Walter Republican Incumbent
* Robert Seale, Republican
* Jesse Harris, IAP
#22. Clark County
Brown, David Republican Incumbent
* Caren Levenson, Republican
#23. Clark County
Perkins, Richard Democrat Incumbent
#24. Washoe County
Geddes, Jason Republican Incumbent
#25. Washoe County
Gibbons, Dawn Republican Retiring
* Heidi Seevers Gansert. Republican
* Robin Levy, Republican
#26. Washoe County
Angle, Sharron Republican Incumbent
#27. Washoe County
* Leslie, Sheila Democrat Incumbent
* Larry Martin. Republican.
#28. Clark County
Chowning, Vonne Democrat Incumbent
* Eddie Flores, Democrat
* Tino Mendoza, Republican
#29. Clark County
Griffin, Josh Republican Incumbent
* Anthony Bandiero, Republican
* Jon Petrick, Republican
* Anne Dimartini, Republican
* Mohammed High, Democrat
#30. Washoe County
* Gustavson, Don Republican Incumbent
* Debbie Smith, Democrat.
#31. Washoe County
* Anderson, Bernie Democrat Incumbent
* Randi Thompson, Republican
#32. Humboldt, Lander, Washoe Counties (Parts of each)
* Marvel, John Republican Incumbent
#33. Elko, Humboldt Counties. (Parts of each)
* Carpenter, John C. Republican Incumbent
#34. Clark County
* Horne, William Democrat Incumbent
#35. Eureka County
* Goicoechea, Pete Republican Incumbent
* Marcia de Braga. Democrat
#36. Churchill, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Mineral, Nye Counties (Parts of Each)
* Sherer, Rod Republican Incumbent
* Jackie Holmgren, IAP
#37. Clark County
Conklin, Marcus Democrat Incumbent
* Scott Anderson, Republican
* Dennis Fox, Republican
#38. Carson City, Churchill, Storey Counties ( Parts of Each)
* Grady, Tom Republican Incumbent
#39. Douglas, Carson City, Washoe Counties (Parts of Each)
* Hettrick, Lynn Republican Incumbent
* Randy Green, Independent
#40. Carson City, Washoe County, Parts of Each
* Knecht, Ron Republican Incumbent
* Bonnie Parnell Democrat
#41. Churchill, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Mineral, Nye counties (Parts of Each)
* Parks, David Democrat Incumbent
* Christopher Hansen, AIP
#42. Clark County
* Mortenson, Harry Democrat Incumbent
* Bob Adney, Republican
Nevada Senate
The Senate is elected to six-year terms, thus during this election cycle, only ten seats are up for reelection. There are 21 Senate Districts in the Silver State. Here is a list of those districts up for election and those who have filed, as we go to press.
* Candidate has filed for election
Clark County Districts
District 1, Clark
Shaffer, Raymond C. Republican Incumbent
* John Lee, Democrat
District 3, Clark
* Wiener, Valerie Democrat
District 4, Clark
Neal, Joseph Democrat. Neal is Retiring
* Bert Mack, Democrat
* Theresa Malone, Democrat
* Cedric Crear, Democrat
District 5, Clark (Seat A)
* O'Connell, Ann Republican Incumbent
District 6, Clark
* Rawson, Raymond D. Republican Incumbent
* Bob Beers, Republican
District 7, Clark (Seat A)
* Titus, Dina Democrat Incumbent
* Paul Fairfield, Republican
District 11, Clark
Schneider, Michael Democrat Incumbent
Washoe County Districts
District 3, Washoe
* Raggio, William J. Republican Incumbent
Northern District
Rhoads, Dean A. Republican Incumbent
* Dean Holmgren, IAP
Central Nevada District
* McGinness, Mike Republican Incumbent
* John O'Connor, Republican
* Kenneth Greenwell, IAP
Congressional Races
One U.S. Senate seat is available this year, and all three congressional districts will also have elections. In the Senate, Harry Reid, incumbent is being challenged by three Republicans, and candidates from the Natural Law Party and the Independent American Party.
* Indicates has filed
Senate
* Harry Reid, Democrat. U.S. Senate incumbent
* Carlo Poliak, Republican
* Kenneth Wegner, Republican
* Richard Ziser, Republican
* David Schumann, IAP
* Gary Marinch, Natural Law Party
* Thomas Hurst, Libertarian
The races for Congress are also active this time around with Jon Porter's seat garnering the most attention.
First Congressional District
* Shelley Berkley, Democrat, Incumbent
* Lewis Byer, Republican
* Brad Barnhill, IAP
* Jim Duensing, Libertarian
Second Congressional District
* Jim Gibbons, Republican, Incumbent
* David Bennett, Democrat
* Thomas Jefferson, IAP
Third Congressional District
Jon Porter, Republican, Incumbent
* Mark Budetich, Democrat
* Tom Gallagher, Democrat
* Ron Von Felden, Democrat
* Dick ODell, IAP
* Joseph Silvestri, Libertarian
For local political districts, the filing period for referenda to change state law is May 18, and for those circulating petitions to change Nevada's constitution, the filing deadline is June 15.
If you haven't already registered to vote, the deadline for filing to vote in the Primary Election is August 17 and the Primary is on September 7.
Nevada has early voting, and that period this cycle, for the Primary, is August 21 to September 3.
The general election will be held on November 2, preceded by early voting October 16 through 29.
The Right To Petition Being Challenged By Government
Representatives of the Independent American Party (AIP) have been challenged recently as they attempt to circulate petitions to change aspects of the Nevada Constitution, and for some, these challenges go to the heart of the U.S. Constitution.
According to Secretary of State Dean Heller, complaints have been filed by Christopher Hansen claiming state and local government employees are guilty of intervening with and sometimes threatening petition circulators. According to Chief Deputy Secretary of State Renee Parker, the charges will take considerable investigation, and that her staff is inadequate to the job.
Hansen is chairman of the AIP in Nevada and filed his complaints with Las Vegas police as well. He says he and fellow members of the AIP have been threatened with arrest for attempting to gather signatures on a petition to halt the massive tax increase enacted by the last legislature. Hansen says he has been threatened while at DMV offices and other state agencies, including officers of the Nevada Highway Patrol, and representatives at university campuses.
The group needs to gather at least 51,234 signatures. Heller says he believes the charges by Hansen are bogus and the group is simply looking for a means to get an extension on their petition drive. Heller has turned the complaints over to the Attorney General's office for investigation.
In the meantime, another leader of the AIP and the petition drive has been arrested in Reno on exactly the charges that Hansen has brought before state leaders. Janine Hansen, who is also president of the Nevada Eagle Forum and her son Zachary Triggs, were charged with trespassing while attempting to gather signatures at the Regional Transportation Authority (RTC) bus station in downtown Reno.
According to records, Hansen and Triggs spent seven hours behind bars before being released on their own recognizance. Hansen said that besides all the RTC guards, there were at least five Reno Police officers on the scene, and that she and Triggs were handcuffed and taken away.
At this time, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has taken on the Reno case, and may be investigating the Las Vegas and Nevada Government charges as well. According to the ACLU, the actions taken by the Washoe County Government Owned and Operated bus service violates federal law as well as state law. One attorney for the ACLU has been quoted as saying it's disturbing that some groups can collect signatures while others are arrested.
A hearing on the trespass charges will take place on May 27 in Reno Municipal Court.
In the meantime, on Wednesday, May 12, security guards at a Las Vegas DMV branch challenged the right to circulate a petition. A DMV spokesperson later said the action should not have taken place. An American Independent Party representative was attempting to get signatures when the guard demanded he provide a government letter authorizing the activity.
A DMV spokesperson said that was a very old policy and wasn't in effect at this time. A supervisor then apologized to the group and told them they were welcome to stay and seek signers to their petition.
The group was looking to get 51,000 signatures on their petition to revoke the $833 million tax levy enacted by the last legislature. Other petitions being circulated by several groups are seeking to change the constitution in order to deny all government workers the right to hold public office in Nevada.
Acquisition Of Ponderosa Ranch Pursued By Washoe County
(Incline Village) --- Following an update on the potential purchase of the Ponderosa Ranch in Incline Village, Washoe County Commissioners directed staff to prepare a preliminary analysis for the purchase of 4.35 acres of the 540-acre site.
Staff will come back to the Board in August with various options and a more concrete financial picture and any potential memorandums of understanding with other agencies interested in other portions of the site.
The purchase would be contingent upon the appraisal of the property, environmental reports, the approval of State Question 1 grants and other related items. The parcel is part of the 540 acres offered for sale by the owners of the Ponderosa Ranch. The land value for the 4.35-acre parcel is estimated at $1.25 million per acre, or a total of $5.4 million.
Additional options and items staff will explore are:
* potential land acquisition to preserve the cog-railway alignment, including the top and base stations,
* two to three acres set aside for community needs with a possible cooperative agreement with the Nevada Department of Transportation and Incline Village General Improvement District, and
* a joint proposal with other entities for a community plan amendment for TRPA that would reflect all the proposed changes for the site.
The entire Ponderosa Ranch site has an estimated $45-50 million value. An appraisal is expected to be available in August.
The County use of the 4.35 acres of land located adjacent to Highway 28 would be split between long-term administrative office space (1-2 acres), and the remainder restored to a natural setting to be used as land coverage to be transferred to the Lake Tahoe Bike Path project and trail system access to the rest of the Ponderosa site.
The Ponderosa is the home of the Bonanza television show theme park that neighbors Forest Service land to the east and south and is just north of Nevada's Lake Tahoe State Park.
The Washoe County Commission, at its March 16 meeting, directed staff to explore all the possibilities for public use of the land and to continue working with other agencies on possible public uses and ownership of the parcel.
The multiple uses of the property could include a regional parking and transportation area using the nine-acre parking area along Highway 28; access to federal and state lands, including the Tahoe Rim Trail, the Flume trail and the Lake Tahoe State Park; consolidated local government
administrative building space; possible soccer fields; possible historic and community uses; and as a bank of "land coverage" to trade for bike trail and pedestrian access around the east shore of the lake.
Several funding sources for the purchase are being considered by the group of public agencies working together with Washoe County on this project, including various federal, state and local sources.
Some of the agencies are Nevada State Parks, the Incline Village General Improvement District, Nevada Department of Transportation, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the US Forest Service and several Nevada State land agencies. A portion of the parcel may also retain private ownership to be used for possible public/private partnership uses.
Fire Fighting Aircraft Grounded - Safety
The fire season, although early, is already underway in Nevada, and one of the major tools used to quell forest and brush fires has been taken from firefighter's hands. The federal government has grounded the entire fleet of fire fighting aircraft. It is possible that aircraft from other sources might still be available.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Forest Service (USFS) have grounded all 33 tankers they had under contract saying the aged craft are no longer safe. There have three major loss of life crashes within the last few years.
One potential source of fire fighting aircraft is the Nevada National Guard, which flies Chinook helicopters that have been used successfully in the past.
The fire danger is already at a high stage, and as spring turns to summer, the threat is expected to very high. Most of Nevada has been plagued with a continuing drought, and the loss of these planes is expected to be a sore point among firefighters.
There May Be No Ethics Reno, But There Sure Is In Sparks
In the last issue of The Nevada Observer, we ran the results of a search of Reno's web site to find "ethics," only to discover, Reno has no ethics. One of our very good readers, Hal Swift of Sparks decided to find out whether the rail city has any. Here is what his search turned up. It looks like the old saying might be true after all. Reno is so close to hell, you can see Sparks.
Search Result
Site Map
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Documents 1 - 10 of 20 matches. More 's indicate a better match.
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[cm030602special.pdf]
... should be a component of the final budget bill. AB551 - Introduced yesterday and passed out of assembly and senate without hearing, related to the Ethics Commission. This bill takes 65% of the cost of the Ethics Commission and charges State, County, and local agencies a proportionate share of the $235 ...
http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/minutes/pdfs/cm030602special.pdf 11/21/03, 54620 bytes
[SupvOfPermitSvcsT&E2004.pdf]
... ? 7. Explain your methods for establishing supervisory controls over: 1) Personnel issues and training 2) Work assignments 3) Office security 4) Ethics and professionalism Your responses to these questions must be turned in with your application and received in the Sparks Human Resources Office no later ...
http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/hr/employment_opp/pdfs/SupvOfPermitSvcsT&E2004.pdf 04/23/04, 31310 bytes
[cm030609.pdf]
Page 1 of 17 REGULAR MEETING OF THE SPARKS CITY COUNCIL June 9, 2003 3:15 p.m. 1. Call to Order Time: 3:35:25 p.m. The regular meeting of the Sparks City Council was called to order by Mayor Tony Armstrong at 3:18 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Legislative Building, 745 Fourth Street, Sparks, ...
http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/minutes/pdfs/cm030609.pdf 11/21/03, 106452 bytes
[2-05-04.pdf]
... will be held on February 26, 2004 from 9:00 a.m. until noon. He explained Greg Salter will be holding a training session on the Open Meeting Law, ethics, and due process. Later that day, Tim Ruffin of Colliers International who will be doing an overview of the local housing markets. Staff advises Planning ...
http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/boards/planning/minutes/pdfs/2-05-04.pdf 02/20/04, 53933 bytes
[pcminutes7-17-03.pdf]
... Mayer, ABSTAIN. Commissioner Peterson, ABSENT. 5) INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. Senior Assistant David Creekman gave a summary of the 2002 Nevada Ethics in Government Law. A written explanation was distributed. Current Planning Manager Rob Pyzel briefed the Commission on the City Council's denial of the request ...
http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/boards/planning/minutes/pdfs/pcminutes7-17-03.pdf 10/28/03, 73925 bytes
Title 2 ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL
... of the Special Events. Title 2 ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL City of Sparks Municipal Code Title 2 ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL Chapter 2.01 CODE OF ETHICS. Chapter 2.04 ELECTIVE OFFICER. Chapter 2.05 CITY DEPARTMENTS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS. Chapter 2.08 CITY ORGANIZATION AND STAFFING DOCUMENT. Chapter ...
http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/municode/Title_2/ 02/26/04, 9741 bytes
Chapter 2.01 CODE OF ETHICS.
... Links ---------- Help / Search ---------- City Site Map ---------- Home Click here to check out all of the Special Events. Chapter 2.01 CODE OF ETHICS. Title 2 ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL Chapter 2.01 CODE OF ETHICS. Section 2.01.010 Purpose and intent. Section 2.01.020 Definitions. Section 2.01.030 ...
http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/municode/Title_2/01/ 02/26/04, 9595 bytes
Job Opportunity FAQ
... , address and telephone number). If possible, these should be from previous employers/supervisors or other individuals who know your work skills and ethics. If you are a finalist for a position we will contact the references. Will my application be kept on file? We only accept applications for open jobs ...
http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/hr/faq.html 02/26/04, 13366 bytes
Section 5.65.010 Definitions.
... or approved in the state it is located, whose purpose it is to upgrade the professionalism of massage technicians and which teaches the theory, ethics, practice, profession or work of massage; which requires a resident course of study before the student shall be furnished with a diploma or certificate ...
http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/municode/Title_5/65/010.html 02/26/04, 12823 bytes
Section 2.01.010 Purpose and intent.
... ---------- City Site Map ---------- Home Click here to check out all of the Special Events. Section 2.01.010 Purpose and intent. Chapter 2.01 CODE OF ETHICS. Section 2.01.010 Purpose and intent. A. The city council finds and declares as follows: 1. The people have a right to expect from their elected ...
http://www.ci.sparks.nv.us/municode/Title_2/01/010.html 02/26/04, 10281 bytes
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Pages:
The Buzz Around the Silver State
From our Correspondents
STOREY COUNTY
(Virginia City) --- In Reno, Granite Construction Company is tearing up more than two miles of rail and ties, to allow a trench to be dug, and new rail laid in. This is a huge benefit to the people working to rebuild the Virginia and Truckee Railroad (V&TRR) that once ran from Carson City to the Comstock. Granite Construction Company is donating five miles of railroad ties and more than three and a half miles of track to the project.
The restored line between Nevada's first major metropolis and the Silver State's capital will run about 18 miles, three of which are already in place. A railroad overpass was donated recently and it will span Highway 50 at Moundhouse.
It's thought the donation of rail and ties will save the commission working on the project about a half million dollars. The rail and ties will be stored at American Flats on public property maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The total cost of rebuilding the historic short line is expected to be in the neighborhood of $30 million.
The V&T was built in 1869 during the heyday of the Comstock Lode, and eventually ran the thirty miles north to connect with the Western Pacific in the new city of Reno. Supplies to the Comstock, ore from the Comstock, and passengers going both ways made the short line a very successful railroad.
CARSON CITY
School Testing Company Out
(Carson City) --- Following a series of mistakes, the Nevada Board of Education has decided to drop the school testing company that has been used. Harcourt Education Management has lost its $18 million contract and has been fined $425,000 for mistakes in grading high school exams.
Tests for third and fifth graders were also allegedly muffed by the company, and that cost them an additional $435,000.
According to school officials, changing the company that will be contracted should not have any affect on students or parents. At this time, the method to be used in finding another company to handle the testing hasn't been determined.
Sex Offender Registry Online
(Carson City) --- Go to www.nvsexoffenders.gov and you'll find the names of 44 convicted sex offenders in the state of Nevada. What you won't find is their current address. The Nevada Department of Public Safety has sponsored this web page filled with names of those considered high-risk offenders, meaning those most likely to strike again.
Information on some who pose a so-called moderate risk is also on the web site. According to the Public Safety division, over the last ten years, there have been as many as 4,666 registered sex offenders living in Nevada.
There are those in the state who feel this isn't enough to protect young people. The site does contain ZIP codes but not exact addresses. With this site, according to the state, a user can request a search of sex offender records by name, license plate number, or ZIP code, and do it anonymously.
CHURCHILL COUNTY
(Fallon) --- A 24 acre site just west of town could be the home of Churchill County's first Wal-Mart Supercenter. The company purchased the land and has plans for the center. Wal-Mart has a store in Fallon that the new one will replace. The new store should be between 180,000 and 220,000 square feet in size, while the old store, to be torn down, measures 104,000 square feet.
The land sits on the southwest corner of U.S. Highway 50 and Taylor Place. Construction is expected to begin in 2005 with the store's opening scheduled for early summer, 2006.
WASHOE COUNTY
(Reno) --- A new courthouse will be going up soon following approval of a contract despite rising steel prices. The cost of the new building has risen $11 million since Washoe County approved the plans. The original cost estimate was $37.8 million.
To be named the Mills Lane Justice Center in honor of long time northern Nevada figure Mills Lane, the building should be open by January 2006. Lane served as chief prosecuting attorney in the Washoe County District Attorney's office before being elected to the job himself, and then was elected District Court Judge. He suffered a serious stroke recently and is retired.
The court house contract was awarded to Clark and Sullivan Constructors of Reno.
(Reno) --- An 84,000 square foot juvenile justice center has been opened in Reno. The Jan Evans Center is near the Washoe County Sheriff's Detention Center in the Parr Blvd. area of north Reno.
The new facility will replace Wittenberg Hall, now 43-years-old and outmoded for juvenile facilities. The late Jan Evans served in the Nevada Assembly and was know as an advocate for children. Besides its detention facility, the new center will also provide other juvenile serves such as probation, advisors, outreach, and support and administration.
(Reno) --- An alleged crooked real estate company has been put in receivership by federal officials following claims the company in involved in Ponzi schemes. Chicago D&P, with headquarters in Reno, and offices in Emeryville, California, and other locations was charged with numerous violations of Securities and Exchange rules and laws.
Calls to the company office in Reno were answered by an electronic answer machine. The SEC charges indicate that millions of dollars were raised with the idea of buying real estate, then using the profits from land deals to pay back with interest, the investors. SEC charges indicate that later investor's money was used to pay off previous investors. Thus, the Ponzi scheme charges.
The company and all its assets are now in the hands of Moraga, California receiver Stephen E. Anderson. The Chicago D&P company has been called a "family management team securities regulators depict as a clan of con artists.)
CLARK COUNTY
Victor Schulze, Deputy AG, New Prez At CCVR
(Las Vegas) Attorney General Brian Sandoval today announced that Victor Schulze, Capital Case Coordinator for the Nevada Department of Justice Special Prosecutions Unit, has been elected President of the Community Coalition for Victims' Rights.
The Community Coalition for Victims' Rights (CCVR) is an alliance of community service agencies in Clark County that work to support victims of crime and their families through assistance, education, information, and legislative updates. CCVR is instrumental in sponsoring and coordinating the various events of Victims' Rights Week each April. CCVR is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
CCVR was founded when former Governor Bob Miller was Clark County District Attorney, and, as Governor, Miller was instrumental in supporting the group's success. Member agencies include the Children's Advocacy Center, Families of Murder Victims, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, North Las Vegas Police Department, Henderson Police Department, Clark County District Attorney, Office of the Attorney General, Safe House, Safe Nest, Shade Tree, Stop DUI!, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and the Rape Crisis Center, among others.