LATEST NEVADA NEWS
San Diego State defeats Wyoming 60-51
Quenese Davis scored 16 points and her sister Coco scored 14 to lead San Diego State to a 60-51 victory over Wyoming Wednesday night in the first round of the Mountain West women's tournament. San Diego State used a late 12-2 run to win the game.
Air Force defeats Wyoming 59-40, ends 9-game skid
The Air Force Falcons are getting good at play-in games. Now they'd love to parlay that into an upset of top-seeded New Mexico. For the second straight season, the ninth-seeded Falcons won in the opening round of the Mountain West Conference tournament, beating Wyoming 59-40 Wednesday.
New Mexico headlines fantastic foursome in MWC
It was supposed to be a rebuilding year in the Mountain West Conference. Instead, the league could land four teams in the NCAA tournament - maybe five if one of the second-tier schools gets especially hot this week at the conference tourney at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Grand jury may get Mayweather friend shooting case
A prosecutor served notice Wednesday that a grand jury may hear evidence that an associate of boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. shot at a man who police said argued with the boxer last August at a Las Vegas skating rink. Ocie Harris, 27, made a brief initial court appearance in a Las Vegas court on felony attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon charges. He was not asked to enter a plea, and declined comment leaving the courthouse in downtown Las Vegas.
BLM sells 81,000 acres of energy leases in NV
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has sold leases for oil and gas drilling on more than 81,000 acres of federal land in Nevada for a total of about $373,000. About $122,000 of that will go to the state - the same amount that will go to the U.S. Treasury.
Osmonds return to stage after death of Marie's son
Marie Osmond told a Las Vegas Strip audience as she returned to the stage less than two weeks after her son's apparent suicide that she has relied on her spirituality to cope with his death "Little did I know I would be relying on my faith, especially as much as I did this past week," Osmond said before dedicating a song to her 18-year-old son, Michael Bryan, whom she called "my angel."
New Mexico defeats Colorado State 67-54
Sara Halasz scored 20 points and New Mexico closed the game on an 11-0 run to defeat Colorado State 67-54 in the first round of the Mountain West Conference women's tournament Tuesday night. Kim Mestdagh's 3-pointer with 6:41 to play brought the Rams within 56-54, but they didn't score again. Amy Beggin answered with a 3 for the Lobos (18-11). Beggin scored nine of her 18 points during the 11-0 run.
Utah defeats Air Force 63-40
Utah's Taryn Wicijowski led all scorers with 24 points as Utah posted a 63-40 victory over Air Force in a first-round game of the Mountain West Conference women's tournament Tuesday. Kalee Whipple was next for the No. 4 seed Utes (19-10) with 16 points. Janita Badon added eight points, all in the first half, and Halie Sawyer had six.
Police: Boxer's friend arrested in Vegas shooting
A man who police say was part of boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s entourage is facing charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon stemming from an August shooting outside a Las Vegas skating rink, authorities said Tuesday. Ocie Harris, 27, was arrested several weeks ago in Chicago on a warrant issued Dec. 19 in Las Vegas, and extradited over the weekend to Nevada where he was released Sunday after posting unspecified bail, Las Vegas police Lt. George Castro said.
MGM names Nevada Resort Association exec to board
Casino company MGM Mirage said Tuesday that the president of tourism lobbying group Nevada Resort Association, Bill Bible, will join the company's board. Bible will resign from the tourism group to avoid any conflict of interest, MGM said.
NV gas prices up 4 cents to $2.83
Nevada gas prices rose 4 cents over the past month to a statewide average of $2.83 per gallon, although prices mostly held steady around Las Vegas and in some cases even declined a bit. The statewide average is 66 cents higher than at this time a year ago, AAA Nevada spokesman Michael Geeser said.
Mayweather 'associate' arrested in Vegas shooting
Police say an associate of boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been arrested on attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon charges in an August shooting outside a Las Vegas skating rink. Las Vegas police Lt. George Castro said Tuesday that 27-year-old Ocie Harris was arrested several weeks ago in Chicago, and extradited to Las Vegas where he was released Sunday after posting unspecified bail.
MGM Mirage to sell $845 million in bonds
Casino operator MGM Mirage said Tuesday it will sell $845 million in new bonds due in 2020, looking to build a healthier balance sheet amid a gambling industry slump. MGM, the world's second biggest casino operator, is seeing gamblers make fewer trips to its resorts and spend less money when they do.
Girls Gone Wild associate fined $5,000; no prison
A Hollywood associate of Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis was fined $5,000 Monday but spared prison time for his role as the "bag man" in the bribery of jail guards to help Francis when he was held in Reno on tax evasion charges in 2007. Aaron Weinstein, 45, originally faced a felony bribery charge but agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor of providing contraband in prison.
Saint Mary's upsets Gonzaga in WCC title game
Mickey McConnell matched his career high with 26 points, Ben Allen added a career-best 20 and Saint Mary's upset No. 18 Gonzaga in an 81-62 victory Monday night in the West Coast Conference tournament title game. Jorden Page scored 11 points and Omar Samhan had nine points and seven rebounds for the Gaels (26-5), who earned the sixth NCAA tournament berth in the small Bay Area school's history with a remarkable shooting performance against the top-seeded Zags (26-6), the 10-time regular-season...

NV judge denies Roethlisberger motions
A Nevada judge has denied motions by lawyers for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to dismiss a civil lawsuit filed by a Lake Tahoe casino worker who alleges he raped her in his penthouse suite in 2008. Washoe District Judge Brent Adams rejected arguments that the suit should be dismissed, saying the woman's allegations make a "sufficient" claim that if proven, would entitle her to relief.
Stimulus funds to pay for Reno-area fire station
Washoe County is set to receive more than $2 million in federal stimulus funds to pay for services in the Sierra Fire Protection District. Officials say American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds will go toward building a new fire station near Arrowcreek Parkway and Thomas Creek Parkway in southwest Reno.
Man gets life for Reno stabbing
A Reno man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing a man who scolded him for his behavior while watching a football game at a sports bar. Forty-eight year old Dante Michael Vinci pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the Jan. 8 stabbing of 44-year-old Kevin Daniel O'Connell. He was sentenced Friday by Washoe District Judge Jerome Polaha.
Washoe County gets $2M for fire station
Washoe County has received $2 million in federal stimulus money to build a new fire station for the Arrowcreek area southwest of Reno. Officials say the Sierra Fire Protection District was notified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that its application for the grant was approved.
US stimulus money in Nev. aimed mostly at rurals
About $377 million in early federal stimulus spending in Nevada is targeted primarily for 15 rural counties - about three times more per capita than the two most populous counties, Washoe and Clark. The early spending also has not been directed to counties with the highest unemployment rates, according to an analysis by the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Elko County investigating discovery of human skull
Elko County sheriff's detectives are investigating the discovery of a human skull found near a road outside of Midas. Undersheriff Doug Gailey says detectives believe the skull may be American Indian. It is being sent to the Washoe County Crime Lab for more analysis. The skull has yellowed and the teeth are heavily ground down, two things that indicate it is probably old.
Washoe County officials expect spending cuts
Washoe County officials say they expect to cut spending in the 2010-11 budget. They also say it could take more than a decade for county property taxes to return to pre-recession levels because of state property tax limits.
Reno lawyer tours state, may vie against Reid
A Reno attorney is touring Nevada seeking support for a U.S. Senate campaign against Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Chuck Kozak was making stops Monday at the Washoe County Senior Center in Reno, at a park in Elko and at a former auto dealership in Las Vegas to announce his plans for the Republican nomination for the November 2010 election.
Washoe County receives money for new buses
Washoe County's Regional Transportation Commission will receive more than $3 million in federal economic recovery funds to purchase new, environmentally friendly buses. The funding from a transportation discretionary program was announced Monday by U.S. Sen. Harry Reid.
Washoe County officials to visit no-show students
Schools officials and community leaders in Washoe County plan to visit children who haven't attended classes since school started three weeks ago. The Door to Door for Student Achievement event on Saturday will include 12 teams visiting the addresses of 366 students who didn't return to school or submit transfer forms.
Nevada judge won't move Roethlisberger case
A Nevada judge on Wednesday denied a motion to move the civil sexual assault case against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Lake Tahoe casino employees from Reno to Douglas County, where the alleged incident occurred. Washoe District Judge Brent Adams in Reno ruled that one of the named defendants, Harrah's Lake Tahoe executive Dave Monroe, has residences in both Douglas and Washoe counties and therefore Washoe County is a proper venue for the case to be heard.
NV judge won't move Roethlisberger case
A judge has denied a motion to move the civil sexual assault case against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Lake Tahoe casino employees from Reno to Douglas County. Washoe District Judge Brent Adams in Reno on Wednesday ruled that one named defendants, Harrah's Lake Tahoe executive Dave Monroe, has residences in both Douglas and Washoe counties and therefore Reno was a proper venue.
Court orders ex-UNR soccer coach off campus
The former Nevada women's soccer coach who claims she was fired in retaliation for reporting NCAA violations has been banned from the Reno campus in a new court order that says she is a threat to staff and students. Washoe District Judge Patrick Flanagan's temporary restraining order issued on Thursday follows an administrative ban school president Milton Glick earlier imposed against Terri Patraw.
Counselor to teens arrested for alleged drug use
Reno police have arrested a youth counselor who works with teens addicted to drugs after they say he got so high on methamphetamine and heroin that he had to be hospitalized. Police booked 49-year-old David John Miele into the Washoe County Jail Tuesday on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Reno man gets prison for threats against police
A 33-year-old former car salesman was sentenced to two to six years in Nevada prison for threatening to kill troopers, police officers and their families. Robert Adam McGuffey's sentencing Wednesday by Washoe District Court Judge Brent Adams came after a jury found McGuffey guilty in July of two felony charges of intimidating a witness.
Documents: QB's accuser drafted spoof resignation
A woman who has accused Ben Roethlisberger of raping her at a Lake Tahoe hotel drafted her own resignation letter in an e-mail as a spoof after having sex with the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, according to court documents filed by lawyers seeking to dismiss the case on behalf of seven casino employees. The e-mail and others between the woman and Guy Hyder, chief of security at Harrah's Lake Tahoe, were included in the motion filed late Tuesday in Washoe District Court in Reno.
Washoe County Commission OKs fuel tax increase
Gasoline will cost 2 cents to 3 cents more per gallon in Washoe County beginning Jan. 1. The Washoe County Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a fuel tax increase. The move was welcomed by a standing-room-only crowd of laborers, plumbers, real estate agents, developers and builders.
Washoe County police consolidation would be pricey
When Washoe County Sheriff Mike Haley talks about regionalizing local police services, his thoughts turn to a report issued after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The report cited "a lack of coordination, an inability to communicate" among police officers from various agencies in New York City, putting the public at risk, he said.
Both sides claim extortion in Big Ben's rape case
Ben Roethlisberger's lawyers say the woman accusing him of raping her at Lake Tahoe last summer is "disturbed and calculating" and fabricated the assault to extort a big payoff from the Steelers quarterback. The allegations in court documents filed late Friday in Washoe District Court in Reno mark the two-time Super Bowl winner's first formal legal response to the woman's civil lawsuit seeking a minimum of $400,000 in damages.
Swine flu vaccine delayed; county impact uncertain
Faced with an unexpected delay, health officials are trying to counter new problems with swine flu vaccine production including a logjam at factories that put the precious liquid into syringes.
Harrah's worker wants Roethlisberger suit halted
A former Harrah's employee has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that accuses Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of raping another worker and alleges that managers of the Lake Tahoe hotel-casino covered up the assault. Stacy Dingman, the former director of hotels at Harrah's, is one of nine defendants named in the lawsuit filed last month in Washoe County District Court. She said she is the former best friend of the woman who claims the two-time Super Bowl winner raped her...
Motion filed to dismiss Roethlisberger suit
A former Harrah's employee has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that accuses Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of raping another worker. Stacy Dingman is the former director of hotels at Harrah's and one of nine defendants named in the lawsuit filed last month in Washoe County District Court. The suit also accuses managers of the hotel-casino at Lake Tahoe of covering up the alleged sex assault.
Hardesty, Adams possible replacements for Sandoval
Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice James Hardesty, Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and Washoe District Judge Brent Adams are among the names surfacing as possible replacements for U.S. District Judge Brian Sandoval. Sandoval announced his resignation last week and is believed to be considering challenging Gov. Jim Gibbons in a Republican primary next year.
Hardesty, Adams possible Sandoval replacements
Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice James Hardesty, Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and Washoe District Judge Brent Adams are among the names surfacing as possible replacements for U.S. District Judge Brian Sandoval. Sandoval announced his resignation last week and is believed to be considering challenging Gov. Jim Gibbons in a Republican primary next year.
Washoe school projects on time
Washoe County school officials say most of this summer's maintenance projects at public schools will be done on time and under budget. The 121 projects at 52 schools range from simple repairs such as flooring and replacing gym bleachers to extreme makeovers.
Washoe commissioners introduce fuel tax measure
Washoe County commissioners have taken the first step toward implementing a fuel tax to fund road projects. The measure was approved by voters in November and passed by the Legislature, but vetoed by Gov. Jim Gibbons, who said voters didn't understand the ballot question. His vetoed was overridden by lawmakers.
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