APRIL 28 – MAY 2: Governor files court papers to divorce wife

Gibbons’ Reno lawyer Gary Silverman filed a four-page complaint for divorce document in District Court in Carson City.

The couple has been married since June 21, 1986, and are the parents of a 20-year-old son, Jimmy, a cadet at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in New York. The governor also has two grown children from a previous marriage.

The divorce has been assigned to District Judge Bill Maddox, who said he might recuse himself from the case. Maddox said he is friends with both the governor and the first lady.

In the divorce document, Silverman said the couple is "incompatible in marriage" and requests the marriage be dissolved and spousal support awarded pursuant to law. He asked that community property and debts also be handled according to law.

Nevada is a community property state where couples share assets and debts gathered during their marriages.

In a prepared statement, Silverman said the governor, his staff and his lawyers would not comment publicly on the divorce filing.

Silverman added he will request a court ruling on the living arrangements of the governor and first lady. She has been living at the governor’s mansion in Carson City. He has been living in his private home in Reno.

In a Tuesday story, the Review-Journal reported that governors must "reside at the seat of government," which is in Carson City.

 

MONDAY

Two to face trial in student’s death

The two teenagers accused of killing a Palo Verde High School freshman in a drive-by shooting will go to trial in connection with the slaying.

After hearing testimony for three days, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa ruled that Gerald Q. Davison, 16, and Ezekiel Williams, 18, will stand trial in the Feb. 15 death of 15-year-old Christopher Privett.

She also denied Williams’ request to be released on bail.

 

TUESDAY

Expert discusses Reno earthquakes

With more than 600 earthquakes of magnitude 1 or higher occurring just west of Reno during the past several weeks, Nevada is experiencing a vigorous seismic event, geologists and other scientists told Gov. Jim Gibbons.

"Maybe everybody wants to hear me predict an earthquake," said John Anderson, director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory on the UNR campus. "It’s not going to happen. We are not predicting an earthquake, we cannot predict an earthquake."

WEDNESDAY

Gibbons to bill Fossett’s widow

Gov. Jim Gibbons intends to bill the widow of missing multimillionaire adventurer Steve Fossett for the $687,000 state cost of conducting a search for his remains in the fall, a spokesman said.

Gibbons’ press secretary Ben Kieckhefer said the governor will bill Peggy Fossett for the cost of the unsuccessful search.

Billing someone for the cost of a search is unusual. Before Kieckhefer revealed the governor’s plans, state Emergency Management Director Frank Siracusa said state and local search and rescue workers have a long-standing tradition of not charging when they hunt for missing persons.

 

THURSDAY

Titus enters race to unseat Porter

State Sen. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, announced she will run for Congress against incumbent Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev.

"We need some fresh air in Washington," Titus said from the stage of the Henderson Amphitheatre, where she was surrounded by Democratic state legislators, party activists and union members.

Titus, a 57-year-old professor of political science at UNLV, has served in the state Senate for 20 years.

 

FRIDAY

Wynn plans meeting complex

Steve Wynn, chairman and chief executive officer of Wynn Resorts Ltd., told investors that he will build a lush and glamorous convention hotel on what is now a golf course behind Wynn Las Vegas.

Wynn said he intends to build two hotel towers with a combined 5,200 rooms and a convention center with as much as 1.8 million square feet of exhibit space.

The convention center would be among the country’s largest.

COMPILED BY MICHAEL SQUIRES

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