IN BRIEF

COOL-DOWN FORECAST

Valley sets record for high temperature

Weather history was made in Las Vegas on Friday when the high temperature shattered a 69-year-old record.

Temperatures reached 110 degrees around 4 p.m. The previous record of 109 for the date was set in 1940.

Ten cooling stations around the valley were opened Friday to help people chill out.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service said the spike in temperatures won't last through the weekend.

They expect the high temperatures to be between 93 and 95 degrees through Monday.

41-YEAR-OLD SLAIN

Man found beaten to death is identified

The man found beaten to death in a brush area near U.S. Highway 95 and Desert Inn Road on Aug. 14 has been identified as 41-year-old James Mendola.

Mendola, who is believed to have been homeless, was found with head wounds by people walking through the area, Las Vegas police said.

Police said he might have been camping on the freeway siding when he was struck in the head.

Anybody with information on the death is encouraged to call the homicide section at 828-3521 or Crime Stoppers at 385-5555.

NORTHERN NEVADA INCIDENT

Name of pilot killed in crash is released

The Bureau of Land Management has identified the pilot who was killed when his air tanker crashed about 125 miles northeast of Reno.

Agency officials said Dave Jamsa crashed Thursday while battling the Hoyt fire. He was taken to the Lovelock hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Jamsa was an employee of Missoula, Mont.-based Minuteman Aerial Application.

The crash is under investigation.

WAL-MART PARKING LOT

Woman found dead in car was 59-year-old

Investigators have determined that the woman found in the back of a car in a Wal-Mart parking lot this week was 59-year-old Gwendolyn Marie Sexton of Las Vegas.

The Clark County coroner's office has not determined how she died. Las Vegas police homicide detectives did not find signs of foul play.

Sexton was found Wednesday in the back of her Ford Taurus in the parking lot at 6005 S. Eastern Ave, near Sunset Road.

Store security called police after noticing a strong odor coming from the vehicle, police said. Investigators determined the car had been sitting in the parking lot since July 24. Sexton was reported missing by her family the next day.

Her remains were in the trunk of the car with the back seats folded down. Her possessions were with her, police said.

LEGAL WRANGLINGS

Attorney general is back on Krolicki case

The Nevada state attorney general's office is back on the criminal case against Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki and a top aide, at least temporarily.

Clark County District Court Judge Valerie Adair signed an order Thursday voiding another judge's decision to disqualify the attorney general because of a conflict of interest.

Adair's order came at the request of the attorney general's office and lawyers for Krolicki and his chief of staff, Kathryn Besser.

Krolicki's lawyer, Richard Wright, said Thursday he expects to raise the issue of disqualifying the attorney general again during a hearing with Adair next week.

Krolicki and Besser are accused of mishandling millions of dollars in the Nevada College Savings Program. Both have denied wrongdoing.