IN BRIEF
TRAVEL TRAILER FIRE
58-year-old woman found dead in trailer
A 58-year-old woman was found dead Monday in a travel trailer behind her home after the trailer burned.
Neighbors noticed flames coming from the back yard of 8875 Hickam Ave., near El Capitan Way in northwest Las Vegas, where a travel trailer and fifth-wheel were parked.
When firefighters put out the flames, they found the woman's body near the door of the trailer, Clark County Fire Department spokesman Scott Allison said.
Although a space heater, an air purifier and a reflective heat lamp were found among the charred items in the trailer, investigators are unsure how the fire started.
Family told police and firefighters that the woman used the trailer as her getaway spot, often spending time alone watching TV or reading. Her son said she would have the occasional cigarette inside the trailer.
Allison said the woman, who was not identified by the county coroner's office, is possibly a five-time cancer survivor.
The family declined comment.
Allison said investigators don't suspect foul play.
SECOND-DEGREE MURDER
Man pleads guilty but mentally ill
A man accused of killing a man and wounding two police officers during a 2003 shootout pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in District Court on Tuesday.
Frank Lyles, 31, pleaded guilty but mentally ill to killing Keven Chandler, 48, on Bonanza Road near Martin Luther King Boulevard. Minutes after the shooting, Lyles shot a Las Vegas police officer in the face, authorities said. Another officer was wounded by shrapnel. Both officers survived.
The plea means Lyles will receive mental health treatment in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 28.
Lyles was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was not on his medication at the time of the shooting, according to his attorney Bill Terry.
INSTALLATION EXCELLENCE
Nellis battling to be best base in world
Nellis Air Force Base has its sights set on winning a $1 million prize for being the best Air Force base in the world.
The selection team for the Installation Excellence Award will be inspecting Nellis facilities to determine if its operation is superior to Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Nellis and Hurlburt are the finalists in the worldwide Air Force competition. Other service branches conducted similar competitions. The evaluating team will judge seven categories, including improved work environment, energy conservation and environmental safety.
Col. Dave Belote, commander of the 99th Air Base Wing at Nellis, said if Nellis wins, the prize money will be spent on quality-of-life upgrades.
"One of the things we need desperately is a new fitness track," he said Tuesday.
RENEWABLE RESOURCE
Reno researchers growing algae for fuel
Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno, are growing algae with an eye toward developing a renewable fuel source.
Scientists say the algae grown in two 5,000-gallon ponds at the university's greenhouse complex produced several hundred gallons of concentrated slurry that will be analyzed for potential fuel components.
John Cushman, a professor with the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology says the research has shown it's possible to grow algae outdoors year-round in Nevada, despite freezing nighttime temperatures.
