IN BRIEF
eastern avenue incident
Motorcyclist killed in crash is identified
The motorcyclist who died Thursday after crashing into the back of a minivan and falling into the path of a pickup has been identified as 46-year-old Sean Fisher.
The Las Vegan was riding a 2005 Honda Shadow when he hit the back of a 2002 Chrysler minivan in the left southbound lane on Eastern Avenue, north of Warm Springs Road, Las Vegas police said.
The van was stopped for traffic at the time of the 3:55 p.m. accident. After Fisher hit the van, he fell into the right lane and was run over by a 1999 GMC truck.
NO DAMAGES
Small earthquake hits Las Vegas Valley
A small earthquake shook the north end of the Las Vegas Valley early Friday but caused no damage or injuries, authorities said.
The magnitude-3 earthquake occurred at 7:10 a.m. about 15 miles north-northeast of Las Vegas and was nearly 4 miles deep in the crust, according to the Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno.
"It's a little one. It could be just normal background activity," said network seismologist Diane dePolo.
She said a preliminary analysis puts the quake closest to the Eglington Fault, one of at least 11 faults that either cross the valley's floor or are located just outside of it and are capable of producing substantial jolts.
Seismologist Ken Smith said since 1988 there have been three magnitude-3 or larger earthquakes in the Las Vegas Valley.
GOVERNOR'S CORRESPONDENCE
Newspaper appeals ruling in e-mail lawsuit
The Reno Gazette-Journal is appealing a judge's decision to deny public access to nearly 100 e-mails sent by Gov. Jim Gibbons from his state account.
The appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court stems from Carson City District Judge Todd Russell's order last month that Gibbons turn over only six of 104 e-mails requested by the newspaper under the state's public records law.
The judge found that the remaining 98 e-mails were confidential under Nevada law.
The Gazette-Journal also is appealing Russell's decision denying its request for a log describing the protected e-mails so it could independently assess whether they were exempt from state law.
The newspaper filed suit against the Gibbons administration in October after his general counsel denied the newspaper's public records request for access to six months of e-mail correspondence between Gibbons and 10 individuals.
State attorneys countered that the e-mails weren't public records. They also said there were no e-mails in a January-June 2008 time frame between Gibbons and five of the 10 people listed in the lawsuit.
80-YEAR-OLD KILLED
Man who hit parked car with SUV is ID'd
The 80-year-old man who died Thursday after he drove his sport utility vehicle into a parked car has been identified as Bertrum Blum.
According to police, the Las Vegas man was driving west on Swan Lane near Flamingo Crest Drive in a 1991 GMC Blazer when he struck the back left corner of a parked 1999 Nissan Sentra.
The Clark County coroner's office ruled Blum died of cardiopulmonary arrest. He died at Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center.
THEFT, FRAUD CHARGES
Suspended Florida sheriff arrested in LV
FBI officials say the suspended sheriff of Okaloosa County, Fla., has been arrested in Las Vegas on federal theft, fraud, money laundering and conspiracy charges.
Special Agent Joseph Dickey in Las Vegas says FBI and Internal Revenue Service investigators arrested Charles W. Morris early Friday.
Morris was sought on a warrant issued in U.S. District Court in Pensacola, Fla.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist suspended Morris Friday and appointed an interim sheriff.
