IN BRIEF

FEDERAL ACREAGE

Mesquite would get to buy land under bill

A bill introduced Thursday in Congress would enable Mesquite to buy 4,900 acres of federal land surrounding the site of its proposed airport.

The sale would enable the community to control development at the growth site, said sponsor Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev. The land would be sold by the Bureau of Land Management at fair market value, he said.

"This land transfer reflects Mesquite's interest in diversifying their economic base," Porter said in a statement.

The bill would grant ownership of an additional 300 acres of land to the Virgin Valley Water District to upgrade water deliveries to Mesquite and Bunkerville.

FATAL COLLISION

Authorities identify woman in U.S. 95 crash

Las Vegas resident Holly Snare has been identified by the Nevada Highway Patrol as the woman who caused a crash on U.S. Highway 95 that resulted in the death of a 45-year-old Las Vegas man.

Snare, 20, was driving the wrong way on the highway near Sky Pointe Drive around 1 a.m. on Oct. 24 when she collided with William Jay Harris, who was driving a truck, the Highway Patrol said.

Harris was taken to University Medical Center, where he died from injuries suffered in the crash. Snare went to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, trooper Kevin Honea said.

No charges have been filed against Snare, and the accident remained under investigation.

SWEET DEAL

Dentist pays children for Halloween candy

A dentist in Layton, Utah, has added a new dimension to the childhood tradition of trading Halloween candy: He is paying the kids for it.

Dr. Terry Preece paid children $1 for every pound they brought in Thursday.

"We probably have 100 to 150 pounds," Preece said at midafternoon. He added that two children had hit the 10-pound limit.

He took in 600 pounds at $2 a pound in 2005, the first year he tried it, he said. Overwhelmed with the response, and a few bucks poorer, he cut the bounty to $1 per pound in 2006.

"We want to make sure the kids don't eat the candy and get cavities and get hyper and restless in school," he said. "If they could snack on fruits and vegetables and cheese, those are sure better for them."

The candy will be used to make Christmas decorations that are part of a hospital fundraiser, Preece said.

He conceded that an occasional piece is OK, and he admitted his daughter passed out candy on Halloween.