IN BRIEF

RAcketeering charge

Henderson man convicted in scheme

A Henderson man who was an associate of an oil speculator accused of embezzling up to $70 million from cemetery trust funds was convicted Friday in Lansing, Mich., for his role in the case.

Carter Green was found guilty by Wayne County Circuit Judge Brian Sullivan after a three-week bench trial.

Green was convicted of one count of racketeering, a 20-year felony, and three counts of uttering and publishing, a 14-year felony. Green, 67, aided Clayton Smart in embezzling cemetery trust funds to pay for the purchase of 28 Michigan cemeteries and for other improper purposes, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox said.

There are 152 cemeteries in Michigan required to place funds into a trust under the law. As much as 31 percent of all trust dollars in regulated Michigan cemeteries are involved in the case, according to Cox's office.

Smart is jailed in Tennessee awaiting trial on similar charges there. After that trial ends, Smart will be returned to Michigan to face racketeering and other charges.

Green's sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 24.

GIFT OF HISTORY

Nevada Historical Society selling cards

The Nevada Historical Society may have the perfect last-minute gift for a history buff.

It has introduced a limited edition deck of playing cards with a historic flair. Each of the 55 cards features a different photo of historical buildings, events and figures from the state's past, from the 1800s through the 1930s.

The cards are available for $10 and can be purchased at the Nevada Historical Society museum on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno.

panda premiere

Zoo goers line up to welcome Zhen Zhen

San Diego's most popular resident finally met her fans, up close and personal.

Giant panda cub Zhen Zhen made her public debut Saturday during a two-hour morning viewing at the San Diego Zoo.

People were lined up when the zoo's gates opened at 9 a.m. and the 17-pound, black-and-white cub was waiting for them, on display outside at the Giant Panda Research Station's "classroom" exhibit.

Zoo spokesman Andrew Circo said the 4-month-old's premiere "went very well."

"We weren't sure how much interest there'd be, since we have four pandas" Circo said. "But a lot of people came out to see her."

Since her birth on Aug. 3, Zhen Zhen, whose name means "precious" in Chinese, has been living in a den out of the public view. The toddler, however, has been visible to the world via camera on the zoo's Web site.