IN BRIEF

GIRLS INJURED

Woman arrested after two children fall from balcony

Las Vegas police arrested a 37-year-old woman Wednesday after her 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old granddaughter wandered onto the woman's third-floor apartment balcony and fell over the railing to the ground below.

Nicole Taylor was asleep, and possibly intoxicated, while the two girls got onto the balcony through an open sliding glass door, Las Vegas police said. How the children fell over the railing was unknown late Wednesday.

Taylor was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on two counts of felony child neglect with substantial bodily harm.

The children were airlifted to University Medical Center where they were in serious condition Wednesday night, police said.

Two passers-by found the girls injured on the ground at the Arbor Pointe Apartments at 8855 Arby Ave., near Durango Drive and the Las Vegas Beltway. The passers-by called police at 2:54 p.m. and then returned the girls to their third-floor apartment, according to police.

NAME NOT RELEASED

Motorcyclist killed in crash with vehicle on Interstate 15

A motorcyclist was killed Wednesday after a traffic collision on northbound Interstate 15 near Sahara Avenue, the Nevada Highway Patrol said.

Trooper Joseph Fackrell said the crash occurred about 4 p.m. Fackrell said the motorcyclist rear-ended a vehicle as traffic was slowing down. The motorcyclist was ejected and run over by a semitrailer, Fackrell said.

The identity of the deceased man has not be released by authorities.

Fackrell said the man died at the scene. The truck driver, who might not have realized someone had been hit, has not been located, Fackrell said.

The collision tied up traffic for several hours. Fackrell said at least three lanes were shut down. The lanes reopened Wednesday evening.

NEVADA, CALIFORNIA INCIDENTS

Man who admitted robbing 11 banks gets prison term

A man who admitted robbing 11 banks in Nevada and California, including eight in Las Vegas, has received a 10-year prison sentence.

Andre Rogers Sr., 47, pleaded guilty in January to 11 counts of bank robbery and two counts of attempted bank robbery. He was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Philip Pro.

Rogers was arrested at his Las Vegas home July 22.

According to a statement issued by the U.S. attorney's office in Las Vegas, Rogers obtained a total of about $24,000 from the robberies. In most of the robberies, a demand note indicated a bomb had been planted nearby.

CONGRESSIONAL TRAVEL

Ensign travels to South Asia with group of lawmakers

Sen. John Ensign is overseas this week on a Senate-sponsored trip to South Asia along with four other members of Congress, his office confirmed Wednesday.

Spokeswoman Jennifer Cooper said she could not say whether Ensign is in Afghanistan, saying the itinerary could not be released for security reasons.

Ensign, R-Nev., will return next Monday . The travel was organized by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Also on the trip are Sens. Tom Carper, D-Del., Scott Brown, R-Mass. and Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va.