IN BRIEF

Gardnerville arrest

Woman accused of stealing wine while she was topless

A Gardnerville woman has been accused of stealing a bottle of wine from a store while she was topless and intoxicated.

Brandi Smith acknowledged her behavior was "mind-boggling" during an appearance Wednesday before a judge to face charges of indecent exposure, felony drunken driving and burglary.

Authorities said the 41-year-old was arrested May 10 after stealing a $20 bottle of wine, then driving to a fast-food restaurant, where an off-duty sheriff's deputy kept her in her vehicle until deputies arrived.

A preliminary test showed a blood-alcohol level of .14 percent, nearly twice the legal limit. A records search found she has two prior convictions of driving under the influence in California.

Smith is being held in Douglas County Jail on $5,000 bail.

friday accident

Bullhead City police identify motorcycle crash victim

Police in Bullhead City, Ariz., have released the name of a man killed in a Friday traffic accident. Michael Robert Finn, 66, died after he was taken to Sunrise Medical Center in Las Vegas.

Police spokeswoman Emily Montague said the motorcycle Finn was operating struck a curb, causing him to crash on State Route 95 just north of Rainbow Drive at 5:15 p.m. She said Finn was not wearing a helmet, and no other vehicles were involved in the accident.

child abuse charges

Mother accused of beating and gagging two girls

The mother of two baby girls found bound, gagged and beaten in their Southern California home has been charged with two felony counts of child abuse. The Riverside Press Enterprise said in a Saturday story that 24-year-old Erica Monique Henry, whose husband had been charged with torture, was booked into a Riverside County jail on Tuesday and released on bail Thursday .

On Feb. 26, 18-month-old Miah Scott and 4-month-old Jasmine Scott were found by their grandparents in a home in Jurupa. Investigators say both girls were tied up and had been beaten. One had a sock stuffed in her mouth.

Their father, Jeremiah Scott, is charged with two counts each of torture, child abuse and corporal punishment of a child. He has pleaded not guilty.

DUAL JOBS

Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival gets new director

The executive director of the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland has landed a similar position with the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.

Bob Taylor was named this past week to replace Catherine Atack, who held the position for seven years. Taylor will continue his role in Cleveland while also holding the Lake Tahoe job. He began his stint with the Cleveland festival in 2000 as development manager.

Lake Tahoe festival officials say their goal is to offer two shows instead of only one show like this year.

The festival's 38th season will feature 32 performances of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)," a parody of plays written by Shakespeare. They will be staged from July 9 through Aug. 22 at Sand Harbor on Lake Tahoe's northeast shore.

salt lake city slaying

Hearing rescheduled after suspect denies guilty plea

A plea hearing in Salt Lake City was derailed when a Burmese refugee charged with the March 2008 slaying of a 7-year-old girl denied his guilt.

When his attorney told the judge on Friday that a resolution in the case had been reached, Esar Met shook his head and said he was forced by authorities to say he killed Hser Ner Moo at his Salt Lake City apartment.

Her family traveled from Marshalltown, Iowa, for the hearing . A status hearing was set for July 9.