Associated Press
Reno police: Man killed when shot multiple times in vehicle
RENO — Authorities on Saturday offered a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution in the killing of a 52-year-old man shot multiple times in a vehicle in downtown Reno.
Police said they haven’t yet identified a suspect or located the gun used in the Friday night shooting of the victim, whose identity wasn’t released.
The reward was offered by Silent Witness. Police earlier asked anyone with information to call the Reno Police Department.
Nevada: 250 federal workers on food stamps, 10 on welfare
LAS VEGAS — Nevada has seen 250 federal workers in the state sign up for food stamps since the partial shutdown of the U.S. government began just before Christmas.
Julie Balderson, the social services program specialist at Nevada’s Division of Welfare and Supportive Services, said Friday that in addition to workers signing up for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, 10 workers signed up for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, also known as welfare.
Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have missed two paychecks since the shutdown began but President Donald Trump and Congress announced a deal Friday to reopen the government for three weeks. Balderson says most of the Nevada workers who signed up for benefits are Transportation Security Administration workers. Others work for Homeland Security, the IRS, the Interior Department and a federal prison worker.
Man shot by Reno police in stable condition
RENO — Washoe County sheriff’s deputies are investigating an officer-involved shooting after a Reno police officer shot a suspect southwest of downtown.
The victim was taken to a Reno hospital following the shooting around 10 p.m. Monday near Reno High School.
He was reported in stable condition. The one officer who was involved was not injured.
Reno police say the incident began with a traffic stop near the school and escalated to the point at least one shot was fired.
No other suspects are being sought.
No other details have been released.
Teen playing with matches started Tahoe church fire
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — Authorities say a teenager playing with matches admitted accidentally starting a fire that caused $15,000 damage to a church at Lake Tahoe.
Investigators previously had described the Jan. 9 fire at the Lake Tahoe Presbyterian Church in South Lake Tahoe as “suspicious.”
Choir members who were practicing evacuated after they smelled smoke and called 911.
Firefighters confined the flames to the first floor and determined the fire began in a storage closet.
The Tahoe Daily Tribune reported Friday that during an investigation a 14-year-old South Lake Tahoe boy arrived on scene with his mother and confessed he’d been playing with matches hours before the blaze. He said he didn’t see or smell smoke before leaving the area.
South Lake Tahoe Police Lt. Shannon Laney told the newspaper no charges have been filed or have been requested at this time.
9 life terms for Nevada child sexual assault fugitive
RENO — A 35-year-old sexual assault suspect who disappeared during his trial in Reno in 2016 but later was captured in Mexico and convicted has been sentenced to nine life terms in prison.
Selvin Zecena-Valdez was convicted last year of 10 felony counts related to the sexual assault of a female relative under the age of 14 over the course of three years.
Sparks police originally arrested him in 2015.
He had been released on $560,000 bail when his trial began in October 2016. He testified on his own behalf but failed to appear the following day when cross-examination was set to resume.
A bail bondsman eventually tracked him down in Veracruz, Mexico and federal marshals returned him to Washoe County last August.
Prosecutors said Friday he’d have to serve 198 years before he could be considered for parole.
Grand Canyon National Park resuming normal operations
Grand Canyon National Park remained open with limited services during the partial government shutdown and the shutdown’s end has park officials gearing up to resume regular operations.
Officials said Saturday that visitor centers and permit offices will reopen and collection of fees will resume in the coming week, though all services such as ranger programs won’t be available immediately.
The park remained open with limited services available under funding donated by the state of Arizona and Grand Canyon Conservancy. Visitor services provided by park concessioners and non-government partners also remained open.
Sisolak panel to lay groundwork for new marijuana regulators
LAS VEGAS — Gov. Steve Sisolak has created a new advisory panel to lay the groundwork for a new board that will regulate Nevada’s marijuana industry akin to the way the state’s casinos are regulated.
Sisolak signed an executive order Friday creating the panel and declaring that the “success of the general cannabis industry in the state is vitally important to the economy of Nevada.”
He appointed his former Clark County Commission colleague and former rival for the Democratic nomination for governor Chris Giunchigliani to the panel.
The panel will study issues like the creation of marijuana consumption lounges, banking, taxes and enforcement.
Other panel members include Sisolak’s general counsel J. Brin Gibson, Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Chairman Arlan D. Melendez, University of Nevada, Las Vegas gaming professor Jennifer Roberts and three others yet to be named.
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