Associated Press
Reno Pedestrian Dead, Pickup Sought in Hit-and-Run
RENO — Reno police are investigating a hit-and-run accident that killed a man who apparently had laid down in the middle of a street on the edge of downtown.
Police say they are looking for a light-colored, full-sized pickup similar to a Dodge Ram that fled the scene near East Fourth Street and Evans Avenue at about 10:50 p.m. Saturday.
Investigators say witnesses told them the victim had walked into the dark road and laid down mid-block in the eastbound lanes of Fourth Street before he was struck. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not been released.
Anyone with information should call Reno police at 775-334-2141.
‘Vegas Strong’ License Plates Mark Shooting Anniversary
LAS VEGAS — Nevada is releasing a license plate honoring the victims and survivors on the two-year anniversary of the Las Vegas shooting.
The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles on Tuesday will make available “Vegas Strong” charitable license plates.
The plate will have a black and gold heart-shaped logo and also say “Forever Strong.”
Some of the money raised will go toward the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center.
A sunrise memorial and an evening reading of victims’ names are some of the events planned to mark the Oct. 1, 2017 shooting.
A gunman in a high-rise hotel suite opened fire on a crowd attending the Route 91 music festival, killing 58 people.
It is considered the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history.
Reno Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested in Southern California
RENO — The FBI has arrested a suspect in last week’s bank robbery north of Reno in Southern California.
Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam said last Wednesday Orange County sheriff’s deputies assisted federal agents in taking 32-year-old Albert Diaz-Ordaz into custody Tuesday evening in Fountain Valley, California. He’s currently in federal custody there awaiting extradition to Nevada.
Investigators quickly identified him as the key suspect in a robbery at a Wells Fargo Bank in Sun Valley partly because a bank teller said he had been in the bank the day before and showed his photo ID while inquiring about opening a new account.
Federal prosecutors say he made off with $10,000 after he appeared to be concealing a weapon his pocket and handed a note to a teller that read, “Give me $10,000 and no one gets hurt.”
Nevada Panel Begins Work on Changes to School Finance Plan
LAS VEGAS — A state commission has begun working on helping shape an overhaul of Nevada’s decades-old system for funding public schools.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the state Commission on School Funding met Friday for the first time.
The 11-member panel is supposed to guide the Department of Education’s work in revamping the school funding system so changes can take effect in 2021.
Gov. Steve Sisolak in June signed legislation to replace the state’s 52-year-old education funding formula with one aimed at streamlining and adding transparency.
Critics have said the plan doesn’t address students’ needs, and the commission will make recommendations to Sisolak on possible changes.
Specific areas for review include additional funding for various categories of students, including those learning the English language and those who deemed gifted and talented.
Lake Tahoe Man Convicted of Murder in 2018 Shotgun Slaying
HOMEWOOD, Calif. — A 47-yearold California man has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2018 shotgun slaying of his live-in girlfriend on the west shore of Lake Tahoe.
The El Dorado County sheriff’s office says Jeremy Virgo of Tahoma is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 18 after he was found guilty last week of killing Deborah Patton.
Deputies found her body and her dead dog that also had been shot while responding to reports of gunfire at the home in Tahoma.
Virgo was arrested at the Homewood Ski Resort lodge about 8 miles (13 kilometers) south of Tahoe City.
Prosecutors say Virgo told deputies he retrieved his 12-guage shotgun from a closet after he got into an argument with Patton on Feb. 11, 2018. He said she ran for the door, but he shot her multiple times before she could escape.
Nevada Casinos Report Strong Month of Winnings in August
LAS VEGAS — Nevada casinos reported a strong month of house winnings in August, up 4.3% compared with the same month a year ago, state regulators said Friday.
It was the third straight monthly increase statewide in the year-toyear comparison, after five months of decreases, Nevada Gaming Control Board analyst Michael Lawton said.
However, the $952 million in casino “gaming win” was down from $1.02 billion in July.
The state took in $50 million in taxes, called percentage fees, on the August 2019 figures. That was up 6.9% from a year ago.
Key drivers in August were sports pools and table games other than baccarat, including blackjack, craps and roulette, Lawton said.
He said the $36.3 million win figure for those games was up 17.9% from a year ago, mainly due to increased volume and house hold percentages.
Slot win figures were down slightly, while baccarat win came in at $98.6 million, up 6.4% from the same month a year ago.
Las Vegas Strip properties reported an 8.9% increase in overall winnings in August. Reno casinos reported a nearly 4.7% increase. Properties in West Wendover reported a 16% jump.
The Las Vegas Strip has now also recorded three consecutive monthly increases in the year-over-year comparison, Lawton said.
The monthly report is a key index of state fiscal health. Gambling taxes in Nevada are second to sales taxes as a percentage of the state’s $14 billion annual budget.
Leave a Reply