State Briefly Aug. 17

Sage grouse hunt to proceed

RENO (AP) - Nevada's two-week sage grouse hunt will go on after the Nevada Wildlife Commission discussed but took no action on a request to halt the hunt as a way to keep the bird off the endangered species list.

Department of Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy said Commissioner Hank Vogler, who made the request, was satisfied that the issues discussed at the commission meeting in Fallon.

Healy says Vogler left the meeting after the matter was heard.

This year's season for sage grouse is Sept. 25 to Oct. 9. Last year, 8,944 grouse were bagged by Nevada hunters.

Bill Clinton backs Marshall for House seat

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton is throwing his weight behind Nevada Treasurer Kate Marshall in her bid for a vacant U.S. House seat.

Clinton's signature appears on a Tuesday email fundraising pitch that criticizes Republicans for catering to tea party conservatives and guarding corporate tax loopholes.

The Democratic two-term president calls fellow Democrat Marshall his friend and urges supporters to donate to an ad campaign.

Marshall is running against former state GOP chairman and former state legislator Mark Amodei in the special election set for Sept. 13.

The winner will replace Republican Dean Heller, who recently resigned from the House after he was appointed to fill the seat of U.S. Sen. John Ensign. Ensign resigned amid an ethics scandal involving an affair with a former staffer.

Aggressive, non-native bass discovered in Tahoe

RENO (AP) - Scientists are worried a non-native bass could upset Lake Tahoe's biodiversity after they discovered one of the most aggressive invasive species to date in the lake.

Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno have identified smallmouth bass, which eats the food of native species but also eats the native fish themselves.

They say they're worried the fish population could explode because smallmouth bass can survive a wide temperature range.

California Department of Fish and Game is working to remove the fish as part of the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program.

The program is partially funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and has removed more than 5,000 invasive fish so far.

Taser, spike strips stop Mercedes on Reno highway

RENO (AP) - Highway Patrol officers say they had to use tire spikes and a Taser to stop a reckless Mercedes driver on Reno-area highways.

Troopers say they responded to calls Monday afternoon that a car was weaving through lanes and striking roadside barriers along U.S. Route 395.

Troopers laid down spike strips that punctured at least two of the tires.

Authorities say the driver was stopped, but ignored commands and tried to drive away when officers tried to reach into his vehicle.

They subdued him with a Taser.

Paramedics say 32-year-old driver Mariusz Debski of Reno was lethargic and had extremely low blood sugar on the scene.

He was taken to the hospital, then booked on charges of hit and run, failing to yield to emergency vehicles and reckless driving.

School repairs to begin in Washoe County

RENO (AP) - The Washoe County School District has approved a plan to use bond reserve funds to finance $92 million in improvements to older schools.

The plan is part of the "School Works" bill pushed by Assemblywoman Debbie Smith of Sparks and resurrected in the waning days of the 2011 Legislature.

Smith notes that many schools in Washoe County are more than 50 years old. She says repairs are needed to create a better learning environment for students and in some cases ensure their safety.

She says the efforts will also create much needed jobs in a state the leads the nation in unemployment.

Vegas water pipeline plan hits opposition in Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A proposal to pipe groundwater 300 miles from Utah to Las Vegas is getting negative feedback even from the area that would most benefit from the system.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that most people who testified at a Monday hearing in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson spoke against the pipeline. Opponents say it will kick up dust and deprive deep-rooted plants of water.

Supporters include some members of the business community and construction industry, who say Las Vegas needs to diversify its water supply. The city draws 90 percent of its drinking water from the Colorado River.

The Bureau of Land Management is holding hearings this month about whether the agency should allow the pipeline on its lands.

Two hearings are set this week in Nevada.

New signals in Vegas could make left turns safer

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Two Southern Nevada intersections are getting new traffic lights that one study shows result in fewer crashes.

Flashing yellow arrows are replacing solid green lights for left turn lanes starting Tuesday morning. The signal tells drivers to yield before making a left turn.

A national study has shown the blinking arrows encourage drivers to pay more attention to pedestrians and other cars than they would with a solid green, left-turn yield light.

The new lights are part of a pilot project by regional and state traffic officials. The agencies will be monitoring the intersections for at least six months before revamping more Las Vegas traffic signals.

New signals are lighting up at Alta and Town Center drives, and Smoke Ranch and Decatur avenues in Las Vegas.