Top Stories
May 8, 2010 - 11:00 pm
In what may rank as Nevada's largest ever punitive damage award, a jury on Friday awarded a Henderson couple $500 million in the first trial related to the valley's hepatitis outbreak.
Lawyers for Henry and Lorraine Chanin had suggested damages of more than $1 billion against Teva Parenteral Medicine and Baxter Healthcare Services.
The same jury on Wednesday found the drug companies liable for Henry Chanin's hepatitis C infection on two product liability claims and awarded the Chanins $5.1 million in compensatory damages.
Chanin was infected in 2006 during a colonoscopy at the Desert Shadow Endoscopy Center, one of two Las Vegas clinics linked to the outbreak.
During a three-week trial, the Chanins' lawyers argued that the companies endangered public safety by providing endoscopy centers with larger-than-needed bottles of sedative that tempted nurses to reuse the vials instead of throwing away any leftover drug.
Monday
Insanity defense
A Las Vegas man accused of using a battle ax to kill an infant pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Harold Montague's trial was set for June 14, 2011.
The Feb. 11 attack in the street left 4-month-old Damian Avila Castro dead and the boy's mother, Sandra Castro, critically injured.
Monica O'Dazier, Montague's mentally and physically disabled sister-in-law, was stabbed 20 times before the ax attack, but she survived.
Tuesday
Covering their Butte
Gold Butte would be turned into a 345,000-acre national conservation area under a resolution passed by Clark County commissioners.
The resolution will be sent to Congress as a formal request to designate Gold Butte, a remote area 65 miles northeast of Las Vegas, as a conservation area.
The Bureau of Land Management owns Gold Butte, and Congress must approve any change in its status.
Before the vote, commissioners heard from a packed house of supporters and critics of the designation.
Wednesday
Prosecutor pinched
Nye County District Attorney Robert Beckett was arrested on fraud and embezzlement charges in connection with a bank account his office managed for more than 13 years.
The account held payments collected by the county's bad check unit, said Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo, whose officers in April seized a computer and other items related to the fund.
Beckett calls the investigation politically motivated.
Thursday
Tentative deal reached
The Clark County School District and its teachers union have reached a tentative agreement to sacrifice longevity pay raises, saving the district about $15 million.
Because the support staff union has reached a similar tentative agreement to avert layoffs, the district now has identified $25 million of the remaining $28 million it needs to close a budget shortfall for the 2010-11 school year.
The district faced a budget gap of $140 million because of state funding cuts and declining property taxes.
Friday
Teacher admits tryst
A Las Vegas High School teacher told police she had sex with a 17-year-old student multiple times, including in her classroom, according to a school police report.
According to the report, Jennifer Gardel, 30, initially told investigators she only kissed the boy, but in a second interview she described six sexual encounters matching the student's version of events.
Week In ReviewMore Information
NUMBERS
98-0
The U.S. Senate vote confirming Gloria Navarro, 42, as Nevada’s newest federal judge and the first Hispanic woman to serve on the federal bench in the state.
$80 million
Next year’s budget shortfall for the city of Las Vegas, according to the latest projection. City officials had been expecting a $70 million shortfall.
2,500
Gasoline-powered lawn mowers that have been traded in so far under a 2-year-old county program aimed at improving air quality in the valley.
46,000
Real ID driver’s licenses issued by the state before officials allowed the program to expire last week.
QUOTES
“This is not an issue that can wait. With the passage of the Arizona bill, we anticipate an even greater illegal population will be moving to Nevada.”
Chad Christensen
U.S. Senate candidate, trying to set himself apart in a crowded Republican primary field by launching a ballot initiative to impose a version of Arizona’s immigration law in Nevada
“Sometimes it’s almost like a jinx. I have about 50 spots where I know there are big bass, but sometimes you can know too much and give up on a spot too soon.”
Tim Klinger
Boulder City resident and professional bass fisherman, on his home-lake advantage last week during A tournament at Lake Mead
“We’re a small school, but we’re busy.”
Sherri Brewer
Principal of Gilbert Elementary School in North Las Vegas, which recently earned national recognition as the country’s top magnet school
“Sounds reasonable.”
Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera
on the move to banish the metric system from the Nevada Revised Statutes
MULTIMEDIA
• VIDEO: Carol Cling’s weekly Movie Minute
• VIDEO: Coach K & USA basketball
• VIDEO: $500 million hepatitis C punitive damages verdict