Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 13

Reno Gazette Journal OBITUARIES 2-3B VITALS 3B MARKETS 4B BUSINESS 4-6B WEDNESDAY JULY 21, 1993 PAT HARRISON, CITY EDITOR PHONE, 788-6397; FAX, 788-6458 Police question 2 to New York last month with their throats slashed. The killings of the prince and princess received wide publicity because of the victims' prominence as high-living Held in Washoe jail: One man alleges his partner killed prince and princess. Simpson 3 A Cx 'V VmmmQMm '0" went into the princess's bedroom and strangled her. Cobo said he kept receipts from pawn shops where he sold the couple's jewels. Deputy Reno Police Chief Jim Weston said George Cobo apparently arrived early Monday morning and called 911 from the airport, saying he had information about a murder in New York.

Weston said there were no warrants for either Cobo or Simpson on murder charges, but that they were being held Tuesday on warrants for lesser charges from vari-ousjurisdictions. Both remain in Washoe County Jail. Cobo is charged with malicious prosecution, a felony. Simpson is charged as a fugitive from justice. Staff and wire service reports murder in Manhattan.

Cobo said he and Simpson, 21, went to the East Side apartment of Prince Chitresh "Teddy" Khedker and Princess Nenescha on April 9 to rob them, "but Tony killed them," the New York Daily News reported. Reno police said Tuesday that New York City detectives were questioning the pair, who are being held on unrelated charges. In a telephone conversation from Reno, Cobo told a News reporter that he was terrified of his criminal partner, and if the News helped him escape Simpson's clutches he promised to testify against him. The News said Cobo also implicated himself and Simpson in the robbery-murders of two men whose bodies were found on the Upper West Side of New York City George Cobo, who was being questioned Tuesday in Washoe County Jail, told Reno police he was so scared of his partner in crime he'd implicate him in two double murders in New York. He was more scared of his cohort Tony Lee Simpson than he was of being connected to the killings of an Indian prince and princess in April and another double homicide last month.

Cobo also called a New York newspaper and told his story of There were reports that Khedker, who was several years younger than his 70-year-old wife, was living off her fortune and even keeping girlfriends by selling off her valuables. Detectives believe Cobo and Simpson got into the couple's apartment on the pretense that they wanted to buy some items the prince was selling. Cobo reportedly told police that Simpson strangled Khedker, then David Handschuh'New York Daily News IN WASHOE COUNTY JAIL: George Cobo demonstrates Tuesday how Tony Lee Simpson allegedly strangled a victim in New York. 3 injured in Reno smashup jm.ll.IHWM.-K, IMM I II SPANISH SPRINGS Board boosts project plans By Faith Bremner GAZETTE-JOURNAL A Spanish Springs Valley developer's plan to use Truckee River water received an unexpected boost Tuesday when Washoe County commissioners voted 3-1 to drop their protest against the plan. The vote gives Westpac Utilities an important toehold in the valley north of Sparks.

It also clears the way for Lewis Homes and Bailey McGah to proceed with plans to build on 579 lots on the Kiley Ranch, an area already annexed into Sparks. The county considers the Spanish Springs Valley its biggest market for water from the controversial Honey Lake Valley water importation project. The county's protest was viewed by some as a way of preserving that market and keeping Westpac out. "(The protests) were filed for what we believe are political reasons," Kiley attorney Brian Hall said. Commissioner Dianne Cornwall and county chief sanitary engineer John Collins said the protest with the state engineer was based solely on environmental concerns.

Cornwall voted to keep the protest alive while commissioners Gene McDowell, Jim Shaw and Steve Bradhurst voted to kill it. Commission Chairman Larry Beck was absent. The commission originally voted to file the protest May 18 the last day to protest under an emergency agenda item, which did not receive public notice. See BOARD on page 3B More commission action, 3B Marilyn NewtonGazette-Journal VICTIM: Eileen Rodriquez, 2, clutches a stuffed dog given to her land Avenue just west of Mill Street. The others injured were Tanya by Reno firefighters after she and her sister and mother were in- Rodriquez, 5, and Marie Ramirez DeOrozco, 30, of Reno.

Eileen jured Tuesday afternoon when their car slammed into a tree on Ry- was treated and released from Washoe Medical Center. RENO COUNCIL City urged to get more firefighters By Susan Voyles GAZETTE-JOURNAL Reno Fire Chief Marty Richard told the Reno City Council Tuesday to hire more firefighters before a disaster strikes. "As the fire chief in Reno it's my responsibility to tell you we have cut back to a dangerous level of service to the public," Richard said. "We don't want to say in the aftermath what we should have done." Twice in May the city was left with two engine companies to respond to emergencies over several hours because the rest of the department was busy. On May 1 a mattress caught fire at the Sundowner Hotel Casino, forcing an evacuation.

The fire was put out quickly, but firefighters from six engine companies and two ladder trucks were called to calm hotel guests who had panicked- That left the rest of the city protected by the fire station in Stead and the Mira Loma station in southeast Reno. On May 1 6 a hazardous materials call at the downtown post office and four other minor calls left the same two stations to cover the rest of the city for two hours. The Reno Fire Department Jjas 185 of the 195 firefighters it had two years ago because of budget cutbacks. Over the past year, a Truckee Meadows fire crew manned the city's Skyline station to cover the southwest, but it pulled out July 1 With that loss, Richard expects the Skyline station, a ladder truck and a rescue truck to be down routinely over the next few months because of vacations. Skyline would have been down 60 percent of the time last year if hadn't been for the Truckee Meadows crew.

With the Project megacasino 'and other expected growth, Richard said the city also needs an extra ladder truck and at least another engine company requiring another 31 firefighters by 1994 or 1995. Richard presented several alternatives: room taxes, special assessment districts, a property tax override, impact fees and charging for emergency medical calls. i But the council wants to see more details. Councilman Jim Pilzner questions providing a first response to medical emergencies for free. Those calls were 60 percent of the department's 1 0,545 calls last year.

LEGISLATURE '93 Lobbyists spend record $291,562 i lie MX AMri 1 r-mmxm SPARKS COUNCIL Members spare pet potbellied pigs for now By Scott Thomsen GAZETTE-JOURNAL Potbellied pigs in Sparks have once again earned a last-minute reprieve that might allow them to stay in town as pets. Monday night the Sparks City Council refused to consider changing city ordinances that ban the animals except in specific residential neighborhoods with yards of at least an acre. But after the meeting Councilman Ernest Walker changed his mind. That gave supporters of the change a majority on the council and forced a new vote for next Monday. "We have to look at this with an open mind," Walker said.

Potbellied pigs are intelligent, clean animals that make fine household pets, not the large beasts grown for food, he said. "I sure as hell wouldn't want a back-yard neighbor with a yard full of pigs for slaughter," Walker panies, Citibank, Alamo rental cars, mines, billboard companies, court reporters, tobacco companies and others. Marke Brown, $10,301. Brown lobbies for MGM Grand, Associated General Contractors, State Farm, US Ecology and others. Paula 'Treat, $8,670.

Treat represents hospitals, Nevada judges, police and sheriffs, and the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission, among others. Irene Porter, $7,575. Porter represents the Nevada Homeowners Association and the Southern Nevada Home Builders. John Pappageorge, $7,478. Pappageorge represents Clark County, Lake Las Vegas, Silver State Disposal and Reno Disposal.

Pat Coward, $7,465. Coward represents wedding chapels, Nevada Bell, the Nevada Realtors Association, Retail Association of Nevada and other clients. George Flint, $7,124. Flint represents opticians, wedding chapels and the Nevada Brothel By Brendan Riley ASSOCIATED PRESS CARSON CITY Spending by lobbyists on Nevada lawmakers hit a record $291,562 by the end of June and will climb higher once final reports from the advocates are filed Aug. 2.

A Legislative Counsel Bureau report released Tuesday shows most of the money was spent on entertainment, with another $12,010 spent on gifts and loans and $24,504 on "other" costs. There was no additional detail. The report shows spending by all lobbyists totaled $44,191 in June. That compares with $44,192 in May, about $55,000 in both March and April, $34,639 in February and $23,759 in January. The six-month total works out to about $4,600 for each of the 2 1 senators and 42 Assembly members.

About $250,000 was spent during the 1991 session, for an average of nearly $4,000 per legislator. While the latest LCB report has few specifics, that will change during the 1 995 session because lawmakers late this session approved Assembly Bill 4, which forces lobbyists to provide a better accounting. While AB4 was rewritten to make it softer, the measure does require lobbyists to state in their reports what they spend on individual lawmakers. The top ten spenders: Charlie Bell, 1 4,5 1 3. Bell listed his only client as Tellus, a Las Vegas telemarketing company.

John Cummings of the Nevada State Education Association, $13,840. Denny Weddle, $12,173. Wed-dle represents United Gaming, restaurants, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, the city of Mesquite, Del Webb's Sun City and other clients. Harvey Whittemore, $10,754. The casino industry advocate who was the top spender as of the end of May didn't file his June report on time.

But even with his June spending left out Whittemore ranked fourth overall. Besides the Nevada Resort Association, Whittemore represents various soft drink, beer and liquor com Whoopi Goldpig said. Councilman Phil Zive and Councilwoman Cindy Cook also supported pigs as pets. Council-men Tony Armstrong and John Mayer opposed lifting the ban. Allowing pigs as household pets or exotic animals would cause owners of other miniature livestock to make the same request, Armstrong said.

See PIGS on page 3B Susanville -2'- Magnitude mm Seismo-Watch Pyramid YJ. Trlak 2.0 1 1-2 i 11:27 am not l- M. X. 717, 1 felt 2-3 3-4 4 few some most felt felt felt Portola X7- 4 One symbol may Indicate multiple events. 1.8 11:27 am State food stamp errors drop CARSON CITY Nevada's error rate in administering its food stamp program is well below the national average at 6.8 percent, state Welfare chief Myla Florence said Tuesday.

The state rate for fiscal 1 992 compares with a national average of 10.7 percent. Florence said, adding, "This is a remarkable achievement in view of Nevada's increased caseloads and staffing problems." The Nevada error rate dropped from 7.8 percent in 1 99 1 even though the number of people getting food stamps increased 29 percent. There are 95,770 people now getting food stamps in Nevada, at a per-person average of $77. 712 1.7 2.0 2.0 6:46 am 717 5:3 am 71 I Week of July 11-17, 1993 The total number of seismic events was significantly reduced from the preceding week with 60 quakes measuring greater than 1 .0. Following the earthquake swarm of the last few weeks at the Long Valley Caldera, seismicity was generally quiet Sunday through Thursday.

However, activity picked up again, and by Saturday 28 events were recorded, with the strongest quake measuring a modest 2.5. The largest earthquake of the week measured 2.7 and occurred on the west side of Antelope Valley, between Topaz Lake and Walker. It was followed three minutes later by a 2.4 tremor. Both events were centered near last week's 3.7 quake. Eleven minor tremors were recorded just north of Bishop, with the largest event measuring 2.1.

A couple of 2.0 quakes triggered east of the Rawhide Mine, a 2.1 occurred in the Cathedral Range west of Mammoth Lakes, and three events occurred southeast of Mina on the Pilot Mountain Fault. A 2.0 trembler was recorded near Cold Springs, a 1 .8 tremor occurred near Dayton and a 1.7 was measured east of Minden. Jacobsen to take over as acting governor of Nevada CARSON CITY State Sen. Lawrence Jacobsen, R-Minden, will take over as acting governor starting Sunday, filling in for vacationing Gov. Bob Miller and Lt.

Gov. Sue Wagner. The governor and his family already have left Nevada on a two-week vacation at a Club Med resort in Ixtapa, Mexico. Miller will return Aug. 2.

In his absence, Wagner has been on hand to serve as acting governor. But she is leaving Thursday for her son's wedding in Sacramento and will be out of the state until Aug. 5 on vacation. With Miller and Wagner gone, Jacobsen will be in charge. He serves as president pro tempore of the Senate and under the Nevada Constitution is next in line to act as governor.

Jacobsen had been scheduled to leave Saturday for the six-day National Conference of State Legislatures convention in San Diego, but has decided against leaving the state. Had he left, the next in succession for acting governor would have been Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, D-Ycrington, who is planning to attend the NCSLconvention. Lake 2.4 Tahoe Walker 9:17 pm 714 2.7 -nVV t- Hawthorne NX 6:43 pm 716 9:17 pm 714 2.1 a 5:1 am 711 2.5 2.1 2.1 3:26 pm ll2l pm By Charles P. Watson, consulting geologist 7:13 am 717 If tomorrow is your watering day add 1 inch of water to your lawn to reach the recommended ET (evapotranspiration) level. For details about the ET and what it means, call or write the Nevada Cooperative Extension.

5305 Mill Reno, Nev 89520-0027 (784-4848) for the free "All-Seeing, All-Knowing Lawn Care Guide." Canri rnmmontc rr rannactc 4rr infnrmHnn 715 30 miles 2.1 regarding the Seismo-Watch Newsletter to: 1 1 :38 pm Advanced Geologic Explorations 71 2 P.O. Box 8109, Reno, Nev. 89507 Mammotn Lakes irrv Approx. location of active faults Gazette-Journal Source: NBMG; USGS; Nevada Seismological Laboratory, University of Nevada. Reno.