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Nev. near first wildfire break since June

By TIMES WIRES
Published September 11, 2006

RENO, Nev. - For the first time in three months, firefighters in northeastern Nevada might get a chance to catch their breath.

Crews were on pace Sunday to contain the last of two wildfires that have burned more than 407 square miles since Sept. 3 around Elko, 290 miles east of Reno. If they do, it would mark the first time the region has been without an active wildland blaze since June 6, fire officials said.

"The fires out here have been constant," fire information officer Gina Dingman said. "We want it to snow."

The two fires had burned more than 261,000 acres in Lander and Elko counties. A 150,270-acre blaze was contained late Saturday, and a 110,738-acre fire was 95 percent contained with full containment expected sometime today.

Fire officials attributed progress on the fires to cooler temperatures, less wind and the work of the firefighting crews. But officials warned the fire season is far from over.

Meanwhile, firefighters working a wildfire that has burned nearly 20 square miles in the Los Padres National Forest in California reported some progress Sunday, authorities said.

The fire, which began nearly a week ago about 40 miles north of Los Angeles, was 12 percent contained, said Ned Linquist, a forest spokesman. The fire had forced the closure of several camping and recreation areas, and the evacuation of about 1,200 campers and fishermen. No homes have been damaged.

Crews in southern Montana continued to fight a 207,000-acre fire, or about 323 square miles. The fire, which started Aug. 22 from lightning, earlier burned 26 homes. The fire was 60 percent contained, officials said.

In Washington, the two largest wildfires in the state remained relatively calm, showing little increase during the weekend. A fire that burned more than 102,000 acres, or 159 square miles, was 65 percent contained, while another that torched over 170,000 acres, or 265 square miles, was 60 percent contained.

Former president's son hospitalized mid campaign

LAS VEGAS - Democratic Senate candidate Jack Carter, son of former President Jimmy Carter, has been hospitalized with severe colitis, a spokesman said Sunday.

Carter, 59, was admitted to a hospital on Thursday with the condition, which is an inflammation of the colon, said press secretary Jay Jones. Carter was well enough to greet his parents, who flew into Las Vegas to be with him Sunday morning.

A family friend and physician, Dr. Edward Nathan, said in a release that the colitis "had a cascade effect on several of his body's systems" but added, "he's responding rapidly to treatment and his vital signs are stable." He remained in intensive care for a second day on Sunday.

Carter was forced to cancel campaign activities after becoming ill Sept. 3, Jones said. He is running as a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Nevada, seeking to oust the Republican incumbent, Sen. John Ensign.

Hewlett-Packard undecided on chairwoman's future

SAN FRANCISCO - Hewlett-Packard Co.'s board of directors adjourned an emergency phone conference Sunday without announcing a decision on the fate of embattled chairwoman Patricia Dunn, who is facing calls to resign or be fired for ordering an investigation that may have used illegal means to spy on colleagues and journalists.

The board was scheduled to meet again this afternoon, according to Hewlett-Packard, a major maker of computers and printers. The California attorney general has launched a criminal inquiry into the matter.

Dunn said last week she would resign if asked, but said several fellow board members had urged her to remain on the job despite the criminal investigation.

Prosecutors: Fundraising scheme was to win perks

TOLEDO, Ohio - A prominent GOP fundraiser funneled $45,000 to President Bush's re-election campaign because he wanted perks that can come along with being among an elite group of the president's fundraisers, court papers said.

Tom Noe had pleaded guilty in May to arranging a contribution scheme to fulfill his promise to generate $50,000 for a Bush fundraiser in 2003. Noe hasn't explained why he arranged the scheme.

The court papers indicate Noe wanted perks that can come with the "Pioneers" fundraising group - business leaders and lobbyists who raised at least $100,000 for Bush.

Noe wanted "in part to obtain presidential invitations to the White House and the president's ranch in Texas," prosecutors said in a court filing asking that Noe be given a longer sentence than they originally sought.

Noe is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court for convictions on three charges, including exceeding federal campaign contribution limits. Prosecutors first suggested a prison sentence of at least two years, but last week said Noe should get an unspecified longer sentence. The maximum he could face is five years.

Noe, a rare coin dealer, also is charged in an ill-fated $50-million coin investment that he managed for the state workers' compensation fund.

The scandal led to ethics charges against Gov. Bob Taft, who pleaded no contest for failing to report gifts.

$1,500 to governor's child raises questions in Illinois

CHICAGO - Federal investigators have questioned the wife of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's former campaign treasurer about a $1,500 personal check her husband wrote to one of the governor's children and whether the money was linked to her hiring for a state job, according to a published report.

Beverly Ascaridis, 56, started her $45,000-a-year position as a state parks administrator in August 2003. She told the Chicago Tribune that FBI agents have interviewed her and her husband about the check.

The governor's office issued a statement Friday, saying the check was given to the governor's daughter, Amy, on her seventh birthday. The statement called the suggestion that the check was anything but a gift from a friend "simply ludicrous."

For more than a year, federal authorities have been investigating allegations of fraudulent hiring practices by top officials in the governor's office. The governor has denied wrongdoing.

[Last modified September 11, 2006, 01:44:37]