Gibbons names tourism director; Hunt will serve as commissioner

(Staff report) - Veteran Reno hotel and gaming executive Tim Maland has been named director of Tourism. He selected outgoing Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt as a commissioner.

"Tourism is the lifeblood of Nevada's economy," said Gov.-elect Gibbons. "Nevada is at the forefront of the industry and Tim Maland is eminently qualified to ensure that our state maintains its leadership role."

Maland has been in the tourism industry 30 years, most recently as president of the Reno Hilton. His career also includes executive positions at Ramada Hotels, Trump Plaza, ITT Sheraton, Playboy Enterprises and Harrah's Entertainment.

"We're looking forward to working with Tim Maland as our new director and give him our full support as he takes the reins of this agency," said tourism Interim Director Larry Friedman. "He will undoubtedly bring new ideas and a new energy to the position. He is joining a vibrant, creative and hard-working staff and we're excited to have him join us on the tourism initiatives already underway and those on the horizon for 2007."

Maland said he looks forward to working with incoming Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, who serves as chairman of both the tourism commission and the economic development commission.

Gibbons has appointed Hunt to fill the commission seat vacated by MGM Mirage executive Punam Mathur.

Uranium cylinders shipped to Nevada

(AP) - The U.S. Department of Energy has removed some 118 million pounds of uranium hexafluoride from its reservation in Oak Ridge three years ahead of the mandated deadline from the state and within budget.

The uranium compounds were left over from the government's uranium enrichment process for nuclear weapons and fuel at Oak Ridge. Operations were ended in 1985. Hundreds of empty cylinders were shipped to disposal sites in Nevada or Utah. The trucks hauling the waste traveled more than 3.6 million miles over the past three years.