Nevada briefly

Gibbons seeks delay in Mazzeo case

LAS VEGAS (AP) " Lawyers representing Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons have asked a court to delay depositions and other discovery in the civil trial of a woman accusing Gibbons of making unwanted sexual advances and threatening to rape her in in a parking lot in October 2006.

Gibbons' attorneys say they want to wait until the judge resolves several motions to dismiss the case brought by former cocktail waitress Chrissy Mazzeo.

Mazzeo accuses Gibbons of battery, false imprisonment and second-degree kidnapping, as well as lying about the incident just before the 2006 general election.

Gibbons has denied the allegations, and he has never faced criminal charges for the incident.

Sen. Reid not calling for Burris to resign

(AP) " U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday that he's not calling for embattled Sen. Roland Burris to resign even though the account of how Burris was appointed by ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich "seems to be changing day by day."

Reid, who spoke to reporters after addressing the Nevada Legislature, said Burris told him on Friday that he submitted an affidavit "to clear up some mistakes" in earlier sworn statements about contacts with Blagojevich advisers.

"Now there's some question as to whether or not he told the truth," said Reid, adding, "We're just going to wait and see what's going to happen."

"It's not for me to say that he lied," Reid said. "I don't know if he lied or didn't. Right now, he's a member of the Senate."

Irrigation district fraud trial delayed

RENO (AP) " A federal judge has ordered a year delay in a trial for officials accused of defrauding the U.S. government to get more water for an irrigation district in Northern Nevada's high desert.

The judge agreed with lawyers for the Truckee Carson Irrigation District who argued that starting the trial as scheduled next Monday would deny them reasonable time to prepare an effective defense.

Federal prosecutors already have entered as evidence more than 4,500 pages of documents and 50 CDs and DVDs in their bid to prove the district and three of its employees conspired to defraud the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation by allegedly falsifying records to secure extra water supplies.

A federal grand jury in Reno handed up the indictment in December naming the Fallon-based district, it's project manager Dave Overvold, chief lawyer Lyman McConnell and watermaster John Baker. A second watermaster charged, Shelby Cecil, died last month.

The judge set a schedule for pretrial discovery over the next year that includes a March 31 deadline for the Justice Department to produce " among other things " "all search warrants, orders authorizing the interception of wire, oral or electronic communications and supporting affidavits that relate to evidence that may be offered at trial."

If convicted, they could face 20 years or more in prison.

Police raid sheds with $100K in loot

LAS VEGAS (AP) " Las Vegas police have busted what they say is a resale racket to hawk stolen household goods at swap meets and other places.

Authorities say a raid last week on three storage sheds turned up $100,000 in stolen goods.

An inventory of what was found includes: more than 2,000 bottles of shampoo, 447 deodorant sticks, at least 300 toilet paper rolls, 150 tequila bottles and 120 cans of baby formula.

Police say the goods were stolen over months from various convenience stores, supermarkets and other retailers.

Authorities say about 30 thieves were involved and sold the merchandise to ringleaders.

Police say the three suspected ringleaders have been arrested on unrelated charges, but are expected to be charged for having the stolen goods.