Northern Nevada briefly

Gaming Commission appointees named

(AP) " Prominent Las Vegas lawyers Joe Brown and John Moran Jr. were named Friday by Gov. Jim Gibbons to the powerful state Gaming Commission, which oversees Nevada's multibillion-dollar gambling industry.

Brown, who is stepping down as a Republican national committeeman to take the commission post, replaces Sue Wagner, a former GOP legislator and lieutenant governor.

Moran left the Gaming Commission after eight months to run as a Democrat candidate for lieutenant governor, but then dropped out of the 2006 contest. He replaces longtime Gaming Commission member Art Marshall, a Democrat.

In announcing the new appointments, Gibbons said the commission is recognized around the world as the "pre-eminent gaming authority" and Moran and Brown "will continue that lofty reputation of integrity and credibility."

Man waving knife killed by police

EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) " Police say a man who was running through an El Cajon neighborhood waving a large knife was shot to death by officers after several non-lethal attempts to stop him failed.

Police say they received a call Friday morning about a man carrying what appeared to be a hunting knife.

Police say officers followed the man as he ran up Avocado Boulevard waving the knife. When he refused to drop it, police say, officers fired two beanbag rounds and shot him with an electric stun gun. Officers say the man continued running and two more beanbags were fired.

Police say the man raised the knife and charged at the officers, prompting officers to fire at least six shots. He was struck and died at the scene.

Investigators don't know why the man was waving the knife.

BLM OKs wastewater plant near Austin

AUSTIN (AP) " The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has granted a right of way to Lander County to build a $1.7 million wastewater treatment plant near Austin.

Construction is set to begin in July and completed by the end of November. Lander County Sewer District Chairman Louis Lani says it will eliminate operational difficulties and odor problems at the current treatment plant.

The BLM sold the county the 80-acre parcel for the project at a special price of $10 per acre under a 1926 law that allows for designation of federal land for public projects like schools, landfills and recreational sites.

The sale recently closed after the county completed all the requirements of assessing the environmental impact and design criteria.

Funding for construction will come from the U.S. Department. of Agriculture.

Woman illegally imported bear bile

LOS ANGELES (AP) " A South Korean woman has been accused of violating the Endangered Species Act for importing almost a kilogram of bear bile harvested in China.

The U.S. attorney's office said Friday that Seongja Hyun (SONG-ja Hun) was charged with the illegal importation of wildlife. If convicted she faces up to 20 years in federal prison. She was scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles court later in the day. It was not immediately clear if she had an attorney.

Investigators discovered a package at a San Francisco postal facility sent to Hyun that contained four bags of a substance believed to be bear bile. Authorities say Hyun told them she had been selling bear bile, used to treat various ailments, and a search of her apartment turned up additional bear bile, vials and packaging.