State Briefly Aug. 10

RENO (AP) - Elko District Judge Andrew Puccinelli died Monday at a Reno hospital at age 58, the Elko Daily Free Press reports.

Gov. Brian Sandoval issued a statement praising Puccinelli for his legal mind and public service and ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in his honor.

Puccinelli was a native of Elko who was appointed to the District Court bench in 2002 by then-Gov. Kenny Guinn to fill the unexpired term of District Judge Jack Ames, who retired.

(AP) - Assemblyman Kelvin Atkinson has announced his intent to run for the Nevada Senate. The North Las Vegas Democrat, first elected in 2002, made the announcement Monday.

It's not entirely known, however, which Senate district he will run in because the redrawing of Nevada's voting districts is in the hands of a judge in Carson City. District Judge James Russell has appointed a three-member panel to oversee the redistricting required every 10 years based on Census data. A hearing is set for Sept. 19.

Atkinson currently lives in the Senate district held by John Lee, who has announced his intent to run for Congress.

Depending how voting boundaries are drawn, he could also end up in Democratic Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford's district.

Horsford is also mulling a bid for Congress.