Region Briefly

Fire chief refutes report on Oceguera's pay

(AP) - North Las Vegas Fire Chief Al Gillespie is disputing a report by a conservative group accusing Democratic Assembly Speaker John Oceguera of taking both his legislative and firefighter pay during the 2009 and 2011 legislative sessions.

The Nevada Policy Research Institute on Wednesday said records appear to show Oceguera was "double-dipping," taking taxpayer-paid salaries for both jobs. Oceguera is an assistant fire chief in North Las Vegas.

But Gillespie tells The Associated Press that scheduling documents routinely show all salaried administrative staff as being available seven days a week.

Gillespie says reports submitted for payroll reflect actual working days.

He says during the session, Oceguera typically worked one, nine-hour shift, then claimed two days of accrued vacation time and took one furlough day.

Firefighters work four-day weeks.

Air Force scans for missing pilot after Nevada crash

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Air Force officials searched Tuesday for a missing pilot one day after a fighter jet crashed in the Nevada desert during training exercises.

The aircraft was participating in a combat training mission at the time of the crash, about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, said Brig. Gen. T.J. O'Shaughnessy of the 57th Wing says the F-16C Fighting Falcon.

"There was one pilot, and a search and rescue mission is under way to locate the pilot," O'Shaughnessy told reporters during a news conference late Tuesday night.

The search is taking place on federal land roughly 120 miles north of Las Vegas, about 20 miles west of Caliente. Las Vegas is home to Nellis Air Force Base, which trains pilots in military flight and combat, frequently sending jets soaring over empty Nevada desert.

Air Force officials did not release the pilot's name, citing privacy concerns.