Mound House man shot to death

REPUBLIC, Wash. - A man from Nevada was shot to death in a quarrel among three people after a night of drinking in Curlew, a small community in northeast Washington.

Benjamin Staryl Brown, 24, of Mound House, was shot and killed early Saturday, a dispatcher for the Ferry County sheriff's office said.

A woman was held at Ferry County Jail in Republic. Ferry County Sheriff Pete Warner would not identify her because no formal charges had been filed.

Brown was among a group that had been drinking at a Curlew tavern until it closed at 2 a.m., the sheriff's office said. The group then returned to an apartment building, where two men and a woman became embroiled in an argument.

While the two men were fighting, the woman produced a handgun and shot Brown twice, the sheriff's office said. He died at the scene.

The sheriff's office was investigating.

Shasta County man arraigned in Shasta fire

REDDING, Calif. - A Shasta County man was arraigned Monday on a felony arson charges, accused of recklessly causing a 10,000-acre fire that destroyed 80 homes, officials said.

William Matthew Rupp, 44, was charged with a felony count of recklessly causing a fire, with an enhancement because of the multiple structures that burned, said Assistant District Attorney Dan Flynn.

He also faces a misdemeanor charge of causing a fire by negligently operating machinery. Rupp was released on his own recognizance because he isn't considered a danger to the community, Flynn said.

The Bear Fire began Aug. 11 south of Shasta Lake and spread to more than 10,000 acres, destroying 80 homes, 30 outbuildings and 10 vehicles before it was contained five days later.

Prosecutors say the fire started when Rupp's lawnmower struck a rock in dry grass.

If convicted on all counts, Rupp could face up to six years in prison and be responsible for the cost of the fire, Flynn said.

Expect a busy Labor Day travel weekend

RENO - Hundreds of thousands of Nevadans are expected to hit the highways during the upcoming Labor Day weekend, AAA Nevada said Monday.

The automobile association estimates nearly 287,000 Nevadans will travel 50 miles or more over the three-day holiday weekend, a 2.2 percent increase over last year.

About 78 percent of those, roughly 235,000 people, will travel by car, representing a 2 percent increase over 2003, AAA said.

"For many people, Labor Day is really the last chance to get out of town and relax a little before summer's end, "said AAA spokesman Michael Geeser. "They're not letting the high price of gas stop them.".

More than 51,000 Nevadans are expected to travel by air, while about 15,000 will travel by train, bus or other mode of transportation, AAA said.

- Associated Press