Elko Daily Free Press from Elko, Nevada • 1

Monday Low; 49 High: 96 Baily Frf ,11, -S Local News Leon Menke wins gold medal in Elko Senior Games See page A9 Northern Nevada's News Source Since 1883 Weather, page A5 Elko, Nevada July 1,2002 www.elkodaily.com VoM19No. 153 50 cents Sunny, breezy in Arizona blaze charged BIA firefighter return home during the weekend were stunned Sunday by news of the arrest. "For anyone to do that intentionally, I just don't have the words to describe what we should do him," said Genharo Aveta, who spent a week living in a hotel after fleeing Pinetop-Lakeside. Officials of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, of which Gregg is a member, said the fire ravaged tribal land and hurt their economy, which depends on timber and tourists who come to gamble and hunt. "I don't understand how such catastrophic devastation can happen and I cannot even begin to understand how it could begin with one individual," said Judy DeHose, a spokeswoman for the tribal council.

charged in June with setting Colorado's largest-ever wildfire. That fire, about 40 miles southwest of Denver in the Pike National Forest, has burned about 137,760 acres and was 90 percent contained Sunday. About 25,000 evacuees were back home today but 3,500 to 4,000 others were still being kept away because of the fire danger. Barton has pleaded innocent to the federal charges. Authorities said Gregg, who made $8 per hour fighting fires for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, was among the first people called to fight the Arizona blaze.

This fire was started with a profit motive behind it," U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton said. At a hearing in Flagstaff federal court Sunday, a tired-looking Gregg said: "I'm sorry for what I did." U.S. Magistrate Stephen Verkamp cut him off, saying he shouldn't make any admission of guilt at the hearing. Gregg was arrested Saturday in connection with two fires set June 18 near the Fort Apache Indian Reservation town of Cibecue.

One fire was put out, but the other exploded up steep terrain and quickly spread, threatening the town of Show Low and overrunning two smaller communities. The wildfire merged with another, started by a lost hiker signaling a helicopter, and became the largest in Arizona history. By Sunday, the combined blaze had destroyed at least 423 homes. It was about 45 percent contained by fire lines near Show Low but continued to burn out of control to the west. Residents who were just allowed to SHOW LOW, Ariz.

(AP) A part-time firefighter spurred by the desire for steady summer income allegedly used matches to ignite a blaze that has evolved into the largest wildfire in Arizona history. Leonard Gregg, 29, was charged Sunday with starting one of the two wildfires that merged into a monstrous blaze in eastern Arizona that has consumed at least 423 homes. Gregg worked under contract as a firefighter for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and allegedly told an investigator he set' grass ablaze so he could earnSnoney as part of a fire crew. Gregg, who pleaded innocent to the federal charges, is the second person employed to fight wildfires who is accused of setting blazes during one' of the country's most destructive fire seasons. Terry Barton, a former U.S.

Forest Service employee, was AP PhotoArizona Daily Sun, Jill Torrance Leonard Gregg is led into federal court in Flagstaff, Sunday. See BIA FIREFIGHTER, A2 Mariachi Mania fi-'SfSfti Elko cowboy wins Reno Rodeo event lpt 310 AJL i iL 1 i Ross AndresonEIko Daily Free Press By STEVE RAMOS Daily Free Press Staff Writer ELKO An Elko cowboy entered the Reno Rodeo this past weekend with a 23rd world standing in bareback, but he left Sunday with the championship title, $8,668 in winnings and the prestigious silver spurs awarded to each Reno Rodeo champion. Paul Jones, 23, is the first Nevadan to win the bareback title in 15 years, riding Big Bend Rodeo Company's 2 Spot for 85 points and enter taining a capacity crowd of 8,200 at the Reno Livestock Events Center Rodeo Arena. Jones had entered the championship go-round, which will be televised on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. July 7, sitting in fourth place in the average with 159 points on two broncs.

His 85 gave him a 244, two points better than rookie Will Lowe, who had the high score of the go-tyund with an 87. -Jones watched as the cow-toys ahead of him, Jared LaVergne, Robert Bowers Chad Klein, all failed to mark high enough scores to bamp him out of the lead, "I couldn't have asked for jaftything better," he told the Kfno Gazette-Journal. "I drew so good. I knew it wild be up to me because I knew the horses would do their part." yones is the son of Belma Dover of Spring Creek and Tissue Jones of Elko. He and Hi wife, Becky, live on the Heuy Ranch owned by his Musical performances draw large crowd Sol De Mexico, a mariachi group, performed before an estimated crowd of 1,200 Saturday night at the Red Lion Hotel and Casino.

Other performers included Reyna de Los Angeles, an all-women mariachi group. Basque Festival adds bicycle race Dave Jennings photo Paul Jones is pictured in a 2000 ride in Wyoming. aunt and uncle, Mitch and Rhonda Heguy. "We couldn't go to the rodeo because we had commitments here on the ranch," Rhonda Heguy said, "but other family members were there." Heguy said she was watching the Internet Sunday afternoon to keep up with the Reno standings, and she thought the bareback competition would be over by 1:30. "I checked about that time and saw he had won.

It's just awesome because he's had the goal of making it to the NFR for some time." Jones' Reno win should propel him into the top 15, giving him a strong shot of a slot in the National Finals Rodeo. Heguy said Jones is on his way to compete in Arkansas and will return to Elko later this month. By ADELLA HARDING Daily Free Press Staff Writer Hotel and ends up in front of the Nevada Dinner House. "This is so authentic. If you go to the Basque country, you would see the same kind of bulls," Alberdi said.

"They are very mean." She also said they are big bulls. The bike races are sanctioned by the U.S. Cycling Federation for both amateurs and professionals, and the purse totals $5,500 for the event, which Laughlin described as "a road race like the Tour de France." should attract a good crowd at 7 p.m. Friday, said Anna Alberdi, who is coordinating the event. "It's one of the most exciting things to see.

Everywhere I go people say they will sign up. From what I hear there should be a lot of runners," she said this morning, adding that 2,000 to 3,000 people watched the runs last year. She 6aid there will be eight to 10 Mexican fighting bulls this year for the brave-hearted to run from during the third annual event that starts at 7 p.m. in front of Stockmen's Casino and ELKO Bicyclists will be pedaling laps around Elko City Park on the Fourth of July in the National Basque Festival's first Bike Criterium, and Elko Basque Club President Catalina Laughlin is optimistic the added attraction will bring more people to Elko. "I think it will be a good year.

With the new event, it can't help but draw more people," she said. The Running From the Bulls also See BASQUE, A2 HHfr- fisitors enjoy arts, crafts fair in J-amoille v1 U.S. attack follows gunfire from wedding BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) U.S. aircraft attacked a village today while a wedding was under way, killing and injuring scores, witnesses and officials said. U.S.

officials said an AC-130 gunship and a B-52 launched an attack after American forces came under fire. Reports of the incident were conflicting. A communications chief of Uruzgan province said Afghans were firing weapons in the area during the wedding as is common in rural Afghanistan. He said U.S. planes attacked, killing about 40 people and injuring 70.

rfLAMOILLE Hundreds offerts and crafts lovers visited the Lamoille Country fair Sunday. John and Loretta Arnold of Jerome, Idaho, said they have had a booth at the fair foe a number of years. "Last year was our very best year, bBt they've always been gdod Loretta Arnold said. -The annual event was sponsored by the Lamoille Women's Club, which uses tb8 proceeds for projects that benefit Lamoille. Club member Jeanne Caudle said 1KB Sunday afternoon at the club's lemonade booth that the fair had been "steadily Easy all day." 4 4 V) ri Adea HnnEl(0 Diy Fim PrmM Adea HanrVEo Day fn Press Bin, Barbara (center) and Ashley Skinner of Elko look over the puppets at the Nadine Dib of Elko looks over the display in the booth for Arnolds' Foam Critters at the Lamoille Country Fair Sunday.

WJtow Dawn Crafts of Sahdy, Utah, booth. See ATTACK, A3.