Print edition for September 12, 1996

Long idle, 2 free agents are up against the odds: Tim Graham; Taking a glance at the Las Vegas Thunder's training camp roster, two new players jump out. They're different than the other 33 players listed not because of what they have, but rather what they do not.

Rap exec mum about shooting: Cathy Scott; "We were hoping he would tell us who shot him," homicide Sgt. Kevin Manning said. "He didn't give us anything beneficial. I would consider him telling us who shot him beneficial. Nothing he said helped us (in the investigation)."

Prowler may be serial rapist of eastern LV: The east valley's serial rapist may have surfaced again.

'TQM' author: Get productivity going: Alison Calkins; Who's in charge?

WAC Standings: Pacific Division

No easy ride for Rebels: Steve Carp; Wednesday, the word came down from Kansas that the Rebels, who are 0-2 after lopsided losses to No. 2 Tennessee and Air Force, are playing the nation's 25th most difficult slate in Division I-A. That's a decided step up from last year's ranking of 105th, third-easiest in the country.

Lillian Meegan given 18 years: Bill Gang; Lillian and James Meegan managed to keep the death a secret for five years but police were tipped off earlier this year. James Meegan was convicted last month of first-degree murder and faces the death sentence after next week's penalty hearing.

Workers appeal Area 51 ruling: By Mary Manning; The requests were filed Tuesday and Wednesday through their attorneys, George Washington University Professor Jonathan Turley and co-counsel Joan Manley.

Cancer knocks Churchill candidate from race: "He's doing quite well and getting stronger every day, but he still has a long road ahead of him as far as recovery," she said.

Zen center to dedicate new facility: The new Zen center is part of the international Kwan Um School of Zen, founded by Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn. The school has affiliated centers in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.

Sport Briefs: Internationals get top golfers: When the idea first popped up in 1994, it seemed like it would be a close contest and that the International team might be the stronger of the two.

The big cheese on Wisconsin defense: Steve Carp; Instead, he parlayed that tackle as a freshman into a starting linebacker role, and is an all-Big Ten performer and the Badgers' leading tackler.

Racing rivals will tangle in billiards: When Buzz Calkins and Tony Stewart sat down for the postrace news conference following their exciting duel at the IRL inagural Indy 200 at Walt Disney World this past January, the first thing they learned was what each other looked like.

Enterprise zone gets backing of leaders: Steve Sebelius; Then local government leaders have good news for you: The time is now.

College schedules: Aug. 31 -- 45 San Jose St. 0

NFL Notes: Raiders give ball to Hoss: The Raiders have always played up Jeff Hostetler's importance to the team. Little did they realize just how important he would turn out to be.

This Week's Match ups: * The matchup: Both teams look to rebound from disappointing efforts a week ago. Cheyenne was thumped 38-6 by Mountain View of Orem, Utah. It was the first regular-season loss for the Desert Shields in two years. Silverado, meanwhile, was blanked at home by Highland of Palmdale, Calif. Despite the setback, Cheyenne remains one of the Sunset Division's elite teams, and the sting of the loss should have the Desert Shields primed -- particularly at home. For the Skyhawks to pull off the upset, they must be able to control the football via the running game (tailback Roderick Gibson was ...

Mob associate gets 18 months in prison: Tanfield, 37, was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in prison for his role in the scheme. He was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Edith Brown Clement to pay $25,000 in restitution to a New Jersey investor. He got another three years of probation after his release.

Lawmakers fuel fire-fighting funds by $3 mil.: Morros also told the IFC Wednesday that many more bills will come in before the worst Nevada fire season in decades comes to an end.

This Date In Baseball: 1912 -- Joe Wood of the Boston Red Sox pitched his 16th consecutive victory to tie Walter Johnson's record as he beat the St. Louis Browns 2-1.

Shedding light on Sunrise: Bob Cloud; The Wildcats, 1-1 and ranked eighth in the state, host the second-ranked Gators (2-0) in a 7 p.m. contest. Las Vegas enters the game off a last-second win at Bonanza last week, while Green Valley disposed of California power Long Beach Poly to remain unbeaten.

Speedway traffic plan mapped out: Pauline Bell; Officials expect between 30,000 and 40,000 people and about 15,000 private vehicles for the Las Vegas 500K race. They say the low traffic volume will give them a chance to gauge where future problems could occur. Yet, they are cautiously optimistic the first race will go off without a hitch.

Downtown on the rebound: Carried by Clark County, resorts statewide reported $641.4 million in winnings, up 5.5 percent from July 1995, the State Gaming Control Board said today.

Record earnings help to further slash SIIS debt: The long-term debt, which had reached $2 billion four years ago, has been shaved to $1.35 billion, says the firm of KPMG, which prepared the annual financial statement for SIIS.

Skies will be filled over speedway: Pauline Bell; While the race cars are expected to stay close to the ground, speedway activities will generate a fair amount of air traffic. And the track is next door to Nellis Air Force Base, which controls the skies over the speedway.

Temporary nuke storage bill appears dead: A House-Senate panel agreed to provide $382 million in 1997 to continue to study whether the mountain can safely store nuclear fuel rods for thousands of years. A report is expected by 1998.

Delay in school English standards criticized: Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said he was tired of "foot dragging" by state educational officials. "Somebody has to take this by the horns and get it moving," he said.

BC will conduct tobacco stings: Every state is required to conduct random inspections as a condition to receiving federal grants. So far, 2,700 businesses have been inspected in Nevada.

Assemblywoman knocks women's prison location: CARSON CITY -- A contract is near completion to build a private major women's prison in North Las Vegas, but a state legislator warns there is "great danger" from fire and toxic materials surrounding the site.

Clean air group upset with fines: The Clean Air Alliance of Nevada examined the 22-item consent agenda under consideration by the Air Pollution Control Hearing Board today and discovered that proposed fines fell 10 to 90 percent below the enforcement officer's recommendations.

Editorial: LV traffic rates carload of tickets: Metro Police have announced they will target the 15 worst intersections in the city to bring order to what is loosely called traffic flow. At times, traffic resembles some sort of bumper-car game where the most careless driver wins.

Sheriff asks voters to OK measure to add more cops: Cathy Scott; Voters on Nov. 5 will decide whether to approve the ballot question that would increase property taxes annually on a $100,000 home in the city by $70 and in the county by $55, or about $6 per month in the city and $5 per month in the county. The measure also calls for 200 more patrol cars for Metro Police.

Chinese gamblers stay in jail on cheating charge: Rachael Levy; Chi Pang Lee, 41, and Chun "John" Lok, 40, remain in the Clark County Detention Center since their arrests Aug. 16. They will be jailed during trial preparation, which is expected to stretch into next year.

Paula's perspective: David Renzi; Blame the idiot (see byline above) for the fumbling start with Paula Poundstone, who fielded two extremely idiotic questions ("What's going on?" and "Still smoking cigars?") with two appropriate answers ("Well, nothing" and "No, thank goodness. Not at this time").

Witness describes McKenna's reign of terror: Bill Gang; "Were you afraid at that time?" Deputy District Attorney Dan Seaton asked him on the first day of testimony in McKenna's third penalty hearing for a murder behind bars a year before.

Columnist Bob Shemeligian: Some decades, you just can't keep pocket pets in stock: Bob Shemeligian; A few years later, the Captain and Tennille made the song into a hit; they even sang it before a rather confused Queen Elizabeth II.

Thursday at: 1st race 6 fur 3YO&up F&M Mdn Clm

Nothing explosive about TNT games: Keep the Vivarin nearby. I think I'd rather watch the 49ers -- and this is their bye week. So much for the advancement of cable television.

'A sham,' Foreman says of Tyson-Seldon debacle: Dean Juipe; George Foreman was wound up and committed to a verbal assault.

Where I Stand: Libraries are banquets of knowledge, wonderment: WHILE WE CAN'T always travel to exciting places, we can immerse ourselves in wonderful books and magazines that allow us to mentally remove ourselves from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

SOUTHERN AAAA: SUNSET DIVISION

Kids relate to this racer: By Ron Kantowski; Wattles showed the students how to strap into the cockpit of the No. 30 Spirit of San Antonio/McCormack Motorsports Lola-Ford he will drive in Sunday's inaugural Las Vegas 500K. He showed them how to adjust the anti-roll bars and dial up the boost. He let them run their hands over his Nomex driving suit. He let them try on his helmet and flip down the visor.

Columnist Jeff German: Demo boss says Clinton coattails to help party regain House: The president's popularity also could catapult Democratic candidates into office in two hotly contested Nevada congressional races, Fowler said Wednesday in Las Vegas.

Funding loopholes bolster candidates: Jeff Schweers; But those words have left two candidates steamed at each other in the County Commission race being waged in northwest Las Vegas.

Bookmaker's murder probe zooms in on partners: Bob Shemeligian; Amy DeChant, 48, who was living with the 46-year-old Weinstein when he disappeared July 5 from his southwest Las Vegas home, was arrested three weeks later in Bel Air, Md., after police found more than $100,000 in cash, false birth certificates and wigs in her car.

Columnist: Former coach still cares about Rebels: But make no mistake about it: Brian White thought long and hard before leaving UNLV to become an assistant coach at Wisconsin.

McCarran gearing for extra-busy weekend: However, airport and tourism industry officials say those visitors won't greatly increase the usual hectic Las Vegas weekend crowd.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Mexico's big day now a weekend: Joe Delaney; Vikki Carr will appear in the Tropicana Tiffany Theatre, Friday and Saturday evening; Ana Gabriel will perform Saturday in the MGM Grand Garden, and Lucero will give Saturday and Sunday performances in the Sheraton Desert Inn Crystal Room.

New Eagle Scouts: Tyson Leavitt, 15, previously held the Scouting office of senior patrol leader. The Basic High School senior is a member of the soccer and volleyball teams.

Control Board OKs shelf registrations: The action allows the companies to sell stock or bonds if they need financing during a specified period without returning to the board each time. The only specifically scheduled sale involves Boyd Gaming.

Kids of carriers receive grants: Holly Taylor, 18, graduated from Vo-Tech Tech High School. She is attending Victor Valley College in California as a freshman and is majoring in business administration.

Southern AAAA Football Schedules: Basic (0-2)

Senator raps decision to drop LV train: Kate Lowenhar; The senator said the route could become highly profitable and help the railroad survive in an era of federal budget cuts.

High court sticks with drug ruling: The court, without comment, Tuesday rejected the petition by Cynthia Holmes, who was fired from her job as a slot hostess at the San Remo hotel-casino after her hair test in 1993 turned up positive.

Bomb explodes in school toilet: Investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration, school police and Las Vegas Fire Department Bomb Squad were interviewing students today.

Retired Public Works boss Monahan dies: He died Tuesday in his Henderson home after a long illness.

Boxing a family tradition: Dean Juipe; One is 32 and about ready to retire as a fighter.

Student-body presidents dealing with heavy issues this year: Lisa Sciortino; They're policy makers, goodwill ambassadors and cheerleaders all rolled into one.

New Belz stores chiming in: Pauline Bell; Mall II is scheduled for a soft opening on Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. with grand opening ceremonies in October, said Andrew Groveman, president of Belz Factory Outlet Division. The expansion is located south of the existing mall and connects to it.

Las Vegas 500K schedule: * SATURDAY: 8-8:25 a.m.: Formula Mazda practice. 8:30-8:55: Shelby Pro Series practice. 9-9:25: Formula Ford 2000 practice. 9:30-11: IRL PRACTICE. 11:05-12:05 p.m.: Formula Ford 2000 last chance race. 12:15-1:40: IRL QUALIFYING. 1:45-2:05: Legends Car pro-celebrity practice. 2:10-2:30: Legends Car amateur practice. 2-3: IRL DRIVERS AUTOGRAPH SESSION. 2:35-3:35: Shelby Pro Series feature race (34 laps). 3:40-4:40: Formula Mazda Series feature race (34 laps). 4:45-5:15: IRL FINAL PRACTICE. 5:20-6:20: Legends Cars Amateur Celebrity Race (12 laps).

More fires burning in N. Nevada: The largest, the Frenchie Fire in northern Crescent Valley, was being battled by state and federal crews assisted by volunteer agencies, according to spokeswoman Erin O'Connor in Elko. It was 80 percent contained with full containment expected by this evening. The fire is southeast of Battle Mountain.

Solis walks off with crown: Ralph Siraco; Jockeys Alex Solis and Pat Valenzuela were tied with 42 wins apiece going into the 43rd and final day of the 57th Del Mar meeting Wednesday. Solis had 10 chances to break the deadlock, while Valenzuela was limited to just six rides on the final card. Corey Nakatani, who required a stay from suspension to ride closing day, was trying to get a save after leading for most of the meet but, sidelined by the suspension, lost the lead on Saturday. Nakatani was sitting on 40 wins and had just five chances to regain the title on the last day.