Print edition for February 6, 1997

Assemblyman: Abolish Board of Education: CARSON CITY -- The chairman of the Assembly Education Committee wants to abolish the state Board of Education, saying it has failed to take the lead in improving the public schools, which are rated mediocre.

Imperial Traditions in Red China: Kevin Platt; Every year during the New Year Festival ancient Chinese traditions and beliefs undergo a phoenix-like rebirth.

LPBT Terre Haute Open: 1, Carol Norman, Oklahoma City, Okla., 23-9-0, 11,127. 2, Marianne DiRupo, Succasunna, N.J., 17-13-2, 10,781. 3, Cindy Coburn-Carroll, Buffalo, N.Y., 18-14-0, 10,678. 4, Dede Davidson, Clearwater, Fla., 20-12-0, 10,674. 5, Lisa Bishop, Belleville, Mich., 18-13-1, 10,638.

PBA Tucson Open: 1, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 2,733. 2, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,713. 3, Steve Hoskins, Tarpon Springs, Fla., 2,712. 4, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 2,701. 5, Mike Edwards, Oklahoma City, 2,700. 6, Ryan Shafer, Elmira, N.Y., 2,679.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Wayne Newton's busy week in LV: Joe Delaney; Leno is taping his "Tonight Show" through Friday. ... Chicago Bulls' bad boy Dennis Rodman is a scheduled Thursday guest, and Chevy Chase plugs the film on Friday's show. ... As we understand it, tickets are only available through local radio-station promotions.

Columnist Bob Shemeligian: Hey, this guy looks familiar: Bob Shemeligian; On Sunday night, I lost all my money in a poker game to a group of players who had "666" tattooed on their foreheads.

Sports Briefs: LV radio; Raiders want Jeff George: Sports Briefs: LV radio; Raiders want Jeff George

Campaign reform hotly debated at Senate committee hearing: "During this session, a lot has been said about raising the standards and increasing accountability in welfare and education," Secretary of State Dean Heller told the committee. "We need to do the same in campaign spending."

Suddenly, Africa's Conflicts Aren't So Local: Judith Matloff; A new pattern of cross-border meddling, also present in Sudan's civil war next door, seems to be replacing the old days when colonial powers or superpowers stepped in when they felt their proxies were in trouble.

Paroled murderer guilty in Sun City killing: Bill Gang; Sherman, who was on parole for a murder he had committed in Idaho, took a giant step in that direction Wednesday when he was convicted by a Las Vegas jury of the Sun City slaying.

Austrian Open: Singles

REBEL BASEBALL THIS WEEKEND FAST FACTS: * WHEN: Friday at 3:05 p.m., Saturday at 1:05 p.m., Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

Classroom-size reduction plan called unrealistic: Teresa Hinds; After a lengthy discussion at a special meeting on legislative matters, the School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to revise its legislative platform on class-size reduction and ask for "flexibility" concerning Gov. Bob Miller's $18.1 million plan should it be passed by the Legislature.

Senate committee passes stricter rules for parolees: Under the bill, anyone found to be using a controlled substance, or refusing to submit to the test, faces revocation of parole.

Ralph Siraco's Selections For Santa Anita: Selections made for clear racing conditions before scratches.

Top prep recruits: 1, Randy Fasani, qb, 6-3, 215, Del Oro HS, Loomis, Calif.; Stanford

Mine pumping plans worry residents: The proposal has drawn critics, including irrigation districts, environmentalists and the mine's closest neighbor, the 255,000-acre Ladder Ranch owned by media mogul Ted Turner.

Where I Stand: Responsible Americans should listen to Clinton's word: Of course, no one has asked me what I think about where our country is and in which direction we are heading as we enter the eve of a brand new millennium. We have, however, asked President Clinton to ... no, we have demanded by constitutional directive that he ... address the nation to inform the citizenry of the state of our union.

Columnist Jeff German: Frontier spying allegations catch Washington's eye: "This could be damaging to the gaming industry and Nevada if it hasn't already caused damage," said Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Rodeo Money Leaders: ALL-AROUND

Support for black history month urged: Noting the hardships blacks have faced and continue to face, Neal said such recognition is necessary to promote harmony and discourage racial violence from flaring again.

Neal says race war could be nearing: Neal also said the reaction to the O.J. Simpson trials - with blacks liking Simpson's acquittal on criminal charges and whites liking the civil verdict against him - demonstrates the huge racial split in America.

Sports History for Feb. 6: 1967 - Muhammad Ali defends his world heavyweight title with a 15-round decision over Ernie Terrell in the Houston Astrodome.

They've come a long way: James Yodice; The same argument, when applied to the state of girls' basketball in Clark County, yields an entirely different reaction -- one of relief.

Where there's smoke: Bill Gang; Some metal chimney segments separated, letting searing heat char timbers and melt foam insulation inside walls. Fire breaks between floors that would have prevented the spread of a blaze had never been installed.

Fire department official disputes hazing rumors: Cathy Scott; "There are a lot of allegations out there that we are investigating," he said. "A lot of them are going to turn out to be false. Hopefully, all of them will turn out to be false."

County worker quits after job on boss's house: Jeff Schweers; Richard Schotmuller resigned Tuesday, officials said, after agreeing to pay the county back for the $168 compressor he installed last June at the home of General Services Director Earl Hawkes.

McCall has calling: Dean Juipe; Instead, the Oliver McCall who's in Las Vegas preparing for Friday's World Boxing Council heavyweight title fight with Lennox Lewis is presenting himself as a God-fearing disciple on a mission.

Hammargren seeks larger budget to promote Nevada: Hammargren told the Assembly Ways and Means Committee Wednesday that he needs more money in his budget for travel, to host visiting dignitaries and to hire another person to his staff of four.

Campaign finance laws on verge of big changes: Larry Henry; The Senate Government Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas, heard testimony Wednesday on legislation to stop contributors from funneling large amounts of hidden money to candidates.

States Raise the Legal Bar On Drivers Who Drink: Neal Thompson; More states are showing their intolerance for those who drink and drive by lowering the legal blood-alcohol limit from 0.1 to 0.08. New Jersey, which recently introduced such a bill, is hoping to put itself in a league with 14 other states - from California to Massachusetts - which already have laws on the books.

NBA Rookie Game Participants: EAST

NBA Long-Distance Shootout Roster: Dale Ellis, Denver

Legislature schedule for Thursday, Feb. 6: 8 a.m. - Senate Finance budget hearings on attorney general, state printing office, Administrative Services.

Say Clark County program lost record $1.2 million: The $1.2 million represents the deficit from July 1995 through June 1996, but the high school programs lost another $400,000 between June and December 1996.

Fallen ex-Spartan hon nored at Cimarron: James Yodice; Emotions were running high last Friday night as Cimarron-Memorial retired the jersey of former boys' basketball standout Rodrick McClure.

UNLV professor puts heart, soul and a big twist into no-budget movie: Scott Dickensheets; "Lady's Man," a new short movie by UNLV film studies Professor Dale Melgaard, builds to a mild O. Henryish twist followed by a second twist of considerably more torque, and to say more than that would be to pull the rug out from under a year's worth of hardscrabble filmmaking by Melgaard and his freebie crew, and I just can't do it.

College baseball scores: Barry 8, Nova Southeastern 6

County loses fight over fund-raisers: Steve Sebelius; The high court ruled unanimously Jan. 30 that it would not overturn a District Court judge's ruling that dismissed charges against Ed Uehling for allegedly running a business without a license while campaigning for sheriff in 1994.

Golf Glance, Feb. 6 through Feb. 9: PGA TOUR

Thunder releases Gretzky: Tim Graham; When Brent Gretzky departed the Thomas & Mack Center Wednesday, he was clueless to the reality. He had no idea he had practiced with the Las Vegas Thunder for the final time.

Women's Alpine Ski Championships: 2. Lara Magoni, Italy, 1:45.15 (53.08-52.07).

City Council news briefs: * MANIC MONDAYS -- Instead of waiting until midweek, the City Council will begin meeting on the second and fourth Monday of each month, starting Feb. 24. The meeting date was changed because it conflicted with county planning and zoning sessions on Wednesday afternoons, said Councilman Michael McDonald, who sponsored the change. The council meets at 9 a.m. to deal with administrative matters and 2 p.m. to make land-use decisions.

LADY REBELS FAST FACTS: * WHEN: 7 p.m.

Top recruiting classes: The Recruiting Class of 1997

Troubled Gabe Ruelas climbing mountain again: Dean Juipe; Then there was the virtual death-in-the-ring of an opponent, Jimmy Garcia.

UNLV baseball team to take on Huskies: The Rebels, coming off three losses to No. 2-ranked UCLA to open the season, will resume their 21-game homestand on Friday with a three-game series against 24th-ranked Washington at Wilson Stadium.

Militia Movement Ideas Seep Into the Mainstream: Brad Knickerbocker; Bombings. Bank robberies. Plots to destroy government property. Illegal weapons stashed away. In recent months a series of criminal activities has been connected to armed militias around the country.

Rural Nevadans convene for state summit: "Our purpose in Fallon was to cast a wide net over different kinds of sectors and define some key issues," said Sarah Mersereau, state director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's rural devlopment program.

Phone eavesdropping not problem in LV: Not true, say marketing officials with the two primary wireless communications providers in Southern Nevada, 360/degrees Communication and AT&T Wireless Services.

Rebels need strong finish: Steve Carp; But the second half of Western Athletic Conference play is going to have to be better if UNLV (13-6, 5-3 WAC) hopes to get back to the NCAA Tournament. Or any postseason tourney.

State, federal money may be hard to find to lower tracks in Reno: Railroad President Jerry Davis said on Tuesday the railroad is willing to contribute $35 million toward the venture, but city, state and federal governments would have to help come up with the rest.

I-80 crashes claim 3 lives: Two were blamed on icy conditions and excessive speeds.

Police searching for Henderson robber: The 22-year-old victim told Henderson Police that he was inside his Pueblo Verde apartment at 2887 N. Green Valley Parkway shortly after noon Wednesday when the robber knocked on his door and asked for change for a $20 bill.

Stagnant enrollment forces CCSN to cancel courses: Debra D. Bass; The college has been forced to cancel numerous sections of courses in nearly every department because of lower-than-expected enrollment, and more sections likely will close by the end of a late registration period, which extends until next week. No students are being displaced.

Administration vows to veto temporary dump plan: Energy Department Undersecretary Thomas Grumbly, who oversees the department's radioactive waste management programs, delivered the veto threat at a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

State, Pac-10 corr ral local talent: James Yodice; Arizona State corralled two Las Vegans, outside linebacker Eric Fields from state champion Western and running back Robert Thomas from Bonanza.

State law proposed to limit slot machines: Steve Sebelius; On Wednesday, council members took a step toward eliminating that uncertainty, voting to submit a bill to the state Legislature that would cap such casinos at the number of slot machines they have now.

NBA Coaching Changes: Denver - Bernie Bickerstaff, Dick Motta.

Hotel executive Binion told his life may be in danger: Metro Police homicide detectives investigating the murder of underworld figure Herbie Blitzstein have informed suspended Horseshoe Club executive Ted Binion that his life may be in danger.

Angry Sun City residents told nursing home is out: Art Nadler; More than 700 angry residents packed their homeowners association chambers Wednesday night to protest.

Holiday Bowl in jeopardy: "It's really a shame," City Manager Jack McGrory said. "If this happens, it will be very hard for them to get going again and I can understand that. At this point, though, the Holiday Bowl is in the same boat out there as everybody else."

NYC Probation Officers To Get High-Tech Helper: Isabelle de Pommereau; It's not quite automated criminal justice - but it's close.

Repairs to damaged road completed well ahead of schedule: The $725,867 contract executed with the Nevada Department of Transportation on Jan. 14 called for traffic to be moving by Feb. 15. It threw in an extra $5,000 for each day before the 15th the highway is open.

Shalmy Resigns After 12 Years As Clark County Manager: The county manager hinted differences with the new seven-member Clark County Commission played a role in his decision to step down.

Metro holds discussion on citizen review boards: Deputy Chief Kyle Edwards talked to about 45 people at Tuesday night's meeting at the southwest area command substation about Metro's citizen review boards.

Letter: Property tax listing a waste of public money: Does the Legislature ever require that the cost of such waste be published so the taxpayers receiving this trash know what it costs them?

Inmate who chided prison director awarded $4,000: In the letter, Tragale said then prison director Ron Angelone "couldn't buy a loaf of bread and find his way home before it got stale."

Jennings pleads not guilty in postal shooting death: District Judge Kathy Hardcastle on Tuesday set a July 28 trial date for 41-year-old Charles Jennings on the murder charges in the death of Jim Brown, 59.

Extra money allocated to complete building: Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick, R-Minden, said problems with the weather and the initial contractor were responsible for part of the overrun. He said the fault cannot be pinned to the legislators who oversaw the project.

Lion cubs get royal treatment on Tonight Show: The four are rare white lion cubs, now three weeks old, who are the latest addition to a growing menagerie of rare white lions and tigers being raised by illusionists Siegfried and Roy.

City Council approved spending: * $95,000 to Thatcher Chemical in a 90-day contract extension to provide soda ash for the water pollution control facility. The contract will end in May.

Attorney general's budget gets a good reception from money panel: The bulk of that expense goes to litigation costs, Del Papa said. Since 1993, her office has seen a 28 percent increase in cases to a total of 6,360 cases pending in 1995-96. In the last biennium, the office won judgments totalling $64 million for the state.

Updated report says Tahoe County proposal still feasible: He said the latest report indicates the plan looks even more promising than earlier indicated.

Letter: SUN custody article was unfair to family: This law that allowed me to receive guardianship of my grandchild may not be ideal for all the cases brought forth, but for myself I am grateful it exists. Every story has two sides and the black side of VanDormolen's story is what Judge Gaston heard and took into consideration when granting my wife and I guardianship of our grandson.

NBA All-Star Schedule: Thursday, Feb. 6

Assembly unanimously approves renovation funds: Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, was referring to a looming debate on whether the state should help fund public school construction. The state has never allocated school construction funds before.

Ron Kantowski: Will recruits play as good as they look?: It's a curious practice, really, given this year's recruiting class looks an awful lot like last year's. Change the hometown, add an inch here or subtract a few pounds there, and there isn't much to distinguish the names on this year's list from the names on last year's list. Likewise, the rhetoric from the head coach seldom fluctuates.

League calls Pioneer logging plan excessive: "Firemen at Lake Valley are very, very concerned if they have to go in there and try to defend houses and attempt to fight a fire," said Dick Thomas, chairman of the Lake Valley Fire Protection District's governing board. "If anything gets going, it will be a matchbox."

Lady Rebels can still make league tourney: With seven Western Athletic Conference games remaining, UNLV still is in the hunt for the sixth and final Pacific Division berth in the postseason conference tournament.

Firefighters say tradition spans more than two decades: Las Vegas Metro Police officers are investigating claims that over the weekend at least two newly hired firefighters were hazed. According to sources within the fire department, one was restrained and smeared with peanut butter and ranch dressing and the testicles of another were spray-painted.

Letter: Health care needs more staff, not more hospitals: As a result of Columbia Sunrise administration's constant cost cutting, patients like Larry Marks, who was highlighted in the article, must wait for long periods of time before they are evaluated and treated by hospital staff. For Mr. Marks, and many of our patients, their hospital stay is less of a restful, healing experience, but a tense and stressful time when they rarely see a nurse because there are not enough of us to go around.

95 widening plans available for review: The information is on display at the city of Las Vegas Northwest Neighborhood Services Center at 7551 Sauer Drive, one block south of Buffalo Drive and Cheyenne Avenue, and at the reference desk of the West Charleston Library at 6301 W. Charleston Blvd.

Legislature summary: SENATE

BLM tries bidding process in wild-horse adoptions: The BLM had charged a base fee of $125 for horses and $75 for burros.

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