Las Vegas business news

Thursday, June 26, 1997 | 11:48 a.m.

Local

* CHAMBER EXCEEDS GOAL -- The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce has a lot to celebrate: more than $500,000 in recent contributions and a new office building to show for it. The chamber's new headquarters, located at 3720 Howard Hughes Parkway, was funded through the efforts of 250 volunteers who raised $650,000, exceeding their goal in the "On Our Way to 500K" campaign. The funds also will contribute to several other chamber projects, including stepped-up government affairs efforts, a new Business Resource Center and new programs for the membership, according to Diane Dickerson Merica, chairwoman of the chamber. To raise the funds, volunteers aggressively marketed virtually every chamber service, including memberships, advertising in chamber publications and sponsorships.

Nevada

* POWER COMPETITION APPROVED -- After collecting data from an interim study and conducting months of hearings, a Nevada Senate panel has voted for a bill to guide a transition from monopolies to open competition for utilities. The Commerce and Labor Committee decided Wednesday to tack on about 500 pages and roped in two other Assembly bills to create legislation that spells out the ground rules for all utilities participating in a deregulated market set to open in July 1999. The state's utility companies and coalitions, the Nevada Resort Association, mining companies and others who stand to profit from a free utility market attempted to sway the legislation in their favor during the hearings. But Consumer Advocate Fred Schmidt said he was pleased with the results and Public Service Commissioner Judy Sheldrew said she's "pleased that the Legislature thinks there's a place for competition in electric services."

To contact the SUN business news desk, call 259-4083 or e-mail mike@lasvegassun.com