Print edition for March 4, 1997

Where You Stand for March 4, 1997: -- Las Vegas

Killed pedestrian was jaywalking: The victim, who was carrying identification on him listing a home address in High Ridge, Mo., was about 70 feet from the nearest crosswalk when he was hit about 4:20 p.m. Monday near Hacienda Avenue, said Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Steve Harney.

Art Bell's strange universe: Scott Dickensheets; The truth is out there. But probably not with the caller who says her lover is an alien lizard. Or the Emory University professor who insists the Hale-Bopp comet is towing an alien object. Or the caller who says 100 million Americans are actually alien life-forms. That number is clearly too low.

Rise in Teen Suicides Spurs New Solutions: Alexandra Marks; At 11:45 he wrote a suicide note and then shot himself in the front seat of his cherished, 1968 Mustang. At 11:52, the Emmes drove into the garage and found him.

IGT wins patent case against Chicago rival: Brian McKay, IGT Vice President and General Counsel, on Monday said the technology is a crucial element to all modern reel-type slot machines and allows for higher odds and bigger payouts.

Iraq Survives Sanctions With 'Cowboy' Capitalism: Barbara Nimri Aziz; In the six years since his defeat in the Gulf war, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein has withstood United Nations sanctions aimed at forcing him to disarm. And despite near-total isolation, his regime is steady.

Salute to Seniors scheduled: No tickets are necessary for the free event sponsored by the Nate Mack B'nai B'rith.

Women's box score: Hawaii 67, TCU 52: Price 3-3 0-0 6, Hickman 3-13 6-6 14, Harps 0-1 0-0 0, Garcia 0-8 2-3 2, Wilson 5-16 5-5 16, Jenkins 0-1 0-0 0, Ferguson 5-13 3-3 14, Hayworth 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-56 16-17 52.

Columnist Bob Shemeligian: Ski 'resort' a little rough around edges: Bob Shemeligian; That was the consensus among my friends and co-workers before a recent trip to Lee Canyon.

Backlash Brews Against Advertising in Schools: Laurel Shaper Walters; As PTA president, Brita Butler-Wall visited her daughter's public school in Seattle hundreds of times without noticing the corporate logos on posters in the halls, the gym, and the cafeteria.

Ex-Gov. Russell's wife dies at 80: Mrs. Russell, the daughter of a prominent Nevada judge, taught school in Silver City and Ely for several years. The Yerington native married Russell in 1939.

Man enters plea bargain in sexual assaults: Bill Gang; But as his trial on those and other charges was ready to get under way Monday, the 33-year-old man, wearing a rumpled shirt and bound hand and foot in chains, chose to take a plea bargain.

No legislation to punish Clark County Commission chairwoman: Reports of an anti-Atkinson Gates bill surfaced last week, a day after Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, blasted her for not coming forward with a plan to pay for the county's infrastructure needs. But Goldwater said he wasn't the source of the proposal.

'Rural' called misleading term: During a recommending committee meeting Monday, Mayor Jan Laverty Jones said the words are especially confusing when they are applied to so-called holding zones like R-U (rural undeveloped) and NU (non-urban).

Cement art lands boy, 9, in court: Karen Zekan; Barbara Anderson, the boy's mother, said she hoped the hearing would clear up what she described as "a complete miscarriage of justice."

Efficient Entrepreneurs Powers Italy's Wealthiest Corner: Lara Santoro; A stroll through this town of some 85,000 people is all it takes to understand why the average Italian finds it such an odd place. Cobbled streets gleam as luxury sedans peel by, 500-year-old buildings look brand-spanking new, and nearly every other woman wears a fur coat. Mink, of course.

UNLV to rely on defense: Steve Carp; And with the Rebels still in a position to make something happen in this week's Western Athletic Conference Tournament, they're not looking to start now. Especially back at home in the Thomas & Mack Center, where they were an impressive 13-2.

Carlton preview pleases Knight: SANTEE, Calif. -- After watching his team struggle around the Carlton Oaks Country Club for 36 holes, UNLV head golf coach Dwaine Knight was struck with one overriding emotion: relief.

Columnist Jeff German: Del Papa denies office leaked Harris tapes to ABC News: Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa denies her office had anything to do with giving copies to ABC News reporter Brian Ross.

Casino exec remembered as dedicated, joyful: Cathy Scott; Elaine Romano, a 56-year-old hotel-casino executive, is being remembered by her family and friends as a woman who loved her work and someone they loved to work with.

County official in running for Florida position: Jeff Schweers; Ley is one of 18 applicants who made the first cut, according to the Collier County Human Resources Department. He was selected out of 60 applicants screened by a five-member citizens committee but downplayed his standing in the selection process.

Sports Briefs: Defending champ leading Iditarod: Defending champion Jeff King of Denali Park pulled ahead late Monday when he breezed through Rohn, stopping for just eight minutes and leaving at 8:57 p.m. Temperatures were well below zero, making the trail icy and fast.

Wright jumps off saddle at Wyoming: Steve Carp; Wright, who has a 53-59 record in four seasons in Laramie, will coach the Cowboys today in the opening round of the WAC Tournament against Texas Christian. Athletic director Lee Moon said a search for Wright's successor will begin immediately.

Hot-shooting BYU women jolt Wyoming: James Yodice; BYU shot 63 percent in the second half of its 70-60 upset of the Cowgirls Monday night at the Thomas & Mack Center, setting up a quarterfinal meeting with the consensus tournament favorite, Mountain Division champion Utah.

Brian Hilderbrand: Las Vegan finds success with instructional tape: When he first stumbled upon the secret behind his "Guaranteed Golf System" 10 years ago, Dalton McCrary knew he had a gold mine. Only in the past month, however, has he come to realize he hit the mother lode.

Where I Stand: WestCare offers hope to addicted, troubled youths, adults: Graduation pictures are commonplace and usually treasured mementos of happily remembered family occasions.

Longtime NLV activist Mendoza dies at 57: In the 1970s and '80s, the name Sergio Mendoza became synonymous with political campaigns in North Las Vegas.

Right-to-die measure gets heavy support at hearing: There was no opposition Monday before the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee. Chairwoman Vivian Freeman, D-Reno, said Assembly Bill 29 would be brought up for a vote soon.

Sue Brna runs for LV council: David Clayton; Sue Brna, who formed an organization in 1995 that now represents 10,000 households in the area encompassed by Decatur Boulevard and Buffalo Drive and Charleston Boulevard and Washington Avenue, will challenge Councilman Arnie Adamsen in Ward 2.

Early exit for Saint-Jean?: Steve Carp; Is tonight Olivier Saint-Jean's collegiate swan song?

Former first lady Russell dies at 80: Russell, the widow of former Gov. Charles Russell, had been ill in recent months and died at a care center.

Arafat Looks for US Support in Peace Process: Jonathan S. Landay; In "emotional" discussions in Washington, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat made it clear to President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright that he expects the US to take steps to "stop what has been attempted" by the Israelis in East Jerusalem.

A Taxing Fight Over How to Save Family Farms: Lawrence J. Goodrich; But Mr. Thigpen's children will probably not get the farm: After they inherit it, they expect to sell it simply to pay estate taxes.

Yankees to get $95 million over 10 years from adidas: The sponsorship deal announced Monday is said to be worth about $95 million for 10 years, giving adidas the right to put its name and logo all over Yankee Stadium.

Letter: Why did the AFL-CIO stall in supporting Frontier strike: I'm certain the strikers at the Frontier must welcome the mother of all unions' declaration of war on the Frontier. Yet, more than asking the AFL-CIO where it's been, it is asking our community where have we been? The Frontier labor strike is more than a labor-management debacle, it is America's longest running conflict between wage-earner and wage-payer on our front doorstep. That is a tragic commentary on our community.

Hong Kong's End to Close-Call Landings: Kevin Platt; Hong Kong's new state-of-the-art airport, one of the most advanced and expensive in the world, is set to open on schedule in 1998 despite labor unrest and a protracted battle between China and Britain over the financing.

Pens looking to LV?: Tim Graham; Chris McSorley hears the rumors. But at least for now, he's trying not to listen.

Key tops Maddux again as Orioles romp over Braves: Key, who beat Maddux in the clinching Game 6 of the World Series last season, again was on the winning team when the Baltimore Orioles beat the Atlanta Braves 16-2 Monday in an exhibition at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Letter: Blame voters, not Ferguson, for long lines at polling places: As an old-time friend used to say: "Me hat is off to you, lass." I say also, keep the faith and just do your best.

Columnnist Muriel Stevens: Vale brings back memories, creates a new one: Jerry was in great voice, relaxed and happy. He connected with the audience with each song. They responded with generous applause, and at the end of the show stood up and cheered his return. So did we.

Steve Carp: WAC needs to improve officiating: And the level of coaching is superior as well. When you can watch veterans Rick Majerus, Jerry Tarkanian, Don Haskins and Dave Bliss work the sidelines every night, that's pretty good.

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Letter: Residents asked to obey fire lane parking bans: The best thing to do is not to stop or park along the red curb. The area is designated to keep traffic flowing in case emergency vehicles need to access the area. We ask all citizens of Las Vegas to please observe htese fire lanes; it could make the difference in the amount of property loss or saving lives in an emergency.

Letter: Let the casinos bear the burden of growth: Not only do the casino bosses successfully lobby with the carrot and the stick to freeze the casino taxes at an unrealistic level,but they are active in preventing neighborhood casinos from adding more slots and table games which produce more tax revenue. Some politicians parrot such altruistic nonsense like "protecting the integrity of the neighborhoods." Safeguards can be set in place without squashing the small businessman.

Missing funds at Las Vegas Academy probed: Teresa Hinds; The former banker allegedly stole $13,000 from the school choir, $1,000 from the orchestra, $351 from the band and $7,600 from the student store, according to Clark County School District spokesman Ray Willis. Las Vegas Academy is a magnet high school for performing arts.

Rapid Response handles 14,211 calls in first year: Following a brief ceremony at Lorenzi Park Monday, McDonald, a Metro Police officer, helped remove graffiti, chop weeds and clean up garbage from an alley on the south side of Charleston Boulevard between Burnham and Eastern avenues.

IHL official rips McSorley tactics: Tim Graham; Tom Berry, the IHL's senior vice president and director of hockey operations, is furious with McSorley over a pair of incidents last week.

State offers citizens help with energy costs: Eligibility is based on the total gross income and countable resources of the household. A one-person household's monthly income cannot exceed $967.50, while the monthly income for a family of four cannot be more than $1,950.

Big-league umps madder than ever: Umpires are still angry over the Roberto Alomar incident. Baltimore's All-Star second baseman received a five-game suspension for spitting at umpire John Hirschbeck last September and will serve it this April -- with pay. Umpires wanted a longer suspension, wanted it be without pay and wanted him to serve it during the postseason.

Letter: Three officers in shooting were performing lawful duty: All of these officers were cleared in their actions, and I think you were wrong by including them in your list.

Despite home builders' tax, problems still exist: Jeff Schweers; With the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association's offer of $11 million in new tax revenue from home sales, another piece of the infrastructure funding puzzle has fallen into place.

Gorman to stage 'Guys and Dolls': Tickets are $20 for the opening-night reception, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. It includes preferred seating for the 8 p.m. opening performance.

No. 14 New Mexico 103, San Jose State 70: Playing in the last of four opening round games at the UNLV campus arena, New Mexico spurted to a 10-2 lead and never looked back against the outmanned Spartans.

Women's box score: SMU 76, San Jose St. 52: Williams 0-2, 0-0, 0, Johnson 1-10, 3-6, 6, Spalding 2-9, 0-1, 4, Steele 8-18, 2-4, 22, Miller, 0-3, 0-0, 0, Hanson 2-6, 0-0, 4, Turner 0-0, 1-3, 1, Barrett, 1-2, 0-0, 2, Irving 5-8, 3-3, 13. Totals 19-58, 9-17, 52.

Womens' box score: New Mexico 70, Fresno St. 59: Young 1-6 6-8 8, Brown 4-13 0-0 8, Law 4-9 3-5 11, Louis 6-10 0-1 6, Anderson 0-5 0-0 0, Krueger 0-0 0-0 0, Farias 5-9 0-0 12, Farley 1-2 2-2 4, Colins 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-54 11-16 59.

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SMU 93, Colorado State 89: Colorado State set a tournament record by making 15 of 23 3-pointers in the loss, including a tournament record eight 3-pointers by Jameel Mahmud, who led all scorers with 30 points.

Yucca comment deadline extended: Written comments may be submitted to April Gil, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office, P.O. Box 98608, Las Vegas, NV 89193-8608. Internet users can send electronic mail to 10CFR960@notes.ymp.gov

Judge strikes down request for injunction against Strip smut law: The distributors have been attacked for pushing the fliers advertising outcall entertainers and other adult-oriented businesses onto visitors whether they want them or not.

Royals, Reds considering Texas: McLane, who has previously expressed interest in moving the Astros' spring training facilities to the Valley, said commitments from at least four teams and preferably six would be required in order to make the move.

UNLV 71, Rice 61: "I think if we win Thursday we deserve to be in there regardless of what happens with the other teams," Bayno said. "Right now we're on the bubble at 20-8. We just need to go out and try to beat Tulsa."

Smog threat to federal road funds: Nevada was in this same predicament last year, but the state requested and got a one-year extension by Environmental Protection Agency officials, he said. But that year is up.

Balanced budget ads from GOP rile Reid: The Senate is set to vote today to amend the Constitution, but as of Monday had only 66 votes -- one shy of the number required for passage. Supporters include all 55 Republicans and 11 Democrats, including Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev.

Legislature schedule or Wednesday, March 5: 8 a.m. - Assembly Government Affairs work session on mandatory bargaining for teachers, sheriffs' and snow removal fees, license taxes and using credit cards to pay government fees.

Women's box score: BYU 70, Wyoming 60: Hansen 4-8 4-4 13, Henry 2-4 0-3 4, Adams 3-7 4-5 10, Baum 3-13 3-5 9, Gallup 3-9 5-7 13, Salti 4-6 0-1 8, Jensen 3-5 2-3 8, Carmichael 2-6 1-1 5. Totals 24-58 19-29 70.

Judge dismisses suits challenging Truckee River settlement: The settlement, signed into law six years ago, resolved nearly a century of water wars over the Truckee River.

Art Bell Fast Facts: AS HEARD ON: KXNT 840-AM. "Coast to Coast" airs 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. weekdays, while "Dreamtime" airs 7-10 p.m. Sundays.

NASCAR approves Wallace engine: NASCAR kept the engine overnight, completed its evaluation Monday and said the engine met NASCAR rules, which were expanded this year to require the 14:1 compression ratio on all tracks, instead of just superspeedways.

TCU 72, Wyoming 61: TCU had trailed by as many as 15 points midway through the second half before going on a 19-4 run that tied the game at 53 apiece with 6:40 left.

Legislator: Offer low-balled: Larry Henry; "When you say you can give 1 (percent), you can give 2," said Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-North Las Vegas, chairman of the Education Committee. "That's how negotiations start."

Letter: Water supply shutdown excuse for increased taxes: Ken Cox

Small plane crashes; one dead, three hurt: Killed was Elaine Romano, 56, president of LGT Advertising, an in-house advertising company for the Orleans hotel-casino, and director of advertising for Coast Resorts, which owns the Orleans.

Legislature schedule for Tuesday, March 4: 8 a.m. - Assembly Government Affairs on exemptions from competitive bidding, authorizing contracts with nonprofits and invalidating liens filed against public employees.

Assembly committee supports inmate work bill: Anderson is among the bill's eight bipartisan co-sponsors.

Tulsa isn't coming to Las Vegas for a vacation: "They will know they came out there for one thing: To win as many games as they can," Robinson said Monday.