Print edition for December 18, 1998

Kambala, Daniels refute rumors that they are transferring: Steve Carp; On the eve of what will probably be the toughest test of the regular season, members of the UNLV basketball team wanted to clear up a few misconceptions regarding the team's chemistry. Or lack of it.

Farmer says he has no plans to move for proposed development: Mayor Michael Montandon said the Combs parcel of land is large enough that it could determine the outcome of an annexation vote by property owners.

Stupak appearance on battery charge delayed until next month: But the arraignment was rescheduled for Jan. 25 after Chief Criminal Deputy City Attorney Bernard Little said the city was unable to issue a summons to Stupak to appear Thursday.

Brief: Off-Strip casino extensions approved: The resorts would be located within an established resort corridor and as such do not fall under the restrictions of a state law passed last year to limit neighborhood casinos.

The Las Vegas Thunder's most popular little man is going up to the bigs.: A Capitals spokesman said the club was awaiting confirmation of the deal and expected to announce the signing of the 31-year-old Lefebvre later today.

USA Table Tennis National Championships -- Final Results: USATT CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS

Editorial: More accountability at Las Vegas City Hall: As it exists now the city manager hires and fires the auditor, so the audit panel is recommending that an outside audit committee hire the city auditor, a change in policy that will require approval by the 1999 Legislature. The existing situation sets up an untenable conflict, creating the perception that an auditor might turn a blind eye to inappropriate practices in order to stay in the good graces of the city manager.

Carpenter and Rhoads to seek performance audit of NDOT: "There's no question that there's incompetency, not only up here in the district engineer, but in Carson City," Carpenter said.

Engelstad donates $100 million to his alma matter: Erik Siemers and Howie Padilla; At a press conference held in the upper level of Ralph Engelstad Arena, the home of the UND Fighting Sioux hockey team, Engelstad announced Thursday that he was committing $40 million to $50 million for the construction of a state-of-the-art hockey arena that would seat about 12,000 people.

Letter: 'No condemnation' of religious gays: "Likewise, there can be no compromise that all persons in this society must enjoy equal protection under the law."

What's My Line? Jets, Panthers example of NFL's shifting fates: Last week's games provided two shining examples of how quickly the NFL pendulum can swing, and in different directions.

'A Bug's Life' bloopers explained by director: Jeff Howard and Dave Neill; As the director of "A Bug's Life," the holiday hit from Pixar and Disney studios, Lasseter intentionally broke the fourth wall of computer animation: For the first time, audiences are seeing outtakes and bloopers from a computer animated film, which had been tacked on to the end of "A Bug's Life." Who knew animated insects could flub their lines?

Gibbons says he'll vote for impeachment: Gibbons laid out his position in an interview with the Sun this morning as the House began debating the impeachment articles.

Editorial: Hysteria grips a few GOP leaders: Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican who for years has been a voice of reason within the GOP, voiced his support for the Democratic president's decision Wednesday. A Vietnam War hero, McCain dismissed concerns that Clinton's decision was timed to distract attention from an impending impeachment vote, crediting the president with decisive action. "I think he will receive significant support, because it's pretty obvious that Saddam Hussein is neither complying nor cooperating," McCain said.

Letter: Time for a drug buffet: My solution is to cater to those addicts with a sort of Las Vegas-style buffet and replace the good food and desserts with all sorts of confiscated drugs. No limit. The only requirement is clean needles for second helpings. Sorry, no doggie bags!

Colorado surplus must be divided: Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt set the deadline Thursday for California, Nevada and Arizona to work in cooperation to hammer out details for handling annual surpluses on the river at the Colorado River Water Users Association meeting in Las Vegas.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Halt holiday schedule for entertaining options: Joe Delaney; Hawaii is as close as the Orleans hotel-casino showroom with the Don Ho Christmas Show at 7 p.m. today through Sunday. ... Just as special, those ubiquitous and indefatigable, multiple-award winning Treniers, just back from London, will be in the Orleans Lounge Tuesday through Jan. 10. ... A great choice for the most New Year's Eve fun; less expensive, too.

School of Medicine has few minority students: Art Nadler; The Pew Health Professions Commission has determined after a 10-year study that only 3 percent of doctors nationally are African American and one in 20 physicians is Hispanic.

Holiday Prep Classic Schedule: When: Saturday through Wednesday

Better background checks sought for public housing: Erin Neff; The meeting was prompted, in part, by a similar policy already being used by the North Las Vegas Housing Authority and North Las Vegas Police Department, and came on the heels of a Las Vegas Sun report examining the issue.

Planning group endorses strategy to handle Southern Nevada growth: Scott Reeder; The strategic plan was endorsed Thursday by the authority. Neal Siniakin of Boulder City cast the only vote against its passage.

Letter: Sacajawea dollar would result in another fiasco: Jack K. Cook

Council to weigh government 'campus' plan: Erin Neff; The Las Vegas City Council will take the first step to that end Monday when it considers a request to approve the concept of a Civic Center downtown and a request to select an architect to design the first phase of such a project.

Letter: Oval Office sex has convenience: Ethel Horton

Changing the law on new-home defects: Lisa Snedeker; The interior walls of the North Las Vegas resident's home at 2118 Pilar Ave. are spidered with cracks caused by structural damage. Mold spores from a leaking roof blemish the ceiling. And the wall of the fence that should be attached to the house has separated, leaving a gaping hole.

Letter: Law shouldn't play games with crooks: Letter: Law shouldn't play games with crooks

Rebel Ludwick honored: Ludwick played high school ball at Las Vegas' Durango High.

'Jubilee' a quintessential Las Vegas production: Joe Delaney; Act I, "Showtime," and Act VII, "The Finale," a seven-scene tribute to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and music from their films, are recent replacements, true to the style and ambiance of Arden.

Citizens panel supports City Council expansion: Erin Neff; The Council Review Committee reached its final of three recommendations Thursday by agreeing that the City Council should have more members to address the growing population citywide. Committee members also stated, however, that they felt more comfortable putting the issue to the public to decide.

Yucca Mountain study delivered to Congress: The report said the department will continue to study the mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, although scientists reviewing the work for the DOE raised critical issues.

Movie Guys: 'Prince of Egypt' an animation milestone: * Starring: The voices of Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Sandra Bullock, Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum, Steve Martin, Michelle Pfeiffer, Martin Short and Patrick Stewart.

A "Bug Lady's" Life: Scott Dickensheets; 1. The picture

Burns ready to battle old friends: Spencer Patterson; On Monday, Durango forward Jason Burns found himself the object of some serious taunting during his club's home game against Cheyenne.

Brief: New Tokyo-Las Vegas flight confirmed by airline: Speakers at this week's Governors Conference on Travel and Tourism said JAL planned to add the new flight because the airline was operating with nearly full planes on its Las Vegas flights. JAL competitor Northwest Airlines is said to be operating with slightly fewer passengers on its two flights a week.

Brief: Spintek coin-weighing deviced approved: Casinos that adopt AccuSystem will be allowed to effect hopper fills with one employee instead of two.

Brief: 'Game Magic' approved: "This approval is a significant step in being able to provide our customers with a full line of entertaining new products," said Chief Executive Morry Goldstein. "Game Magic provides a unique experience for players -- lively graphics, enhanced sound and, most of all, great games."

Brief: Flamingo pedestrian bridge over I-15 planned: However, Squyres said, no designs, costs or timeframes have been finalized. The Rio is working with Clark County planners to design the walkway, but the resort itself will provide all financing, she said.

Brief: State looks at apartment water bills: Because the original Camden request raised a thorny issue, the commission agreed to investigate on a greater scale.

Wrong-way driver causes accident that critically injures local man: Glendale is about 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

Brief: Business dean resigns: School officials said Morgan will oversee the College of Business as part of a team effort with Associate Dean Nasser Daneshvary.

Columnist Steve Carp: Some teams getting key players back just in time: Steve Carp; For a handful of players, either there's still time to give thanks or Christmas has come early.

Thursday's Prep Results -- December 17, 1998: Kanab (Utah) 70, Basic 56

Saturday at Aqueduct: 1st race 1-1/16 mi 3YO Clm: 1 Bag The Devil (Madrid) 115; 2 Time And Chance (Diaz) 110; 3 Jojo's Express (Molina) 108; 4 Denach (Teator) 115; 5 Alyswell (Lopez) 115; 6 Fountain Of Speed (Diego) 108; 7 Vicrid (Gryder) 115; 8 Rufasa (Espinoza) 115; 9 Windotcom (Schwartz) 115; 10 The Kaprikorn Kid (DeCarlo) 115; 11 Spicy Award (Nelson) 115.

Ralph Siraco's Selections for Hollywood Park: Saturday's card

Deep freeze headed toward Nevada: Highs on Saturday were expected to barely break freezing - if that - and the weather service said brisk north winds would make the bite feel even colder.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: A good doctor's diploma: As much as we all might want doctors of various varieties to examine the collective health of our nation as we mush our way through a national stage play from which only Gilbert and Sullivan could find humor, the doctor I seek is a lot closer to hearth and home.

Nevada transportation regulators OK rules: More than a year after the formation of the commission, the TSA established the rules by which it operates, getting into such gritty detail as to how certified vehicle licenses are to be displayed on vehicles to the four phrases airport shuttle operators can use when communicating with potential customers.

Dial File: Taste the cream of TV themes: * Who can turn the world on with her smile?

Ten arrested in telemarketing crackdown: Jace Radke; Among those arrested was the company's owner, Dale Lenard.

Two more from Miller's cabinet to stay on with Guinn: This brings the number to six that Republican Guinn is keeping from the Democratic Administration. In addition, he also is going to retain some of the clerical staff in the governor's office in the new administration.

Board spends its last million in budget: The money was divided up into eight areas:

Berkley urges citizens to telephone congressmen on impeachment vote: Jace Radke; The majority of the comments and questions that Berkley fielded revolved around Clinton, and the impending impeachment vote.

B of A moving 200 jobs to Nevada: More than 200 new jobs will come to Las Vegas when Bank of America shifts its work force around the Southwest early next year.

Another ethics complaint filed against Gates: Adrienne Packer; Las Vegas resident Robert Rose claims he filed a complaint with the state Ethics Commission against board chairwoman Yvonne Atkinson Gates because of what he read in the Dec. 6 story.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: A guide to Christmas/New Year's dining: During this joyous holiday season the hotels sparkle with ornate Christmas trees and decor.

Homeowners in dispute with builder, post neighborhood signs: Brian Seals; A Pulte spokesman said the company stands by its warranties and will fix the problems if the work is covered by the warranties.

Adelson invites ex-Sands workers to apply at Venetian: John Wilen; The Venetian hotel-casino appears to be making a concession to long-standing union demands that the resort give hiring preferences to former Sands hotel-casino employees.

School Board chooses sites for '98 bond-funded schools: Benjamin Grove; The board chose sites for:

Obituaries for December 18, 1998: He is survived by one daughter, Nancy Carlzen of Las Vegas; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Complaint filed over water use plan: City and state officials said Wednesday that the project to recycle waste water and store it in a concrete tank underground near Gowan Street and Cheyenne Avenue is on course and will have the necessary permits.

Salvation Army makes urgent plea for help: "The support has been incredible and so touching -- the people just couldn't believe that someone would stoop so low as to steal from the Salvation Army," Lt. Mark Gilden said.

Gamers' relatives given OK to make political contributions: He said such restrictions violate the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and therefore are unconstitutional.

Rio asks judge to change ruling allowing public on golf course: Bill Gang; Gibbons ruled in October that the Rio must keep the course located in the middle of Henderson's Seven Hills development open to residents of the community, based on master convenants, conditions and restrictions -- commonly referred to as CC&Rs -- that indicated the homeowners would have access to what is now the Rio Secco golf course.

County board OKs land use proposal: The amendment, which was approved earlier by the city, changes the boundary of the Town Center and designated other areas for future expansion.

Gaming Commission halts sports book rebates: The state Gaming Commission Thursday approved the final part of a regulation prohibiting the clubs from giving rebates, prizes or bets to those who wager big sums on horse racing.

Longtime attorney Parraguirre dies at 72: Parraguirre was the son of longtime Mono County (Calif.) tax assessor and resort operator Paul Martin Yparraguirre -- the family dropped the "Y" from its name in the 1950s. He also was the brother of former Nye County Judge Paul Parraguirre and the uncle of Las Vegas Municipal Judge Ron Parraguirre.

Fritz Becker, a Strip piano player since 1949, dies at 76: But Becker wasn't about to let one heart episode stop a career that dated back to the earliest days of the Las Vegas entertainment industry.

LV Bankruptcies: Edgar Fisher and Diane Fisher, doing business as Pegasus Cutlery at 1620 Decatur Blvd., Unit D, Las Vegas, filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, listing assets of $11,500 and liabilities of $45,258.

State falls short of target for kids in insurance plan: Art Nadler; But there is still a long way to go toward getting the state's poor children health-care coverage. Several thousand are still pending, the Governor's Maternal and Child Health Advisory Board was told Thursday.

Two-time killer's verdict swift: death penalty: Bill Gang; It took the same jury fewer than two hours Thursday to decide that Leonard should get the death sentence for the strangulation slaying of Tony Antee. Leonard also received the death sentence after his first conviction.

Arrested administrator suspended: Ron Malcolm, 36, has not been back to work since his arrest on the misdemeanor crime. The coordinator of hearing and visually impaired programs in the district was ordered to stay home as school district administrators investigate his use of district time.

UNLV plans first December graduation: The university, which is growing at a rate of more than 5 percent per year, established the December commencement in response to requests from students who would otherwise have to wait until May to participate in graduation ceremonies.

Nevada regulators OK Hilton split: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Gaming Commission Thursday joined New Jersey, Mississippi and Australia in approving plans by Hilton Hotels Inc. to split its lodging and casino business.

Brief: Hughes casino concept approved: Mark Brown, senior vice president at Hughes, said the specific plans on file are really just broad parameters that allow for significant design changes later in the process. At this point, it is too early to tell whether a resort will ever be developed at the site, Brown said.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Fans steadily lose interest in NBA battle: Dean Juipe; To varying degrees, the other 93 percent simply don't care.

Saturday at Golden Gate: 1st race 6 fur 3YO & up Clm: 1 Bender Ball (Warren) 117; 2 Stampede Steve (Perez) 119; 3 Magical Times (Meza) 117; 4 Crimson Avenger (Valdez) 112; 5 Wide And Bold (RBaze) 117; 6 Sit Look And Hope (Delgadillo) 117; 7 Storm Jumper (Nuesch) 117.

Aztecs, Heels set to hit the field: Steve Guiremand; By Steve Guiremand LAS VEGAS SUN

Columnist Steve Guiremand: Aztecs' Tollner one of the best in coaching ranks: Steve Guiremand; You know that old saying that "nice guys finish last."

Robinson keeps coach Bradeson: Steve Guiremand; New UNLV head football coach John Robinson didn't have to go very far for his latest assistant coaching hire.