Print edition for February 12, 1998

Man offers mental illness plea in parents' murder: Bill Gang; Oswaldo Lopez, 23, who police said admitted to stabbing his parents with a common kitchen knife because God told him to do it, will have to serve 20 years in prison before he will be eligible for parole.

Mr. Glitz is Back (stone-cold sober, as a matter of fact): Anne Hosier; The days of performing in powdered wigs, feather boas and a duck suit may be gone.

Slot ban in stores targeted: Denise Cardinal; Jones is working on an ordinance that would phase out the existing machines in those locations while prohibiting any new ones from being installed.

Dial File: From Bill's libido to Oscar's orgy: Mr. Clinton and Miss Lewinsky, though capable of serious staying power, are poised to be overtaken by TV's next mammoth mission, scheduled every year around this time: Oscar Orgy.

Cluttered yard to be cleaned up: Denise Cardinal; "The people who live right next to it were looking at moving because of all the stuff," said Norman Grover, a retired resident of 700 Osprey Circle. Grover has lived in the neighborhood since it was built in the mid-1950s. "But the problem was if they tried to sell it, their house would be worth less."

Consultant's work on northwest plan raises concerns: Denise Cardinal; Too busy, some might say.

Seeing the value in blind dating: Lisa Newman; Even if you say you don't care about Valentine's Day, it's hard, if you're single, to get through this very American event without feeling sober about your state of affairs, or lack of them.

Student who spanked teacher reinstated: "And they told me that I had been recommended for a music scholarship to UNR," said a jubilant Joe Dotson, 17, who has aspirations of becoming a music teacher.

Switch in harassment policy endorsed: The language of the policy has been batted about for the past two months, with those on one side of the controversy wanting a broad, general statement that excludes all forms of harassment without being specific while those on the other side want a statement that identifies specific forms of harassment.

Interim library chief interviews start: Charles Hunsberger, who spent more than 21 years as executive director and resigned in the midst of controversy in 1993, and Danny Lee, who was chairman of the board of trustees for six years until his resignation in 1991, said they would like to apply for the temporary job.

Colorful Couple Knows How to Sway India's Grass Roots: John Zubrzycki; MANIARI, INDIA -- They are India's most colorful political couple - the first family of a state that usually comes last in terms of the country's economic and human development.

Suspect in Rios murder to undergo more mental exams: Bill Gang; Wednesday's preliminary hearing for John Flowers, who is also a suspect in a second slaying, has been postponed so he can undergo an examination by a second psychologist and perhaps undergo evaluation at the state's mental hospital at Lake's Crossing, near Sparks.

Hostile Takeover in Drug Trade: Howard LaFranchi; CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO -- When US Customs officials seized 23 pounds of black-tar heroin from a 1978 Ford LTD crossing the border last month, it was the biggest heroin bust in El Paso, Texas, in a decade.

British Press May Get Rule on Privacy: Alexander MacLeod; LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair has begun searching for ways to sidestep the media pitfalls now afflicting Bill Clinton and his presidency, having seen them firsthand on a White House visit last week.

Doctors back Ohrenschall on treatment: Art Nadler; The Las Vegas Democrat is facing a March 2 trial date in Clark County Family Court for being unable to provide for the medical needs of her 16-year-old daughter Katie Ross.

George Magazine latest to take shot at LV: Martin Kuz; Continuing the national media's hog pile on everybody's favorite neon oasis, George magazine names Las Vegas as one of the country's 10 most corrupt cities in its March issue. The article hammers city officials for their wanton abuse of eminent domain in putting up the Fremont Street Experience, branding their handiwork "boomtown's big-time landgrab."

Thursday at Aqueduct: 1st race 1-1/16 mi 4YO&up Mdn Clm

Gibbons: Bombing Iraq could be 'foolhardy': Larry Henry; "I'm concerned about our foreign policy," Gibbons, R-Nev., said. "This on-again, off-again hesitancy (toward Saddam Hussein) on our part is diminishing world and global support."

Daytona could be special victory for Ken Schrader: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- When asked to cite his most memorable moment in racing, Ken Schrader's standard reply is, "It hasn't happened yet."

Thursday at Gulfstream Park: 1st race 1-1/16 mi 3YO Fil Mdn Clm

Valley tied for first-place with Green Valley: Spencer Patterson; Expected by many to win the Sunrise Division this season, the Valley boys basketball team has found itself taking a back seat to rival Green Valley for much of the winter.

Chaparral wins eighth straight: Matt O'Brien; It was Senior Night at Chaparral, but an underclassman stole the show.

Reporter handcuffed for 'loitering', officer says: A school police officer, whose name was not released, told Ms. Stanton she would be arrested for loitering if she did not leave the sidewalk.

Preps: Girls Soccer playoff schedule: Tournament Schedule

Amtrak to invest $9 million for Los Angeles-Las Vegas service: Mallery commended Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and his staff for generating local interest in the train service and for helping Amtrak receive adequate capital funding.

Columnist Jeff German: Miller displays double standard in McKinney-James endorsement: At the moment, she's the only Democrat in the race, so it wasn't difficult for Miller to give his political protege a whopping endorsement three months before the close of the filing period.

Editorial: Going for the gold: Moseley broke through the gold medal barrier first as he won the men's moguls. In the moguls, which is scored by judges, speed and flair are critical components. It would be an understatement to say Moseley captured the essence of the freestyle sport when he told reporters about his revolutionary "helicopter jump" and the spectators' reaction: "I grabbed my ski and I pulled it back and I just looked at the colors. There were just people, aaaay, everywhere. That's when I was like, 'Whoaaah, get back into it.' "

Obituaries for February 12, 1998: He is survived by his wife, Corinne; one son, William Abdo III of Phoenix; one daughter, Lori Aiken, and his mother, Theresa Vendemia, both of Las Vegas; and two grandchildren.

Columnist Joe Delaney: NDT offers program for the whole family: Joe Delaney; Also on this weekend's program is "Yes, Virginia, Another Piano Ballet," choreographed by Peter Anastos, plus the pas de deux, "Satanella," from "Carnival of Venice," staged by Marius Petips and choreographed by Steivel, NDT's new artistic director.

Nevada casinos win $7.8 billion in 1997, up 5 percent: While snow, floods and mud slides early in 1997 hurt Reno and Tahoe-area clubs, the opening of another megaresort on the Las Vegas Strip - the New York-New York - helped to push the Strip win up 6.4 percent.

Victim says elderly suspect stalked her: "I am not his girlfriend," Sault told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Rebels want second chance against UTEP: Steve Carp; In a season full of disappointing finishes, perhaps the darkest moment for UNLV came on a Saturday afternoon in mid-January.

Editorial: Falling down on nuclear security: You would, that is, unless you happen to be the U.S. Department of Energy.

Police searching for murder witness: Kim Lee Richards' cell phone was found discarded at the scene of a 7:30 a.m. murder at the Budget Suites, 3684 S. Paradise Road.

Plea entered in patient neglect case: Patricia Paul entered an Alford plea to a misdemeanor count of failure to report abuse, neglect or exploitation of an older person. The plea is an admission that the government could prove the elements of the crime but the defendant denies any responsibility.

Judicial ethics charge brought against Marren: But Special Prosecutor Frank Cremen, who prepared the complaint, said he will recommend it be dropped by the state Judicial Discipline Commission, which meets in Clark County Feb. 19.

The bank that almost wasn't: Last summer, Nevada First was on the fast track for charter approval after having been capitalized quicker than any bank in the state's history -- $8.5 million in 16 days.

PAC set to fight GOP move: Claude "Blackie" Evans, director of the Nevada State AFL-CIO, registered with state election officials a Committee for Political Action (PAC) to raise money to counter the GOP move.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Mayor's vision for Las Vegas full of bright ideas: Mayor Jan Jones' State of the City report didn't get quite as big of an audience as a recent State of the Union speech. The 200 or so people who listened to Her Honor at Monday's City Council meeting could do little by themselves to boost her own job approval ratings. But they can and we can do a great deal to help Jan fulfill at least some of the promised visions for a better Las Vegas in the coming years.

Murder suspect tries to run over cop, escapes: Detectives had 28-year-old Domingo Crespo-Soca under surveillance. He was wanted on charges of attempted murder and for violating probation on a concealed weapons charge.

Departed pool firm's license revoked: But one distraught victim complained the order won't help homeowners who were defrauded of thousands of dollars.

Defendant guilty in insurance scam: The sentence was handed down Wednesday by District Judge Joseph Bonaventure, who also ordered Stoner to perform community service.

Sternlicht irritated by ITT 'golden bungees': Shareholders of ITT -- owner of Caesars Palace and the Desert Inn in Las Vegas -- vote on the merger today.

UNLV Camp opens with Carlos Baker Sidelined: Tim Graham; UNLV's vaunted aerial attack is even more up in the air.

Letter: Republicans, media need to move on to other issues: It is time for the Democrats to get off their dead butts and put a stop to Starr and the GOP from putting out all their junk. I know that is the way the GOP does it. I am sure there are plenty of skeletons in Starr's closet and we already know about the rest. By the way, I wonder if the star-struck women have been dropped on their heads.

People in the News for February 12, 1998: Briefly

Columnist Steve Carp: U.S. gets to bask in glow of victory: Steve Carp; Sorry, Dave McCann, but just because Channel 8 has the Winter Olympics doesn't mean all of us are locking on and watching women's biathlon. From this couch potato's perspective, something better had to be on the tube until the nightly Hawaii Five-O rerun comes on The Family Channel at 10 o'clock.

Former Henderson council member Roberts dies: Roberts, the son of longtime Henderson resident and city planning commissioner Mary Roberts, died of cancer Monday at St. Rose Dominican Hospital.

Latest attack believed to be work of serial rapist: Cathy Scott; The man is suspected of sexually assaulting four women, attempting to rape a teenager and pistol-whipping another woman in the southwest area of the Las Vegas Valley, Metro Police said.

Officials join forces on committee to plan growth: Jeff Schweers; The Government Efficiency Committee resolved Wednesday to reorganize itself as the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition, a board that would make non-binding recommendations on master planning and development.

Former mayor of Boulder City Georgeson dies: The elder Georgeson, a Scottish immigrant, had invested heavily in streets, sewers and sidewalks for a beach development in Ventura, Calif., where the family lived in the late 1920s before moving to Boulder City in 1933. But bank loans became scarce when the Depression hit and few people could afford to buy the homes.

Columnist John McCarron: 1998 season starts Saturday: John McCarron; THE NEVADA Tournament Bowlers Alliance will start its 1998 season with Mahoney's 12-Game Super Kickoff at the Silver Nugget Bowling Center Saturday at noon.

Cram: Don't hire unprepared graduates: Brian Seals; "Turn them away and send them back to us. We want them to understand the consequences of poor performance," Cram told members of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce at a Wednesday luncheon celebrating the third year of the southern Nevada schools-to-career initiative.

Letter: GOP-backed initiative is definition of 'Big Brother': So why is the Republican Party all of a sudden so concerned about protecting my paycheck and my rights? Could it be that collectively, union PACs (political action committees) have begun to raise a little money? Realize, of course, that no matter how much the Democrats spend, the Republicans outspend them 10 to 1. I send $1 a month to my state PAC, unlike the CEOs of corporations who write individual multithousand-dollar checks at a clip. If the Republican Party is so concerned about campaign reform, why is it that a Republican-controlled House and Senate can't agree on a package?

Preps: Postseason starts Friday: Spencer Patterson; The winter prep postseason officially kicks off tomorrow, with the start of the two-day Southern 4A Zone Wrestling Tournament at Cimarron-Memorial High School.

Letter: Motorists don't pay enough attention to traffic signals: De Ethel Horton

Letter: Don't use union dues for political purposes: If not, here's my message to the union bosses of America. Stop using my money to support things I don't believe in.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Rocchigiani's sickness not fabricated: Dean Juipe; Suspicions aroused, Dan Goossen had to see it to believe it.

Bonus Program likely to add excitement to NASCAR: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- As if winning the prestigious Daytona 500 isn't enough incentive, five drivers will have the opportunity to pocket an extra $1 million with a victory in Sunday's "Great American Race."

IHL Recaps for Feb. 12, 1998: ORLANDO--Darren Banks' second goal of the game, at 15:45 of the third period, pushed the Detroit Vipers (35-12-9) past the Orlando Solar Bears 3-2 Thursday in front of 6,551 at Orlando Arena. Banks also scored 12:53 into the second stanza. Stan Drulia put Detroit on the board with his 20th goal of the season, at 10:22 of the first. Hubie McDonough and Mark Beaufait scored for the Solar Bears (25-20-8), who took only 17 shots. Goalie Jeff Reese made 15 saves to help the Vipers to their fifth straight win. Allan Bester stopped 21 of 24 for Orlando, who fall ...

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

'Jack Maggs': Confounding Expectations Great and Small: Christopher Lehmann-Haupt; What Jack Maggs does in London is curious. He makes his way to Great Queen Street and knocks on the door of No. 27, "rap-rap-rap," excited to behold this property at long last. When the maid from next door appears, tells him that the resident of 27 has gone away and asks him if by chance he's the new footman, Maggs announces that yes, he is a footman, and at once accepts a position as such in her household.