Print edition for February 20, 1998

Continental hotel-casino files bankruptcy: The hotel company, which leases land acquired last year by Crowne Gaming, a subsidiary of Las Vegas-based Crowne Ventures, lists assets totaling $5.7 million and liabilities of $5.4 million. According to court documents, the two largest creditors in the case are Crowne Gaming, which is owed $368,000. and International Game Technology, which is owed about $275,000.

Lawyers say business deal, not terrorism, behind anthrax arrests: He and Larry Wayne Harris, both microbiologists, were arrested in suburban Henderson Wednesday outside a medical office and charged with conspiracy to possess and possession of a biological agent.

Extremists have new weapon of choice: Martin Kuz; As farfetched as some viewers found the film's premise, the arrest of two men Wednesday on charges of possessing the germ anthrax for use as a weapon brought the cinematic future uncomfortably close to present-day Las Vegas. For the time when biological weapons kill hundreds or even thousands of people is inevitably, tragically approaching, say experts on right-wing extremism.

State's pursuit of case proves costly to taxpayers: It's the second time Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa's office pursued a case and it ended up costing the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of extra dollars.

PUC rejects Southwest Gas hike: Commission Chair-woman Judy Sheldrew said Southwest Gas, in the original hearing, failed to show it had pursued a wise policy in purchasing gas in a fluctuating market. She said the company did not take any steps to mitigate the price volatility on its customers.

America West says its committed to Vegas: After thinning out the least profitable routes from its Las Vegas hub, America West Airlines says it's done cutting flights and is committed to expanding vacation packaging in the company's second quarter.

Box score: Utah 4, Thunder 3: Second Period -- 3, Utah, Lawrence 24 (Miller, Leblanc), 5:24; 4, Utah, Leblanc 20 (Lawrence), 9:06; 5, Utah, Leblanc 21 (libby, Modry), 12:07. Penalties: Las Vegas, Wagner (roughing), 13:58.

Flood control project started: The Blue Diamond Channel, part of a $230 million project initiated by Reid in the early 1990s, will connect the Blue Diamond detention basin to the main Beltway Channel and reduce the risk of flood damage throughout the Las Vegas Valley.

People in the News for February 20, 1998: Beers to you

FBI digs deeper into anthrax threat: Both men -- Larry Wayne Harris, 46, of Lancaster, Ohio, and William Job Leavitt, 47, of Logandale -- appeared before U.S. Magistrate Roger Hunt Thursday, but a hearing on whether to release them on bond was delayed until Monday to give their lawyers more time to prepare.

Peru's Family Planning Became Coerced Sterilization: Catherine Elton; LIMA, PERU -- When Victoria lost her new-born baby in 1996, she was devastated.

IHL recaps for Feb. 20, 1998: Orlando Solar Bears 3, Grand Rapids Griffins 2 (SO)

Clinton praises work of FBI: "All Americans should be deeply grateful to the brave law enforcement officers, especially the agents of the FBI, for their excellent work in this case," Clinton said.

Ethics cloud lifts from Marren: The unanimous action Thursday, regarding Marren's decision in a Las Vegas child custody case, came one day before Marren's final day of a 12-year career in Family Court Services. On Monday he becomes the city of Mesquite's first full-time city attorney.

Editorial: FBI's response is swift, timely: On Wednesday night, within 12 hours of receiving a tip, the FBI arrested two individuals suspected of possessing the dangerous biological agent anthrax. The FBI caught them as they were possibly about to test the deadly agent at a medical center in Henderson. "Our primary concern in this was the safety of the community," Bobby Siller, special agent in charge of the Las Vegas FBI office, said Thursday.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Fountain and Butera in Orleans reunion: Joe Delaney; Louis Prima and Keely Smith were working for short money on Bourbon Street as was everyone else. ... The original Dukes of Dixieland has just replaced Sharkey Bonano & His Rhythm Kings; Sam Butera & The Witnesses became the alternate band at the Famous Door.

Leavitt's mother: son innocent: Denise Cardinal; During a telephone interview Thursday, Mary "Betty" Leavitt said her son is not a white supremacist or a man who would think for a moment about killing anyone or inflicting biological terrorism.

Body identified as that of Cedar City woman: Steve Johnson, Mohave County Sheriff's Office media specialist, said Thursday that Jake-Moon was last seen alive by acquaintances in Mesquite, Nev., Sunday afternoon.

Arrests highlight growing threat of bioweapons: Andrew C. Revkin; Even though the FBI and federal health officials implemented new tactics and rules for tracking and controlling lethal microbes in 1996, a person with a modicum of scientific skill can still readily acquire the means to kill many people, said Frank Scafidi, an FBI spokesman.

Overcoming Shakes-fear: Anne Hosier; Passion, betrayal, blood, lust, fighting in the streets.

S. Africa Rolls Up Welcome Mat for Ex-officers: Stefaans Brummer; JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA -- Last year's downfall of a dictator in Zaire (now Congo) has ricocheted into South Africa.

Letter: No new taxes until officials show they spend money wisely: Our county sales tax was 6 percent from March 1, 1987, to July 1, 1991. It was raised to 6.33 percent for an increase in the transportation and road repair share of the tax.

Letter: Assemblywoman demonstrates she's a loving, caring parent: Katie became an unwilling victim or prisoner of a caring and loving system that kept her away from any familiar friends and neighbors immediately following a major surgery. Any visits were, and are monitored, so privacy is a dead issue now with Katie.

Labor answers GOP union petition with its own: This petition counters the one filed by GOP officials requiring union members to give annual written consent before part of their dues collected from their paychecks could be used for political activities.

Anti-defamation League reacts to news Harris has ties to Aryan Nations: Larry Wayne Harris, 46, of Lancaster, Ohio, and William Job Leavitt Jr., 47, of Logandale, were charged Thursday with possessing anthrax. A bond hearing is set for Monday.

Silver State files suit against Enviromed: Bill Gang; Silver State Disposal Service has contracts with the county and various municipalities to collect their trash and dispose of it in their Apex landfill north of Las Vegas.

Letter: Veteran moved by child's caring words: Don McDermott

Local workshops give women financial guidance: The workshops will feature presentations by financial specialists who will cover a range of topics from organizing records, spending, banking and managing credit to insurance and retirement investments and will be followed by small group discussions.

The Santana Verses: Shane Gammon; For Santana, the definition of "world music" is: skillfully blending elements of 12-bar blues, fiery rock riffs and sensuous Afro-Cuban rhythms. Featuring his unique guitar style, Santana believes this definition now describes his music.

Collective effort kept germ threat from spreading: Cathy Scott; "Our primary concern was the safety of the community," Special Agent in Charge Bobby Siller said at a news conference Thursday at the FBI's Las Vegas headquarters, where he announced the arrest of two men on charges of conspiracy and possession of anthrax, considered to be a biological toxin. "A threat presented itself to this country and to this community. After 12 hours, we resolved it."

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Beauty and variety on the menu at La Terrazza: To get to the restaurants, new or old, just walk straight through the casino. The Palace Court and Bacchanal come first. Just beyond, at the entrance to the Palace Tower, is the new Italian restaurant, La Terrazza.

Editorial: Conflict posed by moderator's ties: Some panelists on the 21-member Southern Nevada Planning Authority -- particularly labor unions and construction trades -- would likely agree that a radioactive dump helps them by providing jobs. Hiring a growth consultant who also works for a firm with a vested interest in seeing a dump built doesn't make any sense.

Obituaries for February 20: He is survived by his wife, Mona Lee; three sons, Kevin L., William Joseph and Norman Casey Baugus; four daughters, Dorothy Smith, Bessie Lyon, Terrie Sealy and Dolly Sowell; one brother, Horace Thompson; 16 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Box Score: UNLV 7, Cal State Fullerton 5: UNLV

Analyst reitterates need for long-haul flights to Las Vegas: Jason Ader, an analyst with New York-based Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., drove that point home on Thursday in a follow-up to the release of a report earlier this week in which he downgraded the ratings of three gaming stocks.

Columnist Scott Dickensheets: Bum ankle benches antsy columnist: Scott Dickensheets; Now here's the mighty lifestyle columnist -- boldly defying the sensible axiom, "Write men can't jump" -- heaving himself skyward to slam a monster spike down the other team's throat.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Town-hall meeting at Ohio State not beginning or end: If our top foreign-policy advisers put the meeting on CNN to impress Saddam Hussein, those few demonstrators might have sent him the wrong message. Wednesday evening and Thursday morning television news programs jumped all over the story and, unless a visitor knew better, they might have believed a majority of the crowd was negative. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., made a wise evaluation when saying, "You don't conduct national security through town-hall meetings." McCain added, "I think someone who doesn't understand America and the way we operate might take some encouragement." The senator, a supporter of military action, had Saddam Hussein ...

Nevadan killed in Honduras: Honduran police confirmed that Wilson died in a Feb. 9 shooting attack by three men in the town of Limones, about 145 miles east of the Tegucigalpa, the capital city.

IHL Standings as of Feb. 21, 1998: Northeast Division

Laughlin power plant hit with lawsuit: Southern California Edison, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Arizona-based Salt River Project and the Nevada Power Co. share ownership of the plant.

Harris' troubled past includes mail fraud, white supremacy: Larry Henry; Harris also is aligned with a racist, anti-semitic movement that refers to Jews as the "children of Satan" and blacks as "subhuman mud people."

Reno Air fires CEO, reports big loss: The company, announcing its earnings today, named former United Airlines senior executive Joseph O'Gorman to take the titles of chairman, president and chief executive officer. Former Reno Air Chairman Lee Hydeman will become chairman of the board's executive committee, comprised of directors outside the company.

Date set for sentencing in embezzlement case: Ferris, appearing before U.S. District Judge Lloyd George in Las Vegas, entered her pleas to 10 counts of health care fraud and one count of health care embezzlement.

Kerr-McGee selling last operation in Henderson: The previously announced sale of Kerr-McGee's ammonium perchlorate business to American Pacific Corp. of Las Vegas will end production of the rocket fuel in Henderson. AP produces the fuel at a plant near Cedar City, Utah.

'Mrs. Dalloway': Truths of All Lives, Comfortable or Not: Janet Maslin; Yet even for viewers who accept this as the visual language of the literary adaptation, Woolf's great "Mrs. Dalloway" represents a formidable challenge.

Five killed in I-15 accident near Barstow: A 37-year-old man was in serious condition at San Bernardino County Medical Center with leg fractures. A woman, age unknown, was in critical condition with fractured ribs, internal injuries and possible head injuries, said nursing supervisor Joy Flint.

Over protests, NLV strip mall approved: Sharon C. Chayra; At least that's what several North Las Vegas residents asserted during Wednesday night's City Council meeting citing instances of fender benders and one fatality along the stretch of roadway.

Water authority takes precaution: Although the water authority has no reason to believe that the local water supply is in jeopardy or that it ever was a target of biological warfare agents, extra precautions were taken after the arrests, Assistant Health Officer Dr. Donald Kwalick of the Clark County Health District said today.

Gaming industry 'amazed' over neighborhood slots debate: His comments drew spirited responses from supermarket and convenience store owners and slot route operators as the State Gaming Control Board began hearings that some business people fear could lead to new restrictions on gaming expansion in Las Vegas.

Fashion consultant to LV social scene Fish dies at 82: Fish died Feb. 11 from complications of emergency heart surgery at Columbia Sunrise Hospital.

Harris said he once trained Iraqis in biological warfare: The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported today that Larry Wayne Harris, 46, of Lancaster, said during the interview on a short-wave radio program that from 1985 to 1990, he worked for the CIA training Iraqi scientists in biological warfare.

Accused cop killer bound over for trial: Dannan's ruling came after hearing evidence during a preliminary hearing on Friday.

Friday's College Baseball Scores: Anderson, S.C. 7, Lander 6

The state is in peril if lawmakers reject casino, Foster warns: If the contract is rejected, the video poker and riverboat industries may not be rejoicing for long, Foster said during a speech to the Industrial Contractors Council.

Friday at Gulfstream Park: 1st race 1-1/16 mi 4YO&up Clm

Friday's College Hockey Scores: Boston U. 5, Providence 1

Clark's status uncertain: Steve Carp; PROVO, Utah -- What little that remains of Keon Clark's collegiate basketball future will be determined early next week.

Lawyers say it was business deal, not terrorism, behind anthrax case: Michael Fleeman; William Leavitt Jr., who was arrested here along with Larry Wayne Harris of Ohio, was described by his lawyers as a well-meaning, if gullible, scientist who was double-crossed by informant Ronald Rockwell.

Commissioners won't act against public administrator: "We could not find a basis to go forward and institute proceedings to remove him from office," said Assistant District Attorney Madelyn Shipman.

Singleton testifies: multiple stabbing was accidental, 'I panicked': "I intended to take the knife away from her as fast as I could," said Singleton, 70, who is charged with first-degree murder and could face the death penalty if convicted. "Probably each time I pulled her, the knife was going in."

Wrapped in Reynolds Rap: Joe Delaney; The show opens with film clips from the hit movie, "Mother." Debbie enters singing "It's Good To Be Here," adds a bit of "Get Happy" then chats with the audience. Her 50 years in show business is an impressive accomplishment; she wears it extremely well.

Lawrence Singleton guilty of first-degree murder: Singleton, 70, showed no reaction when the verdict was read less than four hours after jurors began deliberating.

Lady Rebels fall to Utah: Senior forward Angie Thill led all scorers with 22 points and three other Utes scored in double figures as No. 17 Utah defeated the UNLV Lady Rebels 74-58 in a Western Athletic Conference women's basketball game Thursday night at Lied Gymnasium.

Promotions under criticism at Thomas & Mack: Tim Graham; It's not quite a gentleman's cabaret, but there is T&A at the T&M.

FBI informant says he doesn't know why men had anthrax: Denise Cardinal; Ronald Rockwell, the man who notified Las Vegas authorities about two men allegedly transporting anthrax, said he didn't know what the two men planned to do with the deadly biological agent.

Board delays vote on helping California pay for I-15 project: He said the proposal calls for the state to pay about $10 million of the $153 million cost of widening a 29-mile stretch of the freeway between Barstow and Victorville, Calif.

Columnist Dean Juipe: SI offers separate swimsuit issue: Dean Juipe; THESE GUYS are clever.

City puzzles over lack of notification on possible subway threat: After the arrest of two men in Nevada on Thursday for possessing what was believed to be the deadly toxin anthrax, a criminal complaint disclosed that one of them had talked of plans last summer to carry out a biological attack on a subway station that would kill "hundreds of thousands" of New Yorkers.

Zone semifinals preview: Stakes are high at Valley: Spencer Patterson; All eight teams in tonight's Southern 4A Zone basketball semifinals have already earned trips to next week's state tournament. But a lot still will be at stake when the quartet of games tip off starting at 3 p.m. at Valley High School.

Las Vegas friend recalls life of Caray: Las Vegan Bill "Sully" Sullivan says his longtime friend Harry Caray was a baseball fan first and always.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Parsons named one of greatest: As a former winner of the Daytona 500, Benny Parsons knew exactly how Dale Earnhardt felt after his win last Sunday. It's also pretty much the same way he felt last weekend when he was named one of the 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time.

WAC tournament schedule: WAC tounament-First Round (Thomas & Mack Center)

TEAM STANDINGS: KANEOHE, Hawai'i -- The No. 1-ranked UNLV golf team is three shots off the lead after the second round of play Thursday at the 21-team John A. Burns Intercollegiate at the par-72, 6,552-yard Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course located on the grounds of the Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station.

Boys Basketball 4A Zone tournament: results, schedule: Tournament Schedule

Man arrested for elderly abuse: Childers is the owner and operator of Desert Palms 2, a licensed, private adult care facility.

Former assemblyman Bergevin dies: He was 75.

In the wake of anthrax scare, Senate to hold hearings on chemical and biological agents: Paul Kane; Chairman Sen. Richard Shelby agreed to hold the hearings, which will examine who has access to deadly agents like anthrax, after talking Friday with Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., a member of the Intelligence Committee.

McSorley can't recall it this bad: Tim Graham; As bad as matters appear for the Las Vegas Thunder, this concept should be kept in mind: Things can get worse.

Movie Guys: Sexy, sultry 'Palmetto' resurrects stylish film noir: Jeff; Grades: Jeff, B; Dave, B.

Anthrax most dangerous of biological agents: As a weapon, anthrax would be most lethal if released as very small particles in a confined space, Department of Defense data sheets indicate. Once the bacteria settles on the ground, anthrax is less virulent, but could still cause a skin infection.