Print edition for February 26, 1998

Railroad delays train increase while city seeks loan: The STB was scheduled to make a decision in April, but city officials have asked for a postponement while they seek federal funding.

Columnist Rusty Wallace: 'Free day' helped to learn a little about new track: Rusty Wallace; NASCAR basically gave us a free day today to run on the race track to get accustomed to the new facility and to see what it's going to take to run Sunday's race. We spent all day today trying to get our Miller Lite Ford to go as fast as we possibly could for Friday's qualifying run.

Attack on 16-year-old girl latest in string of sexual assaults: Cathy Scott; This latest attack occurred in the 4000 block of West Flamingo Road at Decatur Boulevard on Feb. 17. The attacker appeared to have gone through an unlocked patio door, said Sgt. Clint Robison of Metro's sexual assault detail.

NASCAR spells big bucks for LV: Bob Shemeligian; Only a few hotels reported weekend vacancies as of Thursday evening, and room prices are steep: $199 per night at Treasure Island, and $299 for Saturday night at Luxor.

Burning Man festival looks for site: Harvey said he's now looking at private sites near Gerlach and plans to meet with leaders of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Indians to discuss holding the festival on tribal land.

Father's recognition doesn't bother Earnhardt Jr: Following in the footsteps of a famous father can be a daunting endeavor. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't seem to be fazed by all the attention being paid to him this year.

NASCAR Winston West, Catus Clash results: 1. (1) Kevin Harvick, Bakersfield, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 100, 110.633 mph, $15,850.

Box Score: Hawaii 87, Lady Rebels 70: Page 9-12 9-10 30, Howard 6-10 4-5 16, Ashby 2-6 2-4 6, Cockett 10-18 10-11 31, Itoman 0-6 2-2 2, Forsberg 0-0 0-0 0, Kotilainen 0-0 0-0 0, Lee 0-1 2-2 2, Liu 0-0 0-0 0, Evers 0-0 0-0 0, Wautlet 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-54 29-34 87.

Nevada delegates lobby for fed highway funds: Paul Kane; Stevens met Tuesday and Wednesday with Republican Reps. Jim Gibbons and John Ensign, and Democratic Sens. Richard Bryan and Harry Reid, all of whom are pushing congressional leadership to increase Nevada's share of the federal highway funding pie.

Library director decision put on hold: A number of employees said notice of the meeting, the purpose of which was to approve the selection of Fair Anderson & Langerman as interim director, was not posted three working days before the scheduled session as required by law.

Friday at Gulfstream Park: 1st race 1-1/16 mi 4YO Mdn

Supreme Court rejects appeal of man convicted of raping daughter: The Nevada Supreme Court Thursday rejected the appeal of Rafael I. Arreola, convicted of three counts of sexual assault of a minor under 14 years old. His previous appeals to the Nevada high court and the U.S. Supreme Court also have been denied.

NASCAR life for some a difficult task: Steve Guiremand; This week it's Las Vegas. Last week it was Rockingham, N.C. Next week it's Atlanta.

Editorial: Connecting to www.waste.com: Only 31 of the 63 state legislators turned on their taxpayer-bought computers from Jan. 8 to Feb. 23 of this year. One of the stated reasons the computers were bought was that legislators could communicate better with their constituents through e-mail. So, most Nevadans would reason that the revelation of inactivity would prompt some self-examination by the legislators: Should taxpayer dollars be spent on expensive equipment if it's not going to be used?

15 percent jump asked for Metro Police budget: Cathy Scott; Metro's annual budget is increasing nearly 15 percent from last fiscal year. The $212.3 million 1998-99 budget, up from last year's $187 million budget, is necessary because of growth in the valley, Metro comptroller Lois Roethel said at Wednesday's Fiscal Affairs Committee meeting at City Hall.

Metro officer credited with saving baby hot in drive-by: Cathy Scott; The infant was sitting in the back seat when a gunman fired into her parents' car, police said.

Editorial: Congress needs to help credit unions: Despite the decision, help may be on the way for credit unions, which for many individuals are the only institutions where they can secure low-cost financing. Legislation is being offered in Congress, which has strong bipartisan support, that would reinstate credit unions' ability to sign members from other companies.

Demand for private schools soars: Benjamin Grove; Shiloh has scheduled groundbreaking for a new $9-million, 38-classroom school at 9:30 a.m. Friday at their new site on Cheyenne Avenue, almost two miles west of Durango Drive. The new structure will be three times larger than the current 30,000-square-foot school and affiliated church, West Charleston Baptist. Church officials hope the new building will be completed by year's end, perhaps even by fall.

Loveable losers: Trickle's label doesn't bother him: He has never visited Victory Lane in a NASCAR Winston Cup points race in 254 starts and he has driven for 20 different car owners since 1970. But Dick Trickle may be the only driver every race fan will be pulling for when the green flag drops on Sunday's Las Vegas 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Reported kidnapping at school unfounded: Cathy Scott; The fear was that a child had been abducted by a man who has recently been prowling school-age children and trying to lure them into his car, Metro Police said. Patrol cars raced to the school to begin searching for a child until the school was able to account for all of its students.

NASCAR Winston West Results: 2. (2) Tony Toste, Pismo Beach, Calif., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 100, $9,940.

Griffin to seek second term: No other mayoral candidates have surfaced so far.

Probation given in insurance fraud: District Judge Joseph Pav-likowski Wednesday also ordered Wimett to perform 40 hours of community service and to reimburse Metropolitan Insurance Company $1,772.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Starr-crossed Clinton nearing war with special prosecutor: Even in the depths of unrelenting warfare, civilized countries have done their best to pretend to confine their killing ways to a set of rules with which both or all sides would comply. Mostly. There are rules about how opposing armies could be killed and with what kind of weapons. There are rules that cover the way prisoners of war are to be treated and how civilians would be dealt with should they find themselves in the middle of armed conflict. In short, the rules of engagement known as the Geneva Convention allow all parties to an armed conflict to, ...

Case of alleged rape of jail inmate submitted to DA: Cathy Scott; A 3-inch-thick file was submitted Wednesday by Metro's sexual assault unit, Assistant District Attorney Chuck Thompson said.

Lawsuit claims boxer owes jeweler $805,350: Sig Rogich, a spokesman who has represented the fighter, was out of the city and not immediately available for comment.

Tribe publicizes videotape casting doubt on jilted gambler's account: "What we showed today was our side of the story," Antone said. "We've got such a bad eye over this."

Gaming industry to study ways to protect children: "The concern is that with the increased number of families with children coming to gaming facilities, there is a growing problem of unattended children. Some parents will go to tables or slot machines and leave a child unattended, particularly late at night," said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which is based in Arlington, Va.

Strohmeyer put in solitary confinement: The Long Beach, Calif., teen-ager was removed from the second floor, where he was in protective custody, to the fifth floor, which inmates refer to as "the hole."

A list of Lovable Losers: Michael Waltrip 0-364

Industrial park on track to add hundreds of jobs: Bob Shemeligian; It's the Speedway Industrial Park, and it is expected to add several hundred jobs to the local economy, said Ray Stepniak, general manager of the industrial park.

Probation likely for teacher on sex-with-students charges: Bill Gang; Jack David Patton, 28, appeared in a Henderson Justice Court Wednesday and waived his preliminary hearing as the first step in a deal that will result in his guilty plea to a single felony charge naming two victims.

Strong not-guilty plea entered in murder of LV bookmaker: Bill Gang and Bob Shemeligian; The judge on Wednesday then set an Aug. 17 trial date for the woman who looked younger than her 49 years, despite being bound in chains and shackles and dressed in a standard blue jail uniform.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: NASCAR splitting into two league inevitable: NASCAR's PAST and present come together on page 26 of "50 Years of NASCAR," a special collector's issue of Sports Illustrated that recently hit newsstands.

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

Pair of mayor's hirings subject of ethics filings: Denise Cardinal; Ann Holland, former senior vice president of hotel and tower operations at the Stratosphere hotel-casino, took the post as the third deputy city manager -- a position that didn't previously exist. Her annual salary is $100,000.

Drivers happy with new Las Vegas track: With sparkling new tracks the order of business these days, the Winston Cup series is starting to burn rubber on new roads throughout the country.

Shane Mosley making himself known, off to 26-0 start.: Even after becoming a world champion, the typical boxing fan didn't know what to make of Shane Mosley.

People in the News for February 26, 1998: Briefing

Dial File: Medieval soaps, Satan-sent cops: We're calling it "Stinky & Shotzy in the Clare De Loon." Whaddya think?

State Tournament Results: AAAA State Tournament in Reno

Cheyenne Interchange to be rebuilt: Groundbreaking should take place by the end of March for the project that will take slightly more than two years.

UNLV will attempt to cool improved Cowboys: Steve Carp; When they beat Utah State in early December, few paid it any mind. When they beat New Mexico in early January, people were calling it a fluke, citing home-court advantage.

Thou Shalt Not Be Bummed: Lisa Ferguson; By age 28, Dietmar Scherf was a multimillionaire, having founded Europe's first discount stock brokerage firm in 1989.

Grand jury launches anthrax probe: Assistant U.S. Attorney L.J. O'Neale is spearheading the probe, which is focusing on the circumstances that led to the Feb. 18 arrests of Larry Wayne Harris and William Job Leavitt at a Henderson clinic.

Circus Circus earnings plunge: For all of fiscal 1998, the company said net income fell to $89.9 million, or 95 cents a share, from $100.7 million, or 99 cents a share, in fiscal 1997. Revenue rose to $1.35 billion from $1.33 billion. The latest fourth-quarter earnings, which fell short of analysts' consensus estimates of 17 cents a share, were reduced by one-time charges totaling 11 cents a share.

UNLV tries to improve latest ranking: The Rebels and Bulldogs will play at 3:05 p.m. Friday and 1:05 on Saturday and Sunday.

Columnist Jeff German: Binion, Gaming Control Board headed for showdown: In his zeal to prove that the state Gaming Control Board has been "persecuting" him, Binion is looking to put board member Steve DuCharme on the hot seat.

Many coaching prospects for Lady Rebels: Dean Juipe; But there at one game were no less than four individuals interested in filling the head coaching vacancy with the UNLV Lady Rebels. And a fifth was keeping tabs, albeit from a distance.

Columnist John McCarron: Six skins tournament decided on final game: John McCarron; GARY TROSEN came from behind in an exciting finish to beat Harold Mountain for the Six Skins win at Mahoney's Silver Nugget Feb. 21.

Nevada taxable sales inch up to $2.4 billion in December: The state Taxation Department reported Wednesday taxable sales statewide inched up to $2.4 billion, up only .9 percent compared to December 1996 -- the smallest gain in more than two years.

Letter: Eminent domain abuse should concern everyone: The list of questionable decisions on her part continues to grow. She has stolen private property under the guise of "eminent domain" to give to her casino buddies; she took from our children millions of dollars that could be used for public parks and funneled it into her idea of a "park"; she owns a retail store in a hotel she must make city decisions on; and, most recently, she created a new, high-paying city position for a former employee of her husband. Corrupt? Absolutely!

Las Vegas Thunder play tonight: * WHEN: 7:05 p.m.

UNLV Golf ranked No. 1 in Collegiate rankings: UNLV replaced Arizona as the nation's top-ranked team. Arizona is second, followed by Georgia Tech, Arkansas and Georgia. Clemson fell out of the top five to seventh.

Bell touts his bad check collection program: Brian Seals; Since October 1994, the office has collected more than $8 million in restitution, District Attorney Stewart Bell said Wednesday.

Stars to shine on Sunday afternoons: Steve Guiremand; Look for the Las Vegas Stars to put the "sun" back into Sunday home games this season.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Gonzalez wants to prove himself in Chavez bout: Dean Juipe; By Dean Juipe LAS VEGAS SUN

Ground broken on Army recruiting facility: The 19,200-square-foot building, to be erected at E. Red Coach Road and Fifth Street on property owned by Nellis Air Force Base, is scheduled for completion by the end of December, according to an army spokesman.

Letter: Las Vegans should appreciate fight against eminent domain: As to Steve Miller: If he feels he was wronged by the mayor in his 1991 election loss, he has the right to litigate. Also, Miller has the right to join the nationwide anti-gambling movement. The Statue of Liberty at New York-New York is the Statue of Gaming, and she is blind, blind to accepting any responsibility for her victims. I feel that Steve Miller thinks as I do, that people must come first.

Preps: All-Conference basketball teams: First Team:

Thursday's Women's Basketball Scores: Defiance 86, Grove City 58

Stratosphere stock mystery explained: Gary Thompson; The secret is contained in Message No. 56 on an Internet message board where Stratosphere fans trade their thoughts about the company's prospects. Before I get to Message 56, though, a little history.

Harvick gets first victory of his career: Two late caution flags may have been just what Kevin Harvick needed to secure his first career NASCAR Winston West Racing Series victory. But they also robbed former NFL coach Jerry Glanville of his.

Thunder make moves to improve roster: Tim Graham; The Las Vegas Thunder's cavalry started to appear on the ridge Thursday.

Obituaries for February 26, 1998: She is survived by her husband, Billy; five sons, Robert W. Perks and Rod Anderson, both of Las Vegas, Howard F. Perks and Ronald Perks, both of Pennsylvania, and Joe Anderson of Kansas; two daughters, Cheryle L. Schoenberger and Rhonda Anderson, both of Las Vegas; one brother, Richard Graham of Las Vegas; one sister, Elsie Floray of Pennsylvania; 22 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Letter: Lane discipline root of road-congestion evil: Actually, Nevada already has a "move to the right" law, but authorities don't bother with it. Speeding fines are a much easier way of raising revenue than enforcing a law which would increase traffic flow, safety and eliminate the major cause of open-highway road rage.

Sprint complaints filed with state: The Public Utilities Commission will consider action against Sprint after two competitors complained that a campaign to lock business customers into long-term agreements for their Centrex lines is anticompetitive.

Thursday's College Hockey Scores: Skidmore 5, W. New England 2

Prep Notes: Cimarron-Memorial's wrestlers return home: Spencer Patterson; For the second year in a row, Cimarron-Memorial's wrestling squad arrived for the Nevada State Tournament as a favorite to claim the team title.

Gelena High ready for state tournament: Spencer Patterson; Year after year, as the Nevada State Boys Basketball Tournament gets under way, the same question hangs in the thin Reno air: Will this be the year the north breaks through?

Whitaker and Quarterly both feel confident: Dean Juipe; Neither man thinks beating the other will be all that difficult.

Gorman girls want respect at State Tourney: Spencer Patterson; The last time a Las Vegas-area girls team won Nevada's large school state basketball title, Jimmy Carter sat in the Oval Office.