Print edition for January 16, 1998

Man accused by Russia of being a spy clinks glasses with Bryan: "When I was in Russia, I wasn't privy to the media," Bliss said. "But everybody said Sen. Bryan was the one spearheading the campaign to get me out. Buying him a beer was the least I could do."

Movie Guys: 'Kundun' a spiritual saga, Scorsese-style: Jeff; * Screenplay: Melissa Mathison.

Council decides on educational standards levels: The state Council to Establish Academic Standards for Public Schools voted to set the educational standards for students to achieve at grades 2, 3, 5 and 8 in Nevada's elementary schools.

Revel in the Nevilles: Shane Gammon; Zydeco, a style of music originating from New Orleans, mixed togther with a bit of jazz, reggae and rhythm and blues, is a style for which the Neville Brothers -- Art, Aaron, Cyril and Charles -- are known.

Reid, Bryan push to block Babbitt on gaming: Paul Kane; Babbitt's plan, released on Friday, is an attempt to address the high-pitched battles between Indian tribes and states such as California and Florida, both of which want to forbid gambling on Indian reservations. His proposed rule would be a clarification of the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) - which Reid co-authored.

Arts school holds auditions: For dancers in its year-round program, the North Carolina School of the Arts offers a bachelor of fine arts, a college arts diploma (college-level study of the discipline without academics) and the high school diploma with arts concentration.

Letter: Budget surplus should reduce deficit, not expand programs: Reducing the debt will lead to more honest political debate to further reduce the debt and the size of a bloated federal government.

Workshop fast facts: * WHERE: Travelers Convention Suites and Services, 101 N. Convention Center Drive.

Water plan will serve Las Vegas until 2035: Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt announced last month that he would approve the arrangement between the states when the government's regulatory process runs its course, most likely in the summer.

State agencies owed more than $100 million in taxes, fees: About $55 million in taxes weren't collected by the Department of Taxation, while the Division of Industrial Relations failed to collect $18 million and the State Industrial Insurance System is short $17 million.

Extradition hearing could be held today for suspect in officer's killing: The standoff ended an intense manhunt, unmatched in Reno history, that began early Tuesday when Sullivan's body was found near his patrol car on campus.

Letter: Right-to-die advocates back rights of terminally ill: To compare the Hemlock Society USA to Nazi Germany and Dr. Josef Mengele is an extreme injustice to those of us who have dedicated our lives to supporting the rights of terminally ill, suffering patients. You used many ugly phrases to describe us, suggesting that we "pressure" and "hustle" "terminally ill patients into death." You even predicted that "the chronically ill, the mentally anguished, babies born with defects, the elderly and disable" would soon be added to our list. You indicated a concern that this could become "murder."

Get 'Lost' in the strangeness of Vegas: Melissa Schorr; Jensen's play, "The Lost Vegas Series," the first mainstage production of the new community theater group, the Asylum, premiered Thursday night at the Winchester Center Theatre.

Letter: Ping-Pong may be secret weapon in diplomatic thawing of U.S.-Iran relations: During World War II, I was a GI stationed with a special services unit of the U.S. Army in Tehran, and I saw a form of Ping-Pong diplomacy practiced. Our unit had a sergeant who was an adept Ping-Pong player. Every morning he was assigned to play Ping-Pong with the young shah, who, too, was a skilled Ping-Pong player. After the war, that young shah and the U.S. had a good relationship until he was overthrown by his own people. Since then the relationship has been icy cold.

Box Score: New Mexico 79, UNLV 61: 3-Point Goals: 6-17 .353 (Daniels 2, Keefe 2, Nesby, Ausborne).

Letter: Many senior citizens devote their time to community work: Name Withheld

Columnist Scott Dickensheets: Eliza does more than a little for kids: Scott Dickensheets; Eliza Toussant would undoubtedly say no, then gently reprimand me for such violent impulses. A recent arrival from a certain noncontiguous, rather chilly, 49th state that -- for deeply personal reasons involving an ex-spouse -- she wishes me not to name, Toussant brought with her a strong concern for kids and a pack of, you guessed it, Cootie Dragons.

Metro launches safety campaign to combat increase in traffic fatalities: By July 4, Metro also plans to employ a specially-equipped van to test and videotape motorists arrested for driving under the influence. The van can also transport suspected drunk drivers to jail.

Mars vs. Venus: War of the Worlds: Anne Hosier; Sooner or later, nearly every man who loves a woman is going to be confronted with that dreaded question:

John Gray fast facts: * WHERE: UNLV's Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall.

Gas company pioneer Thornton dies at 94: Thornton was shocked to learn that Thomas H. Myers, owner of the rival Petrolane Gas Co., and his wife, Doris Thornton Myers -- Byron's sister -- were involved that day in a butane explosion at their 306 Gass Ave. home and factory.

Saturday at Golden Gate: 1st race 1-1/16 mi F&M 4&up Clm

F-22 offers peek into the future: Karen Zekan; The F-22 Raptor -- the most sophisticated blending of stealth and supersonic speed -- is clearly the aircraft of the future.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Papamio's restaurant a Sam's Town treat: When three friends and I decided to do a mini progressive dinner at the longtime western-themed hotel, we expected it to be fun, but it was even more than we anticipated.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: The kind of Nevada history we don't want repeated: The above paragraph sounds much like what came out of Carson City after the Sierra Chemical Co. explosion near Reno last week. Actually, it recalls the actions of Gov. Richard Bryan in May 1988, after the deadly PEPCON blast in Henderson.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Shot at 4 for 4 hypes crew at Morgan-McClure: As if joining a new race team isn't enough pressure, NASCAR Winston Cup driver Bobby Hamilton will really be under the gun at next month's Daytona 500.

Cleveland trip electrifying experience for Las Vegan: Cleveland may not have a National Football League franchise this season but it isn't stopping the city from hosting a Super Bowl -- and Las Vegan Mike Turner will be competing.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Salaries up and they'll go even higher: Dean Juipe; Nothing has changed at Fort Knox.

Kevin Simmons is anxious to make UNLV debut: Steve Carp; In a season where a third of UNLV's basketball team has played the waiting game, no one has waited longer than Kevin Simmons.

New designs on school-building process: At a separate meeting later in the day, held by another committee formed in response to school funding issues, two spokesmen for a major construction and engineering firm offered a solution to such delays.

New hotel-casino planned for Strip: Gary Thompson; Sahara owner William Bennett sold the 39-acre parcel west of his hotel-casino this week to a group headed by Beverly Hills developer Barry Schlesinger, said attorney Mahlon Brown.

Thunder gears up for test against league-best Aeros: Tim Graham; Siskel and Ebert would be split on this one.

Phone scam artists fleeing LV for Canada: Federal authorities report Quebec is replacing Miami and Las Vegas as the hot spot for telemarketing fraud.

Lasy Rebels box: UTEP 60, UNLV 59: UNLV (59)

Obituaries for January 16, 1998: He is survived by his wife, Ellen; three sons, Bruce Bennett of Norco, Calif., and Scott Bennett and David Bennett, both of Las Vegas; one daughter, Linda Walker of Cincinnati; and seven grandchildren.

Race for Atlantis set to make debut: They got an education as well.

Improved facility still center of attention: Denise Cardinal; As the director of the Tots & Me and Teacher & Me program at the Stupak Community Center, she's been able to watch the children of the neighborhood grow up.

Gaming stocks rise: Gary Thompson; Mirage Resorts and Boyd Gaming shares jumped more than 8 percent, while nearly across-the-board gains for other casino companies pushed the GAX gaming stock index up nearly 2 percent.

Man faces charges in shooting of cop: Bill Gang; But what should have been a routine traffic stop turned ugly when the young men chose to flee at high speed until the chase ended a few blocks away with the car crashing into a brick wall.

Gaming change opposed: Steve Kanigher and Mary Manning; Babbitt was expected to announce at a press conference in Washington, D.C., today that he will assume authority over appeals by Indian tribes that fail to get state approval for their casino requests.

Public can help archaeologists find early LV history: The fort will be rebuilt from a remnant under excavation this weekend with $2 million from a $47 million parks and wildlife state bond approved by voters in 1990.

Feds probe Del Webb land deal: The front-page story, focusing on the work of lobbyist Donald Moon, says the Interior Department's inspector general has begun a formal investigation of complaints from current and former Bureau of Land Management officials about the deal.

Saturday at Gulfstream Park: 1st race 1-1/16 mi 3YO Mdn

Atlantis vs. Star Trek a toss-up: Theme-park aficionados often dodge such questions because asking them to choose the better ride is like asking parents to say which of their children they love more.

Thomas applies a hurtin' to UNLV: THE NUMBERS: UNLV committed just 13 turnovers. But the Rebels had nine of those miscues in the first half, four of which came during a 5:21 drought when New Mexico took control, and it helped deci; ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Kenny Thomas may want to reconsider.

Lady Rebels lose tough one: As unlikely as it may have seemed three weeks ago when they were 0-10, the Lady Rebels came within 5.9 seconds of evening their conference record at 2-2 and sitting in the middle of the pack in their division standings.

Weekend Update: Music, Theater, Etc.: S'MARVELOUS -- Actors Repertory Theater brings the timeless music of George and Ira Gershwin to the stage at Summerlin Library theater this weekend in the musical tribute "S'Wonderful." Performances are Wednesday through Sunday until Jan. 25. Evening performances are at 8, Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. Tonight's performance will be a benefit for Music for Hope, and all seats are $12.50. Friday and Saturday performances are $20, $17.50 for students and seniors. Wednesday performances are $15, Thursdays and Sundays, $17.50. Tickets are available at the door at 1771 Inner Circle Drive.

Connecticut casinos take in almost $1 billion in slot revenues in 1997: The Mohegan Sun, with December slot revenues of $27.3 million, increased its slot take by 44 percent from the $18.9 million it took in during the same month a year ago.

Audit: Insurance errors costing state: An audit of the state Division of Risk Management -- which administers health insurance for nearly 26,000 current and former employees -- said the agency "has significant internal control weaknesses over the $37 million it collects in checks and cash each year from state workers, retirees and others to cover premiums. Without proper safeguards, fraud and abuse could occur and go undetected."

Station Casinos sold for $1.7 billion: Crescent Real Estate Equities Inc. of Fort Worth, a company headed by billionaire investor Richard Rainwater, today announced the acquisition of Las Vegas' dominant locals casino operator, which has about 10,000 slot machines at four properties scattered around Southern Nevada.

Las Vegas Film Critics Society becomes reality: The society's inaugural Sierra Awards have been announced.

Police retracing steps of man found shot to death on LV street: Cathy Scott; Metro Police were called to Sandy Lane and Geist Avenue near Pecos Road and Las Vegas Boulevard North at 5:17 a.m. When officers and paramedics arrived, they found Randy Matthews lying face down in the street.

Agassi funds new school: The seven-room, 10,000-square foot Agassi Center for Education opened Thursday at Child Haven, the county's shelter for children in protective custody. It replaces a two-room facility built in 1973.

Titus: Growth panel 'hostile': Larry Henry; Asked afterward to describe a 30-minute question-and-answer session with the Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority, Titus said, "I thought the whole thing was hostile."

People in the News for January 16, 1998: Briefly

Editorial: Power play by legislators is costly, unwise: With the likelihood that voters will pass a constitutional amendment in November mandating that the Legislature can meet no longer than 120 days, legislators are looking at ways to make the legislative process more efficient. Traditionally, the governor prepares the two-year budget and submits it to the Legislature in the first week of the session. Instead of waiting for the governor's budget, the Legislature would have its staff prepare a budget before the start of the session.