Print edition for May 7, 1998

Kerkorian blesses merger, sees Chrysler investment triple: Geraldine Fabrikant; His much maligned 1990 investment in Chrysler Corp. is proving nothing short of brilliant. If the merger is consummated between Chrysler and German automaker Daimler-Benz AG, Kerkorian's remaining stake of 89.2 million shares would be worth nearly $5 billion, more than triple his original investment.

People in the News for May 7, 1998: Tiny babbles

Jury to weigh motive in murder of husband: The question the jury won't have to decide is whether 33-year-old Linda Carbary was responsible for the death of Jeffrey Carbary on March 15, 1997. She shot him in front of a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper.

Editorial: Getting a handle on year 2000 bug: Any computer crash that could affect the delivery of phone, gas or electric service could be devastating. Imagine the chaos that would follow the interruption of these necessities. "We've heard all sorts of stories about what could happen, from systems going down to planes falling out of the sky," Public Utilities Commissioner Timothy Hay said. "What we're hoping is that this may be overblown hype."

Prep: Hobbled Smith leads GV in key volleyball win: Wednesday evening, he proved he takes this quote to heart.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: We can join the postal workers in helping the needy: The National Association of Letter Carriers, 100,000 strong, will be collecting and distributing food all across our nation. Last year, this amounted to 73 million pounds of food. Southern Nevada Branch 2502 collected and distributed 370,000 pounds a year ago. This year, Julie Bryant and local letter carriers are aiming to collect 500,000 pounds of food for distribution.

Pahrump teacher with AIDS gets life term in teen sex case: Brian Lepley, 33, was convicted last month of sexual assault for plying a 16-year-old with marijuana and coercing him into a sex act he was unable to resist.

Obituaries for May 7, 1998: She is survived by two sons, Robert Blomgren and Richard Blomgren, both of Las Vegas; one sister, Patricia Huss of Gibsonia, Pa.; and one grandchild.

Letter: Channel 4 dedicated to local government: As Clark County's public communications efforts expand with our county's growth, more time is being devoted to county government meetings -- such as live broadcasts of the Board of County Commissioners' meetings, zoning and other programs produced by various government entities in Clark County as well as UNLV. As these programming efforts expand, time that normally was utilized by C-SPAN will be eliminated.

Reid works out compromise on tax 'snitch' program: Paul Kane; Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., led the assault on what he called the IRS "snitch program," which allows for anyone to collect up to $2 million in cash for turning over tax secrets.

Editorial: Light seen at the end of the tunnel: Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's announcement Wednesday that he's close to removing a record number of plants, animals and birds from the government's endangered list is well-reasoned. Because 29 species are recovering so well, Babbitt said they can be removed from the list.

Illinois casinos catch flack for scholarship contest: "It's good public relations for the casinos. It's 'We're the good guys, because we're giving the scholarships,"' said Anita Bedell, the head of Illinois Church Action on Alcohol Problems and a leading gambling opponent. "But it's also brand identification."

Letter: Suspicious of water from Coyote Springs: The government needs to address this issue and not dump this water into the Muddy or Virgin rivers nor Lake Mead without fully testing it and revealing the results to the water-drinking public. It seemed to me from the article that business deals may be pushing this water down our throats without giving us a chance to evaluate its purity and safety.

State wildlife officials say auditor's letter inaccurate: Crews said he couldn't discuss publicly the contents of the letter, and the issue was never brought before the Interim Finance Committee, which conducted its regular meeting Wednesday to review changes to state budgets.

UNLV golf remains nations' top-ranked team: The Rebels, who have won four of eight tournaments this spring and a school-record six for the season, are in first place ahead of Clemson, Georgia Tech, Arizona and Georgia.

Columnist Jeff German: Gaming's adversaries surface in prayer day ceremony: The annual event, sponsored by the religious right, is chaired by Shirley Dobson, wife of James Dobson, a conservative member of the National Gambling Impact Study Commission.

LV dealers wait for merger details: General managers at two Chrysler dealerships said today that any changes in their current strategies won't be coming right away.

Letter: Investigate source of Starr's income: Furthermore, what is his cut of the $40 million of taxpayer money spent in the fishing expedition to smear President Clinton?

Letter: North Las Vegas airport expansion ruins tranquility: On Sunday mornings of days gone by, you could sit out on your patio, enjoy the paper and a cup of coffee. Today, it's close the windows and doors because of the constant drone of aircraft engines landing and taking off. Some are very quiet. But, so was the one that crashed into our neighbor's home. I have always said, "If you can hear it, we dodged another bullet."

Tropicana fraud trial in closing arguments: Bill Gang; Justice Department prosecutor Lynn Panagakos told the jury that the mountain of documents presented during the month-long trial showed the alleged conspirators engaged in "lie after lie, after lie, after lie" to reach their goal.

Businesses restore historic buildings: The catch is that each remodel cost more than alternative building solutions like starting from scratch or buying something new. But these buildings have something a new structure can't possibly offer: history.

Legislature approves overseas tourist-seeking missions: The Legislative Interim Finance Committee Wednesday allowed the commission to shift funds in its budget for trips for Gov. Bob Miller, Tourism Director Tom Tait and International Tourism Director Brenda Hughes.

High court gets funding for space in LV center: The money will be used by Clark County planners to add a floor on the center to house the Supreme Court.

LV selected to host '99 Western Regional Legion Baseball: LV selected to host '99 Western Regional Legion Baseball

Feds want change in kids' health plan: The federal government, which supplies 65 percent of the $40 million Nevada Check-Up program, is balking at approving Nevada's plan. This could postpone the planned start of program -- originally set for July 1 -- for up to six months.

Runaways suspected in Carson fire: The fire, which caused an estimated $320,000 in damage, started when the torch brushed against some old decorative netting along one wall. District Attorney Noel Waters said the blaze wasn't deliberately set and the boys won't be charged with arson.

Dial File: Finale fever reveals lessons in TV timing: A proudly, defiantly irrelevant show became the height of relevance, while shows oozing relevance became, well, largely irrelevant.

LV selling itself to lure the next 500 million tourists: So he let Elvis do it.

Economics blamed for splitting foster siblings: Stephen Shaw, director of the state Division of Children and Family Services, spoke Wednesday before the state committee that holds hearings and assists in running the government between legislative sessions.

Prep: Sister act stealing the show at Basic High: Spencer Patterson; There's probably no connection more important in high school softball than that between pitcher and catcher.

Credit card scheme charged: Khalid Michel Benamar was indicted on 68 felony charges Wednesday, although it could have been worse.

Baby program growing in LV: A new Nevada state program, designed to develop community-based partnerships to support families with infants, is expanding throughout the Las Vegas Valley.

Voice communications over the Internet demonstrated in LV: The Networld + Interop show, which drew an estimated 50,000 people to the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Las Vegas Hilton this week, is dedicated to network computing and connecting one machine to another.

Columnist Joe Delaney: ArtFest stirs memories of small town Henderson: Joe Delaney; Activities will take place along Water Street and in the park area around the Henderson City Hall and Convention Center. ... This is another coming of age for Henderson.

Nevadans push panel for BLM land deal: Paul Kane; The lawmakers have won the support of Senate Republicans in charge of land issues, and they received a general show of support from the Bureau of Land Management -- with a few strings attached.

Neonopolis negotiates for big theater complex: Denise Cardinal; Neonopolis is a retail entertainment center planned for the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street. The project, developed by World Entertainment Center of Atlanta, is to be completed in 2000.

UNLV to host NCAA women tennis: The eight-team field of the NCAA West Region Championship on May 15-17 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex is led by top-seeded and 13th-ranked Pepperdine (19-5 overall record this season). The second seed is 21st-ranked Southern California (11-10), which makes its first-ever appearance in Las Vegas. The University of San Diego (12-8), ranked 29th, is seeded third. Host UNLV (11-12), strengthened by its appearance in last week's WAC Championship final, is seeded fourth and ranked 49th.

LV's kiss is on their list: Lisa Ferguson; After nearly a quarter of a century spent playing together, and with six No. 1 hits ("Maneater," "Private Eyes," "Kiss on My List") and more than two dozen Top 40 tunes under their belts, the blue-eyed soul singers/ songwriters from Philadelphia parted ways, at least temporarily.

School computers causing headaches: But a bright spot emerged during the daylong discussion by the state Commission on Educational Technology when Marlene Lockard, director of the state Department of Information Services, came up with a plan to save $9 million.

Condos, lofts proposed for downtown: Denise Cardinal; A feasibility study of downtown housing was conducted recently by the Concord Group for the developer, who Forche said chooses to remain anonymous until a specific project has been identified.

Ambassador says U.S. not trusting of Chinese: But Wang Yongqiu, a Chinese consul general based in San Francisco who holds the rank of ambassador, said the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service has to be more trusting of Chinese citizens coming to the United States before tourism can flourish.

SUN Board: Community events, meetings, classes: Special interest

Missing Yucca information bothers licensing agency: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission met with U.S. Department of Energy officials in charge of the Yucca Mountain project Wednesday to discuss missing DOE records including scientific data for water use and storage.

U-Haul founder's gaming application moved off fast track: John Wilen; The license application, filed by Amerco Entrepreneurial Institute Inc.; Leonard S. Shoen, Amerco's president, director and shareholder; and Carol L. Shoen, Amerco's secretary and treasurer; was sent back to the board's investigative staff for further review.

Panel dips into reserves to pay state health-insurance shortfall: The Legislative Interim Finance Committee Wednesday allowed the state Committee on Benefits, which oversees the system that covers 27,000 residents, to take $19 million from its reserves to pay for budget shortfalls this fiscal year.

Driver killed in wreck involving Highway Patrol car: Pagni was not in the vehicle and was not injured. But the force of the collision pushed his car into the one he had stopped.

Shoshone Indians making effort to relearn native language: "It's wonderful to see the older people teaching the children," Whitney said. "The children have been great and the adults have been really helpful bringing what they know to the class."

Ohrenschall to face stiff competition in primary: Jeff Schweers; Kelvin Atkinson, an analyst for the Clark County Human Resources Department, was among the 12 people Wednesday who filed for office at the county Elections Department. He joined Clark County School Board member Judy Witt in running against Ohrenschall for the District 12 Assembly seat she's held since 1994.

Mega-jobs: Melissa Schorr; They cruise around town, tethered to their beepers and cell phones, never making commitments, ready to leave at a moment's notice.

Grand jury indicts man accused of shooting at police: James H. Seek, 50, is charged with attempted murder, shooting into a vehicle, assault with a deadly weapon and failing to stop on the signal of a police officer. All counts in Wednesday's indictment are felonies.

Reno plant inspected 16 months before blast: The state Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement Bureau gave Sierra Chemical an average grade when it inspected the TNT-producing plant east of Sparks on Sept. 25, 1996.

UNLV to host NCAA men tennis: For the third consecutive season, top tennis teams from across the West will travel to the campus of UNLV to vie for a single berth to the finals of the NCAA Division I Men's Championships.

Taxi Authority stands by report's accuracy: State Taxicab Authority Administrator Bob Anselmo said he stood by the accuracy of a confidential investigative report that whistleblower John Mirkovich had criticized.

NLV council hears protest of proposed annexation: "We have more signatures than are needed," said Lin Wright, a North Las Vegas resident heading the protest. "We're fed up."

NASCAR makes winning car extinct as dinosaur: How appropriate.

Columnist Steve Carp: NCAA riding a rare legal losing streak: Steve Carp; Right now, it's two losses in a row, three if you want to count the Title IX lawsuit Brown University lost to its women athletes.

Friday at Aqueduct: 1st race 6 fur 3YO&up Mdn Clm

New Mexico nuclear waste repository nears opening: Sue Major Holmes; Should it open next month, it would cap years of debate over the safety of burying radioactive nuclear waste generated by decades of weapons work.

Prep: Boys basketball spring league heats up: Spencer Patterson; If the postseason is anything like the regular season in the Southern Nevada Boys Basketball Association Spring League, it should be a dogfight to decide who will represent the Sunrise and Sunset Divisions in the championship.

Site not right for VA home: Eric Raecke, manager of the Public Works Board, told the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee that fissures in the soil at the North Las Vegas site offered for free by the Air Force would require an estimated $2 million to fix.

Prep: Softball standings, through May 6: SUNRISE DIVISION

Prep: Boys Golf standings through May 6: SUNRISE DIVISION

Two more homicides reported overnight: The victim was taken to University Medical Center, where he died of his wounds.

Fight schedule, May 7: At Irvine, Calif., Mark Lewis, Los Angeles, vs. Jaime Ocegueda, Mexico, 10, welterweights.

Prep: Final baseball standings: CLASS 4A

Nadeau upsetting form on rookies: Nadeau surprised his friend and many others when he burst on the scene in 1997 as a complete unknown, starting and finishing five races for Winston Cup team owner Richard Jackson.

Prep: Boys Volleyball standings: SUNRISE DIVISION

Construction of fire academy underway: "Today is a day we were not sure would ever arrive," he said.

Independent American Party of Nevada convention in Vegas: The IAP delegates will discuss filing a lawsuit against Nevada's campaign finance reform law, which Hansen described as unconstitutional because it creates a "media monopoly regarding political free speech."

Columnist Dean Juipe: Olympic gold medalist Reid building toward a title shot: Dean Juipe; He's patiently impatient, aware that championship opportunities will be there for him yet able to resist the temptation of saying he's ready for them today.

UNLV's coaches stand up for A.D.: Steve Carp; While they are glad to see an inquiry by the chancellor's office is under way, several UNLV coaches defended athletic director Charles Cavagnaro, saying they have never heard him make racist or sexist comments.

Five fallen officers to be honored at James D. Hoff Memorial: Two other officers, Washoe County Sheriff's Sgt. Frank Minnie and Elko County Sheriff's Sgt. Travis Maki, were killed last year in traffic accidents.

Chocolate Myers doing unusual double duty: "Some people said, 'Well, you know some of those drivers have been doing it.' I thought to myself that I could be the first crew member to do that," Myers said. "One thing led to another, and now I'm planning on doing it."

Police believe they know who killed bartender: The victim was found tied up and shot once in the head, execution style. At least one witness saw a gray Cadillac leave the scene with its lights off. The car was later recovered in the parking lot of a homeless shelter and an inspection connected it to the crime.

Ensign says Clinton impeachment would be bad for country: "I would just like the truth to come out," the second-term congressman from Las Vegas said.

Developers ask court for zone change: The complaint follows the commission's denial of plans for Crestmore Village, a 40-unit affordable housing complex proposed for five acres on Elges Lane.

Jack's newest LV design more beauty then beast: Jack Nicklaus has designed more than 140 golf courses around the world, commanding a hefty fee each time his company is enlisted to put the Golden Bear's signature on a piece of property.

Sewage flows at Pioneer Trail: Dawn Forsythe of the South Tahoe Public Utility District said testing by environmental specialists showed a barely detectable amount of sewage actually reached the city storm drains. Forsythe said that because of the high precipitation Wednesday morning the city drainage systems were flowing into Ski Run Marina.

Columnist Tim Graham: KFBT to emphasize sports: Tim Graham; The foundation is in place for Southern Nevada's first local sports station.

Friday at Golden Gate: 1st race 6 fur 3YO Clm

Mayfield moves to head of class: After all, Jeff Gordon has won the title twice in the last three years. But the young lion roaring the loudest now isn't The Kid.