Print edition for October 20, 1998

Thunder adds faces, confidence: Tim Graham; It felt like the opening day of training camp all over again for first-year Las Vegas Thunder head coach Bob Bourne.

Letter: HMOs oppose patient protection laws: One important cost factor, however, is always carefully avoided in their arguments. That is the outrageous portion of HMO premiums being diverted from patient care to corporate profits and executive compensation packages. For example, data from the HMOs themselves obtained through required disclosures to the Securities Exchange Commission show that for the top 25 HMO executives annual salaries in 1997 ranged from $3.7 million to $61.2 million.

Public helping to design new NLV library branch: Lisa Snedeker; The couple, along with their 7-year-old son Nathan, were among some 30 residents who turned out for the first of three "design charettes" scheduled this week at the North Las Vegas Library, 2300 Civic Center Drive.

Reno Hilton ordered to hire back fired security guards: The total cost is unknown, as only workers who have not found new jobs are entitled to full back pay, NLRB attorney Rony Clements said. Others would receive the difference between their Hilton wages and present pay.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Second familiar spot for Calcavecchia: Mark Calcavecchia found himself in a familiar position following the final round of the 16th annual Las Vegas Invitational.

Recyclers left hanging as regulations put on hold: Art Nadler; The board originally approved the companies' requests last month, which would have given the Health District, for the first time, authority to regulate recycling operations. But board member Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny immediately called for a motion to reconsider the decision after the vote. It was to have been voted on again at Thursday's meeting.

UNLV Volleyball Rebels' Boyer picked by WAC: UNLV's Meri-de Boyer was named the Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the Mountain Division Monday.

Local roads need to smarten up: Scott Reeder; That is the recommendation of the Southern Nevada Strategic Planning Authority, an advisory group on growth issues to the Legislature and local government.

Letter: Slaying a reminder of rise in hate crimes: Nevada is among the states with specific hate crimes legislation, and its coverage is fairly comprehensive. Nevada has laws specifically protecting victims of crime based on sexual orientation. Nevada legislators also took a hard stance on prosecuting hate crime offenders with last year's passage of AB164, which makes it possible for judges to impose penalties of up to 25 percent of the original sentence when hate is found to be a motivating factor in a crime.

Russo endorses Jones for governor: "I am not a politician and that's why my supporters wanted me to be governor," Russo said. "They trusted me to make the hard decisions and tell the truth.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Options abound for name of new conference: One of these days, perhaps even before they begin play next season, the eight teams seceding from the Western Athletic Conference to form their own conference will call themselves something.

Re-Light my Fire: Scott Dickensheets; He's hot, he's sexy, he's eating a cheesesteak sandwich

League still looking for place to send its champion: Steve Guiremand; College football's bowl season is less than two months away, and WAC commissioner Karl Benson still is scrambling to find a place to send his conference champion.

Prep soccer crown up for grabs in Sunset: Spencer Patterson; If Monday's prep soccer game between Cheyenne and Bonanza is any indication of things to come, next month's 4A Southern Zone Tournament should be full of surprises.

UNLV event to take look at hate crimes: In response, Campus Community Development at UNLV will host a panel discussion Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Classroom Building Complex A112.

High court kicks loose task force on justice system: The high court said it won't provide any more funding for the task force and it is not, at least for the time being, endorsing any of the task force's 81 recommendations.

Letter: Scocial Security repayment is just another 'rip-off': Month "B" is the first month your benefits accrue. So there was about 19 days of month "A" that are just lost.

Art Bell may return to popular radio show: Angie Wagner; Bell signed off on Oct. 13, citing a "threatening terrible event" that occurred to his family.

Fine's cases to be spread among colleagues, visiting judges: Bill Gang; Meanwhile, Fine's attorney, William Terry, said an appeal is being prepared to let Fine keep her black robe and gavel and remain a legal candidate for re-election in the General Election.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Tyson looks for another easy victory: Dean Juipe; No one was surprised. And only a few expressed any outrage about it.

State leaders refute newspaper report they were lobbying against Tyson: Steve Carp; Mike Tyson didn't have as many enemies in Nevada as he thought.

Tuesday's Prep Results: Bishop Gorman 3, Clark 1 Goals: Gor-Arbelaez, Starbird, Mirkovich; Cl-Schalyo.

UNLV golf second in tourney: The fourth-ranked UNLV golf team shot a two-round total of 557 Monday to sit in second place at the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate tournament at Birmingham, Ala.

Longtime railroader, Las Vegas pioneer McColl dies at 90: By Ed Koch; During one of his last train trips to town in 1970, he was the Union Pacific's most senior engineer on what was that railroad company's last passenger run.

Zone golf players honored: After leading their teams to conference titles and the top two finishes in last week's zone tournament, Green Valley's Mary Fernandez and Kim Kindig and Bishop Gorman's Christine Hentzner and Danielle Reilly have been named to the 1998 All-Southern Zone golf team. Also making the squad: Bonanza's Jordan Auten, Valley's Annie Schlosser, Durango's Laura DeLucia and Basic' Tarah Badger. Chaparral's Richard Maines received Coach of the Year honors.

Editorial: Endorsing judicial candidates: Leavitt's years of experience as a judge will no doubt be a benefit if he's elected to the Supreme Court. While to some observers it might seem a small matter, his handling of the abbreviated Jeremy Strohmeyer case was illustrative of the thoroughness and efficiency the Supreme Court could use. Although the case was settled in a plea bargain before opening statements started, it's significant that jury selection in the Strohmeyer case lasted just a few days; in Los Angeles, jury selection in such a high-profile case would have taken at least a few months to complete.

Commissioner ready to come out West, again: Steve Carp; Twenty years ago, Craig Thompson was looking to come to Las Vegas. But apparently, UNLV wasn't ready to welcome him then.

'Iron Mike' ready to shake off rust: Dean Juipe; He jumped through the hoop.

Brief: Henderson bank expands to Idaho, Utah: The bank also plans to expand to Reno and Salt Lake City.

Rodeo Money Leaders through October 18, 1998: 1, Ty Murray, Stephenville, Texas, $172,839. 2, Trevor Brazile, Decatur, Texas, $119,827. 3, Herbert Theriot, Poplarville, Miss., $113,704. 4, Kurt Goulding, Duncan, Okla., $91,200. 5, Joe Beaver, Huntsville, Texas, $90,639. 6, Stran Smith, Tell, Texas, $82,018. 7, Brad Goodrich, Everett, Wash., $73,222. 8, Chad Klein, Jackson, La., $71,725. 9, Tee Woolman, Llano, Texas, $66,633. 10, Lee Graves, Calgary, Alberta, $64,843. 11, Marty Becker, Manyberries, Alberta, $63,938. 12, Roy Cooper, Childress, Texas, $62,158. 13, Todd Suhn, Laramie, Wyo., $59,650. 14, Bubba Paschal, Winnie, Texas, $57,524. 15, Mike Beers, Powell Butte, Ore., $56,181. 16, Daniel Green, Oakdale, Calif., $53,205. 17, J.P, Wickett, ...

Brief: Towing company hit for incomplete bill: Commission staff said towing bills are supposed to document charges companies have for their services. A spokesman for the TSA said the company apparently shredded documents that may have justified charges, but the information wasn't provided on the billing, leading to the citation and fine.

Brief: LV Slot route operators launch initiative: The stickers advertise free gambling addiction hotline numbers, and are placed on machines next to the coin deposit slot. The NRGA members will also provide educational brochures in retail outlets where they operate machines.

Brief: Kerry Packer looks at casino investment: Last month Consolidated Press Holdings said it planned to invest in Crown in return for half the casino's cash flow after expenses and a say in its management.

Brief: Restructuring lowers profit at gaming concern: Sodak attributed the lower earnings to a restructuring last year that included a $1.8 million charge to reorganize its corporate structure, and a $1.7 million charge to divest from a Brazilian subsidiary.

Brief: Loan officer indicted: The Attorney General's office said Mendoza offered to sell a vehicle owned by a loan applicant to help the applicant qualify for a home loan.

Congress to audit gambling panel: The probe, requested by Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., a fierce critic of the commission, requires the panel to turn over a large portion of its records to the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress.

Brief: Harrah's $840 million casino advances: The New Orleans City Council last week approved a revised lease for the $840 million project, clearing one of the last hurdles before it can emerge from bankruptcy and resume construction.

Lawyer: Binion wanted girlfriend out of will: Attorney James J. Brown said in a four-page petition that Binion had personally instructed him to remove Murphy from the will.

Wallace wins third term as Washoe Tribe chairman: The two other candidates, Art George Sr., and Gerald Sam, collected just 6 and 3 votes respectively.

Brief: America West subsidiary to buy Vacation Store: Terms and the amount of the cash deal, expected to close Nov. 1, were not disclosed. The Vacation Store's top two executives, David Kaufman, chief executive officer, and President David Wolfe, will continue in their current roles.

Gaming Board fines Alton casino, renews license: Board officials also took the unusual step of replacing two state police troopers who had been detailed to the board to monitor procedures on the Alton Belle.

Brief: Kaufman and Broad merger talk resumes: Lewis closed on more than 1,500 Las Vegas homes in 1996 and annually competes with Del Webb Corp., Phoenix, for the title of largest Las Vegas home builder.

LV losing European flight: A Los Angeles-based spokesman for the company said the airline did not consistently have enough seats filled on its weekly Brussels-to-Las Vegas flights to make the route lucrative.

Wednesday at Santa Anita: 1st race 6 fur 3YO&up Clm: 1 Silver Courage (Pedroza) 117; 2 Time For Skywalker (Nakatani) 117; 3 Phar To The Moon (Linares) 117; 4 Singular Vision (Gonzalez) 119; 5 Waltz'n M.D. (Scott) 117; 6 Best Anthem (Long) 117; 7 Miranda;'s Knight (Smith) 107; 8 Bacavi (Black) 117.

Town Center's plans advance in tentative fashion: Erin Neff; And that has nearby residents worried.

Del Papa affirms city leaders' right to confidential ethics advice: Erin Neff; The city of Las Vegas Ethics Review Board is not required to disclose such discussions, according to an opinion from the state attorney general's office.

Columnist Jeff German: Sweeney leads charge for 'Labor '98' political campaign: And the odds were excellent that the name of Las Vegas Sands Inc. Chairman Sheldon Adelson, labor's biggest and most dangerous political foe in the state, would be taken in vain.

Lawyers' group files suit against ex-leader: The International Association of Gaming Attorneys on Monday filed the lawsuit against Judy Klein alleging she stole, embezzled or misappropriated more than $100,000 in association funds during the eight years she worked as its executive director.

City has pollution cleanup at industrial site on fast track: Nevada environmental officials have worked for eight years to identify toxic chemicals left in soils and ground water around the Basic Management Industrial complex in Henderson. The site, a complicated mix of factories built in World War II to manufacture magnesium, titanium, pesticides and herbicides, was declared a Superfund site by the federal Environmental Protection Agency in 1981.

Chicago company scoring with Monopoly-themed slots: Gamblers love the slots, analysts say, judging from early revenue figures, and investors sense a winner for WMS.

LV gun dealers expect sales to increase: Brian Seals; Politics makes for strange bedfellows -- even in business.

Manhunt turns to Arizona flight records: Karen Zekan; The prime suspect in the 39-year-old woman's death has managed to elude police despite a nationwide manhunt launched shortly after Albanese disappeared Aug. 19, 1995 -- the day she told her mother she was going to decline Addis' marriage proposal after she got off work from her job at the MGM Grand hotel-casino.

LV sees spread of meth labs: Jace Radke; Stacey Kimball, a 28-year-old Las Vegas woman, found out about the dangers when she lost part of a leg, some toes and a hand in a meth lab explosion early Monday morning in a house at 4700 Cinderella Lane.

Mixed results for Hilton in Las Vegas: Gary Thompson; Hilton Hotels Corp. today said third-quarter earnings fell 16 percent, while its merger partner Grand Casinos Inc. reported higher net income due to a tax write-off.

Wednesday at Belmont Park: 1st race 6 fur 3YO/&up F/&M Mdn: 1 Holly Green (Bravo) 118; 2 Never Not Able (Diaz) 116; 3 American Double (Krone) 118; 4 a-Cheryl's Way (Gyarmati) 114; 5 a-Carolina Kidnap (Santagata) 118; 6 Toni Amanda (Bridgmohan) 113; 7 Malicious Molly (Jiminez) 118; 8 Bonnie Butler (Samyn) 118; 9 Shaz (Gryder) 118; 10 Demanding (Teator) 121.

Southwest Airlines profit jumps 40 percent: The company that carries the most passengers to Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport said net income increased to $129.6 million from $92.5 million a year earlier, based on revenues of $1.094 billion, a 9.8 percent increase from $997.2 million in the third quarter of 1997.

More mud flies about 'ducking' debates: Incumbent Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and his challenger, Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., were supposed to have faced off Thursday at an AARP-sponsored debate in Reno. In keeping with the mudslinging that has dominated this race, both sides blamed one another in news releases when the event was canceled.

Thunder looking to build off first victory: Tim Graham; It felt like the opening day of training camp all over again for first-year Las Vegas Thunder head coach Bob Bourne.

Obituaries for October 20, 1998: He is survived by two daughters, Karen E. Abbott of Las Vegas and Helen M. Young of Rancho Murrieta, Calif.; one son, Robert J. Abbott of Coto de Caza, Calif.; two brothers, Richard D. Abbott of Moraga, Calif., and Wilbur L. Abbott of Whitehall, N.Y.; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Still saving the music: One of the great things about our new cable partner, Cox Communications, is the enthusiasm it brings to charitable events that impact the lives of people in the communities it serves. It is not only good business for corporations to be involved in all aspects of community life, it is good for the souls of the people who work for those companies.

Casino Data posts a profit, higher revenue: John Wilen; The Las Vegas maker of casino management systems, games and meters, multi-site progressive systems and casino signs today reported profits of $48,000, or less than 1 cent per share, on revenues of $15 million. In the year-ago quarter, Casino Data Systems lost $2.3 million, or 13 cents per share, on revenues of $10.5 million.

Prep playoffs schedule: 4A STATE TOURNAMENT

Radio star lets questions linger about resignation: In a brief statement taped at his in-home studio in Pahrump and distributed to about 400 stations that carry his shows nationwide to an estimated audience of 15 million, Bell said Monday he could return once his personal problems are resolved.

Reid, Ensign square off on plans for schools: Those listening to the debate on Christian radio station KKVV 1060-AM in Las Vegas learned that the two major combatants for Reid's Nevada Senate seat strongly disagree on the need for school vouchers and the U.S. Department of Education. The hourlong broadcast, carried live, was the third debate between Democrat Reid and Republican Ensign as they head into the Nov. 3 general election.

Wednesday at Bay Meadows: 1st race 1 mi 2YO Fil Mdn Clm: 1 Hosie's Glory (Gonzalez) 117; 2 Norlene (Delgadillo) 117; 3 Marital Bliss (Perez) 117; 4 Play For Fame (Valdez) 110; 5 Majic Ruler (Warren) 117; 6 Western Cloud (Schvaneveldt) 117.