Print edition for April 8, 1999

Beloved Duke leaves behind cherished memories at cemetery: David Clayton; His heart-shaped memorial, with the word "greeter" permanently etched into its base, stands in the Eternal Garden of Peace, near the door to the office of the Craig Road Pet Cemetery.

Letter: Sun's opinion of Kevorkian wrong: To me the paper is not qualified to give any opinion on terminally ill people.

Letter: Take care of needy Americans first: Now we will have 20,000 more people on welfare, free medical, food stamps, and eventually immediate citizenship.

Gaming tribes target senator for defeat: As a senator, he advocated sharp cuts in tribal budgets in 1995, then introduced a proposal two years ago to force tribes to waive their sovereign immunity in lawsuits.

Letter: Award airport ad contract fairly: Please county commissioners, with a contract valued at $10 million a year, look at everyone and then you decide, not some panel that can and probably has been lobbied, which is why you only received those two.

NLV: Cop union, city near agreement: Lisa Snedeker; A special City Council meeting has been scheduled for 5 p.m. April 15 to consider the ratification of a contract for police and detention officers, said James Walker, attorney for the city.

Starwood denies interest in Prime Hospitality: The ITT deal included the Desert Inn and Caesars hotel-casino operations, which Starwood would like to sell.

Prep Softball: Green Valley gets dealt another ace: Spencer Patterson; By Spencer Patterson LAS VEGAS SUN

Fla. county to fight gambling expansion: "What's the difference between a video poker or slot machine and a real one," said County Commissioner Grant Maloy. "This to me seems like the next phase in bringing casino gambling in."

Las Vegas news briefs: As a result of the findings that Loy Lavaughn Chick died from severe arterial sclerotic cardiovascular disease, the coroner has ruled his death accidental.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Flashy Hamed returns to ring Saturday: Dean Juipe; The fighter other fighters -- and many fans -- love to hate is back in the ring Saturday on HBO.

Experts have few answers on mine: Angry Henderson residents who live a mile or two from an inactive mine are worried about the legacy of possible contamination that a proposed reclamation project might stir up.

Arguments begin in attempted murder trial of ex-boyfriend: Bill Gang; She had obtained a temporary protective order to keep her ex-boyfriend away and moved to a place she thought was unknown to him and safe.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Reviewing some of the Thunder's blunders: By Ron Kantowski; Who would have thought that Cook E. Jarr's lounge act would have lasted longer in Las Vegas than Thunder hockey?

Prep Volleyball: Durango bounces back vs. Cimarron: Matt O'Brien; Despite playing in front of a supportive home crowd Wednesday night, the Durango High boys volleyball team found itself in an unfamiliar position.

Volleyball: UNLV to host tournament: The UNLV volleyball team will host a spring tournament that will feature three of last season's top-10 women's teams Saturday at Lied Gymnasium. Penn State, which finished the 1998 season ranked No. 2, No. 5 Hawaii and No. 11 USC will battle the Rebels.

Repeal of art tax exemption fails: The Senate Taxation Committee Tuesday voted 4-3 against a motion to pass Neal's Senate Bill 90 to end the property and sales tax breaks. Voting with Neal, D-North Las Vegas, to repeal the exemption were Sens. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas and Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas.

Obituaries for April 8, 1999: She is survived by three sons, Richard Durante of San Leandro, Calif., and Nicholas V. Antonio and August J. Antonio, both of Las Vegas; three daughters, Evelyn Bradley of Orlando, Fla., Angelina T. Dunbar of Rosamond, Calif., and Aries Catherine Antonio of Las Vegas; and two sisters, Corazon Tacder and Celing Embalzado, both of Davao, Philippines.

Columnist Jeff German: McDonald learns the hard way about juggling two jobs: It's not easy balancing two demanding jobs, especially when they're both on the public payroll.

Lawmakers tell Tahoe to work out own problems: Brower insisted the legislation is not a criticism of Douglas or Washoe counties, and it's not the first step toward separate school districts.

Pilot who died in crash escaped from Bulgaria: According to reports today from the newspaper 24 Hours, published in Sophia, Bulgaria, the real name of the pilot who called himself James Bond Jr., was Bojan Grigorov.

Editorial: Deadbeat parent bill needs work: Under Assembly Bill 617, the defenses offered by parents to avoid making payments would be restricted to end the previously mentioned loopholes. A parent who repeatedly misses support payments or owes a large amount of money could be charged with a felony, which could mean as much as six years in jail and fines up to $5,000.

Binion probe turns to wife of suspect in silver theft: Thressa Mattsen, the wife of Pahrump silver-theft suspect David Mattsen, appeared before the panel at 9 a.m.

Columnist Tim Graham: Gauge a player by his card: Tim Graham; It sounds silly, but it's true.

Community briefs: Program on desert environment scheduled

Columnist Peter Benton: Duval's the one to beat at Augusta: Peter Benton; The 65th Masters gets under way today at the famed Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. And just who will win this first major championship of the year is anybody's guess.

Pivotal fight looms for Kiwanuka: Dean Juipe; Two years ago Joseph Kiwanuka was a rising star with a slugger's mentality and the North American Boxing Federation super middleweight championship.

ACLU sues Metro officer over dispute on free-speech rights: Jace Radke; The suit claims that officers G. Madison and Sgt. Richard Collins denied First Amendment rights to five members of the Abundant Life Community Church on Aug. 2 near Fremont and Eigth streets.

Charter schools push for final OK: Benjamin Grove; Two proposals to establish the first charter schools in Clark County are speeding their way to approval.

Nellis, county agree on juvenile detention facility: Adrienne Packer; The county has agreed to improve existing roads or perhaps build a new street that will lead to a planned 200-bed state-funded jail, allowing the Air Force to retain control of Military Road -- also known as Range Road.

Letter: Judges needed, but Family Court problems run deep: It is painfully obvious, from those who attended, that the problems go much deeper than lack of personnel in this system.

Bennett family facing fraud charges: Bill Gang; Federal authorities have expanded the criminal case against Arthur Bennett -- who already is alleged to have committed a fiery murder to fake his own death -- to include four family members.

Psychiatric evaluation ordered for double homicide suspect: Bill Gang; Calvin is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Diane L. Paynes, 58, and Evangeline C. Lee, 72, whose bodies were found March 23 in the Las Vegas apartment they shared with Calvin. Both victims, who had not been seen alive for three days, died of multiple stab wounds.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Learning from history: SJR17 is twice as bad as Assembly Joint Resolution 16 brought forth in the 1979 Legislature. AJR16 only wanted members of the Assembly to have four-year terms. Of course if it had been successful, the Senate would have clamored for six-year terms. Although AJR16 didn't make any progress, six years later during the 1985 Legislature, up popped SJR15, which provided not only four years for Assembly members but six years for senators. Today's SJR17 reads like Schneider copied some parts of it from the 1985 model.

New faces set for Las Vegas debut: Steve Guiremand; By Steve Guiremand LAS VEGAS SUN

Columnist Spencer Patterson's: Lawmakers to rule on California schools: The fate of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association's five California schools is now in the hands of seven state senators, who are expected to make a ruling by Friday.

Guinn's ethics package passes Senate committee: Scott Reeder; CARSON CITY -- The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee unanimously endorsed Gov. Kenny Guinn's ethics package Wednesday afternoon.

LV should get bid to host MWC tourney: Steve Carp; It appears UNLV's homecourt edge in its conference postseason tournament will remain intact.

Editorial: Water district suspends for now its 'water grab': The water district's move was derided as a "water grab" initiated by powerful business interests in Las Vegas that would -- if successful -- result in the economic death of these rural counties by depleting them of their water supply. This nasty dispute, though, appears to be ending.

NLV: City gets more time for TV show: Lisa Snedeker; Hosted by Chamber of Commerce Director Laura Coleman, the show may be seen at 7:30 a.m. Sundays on KVVU Channel 5.

Greedy could leave Rebels: Steve Carp; By the end of today, it should be clear whether Greedy Daniels is still a member of the UNLV basketball program or if he will be moving on.

The Wheels of Justice: Lisa Ferguson; You can almost hear the ching, ching of the metal wheels meeting the pavement as District Court Judge Valorie Vega describes her third pair of roller skates.

Senate committee adopts phone regulations: SB440, sent on a unanimous vote to the Senate floor, includes provisions from SB207 as well. It will put a cap on residential rates, encourage competition and new technologies and provides new rules for the industry.

Jazz great Joe Williams praised in Las Vegas services: Robert Macy; "Joe's head never got as big as his talent," longtime friend Bob Udkoff said Wednesday. "He could even make a telephone book sound good."

Base sends surveillance craft back to Bosnia: Robert Macy; Four RQ-1A Predators and a crew of some 50 people were flown by military transport to Tuzla Air Base in Bosnia, according to Nellis spokesman Mike Estrada.

Ethics bill no longer bars voting when 'personal relationship' involved: The list now includes household members, relatives, employers, employees, business partners and "any commitment or relationship that is substantially similar to any one of (those) relationships."

Preps: Top Local Track Times: 100 Meters Boys: Arren Dodsen, Dur, 10.7 Girls: Nicole Ireland, Moj, 12.1

Debate on Nevada slot bill continues: Kiley Russell; Casino executives backing AB651 countered Wednesday that the growth of networked slots could undermine profitability of Nevada resorts and reinforce a monopoly enjoyed by the world's biggest slot maker, International Game Technology of Reno.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Time to paint Las Vegas in a better light: Joe Delaney; DeCaro is a style columnist for the New York Times. ... After a comparison to his lifestyle in Manhattan, he comments about Las Vegas that "a concentrated dose of bad taste is refreshing. Which is why I have always loved Las Vegas: It's a town of loose slots, female impersonators, 99-cent shrimp cocktails, '(breasts) and feathers' extravaganzas, Siegfried & Roy."

Friday at Aqueduct: 1st race 1 mi 3YO & up Mdn Clm: 1 Tuneitout (Molina) 106; 2 My American Dream (Smith) 113; 3 a-Legal Advisor (Velazquez) 123; 4 Club Loui (Rocco) 106; 5 Majic Lite (Chen) 116; 6 Moi Ciel (Espinoza) 113; 7 Dolly's Rainbow (Diego) 116; 8 John Nation (Samyn) 123; 9 a-On The Inside (Smith) 108.

Starwood rises on upgrade: Edwin McDowell; The shares of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. rose $1.1875, or 3 percent, Wednesday to $31.25, after Merrill Lynch upgraded its rating on the company's stock.

Wednesday's Prep Results -- April 8, 1999: Cimarron 6, Durango 4

Ralph Siraco Selection's for Santa Anita: Friday's card

Sprint to be heard on rate increase: Sprint appears to have cleared its first hurdle in its bid to win a $3.90-a-month rate increase for residential and business telephone service in Las Vegas.

Renters bill of rights goes to Assembly floor: "This is only one-thirty-second of what I wanted," said Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, the sponsor of Assembly Bill 397. "But this is better than nothing."

Boys Golf standings -- April 8, 1999: SUNRISE DIVISION

Baseball standings -- April 8, 1999: SUNRISE DIVISION

Casinos and slot makers face off before Legislature: Scott Reeder; The Nevada Resort Association wants to reign in the power of International Game Technology.

Boys Volleyball Standings -- April 8, 1999: CLASS 4A

Wynn's tax break compromise gains OK from committee: Moments before, the committee voted 4-3 to kill Neal's SB90. It would have repealed a law passed two years ago that allowed wealthy art collectors sales tax exemptions if they displayed their art publicly.

Friday at Bay Meadows: 1st race 6 fur 3YO Fil Mdn Clm: 1 Tough Em (Castanon) 117; 2 Sensational Sal (Delgadillo) 117; 3 Snow Canyon (Schvaneveldt) 117; 4 Run Chubby Run (Russell) 112; 5 Slewpy Consort 9Arriaga) 117; 6 Great Magic (Hunter) 117; 7 Grade A Girl (FValenzuela) 117; 8 Littlemissmarlo (Barton) 117; 9 Satin Princess (Warren) 117; 10 Quaze Lady (Gonzalez) 117.

Friday at Santa Anita: 1st race 6-1/2 fur 4YO & up Clm: 1 Singular Vision (Berrio) 118; 2 Chamar (Espinoza) 118; 3 Puddles (Flores) 118; 4 Captain Caribe (Rodriguez) 118; 5 Prototype (Enriquez) 118; 6 Tener Suerte (Pulido) 118.

Suit seeks payment of commission: The suit, filed in District Court, accuses Cushman of reneging on an agreement to split the commission on the sale of the shopping center with Lee & Associates.

Education called key to avoiding sex offenders: Karen Zekan; The community, however, can avoid victimization. The answer, experts say, lies in education.

Softball standings -- April 8, 1999: SUNRISE DIVISION

Las Vegas Strip escapes major criticism: Mark D. Preston; WASHINGTON -- It appears unlikely Las Vegas casinos will face sharp criticism from a federal commission studying gambling's social and economic impact, as commissioners focus instead on state lotteries, Internet gaming and Indian gaming.

Wynn drops second libel suit: The suit alleged the book "Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn" contained false and defamatory allegations that Wynn is connected to organized crime. "Running Scared" was published by Stuart's Barricade Books and written by Smith, a Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist.

Bennett, four relatives indicted for bilking the government: "It is the Department of Justice's position that a cruel hoax and a major fraud was committed on the American people," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Rimantas Rukstele, who is prosecuting the new case.

Committee OKs construction-defect bill: Assembly Bill 636, by Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, is the first major bill to move this session of the Legislature to answer the complaints of thousands of disgruntled homeowners, particularly in Southern Nevada.

Governor presents lawmakers with plan for Millennium Scholarships: Jennifer Coleman; While the plan met with less resistance from lawmakers than it had earlier, several citizens' groups opposed the Millennium Scholarship plan and said the money should go into health programs.

Fight schedule -- April 8, 1999: At Irvine, Calif., Naoya Hirahara, Tokyo, vs. Isreal Correa, Oxnard, Calif., 10, featherweights.

Some 150 deportees jailed because countries won't take them back: On Tuesday, her office lodged petitions with the U.S. District Court in Las Vegas seeking the release of nine inmates who are being detained by the Immigration and Naturalization Service for no other reason than they have no other place to go.

Jazz great Williams eulogized: Williams, 80, heard that final drum beat on March 29, when he collapsed while walking home from Sunrise Hospital where he was being treated for a respiratory ailment.

Teens plead guilty in killing of Battle Mountain family: Charged as adults, Ray pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon and Becker pleaded guilty to one count on the same charge.

Developers pitching pricey penthouses as Vegas enters the condo market: {Robert Macy; Now the city that's sprouting billion-dollar megaresorts is also taking up the high-rise condo craze, pitching pricey penthouses to a wide array of clients from business whiz kids to entertainers and professional athletes.

Lawmakers consider school voucher bill: Jennifer Coleman; Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, told the Senate Human Resources and Facilities Committee on Wednesday that his SB385 would get children out of "dilapidated and inadequate" schools and help save them from a cycle of poverty.

Strict DUI bill approved by Assembly panel: Kiley Russell; AB559 would lower the blood-alcohol level in DUI cases from 0.10 to 0.08 for drivers who kill or hurt people in accidents.

Guinn clarifies stance on taxes after tussle with Democrats: Democrats viewed Guinn's letter as offering an olive branch, and they were quick to embrace it.

Mental health mandate approved by Senate panel: Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, who authored SB356, said passing the bill without amendments was a "large victory for people with needs and for the social service system."

Stupak wants to build ship replica near Strip: Robert Macy; Gambling figure Bob Stupak, the man behind the city's 1,149-foot Stratosphere Hotel, Casino and Tower, says you can bet on it - maybe.

City committee to court developers for downtown: Erin Neff; The City Centre Development Corp., the private sector arm of the city's Redevelopment Agency, appointed a subcommittee Wednesday to develop a strategy for the site.

Nevada's 'Sherrice Iverson' bill OK'd by Assembly panel: Kiley Russell; AB267, inspired by the 7-year-old's rape and murder in a casino bathroom, would impose six-month jail terms on anyone 16 or older who doesn't tell police after learning of such abuse.

Private schools could be allowed to use public school services: Jennifer Coleman; SB213, introduced by Sen. Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas, would apply to classes or extracurricular activities at the public schools. The measure now goes to the Assembly for approval.

Frenchman travels through Carson Valley with mules on U.S. trek: Emile Brager, a high school teacher from Montaren, near Avignon and Marseilles, France, is on a journey he calls "the prairie ride."

Marijuana felony law could be on way out: Scott Reeder; CARSON CITY -- Possession of less than an ounce of marijuana should no longer be a felony in Nevada, Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, says.

Winter wallops spring in season turf battle: Sandra Chereb; Travel across the Sierra was difficult if not impossible. Interstate 80 over Donner Summitt, U.S. 50 over Echo Summit and California 88 over Carson Pass were closed for much of the day because of heavy snow. Chains or snow tires were required on all other mountain roadways, but driving was treacherous as heavy snow combined with blustery winds created poor visibility.

Panel endorses bill to fluoridate water: Just 2 percent of the water in Nevada is fluoridated, compared with a 62 percent average nationwide.

Mayoral race smear-free: None of the television ads and campaign brochures coming from front-runners Arnie Adamsen, Oscar Goodman and Mark Fine slam fellow candidates by name. There are plenty of subtle jabs, however.