Print edition for August 8, 1999

Glitz bisects reality at Vegas bus station: Stacy J. Willis; The Las Vegas Greyhound station stands at the intersection of tourism and poverty: it is a couple of blocks from the folly of the Fremont Street Experience light show, it is a couple of blocks from some of downtown's darkest alleys and dirtiest flop houses.

Columnist John Katsilometes: Just another day on the job: Entry into the Urban Scrawl daily journal for Tuesday, Aug. 3, 1999.

Letter: Other states get more tax money from gaming: Where is Sen. Joe Neal's petition to sign?

New PUC chairman seeks dismissal of lawsuit keeping proposed decisions secret: Soderberg said he has changed the PUC policy of restricting public access to preliminary versions of decisions. Under his administration, the public is allowed to see preliminary orders, he said in an affidavit.

Letter: Psychiatry can't stop violence: Enough is enough. What do you expect people to do when you tell them they are not responsible for what they do, then give them drugs to make sure their thinking is impaired beyond reasonable actions. They will go out and find a target for their misery, instead of trying to solve it.

No. 2 seed forced into tie-breaker with No. 50 seed: Six of the seven players who won their first game of round three on Friday clinched their mini-matches Saturday to advance to the next round.

Firefighters make progress on Nevada wildfires: Martin Griffith; However, flames threatened numerous ranch structures in the Denio area near the Oregon border and a state transportation department maintenance station on Interstate 80 west of Elko.

Man accused of killing officer wants to represent himself at trial: In a handwritten letter to the judge, Vanisi gave no reason for wanting to represent himself. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for him on first-degree murder charges.

Facts and figures on Indian gambling: -From 1988 to 1997, gambling revenues to tribes jumped from $212 million to $6.7 billion, a more than thirtyfold increase. Non-Indian casino gambling roughly doubled over the same period.

Editorial: More relief needed for radiation victims: But as the Sun's Mary Manning reported Thursday, many of those who came are ineligible to receive benefits, because the compensation essentially is limited to cancer-related illnesses and doesn't account for other illnesses that may be linked to radiation exposure. Also, a worker exposed to radiation is limited to just $75,000 in medical expenses, a sum that may not cover all medical bills. Congress should seriously consider legislation pending that would end these inequities. It's the least a nation can do that took actions jeopardizing the health of so many Americans.

Car thieves feast on LV: Cheryl Miller; For a city that likes to play the odds, Las Vegas is a disappointingly good bet for car thefts.

Columnist Sandra Thompson: Abuse victims need money for legal services: Sandra Thompson; IT'S TIME TO expand the focus of domestic violence grants.

Where I Stand -- Lynette Boggs McDonald: 'Girl power' grows up: MANY THROUGHOUT Las Vegas and the country were amazed to learn that I was the first woman in the history of Las Vegas to ever have the opportunity to lead a City Council ward. I often wonder if my appointment a few weeks ago symbolizes how far women in our community have come or how far we've yet to go, especially in this community.

Pampering wins loyalty: Patty Austin of Las Vegas already knows Nordstrom -- she travels annually to the chain's San Francisco store and doesn't expect to stop when Nordstrom opens its Las Vegas store.

Help children go to camp: Eric and his brother and sister live together in a foster home. Two summers ago the three of them went to Pathfinder camp together and loved it.

Martial-ing their strength: Kimberley McGee; "I had a very scary experience with a psychotic murderer," Rayna Rogers says of a situation in 1996 that changed the way the forensic psychiatrist viewed her day job.

Arrests at Hot August Nights down: The figure is down from last year when a riot broke out at the event and resulted in more than 250 arrests.

Casino popularity may bring unwanted attention to Indian sovereignty: The growth has led to questions about the rights on reservations of non-Indians - especially workers - and to attempts to redefine the limits of Indian sovereignty, which makes tribal land nominally independent from the U.S. government.

Editorial: Rights of patients in need of aid: Norwood, who used to be a dentist, had been working to draft a patient's bill of rights with other Republicans, including Rep. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, a family physician, and Rep. Greg Ganske of Iowa, a surgeon. They know firsthand how frustrating it can be to deal with HMOs that sometimes stand in the way of patient care. The proposal by Norwood -- and embraced by Democrats -- would allow patients to choose their doctor, guarantee that emergency room visits would be paid for and ensure that women could see obstetricians and gynecologists -- and children could see pediatricians -- ...

Power company pays penalty to dig up newly resurfaced street: "We have a five-year, no-cut policy on (repaved) streets," said Gary Stockhoff, the city's engineering services manager. "If they come in during that five years and cut that street, they have to pay a penalty."

Shooting kills one: Three companions were injured and taken to Washoe Medical Center in Reno, where they were listed in serious but stable condition. Their ages range from 16 to 21.

Letter: Crime weapons not from gun shows: The shootings in Littleton, Colo., have been used as an excuse to attempt to place more controls on law-abiding Americans -- including more restrictions on gun show purchases and imposing lengthy background checks. Yet criminals are far more likely to get their guns through theft and the black market than from gun shows.

Columnist Jeff German: Binion's last days filled with paranoia: AS THE DRAMA over Ted Binion's murder escalates, it's becoming clear that his last days were gripped with paranoia, mostly related to his stormy relationship with Sandy Murphy.

Results of Round 3, Game 1: Psakhis (57, Israel)-Topalov (9, Bulgaria) 1/2-1/2; Topalov advances.

Nordstrom success built on service: SEATTLE -- The secret of how Nordstrom Inc. managed to develop an avid following well before the company announced plans to build a store in Las Vegas may be held in a sign at corporate headquarters.