Print edition for December 2, 1999

LV company in reverse stock split: The split was undertaken to keep American Vantage in compliance with NASDAQ listing requirements. The stock had closed Tuesday at 66 cents, well below the $1 requirement necessary for NASDAQ companies.

Zoning issue divides community: Erin Neff; Contentious zoning issues pitting car dealers against churches, residents against developers and homeowners groups against each other dominated nearly seven hours of debate Wednesday afternoon before the Las Vegas City Council.

Car rental agency opens at resort: With the new location, Thrifty has five locations in the Las Vegas area. Franchise owner David Rosen said Thrifty plans to add several new locations in the next year.

Henderson college OK'd by regents: CARSON CITY -- Despite concerns that money would be siphoned off from other schools, the university Board of Regents voted Wednesday to create a four-year state college in Henderson.

City council briefs: Here is how the Las Vegas City Council voted Wednesday to spend taxpayer money:

Strip wrestling restaurant launches website: The website will offer a selection of wrestling-themed items, from apparel and collectibles to a replica of WCW's championship belt, that can be purchased directly through the website. Visitors can also make room reservations at the Excalibur.

Second of three new banks is open: Located at 10000 W. Charleston Ave. in the new headquarters of Howard Hughes Corp., the bank is the second of three community banks planned by parent company Nevada Community Bancorporation.

Report: Vegas in mix if Senators are sold: The Ottawa Senators apparently are up for sale again, and Las Vegas apparently is on the short list of potential buyers.

Las Vegas prosecutor happy to defend controversial law on casino markers: Grace Leong; Clark County District Attorney Stewart Bell says Nevada's law on casino markers is a good one and he will be happy to defend the state's controversial practice of using bad check laws to prosecute gamblers with unpaid markers.

Traffic light rushed into service at intersection where child died: Diana Sahagun; Children crossing the dangerous intersection of Lake Mead Boulevard and Simmons Street in North Las Vegas will have a safe way to get to school with the installation of a new traffic light -- three months ahead of schedule.

Woman sentenced for allowing child abuse: Bill Gang; Twenty-year-old Carol Amber Miller, who has admitted she overlooked the repeated abuse that eventually led to the death of her 3-year-old daughter, has been sent to prison for three to 12 years.

Mobile home dealership's license revoked: Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa said the Coulters, who owned S C Homes Inc., had unsatisfied judgments against them and there was failure to provide clear title to a buyer who paid $35,000 cash for a mobile home.

MGM Grand fails to have Crawford's lawsuit dismissed: Bill Gang; A District Court jury will get to decide entertainer Michael Crawford's lawsuit alleging he was injured repeatedly during two years of physically demanding performances in "EFX" at the MGM Grand.

Residents protest proposed car ordinances: Diana Sahagun; North Las Vegas residents turned out at City Hall Wednesday night to oppose an ordinance that would restrict the parking of vehicles on private property. The City Council was set to approve the ordinance, but continued the decision until Dec. 15.

Partner in Harrah's merger fined a record $10.2 million: Harrah's stock

Fraud charged in marriage in Ethiopia: Kim Smith; A Las Vegas woman was indicted Wednesday in the recruiting of a local woman to travel to Ethiopia to marry a man so he could become a U. S. citizen.

City Council reluctantly approves new ward structure: Diana Sahagun; The North Las Vegas City Council passed a controversial ordinance Wednesday that for the first time divides the city into four equal wards.

News briefs: A 59-year-old Las Vegas man died Wednesday night after he was stuck by a car while trying to cross Paradise Road.

More Ivy poison?: Victoria Sun; The prospect of playing teams such as Kentucky, North Carolina and Cincinnati gives most college basketball coaches nightmares.

Lady Rebels defeat NAU, improve to 3-2 on year: Erin Johansson contributed 12 points on 4-of-8 3-point shooting and Kinesha Davis added 11 as UNLV improved its record to 3-2. Frohlich also had seven steals and four assists.

Motor City Bowl finally invites BYU: The Cougars of the Mountain West Conference will meet the Mid-American Conference champion, either Marshall or Western Michigan, on Dec. 27.

Wal-Mart receives approval to build supercenters: County officials were also ordered by U.S. District Judge Philip Pro on Wednesday to issue the final building permits for the developments.

Wal-Mart wins battle, but not war: Adrienne Packer; Wal-Mart representatives are pleased with a U.S. District judge's ruling Wednesday that allows them to move forward with two Supercenter stores, but they conceded that their battle with Clark County is hardly over.

Walters' arraignment postponed after debate over presiding judge: Bill Gang; The arraignment of politically connected golf course entrepreneur Billy Walters and two of three others indicted with him last month was postponed today while a determination is made on which judge should preside over the case.

Wootten, inventor of more than 200 products, dies: William Wootten was a prolific inventor whose projects ranged from improving common household items to designing complicated steam-recycling turbine systems.

School children join cry against Nevada nuke dump: Scott Sonner; "I don't appreciate your generation taking your mistakes and putting them into my generation's lap to fix," Daniel Kinder, a student at Billinghurst Middle School, said during a DOE hearing Wednesday.

Boys Basketball: SUNRISE REGION

Task force says math test reasonable, but needs improvement: Lawmakers had asked the group to review the exam in an attempt to answer claims from the public and some southern Nevada principals that the test was unfair because it covered material students hadn't learned.

Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Fishing 'CD' could yield high returns: Paula DelGiudice; A major fishing tackle manufacturer has announced the development of a breakthrough technical development.

Girls Basketball: SUNRISE REGION

Sun Boys Basketball Poll: Records through Tuesday

Fish and Wildlife Service state boss says he would revisit road issue: Scott Sonner; "We stand ready to look at any alternative," said Bob Williams, the Fish and Wildlife state field director.

Girls Soccer: SUNRISE REGION

Silver Bandits sign Ellis: * The Silver Bandits' inaugural game that was played against the San Diego Stingrays on Nov. 26 will be aired in its entirety on Dec. 4 at 8 p.m., Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. on Cox cable channel 48. The original broadcast was prematurely cut off due to an error by a satellite uplink provider. The next Silver Bandits live broadcast will be on Dec. 18 on channel 48 at 7 p.m. when the team plays the Stingrays.

Two studies say the proposed Strip monorail's numbers are inflated: Another report issued last week reached similar conclusions about the 3.8-mile, privately financed rail project. Both of the new studies were paid for by opponents of the monorail.

Man charged in kidnapping and rape faces new rape charges as well: Jorgensen, 38, who has at least 20 criminal convictions over the past two decades, had been sentenced most recently to four to 10 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to car burglary.

Henderson lands first four-year college: The vote Wednesday to create the college came after a presentation by Assemblyman Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, who said there will be a 134 percent increase in high school graduation by 2010 and, because of the Millennium Scholarship program, a corresponding increase in college enrollment.

Obituaries for December 2, 1999: Mark Stephen Ackerman, 34, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in Las Vegas. He was born Nov. 21, 1965, in California. A resident for 14 years, he was a retail salesman.

Wednesday's prep results: Cheyenne 54, Valley 47: Shamario Ormond netted 19 points and Kevin Richardson made four fourth-quarter steals for the host Desert Shields.

Reno records warmest fall in 112 years of record keeping: Scott Sonner; The second warmest November, fifth warmest October and fourth warmest September combined to create the record fall warmth in Reno.

No argument: Murray's the greatest ever: Ty Murray

Columnist Joe Delaney: Showrooms will be hopping during NFR week: Joe Delaney; Welcome, National Finals Rodeo. ... Las Vegas will look more like Nashville West these first two weeks in December. ... Rodeo action starts Friday in the Thomas & Mack Center and continues until the finals, Dec. 12. ... Be sure to check showroom starting times, especially at those hotels featuring country and western performers.

Fired CineVegas director sues for breach of contract: Bill Gang; Just days after she was fired as executive director of next week's CineVegas International Film Festival, Michele LeBlanc has filed a District Court lawsuit alleging breach of contract and defamation.

Two banks robbed within minutes of each other: A man walked into the Pioneer Citizens Bank of Nevada on North Stephanie Street in Henderson about 9:20 a.m. and showed a teller what he said was a bomb inside a briefcase and demanded money, FBI officials said.

Peterson, Bozo are shooting for another crown: Kristie Peterson

Letter: North Vietnam should honor Jane: Letter: North Vietnam should honor Jane

Sterling performance gives Norton gold buckle: Jerry Norton

Ricky & The Redstreaks to perform at Stardust: The Redstreaks' annual command performance is a two-week stint during the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. The 25,000-square foot convention area at the Stardust hotel-casino is standing room only.

Gaels have unfinished business: Spencer Patterson; There's no question the 1998-99 season will be remembered as the Year of the Sunset, with four teams from the Sunset Division meeting in the 4A state semifinals.

Letter: Mass transit the answer, not 'toy': Why can't the Union-Pacific tracks be incorporated into the system and take the route to Stateline and Laughlin? As proposed, this monorail appears totally useless to those of us who live here. Does anyone doubt that we will grow into it? Build us a real subway, big shots, not a toy.

Letter: Police seem like they've given up: Once again it is politically correct to give in to the criminal element.

Letter: Las Vegas needs to rethink how it handles traffic: California, the most incompetent state in the world has added to its congestion with the implementation of these lights. The backup, resulting while vehicles wait for an inane green light before entering a freeway, causes additional and uncontrollable gridlock on the roads and freeways behind the lights. I fully understand California's use of this method as it is the least citizen friendly state in existence.

Bureau of Reclamation shelves proposal to turn park into parking lot: "We have pretty much taken that off of the tables," Bill Manning, the bureau's director of management services, said.

Popular Texas calf roper Smith honored by fans: With the award, Smith became one of 15 cowboys to have received the honor, presented annually by Original Coors, a major sponsor of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).

Rodeo bingo back at NFR for 6th straight year: A variety of prizes are awarded regular bingo winners from Original Coors and other supporting rodeo sponsors, and the grand prize for a "blackout" bingo (all numbers covered) in 1999 will be $100,000, the only cash prize offered.

Reigning world champ Murray seeks 8th title: NFR Facts

Team makes the best of a bad break: Rich Skelton

Editorial: Trying to steamroll waste into our state: The change is absurd. If there is a danger that only one hazard could harm public health and safety -- such as ground water becoming contaminated -- that should, in and of itself, be a show stopper. What is obvious is that the DOE's call for relaxed safety standards is an implicit admission that a repository containing man's deadliest waste can't be built to stringent -- yet necessary -- guidelines.

Editorial: Medical mistakes take a toll: Some of the mistakes occur in basic, everyday tasks. For instance, the handwriting on prescriptions prepared by doctors sometimes is illegible, resulting in either the wrong drug being filled or the incorrect dose being given. Medication errors alone result in more than 7,000 deaths a year, but this doesn't have to be the case, as the Institute of Medicine notes. Computerizing the filling of prescriptions can reduce these errors, eliminating the guesswork of a pharmacist trying to make out the handwriting. Another problem involved with prescriptions is that some have very similar spellings and pronunciations. For instance, Cerebyx is an ...

Friday at Hollywood Park: 1st race 1-1/16 mi 3YO Clm: 1 Mustang Pilot (Diaz) 111; 2 Rugger (Espinoza) 118; 3 Welo (Steiner) 118; 4 Amber's Beau (Berrio) 118; 5 Enzo the Baker (Valenzuela) 118; 6 Air Force Wins (Desormeaux) 118.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Friday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- Enzo The Baker - Three-wide 3rd in last, 3-wide 3rd before that, won half of prior 6 starts, drops again and stretches out now, P. Val. stays on Mitchell trainee. Air Force Wins - Finished 4th to snap a four-race win streak in last, 2 of 4 prior wins were at this distance, needs to overcome outside post, reunites with winning rider Desormeaux here. Value Play -- Mustang Pilot

Miss Rodeo America earns respect: Shelly Williams viewed her position as Miss Rodeo America 1999 as an opportunity to educate youngsters about rodeo as well as being a respected and visible ambassador for the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Preschools save kids: BILL BENNETT'S gift of $5 million to build a new preschool on the UNLV campus looms large in a field of education too long overlooked. Educators know of its value but funds for preschools haven't come easily from legislators.

At age 40, Allen refuses to slow down: Guy Allen

Murray proud of his bull riding title: Ty Murray

Fire bombing at Reno temple under investigation: The FBI is treating the case as a possible hate crime as well as arson.

Friday at Aqueduct: 1st race 6 fur 3YO & up Mdn: 1 Law School Tuition (Pezua) 119; 2 a-Blues Cure (Beitia) 119; 3 Brashton (Teator) 119; 4 Rumble Along (Gryder) 119; 5 b-Sugar Loaf Hill (Beasley) 114; 6 Jee Sandy (Luzzi) 119; 7 Bid's Betty (Chen) 119; 8 a-Silver Pro (Toscano) 119; 9 Flint River (Aguilar) 119; 10 b-Joe Pebo (Vergara) 119; 11 Strider's Tiger (Bravo) 119; 12 Absolute Rule (Rodriguez) 121.

Leslie Nielsen walks on the dramatic side in 'Clarence Darrow': From that frigid beginning, the star of stage, screen and television has warmed the hearts of countless audiences with roles that have ranged from the serious in such classics as "Forbidden Planet" to the absurd in such films as "Airplane!"

Fugitive lawyer says he didn't knowingly infect women with HIV: Angie Wagner; Timothy Wayne Tillman also said he saw nothing wrong with sleeping with women after being diagnosed with the HIV virus.

NFR Money list: 1. Fred Whitfield, Hockley, Texas, $152,338. 2. Cody Ohl, Orchard, Texas, $131,668. 3. Blair Burk, Durant, Okla., $124,641. 4. Trevor Brazile, Childress, Texas, $122,239. 5. *Ty Murray, Stephenville, Texas, $121,577. 6. Herbert Theriot, Poplarville, Miss., $116,093. 7. Chad Hagan, Leesville, La., $91,379. 8. Roy Cooper, Childress, Texas, $89,531. 9. Daniel Green, Oakdale, Calif., $87,478. 10. Guy Allen, Lovington, N.M., $86,669. 11. Robert Bowers, Brooks, Alberta, $84,309. 12. Tee Woolman, Llano, Texas, $80,068. 13. Brent Lewis, Pinon, N.M., $76,264. 14. Cash Myers, Athens, Texas, $76,130. 15. Todd Suhn, Laramie, Wyo., $74,274. 16. Kurt Goulding, Duncan, Okla., $72,147. 17. Brad Goodrich, Hermiston, ...

Titles are dream come true for Ohl: Cody Ohl

Columnist Dean Juipe: LV's Page still going strong in ring: Dean Juipe; He was always approachable but for many years Greg Page came across as surly, as if he had a chip on his shoulder.

Community news briefs for December 2, 1999: The YMCA of Southern Nevada will hold its sixth annual golf tournament Dec. 7 at Stallion Mountain Golf course.

Friday at Golden Gate: 1st race 6 fur 2YO Mdn Clm: 1 Scratcher (Valdez) 118; 2 Elite Zags (Alferez) 118; 3 Winterhawk (Matias) 118; 4 Chisholm (Radke) 113; 5 Victorious Look (Castanon) 118; 6 Fairly's Dancer (Carr) 118; 7 Half Full (Meza) 118; 8 Mercuryontheroad (Chaves) 118.

World champ helped Smith learn ropes: Mike Smith

Williams has his eye on team record: Speed Williams

Gomes handled pressure: Mark Gomes

Wild Card gives Mortensen a winning hand: Dan Mortensen

Rodeo champs will be honored Saturday: Before another expected NFR sellout crowd of nearly 18,000, Roy Gifford of Coors will honor the athletes who won their events in the Original Coors Rodeo Showdown, in October at Phoenix's America West Arena.

Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Las Vegas improving culturally: Ruthe Deskin; One of the often heard criticisms of Las Vegas, especially by those who might have lost a bundle at the tables, was that it was a cultural wasteland. I don't know what these arbiters of good taste expected of the boisterous, boomtown we knew in earlier years.

Funding woes force cancellation of TV's 'Business in Nevada': "Business in Nevada," a weekly business news program shown on KLVX Channel 10, Las Vegas' public broadcasting station, will stop production at the end of the month.

Casino developer files bankruptcy: David Strow; NevStar Gaming & Entertainment Corp. of Las Vegas, owner of the Mesquite Star hotel-casino, filed for bankruptcy Wednesday -- and may face removal from the NASDAQ exchange as early as today.

New city attorney selected by NLV: Diana Sahagun; A former lawyer for the attorney general's office and Del Web Corp. has been chosen as the new city attorney for North Las Vegas.

Ch. 3 veteran newswoman Cheese fired: Executives at KVBC Channel 3 refused to answer questions this morning about the reported firing of veteran news anchor Rikki Cheese two days ago.

Las Vegas area fishing report: John Hutchings, NDOW biologist at Lake Mead, said anglers are catching small numbers of stripers by fishing at depths of 80 feet or more in Las Vegas Bay.

Money managers cash in on lack of LV-area competition: Phil Levine; Ted Schlazer and Bob Kasner say their mutual commitment to money management is unyielding at Paragon Asset Management.

Stardust's original rooms soon to be demolished: The rooms are part of four two-story buildings erected in 1958. The Stardust's parent company, Boyd Gaming Corp. of Las Vegas, is considering replacing the 41-year-old structures with convention facilities that would substantially increase the property's current 35,000 square feet of meeting space.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: LV's list for millennium short, sweet: It used to be that the only lists that mattered were laundry, grocery and The Dean's.

Fight schedule: At Irvine, Calif., Gustavo Tapia, Westminster, Calif., vs. Jose Reynosa, LaHabra, Calif., 10, lightweights.

LV real estate exec leaves to head Internet concern: Phil Levine; Jim Stuart resigned as managing director of Las Vegas commercial real estate brokerage Colliers International to head up a new Internet-based business dubbed realcentric.com.

Slot executives sell more stock: Thomas Matthews, Anchor's executive vice president, secretary and treasurer, and Joseph Murphy, the company's vice president of casino and slot-route operations, sold 4,650 shares each for $271,425 apiece.

Vietnam vets memorial pays visit to Las Vegas: Jace Radke; As the sun set behind the Spring Mountains and each of the names of the 151 Nevadans killed in the Vietnam War was read Wednesday, Terry Judd was thinking of his brother.

Spurned S.W. Gas bidder in new merger: Valley Resources, based in Cumberland, R.I., is a public utility holding company that supplies natural gas to 66,000 customers in Rhode Island.

Fleming's background good fit for superintendent's position: Terry Webster; None of the three finalists for the Clark County School District superintendent's position has served in that capacity for a large urban school district.

Analysis: Ambulance fight shifts to politics: Adrienne Packer; The fight over Clark County's ambulance contract is shifting from a skirmish over health and safety issues to a political power struggle.

IRS joins Binion probe: The IRS is investigating whether a California man who bailed out a defendant charged with crimes related to Ted Binion's slaying may have laundered cash buried by the gambling figure in Nevada.

Gaming math seminar set: The CMA seminar, "Mathematical Applications for Casino Management," will be hosted by William Eadington, professor of economics at the University of Nevada at Reno. Eadington is also director of UNR's Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming.

Vice president selling shares: She is a daughter of Boyd Chairman William S. Boyd.

Car dealer drops bid for sites in northwest: Erin Neff; A two-hour debate over future commercial development in fast-growing northwest Las Vegas ended Wednesday night with little solace for residents or developers.

Revenues up for LV communications firm: The net loss for the quarter was $2.9 million, 5 cents a share, compared with a $2.4 million loss, 5 cents a share, in the third quarter of 1998.