Print edition for December 15, 1999

Tuesday's prep results: Las Vegas 65, Centennial 40: Tremmell Darden scored 20 points and Jonathan Pollard added 13 as the visiting Wildcats improved to 8-1.

Columbia County board rejects casino proposal: Opponents of the casino said it could increase compulsive gambling among county residents and drive up crimes such as burglary and drunken driving.

Harolds Club implosion not quite as planned: The gas leak forced the evacuation of about 200 people from Harrah's hotel and casino next door, said Harrah's spokeswoman Kerri Garcia.

Lotto hopefuls buy tickets for $77 million: "There's quite a few buying for family or groups," Kahalley said as he waited on customers. "We haven't had time to talk to them about it. We're just trying to get them out as fast as we can."

California man sought in woman's death: Doris Bair's neighbors called police Monday afternoon when they hadn't seen Bair for a couple of days. Police found Bair dead on the floor of the house she has lived in for 50 years.

Thursday at Aqueduct: 1st race 1-1/16 mi 3YO & up F & M Clm: 1 Jeff's Trophies (Mastronardi) 110; 2 Holy Bolla (Teator) 117; 3 Native Talk (Lopez) 117; 4 La Femme M (Lavoy) 112; 5 Lively Melody (Blake) 110; 6 Lute to Boot (Beasley) 112; 7 Chug Bud (Nelson) 117; 8 Mimetic (Luzzi) 117.

Columnist Peter Benton: Slow players top list of complaints: Peter Benton; What annoys you the most between tee and green? Unrepaired divots? Unraked bunkers? Those infuriating little pieces of dirt that get stuck in the dimples of your ball?

Thursday at Golden Gate: 1st race 1 mi 3YO & up Clm: 1 Gold Face (Radke) 113; 2 I'm Walkin (Matias) 118; 3 Nasa (Carr) 118; 4 Wild 'n Wet (Gonzalez) 118; 5 As We Know It (Baze) 118; 6 Thisone'sforernie (Mercado) 118; 7 Exactfir (Chaves) 118.

Judge rules Binion Estate cannot sell Silver: Trevor Hayes; District Judge Joseph Bonaventure said the stash of silver could be needed as evidence in trials stemming from efforts to remove it from an underground vault after Binion's death.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- Prince Twining - Off slowly, steadied then closed strong for 3rd off 2-month layoff in last, Eddie D. stays on Dominquez trainee, had race, ready to graduate here. Maxaplenty - Returns to races with solid works, 4th at Oak Tree in last, debut 4th at Del Mar before that, draws rail post now, Solis takes over on Hendricks trainee. Value Play -- Subtle Trick

Thursday at Hollywood Park: 1st race 5-1/2 fur 3YO & up Mdn: 1 Maxaplenty (Solis) 120; 2 Implausible (Pincay) 120; 3 Prince Twining (Delahoussaye) 120; 4 Subtle Trick (Black) 120; 5 Tru Gait (Blanc) 120; 6 Quaint Notion (Valenzuela) 120.

Two teen-aged cousins sentenced for murder: Alans Hopkins, 18, was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison for his guilty plea to second-degree murder in the death of Leonard Harvey of Las Vegas.

Amtrak seeking casino subsidies: Amtrak says high-speed passenger train service between Los Angeles and Las Vegas will begin in September.

Nevadans lose $3 billion a year to government: Benjamin Grove; Federal spending

Mack, Weekly take oath of office: Erin Neff; The Las Vegas City Council will enter the next century a younger and more diverse board thanks to the swearing in this morning of Lawrence Weekly and Michael Mack to two newly created seats.

LV gas prices rise 5 cents: AAA said its monthly survey found the Nevada state average is $1.46, up 3 cents in one month, and compare to a national average of $1.31, also up 3 cents.

Harassment suit brought against NLV entrepreneur: Kim Smith; A Las Vegas woman who is suing Vega Enterprises CEO Rafael "Ray" Vega for sexual harassment denied working for her own employment agency while on Vega's clock.

Obituaries for December 15, 1999: Mark David Augustin, 28, of Henderson died Nov. 30 in Henderson. He was born May 9, 1971, in Nebraska. A resident for many years, he was a pharmacist.

AC gaming win up slightly: ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Gamblers lost $328.7 million in casinos last month, a slight increase from the same period last year, officials said Tuesday.

LVCVA OKs suit against Venetian: Hornbuckle nominated

City Council postpones decision on ambulances: Erin Neff; The debate over who should provide ambulance service in the Las Vegas Valley hit a snag this morning as the Las Vegas City Council decided to postpone a decision on whether to grant Southwest Ambulance a franchise.

Attorney in lawsuit says patient deserved to die 'peaceful death': Shaunta Grimes; Henry Puckett, 67, was a two-pack-a-day smoker for 50 years. By 1994 he had developed a cancerous tumor in his throat and had a tracheotomy tube that allowed him to breathe.

Millennium turnout proves a disappointment to gamers: David Strow; From Australia to Greenwich, England, Nevada's tourism industry has run into significantly more competition than expected for New Year's Eve -- but there's still an opportunity to make inroads in the year 2000, tourism officials and executives said Tuesday.

School sued over shooting of boy with Down syndrome: Rafael Herrera filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on behalf of Peter Liriano, who was 13 when he was shot in the leg and arm while carrying a BB gun in January 1998.

School chief search raises doubts: Terry Webster; Two Clark County School Board members are having serious doubts about the search for a new district superintendent.

News briefs: A man robbed Henderson Bank of America without using a weapon Tuesday afternoon.

Judge refuses Binion silver sale: District Judge Joseph Bonaventure today refused to allow Ted Binion's estate to sell his silver fortune until after the March 13 trial of the two people charged in his death.

Proposed Nevada slot regulations won't ban some cartoon themes: David Strow; The Nevada Gaming Commission is set to consider Thursday new regulations that could restrict the use of so-called "child-friendly" themes from slot machines across the state.

Las Vegas cost of living rises for the fifth consecutive month: The bank, which tracks local prices, said prices fell for clothing, housing and eating out -- but these declines were offset by increases for transportation, health care and groceries.

Inflation tame despite U.S. consumers' shopping spree: WASHINGTON -- Americans went on a shopping spree last month and pushed up retail sales by 0.9 percent, giving merchants a strong start to the holiday season. At the same time, consumer prices edged up just 0.1 percent.

Police seek California man in bludgeoning death of LV woman: Keith Paul; Metro Police are searching today for a 41-year-old California man for questioning in the bludgeoning death of a 79-year-old woman found in her house.

One-third of wildlife refuge managers threatened: Scott Sonner; Refuge workers across the country report an increasing number of potentially violent situations with hunters and other land users upset about federal policies, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

Babbitt telephoned Nevada agency workers out of concern about threats: Scott Sonner; Nevertheless, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt telephoned agency officials in Nevada to discuss the matter after he heard about the recent resignation of Forest Service supervisor Gloria Flora.

Fresno a no-show at box office: Steve Guiremand; Remember all that talk about Fresno State's "Red Wave" filling up a lot of seats and hotel rooms this week?

Amtrak will reintroduce service between Los Angeles and Las Vegas: Trevor Hayes; Amtrak and government officials gathered Tuesday to announce the new rail service in a custom-designed train that will make the trip in about five hours.

County pollution plan threatens road construction dollars: If county air quality proposals do not receive federal approval several road-widening projects and more than 200 onramps and offramps will not be funded beginning in January 2001, according to Regional Transportation Commission principal planner Jerry Duke.

Nevada hospital profits increase 14.7 percent: CARSON CITY -- Valley Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas posted $23.1 million in profits last fiscal year to become the most profitable hospital in Nevada.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Wrapping up the shopping experience: Still running around shopping? Making many trips can be frustrating and seem never ending. Instead, set aside one day to wrap it all up. Yes, making many stops in one day is exhausting, but you'll put an end to the endless returning to stores day after day.

LVCVA in $3 mil. deal for soccer games: The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has signed a $3 million contract with a promoter to bring eight Confederations Cup International Soccer Tournament games to Las Vegas in 2001.

Court: Judge used coercion: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court, in a 5-2 decision, has ruled that District Judge Jeffrey Sobel "improperly coerced" a defendant to accept a plea bargain on an attempted sexual assault charge.

Letter: Pure capitalism cannot survive: Now I will challenge the gentleman or anybody else to name any civilized, industrial country that has put up with a dog-eat-dog, survival of the fittest, social Darwinist, capitalist dictatorship for any length of time (usually just long enough to throw it out through violent revolution).

Fox gets shot to play for home crowd: Steve Guiremand; Vernon Fox found it somewhat ironic that he and his Fresno State teammates practiced for about two hours on Tuesday night at Green Valley High School.

Ball rolling for senior housing: Diana Sahagun; At a special meeting Tuesday, the North Las Vegas City Council approved a low-income senior housing complex to be built in the city's redevelopment area.

Maloofs sell wine, liquor operation: ALBUQUERQUE -- The Maloof family built an empire in New Mexico by selling alcoholic beverages, and now it is poised to sell its wine and liquor distributing business.

Jan Thomas quitting as Senate secretary: She'll be replaced by Jesse Clift, the media clerk on the Senate front desk during legislative sessions.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Sponsors reconsider wrestling: Dean Juipe; The resident authority on professional wrestling in the building says he hasn't kept up with the "sport" in recent weeks and probably won't for a little while longer.

PDS Nasdaq listing in jeopardy: PDS said it can meet Nasdaq's requirement if the value of the 2.2 million shares owned by the public exceeds $5 million for any 10 consecutive trading days between now and March 8.

Nevada gets $15 million in tobacco settlement funds: Brendan Riley; The $15 million was delivered on schedule Tuesday. It's unclear whether future payments, including $39.1 million next year, will come as they had been expected. Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa says payments in 2000 could shrink as much as 14 percent.

Community news briefs for December 15, 1999: Catholic Charities will host the Southern Nevada Homeless Coalition's annual Candlelight Memorial Vigil 4 p.m. Friday at Catholic Charities' St. Vincent Plaza, 1501 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

Boot camp offered in fatal DUI case: Bill Gang; An attempt by friends in two cars to carry on a conversation while traveling side by side at more than 80 mph in June ended in an accident that killed two people and injured four others.

Missing banker seen playing poker, arrested: Jerry P. McWhorter, 56, was charged with bank fraud and embezzlement.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Leukemia Society is well-served by celebrity waiters: Elizabeth Foyt; Hilarity and high spirits went a long way to contribute to the success of the "Celebrity Waiter Gala Dinner" to benefit the Las Vegas office of the Leukemia Society of America. Serving up the lovely meal at the Four Seasons were celebrity waiters Suzanne and Bob Moon, Denise Alderette, Sandy Ewan, Denny Weddle, Jim Alexander and David Afromsky. A first-time event for the organization, the gathering drew table sponsors including Realtor Cathy Bittinger and Jim Alexander of Renaissance Pools who jointly chose an African safari theme for guests Jani Mae Den Herder, Tanya Alexander, Norm Johnson and others.

Industry warned of "missiles" by "enemies of gaming": Robert Macy; Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association, issued the warning at the 16th annual Governor's Conference on Travel and Tourism.

Shooting suspect ordered to state mental facility: Two psychiatrists already have concluded the 37-year-old defendant is incompetent to stand trial on murder charges.

Border Patrol recruiting in Southern Nevada: Kim Smith; The U.S. Border Patrol needs a few good people.

Search after bank heist comes up empty: Jace Radke; Metro Police searched a northwest Las Vegas neighborhood for more than 10 hours Tuesday but were unable to locate a man wanted for a bank robbery at a grocery store.

Man working on Beltway project is crushed to death: A Utah man, on his second day working on the northwest leg of the Las Vegas Beltway, was killed when a several-ton concrete drainage pipe fell on him as he was shifting the sand beneath it, officials said.

Letter: California lets harassers off hook: Of course the employer is going to be named as a defendant in any event; getting to the money is far more important than getting to the person who committed the offense.

Harolds Club tumbles in implosion; triggers gas leak: There were no injuries as the building fell at 2:23 p.m., but hotel guests were rustled from their beds and the casino area was cleared while fire officials investigated the source of the gas leak.

Nellis says goodbye to one of its own: Diana Sahagun; Services

Rebels face Hassell against Austin Peay: Victoria Sun; When the UNLV men's basketball team hosts Austin Peay tonight at 7:35, stopping the Governors' Trenton Hassell will be a top priority.

Letter: Greenspun hit the mark with column on Ali: It is rare that I agree with the writings of Mr. Greenspun, but he certainly hit it on the mark with his comments about "The Greatest." Now if I can only get him to agree with me on all that political stuff.

Gifts for needy kids: Santa's helpers

DA differs with Tahoe casino in videotaped arrest case: Bu Brendan Riley; But Douglas County District Attorney Scott Doyle also said he's not sure whether the Nevada Supreme Court should review the case now, or wait until the end of a misdemeanor case against the women in Tahoe Justice Court.

Sierra Health to suspend stock buybacks; stock slumps: The announcement caused Sierra shares to fall $1.06, or 12 percent, to $7.63 in midmorning trading. Before today, they had fallen 58 percent in the last 12 months.

Veteran education, trial lawyers lobbyist dies: Pitching for the Red Sox farm team in the early 1950s, batters he faced included baseball great Satchel Paige.

Hospital profits up in cities, down in many rural areas: Brendan Riley; The report Tuesday from the state Health Care Financial Analysis Unit shows the "Big Six" hospitals in Reno and Las Vegas had a combined $48.9 million operating profit. Small urban hospitals made $17.4 million, and rural hospitals had an overall loss of $3.1 million.

Steps taken to get water from Muddy: The Southern Nevada Water Authority Board is expected to give its blessing Thursday to a new entity that will hold water rights on 3,000 acre-feet of water from the Muddy River and make it available for use in the Las Vegas Valley.

Poll: Two-thirds of Reno residents want hotel demolition postponed: Scott Sonner; Nevertheless, City Councilman Dave Aiazzi said Tuesday there doesn't appear to be any interest among city officials in reconsidering plans to demolish the hotel where Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra once performed.

State board finds rules on splitting a bitter pill: CARSON CITY -- The state Pharmacy Board has backed away from writing regulations that would cover the practice of pill splitting.

Here's a rundown of cookbooks that make top-notch Christmas gifts: Whatever the size, buy the right book for the culinary skill level of the recipient, unless of course it's one of those irresistible volumes that are more for looking than cooking.

Gaming Commission approves merger of Harrah's, Players casinos: Missouri approval was needed because Harrah's and Players operate a joint venture in Maryland Heights. Each runs two separate 30,000-square-foot casinos in the complex.

Accused temple firebombers to be tried in fed court first: Sandra Chereb; "That's what we intend to do," said Washoe County Assistant District Attorney John Helzer.

Two newest councilmen sworn in: Both men will officially take office in January - when the new ward 5 and 6 boundaries take effect.

Editorial: State's dormant computers: At first glance it would appear to be just another case of bureaucratic bungling but, as the Sun's Cy Ryan reported Tuesday, there may be more to the story. During a Legislative Commission meeting on Monday, Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, mentioned an interesting reason why the state Division of Parole and Probation's new computers haven't been installed: The building that houses the agency on Bonanza Road in Las Vegas doesn't have enough power to handle all the new computers.

Editorial: More soccer fields needed in the valley: So it is encouraging, then, that a nonprofit group is seeking to enter into a lease agreement with the city of Las Vegas that would allow the building of a 20-field, $12.9 million soccer complex on about 100 acres of what is currently Bureau of Land Management land in northwest Las Vegas. The group, Premier Soccer, wants to lease the land from the city for 50 years. At the conclusion of this period, the city would assume ownership. Premier Soccer also wants the city to spend $1.9 million in off-site improvements to help the nonprofit group jump-start the project.

Columnist Victoria Sun: For serious golfers, these clubs are worth the price: Victoria Sun; The price tag attached to a set of the Andrews & Aberdeen Match Straight Shot System custom-made golf clubs is not for the meek or the cheap.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Va. Tech bettors may be chasing fairy tale: Given the lag between the day lines are posted and kickoff time, you might think college football's bowl season is a real headache for sports books.