Print edition for February 4, 1999

Brief: Slot maker's shares sold: A Manning & Napier spokeswoman declined to comment on the shares, or to confirm whether they were sold or disposed of in another manner.

Gaines, Clark bounce back to win Round 3: Spencer Patterson; It wasn't the "Thrilla in Manila," but Gaines vs. Hunter III certainly had its share of drama Wednesday night.

Specialized system clearing the courts: Bill Gang; Numbers released by the Clark County Jury Services Division show the number of criminal trials in the 8th District, which covers Clark County, dropped 35 percent from the prior year, from 159 to 118.

Washoe County gets federal grant to help at-risk youths: It's part of the Juvenile Mentoring Program (JUMP) run by the Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Preps: Girls Bowling standings-- Feb. 4, 1999: CLASS 4A

City purchases industrial property: Lisa Snedeker; The City Council this week unanimously approved the land purchase and entered into a lease agreement on almost 6 acres, which includes the 68,440-square-foot former Hesse building.

Education interests form coalition to address Legislature: Ken Lange, executive director of the Nevada State Education Association, says it's the first time the various groups have focused on a common agenda.

Box score: Lady Rebels 72, Denver 63: Benson 4-5 4-7 12, Dibella 2-5 0-0 4, Pavlickova 8-17 3-4 19, Freeze 1-6 0-0 2, Garcia 3-8 0-0 8, Moss 2-3 0-0 5, Ryan 2-3 0-0 4, Rhoads 4-7 1-2 9. Totals 26-54 8-13 63.

Sun Boys Basketball State Top 10 poll: (italics) Teams ranked jointly by the Sun and the Sparks Daily Tribune.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Things to think about: The final paragraph of the report made me wonder if the writers had missed reading the Sun. "In a close election, it is easy to argue that many considerations figured into the outcome. In our view, two factors were ultimately decisive. First, the ground war conducted by organized labor was extremely important. This personal contact style of mobilization remained under the radar until very late in the campaign. ... "

Judge quits downtown property case: Bill Gang; The Pappas family sought to remove Denton from the case because of his revelation last week that he has taken campaign contributions from some of the downtown casinos that could benefit from his rulings.

These intellectual athletes enjoy their own Super Bowl: Benjamin Grove; And on Monday it read: Green Valley High School 130, Valley High 145.

Columnist Tim Graham: My hero was a big inspiration: Tim Graham; Superman is dying.

Preps: Girls Soccer standings -- Feb. 4, 1999: SUNRISE DIVISION

Lifelong Nevadan, resident of LV for 47 years, Brown dies: Her family settled in Virginia City in 1850 as silver mining boomed in Northern Nevada.

Public meetings set on business district plans in Summerlin: Scott Reeder; "When this town center project is complete it will be the business center that will serve all of western Las Vegas. This is a very ambitious project," said Dale Erquiaga, director of marketing and community relations for Howard Hughes Corp., the developer of Summerlin.

Anthrax scare prompts bill targeting terrorism: A bill before the state Legislature could change that.

Sun Girls Basketball State Top 10 poll: Sun Girls Basketball State Top 10 poll

Lady Rebels hang on against Denver: Perhaps the Lady Rebels still were smarting from their 36-point loss last Saturday to sixth-ranked Colorado State.

Columnist Dean Juipe: De La Hoya wants to silence critics: Dean Juipe; Even before he learned he wouldn't be fighting Felix Trinidad this year, Oscar De La Hoya seemed a bit disconsolate.

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

Jones faces three-way challenge for third mayoral term: Erin Neff; But now, just weeks before the filing period opens for candidates, you'd almost think the incumbents are running unopposed. In fact, the council members are.

Brief: Company to focus on Internet auctions: The company also announced an alliance with The CollectingChannel, an Internet content provider for collectors based in Norfolk, Va. The company's Friends of The CollectingChannel organization and Gallery of History are now the lead content providers in original historical autographs and manuscripts for sale in auctions.

Future Rebel running back turned out to be big recruiter: Steve Guiremand; When his football playing days are over, Jeremi Rudolph would figure to have a fine career as a salesman.

Oscar, Felix won't fight in '99: Dean Juipe; By Dean Juipe LAS VEGAS SUN

Robinson adds assistant coach: Steve Guiremand; John Robinson added the eighth of nine assistants to his staff on Wednesday. And not surprisingly, this one also has strong ties to Robinson's USC coaching background.

Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Continuing war against smut peddlers: Ruthe Deskin; The Sun is a family newspaper, and its founder and publisher, the late Hank Greenspun, supported the idea that we owed it to our readers to be somewhat selective in the kind of material that was presented in Las Vegas homes. We carefully edited medical columns, and argued over what coverage should be given rape cases.

Feasibility study for golf course approved: Lisa Snedeker; Michele Richardson, management analyst for the city, told the council 160 acres of the proposed development is currently under lease from the Bureau of Land Management to the city for its model airplane park and the UNLV Urban Conservation Project. The other 160 acres is adjacent to the north.

Deputy Attorney General Ling to leave post: Adrienne Packer; A day after commission Chairwoman Mary Boetsch announced she would not seek re-appointment to the board, deputy attorney general Louis Ling said he too is moving on.

Brief: Executive sells stock at slot maker: "My sale has no bearing on what I believe to be the future prospects for Anchor gaming," said Sage.

UNLV baseball team to open season Friday against UCSB: The UNLV baseball team opens the 1999 season on Friday with the first of three games against UC Santa Barbara at Wilson Stadium.

Brief: HMO offering second opinions: Brief: HMO offering second opinions

Preps: Boys Bowling standings -- Feb. 4, 1999: CLASS 4A

Station invests $55 million to boost competition in NLV: John Wilen; You'll see the standard mid-day local's casino sights: people hunkered over slot machines, a few at the tables, more in line for the buffet.

Editorial: Residents want a new county seat: A compelling case can be made that having the county seat 160 miles to the north creates hardships, including diminished services. Still, to a visitor looking at a map of Nevada, it probably would seem more logical for Pahrump to be part of Clark County since Pahrump is just 65 miles west of Las Vegas. But such a suggestion would drop faster than a lead balloon in Pahrump, since residents almost uniformly have sought to escape the congestion of urban areas, including many who used to live in Clark County.

Neal: Raise gaming taxes, ban campaign money from casinos: But Neal doesn't have any support. The chairman of the Senate Taxation Committee, where two of the three bills were referred, says he doubts the votes exist to pass the measures.

Fight schedule -- Feb. 4, 1999: At Irvine, Calif., Raul Franco, Bellflower, Calif., was Jose Chilin Cruz, Mexico, 10, welterweights.

Girls Basketball standings -- Feb. 4, 1999: SUNRISE DIVISION

Town Center neighbors down on high-rise signs: Erin Neff; However, the developer's use of terms like "gentle," "nice" and "pleasing" to describe the proposed signs seemed worlds apart from the words of choice of residents: "obnoxious," "pollutant" and "horrible blight."

Preps: Rana Brown finds a home after coast-to-coast odyssey: Spencer Patterson; Continuity has never been a big part of Rana Brown's high school experience.

Brief: Lodging giant fires salvo at Starwood: "Starwood may tout its new program as a 'world of rewards without boundaries,' but it is a world that has its limitations," he said.

State, private investigators working to rein in fraud: Then he got lucky.

Bill would force mobile home parks to OK political signs: "They feel this is a freedom of speech issue," he said Wednesday. "They feel their rights have been done away with."

Columnist Joe Delaney: Jazz picks hot, Superbowl bets not: Joe Delaney; The Tropicana's invitation read, "The Casino Legends Hall of Fame Inaugural Induction Gala. Join us in honoring who made Las Vegas what it is today: The Builders & Visionaries; The Headliners; The Showgirls; The Gamblers; Las Vegas in the Movies, Tiffany Theatre ... Feb. 4, 1999."

Man pleads guilty to threats to blow up airplanes: Bill Gang; Joseph Patrick Fuentes pleaded guilty Tuesday to sending threatening letters to McCarran officials between Oct. 3 and 7, 1997. The plea could put him in prison for up to 10 years when he is sentenced on May 10, according to U.S. Attorney Kathryn Landreth.

We've grown accustomed to their songs: The show is about music, naturally, sustained by songs from monumental musicals "My Fair Lady," "Brigadoon," "Paint Your Wagon," "Gigi" and "Camelot."

Brief: Insurance company wants out of suit: Western Heritage said it has no duty to defend Crazy Horse in an incident on June 22 in which a customer broke his wrist in a confrontation with a bouncer. The attorney for the insurance company said the policy has an assault and battery exclusion clause.

Henderson assemblyman seeking free credit status reports: "It is your information," Perkins told the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee on Wednesday. "For you to have to pay for your information is improper."

Out-of-towner claims Las Vegas monorail off track: Adrienne Packer; San Francisco attorney Jon Twichell strode to the podium, slapped down a report called "Monorail, A Flawed Technology," and told the board he represented property owners who wished to remain anonymous.

Community Briefs: Births: Lake Mead Hospital

Air Force suffering drought: Steve Carp; Rebels at Air Force

Editorial: Airline deregulation prompts new worries: Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., plan to introduce bipartisan legislation that would give passengers more rights than they currently have, according to a story in Wednesday's New York Times. Under their proposal, passengers would have to be told why a plane was late, how many seats are available on a flight if a passenger wants to use frequent-flier miles, and when a flight has been oversold. Another sore point with many fliers is not being told why a plane didn't take off on time. Under this bill, airlines would have to tell passengers why the flight was ...

Obituaries for Feb. 4, 1999: He is survived by his wife, Cheri; one daughter, Melissa Ashby of Las Vegas; three sons, Shaun Baker of South Carolina, Steven Baker of California and Kevin Ashby of San Antonio; and one brother, Micky Ashby of Marked Tree, Ariz.

Wednesday's Prep Results: Green Valley 78, Vo-Tech 43

City clears way for senior housing: Lisa Snedeker; In what has been described as the first of its kind, an agreement between a developer and neighboring residents has evolved into a resolution amending the city's land-use master plan, which was unanimously approved by the North Las Vegas City Council Wednesday night.

Binion suspect takes the Fifth in court session: Rick Tabish, a 33-year-old Montana contractor, refused to answer questions about the missing valuables in his reported romantic relationship with Binion's girlfriend, Sandy Murphy.

Water quality top concern at Test Site: The volunteer Community Advisory Board for Nevada Test Site programs told DOE officials Wednesday night that testing ground water that flows from Pahute Mesa at the northwest corner of the site toward Amargosa Valley, where crops grow and cattle graze, remains the public's chief concern.

Boys Basketball standings -- Feb. 4, 1999: SUNRISE DIVISION

Columnist Spencer Patterson: South will rise again in state tournament: Spencer Patterson; Every year around this time, we start hearing the rumblings from the north.

Preps: Wrestling standings -- Feb. 4, 1999: SUNRISE DIVISION

Man killed when thrown from car: The men were heading west along Emerson Avenue in a 1985 Mercury and had attempted to turn left onto Pecos-McLeod when they were hit by a northbound 1989 Chevrolet about 7:55 p.m. Wednesday, Sgt. Curt Albert said.

Convention Center expansion touted as competitive tool: Promoters say the newest local Convention Center expansion will help the city keep pace with competitors snapping at the heels of Las Vegas -- the nation's trade show industry leader.

Shopping luring Japanese to Las Vegas: Japan Airlines said Wednesday it will add a fourth nonstop flight from Tokyo to Las Vegas in April.

Casinos post mixed profit numbers: Gary Thompson; Also reporting results were Primadonna Resorts Inc., whose merger with MGM is expected to close March 1, and -- for the first time as separate companies -- Hilton Hotels Corp. and its gaming spinoff, Park Place Entertainment Inc.

Letter: Venetian's pay, benefits result of job market: Unlike other visitors, this untapped market has grown accustomed to, and quite frankly demands, good service. To that end, it is the customer's demands for high-quality service that cause us to pursue only the best employees. To date, we have received more than 103,000 calls to the Venetian job line (734-JOBS). With 4,000 job openings, we intend to hire only the best.

NBA Rebels: eight ex-Rebels will be playing when the season opens Friday: Steve Carp; Some got there the easy way via the draft lottery. Some had to take the long and winding free agent road to get there. Others bounced around from team to team, but nonetheless still are there.

Letter: Congress bunch of cheats, liars: They allow the tobacco companies to kill thousands of people without sending their presidents off to prison, because they got $40 million or $50 million in campaign funds. Didn't these same congressmen take an oath when they were sworn in to uphold the Constitution? They broke this oath when they allowed the tobacco companies to buy them off. That is just one case of their bad leadership.

Letter: Adelson treated employees right: It is true that the Sands gave six weeks notice to its employees. What Venezia failed to mention was that all employees were paid for eight weeks, as the law requires. In addition, employees were given additional severance pay based on length of service, which is unprecedented in the history of Las Vegas hotel closings. I personally know of several employees who were given a full year of severance pay, and many who were given six months. All employees were also offered free counseling and job placement services.

Gymnastics meet starts today: Approximately 2,200 gymnasts from 35 states, Australia and Canada begin competition today in the 4th annual Las Vegas Go For It Classic at Cashman Center. Action begins today with two sessions of women's artistic competition from 1 to 5 p.m. and 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Women's artistic levels 7, 8 and 9 will compete in optional programs today. The event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sunday's competition will run from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door.

Caesars executive quits to head Mirage: "It's a whole new set of challenges and I'm really, really excited," he said Thursday. "Everybody's goal is to have the project change the Atlantic City experience."

Columnist Jeff German: Gamers still unsure of legislative agenda: To some this isn't all that surprising. The industry usually muscles its bills through the tail end of the Legislature.

Bryan breaks ranks on impeachment vote for videotapes: The motion passed 62-38. That means videotaped tesitmony will be allowed from Lewinsky on Saturday.

Proposed legislation to ban anthrax or other agents debated: "This is an important bill for us," added Sgt. Keith Carter of the Metropolitan Police Department. "It gives us a tool we need."

Top-Ranked UNLV Doubles Team Advances: The third leg of the Collegiate Grand Slam, hosted by SMU, is being held at the Brookhaven Country Club and features nine of college tennis top-10 doubles teams.

Skier killed in fall over cliff: The victim, whose name has not been released, fell as far as 500 feet onto some rocks, witnesses said.

Thursday's Prep Results: Silverado 2, Eldorado 0

Barrick Gold, Newmont exchange Nevada assets: "Each company is transferring assets that will generate greater value when developed by the other company," they said.

Detroit Vipers 5, Las Vegas Thunder 3: Four points separate the Vipers, second-place Cincinnati and third-place Orlando, all of whom won on Thursday. Blueliner Keith Aldridge wrapped up the win 25 seconds before the second intermission. John Emmons and Ian Herbers scored to give the Vipers a 2-0 lead that lasted through the first period. Peter Ciavaglia made the score 3-0 at 7:03 of the second, and Steve Walker capped the victory at 17:54 of the third, off Mike Prokopec's third assist of the game.

Chemical polluting Tahoe-area water shows up 30 miles away: "I'm not sure what to do about it," said Chris Gansberg Jr., a rancher who uses the reclaimed water for pastures and hay production.