Print edition for January 10, 1999

Police trying to sort out sniper's twisted tale: Scott Sonner; A deeply disturbed individual incapable of feeling other's pain? Or a "goofball" with a wild imagination trying to make the most of his 15 minutes of fame?

Letter: A plea to Culinary to back off resort: The genius of Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson will overcome any problem. In this regard it's hoped the Culinary Union will show Nevada loyalty to our main industry and cease its vitriolic campaign against the Venetian.

Jail accused of violating inmates' civil rights: "(It) sounds like people over in China where they get free or forced labor," Cooper said. "This is America, not a Hitler kind of country."

Private citzens stock up, wary of being labeled New Age zanies: Martin Kuz; Or, at least, that's the way Loucks has tackled household mishaps most of his adult life. But in recent months "do-it-yourself" has come to mean more to him than writing out a check to the repairman. He's learning how to pump his own water, grow a garden, dehydrate fruits and vegetables and other Grizzly Adams-type skills that will make him a testament to self-sufficiency.

Colorado prosecutor's handling of murder case criticized: Earlier this month, Angelo announced plans to file charges against a suspected accessory in the Montrose woman's murder, but indicated charges may never be brought against former policeman David Middleton.

Former commissioner ready to challenge Jones: Bingham, a land developer and lobbyist who left the Clark County Commission in 1996 after three terms, confirmed he will run but wouldn't say much more.

Ex-teen prostitute sues CBS over '48 Hours' segments: The girl "has been humiliated, embarrassed, and subjected to rumors, innuendo, statements, remarks, obscenities and other such trauma" as a result, the lawsuit says.

Editorial: Time for big banks to concede they've lost: Americans rely on credit unions for a source of accessible loans they otherwise might not be able to get from large banks. This legislation will allow millions, including employees of small businesses, to get lower-cost loans from credit unions. Banks need to acknowledge they've lost. It's time for them to stop thwarting the will of Congress.

Letter: Truckers well within their rights: The truck that I presently drive is approximately 80 feet in length and the trailer is 10 feet wide. When all three units plus the power unit is hooked, the combination is legally 105 feet long and 10 feet wide, with a legal load of 120,000 pounds net! That is more than 1,000 square feet of area, with a gross legal weight in excess of 150,000 pounds covered in one lane of traffic.

Editorial: Growth plan stirs ample controversy: Lanni said the Clark County Commission should consider requiring casinos to take rooms out of the local inventory before they get approval for their new projects. Some who will disagree with Lanni's plan will note, correctly, that it is much easier for a casino executive to talk about a moratorium when his company already has a 5,000-room megaresort in place. Still, for Lanni to break ranks with fellow casino capitalists and suggest that the government has a role to play in the economy surely jolted Las Vegas political and business leaders.

Higher education faces lean time in Legislature: Stacy J. Willis; Las Vegas is perhaps not best described as an intellectual haven.

Where I Stand - Brian Greenspun: Reaching ground-zero: That's what normal human beings say when they discover that they have made a mistake or when they are surprised that a result they expected does not come to pass. It is, in short, a word of apology or, at least, an acknowledgement that something went wrong.

Letter: Off-road vehicles undermine project: Why isn't access to this area being protected to disallow all vehicles from entering, to protect the work being performed and paid for with taxpayer money? I spoke with a workman one day recently asking him to pass on these concerns.

Officials say recent incidents in Las Vegas, Reno should not impact tourism: The message will be worked into Las Vegas' ongoing marketing campaign, Vassiliadis said.

Trying to swat the 'Year 2000 Bug': As Nevada's director of information technology, Lockard is responsible for ensuring that the state's computers help issue welfare checks on time, operate elevators safely and shut prison doors properly. The state allocated $6 million in hopes of exterminating the bug by July 1 when the fiscal 2000 budget begins.

Book signings: * 2 p.m. Saturday, at Borders Books and Music, 2190 N. Rainbow Blvd.

Super 'Fly': Veteran Vegas watcher Dick Odessky chronicles the town's 'good old, bad old days': Melissa Schorr; He was there when the very first traffic light went up on the Strip.

Columnist Jeff German: Dobson's diatribe mars work of fed panel: Take the case of James Dobson, a leading figure in the religious right who is opposed to gambling on moral grounds.

Letter: Don't ignore new LV Philharmonic: Future plans for the Las Vegas Philharmonic include a series of youth concerts in conjunction with the Clark County School District, and a very special "Mahler in May" program open to the entire community.

Columnist Sandra Thompson: Making deadbeat parents pay is no easy task: Sandra Thompson; It can be applied to some people who won't pay child support. Try all you want, you can't make 'em pay.

Letter: Natural beauty around valley needs protection: Join me in asking the decision makers in Washington for a gift to future generations -- urge them to fund efforts to protect our wild places before they disappear forever. Now is the time to put our money where our heart is -- in the wild and natural places all around us.

Letter: State risks getting dump, no benefits: The viability assessment gives Congress an idea of what the repository design will resemble and some idea how much it will cost to finish the site characterization of Yucca Mountain. There is a lot of science that still needs to be done and each step along the way the project is being overseen by the presidentially-appointed and nationally respected scientists on the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Nye County has its own independent drilling program still going and may be expanding in the near future.