Print edition for July 28, 1999

Kosovar refugees in Vegas content to stay, group says: The handful of Kosovar refugees who arrived in Las Vegas shortly before the end of fighting in their homeland have shown no interest in returning, says the head of the immigration services for Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Local pros making noise on golf tours: With two-thirds of the golf season in the books, several touring professionals with ties to Las Vegas are having banner seasons -- with a couple of notable exceptions.

Education expert Chance dies at 52: Edward W. "Ed" Chance, a nationally known expert in the field of educational leadership who sat on the boards of several national education organizations, has died. He was 52.

UNLV women's basketball team hires operations chief: Hines comes to UNLV from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, where she was an events manager and was responsible for coordination and on-site management of the WBCA National Convention, the adidas/WBCA Coaches' Academy and the Nike/WBCA Coaching Clinics.

Las Vegas Police targeting taggers: Adrienne Packer; "When I arrested him I asked why he does this and he said, 'I want to wreck your property,' " Newman remembered the graffiti vandal saying.

Health organization loses contract at senior center: Art Nadler; The Las Vegas Housing Authority has terminated its lease agreement with a nonprofit group that had operated a medical clinic for elderly residents at the Howard Cannon Senior Center for 10 years.

Tatupu declines UNLV job: Steve Guiremand; Former USC and NFL star Mosi Tatupu turned down an offer to become tight end and special teams coach for his former college coach, John Robinson, on Tuesday.

Del Papa challenges county suit: Kim Smith; A complaint filed two weeks ago by Nye County against the state of Nevada concerning the distribution of oil, gas and mineral royalties ought to be dismissed, said Nevada Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa.

Obituaries for July 28, 1999: Grace Ardia, 84, of North Las Vegas died Sunday in North Las Vegas. She was born March 3, 1915, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A resident for 20 years, she was a homemaker.

Reno police investigate predawn shots fired: Weston said the men were illuminated by moonlight. The responding officer saw them, too, and called for assistance.

Two men arrested following shooting: Officials said a Lake Tahoe couple, Mansfield and Linda Smith of Fallen Leaf Lake, were lucky to be alive after a stray bullet smashed into the windshield of their truck.

Box score: Zephyrs 4, Stars 3: New Orleans

Nevada labeled as one of worst states to raise kids: Louisiana may be the worst place in the nation to raise a child, according to the Children's Rights Council, an advocacy group based in Washington D.C., but Nevada isn't far behind.

Sprint-car series expanded: "The Pennzoil World of Outlaws generated a tremendous amount of excitement when they visited our speedway in March," LVMS general manager Chris Powell said. "We're extremely happy for the fans to have an additional night to enjoy the fastest dirt-track racing in the country."

Columnist Peter Benton: Legacy marks 10th anniversary: Peter Benton; As the millennium draws to a close, so does the first decade in the history of Las Vegas' Legacy Golf Club.

Atlantis Casino Resort expansion complete: The latest, $70 million project added 390 rooms, a chic Italian restaurant, a glass-enclosed pool with a waterfall and a health club, as well as additional casino and convention space.

Letter: Tax-exempt bonds meant to benefit public, not industry: While the Las Vegas Convention Center is a public convention center, it is used mostly in support of private shows that come in from out of town. There are a number of private convention facilities in town that compete with the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Two downtown casinos to be demolished: Harrah's Reno bought the boarded up Harolds and Nevada clubs in June. Now, Harrah's is making arrangements to demolish the two buildings, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported Wednesday.

Competition begins Saturday in wake of international wrangling: Robert Macy; The month-long competition will draw 100 chess grandmasters and masters from 52 countries, with the winner receiving $660,000 out of $3 million in prize money.

McDougal looking forward to 'quiet life': "I think she has a lot of integrity," Ray Lichauer, a fraud analyst from Pittsfield, Mass., said as he admired his autograph.

Sierra Pacific Resources and Nevada Power merge: Nevada's two utility giants completed their $2.5 billion merger on Wednesday.

Sun Valley man pleads guilty to sexual assault on a child: John Joseph Lignowski, 57, will be sentenced Sept. 16.

Thursday at Del Mar: 1st race 1-1/16 mi 3YO Clm: 1 Azure Ciel (Nakatani) 118 2 Sprucity (Flores) 115 Gelding; 3 Hold the Prize (Garcia) 115; 4 Queensland Star (Desormeaux) 117; 5 Grey Blunder (Pincay) 118; 6 Flannigan (Antley) 118.

Letter: Ted Kennedy for president: Yes, Chappaquiddick was brought up again and again, although now with the caveat that this was 30 long years ago. Robert Kennedy developed character in the last years of his too-short life. Could not the same thing have happened to Teddy?

Ruling on NCAA bid delayed again: Steve Carp; Another day, another delay.

Thursday at Saratoga: 1st race 2-1/16 mi 4YO&up Clm: 1 Brooknononsense (Horgan) 135; 2 Welcome Parade (Clancy) 149; 3 Duraznillo( (Thornton) 149; 4 Mr. Jumps (Traurig) 143; 5 Grenade (Miller) 149; 6 Haveplanwilltravel (Wilson) 149; 7 Bisbalense( (Kingsley) 149; 8 Class Eminence (Boucher) 140; 9 Cadence Count (Kiser) 140; 10 Seminole Spirt (Miller) 140.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Mile of Style Expo offers fashion hints, chance to help: Elizabeth Foyt; Providing another innovative way to assist others is the approaching Mile of Style Women's Expo on Saturday at Alexis Park. Help others and update your own wardrobe by bringing a bag of new or gently used clothing to the expo. By supporting Goodwill of Southern Nevada with your donation, you will receive a free admission to the daylong event with one paid admission. Clear out a closet and bring along a friend or two!

Columnist Dean Juipe: Athletes creating crime spree: Dean Juipe; The managing editor of this newspaper has on more than one occasion suggested the sports section add a daily feature -- a small box on the same page every day -- that would profile whatever athlete had run afoul of the law during the most recent 24-hour period.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Hollywood Park: 1ST RACE:

Accessory charges filed in Buffy Rice Donohue slaying: Haley is in a Nevada prison for fraud convictions related to one of two killings in Reno committed by her former boyfriend, David Middleton.

Letter: Ancient residents lurking in canyons?: Also, why in the world would these ancient residents want to destroy these petroglyphs?

Editorial: Let candidates know gaming view matters: With that in mind Nevadans who rely on gaming for their livelihood could experience an unpleasant change when we elect a new president next year. As reported by the Associated Press, most of the year 2000 presidential candidates are either opposed to gaming or have serious reservations about the industry.

New twist in UNR's Whittel estate buildings: Brendan Riley; Under the latest plan, a nonprofit corporation - not UNR - would buy the lodge and other improvements on the old Whittel estate just south of Sand Harbor. But the university system would have the authority to name three of the five directors.

Two men missing after car washed off road: A third passenger in the car managed to escape the vehicle as it tumbled down a steep rock canyon Tuesday night.

Editorial: Let's learn a lesson from flood: The flood was actually Mother Nature's way of paying us back for years of rapid population growth where common sense urban planning has taken a back seat to haphazard zoning decisions. Locally elected officials rarely meet a zoning variance they do not like.

State policy mulled for hunters on private lands: Terry Crawford has no current policy partly because 87 percent of its land is managed by the federal government, he said. He suggested the proposal to the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners subcommittee on access earlier this week after hearing complaints from ranchers in northeast Nevada.

Gomez may rejoin Stars: Steve Guiremand; The Las Vegas Stars may not have seen the last of Chris Gomez this year.

As we approach the millennium, how do we view Satan's sanctuary?: Or a tortuous afterlife of fire, lava, brimstone and a landlord called "Satan."

Letter: School is no place for commandments: The two individuals who killed innocent people at Columbine High School would not have thought twice if they had passed by the poster of the commandments in the hallway. Deranged minds stop at nothing when their plans are to be carried out.

TV shift creates quirks in schedule: Steve Carp; That easy 1999-2000 basketball schedule virtually everyone perceives UNLV to be playing just got a little tougher.

State approves licenses for Detroit's first casino: MGM Grand officials told the board it planned to open sometime between midnight Wednesday and 4 p.m. Thursday.

MGM Grand's $225 million Detroit property unveiled: Justin Hyde; DETROIT -- It was showtime at the MGM Grand Detroit Casino on Tuesday as the $225 million casino opened its doors for a sneak preview.

Argosy Gaming operations improve: In the 1998 second quarter, Argosy earned $259,000, or 1 cent a share, on revenue of $124.5 million.

Binion probe turns to Murphy glass: Sandy Murphy is captured on videotape by her own lawyer appearing to pocket items, including a glass, during a tour of Ted Binion's home the day after his Sept. 17 murder.

Atlantic City hotel-casino faces bankruptcy: Adam Steinhauer; ATLANTIC CITY -- Claridge Hotel & Casino Corp., owner of the smallest casino in Atlantic City, said it expects to miss a payment on its mortgage notes and to file for bankruptcy protection.

Tenet takes restructuring charge: The latest quarter loss resulted from an after-tax charge of $268 million, or 86 cents per share the company took for restructuring and impairments and for anticipated losses on the sale or closure of some hospitals and home health agencies.

$340 million needed for projects on southern I-15: CARSON CITY -- The southern part of the Las Vegas Valley is expected to grow rapidly in the next 20-30 years, and the state Transportation Department Tuesday unveiled a projection that says nearly $340 million worth of Interstate 15 construction is needed to keep up.

Casino details: A look at the three temporary casinos being built in Detroit:

Three new casinos are friendly with unions: The DCC was selected through a card-authorization process as opposed to an election.

LV man's vision: Space tourism: Grace Leong; Las Vegas hotel and real estate tycoon Robert Bigelow plans to build a 100-passenger luxury tourist cruise ship that will orbit the moon.

Susan McDougal: At last, Whitewater figure speaks: Susan McDougal carried herself like a gladiator when she walked to the front of a Caesars Palace ballroom Tuesday afternoon.

KC gambling revenue slips by $3 million: Casino revenues slipped by nearly $3 million, to $39.3 million, after record-setting months of $42 million-plus in March, April and May, according to the latest reports by the Missouri Gaming Commission.

Sodak earnings rise: The company also said its shareholders approved the previously announced merger with International Game Technology. The merger agreement calls for Sodak to sell its Miss Marquette riverboat, which is incorporated in the financial results as a discontinued operation.

Cassidy will replace Gans in Rio showroom: In his popular performances at the Rio, Danny Gans imitates a multitude of entertainers.

Metro Police target pimps in attempt to curb child prostitution problem: Jace Radke; A 14-year-old girl ditching a day from a valley high school thought she had made a new friend after meeting a man in a nice car along Boulder Highway this year.

Las Vegas home builder sold for $20 million: Grace Leong; Centex Homes, a home-building subsidiary of Dallas-based Centex Corp., said Tuesday it's buying Real Homes Inc. of Las Vegas for about $20 million in cash.

Donations can send needy children to camp: Camp builds confidence, initiative, independence, self-motivation, partnership and contact with nature, said Alexis' father in a letter. But most of all, camp is fun, he adds.

Company tries to pry funds from IRS amid allegations: Grace Leong; A Las Vegas stock "day trader" is seeking to lift a freeze order put on its stock trading account by the Internal Revenue Service after it was implicated in an alleged $10 million money laundering conspiracy involving two Las Vegans.

Guinn critical of beautification project cost: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn says he likes beautification projects, but he thinks Las Vegas may have gone a little overboard.

Film production companies merge: Creative Chaos joined with Laguna Productions Inc. of Las Vegas. Terms of the deal were not announced.

Blue Diamond Highway expansion revealed: George Olcott moved to Las Vegas in 1959 and three times since then has moved around the valley to escape booming growth.

Weather records for July may fall: A National Weather Service meteorologist says there is about a 50-50 chance that the Las Vegas records for fewest number of 100-degree-plus days and total precipitation for the month of July could fall this week.

Seven applicants eye judicial appointment: The applicants include Judge On Parraguirre, 40, deputy Clark County district attorneys Abbi Silver, 34, and H. Leon Simon, 61, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Hollingsworth, 44.

Builders sued over employee benefits: The plaintiffs are the trustees of Carpenters Health and Welfare Trust; Construction Industry and Carpenters Joint Pension Trust for southern Nevada Carpenters and Millwrights Apprenticeship Training Committee; and Southern California-Nevada Regional Council of Carpenters Vacation Trust Funds.

Gaming industry, critics argue over jump in political activity: David Strow; The gaming industry made $5.7 million in federal campaign contributions in 1998, a 400 percent increase since 1992, the General Accounting Office reported Tuesday.

Methamphetamine cooks face more heat: Jace Radke; Proposed legislation and cooperation between state and federal law enforcement agencies are making prison sentences more likely for those caught manufacturing drugs in Las Vegas.

Historic district guidelines take shape: Sonya Padgett; In an effort to preserve Las Vegas' rich past, city officials are completing written guidelines that will set design and development standards for the Las Vegas High School Historical District.

Mendoza to retire on Aug. 1: CARSON CITY -- John Mendoza, who has been chairman of the state's Transportation Services Authority since its birth in 1997, is retiring Aug. 1 from his $86,084 a year job.

Nevada Power set to close on merger: Nevada's two largest electric utilities were to become one today in the $2.5 billion merger the companies have been working to complete since April 1998.

City may require gates to be installed on all private streets to cut confusion: Sonya Padgett; The Las Vegas Public Works Department wants to require that developers install gates on all private streets to help reduce the confusion some residents have about who is responsible for maintaining those roads.

Two sentenced for bank robberies: Kim Smith; A man and a woman indicted in connection with more than one dozen bank robberies in Reno and Las Vegas have received prison sentences after pleading guilty.

Two men arrested following shooting in Carson City: CARSON CITY -- Two 19-year-old men were arrested and charged with attempted murder Tuesday following a shooting that wounded two youths and shattered the windshield of a passing car.

Authorities believe bank heists linked: Kim Smith; FBI agents believe Tuesday morning's bank robbery at the Galleria Mall may be connected to the December robbery of a Colonial Bank in Las Vegas.

Goodsprings JP to retire: A Nevada resident of 61 years, Smith was appointed to justice of the peace in July 1987 by the Clark County Commission following the retirement of Stuart A. McCarthy. Smith was re-elected in 1988.

Las Vegas news briefs for July 28, 1999: An 18-year-old man was killed and a 15-year-old was wounded in an apparent gunfight late Tuesday, Metro Police said.

New Soroptimist club formed in Henderson: As the world's largest classified service organization for executive and professional businesswomen, its mission is to make a difference for women through volunteer service to the community.

Community news briefs for July 28, 1999: "Bowl for Kids Sake," an annual fund-raiser to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada, will be Aug. 7-8 and Aug. 14-15 at three area bowling centers: The Santa Fe, Sam's Town and The Orleans hotel-casinos.