Print edition for March 29, 1999

Late accident paves road to Goodyear's first IRL victory: PHOENIX -- There were no pyrotechnics exploding over Phoenix International Raceway following Scott Goodyear's first Indy Racing League victory.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Santa Anita showdown could put Derby in focus: Ralph Siraco; Stephen Got Even on Saturday. And if the sophomore son of A.P. Indy flashes the same brilliance in the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May as he did this past Saturday in the Gallery Furniture.com Stakes, he'll also get even for his famous sire, who dropped out of the 1992 Derby hours before it ran.

The Ethics Ethos: Melissa Schorr; In Sunday's installment of our two-part roundtable discussion on the state of personal ethics, our panelists looked at what ethics are, where we learn them, how we should teach them, and the challenges our community faces in establishing and enforcing them.

Obituaries for March 29, 1999: He is survived by two daughters, Samantha Arendsen and Heather Baker, both of Las Vegas.

Duke aims to finish epic year with title: Steve Carp; ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- So, how do you like your chalk?

Clark's Gaines pours in 20 to pace U.S. squad: Steve Carp; TAMPA, Fla. -- It took Kevin Gaines a long time to be part of Sunday's fifth annual Hoop Summit. But once the Clark High star stepped on the floor, he virtually never left.

Lenin statue beheaded: "We had people who, while relatively small in number, felt very strongly that this was not something that belonged in Mandalay Bay," Ralston said. "The bulk of people we heard from were retired servicemen."

Prep Schedule -- March 29-April 3: Baseball

Bill to regulate mortgage companies fails to gather enough votes: With several Democratic panel members out of town Friday, the bill fell two votes short of the necessary eight votes to send it to the Assembly floor for a vote.

Rebels net win over Little Rock: Sophomore Danny Erez came from behind to take a three-set thriller and help the UNLV men's tennis team rally for a 4-3 Senior Day victory over Arkansas-Little Rock at the Fertitta Tennis Complex Sunday. The 53rd-ranked Rebels, who broke a three-match losing streak, improved to 6-7 and finished with a 4-3 home record this spring. In singles play, Rebels senior Asaf Tishler won his 11th straight match, 6-1, 6-1, over Felipe McCluskey at the top spot. Tishler, ranked 37th, finished with a perfect 7-0 record at Fertitta this season and has lost just one set during his current winning streak.

Las Vegans say bill harms their well being: But they don't like the fact that if they choose to give up their wells for hookups to the water authority, it costs $15,000 to $55,000.

Weekend shooting kills one: Police Sgt. Ken Hefner said the victim called police Saturday night from a store at D Street and Jackson Avenue, and reported he was pistol-whipped during an argument.

County manager and BLM district manager wed: The two met at a citizens advisory board meeting in Washoe Valley north of Carson City in October.

Box score: Rice 16, UNLV 5: Box score: Rice 16, UNLV 5

Man arrested for deaths of two Las Vegas women: He was taken into custody after a car belonging to one of the victims was recovered Friday afternoon in a Fresno residential area.

Former county clerk fined: Daley, who joined the clerk's office in 1986, said she took the money between January 1997 and last June because she was facing marital and financial problems. She has since repaid the money.

Business news: Jo Ann Frank is a senior escrow officer at Fidelity National Title.

3 months into job, Guinn adjusts pace: The wheels of state government move more slowly than he expected, and serious problems such as the near-bankrupt state employees health plan and the trouble-plagued and costly welfare computer system are left to fester for lack of action.

LV firms auction goods on the 'Net: And you might say that Gunther and Johanna Nezhoda wrote the magazine articles about it.

Review: BB King rules: Geoff Carter; Calling it a two-night stand may be slightly inappropriate. In actuality, it was a two-night sit. The legendary bluesman showed his age early on, by taking a seat after the first number - but that was the only time his age was apparent. The septuagenarian blues legend rocks a house harder sitting down than many of today's pouty woulda-coulda-shoulda guitar "heroes" can standing straight up. Even Eric Sardinas, the enthusiastic, hot-dogging guitarist that opened the show, was no match for the true King.

Upcoming events: Small business loans -- Nevada MicroEnterprise Initiative loan information sessions and business plan workshops. Ongoing. 734-3555.

Court won't rehear mother's appeal to stop son's execution: Brendan Riley; CARSON CITY, Nev. - A rehearing petition filed by the mother of a low-IQ man to stop his April 5 execution for the hammer-crowbar killings of two Reno U-Haul workers was rejected Monday by a federal appeals court.

Base sends surveillance craft back to Bosnia: Robert Macy; Four RQ-1A Predators and a crew of some 50 people were flown by military transport to Tuzla Air Base in Bosnia, according to Nellis spokesman Mike Estrada.

Columnist Steve Carp: Don't expect UConn to roll over and play dead: Steve Carp; T. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- So this Duke team could beat the 1991 UNLV squad, huh?

Harmon bill hits snag in Assembly: The Assembly Government Affairs Committee Friday voted 6-4 in favor of Assembly Bill 72, which gives Secretary of State Dean Heller more clout to regulate the securities transactions by private mortgage companies. Eight votes were needed for passage on the 14-member committee.

New signage planned for Stardust: The Stardust is undergoing a $25 million renovation of its exterior look, public spaces and guests rooms "intended to make the property more competitive with other Strip resorts," according to owner Boyd Gaming Corp.'s latest earnings statement.

Changes sought in homeowners association rules: Lisa Snedeker; And if the more than 50 residents who showed up Saturday morning during a special subcommittee meeting of the state Senate's Commerce and Labor Committee at the Sahara West Library are any indication, she is not alone.

Coach K: Don't dis Michigan St.: Steve Carp; ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- He has been here eight times, so you would think Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski would be prepared for anything at the Final Four by now.

Henderson: Rock crusher's OK paves way for Palm Hills: Valerie Miller; A rock-crushing and grading operation was approved last week by the Planning Commission to move about 800,000 cubic yards of rocks and material from the 165-acre Palm Hills subdivision.

Two local drivers endure difficult weekend: PHOENIX -- A rough weekend for both Southern Nevada residents competing in the Indy Racing League ended with mixed results for Sam Schmidt and Davey Hamilton.

Heller: Adelson did not violate any law: The money, which was filtered through 16 corporations connected to Adelson and given to unsuccessful commission candidate Mark Smith last year, was not covered by the current state law, Heller said.

Investigators examine fire that destroyed eight homes: Jace Radke and Kristen Peterson; The fire at the Pebble Creek housing development, nestled between Pebble Road and Interstate 215, destroyed eight homes under construction and caused an estimated half million dollars in damage, Clark County Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinbach said.

Bomb threat closes part of downtown: Jace Radke; At about 10:30 a.m. officials of Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health notified Metro Police, who found the man, Frank Alexander, 53, at a pay phone in the 300 block of South Main Street.

Dispute with state settled: CapSource and Del Mar are being acquired by Sunderland Acquisition Corp., for which Shustek serves as chairman and chief executive officer.

Four doctors lose licenses: Dr. Allen I. Franco of Las Vegas surrendered his license and was ordered to pay $5,688 after he was charged with practicing with unreasonable skill and safety due to an illness, using alcohol and drugs and writing a prescription for a controlled substance without an appropriate examination.

Visitation, gaming win rise: Room occupancy rates increased 2.8 percentage points to 85.2 percent.

Task force sets county on flexible ethics course: Adrienne Packer; When Clark County adopted an ethics policy addressing its own weaknesses, county officials were applauded for being proactive rather than waiting for the state Legislature to draft a new law.

Columnist Melissa Schorr: Shedding light on DST plight: Melissa Schorr; Anonymous e-mail entitled "25 Things I've Learned in 50 Years."

Members say school bond committee in trouble: Benjamin Grove; Some members of the Bond Oversight Committee say the panel is plagued by absenteeism at meetings, infrequent communication with the School Board and lack of direction. Now they want to transform their "rubber stamp" committee into a more powerful watchdog.

Editorial: Air safety proposals a good start: The Federal Aviation Administration already has required rudder fixes to better the safety margin, but the NTSB concluded that the 737's rudder controls can't assure that the plane can be safely landed in the event there is a rudder failure. Despite the NTSB's recommendation, both Boeing and the FAA indicated they weren't sure what more could be done to improve safety.

Midwife in child-neglect case plans to protest: Art Nadler; Kellie Sparkman, 39, has been charged with child neglect with substantial bodily harm, according to the bailiff's report. Sparkman was arrested Friday in connection with the birth of Sarai Coreas-Cruz, who was born on Jan. 8. Sparkman was released on $3,000 bail on Friday.

Directors nominated in contested election: Because the company has missed dividend payments on its preferred shares for two straight years, its preferred shareholders have the right to elect two special directors to its board. The special directors will increase the company's board from six to eight directors.

Slot regulators back off smoking, ad restrictions: John Wilen; Commissioners feel strongly about both issues, but said constitutional concerns and Nevada state law prohibited them from addressing either.

Witnesses paint grisly picture of scalded toddler: Justice of the Peace Stephen Dahl, after listening to eight prosecution witnesses ranging from a 10-year-old to medical experts, on Friday ruled there is enough evidence for Shonea Greene, 20, to be bound over for trial on charges of first-degree murder by child abuse.

Rebels' coach Soesbe suspended for week: Tim Graham; UNLV on Sunday suspended baseball head coach Rod Soesbe for one week after a confrontation with two of his players. The incident occurred in the wee hours Tuesday morning outside Soesbe's motel room in College Station, Texas, where the Rebels were playing in the Aggie Continental Express Classic.

MGM Grand's outlook strong, analyst says: Gary Thompson; And the acquisition of Primadonna Resorts Inc. and scheduled opening of a temporary casino in Detroit in August bode well for the Las Vegas-based company, said Jason Ader, senior managing director of Bear Stearns & Co.

New bid for Nev. Blue Cross Blue Shield parent: WellPoint, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., said $140 million of its offer would go to charity compared to Anthem's $100 million for charity. Non-profits like Blue Cross Blue Shield converting to for-profit status are required to establish charities to make up for their years of favorable tax treatment.

Third attack of month presses issue of students' safety on way to, from schools: Jace Radke; The walks to school, bus stops and home have become one more thing for parents to worry about after three children were kidnapped between their schools and homes this month.

Police block off street when materials found in motel room: Meriwether declined to say what materials were found that led to the charges.

IHL Standings -- March 29, 1999: Northeast Division

Columnist Dean Juipe: ESPN shows U.S. viewers Cuba's alive: Dean Juipe; It was a baseball game played on something of a lumpy field in a stadium that ordinarily is overrun by wild dogs looking for a handout.

Friendships blur picture of where to draw the line: Adrienne Packer; A championship golf course, a Formula One racetrack and an Andre Agassi tennis facility are vying for 155 acres of land for their $30 million projects.

Rose is a name growing familiar in ethics cases: Erin Neff; Robert Rose, 71, is a veteran of two wars, a self-taught Mercedes Benz mechanic, a retired construction superintendent and an inveterate follower of local government issues.

Letter: Start of millennia cause of confusionI: If I live long enough to become 100 years old, should I also have to wait an additional year to celebrate? Days, weeks, months, years and centuries should use the same yardstick as millennia. Come on! Give me a break!

Letter: Give us a choice on fluoride in water: There are many of us who don't think so. If this bill is passed, the Legislature is denying us our freedom of choice.

Letter: Condemnation of fluoridation not based on facts: It must also not be in the health care area since any familiarity with the professional journals in medicine or dentistry would yield a realization that there are numerous scientifically controlled studies showing the significant benefits of fluoride and none showing harm.

Bank merger to eliminate 4,600 jobs: Prior to release of the annual report, Wells had been reluctant to disclose how its plans to slash $650 million in annual expenses will translate into lost jobs.