Print edition for May 27, 1999

British gold sale sends prices below 20-year low: Tom Gardner; That continues a downward spiral that began when the Bank of England said earlier this month it plans to sell more than half of its stash of 715 metric tons of the metal.

Health office set up to help: "This is a great opportunity to offer help to patients who are struggling with their health insurance," Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley said as the plan was endorsed Wednesday.

Panel OKs bill erasing White Pine schools' $2 million debt to state: Assemblywoman Marcia de Braga, D-Fallon, chief sponsor of AB480, told Finance members the district has been paying off the loan at the rate of about $328,000 a year.

Nellis crews will stay until bombing ends: The Pentagon said Wednesday about 6,000 Air Force personnel who already had approval to retire or leave for civilian jobs before the end of the year will have to stay in the service.

National takes flight: Flight 601 left McCarran International Airport for Los Angeles at 8:30 this morning, carrying the company's four co-founders, members of its board of directors and executives from the airline's hotel partners. Several National employees, hoping to be a part of a historic event, also boarded the inaugural flight.

Six more join Lady Rebels hoops team: The six new additions to the Lady Rebel roster are Constance Jinks, Tiana Sanders, Dayna Gambill, Myeisha Jones, Marenna Nyffeler and Jessica McEwen.

Wide-open gambling proposed in Missouri: Rick Alm; If wide-open gambling does come to Missouri, it won't happen before Oct. 30 -- and perhaps not at all at Kansas City's largest casino.

What's different at National: Free Las Vegas stopovers. Since every flight either arrives or departs from Las Vegas, the airline offers free stopovers for people who want to include a Las Vegas vacation in their travels.

Correction: Distance of Knievel's jump: The Sun corrects its errors. If there is a mistake, report it to 385-3111.

Jurors vote guilty in killing of bartender: The now-three-time convicted felon, who did not set foot inside the tavern the night a Las Vegas woman bartender was killed, must wait to find out if he will spend the rest of his life in prison with or without the possibility of parole.

Henderson: Panel wraps up its plan for eastern development: Valerie Miller; After nearly a year of wrangling with residents and developers, Henderson's Citizens Advisory Committee completed its study of the East Lake Mead Drive area Wednesday.

Legislators revisit restrictions on check-cashing operations: The check-cashing rules were part of AB431 which expands laws governing unfair trade practices.

Regents meeting canceled: Chairwoman Jill Derby had said earlier this month the board would meet to figure out how a budget decision by the Legislature will affect plans for covering increasing enrollment costs and providing funding equity among the public universities and community colleges.

Casinos rival state labor ruling on cash shortages: David Strow; That's the question MGM Grand Inc and Coast Resorts want a district court judge to answer.

Friday at Hollywood Park: 1st race 6 fur 3YO & up Mdn Clm: 1 Barbara Cheri (Scott) 122; 2 Cubanita (Rodriguez) 115; 3 Pacific Breeze (Boyce) 115; 4 Fall Double (Gomez) 118; 5 Betsy Hoss (Puglisi) 120; 6 Little Lollipop (Garcia) 115; 7 We Surrender Towin (Enriquez) 115; 8 Here's Pico (Vergara) 115; 9 Seas Gold (Almeida) 115; 10 Magic Lea (Ramsammy) 120; 11 My Whole Enchilada (Toscano) 115; 12 Rockin' Hard (Flores) 115.

Critics say railroad rush may lead to cost overruns: Scott Sonner; The bill, moving to a legislative conference committee as soon as today, allows for a controversial contracting method where bids on large-scale projects are accepted before an actual design is adopted.

OSHA files lawsuit, says employee terminated for raising safety questions: Arlett filed a complaint alleging discrimination after being terminated in May 1997. According to the lawsuit, state safety officials concluded the company broke state law by firing Arlett for questioning the safety and health conditions at work, as well as seeking medical treatment after being exposed to asbestos.

Legislature nails down final budget differences: Kiley Russell; In a joint meeting that ended late Wednesday, Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means committees concluded work on four separate bills that cover state spending, funding from federal and other sources, money to be spent on class-size reduction and funds for K-12 education.

Gonzalez wants to get in line for Tyson: Dean Juipe; With Mike Tyson back out of prison, every heavyweight envisions himself landing a lucrative fight with the ex-champion.

Assembly approves electric restructuring bill: The Nevada electric market will be deregulated next year on March 1. On that date, consumers will be able to choose their utility company from any that enter the market.

Fight schedule: At Chester, W.Va., Manard Reed, Steubenville, Ohio, vs. Andre Cray, Columbus, Ohio, 12, junior welterweights.

Senate Finance OKs revamped charter school bill: The original version of AB348 dealt primarily with compensation for charter school employees. Its supporters included Agassi, who said he wants to build a charter school next to a 25,000-square-foot Boys & Girls Club funded by his foundation. He was seeking a third of the cost - $750,000 - from the state.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Building a government: So let's take a closer look at the makeup of the incoming Knesset, which will set new records for numbers of women and recent immigrants. The number of women will increase from nine to 14, and the number of new immigrants will increase from seven to 11. The number of Arab legislators also will rise from nine to 10, and they will come from three parties.

Letter: Government wants to change thoughts: The ability of each of these people to do their job -- take my child to the movie, keep animals in their cages and serve food -- was not an issue when they were not allowed to proceed. Their moral character was, however. Should you side with me on these examples you have what many would call high morals.

Settlement ends civil suit involving Stupak's son: By Ed Koch; Stupak, who is seeking to unseat City Councilman Gary Reese in the June 8 general election, reached a settlement in a civil suit late Tuesday stemming from a March 31, 1995, motorcycle accident that injured him and nearly killed his father, gambler Bob Stupak.

Columnist Ruthe Deskin: A proud tradition: Sun Camp Fund: Ruthe Deskin; In all the years of its existence the Sun Camp Fund has been able to send thousands of youngsters to summer camp, giving them a childhood experience that should not be denied on account of financial hardship.

Crayton happy with way things worked out: Dean Juipe; This is one case where everything worked out for the better.

Stars ground Sky Sox: The Stars (24-22), who had hit eight home runs in their two games before Wednesday night's contest here, had their biggest inning of the season, sending up 13 batters in an eight-run second inning en route to an 8-0 blanking of the Sky Sox.

Assembly committee passes bill aimed at Blue Cross-Blue Shield: In changing to a for-profit company, the value of the nonprofit business must be returned to the citizens of Colorado in the form of a charitable trust. The value could be as much as $200 million that could be used by nonprofit groups in Colorado for health care.

Singing TeleHams: Getting serenaded by a 7-foot banana has a certain a-peel: Vivacious Val is a ham and a vamp who grew up counting the days until Halloween. An instinctive and eager performer, she loves to dress up and flaunt her resonant voice for an unsuspecting (and usually startled) audience.

Dispute over Sinatra Jr. kidnap film: Court hears challenge to 'Son of Sam' law: Sinatra was 19 when he was abducted from Harrah's Casino at Lake Tahoe, Nev., on Dec. 8, 1963. He was released unharmed after a ransom payment. Keenan and accomplices Joseph Amsler and John Irwin were captured and convicted.

Mountain West schools successful on recruiting trails: Steve Carp; Bill Bayno wasn't the only person who had a busy spring.

Bayno ready to put 'Run' back in Rebels: Steve Carp; Now that Bill Bayno has changed his UNLV basketball roster, the question is will his influx of new talent change the way Bayno operates on game night?

Community news briefs: The substations are located at 401 S. Fourth St., 831 N. Mojave Road, 6208 Hargrove Ave., 2300 E. St. Louis Ave. and 5925 Spring Mountain Road. Call 229-3394.

Assembly approves bill on mental-health insurance: The Assembly by a voice vote agreed to accept Senate amendments to Assembly Bill 293, which includes parity for mental health. It now goes to Gov. Kenny Guinn, who is expected to sign the legislation.

Legislature news briefs: A pilot program designed to reduce the number of times foster children have to move from home to home won approval Wednesday in the Assembly.

Box score: Stars 8, Sky Sox 0: Las Vegas

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

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Marlins lose again -- this time to soccer: The Sun sports staff is more likely to get its fingers caught in the cookie jar than on the pulse of the American sporting public, which is too bad for soccer.

Columnist Tim Graham: Rebel hoops: Here is the pitch: Tim Graham; If you've ever purchased a Chia Pet, a Pocket Fisherman, a Thighmaster or a K-Tel album, have I got a deal for you:

Guinn's privatization of workers' compensation passes: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn's plan to turn the state's 86-year-old workers' compensation program into a private company took a major step toward final passage Wednesday in the Legislature.

Six indicted on charges of selling cocaine: The 19-count indictment returned Wednesday accuses Andre McGee of being the ringleader. Others named in the indictment are Patricia Saulter, Kendra High, Prudence Jackson, Charlotte Charleston and JoAnne Campbell.

Audits discover problems with city's handling of cash: Erin Neff; Four of the five audits, which will be considered next Tuesday by the Audit Oversight Committee, were conducted by city staff over the past two months. The fifth report is a follow-up to an audit of the city's office supplies contracts conducted earlier this year.

Friday at Belmont Park: 1st race 1 mi 1 fur 3YO & up Mdn: 1 Something Sleazy (Smith) 114; 2 Impulse Shopper (Santos) 114; 3 Bebop Blues (Luzzi) 114; 4 Longing Tobe Legal (Bridgmohan) 122; 5 a-My Shining Star (Chavez) 114; 6 Peaches N Nectars (DeCarlo) 114; 7 Angel Of My Dreams (Espinoza) 114; 8 b-Jaguar Joyce (Leon) 114; 9 Jydawterthelawyer (Nelson) 114; 10 Smooth Blues (Bravo) 114.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Norwood gets second chance for featherweight crown: Dean Juipe; Las Vegas-based former world champion who lost his title because he couldn't make the weight and then lost his trainer because of outside distractions, gets a shot at redemption Saturday in Puerto Rico.

Authorities conduct mock crash drill - complete with hitches: Tom Gardner; Police, fire and medical units were ordered to a jetliner down with 130 people on board in Rancho San Rafael Park about 5 miles northwest of the Reno airport.

Assembly approves workers' compensation plan: The privatization plan passed Wednesday will restore workers' benefits to early 1990 levels, create a cabinet-level health care consumer advocate and sell off the state's $600 million insurance liability to a private company.

Williams gets snubbed by HBO: Dean Juipe; It's both a curse and a blessing, but Arthur Williams' fan base is pretty much limited to the people who know him.

Top-seeded player bounces UNLV's ace from tourney: The top-seeded Blake, a sophomore from Fairfield, Conn., defeated UNLV's Asaf Tishler 6-2, 6-3 at Athens, Ga.

Letter: Closed mind needs intellectual shove: Complacent citizens who get their news by reading headlines and listening to the evening news and then gossiping with other politically unaware acquaintances cannot make intelligent choices if they vote.

Cause of death unknown on body found at recycling center: Jace Radke; A coroner's autopsy has come up with nothing to indicate a homicide in the death of a Las Vegas man whose body was found on a conveyor belt at Silver State Disposal's recycling center.

Friday at Golden Gate Fields: 1st race 6 fur 4YO & up F&M Clm: 1 Bateos (Baze) 116; 2 Silverella Charm (Delgadillo) 116; 3 Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (Gonzalez) 116; 4 Cominundone (Schvaneveldt) 116; 5 Sliced Tomatoes (Arriaga) 118.

Group pleads for 800 kids: Kristen Peterson and Benjamin Grove; Representatives of the fledgling group Parents and Educators for the Opportunity to Learn, or PEOPLE, repeated their objections to the newer, more difficult version of the test.

LVMS GM pleased about possible reunion of leagues: Reports of an imminent reunification of rival open-wheel series Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) and the Indy Racing League have come as good news to Las Vegas Motor Speedway general manager Chris Powell.

LV expects to host 256,000 for holiday: Jace Radke; The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority ranks Memorial Day weekend second only to President's Day weekend as the holiday that boasts the highest occupancy rates.

Letter: 'Atomic Train' proves fiction makes better films: What I know is a whole lot more than Sen. Richard Bryan and Rep. Shelley Berkley apparently know, though. I know nuclear weapons are no longer transported on trains. In fact, and it's important to deal with the facts, the last rail shipment of nuclear weapons took place in 1985. Fact No. 2 is nuclear weapons and spent fuel are never transported together.

Man to fight addition to Black Book: In the early 1990's, Pascente served 16 months in prison and three in a halfway house for his role in a Chicago-area mail fraud scheme. He feels he's adequately paid his debt to society and sees no reason why he should be banned from state casinos.

DA still seeking solution to Binion 'jigsaw puzzle': "I don't know whether we'll ever be in a position to file charges or not," Bell told the Sun. "We cannot file charges unless we ethically have an abiding conviction in the truth of the charges, and that means we feel we can prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt."

Feds OK grocery merger: Kroger said today in announcing the government agency's decision that the FTC required it to sell eight stores in Arizona, Wyoming and Utah. But it will still have some 3,400 stores from coast to coast.

Bonds sold to build tunnel to resorts: The tunnel will connect the Atlantic City Expressway with a nearby island and Marina district. Las Vegas-based Mirage Resorts Inc., which will build casino districts in the Marina, is to pay a third of the tunnel's cost.

Henderson: Hyatt tops off Lake Las Vegas resort: Gary Thompson; The $150 million-plus Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas Resort hasn't yet matched the publicity and won't ever match the size of most other new hotel-casinos opening in Southern Nevada during the current wave of resort expansion.

Senate touches up tax break for art: Scott Reeder; CARSON CITY -- It could be called an artful tax dodge.

Casinos clash with state on cash-shortage rule: David Strow; That's the question MGM Grand Inc and Coast Resorts want a district court judge to answer.

Suit filed over kosher products: The union alleges it signed a contract with Crown in January 1997 that would allow Crown to label its products as acceptable for kosher use. As part of that agreement, Crown was provided with kosher labels.

Mirage stock upgraded: Mirage stock was up 31 cents this morning to $19.63.

Sears to anchor new LV mall: Officials today said Summerlin Center is now slated to open in 2004, four years later than Rouse's original estimates.

Hopes for adjournment this week dim: CARSON CITY -- Differences grew between the Senate and Assembly Wednesday, threatening the hope of legislative leaders for final adjournment by early Saturday.

Obituaries for May 27, 1999: He is survived by one neice, Joyce Riebel of Las Vegas.

Hotel executive reassigned: Shier, a right-hand man of Mirage Chairman Steve Wynn in Las Vegas, said he will now spend most of his time at Beau Rivage.

Editorial: High school dropout rate must be addressed: The state Senate Human Resources and Facilities Committee had good intentions this year when it introduced Senate Bill 170 on behalf of the county school district. The bill would appropriate nearly $11.8 million in state general fund money to the school district to help reverse the dropout rate. The money would be spent to extend the school day, assist students at risk of failing academically and help schools do a better job identifying at-risk students.

Vigil held for man slain by officer: Jace Radke; About 50 people gathered in the dusty lot on Rainbow Boulevard just south of Tropicana Avenue where Perrin was shot to death by a Metro Police officer on the night of April 12.

Editorial: Health care post would benefit all: Anyone who has ever complained about health care knows the frustration of dealing with insurance and medical industry red tape. Many people remain befuddled by health maintenance organizations and other managed-care programs.

Additional debate set on electric restructuring bill: Assemblyman Doug Bache, D-Las Vegas, said Senate Bill 438 protects customers of Nevada Power and Sierra Pacific Power from any rate increases until March 2003. And consumers will be able to shop around for lower rates in the meantime.

Las Vegas news briefs: The Air Force's aerial demonstration team stationed at Nellis Air Force Base will perform a fly-over June 2 at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., followed by a June 5 performance at a Mankato, Minn., air show.

Court to resolve battle for control of temple: Stacy J. Willis; For about a decade, members of the local Thai community have respectfully left their sandals and boots on the stoop before entering this quiet house of worship -- a stucco and Spanish tile version of their traditional temples -- to pray and to congregate, to share in meditation and in study.

Casinos throw cash at Goodman campaign: Money has been pouring into Goodman's campaign the last three weeks from the likes of Mirage Resorts and Circus Circus properties and other big-name gaming companies once worried about backing the criminal defense attorney who has vowed to shake up the political establishment.

Resort planned for Colorado River: The resort's timeshare units will be two-bedroom, two-bath, 1,500 square-foot suites. Amenities will include views of casino row in Laughlin, swimming pools, restaurants, a nightclub, a fitness center and a spa.

Shooting leaves one dead, one injured: Jace Radke; Just before 3 p.m. Wednesday Metro Police dispatch got a call of gunshots at the Desert Springs Apartments, 100 S. Martin Luther King Blvd.

Accord near on tobacco money: Guinn wanted 50 percent to fund college scholarships for Nevada high school students with a "B" average or better. Democrats suggested only 25 percent.