Stories published October 1, 1999Las Vegas Sun

State agency spared layoffs: Under a law that took effect July 1, private insurance companies can sell workers' compensation policies in Nevada for the first time.

Public defender criticizes community's blood lust for Vanisi: The same jury convicted the 29-year-old native of Tonga earlier this week of the hatchet slaying of a campus police officer at the University of Nevada, Reno.

UNR-UNLV disparity shrinks: The funding change was disclosed in university system budget documents and fall enrollment figures from both campuses.

The Movie Guys: A split vote on 'Plunkett & Macleane': Grades: Jeff, A; Dave, C+

Sale of Ormbsy House recorded: Fiegehen and Lehr finalized a deal with New York-based Cerberus Partners for the 200-room hotel in September. Cerberus got the property after it went through two bankruptcy proceedings.

Thursday's prep results: Las Vegas 1, Rancho 1 Goals: Ran-Rodriguez; LV-Garcia.

Dial File -- Steve Bornfeld: Whistlin' a happy Croon-a-Tune: Sing out, brothers and sisters!

Officer injured as his parked car hit: Jace Radke; A Metro Police officer writing a report on a fender-bender became part of another report when a car rear-ended his cruiser and sent him flying Thursday evening.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: With Charlotte gone, IRL tries to branch out: Having apparently lost its race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., the Indy Racing League now is setting its sights on Bill France's International Speedway Corp. tracks.

Columnist Sal DeFilippo: It's no crime for NFL teams to call for backup: Sal DeFilippo; It's generally accepted that the most important position on an NFL team is the quarterback.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Santa Anita: 1ST RACE

Indian side of Little Bighorn presented in new book: Richard Pyle; NEW YORK -- The faces staring out from the page are leathery, chiseled, emotionally opaque. The names -- Goes Ahead, White Man Runs Him, Yellow Robe, Iron Hawk -- resonate as war cries and gunfire once did across the treeless hills of eastern Montana.

Editorial: Preserving our privacy protections: Many states also have indicated their concerns with the bill, as 21 attorneys general, including Nevada Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, are asking Congress to write legislation mandating that companies get a customer's permission first before information is sold or shared. Here in Nevada the two largest banks, Bank of America and Wells Fargo, say their policies forbid selling information, but as the Sun's Phil Levine reported Wednesday, the attorney general's office is concerned enough that it is investigating whether any banks in the state may be breaking the law by engaging in this practice.

Paint Saint: Kimberley McGee; What: Marc Chagall Exhibit.

The Main Course -- Muriel Stevens: Spiedini offers tasty treats at the Resort at Summerlin: There's no limit to the restaurant choices already in Las Vegas, and now there are more.

Outhouse races slated for Virginia City: As many as 10 entries are expected to compete when the races get under way Saturday along a two-block section of C Street between the Bucket of Blood Saloon and the Delta Saloon.

Columnist Steve Guiremand: Robinson gets job done in big/rivalry games: Steve Guiremand; It's big game week in Nevada with the famed Fremont Cannon on the line when UNLV travels to Nevada-Reno on Saturday.

Letter: Pigeon lady has suffered enough: Ms. Mohammed is in her 60s and lives on a meager $530 a month from Social Security. As if that was not a problem unto itself, she has been fighting for a refund of overcharged rent for the last few years.

Sound Check -- Geoff Carter: Let's put the band They Might Be Giants into perspective: They Might Be Giants -- TMBG for short -- are responsible for three of the most disturbing songs I've ever heard. The first one, "Don't Let's Start," is a love-gone-bad number, the third verse of which declares "Everybody dies frustrated and sad," and which ends with the beleaguered lover crying out "I don't want to live in this world any more." The second song, "Turn Around," is a fantasia of nightmarish imagery that runs from a train engineer whose face is "a paper white mask of evil" to being buried alive. Last but not least, there's "I Palindrome I," an ...

Letter: Surplus animal trade out of control: The term "surplus" animals has been defined and applied to any animal which has "made its genetic contribution to a managed population and is not essential for future scientific studies or to maintain social-group stability or traditions."

Killer of man in Laughlin agrees to plea bargain: Bill Gang; A man scheduled to stand trial next week in the murder of a 63-year-old Arizona man whose body was found in Laughlin in February has pleaded guilty rather than face a jury.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Pardon for MacDonald: MR. PRESIDENT:

Letter: Journeymen need strength, intelligence: Their job is physically strenuous. They unload trucks, haul heavy boxes and have the back-breaking job of stocking shelves. In addition their job is basically the same as a college-educated buyer or planner for a Fortune 500 company. Both have to order sufficient quantities of materials and ensure that they are in-house on time.

Suspect pleads innocent to shooting state trooper: Trujillo is accused of shooting Nevada Highway patrolman Scott Swain in the ankle in August when Swain stopped him for speeding on Sixth Street in Reno.

Shelf Life -- Scott Dickensheets: 'Big Trouble' an enjoyable, book-length novel: I read Dave Barry's new novel in four hours, about twice the time it took him to write it.

Clinton promises to veto nuke waste bill, senators say: Robert Macy; Sens. Harry Reid and Richard Bryan, both D-Nev., said Clinton promised to veto a bill which calls for a high-level nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain.

Letter: IRL's best days lie ahead: I think the more telling way to look at the two series now is this: Which one has its best years in front of it? Edge to IRL.

Saturday at Bay Meadows: 1st race 6 fur 3YO Fil Clm: 1 Fancee Bargain (Castanon) 116; 2 Volunteer Park (Baze) 116; 3 Infinite Dream (Miranda) 109; 4 Crafty Comment (Lopez) 116; 5 Shariqah (Carr) 116; 6 Eldorado's Promise (Gonzalez) 116.

Lopez favored to remain unbeaten: Dean Juipe; Ricardo Lopez lifts up his shirt and smiles.

Surprising Silverado meets Vegas: Spencer Patterson; This week's games

Charles puts personal spin on favorites: Joe Delaney; Ray Charles is an American institution, the person who broke down the barriers that had separated pop, country, rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll into categories.

Editorial: Budgeting gimmick should shame GOP: One such gimmick being advocated is delaying the earned income tax credit refunds that 20 million working-class families receive, which House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., estimates will save $8.7 billion next year. Depending on the number of children they have, households earning between $10,000 and $31,000 are eligible for a maximum credit of $3,756. Instead of giving workers one lump-sum payment as is now the case, the Republican plan would offer monthly payments, which would allow the government to stretch out the expenditures, making it appear as if money is being saved. The problem with this, though, is that many ...

Columnist Joe Delaney: Old-timers, Irish music fans will be busy this weekend: Joe Delaney; Starting at 6 p.m. Sunday the Stardust hotel ballroom will be the setting for the fourth annual Oldtimer's Reunion, also called the 30-30 Dinner and Entertainment -- bringing together Las Vegans who have lived here 30 years or more -- for drinks, mingling, dancing, dinner and a show. ... The cost this year is $35; the residence requirement remains the same.

Letter: Kudos for soccer stories: So far, so good. Hopefully attendance will improve this weekend.

Nemechek continues late-season surge: Mike Harris; MARTINSVILLE, Va. - All of a sudden, Joe Nemechek is winning, on and off the track.

Letter: Show drivers more respect: It was so hot, I needed those yellows to get something to drink.

Saturday at Belmont Park: 1st race 6 fur 3YO Fil Clm: 1 Diggy (Randi) 116; 2 Wecanbeheroes (Lovato) 116; 3 Flo's Double (Prado) 118; 4 Prairie Steamer (LaVoy) 111; 5 Dr Skate (Soodeen) 113; 6 Alexthethird (Diego) 111; 7 The Party Chairman (Rivera) 116; 8 Buckando (Coa) 111.

Nonprofit disabled coalition has convinced many valley businesses to comply with law: Martin Kuz; Nevadans for Equal Access sued the owner and manager of a Las Vegas office park Thursday for alleged violation of the American with Disabilities Act, the latest legal salvo in the group's battle with area businesses over federal accessibility laws.

Letter: Tony George is a weasel: Then Sunday, he pulls the rug on the CART-IRL merger talks. Now honestly, did anyone really think he was serious?

Letter: Most fans liked Vegas.com 500: I was at the race and can honestly say that everyone around us was really into the race and seemed to enjoy it. Yes, there were wrecks and yellows, but that made the restarts very interesting and allowed for a chance to escape the heat for a moment to grab a beverage.

Letter: Track too slick Sunday: Most Indy-car races are not held in the extreme heat that LVMS experienced Sunday.

Letter: IRL principles are sound: The basic principles on which the IRL was founded are sound and ultimately make much sense in promoting the long-term growth and popularity of the sport.

Letter: IRL has made poor choices: As I recall, the attendance was listed at (67,000).

Letter: IRL oval races beat the streets: I can tell you this: The IRL race in Las Vegas was more competitive than the CART race in Houston. They ran on the city streets, how exciting is that?

Letter: CART couldn't do any better: Granted, the Las Vegas IRL race was anything but good and the traffic flow was excellent, so your article was factual. But I think if a few of the biased reporters would praise the IRL once in a while, the attendance would greatly increase.

Letter: Blame track, not the drivers: Maybe it has to do with the God-forsaken climate and terrain that surrounds the facility. Do you think sand on the racing surface is conducive to enhanced control of a 1500-pound race car?

Letter: Bring CART to Las Vegas: Keep up the fine work.

Letter: Tony George is the problem: I talk to many race fans during the year. Many hate Tony George for what he did. They feel he is (trampling) on the tradition of his family and the Indy 500, pure and simple. And they don't ever plan to support him or the IRL.

Letter: IRL race not the best but ...: Yes, the race was not the best. But the IRL is doing a fabulous job of racing wheel to wheel, not just driving down city streets and passing in the pits like CART.

Letter: CART cars too fast for LVMS: What about CART in a street race downtown, without using the Strip like Formula One was demanding?

Letter: CART's house is burning: MIKE LENGEL

Letter: Thanks for prep coverage: We wish you would write about my brother (No. 72 on Eldorado) but we like reading your stories anyway.

Letter: Get off the IRL's case: Some sports reporters, such as Robin Miller of the Indianapolis Star, have a personal vendetta against Tony George.

Letter: High attrition always possible: It is not unusual for high attrition at some racing events. For example, the 1992 Indianapolis 500 had an extremely high rate of crash and drop out.

Letter: Chimps ahoy in the IRL: Great line, you gotta love it!

Letter: Give writer dubious award: It's sad that some of you can't say a decent word about the IRL, yet heap praise on CART when they do some of the same dumb things.

Letter: IRL needs to implode: The Indy Racing League is a farce and will continue to be so until it implodes.

Letter: Fan chokes on IRL series: Want to see how much clout we have? Check out Cleveland. I don't care how much spin the IRL wants to put on that fiasco. The IRL was not allowed in and CART was courted to return because 100,000 of us will not spend millions in that city to see a series that was shoved down our throats.

Letter: IRL needs positive press: I attend IRL races all over the country and read the local papers so I know this is true. What do you think your article did to excite people about going to the race? It simply caused more confusion and lack of interest.

509376191.html: Today

Horse slaughter suspects not popular with residents: Scott Sonner; VIRGINIA CITY -- Lawyers defending three young men accused of slaughtering dozens of wild horses admitted to a bit of trepidation entering the 1876 courthouse where vigilantes once used the noose-end of a rope to dish out an Old West-brand of justice.

8th grade writing is below national average on tests: CARSON CITY -- Twenty-three percent of Nevada's eighth-graders could not achieve a basic level of writing in a national test, placing the state below the U.S. average.

Las Vegas 1 will broadcast speech: The speech will air at 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on cable channels 1 and 39. Clinton will give the speech at 1 p.m. as part of a $10,000-a-plate fund-raiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Ceremony signals progress of Las Vegas Beltway in northwest: City and county officials broke ground Thursday on a new $9.5 million Las Vegas Beltway interchange with U.S. 95 in the northwest area of the valley.

Supreme Court criticizes Vegas over Big Game casino case: Big Game Club owned a 53-acre shopping center at Charleston and Decatur boulevards, in which it operated a tavern with 35 slot machines. It sought to build a hotel-casino with more than 200 rooms, saying it was grandfathered in under a 1989 Las Vegas ordinance.

Some skeptical of school's wild horse research: "Wild horses are a very emotional issue," said Erik Beever, a doctoral candidate in biology at the University of Nevada, Reno. "There's very little data about how wild horses interact with the ecosystem."

AMF tourney at Sam's Town: AMF tourney at Sam's Town

Japanese accident called a warning for Yucca Mountain: A UNLV nuclear engineer said the nuclear plant accident that spread radiation over workers in northeastern Japan holds a warning for a future repository at Yucca Mountain.

Reno hotels enjoyed busy August: It comes on the heels of the best July in five years.

Utility revises rate-hike request: The company's new request, filed Thursday with the Public Utilities Commission, seeks $50 million over the three years a rate freeze is in effect. It would raise a residential user's monthly bill by about 10 percent -- about $7 per month for the average customer.

Candidates for new City Council seats get out to meet the people: Jace Radke; Candidates for the new Ward 5 Las Vegas City Council seat don't need to persuade voters they are the person for the job, but that didn't stop three candidates from meeting with the public Thursday night.

Judge denies claims by prisoners: After a three-day trial, U.S. District Judge Philip Pro ruled against inmates Dennie Jaso Jr. and George Dunckhurst III, who said there was excessive force used in removing them from an Indian seat lodge.

Reno losing TWA flight to St. Louis: The news on TWA follows word in August of three other carriers reducing service to Portland, Seattle, Detroit and Orange County, Calif.

Mayor asking casinos if they would give up NBA betting: Angie Wagner; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is polling the city's casinos to see if they would give up taking professional basketball bets so the city could qualify for a National Basketball Association team.

Henderson: Planning panel denies senior complex: Valerie Miller; The Henderson Planning Commission Thursday recommended denying a proposal for a senior housing project that would bring more commercial development to Horizon Ridge Parkway.

Cox Communications evacuated after apparent robbery attempt: Metro Police evacuated 50 employees from the Cox Communications headquarters this morning after a man with a gun entered the building at Martin Luther King Boulevard near Bonanza Road and disappeared down a hallway.

Ex-Bishop Gorman star Dele tells Pistons he plans to retire: Dele, a 6-foot-11 center who formerly was known as Brian Williams and starred at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, was about to begin his third season in Detroit. He stands to walk away from about $30 million, with five years left on a contract that called for him to receive $45 million for seven seasons. He was the team's highest-paid player.

Seasoned cops get modified training: Jace Radke; Officer David Vershall has been a police officer in Ohio for nine years and has served as part of a K-9 unit, but as of Thursday he's a rookie with Metro Police.

Timet warns of loss, mulls layoffs: Timet operates a big plant in Henderson near Las Vegas.

Accused killer's girlfriend found: Bill Gang; Charla Severs always was considered a key prosecution witness against her ex-boyfriend, the teenager charged as the triggerman in the execution slayings of four young men a year ago.

Park Place criticized, escapes fine for Florida payments to politician: David Strow; The New Jersey Casino Control Commission today declined to levy any fines against Park Place Entertainment Corp. of Las Vegas for payments made to the former speaker of the Florida House in 1994.

Clinton hints at Yucca veto: Mary Manning and Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- President Clinton today stopped just short of saying he would veto a bill that would bring nuclear waste to Nevada as early as 2007, following weeks of speculation about where the president stands on the latest version of a nuclear waste bill.

Williams wants regents to file UNLV cop report: An assemblyman who helped author the law requiring reports on campus police activity be sent to the Nevada Legislature says he is sending letters to university presidents inviting them to a committee meeting to explain why the law wasn't followed.

Casino marketing campaign heads to Seattle: The Ulta-Lounge is part of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's intensive mobile marketing campaign that targets cities for one-month periods.

Bankruptcies: Frederick Jones Jr., doing business as Meadows Bagel Co., doing business as Big City Bagles & Deli, 4130 Sanderling Court, filed for Chapter 7, listing assets of $197,460 and liabilities of $606,823.

Nicklaus in Three-Tour Challenge: The legendary Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Hale Irwin will join PGA pros Lee Janzen, Tom Lehman and Payne Stewart and the LPGA team of Juli Inkster, Dottie Pepper and Karrie Webb for the made-for-TV event.

Rebels say plenty on line vs. UNR: Steve Guiremand; On paper, Saturday afternoon's game between winless Nevada-Reno (0-4) and UNLV (2-2) at Mackay Stadium looks like just your run-of-the-mill college football game.

Business forecast points to local decline: The index is based on data from July and is a forecast for the performance of the local economy in January 2000.

U.S. squads take aim at Champions Cup final: Steve Carp; Tournament schedule

Date book: The Nevada Desert Lights Theatre Organ Society presents "From England With Love" at 8 p.m. today at the Clark County Library Theater, 1401 E. Flamingo Road. Admission is $10. Call 384-3623.

Tucson 'boxes out' Wal-Mart supercenters: The Tucson, Ariz., City Council Monday night passed an ordinance not unlike the one Clark County commissioners will consider next week putting restrictions on so-called "big-box" stores such as Wal-Mart.

Web hotel reservations firm sets up shop in LV: A global travel Internet company focusing on hotel reservations has established its American headquarters in Las Vegas.

Inquest testimony matches police report of shootings: Bill Gang and Kim Smith; The accidental discharge of a shotgun by a police officer set SWAT officers into action and led to the deaths of jail escapee Timothy Blackburn, his wife and two children.

Face-recognition ID system marketed to hotel-casino security departments: Phil Levine; Developers of a new security system say the Internet-based product allows casinos and other businesses to match a face in the crowd against a database of known criminals.

Report shows radiation, chemicals are migrating from Timet plant: Nevada environmental officials are reviewing a just-completed report done on behalf of Titanium Metals Corp. that shows metals, radiation and chemicals are migrating from old landfills and ponds at the company's plant in Henderson.

Search for robber ties up area near downtown: The robbery was foiled somehow and the robber ran down a hallway.

Columnist Steve Carp: Saturday's showdown a game both teams must win: Steve Carp; Right now, historical perspective doesn't mean jack squat to either Jeff Tisdel or John Robinson. As far as they're concerned, let NBA commissioner David Stern wrestle with history as it relates to Nevada.

Wells Fargo buying spree continues: SAN FRANCISCO -- Wells Fargo & Co. today said it's buying Eastdil Realty, a New York-based privately held real estate advisory company. Terms of the deal -- the third this week for Wells Fargo -- were not disclosed.

Questions raised over consultants paid millions to design, debug new DMV computer system: Brendan Riley; Assemblyman Bob Beers, head of a subcommittee reviewing $35 million-plus Project Genesis, says flaws are not unexpected but more should have been caught in advance of the program's Sept. 7 startup at the DMV.

Obituaries for October 1, 1999: Michael G. Adel, 43, of Las Vegas died Aug. 19 in Las Vegas. He was born Sept. 29, 1955, in Las Vegas. A resident for many years, he was a slot floorman.

Insurer, entertainer settle suit over Internet name: Grace Leong; State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. has settled its dispute with a Las Vegas entertainer whom it earlier accused of infringing State Farm's trademark rights in cyberspace and of deceptive trade practices.

Nevada fares well in spending-bill funds: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- President Clinton signed an energy and water bill Thursday establishing a $352.5 million budget for Department of Energy projects at Yucca Mountain and earmarking $29 million for flood abatement in Las Vegas.

Births: Sept. 14:

LVEN mum on sale, El Rancho owner's outside auditor quits: As a result, ITB said, it can't meet a Securities & Exchange Commission deadline for filing its annual report to the federal agency. ITB also said it can't "make a reasonable estimate" of its financial results for the past year.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Julio charts same course as Duran: Dean Juipe; There was a time when it was an honor and an absolute privilege for a fighter, particularly a Hispanic fighter, to be projected as "the next Roberto Duran."

NCCJ plans interfaith forum series: The forums, sponsored by the National Conference for Community and Justice, allow members of different faiths to discuss their differences and commonalities in an educational atmosphere.

Mirage cash flow rising at Bellagio, Beau Rivage hotels: Adam Steinhauer; Mirage Resorts Inc.'s chief financial officer said he expects cash flows to rise at the third-largest U.S. casino company's new Bellagio and Beau Rivage casino resorts as they cut costs.

State prison system wins in lawsuit: But Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa said Thursday her staff defeated the claims of civil rights violations in a trial before U.S. District Judge Philip Pro. Del Papa said officers used the minimum force necessary to put down what could have turned into a riot.

Smoke from California fires postpones Tahoe prescribed burns: The prescribed fires planned in the Tahoe Basin will probably begin by the end of next week, Forest Service officials said.