Print edition for October 18, 1999

City likely to phase out downtown tent: Erin Neff; Las Vegas city planners don't think the Lady Luck hotel-casino's tentlike showroom does much for the area's aesthetics.

Rio to pay $125,000 fine for accounting violations: CARSON CITY -- The Rio Suite hotel-casino in Las Vegas admitted Friday it violated state gaming accounting regulations and agreed to pay a fine of $125,000.

Council contenders converge on City Hall: Erin Neff; A steady parade of would-be Las Vegas City Council members marched through City Hall's 10th floor last week in an 11th-hour display to win the coveted bids.

Desert Inn sued again over show: Altovise Davis, a Pennsylvania resident and widow of the only black member of the famed group of entertainers led by Frank Sinatra, filed the suit Friday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas through her Las Vegas attorney Morton Galane.

Wetlands renewal is sought in LV Wash: The Southern Nevada Water Authority proposal to manage the Las Vegas Wash was scheduled to be posted on the water authority's website this afternoon, at www.lvwash.org.

Hillary plans fund-raiser in Henderson: First lady Hillary Clinton is scheduled to come to Las Vegas Nov. 4 for a $1,000-per-person reception at the Henderson home of Las Vegas Sun Editor Brian Greenspun.

Nevada regulators debate ban on slot advertising, cartoons: David Strow; The Nevada Gaming Control Board took its first look at proposed slot machine regulations Friday -- regulations that could potentially ban all cartoon characters and advertising from Nevada's machines.

More home-invasion robberies hit Southern Nevada residents: Police report at least three home-invasion robberies have occurred in Clark County in the past week, including two in northwest Las Vegas and one in Henderson.

Rebels fall to Fullerton: The Rebels held a solid 2-0 lead at the break on some impressive play from forwards Jason Melendez and Tuomas Talvio. But UNLV fell into trouble just before halftime as goalkeeper Ryan Bledsoe was issued a red card. Bledsoe, who had been shutting out the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's No. 2 offense, was ejected.

Property of casino owner auctioned off: The Belleville, Ill., News-Democrat reported that the family belongings of John Connors were sold Oct. 10 in a public sale, netting $160,000.

Private investigator's role detailed in Mirage-Trump suit: David Strow; A Las Vegas private investigator has become the center of a vicious legal battle between archrivals Mirage Resorts Inc. and Trump Hotel & Casino Resorts Inc.

Feds halt LVEN stock trading: Gary Thompson; Federal authorities halted trading in the stock of Las Vegas Entertainment Network Inc. today as an investigation into the company's finances and its purported bid to buy Jackpot Enterprises Inc. gained momentum.

School District plans to speed up building: Adrienne Packer; The Clark County School District plans to accelerate the construction of at least nine schools because of a population increase that exceeded the district's earlier projections.

Sahara offers luggage check in at hotel: Sahara and Certified Airline Passenger Services (CAPS) will offer Sahara customers the option of checking in their baggage two to 12 hours before flight departure. Sahara guests will also have the option of obtaining a boarding pass and seat assignment before going to the airport.

American shows off expanded LV reservations center: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman took the ceremonial first call at American Airlines' newly revamped regional reservations office Friday.

Slaying may be example of need for domestic violence protection: That's wrong, says District Judge Nancy Saitta. The judge says Hernandez' death shows the need for increased protection for victims of domestic violence.

Search for clues in three home invasions: Henderson Police say two armed men broke into a house early Sunday, bound the two residents with duct tape and robbed them. The men took an undisclosed amount of property and cash before leaving.

Two die in what police calling gang-related shooting in NLV: Jerry Fink and Jace Radke; A 19-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man were killed in an apparent gang-related shootout at a North Las Vegas residence early Sunday morning, police said.

Binion trial spotlight shines on Pahrump couple: A Pahrump couple is expected to receive more attention from prosecutors as they prepare for the March 13 trial of Ted Binion's accused killers.

LV getting new microbrewery: The 7,200-square-foot Chicago Brew Pub is being built by Burnett Haase Construction. The project developer is Terry Caudill, owner of Las Vegas-based TLC Enterprises.

Automaker closing plants, slashing jobs: Automaker closing plants, slashing jobs

PAX, Cox sign one-year ad agreement: PAX said it is unprecedented for a broadcast network sales force to sell through a cable television system.

Quake felt here, but only minor damage is done: Sun reporter Jace Radke contributed to this report.

Obituaries for October 18, 1999: Barbara Jean Armstrong, 66, of Las Vegas died Saturday in a local health care center. She was born July 18, 1933, in San Francisco. A resident for 13 years, she was a retired registered nurse.

Local arms race: Kim Smith; Law enforcement officers don't have to worry about bad guys with guns anymore.

Construction worker killed in paving machine accident: Peterson was working on the eastbound lanes of I-80 near Wendover where crews are building a highway off-ramp.

Local news briefs for October 18, 1999: A 32-year-old man died early this morning in Henderson when he lost control of his car and slid into the path of a tractor-trailer.

Letter: Slowing drivers would save lives: I'll show you what I mean. A baby sitter shook a baby so hard the infant died. The baby sitter got 25 years in prison. Some person stops at a bar and has a few beers and on the way he has a crash, killing two people. He gets a little bracelet to wear on his wrist because he was a bad boy; best of all no one will see it.

Wayne Newton added to growing list of millennium entertainers: "I am particularly thrilled to be part of this millennium celebration in my town," said Newton, a longtime resident of Las Vegas and one of the most famous names on the Strip.

Community news briefs for October 18, 1999: A candlelight vigil "to shine a light of justice for the children of Clark County" will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Family Court, 601 N. Pecos Road.

Closure of federal hatcheries feared: CARSON CITY -- Possible closure of federal hatcheries could mean reduced catches in lakes and streams in Nevada for an estimated 152,000 fishermen.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Upsets add intrigue to Breeders' Cup races: Ralph Siraco; Thoroughbred racing's Super Bowl is just 20 days away.

Competency of suspect in singer's death in doubt: Bill Gang; John Flowers, who had been declared mentally incompetent to stand trial for murder in the slaying of Las Vegas singer Ginger Rios, is better now, doctors at the state mental facility say.

First lady plans Las Vegas visit Nov. 4: The Nov. 4 event will be at the home of Las Vegas Sun Editor Brian Greenspun.

Want to learn how to relieve your dog's stress? Ah, there's the rub: When life rubs your dog the wrong way, Angela Wills rubs your dog the right way with therapeutic massage to relieve stress.

Hakkinen wins disputed race, world title: Salvator Zanca; SEPANG, MALAYSIA - Ferrari teammates Eddie Irvine and Michael Schumacher crossed the finish line first and second at the Malaysian Grand Prix. But more than three hours after the race, they were disqualified for technical violations.

Finances improve at Venetian: Gary Thompson; The Venetian will report cash flow of $18 million to $19 million for the three months ended Sept. 30, the resort's parent company said Friday.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Furyk, LV strengthen their bond: Dean Juipe; Lots of people make an annual visit to Las Vegas.

Student computer fee up for vote: Campus presidents will pitch the proposal - which would add about $100 to a full-time college student's annual bill - during the regents' meeting Thursday and Friday at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Ventura's game-winner causes 'total' confusion: Baseball "over" bettors suffered a bad beat Sunday night when Robin Ventura of the Mets failed to touch all the bases after an apparent 15th-inning grand slam.

City and county come together in Reno: Commissioners and the Reno City Council have told their staffs to see if there's a way to locate the Reno Justice Court and city Municipal Court next to each as both governments look for more space for their court needs.

Mirage, Station reporting mixed results: Gary Thompson; Mirage Resorts Inc. reported improved results at its newest megaresorts today, while Station Casinos Inc. said it posted record cash flow and per-share income during the third quarter.

10-year-old murders remain unsolved: For their mother, Ann Chang, the pain of Oct. 18, 1989, is constant as she longs for answers to the many unanswered questions surrounding her children's deaths.

Cause of collision that killed two teens may never be determined: "The final report says the accident was for unknown reasons," Cabrales said.

Ray drives to IRL championship: FORT WORTH, Texas -- An early-morning rainstorm that delayed the start of the Indy Racing League Mall.com 500 for more than four hours and gloomy late-afternoon skies when the race finally started set the tone for some rather subdued celebrations under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway.

Letter: Fear of conflicts of interest is out of control: Well-connected people, which public officials invariably are, often face conflicts of interest. But their conflicts are not necessarily finessed -- and may be exacerbated -- by doing nothing. A public official has no obligation higher than his duty to vote his constituents' interests, and any conflict of interest must be extraordinary indeed to trump this obligation.

Accident at Elko airport results in death of mechanic: The helicopter had been released from a fire earlier in the day and was scheduled to transfer to California before the tragic mishap.

Editorial: One more computer headache: County officials contend that the computer system installed in 1998 is working well, but a number of sources told the Sun's Ed Koch in a Friday story that isn't the case at all. In fact, they assert that the computer crashes frequently, causing delays; some records from the old system aren't getting transferred to the new system; because workers are spending so much time addressing bugs, there is a backlog of at least six months on the microfilming of delinquency and abuse and neglect cases; and other agency workers have changed data that juvenile clerks have recorded.

Three's a charm: Victoria Sun; With a milky white complexion, thinning light-brown hair and a wholesome smile, Jim Furyk looks about as Las Vegas as popcorn peddler Orville Redenbacher.

District judges want return to old case-control system: Bill Gang; Clark County's District Court judges, chafing under a system that assigns them to specialize in criminal or civil cases for two years at a time, are trying to return to a system in which all judges juggle both civil and criminal cases.

The Governor's Race: Jeff Simons; Santa Fe, N.M. -- George W. Bush may be the leader for the Republican presidential nomination, but he's running miles behind New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson.

Two LV builders sued by homeowners: Separately, Day Star Property Owners' Association and three of its residents sued Nevada Homes Corp., alleging defects in its 37 single family homes at the Day Star development at Durango Road and Peace Way in Las Vegas.

LVI notes: Henderson's Barlow creeps into top 125: Victoria Sun; For Henderson resident Craig Barlow, the $32,500 he earned for a share of 19th place at the $2.5 million Las Vegas Invitational will hopefully go a lot further than buying a new car or other luxury toy.

BLM protests power plant's water application: "We're basically trying to get them to work with us," said Helen Hankins, field manager for the BLM's Elko office.

Vegas pluses, minuses listed by television show director: While director Gil Adler will sing the praises of Las Vegas as a location for his new television series, he says the city is still dependent on Hollywood for writers and post-production work.

IRL notes: Fisher holds her own against 'boys': FORT WORTH, Texas -- Don't bet against Sarah Fisher to win next year's Rookie of the Year award in the Indy Racing League.

Federal lands may be traded for farms: Portions of money raised by the federal government could then be used to purchase agricultural easements to preserve Douglas County farmland.

School Board faces big list of candidates for Cram's job: Terry Webster; A large pool of candidates is expressing interest in becoming the Clark County School District's next superintendent.

Four schools secure home edge in playoffs: Spencer Patterson; The prep football playoffs won't begin until Nov. 5, but already four local schools have started making plans to have their home fields ready for postseason action.

Prep Schedule: Boys Soccer

Letter: Signage pollution should be addressed: This phenomenon, like smog caused by an inversion, proliferates severalfold when a lawyer chooses to run for public office. In this case there are more billboards proclaiming the lawyer-candidate's goodness as well as a proliferation of signs at every principal intersection in the valley to attract the attention of the passing motorist and pedestrian.