Print edition for September 27, 1999

Boy's medical bills near $2 million: "At one point, a doctor came over to me as I was watching them work on my son and said, 'Are you OK with this?' and I said, 'There is nowhere else I could be at this moment.' "

CONCACAF Champions Cup glance: TUESDAY

3 teams win to stay undefeated: Spencer Patterson; And then there were three.

City manager says report on deconsolidation not completed: Valentine made her comment Monday after returning from a two-week vacation out of the country.

Supreme Court denies Mortensen's appeal: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court today denied the appeal of former Metro Officer Ron Mortensen, convicted in the off-duty drive-by shooting of a man in December 1996.

Union to represent Paris noncasino workers: Employees represented by Teamsters Local 995 at Paris will include front desk clerks, room reservations clerks, valet parkers, warehouse workers, general laborers and gardeners. The union will represent about 240 employees at the property.

$9 mil. bond sought for damages in Las Vegas grocery slot case: Grace Leong; Albertson's and Raley's are demanding that Jackpot Enterprises Inc. post a bond of at least $9 million to cover potential damages the stores may suffer because of Jackpot's refusal to remove 246 slot machines from 15 disputed Raley's stores in Las Vegas.

Correction: Correction

Frustration fills Hamilton's day: Victoria Sun; The black wrap-around sunglasses Pep Boys Indy Racing League driver Davey Hamilton wore after the Vegas.com 500 race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday helped mask some of the frustration and disappointment he felt about finishing 13th.

Gambling foes plot strategy in the South: Reed Branson; MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- National gambling opponents who believe they have slowed the legalization of casinos and lotteries around the nation are looking to the South to once again make gambling illegal.

UNLV men win tournament: Tied 3-3, UNLV scored three times in the final 20 minutes to secure the victory. Reggie Bolden scored the game-winner at 69:29.

MLS teams to take their best shot in CONCACAF tourney: Steve Carp; It's a somewhat awkward position to be in, trying to win your league championship while diverting attention toward a loftier goal of being considered among the world's elite.

Volunteer firefighters keep their posts: They claimed the county is dragging its feet following an Aug. 17 meeting after 15 volunteer firemen signed a letter complaining about Hutchinson.

Box Score: Stars 10, Sidewinders 5: E-Newhan, Huckaby. DP-Las Vegas 1, Tucson 2. LOB-Las Vegas 9, Tucson 8. 2B-Newhan, Young, Pachot, Allen 2. HR-Newhan (14), Ja. Patterson (11), Young (30). SB-Newhan, Young. SF-Lidle, Johnson.

Pahrump woman offers foal to help Columbine: Holly Kurtz; Offering to donate a baby foal conceived April 20, a Pahrump woman was one of many to step forward with gifts to the Spirit of Columbine Tribute Center in Golden, Colo.

Archivist discovers Twain's account of 1868 hanging: Scott Sonner; But the long-forgotten dispatch for a Chicago newspaper helps to marry some of the fact and fiction that's surrounded the infamous execution of the man hanged for murdering Julia Bulette, "the prostitute with the heart of gold."

Filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan talks about 'Mumford' and other achievements in a notable career: David Neil; He has scribed such blockbusters as "The Empire Strikes Back," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Return of the Jedi"and "The Bodyguard." He tapped into the baby boomers' generational outlook in his film "The Big Chill," earning him the first of his four Academy Award nominations. He has continuously showed his diversity as a filmmaker by jumping from one genre to the next, or as he describes it, he "simply enjoys making movies." He even went Western with "Silverado" and "Wyatt Earp."

Autumn of Sam: Schmidt wins Vegas.com 500: Through the first 12 races of Sam Schmidt's Indy Racing League career, the Henderson resident left as many races in an ambulance (six) as he did in his race car.

Tracy wins at Houston: As Tracy looked at the gold cowboy boot Sunday that was his trophy for winning the second Texaco/Havoline Grand Prix of Houston, he remembered that frustrating mistake.

$33 million expansion to feature replica of Grand Canyon: Groundbreaking is set for November on a 43,000-square-foot expansion of the mall, next to the MGM Grand Hotel. Completion is set for mid-2000.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: IRL takes crash course in racing: Well, you've got to hand it to the Indy Racing League and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. There weren't any problems getting to and from the track for Sunday's Vegas.com 500.

Letter: Personal feud behind squabble: Oh, and return calls promptly to the media you're trying to manipulate.

Horror films have nothing on Rebels' latest loss: Steve Guiremand; It was Sunday night at the movies for UNLV's football team. And the film John Robinson's club watched was a heck of a lot scarier and more violent than "The Blair Witch Project" or "The Sixth Sense."

IRL, CART merger nixed for now: Reunification talks between open-wheel racing rivals the Indy Racing League and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) have hit the wall, according to IRL founder Tony George.

Wetlands take wing: The first marshes anchoring a $13 million wetlands park in the middle of Clark County's urban desert could be planted within a year.

Scientists propose different limits for Yucca Mountain: Those questions will be debated in public hearings the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Environmental Protection Agency recently set for next month in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas firm sues Teamsters: David Strow; GES Exposition Services sued the union that represents many of its Las Vegas workers after Teamsters Local 631 hired one of its former top labor relations executives -- a move GES says could jeopardize its relationship with the union.

Box Score: Sidewinders 2, Stars 1: E-Wolff, Diaz. DP-Las Vegas 1. LOB-Las Vegas 15, Tucson 8. 2B-Thrower, Darr, Lidle, Patterson, Michalak. CS-Sell.

LV brokerage expands to Reno: The Reno office will initially employ 18 people.

Freeze hits north, Elko chills to 15: That was a record for the date, 2 degrees colder than the old Sept. 27 mark, set back in 1936.

Points leader Ray has tough day: It was hard for Greg Ray to find anything to smile about following his disastrous run in Sunday's Indy Racing League Vegas.com 500 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Community news briefs for September 27, 1999: The Clark County Library is celebrating Family History Month by presenting a two-hour workshop, "Finding Uncle Harry or How to Find Information About your Family Tree."

Judge takes motion under advisement: Mahan is expected to rule on the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority motion later this week.

Box Score: Stars 3, Sidewinders 1: Time-3:19. Attendance-7,997.

Candy Dance draws crowds again: Old-timers and newcomers alike got involved in the pre-Candy Dance ritual candy making, packaging, planning and preparing. This year, two tons of candy was prepared by townsfolk.

Hundreds of new laws set to take effect on Friday: Some will affect many Nevadans, such as the Millennium Scholarship program announced by Gov. Kenny Guinn in his State of the State speech in January.

Jersey lawyer gets gaming post: Levenson, senior partner and chairman of the casino-law department of Cooper Perskie April Neidelman Wagenheim & Levenson, will be installed in his new position at an IAGA meeting in the Bahamas on Wednesday.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Historic Santa Anita welcomes a new era: Ralph Siraco; When racing resumes Wednesday in Southern California with the opening of the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita, a new era at the picturesque Arcadia racing emporium will begin.

LV builders sued, defects alleged: The plaintiff alleged shoddy work constitutes a "violation of local building and construction practices, industry standards, government codes and restrictions, manufacturer requirements and product specifications."

Box Score: Grizzlies 15, Stars 2: E-Guzman, Newhan. DP-Las Vegas 2. LOB-Las Vegas 11, Fresno 4. 2B-Crespo, Delgado, Murray, Woods 3. HR-Thrower (3), Crespo (21), Leach 2 (15). SB-Murray 2. CS-Crespo. SF-Crespo.

Scientists spell out radiation hazards: Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Obituaries for September 27, 1999: Betty Jean Burke, 75, of North Las Vegas died Tuesday in a local care center. She was born Aug. 20, 1924, in Rochester, N.Y. A resident for 36 years, she was a retired hotel cocktail waitress.

Former Hilton chairman joins Ethics Commission: CARSON CITY -- Raymond C. "Skip" Avansino, Jr., former president and chief operating officer for the Hilton Corp., today was named to the state Ethics Commission by the Legislative Commission.

Letter: LVCVA editorial should go further: It is for these reasons that I believe Weidner's call to eliminate the LVCVA and delegate room tax dollars to our community's needs is a good idea that deserves some thought. Money does not solve everything, but it may in our case help solve some of these problems. And with all the talk of ballot initiatives to increase taxes it seems to me that if our government doesn't find a better way to use the money it already has, we'll all be paying more in the end.

Rubber pellets another sore spot at DMV: He also has filed suit in Carson City District Court alleging excessive force and negligence on the part of the Nevada Department of Prisons in its supervision of Lyon.

Hundreds of new laws take effect on Friday: CARSON CITY -- Hundreds of new state laws take effect Oct. 1, five months after the 1999 Legislature finished its work.

Editorial: Tax cut deserving of its death: But Republican tax policies aren't adhering to the adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Instead Republicans already are positioning themselves for congressional races and the presidential election in the year 2000. Part of this strategy has been to take partisan potshots at Clinton, such as the GOP tax cut, in the hope that this will stick to Vice President Al Gore and congressional Democrats. This doesn't stop with tax issues, though. They also are engaging in a vendetta to attack the Clinton administration for the Department of Justice's role in Waco and other issues. In addition, last week ...

New Nevada business laws affect builders, slot operators: CARSON CITY -- Beginning Friday the state Contractors Board will get more muscle in overseeing builders, mortgage brokers and agents will live under new, stricter rules and competition begins in the power supply industry.

Upcoming business events for September 27, 1999: Small business loans -- Nevada MicroEnterprise Initiative loan information sessions and business plan workshops. Ongoing. 734-3555.

Nevada-Reno looks to halt skid Saturday against UNLV: Jace Radke; RENO -- Nevada-Reno head coach Jeff Tisdel doesn't know what the problem is. But he has set kickoff Saturday against UNLV as a deadline for the Wolf Pack to wake up from its nightmare season.

$352.5 million ready for Yucca: Ben Grove; WASHINGTON -- Congress is poised to approve a $352.5 million budget for next year for Yucca Mountain nuclear waste studies projects.

Attorney: DUI blood sample wasn't necessary: Kim Smith; A Las Vegas attorney suing Metro Police in connection with last November's in-custody death of a drunken driving suspect said last week officers killed Terry Jones over a blood sample that they didn't even need.

Letter: DMV leaders must be held accountable for problems: I concur that it is not the fault of those working at the bottom, but isn't it always the case that subordinates pay for the decisions of bad management? The term "bad management" would be a compliment to those responsible. I deplore incompetence but it is something we must all endure as long as the system continues to give responsible jobs not to those qualified but to those with "friends in high places."

Prep Schedule: MONDAY

Letter: Waco investigation is waste of time: KENNETH L. HOVEY

State jobless rate edges up: Despite the increase, the number of jobs has increased 5.1 percent since August 1998, the state reported Friday.

Game summary: Utah 52, UNLV 14: Utah-Anderson 3 run Whetman kick, 5:47.

Police seek help in locating suspects: On Sept. 18 about 6 a.m. a man in his mid- to late 20s forced a bartender at a tavern near Eastern and Sahara avenues at gunpoint to hand over an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

Town hall meeting turns into rally to save Metro Police: Erin Neff; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman's open-door meeting on Friday turned into something of a pep rally to save Metro from being split.

Motorcycle accident kills Las Vegas man: The motorcyclist, identified by the coroner's office today as Jarrod Straub, was going west in the 3500 block of West Sahara Avenue on a 1999 Ducati motorcycle at 1:45 a.m., police said.

Clues sought in shooting death: An apartment complex security guard at 901 West McWilliams Ave. found the body of Steven Burks, 26, Saturday at 6:30 a.m., police said.

Firefighters suspect arson in house fire: Firefighters responded to 2009 Hasset Ave., near Oakey Boulevard and Eastern Avenue, just after 7 a.m. to find a vacant two-story house on fire.

Gambling plan for nonprofits faces delay: Rick Alm; KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Plans to ask Missouri voters next year to legalize slot machines and other video gambling devices operated by charitable, fraternal and religious groups have hit a snag.

NSA Meeting moved: The meeting was originally scheduled for different offices in Las Vegas.

Murphy, Tabish enter pleas: All six defendants charged in crimes related to Ted Binion's murder pleaded innocent today.

Bill funding nuke agency gets nod: Congress passed a veto-proof measure last week that created a new nuclear weapons agency after months of Chinese spying alleged at the nation's nuclear weapons laboratories.

McDonald plan filled with risks: Like most politicians, Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald isn't regarded as a major risk-taker.

Summary: Utah 52, UNLV 14: ateb First Quarter

Mayor set to pitch LV to NBA, NHL chiefs: Steve Carp; NEW YORK -- He may not be practicing law at the moment, but Oscar Goodman will feel like he's back in court as he spends Tuesday going to bat for his latest client -- the city of Las Vegas.

A pair of earthquakes rattle Death Valley: A 4.3-magnitude tremor struck at 9:15 a.m. about 20 miles north-northwest of Stovepipe Wells, a camping area at Death Valley National Park, said Nick Scheckel, a seismologist with the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Tourists injured in crash of LV buses: Mohave County Sheriff's Office spokesman Steve Johnson said the two Superior Tours buses were traveling south on Pierce Ferry Road at Dolan Springs when the lead bus suddenly slowed to avoid hitting a dog.

Police seek husband in woman's stabbing: The victim, a 31-year-old woman, called 911 just before 3 p.m. Saturday and reported that her husband, Adrian R. Correa, had stabbed her after an argument in their home near Smoke Ranch Road and Torrey Pines Drive, police said.