Print edition for April 7, 2000

Doubts linger over AG probe: Secret documents made public this week by Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa failed to explain how an investigation into a low-level Gaming Control Board employee turned into a fishing expedition against high-ranking regulators.

SCORE Desert Series leaders: TROPHY-TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks) -- 1. Tim Herbst Las Vegas, Ford F-150, 93; 2. Doug Fortin, El Cajon, Calif., Chevrolet K1500, 61; 3. Mark Post, Laguna Hills, Calif., Ford F-150, 30; 4. Dan Smith/Dave Ashley, Riverside, Calif., Ford F-150, 25; 5. Rod Thomas, Placentia, Calif., Chevrolet C-1500, 22. ALSO: 9. Lonny Helmbolt, Henderson, Dodge 2500, 10.

Rebels softball team splits with N.M. State: Rebels softball team splits with N.M. State

Alleged assault in sand pit re-enacted: Kim Smith; Despite the fact he claims he was beaten, cut and knocked to the ground during an altercation with Ted Binion murder suspect Rick Tabish, a former sand pit owner told jurors this morning he showed no outward signs from the incident.

Controversial TV ad drawing interest: A 15-second television commercial soliciting public opinion about the Ted Binion murder trial and financed by the defense is believed to be the first advertisement of its kind in the country.

District applauds new schools chief: Terry Webster; Carlos Garcia, the Clark County School District's new superintendent, is already thinking about signing his next contract -- for a new home in Las Vegas.

Teachers union files tax petition: The Nevada State Education Association says this will bring in an extra $250 million or more each year which would flow into the public schools for a variety of programs and pay raises.

High-definition TV debuts in Las Vegas: Remote mikes

Union shows, consumers don't, at LV session on Sprint merger: To MCI WorldCom executive James Lewis, what wasn't stated at a Thursday workshop on the company's proposed merger with Sprint spoke volumes about the public's perception of the plan.

Power plant to be built at Apex industrial park: Southern Energy Inc., a division of Southern Co., Atlanta, is developing the plant as part of a strategic alliance with Apex Industrial Park Inc., which operates a 10,000-acre site about 15 miles north of Las Vegas on Interstate 15.

French Connection coming to LV: Company spokeswoman Wendy Goldstein said French Connection plans to open a local outlet before the end of the year. She declined to identify the new store location, as leasing negotiations are under way.

Reid introduces veterans bill: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- The nation's veterans would be allowed to collect both full retirement pay and full disability pay under a bill introduced by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, who was wounded in World War II.

NLV jail inmate found dead: Police detectives are waiting for toxicology results because there were no signs of trauma on inmate Charles Webb's body, said Lt. Chris Larotonda, a police spokesman.

Brisk pace continues for census returns: Elko County is the first county in the state to improve upon the 1990 mail-in response, with 56 percent of the forms returned. The 1990 rate was 54 percent.

NLV airport to take off with expansion: Diana Sahagun; A $12 million expansion of the North Las Vegas Airport will feature "more bells and whistles," and will attract hundreds more aircraft to the facility already dubbed as the state's second busiest airport in terms of take-offs and landings.

Mikohn Gaming has good, bad earnings news: However, the Las Vegas gaming supply company said it is more optimistic about the year as a whole, saying it expects earnings per share to be "substantially higher" than the 35 cents per share it earned in 1999.

Satre received big raise in 1999: Satre received $903,000 in salary, an increase of about $75,000 over 1998. Satre's $1.08 million bonus in 1999, however, was triple the amount he received in 1998. Additional compensation totaled $182,000 in 1999.

Casino Data sues to protect equipment sold to Nevstar: Grace Leong; A casino supplier is taking legal action to ensure it can repossess its video slot machines, signs and accessories from Nevstar Gaming & Entertainment Corp. of Las Vegas, owner of the now-closed Mesquite Star hotel-casino.

Four Queens owner reports improved annual results: The company lost $1.27 million in 1998. The $960,000 profit, however, did not include dividends paid on preferred stock. After those dividends, Elsinore recorded a loss of $136,000, or 3 cents per share, applicable to its common stock.

Regents OK site for state college: RENO -- The Board of Regents on Thursday, despite claims of "pork barrel politics" and that the proximity to toxic waste would be harmful to students, gave conditional approval for a site the city of Henderson has selected for the proposed Nevada State College.

City gives downtown project deadline for tenant: Erin Neff; Neonopolis developers have less than 90 days to sign an anchor tenant or the city will call off the deal, Mayor Oscar Goodman said Thursday.

County's annual showcase opens: Fair facts

Youth trash pickup program likely to end: Adrienne Packer; Clark County will likely do away with a youth highway pickup program after six teenagers were killed while plucking trash from the median of Interstate 15 on March 19, county administrators said.

Counterfeit $100 bills spotted by alert DMV workers: Keith Paul; The long lines at DMV often resemble the long wait for rides at an amusement park, but that doesn't mean you can use funny money to pay.

Birth announcements for April 7, 2000: March 28: A girl to Candy and Christian Mihailovic; a boy to Debbie and Anthony Brown; a girl to Martha Martinez and Emilio Mont-Ros. March 29: A Kristin and John Jennings Jr.; a boy to Jacqueline Black and Michael Aleknewicus. March 30: A boy to Olene Mendoza. March 31: A boy to Kathy and Andrew Goffe. April 2: Alissa DeVito and Scott Christensen.

Regent board disputes finding of open-meeting violation: RENO -- The Board of Regents plans to ask Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa to retract her finding that the board violated the open-meeting law.

Vassiliadis among 'Distinguished Nevadans': RENO -- Billy Vassiliadis, a lobbyist and adviser to politicians, has been named a "Distinguished Nevadan" by the Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada.

Higher fees possible for university students: RENO -- Students at the University and Community College System of Nevada should brace themselves for modest fee increases in 2002 and 2003.

Garcia to receive $200,000 salary: Terry Webster; A four-year contract signed by the Clark County School Board and newly appointed superintendent Carlos Garcia includes a $200,000 salary and benefits, making the entire package worth $268,000.

City council briefs for April 7, 2000: The City Council introduced proposed legislation this week to protect the city seal, waive some residential parking permits and impose filing fees for pawnshops.

Kind of a DRAG: Professional drag racing enters a new era this weekend when The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosts a National Hot Rod Association national event for the first time in Nevada.

LV's block grants fall far short of local requests: Erin Neff; With a growing number of social service providers seeking funding from the same pot of federal grant money, some worthy causes are finding themselves on the shady side of the city's giving tree.

Political notebook: North Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Stephen Dahl has announced that he will seek re-election.

Obituaries for April 7, 2000: Patrick W. Bennett, 47, of Las Vegas died Thursday in a local hospital. He was born Jan. 20, 1953, in Detroit. A Nevada resident for 25 years and a Las Vegas resident for one year, he was director of food and beverage at the Showboat, a member of the board of directors of the Nevada Restaurant Association, Las Vegas Food and Beverage Directors Association, Washoe County Health Department, International Food Service Executive Association, American Culinary Federation and Northern Nevada Wine Association and a charter member of the High Sierra Chefs Association.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Marnell tuning up for big weekend: Considering he has never advanced to the final round of eliminations in six full NHRA Pro Stock seasons, George Marnell would have to be considered a long shot to grab his first career victory in this weekend's inaugural SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Rebels hope new facility cures ills: Dean Juipe; There was a time when the UNLV softball team was good for 40 or more wins per season and an occasional berth in the College World Series. Actually, it wasn't all that long ago.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Kill and run to Mexico: "ON DEC. 5, 1999, Officer Devitte, while off duty in the Mr. D's Sports Bar, observed three masked gunmen enter the establishment. One of the suspects vaulted the bar and was pulled to the ground by patrons, while another suspect opened fire on patrons to help his accomplice escape. Observing that the lives of other patrons were in imminent jeopardy, Officer Devitte produced his off-duty handgun and engaged the gunman, striking him several times and forcing him to break off his attack on the other patrons. As a result of redirecting the suspect's gunfire to himself, Officer Devitte sustained several ...

Columnist Dixon: Finally, it's time to make some noise on 'The Strip': Attention residents of Las Vegas:

Agassi enjoys teaming up with Sampras: Victoria Sun; INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Top-ranked men's tennis player Andre Agassi is used to being on the other side of the net against fellow American Pete Sampras -- the two have played each other 29 times during Agassi's 14-year career.

NHRA records: Funny Car: 4.788 seconds by John Force, April 1999, Baytown, Texas; 324.05 mph by John Force, March 1999, Gainesville, Fla.

Solutions for the forlorned pet owner: Dogs have a way of escaping even fortress-like back yards or squeezing out of car windows on road trips or getting lost in any number of ways. Cats too.

LV youngsters to engage in geography bee: For more information on the event, call Karen Thompson or Lisa Wightman at 799-0920, ext. 215.

Thursday's prep results: Green Valley 12, Foothill 6: Ben Schiess went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs and also picked up the win on the mound. Garret Guzman went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs for the Gators. Grant Stanley went 3-for-4 with five RBIs and two home runs in a losing effort.

Stars-Cannons snowed out: Stars-Cannons snowed out

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Santa Anita: 1st Race -- I Wonder Why - Draws outside post for the downhill opener, Solis aboard McAnally trainee, makes late impact. Fearless Pirate - Tough guy down this hillside, Bravo on West trainee, always gives good account of self. Value Play -- King Of Swing

Letter: Children's eatery no place for slots: Any marriage of slot machines with a facility that includes a restaurant that caters to children, such as McDonald's, is based purely on greed. This is a set-up to aggressively program young children to a lifetime of victimization and loss of any innocence that might be left.

Letter: Constitution defines census as a count only: Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution directs Congress to conduct an "enumeration" -- a count -- of the persons living within the states comprising the Union. This section has as its sole purpose determining the number of representatives to be apportioned to each state; it has no other purpose for which constitutional authority can reasonably be claimed. All that is required in addition to this count is the residency of those counted.

Editorial: Ignoring Congress wouldn't be right: Federal law gives the president the authority to sidestep Congress and make such designations to protect the natural beauty and environment of federal lands, but the president rarely uses this option because it tends to anger Congress, which naturally feels it should play a role. Besides, the Clinton administration uses an extensive review process to make these determinations and the Black Rock Desert isn't even under consideration; a rushed decision would be foolish. The Black Rock Desert, at this time, does not warrant such an extraordinary action by the president.

Editorial: Labor receives fresh look: Jeff Waddoups' study, which appears in the April 1 issue of the Journal of Labor Research, found that the average wages of Las Vegas hotel-casino service workers in "highly unionized" jobs were 24 percent higher than their counterparts in Reno. Waddoups concluded that the biggest reason for the gap is the influence of unions in the Las Vegas labor market, especially on the Strip. Of Las Vegas' hotel-casino workers, 29 percent belong to a union, while only 1.5 percent of the comparable work force in Reno is unionized.

Getting back to Bach: After years of failing eyesight, famed baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach awoke on the morning of July 28, 1750, to find that once more he could see clearly.

The Movie Guys: Audience gets pinned in 'Ready to Rumble': Grades: Jeff D, Dave D+.

Digital technology edging into movies: Max Jacobson; We live in a digital age, so it seems inevitable new forms of digital technology will soon have an impact on our lives. It might take a little longer for digital technology to take over at the local movie house. But take over it will, if the wags are correct.

Shelf Life -- Scott Dickensheets: Reading suggestions? You came to the right place: "Summer reading" -- ha! You, the Shelf Life reader, are different, exceptional. Let others spend the hot months paging, half-engaged, through a desultory sequence of torrid potboilers, genre escapism and Danielle Steele novels. "Light reading," they call it. Ha! You want more. You want engagement. You want to counter the lulling heat with books that speak to your intelligence, challenge your perceptions, are good for you.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Shanghai Lilly offers visual, culinary delights: Walk just a few steps beyond Charlie Palmer's Aureole restaurant at Mandalay Bay and you will reach one of the most dramatic and beautiful Chinese restaurants in Las Vegas, Shanghai Lilly.

Columnist Kate Maddox: Rio cuts loose with 'Footloose': Kate Maddox; If you couldn't get enough of those '80s flicks, or even better, those '80s soundtracks, then the Rio's new show is made for you. Although the hotel won't "officially" confirm it, the future occupant of the Rio's brand new 1,500-seat theater is "Footloose: The Musical."

That's Life -- Steve Bornfeld: Plastic Boomers go bust: Check out the photo: Obviously, this Baby Boomer never succumbed to a plastic surgeon's knife. (Nor was I assaulted by a stunningly incompetent one.) My credo: For better or worse, till death do us part, what body and soul God has joined together let no skin jockey tear asunder.

Columnist Joe Delaney: 'Viva Las Vegas' remains the afternoon king: Joe Delaney; Dick Feeney's "Viva Las Vegas," a nicely tight, high-quality revue, is completing its first decade as LV's all-time champion afternoon attraction, currently in the Stratosphere showroom, 2 & 4 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays ... With occasional substitutions, the show should continue well into the new millennium.

Gans makes many positive first impressions at Mirage: Joe Delaney; Danny Gans is the consummate performing artist, peerless as an impressionist, especially when performing acting vignettes. He's an impressive recording-quality singer as himself, a fluid dancer and a quality musician. His new theater, named for him at the Mirage, ranks with the world's finest venues.

Celebrities cope with rumors of death that just won't die: Kirk Baird; Abe Vigoda lives.

Father, son charged in child's murder have violent family history: The father, Thomas Soria Sr., 39, found his mother's body after she was sexually assaulted and murdered by his stepbrother in 1979. An uncle shot up a North Sacramento bar in 1982, killing three and wounding nine.

Nader urges end to all logging on federal lands: Scott Sonner; RENO, Nev. - Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader says the government should halt all logging on national forests and other federal lands.

Local news briefs for April 7, 2000: Kent J. Dawson, a Henderson resident of 27 years and the city's Justice of the Peace, has been nominated for the post of U.S. District Court Judge by President Clinton.