Print edition for August 11, 2000

American Legion Tournament results, schedule: Western Regional Tournament In Ogden, Utah

Ruling favors ex-defense attorneys in Binion case: District Judge Joseph Bonaventure today granted former defense attorneys and investigators in the Ted Binion murder case an "absolute" and "unlimited" waiver of the attorney-client privilege to defend themselves in court.

Lawsuit filed over bar exam prep materials: In a U.S. District Court lawsuit, Harcourt Professional Education Group Inc., said it has pending copyright applications for the 1997, 1998 and 1999 editions of its Practice Essay Book, Nevada BarBri Bar Review.

$1 bil. budget seen for state's colleges: RENO -- A two-year budget in excess of $1 billion is being prepared by the Board of Regents, which is expecting an influx of new students into the University and Community College System of Nevada.

Desert Passage drops 'Aladdin' from name: With less than a week before the opening of the Aladdin hotel-casino and the attached $300 million Desert Passage retail mall, one would think there have been hundreds of hours spent strategizing on how best to jointly market the properties.

Scientists search for chemicals: Federal scientists plan to start looking for ingredients from prescription drugs to suntan lotion in the Las Vegas Wash and the Las Vegas Bay during the next year.

Growth overloads Las Vegas hospitals: Stacy J. Willis; Clark County hospitals are facing a shortage of critical care and emergency room beds, primarily caused by population growth.

Crayfish victims of tanker explosion: Unleaded gasoline from the dual tanker truck explosion and fire last week ran into the Flamingo and Las Vegas washes, apparently killing thousands of crayfish, state officials said Thursday.

County official target of e-mail smear: Adrienne Packer; A series of e-mails sent to Clark County employees this week are reportedly an attempt to smear facilities manager Bill Barrett because of his political support for County Commissioner Mary Kincaid, sources said.

School Board issues stern warning to superintendent: Terry Webster; Hours of discussion and a community uproar over a racial slur made by Clark County School Superintendent Carlos Garcia concluded with a scolding by the School Board.

Vegas dealership accused of privacy violation: In a Clark County District Court lawsuit, Desiree Wood said Goebel, a Toyota salesman, tried to convince her to buy a car from him in January even though she wanted to buy a car from a Ford dealer.

Court rules AT&T foulup hurt Vegas company: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday ruled AT&T was liable for damages for fouling up the telephone bills of a Las Vegas business that suffered a loss of profits as a result.

Letter: City drags feet on removal of bus shelter: I had written a letter to City Hall, asking them to remove this and put it where it could be used.

Court briefs for August 11, 2000: A Las Vegas man accused of taking a murder contract out on his wife when she refused to help him kill another man has been ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

Editorial: Tracking legacy of Cold War: The reason for the contamination -- and the concern for public safety -- is that from 1951 to 1992 the Nevada Test Site was home to 928 above- and below-ground nuclear weapons tests. While no atomic blasts have occurred for nearly a decade, the radioactive legacy of the testing will be felt for thousands of years. The federal government's efforts to clean up the Nevada Test Site and other nuclear weapons facilities have been woefully inadequate. Indeed, one recent study by the National Academy of Sciences estimates 109 federal locations that built and tested atomic weapons -- including the Nevada ...

Fraraccio an unlikely hero for Stars: Designated hitter Dan Fraraccio, an emergency roster replacement summoned from the independent Quebec City Capitals, hit a two-out, two-strike, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to help rally the Las Vegas Stars to a 4-2 victory over the Omaha Golden Spikes at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Stock upgraded: Ader's upgrade of Harrah's from an "attractive" rating was his first action on the stock in more than three years. In midday trading on Wall Street, Harrah's was up $1.25 to $27.44.

Trials have Rebel flavor: The Rebel contingent includes sophomore Whitney Phelps (200 butterfly) of Baltimore, juniors David Schick (100 butterfly) of Tulsa, Okla., and Michael Short (50 freestyle) of San Jose, Calif., senior Garrett Wood of Green Valley High (50 freestyle) and former Olympic qualifier and 2000 graduate Bobby Middleton (100 breaststroke) of Cathedral City, Calif.

Paiutes seek water rights for planned power plant: The Moapa Paiutes dream of the day when they can tap into scarce ground water already claimed by federal agencies and Southern Nevada water purveyors in order to build a natural-gas fired power plant and generate electricity for sale to Las Vegas.

Columnist Paul Bible: Urgent need for support of scholarships: Paul Bible; The big news about college scholarships in Nevada is the Millennium Scholarship program developed by Gov. Kenny Guinn, which will provide up to $2,500 a year to graduating high school seniors, beginning with the Class of 2000, to attend the state's two universities, and lesser amounts to attend community college here.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Del Mar: 1st Race -- Gold N Sassy - Draws good post, Flores on O'Neill trainee, should be in the right spot to score in opener. Lady Buttercup - Draws just inside top pick, hustling Rollins scales Moreno trainee, a factor throughout. Value Play -- Beautiful City

Arraignment of boy, 11, delayed until next week: Kim Smith; The arraignment of an 11-year-old boy charged with a half-dozen counts of arson was postponed Thursday until next week.

Regents vote against Henderson college downgrade: RENO -- The Board of Regents Thursday voted down an effort to downgrade construction of a student services building at the proposed state college in Henderson.

The Sun Remembers 1955: Where I Stand -- Hank Greenspun: Reporter's banishment from state Assembly violation of freedom: Ed Reid is now writing his dispatches for the Sun from the peanut gallery of the Nevada Assembly. Ed was banned from the state assembly for supposedly writing articles critical of certain assemblymen.

Local news briefs for August 11, 2000: A homeless man who died after being found severely beaten in a desert area was identified this morning as 30-year-old Kirk E. Schaefer of Las Vegas.

Crews cut back on Trout Canyon blaze: The Midnight Suns Hot Shot team from Alaska stayed on top of the Trout Canyon wildland fire about 30 miles southwest of Las Vegas today as another 100 firefighters inched their way back down the mountainous terrain.

Chemicals in soil may stall new NLV City Hall campus: Diana Sahagun; Toxic chemicals found in the soils of the proposed site have delayed plans for a new North Las Vegas City Hall campus, but plans for a new jail are moving forward.

Adult theater loses ruling at Nevada Supreme Court: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Thursday rejected the appeal of a movie theater owner whose license was revoked by Clark County for showing X-rated films.

Injury sidelines top pick Krynzel: Spencer Patterson; A promising rookie season has come to a premature end for local product David Krynzel, the No. 11 pick in this summer's Major League Baseball amateur draft.

Letter: Who speaks with forked tongue?: George W. Bush has said the same thing that Al Gore and our current president have said, and that is that he will let science make the decision on the nuclear waste dump.

Judge recuses himself in Mosley lawsuit against discipline panel: Kim Smith; U.S. District Judge Kent Dawson has recused himself from presiding over District Judge Donald Mosley's lawsuit against the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline.

Saturday's horse racing entries: Post Time 2 p.m.

New general manager named at off-Strip resort: Richards replaces Jonathan Swain, who resigned last week. Richards' appointment was effective Wednesday.

Judge OKs use of public funds by attorney in Williams case: Greg Tuttle; Public funds can be used to pay experts and investigators hired to help a Las Vegas woman in her defense against charges stemming from the roadside deaths of six teenagers.

California gambling foes want state to intervene: Don Thompson; SACRAMENTO -- Five months after voters approved Indian gambling in California, dozens of residents from across the state came to the Capitol Wednesday to complain it will hurt their communities.

The Sun remembers 1955: News of the day: Story: Roxie's pleasure palace on the Boulder highway was given a thorough inspection last night by Sheriff W.E. "Butch" Leypoldt and District Attorney George Dickerson, and found to be closed in compliance with an abatement order issued the house of prostitution last week. Leypoldt and Dickerson -- both serving their first day in office -- were accompanied by newsmen as they led a force of sheriff's deputies through the plush love mill at approximately 8 p.m. Scatterings of flimsy clothing and personal articles in dormitory rooms in the brothel indicated the establishment had been vacated hurriedly to comply with a ...

Editorial: Recall could have been handled better: Critics contend that as far back as the early 1990s Ford and Firestone were aware of the danger. There have been some reported cases of tires flying apart on SUVs made by other manufacturers, but most attention has centered on Ford SUVs. So it's possible that either Ford or Firestone, or both, could be responsible. It is troubling that a straight answer on the proper tire pressure -- which, when linked to hot weather, can be a contributing factor to blowouts -- couldn't even be provided on the day the recall was announced. Ford suggested a proper inflation rate between ...

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Compton ready for switch to Dodge: It's not that Stacy Compton isn't enjoying his rookie season in NASCAR's Winston Cup Series, but the 33-year-old Virginia native can't wait for next year.

Henderson park, commercial complex draw fire from residents: Greg Harman; Smog, traffic, noisy kids, lights and even the mountain itself.

Evander's goal: Go out a winner: Dean Juipe; History of some sort will be made Saturday when Evander Holyfield and John Ruiz fight for the vacant World Boxing Association heavyweight championship at Paris Las Vegas.

Stratosphere quarterly profit up: The hotel-casino controlled by investor Carl Icahn said quarterly revenue of $32 million was up from $29.7 million in the 1999 quarter as casino, hotel, food and beverage and tower attractions revenue all improved.

Panel gives its OK to $472 million in road project funds: Roadway projects

Back to School Fair to be held at malls: School district staff will be available to answer questions regarding zoning, registration requirements, busing, new construction and special programs.

Making strides: Steve Addy; How do you start a football team from scratch, especially when the really good players are already cashing eye-popping NFL paychecks?

Columnist Dean Juipe: Father Time has his eye on Holyfield: Dean Juipe; Despite beating Bobby Czyz in May 1996, Evander Holyfield appeared to be shot as a fighter.

Where I Stand -- Bill Bible: Protect gaming's legacy: ON MARCH 20 Nevada will mark the 70th anniversary of the legalization of gambling in this state. In 1931 Gov. Fred Balzar signed legislation legalizing gambling, thus forever changing the state's economy. I am sure that neither Balzar nor the legislation's prime sponsor, Assemblyman Phil Tobin of Winnemucca, understood the full power of the economic engine they created.

Obituaries for August 11, 2000: Kathleen Sue Beck, 41, of Las Vegas died Sunday in Las Vegas. She was born June 25, 1949, in Denver. A resident for five years, she was a homemaker.

Minnesota operator announces two Calif. casinos: The casinos, to be developed on separate, unspecified tribal lands, will be developed in a joint venture with MRD Gaming LLC of Las Vegas. Construction will proceed once the tribes receive regulatory approvals for the casinos, Lakes said.

Letter: Gamblers not casinos' concern: "It's almost like going to the mall, the old-fashioned shopping mall. I think there will be little difference between a major motion-picture studio, hotel-casino entertainment and a nongaming resort. They will be very, very similar. On that basis, 10 years from now the issue of gaming won't be a problem."

Board turns down raises for university presidents: RENO -- Regents voted down any raises today for the presidents of the University and Community College System of Nevada, saying the state was facing tough economic times.

Casino operator eyes Internet gaming business: Lakes said it is in negotiations with a "experienced provider of online gaming technology" to license software that would be used by the Lakes online casino sites for a two-year period. Lakes emphasized bets on the proposed site would not be accepted from within the United States.

Cimarron falls in regional opener: Now the Spartans need consecutive victories over Arizona champion Tucson and Utah champ Taylorsville today and Saturday, or lots of help in a tiebreaker scenario, to advance to Sunday's final four and have a chance at a Legion World Series appearance.

Barbara Greenspun remembers 1955: Through the years the Sun has been fortunate to have had many excellent reporters and writers. Ed Reid, whose story of being banished from the Nevada Assembly is related in the Where I Stand column of March 1955, was one of the best.

PCL Box: Stars 4, Golden Spikes 2: DP--Las Vegas 2, Omaha 2. LOB--Las Vegas 7, Omaha 8. 2B--Pellow, LaRocca, Brown, Jennings. 3B--Brown. HR--Roskos (16), Fraraccio (1), Faggett (2). CS--Pellow.

Goodman threatens action on Neonopolis: Erin Neff; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman seems poised to lower the boom on the stalled Neonopolis entertainment project if he doesn't see movement by the developer in the coming weeks.

Political notebook for August 11, 2000: Senate candidate Ed Bernstein has rebuked John Ensign's drug-discount-card proposal, calling the cards a scam.

Joe Delaney remembers 1955: Durante at the D.I.: Joe Delaney remembers 1955: Durante at the D.I.

Datebook: Barnes & Noble, 2191 N. Rainbow Blvd., presents "Reading Rainbow Storytime with Chicken Chuck," a story by Bill Martin Jr., at 7 p.m. today. Call 631-1775.

Hackett and company pack 'em in at Texas Station lounge: Joe Delaney; Sandy Hackett's Comedy Night is a regular Wednesday feature in the Texas Station Armadillo Lounge.

Columnist Kate Maddox: Exclusive club no longer a secret: Kate Maddox; With attendance at the formerly hot House of Blues Foundation Room dropping, a fresher "exclusive" members-only club is about to open downtown. The Secret Downtown is shaping up to be the new see-and-be-seen hot spot when it opens its doors in September. And this place sounds like it'll be unlike any other club in town -- a good sign for the undernourished downtown Las Vegas scene.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Retracing Cosby's career from Philly forward: Joe Delaney; Avuncular, a comedic conversationalist, a kid who grew up in a Philadelphia projects area, a two-time high school dropout, a bartender who talked a lot but didn't drink, a comedic interpreter of the Bible, once called the "Jackie Robinson of TV," who, in the 1980's, gave new life to the sitcom and to NBC simultaneously. Bill Cosby is back in town, at the Mandalay Bay Theatre, tonight and Saturday.

Box score: Stars 9, Trappers 2: E-King, Williams. DP-Edmonton 2, Las Vegas 0. LOB-Edmonton 9, Las Vegas 11. 2B-Wooten, LaRocca, Roskos. SB-Thoen, Faggett. Sac-Pelaez

Korn gives hope to metal: Geoff Carter; On Monday I sat through a Slaughter/Dokken/Cinderella/Poison show. The bands were, for the most part, very boring.

Holyfield-Ruiz Tale of the Tape: Holyfield-Ruiz Tale of the Tape

Sound Check -- Geoff Carter: 'Autumn' makes summer seem that much longer: I don't like this weather at all. Come August I'm thinking of December. I love Vegas' people, history and bars, but you can take these 110-degree Sundays and stick 'em in your hibachi. The only reason I don't leave Vegas completely between June and October is because of the job, and because I've come to depend on summer colds to put me in bed for at least one night out of the week.

Box score: Trapper 6, Stars 0: E-Hosey, Williams, Herndon. DP-Edmonton 1, Las Vegas 0. LOB-Edmonton 9, Las Vegas 7. 2b-Johnson, Burke, 't Hoen. Sac-Johnson. CS-Radmanovich.