Print edition for December 29, 2000

Northern Quest Casino opens: "We won't approve opening until all the Ts are crossed and the Is dotted," said Mike Tindall, the state Gambling Commission agent overseeing the process.

News of the day: 1975: Her victory made her Britain's first woman party chief and put her in the running to become the country's first woman prime minister.

Imperial Palace denies talks with California group: "There is no deal. There is no transaction," Crispell said.

Holiday debris concerns environmentalists: Hallmark doesn't make a card for it, but discarded greeting cards, tons of ripped wrapping paper, broken boxes and dried out Christmas trees comprise a big part of the event that falls between Christmas Day and a week after New Year's Day.

Las Vegas prepared for party of the year: Jace Radke; As the annual New Year's tourist explosion starts to filter in to town today, a year of planning by police, emergency services providers, businesses and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is beginning to take form.

Monmouth-UNLV Box Score: MONMOUTH, N.J. (6-3)

Ruthe Deskin remembers 1975: Column led to fast response: As I recall, there was quite a riotous scene when Muhammad Ali was declared the winner of the fight at the Convention Center. Trainers, handlers, and hangers-on jumped into the ring. In the melee, Sun photographer David Lee Waite was shoved around and his camera was broken.

Diggs saves day for Rebels: Steve Addy; The Rebels steered straight into the ditch again Thursday night.

Local news briefs for December 29, 2000: The Henderson Planning Commission granted Wendy's restaurant a speaker box for drive-through customers, and now Taco Bell wants one too.

Cheyenne graduate in Shrine Game: Hartwell, who played in the Blue-Gray game on Christmas Day in Montgomery, Ala., was named the 2000 Buck Buchanan Award winner as the top defensive player in I-AA football and will be the first Western Illinois player in the Shrine Game. He was named the Gateway Conference Defensive Player of the Year in each of the past two seasons.

Governor qualifies his position on state college: Cy Ryan and Jeffrey Libby; Gov. Kenny Guinn Thursday "clarified" his statement on starting a state college in Henderson, repeating that the project is not in his budget but adding that he left the door open to a change of heart.

Paiutes lose round in bid to claim ground water: The state engineer has for now denied a request by Paiute Indians in Moapa for ground water in order to build a power plant on their reservation.

Outlaws get 8 players in supplemental draft: The Outlaws will report for physical exams on Tuesday prior to starting workouts on Wednesday.

Ruffin buys office building: The chief financial officer for Ruffin Cos., Gail Knott, said Ruffin bought the building Thursday for "speculative purposes," and it was too early to announce what options the Wichita businessman might pursue.

Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Mighty Rams should thank lowly Bears: Sal DeFilippo; You'd have to think, at the very least, that the St. Louis Rams sent one heckuva Christmas gift to Bears placekicker Paul Edinger.

Some LV workers heard news of Ward's closing from customers: Grace Leong; Several Montgomery Ward employees in Las Vegas said they learned they were losing their jobs not from the company -- but from customers who had seen television reports on the closure of the historic retail chain.

Interior nominee key for Nevada: WASHINGTON -- President-elect George W. Bush's naming of former Colorado Attorney General Gale Norton as interior secretary today is important to Nevada because the Department of Interior manages much of the federal land in the state.

Regent vows to stay open while renegotiating loans: Owners of the Regent Las Vegas hotel-casino are being allowed to renegotiate their debt financing and say the resort will stay open while operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Cheyenne advances to LV title game: After downing city rival Durango 78-67 in their first outing, the Desert Shields knocked off Arroyo Grande, Calif., 54-49 in overtime.

Joe Delaney remembers 1975: Prima, Smith, Butera at the Sahara: Joe Delaney remembers 1975: Prima, Smith, Butera at the Sahara

Copperfield's illusions packing them in at MGM Grand: Joe Delaney; David Copperfield's "Unknown Dimension," in the intimate MGM Grand Hollywood Theatre through New Year's Day, compresses an arena-styled show, produced to be performed in venues that have 12,000 capacity and more, into an incredible hour and 35 minutes.

Metro official awaits court date: Keith Paul; A Metro Police commander relieved of duty after a driving-under-the-influence arrest will have to serve at least two days in jail or do two days of community service if he is convicted of the charges.

Profit improves for Laughlin casino operator: Santa Fe reported a quarterly profit of $5.3 million or 85 cents per share vs. a loss in the 1999 quarter of $6.5 million or $1.04 per share. Revenue of $30 million was down slightly from $31 million in the year-ago period.

Health district armed with flu vaccine: The Clark County Health District has begun giving 20,000 doses of flu vaccine to seniors over 65 years old and those at medical risk from the virus, said Fran Courtney, director of nursing and clinic services.

Homeless man targeted in vicious attack: Keith Paul; They live on the edge of society and are faced daily with people who avoid eye contact. But sometimes the homeless are sought out -- by thugs looking for easy victims.

Where I Stand 1975 -- Hank Greenspun: Security guards' use of force inexcusable: Perhaps the most sordid spectacle of the recent heavyweight fight at the Las Vegas Convention Center was that of four armed security guards throwing a photographer of this newspaper from the ring following the Muhammad Ali-Ron Lyle fight.

Bankruptcies for December 29, 2000: Daniel Lee Brenton, also known as Truthwerks, 9450 Santa Fe Rose St., filed for Chapter 7, listing assets of $122,281 and liabilities of $199,706.

LV company's stock active on CEO comments: The stock, however, fell $1.53 to $20.22 this morning.

Medical marijuana group opposes limits: CARSON CITY -- The group that promoted and gained voter approval for marijuana to be distributed to treat illnesses in Nevada is upset by recommendations of a medical group that the use be limited to patients in research programs.

Sound Check -- Geoff Carter: Mama Zeus disc sets room on 'Fire': Stanley Kubrick filmed most of "Barry Lyndon" by candlelight. He worked with the Zeiss camera company to create special lenses that could capture the nuances of candlelight -- the flickering, gold wash of illumination that seems to make surfaces ripple. Take the coldest, florescent-lit room and light it with candles; it becomes a place to drink wine, relax or invoke romance.

Vegas firm accused of using competitor's name: In a Clark County District Court lawsuit, the Lawton Co. doing business as TLC Staffing sued T-N-T Temporary & Staffing Services LLC, alleging its employees used the tradename "TLC Staffing" to answer the phone and to market its services and temporary staff.

Datebook for December 29, 2000: The Off-Broadway Theater, 900 E. Karen Ave., presents "The Mind With the Dirty Man" at 8 p.m. today and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $16; $14 for seniors, students and the matinee performance. Call 737-0611.

New year to bring work on garage: Erin Neff; Las Vegas City Hall will welcome the new year with fences, cranes and construction vehicles.

Power firm cleans spill of fuel oil: Nevada Power Co. crews are finishing the cleanup of thousands of gallons of gooey fuel oil that spilled from a corroded storage tank at the Sunrise Generating Station east of Las Vegas.

Welfare computer system faces last fed test: CARSON CITY -- NOMADS, the trouble-plagued computer system for the state Welfare Division that is over budget and overdue, may soon be out of the U.S. government's doghouse.

High court rules against bondsmen: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court today rejected the appeal of a group of bail bonds companies in Las Vegas, which sought to recover $185,960 in filing fees, paid between 1991 and 1997 to the municipal court.

Regulators continue probe of Wynn's partner's finances: The state Gaming Control Board will take a close look at a Japanese businessman's dealings in Nevada in light of disclosures that he's been accused of tax evasion.

Holiday closings: Here's what's open and closed New Year's Day Monday (note: some entities open Sunday will be closed or are closing early:

Columnist Kate Maddox: 'Ocean' foes making waves: Kate Maddox; Getting Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis together for a faux-fight in "Ocean's 11" might be a riskier proposition than most would expect. The money-making powers behind the upcoming Vegas heist flick might want to rethink the dangers of getting these two powerhouses in the same state, much less the same ring.

Saturday's horse racing entries: Post Time 12:30 p.m.

Columnist Dean Juipe: If Bayno had seen this ...: Dean Juipe; Bill Bayno, having been fired Dec. 12, is in the process of disassociating himself from his former UNLV basketball team, but if he could see the Rebels now ...

Longtime surgeon Ernest Mack dies at 87: His longtime friend, Dr. John M. Davis, said Mack was the beginning of modern medicine in northern Nevada and the first trained neurosurgeon to come to the state in the 1940s.

NFL injury report: INDIANAPOLIS AT MIAMI -- Indianapolis: QUESTIONABLE: WR Jerome Pathon (calf). PROBABLE: LB Cornelius Bennett (hand); RB Jim Finn (shoulder); LB Dwight Hollier (shoulder); K Danny Kight (neck); TE Marcus Pollard (foot); DT Josh Williams (ankle). Miami: QUESTIONABLE: RB Rob Konrad (back); CB Terrance Shaw (knee); WR Leslie Shepherd (knee). PROBABLE: G Mark Dixon (elbow); WR Oronde Gadsden (hip); S Trent Gamble (shoulder); TE Hunter Goodwin (hip); C Tim Ruddy (quad); LB Twan Russell (ankle).

Letter: Fireworks bash gets panned: Won't we all have to answer for this waste of money, where dogs and cats get better treatment than humans?

Cab rats: 'Best of Taxicab Confessions' examines Las Vegas: There's the couple who have been picked up at something called the Red Rooster, regaling the driver with their naughty exploits of their long, sweaty evening (props are used, even, as visual aids).

A lesson in what not to say to Miller: Kirk Baird; Picking up the phone one afternoon recently and hearing a quiet, calm voice on the other end say, "Hi. It's Dennis Miller. I just received a fax saying you wanted an interview. Let's go."

Obituaries for December 29, 2000: Richard Maurice Austin, 54, of North Las Vegas died Wednesday. He was born Jan. 30, 1946, in Price, Utah. A resident for 31 years, he was a truck driver for a paving company and a member of Teamsters Local 631 for 30 years.

School scores profit in bowl: Steve Guiremand; Home sweet home.

Enjoy New Year's Eve, Vegas style: Lisa Ferguson and Kristen Peterson; So, what did you do last New Year's Eve?

The healing process goes on for Nevada rangelands: More than $24 million already has been budgeted for work, which is expected to cost more than $30 million.

Where I Stand -- Peter Menocal: A contrarian's view: Harsh debate was presented throughout the afternoon session of the "School Days" discussion of the Sun Youth Forum. Not so much over how many absent days should be allotted, yet much more over personal liberties and freedoms that the students have, or do not have, with their clothing, their speech, etc.

Columnist Lois Tarkanian: Garcia moves district in right direction: Lois Tarkanian; The first significant restructuring for Clark County Schools in almost two decades will be unveiled this spring and put into effect July 1 by Superintendent Carlos Garcia. The dearth of such actions nationally is commonplace in public schools because of the great difficulty in moving a monolithic bureaucracy through habits of past actions, myths and turf protection.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Northwest plays the name game: Condolences to the champions of "Grand Tetonopolis" and "Nuevo Mackadonia."

Authorities gear up for New Year's Eve revelers: A fireworks display is planned in Reno, where up to 50,000 people are expected. Last year, officials estimate 60,000 people swarmed the streets at the stroke of midnight.

Airline cuts five Las Vegas flights: Delta, the fourth-busiest airline at McCarran International Airport, plans to cut direct flights to and from Boston, New Orleans, Tampa and Orlando, Fla., and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to a spokeswoman for the Atlanta-based airline.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Santa Anita: 1st Race -- Denied - Draws good rail post for route opener, Nakatani on Baffert horse, should get the trip here. Signore Pasquale - Espinoza aboard Lukas horse for owner Thoroughbred Corporation, first time nasal strip. Value Play -- Bully's North

Lady Rebels take care of UNR: Victoria Sun; All the UNLV women's basketball team wanted was a little respect.

Editorial: Don't gut radiation standards: Bush's big contributors and other conservative soul mates also will want to look at many other regulations put in place during Clinton's entire eight years in office, along with those currently in the works but not yet finished. This development could bode ill for Nevada's fight against efforts to send high-level nuclear waste here. In light of the fact that the U.S. Department of Energy appears headed toward recommending that Yucca Mountain is suitable to store nuclear waste -- despite scientific evidence showing that it's unsafe -- the next battle likely will be over what safety standards must be met ...

Letter: Dog torturers got off easy: These were not children who perpetrated this vile act. These were all of an age that should have had some compassion on a poor animal.

Letter: Bush family should get ready for ridicule: I hope she doesn't think she can stand quietly in the background looking like a dowdy schoolmarm and get away with it. What was good for Hillary should be good enough for Laura -- the same criticism, disparaging remarks and personal attacks.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Bid the year adieu with pick of celebrities: Joe Delaney; As we say "goodbye" to 2000, there are some who feel that this was really the last year of the old millennium and that 2001 is really the first year of the new millennium ... Be that as it may, for those of you who wish to make a night of it on Saturday rather than Sunday, there are a number of one-night attractions including Gladys Knight (Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts) and Styx (Hard Rock).

Journey trades frontmen, but not trademark sound: Kirk Baird; Replacing a lead singer is often a dicey proposition for a band.

Harrah's executive named president of casino trade group: Since 1997, Wilmott has overseen six Harrah's properties: Harrah's Atlantic City, Showboat Atlantic City, Harrah's Joliet, Harrah's East Chicago, Harrah's Cherokee and Players Island Casino Metropolis.

Crowley leaves behind 23-year legacy at UNR: Sandra Chereb; Crowley, 67, steps down as UNR president Sunday after nearly 23 years in the job, a feat almost unheard of and rarely achieved in the hierarchy of higher academics.