Print edition for January 3, 2000

Cops: Alcohol a factor in crashes: Kristen Peterson and Jace Radke; The accident that killed an Arizona man and critically injured two California college students was one of three fatal crashes in the first hours of the new year.

Pioneer Nevada physician Sylvain dies at 90: As Dr. Gerald Sylvain was on life support systems at the University Medical Center last week, an internist resident saw his name written on a nurse's station board.

New Hampshire fans ring in new year with Rod Stewart: Aaron Mayes; Each of us will remember this New Year's celebration differently. Some will remember their quiet evening at home, while others their several-day hangover. But for Tom and Sandy Fyfe of Bedford, N.H., the turn of the millennium will be remembered simply as the night they came to Las Vegas for a paper cup full of wine.

New Year's Eve was a full day for Mr. Las Vegas: By John Katsilometes; I'm riding shotgun with my new very good friend, Wayne Newton, in a shiny black Rolls-Royce with the initials "W.N." painted in small letters on each door. We're screeching along Industrial Road, late for an interview with tiny broadcast journalism superstar Connie Chung at the Bellagio.

Obituaries for January 3, 2000: Livia "Libby" Deshon, 63, of North Las Vegas died Saturday in a local hospital. She was born July 11, 1936, in Fall River, Mass. A resident for nine years, she was a homemaker.

An elevator causes Bette Midler to rise above stage during her

Midler divine for her globe-hopping followers: By Jerry Fink; "The Divine Miss Millennium" was the best "Bette" for concert entertainment in Las Vegas as the year-decade-century-millennium drew to a close.

Sun reporter one of the luckiest people to sing along with Barbra: People.

Slots at convenience stores idle: Phil Levine; Hot dogs, ice, beer, champagne, cameras and condoms were the big sellers New Year's Eve at Las Vegas convenience stores.

Southern Nevada banks, utilities deliver on Y2K promises of no glitches: Banks didn't run out of money and ATM machines worked. Utilities provided uninterrupted electricity, natural gas, phone and water service.

Partying prevailed over gambling -- temporarily: David Strow; Was the first night of the Year 2000 a bust at Strip casinos?

Bowden has eye on perfection: Steve Guiremand; NEW ORLEANS -- He has won 303 games.

Millennial moments: Twenty-seven Sun reporters contributed to this report.

Rout of the century: Victoria Sun; CINCINNATI -- The Sunday afternoon game between UNLV and No. 3 Cincinnati was barely three minutes and 13 seconds old when it started getting really old for the Bearcats.

Ex-Chaparral star hopes to capture crown with Hokies: Steve Guiremand; NEW ORLEANS -- Daniel Nihipali already has his plane ticket to Las Vegas.

Pacific storms back to edge Lady Rebels: UNLV opened the second half with an 8-2 run to take a 39-33 lead. Pacific tied the game at 48-48 with 8:48 left and neither team led by more than two until Pacific held a four-point advantage at the end.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: World's best handicappers to battle for title at MGM: Ralph Siraco; When it comes to gaming, Las Vegas is always looked upon as the benchmark for the best, the biggest, the most and the greatest of anything in the business. It has always been the place for innovation and re-invention of the industry.

Kitchen crew marches out a meal for the millennium: "I brought a pillow and blanket just in case I have to sleep in my car," Mary Bergin, Spago pastry chef, says as she punches holes in tiny eclairs that soon will be filled with maple cream.

Dancer kick-starts 2000: Terry Webster; Behind the curtain, the stage is black and silent on the eve of the new century.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Rebels flop in spite of precautions: Dean Juipe; Citing Y2K concerns, Bill Bayno had his UNLV men's basketball team fly to Cincinnati last Thursday in advance of the new year and well in advance of Sunday's game with the third-ranked Bearcats.

Dial File -- Steve Bornfeld: The Media outclassed by The Moment: The arrival of 2000 was too mystical for television to completely wrap its trivializing tentacles around. Defiantly, 2000 transcended TV, like a fistful of sand that slips, a few grains at a time, out of your fist, no matter how tightly clenched.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Countdown to the new millennium: Joe Delaney; Wednesday evening's highlight was the annual "Kennedy Center Honors" telecast saluting Sean Connery, Victor Borge, Joyce Jamison, Jason Robards and Stevie Wonder. ... Smokey Robinson's song, eloquently understated, followed by Diane Schuur's bravura turn dedicated to Wonder was the program high spot. ... Connery's brief highland fling dancing to the bagpipe band came in a close second.

Short on bathrooms but long on drunks and bloody noses: Kim Smith; As the last hours of the 20th century wound down Friday night, people on the Las Vegas Strip seemed to have just one question on their minds.

Police kept tight rein on crowd of 300,000: Keith Paul and Jace Radke; Depending on where they were stationed, Metro Police and emergency personnel on New Year's Eve either had a quiet night or a fairly busy one.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: For many, New Year's means work: What did you do New Year's Eve? Buck the crowds on the Strip and downtown? Party at home or at a friend's house? Go to bed early and say the heck to it all? The choice was yours. Not so for many Las Vegans. The unsung heroes of any holiday are those who keep our town going no matter what, but especially so when it heralds the advent of a new millennium.

Kissing goodbye to the old millennium: Martin Kuz; Forget wheezy party favors and bombastic toasts about the promise of the 21st century. Dennis Kotlar and Joy Navarrete greeted the new millennium in quieter style when the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve.

Miles from Strip glitz, old casino's regulars celebrate: Erin Neff; In other time zones the new century was welcomed with fireworks, concerts and a mindful eye out for signs of computer glitches.

Goodbye, Kemo Sabe: A tribute to Clayton Moore: -- voice-over opening of the "Lone Ranger" television show, spoken with the "William Tell Overture" playing in the background.

Columnist Kate Maddox: 'Puffy' goes poof, so does Chung in LV: Kate Maddox; The Las Vegas millennium celebration turned out to be a much quieter affair than anyone imagined it would be, despite precautions taken by local hotels such as Caesars, which erected a fence around their property, and the Mirage, which greased the trees out front in order to discourage climbers. And most of the celebrities to hit the Strip were headliners at their own shows, or were already in town working on other projects.

Letter: Woman has only praise for cops: Throughout the whole episode I was treated with courtesy and respect. Hats off to the North Las Vegas Police Department!

Letter: People redefined term 'millennium': KARA SARTORI

Letter: WWII vet shares skepticism of pols: Some of us old-timers are not so monetarily set as others. We sure could use a boost. Let's not forget there is an election coming up. Perhaps it's time we found some new candidates for office since the ones that are in office care only about the money they can earn, steal or finagle from the offices they now hold.

Letter: Not-so-stressed train travel deserves look: I've been there, done that and a stress-free, leisurely train ride sounds great to me. Let's go for it!

Editorial: Ushering in a calm new year: But as midnight came and went around the globe, the most remarkable thing was how unremarkable the day was when it came to the twin fears of technology and terrorism. Aside from a few minor glitches with Y2K computer bugs, the day went smoothly, including no acts of terrorism. Meanwhile in Las Vegas, which in the past has seen revelers become unruly on New Year's, it was a relatively peaceful night (one tragedy did occur, though, when a former Stanford University wrestler fell to his death after climbing a light pole on the Strip).

Cincinnati beats UNLV, 106-66: Victoria Sun; The 11-year coach of the Bearcats is known for working the sidelines the entire game, barking at the referees and his players without mercy.

Old Farmer says snow for Nevada: The current edition of the venerable publication predicts temperatures that will put Las Vegas 5 degrees below normal this month, 7 below normal next month and 3 below in March.

Former justice rekindles feud with old high court rival: Springer asked the high court to "redress the injustice and unequal treatment" by either giving him extra back pay or recovering the added amount paid to Young.

Threat of Y2K glitches doesn't faze Streisand fans: Kimberley McGee; The lack of New Year's Eve fireworks on the Strip didn't much matter to the thousands of fans at the Barbra Streisand concert.

Megabucks jackpot reaches a record: If the Megabucks slot jackpot were hit today, it would be the largest in history. Here are the top Megabucks jackpots, who hit them, when and where:

Norcross, Ga., woman comes forward with winning ticket for $46 million: "I didn't believe it," Mrs. Lowry said. "I took a lot of deep breaths. The first thing I did was call my daughter, who thought I was pulling her leg."

Electrocution blamed in death of man on Las Vegas Strip: Robert Macy; Tod Surmon, 26, of Menlo Park, Calif., fell and landed on his head after climbing a light pole and grabbing an electrical wire, witnesses told police. He died at the scene as revelers were counting down to the new year.

Despite negative projections from Wall Street, gambling stocks soar: The Chicago Board Options Exchange gaming index, known as the GAX, ended the year at 252.45, a 51.4 percent increase from 166.73 on Dec. 31, 1998.

Reno Arch site of renion for two: "People kept saying, 'Oh, you're wasting your time. No one will show up," said Robinson, a Reno native who lives in Quartz Hill, Calif.

New Frontier to be imploded this summer: Two years after spending $165 million to acquire the aging, 1,000-room hotel-casino, Ruffin has decided to raze the structure and replace it with a sparkling new property called "City by the Bay."

Infant saved by deputy's quick response: Wilcox responded to a 911 hang-up call at the parents' house in the Toll Road-Geiger Grade area south of here.

Drawing won by Ormsby House general manager: "I don't remember ever winning something like that," the former Nevada lieutenant governor said.

15-year-old British skier hits tree, dies: The sheriff's office said the girl was not wearing a helmet. Heavenly is the same resort where entertainer-turned U.S. Congressman Sonny Bono died two years ago Monday when he, too, crashed into a tree.

Floods, snow top Nevada weather lists: The lists covered two areas. Las Vegas meteorologists picked 12 of the most significant weather phenomena in southern Nevada and the Mojave Desert during the past 100 years. Seven flash floods, four major snowstorms and a tornado near Kingman, Ariz., made the list, which didn't attempt to rank the events.

Nearly a century of family ownership ends in Elko: "Our family has been associated with the Free Press for nearly a century and the decision to sell was not easy. One of the toughest obstacles for us was to find a company that we felt would treat our employees fairly and also carry on the well-established traditions of the Elko Daily Free Press," the brothers said on Friday.

Tribes begin payments to state of Wisconsin: Acting state Administration Secretary George Lightbourn, the official responsible for monitoring whether specific tribes met the year-end deadline for the first payments, said all first installments were submitted.

Plastic bottle plant sets February opening: The company paid $10 million for the 300,000-square-foot industrial building that was formerly occupied by Big O Tires.

Official: Public should not fret over delay in electric competition: CARSON CITY -- A state consumer advocate says the general public won't be harmed if Nevada doesn't make its suggested target date of March 1 to begin competition among electric companies.

Television special looks at Venetian: The program is scheduled to air tonight at 8 p.m. on cable channel 25 and be repeated Sunday.

Suit challenges Rainforest Cafe takeover: Rainforest said the suit alleges the company didn't meet its fiduciary obligations in considering the merger.

Venetian whistleblower files new libel lawsuits: Prendeville, a former procurement manager for Bovis, is seeking more than $35 million in damages each from Arthur Silverman, an outside attorney the lawsuit identified as Bovis' secretary; and Mark Melson, the company's executive vice president and general counsel.

Suit filed over Harmon mortgage scandal; another threatened over Interstate takeover: Phil Levine; Las Vegas attorney John Netzorg, representing several investors of insolvent Interstate Mortgage Group Inc., plans to file a lawsuit this week against state regulators accusing them of mishandling the matter.

Park Place expanding AC property: The company plans to begin construction within a month on a $25 million expansion of its Wild Wild West Casino on a prime parcel of land that had gone undeveloped in a high-stakes game of Monopoly between the two former rivals.

School Board to resume search for new chief: Terry Webster; Clark County School Board members say they are ready to resume the task of looking for a new superintendent, and they'll start with a Wednesday meeting to discuss the past search and the upcoming one.

Judge rekindles feud with old rival: CARSON CITY -- An old feud on the Nevada Supreme Court has been rekindled with the filing of a lawsuit by former Chief Justice Charles Springer, claiming his pay was shortchanged in his last two years in office.

Strohmeyer now blames Iverson murder on buddy Cash: Bill Gang; Although Jeremy Strohmeyer pleaded guilty to raping and murdering a 7-year-old girl in a Primm casino restroom, newly filed court documents seeking to set aside that plea allege that he didn't do it.

$28 million Megabucks breaks record: A new year, a new century, a new millennium, a new world-record slot jackpot.

Drive targets same-sex marriages: CARSON CITY -- A proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages will kick off the political year in Nevada.

Henderson hits for 29 in Silver Bandits' win: The win was the third in a row for Las Vegas, which has won five of its last eight games. Henderson has led the Silver Bandits in scoring in nine of the last 16 games.

Highway 'angels' instrumental in saving pair: There must have been angels on the highway.

Propane blast: Jace Radke; The manager of a Las Vegas apartment complex sparked a massive explosion Sunday night when he tried to repair a propane tank valve while smoking a cigar.

Where was the party?: Welcome to the new millennium -- just 362 days away.

Binion's family pleased about expected end of exhumation efforts: Those who were close to Ted Binion said today they're pleased that lawyers for one of his accused killers likely will drop efforts to exhume the gambling figure's body.

Phone strike threat postponed: Sprint Corp. reached tentative 3-year contract agreements with union locals in five states but failed to reach agreement with a Florida local by a midnight strike deadline, the company said late Thursday.

LV call center in merger; growth eyed: Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Homicide at hotel first in new year: Jace Radke and Keith Paul; Orleans hotel-casino workers found the body of a 32-year-old Las Vegas man Sunday after the man's friend called the hotel asking them to check on him because the two had fought inside the room.

Sugar Bowl notes: Rebel captains lend a hand in New Orleans: Steve Guiremand; NEW ORLEANS -- UNLV football captains Len Ware and Andre Hilliard came up short this season in trying to attain their goal of playing in a bowl game. But the two seniors got a pretty fair consolation prize.

Jurors left no doubt in intruder's killing: Bill Gang; Thomas Gaule, who was exonerated in the shooting death of one intruder in his home, will be sentenced March 6 after being convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the death of a second intruder whose body was found 500 feet from Gaule's house.

Local news briefs for January 3, 2000: Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., left Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., this morning for a trip to eight African nations: Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Botswana, South Africa and Namibia.

7 LV-area contractors lose licenses: Phil Levin; The Nevada State Contractors Board last month revoked 10 licences from seven Southern Nevada companies.

Nevada's 20th century economy a tale of water, mining, casinos: David Strow; When Nevada entered the 20th century, the state was in the throes of a 20-year depression, with barely enough people to qualify it as a state at all.

Upcoming business events for January 3, 2000: Small business loans -- Nevada MicroEnterprise Initiative loan information sessions and business plan workshops. Ongoing. 734-3555.

450 ring in New Year with candlelight protest: Jace Radke; Instead of being lost in the seas of people on Las Vegas Boulevard and being around the drunken fights and riot gear clad Metro Police, about 450 people chose to participate in a peaceful candlelight walk to protest nuclear weapons.

State faces new computer challenge: CARSON CITY -- The state computer system survived the weekend with no Y2K disruptions, but the real test will come this week as state workers return to their jobs.

Mayor apologizes for jest following fatal accident: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman apologized Sunday for comments he had made on local television early Saturday morning chiding revelers who climbed light poles on the Strip minutes after one of those climbers fell to his death.

1999 proves to be a watershed year for Las Vegas gaming industry: Gary Thompson; Tourist traffic

Community news briefs for January 3, 2000: Carpet Barn Inc., a Las Vegas based floor covering retailer, donated two carloads of diapers, shoes and clothing to the Shade Tree shelter this month, filling most of the items on the shelter's wish list.

High-tech crime target of new board: CARSON CITY -- One of Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa's priorities in the new year will be establishing a structure to fight high-tech crime.