Print edition for January 20, 2000

Letter: Bell's energy is misdirected: Usually, municipalities deal with packed jails and clogged legal systems by cutting deals. But, according to Mr. Bell, there won't be any deals for women arrested for sex-related crimes.

Prep wrestling standings: SUNRISE REGION

Las Vegas boys roll past Rancho: Spencer Patterson; The Las Vegas Wildcats are tired of hearing about the superiority of boys basketball on the west side of town.

Highly rated DE plans visit: Steve Guiremand; When it comes to producing college football prospects, few do it better than Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High School.

Point of honor: Steve Addy; The boo-birds, critics and one memorably anonymous detractor have all had their say about UNLV senior point guard Mark Dickel.

City pleased with own ambulance service: In November 1998, the city council approved a plan to allow the Las Vegas Fire Department to transport up to 10 percent of the calls within the city limits, with American Medical Response handling the rest.

Board expected to OK Las Vegas Wash plan: The Southern Nevada Water Authority Board was expected today to approve a comprehensive plan to save scarce desert wetlands that would help provide cleaner water to the Las Vegas Valley and improve a home for wildlife.

Ouster of Lieseke fails: Recall organizers needed the signatures of 2,391 county residents. Nye County Clerk Sam Merlino determined there were 1,664 signatures on the petition.

Editorial: No more delays on health care: President Clinton not only is going to fight again this year for passage of a patient's bill of rights, he also outlined on Wednesday an array of health care initiatives -- totaling $110 billion over 10 years -- that would benefit working families. The agenda is impressive, ranging from a reduction of those who are uninsured to providing tax credits that help offset expensive insurance polices. The part of the plan that would have the biggest impact on reducing the number of uninsured is a proposal to expand an existing federal program, which provides health insurance for children from families ...

Costco proposal knocked down: The council voted 7-0 to block the project.

Boys Bowling standings: SUNRISE REGION

Incumbents get an early start in fund-raising game: Adrienne Packer; Ten months before the general election, four Clark County Commission incumbents have already leaped ahead in the fund-raising game.

Cirque Work: Kirk Baird; If the Bard was right when he said all the world's a stage and we are merely players, then Patrick Berge should feel right at home.

Police headquarters badly need repairs: The department's 50-year-old building is plagued with problems caused by aging.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Mosely wants a shot at De La Hoya: Dean Juipe; Shane Mosley realizes the question is coming and he's ready for it, up to a point.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Shows must be in tip-top shape on opening night: Joe Delaney; Variety magazine, once the self-described "Bible of Show Business," set the rule on reviewing new shows early in this century. ... The show must be ready the first night it opens and charges full price for the performance. ... Notwithstanding the use of such terms as "preview" or "soft opening," it is subject to review.... This is the Sun's policy as well.

UNLV men's tennis team faces No. 1 UCLA: The Rebels, ranked 49th, begin an imposing three-match road trip at No. 1 UCLA Thursday. UNLV then faces 11th-ranked Southern California Friday and 21st-ranked Pepperdine on Saturday. The Rebels have never beaten any of the three teams.

Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Modern world is spinning way too fast: Ruthe Deskin; I have been thinking, and that could be trouble.

Weber leads at Orleans: Weber, of St. Ann, Mo., posted a 4-4 match play record and finished the round with his high game of 257. The bowling Hall of Famer, who won in Las Vegas in 1985, moved up two places into the top spot.

Tabish to stay in protective custody until trial: Rick Tabish has agreed to remain in protective custody at the Clark County Detention Center while he awaits his March 13 trial in Ted Binion's slaying, jail officials said today.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: MGM keeps tight lip on hockey deal: By now, I was hoping the real reason the MGM Grand decided to bail on hosting an International Hockey League franchise for the 2000-01 season might surface.

Citizen Review Board a go: The city will pay nearly $57,000 of the projected annual cost, with Clark County paying $77,000.

Phillips aims to play spoiler against Forrest: Dean Juipe; Vince Phillips is shrewd enough to recognize the obvious.

Casino approval will test state law: Wednesday's vote was the first challenge of a 1997 state law designed to block proliferation of neighborhood casinos. The measure became law last year. Attorneys representing opponents of the project said they would appeal the commission's decision within 10 days.

NASCAR preview: Jarrett looks for repeat: Joe Macenka; The magnitude of winning the 1999 Winston Cup championship didn't really hit Dale Jarrett until almost two months later, while he was relaxing at home with his wife and watching golf on television.

NASCAR puts in new shock rule: Mike Harris; Moments after Joe Nemechek won the Winston 500 pole at Talladega Superspeedway, he walked into the media center looking a little shaken up.

Silver Bandits win 10th straight: The win was the IBL-best 10th in a row for Las Vegas while the Stuff suffered its first loss at home this season. Las Vegas became the first team to beat Cincinnati twice this season.

Air show ignites scuttlebutt of battle over great blue yonder: Adrienne Packer; There might be a military battle brewing in the skies above Clark County, but officials at Nellis Air Force Base hardly see it as a threat.

Columnist Spencer Patterson: CCSN baseball squad nabs area players: Spencer Patterson; Opening day is still two weeks away for the Community College of Southern Nevada's first-year baseball team, but already the Coyotes have cause for celebration.

Sun Girls Basketball Poll: Teams ranked jointly by the Las Vegas Sun and the Daily Sparks Tribune.

Community news briefs for January 20, 2000: UNLV's Division of Continuing Education is holding an education fair and Spring 2000 Fashions show in the food court of the Galleria at Sunset mall from noon-3 p.m. Saturday.

Outcall operator ruled competent: U.S. District Judge Philip Pro had ordered the mental examination last November for Christiano DeCarlo.

Tahoe ski resorts planning $750 million in improvements: Most of the changes are aimed at creating village-like atmospheres that broaden the resorts offerings and appeal more to travelers looking for deluxe accommodations, shopping, dining and entertainment.

Letter: Judges need to be licensed to practice law: Personally I think this is outrageous, and would hope that the Bar would insist that judges, be they pro tem or visiting, in a township of 250,000 or larger, have a formal legal education. The stakes are too high to trust the administration of justice to amateurs.

Sun Boys Basketball Poll: Teams ranked jointly by the Las Vegas Sun and the Daily Sparks Tribune.

'Media' partners food, fund-raising: All proceeds will go toward the group's goal: to eliminate the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable pets.

Columnist Paula DelGiudice: New gizmos debut at SHOT Show: Paula DelGiudice; Thousands of retailers, manufacturers, distributors, manufacturers' representatives and members of the outdoors press descended upon Las Vegas last weekend for the 22nd annual Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show and Conference. Sponsored each year by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the SHOT Show is the "granddaddy" of shows for those in the outdoors trade.

Another exec quits ambulance firm: Adrienne Packer; The turnstile continued to spin at Rural/Metro Corp.'s administrative office Wednesday when its executive vice president resigned only nine days after the company lost its chief executive officer.

Lady Rebels visit Air Force: The Lady Rebels (8-7, 0-2) opened their first season in the MWC with home losses last week to BYU and Utah. Air Force (3-11, 0-1) has lost seven straight games, including a 72-53 MWC defeat at home to New Mexico.

Letter: Pay attention to all candidates: One would think that the list of presidential hopefuls was limited to just two candidates in each of the major parties. Virtually no coverage has been noted for Sen. Orrin Hatch's campaign, or to other candidates involved in the current series of television debates.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: A view from inside out: When traveling out of country my most solid and complete form of news has become television and a limited number of international newspapers and magazines. This is true, unless I'm in the vicinity of a U.S. military base, where the Stars and Stripes newspaper is available. This was the case last week in Korea and the content of the newspaper was both complete and refreshing.

Woman petitions parole board to keep her daughter's killer in prison: "I'm not a quitter," said Carol Nicoletti, who has collected more than 10,000 signatures this time. "This is personal for me. This is No. 1 in my life."

Public health efforts helped by Mammovan: Providing mammograms, clinical breast exams, pap smears, cancer screening and other vital health services, the van will target people without health insurance who live in poor urban neighborhoods and across Nevadas vast rural regions. It will be based in Las Vegas for six months during the winter and in the Reno-Carson area the remainder of the year.

Casino-funded arena set for August opening: TUNICA, Miss. -- A new $20 million arena, paid for almost entirely by casino dollars, is set to open in August.

Profit reports mixed: The Minneapolis-based bank warned last month that profit wouldn't meet its expectations after consumer lending slumped and higher interest rates made it difficult to boost profit from loans. It said fourth-quarter earnings per share would be 52 cents to 54 cents, missing the average analyst estimate at the time of 59 cents.

Pioneering Clark County Clerk Reed dies at 99: When Helen Scott Reed was appointed Clark County clerk in 1948, she was in charge of an elections department that, when necessary, used garages and chicken coops for polling places.

Obituaries for January 20, 2000: Roscoe E. Bahret, 43, of Pahrump died Tuesday in a local hospice. He was born June 22, 1956, in Onaga, Kan. A resident for five years, he was a retired Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who served from 1974 to 94.

Homebuilder misses profit expectation, reports decline in orders: The earnings fell below the mean estimate of 82 cents per share of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research Inc.

Parties in litigation over 'Vegas Connection' movie: Grace Leong; Las Vegas Entertainment Corp. sued three California film producers in a dispute over rights to a film script, which it alleged the producers plagiarized to make an as-yet unreleased motion picture called "The Vegas Connection."

Bankruptcy ties up pay for former workers at gold mine: The mined closed because of poor quality ore and a continued slump in gold prices. The miners' pay is tied up in bankruptcy court. Mineral Ridge Resources reports nearly $14.7 million in debt.

Trash haul: Erin Neff; The give and take between Silver State Disposal Services and the city of Las Vegas continued Wednesday with one councilman doing all of the taking.

More people may be prompting expensive changes in Legislature: CARSON CITY -- Expanding Nevada's 63-member Legislature to its full size of 75 could cost $1 million in a two-year period.

Slain man's family members see video of shooting by officer: Keith Paul; Three of Emilio Rodriguez's family members watched surveillance video this morning that showed the shooting of the would-be robber on Dec. 5 at Mr. D's sports bar as a coroner's inquest into the actions of the off-duty Metro Police officer who killed Rodriguez began.

Emergency funds sought for census: CARSON CITY -- Secretary of State Dean Heller said Wednesday $788,400 in emergency state funds would be sought to bolster Nevada's effort to make sure everyone is counted in the 2000 Census.

Mysteries of Megabucks unraveled: Gary Thompson; I know where Megabucks is going to hit.

Plans for downtown office building approved: Erin Neff; Denying that it was a sweetheart deal for the developer, the Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday approved plans for a downtown office building.

North Las Vegas City Council OKs salary increases: Diana Sahagun; After an intense and heated public forum of angry residents, the North Las Vegas City Council approved an ordinance Wednesday night that will increase future mayor and City Council salaries by $16,000 annually.

Threat of bomb stirs City Hall: Twenty minutes later the cause of their scrambling to and fro was revealed by City Manager Virginia Valentine, who asked the council to recess because of a bomb threat.

Fire Dept. medical transport stacks up: Erin Neff; An anticipated study of the Las Vegas Fire Department's fledgling medical transport business could pave the way toward the program's expansion.

LV prices rise again: The bank, which tracks local prices, said they fell for transportation and groceries.

Man shot by Reno police was prison camp escapee: Lopez was shot in the chest on Monday after he led police on a chase in a stolen car and waved a gun at police. Police said he then shot himself in the head.

If the clouds behave, lunar eclipse will be visible tonight: The nearly full moon is scheduled to rise just after sunset, and by 6 p.m. the eclipse will start with a shadow beginning to move across the lunar surface, Community College of Southern Nevada Planetarium Assistant Deborah Bazar said.

Pimp receives 5 1/2 years in federal prison: Kim Smith; A Las Vegas pimp who traveled across several state lines with an underage prostitute was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison Thursday.

Plea deal may fall apart in outcall case: Kim Smith; When four men charged in intimidating competition in the outcall service industry entered a plea agreement in August, they did so to avoid a trial and to get a break on their sentences.

Police citizens review board gets OK: Erin Neff; After years of political struggle, a proposed citizens review board of Metro Police cleared its final bureaucratic hurdle Wednesday.

Council names new officers, directors: The council elected Carol O'Hare, executive director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, to a one-year term as executive vice president of the national council. Elected to a three-year term on the board was William Eadington, director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada-Reno.

Former governor named to IGT board: Miller, a Las Vegas attorney, replaces Claudine Williams, who retired from IGT's board Jan. 14. IGT will have another vacancy on its board in March, when Warren Nelson retires.

News briefs: CARSON CITY -- District Judge Sally Loehrer Wednesday sentenced Brian Crawford, 46, of Las Vegas to one year in the county jail for his part in an illegal telemarketing scheme that targeted elderly people.

LV company reports profitable quarter: Acres reported net income of $420,000, or 5 cents per share, for the quarter ending Dec. 31. That's up from a net loss of $2.1 million, or 24 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.

Weather experts gather at Tahoe: "This will impact the Lake Tahoe and Reno areas in how we look at the storms coming in," said Steve Brown, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service's Reno office.

Girls Basketball standings: SUNRISE REGION

Friday at Santa Anita: 1st race 1 mi 4 YO Clm: 1 De Witt (Ramsammy) 117; 2 Before and After (Jr) 117; 3 Reno Hightower (Desormeaux) 117; 4 Hyrah (Nakatani) 117; 5 Roncesvalles (Solis) 117; 6 Hurricane's Eye (Martinez) 115; 7 Prized Demon (Espinoza) 117; 8 Royal Falls (Black) 117.

Girls Bowling standings: SUNRISE REGION

Girls Soccer standings: SUNRISE REGION

Attorney says Strohmeyer uncertain what happened: Robert Macy; A judge has ruled that Strohmeyer can testify regarding his claim that he was bullied by his former defense attorney, Leslie Abramson, into pleading guilty in the May 1997 slaying of Sherrice Iverson.

Rebels erect shovel monument as symbol in battle with Forest Service: Scott Sonner; RENO, Nev. - A state assemblyman and others protesting the Forest Service's refusal to reopen a road on a national forest in a remote part of Nevada have erected a monument to their cause - a 30-foot tall shovel in front of the Elko County courthouse.

Guinn says NOMADS will be reexamined after certification: "My number one focus now is getting it certified so we don't have to return money to the federal government," he said Wednesday. "But after that, we've got to work to make sure our system is more simple to use, more palatable to the counties."

Nevada senator prepares plan to protect pioneer trails, desert: Scott Sonner; RENO, Nev. - A plan is being developed to extend federal protection to 600,000 acres of historic pioneer trail corridors in northwest Nevada and parts of nearly two dozen wilderness study areas in the High Rock Canyon and Black Rock Desert.

Gov to state execs: Unified goals, no pie-in-sky budget requests: Brendan Riley; CARSON CITY - Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn told state executives Thursday he wants a unified, defensible budget plan to take to the 2001 Legislature - and that means no pie-in-the-sky agency requests.

Legislators persuaded to spend money for accurate census: He urged the Legislature's Committee on Reapportionment and Redistricting to allocate $788,000 on a campaign to induce all Nevadans to submit to the census count in April.

Friday at Aqueduct: 1st race 6 fur 4YO & up F & M Mdn Clm: 1 Diablos Lyric Lady (Gutierrez) 114; 2 a-Kipperella (Arroyo) 116; 3 Perfectlydelicious (Gryder) 121; 4 Mountain Hideaway (Castillo) 121; 5 Beaux Belle (Perez) 114; 6 Clara M. D. (Montalvo) 116; 7 a-Blue Splender (Castillo) 121; 8 Margin for Error (Rocco) 116; 9 Madison's Dream (Beckner) 121.

County coroner stands behind Binion autopsy: Clark County Coroner Ron Flud said Wednesday he stands behind disputed autopsy findings that Ted Binion died of fatal doses of heroin and the prescription sedative Xanax.

State Supreme Court suspends Las Vegas lawyer Stuhff for 60 days: CARSON CITY -- Michael Stuhff, a Las Vegas attorney who had seven prior reprimands for questionable behavior, was ordered suspended today by the Nevada Supreme Court for 60 days.

Friday at Bay Meadows: 1st race 1 mi 4YO & up F & M Clm: 1 Solough (Castanon) 117; 2 Hello Lila (Campbell) 117; 3 Shirley Valentine (Tohill) 117; 4a Screamin Cielo (Delgadillo) 117; 5 Deans Tech (Mercado) 117; 6 Mergele (Miranda) 110; 7a Trendy Cielo (Arriaga) 117.

Sizzling LV economy to produce a record 50,000 home sales: Phil Levine; Las Vegas' residential market enters the new millennium riding a wave of consumer demand that has yet to crest.

Spring Valley casino OK'd: Clark County Commissioners approved a controversial zoning change Wednesday to allow a casino in Spring Valley -- one vehemently opposed by nearby residents.

State to overhaul tow truck rules: Your car is disabled on a lonely road outside of town and you've called a tow truck.

LV to exceed allotment from Colorado River for first time: For the first time, the Las Vegas Valley is expected to use its full share of water from the Colorado River -- and then some.

Las Vegas Council briefs: Here is how the Las Vegas City Council voted Wednesday to spend taxpayer money:

Business briefs: IBM's stock price soared this morning after the big computer maker reported a fourth-quarter profit that easily beat Wall Street forecasts, as lower expenses helped offset the impact of slower computer sales to corporations.

Horseshoe retires $1 million display: David Strow; Charles Manson and his followers once mugged for the camera in front of it. Another man stripped naked and waited for the word "cheese."

Summerlin developer: Timing right for high-end community: Phil Levine; Bill Bone's 12-step program for real estate success may appear simple, but he says it was more than three decades in the making.

MGM Grand reports record quarterly profit: Gary Thompson; Strong performances at all of its properties propelled MGM Grand Inc. of Las Vegas to another record quarter, the fifth in a row its earnings exceeded analysts' expectations.

Sonic building 9 restaurants in Las Vegas: Phil Levine; Las Vegas fast food fans will soon have twice as many Sonic Drive-Ins to choose from.

Pattern investigated in prostitute's death: Keith Paul; Metro Police detectives talked with prostitutes and reviewed past sexual assault cases in search of a possible link to a Las Vegas man who was found with a dead naked woman in his kitchen.

Long run by hoteliers, Caesars' casino management reinforced: In fact, say Park Place officials, only a handful of Caesars executives have been let go since Park Place closed on its acquisition of Caesars World Inc. last month.

IGT profit bolstered by WMS settlement: David Strow; International Game Technology reported a big jump in quarterly earnings today -- but that growth was driven entirely by a $27 million legal settlement reached with competitor WMS Gaming Inc. in a patent infringement lawsuit.

Superintendent-search meeting postponed: The Clark County School District's Committee on Superintendent Selection Process instead will meet 8:30 a.m. Jan. 31 at the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce conference room at 3720 Howard Hughes Parkway.