Print edition for January 25, 2000

AgriBioTech financial woes lead to filing for bankruptcy: Phil Levine; Henderson-based AgriBioTech Inc. said Monday it intends to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week as part of a restructuring effort.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Fighting for the 'transit dependent': There are reasons people don't like listening to Robert Kachur.

LV sign company sold to competitor: Phil Levine; The lights will soon dim for the last time at Las Vegas-based Larsen Electric Sign Co.

Charges fly over Nevada Power rate hike: David Strow; Nevada Power Co. began its quest Monday to convince Nevada regulators it needs a $110 million rate hike -- but immediately ran into fire from parties arguing the company is making more than enough already.

Station takes big writeoff, plans Texas Station expansion: David Strow; Station Casinos Inc. today announced plans to launch a $55 million expansion of Texas Station -- but saw a record fourth-quarter masked by nearly $140 million in write-offs.

Casino operator, Rainforest cancel merger: The companies said last month they'd agreed to merge, with Rainforest holders getting 0.55 share of Lakes Gaming stock for each Rainforest share. Eleven days ago, Rainforest said it had received an unsolicited $125 million cash and stock offer from an unidentified publicly traded company.

Gaming, lodging, leisure summit set for Las Vegas: Adelson, keynote speaker for the event expected to draw hundreds of gaming and leisure executives and investors, is scheduled to describe his strategy for developing the Venetian into one of the world's leading convention destinations.

Reid to introduce alternative to college betting ban: Nevada's two senators acknowledged Monday that the state faces an uphill battle against the National Collegiate Athletic Association's push to ban betting on college sports.

Up for the count: City, county, state and federal employees are gearing up for the big count: Census 2000.

Interim superintendents wave of future: Terry Webster; National experts say the Clark County School District is not alone in its struggle to find a new superintendent.

K.C. seeks uses for casino fund: KANSAS CITY -- The Kansas City Port Authority discovered it has more than $400,000 in a fund to help combat compulsive gambling and is trying to figure out the best way to use the money.

Binion change of venue sought: Defense attorneys for Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish filed papers late Monday seeking to move the Ted Binion murder trial outside Las Vegas because of the "enormous" publicity in the case.

Burglary suspect dies from knife wound: The 25-year-old man apparently pushed his way into an apartment in the 300 block of East Harmon Avenue about 10 p.m. Monday. A 26-year-old male resident struggled with the intruder. The intruder dropped the knife during the struggle and the resident was able to pick it up, police said.

Southwest suit says it was misled by ONEOK: David Strow; Las Vegas-based Southwest Gas Corp. is accusing former merger partner ONEOK Inc. of regulatory manipulation in Arizona -- and is demanding hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in compensation.

Mirage earnings report drags down stocks: Gary Thompson; Stock hits

Casino operator offers Internet wagering: The system, which will be accessible only within the state of Nevada, will be submitted to the Nevada Gaming Control Board for approval in February, said Virtgame.com. It is expected to begin operating by summer.

Nevadans react to campaign contributions ruling: That's a reduction for statewide races, in which candidates previously could accept as much as $20,000 from individuals and $40,000 from corporations.

Two sentenced in Mustang Ranch brothel racketeering case: Olcese pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme that prosecutors said shipped more than $4 million from the brothel out of the country without being taxed.

Storm's punch puts padding on Sierra snowpack: Sandra Chereb; RENO, Nev. - A powerful winter storm that dumped up to 7 feet of snow in the Sierra did wonders for the snowpack that provides water for the thirsty valleys of California and northern Nevada.

Per-share profit falls on investments: NEW YORK -- AT&T's earnings per share declined as expected in the fourth quarter despite rising revenues, as the company continued to invest heavily in its strategy to use cable TV lines for telephone and Web service.

Crazy Like a Foxx: Kirk Baird; Who: Jamie Foxx.

Soesbe hopes tough schedule pays dividends later in year: Rod Soesbe is facing perhaps his biggest rebuilding project in his four years as head baseball coach at UNLV.

Editorial: Tapping steam for power use: Richardson hopes to spark geothermal's development with $4.8 million in federal funds to be used by six Western states, including Nevada, for technical assistance to support the testing and design of new geothermal technologies. California is the leader in geothermal energy use, but Nevada's potential could be even greater. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., even goes as far to say that this state could become the "Saudi Arabia" of geothermal energy. Along with companies in Nevada, firms in California, Texas, Utah, Idaho and North Dakota also will receive federal grants to conduct more research.

Letter: School district needs new leaders: My opinion of Assemblywoman Sandra Tiffany is that she is grandstanding and, like so many politicians in Henderson, is on the bandwagon for making Henderson the largest city in the state. Beware, these tactics will eventually cost you -- the taxpayer -- a bundle.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Football team must raise the roof -- literally: Stop it already.

Seek to keep key witness in custody: Robert Macy; A pregnant outcall service dancer who is a key witness in a supermarket slaying rampage should remain in custody until she can testify at the murder trial, a prosecutor contends.

Corrections: Corrections

Winter storm pummels Sierra with heavy snow: Sandra Chereb; Chains or snow tires were required on all mountain passes, including Interstate 80 over Donner Summit.

Letter: Alien, immigrant: terms that are often misused: I would like to aid you in correct legal immigration terms as they relate to aliens and immigrants. Please don't take offense. I am trying to be of help.

Nevada to get revamped driver's education pamphlets: The 20-page booklet titled "Driving for Your Life -- A Guide for Students, Parents and Teachers" includes real stories from parents who lost children to car accidents in which a teenager was driving recklessly.

Fairfield fires back at Polo Towers in timeshare war: Grace Leong; Carnival deal

Panel says Nevada schools getting safer: The National Education Goals Panel cites the improvements in a January study, "Promising Practices: Progress Toward the Goals 1999."

358 stores to close, cutting 3,700 jobs: NEW YORK -- Venator Group Inc. will slash 3,700 jobs and close 358 stores, the latest move by the company formerly known as Woolworth to restructure its business in an attempt to boost sales and profits.

Wednesday at Santa Anita: 1st race 6 fur 3YO Mdn Clm: 1 Brave New Dawn (Enriquez) 120; 2 New York Central (Valdez) 120; 3 Three Guns (Atkinson) 120; 4 Ohop Express (Valdivia) 120; 5 Prince of Persia (Berrio) 120; 6 L.k.'s Dream (Puglisi) 120; 7 Zipledo (Pincay) 120; 8 Lycka (Sorenson) 118; 9 Crypto Charge (Valenzuela) 120; 10 Goodbye Falstaff (Rodriguez) 120; 11 Naughty Pine (Pedroza) 118; 12 Streaking Home (McCarron) 120.

Nevada Senator says he'll vote against Greenspan: Reid, D-Nev., says he will vote against confirming Greenspan to a fourth term as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.

Letter: Nurse deserves some praise: She certainly is an angel in disguise and restores some praise in humanity as it exists today.

Vegas needs to diversify economy, Harter says: Angie Wagner; Will outsiders ever think of Las Vegas without images of casinos and showgirls coming to mind?

Community news briefs for January 25, 2000: Henderson resident Noma Thayer was awarded the Eastern Shoshone Scholarship in the amount of $4,000.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Tarkanian hints Fresno stint at end: Dean Juipe; No matter where he's residing, Jerry Tarkanian's shadow will always extend to Las Vegas.

Guinn's Yucca Mountain tour bolsters his opposition to dump: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn said today his tour of Yucca Mountain has heightened his opposition to a high-level nuclear dump in Southern Nevada.

Monday prep results: Mojave 73, Foothill 63: Elijah Smith scored 24 points to lead the Rattlers to a non-conference home win.

UNLV halts recruitment of Brunner: Steve Addy; UNLV is strongly pursuing a handful of point guard prospects and hopes to sign two, but former Fresno State problem child Kenny Brunner almost certainly won't be one of them.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Good cop wins big one: "This is a robbery, get on the floor," is what the patrons of Mr. D's sports bar heard at 1:20 a.m. on Dec. 5. So everybody stretched out on the floor as three or four gun-firing robbers took their valuables and found the identification of several off-duty Metro officers. The thugs, now realizing who they had in their control, started the execution of the unarmed officers and anybody who moved.

The Full Monti -- Monti Rock III: It's Only My Opinion: Monti Rock III; Openings, openings - there are are so many openings. All the major properties are getting ready to present the newest and best that entertainment has to offer for the new millennium. My first question is: Where were all the fireworks for the world to see?

Columnist Kate Maddox: Movies, television keep Vegas busy: Kate Maddox; After all the hype over the big-money productions passing through town, folks might be wondering what the impact is on Las Vegas and on Nevada as a whole, and that's where the Nevada Film Office steps in. The NFO already has films and TV shows booked through 2000, with such major stars as Will Smith, George Clooney, Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz scheduled to make appearances here.

Prosecutor says he might not oppose change of venue request: Robert Macy; Could one of Nevada's most high-profile murder trials be heading out of town?

Bryan finds more U.S. embassies in Africa at risk to terrorist attacks: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- America's embassies abroad are at-risk for terrorist strikes, sometimes simply because the buildings are too close to the road, said Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Wednesday's races at Santa Anita: 1st Race -- Crypto Charge - Draws good post for this, P. Val. certain to hustle away Dollace trainee, a diploma factor throughout. Naughty Pine - Part of B-entry with Prince of Persia, adds blinkers here, hustling Pedroza aboard. Value Play -- New York Central

Sen. Neal starts campaign for casino tax hike: Brendan Riley; CARSON CITY - Sen. Joe Neal launched his latest bid for higher casino taxes on Tuesday, holding news conferences around Nevada after filing the plan with the secretary of state.

Heller wants full service LV office: CARSON CITY -- Opening a full service Las Vegas office to handle commercial business is one of the goals of Secretary of State Dean Heller.

Retailers suing debit card issuers: NEW YORK -- Wal-Mart and other large U.S. retailers are seeking $8.1 billion in damages from Visa and MasterCard for alleged debit card antitrust violations, the Wall Street Journal reported today.

Obituaries for January 25, 2000: Jesse Allen, 58, of Las Vegas died Saturday in a local care center. He was born Nov. 28, 1941, in Arkansas. A resident for 35 years, he was a city janitor.

State initiative seeks to cut Nevada's teen pregnancy rate by a third: But Crawford said Nevada continues to have the nation's highest teen pregnancy rate, and the goal for the new program is a rate of no more than 35 per 1,000 adolescent females.

Wednesday at Bay Meadows: 1st race 1-1/16 mi 4YO & up F & M Clm: 1 Tempestuoso (Baze) 117; 2 Princess Cielo (Arriaga) 117; 3 Little Girl (Lopez) 117; 4 Bella Villa (Radke) 112; 5 Conezdesertglitter (Castro) 117.

Critics seek alliance to stop munitions burning: "Putting bombs into a pit and lighting them on fire and saying the substances in the explosives just disappear is nonsense," she said. "They are spreading carcinogens into the air and that must end."

Civil rights activist Tate targets Malone's commission seat: Adrienne Packer; Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone's mounting war chest might force his most publicized opponent to step aside, but it doesn't concern a third opponent, who plans to announce his candidacy later this week.

Wednesday at Aqueduct: 1st race 6 fur 3YO Fil Clm: 1 Frenetic (Luzzi) 116; 2 Gracious Gal (Castillo) 116; 3a Little Gray Cells (Gryder) 112; 4 Lynx (Lopez) 116; 5 Stormin Spiro (Velasquez) 118; 6 Run Robin (Teator) 116; 7 Sassabrass (Bravo) 114; 8 Ruffled (Cruz) 118; 9 Scobey Girl (Arroyo) 109; 10 Big Fat Moose (Beitia) 114; 11a Starship Kimberly (Bridgmohan) 118; 12 Cinnaminson (Beckner) 114.

Editorial: Super speed train may reduce tie-ups: The California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission is proposing a demonstration project that would run between Las Vegas and Primm, a 42-mile trip that would take just 12 minutes to make. Ultimately, if funding can be obtained, the goal is to extend the route -- the track would be located alongside the Interstate 15 corridor -- to Anaheim, Calif., a 269-mile trip that would take about 1 1/2 hours. The estimated cost to build the track between Las Vegas and Anaheim is $6.8 billion.

State sees drop in fistfights at schools: Nevada high schools had the biggest reduction in the number of student fist fights but did not finish among the top 10 states in reducing violence, a national study says.

New attorney hired to appeal conviction in killing of intruder: Bill Gang; A court challenge to the conviction of Thomas Gaule for gunning down an intruder at his home has been postponed until March because he has hired a new lawyer.

Consumer confidence at record level: NEW YORK -- Consumer confidence, a key indicator measuring the force behind the economy's long expansion, soared in January to the highest level ever reached in the 32 years that the data has been compiled, the Conference Board reported today.

Dokes gets 4 to 15 years: Bill Gang; The career of former heavyweight boxing champion Michael Dokes had been sidelined by drug abuse that eventually resulted in two felony convictions on drug charges.

Neal to launch petition to hike tax on gaming: CARSON CITY -- Sen. Joe Neal, D-Las Vegas, a persistent critic of the clout he says the gaming industry exercises on politicians, was set today to file his initiative petition that proposes a 5 percent increase in the gross gaming tax for Nevada's large hotels.

Eleven LV truck drivers sue over layoffs: The plaintiffs are George Dauphin, Clinton Heck, Brenda Jackson, James Jackson, James Hones, Charles Keeran, Darrin Keithley, John Kitchen, Bob Mueller, Kalyn Nagel and Jeffrey Smith.

Jury will choose life or death for murderer: Bill Gang; The question in the murder trial of Charles Randolph wasn't whether he is guilty of first-degree murder in the holdup at Doc Holliday's Tavern that ended with the bartender executed with two bullets in the head.

Leaked story on sex encounter causes uproar: Bill Gang; Fuming over a Las Vegas Sun story that revealed details of a closed hearing and gag order in the murder case of 15-year-old Conan Pope, his attorneys today asked for a hearing to determine who leaked the information.

LV economic forecasting gauge declines: The forecast is for the performance of the local economy in April based on data from October. Commercial and residential building activity, taxable sales, gaming revenue and convention attendance all posted declines.

Prosecutors question whether judge in Walters case is biased: They contended in court papers filed late Monday that District Judge Donald Mosley should either recuse himself from the case or permit another judge to hold an evidentiary hearing on the matter.

Water-polluting fuel used in cars owned by county: Hundreds of cars driven by Clark County's school district and health district employees are fueled with a gasoline additive that has polluted the nation's waters.

Settlement talks under way: Attorneys representing investors in Interstate are seeking to block the appointment of George Swarts as receiver. Their objection is based on the belief the law requires Financial Institutions Division Commissioner Scott Walshaw serve as receiver for the company.

Stolen skulls returned to crypt: David Shaughnessy, 39, admitted stealing the skulls. He said Janice Hershey, 33, his girlfriend at the time, was with him, and that he later sold one skull to Nanette Birdsell, 36, for $400 and some methamphetamine.