Print edition for July 10, 2000

Vegas hospital names new CEO: The appointment is a transfer for Boyer, who served the last five years as chief executive officer of Wellington Regional Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. Wellington and Valley are owned by Universal Health Services Inc., the nation's third largest hospital management company.

Garcia orders probe of cheating: Terry Webster; Carlos Garcia, the Clark County School District's new superintendent, is ordering a far-reaching probe into test cheating allegations that emerged prior to his arrival last week.

Struggling Las Vegas builder sells assets: Monterey Homes of Tucson bought a portion of the assets of Saxton's Diamond Key Homes for $8 million. Monterey, a division of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Meritage Corp., acquired 85 homes under construction and 75 home sites in the Tucson and Oro Valley areas. Monterey now has eight new-home developments in the Tucson area.

Case seen as test of regulation in Louisiana: Alan Sayre; As Louisiana gambling regulators consider the state's final and 15th riverboat license, which played a role in the recent conviction of Edwin Edwards, a major applicant enters the competition with a black eye.

Blacks in Congress, mayors looking at casino policies: David Strow; A leader of the congressional Black Caucus said Friday that the powerful organization plans to hold informal hearings in September on the issue of minority involvement in the gaming industry.

Douglas County senior center director resigns: Maidlow said she was told to resign or she would be fired after it was discovered she was writing personal checks to the senior center, then taking cash in the same amount out of the center's petty cash.

Cantaloupes ripening early in Fallon: "Everything is coming out a little early this year," she said. "The cantaloupe crop will be early, which means we may run out early so there will be less for the festival."

Vehicle count tops 1 million in May: With an average of 2.8 passengers per vehicle, more than 3 million travelers passed through the Primm Highway Stations' coverage area on Interstate 15, the Nevada Transportation Department reported.

Columnist John Katsilometes: In defense of clowns and mimes: A few quick questions:

Pianist Marcus Dagan's music reaches from one Eiffel Tower to another: When: 7 p.m. to midnight, Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Letter: All groups should applaud Scout ruling: Across America, though, members of all groups should breathe a sigh of relief. This includes those who belong to homosexual clubs and groups, because they can continue to exclude those who disapprove of their behavior from being members. In less emotional examples, Chevy Truck Club members can continue to ban those with Ford trucks from joining, and the Mensa Society can continue to discriminate against those who do not score highly on IQ tests. Even the Sierra Club can continue recruiting tree-hugging environmentalists while sawing pro-logging lumberjacks off at the knees.

Questions surround agency's first business loan: "How are we going to get anything done if everybody has a conflict?" asked Carrion, a prominent businessman who's been supervising the construction phase of his casino project for more than two months.

Letter: Court violates speech freedoms: If I wanted to voice my opinion about animal rights, is there an 8-foot barricade prohibiting me from talking to consumers in a fur store?

Supreme Court rejects lawsuit against former Churchill prosecutor: Justices said the lower court didn't err, and in any case there was no point continuing with the lawsuit seeking Pasquale's removal from office because voters took care of that two years ago.

Seneca fire nearly contained: The fire on Peavine Peak broke out Sunday afternoon. Fanned by gusty winds, it quickly spread in three different directions.

Gaming companies lead list of southern Nevada taxpayers: The total appraised value for all Clark County property in 1999-2000 was $85.8 billion, the county assessor's office reported.

Thirteen charged in casino cheating scam: John Curran; State Police found out about the cheating plan in advance and arrested all 13 on Thursday as they carried it out at the Claridge Casino Hotel, according to Katherine Lyons, a spokeswoman for the state Division of Gaming Enforcement.

New jail needed in Lyon: "Daily, we have an average of 70 or 80 for the jail," Smith said.

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Trends, July 10, 2000: Lisa Ferguson; So, your Fourth of July backyard barbecue was a success, except for the few uninvited guests -- mosquitos.

Sewer costs rise in Dayton: Commercial customers' base rate also will climb by $2.

Archaeologists excavate African American saloon in Virginia City: Historians say Brown came to Virginia City in the early 1860s and worked as a sidewalk shoe shiner before going into the saloon business.

Letter: New dean boon to university: All of these accomplishments have and will continue to directly improve the health and wellness of our community. To view Mike Harter's appointment as merely a "deal" rather than a position of importance, is in my opinion a discredit to the person, and more importantly prejudices the community to the value and contributions that will be realized as a result of his expertise and service.

Nevada gets high marks for technology: CARSON CITY -- Nevada is ranked 13th in the nation in making government available to the public through electronic technology, according to the Center for Digital Government.

Nuclear cargos still use local streets: Despite angry protests from Southern Nevada officials a month ago, low-level nuclear waste shippers continued to send their cargos for burial at the Nevada Test Site along busy city routes, according to a report released today.

Correction for July 8, 2000: Correction for July 8, 2000

Couple face April trial in hotel room killing: Kim Smith; A couple suspected in the strangulation death of a Kentucky man found dead at the Stratosphere hotel-casino will be tried in April.

Parents to plead guilty to sex charges: Greg Tuttle; The parents of three Las Vegas teenagers have agreed to plead guilty in District Court following allegations they sold their children into sexual servitude for six years.

Video shift: Aaron Clemens; Like most mothers, Las Vegan Kerri Mann is driven to get the best for her children. When she couldn't find developmental videos to her liking, she and her husband, Steven, wrote and produced their own.

Rudin given deadline to decide on attorneys: Kim Smith; Margaret Rudin has one month to decide whether she wants to fire her public defenders and hire her own attorney.

Council approves demolition of old Truckee brothel: The downtown building began as a family's house sometime after the turn of the century, but became used for prostitution in the 1920s and 1930s. Some old-timers say it may have served that function up to the 1960s.

Tabish-Murphy sentencing delayed: Kim Smith; Rick Tabish and Sandy Murphy will have to wait an extra month to find out just how much time will be tacked onto their life sentence for the murder of Ted Binion.

Mock nuke waste haul en route to Yucca: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- A mock nuclear waste cask is rumbling along the highways of America this month to draw attention to the dangers of hauling high-level radioactive material.

Sprint no help in locating employee wanted in killing: Keith Paul; Metro Police went to Sprint last week looking for a telephone company employee wanted on a murder charge, but the company refused to say where he was assigned.

High Court rejects appeals in three local murder cases: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal of Timothy Redmen, sentenced to death for the murder and mutilation of a Las Vegas man whose body was tossed into a Dumpster.

Local news briefs for July 10, 2000: Boulder City officials aren't expecting to launch a search to fill the unexpected resignation of former Police Chief David Mullin for several months.

Four more parks in the works: Diana Sahagun; Two more park sites are being discussed for North Las Vegas, and the city is hoping to team up with other government agencies for two more.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Espinoza strikes Gold aboard Early Pioneer: Ralph Siraco; Jockey Victor Espinoza is in the zone.

Riverboat owner getting a hard look from state officials: But the Illinois Gaming Board approved the purchase before a required background investigation had been completed, and controversy has swirled around the deal since. In an internal report last fall, Illinois state investigators said Binion appeared to view gaming laws, rules and guidelines in other states as "obstacles to circumvent rather than standards he is obligated to follow." The result, the report said, has been "a trail of poor business practices, regulatory violations and financial malpractice."

Internet Viagra sales cited in suit against LV couple: Grace Leong; The Federal Trade Commission sued a Las Vegas couple in what the agency calls a deceptive sales program that managed to combine three phenomenon of the late 20th century -- Viagra, the Internet and the Y2K scare.

Reno ties record for warmest June on record: Martin Griffith; John James said Reno tied the 1918 record for its warmest June on record with temperatures 5.9 degrees above the normal 65.1.

Weary staff welcomes rest: Steve Addy; The Stars staggered to the finish line Sunday, but luckily it was only the All-Star break. They will get another chance in the race that matters most.

Directors discuss DVD technology: Jace Radke; As vendors plied everything from the newest popcorn flavors to the latest in lingerie at the mammoth Video Software Dealers Association convention Sunday, a group of Hollywood directors met to discuss the effects of digital technology on the film industry.

Last of cocktail waitresses settles suit with casino: Greg Tuttle; The trial in federal court filed against a Las Vegas hotel-casino by six cocktail waitresses came to an end today when the last woman accepted a cash settlement rather than a jury verdict.

Seneca fire 80 percent contained: An official cause has not been determined, but investigators suspect it may have been sparked by a pickup truck.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Perfect time for a father to apologize: Dean Juipe; As a suave and rather debonair member of the basketball Hall of Fame, Julius Erving has received thousands of fan letters and unsolicited memos over the years.

Need for new airport touted: A proposed airport about 30 miles south of Las Vegas could be the ticket for reducing crowds at McCarran International, Sen. Harry Reid and the head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday.

County wins oxygenated fuel feud: The ruling allows Clark County to keep an existing rule that oil companies must sell clean-burning gasoline -- even cleaner than the federal standard -- during the winter months. The requirement, which essentially called for oil companies to sell gasoline mixed with high-oxygen ethanol, was adopted in 1997 to cut down on carbon monoxide emissions in the Las Vegas Valley.

Obituaries for July 10, 2000: Irma Beaugh, 38, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in Los Angeles. She was born Dec. 8, 1961. A resident for seven years, she was a homemaker.

Editorial: Optimism wanes for privacy: Just before Congress' July 4 recess, the House Banking Committee tried to make amends for last year's failure, approving legislation which mandates that financial companies get a customer's consent before sharing his medical records with a newly affiliated company or other outside firms, such as telemarketers. In addition, a bank couldn't use a medical record from an affiliated insurance company to reject a customer's loan or credit card application. The vote was 26-14 to approve the bill but, as the Associated Press reported, the margin of passage was misleading. All 22 Democrats present voted for the legislation, while 14 of ...

PCL Box: Cannons 6, Stars 3: Sanders reached base on catcher's interference.

Adult store seeks fed help again to stay open: Greg Tuttle; For the third time in as many years the battle between Las Vegas city officials and the owners of an adult bookstore is headed to a federal appeals court.

Woman gets 24 years in DUI deaths: Kim Smith; A Las Vegas woman was sentenced Friday to five to 24 years in prison in a drunken-driving accident that took the lives of a young couple.

Gambling foes: Nebraska's strong economy holding off casinos: Margery Beck; The Rev. Tom Grey, a Methodist minister turned anti-gambling activist, thinks he knows the answer.

Pennsylvania company negotiating to buy casino: CRC owns 59 percent of Louisiana Casino Cruises Inc., the owner of Casino Rouge. Penn National also said it is negotiating to buy the 41 percent held by minority stockholders.

Las Vegas-based slot route operation sold for $118 million: An investment group led by a Las Vegas man and an Iowa riverboat casino operator is buying Alliance Gaming Corp.'s United Coin Machine slot route division.

Upcoming business events for July 10, 2000: Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce -- Luncheon with speaker Bruce Snell, author of "Breaking Thrugh the 4 Barriers to Quality." Wednesday. 641-5822.