Print edition for June 26, 2000

Community news briefs for June 26, 2000: A vegetarian potluck group, now organizing in Southern Nevada, is seeking all types of vegetarians for regular potluck get-togethers.

College building plans too optimistic for state funding: ELKO -- The Board of Regents has an appetite bigger than the state construction money available.

Casino revenues, visitor count continue to climb: The city drew more than 3 million people in April, up 8.3 percent from a year ago, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported.

Editorial: When pollsters take over: The New York Times recently reported that many House Republicans are offering statements that lift -- almost word for word -- the talking points that Bolger suggested they use. For instance, Bolger recommended this line: "Our plan protects low-income seniors by giving them prescription drug coverage, and offers ALL other seniors a number of affordable options to best meet their needs and protect them from financial ruin." A few days later House Speaker Dennis Hastert said: "Our plan not only protects low-income seniors who lack prescription drug coverage, it also offers ALL others a number of affordable options to best ...

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Trends, June 26, 2000: Lisa Ferguson; Need proof? Pick up a copy of the recently published book "They Said That!" (Renaissance Books, $17.95). Author Larry Engelmann compiled asinine quotations from more than 2,000 of the biggest stars on the planet, documenting their slip-ups, backhanded compliments and twisted insight.

Truckee man hits jackpot at Tahoe casino: His total winnings amount to $1.049 million.

Letter: Citizens' views rarely matter in today's politics: I've always theorized that politicians were voted in by the people to be for the people to be for the percentage of the people unless it presents a real problem to humanity. What makes a minority of members on a panel always smarter than the majority of the people? If you voted for someone else the outcome could have gone the other way.

Singer Vic Damone hospitalized with flu-like symptoms, cancels appearances: Damone, who recorded such songs as "An Affair to Remember," from the movie of the same name, and "On the Street Where You Live," from "My Fair Lady," has been traveling on his "Farewell to Remember Tour." He appeared over the weekend in Las Vegas. The tour is scheduled to end May 18, 2001, at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

LVMS half-mile dirt oval results: IMCA Late Model main event 1.Bill Hasselle; 2. Mike Fitch; 3. Troy Ferrari; 4. Jim Wulfenstein; 5. Jason Pike; 6. Joe Chapman.

Suspect arrested in convenience store killing: A customer found Bains laying on the floor of the store with a single gunshot shortly after 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The victim was dead when police arrived a short time later.

Former death-row inmate awaits new shot at a jury: Birusk Tugan; For more than two decades John Mazzan has proclaimed his innocence in the stabbing death of his friend.

Tutu says people appreciate goodness: "We are made for goodness," said the advocate for nonviolence and interracial reconciliation in South Africa's struggle against apartheid.

Homeopathic board OK's alternative practice: Homeopaths also could offer drugs not approved by the Food and Drug Administration to consenting patients.

Letter: Legal changes based on logic: An appellate court is long overdue in this state. To "recognize the rights of citizens to represent themselves in civil trial courts" certainly needs to be enforced so that all may have access to the court system when needed and be treated with respect.

Wildland fires in Reno area keep firefighters busy: Crews were monitoring some of the larger blazes to guard against flare ups.

Historic group acquires Midas jail: The jail itself was authorized in 1908 by the Elko County Commission, who appointed a deputy sheriff for the town. One of the deputy's duties was to build a jail.

Las Vegas senator wants probe of Tahoe development ban: On Wednesday, two TRPA governing board members will ask colleagues to reconsider last month's conclusion that Tahoe's counties have made insufficient progress in building affordable housing for casino workers and other low-wage earners.

Condon says police can seize South Carolina machines July 1: Leigh Strope; All machines have to be unplugged at midnight July 1 and South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon on Monday said all local law enforcement agencies can start seizing machines right away.

Great Basin College to offer second, four-year degree program: The new program is designed for students who have already earned an associate degree in an applied science, said GBC President Ron Remington.

509978973.html: Monday

Washoe County considers buying Red Hill: "It's one of the few open, public areas left in my district," he said.

The Strip at LVMS results: High School

Upcoming business events for June 26, 2000: Business Expo -- At the Riviera Convention Center sponsored by Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. Tuesday. 641-5822.

Colorado casino offers personal improvement seminars: The "How to Stop Smoking Now" seminar presented by American Lung Association speaker Virginia Carpenter last Tuesday was the first in the casino's "Discovery Series."

Animal rights activists preparing for elephants' visit to Las Vegas: Recent public opposition from animal rights activists including game show host Bob Barker should not dampen ticket sales to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus next week in Las Vegas, circus representatives predict.

Sandia casino construction continues despite lawsuit: The new casino - planned to be as large as four football fields - is on track to open in May 2001. Construction on the 200,000-square-foot casino began last November.

Name that tree: Free arbor guide available: The 84-page illustrated manual identifies 157 varieties of tree common in the Western United States.

PCL Box: Sidewinders 5, Stars 3: E--Milliard, Sullivan, Allen. DP--Tucson 2. LOB-Las Vegas 10, Tucson 7. 2B--Davis, Mitchell, Klassen. HR--Radmanovich (3) (off Steenstra), Steenstra (1) (off Carlyle). SB--Gann (1). CS--Davis, Beltre. S--Carlyle, Sell.

Tollberg took the long, winding road to majors: Joe Kay; CINCINNATI -- Six years ago, Brian Tollberg was making $500 a month for Chillicothe, Ohio's independent league team, hoping those bus rides through southern Ohio would someday pay off.

Breedlove to make another stab at land speed record next summer: Breedlove, who last raced his "Spirit of America" there in 1997, said it probably would be his last chance to reclaim the record for the United States.

Betting bill jockeying continues: Benjamin Grove; The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PCL Box: River Cats 15, Stars 6: E--Milliard, Tebbs, Byrnes. DP--Las Vegas 1, Sacramento 1. LOB--Las Vegas 11, Sacramento 10. 2B--Ortiz, Velandia, Byrnes. HR--Vitiello (8) (off Ratliff), Lockwood (1) (off Middlebrook). SF--Lockwood, Piatt, Vaz.

National acquiring more 757s to expand in Vegas: David Strow; Las Vegas-based National Airlines today announced a substantial expansion of its fleet -- an order of up to eight new Boeing 757 aircraft by June 2002.

Branson contemplates London-themed LV casino: David Strow; Virgin Atlantic Airlines Chairman Richard Branson is apparently warming to the idea of building a Virgin-branded hotel-casino on the Strip.

Polling the rival camp: Erin Neff; The last person Paul Worlie expected on the other end of the phone he answered at his home last week was a John Ensign pollster.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Tyson won't be back in Nevada soon: Mike Tyson stopped Lou Savarese in 38 seconds Saturday night. That's just a little more time than it has taken you to read these two sentences. Had I inserted a couple of additional commas, this first paragraph would have run longer than the fight.

Cigar industry agrees to first health warnings: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission today said the top seven U.S. cigar makers, which account for 95 percent of sales, agreed to post five rotating warnings on packages and advertising, advising smokers that cigars can cause mouth, throat and lung cancer and are not a safe alternative to cigarettes.

PCL Box: RiverCats 8, Stars 5: E--LaRocca, Davis. LOB--Las Vegas 5, Sacramento 9. 2B--Piatt, Byrnes. HR--Radmanovich (4), LaRocca (5), Bellhorn (10). SF--Hinch, Byrnes. SB--Porter.

Teacher alleges cheating on tests: Terry Webster; A fourth grade teacher who resigned has set local and state investigations in motion by making allegations of test coaching and altered test scores at Robert E. Lake Elementary School.

New chairwoman calls for calmer regents meetings: ELKO -- Thalia Dondero handled some hot issues as chairwoman of the Clark County Commission on such subjects as water, gaming and liquor licenses and University Medical Center.

Obituaries for June 26, 2000: George Lewis Berger, 51, of New York City died Monday in New York City. He was born Feb. 26, 1949, in the Bronx, N.Y. A former Las Vegas resident, he worked with ABC in New York for 33 years.

Council to hear citizens at new town hall meetings: Diana Sahagun; North Las Vegas Councilwoman Shari Buck will hold the city's first town hall meeting, an inevitable result of the recent formation of council wards.

Police review director awaits power to act: Adrienne Packer; Andrea Beckman has had only two months to settle into her executive director's office at the Civilian Review Board, and already she is receiving complaints of police misconduct.

Money Store closing in LV, nationwide: First Union Corp. said today it will close its struggling Money Store finance unit nationwide -- including its one office in Las Vegas -- to boost its earnings.

Man who shot landlady convicted of murder: Kim Smith; The cavalier attitude of a Las Vegas man who called 911 last June to report he shot his landlady to death because she was driving him crazy may have contributed to his conviction this morning on a first-degree murder charge.

Feds investigate missing casino money in Oklahoma: On top of that are allegations from the manager of the Kiowa Grand Center that thousands of gaming profits -- meant partly for education programs and economic development -- were given to select tribal members for things such as car repairs and even a homecoming gown.

Columnist John Katsilometes: Money's not all that talks: Mere moments into the seminar a chasm had formed in the group of 30 or so senior citizens seeking financial advice.

State's computer chief Lockard resigns: CARSON CITY -- Marlene Lockard, the director of the state Department of Information Services who guided the computer system through the Y2K crisis with only minor glitches, is resigning.

Pet projects: Sitters care for all sorts of animals: Here are facts and figures about pet owners and their pets compiled through surveys by the American Animal Hospital Association and the Home Care Council, rounded out in percentages:

MGM Grand changing name to 'MGM MIRAGE': Las Vegas-based MGM Grand revealed the proposed name change in its annual proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Spring training plan stays alive: Steve Guiremand; Don Logan hopes there is something to the old axiom that no news is good news.

Wynn, MGM Grand move ahead: Gene Ross, news director for KLAS-TV Channel 8, said Wynn will have a half-hour interview with political columnist Jon Ralston and KLAS anchor Paula Francis. Ross said the interview will air today at 6:30 p.m. in place of KLAS' regularly scheduled news broadcast.

Legislator requests probe of Arlington merger: Rep. Jeff Schoenberg wants to know whether state subsidies to reopen Arlington merely boosted the track's value so it could be sold.

Survey finds U.S. labor shortage severe: Also, 80 percent of human resource managers characterize the U.S. labor shortage as "bad," but they "still manage to find people," according to a one-time survey conducted by the Chicago-based employment firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. Ten percent pronounced the shortage "severe, at the risk of turning away business."

UNLV posts strong score in Directors' Cup: Tabulated annually by Sears, Roebuck and Co. and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the Sears Cup this year went to Stanford for the sixth consecutive season.

Stars swept; 3 get called up: That's what many in the crowd of 12,942 at brand-new Raley Field were chanting Sunday night after the Sacramento RiverCats completed a four-game sweep of the Stars with an 8-5 victory.

UNR sophomore crowned Miss Nevada: Story also received an $8,000 scholarship and a chance to compete for the Miss America title in October in Atlantic City, N.J.

Local news briefs for June 26, 2000: Clark County Coroner's Office is scheduled to perform an autopsy today on a 37-year-old Las Vegas man who was found dead Sunday at Lake Mead National Recreation Area's Boxcar Cove.

Lien filed against DI in merger dispute: Leslie Kemmerer, who operates through a brokerage called Las Vegas Industries, claimed Starwood Chairman Barry Sternlicht verbally agreed in 1997 to pay him a 1 percent finders' fee -- $146 million -- for information he allegedly provided to Starwood in its bid to take over ITT, which was being pursued at that time by Hilton Hotels Corp.

Increasing flow of sewage poses big problems for Las Vegas Wash: Southern Nevada officials are trying to figure out what to do with 100 million gallons a day of extra wastewater expected to be dumped into the Las Vegas Wash in the next 20 years.

Hughes objects to ban on suits against Equinox: Grace Leong; Howard Hughes Properties Ltd. Partnership is seeking to recover $525,519 in past-due rents and other charges from the court-appointed receiver for Las Vegas-based Equinox International Corp., which was shut down April 20 as an alleged illegal pyramid scheme.

Five die in highway crash: Birusk Tugan; Two children and one adult were in critical condition this morning after a head-on collision Sunday on a two-lane section of rural Blue Diamond Road outside Las Vegas that left five dead. Two others injured in the accident were in serious and fair condition today.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Dubai star, Beautiful Pleasure show top form: Ralph Siraco; Now that the road through the Triple Crown -- as bumpy as it was for some -- is complete, racing's "second season" will take us to the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in November.