Stories published March 1, 2000Las Vegas Sun

Commissions paid to LV taxicab drivers at issue: There was a lot of talk about leprechauns at Tuesday's Nevada Taxicab Authority meeting and it had nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day.

Mirage's A.C. project inches along despite takeover uncertainty: John Curran; ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Plodding ahead despite a looming takeover bid, Mirage Resorts officials went before city planners Wednesday to describe the roads and utilities they will build on a former landfill where they plan to build a $1 billion casino.

Key witness goes into hiding: An attorney for a central figure in the Ted Binion murder case said Wednesday his client has gone into hiding because he fears for his life.

Winter gets wetter at Lake Tahoe: "With six wet winters, we've broken the records for the last 100 years," he said.

Dally with Dali: Kimberley McGee; Salvador Dali

Savvy wine buys: Luna Pinot Grigio '98: Available at Spirits Plus, $16.79, and Lee's Discount Liquors, $16.99.

Attorneys general say video poker bills allow live games: Phillip Rawls; But a sponsor of the legislation insisted Wednesday that only electronic games would become legal. "It's guaranteed," said Sen. Charles Steele, D-Tuscaloosa.

Wallace knows how to beat Vegas: Dick Brinster; Rusty Wallace knows just what it will take to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Sho-Bans lash out at northern tribes as tensions heighten over gambling: Bob Fick; BOISE, Idaho - The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes lashed out at the northern Idaho tribes on Wednesday, accusing them of unconscionable interference in the Shoshone-Bannock effort to secure a reservation gambling compact with the state.

Mast still running and running: Dick Brinster; Rick Mast will do almost anything - even cut through your backyard - to make a race, and nobody in NASCAR is better at finishing one.

Critics protest newspaper publisher's seat on casino board: Scott Sonner; RENO, Nev. - Three dozen citizens picketed the Reno Gazette-Journal Wednesday, claiming the publisher's seat on the board of directors of a large casino taints the newspaper's editorials and news coverage.

Senators to push for inclusion of Nevada Test Site workers: Robert Macy; Sens. Harry Reid and Richard Bryan are making that pitch to colleagues and Energy Secretary Bill Richardson as Congress considers compensating workers in Kentucky and Tennessee who were exposed to beryllium.

Auto racing schedules, winners and standings: Feb. 20 - Daytona 500, Daytona Beach, Fla. (Dale Jarrett)

Reno gas prices on the rise: Industry officials said costs would rise even higher in coming weeks. They blame production cuts last year and seasonal disruptions in West Coast refineries.

Las Vegas' Nevada Power Services to close: Nevada Power Services President Steven Boss said Tuesday he was asked to resign Monday afternoon. The status of 60 Nevada Power Services employees has not been determined.

Columnist Victoria Sun: Senior rookie Lendzion weathering storm on tour: Victoria Sun; Wind and dust storms normally are pet peeves for golfers.

Sprint sells unit: KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sprint Corp. said Tuesday it agreed to sell the underground locating operations of its Nocuts Inc. subsidiary to privately held Asplundh Tree Expert Co., a Philadelphia company that provides vegetation management services to utilities.

Jones backlash hits home: Nonbinding resolutions create no action but allow members of Congress to express opinions.

Convention Center expansion bid comes in low: A Canadian company with a resume filled with Las Vegas construction projects is the low bidder on the Las Vegas Convention Center expansion.

Bank buying back shares: SAN FRANCISCO -- Wells Fargo & Co. the seventh-largest U.S. bank, said it would buy back as many as 81 million, or 5 percent, of its shares, worth as much as $2.77 billion at current prices.

Calif.-Nevada train report meets deadline: Benjamin Grove and Rick Velotta; WASHINGTON -- A two-state agency pushing for a high-speed magnetic train between Las Vegas and Anaheim, Calif., filed preliminary reports Tuesday, meeting a key project deadline, Federal Railroad Administration officials said today.

Wells Fargo in deals with online firm: SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Wells Fargo & Co. said today it signed a long-term payment processing contract with EBay Inc.'s Billpoint Inc. unit.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Nurture your gardening knowledge: In the spring it's said that a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of love; mine turns to shopping nurseries. When I moved from a large house with plenty of garden area to a much smaller condo with just a small outdoor space, I knew I had to rethink my gardening.

Suit filed over fake shootout at movie theaters: Kim Smith; A Las Vegas woman and her family are suing Century Rancho Santa Fe Theaters claiming she was injured during a publicity stunt staged last summer for the Will Smith movie "Wild, Wild, West."

Thursday at Santa Anita: 1st race 1-1/16 mi 4YO & up F & M Alw: 1 Rebuild Trust (Gomez) 122; 2 French Parfait (Solis) 120; 3 Ivycoveredwalls (Garcia) 120; 4 Meditative (Nakatani) 120; 5 La Otra Nina (Desormeaux) 120; 6 Ms Infinity Slew (Martinez) 120.

Pope is on the move: Kim Smith; A 15-year-old Las Vegas boy being tried as an adult in the shooting death of his father is getting new accommodations at the Clark County Detention Center.

Nevada gas prices soaring: AAA said its price survey found an average price of $1.58 per gallon in Las Vegas. The price jumped 17 cents a gallon to $1.68 in Reno.

Henderson OKs site for new state college: Valerie Miller; The Henderson City Council in a special session Tuesday recommended approval of the site proposed by the city last week for the future home of the new Nevada State College at Henderson.

Dad surprised son a suspect in wife's disappearance: Kim Smith; Up until Tuesday Burl Fitch thought his son was on an oil rig off the coast of Holland.

High radiation found in wells outside limits of Test Site: Nye County experts have discovered radiation in ground water outside the boundary of the Nevada Test Site that is 25 times higher than the federal drinking water limit.

Legal struggles continue for Convention Center: The motion, filed in U.S. District Court last week, says LVCVA President Manny Cortez has been authorized to file a suit against the Venetian and "the admitted purpose of the LVCVA's action is to discourage future public criticism against it."

Stormy pattern to continue in Southern Nevada 10 more days: The weather delivered a dazzling white dusting of snow in Red Rock Canyon on Tuesday, but didn't break any Southern Nevada records.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Boxers find themselves in demand: Dean Juipe; This may not be the Golden Era of boxing, yet it's a good time to be a fighter.

Columnist Rusty Wallace: Private aviation necessity for most drivers: Rusty Wallace; I've been flying my own planes now for more than 15 years and, trust me when I say this, private aviation isn't a luxury these days for NASCAR drivers and teams -- it's an absolute necessity.

Jury convicts Lim; judge lectures on punctuality: Kim Smith; After just 45 minutes of deliberations, a federal jury Tuesday convicted a North Las Vegas woman of lying to FBI agents during a bank robbery investigation and the search for a jail escapee who later killed his family.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Odds are Burton will threaten to repeat as champ: Defending champion Jeff Burton is a 7-2 favorite to make another appearance in Victory Lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, according to odds posted this week at the Imperial Palace sports book.

Race notebook: Mast knows firsthand to leave early for race: Rick Mast has two words for fans who are planning to attend Sunday's CarsDirect.com 400 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Teamsters step up campaign against LV ready mix firm: Grace Leong; The Teamsters Union, facing a lawsuit over its picketing activities, says a federal agency has upheld its right to protest at Red Rock Channel, a flood control system that is part of the Las Vegas Beltway project.

Smarth Growth gets attention of valley's 'movers and shakers': Growth and development are on the minds of people throughout the country, but especially in the swiftly growing Las Vegas Valley.

Letter: Triple 5/Boyd knew land wasn't zoned for casino: They don't seem to recognize that two key members of this commission will vote on the gaming license applications presented for any future gaming property. They seemed confident that alienating these individuals is an excellent part of their overall business strategy.

Reid, Bryan vow action for NTS workers: Sens. Richard Bryan and Harry Reid said they will fight this year to include Nevada Test Site workers in a pending bill compensating some Department of Energy employees for health problems related to exposure to radiation and other dangerous materials.

Obituaries for March 1, 2000: James Bare, 37, of Las Vegas died Feb. 14 in Las Vegas. He was born Oct. 24, 1962, in Japan. A resident for one year, he was a disabled Army veteran of the Gulf War.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Buddy Holly show prompts rockin' reception at Hilton: Elizabeth Foyt; The Las Vegas Hilton, host to "Buddy" through Sunday, gave a royal welcome to cast and crew on opening day by arranging a classic car cavalcade from the airport, a special treat possible through the kindness of Jim Rogers, who lent his vintage car collection to the project.

Thursday at Bay Meadows: 1st race 1 mi 4YO & up Alw: 1 Mikes Magic March (Alvarado) 118; 2 Wri Ter Wrong (Matias) 118; 3 Implausible (Carr) 118; 4 Caisson (Warren) 118; 5 Hajjiisaalerteagle (Radke) 113.

Rebel fans get shot to say farewell to seniors Dickel, Epps: Steve Addy; Here are some of the best games of UNLV seniors Mark Dickel and Issiah Epps:

News briefs: North Las Vegas Police, who are still investigating a Friday accident involving a Clark County school bus, have issued no citations and have brought no charges yet.

Thursday at Aqueduct: 1st race 1-1/16 mi 4YO & up Clm: 1 Zonker (Castillo) 120; 2 Ben Laffin (Luzzi) 116; 3 Cappiano (Arroyo) 111; 4 Remember Cass (LaBoccetta) 116; 5 Madgical (Lopez) 116; 6 Spanish Flag (Montalvo) 111; 7 Judges Dream (Cora) 116; 8 Kissena Park (Rocco) 111; 9 Shock Value (Bridgmohan) 116; 10 Rufasa (Mojica) 116.

Letter: McCain looks a lot better than Bush: I don't like the policies but I know one thing: McCain will bring some fire in this campaign. So he loses his temper, Clinton has been known to do this on more than one occasion. Clinton gets a flunking grade where morals are passed out. But I do not fault his policies, even if I disagree with some.

He's got a Dali in the garage: Salvador Dali would have appreciated the irony.

Letter: Restore benefits taken from veterans: J. MC GLYNN

More cash going out than coming in, FBI witness says in Edwards trial: Natalie Gott; Edwards attorney Daniel Small said Laura East's testimony should be removed from the court record, that she should not be designated as an expert witness, and that she should be charged with perjury for testifying that she had been designated an expert in an unrelated 1993 case.

Mack's vehicle clipped at Metro groundbreaking: Erin Neff; The ground wasn't the only thing broken at a ceremony Tuesday morning marking the start of construction on Metro Police's new Academy and Northwest Area Command.

Blaney hyped over Outlaw event at LVMS: Despite radical changes within his winged sprint-car team, Dale Blaney is full of optimism as the Pennzoil World of Outlaws comes to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway half-mile dirt oval for a three-night show beginning Thursday.

More cash going out than coming in, FBI witness testifies in Edwards trial: Natalie Gott; Edwards, 72, his son Stephen and five other men are accused in a series of extortion and bribery schemes centered on the licensing of riverboat casinos before and after his last term ended in January 1996.

Burton dislikes beating brother: Jeff Burton's win in last year's NASCAR Winston Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway jump-started a season that saw Burton win six races and finish fifth in the championship standings.

Editorial: Managing pain is key to healing: Actions such as those taken by Nevada's Board of Medical Examiners are certain to win public approval. Increasingly some Americans have declared that they want to go even further than the modest regulations adopted last week by the state Board of Medical Examiners. For instance, ballot questions have passed in a number of states that would give physicians the permission to use the illegal drug marijuana to help minimize the pain some of their patients are feeling, especially for those undergoing cancer therapy. (Although Nevada's initiative passed in 1998, it must receive approval a second time before it can go ...

Reid and Bryan vote decidedly green: Nevada's senators score well in their votes to protect the environment, according to the nonprofit, bipartisan League of Conservation Voters.

Editorial: Loosening the grip of heroin addiction: Dr. Miriam Adelson, who is married to Venetian hotel-casino owner Sheldon Adelson, is trying to replicate the couple's success with their heroin treatment clinic in Israel by opening up a similar methadone clinic in Las Vegas. Methadone treatment has its critics, who contend that methadone simply swaps one addiction for another. But Miriam Adelson, the medical director of the Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse Treatment and Research, is a firm believer that methadone works. Adelson told Sun reporter Kim Smith that 83 percent of the patients in their Israel facility stay in treatment for at least one year and that ...

Columnist Jon Ralston: Freshly squeezed Rogich left without juice: This one has all the elements -- and then some -- of a good, old-fashioned Las Vegas political brawl: A big name. Lots of lobbying. Questions of ethics. Questions of juice. And just for good measure, sex.

Columnist Peter Benton: Applegarth records seniors club victory: Peter Benton; The Nevada State Seniors Golf Club's February tournament (a two-man scramble the first day and individual stroke play the second) was played under gorgeous conditions at the Mojave Resort course and the Desert Lake layout in Laughlin.

Harter's husband takes post that is close to home: CARSON CITY -- The husband of UNLV President Carol Harter has accepted a newly created position with the university system after being the only one interviewed for the job.

Community news briefs for March 1, 2000: Heritage Days 2000 begins April 7 with a Miss Heritage Days Beauty Pageant. All entries for young Henderson women, ages 15-18, must be received by March 10 and must accompany a $20 processing fee and proof of age.

Columnist Victoria Sun: Palmer pays visit to Red Rock: Victoria Sun; That wasn't the President of the United States who helicoptered onto the property of Red Rock Country Club Tuesday morning.

Donald flattens Bradley in 2nd: Dean Juipe; Larry Donald long ago established the fact he could defeat the typical journeyman and now he's anxious once again to test himself against the best the heavyweight division has to offer.

Ralph Siraco's Santa Anita selections: 1st Race -- French Parfait - Draws good inside post for the route, Solis scales Canani trainee, should get winning trip for opener. Ivycoveredwalls - Garcia takes call on Monteleone runner, draws good spot, could trip out here. Value Play -- Meditative

Get to know the pleasures of tofu: Max Jacobson; Several years ago Americans were polled about their most hated and feared foods. Liver finished high in the standings. So did Brussels sprouts. But the winner was tofu.

Nevada Power dropping retail business: Nevada Power Co. is getting out of the business of selling electricity directly to businesses and consumers. The company intends to become strictly a wholesale distributor of power.

Resort sued by former executive: Jim Fonseca, the resort's former chief operating officer and senior vice president, alleged he was wrongfully fired because the resort blamed him for its poor initial financial performance.

Nevada lawmakers to review big issues facing state: Brendan Riley; The lawmakers will hear from Denice Miller, Gov. Kenny Guinn's senior policy analyst; three of their own fiscal analysts, Dan Miles, Mark Stevens and Ted Zuend; and legislative researchers Fred Welden and Scott Young.

Video gambling proponents short of votes in Alabama: Phillip Rawls; And right now, they don't have the votes, officials on both sides of the issue said Tuesday.

New Mexico: Arbitrators ask court to stay out of proceedings: Deborah Baker; Attorney General Patricia Madrid wants the court to prevent the arbitrators from ruling on the legality of casino payments. She said such a ruling would exceed the arbitrators' authority.

State claims Brennan is shielding assets to avoid paying $45 million: "We're still going after his money," attorney general's office spokesman Chuck Davis said Wednesday.

Blackburn sister-in-law convicted: A jury deliberated less than an hour Tuesday before returning the verdict against 21-year-old Seila Lim.

Nebraska lawmakers to vote on pulling Indian gambling proposal out of committee: Scott Bauer; Opponents say gambling is unhealthy and should not be allowed anywhere in the state.

Former Navy men sentenced in cow shootings: But acting on the advice of the livestock owners Tuesday, Churchill District Judge Archie Blake suspended the two- to five-year prison sentences for grand larceny.

Wynn willing to talk with suitors: David Strow; MGM Grand Inc. was mum this morning on its campaign to acquire Mirage Resorts Inc., one day after the Mirage board rejected MGM's $5.4 billion bid as "inadequate" and "opportunistic."

Double sessions for Silverado hit sour note: Terry Webster; Something has to be done to ease overcrowding at Silverado High School, and vocal taxpayers made one thing clear to the Clark County School Board on Tuesday -- double sessions shouldn't be the answer.

Convention may move to Vegas: Organizers of the Safari Club International event also have set a mid-April deadline for RSCVA officials to promise the facility can be ready by mid-February 2002.

Tribes set for victory in Calif. casino election: Michelle DeArmond; LOS ANGELES -- Sunny images of schoolchildren, homes and a health clinic flash across the TV screen as a solemn tribal leader asks voters to give Indian gambling a thumbs-up one more time.

Crucial Binion witness missing: David Mattsen, whose cooperation is being sought in the Ted Binion murder case, has not been in contact with his lawyer or wife since Monday afternoon, his lawyer said this morning.

Reno-Tahoe airport use continues to decline: It was the 19th straight month that airport passenger counts fell below the same month the previous year, a trend largely blamed on flight reductions.

Agency hedges on monitoring cabbies who deliver for tips: The authority's chairman says the agency doesn't have the resources to enforce the code, which bars drivers from taking fares to certain businesses in return for a fee from the business.

Developers stop casino construction: CHICAGO -- Developers of a proposed floating casino in suburban Rosemont said they suspended construction because of gambling regulators' concerns that the project has yet to be approved.

Harrah's Entertainment starts making tax payments for casino: Alan Sayre; NEW ORLEANS -- Casino giant Harrah's Entertainment Inc. of Las Vegas said Tuesday that it has taken over the $100 million annual tax payment the New Orleans casino is obligated to make to the state.

Teen who killed father still being held: Conan Pope has been held in jail since late January, when he was indicted on charges of killing 62-year-old Frank Pope.

Binion prosecution: Lawyer may be tied to bribe plot: Prosecutors have obtained new evidence that may tie a lawyer for Rick Tabish to a reported plot to pay off alibi witnesses in Ted Binion's slaying.

Patrons sue after fake shootout prompts panic: But some patrons who were caught in the middle of a fake gunfight at a Las Vegas theater in July say it was no laughing matter.

Sunrise landfill cleanout begins: The waste is being trucked to the company's regional landfill at Apex, northeast of Las Vegas.

Casinos taxed on complimentary drinks: TRENTON, N.J. -- Complimentary drinks on the casino floor come with a price to the gaming hall, an appeals court ruled.

BLM hearings set on proposed new Burning Man festival site: Martin Griffith; "I'm very much opposed to the new site and everybody else out here is, too," said John Bogard, owner of Planet X Pottery near Gerlach.

Seale, Hammargren seek state GOP chairman post: Seale and Hammargren, both of Las Vegas, have been crisscrossing the state in the last month, attending GOP Lincoln Day dinners to round up support from delegates to the party's state convention in May in Carson City.

Wall Street waits for next move by gambling giants: Robert Macy; Two industry titans - Mirage Chairman Steve Wynn and MGM majority stockholder Kirk Kerkorian - reportedly had a "friendly" conversation Tuesday after Mirage announced it was rejecting MGM's $3.5 billion bid as too low.

Wisconsin: County delays vote on casino offer: Businessman Frank McKenzie of nearby Rockton, Ill., has offered to develop a casino-hotel complex in the southern Wisconsin community but has not identified the Indian tribe with which he says he is working.