Print edition for May 16, 2000

Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gorme honored in Vegas: "How things have changed," Lawrence quipped at a ceremony honoring him and his wife Eydie Gorme. "In another time the cement would have been for the Gambino family."

Jury tells judge deliberations are proceeding well: Robert Macy; A handwritten letter was sent to District Court Judge Joseph Bonaventure saying jurors understood the 70 instructions he gave the panel last week, and the 17 charges against defendants Sandra Murphy and Rick Tabish.

Former spy shop owner gets life in prison: John Flowers, 29, will be eligible for parole after serving 20 years and also was sentenced to five to 13 years on a battery charge. The sentences will run one after the other.

Two UNLV students will serve as Reid interns in D.C.: Sarah Harris and Tamara Jankovic are the first recipients of the newly created Harry Reid-Hank Greenspun Capitol Hill Communication Internship through UNLV's Greenspun College of Urban Affairs.

AP profit declines: After an extraordinary loss on debt extinguishment this year, net income was $600,000 or 8 cents per share.

Shopping center tenants named: The retail center will be on the west side of U.S. 95 between Ann Road and Centennial Parkway, and will offer about 900,000 square feet of retail space. Upon completion, the center is projected to cost more than $100 million.

Receiver sought on project: Steve L. Gilbert of Gilbert Development Co., now the majority owner, filed suit after Classic Building Co. defaulted on payments on loans to build Vista del Monte, a development within the Mesquite Vista master-planned community. Gilbert asked the court to appoint his son, Dale, who coordinated the project as a subcontractor, as receiver.

6-foot-11 'Little Unit' to face Stars tonight: Steve Guiremand; He stands 6 feet, 11 inches tall.

Columnist Kate Maddox: LV singer gets MTV's attention: Kate Maddox; Holman, who is 26 and has lived in Vegas for a little over a year, was one of thousands from all over the country who sent MTV audition tapes. Little did she know that her solo performance -- she backed herself with the guitar -- would put her on the map. Holman has played her R&B/hip-hop music around town at various coffee shops, but she's pining for the big time. "I'm really proud of my accomplishments so far," the singer says. "I mean, I've only been playing guitar for six months and I'm completely self-taught."

Rebels do well in LA meet: Sophomore sprinter Michele Davis won the 400 meters in 52.86, 0.12 seconds better than her previous best.

Prosecution documents say defendant spewed racist comments, admitted killing: Linda Deutsch; LOS ANGELES ( - White supremacist Buford O. Furrow Jr., accused of murdering a Filipino-American postman and shooting up a Jewish center, spewed racist hatred on the day of his arrest, admitted the killing and said he would kill all nonwhites if he could, the government alleged Tuesday.

Internet firms sued over MGM, Mirage names: In a U.S. District Court suit, MGM Grand Inc., New York-New York Hotel & Casino LLC, and the Primadonna Co. LLC allege the 26 defendant domain name owners intended to divert customers from the hotel-casinos' websites to their own sites and allegedly provided false contact information in their domain name registration.

IBL Box: Las Vegas-St. Louis: LAS VEGAS

Rate hikes, stock market debated at Money Show: David Strow; Today's expected interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve shouldn't rattle the stock market, experts said at a Las Vegas investment conference.

Stan Shaw sentencing delayed in child support case: Shaw, 46, appeared with Nicholas Cage in the 1998 movie "Snake Eyes." He was indicted in August after authorities accused him of failing to pay more than $60,000 in support for his 10-year-old son, who lives in Las Vegas.

Man arrested again for road rage in Reno: Police said Jensen swerved towards another motorist and then cut in front of him and slammed on his brakes while driving on Interstate 80.

UNLV star revived by Senate candidate John Ensign after fall: Dickel, the most valuable player on the Rebel basketball team and the nation's leader in assists with a 9.0 per-game average, struck his head on the hardwood floor when he fell while trying to block a shot.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service extends public comment on Stillwater: The new deadline is July 12.

Editorial: Suffering in DMV's long lines: Those notoriously long lines at the DMV have eased somewhat since some of the bugs have been worked out in a new computer system, but the waiting time to get service still can be insufferable. As the Sun's Adrienne Packer reported Friday, the wait at DMV offices can last several hours. Meanwhile, some DMV employees contend the new computer system continues to take them an extraordinarily long time to complete transactions for customers.

State sues contractor in kickback probe: Grace Leong; The Nevada Labor Commission is seeking a court order to hold a Las Vegas contractor in contempt, claiming it's blocking the commission's attempts to enforce labor laws.

Group drafts plan for raises: The top priority involves pay, including a one-time retention bonus of $20 a month for every month worked up to 10 years. The maximum bonus would be worth $2,400.

Wednesday's horse racing entries: Post Time 1:10 p.m.

LV Internet firm settles charges with Maine: In a complaint filed in Maine state court May 9, the state attorney general charged Bigsmart.com with operating a pyramid scheme in violation of that state's laws. Bigsmart was incorporated in Nevada in December 1999.

Northern clubs have history, pitching on their side in softball tournament: Spencer Patterson; When Chaparral High School captured Nevada's seventh state softball title in 1983, no one could have known how difficult it would be to bring the trophy back to Las Vegas.

Community news briefs for May 16, 2000: University Medical Center is offering a free Victorian tea and video tour for mothers- and fathers-to-be 10 a.m.-noon Saturday at the UMC Bright Beginnings classroom, 1815 W. Charleston Blvd.

Impressionist Andre-Philippe Gagnon runs the vocal gamut: Kirk Baird; When: 8:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Candidates list: U.S. SENATE

LV Internet developer closes: Pageriver.com, 4206 W. Charleston Blvd., signed up customers and maintained sites for customers nationwide for $30 a month.

Edwards to meet with probation officer next week: Edwards will meet with the probation officer several times throughout the next few months as the officer puts together an elaborate file that will include interviews with Edwards' friends, financial records, medical history and other personal information.

GOP's Porter opposes Berkley: Jace Radke; Republican Congressional candidate Jon Porter kicked off his campaign Monday, laying out for 100 supporters the key differences between him and Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

Bandits chased from playoffs by St. Louis: St. Louis wrapped up the best-of-three series two games to none in front of 5,340 fans at Family Arena.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Neglected zoo deserves a look: Despite the size of the average moving truck, newcomers tend to travel light.

UNLV's Miller selected: UNLV's Miller selected

Letter: Lobbyists true movers, shakers: The Russert commentaries are in sharp contrast to those of Bob Novak's persistent pro-rich, pro-Republican comments. No. 2 among political reporters is David Broder.

Lobos dominate MWC baseball teams: Rich Alday of New Mexico was selected as Coach of the Year. The Lobos had eight players on the squad, four each on the first and second teams.

Editorial: State hopes to get agency's attention: Independent scientists have criticized the DOE for its inability to adequately monitor potential radiation contamination at the Test Site. The Sun's Mary Manning reported Monday that while the 2002 budget requests have been submitted without the $40 million the state believes is needed, Carl Gertz, the DOE's deputy environmental manager, says the DOE's Nevada Operations Office will seek the money anyway. Still, Nevada officials would be remiss if they didn't put the DOE on notice about the consequences for not keeping its word. There is no excuse for not providing enough money to assess radiation contamination of ground water at ...

Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians seek greater stake in casino: The remaining 20 percent of shares for sale in the Greektown casino would be bought by a small group of union pension funds. The remaining 10 percent of the casino is owned by a group of local minority investors.

Trial of alleged motorcyclist murderer to begin in March: The men's bullet-riddled bodies were found Oct. 14, 1991 along the Mount Rose Highway.

Resort sues Internet casino operator using its name: In a U.S. District Court suit, MGM Grand, which owns the domain name "mgmgrand.com," allege Netcom Distributors, a company organized under the laws of India and its U.S. agent, Business Internet Connection, infringed its trademark by using their "mgmgrandcasino.com" domain name to operate an Internet casino.

Drunken driver gets 25-year sentence for killing toddler: He was sentenced Monday by Washoe District Judge Connie Steinheimer.

Port authority approves sale of Missouri's Flamingo Hilton Casino: Under the new ownership, Dave Miller, Hilton's acting general manager, would become the daily operations chief under Isle general manager-designate Dan Weindruch, a certified public accountant, who now is the corporate director of finance properties in Biloxi, Miss.

State settles in pyramid-scheme case: The state also named Richard V. Slaback, an Arizona resident who is president of Bigsmart, and Jeff Fournier of Scarborough, who has been involved in the Maine operation, in its complaint.

Ex-Teamsters boss to plead guilty to gambling charges: Both Neals were expected to enter formal guilty pleas today.

Defense a concern for UNLV coach as Rebels prepare for tournament: TOURNAMENT TIME

Springhouse restoration a cause for celebration: The 180-acre area around the preserve is still in line for more work.

Deadline hits for Nevada election filing: Brendan Riley; Those with no opposition by Monday's deadline include Chief Justice Bob Rose and Justice Myron Leavitt. But Justice Nancy Becker faces two challengers, lawyers Day Williams and Gary Backus, who want her state Supreme Court seat.

Prep state track and swimming schedule: 4A State Championships

City says draft EIS good news for railroad trench: Scott Sonner; But the city public works director warned any significant increase in costs could doom the proposal.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Wednesday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- Herb's Birthday - Solis aboard one of two Stute trainees, draws outside post for the sprint, sitting on winning effort. Dubyuh Dubyuh - Training at Anita, draws well, trainer Ward gets weight break with hustling bug boy Baze here. Value Play -- North Northwest

PCL Box: Stars 7, Rainiers 3: Time--3:01. Attendance--2,562. Umpires: HP--McCraw; 1B--Sanders; 3B--Barksdale.

Developers press Illinois Gaming Board on Rosemont casino; Rock Island relicensed: James Webb; Joe McQuaid, Emerald's senior vice president, told the Illinois Gaming Board the company wants to appear at the June 20 meeting to seek final approval of the plans, which include transferring the dormant casino license once used at a defunct East Dubuque riverboat to the new operation.

Elder Iowans lured to casinos: "I found relief in the dreamlike world of the slot-machine player," he said. "As I put the tokens in for hours after hours, I found myself in an altered mood. It's as if a switch were turned inside my head."

Unser Jr. posts second-fastest practice time at Indianapolis: Unser went 221.861 mph in the final minutes of "Happy Hour," only to be bettered by NASCAR Winston Cup and Indianapolis 500 veteran Robby Gordon's 223.120.

Landing Indiana's last riverboat license brings business boom in tiny Vevay: But landing the last of Indiana's 10 riverboat casino projects is reviving Switzerland County's flagging economy, even before the new riverboat arrives from an Alabama shipyard at a resort complex under construction.

Spring prep All-Stars: All-Sunrise Region

Porter launches formal bid to unseat Berkley: Porter noted a 1999 vote by Berkley on a House spending bill that included $352.5 million for construction of a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Moms firing back: Come on, Michael, tell me you're joking.

Letter: Clean up odors at bus stops: A case in point is the bus stop on the southwest corner of Maryland Parkway and Charleston Avenue. It's a busy transfer point for CAT bus riders. It's also a haven for hustlers, idlers and panhandlers complete with bottles, cans and carts.

Letter: UNLV will miss musical talents of Viscuglia: I have been fortunate in my career to have earned the respect of the people I respect, and in Las Vegas, Felix is the musician whose respect I am most proud and grateful to have.

Las Vegas now cultural refuge: Erin Neff; Philadelphia may have the nation's most colleges, Atlanta may be considered the belle of the South and San Francisco might just fit its designation as the country's most culturally diverse city.

Memorial service set for Evans: Parking will be available in the parking lot of the LDS Church next to the school.

Long hours appear to be taking their toll on jurors: Patience may be wearing thin in the Ted Binion murder case as the jurors began their fifth day of deliberations.

EPA blasts Silver State, county on slow cleanup: Clark County and a waste company are facing $25,000 a day in fines if delays continue in the cleanup of the old Sunrise Mountain landfill.

Races solidify as file deadline passes: CARSON CITY -- Filing for political office in Nevada closed Monday with a flurry of minor party candidates jumping into races but with the focus continuing on the contest for the U.S. Senate pitting Republican John Ensign against Democrat Ed Bernstein.

Ensign helps injured UNLV star Dickel: Jace Radke and Steve Addy; Former UNLV point guard Mark Dickel fell and cut his head Monday afternoon while playing basketball and received emergency aid from U.S. Senate candidate John Ensign after he stopped breathing.

Three School Board members, two regents file for re-election: At the close of filing Monday, the only incumbent School Board member not seeking re-election was Lois Tarkanian, wife of former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian. Instead, she is taking a shot at the Clark County Commission District C seat held by Lance Malone.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Hip-hop boxing, straight outta ... Pittsburgh?: If you don't have a tattoo or have never worn your baseball cap backward, you might not understand KO Nation, HBO's new once-a-month, Saturday afternoon boxing show.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Few willing to challenge spiffy horse: Dean Juipe; A day or two after the Kentucky Derby there appeared to be at least a dozen horses set to run in the second leg of the sport's fabled Triple Crown, the Preakness.

Open court seats lure several attorneys into political races: Kim Smith; The valley's incumbent judges don't have anything to worry about come November, but those running for newly created judgeships will have plenty of competition.

Possibility of discounts eases pain of workers' comp premium hikes: CARSON CITY -- More than 44,000 Nevada employers will see their premiums change for workers' compensation policies under a plan approved Monday by state Insurance Commissioner Alice Molasky-Arman.

Bush gets new heat on Yucca: Sierra Club of Nevada leaders said today that they were disappointed by a one-paragraph statement by Republican presidential candidate Gov. George W. Bush and feared he would allow a nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain.

Obituaries for May 16, 2000: Constantina Attard, 20, of Las Vegas died Friday in a California hospital. She was born April 13, 1980, in Las Vegas. She was a Bonanza High School graduate and most recently a student at University of Nevada, Reno.

Wynn to buy some Bellagio art: David Strow; Outgoing Mirage Resorts Inc. Chairman Steve Wynn is apparently willing to match all outside offers to acquire the Bellagio artwork earmarked for sale by MGM Grand Inc., a Mirage spokesman said Monday.

No property tax increase expected: Adrienne Packer; Clark County's tax revenues might have slowed down in the last two years, but commissioners are still pleased with an 8.7 percent increase this year and agreed Monday there is no need to bump up taxes.

Cocktail waitresses want to give shoe rule the boot: Sandra Chereb; RENO -- Casino cocktail waitresses fed up with aching feet because of high-heeled shoes told the gambling industry what they think about having to wear toe-gnarling, bunion-causing footwear.

Smith presents challenge to Kincaid: Adrienne Packer; While the focus of the Clark County Commission race has been the Who's Who list of candidates rumored to be running against a vulnerable Lance Malone, the closest battle might be fought in a district next door.

Minorities getting new shot at casino ownership: Rick Alm; KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Minority and women investors are being given a new shot at owning a small piece of Kansas City's casinos.

KC riverboat sale gains its first approval: Rick Alm; KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Port Authority on Monday unanimously approved the $33.5 million sale of the long-troubled Flamingo Hilton Casino to Mississippi-based Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.

Police will scrap Safe Streets 2000: Diana Sahagun; North Las Vegas Police will scrap the highly criticized Safe Streets 2000 plan and take another course of action designed to reach the same goal -- putting more officers on the street.

Louisiana gambling board approves up $6 million for Harrah's contract with city: The contract, approved Tuesday, now must get legislative approval.

Gas prices down in Nevada: The statewide average for a gallon of regular self-serve unleaded dropped to $1.70.

Foster must decide whether acquitted gambling board member returns to meetings: Natalie Gott; "That's not my province, that's the governor's province," chairman Hillary Crain said Tuesday during a break at gambling board meeting.

Rowland to seek help on handling Indian issues: "What I'm trying to do is get some experts involved that understand these issues because it's very complicated. It's not your average run-of-the-mill legal education. You've got to find people with expertise and knowledge of these issues," Rowland said.

Petitioners say revised dog chip ordinance not good enough: Critics of that measure circulated petitions and gathered enough signatures to force a public vote on the issue in September.

Brothers plead not guilty in slaying: Kim Smith; A November trial date has been set for a pair of brothers accused in the April stabbing death of a North Las Vegas woman.

Actor given two weeks to pay child support: Greg Tuttle; A federal judge Monday gave actor Stan Allen Shaw until June 1 to pay off the balance of more than $60,000 in back child support he owes the mother of his 10-year-old son.

Las Vegas news briefs for May 16, 2000: A newborn boy delivered by emergency Caesarean section after his mother was fatally injured in an accident Wednesday died early this morning.

Defense in Lake Mead shooting says witness unreliable: Kim Smith; The trial of two men facing the death penalty for the 1996 shooting death of a California resident began Monday with defense attorneys ripping apart the credibility of the state's star witnesses.

Singer's killer sentenced to life in prison: Kim Smith; Two members of a Las Vegas family stared John Flowers straight in the face as they swore to the killer that they would make every parole hearing he will ever face in the 1997 death of local entertainer Ginger Rios.

$11 million gap in budget will be eliminated: Greg Harman; The city of Henderson is expected to overspend this year's budget by about $11 million as it tries to keep up with its 7 percent growth.