Print edition for May 31, 2000

Stockholders, Nevada regulators approve $6.4 billion merger: Robert Macy; The Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission approved the acquisition in a special three-hour meeting Tuesday in which members heaped praise on Kerkorian, who has built the largest hotel in the world here - three times.

Reid meets with Test Site victims: Robert Macy; LAS VEGAS - Sen. Harry Reid says it is "haunting" the United States didn't realize the toll that would be imposed by the nation's nuclear weapons testing program.

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

Glam slam: Photographer's exhibit focuses on glamorous women in Vegas tradition: When: 8 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, through June 17.

Former Dunes slot manager Pors dies: Pors of Reno had lived in Las Vegas between 1963 and 1980 and worked at the Dunes, the historic Strip hotel at the corner of Flamingo Road and Las Vegas Boulevard that was imploded to make way for the Bellagio.

Connecticut casino owners battle over billboard: The Tribal Gaming Authority is suing PNE Media of East Hartford alleging violation of Connecticut's Unfair Trade Practices Act, breach of contract, and breach of covenant of good faith and fair dealing over the much-in-demand billboard.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Cranium is a fun brain buster: When the new board game Cranium was released last year it took off like wildfire, selling more than 200,000 units in the first 12 months. Geared to youngsters 12 and older and adults, "the game for your whole brain" is a kick.

Obituaries for May 31, 2000: Annie Clementine Bell, 80, of Las Vegas died Monday in a local hospital. She was born Aug. 13, 1919, in Detroit. A resident for 37 years, she was a homemaker.

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

Consultant says polluters advised to ignore federal clean air rules: But the district is repudiating the draft report, which was issued by Environ International Corp. of Novato, Calif.

Photos of arson suspects bring hope to fire investigators: For authorities, the surveillance photos are the biggest break in a case that began on March 30 when the first of 12 arson fires occurred.

Columnist Peter Benton: Tanza wins title at Seniors Golf Club: Peter Benton; The Nevada State Seniors Golf Club's May event played over the Las Vegas Golf Club saw John Tanza win low gross in the first flight with a 75. Jim Long, Duwayne Terlinden and Dave Maddux tied for low net with 67s.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Mayor takes walk on Yucca's wild side: Give Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman one thing: He ain't shy.

Letter: Let voters decide if casino taxes should be hiked: Why can't we raise our gaming tax from 6.5 percent to 8 percent or even 10 percent? This added income to the state and cities could help pay for the infrastructure that is caused by the enlargement of new casinos being built today.

Letter: Boards can hinder fixes: Now we are in the midst of a class-action lawsuit against the builder that could readily have been avoided had the board and its president not shielded the builder from day one. It was also apparent that favoritism existed in that board allies would get help for repairs but not so for the nonallies.

Editorial: Plan may reduce medical mistakes: It's estimated that as many as 98,000 Americans die every year from medical mistakes. The current situation obviously isn't producing error-free medicine, so it is promising to see a federal agency, such as the VA, take the lead.

PCL Box: Stars 13, Grizzlies 5: E--McMullen, Newhan. DP--Las Vegas 1. LOB--Fresno 6, Las Vegas 11. 2B--Byas, Tyler, Ball, Guzman, Milliard, Darr, Roskos, Allen, Vitiello, Davis. HR--Feliz (6). SF--Minor, Darr, Curl. CS--Byas.

UNR president Joe Crowley stepping down: Sandra Chereb; Crowley, who turns 67 in July, planned to announce his departure at a scheduled 11 a.m. news conference.

Don't be cloistered -- have some oysters: Max Jacobson; No less a literary personage than Jonathan Swift was once quoted as saying that it was "a bold man that first ate an oyster."

City and Chippewa tribes settle casino lawsuit: The Indians argued the city violated an earlier agreement to provide water, sewerage and other services in exchange for $1.15 million a year. The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs initially rejected the project, citing city opposition.

Columnist Jeff Haney: NFL fans can bet December 25 game today: The Imperial Palace sports book whetted the appetites of football bettors last week, posting lines on 55 "key games" in the 2000 NFL season.

Widower of crossing guard hit by car dies: Sebastian and Shirley Rizzo were married 42 years ago, and both started working as crossing guards in Henderson about seven years ago.

Community news briefs for May 31, 2000: A special two-hour safety class "Sticks and Stones" for children 6-12 is being presented 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Lied Community School.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race - Dubyuh Dubyuh - Going good right now, hustling bug boy Baze aboard Ward trainee, going for another win. Duchess Deb - Another hustling bug boy in Diaz here, draws just outside top pick, dueling apprentices for opener. Value Play -- African Gold

Pillsbury's cookbook covers the basics of food preparation: If you're looking for a basic cookbook filled with reliable recipes take a look at Pillsbury's "Complete Cookbook: Recipes From America's Most-Trusted Kitchen" (Potter, $26.95).

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Decadence on display at Tropicana event: Elizabeth Foyt; Few events can match the over-the-top nature and sheer opulence of Friday's Food and Beverage Directors Association of Nevada's awards evening. By the very nature of their careers, these members coordinate the fantastic events, exquisite dinners, banquets, weddings and notable gatherings that consistently bedazzle conventioneers, visitors and locals alike at area resorts and restaurants.

Sale of Flamingo Hilton Casino to Isle of Capri approved: Jason Strait; The Missouri Gaming Commission approved the sale of the downtown riverboat on Wednesday at a meeting in Kansas City.

Charles Town track considers expanding entertainment opportunities: Harris directed slot machine operations at Bally's Park Place casino in Atlantic City, N.J., before coming to Charles Town.

Correction: The Sun corrects its errors. If you find a mistake, call 385-3111 to report it.

North Las Vegas considers park property: Diana Sahagun; North Las Vegas officials expect to hear from an appraiser in the coming weeks about the price of land considered for a park site in the northwest part of the city.

Wisconsin casino vote backers present petition: With the petition submitted to the village clerk, the proposal of the Lac du Flambeau Chippewa to build a hotel-casino complex next to Lambeau Field goes to the Ashwaubenon Village Board once again.

Editorial: Bush gets another chance: Nevadans have reason to be wary of Bush on this matter. One of his biggest campaign fund-raisers is Tom Kuhn, president of the Edison Electric Institute, which just happens to be the lobbying arm for electric companies that want to send nuclear waste to Nevada. And don't forget that the Republican governor, whose home state of Texas was once considered for a nuclear waste repository, has been as slow-moving as a glacier when it comes to talking about nuclear waste.

Nevadans concerned about plan on nuke hearings: Nevada officials are concerned by a Nuclear Regulatory Commission proposal to change its licensing hearings to less formal proceedings as a possible license looms for a Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste repository.

Commissioner clears her name: Adrienne Packer; It has been two years since Clark County Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates was admonished by the state Ethics Commission for promoting and then voting for an acquaintance who applied for a lucrative airport contract.

Efforts to improve school hit home: Valerie Miller; His school is making strides in turning around test scores that remain among the lowest in the state, but Principal Leary Adams nevertheless knows he must do better.

Crown may be Rebels' to grab: Victoria Sun; OPELIKA, Ala. -- The question wasn't meant to be tougher than calculus, but nonetheless it stumped many players and coaches.

Three casino workers dead in murders, suicide: VICKSBURG, Miss. -- Authorities are piecing together information surrounding James Taylor's abduction and murder of his estranged wife, Daisy, and his girlfriend, Julian Jones.

Induction will finally serve as payback to boxing's Tocco: Steve Addy; Johnny Tocco's heart belonged to boxing for most of his 87 years, but the sport rarely returned his affection in equal measure.

Business park set: Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., will sign the permit allowing NTS Development Corp. to lease 450 acres from the Department of Energy and sublet it to companies interested in building just outside the Nevada Test Site perimeter.

MGM thinks big after merger: David Strow; Fresh off their $6.4 billion acquisition of Mirage Resorts Inc., MGM Grand Inc.'s top officials are already targeting their next expansion opportunity on the Strip -- the 55-acre Boardwalk just south of the Bellagio that was acquired by Mirage in 1998.

Del Papa backs flier disclosure: CARSON CITY -- Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa Tuesday said Nevada's 1989 law requiring disclosure of persons who finance political campaign fliers is constitutional.

From childhood dream to reality in Nevada desert: Amanda Hammon; That the historical replica is being built in the desert 200 miles from the nearest seaport doesn't bother the ship's captain, Charlie Brown. The 65-ton wooden schooner is being built mostly from plans Brown carries in his head.

Two-alarm fire scorches hardware storage area: Black smoke billowed out of the back of the store at Cheyenne Avenue and North Durango Drive from burning plastic fencing as spray paint cans loudly burst from the heat.

Youth regional meet at LVHS: Contestants will be divided into three age categories, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14 with birth certificates being required for all participants. Five dashes, a 1,600-meter run, 4 x 100-meter relay, standing long jump and softball throw events are scheduled.

Columnist Dean Juipe: WNBA able to stand on its own: Dean Juipe; The National Basketball Association didn't form the Women's National Basketball Association just because it seemed politically correct.

Stars' Espy gets call-up: Steve Addy; After a minor league career that has spanned 30 summers, Duane Espy ascended from Stars manager to the San Diego Padres' hitting coach Tuesday. Then his players gave him an appropriate send-off.

Chain enters booming LV doughnut industry: Phil Levine; Rob Adams says he always wanted to be an attorney.

Lanni offers to talk to NAACP: Gene Collins, president of the NAACP's local chapter, and local NAACP member Stanley Washington spoke out against the merger in hearings before the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Flamingo Hilton sale to close next week: KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. has cleared the final hurdle in its $33.5 million purchase of the Flamingo Hilton Casino and will assume ownership of the riverboat next week.

Many Mirage Resorts execs stay with MGM: Top on the list is Bobby Baldwin, currently president of the Bellagio and chief financial officer of Mirage. Effective today, Baldwin will become president and chief executive of Mirage Resorts, which will be operated as a subsidiary of MGM Grand.

UNR chief to call it quits after 22 years: CARSON CITY -- Joseph N. Crowley, president of the University of Nevada, Reno, for 22 years during its greatest period of growth, announced today he will retire in December.

LVCVA chief sounds a warning on threat posed by Indian casinos: A high-ranking tourism executive warned local business people who work with the tourism industry to be prepared for a downturn when Indian casinos open in California.

Police looking for two suspects in hotel slaying: Homicide Sgt. Kevin Manning said there was evidence of a struggle in a room registered to the 42-year-old victim, Stephen Nally. Police said Nally was in Las Vegas to attend a convention.

Coffee chain adding LV stores: The new outlets will be at 9340 South Eastern Ave. at Serene Avenue, in the Forum Shops at Caesars, in the Fashion Show Mall and at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Decatur Boulevard.

Report criticizes air pollution controls: Subcommittee meeting

Dillard hearing reset: Kim Smith; Tuesday's hearing about whether to grant an order of protection for one of the lead investigators in the Ted Binion murder case turned out to be short-lived.

Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Wildlife group to hold banquet: Paula DelGiudice; The annual fund-raising banquet for Wildlife and Habitat Improvement of Nevada (WHIN) is scheduled Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Gold Coast hotel-casino.

Reno case prompted murder charge in baby's drowning: Kim Smith; Sunday's death of a baby girl in a bathtub closely mirrors a Reno case that ended up before the Nevada Supreme Court.

School band trumpets kickoff for Berkley race: Jace Radke; Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and about 200 supporters kicked off her re-election campaign against a backdrop of a huge American flag and with her former middle school band blasting fight songs Tuesday afternoon.

WorldCom, Sprint still confident of merger: Matt Moore; Nevada PUC OKs merger

Lawsuit names police in LV raid, beating: Greg Tuttle; A Las Vegas man claims in a federal lawsuit that four Metro Police officers splattered his walls with eggs, soda pop and bleach and urinated in his sink during a raid three years ago.

Bush to campaign at Lake Tahoe: CARSON CITY -- Texas Gov. George W. Bush, who has wrapped up the Republican nomination for president, makes his first political stop in Nevada on Thursday to give what is billed as a major speech on the environment and to raise more campaign money.

Las Vegas area fishing report: One boater reported that he was having good luck earlier this month at the Meadows, but the fish appear to have left the area. He managed to catch a limit of 20 stripers over the weekend by trolling in open water in front of Stewart's Point.

Family says daughter sexually assaulted by worker: In a Clark County District Court lawsuit, the family accused a technician of committing a felony by using his authority to force their daughter to engage in "inappropriate and unwanted sexual contact" with him on March 26.

Bandits, ABA team to merge: Minor league professional basketball will continue to have a presence in Las Vegas but it will be as one entity, not two.

Nevada PUC OKs Sprint, WorldCom merger: The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada last week determined that the merger would not be anticompetitive in the state and voted to allow it. Nevada was the 11th of 24 states needed to authorize the deal.

Boulder City council revokes tax hike: Greg Harman; A one-penny tax increase that slipped under the radar of some Boulder City Council members was revoked this morning in a special meeting.

Trial set in crash that killed four: Kim Smith; An August trial has been set for a Las Vegas man accused of causing a wreck that killed four people three weeks ago.

Local news briefs for May 31, 2000: A two-day meeting opens in Reno today on Nevada's readiness to respond to wildland fires, which blackened more than 2 million acres in five counties last summer.

Keller shares policing model at conference: Keith Paul and Jace Radke; Cops may measure success on arrests, but neighborhoods keep another kind of scorecard.

Judge allows nude club to stay open: Greg Tuttle; An erotic dance club in Las Vegas challenging its closure two months ago can remain open while its legal case moves forward, a federal judge said Tuesday.

Teen charged in crash appears in court: Kim Smith; A 14-year-old Las Vegas boy charged with murder in connection with a high-speed crash that killed two of his friends made his first court appearance this morning.

Court experiences trickle-down theory: But this past weekend it was real water, not just traffic citations, causing the problem.

Stairs subject of lawsuit: In a Clark County District Court lawsuit, Sharon Companies Ltd. said it released its shop designs to SME Industries Inc. for review and approval after SME agreed to pay Sharon $77,900 to make the stair system for Remington Suites Las Vegas LP's Embassy Suites on Paradise Road.

Entertainment summit set: More than 250 people are expected to attend the day-long event, which will bring together representatives from the film, television and gaming industries.