Print edition for November 15, 2000

Panel names three finalists to replace late district judge: Kim Smith; Two private attorneys and Clark County's special public defender have been named as the three finalists to replace the late Gary Redmon as district judge.

California-Nevada high-speed train plans scrutinized: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Officials of the Federal Railroad Administration on Tuesday grilled representatives of the California-Nevada Super Speed Train Commission about their proposed 300-mph train between Las Vegas and Primm.

Reid defends Florida recounts: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., a vocal Al Gore ally, continued to defend the Democratic presidential nominee on Tuesday and called for patience in recounting the Nov. 7 vote in Florida.

Freeman, Herbst score in Baja 2000: Bekki Freeman of Henderson, the only female to compete on a regular basis in the SCORE off-road desert racing series, was first in class Tuesday in the Tecate SCORE Baja 2000 in Baja California, Mexico.

Columnist Victoria Sun: Practice makes nearly perfect for Anderson in Q-School play: Victoria Sun; Former UNLV golfer Jeremy Anderson will never say it because he's way too nice.

Nevada again rates near last in health: A national health advocacy group has once again put Nevada near the bottom of the list of states for overall health, only marginally improved from where it was a decade ago.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- Wild Ambition - Draws good rail post for route opener, Gomez aboard Hess trainee, should get the trip here. Dinnerathepalms - Has been knocking on diploma door, draws just outside top pick, Pincay/Spawr team. Value Play -- Texas Sandman

Legislative panel skirts class size, looks at junk food, charter school issues: One bill draft, adopted Tuesday, would direct the State Board of Education to adopt a statewide policy on sale of soft drinks and candy at schools "consistent with adopted state academic standards on health education."

Report: Business is improving: Tenet said that during the first two months of its second quarter ending Nov. 30, same-facility admissions grew at an above-average rate. This follows strong admissions growth of 4.3 percent in the first quarter.

Event this weekend at NLV range: Classes will range from Open (revolver or semiautomatic pistol that is laser/optic/scope equipped) to Class C (beginner).

Fed likely to leave interest rates alone: WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve, after boosting interest rates for more than a year to keep the nation's economy on an even keel, probably will leave rates untouched in coming months barring dramatic downturns in financial markets, economists said.

Schools face new financial crunch: Terry Webster; The latest financial blow to the Clark County School District involves a potential increase in bond interest rates.

Internet casino to go without Las Vegas seal: Erin Neff; In this Internet era the Nasdaq can gain or lose a billion dollars in the first 10 seconds of daily trading.

Handful of Las Vegas companies seek attention at Comdex: Two Las Vegas companies with different approaches to delivering qualified employees to businesses are among a handful of local companies exhibiting at this year's Comdex show.

At Comdex, technology touted as cure-all for election ills: Jeffrey Libby; Even in difficult times, optimistic salespeople have a straightforward solution.

Aladdin off to rough start -- employment slashed: David Strow; The Aladdin resort on the Las Vegas Strip has slashed employment costs since its Aug. 18 opening, reducing employment through attrition and layoffs while cutting workers' hours.

Jury to decide life or death for killer of four: Kim Smith; Quadruple murderer Richard Powell's fate is now in the hands of the jury that has been hearing his case for the past six weeks.

Scientist casts doubt on Yucca: RENO -- A Nuclear Regulatory Commission consultant cast doubt Tuesday on the geologic safety of a proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain.

LV gas prices unchanged: The average price in Las Vegas is $1.77, unchanged from October. Reno motorists pay the highest price in the state, $1.87.

Energy giant BP Amoco looking at marketing opportunities in Nevada: CARSON CITY -- BP Amoco, one of the world's largest producer of oil, doesn't plan to explore for oil in Nevada but says there may be ample opportunity to sell its solar panels in the state's growing economy.

Man suspected in wife's disappearance gets 8 years: Greg Tuttle; A 41-year-old Boulder City man who remains a suspect in his wife's mysterious disappearance more than a year ago has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison on unrelated charges.

Overdose victim's family sues Venetian: Greg Tuttle; The family of a 21-year-old woman who died of a drug overdose after a night of partying at the Venetian's Club C2K has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the hotel-casino.

DOE proposes windmill electric generators in Nevada: Jace Radke; A U.S. Energy Department proposal could harness the wind in Nevada with giant windmills creating an alternative power source.

Isle of Capri Casinos to repurchase 1.5 million shares of common stock: He said the stock repurchases may be made periodically in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions or a combination of both. The extent and timing of these transactions will depend on market conditions and other business considerations. No date was established for the completion of the program.

Court briefs for November 15, 2000: A Las Vegas man who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of a friend was sentenced Tuesday to 10 to 25 years in prison.

Valley of Fire marathon Saturday: The USTA-sanctioned race will be a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon.

Local news briefs for November 15, 2000: Metro Police are asking for the public's assistance in locating a missing 75-year-old man.

Thursday's horse racing entries: Post Time 12:30 p.m.

Electric company seeking another rate hike: CARSON CITY -- Nevada Power Co. and its sister Sierra Pacific Power Co., in Reno are filing applications today to raise electric rates again.

Ballot battle drags on: David Espo; Florida's contested presidential election careened through the courts today as George W. Bush clung to a 300-vote lead statewide and Al Gore pressed for manual recounts in three heavily Democratic counties.

Growing Hispanic population prompts need for translators and new signs, forms: Jace Radke; The growing Hispanic population in Clark County is putting a new twist on the national nursing shortage, forcing hospital administrators to place a premium on bilingual caregivers.

Casino sued over patron's death: In a Clark County District Court lawsuit, William and Henrietta Vitarelli, the parents of Heather Mersei Vitarelli of Napa, Calif., who was a patron at Harrah's on Sept. 8, alleged she was killed by "a foreseeable discharge of a handgun by an assailant being restrained by Harrah's security guards."

Douglas County tries to weaken Genoa Historic District: The impetus was developer Bettie Kanelos' efforts to get approval for a 12,280-square-foot motel and retail building in the center of Genoa, which claims to be Nevada's oldest town.

Clark County happy with modern balloting: Adrienne Packer; Clark County commissioners spent more time Tuesday poking fun at the ballot debacle in Florida than ratifying votes cast during a record-breaking election season in Southern Nevada.

Columnist Peter Benton: Charity tournament helps Child Seekers: Peter Benton; The fourth annual "Fairway to the Future" KVVU Fox-5 Television Golf Tournament benefiting the Nevada Child Seekers was contested by 120 players over the demanding Royal Links golf course last week.

Washoe official wants voting changes before next election: Burk said some potential voters believed they had registered when they checked a box on the DMV form. But filling out that box simply allows DMV to keep track of whether it has given people the option. In the vast majority of cases, people walk away with forms in hand and forget they ever had them, Burk said.

Federal appeals court hears arguments in Indian casino case: Tiffany Meredith; The Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma has said it might build a casino in the old Masonic Lodge if it can't find another suitable spot in Wyandotte County.

Cherokees, Hunt agree to plan to double size of casino: The casino, which opened in 1997, has 2,500 gambling machines and 1,500 employees. Tribal leaders say the deal, which still must be approved by the U.S. Interior Department, would double the number of employees and machines.

FAO Schwarz takes fun to towering proportions: Jennifer Prosser; The FAO stands for Frederick August Otto Schwarz, the German immigrant who, with his three brothers, started the chain 138 years ago in New York City.

Black Hawk aldermen buy former casino: Black Hawk Alderman David Spellman said he did not know whether the law barred him, Alderman Tom Kerr and former Alderman Hal Midcap from operating or leasing a casino in a neighboring town where they had no political ties.

IRS seeks Nevadans entitled to overdue refunds: "This is from last year and years prior to that," Karen Westphal, an IRS spokeswoman in Phoenix, said of the refunds.

Comdex transforms Vegas into techie world, with strip clubs: Angie Wagner; When they feel lucky, they head to the strip clubs - where the dealing is done.

Mississippi casinos converting to video slot machines: The devices were popularized in Australia and brought to the United States by Australia-based Aristocrat and WMS Industries of Chicago.

Racine County Board tables Indian casino proposal: The Lac du Flambeau had proposed a casino, hotel and convention center at Interstate-94 and County Trunk K.

Defendants in alleged mob gambling ring arraigned: David Rising; Michael Budz, 30, of West Warwick, is accused of talking on the phone with St. Laurent, 59, several times a day to discuss collection methods and accounting for the gambling operation that police said netted $600,000 in one month.

Non-PCs are star attraction at trade show: May Wong; "A lot of people might say, 'You don't do anything interesting - but we just don't do anything stupid," Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Computer Corp. said Tuesday in an interview. "We do things that work."

Was Tahoe disappearance linked to Zodiac killer?: Gregory Crofton; Lass disappeared in 1970 working a late-night shift at a Stateline casino nursing station. Thirty years later little progress has been made in solving the mystery, but South Shore detectives have been investigating Lass' case since August thinking she might have been a victim of a serial killer who called himself the Zodiac.

Government scientists say studies support Yucca site By Sandra Chereb ASSOCIATED PRESS: Sandra Chereb; But Robert A. Levich, a geologist with the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Project, reiterated the federal government's position that a repository would not be built 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas unless science proves it can be done safely.

High school teacher confesses to series of threats ASSOCIATED PRESS: Dylena Pierce told Clark County School District police, Silverado Principal Mark Coleman and the FBI that she "is sick" and in need of mental health counseling, according to the court documents.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Why vote no? Council can count the ways: When the Las Vegas City Council meets today, the board surely will vote to entomb that Internet gaming idea proposed by Mayor Oscar Goodman. Or was it entrepreneur Bob Stupak who proffered the idea? Or was it the honorable men who appeared before the council last month suggesting the city sell its credibility for promises of streets paved with gold -- or something even better, tax equity with the county?

LV company says big quarter expected: In October, company officials told investors that the company expected to record cash flow of $17 million to $19 million for the quarter. Based on strong performances by Alliance's Bally Gaming and Systems, as well as German subsidiary Bally Wulff, the company now expects to report cash flow of $19 million to $21 million, and between 40 cents to 50 cents in earnings per share.

French-themed resort idea scrapped: "We just don't think that's a market in which (the French theme) would be appropriate," said MGM MIRAGE spokesman Alan Feldman. "That was one of the early decisions we made about what direction we'd take in Atlantic City. We're still kicking around a couple of ideas."

MotorCity casino lays off workers: DETROIT -- MotorCity Casino has laid off 154 employees to make changes in its gaming assortment.

Developer sues gaming company over Catskills casino: The suit says Park Place and the Mohawks met in April, right after Catskill and the tribe had won federal approval for a casino at the track.

Letter: Bush should be a uniter, not a divider: We do currently have a sitting president and it is not like the country is without leadership. Clinton may not be perfect -- none of us are -- however, he can still lead the nation while this whole thing gets sorted out. He has done just that for eight years; what is a few more weeks or months?

Letter: Republicans show hypocrisy: The very integrity of our democratic process is at stake, and the fact that Republicans would rather rush to judgment than find out what the true will of the people is should be of concern to all Americans.

St. Jude's Ranch counting on soup labels: But first, St. Jude's must collect 1.1 million labels. During the past few months the ranch in Boulder City for displaced children has received more than 800,000. The goal is to collect the rest by Christmas.

Savvy wine buy: Francis Coppola '99 Rosso: Max Jacobson; Most serious wine drinkers know that famed film director Francis Ford Coppola is passionate about wines and owns the boutique winery Niebaum-Coppola. Those wines can be expensive. But now he is producing a line of popularly priced table wines that you can drink anytime, just the type his family poured at the supper table when he was growing up. This wine is a blend of four grapes, Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, the principal grape in Chianti. The Syrah gives it real body, and it's an excellent value.

Smoking Is Out again at Las Vegas restaurants: Max Jacobson; The event, sponsored by the Clark County Health District, has been designated to raise community awareness about tobacco use and the health implications involved for users and those who experience second-hand smoke. It has been scheduled for this weekend to coincide with the American Cancer Society's Great American Smoke Out, a national program.

Community news briefs for November 15, 2000: The Clark County Parks and Recreation Department's 11th annual Strut Your Mutt dog show will be 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at Fancier's Park, 5800 E. Flamingo Road.

Entertainer, PR exec Spencer dies: Dee Spencer, a longtime Las Vegas entertainer, newspaper columnist and public relations executive who was the middle link in three generations of a show business family, has died. She was 75.

Nevada's presidential electors to vote Nov. 18 for Bush: Brendan Riley; The four Nevada Republicans who will cast their ballots Dec. 18 are required by state law to follow the wishes of the state's voters, who on Nov. 7 favored GOP candidate George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore by a 50-47 margin. Had Gore won, a group of four Democratic electors would be under the requirement to cast their votes for the vice president.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Restaurant opening moo-ved crowds to Regent: Elizabeth Foyt; Take a celebrated chef-restaurateur, add to the spin an award-winning architect as partner, mix in a rising Russian artist and stand back to watch the magic created for Oxo at the Regent Las Vegas.

Obituaries for November 15, 2000: Anne Barnett, 46, of Las Vegas died Thursday in a local hospice. She was born July 3, 1954, in San Pedro, Calif. A resident for six months, she was a retired executive secretary in the aerospace industry.

Letter: Make election legitimate: Until the people have spoken, nobody assumes the presidency in this nation. Period.

Two men get probation in Maui gambling ring: They were charged with operating the gambling operation out of the Department of Accounting and General Services office on Maui.

UNLV hopes for one more signee: Steve Addy; Who: UNLV vs. Northern Arizona When: Friday, 7:30 p.m. Where: Thomas & Mack Center TV: None Radio: KBAD 920-AM

Columnist Jeff Haney: Great backcourts often lead to good bets: Sharp college basketball bettors always like to get behind teams with talented backcourts, but especially early in the season before the grind of conference play sets in.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Time to fill gift baskets: This is the time of year when I spend a good part of my shopping time looking for items to include in gift baskets. I must confess that I have little time these days to create my own gift baskets, but many of you still do, so this column's for you.

Editorial: Use best technology for voting: Much of the attention on the mistakes has centered on Florida because once a final tally is reached there, the winner of that state in turn will capture the White House. But other states around the nation also have experienced voting irregularities. For instance, on Election Night Al Gore appeared to have won New Mexico by 6,000 votes. But a short time later it was revealed that problems in one county prevented thousand of votes from being counted. Once they started to tabulate the missing ballots, at one point Bush actually was ahead by four votes. Bush's lead vanished Tuesday, ...

Bear League leader charged with misdemeanors: But a Fish and Game official said Bryant is being prosecuted for illegally seizing a wild animal despite warnings not to do so.

Girl Scouts plan activity center in Boulder City's Veterans Memorial Park: Kris Hill; The Girl Scout Frontier Council took a first step Tuesday toward creating an outdoor activity center in Boulder City.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Denton sits and waits for pardon: Dean Juipe; It's a curious story, absolutely defying logic.

Former Tuskegee Airman, comic Knighten dies at 80: Comedian Jay Bernard entertained thousands in Las Vegas and across the country with his snappy one-liners -- sometimes bawdy but never profane -- and could find humor in the strangest places.

Matchup could include Big Ten school: Steve Guiremand; There probably isn't a bigger or more exciting day of games in college football than Rivalry Weekend this Saturday.

Huntridge director files defamation lawsuit against business partners: Grace Leong; The Huntridge Performing Arts Theatre's executive director, accused by three former partners of misappropriating state funds meant for the Las Vegas theatre's restoration, sued them alleging defamation and is seeking an order to end their partnership in a video production company.

Las Vegas area fishing report: LAKE MEAD: Striped bass fishing took a turn for the better early Sunday morning as fish up to 20 pounds were being taken with surface lures at Government Wash, Hemenway Harbor and Pumphouse Cove. The fish were chasing rainbow trout that were stocked from Lake Mead Hatchery on Thursday.

Stepping stone: Victoria Sun; When former UNLV wide receiver Todd Floyd needed a reason to keep pursuing his goal of making it to the NFL, he didn't need to look very far.

Hearing set for Thursday on poor residential taxi service in Vegas: The only people who may wait longer than a Comdex visitor for a taxi ride are residents of Las Vegas.