Print edition for September 19, 2000

Columnist Susan Snyder: New home has friend boxed in: There is some twisted humor in watching co-workers who have just purchased their first home.

Young filmmakers to enter CineVegas: Youths participating in the program can submit a film up to 10 minutes long in digital, Hi-8, Super-8 or VHS format on the theme "Nevada Is Not a Wasteland." Students are to address the perception that cities in Nevada are adult-oriented and lack activities for children.

Court briefs for September 19, 2000: The sentencing of perennial political candidate Hilary Michael Milko was postponed Monday after he had to be dragged out of the courtroom with his mouth taped shut.

Letter: Get behind Wynn's vision: Now Steve Wynn bought the Desert Inn and intends to implode it in order to build something much more beautiful. What's the matter with all of you angry people? That's his prerogative, just as it would be yours if you had made the purchase. Get over it!

Editorial: Travel rule was long overdue: The question shouldn't be why the policy is changing, however, but why it took so long in the first place to adopt such a common-sense accountability measure. For that matter, rather than taking this personally, Rhodes should have embraced a new policy that will offer some assurance that when council members take trips, they are there on official business. The other council members and Mayor Michael Montandon mentioned that they've been kept in the dark regarding the other council members' travels. The old travel policy only required that the city manager approve the travel requests. There also was no requirement ...

Indy roars to win in Game 1: Victoria Sun; It only took one inning for Indianapolis Indians starting pitcher Kane Davis to settle down against the Memphis Redbirds in the first game of the Triple-A World Series Monday afternoon at Cashman Field.

Editorial: Who will pick up the merger's tab?: Well, anxiety about the merger has crept even higher after Sierra Pacific Resources recently announced that not only would the company freeze the rates of Portland General Electric customers over the next six years, but that it also plans to provide $95 million in savings that would be credited to customers' accounts over seven years. As the Sun's Cy Ryan reported Monday, this development has upset Nevada Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, since Nevada customers at the same time are being hit with rate hikes. Federal regulators have yet to make a final decision on the merger, but ...

Sprint seeks declaration on competition in Vegas: Reclassification would enable Sprint to offer more products and packages, the company said in a statement announcing the filing of the request.

Bill would ban kid cleanup crews: CARSON CITY -- Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, has asked that a bill be drafted to stop the use of juveniles in roadside cleanup programs and in other dangerous areas.

First construction lien case going against the Venetian: David Strow; A subcontractor is close to winning the first court battle over a mechanics lien against the Las Vegas Strip's Venetian resort. A court hearing officer recommended that the Venetian be forced to pay $1.33 million, the full amount demanded by the subcontractor.

Lawmaker criticizes forms, secretary of state agrees fine-tuning needed: "There is a piece of it that appears to violate the regulations that the secretary of state has drawn up," Beers said. "I am not saying there is a woeful violation, but that somebody just made a mistake."

Billboard opposition gather their forces: If the initiative passes, the 278 billboards currently in Reno will remain but no new ones could be erected. If the measure fails, the number of billboards will continue to be regulated by the city council.

State workers may see big hike in health plan: CARSON CITY -- A potential change in the state health insurance plan could mean major increases in monthly premiums for retirees, some boosts as high as 32 percent.

Cutbacks ordered by LV manufactured housing seller: Champion Enterprises Inc. of Auburn Hills, Mich., whose subsidiaries operate the Las Vegas sales centers as Tom Terry Homes and Homes America, said the closures will likely be in the Southeast and Northwest part of the country, where demand for manufactured housing is soft.

Trial begins in slain prostitute case: Kim Smith; The trial of a Las Vegas man who was found naked under a sheet of plastic with a dead prostitute earlier this year began this morning with jury selection.

Rebels get last look at LaVell: Steve Guiremand; Back in 1972, before he became a college football coaching icon, LaVell Edwards took over a BYU football program that had never appeared in a bowl game during 47 years of competition.

Bird cause of Spring Creek fire: The Spring Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Nevada Division of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management responded to the blaze.

State looking for compensation from tribes for casino operations: Arthur H. Roststein; The Arizona Indian Gaming Association responded to Hull's proposal by letter Friday following a week of talks with her negotiators. Current tribal compacts begin expiring in 2003 and both sides have been negotiating since January in efforts to strike new deals early.

Letter: Violence is not entertainment: KAREN H. MACK

Guinn, Porter attend GOP rally: Greg Tuttle; Republicans were not to be outdone Monday by the Las Vegas visit of Vice President Al Gore, mustering Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn and congressional candidate Jon Porter to a luncheon rally of party faithful at the MGM Grand.

Castro anniversary: Robert works as a casino dealer at the Four Queens. Martha is a medical assistant.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: We missed the setup in Formula One race: Another reason Nevada should secede from the union that Sun sports columnist Dean Juipe did not mention in his tongue-in-cheek column last Friday:

Community news briefs for September 19, 2000: The Barbara Greenspun WomensCare Center of Excellence is offering its second annual His and Her Health Awareness Week with free clinical breast exams and prostate or testicular cancer screenings.

Students join Trial by Peers program of bar association: Trial By Peers is a 7-year-old program that allows first-time juvenile offenders to be prosecuted and defended by teen counselors working with judges and attorneys serving as mentors.

Reno man charged after crossboy caper: Cunningham is a former Hug student, police said. They said he appeared to be intoxicated when officers chased him down and arrested him after he allegedly threatened to shoot a student with the crossbow.

LV Hilton sued over rape: The defendants also include Hilton Hotels Corp., Ed Roski Jr. and his company Majestic Realty Co. Roski, the owner and operator of the Silverton hotel-casino, announced in July he is buying the Las Vegas Hilton for $365 million from Park Place.

Voters divided over water additive: The Southern Nevada Water Authority began fluoridating Las Vegas Valley water in March under a 1999 law that required the water agency to use the cavity-preventing compound but gave residents the opportunity to stop the treatment in November.

Binion jury foreman agrees with sentences: Copyright 2000 Las Vegas Sun

Columnist Kate Maddox: Nightclub guru fesses up for HBO: Kate Maddox; One local celebrity-fringe inhabitant will soon have some of his private bedroom habits aired for the world to see. Nightclub impresario John D. Guzman was caught on tape by HBO when the cable spies were last in town to shoot scenes for the reality-based "Taxicab Confessions" series.

New video poker machines lower taxes for winners: The $5 "Duty Free" video poker machines were designed to reduce the number of taxable payoffs while increasing overall returns to players. The machines increase the payout on wins on four of a kinds in 2s, 3s and 4s while decreasing the payout for four of a kinds with 5s through kings. All jackpots above $1,200 must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service by the casino as taxable income.

Fuller, Loberg wedding: The bride is a 1998 graduate of Las Vegas High School and is a student.

LV firm's loss widens: Revenues at the Las Vegas company fell 15 percent to $1.9 million.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Testing, not teaching: Summer months gave me time to catch up on my reading. This year I zeroed in on educational standards that Nevada and 48 other states have imposed in one form or another on schools. The first book to be read was "Will Standards Save Public Education?" by Deborah Meier, a proven teacher and author. Not only did her latest book give Meier's ideas, but it also included chapters by other writers agreeing and disagreeing with her views of standardized tests for schools.

Jury locks in 14-year-old case: Chavez, 42, was accused of stabbing Robert Eliot in 1986 during an argument over a dog in an apartment swimming pool.

Letter: Don't associate Limbaugh with Marine Corps: Rush Limbaugh is a toady to the right-wing yo-yo crowd as well as a fool and a whipped-cream pansy. His name should not even be mentioned in connection with America's glorious USMC!

Obituaries for September 19, 2000: Philip Marvin Abrams, 72, of Las Vegas died Sunday in Las Vegas. He was born March 22, 1928, in Detroit. A resident for 13 years, he was an electronics technician for a tube manufacturer, an Army veteran and a member of LIUE Local 463.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Olympics have lost some luster: Dean Juipe; The Summer Olympics have never been more easy, nor more difficult, to ignore.

New Orleans Casino put on notice to get financial house in order: Guy Coates; The default notice issued Tuesday is a pure technicality required by the state contract with the casino owner, JCC Holding Co.

Administration issues position statement on nuclear compensation: Katherine Rizzo; WASHINGTON - The Clinton administration on Tuesday endorsed swift enactment of a compensation plan for nuclear weapons plant workers sickened on the job. But there was no recommendation for helping Nevada Test Site workers.

Federal official advises patience on Indian casinos: "We get dozens of applications a year for casinos," said Gover at the Oneida Indian Nation's Turning Stone Casino Resort. "Most of them we tell outright they don't have chance."

Bally's is first Atlantic City casino to advertise odds on games: Bally's ads tout returns of 97 percent on at least 20 slot machines on its main casino floor and at Coyote Kate's Slot Parlor, a new addition to its Wild, Wild West casino. The designated areas are marked by an overhanging sign and by notes on each machine.

Mississippi casinos likely to sue Harrison County over tax rolls: Supervisors adopted the new property tax roll on Monday.

Handymen-for-hire keep homes healthy: Kimberley McGee; Instead of climbing the rafters or crawling under the sink themselves, homeowners are turning to skilled handymen to fix the little things that can become larger problems in the future, according to Kaile Warren, owner of the Maine-based business Rent-A-Husband, Inc., and CBS's "The Early Show" home-project consultant.

Fire captain remains critical after crash: Captain Nathan Pechacek was so bloodied from his injuries that his crew members didn't recognize him. The captain was off duty at the time of the accident.

Democrats: Party not backing down in Nevada: Sen. Harry Reid and his Democratic, would-be colleague, Ed Bernstein, said during the vice president's visit that the national party isn't backing down from Nevada.

TV sports/Radio for Sept. 20-23: TV sports/Radio for Sept. 20-23

Kaukauna committee approves Indian casino contract: City residents voted last week against a referendum that would have outlawed gambling.

Reno police say 911 response time isn't as bad as it sounds: Scott Sonner; Police Lt. Jim Ballard said a recent newspaper report about staff shortages at the 911 dispatch center made the problems sound worse than they really are.

Mold problem prompts bid to demolish Weeks complex: Erin Neff; Amid charges residents have been left in the dark about potentially hazardous mold, the Las Vegas Housing Authority on Monday agreed to ask the federal government for permission to demolish HH Weeks Plaza.

Firing of social workers fuels public housing unrest: Erin Neff; Social workers and seniors living in public housing demanded on Monday a financial account of a federal grant designated for elderly services at Las Vegas Housing Authority sites.

Caregiver pleads innocent in bizarre murder trial: Hein is accused of killing Iris Barton. She was arrested in July after Barton's decomposing body was found in an upstairs bedroom of her upscale home in Carson City.

Las Vegas visitor count jumps 7.4 percent in July: For the year, the city's visitor volume is just shy of 21 million, compared with 19.4 million through the first seven months of 1999.

Three sightseers injured in rough landing: There were seven people on board the S-55 helicopter, which is owned and operated by Papillon Helicopters, according to a National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman.

Higher profits foreseen by two Vegas hospital operators: The King of Prussia, Pa., company operates the Valley Health System in Las Vegas. The system includes Valley, Desert Springs and Summerlin hospitals.

Hazardous abandoned mines getting their fill: Greg Harman; The shattered rocks leading to the abandoned Quo Vadis mines just outside Henderson are littered with signs of human activity. Splintered shotgun shells, bullet casings and shards of brown glass are scattered randomly around a hard-scrabble trail leading to the mouth of one mine.

Drywall firm Jetstream sues school district: Kim Smith; A Las Vegas drywall contractor has taken its fight with the Clark County School District to court.

Woman wants answers in death of son: Keith Paul; Janet Burton wants to know what happened leading up to her 19-year-old son's death aboard a Southwest Airlines flight to Utah, but federal investigators and prosecutors who have the information aren't revealing much.

Venetian looks at adding 1,000 rooms, confirms art deal: The study was launched because of strong room demand at the Venetian, Sheldon Adelson's resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

Neal survives recount, refocuses on gaming tax: Maverick state Sen. Joe Neal can concentrate on his quest to increase gaming taxes, now that the North Las Vegas Democrat has survived a recount of his narrow Sept. 5 re-election victory.

LV land swap delayed: Erin Neff; The anticipated land swap that would give Las Vegas a huge undeveloped downtown parcel will have to wait a bit longer.

Anticipation grows for new emergency room facilities: Jace Radke; After spending a few hours helping to guide tours through the new 40,000-square-foot Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center emergency rooms on Monday, charge nurse Susan Weiler didn't want to go back to her station in the old ER.

North Texas-UNLV stats: Second Quarter

Locals in the Olympics update: Locals in the Olympics update

Reid favors Holocaust tax bill: The bill specifically mentions money from the Swiss Humanitarian Fund, which was set up by the government of Switzerland after an investigation of funds that disappeared during World War II.

Judge acts quickly on Murphy, Tabish: District Judge Joseph Bonaventure wasted little time Monday signing the judgment of conviction of Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish.

LVMS half-mile dirt points standings: IMCA Modifieds: 1. Dan Fitzgerald 442; 1. Jim Perkins 442; 3. Mark Allison 429; 4. Joe Farre' 357; 5. Rick Durica 348; 6. Jason Pike 315; 7. Deane Fountain 310; 8. Josh Davis 298; 9. Jeff Shuldmeyer 296; 10. Rick Grimes 286; 11. Wayne Francis 275; 12. Darrel Zweifel 264; 13. Allen Crumpler 232; 14. David Boardman 227; 15. Donny Berger 224; 16. Arlie Daniel 202; 17. Phil Cledennin 196; 18. Mike Berger 186; 19. Jason Lee 184; 20. Tim Helms 172; 21. Don Parker 158; 22. Scott Slatter 120; 23. John Linn 112; 24. Tim Flessati 94; 25. Ray ...

Woman's family sues NLV Police, alleging excessive use of force: Greg Tuttle; Relatives of a woman who died two years ago after being arrested by officers of the North Las Vegas Police Department have filed a federal lawsuit alleging the officers used excessive force.

Las Vegas' El Portal leather goods chain sold: David Strow; A family owned Las Vegas retail chain is being sold to a Minnesota company, a move that will mean national expansion of a name that's been in the Las Vegas market for 64 years.

Monday's prep results: GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Silver Springs man gets life for molestation: In addition, he was sentenced to a special sentence of lifetime supervision should he ever by released from prison, Deputy District Attorney Cindi-Elaine Heron said.

States, including Nevada, fight against United-US Air merger: UAL Corp.'s $11.6 billion acquisition of US Airways Group Inc. is likely to be challenged in court by as many as 20 states concerned that increased airline consolidation will reduce competition and lead to higher fares, officials said Monday.

Harrah's New Orleans threatens closure over tax: Today, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board said the casino was in technical default of its financial agreement with the state as of August. It has been given six months to cure the default.

Preseason ski passes selling fast in Tahoe: The $199 passes are good all season with the exception of some blacked out holiday periods.

Local news briefs for September 19, 2000: The Rev. Jesse Jackson was to meet today with Las Vegas black ministers and voters to push for voter registration.

Gore homes in on Nevada issues: Vice President and presidential contender Al Gore ripped through Las Vegas Monday, hammering his Republican opponents on issues that included health care reform, the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump and proposed tax cuts.

Bail set in alleged prostitution ring: Greg Tuttle; A prostitution ring based in Las Vegas that forced Asian women smuggled into the United States to work in brothels in major cities across the country has ties to a Hong Kong travel company, a federal prosecutor said Monday.

County firing causes uproar: Adrienne Packer; The firing of an assistant Clark County recorder just hours after she requested time off for military duty and maternity leave has county officials scrambling to resolve the termination case.

Kenny's meddling in race drives wedge into board: Adrienne Packer; Not too long ago, Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny was considered one of the more influential commissioners, sponsoring major zoning measures and initiating the process for the state's first children's hospital.

Lawsuit likely to test Nevada electric deregulation law: CARSON CITY -- A suit may be filed soon to test the constitutionality of Nevada's electric deregulation law that puts a three-year cap on power rates, Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said today.