Print edition for September 25, 2000

Letter: LA won't ignore LV: By Ron Kantowski; From 1958 until 1971 I watched the Dodger kids come of age as Spokane Indians (although the nickname did not stop me from loving the Dodgers). The Dodgers have always been successful at refining skills at the AAA level to prepare their players for "The Show."

Letter: LV Dodgers a great idea: By Ron Kantowski; Speaking as a lifelong Dodger fan and a resident of Las Vegas for two years, I was doing cartwheels with the announcement of the Stars changing their affiliation to the Dodgers.

Lawmakers fight with Guinn administration over dereg, commissioner quits: Brendan Riley; "This is nothing but revisionist history," Assistant Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, said as PUC Chairman Don Soderberg and panel member Richard McIntire defended the commission's recent approval of rate hikes.

Editorial: Deadlines can yield doomsday: Last week a Nuclear Regulatory Commission's advisory committee was told that the Department of Energy may start as early as next year the construction of a high-level nuclear waste repository at Nevada's Yucca Mountain -- even before it's been determined whether Yucca Mountain is safe to store 77,000 tons of nuclear waste.

Letter: Clap for Clapshaw: By Ron Kantowski; With the proper sponsorship Gary will go far. My biggest hope is that his effort will be locally funded. I don't know Gary personally, I am just a motor sports fan that likes to see a local racer make good.

Tough 10-7 loss at BYU not reason to smile for UNLV: Steve Guiremand; PROVO, Utah --- Once upon a time, a 10-7 loss at BYU would be cause for a minor celebration for UNLV football fans.

Letter: Santa Fe workers go the extra mile: We have worked together, helping each other when needed, putting in extra time, helping departments that were short on help ... it has been a great team effort by all against many obstacles.

Letter: Burton line was funny: By Ron Kantowski; I loved his Ward Burton line (about how understanding Portuguese is easier than understanding Burton) in his note about the possibility of auto racing becoming a demonstration sport in the Olympics. It's hard to believe Jeff Burton and Ward Burton grew up eating dinner across the table from each other.

Letter: More scores, less promos: By Ron Kantowski; That is the one thing that really bothers me at any UNLV game. They spend so much time doing commercials and promotions that the football and basketball games are one giant ad. I know that they make a ton of money by doing this but it is getting out of hand.

Letter: Bear QB stirs memories: By Ron Kantowski; Man, just when I put (former Chicago Bears QB) Bobby Douglass out of my mind, you had to mention him. You're killing me! He and Bob Avellini still make us native Chicagoans sick.

Letter: Sun way too pro-Vegas: By Ron Kantowski; One of your writers (Ron Kantowski) went as far to suggest that the made-for-TV golf match between Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia should have been staged with Bob May instead of Garcia. You've got to be kidding.

Stateline man arrested in hit-and-run death: The body of Guia Orbeta, 66, of Daly City, Calif., was found Sept. 10 on a sidewalk beside U.S. Highway 50 just west of the intersection with Pioneer Trail.

One dead, one hospitalized after early morning auto accident: Jerome Gratton, 85, failed to stop at a stop sign about 1 p.m. Sunday, Las Vegas police said.

Cluster of accidents near Reno leads to death, injuries: "People are simply driving too fast for conditions," he said. "This is the first storm of the season and people are going too fast."

Treasure hunt a bust, prosecutor considers plea bargain: Lisa Snedeker; "David Mattsen has no credibility," said Chief Deputy District Attorney David Roger. "We dug halfway to China. ... and found no buried treasure."

New justice center stirs up trouble in Reno: But county judges will launch an $80,000 advertising campaign on its behalf beginning Tuesday.

Child's injury led to arrest of father: Sheriff Dennis Balaam said doctors at Washoe Medical Center in Reno called the sheriff's office Wednesday after Chesser's wife brought their daughter in for treatment of an injured leg.

Keystone II Cinema in Reno closed: "After 18 years as an important element in the cultural life of this community, the Keystone is no longer a viable business in today's competitive movie theater market," said theater owner Lyndy Mercer.

Reno man sentenced to two life terms: Prosecutors said the former Kinko's Copies worker strangled Jennette Testa of Reno in July 1999 and later set her body on fire to get rid of the evidence. Her body was found burning in a south Reno business park.

Two injured in attempt to save dog: KOLO-TV reported the two suffered second- and third-degree burns over 90 percent of their bodies after they jumped into the spring to retrieve the dog.

Reno man receives 8-year sentence for manslaughter: Barker earlier pleaded guilty to a voluntary manslaughter charge stemming from the death of William Leonard Allen, 50.

Boulder City convent purchased by church: The 40-room structure, built in 1931 to serve as a hospital for the men constructing Hoover Dam, had been owned by the Sisters of Charity.

Top awards issued at Nevada Press Association meetin: General Excellence:

Reid adds opposition to EPA's proposed tougher arsenic standards: On Monday, Reid said he supported the proposed lower level, but was concerned about its potential financial impact on small and rural communities.

Cadillacs at risk after series of thefts: Four of the vehicles were found stripped of all their chrome, bumpers and grills, said police Sgt. Doug McPartland.

Poll shows slim lead for Tarkanian: Jeffrey Libby; A new poll says voter turn-out, not party loyalty, could decide the race for the Clark County Commission's District C seat.

Report sees success for new golf course: Greg Harman; A second 18-hole municipal golf course in Boulder City could bring the town of 15,000 more than $800,000 a year in revenue and have only a "negligible" impact on the current city course, an independent market analysis found.

FAA to cut funding to Tahoe airport tower, city officials unhappy: "I am not in favor of it in any way, shape or form," he told the Tahoe Daily Tribune. "We need a human being up there."

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Trends, September 25, 2000: Lisa Ferguson; They may be the hottest thing in home decor, but candles still present a fire hazard.

Casinos not shy about giving money to Lott, others: But gambling dollars make up only a small portion of the senator's nearly $3.8 million election-year bankroll.

Scarcity of nurses energizes northern Nevada recruiters: As medical facilities across the nation face huge nursing shortages, those in Nevada are trying to come up with ways to entice more students to enter the field.

Nevada Press Association awards announced: Most of the awards are divided among four classes: Class I, daily newspapers with circulation of 15,000 or more; Class II, daily newspapers with circulation of less than 15,000; Class III, weekly newspapers with circulation of 5,000 or more; and Class IV, weekly newspapers with circulation of less than 5,000. Advertising awards are divided into two classes of competition--daily newspapers and weekly newspapers.

Letter: Nuke containers would hold up, even in accident: That may be referring to some state of Nevada-sponsored work in unrealistically strong acidic solutions that have nothing to do with the Paz proposal or, for that matter, with container failures under expected transport or storage conditions. Suggesting this is "about the potential consequences of mixing toxic heavy metals and nuclear waste, as would be required for the transportation and storage of high-level nuclear waste" is not related to the Paz proposal.

Furniture showcase proposed for downtown railroad land: Las Vegas may become the furniture showroom capital of the West Coast if a proposal to build a 1 million-square-foot structure is approved for a section of the old Union Pacific Railroad property.

Robinson to stay with same O-line this week: Steve Guiremand; UNLV coach John Robinson said Sunday night that he would stick with his same offensive line starters for this weekend's ABC Regional broadcast game with Mountain West Conference-leading Air Force (3-0, 2-0) at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Obituaries for September 25, 2000: Linda Rae Arnoldsen, 52, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in Las Vegas. She was born Dec. 2, 1947, in Utah. A resident for 50 years, she was a homemaker.

ACLU says Del Papa's actions motivated by politics: Sun reporter Ed Koch contributed to this report.

Columnist John Katsilometes: This trend is mired in the cards: The woman at the counter asked for my card, as she always does. I slipped it out of my wallet and pushed it toward her, flashing the yellow Blockbuster logo.

Chilly reception for Harrah's: Alan Sayre; NEW ORLEANS -- After giving the state a virtual ultimatum for a tax reduction, Harrah's New Orleans Casino is finding a chilly reception from legislators and a lukewarm response from the governor.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Rams prove no total is too high: Dean Juipe; Forty-nine.

Anchor Gaming chairman resigning: Anchor Gaming, a Las Vegas maker of slot machines and lottery equipment, said it will buy back $306 million in stock from Chairman Stanley Fulton and his family, after which Fulton will be replaced by Chief Executive T.J. Matthews.

LV phone competitor changing name, selling bundled service: The Virginia-based company, controlled by cellular phone pioneer Craig McCaw, will offer small business customers local and long distance calls with Internet access and Internet website management services on one bill for a flat fee.

Casino trying to loosen reception for tax cut: Alan Sayre; Since opening the casino last October after a short-lived temporary casino and three years of bankruptcy reorganization, the casino's owner, JCC Holding Co., has been hinting that the $100 million minimum annual tax payment to the state is too much to shoulder for the project to succeed.

Tribal power plant could have big impact: Moapa Paiute Calvin Meyers knows what it's like to grow up without running water or electricity, so he sees great opportunity in a new power project on the reservation that could be under construction within a year.

PurchasePro.com launches new technology: The technology will enable PurchasePro.com customers to buy and sell goods and services using Internet-enabled phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants) and pocket computers.

Receiver sued: The lawsuit, filed as part of NevStar's pending Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, accuses Virgin River Casino Corp. and owner Randy Black of misusing its position as court-appointed receiver. Virgin River is the operator of two competing hotel-casinos in Mesquite.

Developer waits for third ruling in money laundering: Kim Smith; Golf course developer Billy Walters could find out this week if the money laundering charges against him will be dismissed for a third time.

College not included on state projects list: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada State College in Henderson is not on a preliminary list of priority state projects being considered today by a state board that will make a recommendation to Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Busch stays away from trouble in his first race: DOVER, Del. -- Most of the veteran NASCAR Winston Cup drivers had little or no comment on Kurt Busch's performance in Sunday's MBNA.com 400 -- which, in racing, generally is a good thing.

Locals in the Olympics update: Locals in the Olympics update

Asian prostitution rings on rise: Despite its Sin City reputation Las Vegas is not known as a hotbed for Asian prostitution rings.

Utilities official resigns in stand against 'global settlement': CARSON CITY -- Judy Sheldrew, the lone member of the state Public Utilities Commission who has objected to the "global settlement" and its electric rate increases, is resigning.

Las Vegas' Busch pleased with finish in Cup debut: A capsule look at the NASCAR Winston Cup debut of 22-year-old Kurt Busch of Las Vegas at Sunday's MBNA.com 400 at Dover, Del.:

3 remain perfect after rough week: Spencer Patterson; Green Valley 30, Bonanza 12

New additions to Nevada Press Association "Hall of Fame": Day earned a reputation as an investigative reporter covering organized crime, the gambling industry and politics. Day began working for the Valley Times in 1976, later joined the Review-Journal staff and served as managing editor of KLAS-TV, Channel 8.

Soccer: UNLV women top Lady Dons: Soccer: UNLV women top Lady Dons

Prep Schedule: MONDAY

Local news briefs for September 25, 2000: An 85-year-old Las Vegas man was killed Sunday afternoon when he failed to yield the right of way at a stop sign.

Football: Wolves defeated in Utah: "We only took 26 guys (of 55 on the roster)," lamented Wolves GM and linebacker Edwin Rose. "We hung with them pretty good until the fatigue got to us in the second half."

Rural residents sing solar power praises: Their rural residence -- often inspected by curious elk, deer, raccoons and other wild critters -- is filled with all the conveniences people have come to expect today, including a washer and dryer, refrigerators, televisions and computers.

Shaheen reiterates preference for gambling to pay for education: "I'm not taking any options off the table," she said without mentioning an income tax or general sales tax, which she has opposed in the past.

Neal-Clinton race pushed for general: Jace Radke; Sun reporter Adrienne Packer contributed to this report.

Sun captures 22 awards in contest: The Sun was honored Saturday with 22 overall awards including nine first places during the association's annual convention held at Sunset Station.

Caesars executive sues: Park Place, which was spun off in 1998 from Hilton Hotels Corp., completed its acquisition of Caesars World on Dec. 29, 1999, from Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide.

Icahn hopes to ease resort's mall headache by buying it: David Strow; Stratosphere hotel-casino owner Carl Icahn is negotiating to purchase the long-struggling Tower Shops mall -- but local retail observers say he'll still face a tough climb in turning the mall's fortunes.

Takeover offer made for big Vegas home builder: Del Webb shares jumped 21 percent this morning to $26.94 on news of the offer.

Fuel prices not forcing CAT cuts: RTC spokeswoman Ingrid Yocum said that her agency planned for higher gas costs when it submitted this year's budget for its Citizens Area Transit bus system. While more money is used to cover fuel prices, no new programs have been canceled.

Guinn denies Jones was offered a state job: Jace Radke; Gov. Kenny Guinn has denied reports that people involved with his campaign offered a job to former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones if she stayed out of the 1998 governor's race.

Public Education Foundation honors Greenspun family: Children in knickers and hats passed out Education Hero 2000 Special Edition newspapers highlighting contributions the Greenspuns have made to benefit children in Southern Nevada. Contributing writers included Sun executive editor Mike O'Callaghan, Sun assistant to the publisher Ruthe Deskin, political consultant Sig Rogich and UNLV President Carol Harter.

Cross country: Rebels sixth in Seattle: Cross country: Rebels sixth in Seattle

Sixty candidates fail to file financial reports: CARSON CITY -- Assemblyman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, and university Regent Dave Phillips, also of Las Vegas, are among the 60 political candidates who failed to file their campaign finance reports.

Guinn promises midweek decision on dereg delay: Brendan Riley; The GOP governor also told the Nevada Press Association that a 1999 Nevada law on deregulation, which called for a temporary rate freeze, hasn't been broken despite some recent rate hikes.

Rats not a health threat: While rats in the Spanish Trail community of southwest Las Vegas are a nuisance, Nevada and Clark County officials said today there is no evidence that the rodents pose a public health threat.

Big Las Vegas laundry workers' union local defects to competitor: Grace Leong; The Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) has taken over representation of more than 1,600 workers at Las Vegas' largest commercial and industrial laundry -- beating out two other unions wanting to represent the workers.

Food Network to air Las Vegas-themed shows: Five installments of the wildly popular "Emeril Live" show, hosted by celebrity chef and local restaurateur Emeril Lagasse, were taped before a live audience at the Venetian. The shows will air at 5 p.m. today through Friday (repeating each night at 8 p.m.)

Beltway residents lose suit: Adrienne Packer; Northwest Las Vegas residents who expected that a lawsuit would prevent Clark County from taking their houses to build the Las Vegas Beltway -- or at least pay for their relocation -- had their hopes steamrolled Friday by District Judge James Brennan.