Print edition for December 5, 2001

New slot machine theme based on comic character: The game is under development and regulatory approval is hoped for in 2002.

Panel: Commission should rewrite rule on art tax breaks: Brendan Riley; CARSON CITY -- At the request of MGM MIRAGE lawyers, a legislative panel voted Tuesday for another holdup in a long-delayed rule on art tax breaks.

Gaming supplier projects growth of 25 percent: The company is projecting fiscal 2002 earnings per share of 75 cents to 80 cents, up from the 63 cents to 64 cents projected for fiscal 2001. Shuffle Master's fiscal year ends on Oct. 31.

Funds sought to fight problem gambling: David Strow; Scientists say they still have a long way to go in finding the causes of problem gambling -- and the most effective methods of treating it.

LV, county delay NW growth agreement: Launce Rake and Diana Sahagun; How they differ

Columnist Jeff Haney: Find money lines on big college hoops games: Guess it's only appropriate that a guy with the word "Betting" attached to his weekly article should become a de facto Shell Answer Man for all kinds of gambling-related queries.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Tracy sticks with Team Kool Green and CART: Las Vegas resident Paul Tracy said he can concentrate on next week's test session at Sebring, Fla., now that Team Kool Green owner Barry Green has announced the team will remain in CART for the 2002 season.

Nominee to direct Yucca Mountain faces few questions: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Senators had few questions today at a nomination hearing for the next likely director of the Yucca Mountain project.

Minister's suit could stall plans for topless club: Diana Sahagun; A minister whose actions threatened the political career of a Las Vegas City Councilman has returned to haunt the owners of a proposed topless club.

Mikohn settles lawsuit with partner: Mikohn sued on Nov. 20 to stop Safegames and its two European shareholders -- Viktor Mayer of Austria and Michail Order of Germany -- from terminating, allegedly without justification, its exclusive rights to market a device called "Safe Jack" in the United States after they were paid more than $3.3 million in advance royalties for the rights.

Jackson delivers rousing speech: Erin Neff; Although dogged by personal scandal and considered by some ineffective at mobilizing black voters for the 2000 election, the Rev. Jesse Jackson is still very welcome at the organized labor table.

Columnist Dean Juipe: City snubbing us, Trotters execs claim: Dean Juipe; Mention the Harlem Globetrotters to most any civilized person in the world and the reaction borders on the predictable.

Feds say Vegas bank deceived consumers: A Las Vegas-based bank specializing in issuing secured credit cards to customers with low credit ratings or no credit history has settled a class-action lawsuit as well as a complaint from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Levin stepping down as CEO of media giant: Steve Case will remain as chairman, while the company's other co-COO, Robert Pittman, will become the sole COO, the company said today.

Economic slowdown hurting automaker: The Dearborn-based automaker said it expected to report a loss of 50 cents per share, before one-time items, for the last three months of the year.

Panel to decide fate of Quick Care clinics: By Emily Richmond; A legislative subcommittee today will try to decide where the line should be drawn between the public sector and private enterprise, and whether University Medical Center's highly successful chain of Quick Cares has crossed that line.

Three to go: Steve Guiremand; TOP SCORERS

National Air seeks loan of $45 million: National Airlines will seek a federally guaranteed loan of at least $45 million to pull the Las Vegas-based air carrier out of bankruptcy.

Maxim owner apparently in pact to sell property: David Strow; The Maxim hotel near the Las Vegas Strip, shuttered in August after years of financial struggles, appears to have found a new owner.

Nevada manager negotiates Coca-Cola, Ali pact: David Strow; The owner of one of America's best known brands announced a pact with one of the world's best known athletes today -- an endorsement deal linking Coca-Cola Co. and Muhammad Ali together across the world.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Pols jockey for position in Yucca battle: The facts: Berkley actually requested the GAO probe on Feb. 12 after she and others received an anonymous letter replete with knowing allegations about the Yucca Mountain project's alleged mismanagement. Two weeks later Reid pushed the GAO to look into the matter, too.

Hoffa vows support for school staffs: Terry Webster; James P. Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Tuesday threw his support behind the local effort to represent Clark County School District support staff workers.

Reid's release of GAO report did not break rules: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., drew an angry response from Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham but broke no written rules or protocols of the General Accounting Office when he gave excerpts of a draft copy of a GAO report on Yucca Mountain to the media.

Letter: Crack down on greedy U.S. drug companies: Many Americans now make the trek to Canada or Mexico to obtain their needed medications because of the price gouging here in the U.S.

Metro plans more counterterrorism cops with security: Keith Paul; Metro Police intelligence detectives will be trained on counterterrorism and obtain federal security clearances as the department tries to enhance its ability to investigate any future threats or attacks.

Property tax hike to fund four new fire stations: Adrienne Packer; Clark County taxpayers will see a 3-cent bump in their property taxes during the next two years after commissioners on Tuesday agreed that the increase is needed to build and staff four new fire stations.

Argument ends in fatal shooting: Keith Paul; A 24-year-old man was accused Tuesday of shooting to death the boyfriend of a woman he was pursuing after an angry exchange near McCarran International Airport.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Musical sisters showcased at Philharmonic Soiree: Elizabeth Foyt; The intimate program was much enjoyed by Pat and Diane Clary, Dr. Paul and April Stewart, philharmonic founders Susan and Andy Tompkins and Dean and Gloria Allen with Sheila Mackay and previous soiree hosts John and Evonne Allen, as well as Esther Wallace and Roger Thomas. Chefs Jack and Patty Sheridan, of The Inn at Silk Purse Ranch, catered the sumptuous dinner buffet and after-concert dessert offering, where guests Steve Cullen, Patrick Everett, Sue Lowden, Lynn Weidner, Wendy and Richard Plaster, Barbara Molasky and Jack Fischer gathered. Special guest and season sponsor was Alain Viot, president-CEO of Cartier, accompanied by ...

Crop dusters air ideas on how to handle crises: Jace Radke; After being grounded in the wake of the terrorist attacks, crop dusters are looking for ways to make sure they stay airborne during future crises.

Las Vegans surfing water options: Max Jacobson; This is really more of a spoof about Los Angeles and the film industry than it is about water, but it underscores an interesting point. In Beverly Hills, Calif., there were actually water bars that sold nothing more than various mineral waters and bottled waters.

Heitzler's departure could kill LV race: Joe Heitzler, whose 366-day tenure as president and CEO of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) was mired in controversy, was forced to resign Tuesday during a meeting of the series' board of directors in Phoenix.

Tuesday's prep results: GIRLS SOCCER

LV bank settles federal complaint, class-action suit: First National Bank of Marin issued a statement Tuesday that said under terms of the agreement it would reimburse customers who applied for the bank's credit card between July 27, 1996, and May 31, 2001, and who were charged enrollment fees and some finance charges.

Regents to consider new GPA proposal: Jennifer Knight; University officials have come up with a new plan that softens a proposal to raise admissions standards at the state's two universities.

Editorial: State tries to reduce deadly medical errors: The state of Nevada is taking a stab at the issue of medical mistakes, though, as an interim committee of the Legislature investigates whether Nevada should have its own reporting system. This won't be an easy matter to fix: The costs of maintaining a database and the concerns that physicians have regarding their legal liability for reporting their own mistakes are just two of the many hurdles that will be difficult to overcome. But this is a worthy endeavor by the state to try to decrease the number of needless deaths caused by medical errors.

Huntridge Theatre sold to adjacent furniture store: The historic Huntridge Theatre, a landmark at the corner of Charleston Boulevard and Maryland Parkway since 1944, has been sold for $925,000.

Pollution credits ousted: Clark County commissioners unanimously moved to phase out a controversial pollution-trading program targeted for criticism by environmentalists for years.

Casamayor-Freitas showdown could turn out to be a classic: Dean Juipe; They are two fighters with almost identical credentials.

Letter: Don't grant terrorists rights: It certainly isn't much different now. Why, then, do certain lawmakers question the administration's executive order to deny foreign terrorists our constitutional rights?

Obituaries for December 5, 2001: Sidney Adler, 91, of Las Vegas died Monday in a local hospital. He was born Nov. 26, 1910, in Bialystok, Poland. A resident for 16 years, he was a retired entrepreneur and a World War II Army veteran.

Oh, Hanukkah: Holiday celebration vibrant, serious and rife with food: Not willing to surrender their convictions, the Jewish Maccabees fought to take back their desecrated Jerusalem temple from their oppressor, Antochus.

VEGAS SPORTS ON TV-RADIO: VEGAS SPORTS ON TV-RADIO

County delays pact with city on northwest: County version: The city would not use state law to annex property. The two governments would together identify future federal lands for city growth.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- Wicked Illusion -- Training at Santa Anita, Flores atop Shulman trainee, well spotted for claiming opener. Our Sharron Stone -- Draws good box for route outing, Almeida on Hernandez trainee, if she runs like namesake she's a winner. Value Play -- La Bella Donna

Editorial: Arafat's ludicrous excuses: But Arafat, in one of his more implausible moments, told CNN that Israel was undermining his attempts to combat terrorism. "They (the Israelis) don't want me to succeed and for this he (Sharon) is escalating his military activities against our people, against our towns, against our cities, against our establishments," Arafat said. "He doesn't want a peace process to start."

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Sweet talk for the holidays: How sweet it is having such a grand selection of candy shops in Las Vegas. Ethel M, See's, Godiva, Teuscher and M&M's all provide a plethora of holiday items ideal for gifts.

Former governor named to oversee seized $22 million: Angela Soo; A judge on Tuesday appointed three people, including former Gov. Bob Miller, to oversee $22 million in assets seized from a man believed to be involved in a Ponzi scheme.

News briefs for December 5, 2001: Marcella McClure, a former assistant professor of biology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, sued the university system in May 2000 after she was denied tenure.

Charities make plea for local giving: Las Vegas charity leaders said Tuesday that they need help this holiday season because charitable giving has slumped during a sagging economy and that a bulk of charity has been directed to help victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Letter: Trash trucks littering highway: My husband and I couldn't imagine where all of the trash littering the highway and countryside came from until we saw the semi-trucks hauling trash. They were covered, in a fashion. In a fashion that allows a phenomenal amount of trash to get airborne over the landscape.

Community briefs for December 5, 2001: The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is looking volunteers for the program Friendship with Families. An orientation meeting will be 6 p.m. Tuesday at 2590 Lindell Road.

Witnesses describe fatal robbery: Kim Smith; Two of the four men who witnessed a fatal Henderson robbery testified Tuesday they thought one of the men was white and a third witness testified that he thought one of the suspects was black.

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

Federal aid could unclog beltway quickly: Adrienne Packer; Congested portions of the Las Vegas Beltway will be improved sooner than anticipated if Clark County secures the federal assistance it passed up years ago when it started the $1.5 billion project.

Columnist Peter Benton: Crenshaw collects coveted Stewart award: Peter Benton; Ben Crenshaw followed Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, winners of the inaugural Payne Stewart Award in 2000, as this year's recipient.

UNLV wants to get away from the basics: Jennifer Knight; Each semester Elaine Bunker tries to pack her 15-week university class full of lessons her students didn't learn in high school.

LV hospitals not ready for chemical, biological crisis: A University of Nevada, Las Vegas, professor who surveyed Southern Nevada's 11 hospitals said they would be easily overburdened by a mass casualty event involving chemical or biological agents.