Print edition for December 10, 2001

CCSN student body to receive less funding: Jennifer Knight; A long history of financial mismanagement led the state Board of Regents Friday to put Community College of Southern Nevada's student government on a drastic fiscal diet.

Word up: Scrabble champs vie for world title: John D. Williams Jr., executive director of the National Scrabble Association, explains that if you take the letters k and a to form the word ka, then every letter in the phrase "Betsy's Feet" can be added to the end to create a three-letter word.

Letter: Sharing religion is a basic freedom: She wrote that the aid workers were irresponsible and arrogant. I disagree. Sharing one's faith is something religious people do, including Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. It's like debating politics for politically active peoples. You'll find liberals, conservatives, moderates, etc. It is stimulating to do.

Regents running out of time to pay off school debt: Jennifer Knight; Less than six months away from a critical deadline to pay off a multimillion-dollar court settlement, the Board of Regents decided Friday to leave a plan to bail out the Fire Science Academy in Carlin hanging for another month.

Birth announcements for December 10, 2001: Dec. 1:

Editorial: States can't do it all on their own: This is a tough burden to place on states. A sluggish economy and declining revenues from taxes means that states will be hard-pressed to find enough money to sufficiently boost their anti-terrorism efforts. Nevada officials believe in many instances they're ahead of other states in terms of preparedness, but more can be done here, too, especially in additional training for hospitals and physicians so that they can handle bioterrorism.

Man who shot Metro officer loses appeal: CARSON CITY -- A Las Vegas man who had a dramatic shootout with police in 1999 has lost his appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court.

Mack files Chapter 11: Diana Sahagun; Las Vegas Councilman Michael Mack has four more years to smooth out his political reputation that has been questioned over his denial of a car dealership application last summer, but Mack says his increasing personal debt has not affected his council duties.

Letter: Teachers don't get the respect they deserve: I am a mother of a teacher who has twice been in the "Who's Who" of the 5 percent of the best teachers in America, put there by honor students she has taught. She loves teaching and preparing her classes for their future welfare. But some self-centered parents believe the lies of their children and find relief because of their neglect as good parents to blame the teacher for their child's inadequacy.

Community briefs for December 10, 2001: A special mailbox just for Santa's mail will be located inside the Lorna J. Kesterson Valley View Recreation Center, 500 Harris St., through Friday.

Blood drives planned: Wednesday: 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Clark County Government Center, 500 Grand Central Parkway; 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Clark County School District, 2832 E. Flamingo Road; 2-7 p.m., Arizona Charlie's East, 4575 Boulder Hwy.

Letter: 'Fuzzy math' on fed judges: The most casual observer of national politics knows that the Republican-led Senate stonewalled most of Clinton's judicial nominees for the eight years of his presidency. This left the federal judicial ranks seriously depleted.

Volunteers help clean NLV area: Altogether, volunteers and residents collected about 13,608 cubic feet of garbage. Packed in cubic-foot boxes stacked on top of each other, the trash would have formed a tower almost 12 times as high as the Stratosphere.

Trends for December 10, 2001: Lisa Ferguson; Oh, the weather outside is frightful. (OK, so it's not that cold. Work with me here, folks!) So rather than go out, the folks at Blockbuster suggest you stay inside and watch holiday movies (preferably rented from one of the blue-and-yellow stores).

Apologies made for Marines' treatment: The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, law school received sharp criticism Friday for treating two Marine Corps officers from the Judge Advocate General's office so rudely during a campus visit in October that they were unable to make their presentation.

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

Judge: Nebraska tribe can keep gaming machines: LINCOLN, Neb. -- A federal judge said Friday that the Santee Sioux tribe can keep the 50 or so gaming machines that make up its modest casino in Knox County.

Barden takes the helm at Fitzgeralds properties: Jennie Sute was having a good run at the three-card poker table at the Fitzgeralds hotel-casino Thursday night when a man with a familiar face made his way into the casino.

Students' numbers lower than projected: Terry Webster; The Clark County School District will remain the nation's sixth largest, based on its official enrollment figures.

Obituaries for December 10, 2001: Mossie D. Burns, 81, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in a local hospital. She was born Dec. 31, 1919, in Castor, La. A resident for 32 years, she was a retired hotel guest room attendant, mother and missionary of the Greater New Jerusalem Baptist Church and a volunteer at the Blind Center of Las Vegas.

Women's box score: UNLV-Nevada-Reno: UNLV (6-1)

Nevada pulls Yucca audit off Internet: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Nevada officials briefly posted the unofficial draft copy of a General Accounting Office audit of the Yucca Mountain project last week, then pulled it off their website at the GAO's request.

Audit: DOE withholding key Yucca data: Benjamin Grove and Mary Manning; WASHINGTON -- Senior managers of the Energy Department's Yucca Mountain project are withholding realistic costs and completion schedules for the proposed high-level nuclear waste dump, according to the first draft of a congressional audit.

Arrests in gambling operation: Gary Golden, 57, was arrested Friday, charged with running the operation and money laundering.

'Come Run with Santa' competition Dec. 22: Proceeds from the event will benefit Safe House.

Frohlich breaks record: Steve Guiremand; RENO -- Linda Frohlich knew she had broken the UNLV school career scoring record early in the first half of the Rebels' 83-50 victory over Nevada-Reno at the Lawlor Events Center. She just didn't remember how.

Security panel assumes higher profile: CARSON CITY -- A state committee that has operated in relative obscurity for the past two years has taken on a higher profile since the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

Comic-book heroes artist out to help terrorist victims: Jace Radke; Over the past 25 years John Romita Jr. has chronicled the adventures of such Marvel Comics mainstays as the Hulk, the X-Men and Spiderman.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Jockeys battling for victories mark: Ralph Siraco; Although most of the Eclipse Awards for 2001 have been all but won -- except for Horse of the Year -- many of the year's statistical leaders are winding up with just three weeks to go before they play "Auld Lang Syne."

Nevada miners receive layoff notices: "We're telling all our employees that we're giving them two months' notice and if we have no alternative plans put together by Feb. 5 we will be implementing a layoff," Baker told the Elko Daily Free Press.

Columnist Dean Juipe: D.A. could interrupt Tyson's plans: Dean Juipe; Reactions were quick and decisive after Lennox Lewis and his people raised the stakes and made Mike Tyson an offer he couldn't refuse.

Business people: Recent appointments, promotions and honors: Guy Amato, vice president of sales and marketing at Nevada Title Co., was named to the company's board of directors.

Some casinos cancel energy surcharges: David Strow; Energy surcharges, once a subject of controversy along the Strip, have mostly evaporated during Las Vegas' unfolding tourism crisis.

Gaming people: Recent appointments and promotions: Michael Catalano is director of sales and Nivea Santiago is show tickets manager at the Monte Carlo hotel-casino.

DOE chief to visit proposed site of anti-terrorism school: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham plans to visit the Nevada Test Site on Jan. 7 with Nevada lawmakers who continue to push for a national counterterrorism school at the site.

Rider Hawkins thankful to be back in NFR action: Victoria Sun; Competing at the National Finals Rodeo is nothing new to bareback rider Pete Hawkins.

UNLV has lessons to learn after loss: Steve Addy; Like a barber cutting with hedge clippers, the Rebels have much to learn about subtlety and nuance.

Exec: HP would keep strengths in Compaq deal: Brian Bergstein; SAN FRANCISCO -- Hewlett-Packard Co. can affirm its traditional principles and better position itself for the future with its much-debated, $25 billion plan to buy Compaq Computer Corp., the HP executive overseeing the complex combination said Friday.

NFR results: Third round: Third Round: 1, Lan LaJuennesse, Morgan, Utah, 86 points on Beard Rodeo's Roan Ranger, $13,522. 2 (tie), Forest Bramwell, Pagosa Springs, Colo., and Scott Montague, Wall, S.D., 83, $9,378 each. 4, Joe Ketter, Roy, Wash., 81, $5,671. 5, Mark Gomes, Nickerson, Kan., 79, $3,490. 6, William Pittman II, Florence, Miss., 77, $2,181.

Eight arrested in gambling operation: Gary Golden, 57, was arrested Friday, charged with running the operation and money laundering.

Locals rate 'Ocean's Eleven' highly after weekend viewing: By Emily Richmond; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman may have wound up on the cutting room floor in the remake of "Ocean's Eleven," but the omission didn't stop most area residents from giving high marks to the movie about stealing money from Las Vegas casinos.

Prep schedule: MONDAY

Hammargren calls victim 'a survivor': Kim Smith; Las Vegas neurosurgeon Lonnie Hammargren has treated 20,000 patients over the last 30 years. Lorraine Mosca is one of maybe five he will never forget, he told jurors in a civil trial Friday.

Intel co-founder donating $261 million to eco group: The gift will be spread out over a 10-year period and will be used for a program to stop species extinction in biodiversity hotspots and to protect large areas of major tropical wilderness, Conservation International spokesman Brad Phillips said.

NFR notebook: McFadden, Stone enjoy quick starts: Victoria Sun; As bull rider Cory McFadden sat in a hallway at the Thomas & Mack Center Sunday night, a passerby jokingly asked if he and another bull rider, Blue Stone, were going to share their riches with the others.

LV firm may have to sell track: Boyd Gaming Corp. of Las Vegas made the statement in recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

December camp planned at UNLV: The camps are open to players from 7 to senior in high school and will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Cost is $150 per camp or $250 for all four days.

Domestic violence sentence hits former Goodman aide: Kim Smith; William Cassidy, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman's former top aide, was convicted Friday on a domestic violence charge.

Vegas loses four flights with grounding of Sun Country: If defunct Sun Country Airlines regroups as an air charter carrier, Las Vegas probably would be one of the first cities the company would come back to.

Man must choose privacy or health: By Emily Richmond; A North Las Vegas man says a pharmaceutical giant wants him to choose between his health and his privacy. It's a choice Grant Gailey, who has hepatitis C, doesn't want to make.

Candidates for Congress in race for donations: Erin Neff; With the next campaign finance reports due Dec. 31, candidates for Congress are trying to get as much cash in the bank to make their required filing a siren call to other donors.

News briefs for December 10, 2001: A pedestrian who tried to cross Boulder Highway near Desert Inn Road Sunday was killed when he was hit by a car, police said.