Print edition for February 9, 2001

Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Call pays big for kicker/teacher: Sal DeFilippo; It was a Wednesday, and a routine school day for students at Lebanon (Ind.) High School.

Columnist Dean Juipe: State lands a punch to NCAA's chin: Dean Juipe; This isn't what the NCAA, or the U.S. Congress for that matter, expected.

Letter: XFL low on virtue: Ron@lasvegassun.com; Whether it's the language used by the players and the announcers or the blatant exploitation of women, it's a really sad thing.

Theater company tells stately tales: Fast Facts

Letter: Juipe is right: XFL stinks: Ron@lasvegassun.com; I really didn't understand what all the fuss was about, and until I read Dean Juipe's column ("XFL proves to be lousy experience," Feb. 5), I was starting to feel as if maybe I was watching another game, based on the rave reviews given on the local TV stations and by most of the fans who were there.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Shepherding in a new Lone Ranger: The Lone Ranger isn't dead.

Geothermal firm urges use of alternative energy: John Wilkerson; CARSON CITY -- Construction of environmentally friendly geothermal power plants might be the silver lining of an energy-crisis cloud moving east across the Sierra from California, lawmakers were told Thursday.

Think, dream, prepare: Kris Hill; Stainless steel shovels gleamed in the late afternoon sunlight as ground was broken on the future site of the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy.

Rebels want to settle the score vs. Cougars: Steve Addy; Who: BYU at Rebels When: Noon, Saturday Where: Thomas & Mack Center TV: KBFT Ch.(6) Radio: KBAD, 920 AM

Letter: Guinn must act on power now: California built low-efficiency and high-cost renewable power starting in the 1970s (wind, solar) and its ratepayers overpaid by $25 billion.

Lady Rebels' comeback falls short at BYU: The Lady Rebels (14-6, 4-4) closed the Cougars' (13-8, 5-3) lead to three, 82-79, with only 1:13 left to play. However, BYU stayed at least two possessions ahead, forcing the Rebels to foul. BYU shot an outstanding 92.3 percent from the line (24-for-26) to go along with 50 percent shotoing from the floor.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Some lovely Valentine's options: Valentine, Valentine, wilt thou be mine? The answer is certain to be yes after a romantic Valentine's Day dinner at a choice Las Vegas restaurant. Many are pricey, but love is said to be priceless, so splurge.

New trial sought in killing of UNR police sergeant: Sandra Chereb; CARSON CITY -- A man convicted and condemned to die for killing a campus police officer in Reno was wrongfully denied his right to represent himself at trial, his attorney told the Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday.

Letter: Las Vegas place for great burger: I live in Wisconsin and grew up enjoying this fabulous sandwich, but alas, there are no more Big Boy restaurants in Wisconsin. While planning my last visit to Vegas in June, I did some exploring and found that there was indeed a Big Boy's located there.

Columnist Joe Delaney: New book a reminder of LV's country ties: Joe Delaney; Jim Halsey's letterhead reads simply, "Jim Halsey, impresario" ... As someone who has known Halsey for nearly half a century, I can attest to the fact that he richly deserves that title ... Halsey has just completed a book titled, "How to Make It in the Music Business," written with author-journalist John Wooley and published by Hawk Publishing and Halsey Books.

Nevada delegates concerned by census sampling: Genaro C. Armas; WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is committed to using raw census numbers for political redistricting, but may allow adjusted numbers to be used to allocate federal funds among the states, House Republican sources said Thursday.

Mountain West Conference football recruits: AIR FORCE

LV Boulevard businesses will get city help sprucing up: Diana Sahagun; Hoping tourists will continue to flock to downtown and visit the smaller restaurants and boutiques, the city of Las Vegas will start giving out grants to spruce up the neighborhood block by block.

Joe Delaney remembers 1981: Cosby and Cole at the LV Hilton: Joe Delaney remembers 1981: Cosby and Cole at the LV Hilton

Court briefs for February 9, 2001: District Judge Joseph Bonaventure will decide in March if boxer Ike Ibeabuchi should be forcibly medicated so he can stand trial on a sexual assault charge.

Barbara Greenspun remembers 1981: Cost has more than doubled: Barbara Greenspun remembers 1981: Cost has more than doubled

Editorial: Put an end to conflicts of interest: The land investment is in the city of Mesquite, and no one so far has suggested that Genzer's relationship has resulted in him making decisions that have benefited the firm he has a minority interest in. For that matter, Genzer, a 27-year employee of the city's Planning and Development Department, listed the land deal in a city-mandated disclosure form. Despite the openness, the fact is the deal doesn't instill public confidence. This doesn't end with only Genzer, though. It also has come to light that other City Hall employees have similar business relationships with developers or engineering firms.

Exhibit spotlights unusual medium for 'risque' topic: Kimberley McGee; Fast Facts

ACLU rips library district for filtering kids' computers: Jace Radke; The American Civil Liberties Union is criticizing the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District's policy of filtering the Internet in children's libraries.

News of the Day: 1981: Story: Ronald Wilson Reagan, promising to launch "an era of national renewal," became the 40th president of the United States Tuesday, and minutes after his oath of office 52 Americans held hostage in Iran dramatically gained their freedom.

Local news briefs for February 9, 2001: Dr. William A. Zamboni, a microsurgeon at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Las Vegas, will receive the first Rudolf W. Gunnerman Silver State Award for Excellence in Science and Technology for his advances in surgically reattaching limbs.

'Crazy Girls' provide plenty of 'tease': Joe Delaney; The Riviera is offering an all-new edition of its "Crazy Girls Fantasy Revue," starring comedian Carole Montgomery plus 10 comely, well-endowed dancer-performers in a rapid-paced romp, heavy on titillation, and a feast for the senses for those whose female form preferences are callipygian.

Homer time!: Steve Guiremand; Warning: If you plan on driving down Washington Avenue behind Cashman Field on Saturday or Sunday, be prepared to dodge a few baseballs.

'Hannibal' more slasher flick than thriller: A memorandum came with the press kit for "Hannibal," the new film based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. It alludes to the fact that MGM, the studio distributing this film, does not knowingly target persons under age 17 in the marketing of R-rated films.

LV municipal judges want terms changed to six years: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Several Las Vegas Municipal Court judges asked legislators Thursday to extend their terms in office from four years to six.

Political notebook: Porter criticized over Hispanic issue: Erin Neff and Diana Sahagun; The lines for Nevada's third congressional seat have yet to be drawn, but political mud is already being hurled in the race to enter the race.

Letter: Forget Rick; keep Soesbe: Ron@lasvegassun.com; In regard to the latter, I find Rod Soesbe to be a good man and a good coach who seems to be doing an outstanding job under trying conditions. I have personally seen him out at his ballpark working on getting the field in shape. I also know he has to raise a lot of the funds for his program. I wonder if they have to do that at some of the top baseball programs in the country?

Obituaries for February 9, 2001: Irene C. Beuchel, 84, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in a local hospital. She was born Nov. 24, 1916, in Santa Monica, Calif. A resident for three years, she was a homemaker.

Columnist Kate Maddox: Lake enjoys 'Sweetheart' deal: Kate Maddox; Field trip, anyone? Although security out at the swank Lake Las Vegas Resort is pretty tight, it's still probably your best bet for spotting celebs this weekend. The Hyatt Regency is playing host to the cast of "America's Sweethearts," a romantic comedy starring John Cusack, Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Billy Crystal.

University system defends private candidate interviews: CARSON CITY -- An attorney told the Nevada Supreme Court Thursday that those applying to become presidents of the state's universities or community colleges should not expect any privacy in seeking the offices.

Future of lake may lie in suit: Scott Sonner; RENO -- A county's bid to take irrigation water from farmers to help threatened fish in a shrinking desert lake could reverse a century of water law in Nevada and the West, state officials warned Thursday.

Age, experience big factors for Wilson in gymnastics event: Victoria Sun; Of the 100 or so male gymnasts who will be competing in the 2001 Winter Cup Challenge, five-time national champion Blaine Wilson figures he has a definite advantage over the entire field.

New name, affiliation boosts ticket sales for 51s: Steve Guiremand; Remember that supposed controversy over the Las Vegas Stars changing their name to the 51s?

Outlaws take on Salaam, Maniax: Victoria Sun; Who: Outlaws at Memphis When: 4 p.m., Sunday Where: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium TV: KTUD, Ch.(14)

Cimarron seeks 3rd straight title: Spencer Patterson; Cimarron-Memorial's drive for a third straight 4A state wrestling title begins today, and Nevada's new postseason format may help pave the road for the Spartans.

Letter: City should be ashamed: Ron@lasvegassun.com; During all the pregame publicity for the XFL game, I kept wondering why everyone seemed to think this was a good thing for our community. I watched the game on TV and still couldn't understand why this low-class, trashy event could benefit Las Vegas. Why are businesses and agencies (including the Las Vegas Parks and Recreation Department) sponsoring the XFL?

Lawmakers told of rapid growth in women prisoners: Siobhan Mcdonough; CARSON CITY -- A big jump in the number of women in an already crowded prison system is forcing Nevada prison officials to look for ways to handle the influx.

Letter: Average person will struggle because of Bush: It has been a propaganda barrage that the news media have swallowed hook, line and sinker. He has made the most of "photo ops" to be seen with religious and black leaders, followed by trips to the Democratic and Republican retreats.

Where I Stand 1981 -- Hank Greenspun: Rising stamp costs just don't make sense: Past, present and future.

Good Sports: ESPN makes entertainment mark with ESPYs: Kirk Baird; These days it's getting more and more difficult to discern athletes from actors, sports figures from celebrities.

Planners reject northwest LV office complex: "Don't change our zoning" was the clear message from residents of Las Vegas's northwest at Thursday's Clark County Planning Commission meeting.

Editorial: Extraordinary flub in communication: There are just 210 emergency room beds at the valley's eight hospitals, but all of them have said they hold as many 20 psychiatric patients a week, illustrating what a problem this has posed. It also is troubling that the mental health hospital's director said he was unaware that his employees had been telling other hospitals that the facility was full.

Mosley wants misconduct charges tossed out: CARSON CITY -- An attorney for District Judge Donald Mosley told the Nevada Supreme Court Thursday that Mosley's constitutional rights have been "trampled" by the state's Judicial Discipline Commission.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: New man with new policy: YASSER ARAFAT and his followers have elected Ariel Sharon as Israel's prime minister. No matter what concessions Prime Minister Ehud Barak made they weren't enough. Following an old, but successful, pattern, the Palestinian Authority whipped up street violence and bombings. This seemed to work for a short time, but eventually the demands and violence undermined the man making concessions, Ehud Barak.

Gaming company posts loss: In the year-ago period, Pinnacle reported net income of $4 million, or 15 cents per share. Cash flow fell 40 percent to $13.2 million, while revenues increased 14 percent to $123.1 million.

Guinn letter: Restore Yucca grant: Jeff German and Mary Manning; Gov. Kenny Guinn sent a letter to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham today seeking to restore Nevada's $5 million federal grant to conduct scientific studies at Yucca Mountain.

Henderson hospitals affected by reorganization: CHW spokeswoman Lori Aldrete said the two local centers would be grouped with two Phoenix hospitals, St. Joseph's and Chandler Community, to form an Arizona-Nevada division to be led by Division President Michael Erne.

Another recruit signs with UNLV: Steve Guiremand; UNLV's 2001 football recruiting class grew to 20 on Thursday when offensive lineman Sheddrick Mitchell (6-7, 325) of Butte Community College in Oroville, Calif., faxed in his letter of intent as expected.

Lucent stock sinks on word of accounting probe: NEW YORK -- Lucent Technologies Inc., the largest maker of phone equipment, today said its accounting practices are being probed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The stock fell as much as 11 percent.

Thousands flock to see Christian healer: Stacy J. Willis; Seven hours before Pentecostal healer Benny Hinn takes the stage at the Thomas & Mack Center Thursday night, Sandra Gomez is standing beside her brain-damaged husband in a hospital room.

Study: Hot water hasn't invaded site in eons: Experts have concluded after a two-year study that hot water has not invaded Yucca Mountain in 2 million years, answering at least one scientific question about the safety of using the site as a high-level nuclear waste repository.

Sweeping changes OK'd for schools: Terry Webster; The School Board on Thursday approved Superintendent Carlos Garcia's new vision for the Clark County School District, which reflects 17 administrative changes.

Electronics giant cutting 4,000 more jobs: CHICAGO -- Motorola Inc. disclosed plans today to cut as many as 4,000 jobs, or about 3 percent of its work force, from its semiconductor operations by the end of the year -- its third round of employee cuts in 10 weeks.

Satellite television firms move into Internet arena: Las Vegas' satellite television system providers, still not providing local TV station signals on their systems, have begun adding wireless Internet access in their bid to compete with Cox Communications, the city's dominant cable system.

RN says suspect was not impaired: Kim Smith; A University Medical Center trauma nurse this morning told jurors in the Jessica Williams trial that Williams didn't appear to be impaired by either marijuana or Ecstasy.

Sex-slave killer seeks new hearing: CARSON CITY -- Gerald Gallego, sentenced to death for the sex-slave murder of two teenage girls, wants a new penalty hearing because he was not allowed to represent himself.

LV's MacCachren holds SCORE points lead: MacCachren, a second-generation Southern Nevada desert racer, won Class 1-2/1600 in his VW-powered Fraley race car, marking his first SCORE race in the 1600cc class since his rookie season in 1983.

Betting now open on Nevada schools: Lisa Snedeker; The end of the longtime ban against accepting bets on games involving Nevada schools has brought some action at Las Vegas Strip sports books, and little at others.

PurchasePro stock punished again: David Strow; Heavy selling in PurchasePro stock continued Thursday and today, as an analyst downgrade became the latest piece of bad news to reach investors in the Las Vegas technology company.

State unwilling to pay library's cost overruns: Jennifer Knight; The state of Nevada is not likely to pay $5.8 million in claims submitted by contractors for UNLV's recently completed Lied Library, a senior deputy attorney general said this week.

CART exploring options after trouble with Rio 200: On Jan. 25, CART notified the city of Rio de Janeiro that it was in default of the city's agreement with CART. CART gave the city a 10-day "cure" period as required by the agreement, but the city failed to provide redress in the allotted time.

Building defect bills introduced: David Strow and Erin Neff; Sponsors introduced the first of several expected bills related to construction defects Thursday as Nevada lawmakers try again to address the long-running issue.

Catholic Healthcare West to reorganize, cut 350 jobs: Victoria Colliver; SAN FRANCISCO -- Catholic Healthcare West will cut about 350 jobs and change its organizational structure as part of a plan revealed Thursday to help the financially troubled hospital chain.

Las Vegas casino supplier reports strong quarter: The company reported net income of $1.5 million, or 13 cents per diluted share, for the quarter. In the year-ago quarter, the company posted net income of $420,000, or 5 cents per diluted share.

War hero: Retired Air Force chaplain fought for Korean orphans: Stacy J. Willis; These children were left for dead.

Plutonium is still found at areas surrounding Test Site: As they have been for decades, trace amounts of plutonium were detected in the air surrounding the Nevada Test Site in the most recent monitoring by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Thursday's prep result: GIRLS BASKETBALL

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Dodge teams still have need for speed: When Ray Evernham left last month's private test for Dodge's NASCAR Winston Cup teams at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the two-car team owner was pleased with the overall progress of the upstart program.

Fan group wants the credit for 51s: Dean Juipe; It didn't take a brainstorming session for the front office staff of what was then the Las Vegas Stars to come up with a new nickname for the triple-A baseball team.