Print edition for January 12, 2001

November LV visitor volume flat: The occupancy level at local resorts was down 1 percentage point to 86.4 percent while convention attendance was flat, as the number of conventions was down 3 percent to 293 for the month.

Nominee attracts myriad allies, foes: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Environmentalists massed today to declare a public relations war on Gale Norton, President-elect George W. Bush's choice for interior secretary. Meanwhile Nevada miners have joined the ranks of Norton supporters.

80,000 loads of nuke waste to travel near LV: Clark County planners estimate there will be at least 80,000 loads of deadly radioactive waste traveling through Las Vegas over a 24-year period to a Yucca Mountain nuclear repository.

Sports betting ban bill on fast track: The NCAA's bill to ban betting on college sports could surface on Capitol Hill as early as the end of February, a top aide to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., told casino industry leaders Thursday.

GOP leader says Ashcroft is bad for gaming: A prominent Republican congressman voiced concern in Las Vegas Thursday about the anti-gambling views of Attorney General-nominee John Ashcroft.

State urged to do more to keep track of economy: Edie Rassell, an economist with the institute, stopped short of assigning blame for the trend detailed in the report, titled "The State of Working America 2000-2001."

MGM leads Detroit market: DETROIT -- Gamblers spent $743 million in Michigan's three temporary casinos last year, pumping $73.6 million in taxes into the city of Detroit and $60.2 million into state coffers.

MGM MIRAGE, Venetian explain their decision against investing in National Airlines: Harrah's found no support for its arguments that other gaming operators benefited from National's flights into Las Vegas more than Harrah's did. Since the bankruptcy, some analysts have pointed to the possible loss of Las Vegas' fifth-largest airline as a reason for concern going into 2001 -- and Harrah's has been critical of its neighbors on the Strip.

Slot cheat nominated for black book: In July 1999, Pereira, 54, of Las Vegas and six others were indicted on charges of running a massive interstate slot cheating ring that authorities say cost casinos across the country more than $5 million.

Wild burros threatened by motorists to be relocated: Angie Wagner; The collision of man and nature has forced federal land officials to relocate some of the burros west to the California desert.

Tempers flare in Yucca discussion: A meeting to organize a communitywide campaign against the Yucca Mountain Project erupted into a shouting match Thursday over a strategy to warn the public about the prolific dangers of storing high-level nuclear waste in Nevada.

Sierra ski resorts delight in snow before long holiday weekend: Sandra Chereb; After a month of dry - even balmy - weather, a heavy snowstorm blew in just in time for the long, Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.

IGT on a roll with new video slots: David Strow and Richard N. Velotta; While Las Vegas gaming operators have fallen out of favor with many investors, the same can't be said for the slot machine manufacturing industry.

More nuclear workers to get money: A new proposal to expand coverage to nuclear workers, including thousands who worked at several Nevada sites, has a good chance of passing Congress this year, according to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: San Francisco restaurant proves real treasure: It had been a few years since I last visited one of my favorite cities, San Francisco. I missed it. San Francisco is a welcoming town with so many things to see and do, and to eat -- my prime reason for a week's stay.

Interior says no to 'human sustainability' standard in grazing rules: New Mexico included the provision in the proposed standards it submitted to Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt last April. Unlike other western states, New Mexico took a "joint lead" with BLM in developing the standards. A 15-member citizens' advisory council began work in late 1995.

Columnist Susan Snyder: A course that's all the rage: Have you ever:

Sista Monica takes firm control of her blues career: Randy Matin; Who: Sista Monica

Forest Service proposes dramatic restrictions in Sierra Nevada: "It will all but eliminate logging in the national forests," said Chris Nance of the California Forestry Association, which represents mills, foresters, wood-products manufacturers, forest owners and others.

News of the Day: 1977: Story: The Space Shuttle orbiter, riding atop a jumbo jet, made its first "captive flight" Friday, cruising for more than two hours over the Mojave Desert.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: We've only just begun: IT WILL BE the first of many.

Southern Nevada Water Authority may sell electricity: The electricity then would be sold to Las Vegas-area water districts for retail sales to consumers. Consumers could opt out of the government system and buy their power from for-profit companies.

Barbara Greenpun remembers 1977: Mideast peace still elusive: President Sadat was very warm and gracious in his greeting to us. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life. When the peace treaty was signed at the White House, Hank and I were among the guests invited to attend. I was overwhelmed with the knowledge of having seen history in the making.

Casino to expand, rebrand after sale: "We believe we can make the property perform significantly better than it has," Station Casinos executive vice president and general counsel Scott Nielson told regulators Wednesday. "We plan to retheme and rebrand the property."

Where I Stand -- Hank Greenspun: A first-hand look at Middle East crisis: War has been renounced as a method of solving outstanding problems in the Middle East.

Psychic, medium Spivey predictable in every sense: Lisa Ferguson; Who: Gary Spivey

Performing Arts: Dance company

Joe Delaney remembers 1977: Vinton at the Riviera: Joe Delaney remembers 1977: Vinton at the Riviera

Columnist Joe Delaney: No stopping the legendary Smothers Brothers: Joe Delaney; Tom and Dick Smothers, appearing at the Orleans through Sunday, are among the hardiest entertainment perennials, really sole survivors as LV headliners of the groups that came into prominence during the 1950s folk music revival ... Masters of comedy timing and experts at timeless comedy, as well as a first-classic singing duo, and like the finest wines, they improve with age.

Art on display: "The Adventures of Leon: Paintings by Ray Madison" is on display Tuesday through Feb. 12 at UNLV's Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery. Call 895-3649.

Fallon, Churchill County, appeal water transfers to wildlife refuge: The city maintains that irrigation of farmland recharges aquifers the city pumps for drinking water. Officials are concerned that taking those lands out of production by selling the water rights to the federal agency could diminish groundwater supplies.

Columnist Kate Maddox: Stern policy awaits Howard: Kate Maddox; Howard Stern might be in a big bind if he tries to place his much-publicized $1million blackjack bet at the Hard Rock. The hotel, pleased to host the shockjock's radio show at the end of the month, has been given orders from owner Peter Morton not to take any bet over $250,000.

Penn & Teller could be a good full-time fit at Rio theater: Joe Delaney; Penn & Teller may have found a new 40-week-a-year home for their completely different mixture of mirth and magic in the Rio's almost-new, somewhat-secluded Samba Theatre.

City, governor ready for concessions, but is the Legislature?: But a tax cut deemed crucial to the casino's survival still faces rough going in the Legislature, particularly in the Senate.

Wild and crazy gals: When Rachel Williams and Louise Faye perform their 75-minute song, dance and comedy routine, their colorful antics mixed with Broadway show tunes seem more like an invigorating ride than a stage performance.

Clark County's dropout rate declines: Despite the good news, district officials said they have a long way to go in addressing the dropout problem, especially because about 7 of every 100 students did not earn diplomas in 1999-2000.

New magazine sheds light on LV structures: By Jerry Fink; Hotels and casinos are not the only buildings in Las Vegas, although many people might think they are.

Editorial: Rollover rankings a big help: SUVs have become extremely popular, especially with families, who believe their larger size makes them safer if they're involved in an accident with a car. But studies have shown that when there is a rollover, there can be tragic consequences for SUV drivers. For instance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which assigned the rollover ratings, noted that about 23 percent of car occupant deaths were because the vehicles they were in had rolled over. The percentage rose dramatically, however, when SUVs were examined. More than 60 percent of the SUV occupants who were killed in 1999 had died during ...

Metro honors guards: Metro Deputy Chief Ray Flynn handed out the awards Thursday at the local security chief's meeting, calling the five security guards and other security officials at Harrah's heroes.

Utah-UNLV women box score: Utah (70)

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Evernham trying to Dodge competition: Preparations for next month's Daytona 500 officially got under way this week with major test sessions for Dodge at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Ford and GM at Daytona International Speedway.

Tyson, America Presents ending ring relationship: Dean Juipe; If and when Mike Tyson returns to boxing, it will be without America Presents as his promoter.

Holiday closings: SAFETY: Police and fire emergency services as usual. Administrative offices closed.

Cooler weather, more rain expected: Surrounded by spectacular snow-capped mountain peaks and some early morning fog, Southern Nevadans woke up today to cooler than normal temperatures and another threat of afternoon showers after a winter storm moved out.

Henderson homeowners groups issue warning: Jeffrey Libby; A small group of Henderson homeowners associations upset by city zoning decisions says it will most likely watch the 2001 re-election campaigns of Mayor Jim Gibson and Councilman Jack Clark from the sidelines.

Pitino expects process to move quickly: Steve Addy; Rick Pitino is coming to Las Vegas next week to kick the tires on UNLV's basketball program.

Letter: Pitino bailed on Celtics: Ron@lasvegassun.com; He'll win an NCAA title at UNLV before the Celts win championship No. 17. That's very sad but true.

Letter: 'Notch Babies' being forgotten: I just don't think it is fair that nobody can help us; Sen. Harry Reid is about the only one who seems to care. Most of us can't last much longer.

Edison makes pitch to School Board: Ed Koch and Jace Radke; For what seems like forever, public school districts have run public schools and private entities have run private schools and, as poet Rudyard Kipling put it, "never the twain shall meet."

Letter: Nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain is a good thing: It's time to stop playing politics with this scientific project. The Department of Energy is bringing Bechtel in as its new contractor to guide it from the study to the construction phase of the project. Bechtel is known for its construction expertise, among other things.

Bayno seeks hefty buyout: Steve Addy; While former UNLV basketball coach Bill Bayno gets used to his newly created job at the university, his attorney is threatening a lawsuit for at least $1.8 million if UNLV doesn't begin "good faith negotiations" to settle Bayno's contract.

Think tank cites state's higher education woes: Jennifer Knight; A preliminary report released this morning by a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank says systemic problems in Nevada's higher education system are causing lower recruitment and retention rates for disadvantaged students.

State official says criticism led to firing: The state ombudsman designated to resolve disputes between homeowners and their associations said she was fired for publicly criticizing a proposal to eliminate her office.

Fugitive Internet rapist returned: Scott Sonner; RENO -- A man who raped two women he met on the Internet and then jumped bail to avoid life in prison was returned to Nevada on Thursday and was being held on $5 million bail.

Lack of food called health threat for fish: For the first time a scientific study has linked the lack of food sources in the Las Vegas Bay -- not toxic chemicals -- to a major health threat for game fish.

Controversial logging plan for Sierra is official: Scott Sonner; RENO -- The Forest Service is ready to adopt a plan that dramatically changes the way it logs forests to better protect fish, wildlife and drinking water across 11 million acres of the Sierra Nevada stretching nearly the length of California.

Skull found in desert near stadium: A woman discovered the skull in an area near Pabco and Powerline roads Wednesday, but didn't contact police until Thursday, said Lt. Wayne Petersen of Metro's homicide unit.

Three projects will cut waiting lists for apartments: Diana Sahagun; In the next 12 months North Las Vegas will gain almost 200 new housing units for low-income senior citizens who are now languishing on waiting lists.

Murder suspect eludes FBI, police: Mansoor was convicted in 1996 of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl. He is also wanted by the FBI for fleeing while being prosecuted for sexually assaulting and kidnapping a 17-year-old girl at gunpoint in Las Vegas.

Lady Rebels fall to Utah: Regina Miller had a simple explanation for the Lady Rebels' 70-51 loss to Utah in their Mountain West Conference opener Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Editorial: Don't make same Massimino errors: But before everyone gets caught up in Pitino fever -- it's become apparent the job is his if he wants it -- everyone should take a deep breath. As University Regent Mark Alden has correctly noted, the university shouldn't promise him money it doesn't have. Don't forget that it was revealed in 1994 that a secret supplemental contract was given to then-coach Rollie Massimino, whose extra income was supposed to be paid for by booster contributions. But in an embarrassing episode, UNLV itself had to fork over $1.9 million in order to buy out Massimino's contract when he was fired. ...

LV property inventory rises: At the end of 2000, retail inventory -- neighborhood, community and power centers, but not shopping malls -- was at 26.3 million square feet, up 7 percent from the end of 1999.

Borgata seen as boosting Boyd and Aztar: Atlantic City may hold the key to turnarounds for two companies that made corporate presentations Thursday at the American Gaming Summit.

Guinn gets recommendations on Nevada deregulation guidelines: Brendan Riley; Guinn commented after getting a final report from a 17-member energy policy committee that he formed because of concerns about deregulation-related problems such as price spikes now occurring in neighboring California.

Obituaries for January 12, 2001: Clemmie Bearden, 70, of Henderson died Tuesday in a local convalescent hospital. She was born July 15, 1930, in Texas. A resident for 34 years, she was a retired law office legal assistant.

Bankruptcies for January 12, 2001: Reese Enterprises Inc., 302 Carson St., No. 1102, filed for Chapter 11, listing assets of $3,050,000 and liabilities of $2,221,338.

Letter: Holiday concert one to remember: Any vestige of religion was rooted out, and with it, any hint of good quality music, and worst, the childhood memories it could have evoked. Nostalgia wasn't given a chance to renew our lives and help make the season magical.

McMahon with the plan: Victoria Sun; Is the XFL supposed to be a circus? A WWF sideshow? A joke?

Nevada casinos not supporting teacher-tax plan: The association has filed a court brief suggesting the state should preserve its ability to consider revenue from all businesses, but Bible said that shouldn't be "misinterpreted as a gaming industry position of support for the teachers tax."

Distractions shadow Rebels-Utah game: Steve Addy; Who: UNLV at Utah When: 12:30 p.m., Saturday Where: Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City TV: ABC (Ch. 13) Radio: KBAD, 920 AM

Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Don't discount play of special teams: Sal DeFilippo; There's a sports adage that says a good defense always can stop a good offense. It proves even more true in football during postseason play. But it's become more evident each week that nothing can stop good special teams play.

Brothers have no answer for killing of woman: Kim Smith; The family of Walburga Soult didn't get any answers Thursday, but they did get justice.

Goodman not on Pitino bandwagon: Erin Neff; College basketball fans around the country are salivating with hope that Rick Pitino lands at their beloved school to turn around a mediocre program.

Reid, Buckley announce housing plan: The plan would allow residents of the proposed assisted-living facility better access to health care, and meals would be served in a communal setting.

More cuts in dropout rate eyed: Kris Hill; Free summer school and more evening classes are among Superintendent Carlos Garcia's ideas for continuing to push down the dropout rate within the Clark County School District.

KC-based carrier resurrecting LV flight: Vanguard will add a single daily round-trip flight between Kansas City and McCarran International Airport beginning April 1.

Detective won't face sex charges in relationship with 16-year-old: Ken Ritter; Narcotics Detective Vinten Hartung, 43, remains under investigation for lesser charges of stalking and furnishing alcohol to a minor.

Big League Weekend sliced to single game: Steve Guiremand; Las Vegas 51s president Don Logan may have to change the name of his successful Big League Weekend to Big League Weeknight this year.

Nevada officials vow to prevent California-like crisis: Water district powering up?

Letter: Superiority out of WAC: Ron@lasvegassun.com; The Mountain Worst Conference (MWC) had a pathetic (nonconference) record of 5-19 in football this past year. Just because this bus league of backwater schools went 3-0 in bowl games hardly qualifies them as superior.

Casinos optimistic, assert gaming stocks undervalued: David Strow; Casino stocks haven't been a favored investment of investors in recent months.

Construction firm, union end yearlong dispute: Jetstream Construction and the Nevada carpenters union have settled a yearlong labor dispute that led to charges of extortion and the barring of Jetstream from any Clark County School District construction projects.

North Las Vegas on odyssey: Diana Sahagun; With the music from Stanley Kubrick's film "2001: A Space Odyssey" in the background, North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon proclaimed the city on the brink of its own odyssey -- only this time, Hal the computer won't be running the show.

Supreme Court asked to decide debt-limit issue: CARSON CITY -- A test case has been filed in the Nevada Supreme Court to allow the state to use another way to acquire office space and other buildings without violating the constitutional debt limit.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Raiders thrilling fans, Humm: Dean Juipe; Oakland's football reputation is easily identified.

Prominent Southern Nevada developer Collins dies at 72: Ed Koch And Grace Leong; E.A. "Al" Collins was a fearless individual who took on projects and activities from which others would shy away.

Prosecutors see no conflict in DA's link to Rudin: Kim Smith; Just because Clark County District Attorney Stewart Bell represented Margaret Rudin in a divorce case 15 years ago doesn't mean other county prosecutors should be removed from the case.

Rule changes in LVMS' future?: NASCAR has come under fire for staging what some critics consider to be boring races at many of its intermediate-sized tracks, such as the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Industry experts discuss pending federal legislation: Lisa Snedeker; A panel of industry experts told casino executives that betting ban legislation will not go away as easily as last session when lawmakers bottled the bill up in committee. The casino executives attending the American Gaming Summit through Friday at the Bellagio hotel-casino discussed federal gambling issues, including the future of Internet and Indian gambling, as well as the Bush Administration's stance toward Nevada's biggest industry.