Print edition for January 17, 2001

Lyon County 911 line back in operation: Emergency calls were forwarded to the Carson City Sheriff's emergency dispatch, which sent the message to Lyon County through a regular telephone line.

RTC head looking for new job: Morse was promoted in 1998 to the top job in the agency that oversees Citifare and handles most local government road building.

Douglas band off to play for presidential inauguration: The band raised more than $65,000 to pay for airplane tickets, lodging and shipping of their instruments.

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Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Football provides theme for Summerlin party: Elizabeth Foyt; Friends, family and football never blended better than at the recent sports-themed party hosted by Ken and Carolyn Sparks at their home in the scenic upper reaches of Summerlin.

Letter: Transporting nuclear waste no big deal: As for the trucks, your numbers would work out to about 10 trucks per day. I would imagine that they would run them as a convoy at three in the morning with appropriate escort. No big deal.

Distinctive photography on display at Las Vegas Art Museum: It was the recent opening reception for Michael Stillman Clark's photography exhibit "Heart & Soul," and hundreds of people filed into the Las Vegas Art Museum. The man of the hour was standing amid the crowd, panning the room through his video camera. Blazing on the walls are his abstract photographs, a menagerie of fluid shapes and energetic colors.

Editorial: Housing alternative for seniors: There is a need for more senior-oriented services in the region. The growth of the senior population is greater here than in any other area of the nation during the past five years -- 236,000 seniors now call Las Vegas home. Sure, many senior citizens who retire here from other states are financially secure and live in master-planned communities such as Sun City. But that image isn't true for all seniors, including for many who have lived here for decades and for some recent transplants, many of whom barely get by.

Editorial: 'Metric martyr' isn't about to surrender: Grocer Steven Thoburn has refused to go along, which has prompted a local government in the United Kingdom to ludicrously put him on trial for selling bananas by the pound. As Thoburn's lawyer notes, if this is taken to its logical extreme, it could end one of the U.K.'s beloved traditions -- a pint of beer. If that ever happens, though, expect the British version of the Boston Tea Party.

Department of Justice adds French man's death to its ongoing investigation: Ken Ritter; Le Menn, a 33-year-old restaurant manager, was the 24th jail inmate to die from suicide or "natural causes" since the Department of Justice began its probe in 1997.

Reid will push for federal help to hire more teachers: Sen. Harry Reid says he will try in this Congress to get federal money to hire 1,000 new teachers in Clark County and pay off most of the Clark County School District's $100 million in interest payments on school construction.

BYU-UNLV box score: UNLV (10-7)

Off-duty Washoe County sheriff's deputy arrested for drunken driving: Fretz was clocked at 98 mph in the 50 mph zone on Highway 395 and also was doing 98 in the 50 mph zone on the Mount Rose Highway.

Savvy wine buy: Jalousie '99 Chardonnay: Available at Marche Bacchus, $9.99

Columnist Jon Ralston: Abraham is tough call for Reid, Ensign: "(The president) shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law ..."

Letter: Leave nuke trash at home: Doesn't he realize if nuclear waste does indeed come to Yucca Mountain, all his so-called "top issues" may not matter? One nuclear accident or mistake and nothing will matter.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Shopper's guide to San Fran: The week before Christmas was an ideal time for shopping San Francisco. Unlike past trips, when an umbrella was my constant companion, the weather was perfect. Just right for a shopping excursion.

UNLV-Oklahoma State box score: For game of Dec. 2, 2000

Obituaries for January 17, 2001: Roger Ted Bedell II, 32, of Las Vegas died Sunday in Las Vegas. He was born Dec. 8, 1968, in Nevada. A lifelong resident, he was a bartender.

Tiffany drops plan to split district: Cy Ryan and Terry Webster; An initiative petition to break up the Clark County School District has been scrapped by its author, Assemblywoman Sandra Tiffany.

Plea bargain is struck in DUI fatality case: Diane Lynn Scott will receive a four- to 20-year sentence as a result of the plea agreement she entered Tuesday. District Judge John McGroarty is to sentence her March 7.

Salvation Army made holidays happier: More than 15,000 needy residents were helped by the organization, officials said. Thousands of children received clothes and toys, and more than 3,000 families were given holiday dinner boxes. Nearly 2,000 people were fed holiday dinners at Salvation Army facilities.

80,000 visitors expected for Super Show debut in Las Vegas: 21 shows in one

New league has some unique rules: Under league rules, any punt traveling 25 yards or more will also be considered a live ball, recoverable by either team.

SCORE Desert Series to open with Laughlin event: Along with 200 other entries, the Ashley/Smith team will be part of the increasingly popular seventh annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, which begins Thursday with a pair of companion events.

Contractor loses bid over charges: Adrienne Packer; A contractor who bid lowest on a Clark County parks project was disqualified Tuesday after being accused of paying its workers -- most of whom were Hispanic -- as little as $2.50 an hour.

Deal accepted in woman's death: Kim Smith; A 68-year-old Las Vegas man accused of beating and stomping his handicapped sister-in-law to death in December 1998 and then freezing her body has entered a plea agreement.

Community news briefs for January 17, 2001: The Division for Aging Services' Medicare State Health Insurance Advisory program, better known as "SHIP," will be conducting a free training class for volunteers to assist seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries with understanding the complicated Medicare system changes for 2001.

One dies in 3-car collision: Jace Radke; Kristie Cunningham knew she couldn't get the driver out of the mangled remains of a Lincoln Continental after three cars collided near her home Tuesday night, so she did the only thing she could think of.

Voters to decide on kids' hospital: Adrienne Packer; After a lengthy debate about whether Clark County needs an $80 million independent children's hospital -- and whether that will be the final cost -- commissioners left the project's fate with voters.

Ganassi plans CART test at LVMS: Team owner Chip Ganassi has scheduled a two-day test session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next week for his two Championship Auto Racing Teams drivers, rookies Bruno Junqueira and Nicholas Minassian.

Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Safari Club spreads good cheer in LV: Paula DelGiudice; Safari Club International stormed into Las Vegas last week for a four-day stand to enthuse their members, share camaraderie, help feed the hungry, share the gift of touch to help local children "see" wildlife and shoot a few targets -- all in the name of conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian service.

Washington Mutual profit improves: Net income rose to $496.9 million, or 94 cents a share, from $450.3 million, or 80 cents, a year earlier. That beat the average estimate of 91 cents a share made by 17 analysts polled by First Call/Thomson Financial.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Pitinos try to ward off Cavagnaro: Dean Juipe; At least once in our lives, it's likely that each of us has been home and refused to answer the door to someone we really didn't care to see at that particular moment.

EPA seeks refrigerant papers: In a certified letter dated Dec. 22, officials from the EPA's San Francisco office requested records detailing refrigerant acquisitions, purchases and repairs for a two-year period ending Jan. 1, 1999.

Man charged in shooting of brother-in-law: Keith Paul; An 18-year-old Las Vegas man is charged with shooting his brother-in-law to death Tuesday after finding the man, with whom he had a long-running feud, hiding under his sister's bed.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Record lows are in the forecast for Tampa: When the initial betting lines were posted on Super Bowl XXXV, one number stood out like a crazy guy from Scotch Plains wearing blue and orange paint on his face.

Rebels included in two website rankings: Although the Rebels have never been ranked in either of the major polls, head coach John Robinson's squad appears at No. 19 in CNNSI.com's preseason list. The only other Mountain West Conference team to appear was No. 23 Colorado State.

Whitman coasts through confirmation hearing: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- As predicted, New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman today seemed to sail through her confirmation hearing as lawmakers lobbed questions at her about how she would run the Environmental Protection Agency.

No. 1 Vegas home builder changing name: "KB Home is what many of our customers have always called us, so we're changing our name to reflect their input," said KB Home Chairman and CEO Bruce Karatz.

Field of nightmares?: UNLV softball coach Shan McDonald's long-awaited dream of having a new on-campus softball stadium will have to wait even longer.

Las Vegas area fishing report: LAKE MEAD: Over the weekend Nevada Division of Wildlife creel clerks checked a number of stripers that weighed from 10-18 pounds and were caught close to shore around Government Wash.

Can the raw design of the Guggenheims mesh with Strip fantasia to give us a museum peace?: As designed by acclaimed Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, the massive Guggenheim Las Vegas (to open in the summer) and the compact Guggenheim-Hermitage (spring) would appear to be this: anti-casinos. Consider the 8,000-square-foot smaller facility--a partnership between the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and Russia's Hermitage Museum--which will be built, inside and out, of rusted steel and sited next to the resort's main entrance.

Chaminade-UNLV box score: For game of Nov. 22, 2000

Letter: Election will live in infamy: I don't know how anyone can still believe that George W. Bush won this election. If he thought he did, ask yourself why he fought so hard to keep the votes from being recounted.

Columnist Peter Benton: Southshore pro wins award, election: Peter Benton; At last week's annual dinner and awards banquet of the Las Vegas Chapter, Southwest Section PGA, held at the Rio Secco Golf Club, Southshore's head professional, Dale Akridge, was not only the recipient of the coveted Junior Golf Leader Award, but was also unanimously elected by his peers as the chapter's new president.

Nordstrom committed to store on LV Strip: Despite lackluster holiday sales, an announcement that earnings would not hit projections and cancellations of projects elsewhere, Nordstrom Inc. says it still plans to go ahead with plans to build a 180,000-square-foot Las Vegas store on the Strip.

Local news briefs for January 17, 2001: Metro Police on Tuesday found the car stolen from a woman killed during an apparent home invasion robbery.

This week in golf: PGA TOUR

UNLV's Good aims to put quick halt to players' feud: Steve Addy; Coach Max Good isn't going to let the Rebels develop their own version of Shaq vs. Kobe.

Big LV airline America West lost money in fourth quarter: The No. 2 air carrier serving Las Vegas today reported quarterly losses worse than analysts expected, blaming the poor performance on rising fuel costs and bad weather.

Herrera emphasizes commitment to county: Adrienne Packer; He wore a red tie television viewers came to know during the presidential debates, and he spoke into a tele-prompter never before used during the state of Clark County address.

State tries to avoid crisis: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Nevada's energy problems could be answered at least in small part by a wind farm constructed at the Nevada Test Site, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced today.

Consumer advocate to petition Legislature to delay sale of plants: CARSON CITY -- To protect Nevadans against big rate increases and power shortages such as those in California, state Consumer Advocate Tim Hay said Tuesday he will try to delay the sale of coal-fired generating plants to out-of-state companies.

Inmate's family wants FBI probe: Keith Paul; The family of a French national who died in the Clark County jail during a struggle with guards may be demanding an FBI investigation, but French officials are not ready to make that request from the U.S. government.

Henderson council debates tacos and noise: Jeffrey Libby; Spending

The Beach to host eight-match card: The Beach to host eight-match card

Local Mormons condemn group's stance on gays: Stacy J. Willis; A national human rights organization that includes local representatives of the Mormon Church issued a statement condemning the Boy Scouts of America's anti-gay policy last week.

Rogich's waiting game will continue: Erin Neff; Sig Rogich will have to wait another month to learn the fate of his bid to hand over a tavern license to two businessmen.

Coast expanding Orleans, beefing up Gold Coast and Suncoast as well: David Strow; Just four months after opening its fourth Las Vegas hotel-casino, Coast Resorts Inc. is moving forward with a $100 million expansion of the Orleans.

Lawmakers can expect battles over funding for pet projects: CARSON CITY -- Legislators who want to tap into the state treasury for their pet projects are in a long line that's growing longer.

Legislators face tough tests regarding higher education: Jennifer Knight; While UNLV students returned to classes Tuesday, state legislators will go to school in less than a month on the state's higher education budget. The decisions before them will shape not only the future of the university, but also of higher education in Nevada.

Share buyback announced after earnings warning: The Biloxi, Miss., company's board authorized the repurchase of up to 1.5 million shares, with no expiration date specified. The buyback would be in addition to a 1.5 million share buyback authorized previously by Isle's board; the company has already repurchased 1.4 million shares under that plan.

New Vegas resort delayed: David Strow; One of the most talked-about projects proposed for the Las Vegas Strip has been MGM MIRAGE's plan to build a resort south of the Bellagio on its Boardwalk site catering to "Generation X."

Guinn reports 2000 fund-raising: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn collected $236,000 in campaign contributions in the 2000 off-political year with major contributions coming from gaming, mining and medical sources.

High school boundaries discussed: Jace Radke; Meetings

Deadline for Pinnacle deal extended: Monday was the original deadline Harveys faced in closing the $1.3 billion buyout, but Harveys said its merger agreement gives it the right to select "one or more" new termination dates at its own discretion. California-based Pinnacle is the operator of the Boomtown and Casino Magic chains, with properties in Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana and Nevada.

Teacher receives probation for having sex with pupil: Tom Gardner; Diane Flanary, 31, pleaded guilty last month to unlawful sexual conduct by a school official with a minor as a result of the liaison with the 17-year-old. She could have received five years in prison.

Man who fled rape sentencing back in court in Reno: Local prosecutors say Mobly was turned in by his current girlfriend and arrested in Mexico City on Jan. 3. He is being held on $5 million bail.

Police investigating double killing near Truckee: The man said in the call about 5:48 a.m. he was stuck in the snow near I-80 somewhere west of the town of Truckee, located 15 miles northwest of Lake Tahoe.

Las Vegas executive favorite for Reno tourism job: He also was the only choice of three panels of community and business leaders who participated in candidate interviews Monday and Tuesday.

Talks resume in Elko County, Forest Service fight: They are trying to determine whether there is enough common ground to continue talks or whether federal prosecutors will resume a civil lawsuit in the battle over jurisdiction of the South Canyon Road and protection of the threatened bull trout in the Jarbidge River.

Actress and writer Phyllis Craig dies at 74: Born Aug. 5, 1926, in London, Craig began performing at age 4, following in the footsteps of her actor father, Charles Robert Biggs, whose friends included such theatrical giants as Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Alec Guinness and Judith Anderson.

Carson City leads cheap gas parade: Many Carson City stations are in the $1.45-$1.49 range, although stations on the north and south ends of town are posting prices of $1.38 for a gallon of premium unleaded self-serve. That's shy of the national average of $1.47.

Trial starts for man charged in Tahoe girl's assault, murder: Prosecutors have described Soria, 39, who faces a potential death penalty if convicted, as a pedophile who kept a lurid computer file and used his son to help bait his victims.

Controversial adult bookstore rejected for business license: The lawyer for Sacramento, Calif.-based Janra Enterprises asked the county to reconsider the license because planning officials already had approved a temporary permit after confirming the area's zoning with the city of Reno last summer.

Developers removes request for brothel license: Storey County officials were leaning toward granting the licenses to Gilman, a major force behind the county's new 100,000-acre Tahoe-Reno Industrial Park. The license question was on Tuesday's commission agenda.

Locals look for economic boost from Nevada Legislature: Siobhan McDonough; "It'll be nice to look out the window across the street and see them coming in droves for lunch or dinner," said Ardi Shaw, co-owner of Cafe del Rio, in the historic St. Charles Hotel. "I wish they'd come every year. They give us a boost at a typically slow time."

Atlantic City marina project back on track - for now: No details about the cost, construction timetable or theme were announced.

House committee passes amended gambling bill: Committee members endorsed the proposal 11-3, but many prefaced their votes by saying they might still oppose the final bill if it is significantly changed later in the legislative session.