Print edition for January 31, 2001

Letter: Accountability is key to education: Who would pay for an education they didn't feel was worth the financial sacrifice? And who would take the voucher money for a private school if they were happy with the education their child was receiving now?

Letter: Anti-Yucca side is right cause, won't prevail: Several months ago, dear old Ruthe Deskin stated in her column that she would sure like to have a Republican senator. Well, she got her wish through the millions of dollars the gaming industry flooded John Ensign with; any clown could get elected.

Chamber set to pass its Yucca resolution: The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce today geared up to pass a historic resolution opposing the storage of high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.

Letter: Bush quick to attack rights: We will never move forward as long as George W. Bush is president. He lied when stating that he wouldn't do anything, and here he is messing things up. We need to let him know that this kind of decision will not be tolerated.

Community news briefs for January 31, 2001: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area's schedule of free hikes and walks this week includes:

Sandy Valley sweeps Future Cities event: Kris Hill; Three teams of middle school students from Sandy Valley swept the top spots at last weekend's regional Future City competition.

Scientist: French keeping open mind on nukes: AMARGOSA VALLEY -- Instead of zeroing in on a single remote site to study for dumping highly radioactive waste, a French scientist said his country is keeping an open mind on options ranging from reprocessing to storing the spent nuclear reactor fuel.

Columnist Jon Ralston: City politics still lurks in Dark Ages: FEW STORIES in this business are black and white. This one is -- literally Black and white.

Editorial: Talk about a double whammy: Nevada isn't suffering from blackouts, but this state is hardly the sea of tranquility when it comes to energy costs. Southern Nevadans have been on the receiving end of a double whammy -- both electricity and natural gas prices have been skyrocketing in recent months. Nevada Power announced on Monday that it will seek approval of rate hikes for its residential customers by a whopping 17 percent while larger users, such as businesses, could see rates go as high as 25.4 percent. Meanwhile, Southwest Gas in the past few months has boosted its rates -- the average residential customer now ...

A sampling of Vegas' burgers: Max Jacobson; We recently visited a single location of five casual chain restaurants in order to compare their hamburgers. What is reported here reflects that experience, and hopefully, the experience is close to the same in whatever location you visit (all listed restaurants have multiple locations in the Las Vegas area):

Editorial: It's time for Bush to back Lake Tahoe: Local and state governments have contributed to Lake Tahoe's restoration. Now that Bush is in the White House, he should make sure the federal government kicks in its fair share, too.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Credit card problems revisited: Finally, something good to report after so many strange shopping adventures.

Savvy wine buy: '99 Vireton Archery Summit: Available at Lee's Discount Liquors, $26.99, and Las Vegas Wine Co., $26.99.

Corrections: Corrections

Obituaries for January 31, 2001: Grace Lomagno Allen, 62, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in Las Vegas. She was born April 6, 1938, in Sicily. A resident for 38 years, she was a retired seamstress and costume designer for show costumes.

Hotel-casinos pump up facilities for fitness-minded guests: Kimberley McGee; Rich DeCroce climbed onto a leather workout bench and lifted weights while "Proud Mary" blared from the speakers at the Hard Rock Hotel's Rock Spa.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Black-tie gala to make dreams come true: Elizabeth Foyt; A note from Jennifer Tuttle and Helene Walker has alerted us to a new gala, nearly a year in the planning, that promises to be a spectacular evening. The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada will present Where Dreams Come True, the first black-tie gala for this worthy organization that seeks to fulfill the dreams and wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Futures book helped sweeten Super Bowl pot: A portion of the $11 million profit Nevada sports books turned on Super Bowl Sunday can be attributed to a successful year in the NFL futures book, local sports book directors say.

Columnist Paula DelGiudice: Rainfall aids desert life: Paula DelGiudice; While the recent rains in Southern Nevada become a minor annoyance to residents who are spoiled by the normal weather outlook of blue skies and sunshine, those who enjoy wildlife and desert scenery can take heart. This is perfect timing. The wild creatures and plants that depend on rain falling at this time of year are grateful for the relief.

Probe delays DOE report on Yucca: Foes rally

Judge declares mistrial in highway deaths case: Kim Smith; District Judge Mark Gibbons this morning declared a mistrial in the Jessica Williams involuntary manslaughter case.

School arts backers don't like what they hear: Terry Webster; When the curtain rose Tuesday night for a talk on the Clark County School District's dwindling budget, Superintendent Carlos Garcia found himself facing an angry audience of about 650 fine arts supporters.

Delegation declares its unity in battling NCAA: Nevada's congressional delegation emerged this morning from a Capitol Hill strategy session tight-lipped, but pledging unity in its sports betting fight with the NCAA.

Local news briefs for January 31, 2001: A 20-year-old Las Vegas man was arrested Tuesday in connection with the stabbing death of a local man over the weekend.

Guinn says Nevada energy crisis looms: Erin Neff; Calling it the greatest crisis Nevada has faced in four decades, Gov. Kenny Guinn on Tuesday pledged to work with Western governors and the Bush administration to prevent a California-like energy crisis in this state.

Ethics hearing set for March: Erin Neff; Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald's political fate will rest with District Court Judge Jim Mahan on March 20 when a civil malfeasance petition is heard.

Final OK sought for kids' hospital: Adrienne Packer; A controversial proposal to use taxpayers' money to construct a $92 million children's hospital will face its last hurdle Thursday when it is pitched to the Clark County's Debt Management Commission.

Complaint sought against Kincaid, Barrett: Adrienne Packer; The close relationship between Clark County Commissioner Mary Kincaid and facilities boss Bill Barrett raised the suspicions of an ethics review panel, which has recommended a complaint be filed against the county officials.

London theme planned for LV resort: Richard N. Velotta and David Strow; A London-themed casino resort with replicas of Big Ben and the Tower Bridge would be constructed on the Las Vegas Strip under plans proposed by the company that owns the old El Rancho site.

Police have suspects in slaying, but not a body: Keith Paul; Two women are in the Clark County jail this morning on murder charges, but Metro Police have not located a victim.

Tennessee moving to legalize gambling: Marta W. Aldrich; NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Sen. Steve Cohen has pushed for a lottery in Tennessee for 16 years but has never before gotten a lottery resolution out of committee so fast.

Court briefs for January 31, 2001: The man suspected of robbing or trying to rob Treasure Island three times last year cut a deal with prosecutors Tuesday that will guarantee him a prison sentence of eight to 80 years.

Firm buys auto dealer website: USAutoNews is a collection of websites and news related to the automotive sales industry, with more than 23,000 automotive websites and news from more than 60 sources. The Newport Beach, Calif., company describes its website as a source "to assist dealers in the use of the Internet to sell more cars, parts, service and warranties and to lower their costs."

Utah rocket making operation sold: Alliant Techsystems Inc., a Minnesota-based maker of ammunition, missile systems and other products for the military, today said it will buy Alcoa Inc.'s Thiokol rocket propulsion business for $685 million in cash.

Las Vegas area fishing report: LAKE MEAD: Anglers who were fishing for striped bass following the Nevada Division of Wildlife's weekly rainbow trout plants discovered last week that the fish weren't coming near shore to feed. In addition, the trout that were planted quickly headed for open water and only a few were caught.

Transportation agency wants feedback on traffic growth: Public meetings

Names of cops made public: McCarthy, 29, and McNamee, 28, were shot during the shootout. McCarthy, who was shot in the shoulder, was released from University Medical Center Monday, and McNamee, who was shot in the face and shoulder, was released Tuesday.

Sentence in killing ends up about three years: Kim Smith; A Las Vegas man who originally faced a life sentence in the shooting death of his girlfriend's nephew was sentenced Tuesday to just under three years in prison.

Gordon: LVMS still top-notch superspeedway: When the Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted its first NASCAR Winston Cup race in 1998, the track received rave reviews from every driver on the circuit.

Rudin attorney advertises for tips: Kim Smith; The defense attorney for a Las Vegas woman accused of killing her millionaire husband six years ago said he is having success with a somewhat unusual investigative tool.

No implosion planned: "At this time we have no plans to implode the Desert Inn or any part of it," said Marc Schorr, chief operating officer of Wynn Resorts. "In regard to Robbie Knievel, there are no agreements or understandings for any jump or other spectacle."

Tuesday's prep results: BOYS BASKETBALL

Retailer sticking with Nevada: The Ohio-based company said it has nine stores with about 315 employees and a warehouse with another 100-plus workers in Las Vegas. It also has two stores in Reno and one in Elko.

Challengers file for seats on council: Erin Neff and Ed Koch; Two Las Vegas City Council members now have serious competition in the upcoming municipal elections.

Lawyer: Ruling not a total loss for Wynn: An attorney for Steve Wynn said today the gaming mogul is disappointed that the Nevada Supreme Court overturned a $3.3 million judgment against a publisher who hinted Wynn had mob ties, and will ask the court to rethink its decision.

Time for change: TOP SPEEDS

Hoover Dam bypass project clears key federal hurdle: The Hoover Dam Bypass, a federally funded effort to build a road around the historic dam 40 miles south of Las Vegas, has moved a step closer to construction.

Regent's locals marketing plan criticized in lawsuit: David Strow; Jim Fonseca, former chief operating officer of the Regent Las Vegas, filed a shareholder's lawsuit against the Regent's parent company Tuesday, claiming the company's shift from upscale golf resort to locals casino speeded the resort's decline into bankruptcy.

Binion agrees to leave Illinois casino industry: Charles Sheehan; CHICAGO -- The chief owner of Joliet's Empress Casino agreed to sell its share in the gambling boat and move its headquarters out of state within 120 days, the Illinois Gaming Board announced Tuesday.

Guards charged with stealing casino cash: ATLANTIC CITY -- Two security officers at Tropicana Casino and Resort have been charged with stealing $34,248 in cash from casino floor drop boxes.

Columnist Dean Juipe: No surprise if Pitino slips away: Dean Juipe; Perhaps with a caffeine-induced jolt of enthusiasm, Rick Pitino was boundlessly expressing his glee about the prospects of taking over the UNLV men's basketball program when he initially addressed the subject.

Signals mixed in Pitino derby: Steve Addy; Rick Pitino says he is still interested in the UNLV coaching job.

Casino dealers lose ruling on tobacco smoke: The casino dealers, including nonsmokers and former smokers, filed four class action lawsuits in U.S. District Court against tobacco companies asserting various claims including liability, negligence, fraud and misrepresentation.

Improved results from Tropicana lift Aztar earnings: Aztar reported earnings of 12 cents per share, beating analyst expectations by 2 cents; however, most analysts had revised an earlier estimate of 14 cents per share down to 10 cents after a company earnings warning several weeks ago.

Chicago-area casino plan rejected, mob ties cited: CHICAGO -- Some 20 months after lawmakers thought they had greased the skids for moving a failed East Dubuque riverboat casino to Cook County, the Illinois Gaming Board declared the deal dead in the water.

String of cab holdups grows: Keith Paul; Two men pulled off three taxicab robberies in 24 hours, continuing the monthlong spree of cabdriver holdups in Las Vegas.