Print edition for July 6, 2001

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- Beloved -- Desormeaux back from Japan trip to scale Ellis trainee for owners Mace & Siegel, draws good post for sprint opener, Beloved diploma here? Primacy -- Draws good middle post here, Rollins atop Mullins trainee, adds blinkers for this trip. Value Play -- Buffalo

The Bullring at LVMS point standings: Late Models -- 1. Jason Allen 342; 2. Dick Cobb 338; 3. Wayne Jacks 328; 4. Billy Newman 326; 5. Ray Hooper Jr. 325; 6. Steve Anderson 315; 7. Rich Attisani 288; 8. George Antill 269; 9. Chuck Trickle 268; 10. Mike Ray 267; 11. Kyle Busch 265; 12. Steve Rzesnowiecky 261; 13. Dennis Rock 260; 14. Darren Michaels 255; 15. Ken Holt 234.

This week's races: NASCAR WINSTON CUP Pepsi 400

Rebel recruit Turner falls short on SAT: Turner has a learning disability, and thus will be given another chance to attain a passing score. He also can appeal his case to the NCAA Clearinghouse in an attempt to be cleared to play.

Saturday's horse racing entries: Post Time 1 p.m.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Busch gets passing grade at mid-term: Kurt Busch has driven in 23 NASCAR Winston Cup Series races dating from last September and admittedly has had his share of ups and downs.

PCL box: Las Vegas-Fresno: E--Cookson, Barry, Hiatt. DP--Las Vegas 2, Fresno 2. LOB--Las Vegas 12, Fresno 7. 2B--Barry 2, McGowan. HR--Cookson (8), Magruder (8), Torrealba (5), Cotton (8). S--Ainsworth. SF--Cookson, Pena. SB--Branson, Zuniga.

Grizzlies halt 51s' winning streak: But after going 2-for-2 and driving in two runs in the Grizzlies' 10-7 victory over the 51s at Beiden Field, Ainsworth raised his average all the way to .125.

Columnist Peter Benton: LVCC team wins interclub match: Peter Benton; The third interclub match of the season, featuring eight-man teams from area country clubs, was contested last week over Las Vegas Country Club.

Goal oriented: Victoria Sun; One by one, the boys in Gina Toth's group planted themselves firmly in front of the net at the Santa Fe Station ice arena Thursday morning, ready to block the hard rubber pucks that would soon come flying at them at speeds of 50 mph or greater.

Private companies have a history of success in sports and entertainment field: The two privately held companies that want to build a new downtown baseball stadium for the Las Vegas 51s are heavy hitters in the field of sports and entertainment.

Rebels hire baseball coach: Victoria Sun; Tulane associate baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle is expected to accept the UNLV head baseball coaching position today.

Forecasters warn of possible flash flood: Similar conditions led to 1999 deluge: A flash flood watch was in effect for Southern Nevada today until 9 p.m., National Weather Service meteorologists said, because of two streams of air ladened with moisture merging over the Southwest.

Blackout policy put in place: Nevada Power may alert public on outages: Nevada Power has delivered plans to public safety agencies identifying what areas would be hit if the company needs to cut power.

LV executive leaving Lee & Associates for the Equity Group: Coinciding with Suntic's arrival, the Equity Group said it plans a project involving an affiliation of companies that will provide all types of real estate and development services including long-term property management.

LV phone firm presses for arbitration of fraud claims: Kevin Ferguson; Lawyers for Las Vegas-based long-distance phone company NOS Communications are pushing for arbitration to resolve numerous lawsuits alleging fraud in the way it markets its services.

Goodman wants to clear air with Guinn: Diana Sahagun and Adrienne Packer; Saying he was "sorely disappointed" with Gov. Kenny Guinn's decision to give Clark County authority to regulate air quality, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman will draft a letter asking him to reconsider the move.

Comair strike hurt airline: Delta, Comair's parent, boarded 9.7 million passengers in June, down 12.5 percent from June 2000.

LV firm still interested in PT's deal: On Wednesday, Revenue Properties Co. Ltd. of Toronto announced that PDS had pulled out of a deal to acquire P.T. Gaming LLC, which operates 23 PT's Pubs in the Las Vegas Valley. Revenue Properties jointly owns P.T. Gaming with local businessmen Phil and Tom Boeckle.

Gray water recycling to begin: The Northwest Water Resource Center will recycle wastewater, officials said, saving both power and water. Every drop of Lake Mead's water has to be pumped more than a mile uphill for valley residents to use.

On call: Despite rise in cell use, phone boxes to be constructed between Las Vegas and Primm: Rebecca Malone; In the age of cell phones and digital pagers, some might say that call boxes along the highways are part of technological history.

Gaming stocks pounded after Harrah's issues profit warning for quarter: David Strow; A widespread sell-off of gaming stocks began this morning, following Harrah's Entertainment Inc.'s warning that it wouldn't meet analysts' profit expectations for the quarter ending June 30.

North Las Vegas council briefs: Preliminary plans for a new North Las Vegas courthouse and jail received informal approval from City Council members Thursday during a staff briefing.

Court holds fate of power industry: CARSON CITY -- Money and power are the issues in two cases set for argument today before the Nevada Supreme Court.

Four teens plead guilty in killing of homeless man: Kim Smith; Donald Jones Sr. used to see Russell Frasher nearly every day.

Southwest Sports takes swing at land: Diana Sahagun; It remains to be seen if a sports complex developer will play ball with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.

Next piece of puzzle set to be purchased: Diana Sahagun; The next big piece of the downtown Las Vegas redevelopment puzzle is apparently ready to be placed.

Indian casino could close if pact not reached: If the two sides don't come to an agreement by July 24 the tribe's Grand Casino Coushatta, which employs 2,800 people in Kinder, could shut down.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Baseball should be more worldly: Manchester United must have been idle.

Russian envoy hears nuke concerns: Russian Ambassador Yuri Ushakov listened as Nevada scientists explained how they plan to remove radioactive material that remains from nuclear testing in Southern Nevada.

Baseball should be more worldly: Last Sunday, I received an e-mail from a British bloke named Terry White, hoping that somebody from the Sun could explain to somebody from the UK why baseball is so unpopular on an international level.

Council denies request to investigate Mack, Brown: Diana Sahagun; The City Council on Thursday denied a request to investigate accusations of malfeasance involving Las Vegas City Councilmen Michael Mack and Larry Brown.

First year of Citizen Review Board yields 71 complaints: Keith Paul; During its first year the Citizen Review Board sided with Metro Police and its officers in most cases it looked at, but the board also uncovered a poorly done investigation that ended with a sergeant being suspended.

Bus driver still in critical condition: The driver of a Greyhound bus that crashed through a guardrail at an Interstate 15 exit ramp near Glendale remained in critical condition this morning.

Letter: Measure would further threaten political speech: It will restrict freedom of speech by citizen advocacy groups, requiring registration and reporting to federal government agencies for almost any kind of political activism. It even threatens jail time for citizens who violate its Draconian regulations!

County Commission briefs for July 6, 2001: The Clark County Commission will hold a July 18 public hearing on an ordinance to tighten regulations over escort bureaus and outcall entertainment referral services.

Letter: Not much left after tax cut: Take a married person with three exemptions making $5,000 per month. The monthly reduction in withholding for this person will be $1. The married senior executive with an annual salary of $500,000 saves $375 per month, enough for a payment on a new car for junior.

Letter: HMO legislation good for patients: Assuring access to emergency care, pediatric services, specialists, and OB-GYN care are principles of every patients' bill of rights proposal before Congress. Any bill must guarantee open communication between doctors and patients. And patients deserve recourse when denied care by an HMO through a fair and expeditious review process.

Editorial: Domestic violence's deadly turn: Still, it is distressing that murders involving domestic violence are on the rise. Over the years progress has been made in implementing ways to curb domestic abuse. Laws have been passed that have established cooling-off periods for those arrested on domestic violence charges. There also have been strides in educating both men and women that domestic violence not only isn't socially acceptable as it once was, but that it also is a crime. Metro Police's creation of a domestic violence unit several years ago to place a greater priority on this crime also was beneficial. Domestic violence shelters, such as ...

Editorial: Good Samaritans help out in flooding: Kaiser and Coons made their way to the truck that was 75 yards away, wading through water that was more than 4 feet high. Coons busted out the window of the truck, which was half-covered by water, and Kaiser took the baby to safety on shore. Meanwhile, a Metro Police helicopter rescued Coons and the mother, who were waiting in the back of the truck.

Don of a new day: Kimberley McGee; His good-boy image and trademark sincerity intact, Donny Osmond has come full circle as a performer.

At 40, rocker Jett still soaring: Kirk Baird; "I don't give a damn about my reputation," Joan Jett sang on her 1981 landmark punk/hard rock album "Bad Reputation."

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Proof of compassion: WILL HE GET it right this time?

Holly's 'Off-the-Wall' comedy makes afternoons a delight: Joe Delaney; "The Michael Holly Off-The-Wall Comedy Hour," presented by Dick Foster Productions in the Sahara's nicely refurbished and rearranged Congo Room, is the newest entry in the afternoon entertainment competition.

Country isn't old 'hat' for Wills: Kirk Baird; Somewhere in Greeley, Colo., recently, struggling with his cell phone headset, country singer Mark Wills was adamant that in a sea of sound-alike songs, his music stands out.

Datebook: U.S. Park Service rangers from the Alan Bible Visitors Center in Boulder City present "Mysteries of the Deep," an education program about the people and history of the Colorado River, at 7 p.m. today. Call 293-8990.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Flamenco among the favorites at Bohemias: Finally, I dined at Bohemias restaurant on a weekend when the Flamenco dancers performed. I've been going to this "Bohemian taste of Latin America" since its opening. I like the Spanish appetizers known as tapas and have just about eaten my way through the entire list. Tapas at Bohemias ($5.95-$10.95) are larger than usual. Two or more could be a meal if you're sharing, as I usually do.

Mountain air makes starchasing easier: Rebecca Malone; Kids who were huddled on their sleeping bags, their blankets draped across logs, pulled on hooded sweatshirts as they tried to avoid the drizzling rain that accompanied their first campfire.

Where I Stand -- Hank Greenspun: Hostage deal is a 'pact with the devil': "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

Columnist Joe Delaney: Boosler ponders comedy, dogs and baseball: Joe Delaney; Comedian and comedy writer Elayne Boosler, appearing in Paris Las Vegas' le Theatre des Arts through Saturday with special guest Judy Tenuta, is one of this columnist's favorite people and a very funny lady ... In a recent telephone chat, we shared our strong feelings for baseball and pets, particularly dogs.

Cities air concerns over plan to control pollution: Erin Neff and Launce Rake; When the brownish haze settles over the valley and dust drifts into residents' throats, nobody disputes the quality of air Las Vegans breathe.

Obituaries for July 6, 2001: Arlene Ray Albert, 79, of Las Vegas died Saturday in Las Vegas. He was born April 10, 1922, in Avon, Ill. He was a teacher.

Thunderstorms pour into valley: The following roads were closed as of 4:30 p.m.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Little hope for bungling boards: IT OCCURS TO ME in something less than a revelatory vision that there is only one way for the Las Vegas City Council and the Clark County Commission to garner more respect in the community: They need to stop having meetings.

Editorial: Placing an emphasis on safety of patients: As the Sun's Emily Richmond reported last week, University Medical Center has been working for a year now on patient safety improvements at the county-run hospital. It is essential that a greater emphasis be placed on patient safety, but it may be rough going. For instance, our society tends to punish -- not reward -- people for owning up to mistakes. But unless this culture is changed in the medical community -- so that errors are revealed and ways can be found to prevent them from happening again -- people will continue to die needlessly.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Musician Osborne still warm to Caesars Palace: As Rome burned, David Osborne fiddled with his piano, playing "Chariots of Fire."

Editorial: Can this work for downtown?: So why did Southwest Sports Group get chosen? Goodman said Southwest Sports Group was selected because of the company's financial backing and experience. But on both of those counts, the choice of Southwest Sports Group leaves more questions than answers. The company certainly has experience, but its expertise is in sports and entertainment. And while it may have the financing to pull off the project, in its proposal the company said it would need some public funding -- unlike one of its competitors, Millennium City LLC, which said it could build a mixed-use project without government funds. The doubts about ...

Looking back at the Sun: 1976 - 2000: 1977: Northern Nevada brothel owner Joe Conforte sentenced to prison for tax invasion. Conforte flees to Brazil to avoid serving time.

Plea deals made in standoff at juvenile facility: Kim Smith; Seven teenagers charged as adults in last month's standoff at the Summit View Youth Correctional Center have accepted deals.

Court briefs for July 6, 2001: A 28-year-old Las Vegas man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for having sexual relations with his 11-year-old stepdaughter, who ended up pregnant.

Letter: Remember utility bills at election time: Never mind that eight-year Republican Gov. Pete Wilson presided over their deregulation act, Republicans are blaming Democrat Gray Davis. Code words: "on his watch."

Columnist Jeff German: Appeal time for Murphy, Tabish: THIS IS SHAPING UP as a big week for the convicted killers of wealthy casino boss Ted Binion.

Long arm of the law stretches around the world to Las Vegas: Rebecca Malone; Police and fire officials from around the world will take over Las Vegas next month as they compete for medals in various fitness events.

County prepares to take foster care reins: By Steve Kanigher; Teresa Becker is often frustrated by the frequency with which foster children are assigned new case workers.

Columnist Susan Snyder: This Stuff is quite sobering: Las Vegas has earned another first.

No time to waste: Anti-nuclear activists are ready to spread message nationwide: Benjamin Grove; SALEM, N.J. -- Anti-nuclear activist Kevin Kamps draws curious looks, a few honks and smiles, and the occasional middle finger as he hauls a 1,000-pound mock nuclear waste cask emblazoned with the words "Mobile Chernobyl" across U.S. highways.

A man's man: Kimberley McGee; On a recent weeknight comedian Jimmy Kimmel was cruising toward home on a Burbank, Calif., road in a convertible Mercedes with packaged hamburger meat and ham at his side.

Letter: No choice but to accept cuts: Let's put aside for the moment the pros and cons of privatizing a portion of Social Security. You state you "absolutely and positively will not accept any, zilch, nada cuts in benefits. ..." With all due respect I submit you are "absolutely and positively" mistaken.

Columnist Sandy Thompson: Judge committed to foster care changes: Sandy Thompson; IF FAMILY COURT Judge Gerald Hardcastle has his way, no child will leave the foster care system without a future.

Where I Stand--Brian Greenspun: Forcing Israel's hand: HOW MUCH LONGER will the United States force Israel to wait before it can avenge the deaths of her children?