Print edition for July 11, 2001

Court rejects woman's claim for jackpot: The Nevada Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the appeal of Anna L. Barton, who claimed she lined up three "Cool Millions" duck symbols, entitling her to the giant jackpot in September 1996.

LV economy growth rate leads U.S. for decade: Economic output in the Las Vegas metropolitan area rose a nation-leading 166.3 percent over the past decade, according to a U.S. Conference of Mayors report.

State widens investigation of FBI scandal: The Nevada Division of Investigations has expanded its probe into whether state laws were violated in the FBI's secrets-for-sale scandal, the Sun has learned.

Foothill RB Ford announces he'll attend UNLV: Steve Guiremand; UNLV is still a little less than a month away from the start of fall football practice, but head coach John Robinson already has scored one big victory.

Examiners reject UNLV's plea for aid: University stuck with suit settlement: CARSON CITY -- The state Board of Examiners Tuesday turned a deaf ear to the pleas of UNLV, which wanted help in paying a $100,000 out-of-court settlement to a math professor who was never hired.

News briefs for July 11, 2001: Metro Police detectives are searching for a man who robbed Fred Leighton Jewelers at the Bellagio Tuesday morning.

Court briefs for July 11, 2001: A forensic pathologist in the Brookey West murder trial testified Tuesday that he can't tell if the plastic bag found tied around her mother's face was placed there before or after she died.

Key Park Place executive leaves in management shuffle: David Strow; Mark Dodson, executive vice president and co-chief operating officer of casino operator Park Place Entertainment Corp. of Las Vegas, resigned from the company Tuesday, Park Place announced.

LV firm selling software: Financial terms and licensees were not disclosed.

Hackers converge on LV for conventions: Kevin Ferguson; Its a meeting of computer security experts and their nemesises.

Customer sued by slot machine supplier: The defendant could not be reached for comment on the charges.

Gridlock to endure on highway connecting Los Angeles, Vegas: Widening Interstate 15 and developing new highways between Las Vegas and Los Angeles won't alleviate traffic congestion for tourists and casino-bound gamblers, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's highway consultant says.

Researchers weigh in on problem gambling -- call it a 'chronic medical condition': Kevin Ferguson; Pathological gambling should be viewed as a "chronic medical condition" in the same manner as drug and alcohol abuse, say a group of Yale University researchers.

Longtime Palace Station executive McNeill dies: Angela Soo; Helping people is what Ernest McNeill did best throughout his life, his longtime friends say.

Beltway land often yields big payoffs: Adrienne Packer; As the Las Vegas Beltway has progressed around the valley, Clark County officials have, with relative ease, taken needed property -- mostly belonging to major developers and the federal government -- using eminent domain.

International nuclear waste information exchange planned: Researchers in the United States and around the world have agreed to participate in an information exchange that could one day change the way countries manage high-level nuclear waste.

Parents of baby left in car will not face charges: Kim Smith; The parents of a 6-month-old boy who died after being left in a car for more than five hours last month will not face criminal charges.

Decision expected today in suit against halfway houses: Erica Johnson; Thirteen Southeast Las Vegas residents are expected today to learn the fate of a lawsuit they filed in U.S. District Court to close three halfway houses for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts in their neighborhood near Flamingo and Sandhill roads.

State OKs pensions, paychecks: CARSON CITY -- The Board of Examiners Tuesday approved a policy of allowing a government employee to retire, draw a pension and then be hired back at the same job.

Popular Las Vegas hotel desk clerk Lewis dies at 89: Russ Lewis lived by a simple motto for more than a half-century in the hotel business: "The customer is not always right but a good guest is never wrong."

Higher energy costs hurt Vegas Tropicana: David Strow; Five days after Harrah's Entertainment Inc. shook up gaming stocks with an earnings warning, Aztar Corp. beat analyst expectations for its second quarter ending June 28.

LV Strip giant eyes foreign Internet casino: David Strow; Las Vegas Strip casino resort giant MGM MIRAGE has for some time been the most vocal proponent of legalized Internet gambling being offered by Nevada casinos.

Metro probes council finance records: Erin Neff; Metro Police have begun examining financial records filed by Las Vegas City Council members amid speculation that Michael Mack is receiving treatment for a gambling problem.

Suspect in slaying gives up after one-hour standoff: Jace Radke; A man wanted in connection with the slaying of a 21-year-old Henderson woman surrendered to authorities after a one-hour standoff with Henderson and North Las Vegas Police Tuesday night.

Photography giant facing bankruptcy, shares plunge: Shares of Polaroid fell 37 percent on the news.

Letter: Homeless get raw deal from mayor: July is rife with references to the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross and our first flag, and the Statue of Liberty, with the message, "Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses longing to breathe free. Send them, your Homeless, tempest tossed to me."

Community briefs for July 11, 2001: An energy-enhancing workshop will be offered to the public 1-4 p.m. Saturday at the spa at the Regent Las Vegas, 221 N. Rampart Blvd.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- Funky Habit -- Top jock Solis takes Sise trainee here, draws good post for sprint opener, Funky will try to make Habit maiden-claimer winner. Condellone -- Draws good middle box, hustling Espinoza sits Specht trainee, may be the one for diploma time. Value Play -- See My Tail Lights

Review: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within: Geoff Carter; Final Fantasy

Letter: Don't force our kids to speak Spanish: It is ridiculous to force the children to learn a language that they will not be using in the future. What the district should force upon the children, who do not speak English when they enroll, is to have special courses to learn the language of these United States, which is English.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Park Towers celebrates completion: Elizabeth Foyt; Susan and Irwin Molasky were recent hosts of one of the city's most anticipated evenings, the splendid celebration marking the completion of Park Towers. With co-developers Steve and Elaine Wynn, the Molaskys have indeed created an exquisite environment of luxury condominiums tucked inside a spacious tower complete with every possible amenity and the utmost of privacy. With 84 residences and the best of sophisticated environments, this premiere residence has already attracted the cream of Las Vegas society including early purchasers Drs. Ted and Parvin Modaber Jacobs.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Las Vegas' Tracy to return to scene of the 'crime': After consecutive podium finishes in the Molson Indy in 1999 and 2000, Paul Tracy of Las Vegas is eagerly awaiting this weekend's return to his hometown of Toronto.

Ensign to join conference panel on education bills: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Republican Senate leaders on Tuesday tapped Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., to be a member of a key panel of House and Senate lawmakers who will finalize details in a sweeping education bill before Congress sends it to President Bush.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Mack's troubles are likely to get much worse: UNLOADING THE political notebook for a mid-week potpourri:

Thursday's horse racing entries: Post Time 1:10 p.m.

Hispanic activists given political tips: By Timothy Pratt; James Yapias, chairman of Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt's Hispanic Advisory Council, ended his recent visit to Las Vegas with a question.

Whatever happened to frozen yogurt?: Max Jacobson; Most of us recall the not too distant past when frozen yogurt was a healthy and popular fad. There were a proliferation of places to buy these treats, franchises with names such as Heidi's Frogen Yozurt, Columbo, Golden Swirl and TCBY, only the last two of which survive in Las Vegas. Golden Swirl Frozen Yogurt, still operating on Rampart Boulevard and also on West Sahara Avenue, best illustrates the point.

Columnist Dean Juipe: New coach impresses in debut: Dean Juipe; Few retain their boyish good looks in the face of pressure, stress and everyday wear and tear.

Home-building matriarch Chism dies: Services for Marjorie L. Chism, matriarch of a family that built homes in Southern Nevada and throughout the West, will be 10 a.m. Thursday at Palm Mortuary-Eastern.

All mixed up: Drinks in Las Vegas changing with the times: Kimerley McGee; Cool libations being served at Las Vegas' popular night spots this summer range from new spins on old classics to over-the-top creations by local bartenders.

Lowest power rates might go even lower: Jeffrey Libby; Boulder City residents, who already pay the least expensive electricity rates in Southern Nevada, could secure a new deal by Aug. 12 that would lower their monthly bills even further.

Editorial: Proposed merger deserves close look: The proposed acquisition isn't a sweeping change in market share. IGT, which already has joint ventures with Anchor, now has 70 percent of the North American slot machine market. Anchor has about one-half of 1 percent of the same market -- if joint ventures aren't tallied. But Anchor's share of the market isn't why IGT is willing to pay $1.3 billion to swallow the company. As the Sun's David Strow reported, Anchor produces $200 million a year in annual cash flow -- about half of what IGT reports. So acquiring Anchor Gaming will make IGT considerably more powerful, something that ...

Letter: Clinton leaves legacy of shame: This is cause for reflection on what Clinton did for us. He was a great public relations giant who knew how to work the crowds. Brian Greenspun (the editor of this paper) calls his presidency "two of the best presidential terms in history." What about the legacy he left for us?

Obituaries for July 11, 2001: Gary B. Anson, 55, of Lacey, Wash., died Monday in Lacey. He was born Dec. 25, 1945, in Brooklyn, N.Y. A former Las Vegas resident, he was a sales associate for Home Depot. a retired Navy Reserves chief petty officer and Vietnam War veteran.

Columnist Peter Benton: Entries being taken for women's championship: Peter Benton; Entries into this year's Nevada State Women's Amateur Championship and State Senior Championship, scheduled Sept. 11-13 at the Wolf Run Golf Club in Reno, are now being accepted.

Editorial: Just how much is enough?: The new law was intended to recruit people back to government jobs in situations where there was a shortage of key employees, such as that exists with teachers. That makes the action by the Board of Examiners -- made up of Gov. Kenny Guinn, Secretary of State Dean Heller and Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa -- all the more inexcusable. Who seriously believes that if the DMV director's job suddenly became vacant tomorrow, that the governor would have a hard time filling the post? Assemblyman Doug Bache, D-Las Vegas, can't be blamed for saying that this is "a blatant ...

Columnist Jeff Haney: 'Sports loop' features home PC-based betting: Let's get this straight: We are not talking online sports betting here.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Hot items from the Cold War: The summer preview catalog from Sovietski Collection: Treasures From a Bygone Era, is filled with unusual gifts.

Rebel coach: Winning begins at home: Spencer Patterson; New UNLV baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle hasn't been in town long, but he already knows enough about Southern Nevada to recognize the area for the recruiting gold mine it has become in recent years.