Print edition for June 20, 2001

News briefs for June 20, 2001: A 5-year-old boy is in critical condition at University Medical Center after being hit by a pickup Tuesday as he attempted to cross a street.

Five of six allegations against officer dropped: Keith Paul; A Metro Police traffic officer who has six complaints filed against him will soon be put back on the street after five of the allegations were dropped or cleared.

Mexico-Honduras match on TV at Orleans: General admission tickets for the 6:30 p.m. telecast are $15 and the first 100 fans will receive a free Mexico national team T-shirt.

Tribe set to receive water for Las Vegas-area resort: The Las Vegas Paiute Tribe would get 4,000 acre feet of water -- almost 1.3 billion gallons -- under an agreement approved Tuesday by the Clark County Commissioners.

Census spotlights Nevada homeowner disparity: Home ownership is apparently more attainable for white Nevadans than for Hispanics or blacks.

Former Las Vegas Police Chief Allen dies at 85: Former Las Vegas Police chief and Clark County Assistant Sheriff George W. Allen Jr., who oversaw the merger of the Las Vegas Police Department and Clark County Sheriff's Office 28 years ago, died Monday at Mountainview Hospital. He was 85.

Property tax rebate cut by shortfall: Adrienne Packer; Clark County administrators' fears that Southern Nevada would take a financial hit from the Legislature's action turned out to be warranted.

House sale key issue in suspect's bail: Kim Smith; A Clark County district judge Tuesday ordered a murder suspect to turn over half of the proceeds he received when he sold the home he co-owned with the victim.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- Churchland -- British-bred dropped to bottom rung and won in last, returns at low level again, Baze atop Mullins trainee for another. Hilltown -- Hustling Pedroza on main man Carava trainee, draws good spot for sprint opener, could fire one up. Value Play -- Holy Jo

Columnist Dean Juipe: Jordan's comeback is bad idea: Dean Juipe; There are good ideas and there are bad ideas.

LV fuel surcharge eyed: The board is considering a charge of between 10 cents and 20 cents per trip to compensate for fuel costs, which have fluctuated dramatically since February.

PurchasePro stock plunges: Problems with AOL deal cited: Kevin Ferguson; A financial analyst remains doubtful that PurchasePro's new executive team can turn around the troubled Las Vegas-based software firm due to its heavy reliance on a partnership with one company -- America Online Inc.

County Commission briefs for June 20, 2001: Clark County public works engineers are studying ways to relieve traffic on a stretch of the southern Las Vegas Beltway, where congestion has become an everyday problem.

Audio/visual firms grow with casinos, conventions: Kevin Ferguson; Steve Rypka says that since he opened the Las Vegas division of SPL Integrated Solutions four years ago, the company has been overwhelmed with major projects.

Commissioners back Reilly; process irks three members: Adrienne Packer; Thom Reilly's transition Tuesday from educator to county manager, although expeditious, was less than smooth as Clark County commissioners continued to bicker over his appointment.

Would-be Santa, 7, rescued from chimney: Erica Johnson; A local boy learned Tuesday that some things should be left up to Santa Claus.

Columnist Paula DelGiudice: 'Big Jake' has $1 million tag: Paula DelGiudice; If you haven't any plans to fish for largemouth bass at Lake Mead in July, you'd better make some. On July 1, in 30 fishing holes around the country, including Lake Mead, 30 fish will be "tagged" and released. One of the tagged fish, called "Jake," will pay a grand prize of $1 million to whomever reels him in. The remaining 29 fish will pay secondary prizes of $1,000 each.

Lawyer: Others possibly leaked FBI files: The lawyer for a Las Vegas FBI employee charged with selling criminal case files said this morning that others in the local field office, not his client, may have been leaking sensitive information.

Passenger in car killed in drive-by shooting: The 29-year-old North Las Vegas man, who was riding in the back seat of the car, was hit when several shots were fired from a black pickup about 11:50 p.m. Tuesday, Metro Police said.

Opposition to college subsides: Jeffrey Libby; Just three residents spoke.

PCL box: Salt Lake-Las Vegas: E--Nieves 2, Fernandez 2. DP--Salt Lake 1. LOB--Salt Lake 3, Las Vegas 4. 2B--Bartee, Prieto, Mota, Hiatt, K. Johnson. 3B--Bartee. HR--Morgan (16), Hiatt (14), Cookson (6), Pena (3). S--Stankiewicz. SF--Nieves. SB--Prieto 2, Aven. CS--Mota.

Congress looks at bill designed to limit growth of Indian casinos: Ken Maguire; WASHINGTON -- Indian tribes that want to build casinos would need approval of their state legislatures, not just governors, under legislation introduced Tuesday.

New COO named: Cavallaro, the former president and chief executive officer of Internet travel company Travelscape.com, replaced Blake Sartini, who served as Station's COO since 1997. Station announced Monday that Sartini had resigned and acquired its slot route subsidiary, Southwest Gaming Services Inc., for $14 million in stock.

Judges receive 27 percent raises: Jeffrey Libby; Henderson Municipal Court judges will receive 27 percent raises effective July 1, putting them in the same pay category as judges around the state.

Laughlin residents differ on effort to relax plant's air quality standard: By Timothy Pratt; Although the town has few trappings of the Wild West, a showdown may well happen Thursday in Laughlin -- at 10:30, not high noon.

Questionable offer made for Regent resort: David Strow; In 1999 Fred and Kari Cruz of Las Vegas were promoted as the financial saviors of Las Vegas Entertainment Network, investors whose gold reserves and $495 million capital infusion would help that company take over slot route operator Jackpot Enterprises Inc. of Las Vegas.

Community briefs for June 20, 2001: Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center will host the Celiac Disease Foundation's Las Vegas Connection Group 2-4 p.m. Saturday in the hospital's auditorium, 3186 S. Maryland Parkway.

Mirage stagehands reject union: Of the 96 employees eligible to participate in the National Labor Relations Board vote, 71 voted against representation by the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees, while 21 voted for it.

Orchard oasis: City to honor operator of longtime escape for city-weary Las Vegans: Folks often ask Ted Gilcrease why, after 80 years of farming in Las Vegas, he doesn't sell his valuable land at a premium price and spend his remaining years enjoying wealth that has so long evaded him and his family.

Two sentenced in separate DUI accidents: Kim Smith; Two Las Vegas men were sentenced to prison Tuesday in connection with separate drunken driving accidents that left two people clinging to life.

Northwest auto mall proposal introduced to council: Diana Sahagun; Shopping for a new car has never been easier than in the city of Henderson, where the Valley Auto Mall offers 13 dealerships.

Suspect's wife testifies before grand jury: Kim Smith; The wife of Jose Vigoa, the man charged Monday in a fatal armored car robbery and a string of casino heists, testified before a Clark County grand jury Tuesday.

Local Panther leader vows Strip march if demands not met: Erica Johnson; Talks between the city of Las Vegas and the local Black Panther Party over revitalization of West Las Vegas broke down this week after the Black Panther leader issued an ultimatum.

Obituaries for June 20, 2001: George A. Adams, 65, of Henderson died Tuesday in Henderson. He was born April 22, 1936, in Ohio. A resident for many years, he was an iron worker.

City covets historic post office: Diana Sahagun; The first federal building constructed in Las Vegas in 1933 has been attractive to city officials for years because of its historic significance and potential for public use.

Leading indicators rise in May: The New York-based Conference Board said its Index of Leading Economic Indicators edged higher last month to 109.3 after moving up 0.1 percent in April. Analysts were expecting a 0.3 percent increase.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Court must tie up Legislature's loose ends: ADMIT IT -- you thought the legislative session (both of them) was over.

Dark secrets: Tanning lotions have bronze worshippers glowing: Kimberley McGee; The lithe woman wore a sleek, black bathing suit and was baked to a healthy golden-brown as she lounged under the sun.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: CART could lose two races by 2003: Championship Auto Racing Teams apparently has lost one of its American oval races next year and could be in jeopardy of losing another in 2003.

NIAA approves transfer rule: Spencer Patterson; The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association adopted a one-time free transfer Tuesday, but stopped short of granting that option to all high school student-athletes.

Letter: Check would help seniors: Now our families are grown and they are baby boomers, and we are old. As Dan Rostenkowski said, give the notch babies a few years and we won't need to worry about them any more.

Columnist Peter Benton: Flex memberships offer good benefits: Peter Benton; After seeing ads in our local papers regarding Flex memberships at Billy Walters' area courses, enquiries were made. Please keep in mind that this offer is for Clark County residents only:

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

Columnist Jeff Haney: Lakers are heavy favorites to pull off '3-peat': The Lakers have barely finished their triumphant march down Figueroa Street, and already they are listed as low as 4-5 to win next year's NBA title.

Slain homeless man identified: Timothy Fay, 39, was charged with murder and accused of stabbing Korreckt about 10:15 p.m. on May 31 in a desert area near Stewart Avenue and Spectrum Boulevard.

Foster clocks 100-mph heat: Steve Guiremand; Fewer than 1,000 people were in the stands on Tuesday night at Cashman Field when Kris Foster took the mound to pitch the ninth inning of the Las Vegas 51s' 11-5 victory over the Salt Lake Stingers.

Letter: Power plant certainly isn't a good neighbor: I feel that my health has been compromised by these consistent rolling opacity variances being granted to the Mohave Generating Station. I moved here understanding that they were allowed a limit of 30 percent opacity and that they would shortly install modern pollution control devices that would only improve the air quality. Instead of being a good neighbor and installing those devices, they have only asked on several occasions to be allowed to pollute the air even more.

Census cites high rates of blacks in state prisons: Census figures show Nevada has a disproportionate percentage of blacks in prison and juvenile detention facilities.

Ginseng store entrenched in Chinese tradition: Max Jacobson; This narrow-but-densely-stocked shop is run by James and Mylin Ta, a Chinese couple raised in Vietnam. James learned the business from an uncle, and he has always got his nose in a Chinese herbal dictionary to help translate and describe his wares to non-Chinese customers. He is proud of the fact that nearly 50 percent of his business is Caucasian, over-the-counter shoppers who come to select from hundreds of teas, such Chinese cold remedies as Yin Chao, and a vast array of vitamins and food supplements.

Letter: Notch babies are crybabies: All of us born after 1921 receive the same percentage benefit from Social Security. Everyone born prior to 1921, including the so called "notch" group, receives a higher percentage benefit. Not a lower benefit, a higher benefit! The "notch" group receives more, not less, than the rest of us!

Parents need help to send son to camp: "It would be a great beginning experience into Boy Scouts," she says.

Las Vegas area fishing report: LAKE MEAD: Good fishing for largemouth and striped bass continues to be found in the Overton Arm while the action for stripers tapered off over the weekend in the Boulder Basin, according to the Nevada Division of Wildlife.

Editorial: Regulators finally get on board: Until Monday the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has behaved abysmally, allowing energy producers to set wholesale prices for utilities that have bordered on the criminal. Of the Western states, California has suffered the most. For instance, as Sen. Dianne Feinsten, D-Calif., has noted, the cost of all power in California this year is estimated to be between $50-65 billion. This astronomical sum significantly exceeds what had been paid in 2000, when it was $28-30 billion, and dwarfs the amount from 1999, when it was just $7 billion.

'Doc' made his mark on boxers, youngsters: Steve Addy; WHAT: Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame inductions

Columnist Muriel Stevens: E-tickets not always e-fficient: Greenberg, aka the Travel Detective, has written a book based on insider info gathered during his many trips. "The Travel Detective" (Villard, $15.95, paperback) is an invaluable tool for travelers. Greenberg (and his mother) hate e-tickets as much as I do, and he devotes plenty of copy making his case.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Surprise celebration marks Golden birthday: Elizabeth Foyt; One of summer's loveliest private parties celebrated James Golden's birthday. Held at the Spanish Trail home of Kay and Allen Browne, the surprise party began in their lushly landscaped rear yard where guests sipped flutes of champagne, visited with friends and looked across the reflecting pool and spa to the golf-course fairways.