Print edition for March 8, 2001

County limits filling job vacancies: Adrienne Packer; A steep decline in tax revenues combined with uncertainty over how legislative decisions will affect Clark County coffers prompted administrators to place restrictions on filling vacant positions.

City, residents not happy with housing complex plans: Diana Sahagun; When American CityVista representatives first approached the city about building an affordable housing complex near West Las Vegas, city officials lauded the group and had visions of new communities being born on vacant lots.

Goodman to unveil vast plans for downtown: Diana Sahagun; After casting a wide net for projects to fill a 61-acre chunk of downtown Las Vegas, Mayor Oscar Goodman has landed proposals for everything from the world's tallest building to casinos and an indoor ski park.

Cochran's firm says it won't represent slain student's family: "We do not have limitless capabilities and because of other commitments, we cannot take on the case," said Randy H. McMurray, an attorney in Cochran's Los Angeles-based firm. "We do wish the family all the best."

Evaluations for teachers are proposed again: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- The first and second time didn't succeed, but a lawmaker is hoping another stab at teacher evaluation legislation will work this session, thanks to the addition of more than $51 million in state funding.

Top seed Utah wants to keep momentum: Steve Addy; The Mountain West had two sorts of interim coaches this season -- the kind with the title and the kind without.

Legislative briefs for March 8, 2001: Sen. Jon Porter, R-Boulder City, said a consulate in Clark County would help residents who are doing business with Mexico and citizens who visit Las Vegas. And the supporting groups hope to have the consulate open by the end of the year.

Council to use lobbying money toward Yucca suit: Diana Sahagun; The Las Vegas City Council decided Wednesday to direct money reserved for the fight against the Yucca nuclear waste project toward a lawsuit against the federal government.

Used-car protection proposed: CARSON CITY -- The old consumer warning "buyer beware" doesn't always help people purchasing used cars.

Majerus, UNLV officials to meet: Steve Addy; MWC men's tournament

Executive accused of fraud: Mikohn Gaming Corp. of Las Vegas sued a former finance director, alleging he embezzled more than $51,840.

MWC women's tournament: New Mexico 55, San Diego State 49

PDS Financial earnings rise: Revenue of $9.6 million was up 16 percent.

Many growling over animal bill: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- A measure to impose statewide regulation on animal welfare issues ruffled a lot of fur Wednesday -- and not just because it prohibits anyone from banning a circus or rodeo.

Community briefs for March 8, 2001: The Clark County School District will holds its ninth annual Elementary Orff Music Festival 7 p.m. March 17 at UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall.

BYU bounces Lady Rebels: Steve Guiremand; Wednesday's scores

A Glass Act: Chihuly exhibit featured at Las Vegas Art Museum: Kimberley McGee; On the eve of the Feb. 28 Seattle earthquake, master glassblower and painter Dale Chihuly was finishing a chicken dinner, shouting out orders to his assistant and discussing his glass artworks that surrounded him during a phone interview.

Water law change may help Nevada: Idaho's Republican senators have introduced a bill that experts said would change Western water law, making it harder for the federal government to get water for Indian tribes and the wilderness while helping Nevada battle a nuclear waste repository.

Recycle those cellular phones: Phones can be mailed to Media Partners for Pets, P.O. Box 81222, Las Vegas, NV 89180. For drop-off locations, call: 617-3323

D.C. visitors get political peek: Participants meet and exchange ideas with congressional leaders, political advisers, journalists and other Washington insiders. Scheduled daily activities include current issue debates and opportunities to tour the city.

Huge underdog Taylor wants brawl vs. Mosley: Dean Juipe; Just look at the betting odds and you can see that few, if any, boxing fans in Las Vegas expect Shannan Taylor to defeat Shane Mosley when they fight Saturday night at Caesars Palace.

Yard sale yields important item for National Guard unit: Dick Benoit; The latest acquisition by the newest unit in the Nevada Army National is not high tech. As a matter of fact, both the rehabilitated old truck and the mission of Nevada's 440th Cable and Wire Company are throwbacks to pre-satellite and pre-wireless days of communication.

Where I Stand-- Brian Greenspun: A better quality of life: THERE IS NO DOUBT about it, we are really confused.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Amateur star ready to attack the pro ranks: Dean Juipe; With only one professional fight under his belt, Cedric Ferguson isn't exactly a household name.

NLV voters to decide use of tax hike: Originally the tax increase was intended to pay for street maintenance and debt service. The city would now like to expand the use of revenue generated by the increase to include paying for improvements to city parks and fire stations.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Let the MWC games begin: There are only two sure things to be said about this year's Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament that got under way today at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Editorial: Radiation standards under fire: The new EPA administrator, Christie Whitman, has assured Gov. Kenny Guinn that she wants the EPA to set the standard, something that state officials and Nevada's congressional delegation have long urged. But the DOE and NRC's meeting with EPA officials is disturbing, and Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., was right on target in notifying President Bush about her concerns.

Editorial: Conflicts of interest deserve top priority: Herrera brought forward his proposal after it was revealed earlier that the city of Las Vegas' deputy planning director had a minority interest in land owned by a developer. Sadly, a majority of the commissioners missed the point of Herrera's proposal, with Commissioner Chip Maxfield questioning the need for a divestiture policy if no conflicts had been discovered before at the county. But part of government's role is to head off trouble, including conflicts of interest, before it happens. There is no reason why high-salaried government employees should be involved with industries they're supposed to be regulating.

Oddsmaker Martin dies at 82: Oddsmaker Robert L. "Bob" Martin, who for 20 years posted rock-solid lines on sporting events and helped usher in the golden age of sports betting in Nevada, died Wednesday of lung cancer at his New York City apartment. He was 82.

Letter: More deterrents needed in cases of identity theft: I would like to recommend to your readers the following be legislated into law based on personal experience in my family:

Letter: Special interests' power is strong: As posted on the official website of the Nevada Legislature, the bill even goes so far as to specifically rewrite ordinances to make them less stringent in Henderson, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Carson City and other communities in Nevada.

Nuke bill solicits funds to create waste option: Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., proposed a nuclear energy bill Wednesday that includes $120 million for technology to transform radioactive wastes into less harmful materials.

Bookkeeper describes marriage on the rocks: Kim Smith; Ronald Rudin's longtime bookkeeper took the stand again this morning to give jurors a glimpse into the real-estate developer's marriage with the woman accused of killing him -- Margaret Rudin.

Bill on unwanted babies backed: CARSON CITY -- A bill to provide a "safe haven" for unwanted babies who are discarded by their parents has drawn diverse groups together in its support.

Bankruptcy fraud trial begins for Las Vegas casino figure: TRENTON, N.J. -- Robert E. Brennan had a "virtual mania" for secrecy as he tried to hide assets from creditors after declaring bankruptcy, a prosecutor said in opening statements of the former penny stock tycoon's federal trial Wednesday.

Obituaries for March 8, 2001: Sean C. Adams, 30, of Las Vegas died Friday in Las Vegas. He was born April 20, 1970, in Los Angeles. A resident for 15 years, he was a security officer for a private security business.

Commission denies application for offices in northwest neighborhood: Clark County Commissioners have squelched a contentious proposal to put offices in a residential neighborhood of the Las Vegas Valley's northwest.

Vegas sports on TV/Radio: Vegas sports on TV/Radio

Union tries bringing LV builders into suit: Grace Leong; A roofers' union trying to organize workers at a Las Vegas subcontractor -- and accusing the firm of cheating employees out of their pay -- is now seeking court approval to add several Las Vegas home builders to a lawsuit.

Gang war fatalities mounting in valley: Keith Paul; Two feuding gangs retaliating against each other have killed six people -- including a church deacon and another innocent bystander -- in the past three weeks -- prompting two police departments to make busting up the violence a top priority.

Yahoo! woes cast doubt on Internet sector: Brian Bergstein; SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Shares of Yahoo! Inc. plunged nearly 20 percent this morning after the former dot-com darling warned that it miss Wall Street's first-quarter expectations and Chief Executive Tim Koogle plans to step down from that position.

Hatch called crucial ally in betting battle: Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is being welcomed as a key ally in Nevada's fight to stop the NCAA's campaign to ban betting on college sports.

Bally's replacing historic sign on Strip: David Strow; It's been a piece of the Las Vegas Strip since 1973, when the original MGM Grand first opened just south of Flamingo Road.

Adelson in talks for Taiwan resort: Chang Po-ya, Taiwan's minister of the interior, said Adelson told Taiwan's president in October he was prepared to invest as much as $2.5 billion there. Conflicting reports from Taiwanese television stated that Adelson, together with a Taiwanese businessman, would construct a $666 million project on Penghu. Adelson would own 51 percent of this resort.

Vegas casinos enjoy strong win in January: Cy Ryan and David Strow; Casinos along the Las Vegas Strip won a record $496.3 million in January, an increase of 6.5 percent from the year before. But gaming revenues fell in Northern Nevada, the state reported today.

Doughnut seller's stock rises: For the three months ended Jan. 31, Krispy Kreme earned $4.2 million, or 30 cents per share, compared with $1.2 million or 11 cents per share in the year ago period, the doughnut company said today.

Morse guilty: Crash injured Megabucks winner, killed her sister: A jury convicted Clark Morse this morning of all counts in the drunken-driving accident last year that left Megabucks winner Cynthia Jay-Brennan paralyzed and killed her sister, Lela Ann Jay.

Lanni named CEO of LV gaming giant: Lanni held that position for MGM Grand Inc. when he temporarily retired as the day-to-day operator of the company in October 1999, but was lured back by the challenge of leading the $6.4 billion merger of MGM Grand and Mirage Resorts Inc. in early 2000, company spokesman Alan Feldman said.

Court briefs for March 8, 2001: Although he did not admit his guilt, Lamar Alexander agreed in March that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him in the June 1996 death of Terry Dixon, the 45-year-old father of his friend, Sean Dixon.

Las Vegas Council briefs for March 8, 2001: Genzer struck a deal with the city in which he will divest his minority interest in a Mesquite property with developer Randy Black. He will also disclose and remove himself from taking part in decisions having to do with property his wife and her family own in the city.

Escort service application raises questions for council: Diana Sahagun; The Las Vegas City Council Wednesday voted to delay a decision on whether to allow an escort service to operate in the city.

Utility executives say best to stop power plant sales: JOHN WILKERSON; CARSON CITY, Nev. - The state's major electric utilities told Nevada legislators Wednesday that planned sales of their power plants, in the works for two years, don't look like such a good deal now.

De Ferran wants more wins: Mike Harris; MONTERREY, Mexico - Winning the CART championship last year only whetted Gil de Ferran's appetite for more.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Friday's races at Santa Anita: 2nd Race -- Lady Di Huntley - Tough filly going good right now, Pincay/ Spawr team, faces another test here. Feng Shui - Baze again on Baffert trainee, draws good outside post for the sprint outing, should be in the mix throughout. Value Play -- Tora Jo

Columnist Joe Delaney: There are plenty of show values to be had: Joe Delaney; The following is for locals and visitors alike, especially those with limited budgets ... There are three shows, all afternoon offerings, that can be seen for the price of a drink, approximately $5, with a coupon ... The oldest, a Las Vegas favorite for more than three decades, is Breck Wall and Patrick Maes' "The Best of Bottoms Up," at the Flamingo Las Vegas, starring Wall with David Harris and Sue Motsinger.

Auto racing schedule, winners and standings: Feb. 18 - Daytona 500, Daytona Beach, Fla. (Michael Waltrip)

Highlights of January win report on Nevada casinos: -STATEWIDE: $897 million, up 3.5 percent.

Earnhardt at a Glance: A look at the late Dale Earnhardt's record at this week's NASCAR venue:

Ex-Test Site workers getting tested for beryllium: For more information about the screening program conducted four times a year in Las Vegas, contact Sandie Medina at (702)636-8777.

'15 Minutes' - Tune in, turn off, walk out: Geoff Carter; Grade: One and a half stars

Elliott relishing role as driver only: Keith Parsons; HAMPTON, Ga. - Gone is the sight of Bill Elliott racing by in his own Ford bearing the familiar golden arches of his big-bucks sponsor.

Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Aged column rekindles sad memories: Ruthe Deskin; In late November of 1963, few people would have given the Las Vegas Sun another lease on life after a devastating fire gutted the building. This week an even brighter Sun moved to spacious new quarters in Green Valley.

Auto racing briefs: Benson hopes for better fate at Atlanta: Although Johnny Benson's team had financial setbacks that forced it to race without sponsorship at times last season, on the track there was only one big bump in the road as he drove to a 13th-place finish in the Winston Cup standings.

Legislator proposes private gaming salons in Nevada: CARSON CITY -- A bill allowing Nevada casinos to have "international gaming salons" to cater to high rollers who don't want to mingle with the masses has been introduced in the Senate.

Rebel women upset by Nevada-Reno: Rebel women upset by Nevada-Reno

Las Vegas news briefs for March 8, 2001: Robert Lee Whitesell, 33, Troy Schnable, 45, and Ernest M. Valezquez, 39, were booked into the Clark County jail on murder, burglary and robbery charges, Lt. Wayne Petersen of Metro Police's homicide unit said.

Legislature may consider bills on governing of halfway houses: Kris Hill; A group of southeast Las Vegas residents who are seeking restrictions on halfway houses surprised county commissioners Wednesday with news that the Legislature may consider a variety of bills on the homes for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts.

Real estate developer rejected by board: David Strow; Luke Brugnara tried to portray himself as the top real estate developer in the United States, a rising star with the connections and funding necessary to give the north end of the Las Vegas Strip a new start.

UNLV's Davis to compete in NCAAs: Davis will run in the 200-meter compeititon. Her declared time of 23.59 ranks her ninth of the 17 athletes competing in the 200. L= SU's Muna Lee boasts the top qualifying time in the field, clocking 23.04= . Davis' personal best in the 200 came at last year's NCAA Outdoor Championsh= ips where she posted a 23.14.

Ethics complaint filed against Boggs McDonald: Diana Sahagun; Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald is facing an ethics complaint for a trip she took last year that was paid for by Station Casinos.

Internet gambling bill introduced: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Saying Nevada should lead the way in the Internet gambling revolution, Assemblywoman Merle Berman introduced a bill Wednesday to allow state gaming regulators to govern interactive gaming.