Print edition for May 9, 2001

UNLV faculty honored: The 2001 UNLV Distinguished Teaching Awards were presented to Mark Guadagnoli, associate professor of kinesiology; Deborah Arteaga, associate professor of foreign languages and associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts; Michael Lugering, associate professor of theater; Patricia Steubing, clinical assistant professor of biological sciences; and Doug Orton, assistant professor of management.

Editorial: Gridlock highlights mass transit's worth: The study does remind us, however, of the need for government to continue its advocacy of mass transportation. The Regional Transportation Commission, for its part, has made important strides in establishing an efficient bus system and promoting ride-sharing by commuters.

Triple-digit temperatures could hit LV Valley today: Each May Southern Nevadans sweat out the arrival of the first 100-degree day of the year, then do little but sweat for the next four months.

Vasser, Unser record their fastest Indy laps: Driving the Target G Force/Oldsmobile, Vasser ranked seventh among the 35 drivers on the 2 1/2-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway with his fastest lap in his two days of practice.

State pays settlement in sexual-abuse case: CARSON CITY -- The state will pay $325,000 as part of an out-of-court settlement to a sexually abused child, despite the fact the state was found not to be at blame in the case.

Tears still flow for Adam: Jenna Fryer; It's the little reminders - the smell of broccoli or a pile of clothes in the middle of a room - that trigger tears in Kyle Petty.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: LV Boys & Girls Clubs celebrate anniversary: Elizabeth Foyt; James Cashman Jr. and Jackie Gaughan Sr. were honored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas Foundation during its recent 40th anniversary celebration and fund-raising event.

Service with a smile? There's more to customer service than kindness: Kirk Baird; The motto, that the customer is always right, wasn't just a nifty slogan, but standard practice if businesses wanted to stay around.

Councilman nixes deal to sell parcel: Jeffrey Libby; A one-third-acre parcel remained in city hands Tuesday after Boulder City Councilman Bryan Nix abandoned an agreement and offered to convey the land to a developer at no charge.

Tourists' weapons approved: Assembly panel OKs carry permits for visitors: Siobhan McDonough; CARSON CITY -- An Assembly panel voted Tuesday to let tourists carry concealed weapons in Nevada -- as many as they want.

2001 spring prep playoff schedules, results: BASEBALL

Speedway Motorsports shares drop on shortfall: CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Shares of Speedway Motorsports Inc. skidded Tuesday and today after the company's first-quarter core earnings failed to impress Wall Street.

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

WVa. governor signs bill legalizing video poker: Randy Coleman; CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Bob Wise's tenacious, 14-month campaign to regulate the video poker industry ended quietly as he signed the bill into law with a borrowed pen on the corner of a staff member's desk.

Letter: Health district officials going overboard again: The Clark County Health District has spent money on a TV ad to promote a "Tobacco Free Nevada."

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Debacle with Wards takes another turn: At long last, a response from Monogram Credit Card Bank of Georgia concerning Wards charging me for merchandise not received.

Penske happy with Brazilian combo: Dick Brinster; Roger Penske figured the key to resurrecting CART's greatest team would be selecting the right drivers. In Gil de Ferran and Helio Castroneves, he appears to have found them.

Robinson-Spoonhour tourney next month: A 7:30 a.m. shotgun start will follow a continental breakfast and the tournament will feature an awards luncheon after the 18-hole round played in a scramble format. Individual entry fees are $300 and the entry deadline is June 1. Call 895-UNLV for more information.

Court briefs for May 9, 2001: A Las Vegas woman who was sexually assaulted by a Marine is suing a local TV station.

Beltre could give the 51s' lineup much-needed jolt: Steve Guiremand; After scoring just one run in their last 23 innings, the Las Vegas 51s can definitely use a little offensive help in their lineup.

Politics interrupts routine approval of SC lottery: Jim Davenport; COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Routine final approval of lottery legislation in the House wasn't routine at all Tuesday.

Sam Schmidt now races from a wheelchair: Paul Newberry; Sam Schmidt used to sit behind the wheel of an Indy car, turning laps at more than 200 mph. These days, he scoots around the paddock in a wheelchair, barely keeping up with those who can still walk.

Casino's earnings improve: The casino's holding company reported cash flow of $6.7 million, up 5.5 percent from the year-ago period, and net revenues of $32.6 million, a 4.3 percent increase.

Harrah's to help build senior housing project: CARSON CITY -- Harrah's Entertainment Inc. has agreed to finance construction of a recreation center at a proposed senior citizen assisted-living project, Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley said Tuesday.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Democrats' reapportionment plan pure politics: CARSON CITY -- Scenes from a Legislature, as the battle lines are drawn (literally), the Henderson taxman cometh (literally) and death doesn't take a holiday (figuratively):

Maurer, former city attorney, dies: Kris Hill; At 6-foot-9 Richard Maurer was hard to miss when he walked through North Las Vegas City Hall during the 10 years he served as city attorney.

Rebels' Palepoi on Lombardi Watch List: The Lombardi Award goes to the down lineman or defender who lines up within five yards of the football who is judged as the best in college football. Tennessee defensive tackle John Henderson is the preseason favorite for the honor.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- Bemsha's Swing - Solis scales Baltas trainee, draws good post for 7-panel opener, good spot for action. La Luz Del Sol - Hustling apprentice Rodriguez on Moreno trainee, competitive at this Cal-bred level, La Luz Del winner? Value Play -- Continental Road

Editorial: Don't relax our dental standards: Getting more dentists in Southern Nevada should be a priority, but allowing dentists to practice here without first meeting Nevada's tough licensing requirements would be a mistake. The legislation also contains a worrisome provision that would allow experienced dental hygienists a temporary license without taking an exam. As anyone who has spent a considerable amount of time in a dentist's chair knows, dental hygienists play a critically important role in this care, so it doesn't make much sense to give them a provisionary license, too.

Attorney: Blood spot links suspect to Macayo robbery: Kim Smith; Chief Deputy District Attorney David Wall told jurors Tuesday that a small spot of blood proves Markus Weatherspoon was involved in a robbery last summer that left a Metro Police officer sightless in one eye.

Mall owner buying back stock: The Toronto-based company said the buyback is an attempt to close the gap between its share price and the value of its real estate holdings.

Letter: Missile system inviting trouble: First, his multilayered system could cost taxpayers between $120 billion and $240 billion over the next 20 years. This is too expensive.

'Total Rewards' credit card announced: The credit cards will be marketed to the 23 million members of Harrah's Total Rewards database. Charges on the cards accumulate Total Rewards points, which can then be redeemed for cash and comps at Harrah's properties across the country. The first MBNA Total Rewards credit cards should be issued sometime this month.

Area hospitals take pride in cafeteria fare: Max Jacobson; The quality and variety do vary, though, so what follows is a brief snapshot of what to expect in four local hospital cafeterias.

Community briefs for May 9, 2001: The Nevada Association of the Handicapped, a nonprofit organization seving the disabled community in Southern Nevada, is accepting potential playhouse builders for its seventh annual "Playhouse 2001 Goes Under the Sea" dinner and auction Oct. 13 at the Mirage.

Judge rules subpoena over warrant: Kim Smith; A legal victory was won Tuesday by local defense attorneys who had worried that the right of defendants to have priviledged conversations with their attorneys was in danger.

Boyd property honored for promoting country music: "This is the first time in the history of the ACM's Casino of the Year award that a casino located outside of Las Vegas has captured this prestigious honor. Our River Palace Entertainment Center at Sam's Town Tunica has hosted some of the biggest names in the country music field -- all to packed houses -- and we plan to continue our tradition of showcasing top country music talent," said Chairman and Chief Executive William Boyd.

Bill to draw racing teams OK'd: CARSON CITY -- A potential tax break that could save a professional auto racing team from $200,000 to $400,000 a year on engines and chassis purchases was unanimously approved by the Senate Taxation Committee Tuesday.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Mariners, Twins hit hard in baseball future books: As their lead in the AL West grows larger, the odds on the Mariners to win the World Series grow smaller.

Obituaries for May 9, 2001: Rick Alexander, 46, of Logandale and Overton, died Thursday in Santa Monica, Calif. He was born Nov. 18, 1954, in Hamilton, Ohio. A former Las Vegas resident for many years, he had a love for animals and rodeos, enjoyed hunting and fishing and loved to help children with their livestock at the fair. He was involved in 4-H, later in Future Farmers of America and was a member of the Dixie College Rodeo Team and the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors.

Letter: Find a way to keep shelter open: I wonder what these homeless people are going to do now. MASH Village might not be a perfect shelter, but it has given much hope to many needy people. I really admire the Rev. Joe Carroll for assisting the homeless of this city.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Pay-for-play may someday be a reality: Dean Juipe; From Dennis Tito's perspective, it was money well spent.

Students help to outfit welfare recipients as they look for jobs: A group of 130 students, using a Service Learning grant, created Project First Impression. The program encourages employees to donate used shirts, slacks, ties, skirts, dresses, blouses and shoes to be given to people in the welfare work program.

Camp can be positive experience for abused youth: But the program director needs help to send the kids she works with to camp this summer.

With so much on their plates, lawmakers debate tags: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- The Legislature has just 27 days to redraw all political boundaries, slice $121 million from the governor's budget and decide what to do about the state's tax structure.

Cheney urged to heed waste options: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said he and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., urged Vice President Dick Cheney during a Tuesday meeting to consider "myriad options" to burying the nation's nuclear waste in Nevada.

LV cop brings manhunt to end: Former Baptist principal arrested; 11-year-old girl is found: Keith Paul and Jace Radke; Metro Police Officer Mark Ruesch spotted a white Dodge Durango making a quick turn at an apartment complex Tuesday. Then he spotted the Indiana license plate, and it all clicked.

Homeless shelter meets deadline for council action: Diana Sahagun; The Las Vegas City Council will discuss a new contract for MASH Village next week, but there has been no agreement reached on whether the homeless shelter will remain open under the Rev. Joe Carroll's direction.

Internet future described as bright at LV conference: Kevin Ferguson; The days when you can flip off your home coffee maker while sitting in your office across town using your computer's Internet web browser are coming -- just maybe a little later than sooner due to the slowdown in the technology industry.

Columnist Victoria Sun: Thanks, Tiger! Junior golf booming in popularity here: Victoria Sun; Over the last five years, Jane Schlosser estimates the number of juniors who belong to the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association has grown from 350 to over 600.

Cooled off: Neighbors' persistent battle against adult store reinforced by court ruling: Diana Sahagun; Residents of a West Charleston neighborhood for years complained of pornographic literature blowing into their back yards and lining the gutters along the path their children took to school.

Strip casino win was strong in March: Cy Ryan and David Strow; Strong business in Las Vegas Strip casinos pushed Nevada's gaming win to $858 million in March, the third highest revenue month in history.

Green Valley claims title: Spencer Patterson; There wasn't supposed to be any drama at Tuesday's 4A Sunrise Region Boys Golf Tournament, but heavily favored Green Valley found a way to make things interesting right down to the final shot.

PCL Box: Tuscon-Las Vegas: DP--Las Vegas 1. LOB--Tucson 5, Las Vegas 5. 2B--Cummings, Gilbert. HR--Cust (8). SB--Prieto. CS--Spivey, Ryan.

News briefs for May 9, 2001: A man in an Arizona jail is awaiting extradition to Las Vegas in the April slaying of a 57-year-old man in the Laughlin area, Metro Police said.

Las Vegas service beefed up: The Tempe, Ariz.-based airline announced Tuesday that it would add a sixth daily flight between Las Vegas and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport beginning July 1. The new flight will leave Las Vegas at 2:30 p.m., with the return flight, beginning July 2, leaving New York at 10:30 a.m.

PT's Pub chain sold: A small Las Vegas gaming company is acquiring the 23-unit PT's Pub chain of video poker bars from a partnership that included a Canadian company.

Anti-gambling forces rally against N. Carolina lottery: Gary D. Robertson; RALEIGH, N.C. -- Both sides gained footing Tuesday in the lottery referendum battle, with anti-gambling forces rallying at the Legislature and the top teachers' group endorsing Gov. Mike Easley's lottery plan.

Boyfriend of slain woman sought: A Las Vegas woman said she met the California couple Monday in the downtown area and offered them a place to stay in her apartment in the 6000 block of West Washington Avenue, said Lt. Wayne Petersen of Metro's homicide unit.

Democrats submit redistricting plans: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- The reapportionment game began in earnest Tuesday after Las Vegas-area Democrats unveiled a plan immediately derided for gutting both Northern Nevada and Republican interests.

Hughes parent company earnings up: Officials with the Rouse Co., Columbia, Md., reported earnings of $70.5 million, 93 cents a share, on revenue of $138.4 million, compared with earnings of $63.1 million, 82 cents a share, on revenue of $132.1 million for the same quarter a year earlier.

Hispanics praise Democratic plan: By Timothy Pratt; Members of the state's Hispanic community welcome the Democratic party's plan for reapportionment, although most leaders are pragmatic when addressing its political ramifications.

Excerpts of letters written by Margaret Rudin: The letters were written to defense investigator Tom Dillard or Amador in April.

Assembly to study regional board for air quality: By Timothy Pratt; The creation of a regional air quality board that would change the way Clark County deals with pollution is scheduled to be discussed by the Assembly this week.

Fired attorney still working for Rudin: Kim Smith; Margaret Rudin may have fired Michael Amador, but that didn't stop him from filing a motion for a new trial Tuesday.

Complaints continue against Murphy team: Another key prosecution witness in the Ted Binion murder case has reported being harassed by Sandy Murphy's defense team.

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

Regents baffled by plan to redraw boundaires: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Regent Linda Howard didn't know where to begin with her criticism of a Democrat plan to redraw political boundaries for the state's main education boards.

LV man to face manslaughter charges in hit-and-run case: Kim Smith; After almost eight hours of testimony from more than 30 witnesses, a Clark County grand jury Tuesday indicted a Las Vegas man in connection with a hit-and-run accident that left three people dead.

Indy 500 speeds: 1. (28T) Mark Dismore, Dallara-Oldsmobile, 224.823.

Sergeant may be fired over probe of officer misconduct: Keith Paul; Sheriff Jerry Keller started the process Tuesday of firing a sergeant accused of covering up for an officer during an internal investigation of a misconduct complaint.

Area's fiscal outlook darkens: County officials frustrated by budget shortfalls: Adrienne Packer; As politics and personal interests swirl around three legislative proposals that would transfer Clark County revenues to the state, county administrators said Tuesday that Southern Nevada could be facing a recession.

Stock soars on takeover talk: The announcement followed a phenomenal week during which shares of the St. Louis-based animal feed producer more than doubled in heavy trading.