Print edition for May 30, 2001

'United front' rejects nuke bills: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Legislature will end this session in strong opposition to a nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain.

Ex-DOE official says mothball Yucca dump: The principal author of the policy that identified Yucca Mountain as a potential site for a high-level nuclear waste repository now says the project plans should be scrapped.

Columnist Victoria Sun: Las Vegas tour stop would give Martin a 'serious' look: Victoria Sun; Charlie Baron had nothing but positive things to say about golfer Casey Martin.

Reapportionment debate goes down to wire: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Fewer than six days remain for legislators to resolve numerous issues, including the political game of reapportionment that could hold all other measures hostage.

Strip posts strong Memorial Day visitor numbers: Lisa Snedeker; While a record number of visitors descended on the Las Vegas Strip over Memorial Day weekend, growth in the number of tourists flocking to the glittering megaresorts has slowed down, industry experts say.

Laughlin Inc.: Some want their town to become a city: Clark County could be home to a new city within a couple of years.

Residents weigh pros, cons of gaining own government: Erica Johnson; City status There are two ways to become a city in Nevada. State statutes provide for a multi-step, years-long process.

Columnist Dean Juipe: UNLV takes a needlessly slow approach: Dean Juipe; Leave it to UNLV to delay the inevitable.

Columnist Peter Benton: South team wins women's showdown: Peter Benton; After nine years of competition between the Women's Southern Nevada Golf Association and its Northern Nevada counterpart, the Southern team last week for the first time won the Silver Cup from its opponents.

Clarification: The Sun corrects its errors. If you find a mistake, call 385-3111 to report it.

Boys look forward to camp: The family saves to have enough money to get through the summer, but there just isn't enough for luxuries such as camp.

Container gardening can be an appetizing hobby: Max Jacobson; Travis Owen, a salesperson at Star Nursery, and Joanne Hart of Plant World, are two local experts on the subject. Both outlined several steps for successful container gardening at home.

Matrimonial mishaps: Experts recount weddings gone awry: But have you inquired about the sprinklers, if any unusually high gusts of wind are expected and whether the skunks have been de-scented?

Longtime casino executive, motorcyclist Blair dies at 51: Bruce Blair once aspired to joining the Hell's Angels motorcycle club, but he saw the pitfalls of such an outlaw life.

Editorial: In pursuit of energy freedom: In many other ways, Nevada is taking a reasonable approach to addressing the state's long-term energy needs. One easy solution would have been to just relax environmental standards, making it easier to build more fossil-fuel power plants -- but the obvious downside is that these are pollution-emitting plants. In Nevada, there is legislation pending that would allow local and state agencies to act at the same time on permits necessary for either power plants or transmission lines. The net effect would be to shorten the time period in which a permit could be obtained, but it sensibly would not weaken ...

Obituaries for May 30, 2001: Evelyn A. Allison, 73, of Las Vegas died Sunday in Las Vegas. She was born Oct. 1, 1927, in Belmont Shores, Calif. A resident for 27 years, she was a hotel waitress.

Official accused in theft: Cheryl Taylor Higgins, 33, of Baton Rouge, has been an OMV supervisor with the license reinstatement section for 15 years, State Police spokesman Lt. Mike Edmonson said.

Gambling regulator resigns: Junior Finance Minister Errol Ennis "indicated his resignation was intended to admit an error of judgment," said Prime Minister P.J. Patterson's office in a written statement.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Delays mar vacation planning: When the friendly skies became deregulated consumers lost what little edge they had. Yes, air travel was more expensive unless trip planning was done in advance and there weren't as many flights, but there was civility and service from the cabin crew, and honesty from the check-in desk.

Rhodes still raising money for election: Diana Sahagun; North Las Vegas Councilman John Rhodes has continued to campaign hard and raise funds after learning in April that he must face an opponent in the general election.

Air Force pilots busy with exam: Kris Hill; This won't be a typical final exam because there won't be pencils and test booklets.

Killing at wake a gang shooting: Keith Paul; A drive-by shooting that killed a woman Friday and injured four others, including an 8-year-old girl, was likely done by gang members, North Las Vegas Police said.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Surreal politics at Legislature as end nears: CARSON CITY -- Imagine a world where death is only temporary, where rules are meant to be broken (or at least suspended) and where almost nothing is as it seems.

Letter: Government is much better at providing power: I'm sure our power problems have nothing to do with Reliant Energy, Duke Energy, Southern Energy and Dynegy cornering the energy market in California. Last month the Sun ran a story from the San Francisco Chronicle in which critics said the above companies bought up enough plants to essentially hold California's electricity hostage for the highest price. It also has been reported that these companies have been shutting down their plants for maintenance at a much higher rate than in the past. This exacerbates shortages and allows the power companies to jack up the price of electricity.

Council members have funds for future elections: Diana Sahagun; With the polls closed and their respective victories secured, the three Las Vegas City Council incumbents elected during the April primary were in no hurry to close the campaign coffers.

Immunization schedule for May 30, 2001: NORTH LAS VEGAS PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER: 1820 E. Lake Mead Blvd., Suite F, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Letter: Radical right suffers a blow: But what did he do? He immediately began to ram his personal agenda, rather than the people's, through Congress. His motto was "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead." His primary spokesman for his plan was Vice President Dick Cheney. Bush surrounded himself with a collage of his father's administration, but if any of his Cabinet made a misstep, one of the White House hit men would straighten out the culprit.

LV gambling company sues website operator: The slot route operator and gaming device maker, which manages more than 8,800 gaming machines in non-casino venues, accused David Highfield in the U.S. District Court lawsuit of creating the impression that Alliance is engaging in illegal activities when he linked the domain name to his three gaming websites, cascadesportsbook.com, royalislandcasino.com and turbocasino.com.

MASH tries to keep crisis center open: Hannah Johnston, a spokeswoman for MASH Village, said the center won't necessarily shut down June 30, as was previously stated. The shelter is determining how much money needs to be raised to operate the center, and a closure date will be set once exact amounts are determined, she said.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Fund-raiser at Mandalay Bay a success: Elizabeth Foyt; In its 17th year, the event was held in conjunction with the Andrea Bocelli concert at Mandalay Bay Events Center. Guests were included in splendid pre- and post-concert receptions, enjoyed fine seats for the magnificent concert and had the opportunity to bid on a luxurious trove of silent-auction packages.

Letter: Nevadans should applaud Jeffords: The Bush people and the congressional Republicans have been giving us "in your face" politics now since Jan. 20. Bush did not win the popular vote and certainly did not win an electoral landslide, yet he has been acting like a man who won a mandate.

REVIEW: Moulin Rouge: Baz Luhrmann's French Kiss: Geoff Carter; Starring: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent and Richard Roxburgh.

Community briefs for May 30, 2001: An informational program about the proposed disposal of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain will begin 7:30 p.m. Monday at Congregation Ner Tamid, 2761 Emerson Ave.

PCL Box: Las Vegas-Fresno: E--Minor. DP--Las Vegas 1. LOB--Las Vegas 6, Fresno 3. 2B--Branson, Gilbert 2, Zuniga, Torrealba. HR--Melo (4), Minor (9), Zuniga (7). S--Branson, Ainsworth. SF--Hiatt. CS--Gilbert.

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

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- Brown's Champion -- Bug boy Rodriguez returns on Lewis trainee, well spotted to win right back, opening stand Champion should be Brown. Willy The Pooh -- Draws good post for sprint opener, Rollins atop Sticka trainee, don't Pooh Willy's chance here. Value Play -- Brite Nite

Newest Indiana casino failing to meet minority business goals: INDIANAPOLIS -- Casino regulators are growing impatient with operators of the state's newest riverboat casino for failing to meet statutory goals in contracting with vendors owned by minorities.

Status of $8.7 million Aladdin payment unknown: The $8.7 million payment came due Tuesday, but Aladdin spokesman Fred Lewis said the equity owners -- the Sommer Trust and London Clubs International -- have a 48-hour grace period in which to make the payment. Lewis said Tuesday afternoon he was unaware if any payment had been made yet.

Governor signs bill helping commission: The athletic commission sought the authority after criminal indictments were issued in New Jersey against persons associated with the International Boxing Federation.

Guinn signs 48 bills: CARSON CITY -- Nevada has a new marching song, and the state will honor a female Indian leader in the U.S. Capitol.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Line shopping helps baseball bettors cut edge: So why would a self-respecting baseball bettor give any action to a house that uses a 15- or 20-cent straddle instead of the (usually) more advantageous dime line?

Compromise reached in battle between Las Vegas hospitals: CARSON CITY -- The Legislature has reached a compromise in the battle involving three hospitals in Clark County in regard to an extra $3.2 million a year in federal aid to help pay for indigent patients.

Rebels to open against Badgers: Steve Addy; The Rebels' first schedule under new basketball coach Charlie Spoonhour is a little unusual.

GM bids for automaker: A sale of Daewoo to foreign investors is seen as a test of the government's will to carry out economic reforms needed to lure foreign investment.

Passing of initiative would provide funds for libraries: Jeffrey Libby; On most days, when story time for children is offered, the staff at James I. Gibson Library in Henderson turns away twice as many parents as those who signed up.

Reid-Ensign land bill could be blockbuster: Thousands of acres in Clark County may serve as the stage for what could be a blockbuster of a land-use bill produced by Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, congressional staffers say.

News briefs for May 30, 2001: Police are looking for a man in connection with the killing of a 20-year-old Henderson resident found shot in the head at his apartment Saturday.

Gaughan sees Kansas track as home away from home: When the Las Vegas Motor Speedway opened in the fall of 1996, NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver Mark Martin was among the first drivers to test at the brand-new facility.

51s shut down by ex-teammate: Just ask Fresno reliever Todd Rizzo.

Southwest expanding to Norfolk, Va.: Dallas-based Southwest, the busiest carrier at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas with 163 daily flights, said it would announce its schedule from Norfolk later this summer and will begin service in October. The airline also said it plans to enter the Richmond, Va., market in the future.

Icahn to outline plan for National Airlines: A representative of financier Carl Icahn is expected to attend a hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Las Vegas Thursday to outline a proposal in which Icahn would gain a stake in Las Vegas-based National Airlines.

Public safety tax gets second chance at polls: Jeffrey Libby; Henderson's nationally recognized public parks would likely be the first city services to incur significant funding cuts if voters reject a multimillion-dollar public safety tax initiative, Councilman Steve Kirk said Tuesday.

DA won't seek immunity for ex-prison informant: District Attorney Stewart Bell said Tuesday he won't seek immunity for a former jailhouse informant who once claimed to have knowledge of misconduct by prosecutors in the Ted Binion murder case.

AT&T investors swap 372.6 million shares for wireless stock: Bruce Meyerson; NEW YORK -- AT&T Corp. investors are trading in a combined 372.6 million shares of their stock in exchange for shares in the company's wireless business, which is slated to be spun off as an independent concern this summer.

Woman killed, 4 injured in Henderson auto wreck: Jace Radke; A woman was killed and four people were seriously injured when a car was rear-ended and struck a light pole late Tuesday night in Henderson.

2001-02 schedule: Nov. 13 x-L.A. STARS (Tues.)

Wider loss predicted for LV tech company: Getz issued a report this morning that lowered revenue projections for PurchasePro from $24.6 million to $24 million for the second quarter. Getz also reduced his earnings forecast from a loss of 12 cents per share to 15 cents per share.

Berkley bill would divert Yucca funds: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., plans to introduce a bill next week that would divert all spending on the proposed Yucca Mountain project to alternative waste-management technologies.

Nuke panel finds errors in DOE plan: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has identified numerous errors in the Department of Energy's plan for how a high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain would perform over thousands of years.

Nevada Power president named: Ruelle will replace Steve Rigazio, who is retiring June 1 because of health reasons. He will continue to serve as Sierra Pacific's financial chief until a replacement is named, the company announced Tuesday.

Miller: Verdict is a victory: Kim Smith; Despite losing a 10-year court battle with former Las Vegas mayor Jan Laverty Jones Tuesday, Steve Miller said he has no regrets over his libel suit.

Energy bill emerges as Repower Nevada plan: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- What was once an omnibus energy package complete with consumer assistance, renewable issues and an increasing Public Utilities Commission has been stripped down to just one issue.

Dental bill gains approval: CARSON CITY -- After numerous attempts Sen. Ray Shaffer, D-North Las Vegas, has succeeded in helping to pass a bill that opens the door for out-of-state dentists who want to relocate in Nevada.

Merger talks called off: In a statement, both companies said that the negotiations in Paris had failed, but didn't disclose why they ended the talks.

Murphy can't stop sale of Binion home: District Judge Michael Cherry today refused to block the sale of Ted Binion's $1.5 million home.

Board dismisses five complaints: Keith Paul; The Citizen Review Board last week dismissed five complaints against Metro Police officers, noting sufficient merit did not exist to warrant a full hearing panel review.

Bellagio, Mirage poker rooms going smokeless: David Strow; Perhaps few things are more associated with poker than the hazy, smoke-filled card room.