Print edition for November 28, 2001

County settles case of teens killed on I-15: Kim Smith; Clark County has agreed to pay $3.25 million to the families of the six teenagers who were killed March 19, 2000, as they picked up trash along Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas as part of a county work program.

Residents give county a lesson in local history: Adrienne Packer; Residents who live near Maslow Park in southeast Las Vegas apparently have more institutional knowledge than employees at the Clark County Parks and Recreation Department.

Getting a handle on highway trash: Jeffrey Libby; State highway officials will tell you that the white plastic bags dotting Interstate 15, the gateway into Las Vegas, floated from Republic Services garbage trucks.

Man gets life in slaying of girlfriend: Kim Smith; A former Laughlin man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday in the decade-old slaying of his girlfriend.

Las Vegan on list of 'unpatriotic' Americans: Stacy J. Willis; Wasima Alikhan had just gotten home from her shift at a Las Vegas Wal-Mart when she found out.

Medical board pulls out of south: By Emily Richmond; The state board charged with licensing and disciplining physicians has canceled all of its future meetings in Las Vegas, opting to conduct business in Reno, far from the watch of the bulk of the state's population, sources told the Sun.

Sliding sales revenues may jeopardize county services: Adrienne Packer; Plummeting sales tax revenues combined with the threat of a utility rate hike will likely drain millions from Clark County's general fund, threatening services and future projects.

NAACP loses appeal of suspension: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People suspended the local chapter last month for violating the organization's policies and procedures.

Hotel-casino releasing computer game: The suite of casino games was produced by Interactive Solutions Corp. of Irvine, Calif. The Venetian-branded computer game will include 35 casino games, including blackjack, roulette, craps, slots and video poker.

Public health lab proposed for LV: CARSON CITY -- Under the potential threat of bioterrorism, Las Vegas needs a public health laboratory to quickly analyze suspicious substances, state officials said Tuesday.

House votes for nuclear subsidy: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- The House on Tuesday voted to renew an insurance plan for nuclear power plants that requires taxpayers to pay part of the tab for a costly catastrophic accident.

Shooting-range plan introduced in Congress: The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on the proposal Tuesday. The legislation was introduced by Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., and by Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., in the House.

Guinn criticizes call for electric rate hike: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn says Clark County residents can't afford the record $926 million record electric rate increase that Nevada Power Co. is planning to seek on Friday.

Slot firm moving into LV headquarters: The McCarran Center building will be Aristocrat's consolidated North American headquarters, and will house about 400 of Aristocrat's 600 U.S. employees.

Court overturns order to close Indian casino: Chris Roberts; EL PASO, Texas -- The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday granted the Speaking Rock Casino a stay, overturning a federal judge's order that would have closed gambling operations.

Boy, 16, pleads guilty in gang killing: Kim Smith; A 16-year-old boy arrested in connection with a North Las Vegas gang shooting pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Author of anthrax book barred from gun show: The author of a book containing a recipe for the deadly anthrax bacteria has been barred from a gun collector's show at Cashman Center this weekend.

Obituaries for November 28, 2001: Joseph Berland, 84, of Las Vegas died Friday in a local health care center. He was born March 26, 1917, in Kiev, Russia. A resident for 31 years, he was a retired grocery store manager and a World War II Army Air Corps veteran.

Schools learn tips to averting violence, preparing for disasters: Terry Webster; First came guns and school shootings. Then came terrorist attacks and anthrax, the newest fears relating to school safety.

NW residents long for lasting protections: For some residents of the Las Vegas Valley's northwest, it's been a war of a thousand land-use battles.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- Muschi -- Enriquez atop Garcia trainee, draws good rail post for route opener, should get good ground-saving trip. Two Four Dancer -- Training at Santa Anita, hustling Pedroza on Carava trainee, jockey-trainer team productive pair. Value Play -- Da Hot Affair

Cimarron football coach Maki resigns: Spencer Patterson; Less than a year after replacing Greg Spencer at Cimarron-Memorial, Gary Maki has resigned as the school's head football coach.

Nine states still solid against main settlement: D. Ian Hopper; WASHINGTON -- The states still suing Microsoft for antitrust violations have become more entrenched despite heavy lobbying by Microsoft allies.

Guinn: Utility won't get record rate hike: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn says Clark County residents can't afford the record $926 million record electric rate increase that Nevada Power Co. is planning to seek on Friday.

Political notebook: Forbes raises money for Porter: Forbes attended events Monday night in Reno and a breakfast engagement Tuesday in Las Vegas to pull in at least $40,000 for Porter, a state senator making his second bid for Congress.

Downgrade could kill merger: Standard & Poors lowered its rating of Enron, citing a loss of confidence that the deal will be consummated and that Dynegy's willingness to go through with the buyout has been compromised by continued erosion in investor confidence and Enron's core energy trading business.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Football contestant makes run for the money: Pro football handicapper Tobin Hensgen likens the Las Vegas Hilton's annual "SuperContest" to a 15-round prizefight.

Nevada could set geothermal pace: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Nevada could lead the nation in geothermal power if vast untapped beds of hot rock are explored and developed, a Nevada scientist told a crowd of 200 gathered today for a national summit on renewable energy.

Chiquita in bankruptcy: Company executives had said they expect that the deal with bondholders over the holding company's $950 million debt will shorten Chiquita's time under court-supervised reorganization.

Thursday's horse racing entries: Post Time 12:30 p.m.

Aladdin bankers plan to auction property: David Strow; By the time 2002 comes to an end, the bankrupt Aladdin hotel-casino will likely be put on the sales block.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Can Olympic protesters be trusted?: Dean Juipe; With a mixture of acceptance and muscle, those charged with security for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City have been formulating plans and amassing forces.

News briefs for November 28, 2001: Efrocino Munoz, 31, and Angela Godinez, 38, who were shot several times by a gunman when she opened the door to her apartment on Bruce Street near Karen Avenue Monday, were in critical condition this morning.

County may pay $3.25M in teen deaths on I-15: Kim Smith; Clark County has tentatively agreed to pay $3.25 million to the families of the six teenagers who were killed March 19, 2000, as they picked up trash along Interstate 15 north of Las Vegas as part of a county work program.

UNLV looks to bounce back vs. Huskies: Steve Addy; WHAT: UNLV (2-1) at Washington (3-1)

Stock fraud tied to LV firm: David Strow; A small Las Vegas-based company, named by federal officials as central to an international stock market manipulation ring, is denying wrongdoing.

Columnist Peter Benton: Child Seekers reap benefits of tourney: Peter Benton; Thirty-two four-person teams teed it up last week at the demanding Royal Links Golf Club for the fifth annual "Fairway to the Future" golf tournament.

Las Vegas medical lab operator going public: A company that operates a network of medical laboratories and testing clinics in Las Vegas has filed for an initial public stock offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Apple 'baffled' by proposed $1 billion Microsoft compromise: Paul Owens; BALTIMORE -- Apple Computer Inc. on Tuesday criticized Microsoft Corp.'s plan to settle its consumer class-action suits by donating refurbished computers, hardware and other resources to the nation's poorest schools.

Tuesday's prep results: BOYS BASKETBALL

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Two Florida cities interested in hosting CART races: While talks of bringing a Championship Auto Racing Teams race to Las Vegas have, once again, hit an impasse, at least two Florida cities apparently are clamoring to land a CART event.

VEGAS SPORTS ON TV-RADIO: VEGAS SPORTS ON TV-RADIO

Processed cheese continues to please: Max Jacobson; The fact is, Americans carry on a clandestine love affair with these cheeses, though if pressed, few of us will admit to loving it much less eating it.

Editorial: When term 'zero' means anything but: On Monday the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee took a leap that destroys any idea that the state's involvement in a dental school will be nominal. The Interim Finance Committee voted to make the dental school permanent, taking the $6 million and using it instead to buy three buildings located on 18 acres of land near UNLV, funding that will be applied to the estimated $29.5 million cost to build and equip the dental school.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Good politics to bash power company: IN 1982 Richard Bryan was running for governor when political consultant Don Williams asked him to look at an ad he had crafted.

Southern Nevada cops volunteer for NYC duty: Jace Radke; A group of officers from several Southern Nevada law enforcement agencies want to give some of their New York City counterparts a break from the chaos that resulted from the terrorist attacks.

Final 2001 auto racing winners and points standings: Feb. 18 - Daytona 500, Daytona Beach, Fla. (Michael Waltrip)

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Senators honored at foundation's dinner-dance gala: Elizabeth Foyt; Exchanging friendly conversation in the Mandalay Bay ballroom were Roger and Sandy Peltyn with Congresswoman Shelley Berkley and husband Dr. Larry Lehner, as well as Jack and Nancy Weinstein and last year's honoree Dr. Parvin Modaber Jacobs with husband Dr. Theodore Jacobs. Attending with friends were Judges Michael Cherry and Nancy Saitta with Federal Bankruptcy Judge Linda Riegle, joined by John Curtas, Alexandra Goranson and gala chair Sarah Ralston.

Tougher admission rules criticized: Jennifer Knight; President Bush, who has bragged about being a C student, would have been shut out of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas under new admission standards being proposed.

Residents object to police, library swap: Mathis Winkler; On Alexander Road, just a little west of Martin Luther King Boulevard past the strip mall at the corner, a vacant, 4 1/2-acre lot awaits development.

Inspecting gadgets: High-tech, low-cost items plentiful for holiday shoppers: Kirk Baird; More distant cousins to buy for.

Community briefs for November 28, 2001: The St. Viator's Parent Teacher Organization and Neiman Marcus will host "A Holiday Tea" and fashion presentation 2-4 p.m. Sunday at Anthem Center, 2450 Hampton Road, Henderson.

Letter: Aid workers were fortunate to be set free: They went to provide aid and relief, and were very brave to have gone. They were also irresponsible and arrogant.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: The wrap on prepping for holidays: The pressure is on.

Mystery of recorder's office ghost is finally put to rest: Clark County history had failed to record the name of the man who recorded the first of nearly 10 million official documents during the county's 92 years.

Letter: Honor heroes with a stamp: In our nation's history there have been 17 men (12 Army and 5 Marines) who have received the Medal of Honor twice. If they could be commemorated on U.S. postage stamps, our nation would benefit.

Editorial: Privatizing and prisons are a bad fit: In the wake of the disclosures, Gov. Kenny Guinn advocated that the state operate the prison instead of another private company, an encouraging sign since Republicans typically champion privatization. But on Monday the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee rebuffed the governor, and told Guinn to find another private company to run the prison. Sen. Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said the state's proposal would cost $155 per day per inmate compared with the cost of $113 per day to send the serious delinquents out of state. Raggio misses the point, however, of why privatization won't work well in the administration of prisons. The ...

Letter: Military tribunal only way to go: First of all they would get continuance after continuance. Then the lefties in the U.S. would rally at their side and give them a forum to be heard around the world.