Print edition for October 16, 2001

City officials went with operator's 'local flavor': Diana Sahagun; Members of the Las Vegas City Council were silent earlier this month when they chose to begin negotiating with local golf course operator Billy Walters over an operator from Irving, Texas. Now they are explaining their votes.

Winston Cup results: 1. (6) Ricky Craven, Ford, 500 laps, 75.475 mph, $130,475.

Convention center opening pushed to January 2003: The company said last month that it would delay opening the 1.8 million-square-foot center following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that have hurt the city's tourism and convention industry.

Medicine meant for nursing homes diverted: By Emily Richmond; Unscrupulous distributors are diverting discounted drugs intended for nursing homes to secondary wholesalers, who in turn resell the inventory at a steep profit, according to the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy.

United changing schedule, to drop nine Vegas flights: United Airlines, which is discontinuing its high-frequency Shuttle by United brand this month, will drop nine more Las Vegas flights as part of a national schedule change that takes effect at the end of the month.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Wednesday's races at Santa Anita: 1st Race -- Clef Note -- Draws good box for sprint opener, Solis atop McAnally trainee, Clef trades Note for diploma here. Tinsbucktu -- Hustling Espinoza on Harrington trainee, needs prompt start and clean trip from rail post, adds blinkers for this. Value Play -- Penteliano

Production off in September: The last time there was a string of 12 consecutive declines in industrial output was from November 1944 through October 1945.

Two UNLV players match par in Pate: Corbett (70-72--142) began the day hot and stood among the tourney's leaders after the first 18 at one-under par. He gave the stroke back in the nightcap, however, and was tied for 18th overall. Moore (74-68--142) rebounded from a three-over round in the opener with a 68 in the second round, the Rebels' low score of the season.

Fire raises safety question: Jace Radke and Mary Manning; A solid white crystal, ammonium perchlorate has the following properties:

Walters out to prove merit of plan for NW golf course: Diana Sahagun; Billy Walters, who recently was awarded negotiation rights to operate a golf course in the northwest, is challenging city staff reports that indicate his proposal is inferior to a plan submitted by a Texas company.

Business briefs for October 16, 2001: The Las Vegas home building industry ranked second in the nation in a recent customer satisfaction survey conducted by J.D. Power and Associates.

Pinnacle wins La. riverboat license: BATON ROUGE, La. -- Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. of Glendale, Calif., won Louisiana's 15th and final riverboat gambling license today after offering to build a $220 million casino resort in Lake Charles.

Wednesday's horse racing entries: OAK TREE MEETING

Lawmakers take anthrax threat in stride: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- The scene might have seemed surreal in the days before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and recent anthrax scares: a grim Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle announcing Monday that someone apparently mailed him the bacteria.

Odds against gamblers in marker dispute: David Kravets; SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal appeals court Monday appeared ready to deal down-on-their-luck Nevada gamblers another bad hand.

2001 State Tennis Tournament schedules: At UNLV Fertitta Tennis Complex

More air guard members activated: CARSON CITY -- Nearly 50 airmen and noncommissioned officers of the Nevada Air National Guard were called to active duty today and are awaiting assignment.

Cell phone operators to share network in Nevada: The companies said the joint venture, in which they would have equal control, would cover an area populated by some 55 million people and would cut costs by "hundreds of millions of dollars."

Pieffer masters the art of dyeing: Steve Guiremand; It isn't hard to spot UNLV placekicker Dillon Pieffer on the sidelines these days.

Fire raises safety questions: Jace Radke, Keith Paul and Mary Manning; The spark leaped to raw materials, setting them ablaze, firefighters said today.

Stratosphere thrill-ride fight goes to council: Diana Sahagun; Residents living in the shadow of the Stratosphere will learn this week whether they will be neighbors to a giant thrill ride near their homes.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Not all will save money with 'one-engine' rule: NASCAR's decision to adopt a "one-engine" rule in the Winston Cup Series beginning next season won't necessarily mean teams will save money, according to a pair of team owners.

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

Authorities urge calm in Nevada: Jeff German and Mary Manning; Authorities are moving to quell public hysteria over the latest round of anthrax scares in Nevada and around the country.

Ex PurchasePro CEO sued over $2.77 million loan: Verizon Yellow Pages Co. has sued Las Vegas technology company PurchasePro, alleging it failed to pay more than $1 million in business directory advertising fees. PurchasePro declined comment.

Stardust hit hard by slowdown: David Strow; Boyd Gaming Corp. gave the first post-Sept. 11 financial snapshot of a Las Vegas Strip property Monday -- and the picture wasn't good.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Afternoon delight at UNLV: Thanks to UNLV, 4 o'clock no longer is the least appreciated of the 12 hours.

Mathis shows postponed: Hotel spokesman Cullen West said Mathis had to delay his concert due to health reasons.

Work on safety in schools honored: At a special event Friday, Z-Squared (Zero-Weapons/Zero Violence), a program aimed at reducing violence and weapons in schools, honored local organizations and public departments that work to make school safer.

Making free time: Women's society embraces nonconformity: Kimberley McGee; But within those bonds of society's labels, she was herself: a woman who enjoyed life beyond the constraints of all the hats she wears daily at work and home.

Aladdin beating expectations: David Strow; The Aladdin hotel-casino is running ahead of financial expectations in the early days of its bankruptcy, attorneys for the Strip resort said Monday.

Suit: Firm used terror as pretext to cancel: MGM sued to recover $274,000 in cancellation fees from Xelus Corp. of Fairport, N.Y., in Clark County District Court.

Casino boats sail through loophole in S. Carolina law: Bruce Smith; BUCKSPORT, S.C. -- The Queen Mary II, with its red and black smokestacks, floats perfectly still in a backwater of the Waccamaw River. Yet this gambling boat is moving South Carolina into uncharted waters.

225 jobs cut at Strip resort: Two hundred twenty-five jobs were cut, including layoffs in a variety of areas and the permanent elimination of 45 management positions. Caesars had 4,900 employees.

Editorial: Picking up tab for Hoover Dam patrols: Local and state police from Nevada and Arizona have been helping the Bureau of Reclamation, a federal agency that oversees the dam, provide additional security. But state and local governments don't have a limitless supply of money and manpower to indefinitely patrol the entrances to Hoover Dam. So Govs. Kenny Guinn of Nevada and Jane Hull of Arizona, who say their law enforcement resources are stretched pretty thin, are asking the federal government to compensate the states for providing this extra help.

Air show to benefit laid-off workers: Angela Soo; Profits from the second annual Las Vegas Air Show this weekend will benefit thousands of workers laid off in the wake of the terrorist attacks, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said Monday.

Court is urged to revive indictment against Walters: Deputy Attorney General David Thompson told the court that District Judge Mark Gibbons made seven legal errors when he dismissed the grand jury indictment against Walters and associates Daniel Pray and James Hanley.

Letter: State board getting tough with therapists: Specifically, the board wants us to report all activities and places of residence since the age of 18. How does this information reflect my ability to practice? The board also wants a written statement citing our reasons every single time we change employment -- whether we are in the patient care field or manufacturing widgets. This not only violates my privacy rights, but again has nothing to do with my qualifications and skills as a respiratory therapist.

Immunization schedule for October 16, 2001: HENDERSON PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER: 129 W. Lake Mead Drive, Building A, Suite 10, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Columnist Kate Maddox: Puck scores again with Spago: Kate Maddox; For his part, a slimmed-down Puck spoke about how difficult it was to get the Las Vegas Spago off the ground in 1992, when the first customers at his chi-chi eatery were a bunch of cowboys in town for National Finals Rodeo. But after three weeks of his nail-biting and excessive drinking (his words, not mine), Spago became, well, Spago. And after all the fawning and praising, in true Spago star-service fashion, the celebs were treated to a special lunch, in a special booth, with special lighting and special champagne.

State loses appeal over Yucca water: Mary Manning and Cy Ryan; A federal appeals court on Monday ruled that a fight over water rights related to the construction of a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain will be heard in federal court.

Community briefs for October 16, 2001: The American Heart Association will host the American Heart Walk at 8 a.m. Saturday at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: A man before his time: Next month, closer to home, a book published by the University of Nevada will be in local bookstores. "A Liberal Conscience" is the oral history of Boulder City's Ralph Denton as told to historian Michael S. Green. The combination of Denton and Green makes good reading. This book, along with the oral history books of the late Gov. Grant Sawyer and Sen. Alan Bible, also published by the university, should be required reading for state history students.

News briefs for October 16, 2001: A former assistant principal sued the Clark County School District Monday, claiming violation of due process and discrimination based on race.

Stormin' Norman praises president: Daniela Mohor; Retired Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf on Monday praised President Bush for his leadership in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Columnist Susan Snyder: This 'spam' is hard to digest: I almost miss the human contact of telemarketer calls.

Longtime LV hotel public relations director Bray dies: In the hours following the 1980 MGM Grand fire that killed 87 and injured hundreds, resort officials were -- not unexpectedly -- standoffish with the local, national and international media covering the tragedy.

Obituaries for October 16, 2001: Wade Leon Albertson, 39, of Las Vegas and Pahrump died Sunday in Las Vegas. A resident for 19 years, he was an assembler of modular housing and a Marine Corps veteran.

Editorial: Tracking hazardous materials: Information required by the permit is vital for emergency workers who must fight fires or corral spills involving hazardous materials. A firefighter's life can be placed in greater jeopardy than it already is if he also doesn't know that the business contains hazardous materials.

State rules waived to help children of laid-off workers: CARSON CITY -- A special committee has allocated $200,000 to help cover medical costs for the children of workers laid off in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

Letter: Split Congress no help to people: Oh, the promises we heard in those days immediately following the attacks. The government would assist the American people in whatever ways possible and quickly.

Higher UNLV entrance grades criticized: Jennifer Knight; A proposal to raise university admission standards in Nevada is drawing fire from minority communities, which say it will prevent Hispanics and blacks from obtaining a post-secondary education.

HELP plans holiday food drive: Through its Thanksgiving food basket drive, HELP will collect food from the community and redistribute it in baskets containing all of the items needed for a Thanksgiving dinner.

Letter: Casinos should aid workers first: I am new to this area but I am in complete agreement with everything she wrote. Either way the casinos would be able to write it off.