Print edition for September 6, 2001

Workers face rising health insurance costs: Theresa Agovino; NEW YORK -- Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance plans have risen 11 percent this year -- the biggest jump since 1992 -- pushing companies to consider requiring workers to pay more out of their own pockets while reversing a growing trend of more companies offering coverage.

Work cards no longer required for maids: Diana Sahagun; Who's carded Work cards in the city of Las Vegas are still required for the following job categories:

MGM MIRAGE disputes union claims: Security workers at the Detroit casino voted 60-35 to dismiss the Michigan Association of Police last week, six months into a four-year contract. The move prompted Joel Felt, a labor relations specialist for the union, to tell the Detroit News that the workers now "have no union, no contract, no grievance procedures and no seniority rights."

Settlement made in suit: Ray Gamble, 63, who worked in the public works department since 1977, filed a federal lawsuit in 1997. A trial date had been set for Oct. 15.

Resident settles house conflict: Mathis Winkler; A North Las Vegas homeowner will pay the city $35,000 because he didn't stick to the terms of a $50,000 city loan he received to buy a Walker Park home.

Columnist Steve Addy: Spoonhour quietly going about work: Steve Addy; Had Rick Pitino become UNLV's basketball coach five months ago, the parade would still be snaking through town.

Catching up with: Vernon Fox: High School: Cimarron-Memorial ('97)

DA tries to link West to shootings: Kim Smith; Prosecutors say a Las Vegas woman convicted in July of murdering her mother and storing her in a trash can may have orchestrated a January 1985 shooting over a custody dispute, court records say.

Ready to Wing it: Spencer Patterson; They both opened the season with victories, but last Friday night couldn't have been much more different for Palo Verde and Silverado.

Regal Cinemas filing for bankruptcy: Bankruptcy is part of a restructuring plan that will shift ownership to a group led by Denver billionaire and Regal creditor Philip Anschutz.

Residents vow fight against zoning change: Adrienne Packer; An hour's worth of reasons not to allow businesses in their neighborhood wasn't enough Wednesday for Spring Valley homeowners, who lost their bid to keep commercial development out when their own representative championed the idea.

Casino smoke's effect on dealers studied: By Emily Richmond; Researchers from the Nevada School of Medicine have received a $2.3 million federal grant to conduct the first clinical study into how second-hand smoke affects casino dealers.

Decision on temporary shelter delayed: Diana Sahagun; City leaders Wednesday blamed Clark County for the lack of services and shelters available for the homeless and postponed a request by its leaders to help fund a temporary shelter for men at MASH Village.

Prep Football Picks: Palo Verde's defense will prove to be difference: Spencer Patterson; How about that for an opening week? Only one loss, and that by a mere touchdown (news flash: Eldorado's offense misses Steven Jackson). As usual, out-of-towners gave locals fits, though credit Las Vegas for giving La Costa a game this time around. A few tough calls on this week's docket, including a battle of brand new programs:

Rebels, Wildcats are eager to move forward: Steve Guiremand; WHO: Rebels vs. Northwestern

NFL Injury Report: ATLANTA AT SAN FRANCISCO -- Falcons: QUESTIONABLE: DT Travis Hall (ankle); LB Matt Stewart (leg). PROBABLE: CB Conrad Hamilton (leg); LB Antony Jordan (back); DT Shawn Swayda (knee); CB Darrick Vaughn (ankle). 49ers: OUT: TE Greg Clark (hamstring). DOUBTFUL: OLB Julian Peterson (ankle); LB Jamie Winborn (knee). QUESTIONABLE: CB Anthony Parker (shoulder). PROBABLE: RB Jonas Lewis (Achilles); WR J.J. Stokes (hamstring).

Themed restaurant closes: Wednesday the restaurant, which was unable to turn a profit here, closed.

Shot through windshield disarms robbery suspect: Keith Paul; A Metro Police officer fired a gunshot through the windshield of his patrol car early this morning, hitting a robbery suspect in the arm, causing the man to drop his gun.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Promoter Goossen jumps back into the fray: Dean Juipe; To the layman, the notion of starting a boxing promotional firm is fettered with challenges.

Advances in medicines said to outweigh higher health expenses: Anjetta McQueen; WASHINGTON -- Americans should look beyond the cost of expensive medicines to consider the savings they produce, including fewer and shorter hospital stays, health and economic scholars say.

Sun Athletes of the Week: Larry Patterson and Tamara Kualiakamoa: School: Silverado

News briefs for September 6, 2001: A 22-year-old Las Vegas man who died in a rollover accident on Interstate 15 Tuesday night was identified as Daniel R. Romero.

Dispute over mobile food vendors postponed: Diana Sahagun; In Little League baseball, a little competition never hurts.

Law could deter psychiatrists from coming to state: CARSON CITY -- Mental health services and the safety of the public in Clark County are being threatened by a fight between two state agencies over a new law.

Players exec to head up Caesars brand: John Groom, who left Atlantic City-based Players shortly after its March 2000 takeover by Harrah's Entertainment Inc., was named a senior vice president of Park Place. His duties will include brand development of the Caesars Palace and Caesars Tahoe brands, as well as other unspecified company initiatives.

Spring Valley school approved: Clark County needs schools.

Park Place citizenship promoted by official: David Strow; When philanthropic or government issues are discussed in the gaming industry, one company that usually doesn't spring to mind as a leader is Park Place Entertainment Corp. of Las Vegas.

Nude club revenue to fund research: Mathis Winkler; Stanford University medical professor Simon H. Stertzer has found a new funding source for his research: nude dancers.

Agassi falls in N.Y. marathon: Victoria Sun; Highlights of Wednesday's play in the $15.76 million U.S. Open tennis championships:

Maxfield offers deal to rural homeowners: Adrienne Packer; Lone Mountain residents pleading to be left out of a rural neighborhood preservation zone that was proposed for hundreds of acres in the northwest were prepared to go to war against Clark County commissioners Wednesday.

Insurance meetings set for school staff: The current plan that is about to be dissolved had been run by the support workers union and was known as the Education Support Employees Association Health Trust. It was the focus of numerous complaints from cafeteria and other support workers for failing to pay claims.

Hopkins: Felix has fear in eyes: Dean Juipe; Bernard Hopkins caused a ruckus at a pair of summer press conferences when he twice threw down a Puerto Rican flag in the presence of his Sept. 15 opponent, Felix Trinidad.

$10 mil. mental health hospital to be dedicated: CARSON CITY -- The latest addition to the state's mental health system -- a $10 million hospital -- will be dedicated Sept. 12 in Sparks.

LV casino told to cooperate with auctioneer: U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Jones ordered Vacation Village on Tuesday to cooperate with Eric Nelson Auctioneering Inc. and to advance Nelson $50,000 in marketing costs.

Locals rip DOE hearing: Mary Manning and Jace Radke; Saunnie Michael waited patiently. Wednesday ended and today began. She waited some more.

Lincoln County moves to keep its water: CARSON CITY -- The Lincoln County Commission Wednesday asked state Engineer Hugh Ricci to dismiss applications filed 12 years ago by the Las Vegas Valley Water District to pump an estimated 125,000 acre feet of water a year out of Lincoln County to Southern Nevada.

Park Place casino spinoff dispute heard by Louisiana court: Alan Sayre; NEW ORLEANS -- A long-running dispute involving Bally's riverboat casino in New Orleans landed Tuesday before the Louisiana Supreme Court with state gambling regulators the target of allegations that they did not do their jobs.

Gabelli: Southwest Gas should settle suits: David Strow; Southwest facts

District looks for solutions as students jam onto buses: Terry Webster; Overcrowding isn't just for classrooms in the Clark County School District anymore.

ATM, online banking affected by computer crash: Citibank said the "the ATM network has been restored at all Citibank locations, and we expect to resolve all remaining issues shortly."

U.S. Open Notebook: Rejuvenated Safin surges into semis: Victoria Sun; NEW YORK -- Just a few weeks ago, defending U.S. Open champion Marat Safin admittedly looked more like a ball person than a tennis player.

Anthem Country Club hires Huddleston: Huddleston has taught tennis in the Las Vegas Valley since 1990 with past positions as an assistant pro at TPC in Summerlin and Bally's Hotel as well as being an instructor at the Evert Academy in Boca Raton, Fla.

Harrah's in energy pacts in Nevada, two other states: Brad Foss; ATLANTIC CITY -- Harrah's Entertainment Inc. is willing to bet on many things. The cost of energy isn't one of them.

Mural mural on the wall: Artists bringing faraway places to local homes, businesses: It's a workday. There are things to be done. But somehow, the afternoon sun casting shadows from the trees onto the stone sidewalk lures you into curiously exploring the bricks and the crevices of the home's grand garden entrance.

Maloof family to give UNLV $1 million donation: The donation was made by the Maloof family, which owns hotels, casinos, banks and other businesses in Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico.

Auto racing directory: List of major auto-racing tracks and events for 2001:

Prep girls tennis standings: CLASS 4A

Letter: Keep nuke waste where it's made: The plants already have city and state approval to exist where they are -- if they would bury their own waste it wouldn't have to travel across the country through many states with a potential for disaster along the route.

Auto racing schedule, winners and standings: The 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup schedule (winners in parentheses) and driver point standings:

Prep boys tennis standings: CLASS 4A

Letter: Incompetent Bush will ruin United States: Thank you, President Clinton, and God bless you. We owe you a debt of gratitude.

Editorial: Council commits a costly error: On Wednesday the City Council approved using $500,000 for a feasibility study of the 61-acre downtown redevelopment project, an assessment that would include determining if a major or minor-league baseball team could succeed in the downtown area. Including a viability review of a ballpark places the City Council on a slippery slope. Once the city starts using public funds to pay for an assessment to see if a baseball team is viable, it's not too far away before serious discussions begin about public financing for a new stadium.

Plea deal expected in youth-jail sex: Kim Smith; The second of two former youth prison workers charged with having sexual relations with inmates will enter a plea agreement later this month.

Prep boys soccer standings: CLASS 4A

Obituaries for September 6, 2001: Jonathan Edward Banks, 21 weeks, of North Las Vegas died Sunday in a local hospital. He was born April 5, 2001, in North Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Council briefs: The developers of the furniture mart proposed near the County Government Center will learn in two weeks whether the city of Las Vegas will offer them any incentives for their 57-acre project.

Sega Sports new title sponsor for LV Bowl: Sega Sports announced this morning that it will be the title sponsor for the Las Vegas Bowl for the next two years. Terms were undisclosed.

Editorial: Abraham's no-show is par for the course: Abraham claimed that he needed to be in Washington for Mexican President Vicente Fox's visit. Apparently President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell just couldn't handle this on their own, and needed Abraham for his diplomatic skills. Then again, that can't be the reason, because if Abraham truly understood the art of diplomacy, he would have been here in Southern Nevada listening to the concerns of Nevadans, instead of hiding out thousands of miles away.

Earnhardt Glance: The late Dale Earnhardt's record at this week's NASCAR venue:

Prep girls volleyball standings: CLASS 4A

Supreme Court denounces judge's bad-genes comment: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Wednesday overturned the sentence of a Las Vegas man because of remarks by a District Court judge, who complained that the defendant had fathered five children who probably had bad genes and would turn to lives of crime.

Prep girls golf standings: CLASS 4A

Auto racing briefs for September 6, 2001: WHAT'S UP, DOC? Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd will be along for the ride when Jeff Gordon chases his sixth victory of the season.

Suspect faces trial in slaying of woman: Angela Soo; A would-be local rap producer faces a trial in the slaying of the wife of a Henderson man he wanted to sign to a contract.

Council OKs initial pact on 61 acres: Diana Sahagun; The city of Las Vegas will spend the next six months working on an agreement with Southwest Sports Group to find out how the market would handle plans for an academic medical center, performing arts center and high-density residential development on 61 acres downtown.

UNLV tennis, baseball, swim teams honored: The women's swimming and diving team was the most improved women's team as it went from a 2.93 overall GPA in 1999-00 to 3.031 in 2000-01, while the baseball team won the men's award, improving from 2.44 to 2.879.

Sun Statewide Prep Football Top 10 Poll: Teams ranked jointly by the Sun and Sparks Tribune.

Letter: Workers lose jobs to immigrants: Do we really want to be a nation of low wages? If so, a low standard of living will soon follow.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Comedy reigns supreme at local venues this weekend: Joe Delaney; Comedy comes in infinite varieties and this weekend the choices are outstanding, with comedic current-events commentator David Brenner (Golden Nugget); philosopher, iconoclast and erudite semanticist George Carlin (MGM Grand); the haiku-like, funny, male vs. female observations of Rita Rudner (New York-New York); and the classic "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" roles, in reverse order, portrayed by Don Rickles (Stardust).

Fontana shooting to keep crown: Steve Addy; WHAT: AVP King & Queen of the Beach volleyball tournament

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: A conference of racists: RECENT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT the United Nations conference on racism has included the desire of Arab nations wanting to again label Zionism as being racist. Of course, they were able to get this charge approved by the U.N. in 1975 and it wasn't removed until 1991. A wiser United States wouldn't play their game this year and Secretary of State Colin Powell refused to attend the U.N.-sponsored conference in Durban, South Africa. Later he withdrew even a lower-level U.S. delegation in attendance.

Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Group has time of its life: Ruthe Deskin; It all started six years ago when some old codgers were noshing their nosh at a local deli.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Dixon leads Top Fuel race, but he's uncomfortable: Larry Dixon picked up his fifth NHRA Top Fuel victory of the season Monday at the prestigious U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and extended his points lead over Kenny Bernstein to 45 with six races remaining.

Prep football standings: CLASS 4A

Thunderbirds are 'Grrreat': Dick Benoit; Cereal shoppers may find that Tony the Tiger has been joined by some interesting friends on boxes of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes in coming weeks.

Community briefs for September 6, 2001: United Blood Services has extended its hours for the next two weeks to avoid a blood shortage and to accommodate donors and provide more appointment times.

Auto Racing Glance: Gil Kaminer; NASCAR

Alamo named to succeed Ghanem: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn today named Dr. Tony Alamo Jr. of Las Vegas to the state Athletic Commission. Alamo succeeds Dr. Elias Ghanem, who died last month after a long battle with cancer.