Print edition for December 18, 2002

With Algiers out, Harmon property to be auctioned: Judy Odierna; A parcel of county land at Harmon Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard South may be hitting the auction block again.

AMVETS under investigation: A random audit by the state's Gaming Division found the Bismarck's AMVETS Post No. 9 failed to report more than $646,000, Stenehjem said. Most of the money came from pull tabs, he said.

Police say illegal gambling operation used sham charities: The defendants, most from the Akron area, created sham charities to make use of an exemption in state law that allows certain gambling operations for the benefit of approved charities, according to an indictment filed Tuesday by the Cleveland U.S. attorney's office.

Phillips-Van Heusen, Calvin Klein in $430 million deal: The $430 million deal annoounced Tuesday offers Phillips-Van Heusen an avenue to expand from conservative men's clothes with the help of Calvin Klein, known for its edgy designs and provocative advertising.

Longtime LV police officer Bananto dies: Bananto died Friday in Atlanta from complications of an accident at his home in nearby Suwanee, Ga., his family said. He was 67.

Man killed by police may have been a deported felon: Jen Lawson; The 24-year-old man who shot at a Metro Police officer last week had probably been deported to Mexico in the past and might have been afraid of getting sent back, authorities said this morning.

Lobbyists facing new limits on their actions: CARSON CITY -- Lobbyists could be barred from the floor of the Senate and Assembly in the closing days of the 2003 Legislature under new rules considered Tuesday by the state Legislative Commission.

Proficiency test in science to be delayed: CARSON CITY -- Current high school students may be able to rest easy about having to pass a proficiency test in science before they can graduate.

Officials: Cask tests have PR value: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- A dramatic full-scale test of the metal containers that would be used to ship nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain would serve little scientific purpose, but it would probably have a lot of public relations value, members of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission panel said today.

Lewis helps Rebels take care of business: Even though he walks through graduation ceremonies today at 4 p.m. inside the Thomas & Mack Center, Jermaine Lewis knows that his work on the basketball court will be far from finished.

County forms redevelopment agency: Judy Odierna; The Clark County Commission voted Tuesday to create a redevelopment agency to oversee multi-million dollar projects aimed at improving blighted areas of the county.

Metro says it won't curb police pursuits: Jen Lawson; Police pursuits that end in collisions are more likely to occur in Las Vegas than in Los Angeles, a city known for its dramatic, high-profile police chases, according to a study by the Los Angeles Police Commission.

$38 mil. bailout for UMC approved: Judy Odierna; Clark County Commissioners approved a transfer of $38.4 million from the county's general fund to the University Medical Center's operating fund to cover debt the public hospital incurred last fiscal year.

HCA in deal to end fed probe: Karin Miller; NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- HCA, the nation's largest for-profit hospital chain and owner of two Las Vegas hospitals, announced a $631 million settlement today with Justice Department attorneys to resolve civil health care fraud allegations.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Hollywood Park: Thursday's card

National powerhouses highlight 96-team field: Adam Candee; No, LeBron James, the luminescent axis of the prep basketball world, will not be at this weekend's Holiday Prep Classic basketball tournament.

News briefs for Dec. 18, 2002: The Las Vegas man accused of attacking a police officer with a knife and barricading himself in a woman's home near Mount Charleston was sentenced Tuesday by District Judge Valorie Vega to 16 months to six years in prison.

Arena football headed to town: Steve Guiremand; Las Vegas has developed a reputation as a graveyard for minor league sports. But that doesn't seem to stop other franchises from trying.

DUI death rate down sharply: WASHINGTON -- The nation's alcohol-related traffic death rate has dropped by more than half during the past 20 years, and Nevada is among the states that have shown the greatest improvement, a government study shows.

Correction: Correction

Guarantees sought on water quality: Jeffrey Libby; Before the Army Corps of Engineers issues a dredge permit for a planned regional flood channel emptying into the Las Vegas Wash, two regional agencies want guarantees about erosion and water quality as well as public access to the Las Vegas Wash wetlands.

Experts see 'racinos' re-shaping gaming: By Liz Benston; TUCSON, Ariz -- Over the next five years, virtually all of the racetracks in the United States will offer banks of slot machines -- creating mini-casinos that could generate returns rivaling Las Vegas' most profitable megaresorts, a top Canadian government official says.

Consolidation of courts for domestic violence eyed: The Clark County Commission accepted final recommendations on Tuesday from the Southern Nevada Domestic Violence Court Task Force.

Transportation funding will be tight: By Timothy Pratt; Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Shelley Berkley said Tuesday that federal funds could be limited for an upcoming bill dealing with the nation's roads, buses and trains.

Lawmakers rip state agencies over recent audits: CARSON CITY -- Democratic legislators ripped into three state departments Tuesday over recent audit findings that listed a widespread lack of accountability and mishandling of public money.

Fed work force at NTS to be cut: Benjamin Grove and Mary Manning; WASHINGTON -- The federal work force in Nevada that manages the Nevada Test Site is being slashed by 66 percent, officials said.

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

Victim's jail record cited in cop's trial: Jace Radke; During the year before his death at the hands of a Metro Police officer, John Perrin spent 163 days in jail, and charges of methamphetamine manufacturing and trafficking were pending against him at the time of his death.

Tuesday's prep results: Boys Basketball

Board of Regents is back to bickering: Jennifer Knight; Less than a week after the Board of Regents issued a sweeping apology in an attempt to put a spate of personal bickering behind it, the board is facing a new round of personal attacks.

Traffic still below 2000 levels: The airport reported 2.71 million passengers for the month, a 6.8 percent increase over November 2001, but 1.7 percent below the 2.76 million passengers who flew into Las Vegas in November 2000.

UNLV economists see modest local growth in 2003: Jennifer Shubinski; The national economy, still in a shallow recession and slowly recovering, will continue to affect Southern Nevada and its tourist-based economy in the coming year, economists said Tuesday.

Columnist Steve Guiremand: Get ready for wild year in the MWC: Steve Guiremand; If you are a UNLV men's basketball fan and believe that good teams find a way to win close games while bad teams find a way to lose them, you have to believe the Rebels' recent three-game road trip was a good omen.

Agencies fail to reach agreement on river water: A conference of Colorado River water agencies ended Tuesday without resolving issues that could cut both California and Nevada's use of Lake Mead water.

Chopper flight limits sought: CARSON CITY -- Worried about an increase in noisy flights over residential neighborhoods, Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani wants a moratorium on new helicopter flyovers in urban areas.

Columnist Jeff German: Street of broken promises: The deeper you dig into the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority bailout of the privately run Fremont Street Experience, the more it smells.

UNR receiver Burleson headed for NFL draft: The 6-foot-2, 187-pound senior led the nation in receptions (11.5) and was second in yardage (135.8).

Columnist Peter Benton: Davis sits atop SNGA rankings: Peter Benton; The Southern Nevada Golf Association is a voluntary non-profit organization founded to represent, promote and serve the best interests of golf in Nevada. This organization is the official representative of the U.S. Golf Association in Southern Nevada.

Father of boy killed in crash says he deserves prison: Erica D. Johnson; Michael Schlotfeldt told a courtroom packed with grieving relatives Tuesday that he deserved to go to prison for killing his 2-year-old son in a traffic accident. But after District Judge Michael Douglas ordered Schlotfeldt to spend at least five years in prison, many in the courtroom said they were unhappy with the sentence.

Runnin' Rebels box score: 3-Point Goals: 8-27 (Egbe 2-4, Howe 0-2, Walker 0-1, Bullock 5-11, Kelly 0-4, Asceric 1-2, Smith 0-1, Hill 0-2).

Nevadans to share in predatory lending settlement: District Judge Gene Porter signed a consent judgment this week that resolves allegations of unfair lending practices by Household and its subsidiaries, Household Finance Corp. and Beneficial Corp., between January 1999 and September 2002.

Win helps UNLV stay perfect vs. Ohio Valley foes: 1st half: UNLV, 44-32

High court rules for murder defendant: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Alfred P. Centofanti, a Las Vegas lawyer accused of killing his wife, does not have to turn over to prosecutors his notes and results of mental examinations prior to his trial.

Council to take up controversial initiative: Dan Kulin; The North Las Vegas City Council was expected to vote tonight to challenge in court a proposed ballot initiative that would give citizens more say in council meetings.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Be certain of those who seek cash: Read what it says on those large collection tubs and ask questions. Legitimate volunteers can answer questions and their collection containers clearly state the name and telephone number of the charity. A slogan, such as "Save the Children," means nothing.

Letter: Money meant for Arabs should stay in the U.S.: The Bush administration wants the United States to contribute $29 million to the Arab countries in an effort to make them literate, improve their lives and care for their fellow man. It is unrealistic. Centuries of being illiterate and cruel cannot be erased.

Letter: It's not the lights, it's the dancers: But there are other reasons to oppose this proposal. Like it or not, our local economy is fueled by tourist dollars. These tourists aren't flying here to see the pretty lights. They're responding to an orchestrated $200 million a year advertising campaign that paints our city as the undisputed mecca of booze, gambling and girls. To fulfill that promise we depend on out-of-state entertainers. With 50,000 work cards outstanding and 15,000 dancers in the valley, that leaves 35,000 work cards in the hands of out-of-state dancers. Why do these dancers come here? Because it's cost effective. They could just as ...

Community briefs for Dec. 18, 2002: The Henderson Parks and Recreation Department is featuring bouldering walls at the Black Mountain Recreation Center, 599 Greenway Road, and Valley View Recreation Center, 500 Harris St.

Letter: Further shame on Nevada Power: In July, August and September my air conditioning bills were over $900. Having a disabled person in the household, not using the air conditioning was not an option.

Tennessee officials seek tips on lottery startup: Bobby Ross Jr; ATLANTA -- Dub it Lottery 101.

Board picks Housing Authority boss: Dan Kulin; The former director of the Charlotte, N.C., housing authority who resigned from that position amid some controversy, will be offered the top job at the Las Vegas Housing Authority.

Editorial: Water plan should be signed now: In opposing the agreement, the district is looking out for the interests of those who farm its million acres and provide vegetables and grains year-round for the whole country. It has grown accustomed to using surplus water from the Colorado River and the agreement would eventually lead to an end of that practice. Like all the users of Colorado River water, California agreed to a limit. In 1929, it agreed to draw a maximum of 4.4 million acre feet a year. Over the years, however, the state received permission to draw water above that amount from surpluses generated by other ...

10 new firefighters on the job: The additional firefighters will fill vacancies caused by retirements and are also needed because a new fire station will open next year at 5725 Allen Lane, Fire Department Training Supervisor Chuck Steadham said Monday. The new fire station is to open by April, officials have said.

Late drawing: AP; DAY DRAWING

'Nutcracker' parades young talent at Rio: Marilyn LaRocque; The lavish Nevada Ballet Theatre (NBT) production of Peter Illich Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" opens at The Rio's Samba Theatre on Thursday and runs through Monday. The stunning new version of the holiday classic debuted last season.

Tribe reveals secret Internet project: Catherine Wilson; MIAMI -- In an unusual move Tuesday, a judge excused a jury and acquitted three fired Seminole tribal workers in their federal embezzlement trial for lack of evidence.

County honors guard who stopped attacks: Judy Odierna; Security guard Steven Glenn, who came to the aid of two women when a man stabbed them in a social services office last week, was awarded a medal of honor by Clark County Commissioners on Tuesday.

Savvy wine buys: Charles Shaw '99 Cabernet Sauvignon: Prices such as these haven't been seen since the early '70s for wines of this caliber. Shaw's cabernet is a ruby red, ripe and tannic wine that will stand up to red meat and most game. At this price, you'll probably want to buy a case -- or two.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: For a rewarding trip, visit Orlando: I once thought those were all types of cheeses. Seems I was mistaken about that last one. There's a lot more meat to Orlando that one might think.

Obituaries for Dec. 18, 2002: Carol K. Brink, 68, of Henderson died Sunday in Henderson. She was born Oct. 22, 1934, in Washington. A resident for 30 years, she was a claims representative.