Print edition for February 1, 2002

NH House kills five gaming bills: Norma Love; CONCORD, N.H. -- The House rejected an emotional plea Thursday from Berlin area lawmakers to let the city have a casino to revitalize its economy.

Hospitals, workers reach deal: Emily Richmond and Erin Neff; With just hours left before their existing contracts expired, a coalition of firefighters, police officers, Culinary workers, teachers and construction workers reached agreements with five area hospitals for medical coverage.

Millions missing in Vegas Ponzi scheme: Grace Leong; The Federal Trade Commission, which accused Las Vegas company Affordable Media of running a Ponzi scheme that scammed 2,295 investors nationwide out of more than $35 million, now says millions of dollars are missing and the investors will likely recoup just pennies on the dollar.

Review: 'Kandahar' can't match true story: Geoff Carter; "Kandahar" opens and closes with footage of an eclipse. It's a dual symbol, representing not just the urgency of "Kandahar's" desperate protagonist Nafas, but also the obstacles holding her back. When the light dims, her hopes will dim with it.

Fed budget might cut Nevada programs: The budget is a framework for Congress. Lawmakers make federal funding decisions during the year-long budget process, but ultimately President Bush must sign them into law.

Stock downgraded: "Park Place's stock has soared 58 percent since its lows post-Sept. 11 and currently trades at 7.5 (times) and 7.2 (times) our revised 2002 and 2003 (cash flow) estimates, toward the high end of its historical range," gaming analyst J. Cogan wrote. "Current levels reflect the resiliency of (Park Place's) operations and near-term fundamentals, in our view."

Slot maker posts decline: The slot maker reported net income of $3.3 million, or 10 cents per share, compared to net income of $11 million, or 34 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. Net income was at the low end of the range WMS told investors to expect two weeks ago. WMS said net income was reduced by $1.3 million, or 3 cents per share, by employee severance costs. The company said it laid off 17 percent of its workforce earlier this month, a move it said should cut expenses by 11 percent on an annual basis.

Former Iowa congressman's fraud case tied to Vegas: Chris Jones; A former Iowa congressman awaiting trial on fraud charges has been placed under house arrest -- in part because of his alleged attempts to defraud associates of a Las Vegas resident of as much as $60,000.

County clears hurdle for dust: The Environmental Protection Agency has determined that Clark County's plan for dealing with airborne dust pollution is "complete," a key step in approving the overall approach to the problem.

Numbers game: Inside the 'war room' with Las Vegas' top oddsmakers: Walk into any Las Vegas sports book today, and you'll see the Super Bowl betting line on display, as prominent as the nose on Georgia Frontiere's face lift.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Scaled back workload may pay off for Petty: He may be coming off the least successful and most disappointing season of his career, but Kyle Petty was one of the most relaxed drivers in the Winston Cup garage during this week's NASCAR test at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Call for fed nuke security renewed: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., has seized news reports that terrorists may be plotting to fly an airplane into a nuclear reactor and renewed his call for Congress to federalize security guards at nuclear power plants.

Technical panel, DOE officials spar at Yucca Mountain hearing: AP; Members of the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board focused on gaps in federal scientists' knowledge about Yucca Mountain, a volcanic rock ridge that would contain the proposed nuclear waste repository.

Southwest birthday bash: Firm marking 20 years in Las Vegas: When Bob Battista, an operations supervisor for Southwest Airlines in Las Vegas, joined the airline on its first day of service at McCarran International Airport in 1982, the company offered five flights a day.

Congress gets Yucca letter: In addition to the letter, the 232 groups hand-delivered to each congressional representative a 24-page report from the DOE's inspector general released in November. The report mentioned the Chicago-based law firm of Winston & Strawn, which held a Yucca Mountain contract at the same time it was paid to lobby Congress by the nuclear industry.

National's next destination will be Washington to apply for federal aid: Now that National Airlines is coming to the end of a 14-month sojourn through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court maze, the company is embarking down a new road.

Casinos ask for property tax cut: Diana Sahagun; The Clark County Assessor's Office determines the taxable value on properties each year by calculating the amount and cost of materials and labor it would take to replace the property.

Herman giving up on National for now: The former chief executive of a British airline who made an unsuccessful bid to acquire National Airlines said he's given up the chase -- for now.

Vegas resort sues over canceled conference: The suit is the second in two months filed by Mandalay Bay over conference cancellations.

County moves to curb domestic violence: Adrienne Packer; Hoping to halt the rising number of domestic violence cases, Clark County officials are considering a court system that would allow judges to deliver heftier penalties by more closely monitoring offenders.

Nightclub cabbie tip battle is expanded: Kim Smith; With attorney Dominic Gentile joining the fray, the battle to stop adult nightclubs from diverting customers to their establishments will be fought on two fronts.

Workers protest gaming tax hike in Washington: Paul Queary; OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Hundreds of shouting blackjack dealers, cashiers and other workers at non-tribal minicasinos rallied on the snow-chilled Capitol steps Tuesday to protest Gov. Gary Locke's proposed new gambling tax.

Illness forces Wiesner to resign as regent: Cy Ryan and Jennifer Knight; Tom Wiesner, a longtime prominent Las Vegas businessman and political figure, has resigned from the Board of Regents.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: A health care crisis: So who is the loser? Those involved are pointing fingers, but when all is said and done there are few winners and thousands of losers. The lady keeping an appointment for medical care arrives at the office of the doctor to learn he no longer accepts her health care coverage. Without giving notice, her health care insurance company had reduced pay rates 21 percent below the Medicare reimbursement rate. Just one more Nevada working family cheated from the health care they need and are denied. This is no longer a rare occurrence.

Letter: Feds lose sight of telephone's importance: Glad to see the economic slowdown has provided Thompson with the time to notice what many people in this country have been protesting for more than eight years now. You see, that's when our Federal Communications Commission decided to start doing all consumers the favor of separating them from their money by using what has become a basic necessity, the telephone.

'Gong Show' rejection didn't hurt optimism of 'WorldWide' composer: WEEKEND EDITION

Letter: Bush sounding a lot like Nixon: Bush calls the General Accounting Office's congressional order for documents an encroachment on his ability to conduct business. He cites the need of the president to preserve the confidences of private communications. All of these arguments sound like Watergate-style presidential stonewalling to me.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Ignorance on issue is shocking: No issue is more on the minds of the public. Yucca Mountain is a distant possibility; power bills come every month. And as the raging wails echo through various hearings, the politicians are either giving voice to the anger or remaining mum.

Editorial: New roads mean new tax dollars: Throughout 2001 Woodbury and 42 other leaders met periodically as the Regional Transportation Commission Community Coalition, or RTC3. Members identified new taxes they say will cost the individual taxpayer under $5 a month, but which will raise nearly $2.6 billion over the next 25 years for transportation. Without the improvements made possible 12 years ago by voter approval of Question 10, Las Vegas Valley roads today would be chaotic. The voters of 1990 recognized the need to pony up. Because projections show the valley's population increasing from 1.4 million to 2.3 million over the next 25 years, it's time to ...

Columnist Kate Maddox: Stern seeks out Ranch hands: Kate Maddox; Hof owns the Carson City Moonlite Bunny Ranch. He manages a stable of working girls and this week, he gets his shot at national exposure. Thanks, Howard.

Reid won't preside over Torricelli case: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., will not preside as Senate Ethics Committee chairman over an investigation into whether Sen. Robert Torricelli, D-N.J., inappropriately took gifts from a businessman, because Reid gave Torricelli $500 last year.

Columnist Jeff German: Tyson's troubles likely to worsen: Las Vegas would lose $100 million to $300 million if the Nevada Athletic Commission failed to give the troubled Tyson a license to fight heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis April 6 at the MGM Grand.

Columnist Sandy Thompson: Advocate pushes children's agenda: Sandy Thompson; That's a particularly interesting assessment considering that Shay Bilchik is a former Clinton appointee who headed the Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Columnist Benjamin Grove: A lot of talk, but where are the jobs?: Benjamin Grove; People like Jewel Jackson live it.

Art exhibit goes hand and glove with housework: WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Kate Maddox: MGM ready for Jackson action: Kate Maddox; "The MGM Is Mine"? In a battle reminiscent of their ridiculous 1982 duet, Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney are both rumored to be up for the role of Mike Tyson substitute. Yikes.

Poets pay tribute to Brainard: Kirk Baird; When: 7 p.m. today.

UNLV steals away to defensive success: Steve Addy; WHAT: DePaul (8-11) at UNLV (10-7)

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Food adds to romance of Valentine's Day: "Saint Valentine's Day as a love festival has no relation to the martyr of that name, but it is celebrated in many parts of the world by those in pursuit of love. Even the birds indulge in elaborate courtship rituals at this time of the year," says writer Max de Roche in "The Foods of Love," a charming volume devoted to the subject (Arcade Publishing, Little Brown & Company, $16.95).

Court briefs for February 1, 2002: A 32-year-old Las Vegas man was sentenced to 7 1/2 half years in prison Thursday for a fatal Halloween morning shooting near downtown Las Vegas.

Little opposition expected over Moapa water claims: Applications to use ground water in Moapa Valley for a proposed power plant aren't likely to face vigorous opposition Tuesday.

Father, daughter to run together after accident: Victoria Sun; The first thing David Orange planned to do after completing the half-marathon held in conjunction with the 36th Las Vegas Marathon Sunday morning was call his buddy Jim Glassner to gloat.

Mormons won't use Olympics to recruit: Stacy J. Willis; WEEKEND EDITION

United Way funding shrinks: Nonprofit agencies that fund youth and health education programs have been warned by the United Way of Southern Nevada to hunt for additional funding.

Ricci holds her own at Le Bistro Theatre: Joe Delaney; Marlene Ricci, not quite 5-foot-3, is a small woman with a big voice, superb song selection and great presence. She has come light years since her discovery by Frank Sinatra, her days as his opening act, and the 1978 CBS special "Cinderella at the Palace." She was very good then. Ricci can hold her own in person with the best female singing performers today.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Historic project is Wright idea: Or at least, it's being preserved by Sam Wright, an RTC planner who has mapped out the Pioneer's Trail, a journey through Las Vegas' ethnically diverse past.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Helping is a way of life: TUESDAY EVENING I rushed home to hear President George W. Bush's State of the Union address. He hit many of the points about our battle with terrorists that Americans wanted to hear. He named North Korea, Iraq and Iran as countries developing weapons of mass destruction and also encouraging terrorism. I wondered why he didn't mention Syria as one of these problem states that supports Hezbollah and occupies Lebanon.

Change of scenery: Kimberley McGee; The setting for Giuseppe Verdi's classic opera "La Traviata" is Paris in 1850. The tragic love story of Alfredo and Violetta takes place in the salons and streets of the romantic city.

Lady Rebels put an end to Utah drought: The Lady Rebels hadn't defeated Utah here since the 1975-1976 season heading into Thursday night's Mountain West Conference game. The two-time defending MWC champion Utes also carried a seven-game win streak over the Lady Rebels into the game.

Review: 'Slackers' is a big waste of time: Geoff Carter; The last time I saw a comedy as mean-spirited, misogynistic and flat-out stupid as "Slackers," it was titled with the word "Porky's" and a number. It may be a mistake on my part: Perhaps the movie wasn't intended for human viewing. A truckload of lemurs might enjoy "Slackers," but they'd have to be a fairly indiscriminating lot. And drunk.

Eldorado, Chap play to deadlock: Spencer Patterson; Two months and 36 games after they began regular-season play, Chaparral and Eldorado find themselves exactly where they started: tied atop the Northeast Division girls soccer standings.

Vonda Woman: Kirk Baird; WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Joe Delaney: Lucas raising the bar for afternoon shows: Joe Delaney; Multitalented comedian and ventriloquist Ronn Lucas is another excellent example of the recent return to a policy of building identification with a hotel by entertainers, as well as production shows ... Lucas played a three-week afternoon engagement at the Rio in September ... At that time we predicted he would "return for an extended run."

Message of 'Porgy and Bess' still relevant: When: 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday.

Mom accused of abandoning infant agrees to prison term: Kim Smith; A 28-year-old mother of four accused of abandoning her newborn baby in a trash container in August has entered a plea that guarantees a prison term of two to 10 years.

Power rate hike in hands of three: Two lawyers and an economist will decide the fate of Nevada Power's proposed rate hike.

Education projects could lose funding: The budget is a framework for Congress. Lawmakers make federal funding decisions during the year-long budget process, but ultimately Bush must sign them into law.

House campaign expenses outlined: Erin Neff; Campaign reports filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission indicate how expensive Nevada's three congressional races will be this year.

Missing man found slain in his car: Keith Paul; A 36-year-old North Las Vegas man who had been reported missing was found slain Thursday in his car, which was parked on Las Vegas Boulevard North.

Blast rocked transformer: A Nevada Power Co. repair crew went to the ground-level transformer in the area of Eastern Avenue and Pebble Road about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and found that the exterior of a meter had been damaged. The workers then contacted Metro, said Andrea Smith, a power company spokeswoman.

Baycol blamed in death of Henderson man: By Emily Richmond; When Gerald Marston showed up at Wal-Mart for a job interview in September 2000, the store manager was sure the Henderson man made a mistake on his application.

Jobless rate drops as some leave labor force: A Labor Department report today showed that the 0.2 percentage point drop in the unemployment rate occurred not because employment went up but because 924,000 job seekers gave up looking for work.

Letter: Talk show host disputes theory: Greenspun plays fast and loose with the facts when he claims the Fox News Channel promotes itself as "the conservative news source." In fact, they eschew the conservative label and use the slogans, "Fair and balanced" and "We report, you decide."

No fear: Tourists say nuclear waste stored at Yucca Mountain won't limit LV visits: Ed Koch and Jace Radke; The mere designation of Yucca Mountain as the dump site for nuclear waste will keep gamblers and other tourists from visiting Las Vegas, right?

Columnist Dean Juipe: Tyson could feel betrayed by adviser: Dean Juipe; Advice is cheap, unless you're paying for it. And then it becomes very expensive.

Columnist Susan Snyder: A concept littered with flaws: If you can't say anything nice, well, say it anyhow.

New-look Rebels to open baseball season vs. Cal: Victoria Sun; The UNLV baseball team's nonconference schedule includes games against baseball heavyweights such as Cal State Fullerton, Oklahoma State and Arizona State.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Bootlegger is always in a swingin' mood with Hunts: It's never dull in the lounge of the Bootlegger Bistro when some of the town's top entertainers meet late at night to cut up and wind down.

Editorial: Regulate, not ban, taxi 'tips': Several adult clubs recently sued because of an inequity in the city and county regulations. Overlooked when those regulations were adopted in 1985 were the clubs featuring nude entertainers but no alcohol. With no anti-tipping laws that could be enforced against these so-called sex-tease clubs, they enjoyed a decided competitive advantage. That's why District Court Judge Sally Loehrer on Jan. 7 issued a preliminary injunction ordering a halt to all such tipping. But that's not a good permanent answer.

Dodgers to take on Diamondbacks in LV: Tickets can be purchased by calling the Las Vegas 51s' ticket office at 798-7825.

Youth orchestras join forces for Las Vegas concert: When: 7 p.m. Saturday.

Department cuts down on false fire, rescue calls: Jace Radke; Las Vegas Fire Department officials say they will save money and provide better service by no longer responding to all automatic fire and medical alarms reported by security companies.

Review: 'Birthday' a mere cruise for Kidman: Geoff Carter; I want Nicole Kidman to clean Tom Cruise's clock but good. I know she can't rough him up -- ask any tabloid, he's got better lawyers -- but she can continue to make better movies, maybe pinch a few industry awards. I used to think she was the worst form of milquetoast, but after "Moulin Rouge" and "The Others" -- dual Golden Globe nominations, baby -- I've come around. She will take him, oh yes.

No evidence Lake Mead, dam targeted: Although the FBI warned this week that al-Qaida terrorists may have targeted American dams and water facilities, authorities locally said they haven't received any information indicating Hoover Dam or Lake Mead are targets.

Obituaries for February 1, 2002: Neville G. Adams, 83, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in a local care center. He was born July 17, 1918, in England. A resident for eight years, he came to America on the Queen Mary, served in the Canadian Royal Navy and became a U.S. citizen in 1945.

Letter: Bush is killing Social Security: If he succeeds in screwing up Social Security any more, I may need to contact charity, which he seems to believe is the solution for poverty.

LVMS Test Speeds: LVMS Test Speeds

Political notebook: IP candidate O'Neil taking on Herrera: Erin Neff; The race for Nevada's new congressional seat has long been hyped as a two-man affair.

Thursday's prep results: BOYS BASKETBALL

Community news briefs for February 1, 2002: The Las Vegas Branch of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Pennies for Patients project continues to seek interested schools to participate in its nationwide program to raise funds to be used for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma research, and for patient services.

Shortage of pediatric beds revives debate of need for new hospital: Stacy J. Willis; Children are being treated in UMC's hallways on gurneys, owing to a shortage of pediatric beds countywide, hospital officials said Thursday.

State doctors' insurance woes blamed on Enron fall: CARSON CITY -- St. Paul Cos., which is leaving Nevada's medical malpractice market, has manufactured the crisis facing doctors to cover stock market losses, a prominent trial attorney says.

Sans prize money, marathon hits hard times: Victoria Sun; Something had to be sacrificed.

News briefs for February 1, 2002: A man was found shot to death in the Polo Towers this morning after security officers were checking out the report of a commotion in the hotel.

Airlines post huge losses: Staggered by the recession and the aftershocks of the Sept. 11 attacks, UAL Corp. said it burned through about $10 million a day in the fourth quarter.

Letter: Nevada praised for taking tough stance on Tyson: You have sent a strong message that your state will not allow corrupt, animalistic behavior. I love boxing, not cannibalism.

UNLV: Men of steal: x-season incomplete

Man claiming a beating sues police: Kim Smith; A Henderson man who claims he was beaten by police officers after a traffic stop two weeks ago is suing the Henderson Police Department.

New Jersey officials fret about competition from other states: Lori Hinnant; TRENTON, N.J. -- New Jersey's gaming and tourism industries face increased competition from neighboring states and need help from lawmakers, industry leaders said Thursday.