Print edition for February 6, 2002

Harrah's reports strong fourth-quarter earnings: David Strow; Harrah's Entertainment Inc. today confirmed a strong financial performance in the quarter ending Dec. 31, with net income, cash flow and revenue all rising significantly over year-ago levels.

Growth industries listed in NDA report on LV job market: David Strow; The need to diversify Las Vegas' economy has been a pressing issue for years. It has become even more urgent since Sept. 11, as a tourism slowdown takes its toll on the city's gaming and tourism industry.

UNLV falters in overtime: Steve Addy; UNLV players have scored at least 20 points 16 times this season, and opponents have done it 14 times, including two New Mexico players Tuesday. Here are the top five scoring performances for the Rebels and their opponents:

UNLV still hoping to land 2 top prospects: Steve Guiremand; UNLV football coach John Robinson was scheduled to discuss his 2002 recruiting class with the media today at the Lied Athletic Complex. As of late Tuesday night, the Rebels were still waiting for the final word from two top prospects.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Rebels let another one slip away: Dean Juipe; There's a difference between a close game and a great game.

Martial arts series to air in Great Britain: Martial arts series to air in Great Britain

S&P affirms ratings of LV firms: David Strow; Rating agency Standard & Poor's affirmed the investment-grade credit ratings of three of Las Vegas' largest gaming operators Tuesday, citing expectations of a recovery in the companies' finances over the next 18 months.

State to take Yucca protest to White House: Benjamin Grove and Erin Neff; WASHINGTON -- Nevada's top leaders are bringing their anti-Yucca Mountain campaign to the White House before President Bush receives a recommendation on the potential nuclear waste repository.

Reilly requests state probe: Adrienne Packer; Amid allegations of document shredding and concerns about the frequency of inspections at AeroTech, Clark County Manager Thom Reilly has requested a state probe into an October fire that killed one person.

Second look: Students seek new vision for Fremont St.: Diana Sahagun; It's not every day that eastern Fremont Street -- notorious for drug dealing and prostitution -- wakes up to a crowd of Ivy League graduate students tromping through the area and snapping photographs of the '50s- and '60s-style architecture.

Doctors: Trauma care may be forced out of state: By Emily Richmond; Physicians at University Medical Center's trauma center said this morning the lack of affordable malpractice insurance could force the only 24-hour trauma facility in Nevada to divert patients to other states.

Jobless trust fund premiums could be boosted: CARSON CITY -- Nevada businesses may have to pay higher premiums next year into an unemployment trust fund because of the sagging economy.

39% offered drugs at school: By Emily Richmond; Thirty-nine percent of Clark County School District high school students say they have been offered illegal drugs on their school campus, a new survey says.

Investigation of AeroTech blaze widens: Keith Paul; Clark County fire investigators are asking prosecutors to decide whether criminal negligence was involved in an October fire at a model rocket factory that killed one and caused $10 million in damage.

Editorial: New budget in love with nuke dump: Not only does the Department of Energy want to increase the Yucca Mountain project's budget by 41 percent over last year, but the budget also assumes that the project will go forward. The reason why that is important is that Bush hasn't officially signed off on Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham's recommendation to build a dump at Yucca Mountain. But the budget signals that Bush, in fact, has made up his mind and will give the project a green light. It is against this backdrop that Gov. Kenny Guinn, who is scheduled to meet with Bush at the White House on ...

Two men arrested in woman's killing: Powers and Lowe were wanted in the July 6 slaying of Miranda Johnson, who was found shot to death in her apartment near her 3-week-old boy.

County commission briefs for February 6, 2002: The $170 million downtown justice center was scheduled to be finished last month, but now is expected to open in the fall, Assistant County Manager Mike Alastuey said.

Letter: State's drug-price lawsuit validated: The last line of the editorial, "The state should not be overcharged for ensuring the quality of people's health," is obvious. So, too, is the reason for our action: that groups or individuals could be overcharged, not merely by accident but by willful intent. It's not simply about getting tax dollars back, though that may very well be a result. A principal objective is to ensure that pricing instruments -- therefore prices -- are driven not by some contrived mechanism as in this case, but by sensible market behavior. A systematized means of directing consumers toward purchases with higher margins ...

We know the drill: Dentists incorporating new tools, techniques to calm patients' nerves: Jaws stretching, eyes tearing, the dentist whittles away. Motionless, you can still recall the awkward needle that pierced your tender gums.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Don't forget sweets for your sweetie: Scientists keep coming up with the most interesting findings about chocolate. Researchers keep telling us that chocolate is a mild aphrodisiac, containing both caffeine (small amounts) and theobromine. Both are known to stimulate the nervous system.

Letter: Boxing panel harms Nevada with decision: We lost anywhere from $100 million to $300 million, depending on who you believe. Either way it is a major loss. It wasn't only the casinos that lost out. Many local businesses would have prospered from the fight being held here. It is not the job of the NAC to regulate morality. They are supposed to consider whether the fighter is mentally and physically capable of fighting. I believe that these commissioners need a little more education on the sports they are charged with licensing, or we need four new commissioners who know the sports better.

Editorial: Pride is best tactic against urban blight: The past practice in North Las Vegas had been for code enforcement officers to respond only to complaints. Each complaint, usually regarding junk-filled yards or inoperable cars strewn about a property, was investigated by the next available officer. Investigators would crisscross the city checking individual properties, but it was like battling a forest fire tree by tree. "It was not getting the job done," Risner said.

Columnist Peter Benton: New Zealand visit filled with intrigue: Peter Benton; Prior to last week's Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the last event Tiger Woods competed in was the New Zealand Open, where he tied for sixth after rounds of 70-73-67-69--279 over the par-71 Paraparaumu Beach Layout.

Marine Reserves called for duty: About 100 members of the Weapons Platoon, Fox Co., 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines -- the majority of whom are Nevadans -- were called to active duty Tuesday under the partial mobilization authorized by President Bush.

Chuck E. Cheese at center of new legislation: Jack Elliott Jr; JACKSON, Miss. -- Mississippi's amusement company owners are hoping to ride the broad coattails of the Chuck E. Cheese's pizza parlor/kids arcade chain to get relief from a state law that makes their gaming machines illegal.

Apex water receives approval: The Las Vegas Valley Water District board agreed Tuesday to provide water to the Apex Industrial Park, removing a roadblock to development of the 10,000-acre project 15 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

Letter: Local physicians are forced out: Unfortunately, for our family, the crisis has become a reality. As of Feb. 1 the neurologist who has been treating my son has quit practicing. I was hoping for a referral to his brother (also a neurologist), only to discover that he too is leaving Las Vegas due to the malpractice costs.

Report: State leans too much on institutionalizing disabled: Cy Ryan and Ed Koch; Chris Smith, a 28-year-old with the mentality of a 3-year-old, earns a small weekly paycheck operating the paper shredder at Opportunity Village.

Company posts loss on quarter: Lakes reported a loss of $13.4 million, or $1.26 per share, for its fourth quarter. This compares to a loss of $104,000, or 1 cent per share, in the year-ago period.

23-court tennis complex proposed: Diana Sahagun; The city of Las Vegas wants to develop a regional tennis facility that may ultimately be the site of national events.

Box score: UNLV-New Mexico: Percentages: FG .444, FT .909, 3P .333.

Money approved for dental school: CARSON CITY -- University of Nevada, Las Vegas officials promised state legislators Tuesday that rehabilitation of two recently purchased buildings for a new dental school would cost no more than $11.2 million.

Obituaries for February 6, 2002: John Bean, 61, of Las Vegas died Monday in a local hospital. He was born April 16, 1940, in Los Angeles. A resident for 27 years, he was a retired hotel engineer.

Rebel recap: Rally late in regulation helped New Mexico: the numbers; First half

Books' hold drops to 3.3 percent: CARSON CITY -- Nevada's sports books won $2.3 million on Super Bowl bets, the lowest amount since 1998.

Savvy wine buys: Castell de Falset '98 Tarragona: Available at Las Vegas Wine Company, $12.69, and Marche Bacchus, $13.99.

Local eateries breaking out of chain mentality: Max Jacobson; When most of us think about chain restaurants, we think about fast food, burgers and kids. That's a limited view, it turns out.

Residents reassured on homeland security: Jace Radke; Bernie Goodemote left Tuesday night's neighborhood meeting at the Metro Police Northeast Substation satisfied that the department is doing everything possible to prepare for potential terrorist attacks.

Task force named to help pageant finances: The panel, which includes community leaders and politicians, was formed as part of a Dec. 27 compromise under which Miss America CEO Robert Renneisen Jr. agreed to keep the pageant in Atlantic City for at least one more year while city officials search for ways of easing a fiscal crunch.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Artist Zanella's works unveiled at 'Rainforest' reception: Elizabeth Foyt; Recently Las Vegas Art Museum board trustee, retired Judge Gil Yarchever, and his wife, Edythe Katz Yarchever, sponsored the opening reception for "Rainforest: Contemporary Paintings by International Artists." On display through March 3 at the museum, the exhibit includes major works by Joseph Raffael, Hartmut Neumann, Joe Palermo, Sue Irion and others. On view as well is "A Russian Odyssey: The Art and Times of Ivan Djeneeff," a historical exhibition spanning four decades in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Hospital parking approved for airport land: Adrienne Packer; Restrictions attached to 5,800 acres controlled by McCarran Internation Airport were questioned again Tuesday, when Clark County commissioners were asked to lift conditions to help a hospital project move forward.

Community briefs for February 6, 2002: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area offers hikes and walks free of charge, but reservations are required for all programs, which begin at the Visitors Center. To make reservations or for information call 363-1922. Some upcoming programs:

Jeffries upgrades stock to 'buy': Jeffries gaming analyst Larry Klatzkin raised his price target from $30 to $43, his 2002 earnings estimate from $1.31 to $1.36 per share, and his 2003 estimate from $2.03 to $2.10 per share. Klatzkin forecast that MGM MIRAGE's cash flow in 2002 will dip 1 percent to $1.13 billion, followed by more than 10 percent growth to $1.3 billion in 2003.

Beavers build LV pipeline: Spencer Patterson; Local high school athletes expected to sign letters of intent this week:

Cubs sign former UNLV star Osborne: The former UNLV star missed the previous two seasons with an injury to his left shoulder. Osborne has a 47-45 record with a 3.92 ERA in 143 career games, all with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Henderson fitness center sold: The local sports and fitness club, in Henderson at 2100 Olympic Ave., will continue to operate with current personnel, the Los Angeles company said.

Charges against teacher on hold: Jennifer Knight; Criminal fraud charges against Community College of Southern Nevada teacher and counselor Vince Ricci will be put on hold for a year as he pays restitution, according to the attorney general's office.

Couple faces death penalty in kidnap-murder: Michael Thornton, 46, and his girlfriend, Janeen Snyder, 22, are charged with first-degree murder in the death of Michelle Curran, whose body was found hidden in a horse trailer in the Riverside County town of Rubidoux last April. They also face special-circumstances allegations that make them eligible for the death penalty.

Columnist Victoria Sun: LV's Shibata takes lead in Cypress Golf Classic: Victoria Sun; Las Vegan Tami Shibata shot a first-round 69 at the Cypress Golf Classic hosted by the U.S. Challenge Golf Tour Tuesday to lead the field of 35.

Benefits package revamped: The company, which has 1,500 employees, will offer medical, bereavement and parental leave benefits and unlimited fee-waived space-available pass travel on National flights under its Committed Partner Benefits program.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Money lines played role in Super Bowl results: The state's sports books won $2.3 million on the Super Bowl this year, the lowest figure in four years, according to the State Gaming Control Board.

Carrier plans LV routes: Sunworld International Airlines, Fort Mitchell, plans initially to serve Indianapolis; Philadelphia; and Hartford, Conn. beginning Feb. 18 and will add Kansas City, Mo.; Wichita, Kan.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Las Vegas in the months ahead, said Alex Lukondi, marketing director for the airline.

More money sent to schools: CARSON CITY -- A legislative committee Tuesday sent an extra $14.5 million to the Clark County School District, but the system still faces a $10 million deficit next fiscal year.

Venetian looks to delay plans for hotel tower: David Strow; The Venetian is asking the county for a delay of up to two years on its plans to build a 1,000-room hotel tower.

News briefs for February 6, 2002: A Las Vegas man whose first-degree murder conviction was thrown out 14 months ago because of faulty jury instruction was sentenced to four to 10 years in prison after entering a plea Tuesday.

Fed cuts put state transport projects in limbo: A proposed federal funding cut of nearly $49 million a year for transportation projects in Nevada could spell big trouble for the state and local economy, officials warned.

CCSN sweeps Yavapai, remains undefeated: CCSN sweeps Yavapai, remains undefeated

Orleans unveils plans for its arena: Victoria Sun; Before the events of Sept. 11 took hold of the local economy resulting in a decline in tourism, a $140 million expansion of the Orleans hotel-casino already was in the works.

Softball box scores: Saint Mary's-UNLV: UNLV 6, ST. MARY'S 2

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Chicago Motor Speedway suspends 2002 schedule: Chicago Motor Speedway in Cicero, Ill., rumored to be in dire financial straits for several months, has officially suspended its racing schedule for the 2002 season.

Recession prompts delay in raises in aid to the poor: CARSON CITY -- About 1,000 welfare families, most of them in Southern Nevada, won't get planned increases in their monthly grants until July and possibly longer.

More kids cut class over safety concerns: By Emily Richmond; The percentage of Clark County School District high school students who said they skipped school in the previous 30 days because they didn't feel safe tripled from 5 percent in 1999 to 15 percent in 2001 in a new survey of students.