Print edition for February 7, 2002

Film series highlights history celebration: Kimberley McGee; The pride, frustration and dignity of black history is explored in black and white in the film series "African-American Perspectives on Film."

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: DNA should free him: The answer to that question is playing itself out in a Philadelphia criminal case that should have been over almost 15 years ago.

Letter: Why bail out Nevada Power?: Your editorial hit the bull's-eye regarding Nevada Power's attempt to pull the proverbial wool over the consumer's eye with its offer to spread the cost of its proposed rate hike over six years instead of three. The consumer would wind up paying more in the long run. That kind of convoluted mathematics may be what got Nevada Power into the situation of paying too much for too little in the first place!

Editorial: Student uniforms a no-brainer: As was clear from a story last week by Sun reporter Emily Richmond, clothing can be a distraction in schools. The competition among children to wear the latest fashion at times can seem to rival the ferocity of the Cold War arms race. One junior high school student told Richmond that she opposed the policy because "girls have to look cute." Meanwhile, a handful of junior high school boys told Richmond that uniforms would make it difficult for boys to figure out "what kind of bodies" girls have. Those remarks alone show why a uniform policy is needed.

Letter: Send nuclear waste into space: When nuclear waste first became an issue, the thought was to send this excrement into space to the sun to dispose of it. The possibility of rocket failure, however, scared everyone and tabled this obvious solution. Now is the time to reopen this win-win proposal. I don't want this crap in Nevada, California, Michigan, or for that matter, anywhere on Earth.

Columnist Joe Delaney: From Aladdin to Rio, plenty of Strip hotels to ponder: Joe Delaney; The newest Aladdin opened poorly and is trying to stay alive, with a better chance of doing so in 2002 ... Park Place Entertainment bought a large block of Aladdin bonds at a discount and might have taken over by now, except for the current heavy Aladdin debt load ... Kirk Kerkorian's MGM MIRAGE is another Aladdin-takeover possibility.

Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Moore to ponder about president: Ruthe Deskin; Nevada State College President Richard Moore has it -- in spades.

Las Vegas director tackles 'Of Mice and Men' again: Brewer, on the faculty of the Department of Theatre at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is directing the play for the second time in his career -- this time at UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre.

Letter: Commissioners do the right thing on Tyson's bid: Nevada, in general, and Las Vegas, in particular, have often "earned" the reputation that we are less than honorable and also an unwholesome place to live and raise a family.

Displays honor Black History Month: Kimberley McGee; They follow the designs created in the 1800s by brave souls who used the patterns in the quilts to communicate with the underground railroad, a network of safe havens for runaway slaves.

Commander of Submarine of the Year has Nevada ties: Dick Benoit; Timothy and Leda Brown of Gardnerville report that the USS Louisville, commanded by their son-in-law, Cmdr. Russell Janicke, has been selected as the Navy's "Pacific Fleet Submarine of the Year."

Community news briefs for February 7, 2002: The Associated General Contractors' seventh annual House of Cards tournament will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Galleria at Sunset mall.

Editorial: Independent review of fire a good call: The fire near Sahara Avenue and Boulder Highway killed one plant worker, injured two others, and caused $12 million worth of property damage. After the fire, questions arose when former fire department spokesman Steve La-Sky alleged the department had shredded pertinent documents. There were other questions about the department's inspections of the plant before the fire. The department itself plans to forward information to the Clark County District Attorney's office regarding possible criminal negligence on the part of plant officials. With so many issues surrounding such a high-profile fire, Reilly made the right call to the right agency.

Make it light: Las Vegas artist turning heads nationwide with self-styled works: Kimberley McGee; Green chameleons flash their silvery scales at the setting sun, blue fish tumble in a foaming sea and a lone cactus droops under the weight of its flowery fruit.

Moody's confirms Venetian ratings: Moody's placed Las Vegas Sands on review for possible downgrade in September. It ultimately decided not to downgrade the company for a variety of reasons, including stabilization of room rates and occupancy, cost cutting measures, modification of credit agreements and the indefinite delay of plans to build a 1,000-room hotel tower.

Father doggedly pursues justice in slaying of son: Kim Smith; Ron Cornell was relieved when Gonzalo Villalobos was arrested almost two years ago on charges of shooting his son, 16-year-old Joey Cornell, to death.

Legislator proposes casinos in Florida: David Royse; TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Could blackjack, roulette and slot machines be a jackpot for Florida's schools and health care?

Numerous changes proposed for new billboard ordinance: The list of possible amendments to Clark County's still-untested new billboard rules is growing.

Airport workers indicted: By Timothy Pratt; More than two dozen workers with access to sensitive areas at McCarran International Airport have been indicted on federal charges ranging from making false statements to use of fraudulent Social Security numbers on their security applications.

Commission approves Coyote plan: Launce Rake; A proposed 42,000-acre development 50 miles north of Las Vegas moved a step closer to reality Wednesday.

Arizonan convicted in killing: Gregory Amato, 36, claimed he got into a physical confrontation with Jimmie D. Ingle, 57, when Ingle made a sexual advance.

Obituaries for February 7, 2002: Roy Bennett, 81, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in a local hospital. He was born Aug. 13, 1920, in Dougherty, Okla. A resident for 35 years, he was a retired ironworker and a World War II Army veteran.

MASH clears hurdle with OK to acquire land at shelter: Diana Sahagun; The Rev. Joe Carroll emerged from Wednesday's Las Vegas Council meeting with a sigh of relief after overcoming one of MASH Villages's biggest challenges of the past year.

Zoning briefs: A new Asian-themed shopping center could soon be built at the corner of Spring Mountain Road and Edmond Street, west of Decatur Boulevard.

Chairez: AG wrong in candidacy ruling: CARSON CITY -- Former District Judge Don Chairez of Las Vegas says the state attorney general's office did not have the final say when it wrote an opinion saying Chairez cannot be a partisan candidate in the upcoming election.

Summerlin, Anthem on best-seller list: Lesser & Co.'s statistics show Summerlin posted 2,976 new home sales in 2001.

Honda West part of deal: A Capital Automotive spokesman said the REIT is acquiring only the land the Honda West dealership sits on. The dealership's building is not included in the deal, and Sonic Automotive will retain ownership of the dealership. No operational changes are expected at Honda West.

Residents relieved casino not in project: A zoning dispute before the Clark County Commission was "deja vu all over again" for a developer's attorneys, commissioners and residents of a southwest Las Vegas neighborhood.

Medical offices in tech park in doubt: Diana Sahagun; The sale of one of the last parcels in the northwest Las Vegas tech park is in jeopardy because rising malpractice insurance rates continue to affect the medical community.

Airport land deals concern county: Adrienne Packer; Clark County leaders are threatening to permanently cease land swaps and auctions involving property controlled by McCarran International Airport if clearer policies aren't presented.

Las Vegas council briefs: Grocery store owners in Las Vegas will face fines if they fail to collect shopping carts.

Earnings sink in fourth quarter: Acres reported net income of $729,000, or 7 cents per diluted share, compared to net income of $1.5 million, or 13 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. Revenues fell 48 percent to $5.3 million.

Prep wrestling standings: CLASS 4A

Catching up with: Nikki Hitchens: High School: Silverado ('01)

Rx plan's capacity increased: CARSON CITY -- The state will allow 1,500 more elderly residents to enroll in a program that provides free insurance for low-income seniors to purchase prescription drugs.

LV Hilton defends firing of server: The Hilton, which has a collective bargaining agreement with Culinary Union Local 226, said in a lawsuit against the union it was accused by the union of terminating banquet server Willow Thames in January 2000 without just cause and singling her out for "extraordinarily harsh treatment" in retaliation for her union support.

Prep girls soccer standings: CLASS 4A

2002 UNLV football signees: 2002 UNLV football signees

News briefs for February 7, 2002: A teenage driver of a sport utility vehicle was arrested after rolling the truck on the Strip this morning, killing two passengers, Metro Police said.

Charges brought mixed results: Jennifer Knight; The conclusion of Community College of Southern Nevada teacher Vince Ricci's criminal case marks the end of a 10-month attorney general's investigation that brought out wrongdoing at the college but ended with mixed results.

Nevadans join effort to restore highway funding: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Nevada lawmakers have joined an effort to restore federal highway money just a few days after President Bush unveiled a budget that would strip the money away.

Robinson gives his class a B-minus: Steve Guiremand; It wasn't too long ago that UNLV had to stave off schools such as Southern Utah and Nebraska-Kearney for its football recruits.

Wildcats have wild time: Spencer Patterson; If Las Vegas High coach Bob Beskow had any concerns his Wildcats might look past Rancho to Friday's matchup with first-place Desert Pines, those fears were put to rest long before he could break a sweat Wednesday night.

Court briefs for February 7, 2002: Two women have filed a lawsuit against the Nevada State Bar and the Nevada Supreme Court alleging their First Amendment rights have been violated because they have been prohibited from discussing a complaint they filed against an unnamed attorney.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Marnell confident despite losing partner, crew chief: George Marnell's NHRA Pro Stock operation finally turned the corner last year as the 51-year-old Las Vegas businessman earned his first national-event victory after nine full seasons on the circuit.

Las Vegas council briefs for February 7, 2002: The City Council on Wednesday adopted a bill allowing stores to retrieve carts but also gives the city the option of retrieving them and charging fines for removal and storage.

Columnist Paula Del Giudice: SHOT Show draws thousands: The Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference (SHOT) wrapped up its largest exposition here on Tuesday.

Tribal sports betting cleared: Casino-style gambling, lotteries and slot machines are illegal in Wyoming and cannot be negotiated, U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson ruled.

Immigrant workshop helps students' parents: By Timothy Pratt; Hermelinda Cibrian never set foot in a school.

Columnist Dean Juipe: UNLV boxers to mix it up with nation's best: Dean Juipe; UNLV's club boxing team gets both a financial and a physical boost this week with a silent auction that will raise money for the program and a 12-bout card that will see nine of the Rebels in action.

Gibbons discusses nuke repository with two top presidential advisers: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Starting Nevada's appeal to the White House on Yucca Mountain, Rep. Jim Gibbons said that President Bush's advisers are struggling with the issues of terrorism and nuclear waste storage.

Williams agrees to pay campaign fine: CARSON CITY -- Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, has agreed to pay $6,800 for failing to submit campaign finance reports or filing them late.

Stock sale OK'd for LV slot maker: CARSON CITY -- A Las Vegas slot machine manufacturing company that is on the verge of collapse has gained preliminary approval from the state Gaming Control Board to issue 13 million shares of common stock to pay its investors and creditors.

Regent: Cost for college consultants exorbitant: Jennifer Knight; University Regent Tom Kirkpatrick is calling for full accounting of consultants being used at the new Nevada State College at Henderson and the costs he calls exorbitant.

Las Vegas area fishing report: Some stripers are biting: Although the fishing for striped bass at Lake Mead continues to be slow throughout the lake, there have been some encouraging signs as anglers have been finding fish in some locations.

Prep boys basketball standings: CLASS 4A

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Cox officials upset by move: From the looks of things, "A New Place To Call Home," as the UNLV women's basketball media guide refers to the new $16.8 million Cox Pavilion, may turn out to be little more than a weekend rental.

Programs cut infant mortality: A fall in infant mortality rates in Nevada can be linked, at least in part, to an emphasis on continuing care programs, health officials said Wednesday.

GOP candidates collect donations from Yucca team: Erin Neff; Republicans vying for Nevada's three congressional seats each received campaign contributions from Yucca Mountain proponents -- a move they said has no impact on their opposition to the project.

Public, rivals to have say on Sprint rate hike: Malcolm Hall; Competing telephone providers and consumers of Sprint Corp. services will receive plenty of opportunity to comment on the company's request to increase rates in the Las Vegas area by nearly $90 million a year.

Prep girls basketball standings: CLASS 4A

Sun Boys Hoops Top 10: Teams ranked jointly by the Sun and Sparks Tribune. Records through Tuesday's games.

Sun Athletes of the Week: Corey Tyler and Lyndsay Gensler: School: Silverado

Soccer notes: UNLV's Hooker named to academic team: Only the seventh student-athlete in school history to be named a First Team Academic All-American, Hooker is a mechanical engineering major carrying a 3.92 grade-point average. He is also member of the UNLV Honors College and was recently named UNLV Mechanical Engineering Student of the Year.

Art Deco-themed hotel set for for Tropicana Ave.: By his own admission, Marvin Lipschultz said not very many people saw "Terror on Alcatraz," a 1986 prison thriller he produced in his Hollywood days.

Business briefs for February 7, 2002: An executive from the Sports Club Co. said Wednesday his company sold the Sports Club/Las Vegas fitness center to Leisure Sports, a Pleasanton, Calif.-based athletic club and hotel operator.

Nevada to get federal funds to help displaced workers: Diana Sahagun; Southern Nevada will receive up to $4.8 million through a National Emergency Grant to assist workers who lost their jobs after Sept. 11.

School officials: No funds to fight drug war: By Emily Richmond; Faced with an exploding population and gutted budget, Clark County School District officials say they're struggling to solve the growing problem of drug use and sales on school campuses, as seen in a new survey released Wednesday.

Venetian alliance aims for European visitors: David Strow; The Venetian announced Tuesday it entered into a marketing alliance with one of the world's largest upscale hotel chains, in a move designed to shore up international visitation to the $1.5 billion Las Vegas Strip resort.

Nellis pilots eagerly await F-22 Raptors: Jace Radke; Keeping an eye on the instruments in the cockpit of an F-15 Eagle while flying combat missions at hundreds of mph can be a challenge, even for a veteran pilot such as Lt. Col. Dave Rose, who flew missions during Desert Storm.

Columnist Spencer Patterson: Regional wrestling meets critical to state chances: Spencer Patterson; The 4A State Wrestling Tournament won't begin for another eight days, but area coaches know this weekend's Sunrise and Sunset regional meets will largely decide which teams contend for the 2002 state team title.

Expanded NIT field could clear a path for Rebels: Steve Addy; The Rebels' chances of earning an NIT postseason bid just improved by 25 percent, and they didn't have to make one basket.

Regents demand contract review: Jennifer Knight; Two university regents are demanding a full accounting of "exorbitant" consultant contracts at Nevada State College at Henderson, including the $60,000 spent on high-powered political strategist Kent Oram.

Analysis: Guinn's goal: Fight Yucca, keep ties to Bush: Erin Neff; Normally Nevada's first couple eagerly anticipates a visit with George and Laura Bush.

King Arthur's return: Dean Juipe; There comes a time when even exceptional fighters go into decline, yet Arthur Williams feels he's anything but deteriorating.