Print edition for February 19, 2002

Carlson chief: Loyalty is key in new era: Encouraging customer loyalty with superior service -- not offering products at deep discounts -- is what tourism companies must do to win customers in the post-Sept. 11 era, the head of a major travel group said in Las Vegas Monday.

Vaccine shortage hasn't hit county: A shortage of children's vaccines across the nation has not affected Clark County, the local health district says.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Las Vegas man warms to being an Olympic dad: Quite frankly, Minnesota native Jeff Koznick has seen enough snow to last a lifetime, which mostly explains why he moved to Las Vegas three years ago.

Prep field is wide open: Spencer Patterson; At Reno's Lawlor Events Center

Rebel recap: Kelly establishes career high with 29 points to lead UNLV: the numbers; First half

Guinn tells state agencies to hold 2003-05 spending: CARSON CITY -- With the economy struggling, Gov. Kenny Guinn has ordered state agencies to prepare flat budgets for the 2003-05 biennium "because we have no other choice."

Kelly's Hero: Steve Addy; WHAT: San Diego State (16-10, 5-6 MWC) at UNLV (15-9, 6-5)

Visitor volume down 2.3 percent in 2001: The LVCVA, which monitors tourism statistics for Laughlin and Mesquite as well as Las Vegas, said there were 4.47 million visitors to the Colorado River community in 2001, a 2.3 percent decrease from the 4.58 million reported a year earlier.

Woman who had left homeless life behind dies in trailer fire: Keith Paul; Linda Klaff's life was turning around. About two months after being found cold, crying and homeless on the streets of downtown Las Vegas, she had a place to stay and food to eat.

Robbins, Irving will speak at book event: The festival will feature an outdoor fair with more than 50 booksellers, Kris Darnall, Southern Nevada program coordinator for the humanities committee, said.

UNLV notebook: Rebels' Lee captures title in tournament: Lee, who was tied for third after the first 18 holes, carded the second-lowest score of the day with her one-over par total to defeat Colorado State's Mayumi Motoyama by a single stroke.

Prep state tournament schedules: 4A TOURNAMENT

Henderson business lands federal contract: Through a contract that took effect Feb. 1, representatives from the U.S. military or any federal agency can purchase up to $300,000 in goods from ISSCO as part of the General Services Administration's "Hardware SuperStore."

Columnist Susan Snyder: Naked truth about Olympics: Or Weenie Games?

Obituaries for February 19, 2002: Cliff Allen, 63, of Las Vegas died Saturday in a local hospital. He was born June 17, 1938, in Salt Lake City. A resident for 13 years, he was a retired salesman and a Navy veteran.

Experts say LV-area awash in land options: Jennifer Robison; Las Vegas builders and real estate analysts, witnesses to skyrocketing local land costs, regularly blame a land shortage for the steep prices developable local land now commands.

Letter: They don't mind giving up rights: Are they willing to give up Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc., in exchange for means-tested "faith-based" handouts? I wonder. Are they willing to give up a lot of their civil rights in exchange for protection against imaginary terrorism? I wonder. Are they willing to see the abolition of labor laws for an "Enron" free-market workplace? I wonder. The sad thing is that it is all possible if Republicans should receive a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, especially!

Gaining rights-of-way key step for monorail: The city of Las Vegas on Monday will host a public hearing on turning over city rights-of-way to the builders of a planned monorail connecting downtown and the Strip.

FBI asked to probe consulting deal: Adrienne Packer; A Las Vegas Housing Authority board member said Monday he has submitted a formal complaint to the FBI over a contract involving Clark County Commissioner Dario Herrera.

Nevada waives teacher testing: Cy Ryan and Emily Richmond; CARSON CITY -- Nevada school districts will be able to hire experienced teachers from 28 states without requiring them to pass any of the three proficiency examinations.

News briefs for February 19, 2002: Metro Police are investigating a three-vehicle accident that left two people injured, one of them critically, in a rush-hour crash Monday on Rampart Boulevard, north of Charleston Boulevard.

Editorial: Improving relations between FBI, police: The FBI occasionally has had a reputation in Las Vegas and elsewhere in the nation of ignoring local law enforcement, an attitude that not only breeds resentment by local police, but also hampers the ultimate goal of all law enforcement agencies -- apprehending criminals. But Ashley, who has been in Las Vegas for three years, has forged a good-working relationship with Sheriff Jerry Keller, a relationship that, equally as important, usually has filtered down to FBI agents and Metro Police officers. The cooperation was in evidence as the FBI and Metro Police worked together to track down information that several ...

Scene Stealer: Highly rated 'CSI' is Zuiker's signature body of work: Kirk Baird; But last month's Golden Globes award ceremonies were an exception.

Securities charges against Vegas man reinstated: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court has ordered six counts of securities fraud be reinstated against Robert M. Friend, a founding partner of importing company MEI World Industries Inc. of Las Vegas.

Nursing shortage blamed on hospital working conditions: By Emily Richmond; Nevada's nursing crisis won't be solved until hospitals improve working conditions, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Monday.

Letter: License plate was a foreshadowing: CAROL BROWN SPENCER

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Geoffrey Bodine completes remarkable comeback: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Two years ago, Geoffrey Bodine was laying in a hospital bed in Daytona Beach, in critical condition after a horrifying wreck in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

State warns high school seniors about alcohol abuse: Jennifer Knight; The state is sending a sobering message to graduating high school seniors.

AG: Casino plan is likely dead: "Based on what I know, I think it's highly unlikely they're going to try to sell that now," Ryan told the (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald editorial board on Monday.

Guinn tells agencies to plan flat budgets: CARSON CITY -- With the economy struggling, Gov. Kenny Guinn has ordered state agencies to prepare flat budgets for the 2003-2005 biennium "because we have no other choice."

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: State's medical mess: For the longest time the answer to that question was the airport. It was supposed to be a joke but, as we all know, imbedded within even the most superficial bites of humor are always a few bits of truth. And one of those truths was that not until recently did Las Vegas have the kind and quality of medical care that a city of our size needed and deserved.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Rothermel sees Slam going down: Dean Juipe; In the interim, Rothermel cut his ties with the ABA and spent an abbreviated season as the CEO for the Las Vegas Bandits of the now-defunct International Basketball League.

California rate cut approved: A therm is 100 cubic feet of natural gas. The move comes amid an investigation started in June 2001 by California regulators into the company's gas buying practices at the California border during the energy crisis last year after thousands of customers complained of skyrocketing natural gas bills.

LV resort wins damages against Internet casino: Bahamas-based Giordano Casinos and its owner Angelo Giordano, which were accused of linking the Aladdin name to "Worldbet.net," an online casino, were ordered in April 2000 to stop using the Aladdin name to advertise or promote gambling, casino or entertainment services.

Republic workers reject contract proposal: The union had recommended against accepting the company's "last, best and final offer" because its demands for a "4 percent pay increase retroactive to July 1, just cause termination, and a Teamsters health and pension plan" were rejected.

Casino legend Sachs operated in different Las Vegas: Las Vegas was a different town when sharp-dressing, easy-going casino owner Al Sachs was one of the most recognizable names in town.

Editorial: Dire straits of nursing home care: It is common for nursing homes to have just one aide for every eight to 14 residents from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The report, though, says such a staffing ratio is woefully inadequate. The study's authors recommend one nurse's aide for every five to six residents. Numbers only tell part of the story, though. The Times interviewed patients and their family members to get a better glimpse of just how bad it can get for the residents:

Rebels OK in OT: -- Steve Addy

Box Score: UNLV-Colorado State: Percentages: FG .391, FT .816, 3P .611.

LV auction firm reports loss in first quarter: The company, which has a Las Vegas retail gallery and sells documents to collectors in auctions, reported a loss of $291,547 -- 5 cents a share -- on revenue of $292,760 for the quarter, said President Todd Axelrod.

Letter: Some just too smug to imagine hard times: But this is not to be. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, very likely our greatest and most brilliant president to date, foresaw the possible disasters looming for many as he viewed the world from the confines of his wheelchair, realizing the fragility of life.

Community briefs for February 19, 2002: The Martin Luther King Community Resource Center will host three new programs for young adults through the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. The programs are:

Rebels get some breaks in 2002 football schedule: Steve Guiremand; The Mountain West Conference released its 2002 football schedule on Monday. And for the UNLV Rebels, there was reason to smile.

Retailer's earnings rise: The Bentonville-based retailer earned $2.19 billion, or 49 cents a share, for the three months ended Jan. 31, up from $2 billion, or 45 cents per share, in the year-ago period.

Casinos to launch Yucca blitz: The casino industry, criticized for standing on the sidelines in the fight against Yucca Mountain, pledged more than $600,000 toward the state's legal and lobbying campaign, officials said today.