Print edition for January 21, 2002

MLK legacy ever relevant: Stacy J. Willis; The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. may not have foreseen this.

eToys veteran to operate e-commerce at Park Place: David Strow; Park Place Entertainment Corp., making an aggressive push to beef up its Internet offerings, has hired a prominent veteran of the dot-com craze to head its e-commerce efforts.

LV firm ordered to reinstate workers with backpay: The Carpenters Union said 107 of its members and Precision Concrete workers went on a strike against the company in 1998 after workers who showed union support were threatened with termination and referral to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Critics say mailings are really campaign material: Erin Neff; Politician messages are common enough on the campaign trail, but candidates and incumbents alike also employ subtle ways to keep them on the minds of voters.

Rural residents oppose county zoning change: Adrienne Packer; Before investing a quarter-million dollars into renovating their home, Pat and Jerry Bendorf sought assurance that no unseemly developments would encroach on their rural property.

Phone giant faces big fine: The FCC said San Antonio-based SBC, the second-largest U.S. local-phone company and the owner of Nevada Ball in Nevada, violated conditions imposed when the agency OK'd the company's purchase of Ameritech Corp. in 1999. SBC refused to carry certain types of local-phone traffic for rivals in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin, the FCC said.

Secretive group plans California casino initiative: Seth Hettena; SAN DIEGO -- A secretive group is planning a $2 million petition drive for an initiative that would break state Indian tribes' monopoly on gambling and make California the third state to allow Nevada-style casinos.

Maryland slots debate likely in 2003: David Dishneau; ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Recent gambling bills in the Maryland General Assembly have been like snow forecasts in Annapolis: much hype but little production.

State mental health workers facing 5 percent cut in pay: CARSON CITY -- About 150 employees in the state Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services who deal with dangerous and hostile patients are facing a 5 percent pay cut on March 4.

Back story: Experts offer solutions, gizmos for a healthier back: Kimberley McGee; "I felt achy and it was affecting my typing," Gleeck said.

UNLV cannot afford to stumble at home: Steve Addy; WHAT: Colorado State (8-8) at UNLV (8-7)

Creditor alleges gaming pioneer in family dispute: Icon sued Redd in 1999, alleging he is liable for $1.24 million in rents owed for gaming equipment leased by the Infinity Group Inc. of New Mexico because Redd personally undertook liability in 1998 for any rental payments owed if Infinity defaulted on the lease.

Swimming: Women win, men lose in Hawaii dual meet: The Rebels return to action on Feb. 9 when they host Air Force at the Buchanan Natatorium. This will be the last meet before the Rebels travel to Oklahoma City for the Mountain West Conference Championship from Feb. 27-March 2.

Rebels land Calif. recruit: Steve Guiremand; UNLV will make it official today, naming former XFL offensive coordinator Vince Alcalde and coach John Robinson's son, David, as quarterbacks and tight ends coach, respectively.

Man, 72, convicted of seeking to hire a hitman to kill his wife: Kim Smith; A 72-year-old Las Vegas man faces up to 27 years in prison next month after being convicted Friday of trying to hire someone to kill his wife.

Political newsletters draw renewed criticism: Erin Neff; Politician messages are common enough on the campaign trail, but candidates and incumbents alike also employ subtle ways to keep them on the minds of voters.

Stepmother convicted of murder in 5-year-old's death: Kim Smith; A 27-year-old Las Vegas woman could be sentenced to a no-parole life term next month after being convicted of first-degree murder by child abuse Friday.

Birth announcements for January 21, 2002: Jan. 10:

Obituaries for January 21, 2002: Sheila Garvey, 52, of Henderson died Friday in Henderson. She was born Jan. 11, 1950, in Chicago. A resident for 1 1/2 years, she was a homemaker.

Bank heists continue to rise in valley: Keith Paul; While bank robbers are sometimes portrayed in movies as calculating characters or dubbed with colorful names, reality likely translates into the robber being a desperate person trying to feed an addiction. And in Las Vegas last year the number of desperate robbers increased for the fourth straight year.

Only GOP will get Armey's ear on Yucca: Erin Neff; House Majority Leader Dick Armey entered the partisan fray over Yucca Mountain last week, raising the political ante for local Republicans whose congressional races could determine the balance of power in Washington.

Man shot by police in fair condition: John Slayden, Jr., reported in fair condition today, will be charged with assault with a deadly weapon, police said.

News briefs for January 21, 2002: Trains, planes and automobiles -- all were on the agenda for a meeting today between Gov. Kenny Guinn and a fellow Republican, Rep. Don Young of Alaska.

Rebels' Bakken wins consolation match: The win wrapped up a successful weekend for the Lady Rebels against competition from three of the nation's top 15 teams.

Fraud suspect hit with 517 charges: Kim Smith; When told Ponzi scheme suspect Franklyn Perry was indicted Friday on 517 fraud-related counts, Las Vegas resident Kenneth Conner was elated.

Prominent LV physician, civic leader Boyer dies: Dr. Harold Boyer lived to help people. So it's understandable why 1958 was a low point for him. Twice that year he found himself feeling helpless.

KB Home project to help Safe Nest: KB Home will collect winter clothing, coats and bedding to support Safe Nest's shelter expansion expected to open mid-April.

Letter: Wiretap plan doesn't restrict citizens' rights: The proposal contained in the governor's and attorney general's Anti-Terrorism and Securities Initiative does not seek to compromise the liberties of Nevada citizens but instead adds the crime of "terrorism," as defined in the proposal, to the list of crimes constituting an emergency, thereby allowing law enforcement with a single party's consent to intercept a wire communication. It does not remove the requirement for court review of the interception before the information obtained is admissible in a court proceeding. To do so would be to stretch the fabrics of protections guaranteed to all citizens beyond their limits.

Editorial: More tests of water needed: In the past two weeks organizations have called on the U.S. Department of Energy to dramatically step up its testing of contaminated ground water between the Test Site, where the detonations occurred, and nearby communities. The department says that it has dug 12 shallow wells in Oasis Valley, north of Beatty and southwest of the Test Site, and also has dug an additional six wells on Air Force land closer to the Test Site. But that simply isn't enough and more wells should be drilled, according to independent scientists from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Institute for ...

Columnist Dean Juipe: Refs, doctors are factors in playoffs: Dean Juipe; You study the numbers.

Website operators sued over 'Fiesta' name: Station sued San Diego-based International Thunderbird Gaming Corp., its subsidiary International Thunderbird Brazil Ltd. of Tortola, British Virgin Islands and its president Jack Mitchell, alleging they refused to transfer the domain name fiestacasinos.com to Station and asserted rights to the Fiesta trademark even though their trademark application was allegedly rejected.

Driver killed in four-car accident: The driver of a Mazda was ejected from the car and died after a series of collisions about 12:50 a.m. on Flamingo Road near Arville Street, Metro Police said. The name of the driver was not released this morning

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Suncoast, MGM host contests: Ralph Siraco; It's tournament time in Las Vegas.

Riverboat operator benefits from Vegas travel woes: Alton, Ill.-based Argosy earned 67 cents to 70 cents a share in the fourth quarter, above the 56-cent average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial/First Call, Argosy said.

Nursing director joins state college: Jennifer Knight; Nevada State College at Henderson's nursing program just got a shot in the arm with two key appointments.

Letter: Sununu strategy: Insult Nevadans: John Sununu, pimp for the nuclear industry, has the audacity to doubt our patriotism because we don't embrace the dumping of the nation's nuclear trash in our back yard. His fallacious assertion insults all Nevadans.

Mental hospital gets accreditation: CARSON CITY -- The state's mental health hospital and its outpatient services in Reno have been awarded national accreditation again for three years.

Kerkorian suing ex-wife for damages: Simon Avery; LOS ANGELES -- Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian is seeking the reversal of his multimillion-dollar divorce settlement, as well as damages from his ex-wife for revealing details about their private life in her fight for child support payments.

Letter: Comparing Bush to his father: Like the Reagan presidency, the Bush-43 presidency has meant give to the haves and lip service for the have-nots (and a lot more have-nots at that) and massive federal deficits.

Terror liability limited for some Nevada insurers: Chris Jones; A series of exclusions approved by Nevada regulators would free most insurance companies operating in the state from paying commercial claims that stem from large-scale terrorist attacks.

New 51s manager is eager to return to the diamond: Victoria Sun; Name: Brad Mills

Trends for January 21, 2001: Lisa Ferguson; Here's a query you may not often hear: "Are You Normal About Money?"

More work to be done on Las Vegas Wash: The Southern Nevada Water Authority, with help from federal and state agencies and thousands of volunteers, has replanted 22 acres of cattails and other marsh plants during the past year in Las Vegas Wash.