Stories published January 25, 2002Las Vegas Sun

Casino robber takes stand to try to protect his brother: Kim Smith; Convicted casino robber Reginald Johnson told jurors Thursday that his younger brother was not the man who helped him rob Treasure Island in July 2000.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Pflueger to challenge for Protruck title: When Alan Pflueger takes the green flag for this weekend's eighth annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, it will mark the realization of a dream for the 35-year-old native of Hawaii.

Columnist Peter Benton: Southwest Section hands out awards: Peter Benton; The Rio Secco Golf Club was the site of last week's Las Vegas Chapter, Southwest Section of the PGA awards banquet.

Top Democrats talking hospital price controls: By Emily Richmond; Three of Nevada's top-ranking Democrats, frustrated over stalled contract talks between union leaders and area hospitals, have threatened legislation limiting how much hospitals can charge patients.

Las Vegas unveils revamped website: Diana Sahagun; Parts of Las Vegas City Hall next week will be open to residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Review: 'Mothman' has echoes of 'X-Files': Geoff Carter; 'The Mothman Prophecies'

Columnist Sandy Thompson: Disconnect costly telephone charges: Sandy Thompson; Despite Sprint's attempts to "simplify" charges listed on its monthly phone bill, I have difficulty wading through my eight-page bill.

Ralph Siraco's Santa Anita selections: 1st Race -- Fin Lady -- Desormeaux aboard Hes trainee, draws outside box for sprint opener, should get the trip here. Leanessa -- Draws good post for Cal-bred allowance outing, Solis on Headley trainee, a factor throughout. Value Play -- Remember Dorothy

Accounting probe launched: The letter, purported to come from Kmart employees and also sent to its auditors, has been referred to the board's audit committee, Kmart said. Kmart also said it contacted the SEC, which has authorized an investigation.

Owner at a loss to explain attack by dogs: Jace Radke; Dail Kohler doesn't know what may have caused her four Great Danes -- all training as show dogs -- to savagely attack 11-year-old neighbor Michael Foley.

Service set for Kirwan: The 81-year-old London-born Kirwan, who worked at UNLV since 1997, died Jan. 18.

EPA orders landfill at Sunrise secured: The Environmental Protection Agency has ruled that Clark County and the company that operated the Sunrise Mountain landfill are in violation of a federal order that governs the capping of buried waste.

Boxing judge wins libel suit against tabloid: LONDON -- An American boxing judge won a libel suit Friday against a British tabloid newspaper, which alleged she may have taken money to score in favor of Evander Holyfield in his heavyweight title bout against Lennox Lewis.

Online, phone wagering OK'd: On Thursday the California Horse Racing Board gave licenses to XpressBet, a subsidiary of Magna Entertainment Corp., which owns three California racetracks, and Television Games Network, or TVG, the only national cable and satellite television network devoted to horse racing.

UNLV reunites Calif. high school standouts: The 6-1, 190-pound Relf, who caught 65 passes for 1,140 yards and 10 touchdowns last season at Compton College, has enrolled at UNLV and will take part in spring practice in April.

Binion's sued over tip pool: Binion's Horseshoe is accused in the District Court suit of violating an agreement to pay the plaintiffs their share of 3 percent of an $18 million prize pool for the April 2001 tournament.

Obituaries for January 25, 2002: David Blitz, 84, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in a local health care center. He was born Nov. 20, 1917, in Toledo, Ohio. A resident for 15 years, he was a retired manager of a furniture manufacturing firm, a World War II Navy veteran and a member of a duplicate bridge club.

Gibbons joins 24 lawmakers on trip to Cuba: Paisley Dodds; GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba -- The first of three planeloads of U.S. congressmen -- including Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev. -- arrived at the Guantanamo Bay detention center today to learn whether captured al-Qaida and Taliban fighters are providing useful intelligence for the U.S.-led war on terrorism.

UNLV's new softball facility draws praise from players: Victoria Sun; UNLV softball player Arica Painter didn't mince words when comparing the team's brand new home, Eller Media Stadium, to its old digs at Rebel Diamond.

Gaming analysts attempt reversing IGT stock slide: David Strow; Despite reporting strong earnings growth, many of International Game Technology's investors headed for the exits Thursday.

Tyson to be grilled: Dean Juipe; Without tipping her hand on precisely how she'll vote, Amy Ayoub made it clear that she's in no hurry to welcome Mike Tyson back to Nevada.

Insurance breaks for UMC workers stopped: Adrienne Packer; University Medical Center waived co-payments for its employees against county policy for the last decade in a move that cost the county hospital hundreds of thousands of dollars, officials said.

News briefs for January 25, 2002: The cause of the fire that killed Moapa Justice of the Peace Marley Robinson early Thursday remains under investigation, but Metro Police said no foul play is suspected.

County issues new rules for recyclers: In an effort to outlaw "rogue" recycling outfits and unkempt facilities, the Clark County Health District Board on Thursday adopted new regulations to prevent recyclers from handling contaminated waste.

Financial news for state is not good: CARSON CITY -- A double dose of gloomy financial news for state government was released Thursday showing tax collections continue to lag while welfare costs are rapidly growing.

Stock rated 'strong buy': Merrill Lynch had had a "buy" rating on the stock. It established a $38 price target for the stock.

Coalition targets unlicensed immigrant drivers: By Timothy Pratt; An accident on a snowy road in Reno three years ago started Bert Ramos on a personal drive to make it easier for immigrants to get driver's licenses.

Harrah's executive licensed: The state Gaming Commission unanimously approved Gary Loveman as Harrah's president, chief operating officer and a corporate director after he said he's "fully supportive of the regulatory systems we are accountable to."

Mountain West men's standings: No games scheduled Today

Plan for National includes stock sale: A Florida company led by a former British airline executive has filed a reorganization plan for bankrupt National Airlines.

Parents protest changing school to magnet program: More than 50 parents attended Thursday's School Board meeting to protest a decision made more than a year ago to transform Bracken Elementary School into a magnet school specializing in math and science.

MGM MIRAGE president: Strip hotels on rebound: David Strow; MGM MIRAGE has been rehiring thousands of workers laid off in the weeks following Sept. 11, as business at its Strip hotels continues rebounding, company President Jim Murren said Thursday.

Aztecs' balance poses puzzle: Steve Addy; Next up

Record crowd watches as Lady Rebels cruise: Steve Guiremand; Linda Frohlich summed up Thursday night's record crowd of 4,626 at the Thomas & Mack Center in one word.

Senate OKs Mahan for federal bench: Mahan could start his new job as a U.S. District Court judge for Nevada within a week, and his formal swearing-in ceremony could happen in about two months, Mahan said.

Legislative panel eyes death penalty reform: Erin Neff; A legislative committee studying the death penalty heard so much testimony Thursday alleging the deck is stacked against defendants that it is considering sweeping reform.

High-roller salons OK'd by regulators: David Strow; For the first time in more than 70 years, Nevada's casinos will soon be able to offer gambling to elite high-rollers in rooms completely inaccessible to the public.

Boxer Ibeabuchi gets 5-30 years in prison: Kim Smith; District Judge Joseph Bonaventure on Thursday sentenced heavyweight boxer Ikemefula Ibeabuchi to five to 30 years in prison after ruling the boxer was competent when he entered into a plea agreement in November.

Nevada insurer names chairman: Peckman succeeds gaming executive Michael Rumbolz, who served as chairman of the Employers Insurance board since January 2000 before he resigned late last year for undisclosed reasons.

Son helps find dad's alleged killer: Larry Mcshane; NEW YORK -- More than two decades ago, on the night of his father's murder, Brian Godkin was just 8 years old.

Analyst: Coming 'second economy' will boost Vegas: Jennifer Robison; Las Vegas' fortunes were built on the resort industry.

Regents delay vote on privacy issue: Jennifer Knight; The state Board of Regents today decided to delay a vote on whether the university system should stop the practice of releasing private information about students to credit card companies.

Improved vets services studied: The Defense Department and Department of Veteran Affairs are trying to see if there are ways to combine their resources for better efficiency.

Rebels' Schick gets Mountain West honor: Rebels' Schick gets Mountain West honor

Bank operator's earnings increase: Zions Bancorporation said its fourth-quarter net income rose 9 percent as the Salt Lake City-based company experienced growth in loans and deposits.

Cortez raise recommended: The committee reviewed Cortez's performance Thursday and recommended raising his annual salary to about $221,500 and paying him a 3 percent cash bonus of about $6,450.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Ramsey to the rescue: THIS WEEK THE COMMITTEE of Clergy, Lawyers and Professors went to federal court in Los Angeles to demand that the prisoners from Afghanistan held in Cuba be identified, be given reasons for their detention and allowed a court hearing. One professor told the Associated Press that, "Someone should be asserting their rights under international law." The committee expressed a great deal of concern about the treatment of the detainees.

Editorial: Fire report should be bias-free: Reilly told the Sun on Thursday that he will not order an independent review before the formal presentation to him on that date. He said he wants to assess the fire department's report before committing county or state resources to an independent investigation. He said if anything in the report strikes him as out of the ordinary he would consider ordering an independent critique. Given the nature of high-profile cases in which there are serious allegations, however, Reilly should preempt public skepticism by ordering an independent review -- no matter what the fire department's report says. In order to put ...

Big Voss man: Victoria Sun; As each year passed, Brian Voss wondered if he'd ever win another PBA Tour title.

State joins Yucca action: According to the petition for review filed in the court in Washington, D.C., the proposed dump will cause "immediate and irreparable harm" to Southern Nevada.

Political notebook: MGM MIRAGE quick to answer boycott threat by Sharpton: Erin Neff; The Rev. Al Sharpton hopes to turn Valentine's Day weekend into an economic massacre for MGM MIRAGE, but the hotel company's executives think he'll be the one with the lonely holiday.

Letter: When will Bush tell the truth?: So why the half-truths? Bush was quick to offer reporters this: his very own mother-in-law lost $8,000 in Enron stock! But his anger was due to, "she didn't know what was going on at Enron." Which, of course, translates to: This proves I didn't know, either.

LVMS testing schedule: Monday

4 dogs in attack deemed 'vicious': Jace Radke; Four Great Danes that mauled an 11-year-old boy are "vicious" and could be euthanized, Animal Control officials said Thursday.

CCSN baseball schedule: 5 p.m.

Letter: Garbage shows lack of pride: On both sides of the highway and in the median were plastic bags, bottles, cans and a multitude of other items indistinguishable at 65 mph. On and on it went. Where was this garbage coming from? Did the garbage trucks hauling truckloads of garbage to the Apex dump have a horrible accident? It is inconceivable how so much trash could be misdirected via a normal week's task of relocating our valley's garbage.

Lady Rebels 75, Air Force 50: Blunt 3-7 4-6 11, Howell 2-4 5-6 10, Jackson 3-11 2-4 9, Stillman 4-6 0-0 8, Tomlinson 2-3 0-0 4, Neff 1-10 0-0 3, Childress 1-3 1-2 3, Bauer 0-1 0-0 0, Grove 0-2 0-0 0, Clifton 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-49 14-20 50.

County schedules power hearing: The hearing, beginning at 4 p.m., will be held in the County Commission chambers at 500 S. Grand Central Parkway. It will also be aired live on Cox cable Channel 4, the county government's access channel.

CCSN baseball could reach milestone in season opener: Spencer Patterson; Looking to move into triple digits in all-time wins, the third-year Community College of Southern Nevada baseball team opens its season with a pair of home games today and Saturday.

Columnist Dean Juipe: If Tyson fights, pity the referee: Dean Juipe; Boxing referees are accustomed to physical confrontations.

Letter: Big Bosses won't get hurt over Enron: The Republican mob in Congress is on the take from the corporate syndicate and George W. Bush is the syndicate's mouthpiece. So many in the Justice Department have recused themselves that the investigation will be run by a file clerk.

Editorial: Continuing battle over privacy rights: The Federal Trade Commission announced this week that it plans to create a national "do-not-call" registry, which would allow consumers to go to a single place to get their names removed from telemarketing lists. A company could be fined as much as $11,000 if it called someone on the list. The Direct Marketing Association, an industry trade group, contends that a registry could limit free speech, but that just doesn't hold water. In the same way that a homeowner can keep solicitors off his property, a homeowner should have the ability to block unwanted phone calls and preserve his privacy ...

Campaign reports can be filed electronically: CARSON CITY -- Secretary of State Dean Heller unveiled a revised system Thursday to allow political candidates to file their campaign contributions and expense reports over the Internet.

Columnist Jon Ralston: How to resurrect the Democrats: No candidate for governor or lieutenant governor or attorney general or secretary of state -- all of which could be springboards to higher office.

Columnist Kate Maddox: Probation won't halt Poundstone: Kate Maddox; Poundstone's previously scheduled Sunset appearance, on July 28 of last year, was canceled following her arrest on child endangerment charges.

Letter: The 'right party' has work to do in Yucca fight: An editorial in the Review-Journal blames Sen. Harry Reid for not pushing the governor and attorney general to file a 10th Amendment suit to stop Yucca Mountain. Is Reid the only one who can or didn't? Why didn't the R-J point out Ensign's or Gibbons' heroic efforts? The R-J should call on Ensign and Gibbons to push the issue since they belong to the "right party."

College students take aim at credit card vendors on campus: AP; University regents in Nevada on Thursday were considering a demand that they stop selling student names and addresses to credit card vendors.

Columnist Jeff German: Revealing look at attorney donations: To them there is nothing more important than defending a client -- except maybe preserving their legal brotherhood.

Letter: Electricity bill already too high: I live on a fixed Social Security disability income in a mobile home that is 20-plus years old, with little insulation. The air conditioner rarely shuts off during the intense summer heat. I also have an oxygen converter that runs 24 hours a day, which requires more power. I have to have this to live. Add to that the power necessary for normal day-to-day life (hot water heater, refrigerator, electric lights, etc.) and it's a real problem. I realize that my situation is not unique and that there are plenty of others who find themselves in much the same situation ...

Editorial: Ending an unfair advantage: The new guidelines prevent incumbents running for office from being in "stand-alone" interviews, narrating programs or making public service announcements once they file for office. The commissioners also won't be allowed to appear on the Channel 4 interview shows, such as "County Connection" or "Desert Diaries." Reilly, however, will allow the broadcasting of commission meetings, a reasonable recognition that residents should be able to see commissioners carry out their official responsibilities.

Community news briefs for January 25, 2002: North Las Vegas Police officers will hand out 3,000 free gun safety kits on Monday and Tuesday.

Review: Predictably, Penn shines as 'Sam': Geoff Carter; 'I Am Sam'

Review: Fans should be hungry, like the 'Wolf': Geoff Carter; Every few years, a foreign film grabs the attention of the fickle 18-24 demographic and holds it well into the "aftermarket" -- that golden land where people spend lots and lots of money on videos and DVDs, often quadrupling a film's theatrical gross."Trainspotting," "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "City of Lost Children" are but three of these -- popular then, almost legendary now.

Mason honored for dedicated work with youth: When representatives from West Las Vegas Arts Center were seeking someone to work with young people, they turned to actor/director Walter Mason, realizing they didn't have the funds to pay him his worth.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Stirling Club: Life's rich pageant at Turnberry: "The rich are different from you and me." -- F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Lovely Rita: Comedian Rita Rudner revels in writing career: By Jerry Fink; Rudner is the artist in residence at New York-New Yorks Cabaret Theatre, and seems destined for a long run there. She opened the venue more than a year ago and continues to pack in fans.

Churches helping prostitutes walk away: Stacy J. Willis; WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Kate Maddox: Flash: Fred's fee fits Pitt fine: Kate Maddox; You'd think at X-million bucks a picture, Brad Pitt would spring for his wife's red-carpet jewels. But why buy the cow when you can get the diamonds for free? In one of life's crueler ironies, it's only when one becomes an overpaid megastar, who can easily afford such things as haute couture duds and Gucci togs, that one can land them gratis.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Daughter recalls SLA slaying: Some of us may have heard of it for the first time a couple of weeks ago when five former members of the 1970s militant group were arrested and charged with murder and robbery stemming from the April 21, 1975 heist of a Carmichael, Calif., bank in which Myrna Opsahl was fatally shot.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Wedding bells ringing at Four Seasons: Love continues to bloom at Four Seasons, one of the city's most in-demand settings for weddings. At least 20 to 30 weddings take place at Four Seasons each month. With Valentine's Day coming up that number is certain to increase.

Tips become fare game: By Jeff German; WEEKEND EDITION For the past 18 months, Lance Burton has recognized the value of using Las Vegas taxicab and limousine drivers to lure customers to his magic show at the Monte Carlo.

Painter Everhart still working for Peanuts: Kimberley McGee; A friendship bound by the funnies has lifted Tom Everhart to serious status in the arts world, and has seen him through a life-threatening disease.

Columnist Susan Snyder: This style of furniture is old school: Can you spell, "bargain?"

Local libraries book a growing number of reading groups: Kimberley McGee; WEEKEND EDITION

Editorial: More bad news for Energy Department: The board did say that "no individual technical or scientific factor" has been found that would automatically eliminate Yucca Mountain from consideration. But that is faint praise when considering that the Department of Energy's investigation has overlooked many of the warning signs that Yucca Mountain's geology can't safely contain the nuclear waste. The board noted that there were "gaps in data and basic understanding" in the Department of Energy's work, a situation that has caused "important uncertainties in the concepts and assumptions in which the DOE's performance estimates are now based."

Students hone broadcast skills by interviewing network execs: So, kid, you want to break into TV news?

Review: Blanchett keeps 'Gray' afloat: Geoff Carter; 'Charlotte Gray'

Orlando gives action-packed performance at Golden Nugget: Joe Delaney; Tony Orlando is back in town, performing 8 p.m. shows at the Golden Nugget, and Las Vegas entertainment is that much better as a result.

Powerful 'Script' raises innumerable questions: Max Jacobson; In the landmark story "The Nine Billion Names of God" by Arthur C. Clarke, a visitor to Tibet arrives at the precise moment that Tibetan scholars finish their lengthy, millennia-old chronicle, after which the end of existence is predicted.

Datebook: Terry Goodkind will sign copies of his new book, "The Pillars of Creation," at 2 p.m. Saturday at Borders Books & Music, 2190 N. Rainbow Blvd. Call 638-0154.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Tracing Easton's road to musical stardom: Joe Delaney; Sheena Easton, ensconced in the Hilton NightClub for the balance of this year, and Luis Miguel, performing Saturday at Mandalay Bay Events Center, have something in common ... They share a 1985 Grammy Award for Best Performance By a Duo, with Vocal ... Easton won an earlier Grammy as Best New Artist in 1981.

Kids finding rich treasures in small packages: Rebecca Malone; WEEKEND EDITION

The D. Gates: Kirk Baird; WEEKEND EDITION

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Tyson's last stand: You know who I am talking about, the guys who made this sport and who helped shape the mindset of every American kid who was ever picked on in school or on the way home. If you could learn to defend yourself and throw a punch like the Brown Bomber, Joe Louis, or the incredible Floyd Patterson or the ever-dangerous Sugar Ray Robinson, then nobody was going to mess with you, and the girls might even notice you were alive.

Columnist Benjamin Grove: Mayor takes anti-Yucca campaign to national stage: Benjamin Grove; About 300 mayors were here to talk about homeland security, and Goodman was linking the topic to nuclear waste.