Print edition for June 6, 2002

Indian gaming company launches TV production unit: Lakes Gaming will have an 80 percent ownership in the joint venture with World Poker Tour Chief Executive and filmmaker Steven Lipscomb.

Upscale tavern OK'd: The site is currently home to the former Red Eyed Jack sports bar, which will be torn down to make room for the new, more "upscale" tavern, Crofts said. The tavern will have limited gaming.

Vegas firm files for IPO: Forstmann Little paid $2.1 billion in cash and debt for Citadel a year ago, and in February named Farid Suleman, chief executive officer of rival Infinity Broadcasting Corp., as Citadel's CEO.

FCC OKs Las Vegas phone transfer: Las Vegas-based One Source, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February, transferred local and long-distance customers to Sprint May 23 without service interruption.

Michigan tribe takes the helm at Greektown Casino: Greektown is 90 percent owned by the tribe, which also runs other casinos in the region. The casino, which is not located on tribal or federal land, posted a 40 percent increase in revenues in April, to $28.2 million, compared to a year earlier.

Exec leads effort to start Women's Chamber: Grace Leong; June Beland, a small business owner and president of the Nevada Association for Female Executives and Entrepreneurs (NAFEE) in Las Vegas, is establishing a Women's Chamber of Commerce in Nevada with the help of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Credit Suisse upgrades three casino operators: Aztar Corp., Boyd Gaming Corp. and Argosy Gaming Corp. were upgraded to reflect the view that recent corrections in profit growth and valuations are more than was justified by potential declines resulting from an upcoming tax hike on riverboat casinos in Illinois, the investment firm said.

Hidden gems to be unearthed at CineVegas: Geoff Carter; That omission means that I'll be able to enjoy something I haven't in months: opening-night anticipation. This is going to be nothing but pure fun.

PBA Suncoast Senior World Championship: Third Round (18-game pinfall totals)

Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Cobb book filled with memories: Ruthe Deskin; When he recommends a book on Nevada history, I listen -- especially when the author was an old friend and fellow student at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Wire Editors: AP; SLCW101 - Volunteers fill out forms on Thursday ...

Ralph Siraco's selections for Friday's races at Hollywood Park: Friday's card

Into focus: In fourth year, CineVegas continues to shape its identity: Kirk Baird; Now the founder and CEO of Entertainment Development Corp. (EDC), Jones is a veritable hype machine when it comes to her company's largest production, the CineVegas International Film Festival:

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 7:05 p.m.

Steele advises big fight ref: Dean Juipe; When Mike Tyson was denied a boxing license earlier this year in Nevada and his proposed heavyweight title fight with Lennox Lewis was subsequently moved from Las Vegas to Memphis, those coordinating the bout lost their access to some of this state's resources.

Hold those phones for recycling: Old phones can be taken to any Sprint store or to Endeavor at 6200 W. Oakey Blvd., to be recycled and sold. A portion of the proceeds will go to assist Endeavor, which serves 1,500 disabled and their families in Southern Nevada.

Air Force Academy graduates 5 Nevadans: Dick Benoit; Five Southern Nevadans are among 929 Air Force Academy cadets who are the first class since the Vietnam era to graduate during a war.

Annexing plans are proposed: North Las Vegas may become the first city to annex 170 undeveloped acres under an alternate process approved by the 2001 Legislature.

Obituaries for June 6, 2002: Sergio Ayala-Arias, 27, of Las Vegas died Sunday in Las Vegas. He was born Oct. 8, 1974, in Mexico. A resident for five years, he was a landscaper.

Officer hospitalized after motorcycle crash: Officer Tina Ellison, 40, an officer for three years, was training with other officers and several instructors when her motorcycle went off the roadway about 9:30 p.m., police said.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Williams still has plans for becoming champion: Dean Juipe; There was a time in the not too distant past when Jeremy Williams was seen as something better than a fringe contender.

Ambulance given to CCSN program: The new rig will allow students to participate in staged casualty exercises and hospital training, said Chris Nollette, director of CCSN's Emergency Medical Services program.

Court rules trash layoff not racial: Sun Staff; CARSON CITY -- A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that a white garbage collector in Las Vegas was laid off of his job by Republic Services of Southern Nevada not because of his race but because of his poor work performance.

Culinary, Riviera reach tentative agreement: By Jeff German; The Culinary Union late Wednesday reached a tentative contract agreement with the Riviera similar to those struck with the Strip megaresorts that give workers their largest ever increase in wages and benefits.

New zoning for strip clubs eyed: New Clark County laws could soon control more risky business in the area's strip clubs and other adult venues.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Hammonds makes first final after firing crew chief: Former Georgia Tech basketball coach Bobby Cremins once called Tom Hammonds "the hardest-working ballplayer I've ever coached."

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Looking at the Saudis: Barone isn't buying into these tactics when he writes, "Such behavior is nothing new. The Saudis stymied the FBI investigation of the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing. The Saudis refused a U.S. request in 1996 that they take custody of bin Laden; he went to Afghanistan instead. They refused in 1995 to hand over Imad Mughniyah, believed responsible for the bombing of a Marine barracks in Lebanon in 1983. Far from aiding our efforts against terrorism, the Saudis have worked against them -- to protect the terrorists in their own ranks. Also, the Saudis have praised suicide bombings and raised money ...

Massive plan for fed land unveiled: Benjamin Grove and Launce Rake; WASHINGTON -- Nevada's senators today unveiled sweeping legislation that maps out a comprehensive federal land use plan for Clark County -- an ambitious attempt to strike a compromise between environmentalists, developers, outdoors enthusiasts and local governments.

County's new billboard ordinance gets first test: Critical observers gave the Clark County Commission mixed reviews for its handling of a flood of new applications for new billboards Wednesday.

UNLV's Wickman on All-American team: Wickman, the MWC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Mountain West Conference selection, posted a league-record .490 batting average in his debut with the Rebels.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: USA picks bad time to play well: It was two o'clock in the morning, and most red-blooded American males were not watching soccer nor even dreaming about it, like they do in Brazil and England and France and every other country that hasn't been exposed to the cool sports we invented, such as football, baseball, basketball and doing 360s on a skateboard in an empty swimming pool.

Residents win round in fight against ride: Diana Sahagun; Neighbors may have won a round in their fight against the Stratosphere's plans to build a thrill ride near their homes, but the battle is far from over.

Man receives life in beating death: Kim Smith; In what one prosecutor called a classic case of domestic violence, a 47-year-old Las Vegas man was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison for fatally beating his girlfriend to death last summer.

UMC trauma center to lose 31 surgeons in insurance crisis: By Emily Richmond; The toll of the medical malpractice insurance crisis on the Las Vegas Valley continues to climb -- University Medical Center's trauma center officials say they are losing five trauma surgeons and 26 specialty surgeons as a result.

Letter: Bus drivers can't expect free ride on insurance: My husband works in the maintenance yard as a service worker-fueler. He has been employed since 1998 with ATC. The service workers and mechanics currently pay health care premiums -- $43.85 is deducted biweekly from my husband's check. This provides coverage for a family of eight. The amounts the drivers were being asked to pay, according to the May 26 Las Vegas Sun, were still less than what the service workers and mechanics are currently paying.

Vegas sports on TV/Radio: Thursday

Sun All-State baseball team: Centennial, C, Soph.

Cool weather hurts retail sales: But companies like Kohl's Corp. and TJX Cos. Inc., which have managed to beat an overall sluggish retail trend, once again reported solid sales gains today as big stores released monthly results.

UNLV cops charged with stealing time: Jennifer Knight; The attorney general's office has filed charges against two UNLV police officers for stealing time, a gross misdemeanor that could result in both suspects serving time, officials said.

County rejects protests, OKs senior housing: Clark County commissioners approved zoning for a new apartment complex for seniors Wednesday -- but the approval came over the objections of county staff, the advisory boards and nearby residents.

Editorial: A burning issue -- for real: We don't think waiting for several years is the correct answer. This is a known danger and the time to address it is now. The Clark County Commission should take the lead and formally acknowledge the need for an interim solution, one that would serve between now and the time when a fire station could be built. The county should seek advice from the U.S. Forest Service (the homes are within the Toiyabe National Forest) and the state fire marshal's office, agencies well suited for this type of planning. The Lower Kyle Canyon Advisory Board, as well, should be present ...

Editorial: Nevada's senators brace for last stand: One of the reasons for the House's lopsided vote was that GOP Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., for years has made Yucca Mountain a top priority in the Republican agenda. The odds were stacked against Nevada in the House, especially with President Bush's endorsement of Yucca Mountain, but it isn't as bad in the Senate because Harry Reid of Nevada is that body's second-highest ranking Democrat. For instance, of the 10 votes against Yucca Mountain in the Senate committee's Wednesday vote, nine were from Democrats. But Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., has had a steep hill to climb in corralling GOP senators ...

Labor lobbyist Henrikson dies: Jace Radke; Reading and learning were pursuits that Leo Henrikson always made time for, and it showed when he would unleash his vast vocabulary as a lobbyist for local Teamsters unions in Las Vegas.

Sun All-State softball team: Centennial, C, Sr.

Request by mayor's son raises ethics question: Erin Neff; A simple cost-savings measure sought by Las Vegas Municipal Court is proving anything but easy, thanks to the application by Mayor Oscar Goodman's son to provide defense services for the court.

McGowan wowed 'em: Spencer Patterson; What can Brianne McGowan possibly do for an encore?

Letter: 'Outcall' boxes are offensive: We liked the neighborhood where the townhome was located, a few blocks from Terrible's casino, and almost everything else. However, I think the "outcall" boxes along the street are a disgrace to your city.

Council debate becomes biblical: Erin Neff; The spats between two Las Vegas City Council members boiled over with Old Testament fire and brimstone Wednesday during a discussion of the city's special events policy.

Community briefs for June 6, 2002: Southern Nevada residents thinking about adopting a desert tortoise can find out how to make tortoises healthier and happier during a free slide presentation June 18 by Betty Burge of the Tortoise Group.

Attorney joins memorial group: The organization is devoted to creating a national memorial honoring victims of a 1955 plane crash near Las Vegas and honoring the Cold War in general.

Letter: Lays deploy golden parachute: Claiming "poverty," the Lays have been dumping their spoils from the Enron debacle for several months now, in anticipation of hungry creditors banging at their mansion's doors.

Fair care: Private day-care operations say public Safekey program has competitive edge: Local recreation departments started after-school Safekey programs in 1985 to keep kids off the streets between the end of the school day and when parents got off work.

Cardinals draft two prep stars on 2nd day: Spencer Patterson; Selections with local ties in this year's MLB draft

Coon put Hawks in hunt: Spencer Patterson; As a sophomore on Silverado's 2000 state championship baseball squad, Tyler Coon earned a reputation as one of Southern Nevada's top young hitters.

MASH to close medical clinic, emergency tent: By Timothy Pratt; MASH Village plans to permanently close its emergency shelter tent, which provides beds for up to 250 single men, on June 14, and its medical clinic for low-income people four days later.

Wooster coaches, players top baseball, softball honor lists: Spencer Patterson; Past Sun State Players of Year

Climbing school owner falls to death: Randal Grandstaff, 44, fell about 150 feet around 12:40 p.m. Wednesday after lowering a tourist, who had been climbing with him for the past three days, off the rock face, Sgt. Mike Petricka, of Metro Police's search and rescue unit, said.

News briefs for June 6, 2002: Clark County School Board member Mary Beth Scow has filed a federal lawsuit against Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. in connection with the a tire separation that caused her Ford Explorer to crash in August 2000.

Fight schedule: Friday

Court: Well owner names public: CARSON CITY -- In a public records decision, the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled the Southern Nevada Water Authority was wrong when it refused to turn over a list of more than 10,000 names and addresses of groundwater well owners in the Las Vegas area.

Nevada files another suit against Yucca: The suit charges that the DOE's environmental impact statement was "tantamount to fraud" in the words of Nevada Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, who filed the suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

North Las Vegas council briefs for June 6, 2002: If the North Las Vegas City Council adopts a new ordinance on June 19, maids, bellhops, desk clerks, cashiers, greeters, waiters and waitresses will no longer be required to have a work card.

Las Vegas council briefs for June 6, 2002: Despite concerns that his appointment would give him a leg up in a search for city manager, the Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday named Doug Selby the interim city manager.

Court overturns child-support ruling: The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that a Clark County woman should get 18 years of back child support from her ex-husband, despite a delay in seeking the payments.

Cook Inlet plan for Ritz-Carlton advances: CARSON CITY -- An Alaskan company owned by 7,000 Indian shareholders has won preliminary state approval for a casino at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, now being built at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson.

Nevada HMO's rates to rise 10 %: HMO rates for next year are surging more than 20 percent nationwide, an unexpectedly high figure that sets the stage for a third year of double-digit increases in overall health care premiums, a new survey says.

Casinos threatened with addiction suits: As gambling expands across the country, "somebody is going to sue somebody," Common Cause president and former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger told participants at the New England Conference on Problem Gambling.

McCartney concert gives Strip gaming win a boost: By Liz Benston, Cy Ryan; A concert by Paul McCartney in Las Vegas helped push casino revenues along the Las Vegas Strip up by 2.6 percent in April, only the third increase in the last nine months.

Fashion convention defections shouldn't affect attendance: Belt-tightening during the soft economy is keeping some major exhibitors away from a major fashion trade show in Las Vegas, but local convention officials say the city shouldn't feel the effects.

Remote baggage check-in missing in gaming capital: A Henderson company that pioneered remote baggage check-in for airline passengers nationwide revealed this week that it was cleared by federal authorities to resume operations within three months of last fall's terrorist attacks.