Print edition for June 10, 2002

Man hopes DNA proves Wynn connection: Kim Smith; A man scheduled to go to trial next month on charges of trying to extort casino mogul Steve Wynn says he will plead guilty if DNA tests show he is not Wynn's half-brother.

Letter: Patients suffer in doctor crisis: I came to Las Vegas five years ago pregnant and was lucky enough to find Dr. Kahle. Now if I was new to Las Vegas my choices of quality physicians would be limited. None are accepting new patients, especially if you are pregnant. I hear through the media that some progress may be in the works. I hope this is the case.

Lively Cantor: Temple Beth Sholom's energetic Friedman bitten by the acting bug: Kirk Baird; Friedman was a working actor "working" meaning successful in acting parlance.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Emblem fades fast in big one: Ralph Siraco; The War is over. The Belmont battle lost. The Emblem of a 12th Triple Crown gone.

Trends for June 10, 2002: Lisa Ferguson; OK, so maybe dear old Dad isn't as hip as America's new, favorite patriarch, Ozzy Osbourne.

Birth announcements for June 10, 2002: May 13:

News briefs for June 10, 2002: U.S. District Judge Philip Pro ruled Friday that the state's policy to alphabetically list candidates on ballots is not unconstitutional.

Review: Despite obstacles, Holland keeps solid bass: Spencer Patterson; Just call Dave Holland the postman.

Local sports calendar: MONDAY

Union endorses prison changes: CARSON CITY -- A union of state workers has endorsed a plan to overhaul the prison system to place more emphasis on programs to rehabilitate inmates so they can better return to life outside prison.

Letter: Ignorance fuels criticism of 'greedy doctors': Mr. Harbert should direct his attention to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) that mandates treatment even when good medical judgment indicates otherwise. His efforts should be directed at altering the legal definition of death to encompass the vegetative state of his acquaintance.

Editorial: Give county power to check contractor: The county is attempting to recover from the problems associated with the Regional Justice Center being built downtown, which is behind schedule and over budget. As part of that effort, it's looking at its whole construction program and making changes where appropriate. The inability to investigate the previous work of a contractor is an obviously appropriate area for change. The 2003 Legislature should work with the county to give it the investigative power it needs. After all, the state itself has this investigative power.

Obituaries for June 10, 2002: Kenneth Ray Campbell, 51, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in Las Vegas. He was born Nov. 6, 1950, in Boise, Idaho. A resident for 12 years, he was a locksmith, an Army veteran and a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Editorial: Follow the high court example: The county is attempting to formalize its process in appointing judges when vacancies arise. It wants to follow the state's lead by creating a five-member selection committee consisting of three attorneys chosen by the Clark County Bar Association, one attorney chosen by the State Bar and one citizen chosen by the County Commission. So far so good. Unfortunately, when the County Commission discussed the idea last week, it got bogged down over the question of whether to mandate a particular racial makeup of the committee.

Exams canceled for Palo Verde students: By Emily Richmond; Palo Verde High School students whose final exams were interrupted Friday by a bomb hoax won't have to complete the tests unless the score is needed for a passing grade in the course, school officials said this morning.

Letter: A democracy, not a theocracy: Excuse me, but does this woman realize that America is not yet a theocracy? We are a democracy, which means that the people rule, not any specific god. Does she know that she represents people of many faiths and some with no faith at all?

Shooter faces at least 20-year sentence in gang slaying: Kim Smith; A 22-year-old North Las Vegas man will receive either a 20- to 50-year sentence or a 20-year to life sentence next month after being convicted Friday in connection with a fatal gang shooting.

PCL box: Las Vegas - Sacramento: WP--Bones. HBP--Ingram (by Adkins). A--14,144. Time--3:30.

Blaze forces partial evacuation in Pioche: PIOCHE -- A 1,500-acre wildfire forced the evacuation of about half of this remote eastern Nevada town's 600 residents and burned within 100 yards of some homes as firefighters scrambled to keep it at bay.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Rematch would likely be in Nevada: Dean Juipe; Realistically, beyond the financial incentives there's no reason for Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson to fight again. But that doesn't mean they won't, or that it won't be in Las Vegas.

Hispanic women make their mark on Culinary: Lisa Snedeker; The Statue of Liberty that graces the facade of the New York-New York hotel-casino may not be genuine, but the opportunity it represents to a new generation of immigrants is real.

Sprint not leasing lines to firm: One Source Teleservices, which last month transferred an undisclosed number of primarily business customers to Sprint so that they wouldn't lose phone service, said the situation was temporary and that it was resolving a billing dispute with Sprint.

Uncertainty surrounds building of power plants: Nevadans familiar with state energy issues are hopeful that new power plants in Clark County will help local customers avoid another Western electricity crisis.

Harrah's noted for financial performance: Zacks.com, a property of Zacks Investment Research if Chicago, placed Harrah's on its "1 Ranked" list of companies that have yielded an average annual return of 34 percent to investors since the ranking's inception in 1980. The rating is based on several factors, including a company's history in exceeding analyst earnings and agreement among analysts on revisions to those earnings. Only 5 percent of the 4,000 companies tracked by Zacks.com hold such a rating, Zacks.com said.

Hovan only Vikings returning defensive starter: Only defensive end Talance Sawyer, who played at UNLV, has more tenure on the Vikings' defensive line than the third-year tackle from Boston College.

Las Vegas blood bank supply down to critical level: The critical appeal means that United Blood Services has less than a three-day supply of blood on its shelves.

Union adamant on health plan downtown: Downtown Culinary Union members will never accept a management proposal to switch to company health insurance plans, a top union official said this morning.

Duke Energy to supply Nevada Power this summer: Duke agreed to supply up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity per hour, as well as natural gas, to Sierra subsidiaries Nevada Power Co. of Las Vegas and Sierra Pacific Power Co. of Reno to meet power requirements during the peak summer period.

Red Rock death is a reminder of dangers of rock climbing: Jace Radke; The dangers of rock climbing were illustrated in a tragic way last week when a noted climber fell to his death at the Red Rock National Conservation Area.

VIDEO GAME REVIEW: World Cup excitement in your Xbox: AP; Yes, that beloved cry is ringing across Korea and Japan this month as World Cup soccer grips the hearts and minds of the entire world - except the U.S. of A.

Henderson hospital operator settles claims: Don Thompson; SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The largest Catholic hospital system in the Western states has settled allegations that 13 of its hospitals made false Medicare claims. It agreed to pay the federal government $8.5 million to settle the whistleblower lawsuit, officials said Friday.

Flamingo to feature two new entertainment venues: Park Place is partnering with singer Jimmy Buffett, whose song "Margaritaville" has come to symbolize a life of leisure, and "Baywatch" TV series creator Michael Berk, to operate the venues.

Guinn wants doctors, lawyers to meet: Erin Neff; Gov. Kenny Guinn has spent hours meeting with doctors and lawyers separately in the past week, but at a news conference today he was expected to ask both parties to start talking to each other.

Dealer to open Henderson store: The site formerly housed AutoNation, which retrenched from the area in December 1999 in an effort to reduce costs.

Two injured in bus-truck crash: The collision occurred about 8:30 a.m. at the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Maryland Parkway when a pickup traveling eastbound on Tropicana ran a red light, according to officers and witnesses.

Vegas sports on TV/Radio: Monday

UNLV going to higher tech computer admissions processing: Jennifer Knight; Getting admitted to UNLV will soon be as fast as getting a burger and Coke at the drive-thru.

Elvis lives: Impersonators seek respect with new professional group: He's been dead for almost 25 years and still he brings down the house.

Chicken tic-tac-toe promotion coming to LV: The promotion has been a hit in Atlantic City since it was launched at the Tropicana about nine months ago, prompting the expansion, said Lisa Keim, a spokeswoman for the Tropicana Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The chicken will be on hand for at least a year, possibly longer if it proves successful, she said.

Candidates' eligibility questioned: Erin Neff; Two local campaigns are awash in espionage as private investigators try to determine whether candidates who filed for office meet residency requirements.

SW Gas expands Arizona operation: Chris Jones; Southwest Gas Corp. of Las Vegas said Friday it plans to buy Black Mountain Gas Co., a small Arizona subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy Inc.