Print edition for June 12, 2002

Group questions city's methods in search for new MASH director: By Timothy Pratt; An umbrella group representing 70 private and public agencies that work with the homeless questioned the city of Las Vegas in its search for someone to run the region's largest shelter when the shelter's current operator leaves in October.

Plan for homeless database faces drop-off in funding: By Timothy Pratt; A database meant to track homeless people through the Las Vegas Valley's dozens of social service agencies was struck from a list of federal grants for 2002, Southern Nevada Homeless Coalition officials said Tuesday.

Organization steps up petition drive for marijuana proposal: CARSON CITY -- A group pushing a constitutional amendment to liberalize marijuana laws says it is close to getting enough signatures to put the issue on the November election ballot.

Editorial: Get moving to end malpractice crisis: Guinn should have been more involved in this matter as far back as December when St. Paul Insurance Cos., which was underwriting 60 percent of medical malpractice policies in Nevada, announced that it was pulling out of the market. Doctors scrambled to obtain malpractice insurance elsewhere, but many of them found that the remaining insurers would only offer coverage at exorbitant prices. The doctors have suggested caps on jury awards to bring down their premiums, a plan that insurers support but one that trial lawyers and some patients oppose.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Documentary traces life in the minors: Dean Juipe; There's a bleakness to minor league basketball, as we in Las Vegas can attest. Games are sloppy, players come and go and fans quickly tire of the routine.

Magic show producer Ouellet dies at 57: To accomplished Canadian attorney Gary Ouellet, there was something really spellbinding about magic.

County Fire Dept. team practices high-rise heroics: A window washer dangled precariously with a broken arm from twisted ropes 140 feet from the ground, swaying in the hot breeze blowing late Tuesday afternoon near the Las Vegas Strip.

PCL box: Las Vegas - Salt Lake City: HBP--Bellinger (by Nance), Ross (by Miadich).

Goodman offers to help solve labor rift downtown: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said Tuesday he has offered to help the Culinary Union and downtown casinos resolve their contract differences to avoid a July 1 strike.

Editorial: Taking a 'byte' out of apathy: An interactive website that came online Tuesday, however, might just rattle that equation. Created by the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based research organization, the site -- www.mapscience.org -- allows anyone to discover how close shipments of nuclear waste will come to their homes if Yucca Mountain is ultimately approved.

Letter: CAT can't ignore problem: The company just wants to remain wealthy through greed. They obviously don't care that much about the welfare of their employees or the general public.

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

Letter: Airline pilots must be allowed to carry guns: They ignore the fact that almost all of these pilots learned how to fly at Air Force and Navy flight schools, where they also received weapons training. The deterrent factor would be enormous for a hijacker -- as he is being screened before entering the plane -- to know that both pilots are armed.

Learning the ropes: Victoria Sun; At a glance

Former Oriole Kinkade helps bolster 51s' offense: Spencer Patterson; Night after night, Mike Kinkade had one of the best seats in the house for Cal Ripken Jr.'s farewell tour last season.

Letter: Bad things going on in our country: The executive branch of the U.S. has taken powers upon itself that mirror other regimes in history. Power given will be abused.

PBA Gold Coast: Second Round

Community briefs for June 12, 2002: Through the Displaced Homemaker Program, free workshops will be offered every other week by HELP of Southern Nevada, with the next classes starting Friday at the HELP office, 953 E. Sahara Ave. The classes offer free assistance to anyone who has recently lost his or her primary source of income due to job layoffs, divorce, death, or disability.

By hook or by book: Fledgling writers fishing for publishing contracts: You sweated blood as you worked on a novel or a nonfiction book that has consumed your life and caused you to abandon family and friends.

Savvy wine buys: 2001 Penfold's Rawson's Retreat: Available at Trader Joe's Markets, $5.99.

U.S. Open tee times: Farmingdale, N.Y.

Henderson mayor to be honored: Gibson will be the 22nd Southern Nevadan to receive the prestigious Humanitarian Award presented annually by the Denver-based National Jewish Medical and Research Center. Tickets are $250. For information or to purchase tickets call (800) 821-3670.

Columnist Victoria Sun: Las Vegas sponsor search continuing: Victoria Sun; Invensys Classic tournament manager Charlie Baron wasn't caught off guard when Invensys, the London-based company which specializes in the management of production technology and energy resources, did not renew its sponsorship of Las Vegas' annual PGA Tour stop for next year.

Obituaries for June 12, 2002: Betty Lee Abbott, 70, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in a local hospital. She was born Oct. 26, 1931, in Topeka, Kan. A resident for five months, she was a retired factory worker for an electronics firm, a member of Women of the Moose, Chapter 1127, Fraternal Order of Eagles Ladies Auxiliary 3850 and American Legion 27 in Apache Junction, Ariz.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Local organizations to benefit from Saks opening: Elizabeth Foyt; Charities selected are the Las Vegas Philharmonic and Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada. Welcomed by Mari Landers, general manager of Saks Fifth Avenue, the first order of business was a tour of the soon-to-be completed building. Hard hats were issued, along with delightful details about the luxurious new store and the fashions it will showcase.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Bracing to shop for our fathers: It wasn't until I started to write about Dad that I realized I knew everything about the origin of Mother's Day, but little about Father's Day. Here's what I learned:

Nevada projects recognized: The Clark County Department of Aviation Facilities Division received the award because its caretakers for five airports in the county work to reduce energy consumption by making changes in lighting, heating and other facilities.

Much to consider about olive oils: Max Jacobson; But choosing an olive oil is complicated, and there is more to it than meets the eye.

Seniors program partners with city facilities: The Medicare alternative plan for the Health Plan of Nevada health maintenance organization has reached agreements with the Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson parks and recreation departments and the Clark County Parks and Recreation Department for its members to have free access to some services.

Thursday's horse racing entries: Post Time 1:15 p.m.

Internet pirates had base in Vegas, feds say: Jace Radke; Las Vegas was the home of an virtual "warehouse" for a group of computer pirates allegedly dealing in more than $7 million in stolen video games, movies and software internationally, according to an indictment handed down by a federal grand jury Tuesday.

Man could get life in murder of fiancee: Kim Smith; A Henderson man who claimed his fiancee died as the result of a seizure may end up serving a no-parole life sentence after being convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder.

State hopes site boosts Yucca fight: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Nearly 39 percent of the nation lives within five miles of proposed truck and train routes that could be used to haul high-level nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, according to a research organization website launched Tuesday.

Use of dead man's words sought at Vigoa trial: Kim Smith; Oscar Sanchez Cisneros has been dead nearly two years, but prosecutors trying his friend, Jose Vigoa, for murder and robbery hope to raise his specter at Vigoa's trial next month.

Broken homes: Mobile home owners in closing park must go, can't meet codes: By Timothy Pratt; Ramona Pulido, sitting beneath a shade tree on a recent afternoon, allowed that the broken-down 1966 Lamplighter mobile home behind her may be ugly.

Proposal to salvage school programs may be in jeopardy: CARSON CITY -- A proposal to send $1.4 million to Nevada school districts to preserve programs that are in jeopardy due to tight finances is in danger of being scrapped.

Bank privacy rules tightened: Tuesday's vote was the first time voters in any state have rendered a judgment on financial privacy.

Much revealed in Cisneros statement: Kim Smith; For two and a half hours straight Oscar Sanchez Cisneros denied all. Then the death penalty was mentioned.

Changes on tap at The Rio: The hotel-casino will also launch a new nightclub from Frey Entertainment -- the parent company of the Coyote Ugly bar at the New York-New York casino.

'Club Keno' off to strong start: Lottery officials said today that the keno game is off to a strong start, generating $1.25 million in sales during its first two weeks.

Bill would eliminate AC cocktail servers' gag order: John Curran; ATLANTIC CITY -- When cocktail server Tina Jennetta walks the aisles between slot parlors at the Tropicana Casino and Resort, gamblers know exactly what she's offering.

Striking bus drivers don't draw political attention: Erin Neff; Las Vegas is lauded nationwide for being one of the most labor friendly towns -- a city where politicians respect unions and where organized labor holds most of its big conventions.

Business briefs for June 12, 2002: DENVER -- Janus Capital Management LLC Chief Executive Officer Tom Bailey, who founded the money management firm in 1969 and oversaw its growth in the 1990s, is stepping down amid client defections and shrinking assets.

Deal nets state $20 million: By Cy Ryan; The state is $20 million richer as the result of a complicated financial deal pulled off by state Treasurer Brian Krolicki.

Teachers target district spending: By Emily Richmond; Clark County teachers this morning accused school district administrators of "voodoo budget practices" and recklessly spending millions on new programs instead of funding faculty pay increases.

Charges leveled at Mo. doctor in autopsy case: Kim Smith; In what prosecutors are calling a first, a Missouri doctor has been charged with the misdemeanor crime of hindering a coroner's performance after organs seized during the autopsy of a North Las Vegas woman were not returned.

Univision buying Hispanic Broadcasting: DALLAS -- Univision Communications, the nation's leader in Spanish-language television, is buying the country's largest Spanish-language radio broadcaster, Hispanic Broadcasting Corp., for $3.5 billion in stock.

Senate unveils bill on federal land: A bill that could literally transform the political geography of Clark County was formally introduced Tuesday.

Galleria, Showcase operator reports improved results: That's an 8 percent increase from the same quarter a year ago, when cash flow was $33.4 million, or 73 cents a share.

Fed help sought against biker gangs: Keith Paul; Metro Police and Clark County prosecutors have met with federal authorities to discuss the possibility of using a federal racketeering and corruption statute in prosecuting suspects in the deadly brawl between two motorcycle gangs in Laughlin, officials told the Sun on Tuesday.

Board OKs medical funds: CARSON CITY -- The state Board of Examiners has recommended an emergency allocation of $388,108 to help pay the rising cost of medical malpractice insurance for the doctors and interns at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, thus averting a crisis.

Vons plans to lower prices to compete: PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Safeway Inc. shares had their biggest drop in at least two decades this morning after the third-largest U.S. supermarket chain lowered profit forecasts for the rest of the year as it lowers prices, closes some stores and cuts jobs.

Judge rejects Yucca water injunction: Jace Radke; Attorneys for the state recorded a victory Tuesday with the rejection of an Energy Department request for a preliminary injunction to override the state's denial of water at the Yucca Mountain site, but noted that a greater battle is looming.

Report: State paid out $34.4 million in overtime last year: CARSON CITY -- The state, which is supposed to be saving money because of tough budget times, has paid $34.4 million in overtime to its employees this fiscal year, which ends June 30.

Plans to expand Indiana gaming at risk: INDIANAPOLIS -- Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee plan to strip all provisions that would expand legalized gambling from a Democrat-drafted tax-and-budget bill passed by the House last week.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Schmidt scrambles to prep two cars for Pikes Peak: If it's June and the Indy Racing League is headed to Pikes Peak International Raceway, Sam Schmidt must be in scramble mode.

News briefs for June 12, 2002: The U.S. House approved a measure Tuesday that would allow Wendover, Utah, and West Wendover, Nev., to unite as one city in Nevada if approved by local voters and both state legislatures.

District fretting over student-transfer law: By Emily Richmond; Clark County School District officials are scrambling to comply with the new federal No Child Left Behind law, which gives parents at five low-performing schools the right to have their children bused to a better campus at the district's expense.

Judge approves sale of bonds for Reno train trench: AP; RENO, Nev.- A judge approved the city's sale of bonds Tuesday to finance a controversial train trench through the middle of downtown, a setback for critics trying to force a public vote on the project.

Stomach misery has plenty of company: State and local health experts say a wave of diarrhea, nausea and vomiting reported by some Las Vegas residents is probably being caused by a common virus that can be spread person to person or through food, water or air.

Report issued on helicopter crash: The helicopter pilot, the sole person aboard, received minor injuries. The Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters pilot was about to land at the bottom of the Grand Canyon when the crash occurred about 15 miles from Meadview, Ariz., on May 28, according to the National Transportation Safety Board report.

Columnist Peter Benton: Even-par could win this week's Open: Peter Benton; This week's U.S. Open, set to be played over the demanding Black Course at Bethpage State Park, is an absolute monster.