Print edition for June 25, 2002

Gambling expansion proceeds in three states: Daisy Nguyen; TEMECULA, Calif. -- The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians has come a long way since 1995, when it first welcomed gamblers to a casino made of tents and vinyl-sided trailers.

Letter: Heavy people treated unfairly: Obesity has many causes, and most heavy persons surely resent the condition they have. "Fat" people are frequently the subject of ridicule, often suffer from low self-esteem, have a condition that may be hereditary and may find that no effort to diet results in substantial weight reduction. They are sometimes subject to discrimination in employment.

Editorial: Let's learn from our mistakes this time: That explosion at the plant, which produced the rocket-fuel oxidizer ammonium perchlorate, killed two people, injured 350 and caused $70 million in property damage. Government decided this should never happen again and helped set up the industrial park for potentially dangerous plants. The Clark County Commission should stick to its guns and turn down efforts by Apex to allow for residential development there. Once the camel gets its nose under the tent, then there very likely will be future requests to expand the residential development further, inching even closer to the plants.

State gets poor grade for traffic: CARSON CITY -- Motorists in Las Vegas are spending an extra 31 hours a year driving to and from work because of the growing traffic snarls, a new report says.

Former bartenders sue Caesars Palace: The bartenders, who are also members of Local 165 of the Bartenders and Beverage Dispensers Union, an affiliate of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International (Culinary) Union, sued Park Place in U.S. District Court.

School Board gives good marks to superintendent: By Emily Richmond; Clark County schools Superintendent Carlos Garcia received high marks Monday for his second-year job performance evaluation, School Board members said.

Marathon walker headed toward LV: Jeffrey Libby; BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. -- Karl Bushby had a glassy, vaguely derelict look about him Sunday afternoon, as if he was not all there, not quite settled in the front room of a curtained, jam-packed, double-wide trailer home.

Obituaries for June 25, 2002: Hilda Leah Barham, 96, of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., died Saturday in Lake Havasu City. She was born Sept. 6, 1905, in Peach Orchard, Ark. A former Las Vegas resident from 1964 to 1994, she was a retired dress shop owner and was a former Sunday school teacher.

Killer of four could be center of death penalty test: Cy Ryan and Christina Littlefield; CARSON CITY -- The case that court experts say will clarify the future of Nevada's use of the death penalty has been postponed while the lawyers involved study a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Monday that says juries, not judges, should decide when a death sentence is appropriate.

Regulators drop taxi tip rule: The Nevada Taxicab Authority will strike a regulation restricting tips to cab drivers so that regulators can instead focus on other consumer issues.

Man dies from stab wound: The man was found about 11:30 p.m. Monday on Tara Avenue near Arville Street with a stab wound in his abdomen, Metro Police said.

Killer of four could be center of death penalty case: Cy Ryan and Christina Littlefield; CARSON CITY -- An appeal that challenges Nevada's use of the death penalty has been postponed while the lawyers involved study a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Monday that says juries, not judges, should decide when a death sentence is appropriate.

Former commissioner settles lawsuit over campaign flier: Adrienne Packer; Lance Malone packed up his Clark County Commission office nearly two years ago, having lost his seat in part, he has claimed, due to a vicious campaign flier sent anonymously to voters.

MGM fighter collapses, dies: Dean Juipe; Asked to say a few words from his seat at the dais, Pedro Alcazar drew a chuckle from the assembled press conference crowd by keeping his comments to an absolute minimum.

Search continues for teen accused of killing girl, 14: Once located, Ramiro Lopez will be charged as an adult and booked into the Clark County jail, said Lt. Tom Monahan of Metro's homicide unit.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Got anything to say? Then say it today: Dean Juipe; Greg Maddux said it just the other day.

Letter: Many doctors have no choice but to leave: This crisis is not manufactured, it is real. We are not the first state to go through this. To understand the end result of this crisis, we need only to look at what is happening in those states that also fiddled while the system burned. I suggest that West Virginia is a good model because they also started an insurance company instead of dealing with the issue of tort reform.

Future of community access TV station remains in doubt: Jeffrey Libby; A funny thing happened on the way to a more professional BC-TV.

Man accused of threatening Reid, others pleads not guilty: Jace Radke; A Las Vegas man accused of mailing letters that threatened the lives of four members of Congress, including Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., pleaded not guilty to a five-count indictment in U.S. District Court Monday.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: LV Events working on major soccer offering: Last week in this space, while noting that a throng of 6,500 local soccer fans/insomniacs showed up at midnight to watch the U.S. soccer team beat Mexico -- or given their allegiance, to watch Mexico lose to the U.S. soccer team -- at the Orleans, I wrote that I hoped Las Vegas Events president Pat Christenson was paying attention.

Wednesday horse racing entries: Post Time 1:15 p.m.

Columbia River plan pushed: Tribal leaders say that would generate cash flow while their permanent casino is being built.

Marijuana petition gathers necessary signatures for ballot: CARSON CITY -- A proposed constitutional amendment to allow adults to have a small amount of marijuana without being charged with a crime has cleared its first hurdle, the secretary of state's office said Monday.

Lawyer appointed to board: Gov. George Ryan appointed Chicago lawyer Violet Clark to fill a vacancy on the board. She will complete the term of Robert Mariano, who stepped down in April.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Cooler heads prevail: You can't imagine what it was like in Washington, D.C., last week for the folks in the offices of Sens. Harry Reid and John Ensign who have been working night and day to stop the Yucca Mountain madness from infecting the United States Senate.

Arena might lose main tenant: Diana Sahagun and Ron Kantowski; The city of Las Vegas could lose the main tenant of a proposed downtown arena as Charles Davenport, owner of the Las Vegas Wranglers, is looking at a potential competitor to house his minor league hockey team.

6 executed by orders of judges: Six men have been executed in Nevada by order of three-judge panels -- among them Jesse Bishop, one of the first people put to death in the United States after the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

Judge must rule on candidate residency: County Commission E candidate Michael Williams is being challenged by representatives of incumbent Democrat Myrna Williams, who allege the challenger does not live in the apartment he listed when he filed for office.

Big Nevada insurer wants to hike auto premiums: CARSON CITY -- State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. has asked state Insurance Commission Alice Molasky Arman to raise rates by 3.7 percent on its 197,432 cars in Nevada to bring in an extra $6 million a year.

Wynn joining forces with Okada: The billionaire owner of the world's second-largest slot-machine manufacturer is the principal partner of Las Vegas gaming mogul Steve Wynn's casino-resort project in the Chinese state of Macau, Wynn announced Monday.

3 Republicans may oppose Yucca dump: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Three Republican senators may vote against a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said this morning.

SBA office reopens: The office is located in the Las Vegas Business Center.

Guinn urged to keep cap on liability: Three Clark County commissioners urged Gov. Kenny Guinn to call a special legislative session to extend University Medical Center's $50,000 cap on liability damages to all physicians who work in the hospital's trauma center and emergency department.

Letter: Stand tall against terror: It is a constant fear tactic that is destroying our economy in whole. The stock market is at the 9/11 lows and may get lower, people are in constant fear and afraid to make any rational decisions, and the world is coming apart.

Cheaper gas sends summer travelers down the highway: Stephen Curran; Air-weary travelers are taking to the nation's roads again, and are doing so at a savings of about 14 cents per gallon since one year ago, according to a recently released AAA survey.

Profit up for big LV builder: The builder said net income rose 62 percent to a new second quarter record of $64.1 million, or $1.42 per share, from $39.5 million or $1.07 in the same quarter of 2001.

Striking CAT drivers to vote on new proposal: Las Vegas has been down this bumpy road before, but striking bus drivers and the local system's operating company once again have a tentative agreement that could end a five-week labor action that has stranded thousands of local riders.

Sports ticker for June 25, 2002: Dominik Hasek wanted to become a Detroit Red Wing to complete his resume with a Stanley Cup.

Durango High hires new baseball coach to replace Gomez: Spencer Patterson; When it came time to select a new baseball coach to head a program that has been a model for success in recent years, Durango High School simply looked into its past.

Ex-senior care operator sentenced: Richard Allen Smith, 48, will also have to pay $453,000 to the victim, but Chief Deputy District Attorney Valerie Adair said he deserved jail time because of the amount of money involved and abuse of trust.

Vegas lender in Texas deal: Under the agreement, Vestin Mortgage has the right of first refusal on funding loans that Advantage Capital originates. Advantage Capital will receive an origination fee in exchange for that right of first refusal.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Wednesday's races at Hollywood Park: 1st Race -- FABULOUS GAMBLE -- Rollins aboard Dutton trainee for own Dutton Stables, draws good post for sprint opener, Fabulous looks like right Gamble here. CHALIFIOUX -- Hustling Pedroza scales main man Carava trainee, training at Santa Anita, well spotted in claimer here. Value Play -- GENIE MAGIC

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Ward Burton has had few positives this year: Ward Burton's 40th-place finish in Sunday's Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Sears Point Raceway typified the way the season has gone since he won his first Daytona 500 back in February.

Magic is back and pounding the court: Victoria Sun; Running -- OK, jogging -- up and down the court, calling out plays, flipping the passes that earned him the nickname "Magic" and trying his best to entertain the estimated 500 fans who showed up to the Cox Pavilion Monday night.

Crime didn't pay that well for killer: The take How much affidavits say Jose Vigoa netted in each of his robberies:

Analyst slashes Internet gambling revenue estimate: By Liz Benston; Recent actions by major credit card companies to stop accepting online wagers may reduce revenue for Internet gambling operations by as much as 20 percent, a Wall Street analyst said.

Man sought in slaying at nightclub: A man entered the Mariachi Cantina Nightclub in the 500 block of East Sahara Avenue Saturday and started arguing with Botello-Segundo.

Priest waives preliminary hearing in sex case: Roberts' lawyer, George Foley Sr., told Henderson Justice of the Peace Rodney T. Burr that they accepted the evidence prosecutors had and preferred to go straight to the arraignment, set for July 16 in District Court.

News briefs for June 25, 2002: Metro Police continued this morning to search for a 14-year-old Las Vegas boy accused of gunning down his 14-year-old girlfriend early Sunday.

Deputy budget director to retire: Hataway, 62, has been with the budget office since 1988 and has been responsible for the educational budgets for more than 12 years.

Former Clark County Commissioner Tom Wiesner dies: Wiesner, a noted University of Nevada-Las Vegas booster who is credited with bringing together UNLV and his alma mater Wisconsin for a series of football games dating back to the 1980s, stepped down from his Regent post in February because of the ailment.

Drought prompts wild horse roundup: Stephen Curran; Nevada's wild horses are feeling the heat. And for creatures that depend on vegetation for their survival, this summer's drought could mean disaster.

Columnist Susan Snyder: A heavy burden for Southwest: They endure the wrath of passengers whose baggage is overweight, or too big, or too numerous. They are the ones who have to select which passengers will be randomly searched and prodded.

Double take: Celebrity mimics on display at Impersonators Convention: By Jerry Fink; "It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to sleep with Sandra Bullock," said the 48-year-old resident of Boulder, Colo. "The way things are turning out, I'm not sure that's going to happen. At least through this avenue, I might be able to sleep with somebody that looks like Sandra Bullock, and that would be good enough."

Report: State gets D-plus in traffic congestion: CARSON CITY -- Motorists in Las Vegas are spending an extra 31 hours a year driving to and from work because of the growing traffic snarls, a new report says.

Community briefs for June 25, 2002: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area offers hikes, walks and programs free of charge, but reservations are required. To make reservations or for more information, call 363-1922. Some upcoming programs:

Immunization schedule for June 25, 2002: RAVENHOLT PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER: 625 Shadow Lane, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Editorial: Goodman 'art' brings city shame: Some people will fault the gallery, no doubt, but the fault lies with Goodman for being so misinformed and so unenlightened as to engage in such a demeaning antic when the issue of homelessness cries out for serious leadership. Under Goodman for the past three years, homelessness in Las Vegas has grown and city services have shrunk. At City Hall, browbeating and name calling, and now an infantile drawing, have replaced the policies that showed promise under the previous administration.

Teachers, school district resume contract talks: By Emily Richmond; Clark County school administrators and teachers -- at the urging of the arbitrator assigned to decide their salary dispute -- are taking one more crack at mediation, district officials said Monday.