Print edition for March 5, 2002

Letter: Mad Cow disease still a threat to U.S. population: Remember how the government assured us that no cases have been reported here and none would, because the U.S. Department of Agriculture has banned beef imports from infected countries and the Food and Drug Administration has banned the feeding of potentially infected cow body parts to other cows?

Community briefs for March 5, 2002: The Trauma Intervention Program is seeking volunteers and will have a training academy starting Thursday.

Editorial: A war's sobering reminder: Military officials said that on Monday seven U.S. soldiers were killed during a U.S.-led assault on opposition forces belonging to the Taliban and al-Qaida. In the largest ground operation so far in that country since the United States started waging war in October, an additional 40 American troops were wounded in the fighting. The operation, which involved more than 1,000 troops, occurred in treacherous mountain terrain at elevations from 8,000 to 11,000 feet. Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the snowy and icy conditions resembled the "Rocky Mountains in the middle of the winter."

Letter: Citizens must get involved: Our destinies are controlled by 100 senators and 435 congressmen who unfortunately are practically unsupervised because of the low participation by citizens in political activism.

Editorial: Free speech wins in sidewalk issue: The Venetian based its opinion on an agreement it signed in January 1999 with the Nevada Department of Transportation, which had determined that the Strip needed widening to accommodate the megaresort. As part of that widening, the public sidewalk had to be torn out and NDOT allowed the Venetian to build and own the new sidewalk as long as the public had access.

Metro's Sutton feels at home in front of camera: Metro Police Sgt. Randy Sutton is a cop who sometimes plays cops in the movies, which is an arresting thought.

Artifacts found at road site: Mathis Winkler; The Martin Luther King Boulevard widening project in North Las Vegas is likely to proceed on schedule, although archaeologists have found American Indian and pioneer artifacts nearby.

Hearings set on proposed power plant: Mathis Winkler; Southern Nevada residents will get a chance to comment on a proposed energy plant near Goodsprings this week.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Reid unfairly blamed: Nevada will soon be in the fight of its life, perhaps even for it, when the United States Senate argues over sustaining Gov. Kenny Guinn's veto of the high-level nuclear waste dump. At the forefront of that effort will be our senior U.S. senator, Harry Reid, the man who just three years ago, with the able help of then-Sen. Dick Bryan, body slammed the nuclear power industry and its GOP supporters who were trying to send the radioactive garbage our way some ten years earlier than originally planned. When President Bill Clinton vetoed that effort, Harry managed to find the ...

Horse of action: Riding options plentiful around Las Vegas Valley: "I love horseback riding," Giovanna Fonseca, 23, said.

Columnist Susan Snyder: It's time for Scouts to set sale: A man and his wife looked at the boxes of Girl Scout cookies stacked on a card table outside Smith's grocery store on West Charleston Boulevard near Peccole Ranch.

Mayor scolded on restricting man's input before council: Mathis Winkler; North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon is unfazed by a reprimand from the attorney general's office for refusing to let a member of the public speak during a City Council meeting.

Investors, city to try for a deal: Mathis Winkler; Investors in a mortgage company's fraudulent scheme might be able to recoup some of their losses if their representatives and North Las Vegas city officials agree on what to do with a half-built mobile home park.

No shortage of space for horse owners: "It's really growing," said Celso Rubio, owner of the Blue Ribbon Riding Academy. "In California it's endless, but it's starting to grow in Las Vegas."

Little chance seen for new school site: Mathis Winkler; Clark County School District officials are likely this week to lose their battle over a proposed middle school in the redevelopment area of North Las Vegas.

Ethics charge made over Herrera action: Adrienne Packer; Former Clark County employee Gene Smith on Monday said he mailed to the state Ethics Commission a complaint related to Commissioner Dario Herrera's involvement in a public relations contract with the Las Vegas Housing Authority.

Mississippi Choctaw Indians 'top off' newest hotel-casino: John Porretto; JACKSON, Miss. -- The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians marked another milestone Friday in the development of its $750 million Pearl River Resort, "topping off" the 571-room Golden Moon Hotel & Casino.

Consistency pays off: Steve Addy; First Team -- Marcus Bailey, Wyoming, Jr., F; Ruben Douglas, New Mexico, Jr., G; Randy Holcomb, San Diego State, Sr., F; Britton Johnsen, Utah, Jr., F; Dalron Johnson, UNLV, Jr., F.

Station, MGM MIRAGE fighting South Beach plan: Two major casino companies are appealing the approval of a 460-unit hotel-casino and timeshare property on the southeast corner of Tropicana Avenue and Industrial Road.

Greenspun family pledges up to $12 mil. to UNLV: Jennifer Knight; The Greenspun family, which publishes the Las Vegas Sun, has pledged up to $12 million to help fund a new building at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Former Clinton aide joins state's anti-Yucca team: John Podesta, a former White House chief of staff for President Bill Clinton, has been hired to help Nevada leaders lobby Congress against the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project.

UNLV notebook: Freshman golfer Lee continues hot streak: In her first competition since winning the Lady Aztec Invitational in February, Lee carded a three-over par 75 and is tied for 21st place at the 16-team, 83-participant tourney.

Firm plans LV dealership: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based Recreation USA plans to enter the Nevada market this summer when it completes the purchase of a site at 4000 Boulder Highway that formerly housed Steve Austin Motor Homes Sales. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Cash flow up in 2001: Revenues increased 109 percent to $233.2 million. Herbst Gaming attributed the increases to its acquisition of the slot route operations of Jackpot Enterprises in November 2000, and the opening of Terrible's Hotel and Casino just east of the Strip in December 2000.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Tark again implies he may retire: Dean Juipe; I've heard him talking like this before, sounding a little depressed and ruminating on retirement.

Vice chancellor touted for interim college post: Jennifer Knight; An administrator for the university system has emerged as the only candidate recommended for interim president of the Nevada State College at Henderson.

Doctors' insurance company weighed: Ed Koch and Cy Ryan; The establishment of a doctor-operated malpractice insurance company can happen sooner than many expect, the state's insurance chief says.

Ex-partner threatens lawsuit against Adelson: David Strow; Asian American Development Corp., Sheldon Adelson's former partner in an effort to win a gaming license in the Chinese city of Macau, is threatening to haul the Las Vegas casino operator into court over a break-up between the partners.

Beltway will ease race-day traffic: Help may be on the horizon for race-day traffic at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Attorney says no criminal intent in crash that killed 3: Kim Smith; Mitchell Dettloff is not criminally responsible for either causing an accident that killed three people or leaving the scene, his defense attorney said during opening statements Monday.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Tight-lipped drivers are disservice to fans: Two myths that now can be exposed:

Woman's death may have been mercy killing: Keith Paul; A woman found shot in the head as she lay in bed this past weekend may have asked to be killed, though a district attorney said that doesn't protect the shooter from prosecution.

Obituaries for March 5, 2002: Robert Lee Ahlstrom, 55, of Las Vegas died Sunday in a local hospital. He was born May 11, 1946, in Detroit. A resident for three years, he was an employee of General Dynamics for 29 years.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: More than 6.3 million saw LVMS race on TV: Sterling Marlin wasn't the only winner Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Nevada Power pleads poverty to PUC: Nevada Power Co.'s future -- and the resulting power bills facing Southern Nevadans -- depends on what the Public Utilities Commission decides to do with the company's $922 million rate hike request.

Ensign returns to nation's capital: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., returned to the nation's capital Monday but did not offer details about why he took two weeks off from his job in Congress to tend to a "personal matter."

Raleigh-Durham back: The Tempe, Ariz.-based airline announced Monday that it would begin late-night service to and from McCarran International Airport beginning May 31. At the same time, America West announced two daily flights between Raleigh-Durham and Phoenix.

Jobless rate falls as Nevada economy picks up: CARSON CITY -- For the first time since Sept. 11, Nevada's unemployment rate has dropped.

Letter: Let all students pursue dreams: It would be a shame and a loss to Nevada if students such as Surisadai are prevented from pursuing their higher education dreams in Nevada's colleges and universities. Study after study has demonstrated that individuals who go on to achieve higher educational goals become highly productive members of society. Indeed, this country, if anything, needs more college graduates to fill the many vacancies for highly skilled workers that often go unfilled due to a shortage of qualified people.

State awaits next shot in DOE's water fight: CARSON CITY -- State officials expect the Department of Energy to launch a new effort to preserve its temporary water rights at Yucca Mountain.

Former governor joins board: Others chosen as board members include Madeleine Corson, former chairwoman of Guy Gannett Communications, and Neil Rolde, an author and former legislator from York.

Tropicana buyout closes: Aztar paid the Jaffe family of Chicago $117.5 million for the 50 percent of the Tropicana it did not already own. The company also assumed $49 million in debt held by the partnership between Aztar and the family.

News briefs for March 5, 2002: Officers found the slain man about 7 a.m. in the 3100 block of Vegas Valley Drive near McLeod Drive. The car, an older, large four door, gold or brown American model with Nevada plates, slowed as it pulled toward the curb and the man's body was dumped out, police said.

Soldier from Boulder City killed in Afghan fighting: U.S. troops killed

Political rift could hurt state's Yucca fight: Erin Neff; Nevada politicians pride themselves on shelving partisan ideals for the greater good of the Yucca Mountain battle.

Tariffs imposed to help hurting U.S. steel industry: Ron Fournier; WASHINGTON -- President Bush will impose tariffs of up to 30 percent on steel imports in a bid to aid the ailing U.S. steel industry, White House officials said today of a move certain to draw opposition from American allies.

Judge's OK starts new chapter in airline's book: A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge approved National Airlines' reorganization plan Monday, ending a 15-month chapter in the company's survival saga and starting another process that executives hope lasts 45 days.

IGT enjoys record year, eyes continued growth: David Strow; International Game Technology, the gaming industry's dominant manufacturer of slot machines, had a banner year to discuss at Monday's annual shareholders meeting.

Promotions announced: Sinatra was previously senior vice president and deputy general counsel. She replaces Clive Cummis, former executive vice president for law and legal affairs, who has retired.