Print edition for May 17, 2002

Bulldogs need three wins to bring home state crown: Steve Guiremand; To paraphrase former Chicago Cubs star Ernie Banks, let's play three.

Auditor named, SEC filing delayed: Andersen, tarnished by the Enron scandal, was fired by Mikohn on April 29.

Fewer doctors treating Nevada workers: Chris Jones; A controversy over cost-cutting by Nevada's largest provider of workers' compensation insurance has sparked a heated debate over the quality of health care available to injured workers.

RTC to push for sales tax increase: Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury is taking his message on the road -- the region needs a quarter-percent sales tax increase to keep the cars and trucks moving.

Teacher indicted in teen sex case: Kim Smith; A Clark County grand jury Thursday indicted a California teacher accused of carrying on an affair with a 15-year-old boy.

Mayor's gin choice could be toast of the town: Diana Sahagun; There could be a lot more Beefeater gin left on store shelves in Las Vegas now that one of the distiller's biggest supporters and consumers, Mayor Oscar Goodman, seems poised to switch loyalties.

Vegas man denies SEC charges: Stockett ran Hightec Inc. and associated companies. The SEC claims he lied to investors to induce them to buy Hightec stock, inflated the stock price with lies and then sold 8 million shares of stock, generating illicit profits of about $804,687. He's also accused of misappropriating $569,505 in investors' funds for his personal use.

Union calls off auto dealer vote: The election was scheduled for today.

Culinary hopes vote unifies its members: An overwhelming Culinary Union vote Thursday to authorize a strike should encourage the casino industry to move toward a collective bargaining agreement, a top union leader said.

Station opposes intrastate Internet gaming: David Strow; Station Casinos Inc. has signed a deal that will put it in the Internet gambling business by year's end.

Senate rejects bill to expand horse racing: The Senate voted 17-16 against the bill, which had originally addressed background checks for people working in the gambling industry. The horse racing language was attached during negotiations with the House, which passed a separate bill on the topic earlier in the session.

Maine residents to vote on casino development: The referendum is the first town-wide vote on the issue since Maine's Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Indians floated the idea of developing a Foxwoods-style resort and casino in the Kittery area.

Chasing Emblem: Ralph Siraco; There is an adage that goes, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me."

Kroger honored: Kroger, which operates 2,418 stores, said the list honors companies that "do the best job serving employees, stockholders, customers, women and minorities, the community and the environment."

Medical malpractice insurance crisis is nationwide: Obstetrician Thomas Johnson closed his Northern Nevada practice last week because his medical malpractice insurance is too high.

National lowers amount of federal loan request: Mike Conway, chief executive officer of the Las Vegas-based airline, said a combination of factors has improved the company's financial condition enough to request a smaller guarantee of the loan commitment the airline has secured with Foothill Capital Corp., a subsidiary of Wells Fargo Bank.

Lack of anchor hurts Henderson shopping center: Grace Leong; The owner of a new Henderson shopping center is suing Smith's Food & Drug Centers Inc., saying it's having trouble finding tenants because Smith's backed out of a deal to build an anchor store there.

Panel: Gaming property sales need change: A group of gaming property specialists at the CB Richard Ellis commercial real estate brokerage wants to broaden the pool of potential buyers by making the acquisition process less intimidating.

Vestin revenue grows, lender earns a profit: Chris Jones; Aided by its expansion outside the Nevada market and tighter credit restrictions imposed by many of its competitors, Vestin Group Inc. of Las Vegas reported improved first quarter earnings.

Columnist Steve Guiremand: Badgering locals to buy tickets: Steve Guiremand; The 2002 UNLV football schedule lists the Rebels' Aug. 31 season-opener against Wisconsin as a home game.

Students paint nuke disaster picture: With the U.S. government poised to approve Yucca Mountain as the site of the nation's nuclear waste repository, a ninth grade class at an Arizona school near the Colorado River undertook research into what could happen if a truck carrying waste crashed on a major local bridge.

Life of learning: Regent Howard earns degree at UNLV: Jennifer Knight; Education will put distance between you and a life of picking cotton or cleaning houses, her mother taught her.

County may up poverty level limit: Adrienne Packer; About 800 additional low-income residents of Clark County would be eligible for government assistance each month if commissioners agree Tuesday to revise outdated poverty rate guidelines.

News briefs for May 17, 2002: The National Park Service has scheduled meetings for public comment on the environmental impact at Lake Mead and Lake Mohave of recreation activities such as skiing, boating, fishing, swimming and personal watercraft use.

Charity game slated Sunday at Santa Fe: The admission fee of $25 per person includes the game, BBQ meal and two raffle tickets. Tickets can be purchased at tickets.com or at the Santa Fe ice rink. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Hiatt's back; Greene, Mota leave Las Vegas: Victoria Sun; Upon returning from an eight-game road trip, the Las Vegas 51s welcomed Phil Hiatt back to the team and waved goodbye to two solid performers.

Woman found stabbed to death: Officers were called to the 8800 block of Quail Country Way, near Desert Inn Road and Durango Drive, about 11 p.m. Thursday. Officers found a woman stabbed to death and a man with stab wounds.

Former Nellis boss to head airport security: Blair, a 25-year Air Force veteran, has more than 30 years of experience in managing large organizations in fields such as airfield management, human resources, security and city planning, said Nico Melendez, a spokesman with Transportation Security Administration.

2 life terms given killer of woman: Christopher Williams, 20, was convicted in February of the sexual assault and murder of Song Magliari, 64.

Postal officials perplexed by public's ignorance of its plight: What if a company that served nearly every American lost $1.5 billion last year and was projected to lose another $1.5 billion this year?

Columnist Jimmy Vasser: You aren't done even after you have qualified: Jimmy Vasser; It's raining again in Indianapolis. That seems to be the theme this month and it is getting old for the entire garage area at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Pahrump teen to undergo mental evaluation: Kim Smith; A Nye County judge has ordered a Pahrump teenager accused of hijacking a school bus to undergo a mental evaluation to determine if he should be tried as an adult.

Huston blames wife in her death: Kim Smith; Most convicted murderers appearing before a judge for sentencing say they are sorry, or they say nothing. Fred Huston, 82, provided his judge a travelogue Thursday.

Teen charged in deaths, trooper shooting: Kim Smith; Gasps of outrage and shock filled the courtroom this morning as a 16-year-old boy accused of killing two men and shooting a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper made his first court appearance.

Commuter carrier adding Vegas flights: The company, which is contracted as a commuter carrier for Tempe, Ariz.-based America West Airlines, will add service to Santa Barbara and Fresno, Calif. The commuter airline also will add a second daily flight to and from Colorado Springs, Colo.

Snakes alive! Antivenin supplies are low but experts say human-serpent confrontations are rare: Las Vegas health and wildlife officials say they are not concerned that warmer weather is bringing rattlesnakes out at a time when antivenin supplies are low because so few people are bitten by the snakes.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: 'Young guns' produce in victory lane: Ricky Rudd created a buzz on the Winston Cup scene last week when he complained that the "older" NASCAR drivers are being ignored while too much attention is being paid to the younger drivers.

Alabama governor tries again to create a lottery: Phillip Rawls; MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Gov. Don Siegelman is taking a second chance on a state lottery and creating what might be a galvanizing issue for his opponents and Alabama voters.

State engineer to decide Lincoln water war: CARSON CITY -- Mesquite, the fastest growing city in Nevada, fears its water supply is threatened. Lincoln County, one of the poorest counties in Nevada, sees its underground water resource as a way to avoid bankruptcy.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Dead aren't just numbers: Who are Avi Bayaz, Shoshana Magmari, Dahlia Masa, Haim Rafael, Yisrael Shiker, Anat Trempatush and Rasan Sharouk? You only know them as numbers in the news. They are the names of some of the 16 people killed by a suicide bomber in a pool hall and cafeteria in Rishon Lezion, Israel.

Centennial eyes spot in state finals: Spencer Patterson; Tell most Basic baseball fans their team would hold the four, five and six hitters in Centennial's lineup hitless, and they probably would have loved the Wolves' chances of winning Tuesday.

Board plans to adopt goals to meet federal reading rules: CARSON CITY -- Teaching children to read by the end of the third grade and eliminating different levels of achievement among racial groups have been identified as two goals of the state Board of Education.

Bypass route raises fears of growth: Jeffrey Libby; A potential U.S. 93 bypass route long favored by the Boulder City Council passes through a section of federal land -- raising concerns about the possibility of commercial development there.

Edison not 'technically' in default: By Timothy Pratt; Faced with the end of the fiscal year in six weeks, the Clark County School District decided to withhold its quarterly payment to Edison Schools when the company came up short on a donation it promised to the district by May 15, an official said.

Slammin' Sammy: Resilient Hagar no longer on the outs: Kirk Baird; When: 8 p.m. today and Saturday.

Gibbons says Bush did not have specific Sept. 11 information: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- President Bush last summer did not have specific information about times, dates or places of a likely terrorist attack, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said Thursday.

Kaplan launches comeback with namesake comedy club: When: 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., through Saturday.

513460005.html: When: 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., through Saturday.

Civic Symphony concludes season at Reed Whipple: What: Las Vegas Civic Symphony.

Inmates testify to guard's sexual visits to their cells: Kim Smith; A former Clark County Detention Center inmate told jurors Thursday that a corrections officer visited her cell a dozen times in one evening, forcing her to touch him once and strip.

Wife takes deal in husband's death: Kim Smith; A Las Vegas woman who killed her husband told District Judge Joseph Bonaventure Thursday she chose not to leave the emotionally abusive relationship because she was "blinded by love."

Fed altering key policy for bank lending: Martin Crutsinger; WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve today unveiled a significant shift in its operations as the nation's lender of last resort. It proposed making it more expensive for banks to borrow directly from the Fed.

Datebook for May 17, 2002: Clark County's annual Rhythm & Ribs day, featuring blues artists and the valley's top cooks competing in a rib cook-off, will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Sunset Park, 2601 E. Sunset Road. Call 455-8200.

On Display for May 17, 2002: "Eclectic Abstractions," works by Thaddeus Foster, are on display through Saturday at Community College of Southern Nevada's Fine Art Gallery, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave. in North Las Vegas. Call 651-4205.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Reflecting on Anka's long, hit-filled career: Joe Delaney; Quintessential performer, singer and songwriter Paul Anka, appearing in The Mirage's Siegfried & Roy Theatre through Monday, is the subject of the newest "Biography" installment on A&E (Cox cable channel 32) ... It had its premiere Monday ... It is also available on VHS as "Paul Anka, Music Man" found at whitestarvideo.com.

Rebels rolling in regionals: UNLV had led five consecutive rounds of play over its last two tournaments but saw that streak snapped as Thursday's two-over 290 left the team five strokes behind Texas.

UNLV baseball team whips SDSU: Van, now 7-5 on the season, gave up only three hits and struck out four.

Tracy finally goes faster in Indy practice: Tracy's speed of 224.870 miles per hour in the Team Green 7-Eleven Dallara/ Chevrolet was 11th fastest on a windy day of practice and fourth fastest among unqualified cars.

PCL box: Las Vegas - Portland: Time -- 3:04. Attendance -- 4,180. Umpires: HP-- Lamplugh, 1b-- Hamilton, 3b-- Chittenden.

Letter: GOP is big on the letter 'L': There was Ronald Reagan's frequent use of his derogatory term "liberal," G.H.W. Bush's use of the word "lips," as in "Read my lips," and now we have G.W. Bush's special "L" word: "layoffs."

Letter: Mining law needs change: According to the Mineral Policy Center, this law resulted in 500,000 abandoned mine sites (some are big and toxic enough to qualify as federal Superfund sites), 10,000 miles of dead streams and 50 billion tons of contaminated waste. The cleanup costs are estimated at a minimum of $35 billion.

Letter: Homeless issue must be handled with compassion: The mayor speaks of "national experts" and their beliefs to address the challenge effectively and realistically. He is putting his confidence in the wrong "experts" in the wrong government (federal).

Editorial: Closed campuses the right decision: The Clark County School District's decision to prevent students from leaving campus during the day is a sound one. When children are in school, teachers and administrators assume the role of parents and are responsible for the students' safety and well-being. In light of the fact that students have just 30 minutes for lunch break, they may rush to and from fast-food restaurants, a situation that can result in students putting themselves and others in danger if they drive too fast.

Editorial: When good friends are hard to find: The plight facing the two states is similar, but South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges' objection to having plutonium stored temporarily in South Carolina is laced with hypocrisy. Hodges, the same man who fears the federal government will renege on its deal to eventually move the waste out of his state to Nevada, has endorsed Yucca Mountain as the nation's permanent nuclear waste dump. And there is a huge difference between permanently burying 77,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste in Nevada versus temporarily storing 34 tons of plutonium in South Carolina.

Blood drives: Tuesday: 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Basic High School; 8:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Desert Rose High School, 1251 Robins St.

Community briefs for May 17, 2002: The Nevada Division of Wildlife is sponsoring the event "It Pays To Wear Your Life Jacket," May 24 through Sept. 2, to reinforce boater awareness on the importance of wearing a life jacket while enjoying Nevada's waters.

Eight-time speaker Dini is quitting Assembly: Cy Ryan and Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- After 36 years, Assemblyman Joe Dini, D-Yerington, dean of the lower house, is calling it quits.

Candidate filings: Congress

Nevadans help honor Reagans: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Two Nevada lawmakers lauded Ronald Reagan during a Thursday ceremony to award the former president and his wife, Nancy, the Congressional Gold Medal. The former first lady accepted the honor for her husband from President Bush and a cast of congressional leaders.

Language barriers create health problems for patients: By Timothy Pratt; A woman arrived at the emergency room hemorrhaging, and doctors realized she needed a hysterectomy. But there was a problem -- she didn't speak English. Her teenage son did, but he was embarrassed to tell his mother what was wrong with her, and told her instead that she had a tumor in her stomach.

Tight budget expected to pass: North Las Vegas' 2003 budget will stay flat, city officials said.

Columnist Jerry Fink: White is Riviera's Diamond in the rough: Le Bistro Theatre, Part II -- Attack of the Clones.

Political notebook: Titus has hopes of Senate majority: Erin Neff; Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, isn't running for anything this year, but she finds herself in the political race of her career.

Paratransit fare hike reluctantly accepted: A new plan that raises fares for about 100 riders of the bus service for disabled people got a smooth reception Thursday.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Postrio at Venetian site of Alzheimer's benefit gala: Keep Memory Alive, a benefit for Alzheimer's care and research at Postrio at The Venetian, raised a record $2 million and raised the hopes of local Alzheimer victims. Proceeds go to the Lou Ruvo Center for Alzheimer's Care and Research, a state-of-the-art facility being built in Las Vegas.

Proposed Strip spur of monorail hits snag: Complaints from hotel operator Mandalay Resort Group have prompted the region's lead transit agency to delay planned construction of a mile-long westward spur on the monorail system.

Performing arts for May 17, 2002: Plays staged

Festival features Asian culture: What: Asian Pacific American Culture and Health Fair.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Alaskans betting cold cash: So there we were, standing on a bridge over the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska -- me and half a dozen native Alaskans, enthralled by huge chunks of ice floating downriver.

'Bravo' to Charo and Co. at new Sahara home: Joe Delaney; Charo, starring in "Bravo," which recently moved to the Sahara Congo Room from The Venetian Showroom, presents the most authentic, high- energy, contemporary Spanish music, dance and comedy spectacular to play Las Vegas on a regular basis.

Theaters hope to 'Clone' technology: Kirk Baird; After the release of "Star Wars" in 1977 and "The Empire Strikes Back," in 1980, George Lucas had enough.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Hollywood Park: Saturday's entries

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

4A State Tournaments: Thursday's Results

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: New failure on horizon: We already knew that he has been losing popularity with his people. Ten days ago in Tel Aviv, Israeli Maj. Gen. Amos Gilead told me that the bloodshed wasn't the result of a popular uprising. The small crowds greeting Arafat after he had been let out of his Ramallah cage confirmed Gilead's point of view. Then his avoidance of crowds in Jenin a few days ago forecasts an even darker future for the Palestinian Authority leader.

Columnist Sandy Thompson: Teen's Child Haven stay concerns relatives: Sandy Thompson; It would be a particularly good "mission statement" for the new child welfare system being designed by Clark County. It also would keep the focus where it needs to be -- on the child. Too often the emphasis is on how to handle massive caseloads rather than addressing the needs of an individual child. One size does not fit all in an effective child welfare system.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Third World politics in Nevada: We live in a place where who will win election to the state's highest elected position is more certain than in some Third World countries; where the city's most prominent politician shills for a gin company and funnels the proceeds to his wife's prestigious private school while public education withers; and where pregnant women can't find doctors while the political elites fret more about who might file against them tomorrow than what their responsibility might be to fix the crisis.

Profit is the motive behind push for Yucca: David Strow; WEEKEND EDITION: May 19, 2002

Columnist Erin Neff: Star on Nevada map should be in the South: Erin Neff; Here in Nevada, however, the South is still trying to rise for the first time. And it's about time Las Vegas gets its deserved spot in the state's history.

Editorial: It's time for reason, not a circus: Still, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice's attempts Thursday to downplay the importance of the president's briefing missed the mark when she said that there were no indications that bin Laden's followers would hijack planes and use them as missiles against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Even if the airplanes had been used only for a hijacking, and not a suicide bombing, that would have been bad enough.

Columnist Benjamin Grove: A mountain of problems for homeowners: Benjamin Grove; That quickly changed when a neighbor told them they had moved into the shadow of a mountain that may become the nation's nuclear waste dump.

Columnist Jeff German: Culinary steps up the heat in talks: It put the 50,000-member union in a fighting mood.

Letter: No good comes from Cuba policy: By continuing the embargo of Cuba, President Bush seeks the support of the Cuban-American community there for Jeb. No matter that reasonable people have never considered the embargo in any way harmful to Fidel Castro or his Communist buddies, it has only hurt average Cubans who can't get the supplies they need. If anything, it allows Castro to blame us for the economic shortfalls of his regime.

Letter: Mayor is doing his best with homeless issue: In every country in every city of the world there are homeless and poor people. And they create problems of sanitation and crime. You can romanticize it or try to deal with it realistically, which is what our mayor is trying to do.

Khan Artist: WEEKEND EDITION: May 19, 2002

Columnist Susan Snyder: Post this: Beware of bite threat: What's to bite us next?

High-tech way to stay young: WEEKEND EDITION: May 18, 2002

Sun Camp helps build self-esteem: Many letters to the Sun Camp Fund seek help to defray the costs of a camping experience for children who have had some difficulty in school, but are working hard to improve their grades.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Another day of life in Israel: The remainder of the day has been spent visiting three Jewish communities in Samaria. Cochav Ya'akov, Psagot and Ofra are communities in what we often refer to as the West Bank. We went through a military road checkpoint, and then changed vehicles and headed into the hills.

Obituaries for May 17, 2002: Mollie Y. Borak, 88, of Las Vegas died Thursday in Las Vegas. She was born Dec. 31, 1913, in Youngstown, Ohio. A resident for 25 years, she was a homemaker, a member of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary.

Bus drivers' union talks break down: Talks between the bus drivers union and the company that runs the local bus system have broken down, opening the door to a strike that could affect the system as early as next week.

Power boosts cost of water: Southern Nevada Water Authority officials presented next year's budget Thursday for the water wholesaler -- and the price of pumping water is expected to go up yet again.

Today's frontpage

< Previous | Next >

Most Read
Discussed
Most E-mailed

Complete Listing

Blogs

The Kats Report

For props, Lewis Black needs only his manic delivery and torrid material (3 Comments)

4 hours, 37 minutes ago

Elsewhere

Sands China raises $2.5 billion in Hong Kong IPO

8 hours, 37 minutes ago

Marquardt v. Sonnen scheduled for UFC 109

1 day, 1 hour ago

Bloggity, Bloggity, Bloggity

Will a fourth consecutive title by Jimmie Johnson be good or bad for NASCAR? (3 Comments)

1 day, 2 hours ago

Top Chef: Las Vegas

The Jet Stream: And then there were four

1 day, 2 hours ago

Top Chef Episode 12: On keeping it simple

1 day, 2 hours ago

Miech Again

Chilly start for Chace, but Stanback says he'll warm up (1 Comment)

1 day, 4 hours ago

More blogs »

Live chat: Tuesday, noon PST; Chat with Krista Creelman; Problem Gambling Center executive director Krista Creelman will answer questions about gambling addiction from Las Vegas Sun readers from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. ... Submit question