Print edition for May 23, 2002

Herrera leads anti-Yucca speakers at public hearing: Public hearing The public has another chance to comment to the NRC from 6:30 to 9 p.m. today at the Clark County Building Department, 4701 W. Russell Road.

Rules aimed at shielding strikers: Officials for the union representing striking bus drivers said Wednesday that new ground rules should help prevent incidents where pickets have been hit by buses.

Company plans television ads on responsible gambling: The ads coincide with similar efforts at Harrah's including print ads, pamphlets and a Code of Committment practiced by Harrah's employees toward customers, Harrah's spokesman Gary Thompson said. The spots will run in markets where the company has a presence, including selected Midwest markets and in Nevada.

Audit calls for changes in police DNA lab: Keith Paul; An audit of Metro Police's DNA lab following a typographical error that wrongfully accused a man of two rapes found some "sloppy work" but no mistakes that led to other wrongful charges, officials told the Sun on Wednesday.

5k run to honor officer who died: BodyScan Imaging Center is hosting the June 15 run in memory of Officer Gary Zicker, an avid runner who completed dozens of marathons and ultramarathons, who died Feb. 5 of a heart attack.

State to file sixth lawsuit against Yucca: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- The state of Nevada on June 4 plans to file its sixth lawsuit designed to kill Yucca Mountain, Nevada sources said.

Behnen: Dealers tried 'absolute extortion': The owner of Binion's Horseshoe Club said World Series of Poker dealers who asked for more in tips tried to extort money from tournament organizers by threatening to quit minutes before the final event was to begin.

Southern Nevada's best to play in all-star game: Las Vegas' Sam Thomas and Silverado's Brian Whitaker will coach the Sunrise squad, with Centennial's Charlie Cerrone and Bishop Gorman's Ken White coaching the Sunset side. Among those expected to participate are Basic's Matt Elliott and Micah Schnurstein, Durango's Coltyn Simmons and Don Sutton and Centennial's Chris Bonnell.

Illinois official vows to kill deal on casino: Nicole Ziegler Dizon; CHICAGO -- Attorney General Jim Ryan dealt a serious blow Wednesday to supporters of a proposed riverboat casino in Rosemont, saying he is prepared to block any deal that would let Emerald Casino Inc. sell its gambling license.

Nevada is next to last in school spending: By Emily Richmond; Nevada finished second to last in the nation in a federal report released today on education spending, a showing some Clark County educators and lawmakers called as shameful as it was unsurprising.

Taxable sales down in Nevada: CARSON CITY -- Taxable sales, one barometer of the state's business activity, fell in March by 2.9 percent, the third decrease in the past four months.

Actor Cromwell criticizes Yucca dump: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- In an ongoing effort to draw Hollywood star power into the state's fight against Yucca Mountain, Nevada officials have drafted stars of the upcoming Tom Clancy thriller "Sum of All Fears" into speaking out against the controversial nuclear waste project.

DEA agent indicted in seduction case: Kim Smith; A Clark County grand jury has handed down a 21-page indictment against a Drug Enforcement Agency agent accusing him of propositioning 12 young boys between January and March.

Park Place, union reach deal: Park Place Entertainment reached a tentative agreement early this morning on a new five-year contract with the Culinary Union in what could be the first step toward averting a massive casino-industry strike on June 1, officials said.

Magazine hires publisher: Becker was most recently associate publisher of STAGEBILL Magazine, a publisher of program magazines for theaters, symphonies, dance companies and performing arts centers. Becker previously worked for Hachette Filipacchi Magazines, the world's largest magazine publisher, as Eastern region vice president of the automotive group and corporate sales department.

Full-service VA hospital on drawing board: Ed Koch and Benjamin Grove; The Department of Veterans Affairs is weighing a plan that would replace the structurally damaged Addeliar Guy III Ambulatory Care Clinic on Vegas Drive, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said today.

Executive denies LV firm's charges: The small building materials company, now renamed Composite Industries of America Inc., sued in U.S. District Court to recover $202.5 million from several investors and securities dealers, alleging they engaged in "fraudulent and illegal sales" of World Homes stock.

1-month power rate hike OK'd by PUC: Nevada Power Co. customers will see a temporary increase in their electricity bills next month under a plan approved today by the state Public Utilities Commission.

NRC chief backs safety of nuke waste shipments: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- The government can safely transport 77,000 tons of the nation's most radioactive nuclear waste across America to Yucca Mountain, top officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Energy Department assured the Senate today.

Attorneys argue for leniency in fatal crash: Kim Smith; Attorneys for a Las Vegas man convicted of leaving an accident in which three people died say their client should receive probation because he neither caused the accident nor was drunk at the time of the crash.

Fight schedule: Thursday

Home improvement store set for central Las Vegas: The central Las Vegas store will cost $16.5 million and employ about 175. It is expected to open in spring of 2003. Lowe's currently has two stores open in Las Vegas.

Judge denies motion in dispute: Shuffle Master, which said it owns a patent for a machine that shuffles multiple decks of playing cards, sued to stop Vendingdata and its subsidiaries Casinovations Inc. and Casinovations Sales Inc. in U.S. District Court in March from selling card shufflers.

Park Place reassures investors over Dion show, Colosseum: By Liz Benston; Park Place Entertainment Corp. Chief Executive Thomas Gallagher promised investors Wednesday that the Caesars Palace Colosseum project, a replica of the famed Colosseum in Rome and the new home of music diva Celine Dion, will prove a "category killer" for the Las Vegas entertainment scene.

Station to drop Andersen: By Liz Benston; Station Casinos Inc., the largest operator of locals' casinos in Las Vegas, Wednesday joined the parade of gaming companies to drop Arthur Andersen as its independent auditor and to hire Deloitte & Touche.

Defender's sexual comments cause concern: Kim Smith; Recent comments made by a Clark County deputy public defender are raising the eyebrows of prosecutors and victims' advocates.

Columbia River casino planned: More than 75 percent of the 940 voters favored the casino in the balloting, officials said Wednesday.

Perkins' opponent withraws: Kelwin Perkins had filed to run against Perkins, D-Henderson, on the last day of the filing period.

Saving grace: Trauma victims reunited with those who helped them through darkest hours: By Timothy Pratt; Grown men cried on Wednesday morning at University Medical Center.

Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Answering some taxing questions: Ruthe Deskin; Each time I look at boxes and drawers stuffed with cancelled checks, receipts and copies of tax returns, I have asked myself that question.

Vegas sports on TV/Radio: Thursday

Sky Hawk: Victoria Sun; They stood on flipped-over shopping carts.

Bush tabs former UNLV law prof for Circuit Court: Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., recommended Bybee to Bush. The full Senate must approve the nomination.

Rebels upset Utah in MWC: Utah took an 8-0 lead before the Rebels battled back with six runs in the seventh. UNLV tied the game in the eighth on a Trujillo double. Eric Nielsen then drove in Trujillo with the game-winning run.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Downtown hockey plan still on ice: The minor league hockey team he owns plays in Fresno, yet Charles Davenport chooses to live in San Diego, which only proves that he's no dummy.

Community briefs for May 23, 2002: Teens and young adults 14-20 are invited to attend an informational meeting at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Class! Publications, in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Campus Services Building, Room 226.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Thompson to make Las Vegas debut: Dean Juipe; The Olympics may have escaped Anthony Thompson but his manager believes professional stardom is inevitable.

Bullpen struggles as LV tumbles: Steve Addy; While the 51s' starting pitchers struggled for the first month, manager Brad Mills insisted they would eventually become one of the team's strengths. Turns out he was right.

No crime found in Park Police camera: Jace Radke; Metro Police have determined that there is no indication of criminal behavior on the part of Clark County in connection with a video camera found in a Park Police men's locker room.

State board will allow 21 CCSN nursing students to take exam: Jennifer Knight; Twenty-one Community College of Southern Nevada nursing students will get a chance at a nursing career thanks to a little determination on their part and a new interpretation of the law.

Prep All-Star teams: BOYS GOLF

Las Vegas area fishing report: Anglers find bass in abundance at lake: Fishing continues to be good for striped bass in the Overton Arm and fair in the Boulder Basin at Lake Mead.

AC growth continues with casino projects: John Curran; ATLANTIC CITY -- At one end of town, there was a grand opening ceremony for a $200 million casino expansion. At the other, civic leaders broke ground for a $60 million retail project.

Wife fails to show in action against Bobbitt: Kim Smith; A temporary protective order taken out against John Wayne Bobbitt was dissolved Wednesday when his wife failed to show up in court to have it extended.

North Las Vegas briefs for May 23, 2002: The North Las Vegas Planning Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday night to amend zoning to allow a church in an office complex.

Dry conditions prompt fire limits: The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service have restricted fires, smoking and fireworks on all public lands, roads and trails because of the extremely dry conditions in Southern Nevada.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: U.S.A. a primary target: Eleven years ago the FBI anti-terrorism experts were on alert. That's when we learned that between August 1990 and January 1991 the agents put the stops on at least five terrorist plots here at home. This was the time Iraq's Saddam Hussein was rattling his weapons and he had some deadly plans for us. Surely he and his friends spread over the world, including within our borders, haven't cancelled their plans. The Gulf War was just a bump in the road for him and people with hopes of destroying our society.

Bribery, gambling at issue in R.I. corruption trial: Lisa Marie Pane; PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The course of the racketeering trial of Mayor Vincent Cianci Jr. took an abrupt turn Wednesday afternoon, as a casino employee was called to the stand to rebut defense charges that a government witness used bribes solely to finance his own chronic gambling.

Editorial: Solid facts are key to moving forward: At Tuesday's County Commission meeting, the fire chief, the president of the union, and the commissioners were all discussing the audit -- productively, with no hostility. More firefighters are being hired. Training is getting better. Two new fire stations will be built. Sept. 11 inspired everyone to be more sensitive to fire departments. But Tuesday's turnaround goes beyond even that. The major difference was the audit, which came back with solid facts. It was studied and acted upon, not shelved. Solid facts may take a little time and money to gather, but they sure can work.

Consumer advocate: Power firm's suit should be thrown out: CARSON CITY -- Consumer Advocate Tim Hay has asked a district judge to dismiss, without a hearing, a lawsuit by Nevada Power Co. to collect its full $922 million request in higher electric rates in Clark County.

Celine's Palace: In town for 'Divas' show, Celine Dion stops by Caesars Colosseum: International singing star Celine Dion and her team of producers and associates Wednesday gave the world its first peek behind the curtain of her new show and the $95 million venue where it will debut March 25.

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

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 7:05 p.m.

Teamsters Local 631 honored for works with students: A representative of the Teamsters will accept the award later this year at a meeting in Washington, D.C.

PWBA tournament: Wednesday at Fairview Heights, Ill.

Kids Count shows drop in Nevada dropout numbers: Nevada has the nation's second-highest dropout rate among students age 16-19, according to an annual national survey that local school officials have long said is flawed.

Columnist Paula Del Giudice: Fishing, boating week offers family fun: The second National Fishing and Boating Week will take place June 1-9 across the country. Events will provide hands-on opportunities for families and friends to share fun and quality time while learning about two of our nation's favorite pastimes -- recreational boating and fishing.

Local principals honored by national group: Henick, principal of Las Vegas' Horizon Northwest School, was named High School Principal of the Year and Zobel, principal of Garret Middle School, was Nevada Middle Level School Principal of the Year.

Editorial: Child care should top reform bill: While there is general agreement between the two parties on keeping most of the provisions in the current welfare reform law, there still are divisions between Democrats and Republicans on some of the changes they believe should be made to the legislation. In the House version that passed last week, Republicans adopted much of President Bush's recommendations, including a requirement that welfare recipients work at least 40 hours a week instead of the current minimum of 30 hours. While in theory that sounds reasonable, the problem is that many of these beneficiaries, including single mothers, don't make enough to provide ...

Sierra Pacific tells feds it's clean: Nevada Power Co. parent Sierra Pacific Resources informed federal regulators Wednesday that it did not engage in any questionable power trading activities that are under investigation as a result of the Western energy crisis.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Henderson race has $500,000 purse -- richest in U.S.: It may take some time for the new SCORE off-road race in Henderson to reach the level of the legendary Mint 400, but the inaugural race is off to a good start.

Indian gambling measure defeated: Scott Thomsen; PHOENIX -- Members of the House have rejected a plan to extend casino operations on Indian reservations, which is likely to put the issue before voters this fall.

Letter: Left-wing wrong to criticize Bush: The implication that Bush somehow knew the al-Qaida was going to attack America at a specific time is ludicrous. This country receives millions of threats. It's impossible to react to something that has not occurred yet. In a free country, there will always be risks. You cannot turn the U.S. into a police state because of terrorism or the threat of what might happen.

PCL box: Las Vegas - Omaha: WP--Sedlacek. HBP--Harvey (by Beirne), McDonald (by House).

Candidate drops out; lives in wrong district: CARSON CITY -- An Independent American candidate has become the first to withdraw from the election ballot. He found out he lives in the wrong Assembly District.

DEA is speaking out on drug use: Jace Radke; The Drug Enforcement Administration and the National Foundation for Women Legislators are partnering to educate the public about the threat of club drugs and how drugs fund terrorism.

Letter: Be wary of replacement bus drivers: Before you step on board, ask yourself: Does the scab driver abuse drugs or alcohol? Is the scab a credit to his/her society? And what about people skills? Or does he/she even know how to handle a large vehicle?

Obituaries for May 23, 2002: Dorothea H. Allred, 78, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in Las Vegas. She was born Sept. 19, 1923, in Sayre, Okla. A resident for 49 years, she was a bookkeeper, the first female crane operator in the country and a member of the National Association of Accountants.

Letter: Putting lies into context: All highly driven and motivated men have active libidos and often seek sexual gratification outside of marriage. It is nothing new, it goes back to the Bible, and even before that. Solomon? David? Come on, get real! The only really moral man to be president in the last 100 years was Jimmy Carter, and look how he was, and still is, treated.

UNLV graduates commissioned: Dick Benoit; Four UNLV graduates, including two Desert Storm veterans, took the oath as commissioned officers in the Army during ceremonies in the Moyer Student Union Saturday night following commencement ceremonies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.