Print edition for November 18, 2002

Prep Results: THURSDAY

Trends for Nov. 18, 2002: Lisa Ferguson; Picasso on a plate?

Marcel Johnson a leader for Jaguars: Adam Candee; Friday's prep football games

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Snipes shares old school snippets: Caught up with an old college buddy of mine at the Palms' one-year anniversary festivities over the weekend -- Wesley Snipes.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Scheme had been in works for months: Ralph Siraco; The criminal proceedings into the fraud involving this year's Breeders' Cup Ultra Pick Six payoff have moved to the judicial arena.

Fantasy Fortune$: Kirk Baird; When George Lucas first approached Twentieth Century Fox about releasing his space-fantasy epic "Star Wars" in the mid-'70s, the movie studio had little faith in the young director's pet project.

Sloppy second half led to Rebels' seventh loss: the numbers; First Quarter: UNLV 7-0

Columnist Dean Juipe: Lowly Rebels may as well mail it in: Dean Juipe; What's postage these days, 37 cents?

Letter: Stalling hurt the Democrats: Now the judges will have an opportunity to withstand scrutiny. Most will survive, some will not. New nominees will replace the discarded and the judicial positions will be filled, helping to relieve the backlog on our courts.

Gates sees melding of wine, tech: After speaking to a crowd of more than 12,000 at the MGM Grand Garden arena, Gates stopped in at Charlie Palmer's Aureole Las Vegas, which launched the electronic hand-held touch-screen device that enables guests to ask questions about the perfect wine to accompany a meal from among 50,000 selections.

City sues to break casino lease: The city in 1993 leased 15.5 acres to Lady Luck, which then owned the Natchez casino, for $454 a month. The next year, the city amended the lease to take back nine acres on the east side of the property.

Results of tax study in Guinn's hands: A massive state tax study now in the hands of Gov. Kenny Guinn includes evidence of the lopsided nature of Nevada's tax structure when compared with other states.

Land prices soar at BLM auction: Eager bidders at the Bureau of Land Management auction Friday pushed up the value of 1,130 acres in the Las Vegas Valley to a record $180 million.

Red-hot Busch wins finale: Mike Harris; HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Tony Stewart won the title, but Las Vegas native Kurt Busch won another race.

Fed grant to help police battle meth use: Jen Lawson; Methamphetamine use is growing in Henderson and Boulder City, and police are hoping to intensify efforts to combat the drug through a federal grant.

Loss leaves Rebels playing for pride: Steve Guiremand; After losing to Air Force 49-32 in their home finale Saturday afternoon at Sam Boyd Stadium, the UNLV Rebels have two weeks to sit around before ending their season with a Nov. 30 game at Colorado State.

Vote recount starts in Assembly district: CARSON CITY -- A recount of election results requested by Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, started today to determine if she really lost to Assemblyman Don Gustavson, R-Sun Valley, by 31 votes.

Proposed bill would restore rights of former prisoners: Erica D. Johnson; A law passed in the 2001 Legislature allows felons who have completed their sentences to restore their civil rights -- to vote, serve on a jury and run for office.

Birth announcements for November 18, 2002: Oct. 28:

Vegas company projects strong earnings growth: Earnings per share for the quarter and year ended Oct. 31, 2002, are expected to be in line with previous guidance of 24 cents to 25 cents per share for the quarter and 76 cents to 77 cents for the year.

Fuel of the future: Clean, cheap energy has been an elusive goal. But a federally supported project in Las Vegas may bring that goal closer to reality.

Letter: Editorial about Sen. Shaffer raises questions: I also searched and very quickly found two bills that Shaffer introduced that the Sun covered, one requiring taxi companies to set up a program for the transportation of elderly and handicapped people, and another requiring that those running for office disclose criminal records. It sounded to me as if the Sun thought the senator was serving his constituents then.

Microsoft effort to expand customer base applauded: A Las Vegas technology expert says Microsoft Corp.'s strategy of developing "smart" technology in everyday gadgets is a bid to develop a wider customer base at a time when the industry can use a boost.

Obituaries for November 18, 2002: Marvin Leon Banks, 59, of Las Vegas died Friday in Las Vegas. He was born Aug. 25, 1943, in San Jose, Calif. A resident for 41 years, he was a journeyman sign hanger for YESCO Sign Co. and a member of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 357.

Healthy food still scarce at Las Vegas airport: The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said a survey of restaurants serving the nation's busiest airports shows more than half the food outlets at McCarran still do not offer healthy food options -- defined as low-fat, high fiber and cholesterol-free meals.

N.O. prosecutor moves on to new probes: Doug Simpson; NEW ORLEANS -- Eddie Jordan became familiar around Louisiana as the U.S. attorney in a homburg who successfully prosecuted former Gov. Edwin Edwards on gambling license corruption charges. As this city's new district attorney, he's turning his eye to corruption in the Big Easy.

"Skating spectacular" to hit the airwaves: The "Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular" will feature the elaborate productions of the Ice Follies and Ice Capades. It will be filmed at Mandalay Bay Events Center and telecast by NBC on New Year's Day.

Stewart secures title: Jenna Fryer; HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Tony Stewart's vision was blurred by tears as he drove down pit road and was met by dozens of crew members and other drivers who congratulated him on his first Winston Cup championship.

Neonopolis film fans may get parking break: The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday could decide to give Neonopolis moviegoers a break on parking fees in the city-owned underground garage when the gates go up at the end of the month.

Aladdin investor trying to sell British casino: Deutsche Bank AG is advising on the sale, the newspaper said. London Clubs is trying to reduce its 320 million pounds of debt after lenders extended a loan until June 2004.

Health care financier bankrupt: The bankruptcy is likely to hurt more than 100 health care companies that rely on National Century's financing to meet their everyday expenses, as well as large investors, including Alliance Capital Management, that bought some of the $3.35 billion of bonds

Insurance rate for unemployment stays unchanged in Nevada: CARSON CITY -- Predicting a "slow but steady" improvement in the economy, the state today decided to maintain its present rate charged the 46,000 Nevada employers for unemployment insurance.

Editorial: Site shows a federal Catch-22: The site has been criticized by some nursing home administrators, who say some of the comparative data -- such as the percentage of residents with bed sores -- could unfairly brand some nursing homes as bad when there may be satisfactory explanations. They have a point, but nevertheless the data gives families a chance to ask questions and gain a greater understanding of how the home operates. It will also serve to motivate those homes that consistently post low scores and which do not have good explanations.

Elementary school chief Nevada's Principal of Year: By Emily Richmond; If Roger Bryan Elementary School Principal Carol Bumgarner hasn't received her daily dose of hugs and kisses, there's only one explanation -- she hasn't visited the playground yet.

Man, 85, sues police: In the lawsuit Charlie Walker alleges that he was beaten by officers during his July arrest in downtown Henderson. Walker is seeking unspecified damages for excessive force, battery, false imprisonment and denial of medical treatment, according to the suit filed last week.

'Most Wanted' will feature two Las Vegas cases this week: "America's Most Wanted" this week will feature two Las Vegas cases, one involving a suspected murderer and the other focusing on a robbery suspect, host John Walsh said on Sunday.

News briefs for November 18, 2002: Henderson Police are investigating the death of an unidentified man whose decomposing body was discovered Friday in his home at 124 Metropolitan St.

Big loss in September was deadly for National: Most airlines suffer a downturn every September following the heavily traveled summer months.

Editorial: For cleaner air, grease is the word: Important years in the development of biodiesel were 1998, when President Bill Clinton ordered that federal vehicles use it whenever possible, and 2000, when the Environmental Protection Agency announced it had passed rigorous emissions testing. The immediate benefit is cleaner air. Studies have shown that children riding in school buses are exposed to four times more diesel exhaust than if traveling by car. The EPA determined that biodiesel emits 75 percent to 90 percent fewer cancer-causing toxins than diesel.

Deadly accident closes major street for 3 hours: All eight people were taken to University Medical Center's trauma center after a car going north on Maryland Parkway spun out of control, jumped the median and smashed into a car in the opposite lanes. A pedestrian was hit after the cars collided and sent to the hospital in critical condition.