Print edition for October 21, 2002

RTC urges Laughlin to have own bus system: Laughlin, the casino town nestled on the Colorado River in southern Clark County, may soon have its own bus service.

Decision nears on Le Reve funding: An initial public stock offering critical to Steve Wynn's Le Reve megaresort could be sold as early as Tuesday, though investors may be holding out for a better price for the shares they'll buy.

Harrah's investing $75 million in St. Louis project: Harrah's Entertainment Inc. of Las Vegas, the No. 3 U.S. casino company, said today it's adding a $75 million hotel tower to its Harrah's casino in St. Louis to boost the property's revenue.

Graduation proposal meets opposition: By Emily Richmond; A proposal to force local school districts to allow seniors who do not pass the state proficiency exam to participate in graduation activities has been sidelined after being met with vehement opposition from nearly every corner.

Herrera, Porter tangle over ads, Yucca, Social Security: Erin Neff; Dario Herrera and Jon Porter minced words over campaign ads, Social Security and Yucca Mountain during an hourlong televised debate Sunday night.

Local sports calendar: WEDNESDAY

Russian jurists visit Las Vegas: Jace Radke; Over the past decade Russian Supreme Court Justice Yuriy Ivanovich Sidorenko has been working to develop a judicial system independent of his country's executive branch of government.

Ameristar stock off 18 percent on warning: The stock of Ameristar Casinos Inc. of Las Vegas sunk this morning after it warned that it won't meet analysts' estimates for the third quarter, blaming lower-than-expected operating margins at its new St. Charles, Mo., property, which opened Aug. 6.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: European runners ready for Breeders Cup: Ralph Siraco; On Saturday, the Sport Of Kings will stage its World Series when the 19th Breeders' Cup will be presented at Arlington Park, Ill. The one day, eight-race event will bring together the best horses from around the world for a one-race showdown in each of the eight major divisions.

Columnist Dean Juipe: MWC drops off BCS radar screen: Dean Juipe; When the Mountain West Conference basketball coaches met Sunday in Las Vegas, among the topics they might well have privately discussed was football. Specifically, Mountain West Conference football.

Obituaries for Oct. 21, 2002: Murray Ray Carlis, 78, of Las Vegas died Sunday in a local life care center. He was born Aug. 19, 1924, in New York City. A resident for eight years, he was a retired aerospace engineer and a World War II Army veteran.

Deal boosts cashless machines: The "EZ Pay" slot machines let gamblers use tickets instead of coins to wager on slot machines, the companies said in a statement.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Bush kidded about Porter offspring: Traci Scott, the overworked and supremely talented press aide to congressional candidate Jon Porter, was in the holding area with her boss and former President George H.W. Bush before a fund-raiser at MGM Grand last week.

Profit numbers mixed for Las Vegas hospital operators: HCA Inc.'s third-quarter profit dropped 27 percent because the biggest U.S. hospital chain wrote down the value of some investments.

Officers named in two shootings: Officer Ken Wellington, 43, has been on paid administrative leave since the Oct. 7 shooting at Mount Charleston, Chief Deputy Ray Flynn said this morning.

News briefs for Oct. 21, 2002: A 61-year-old man has been charged with felony driving under the influence after an early morning accident Saturday killed a pedestrian waiting at a bus stop on Fremont Street.

Prep Schedule: MONDAY

Letter: Congress shows lack of courage: Consider the following facts:

Redevelopment shows signs of life: Jeffrey Libby; Sitting at the edge of a booth after consulting with her lunch staff, Irene Li, owner of Sam-Pan Chinese restaurant, said it is too early to tell if business will pick up.

Driver pleads guilty in death of Sun exec: Kim Smith; A 21-year-old man accused of causing the crash that killed Las Vegas Sun Vice President and Associate Editor Sandy Thompson will spend between four and 20 years in prison after entering a plea agreement this morning.

Leading indicators fall: The Conference Board reported today that its Index of Leading Economic Indicators fell 0.2 percent, matching Wall Street expectations.

State queries campaign donors: CARSON CITY -- John Hunt, the Democratic candidate for state attorney general, and his supporters have a week to demonstrate that a group of campaign contributions from employees of the same company did not break election laws.

Rebels efficient in stunning win at BYU: the numbers; First Quarter: UNLV 3, BYU 0

LV fire chief, under fire, hopes for business as usual: By Timothy Pratt; On the heels of a decision by Las Vegas Fire and Rescue employees to hold a no-confidence vote on Chief David Washington and two other top officials, department leadership is trying to take a business-as-usual attitude.

Congress approves Nellis spending: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Congress last week approved a $10.5 billion budget bill for military construction projects, including nearly $57 million for Nellis Air Force Base.

More people staying on ground for short trips: Leslie Miller; WASHINGTON -- Security checks, random searches, new airline ticket fees and other hassles since the Sept. 11 attacks have kept many people off planes and on the road, particularly for short trips.

Rebels down Wyoming in overtime match: Cowles connected on a left side cross pass from sophomore Annii Magliulo, hitting the bottom corner of the net for her second goal of the season. Nickie Olson scored the othre UNLV goal.

Rebels second in poll: Steve Guiremand; Mountain West Basketball Preseason Polls

High court overturns parental rights case: CARSON CITY -- Throwing a person into prison should not automatically lead to the termination of his or her parental rights, the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled.

Gay-oriented hotel planned for Las Vegas: In Business Las Vegas, a sister newspaper to the Las Vegas Sun, reported in its Oct. 18 edition that many Las Vegas hotels already promote their properties as "gay-friendly" by offering entertainment that appeals to the gay population, performing commitment ceremonies for gay couples and advertising in publications aimed at the gay market.

Busch wins in Virginia: Hank Kurz Jr; MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Kurt Busch paused repeatedly, trying to catch his breath and recover from a typically grueling afternoon on a short track.

Editorial: Our choices in this year's county races: A majority of the residents in County Commission District E in the central part of the Las Vegas Valley are senior citizens, and Commissioner Myrna Williams has served them well for two four-year terms. Under Williams' watch, the Cambridge Community Outreach Center in her district was expanded to include a swimming pool and large recreation center. The expansion included a health clinic as well, one that will treat patients even if they are uninsured. Williams has not neglected her younger constituents, either, having supported park upgrades and construction that included a skateboard facility. On a countywide level, Williams chairs the ...

There's no doubting Thomas against BYU: Steve Guiremand; PROVO, Utah -- Jason Thomas scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown on a six-yard run on a broken play in the third quarter.

Candidates face $4,000 fines for late filings: CARSON CITY -- Assembly Speaker Pro-Tem Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, and five other candidates from Clark County are facing fines of $4,075 for failing to file their campaign contribution and expense reports in August.

Hotelier expects to beat third-quarter forecasts: SILVER SPRINGS, Md. -- Choice Hotels International Inc., the world's second-largest hotel franchiser with six Las Vegas properties, Friday said it expects to beat analysts' expectations for third-quarter earnings.

UNLV women finish sixth in Tennessee: Just two strokes off the lead heading into the finale, the Rebels responded with their worst score of the tourney, a 31-over par 319.

Candidates court early voters: Erin Neff; Voters crowded early voting sites this weekend as candidates entered their Get Out The Vote efforts for the remaining two weeks of the election year.

Agassi wins Madrid Masters when Novak pulls out hurt: MADRID, Spain -- Anyone familiar with Andre Agassi knows the post-victory drill: bows and blown kisses to all four corners of the court, an engaging, empathetic speech and an extended wave on his way out the door, with security guards keeping the excitement from turning into something more harrowing.

Letter: Slavery days over, but effects remain evident: I am an eyewitness to Mr. Teepen's testimony. I notice the animosity that some others have for me, with their attitude, gestures and stares. I do not feed into these hateful motives, but my return attitude is a smile. I feel that a simple smile will take me a long way than returning an attitude back to them with negativity.

Nevada flunks asset development tests: In Business Las Vegas, a sister newspaper to the Las Vegas Sun, reported the non-profit group gave F's to Nevada for "asset outcomes" and "asset policy" in its inaugural State Asset Development Report Card. The state ranked 46th among the 50 states in both categories, CFED said.

Body found near Apex ID'd: Smith, 87, was last seen by his family on Oct. 1. Smith's automated teller machine card was used Thursday at the Gold Coast, Metro Police said.

Slot makers strike deal: Las Vegas-based Mikohn will be responsible for developing games and licensing themes for games, while Aristocrat will integrate those games onto its latest hardware platforms. Both companies will share responsibility for marketing and servicing the games.

Heller calls complaint by Hansen just 'a bizarre rant': CARSON CITY -- Secretary of State Dean Heller says a complaint filed against him by an opponent in the Independent American Party is nothing more than "a bizarre rant."

Molasky planning major LV projects, upscale apartments: Jennifer Robison; The Molasky Group of Companies, the veteran Las Vegas development firm behind such major projects as the Boulevard Mall, downtown's Bank of America tower and Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, has sold five properties in Las Vegas in recent months for a total of nearly $150 million.

FBI reorganization affects LV: Jace Radke; Over the past year the FBI has transformed itself into an agency bent on protecting the nation from terrorist attacks, but this new vigilance may be coming at the cost of investigating other crimes.

Council considers lot size minimum: Dan Kulin; Hoping to limit the number of new single-family homes on smaller-than-normal lots, the North Las Vegas City Council agreed informally they should allow the smaller lots only when they are within a much larger development.

Rabbit Test: As Maxim and others squeeze Playboy's popularity, can the bunny survive?: Kirk Baird; Artists from the '50s are simply referred to as "oldies" or worse, "golden oldies."

Trends for Oct. 21, 2002: Lisa Ferguson; Are those wedding bells you're hearing? Probably.

Teacher indicted on sex charges: Kim Smith; A 32-year-old teacher accused of having an affair with one of his students three years ago has been indicted on 10 criminal charges.

Two LV students win math scholarships: Chen Jing of Clark High School and Patrick Hummel of the Meadows School were the Las Vegas winners. Nathan Wonder of Reno also won a scholarship.

Sex offender faces bail of $8 million: Kim Smith; A registered sex offender who was acquitted in August on sexual assault charges is now being held on $8 million bail on 19 felony counts of coercion.

Immunization schedule for Oct. 21, 2002: HENDERSON PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER: 129 W. Lake Mead Drive, Building A, Suite 10, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Birth announcements for Oct. 21, 2002: Oct. 2:

Dylan reshapes familiar material at The Joint: Spencer Patterson; As Bob Dylan enters the fifth decade of his epic musical career, few would blame the 61-year-old legend if he took the path of least resistance during his live shows.

Case against county worker dropped: Erica D. Johnson; Charges were dismissed in the case of a Clark County employee charged with stealing electronics equipment from Metro Police.

Centennial of wildlife refuges to be celebrated: At the Desert National Wildlife Refuge officials had a small party to kick off a series of special events leading to the centennial celebration of wildlife refuges on March 14, 2003.