Print edition for September 13, 2002

Editorial: DMV wait times: Driver, heal thyself: The DMV's push for people to use alternative means for routine transactions such as registration renewals has historical precedents. It took years, but a majority of people now use Automated Teller Machines and take advantage of direct deposits of their paychecks, shortening the bank lines for people whose business requires a signature, exchange of paperwork or other activity requiring physical presence. Banks had to vigorously promote ATMs and direct deposit in order to change their customers' habits. The DMV is now promoting its alternative methods and we hope more people take advantage of them. The DMV also has some other ...

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Stirring news: Canteenwalla done at MGM: Kim Canteenwalla is out as MGM Grand's executive chef.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Push(ers), Nevada: Las Vegas, the sports capital of the world. That also sounds pretty good. How about the fun and sun capital of the world? The gambling capital of the world; the food capital of the world and the plain old capital of the world? It all sounds good, I know, and some of it is already true.

Insurance key to new nuke plants: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Congress is poised to renew a 45-year-old plan that makes the government -- meaning taxpayers -- liable for nuclear plant cleanup if a catastrophic accident costs more than $10 billion.

Hawaii coach released from LV hospital: Wallace is scheduled to return home Sunday, the school said in a news release.

The Who and Why: Spencer Patterson; Over a legendary career spanning parts of five decades, The Who has cemented its reputation as one of rock 'n' roll's all-time road warriors, performing at small clubs, concert halls and football stadiums worldwide.

Settlement reached in deadly pipe accident on highway: Kim Smith; A civil trial pertaining to a deadly crash that took the lives of six people came to an abrupt end Thursday, when the parties agreed to enter a confidential settlement.

Oscar primed for 'great fight': Dean Juipe; These are great fighters, the men who Oscar De La Hoya routinely faces. They're always finely tuned and primed for the stiffest challenge of their careers.

Scene Selections -- Geoff Carter: 'Monte Cristo' should be counted out: Many a night have my movie industry-savvy friends and I discussed the sad case of Kevin Reynolds. Our feeling is that he's a good director ("Fandango," "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves") in a bad season ("Waterworld," "187"). We've wondered how and why he puts up with Kevin Costner, and we wondered how he would fare if he were to make a big budget adventure movie without Costner as star.

Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Hold onto your helmet -- Rudd not only goat: Sal DeFilippo; Dwayne Rudd has already taken his share of grief for what was the dumbest football play in quite some time.

Performing Arts September 13, 2002: Quintet

Robinson in search of No. 200: Steve Guiremand; NEXT UP

Political notebook: Silver suffers second setback: Erin Neff; Abbi Silver took a few days off after the election to recover from her primary drubbing in the DA's race only to return to work and get a second slap.

'Springfield Sam,' 83, accused in car lot shooting: Keith Paul; Sam Manarite didn't look like he would follow through with threats to come back to a small Las Vegas car lot with a gun and shoot up the place.

PUC votes unanimously to ease restrictions on confidentiality: When major companies decide to shop around for an electricity provider other than the two Nevada companies, they can no longer keep confidential the name of their proposed new provider.

Neal opposes PERS proposal: CARSON CITY -- State Sen. Joe Neal of North Las Vegas, the Democratic nominee for governor, says a plan to divert up to $200 million from the state Public Employees Retirement System to spur business activity in Nevada is another example of corporate welfare.

LV man guilty in killing of girlfriend: Kim Smith; After three hours of deliberations over a two-day period, a Clark County jury found a 26-year-old Las Vegas man guilty today of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon in the shotgun slaying of his girlfriend.

Foul play feared as blood found in home of missing couple: Police searched the home of William and Shirley Rundle in the 4700 block of Poppywood Drive, near Tropicana Avenue and Buffalo Drive, Thursday and found blood in the house. They also found other "little things" that appeared suspicious, leading them to suspect a potential homicide, said Sgt. Rocky Alby of Metro's homicide unit.

Oregon State tailback takes on hometown school in UNLV: AP; After all, he's from Las Vegas.

County cancels classes for Jewish holy day: By Emily Richmond; Public school students will get the day off Monday, the first time in the history of the school district that classes have been intentionally canceled for Yom Kippur, the most solemn day on the Jewish calendar.

Casino suppliers in litigation: Shuffle Master, in a U.S. District Court suit, said it took legal action after receiving letters from WMS claiming Shuffle Master's software -- a conversion kit that allows casino operators to put a Shuffle Master game in a WMS slot machine -- violated patent infringement laws.

Riverboat winnings increase: Admissions for August were up 0.08 percent to 1.631 million, compared with 1.630 million in August 2001.

Despite rebuff, water board pursues utility: The Southern Nevada Water Authority will not back down in its bid to purchase Nevada Power Co., despite rejection of its $3.2 billion offer by the parent of the Las Vegas electric company.

Aliens criticize tuition policy: Jennifer Knight; Nichole Larson has lived in Nevada for more than three years. She pays taxes. She contributes to the local economy.

Paul-Son shareholders approve acquisition: Under the stock swap deal, Bourgogne executive Gerard Charlier becomes president and chief executive officer of the combined company, taking over that position from Paul-Son head Eric Endy. Endy, who will continue as a company director, relinquishes his seat as board chairman to the company's new controlling shareholder, Francois Carrette.

Tax latest proposal for troubled mall: Adrienne Packer; Business owners in the deteriorating Commercial Center might be strapped with a new tax to help renovate the 40-year-old strip mall they claim Clark County failed to maintain.

Slot machines drive rise in gaming win: Slot machines took in $318.4 million in revenue for the most recent period, a 4.9 percent increase from $303.3 million in August 2001, while table games generated $108.8 million, down 9.2 percent from $119.8 million last year.

PurchasePro mum on stock probe settlement: Representatives of PurchasePro.com Inc. and the Securities and Exchange Commission aren't commenting on a settlement of a securities investigation that was announced the same day PurchasePro filed for bankruptcy and agreed to sell its assets.

Public can meet with NRC officials on Yucca: The session will be at the Clark County Transportation Building, 4701 W. Russell Road. Members of the public are encouraged to attend. They can meet NRC staff representatives, provide comments and ask questions.

City denies it has plans to alter state park: Rumors abound about the future of Floyd Lamb State Park.

Nuke insurance plan set for renewal: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Congress is poised to renew a 45-year-old plan that makes the government -- meaning taxpayers -- liable for nuclear plant cleanup if a catastrophic accident costs more than $10 billion.

Town works to keep airline: The increase from 10 percent to 10.6 percent will pay an $80,000 annual rebate to the airline, which ferries gamblers in and out of the airport.

News briefs for Sept. 13, 2002: The Nevada Supreme Court rejected the appeal Thursday of Marnie M. Peot, sentenced to four consecutive life terms for the murder of two men in Las Vegas.

National bankruptcy plan progressing: Las Vegas-based National Airlines moved another step closer to emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday when a judge gave tentative approval to a $112 million financing package.

Technical problem stops Ethics Commission hearing: RENO -- Technical difficulties forced cancellation today of the teleconferenced meeting of the state Ethics Commission to hear the complaint of Assembly candidate Earlene Forsythe against her opponent, Francis Allen, in District 37 in Clark County.

Task force offers way to cut costs on alcoholics, mentally ill: By Timothy Pratt; A group that has studied the problem of mental illness and alcoholism in Nevada since 1999 unveiled a proposal to a regional planning panel Thursday that could save the state more than $16 million a year.

Community briefs for Sept. 13, 2002: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area offers hikes, walks and programs free of charge. To make required reservations or for more information on the following or upcoming programs, call 363-1922:

Datebook for September 13, 2002: The Henderson Art Association is announcing a "Call For Artists" 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Gallery P, 982 American Pacific Drive, Suite 204, Henderson. Artists should bring three pieces of work. 568-5429.

On Display for September 13, 2002: "America Marches Ahead," paintings by Norman Rockwell of the first 75 years of the 20th century, through Oct. 31 at Centaur Art Galleries on the main level of Fashion Show Mmall. 737-1234.

Letter: Let's cut ties with worthless U.N.: Not that I can't help thinking of all the billions of American dollars that have gone to the U.N., and the lives of our American service people lost fighting foreign countries to no avail.

Editorial: Heavy dose of wishful thinking: Congress' approval of President Bush's plan to store 77,000 tons of nuclear waste in Nevada was a victory for the nuclear power industry, but this is far from a done deal. The Energy Department has yet to win regulatory approval for the dump, and the state of Nevada has a good case to make in federal court that the Energy Department didn't follow the law because it ignored evidence that Yucca Mountain is unsuitable as a geologic repository. Meanwhile, the industry claims that nuclear power, unlike coal and other forms of energy, is clean. But that claim is ridiculous. If ...

Editorial: Soldiers as targets: A photo taken after the recent assassination attempt on Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai captured attention after it ran last weekend in the New York Times. It showed a U.S. Special Operations Forces soldier guarding the president. Not surprisingly, the photo showed a handgun and a grenade strapped to the soldier's waistband while he gripped an assault rifle. There was something else, though, that may have been surprising to some readers. The soldier's clothing, which bared most of his upper body, was definitely not standard issue. He had long hair. He wore a flowing scarf. He had a beard and mustache. ...

Columnist Barb Henderson: Country club opens in our neck of woods: Barb Henderson; When you think of a country club you might envision a golf course. At Desert Lake Country Club in Boulder City, you won't need a caddy.

UCLA presents big opportunity for Cowboys: AP; The Cowboys would love to be 3-1 at the end of their nonconference schedule, but to do that they will first need to beat No. 23 UCLA on Saturday night. They put themselves in a pickle by blowing an 18-point third-quarter lead in their opener against Louisiana Tech.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Decades-long denial: It was not too long ago -- call it 30 years -- that the term "tax and spend" took on a significance in American politics that has grown steadily over the decades to the point that any politician who even thinks about raising revenues is doomed in the court of public opinion.

Columnist Susan Snyder: A trip to 13th Street? Good luck: Superstition says it's bad luck to start a trip on a Friday, so it's probably even worse luck to start one on Friday the 13th.

Ann Awakening: WEEKEND EDITION: Sept. 15, 2002

Columnist Dean Juipe: Expect an Oscar-winning performance: Dean Juipe; You, the reader, want a column with conviction. You want a strongly worded statement as to why Oscar De La Hoya or Fernando Vargas will win their Saturday fight at Mandalay Bay.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway standings: SUPER QUICK: 1. Don Kruse 548; 2. Steve Johnson 347; 3. Jerry Buesig Jr. 314; 4. Roger Hall 251; 5. Carl Cannavo 239; 5. John Dowd 239; 7. Chiney Mangru 226; 8. Keith Bush 185; 9. Jimmy Lintz 167; 10. Paul Bledsoe 156.

Letter: CAT passengers willing to help: Taxis and other transportation seemed limited and, being over 65 years of age, walking, standing for any length of time could have been a problem. We finally got on the 654 CAT bus. We didn't have the exact change but the driver was most considerate.

Katherine Narducci sings 'Sopranos' praises: Robert De Niro plucked an aspiring actress with no experience out of a lineup of 2,500 and made her his co-star in 1993's "A Bronx Tale."

Columnist Jon Ralston: Bland Man's lead evaporates: Suddenly, polls that had indicated his contest with Republican Jon Porter as a dead heat were showing him slipping into a double-digit deficit. Conventional wisdom said that because Porter had a substantial lead and had yet to spend any of his money on ads questioning Herrera's ethics, the commissioner was a walking dead man.

Tragic fire is lost in the pages of history: Helen Holzer; Title: "Firestorm at Peshtigo."

Gator girls tie victory record: Spencer Patterson; Tonight's prep football games

Columnist Erin Neff: Gearing up for wild season of 'Survivor: Carson City': Erin Neff; The Senate stands at 12 Republicans and 9 Democrats, but control could easily change the traditional way at the polls because of two close races. Or, it could change by the type of political gamesmanship state leaders learned when U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., got Jim Jeffords to switch from the Republican Party to Independent and give the Democrats a whack at control.

Columnist Jeff German: A 17-story monument to bad government: It's the largest and most expensive building project ever undertaken by Clark County, and it's more than a year behind schedule and $33 million over budget. The overall cost to taxpayers now is approaching $290 million.

Columnist Steve Guiremand: 9-11 rough on Neuheisel in more ways than one: Steve Guiremand; September 11 will go down as one of the darkest days in the history of the United States following last year's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. But for Washington head coach Rick Neuheisel, it brings about a double dose of bad memories.

RTC runs transportation to the MAX: Regional Transportation Commission officials said a new "super bus" has essentially passed about six weeks of preliminary testing in the Las Vegas summer heat.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Books set sights on 'Sopranos': Finally. "The Sopranos" returns tonight.

Furniture mart's hiring plan may speed up project: An agreement reached on the World Market Center's employment plan proposal is fair to all, clearing perhaps the final hurdle for the project's go-ahead next week, city officials said.

Editorial: Both sides could lose in this fight: When the Southern Nevada Water Authority announced last month that it wanted to buy Nevada Power, officials of the government-run water agency and executives of the private electric company were relatively civil to each other. The water authority said its bid was a friendly offer, not a hostile takeover, and the electric company said it would carefully consider the proposal.

'Spirit of the Dance' lacks legroom at Golden Nugget: The good news for fans of Irish dance is that it is featured in a show at Golden Nugget's Theatre Ballroom.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Sahara strolls toward 50th birthday celebration: Sadly, a milestone will be reached Oct. 7 with barely a ripple.

Columnist Benjamin Grove: More to leading world than making war: Benjamin Grove; But for many, it's time to move on.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Fun, follies for former Floridian: Ratty roadway signs and self- deceptive speeches are bad enough. But now I have to admit that my family lives in Florida.

Letter: We can't invade every country that poses threat: We have nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and the means to deliver them anywhere in the world. Why should we sacrifice hundreds or maybe thousands of our young men and women in an invasion when we have the power to level Baghdad and kill half of the people in Iraq in one day from the air, if they threatened us?

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Faberge art a prelude to delicious Bellagio dinner: A glimpse of the glory that was an integral part of Imperial Russia is on display at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.

Letter: Public comment should be heard on lands bill: The Sun states in its Sept. 8 editorial that wilderness "would not deny access." This is not true. All motorized travel would be shut out. The Sun also states that motorized traffic would be allowed on "existing roads." This is also not true. No motorized vehicles are allowed in any wilderness areas.

Las Vegas Area Fishing Report: NEVADA DIVISION OF WILDLIFE

Analysis: Saddam now clearly Bush's target: Patrick E. Tyler; Patrick E. Tyler is a correspondent for The New York Times.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Hornish, Castroneves locked in points battle: Indy Racing League points distribution

Obituaries for Sept. 13, 2002: Sandra S. Alexandre, 58, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in Las Vegas. She was born Sept. 30, 1943, in Chicago. A resident for 22 years, she was a customer service representative.

Heller cites ethics issue for senator proposing investment plan: AP; "It reeks of conflict," Heller said Friday of the efforts by Townsend, a Reno Republican with ties to a company that sought unsuccessfully to manage Public Employee Retirement System money.

Court places Detroit casino plans on hold: John Porretto; DETROIT -- Detroit's plans for three permanent casinos were placed on hold Thursday by a federal appeals court -- a victory for an Indian tribe that wants the bidding process reopened.

Microsoft Word flaw could allow theft of files by "bugging": D. Ian Hopper; WASHINGTON -- Microsoft's flagship word processor has for years had a security flaw that could allow a criminal to steal computer files by "bugging" a document with a hidden code.

U.S. 95 median barrier nears completion: Construction of a median barrier on a stretch of U.S. 95 in northwest Las Vegas could be completed as soon as next week, a Nevada Transportation Department spokesman said Wednesday.

Plans made to treat VA patients: O'Callaghan hospital will house the clinic's surgical specialty services while the primary care, medical specialty care, mental health clinic and administrative offices will be moved to yet-to-be-announced Las Vegas sites, the VA said.

Inflation remains in check -- auto sales strong: The Labor Department said its Producer Price Index, which measures inflation pressures before they reach the consumer, was unchanged in August after having fallen by 0.2 percent in July.

At-risk students wake up to success: Diana Sahagun; WEEKEND EDITION: Sept. 14, 2002

Even with pacemaker, this Olympian sets a hectic pace: Stephen Curran; For more information on the Nevada Senior Games, call 242-1590 or visit their website (www.nevadaseniorolympics.com.) The deadline for applications is Sept.23.

Volunteer program for police falters: Stephen Curran; For more information on the Volunteers in Policing program and to download an application, visit the Nevada Department of Public Safety website (www.nvrepository.state.nv.us).

High court won't block sale of Binion house: The high court, however, instructed Binion's estate to place the proceeds of the sale in an interest-bearing account until the legal claim on the house by Sandy Murphy, one of the gambling figure's convicted killers, is resolved.

Goodman, Expos see little more than rumors behind LV move: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman hopes that by the time he leaves office, a major league sports team will be established in Las Vegas.

Mayor not backing war: "I prefer we do not go to war," Goodman said at his weekly news conference Thursday.

Press group, ACLU join suit on ethics law: Jace Radke; The Nevada Press Association has joined several legislators and the American Civil Liberties Union in a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a state law empowering the Nevada Ethics Commission's ability to level fines and make findings of fact on political speech.

Contractor offers settlement to school district: By Emily Richmond; A contractor who won a $1.6 million judgment against the Clark County School District made an unusual offer Thursday -- $300,000 for teachers' supplies in exchange for district officials settling the case within 30 days.

Guilty plea made in killing: Chief Deputy District Attorney Ed Kane said 37-year-old Bradley Repolio will have to serve at least 40 years of a life sentence before becoming eligible for parole.