Print edition for April 2, 2003

Public defender's office issues warning: Launce Rake and Erica Johnson; The Clark County public defender's office is so underfunded that it may cause courts to start throwing out guilty verdicts, and it may also prompt a class-action lawsuit that would cost taxpayers "a boatload of money," officials warned Tuesday.

Suitor named for Sears credit portfolio: The acquisition would close the gap between Bank One, the third-largest U.S. card issuer, and Citigroup Inc. and MBNA Corp. Sears, which put the operation up for sale to focus on retailing, may get between $3 billion and $6 billion, analysts estimate.

County's budget workshop provides grim predictions: Clark County government revenues and services are not keeping up with a constantly growing county population, county staff members told their political bosses Tuesday.

Legislative briefs for April 2, 2003: The state Department of Motor Vehicles endorsed a bill to allow motorists to renew their registration every two years instead of annually.

Rebels' Claridge eager for action after painful 2002: Steve Guiremand; Ryan Claridge's right bicep was covered with scratches and bruises following a hard-hitting spring practice this week. And Claridge, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound junior linebacker, couldn't have been any happier.

Firm expands to Las Vegas: Peter Ramvall of NEMC America Ltd. said the two-person office opened last month and would expand if growth in industries needing components grows in the United States.

Rebels' Luca given national award: Luca tossed the first-ever no-hitter in Mountain West Conference history and the first by a UNLV pitcher since since 1990 in a 5-0 win against San Diego State on Friday He had a career-high 11 strikeouts and walked just two in picking up his second victory.

Columnist Peter Benton: LPGA event needs help from local volunteers: Peter Benton; Ever dreamed of rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous? Well, here's your opportunity to do so.

Henderson's Provost only one raising less than challenger: Dan Kulin; Incumbents seeking re-election in Henderson, North Las Vegas and Boulder City are raising and spending far more campaign money than their opponents in all but one municipal race, according to candidate reports filed Tuesday.

Homeland security bill raises concerns of many: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Local agencies, the press and civil libertarians said Tuesday that they were concerned that a broadly written homeland security measure reaches too far into local government's practices and would allow undue restrictions of the public's right to know.

Raggio's tax plan meets expected resistance: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio prepared the Senate Taxation Committee for what he termed the "army of lobbyists" lined up to testify against his proposed tax shift.

Rookie Kim wants rest of LPGA Tour to sit up, take notice: Adam Candee; Christina Kim cannot hold a phone conversation. Too boring. Too slow.

Goodman leads way with money for April election: Judy Odierna; Incumbents running for re-election in Las Vegas have collectively raised more than $2 million, monetarily trouncing their opponents.

Prep Schedule: TODAY

Tuesday's prep results: Baseball

Prominent Las Vegas attorney Bell dies at 76: Jean Reid Norman; When Tom Bell's children were old enough to join the Las Vegas Country Club, he looked around the club and realized that it was aging. The lack of a junior program was keeping out potential young members. Bell decided to do something about it.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Santa Anita: Thursday's card

Community briefs for April 2, 2003: Ruth Graham-McIntyre, the daughter of the Rev. Billy Graham, will speak at the Women's Resource Medical Center's 17th annual Shareholders in Life banquet Friday.

Obituaries for April 2, 2003: John Preston Ash, 71, of North Las Vegas died Sunday in a local health care center. He was born Aug. 20, 1931, in Los Angeles. A resident for eight years, he was a retired fleet manager for an automotive manufacturer.

Letter: Why can't we get along with other countries?: Meanwhile, it is a shame that so many of our U.S. soldiers have to die during this battle. It makes you wonder why this U.S. government cannot build better communication with the other countries. Most of the leaders of the world are not agreeing with the policies of our government. Why can't we try to get along better with the other countries?

Letter: Require miners to clean up sites: Currently, corporate guarantees can take the form of a verbal promise, and the last thing our state and its citizens need is the potential liability to clean up after corporate interests, or tolerate potentially dangerous unreclaimed mine sites. The Legislature needs to pass AB321.

Letter: War is death, not a macho exercise: The real reasons have to do with power and control of the world, but the phony ones are mostly supported by testosterone.

Editorial: Company is blowing smoke in our faces: Nevada is using the bulk of its settlement to fund the Millennium Scholarships for high school students bound for college. Settlement money also funds the Senior Rx program, which assists senior citizens in obtaining affordable prescription drugs. Nevada Attorney General Brian Sandoval said he will work with the National Association of Attorneys General to ensure that payments are made on time. We hope their united front compels Philip Morris, which says it may have cash flow problems, to make the payments it agreed to. The settlement was fair. No excuse for missing a payment should be tolerated.

Editorial: U.S. view falling on deaf ears: We suffered a blow in this war on Monday when news broke of the death of Iraqi civilians south of Baghdad, at an intersection outside the city of Najaf that is controlled by U.S. forces. For a reason not yet known, a four-wheel-drive vehicle containing 15 Iraqi civilians did not stop or even slow down, as ordered, when it approached M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles guarding the intersection. Ten of the civilians, including women and small children, were killed when soldiers in the Bradleys opened fire in accordance with the U.S. military's "rules of engagement." A report filed by a Washington ...

BLM advisory board meets Friday: The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, which instructs the BLM to auction off public land to the highest bidder, will be discussed.

In Las Vegas, Asian restaurants are newest wave: Max Jacobson; Following are four restaurants that offer us something we haven't seen before, each one delightful in its own way.

Teen pleads guilty in deadly drive-by: Erica Johnson; Seventeen-year-old Milton Ennis pleaded guilty Monday to murder charges stemming from a deadly drive-by shooting in North Las Vegas last year.

Savvy wine buys: '02 Van Loveren Chardonnay Reserve: One of the best grapes to show off the region is sauvignon blanc, and this wine, firm, smooth and long in the finish, is a fine example. It isn't grassy, the adjective applied to many French and California sauvignon blancs, and the fruit is forward. Drink it now, as an aperitif, with seafood, pasta or poultry.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: At Mervyn's, sales are child's play: One of my favorites is the Van Heusen four-piece suit for boys in sizes four to seven -- trousers, vest, tie and shirt ($30). Nothing fussy, just simple styling that most kids wouldn't mind wearing.

Vegas radio hosts making waves with Internet tune mocking Saddam: AP; The calypso-rhythm "Bomb Saddam Song" was produced by the same Las Vegas radio hosts whose "Bin Laden Bomb Song" drew international attention after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Columnist Larry Dixon: Team up for challenge of defending Top Fuel title: Larry Dixon; It's hard to believe that the 2003 NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Season is in full swing. It seems like just yesterday our Miller Lite Dragster took home the Top Fuel championship. And here we are, already three races into the season and the whole team realizes it will be a challenge holding onto the title.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: De Ferran backer of HANS device: When Gil de Ferran first tried on the HANS (head and neck support) device, he said he thought it was the worst innovation he ever had come across because of its bulky and uncomfortable nature.

Bernstein's son steps into NHRA hot seat: IF YOU GO

Morgan Stanley facing probe: Marcy Gordon; WASHINGTON -- Securities regulators are examining mutual fund sales practices of Wall Street investment firm Morgan Stanley to determine whether some brokers have recommended unsuitable purchases to clients, a source familiar with the inquiry said Tuesday.

Senate Committee approves Orleans track vote: Fair Grounds managers have complained for some time that they are unable to compete with other gambling venues, and even other race tracks that have added slot machines.

Panelists sound note of cautious optimism on postwar economy: Gary Gentile; BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Although a number of uncertainties remain, the economy is on much better footing than it was during the Gulf War of 1991 and should rebound after the fighting in Iraq ends, according to a panel of experts.

Young offers hold-the-line Metro budget: Sheriff Bill Young appealed to the Clark County Commission Tuesday to fund salaries for additional Metro Police officers and staff, but the only commitment commissioners made was to trim expenses wherever possible.

Slot makers drop litigation: Shuffle Master Inc. of Las Vegas said Tuesday that WMS Gaming Inc. of Chicago agreed to drop a lawsuit it filed over Shuffle Master's alleged sales of software that allowed casino operators including WMS customers to put a Shuffle Master game in WMS slot machines.

SARS nicks gaming stocks: By Liz Benston; The outbreak of a mysterious strain of pneumonia known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in Asia has wreaked havoc on tourism in that part of the world as airlines scale back flights in Asia, hotel chains report cancellations and visitors hold off on trips over fears of infection.

Lobbyist claims bill creates monopoly: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- An alcohol restriction bill pushed by the state's top lobbyist and carried by a teetotaling assemblyman allegedly would allow one liquor importer to control the Nevada market.

War hurts Air Canada: Canada's dominant airline won't curtail service to Las Vegas after filing for bankruptcy protection Tuesday.

Casinos object to work card overhaul proposal: By Liz Benston; A bill overhauling the way casino workers obtain work permits may create more liability for Nevada casinos by shifting the burden of processing registrations from law enforcement agencies to casinos that may be ill-prepared for the chore, an industry lobbyist said Tuesday.

Salvaged-vehicle bill gains support: CARSON CITY -- A Las Vegas single mother of two urged an Assembly committee Tuesday to pass legislation to protect unsuspecting Nevadans from buying wrecked and unsafe vehicles.

Spending defended by utility as necessary to meet growth: Kevin Rademacher; Wall Street analysts today questioned Sierra Pacific Resources' $345 million 2003 capital expenditure plan in a conference call with company executives this morning.

Rebels top S. Utah: The Rebels improved to 23-9 and the Thunderbirds slipped to 7-11.

Anxiety over mystery illness spreads: Southern Nevada officials are on alert: By Timothy Pratt; As the number of reported cases worldwide of a flu-like illness jumped 11 percent Tuesday from the day before, local officials took their cues from national health authorities and kept a watchful eye for possible cases of the illness in the Las Vegas Valley.

Slot maker downgraded: "We still see upside of more than 10 percent from current levels and further upside of $2 to our price target if Maryland were to legalize slots," Farley wrote Tuesday. "We continue to believe the company is well positioned to maintain its market share, benefit from expanding jurisdictions and buy back its shares."

Not digging in: War in Middle East puts many archaeological projects on hold: Jennifer Knight; Doss Powell is waiting for the war in Iraq to end so that his professional academic career can begin.

Reid wants to add $400 million: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., wants to add $400 million for nuclear material safety to President Bush' $74.7 billion war budget request.

County to limit access to UMC clinics: Some medical patients will have fewer options to choose from as of May 5.

Columnist Jeff German: Problem gambling costs us all: Amid the convoluted debate over raising as much as $1 billion in new taxes to keep Nevada afloat, the Legislature is considering a bill that would allocate $250,000 from the state's general fund to help treat addicts.

James to lobby for trash company: Republic Services of Southern Nevada, the company that has a monopoly on trash collection services in Clark County, has a new lobbyist in Carson City: Clark County Commissioner Mark James.

News briefs for April 2, 2003: Milton Ennis, 17, pleaded guilty Monday to murder charges stemming from a deadly drive-by shooting in North Las Vegas last year.

Police try new approach in home invasions: Jen Lawson; An armed man forced open a back door of a house on Cimarron Road on Sunday, kidnapped a woman and drove her to Southern California before letting her go more than four hours after her ordeal began.

School year could be cut short: By Emily Richmond; The school year could end a few days early this June for students in Clark and Washoe counties if Nevada's fiscal crisis continues on its current course, state education officials said Tuesday.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Smoke-free casinos a bad match for LV: Those are words that can strike fear into the heart of a smoker -- and casino executives who feel that puffing away in front of a craps table or a slot machine is a Las Vegas tradition not to be tampered with.

Panel says R.I. voters should decide on casino: Michael Mello; PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Voters this year should decide whether Rhode Island will welcome a casino, but without knowing a specific location or developer, according to a House commission that spent eight months investigating expanded gambling.

California tribes defend labor policies at casinos: Erica Werner; SACRAMENTO -- California Indian leaders defended their labor practices Tuesday and said an Assembly hearing on health care coverage at casinos was an affront to tribal sovereignty.

Columnist Dean Juipe: UNLV hosts card pros can't match: Dean Juipe; Boxing fans can be pretty gullible and are routinely exploited by promoters and fighters alike.

Cox, VH1 aim to save school music: By Emily Richmond; As the Clark County School District faces drastic budget cuts, officials from Cox Communications and the television network VH1 vowed Tuesday to "save the music" for students.

Adelson tangling again with Culinary: Grace Leong; Sheldon Adelson's Venetian resort on the Las Vegas Strip and the Culinary Union are in another legal battle.