Print edition for August 7, 2003

Concrete plant approved over protests: The Clark County Commission approved a controversial plant for manufacturing concrete Wednesday over the sharp objections of residents who live near the site off Blue Diamond Road.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Prudhomme fires crew chief on Capps' Funny Car: Todd Okuhara will serve as interim crew chief on Ron Capps' Skoal Green Racing Funny Car after team owner Don Prudhomme relieved Ed McCulloch of his duties as chief tuner this week.

Community briefs for August 7, 2003: Bring a picnic basket Saturday to the free courtyard concert between 7 p.m and 10 p.m. at Aliante at the Nature Discovery Park off the Las Vegas Beltway and Aliante Parkway.

Dean support grows in Las Vegas: Will Oremus; In a few days an unsuspecting New Hampshire man will receive a handwritten letter in the mail from Las Vegas resident Rich Mathias, urging him to consider voting for Howard Dean in his state's Democratic presidential primary in January.

Case draws wide TV exposure for hearing: David Bauder; Chronology in the case vs. Kobe Bryant

Judge refuses to block feds from claiming casino site: Steve Lawrence; SACRAMENTO -- A federal judge refused Wednesday to prevent a landless Sonoma County Indian tribe from taking over a San Pablo card room, a step opponents fear could lead to a Las Vegas-style casino in the midst of the San Francisco metropolitan area.

Residents fail to block apartments: The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday approved a 320-unit, three-story apartment complex for northwest Las Vegas over the objections of single-family homeowners in the area who said the high density will threaten their rural lifestyle.

Berkley supports security fence: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said Wednesday that her trip to Israel this week has convinced her to support that nation's construction of a controversial security fence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Mountain festival to raise fire awareness: The free event will honor firefighters and military personnel from across the nation who died this year. Clark County Fire Chief Earl Green will be give eulogies, said Pat Vannozzi, chief of the Mount Charleston Fire Rescue, who helped organize the event.

Sailor hits The Beach in homecoming: Dick Benoit; Petty Officer 2nd Class Gus Berio has spent about half of his 15-plus years in the Navy and Navy Reserve as a hospital corpsman serving with Marines, but he didn't "hit the beach" until he returned to Las Vegas last week. That's when he found himself the center of attention at The Beach nightclub.

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 4 p.m.

Chen's stature made in Taiwan: Nick Christensen; Finding a fan favorite

Guest columnist Linda Frohlich: Decision: Let's 'Chill' during the offseason: Well, the wait is finally over. My decision is made and everything is official. In a previous column I stated my choices of where I was considering playing this offseason -- in Colorado or returning to Italy. I gave a strong argument for each place and I even asked for responses from you. With all of this said, I have decided to play for ...????

Bryant dodges full-court press: Jon Sarche; What's next for Kobe?

Claridge's return should bolster Rebels: Steve Guiremand; Ryan Claridge was walking off the practice field at Rebel Park following a long three-hour practice in triple-digit heat that was capped by 10 50-yard sprints called "gassers" when he stopped to chat with a reporter.

Letter: Explore ideas to help homeless: Some organizers of shelters want shelters divided into male and female quarters -- but what about the families? Habitat for Humanity builds homes for one family at a time. Why not get all the agencies to build apartments for these people? Also, provide educational, employment, babysitting and health services when families move in, to get them back on their feet.

Letter: Slowing growth is smart solution to water problem: What elected official has opposed the expansion of housing in the valley by requesting the Bureau of Land Management to hold off on land auctions? Who in North Las Vegas asked how many gallons of water would be used in the proposed new cement plant? Why didn't Mulroy recommend a delay in the expansion of new housing developments in the valley?

Water, sewer rate hike hearings delayed: Dan Kulin; Public hearings and votes on possible water and sewer rate increases for North Las Vegas customers, scheduled for Wednesday, have been postponed until Sept. 17.

New 'Zu' Revue: Cirque du Soleil gets risque with R-rated 'Zumanity': By Jerry Fink; The debut of Celine Dion at Caesars Palace's $95-million Colosseum in March might have been the entertainment event of the year in Las Vegas, but Lyn Heward says Cirque du Soleil's much-anticipated venture into eroticism "will be the most intimate experience of the year."

Letter: Speeding has deadly effects: Look at the influences on driving we see on a daily basis. On the left lane of any of our freeways we see ignorant people driving well above the speed limits with little, if any, evidence of traffic law enforcement. Commercials on television for virtually all brands of automobiles stress speed over safety or fuel economy. We also have a motor speedway at which drivers, especially the young, are shown that speed is power.

Fight schedule: At Temecula, Calif., (FSN), Vassiliy Jirov, Scottsdale, Az., vs. Ernest Mateen, Brooklyn, N.Y., 10, cruiserweights; Lamont Pearson, Capitol Heights, Md., vs. Robbie Peden, Australia, 12, junior lightweights.

Ethics panel debates issue of fines: Jace Radke; The Clark County Ethics Task Force will recommend that the Legislature allow fines for ethics violations at the county level and will ask the state Ethics Commission to enforce ethics rules in the county.

Jobless claims fell by 3,000: Initial jobless claims dropped by 3,000 to 390,000, the lowest since the week ended Feb. 8, the Labor Department said in Washington. Claims held below 400,000 for a third week, a number that economists say signals a strengthening in the labor market. The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure, fell to 397,250 from 410,000.

Editorial: Demolition without notice is inexcusable: In the past the Nevada Transportation Department -- headquartered in Carson City, more than 400 miles away from Las Vegas -- has shown a lack of sensitivity to our region. This latest miscue involving demolition work continues that pattern.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Friday's races at Del Mar: 1st Race -- VERY VEGAS -- Draws good post for sprint opener, Desormeaux aboard, hey look at the name? J LOVES J -- Draws rail box for maiden/claiming dash, Nakatani sits here, needs prompt start and clean trip for a J to Loves J diploma. Value Play -- INDEFENSIBLE

Editorial: Contract is way, way, way high: As an administrator with the Southern Nevada Home builders Association in the late 1980s, Murphy helped draft the conservation program and as a county administrator in the 1990s she oversaw it. She resigned from the county in 1997 after having risen to the position of director of the county's Administrative Services Department.

Where I Stand -- Susan H. Drongowski: Don't undervalue hospice: DEATH IS an inevitable aspect of the cycle of life. Dying badly is not. However, most of us -- including medical professionals and government and health officials -- are not prepared to confront it. Nevada, like many other states, is still in the process of coming to terms with how to care for its citizens at the end of their lives.

Two children critical in near-drowning incidents: Two children were in critical condition from near drownings in separate incidents within a 24-hour period, authorities said.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Mouthy Barrios has his hands full with Freitas: Dean Juipe; Brazil and Argentina may be neighboring countries but they're heated rivals, as proven by the fervor of their soccer matches.

Plea bargain made in standoff, sexual assault case: Daniel Keith Myrick, 38, pleaded guilty to a single felony count of attempted coercion. He will face one to five years in prison when he is sentenced before District Judge Donald Mosley on Oct. 1, defense attorney Tom Ericcson said.

City owns Fremont site -- temporarily: The city of Las Vegas is buying the old Metro Police fingerprint building on Fremont Street, but does not plan to own it for very long.

Northwest project wins over neighbors: The developer of the proposed Centennial Gateway shopping center in northwest Las Vegas won over area residents with changes in design that answered aesthetic concerns and then won over the Las Vegas City Council.

News briefs for August 7, 2003: Two men have been arrested in connection with the killing of a man found Wednesday morning on a bus stop bench at D Street and Jackson Avenue, Metro Police said.

Zoning request out, but houses coming: Developers of a controversial housing development in Southern Highlands withdrew their zoning request before Wednesday's meeting of the Clark County Commission.

No size, but a big payday: Dean Juipe; She will be giving away 20, maybe even 25 pounds for the fight.

Security move at lake to protect water supply: In a national security move, people will not be allowed to fish, hike or land boats on the southern two-thirds of Saddle Island at Lake Mead, where the intake pipes for Southern Nevada's water supply are located.

Business briefs for August 7, 2003: SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Tenet Healthcare Corp., the focus of multiple U.S. investigations, had a second-quarter loss as it wrote down the value of some of its hospitals and spent more to cut jobs and fight litigation.

Partnership allows focus on statewide tech development: Kevin Rademacher; TechAlliance, once a Northern Nevada technology development organization, has formed a partnership with the state Commission on Economic Development.

PUC to side with Nevada Power in dispute: Kevin Rademacher; The state Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to intervene in a contract dispute between Nevada Power Co. and the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

Court rules against reconsideration of judgment: Earlier this year, developer Howard Bulloch's Desert Land LLC was awarded more than $5 million in damages and $660,000 in attorney's fees in a lawsuit against Vestin and its founder, Michael Shustek.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: 'Zumanity' lauded for its amorous vibe: The Monday night performance of the highly anticipated, adult-oriented Cirque du Soleil production at New York-New York went off surprisingly well, according to some VegasBeat readers who were in attendance.

Las Vegas counil briefs: The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a proposal to allow its staff to enter into negotiations to lease the closed Crisis Intervention Center to the Salvation Army so that it can serve as the short-term home for the organization's family services department and other operations.

Sports briefs: Michael Phelps proved his versatility Wednesday, winning two titles at the national championships at College Park, Md.

A dozen new schools unveiled: By Emily Richmond; For each of the past three years the Clark County School District has opened at least 10 new schools, a number that would stagger just about any other region.

Lady Luck receives preliminary approval: CARSON CITY -- The state Gaming Control Board recommended approval Wednesday for a restructured group to run and revive gambling at the Lady Luck Casino in downtown Las Vegas.

Idaho AD slated for UNLV interview: Andy Fry, chairman of the athletic director search and screening committee, said Bohn will follow the same interview schedule as previous candidates. He will fly into Las Vegas on Sunday and then spend Monday and Tuesday meeting with various coaches, administrators, boosters as well as UNLV President Dr. Carol Harter, who will ultimately make the final hiring decision.

Charges dropped in fatal shooting: Erica D. Johnson; One of six men charged in the slaying of a North Las Vegas woman while she attended her sister's wake will not face murder charges.

NLV water, sewer rate hike vote delayed: Dan Kulin; Public hearings and votes on possible water and sewer rate increases for North Las Vegas customers, scheduled for Wednesday, have been postponed until Sept. 17.

Tormey high on UNR's chances in opener: Scott Sonner; RENO -- Nevada-Reno Coach Chris Tormey opened fall football camp Wednesday with a team he says is the best in his four years with the Wolf Pack, who are seeking their first winning season since 1998.

City says 'Bambi' operation front for prostitutes: Las Vegas officials allege the "Hunting for Bambi" video business was actually an escort service that served as a front for prostitution in a complaint filed to revoke the company's license.

Nevadans eagerly join Do Not Call list: Suzanne Struglinski and Mary Manning; Register by calling (888) 382-1222 from the number being registered or online at www.donotcall.gov.

Pregnancy tests of inmates being conducted: CARSON CITY -- Widespread pregnancy testing of female inmates in Nevada prisons has begun after one inmate was found to be pregnant and she named a corrections officer as the father.

Federal money will help finish church project: The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday approved $1.8 million in federal grant money to complete the rehabilitation of the historic First Baptist Church into the Downtown Senior Services Center.

Gaming briefs for August 7, 2003: NEW ORLEANS -- The Orleans Levee Board has turned aside a move by Bally's Casino to get financial relief from its lease.

Obituaries for August 7, 2003: George Basick Jr., 78, of Las Vegas died Sunday in a local hospice. He was born Jan. 12, 1924, in Draper, Wis. A resident for 17 years, he was an engineer for the power company and a World War II Navy veteran.

Plea bargain made in standoff, sex assault case: Daniel Keith Myrick, 38, pleaded guilty to a single felony count of attempted coercion. He will face one to five years in prison when he is sentenced before District Judge Donald Mosley on Oct. 1, defense attorney Tom Ericcson said.

Developer planning new luxury condos: By Liz Benston; A Texas-based developer has purchased land to develop a luxury condominium tower near the corner of Desert Inn Road and Debbie Reynolds Drive.

Yung poised to run Laughlin casino: CARSON CITY -- William Yung is on his way to taking over a second hotel-casino in Southern Nevada.

Council makes move against junkers in yards: The Las Vegas City Council introduced an ordinance Wednesday that would allow law enforcement officers to ticket people who store vehicles on gravel surfaces of residential front yards.

New supermarket opens: New supermarket opens

Report describes pilot in fatal helicopter crash: Mary Manning and Suzanne Struglinski; A National Transportation Safety Board report released Wednesday described the pilot flying a helicopter that crashed in a ball of flames near the Grand Canyon in 2001 as both gifted and as frightening passengers.

Kicker must choose football or military: Steve Guiremand; Hubi Schulze Zumkley had a decision to make. Should he:

Killing ruled justified in downtown chase: Jen Lawson; A Metro Police K-9 officer was justified in killing an unarmed man who he said appeared to be committing a carjacking in downtown Las Vegas last month, a Clark County coroner's inquest jury ruled Wednesday.