Print edition for August 13, 2003

Schwarzenegger terminated from new slot game: By Liz Benston; Reno-based slot machine maker International Game Technology is unveiling a new machine based on the popular "Terminator" movie franchise.

Schools practicing without trainers: Adam Candee; With enveloping 104-degree heat in the forecast, as many as 19 local high schools will begin their most intense week of football practice Thursday without medical staff on site.

Inmate escapes from Jean camp: Erica Valenzuela, 25, left the camp about 9 p.m. Tuesday. She was serving a one- to four-year sentence and stands 5-foot-8, 160 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. She has several tattoos, including one saying "Robert" on her right ankle, another saying "Erica" on her left ankle and a third saying "Jose and Cody" on her upper right shoulder.

UNLV picks Hamrick: Steve Guiremand; Mike Hamrick had just picked up his twin 15-year-old sons, Brett and Justin, from junior varsity football practice at Rose High School in Greenville, N.C., when he got a call from his wife, Soletta.

Nevada casino win up in June: CARSON CITY -- After two straight months of declining revenue, Nevada casinos rebounded in June as their winnings from gamblers totaled $809.l million, up 13.2 percent from June 2002.

Chicago investor picks up prime Nevada Power parcels: Kevin Rademacher; Cash strapped Nevada Power Co. will have an extra $24.8 million in the bank thanks to a successful land auction.

Argument heard on Crazy Horse: Jace Radke; U.S. Magistrate Peggie Leen heard arguments this morning about whether FBI agents violated an order to return property seized from the Crazy Horse Too topless club.

Survey shows support for tax to aid UMC: By Ed Koch; About seven of every 10 Clark County voters would support a payroll tax on medium and large businesses that do not provide their employees health insurance to fund health care for the uninsured, a new survey says.

Slain LV ex-cop may have sold drugs: Jen Lawson; An internal affairs investigation earlier this year of a former Metro cop killed Monday by police after he kidnapped his doctor showed the officer might have been selling prescription drugs as well as abusing them, Sheriff Bill Young said.

Slot maker receives rights to two game shows: The company will draw from "the wealth of classic audio and video available" to create the machines, IGT vice president of game design Joe Kaminkow said.

Lawsuit over assault on CAT bus settled: Court records show the matter was settled Monday in a hearing before District Judge Kathy Hardcastle.

Popular restaurant is gutted: A pre-dawn, three-alarm fire today destroyed a West Las Vegas restaurant that has been a popular hangout for movers and shakers in the local black community.

Shoppers crowd county parking: The newly opened Las Vegas Premium Outlets have drawn droves of shoppers to the shops -- including many who have chosen to park their cars in the lots conveniently located across the street.

Vegas firm emerges from conservatorship: The Las Vegas company has received an infusion of capital to correct its insolvency and filed a plan of corrective action with the state Financial Institutions Division, said Mark Krueger, deputy attorney general.

Columnist Jeff German: Broadbent model for politicians: Bob Broadbent was one of those rare politicians who believed in that calling.

Nevada ads target California companies: Through a partnership with the state's Commission on Economic Development, the NDA is spending $600,000 on a sustained media campaign running this week through June 21, 2004. The quarter-page ads are running in the business sections of the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Diego Union Tribune and several business journals, the San Francisco Business Times, the San Diego Business Journal, the Silicon Valley-San Jose Business Journal, the Los Angeles Business Journal and the Orange County Business Journal.

Kenny listed as defendant in criminal case: Jace Radke and Jeff German; Former Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny is listed as a defendant in a federal criminal case, and people familiar with an ongoing FBI probe into possible political corruption say she is cooperating with federal agents.

NLV officer shoots 18-year-old man: Afsha Bawany; An 18-year-old man was in critical condition this morning after being shot by a North Las Vegas police officer.

Newspaper insert touts fight against Yucca: The issue of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository is not a done deal, Clark County officials hope to convince residents with a advertising insert in today's newspapers.

Students get OK to use cell phones: Emily Richmond and Afsha Bawany; Clark County students will soon be allowed to use cellular phones and pagers during lunch and on school district buses.

Community briefs for August 13, 2003: The Southern Nevada Center for Independent Living will host a benefits-planning workshop from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at Community College of Southern Nevada, 6375 W. Charleston Blvd.

Letter: Better water rule enforcement, service needed: My husband called last Sunday about a water leak in front of our house on the street. A few times during the week, someone came to mark off the area. When they finally came to repair it (about a week later), I noticed they did more standing around and talking than actually working on the leak. Obviously, the water district is not too concerned about the wasted water from the leakage.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Spa Angel a hit on the boulevard: Spa Angel owner Alice Mary Bergendorff was previously the gift and beauty buyer for Canyon Ranch Spa shops. Spa Angel specializes in bath and beauty products, unusual gifts, fashions by New York designer Maureene Keene, books, tapes, aromatherapy cleaning products and gorgeous gift baskets. Alice's gift baskets are not the norm; these are boxes made of gold-colored wire.

Offer to settle with fired worker rejected: CARSON CITY -- Attorney General Brian Sandoval said Tuesday his office has rejected a proposed $3.5 million settlement for a former state employee who won a U.S. Supreme Court ruling after being fired for taking time off to care for his injured wife.

Editorial: Prejudice and policy: Segerblom was making the point that the city has an obligation to property owners, pedestrians and other citizens who object to the lingering presence of homeless people. She sought to differentiate between the homeless and people who call the city objecting to their presence when she said, "Regular people ... have to feel some safety." The comment was objectionable because it suggested the city views homeless individuals as in a class apart from -- and lower than -- everyone else, even though public policy should be free of such prejudice. During and after the show Segerblom was given the chance ...

Judge: Not 'a more despicable pair': Erica D. Johnson; Randy Norris knew his stepson was headed down the wrong path when he began skipping school and quit his part-time job. But he never thought the teen would plot a bizarre murder-for-hire scheme that was supposed to leave him and his wife dead.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Foundation is going strong, say founders: Elizabeth Foyt; The Resnicks, prominent members of the entertainment industry, lost their 5-month-old daughter, Lili Claire, to Williams syndrome in 1997. It is in her memory, and through the Resnicks' ongoing efforts and those of friends, that other children suffering from neurogenetic diseases will be served at the UNLV Life Skills Center.

Highlights of FY02-03 revenue report on Nevada casinos: AP; -STATEWIDE: $9.56 billion win in fiscal 2002-2003, up 2.8 percent. In June, clubs won $809.2 million, up 13.3 percent.

Library system seeking private sources of funds: Jennifer Knight; After failing to secure public dollars to expand the county's library system, district officials are now turning to private sources for help.

News briefs for August 13, 2003: The human remains found in a drainage culvert Tuesday afternoon appeared to be those of a homicide victim, Metro Police said.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Odom takes his money and runs: Dean Juipe; Being young, naive and easily led has always been a handy excuse.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Copperfield projects magic with Project Magic: Hardly. Being a patient and going through a rigorous physical therapy program is often far from magical.

Monorail named in tribute to Broadbent: The board of directors for the private Las Vegas Monorail Co. renamed the monorail Tuesday, three days after Broadbent died at Boulder City Hospital.

Fed says rates to stay at low: Martin Crutsinger; WASHINGTON -- Amid signs of economic revival, the Federal Reserve held a key short-term interest rate at a 45-year low on Tuesday and signaled its intention to keep credit easy "for a considerable period."

Healthy, focused Dorsey eyes big year: Steve Guiremand; Standing just 5-foot-6 and weighing just 163 pounds, UNLV running back Dominique Dorsey might be easily overlooked.

Three automakers drop suits: General Motors Corp., DaimlerChrysler and Isuzu Motors said the latest incarnation of a policy that's been 13 years in the making convinced them to settle litigation with state air regulators, who agreed to drop appeals.

Report paints poor picture of LV homeless: By Timothy Pratt; A report out this week gives what may be the most complete picture of the Las Vegas Valley's homeless in recent years, a period that has seen great controversy over the thousands living in the valley's streets.

Freedom ride to aid immigrants: Afsha Bawany; Supporters of immigrants rights drew inspiration Tuesday from Dr. Martin Luther King on the 40th anniversary of his "I Have a Dream" speech at a rally near King's statue at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Carey Street.

Yucca legal team to aid Utah fight: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The legal team that is preparing to fight the Yucca Mountain Project in federal court for Nevada will now also advise Utah on its own potential nuclear waste storage site.

Pinnacle to build Argentine casino: The complex would replace a 22-year-old building located at the back of the parking lot of the regional airport in Neuquen.

Obituaries for August 13, 2003: Louis F. Basile, 63, of Las Vegas died Saturday in a local hospital. He was born Aug. 3, 1940, in Brooklyn, N.Y. A resident for eight years, he was a retired mason.

Extradited murder suspect booked into jail: Perry Monroe, 29, was booked Tuesday into the Clark County Detention Center on one count each of murder and first-degree kidnapping, each with use of a deadly weapon, officials at the jail said this morning.

Council to vote on lease for solar power project: Dan Kulin; The Boulder City Council is set to vote in two weeks on a more than 40-year lease for 350 acres in Eldorado Valley for what officials have said would be the first large solar power plant built in the past decade.

Crime spree suspect may have been away when cabbie killed: Jen Lawson; The former cabdriver who allegedly committed a series of armed taxicab robberies may have been in California when a driver for Western Cab was killed Monday.

MGM MIRAGE chief joins board of home builder: Lanni joined MGM Grand Inc. in June 1995 as president, chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors. He oversaw the acquisition of Mirage Resorts Inc. by MGM Grand Inc. thereby creating MGM MIRAGE.

Four Illinois casinos gain state approval to reduce hours: Maura Kelly; CHICAGO -- Four Illinois casinos will be open fewer hours and some expect to lay off workers, a move casino executives say is a result of higher state gambling taxes that lawmakers approved this spring.

Thursday's horse racing entries: Post Time 2 p.m.

PGA Championship tee times: Thursday: first hole; Friday: 10th hole

P. Verde to open regional vs. Colo.: The Panthers (29-14) -- known in the tournament as Las Vegas Post 40 -- open the tournament against the Niwot Legion A team from Colorado (59-11) Thursday at 10 a.m. That game is followed by a Friday contest at 5 p.m. against the tournament's weakest statistical entry, host Lodi (16-14). Palo Verde finishes its round-robin schedule with a game against New Mexico (47-10) Saturday at 10 a.m.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Lasoski eyes 3rd WoO Knoxville Nationals title: Danny Lasoski led the O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series points standings for 45 of the first 46 events this season but now trails 17-time WoO champion Steve Kinser by 21 points.

Testing company that botched exams is given new contracts: CARSON CITY -- A national educational testing company that was roundly criticized for mistakes in grading proficiency exams of more than 700 Nevada high school students has been given an $18 million extension on its contracts.

Columnist Peter Benton: Furyk a good pick to win at Oak Hill: Peter Benton; The final major is upon us, with the 85th staging of our PGA Championship scheduled to begin tomorrow over the par-70, 7,134-yard Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.

Editorial: Secrecy envelops nuke waste: An Energy Department spokesman said the appropriate agencies had been notified, but the department's definition of "appropriate" is in serious need of expansion. Lisa Gue, an energy analyst for the anti-nuclear group Public Citizen, notes that this wasn't about security but was "more about minimizing public scrutiny of the (Energy Department's) actions," especially since environmental groups had opposed that shipment route previously. While the waste from New York wasn't headed for Nevada, it is troubling nonetheless since the federal government wants to ship 77,000 tons of nuclear waste to Nevada for burial inside Yucca Mountain. It also is alarming that ...

New welfare office approved: The division will lease the property from the Vista Group for 10 years starting at $1.19 per square foot and increasing to $1.55 per square foot in the final year of the lease at 3330 E. Flamingo.

Borgata lifts AC results: ATLANTIC CITY -- The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa won $46.9 million from gamblers in its first month, staking New Jersey's casino industry to its most lucrative month ever.

Letter: Outpatient cap makes no sense: Effective Sept. 1, Medicare will limit the outpatient therapy care to a maximum of $1,590 a year. It would, however, continue to pay in excess of that amount for physical therapy provided it was done in an outpatient status in a hospital. This does not make sense to me.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Del Mar: 1st Race -- CYBER SLEW -- Draws good middle post for Cal-bred sprint opener, Smith sits O'Neill trainee, adds blinkers for this diploma try. GO BABY ICE -- Flores aboard Jones trainee, needs prompt start and clean trip from inner post at maiden dash distance, Baby to Ice foes Go to windows? Value Play -- FRESAL

Letter: Big cat legislation is long overdue: Two years ago I served on a Clark County committee to craft a law to help with both public safety and the welfare of the animals. On the committee were representatives of area animal-control offices, the U.S. Agriculture Department, and the state Division of Wildlife. Also serving were veterinarians, exotic animal trainers and animal advocates such as myself. We worked for 10 months and came up with a good ordinance but it had to be shelved for lack of funding.