Print edition for December 18, 2003

Man may have given flu shots without license: Nevada officials are investigating a Seattle man they believe administered flu shots in Las Vegas without a license, health officials said.

Nevada still tops nation in growth: By Timothy Pratt; New census numbers released this morning show Nevada remains the fastest-growing state in the nation for the 17th consecutive year -- but that's not news to anyone who lives here, an analyst says.

Rules for fountains, home car washing revisited: Water rules for decorative fountains and home car washing will go back to the drawing board.

Nevada's DUI death rate up after decline: The number of alcohol-related traffic deaths in Nevada rose significantly in 2002 over 2001 after three years of decline, a new federal study says.

Vegas sees opportunities to attract international tourists: International travel to Nevada from all points on the globe should improve next year and the state already has begun gearing up to serve a new market -- China.

News briefs for Dec. 18, 2003: A District Court judge on Wednesday sentenced a Las Vegas man to four to 10 years in prison for his role in the death of his 2-year-old daughter.

Manslaughter charges sought against man, 87: SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Police announced Wednesday they are asking the district attorney to file manslaughter charges against an 87-year-old man whose Buick LeSabre plowed through a crowded farmers market in July, killing 10 people and injuring 63 others.

Man is indicted on sex charges: An indictment unsealed Wednesday before District Judge Michael Douglas charges John Misseldine with one count of sexual assault with a minor under 14 and two counts of lewdness with a child under 14.

Tempers flare over OK of Social Security project: Sito Negron; About 200 previously hopeful people wearing stickers with a red slash through the words "Spot Zoning" left Las Vegas City Council chambers disappointed and angry Wednesday night.

The Hotel opens at Mandalay Bay: The Hotel opens at Mandalay Bay

LV airport on prospective expansion list: Frontier plans to announce a "major expansion" later today, but would not disclose plans until meeting with employees today. Officials at McCarran could not be reached for comment.

Circus defends policy on HIV-infected gymnast: The Human Rights Commission is investigating whether Cirque du Soleil violated local laws by firing Matthew Cusick, an HIV-infected gymnast scheduled to begin performing at the "Mystere" show in Las Vegas in April. Last month, the circus opened a seven-week gig in San Francisco, where it has been the target of protesters.

Southcoast resort plan advances: The County Commission gave zoning approval for the resort in July 2001, but the company sought use permits for the towers and other additions to the original plans. The county on Wednesday also approved expanding the number of approved rooms at the site along the south Strip to 2,139 from 300.

Survey shows drop in smoking in high school: By Emily Richmond; The percentage of Clark County high school students who said they smoke cigarettes has dropped to 19.5 percent -- the lowest rate in eight years, a new survey shows.

Director named for new cancer institute: Dr. Nicholas Vogelzang has spent more than two decades battling cancer, both professionally as a prominent researcher and personally as a survivor of Hodgkin's disease.

Sports briefs for December 18, 2003: A clerk magistrate also found probable cause to go forward with Nelson's cross-complaint against Paul Williams, 24, a middle school teacher from Derry, N.H.

Investors await judge's decision on assets of Las Vegas mortgage fund: Kevin Rademacher; Attorneys for embattled Las Vegas mortgage lender Connie Farris, disgruntled investors and the Securities and Exchange Commission argued over fraud allegations for nearly two hours on Wednesday.

Outside experts critical of Las Vegas ad campaign: A panel of meeting and convention planners argued Wednesday that Las Vegas sends the wrong message to the business community with its "what happens here, stays here" advertising campaign.

LV insurer tries to explain intricacies of Medicare and effects of new law: Michelle Swafford; PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.'s Medicare + Choice members will not pay more for their health insurance benefits in 2004 despite rising costs.

Oklahoma City flights set: TransMeridian Airlines, which began public charter service between McCarran and four cities in August, will offer nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Oklahoma City starting Feb. 11.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Art sets new Mandalay Bay hotel apart: Perhaps Las Vegas' most impressive gallery opened Wednesday -- and it is disguised as a sleek new hotel.

Spinks enjoys his turn on top: Dean Juipe; It's a rare achievement, holding all three of the major titles at a given weight. It's so rare, in fact, that boxing's welterweight division went more than 20 years without an undisputed champion, dating back to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1981.

Wranglers maintain home-ice advantage: Nick Christensen; Wednesday night was full of surprises as the Orleans Arena.

Fight schedule: At San Juan, Puerto Rico, (Telefutura), Jose Cotto, Puerto Rico, vs. Isidro Tejador, Colombia, 10, lightweights; Henry Bruseles, Puerto Rico, vs. Jerome Elder, Indianapolis, 10, junior welterweights.

Bledsoe: I can still get job done: Buffalo Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe is resigned to following up one of his most prolific seasons with one of his worst.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Barry's ready to welcome Golden Gloves fighters: Sal DeFilippo; For amateur fighters associated with the Golden Gloves gym, a deathbed promise assures them of a place to work out and compete even after the gym permanently closes next Tuesday.

Showtime will lift curtain on Grigorian: Dean Juipe; The first big fight of the new year is Jan. 3 in Connecticut when Acelino Freitas moves up a division, to lightweight, to face a man well known in Europe but largely unheralded here.

Police releasing few details in shooting of unarmed man: Jen Lawson; Metro Police are providing little explanation as to how they wound up initially telling the public that the unarmed man killed by a Metro detective Tuesday had a gun.

Council to re-examine law on yard sales: Dan Kulin; The North Las Vegas City Council will take another look at a new law that limits yard and garage sales, after Councilman Robert Eliason said he was concerned that the new law prohibits such sales from residents' front yards and driveways.

NLV council briefs for Dec. 18, 2003: A North Las Vegas park that features a model airplane flying field will be named the Willie C. McCool Regional Park, in honor of one of the seven astronauts on the space shuttle Columbia when it exploded during re-entry Feb. 1.

Guinn, other governors call for full tax funds: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Gov. Kenny Guinn and 12 other governors want full funding of the federal payment-in-lieu of tax program to help their states get the money needed for basic programs.

Sequoia stands tall as small forward: Adam Candee; Her first name is an impressive enigma.

Southern Nevadans appointed to state panels: The governor named Suzanne Magleby and Jeffrey Wrightson to the Maternal & Child Health Advisory Board; Thomas Peacock and Jean Peyton to the Workforce Investment Board; Michael Benjamin to the Commission on Sports; Dr. Rena Nora to the Board of Examiners for Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Counselors; and Joan Lolmaugh of Henderson to the Nevada Arts Council.

Allen gets life without parole in killing of mother of four: Erica D. Johnson; Jurors on Wednesday determined that the Las Vegas man who killed his girlfriend and after his conviction assaulted a Clark County prosecutor should spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Correction: Correction

'Positive' meeting with Selby held: Sito Negron; The Las Vegas City Council had a "positive" meeting with City Manager Doug Selby behind closed doors Wednesday. Council members, citing the nature of the meeting as a personnel session, would not say much more about it.

Las Vegas City Council briefs: The Las Vegas City Council approved an ordinance to allow people to buy alcohol over the Internet and have it delivered from a grocery store, and then approved the first applicant for a license to do so.

UNLV has big plans for long stay at home: Steve Guiremand; It has only been about three weeks since UNLV basketball team played a home game at the Thomas & Mack Center. But head coach Charlie Spoonhour and his squad are eager to play again on their home floor tonight when they meet Northern Arizona (3-5) beginning at 7:30.

Penske staying mum on Gaughan's future: Given the fact that most of the details of Roger Penske's plan to add a third NASCAR Nextel Cup team next season are plastered all over the Internet, the venerable auto racing team owner apparently is in no hurry to make a formal announcement.

Council hears pitch for world-class zoo: Sito Negron; Las Vegas officials will negotiate a possible takeover of Floyd Lamb State Park from the state, and at the same time will discuss backing a revenue bond to build a zoo on a portion of the parkland.

Leading indicators up: Leading indicators up

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Y'all get ready for Busch and Brendan: While there is a Las Vegas, N.M. (keep going north at Santa Fe), our sometimes fair city doesn't yet have a namesake in North Carolina -- although you wouldn't know it based on what has been happening on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit.

Art to be built into city projects: Sito Negron; A percentage of the cost of construction projects will now be used to pay for public art in Las Vegas.

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 12:30 p.m.

O Christmas tree: Please stay safe: Heather Rawlyk; The Clark County Fire Department offers this advice for keeping safe over the holidays:

Obituaries for Dec. 18, 2003: Deborah Diane Butler-Kerr, 51, of Las Vegas died Monday in Las Vegas. She was born Oct. 1, 1952, in Deming, N.M. A resident for 25 years, she was a PBX operator.

Letter: Other reputable sources for drugs: Don't they realize the danger they are putting Americans in, at least according to the FDA? But maybe they realize, as many people here already have, that buying drugs from reputable sources outside our country is safe.

Letter: Conserve water and slow growth: Those of us who have called Las Vegas home for many years and who don't stand to make a buck by the out-of-control growth our civic leaders have allowed over the years would disagree. Yes, let's conserve water, but let's put a stop to the reason we're in this mess in the first place -- uncontrolled growth.

Letter: Saddam's trial will mean more Bush propaganda: With his programs of "Leave no billionaire behind," including the sellout of seniors with the prescription drug law, Bush has also been feeling political pressure domestically.

Editorial: Wetlands decision is surprising, welcome: Environmentalists were pleased by the announcement, one of the first major decisions by the new EPA administrator, Mike Leavitt. "I have to admit this was a real positive development and a win for wetlands and wildlife," Julie Sibbing of the National Wildlife Federation told The Washington Post. Some environmentalists weren't fully convinced, however, noting that while the rule has been abandoned, a written directive that could free up millions of acres of wetlands for development still hasn't been rescinded yet.

Regents defend votes on CCSN: University regents responsible for closed meetings that removed the Community College of Southern Nevada president and his adviser remain deeply divided over their actions a week after a move to rescind the firings failed.

Editorial: Program for child care needs boost: We support this program but are dismayed by its current austere budget partly caused by a state miscalculation. In presenting his budget to the 2003 Legislature, Gov. Kenny Guinn overestimated -- by $18.2 million over two years -- the amount of the federal share of the program. When the error was discovered, the Welfare Division was forced to severely limit the program's eligibility requirements and slash subsidies to bare minimums. Subsidies for about 6,800 children are being granted. An almost equal number of children of parents eager to start a welfare-to-work program, however, are on a waiting list.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Trying time for Saddam: Several months may be needed to spell out the long list of crimes committed by Saddam and his henchmen. Testimony must come from the Kurds and Shiites of Iraq; survivors of Saddam's brutal invasion of Kuwait; Iranian survivors of his war against them; and the Israelis who fell victim to his scud missiles he fired at them in 1991. The list could go on for several pages and time for their presentation should be adequate so the whole world can see the heartbreak and devastation he has brought upon the people in that part of the globe.

Nellis maintenance unit honored as tops: Dick Benoit; A Nellis Air Force Base aircraft maintenance unit has been singled out by the base's parent unit, Air Combat Command, as the most effective unit in the command for 2003.

Advisory panel to study various state tax issues: CARSON CITY -- The Genoa Bar, one of the oldest structures in Nevada, built in the 1850s, brought a sale price in 2000 of $625,000 but is paying a property tax of $406 a year.

Lawmakers urge personal water systems for police: Suzanne Struglinski and Jace Radke; WASHINGTON -- Metro Police officers need personal water systems to work with the gas masks they would use in the event of a major emergency, but cannot buy them with federal grant money.

Capitol Police buy bikes for children: Chief Brad Valladon said 16 new bicycles have been purchased and will be given to the Salvation Army of Carson City and Project Santa Claus of Douglas County for distribution at a ceremony Friday on the front steps of the Capitol.

Community briefs for Dec. 18, 2003: The Bureau of Land Management will offer up to seven horses at a wild horse adoption event at 8 a.m. Saturday at Oliver Ranch in Red Rock Canyon.

Leavitt, son both doing well following kidney transplant: CARSON CITY -- Nevada Supreme Court Justice Myron Leavitt says his son Jimmy doesn't have to give him a Christmas present this year.

Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Saddam beats whale of a tale: Ruthe Deskin; Where were you went the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor?

Short & Sweet: Quillin's book of short stories recounts brushes with greatness: The 278-page autobiography of 69 brief stories is available through Amazon.com and other online bookstores.

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