Print edition for February 4, 2003

Arena League sellouts: Sellouts in Chicago (16,143) and Colorado (17,483) and the largest crowd ever in Los Angeles (14,827) helped the Arena Football League to post a 26 percent rise in attendance compared to last year's opening weekend.

Fast-food giant helping struggling franchisees: Burger King said Monday it will pay the fees for financial services firm Trinity Capital to evaluate franchisees who apply for help restructuring their debt.

News briefs for Feb. 4, 2003: The 10-year-old Mesquite girl who was left paralyzed after she was stabbed two weeks ago may be discharged today from University Medical Center, hospital spokesman Rick Plummer said this morning.

Appeals court ruling on suit could cost county: Cy Ryan and Erica D. Johnson; CARSON CITY -- Clark County officials were trying to determine Monday whether a federal appeals court ruling could open a floodgate of costly lawsuits against the county and the public defender's office.

Kyle Busch to part with NASCAR's Roush Racing: Kyle Busch will not follow the same path his older brother Kurt took to stardom in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series -- at least not with Roush Racing.

LV seeks help from feds for downtown: Judy Odierna; Las Vegas is asking the federal government for $43.31 million for everything from public safety projects to construction efforts, with the up to $40 million of that wish list tied to the redevelopment of downtown.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Football still best when played outdoors: For the second time in eight years, I threw my hat into the Arena Sunday.

Shuttle contractors again facing scrutiny: Matthew Fordahl; SAN JOSE, Calif. -- As NASA investigates the Columbia space shuttle disaster, the spotlight once again is on the long list of private contractors who maintain the shuttle fleet in an era of tight budgets and industry consolidation.

Authorities can't prove charges against Tapia: Deputy Mohave County Attorney Lee Jantzen said authorities have been unable to prove a drug smoking pipe found at a Golden Valley residence near Kingman belongs to Tapia.

Local service held for shuttle victims: About 20 people attended an interdenominational service on Monday in memory of the seven astronauts who perished Saturday aboard the space shuttle Columbia.

Comments sought on sensitive land: The bureau has raised $148 million for the purchase through Clark County land sales authorized under the 1998 Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act.

Man says LV destroyed tapes in eminent domain case: Judy Odierna; A man who has been fighting to keep his property from being acquired by the city of Las Vegas through eminent domain is now saying the case should be dismissed because the city destroyed tapes on which officials publicly stated that the property was not needed.

Arbitrator rules against fired cop: An ex-North Las Vegas Police officer who claimed two of the department's detectives set up him up to get him fired because of his criticism of the police union has lost a round in his legal battles with the city.

Appeals court ruling on suit deals blow to county: Cy Ryan and Erica Johnson; CARSON CITY -- Clark County officials were trying to determine Monday whether a federal appeals court ruling could open a floodgate of costly lawsuits against the county and the public defender's office.

Cable television to carry new school channel: By Emily Richmond; Clark County will soon have a second cable channel dedicated to educational programming for Southern Nevada's students, officials for Cox Communications announced Monday.

ACLU steps in to push North Las Vegas petition: Dan Kulin; As late as last Friday, the legal battle between the loosely organized citizens of the Freedom of Speech Committee and the city of North Las Vegas looked like a mismatch, but Monday the group had the legal equivalent of a cavalry ride to its rescue.

Budget could boost tourism ads: A state could apply for the federal grant money, which would have to be matched by the state, to create advertisements for foreign markets that would encourage international travelers to visit the state. The money would help states that are still struggling to recoup post-Sept. 11 losses, lawmakers say.

Constitutional experts debate freedoms in a post 9-11 society: Jennifer Knight; Two nationally recognized constitutional experts took their ongoing debate to a UNLV classroom Monday, where they discussed the political fallout of anti-terrorism policies in the United States.

Knowledge of bank robbery key to case: Erica D. Johnson; The question of whether a California man knew his friend was planning to rob a local Bank of America was paramount Monday during a hearing in Las Vegas Justice Court to determine whether there is enough evidence to try him.

Already, talk of special session for taxes heard: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Legislature opened its 120-day session Monday amid murmurings that a special, extended session may be needed to complete work on a tax package.

Las Vegas reservation office to close: American employs about 341 people at the center on Warm Springs Road. The company did not say when the office would close.

Columnist Dean Juipe: UNLV could use a center of attention: Dean Juipe; Bg men ... towering men, in fact ... abound in college (and professional) basketball and they tend to play an integral role in the outcome of their teams' games. As a rule, the bigger your big man -- as in Shaq or Yao -- the better your chance for victory.

Rundle's son tells about what he heard of grandmother: Erica D. Johnson; The son of William Rundle, who is charged with killing his mother and his wife, told a grand jury he found his father's explanation of his elderly grandmother's disappearance "curious."

Peters steps up in starting role: Early in the second half of UNLV's rout over Colorado State on Monday night, a Ram beat James Peters to the rebound of a missed shot by Jermaine Lewis of the Rebels.

Station lures poker players with progressive jackpots: By Liz Benston; On Monday afternoon at Texas Station casino hotel, four poker tables were bustling when a normal day might have kept just one or two busy.

LV man requests dismissal of eminent domain case: Judy Odierna; A man who has been fighting to keep his property from being acquired by the city of Las Vegas through eminent domain is now saying the case should be dismissed because the city destroyed tapes on which officials publicly stated that the property was not needed.

Coroner IDs shooting victim: Leal and two others were shot outside the El Matador restaurant at Maryland Parkway and Sahara Avenue about 4 a.m. Leal was sitting in a Ford Explorer when she was shot in the chest. A 19-year-old man was critically wounded, and a 34-year-old man suffered non life-threatening injuries, police said.

Proposal would shield Yucca funding: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department has a new plan to avoid the annual budget limit set by Congress for the Yucca Mountain project.

Columnist Jeff German: Hoops war is officially out of hand: Unless you live in the master-planned community of Summerlin North.

Money in the Banks: the numbers; First Half: UNLV 41-24

UNLV shows new life by routing CSU: Steve Guiremand; Yes, the UNLV Rebel basketball team still has a pulse. And, for one night anyway, a heart.

Rundle's son tells about what he heard of his grandmother: Erica D. Johnson; The son of William Rundle, who is charged with killing his mother and his wife, told a grand jury he found his father's explanation of his elderly grandmother's disappearance "curious."

Two Air Force heroes get Silver Stars: As the United States stands on the verge of another war with Iraq, Nellis Air Force Base paused to honor two of its pilots whose courage saved some of their comrades' lives in last year's war in Afghanistan.

Police agency rejects plan for casino district: Various municipalities proposed creating casinos under a second round of applications that closed Jan. 15 for establishing deregulation zones, the Kyodo news service reported.

Anti-tax forces stirring as lawmakers convene: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Honor guards, smiles, handshakes and 63 white roses welcomed family and friends of lawmakers to the capital on Monday, but outside the cloistered halls of the Legislative Building a less cordial atmosphere was building.

New competitors lining up against bankrupt Comdex: Comdex creator Sheldon Adelson is considering starting a new technology trade show to compete with the bankrupt owner of Comdex, and a Connecticut company today announced plans for its own show to compete with Comdex -- this one at Mandalay Bay.

Mother of one of six teens killed on Interstate 15 dies: Joetta "JoJo" Burke, 44, was the mother of Maleyna Stoltzfus, 15 who was run over by driver Jessica Williams in March 2000.

Battle lines form in Nevada regulation debate: In Business Las Vegas, a sister newspaper to the Las Vegas Sun, reported that the bill is supported by Sprint, the main local phone company in Las Vegas, and SBC Communications Inc., which operates outside of Las Vegas as Nevada Bell.

Governor's proposed budget includes tax hike for casinos: McGreevey wants to raise the tax rate on casino revenue to 10 percent from 8 percent and impose a sales tax on incentives casinos give to their best gamblers such as rooms and meals. New Jersey faces a $5 billion budget gap, the paper said. The casino revenue tax has remained unchanged in the 25 years New Jersey has had legalized casinos, the paper said.

Officials baffled by body at Timet: Jen Lawson; The Titanium Metals Corp. plant in Henderson is protected by security checkpoints, around-the-clock guards, surveillance cameras and an 8-foot tall fence topped with razor wire.

Longtime Nevadan Belding dies at 86: Ruth Doolittle Belding, a member of two Southern Nevada pioneering families and the first prom queen at Las Vegas High School, died Sunday in her sleep at her Boulder City home. She was 86.

Public meetings set on master-plan changes: County officials will hold a public meeting Feb. 12 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the commission chambers, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway, on the issue. The meeting will be aired live on local cable Channel 4 and on the county's website at www.accessclarkcounty.com.

Arbitrator rules against fired police officer: An ex-North Las Vegas Police officer who claimed two of the department's detectives set up him up to be fired because of his criticism of the police union has lost a round in his legal battles with the city.

Columnist Susan Snyder: A lesson learned on the trail: We learn from our mistakes.

Editorial: Let's turn marathon into national event: Las Vegas, however, should be shouting and waving. It has the tradition -- the Las Vegas Marathon has been running steadily since 1967. It has the numbers -- the race on Saturday drew 8,000 runners (including half-marathoners). Yet Las Vegas in recent years has been sighing. Public and private sponsorship is low. Cooperation from local government is nil. Publicity is sorely lacking. We'd like to see Clark County, the city of Las Vegas, the gaming industry and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority really get behind our local marathon. With some financial help and more logistical cooperation, the Las ...

LV takes steps toward affordable assisted living: Judy Odierna; Las Vegas' plan to build an affordable assisted living facility is taking another step forward.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: A new CSI: Charity scenes inspired: Saturday afternoon he makes the scene at the beginning of the World Shoe Association convention at Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

LV partners with YMCA on pool: The Bennett YMCA Outdoor Aquatic Center has been on the drawing board for more than a year and a half and it was approved for the budget nine months ago.

Letter: Goodman good promoter of city: The article appalled me and especially my 90-year-old mother who, being a very proud Las Vegan, makes it a point to brag to our out-of-town guests about our colorful mayor. She even out-bid hundreds of people in the world on eBay for an Oscar "Bobblehead," which sits proudly on her coffee table.

Letter: Ralston column describes mayor: It is the most correct assessment of any politician I have ever read. Kudos to Mr. Ralston and to the Sun for permitting him to report the facts.

Community briefs for Feb. 4, 2003: The Bureau of Land Management and other federal agencies are asking people to comment on the acquisition of environmentally sensitive land in Nevada.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Strong men and women: Space exploration has come a long way since Armstrong, Shepard and Slayton showed the world what bright and courageous people can accomplish. During the past 20 years additional advancements have been made in everything except the vehicles used in space. Nevertheless, most of us have come to expect success of each mission. Until last Saturday I could only name two of the people on the space shuttle Columbia. Pilot William McCool, whose parents teach at UNLV, and Israel's Ilan Ramon from Tel Aviv were both known to me for different reasons. Prior to Saturday I couldn't have named Rick Husband, ...

Editorial: Energy for tomorrow, and today: We support the president's nudge toward moving the country out of the oil age and into the hydrogen age. Unlike oil, a finite resource that causes environmental hazards as it's drawn from the ground, poses toxic danger as it is transported and creates air pollution when it is burned, hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and can be supplied safely and burned cleanly. Hydrogen fuel cells, which have been powering spacecraft since the 1960s, have been adapted for use in automobiles, although they are now prohibitively expensive. The Department of Energy, in beginning a five-year demonstration project, ...

Clarification: The Sun corrects its errors. If you find a mistake, call 385-3111 to report it.

Obituaries for Feb. 4, 2003: Jerry Centers, 42, of Las Vegas died Friday in Las Vegas. A commercial tour bus driver, he was born in Norwalk, Calif.

Letter: Safety does not concern transit system operators: According to a recent article by Sun reporter Launce Rake, three CAT drivers (Gene Smith, Steve Mora and Ben Carter) are faced with firing for protesting safety and working conditions. The ATC says that they may be fired for interfering with contract talks, not safety concerns. Not so.