Print edition for February 11, 2003

Casinos may be banned in exchange for cash: If realized, the state could reap a one-time fee of $80 million without the long-term costs and implications of having casinos in Massachusetts, the newspaper said, citing unidentified senior administration officials. Next year, Massachusetts is anticipating a $3 billion budget deficit, the Herald reported.

Law school receives full accreditation: Jennifer Knight; UNLV's Boyd School of Law received full accreditation from the American Bar Association on Monday, less than five years after it opened -- making it one of the fastest accreditations allowed under ABA rules.

Slain woman's friend relates argument: Erica D. Johnson; A friend of Kim Gautier told jurors Monday about an argument Gautier had with Timmy Weber the night before her slaying, and prosecutors said it could have been the motive for the killing.

Charming with brutality: Dean Juipe; Mike Tyson makes his entrance, and, as if on cue, reacquaints those in his presence with his unique brand of outrageousness.

Veto of transportation oversight is sustained: CARSON CITY -- Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, says the state Transportation Department is responsible for the construction delays in highway improvement projects in Southern Nevada.

Investors not impressed with Harmon testimony: Jace Radke; Harley L. Harmon, a former assemblyman on trial for mail fraud in connection with a multimillion-dollar mortgage scandal, admitted Monday that he diverted investor money to troubled construction projects.

Spoonhour will try to rally troops against tough SDSU: Steve Guiremand; NEXT UP

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Love: Two chips that pass in the night: Perhaps the funniest souvenirs offered to mark the day are a pair of commemorative chips being issued by the Riviera.

Legislators grapple with shortage of nurses: CARSON CITY -- Nevada has the worst shortage of nurses in the nation, and officials told lawmakers Monday that it will take an investment of $12 million in the state's college system to close the gap.

Roach must get Tyson to 'show up': Dean Juipe; His sparring sessions are behind locked doors, but Mike Tyson and those around him feel he's peaking as a fight with Cliff Etienne approaches.

Moody's lowers rating on American: The move could make it more difficult and costly for American to borrow. Moody's said it was concerned American could continue to lose large amounts unless it can significantly cut expenses.

Rate hike expected to drive out more doctors: Area physicians say a proposed malpractice insurance rate hike from a company that already had raised its rates last fall is certain to drive more doctors from Nevada unless the state places lower caps on malpractice damages.

UNLV's Nielsen wins weekly MWC honor: Nielsen, a graduate of Silverado High, posted an .833 batting average last week as the Rebels swept the College of Charleston, 10-6, 15-6, 13-9. In two games, Nielsen was 5-for-6 from the plate with three doubles, two RBI and a home run.

Heavy rain remains a question for LV: Clouds will continue to increase over Southern Nevada today, and weather forecasters expect some rain to fall after midnight and continue through Wednesday and Thursday.

Wyeth reveals probe: The company, whose hormone replacement treatments were tied to cancer and heart risks last year, made the disclosure in a regulatory filing and said the allegations are related to commissions for a "small segment of the over-the-counter drug business." The filing didn't name another pharmaceutical company.

Harding set for pro boxing debut: Harding will face Samantha Browning of Mantachie, Miss.

Mystery death: Answers elusive in case of woman found at Timet: Jen Lawson; Stacey Kaplan was a quiet, law-abiding, religious woman who worked for the U.S. Postal Service and lived for her 12-year-old son.

Ex-trooper given suspended year's sentence in lewdness case: Erica D. Johnson; A former Nevada Highway Patrol officer accused of sexually molesting a 12-year-old girl in his backyard swimming pool was given a suspended sentence Monday.

Pappas thinks LV will win condemnation appeal: CARSON CITY -- A member of the Pappas family, which has been engaged in a seven-year battle over the Fremont Street Experience, doesn't think the family will prevail in the latest hearing before the Nevada Supreme Court.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Viewers pick Gladiators, golf over Rebels: If you still subscribe to the notion that sports in Las Vegas revolves around the UNLV basketball team, you had better cancel it.

LV casino operator's stock faces delisting: "The company has been informed that it does not meet certain AMEX listing requirements, (due to among other things, the company's negative equity and losses) and that, consequently, the AMEX intends to initiate steps that could ultimately result in the delisting of the company's common stock from the American Stock Exchange," Riviera said.

Columnist Jeff German: The pride is gone at UNLV: Some will say the pride left in 1992 when Jerry Tarkanian was forced to leave under the pressure of a National Collegiate Athletic Association probe, just two years after guiding UNLV to the national championship.

Sigma sues to retain license in Missouri: By Liz Benston; A Las Vegas slot machine maker has filed suit in a state court to block Missouri gaming regulators from revoking the company's license to do business in that state.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Jeff Green expected to be on Daytona 500 pole: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Jeff Green surprised everybody but himself on Monday when he won the pole for Sunday's Daytona 500.

News briefs for Feb. 11, 2003: A woman's body was dumped along a road near Nipton, Calif., and authorities are looking for leads.

Sierra Pacific stock plunges: Shares of Sierra Pacific Resources, the owner of Nevada's two biggest utilities, fell as much as 28 percent this morning after the company said it's seeking to raise $250 million through the sale of convertible notes.

More bike riders are wearing helmets: The Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, which paid for the study, said it showed that 19.2 percent of 1,000 riders observed were wearing a helmet. That's up from 17.2 percent in 2001.

Company postpones debt offering: Mandalay had planned to sell the notes this week, said people familiar with the sale.

Elder Bush praises new technology: While President Bush preached faith-based compassion and rallied a Nashville, Tenn., audience for a possible war with Iraq on Monday, his father captivated a crowd of wireless communicators in Las Vegas.

Former Nevada doctor testifies: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- A former Nevada obstetrician was expected to tell Congress today that he left the state after 12 years of practice because of skyrocketing medical malpractice insurance rates.

Pay hikes for DAs, sheriffs considered: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- State lawmakers are considering raising the salaries of sheriffs and district attorneys so those officials' pay would no longer be less than people who work under them.

High court critical of regents' actions: CARSON CITY -- University regents face an uphill fight trying to convince the state Supreme Court they didn't violate the state's open-meeting law when they discussed a report critical of how UNLV police conducted a campus drug raid.

Revenue, cash flow strong at The Venetian: By Liz Benston; The Las Vegas Strip's $1.5 billion Venetian Casino Resort today reported strong increases in earnings and cash flow during the fourth quarter, primarily driven by favorable comparisons to the year-ago quarter that was hurt by terrorism fears.

America West to close Ohio hub to cut costs: America West Airlines will eliminate its money-losing hub in Columbus, Ohio, by mid-June, reducing the number of daily flights originating there from 49 to four and relying on its larger and more profitable Western hubs.

Resort operator launches in-room magazine: The magazine is the first to focus on all MGM MIRAGE properties, though some resorts, including MGM Grand and New York-New York, have offered their own in-room publications, company spokesman Alan Feldman said.

Panel OKs SEC nominee: Panel OKs SEC nominee

Board to hold Mirage union vote: Grace Leong; The National Labor Relations Board will hold an election on Thursday of 18 Mirage carpenters and upholsterers at the hotel-casino after the national board overturned a decision by a regional official denying their first election request.

Community briefs for Feb. 11, 2003: The Salvation Army is asking for donations of personal hygiene products: shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, antiperspirant, soap, baby products, and similar items.

Neal calls for criminalizing of racial profiling: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- State Sen. Joe Neal wants Nevada to be the first state to make police who conduct racial profiling guilty of a crime.

Death penalty reform debated: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Lawmakers were told Monday that if they don't invest more money in the legal defense of people facing the death penalty local governments will be liable to pay much higher amounts in lawsuits.

Governor answers editorial in Wall Street Journal: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn has done what many citizens who are unhappy with newspaper coverage do.

Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas spa and golf resort opens: By Liz Benston; In a town where distances for businesses are often measured in terms of how far they are from the Las Vegas Strip, the Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas resort is an anomaly.

Bear Stearns analyst resigns: Ader, ranked No. 1 by Institutional Investor magazine from 1999 to 2001 and No. 2 in 2002, will hand coverage of companies such as MGM MIRAGE and Hilton Hotels Corp. to Mark Abramson. Abramson has covered lodging in Europe and Asia and been with Bear Stearns for nine years, said Russell Sherman, a spokesman.

Lady Rebels' Jinks honored by MWC: A 5-foot-7 senior guard out of Chicago, Jinks scored game-highs of 15 and 26 points in a pair of victories over MWC rivals Wyoming (68-65) and Colorado State (90-71) last week.

Nevada is not keeping tabs on sex offenders, group says: Jen Lawson; Too many sex offenders are slipping through the cracks of the system that is supposed to protect Nevada's children, a national child advocacy group says.

Nevadans say Goshute dump could be alternative to Yucca: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- As part of their broader fight against the Yucca Mountain permanent nuclear waste repository, Nevada lawmakers have also battled plans for a temporary storage site on Indian land in Utah.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Birthdays, boos affect Rebel coaches: Dean Juipe; It's fun for a guy like Charlie Spoonhour when he's introduced before a game and the Thomas & Mack Center crowd responds with a complimentary chorus. "Spoooooooonnnnnn," the fans go, bestowing their praise on the UNLV basketball coach.

Pro bridge player Nagy dies playing poker: By Timothy Pratt; Peter Nagy, a professional bridge player who escaped communist Hungary and lived in California, died of an apparent heart attack Thursday while playing poker at the Bellagio.

Sparks, husband of longtime regent, dies: Jennifer Knight; Ken Sparks, the husband of former university regent Carolyn Sparks, died of cancer Monday. He was 72.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Mission: Send women to combat: The question concerns women in direct combat with the enemy. Right now, women can serve in all kinds of combat positions except for the hand-to-hand type.

No-frills Tharp troupe is all about the dance: Marilyn LaRocque; The Twyla Tharp dance-acrobatic-aerobic-gymnastic-contortionist ballet troupe produced a tour de force Friday night at Artemus Ham Hall at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The three works on the slightly longer-than-an-hour performance took the audience from the folk-dance-themed "Westerly Round" through a tale of unrequited love in "Even the King" to the gates of hell in "Surfer at the River Styx."

Peace of History: Sixtiesmania promotes Flower Power at Castaways: The nostalgia group has captured the hearts of fans who lived through the era of Flower Power, Give Peace a Chance and Don't Trust Anyone Over 30.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Give us some answers: I think I just spent the last week on another planet. For a golfer, spending a few glorious, sunshiny days playing in the AT&T Pebble Beach Golf Tournament is about as good as it can get. For the thousands of fans and celebrity-gawkers who line the fairways and fill the stands around the greens, it is a time when all else is forgotten for those few short hours and the incredible combinations of luck, skill and some wild sartorial splendor consume the conversations. And for the rest of the folks who watched the television coverage and enjoyed not only the ...

Letter: Orange means be more alert: Let's see now, Attorney General John Ashcroft has again told us that the latest President George Bush has again ordered all of us to be aware that the terror color chart has just turned to orange from its previous yellow color.

Letter: U.S. should walk away from rights panel, U.N.: Under Moammar Qaddafi, Libya rose to prominence as a virtual Soviet satellite decades ago. Compiling a history of attempted subversion of Egypt and other African nations, Qaddafi previously allied himself with the unspeakable Idi Amin of Uganda and has more recently befriended Zimbabwe's ruthless Robert Mugabe.

Editorial: Bad ideas have life of their own: As pointed out by Bob Loux, the executive director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects, the plan advocated by the scientific panel could allow the Energy Department to avoid its responsibility to prove that the entire site would be safe. Loux also notes that it is another way to get nuclear waste into Nevada temporarily. For example, the panel is recommending that waste could be stored above ground at or near Yucca Mountain as project managers work though each stage of the project. This isn't just bad news for Nevada, though. An Indian reservation in Utah may soon win ...

Editorial: Bush proposal would harm school funding: Because military bases and other federal installations are exempt from taxes, the federal government directly compensates school districts according to the number of "federally connected" children they have among their enrollments. Now the Bush administration is proposing that compensation be provided only for those children who actually live on the federal installations. In the case of military dependents, the school district would cease to be compensated for students whose families live off base. Preliminary calculations by the Clark County School District show that it would lose more than $250,000 a year.

Obituaries for Feb. 11, 2003: Carmen E. Armstrong, 38, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in a local hospital. She was born July 27, 1964, in Las Vegas. A lifelong resident, she was a child-care worker.

France won't sell 2nd race to LVMS: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., said two weeks ago that he would like to buy a NASCAR Winston Cup race date from rival International Speedway Corp. and move it to Las Vegas Motor Speedway.