Print edition for February 21, 2003

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Earnhardt would have expected Waltrip to win: It seems perfectly logical to Michael Waltrip that all three of his NASCAR Winston Cup victories have come at Daytona International Speedway.

Show of Strength: Some call Lou Gehrig's disease the nice persons illness.

Ad blitz planned on water shortage: The Southern Nevada Water Authority is doing more than promoting new rules to encourage conservation.

Water agency to pay $53 million for hydropower contracts: The commission last year sued the Pioneer chemical plant, owned by Pioneer Companies Inc. of Houston, and 13 energy suppliers.

Medical records end up in wrong hands: A Wisconsin publishing company executive said he has received confidential medical records of at least 20 patients of Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.

Local Marines set for deployment: Eric Leake and Jace Radke; About 75 local Marine Corps reservists whose unit was activated 13 months ago don't know when they'll return to Las Vegas. They leave today for the Middle East.

New generation of NTS bomb tests to be discussed: The Los Alamos Study Group last week released minutes from a Jan. 10 meeting at the Pentagon in which 32 U.S. nuclear weapons managers and other officials tentatively scheduled the conference for August at U.S. Strategic Command in Omaha, Neb. The officials want to discuss what new nuclear weapons to build and how they might be tested.

Group protests governor's plan to raise casino taxes: John Curran; ATLANTIC CITY -- About 150 casino industry executives, workers and community leaders turned out this week to protest plans for new taxes on casinos, saying the added burden would stymie growth and threaten jobs.

Political notebook: Just how friendly are Gibbons and Reid?: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- It's no wonder Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., is so focused on international affairs: There's conflict on his own domestic front.

Barrera-Kelley fight announced for April 12: Barrera, 56-3, vs. Kelley, 54-5-2, will top a pay-per-view card promoted by Forum Boxing and televised by HBO.

Official: Probability of finding shuttle debris in Nevada is 'high': There is a good chance pieces of the space shuttle Columbia could be found in the Nevada desert, said an official with the Nevada wing of the Civil Air Patrol, participating in the search today.

Las Vegas Area Fishing Report: Anglers finding bass in Echo Bay: Boaters fishing near the Muddy River area and Fish Island continue to have success for largemouth bass.

Links to organized crime sought in strip club raid: Jace Radke; The focus of a joint federal and local law enforcement raid on the Crazy Horse Too topless club was to locate evidence of connections to organized crime interests in New York and Illinois and seize financial records dating to 1995, according to a federal search warrant.

State unsure of effects of phone service change: Kevin Rademacher; Nevada telecommunications industry officials are scrambling to determine how new rules on local competition outlined Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission would affect the state.

Energy costs push up Consumer Price Index: The Labor Department reported today that the January increase in its Consumer Price Index, the most closely watched inflation barometer, followed more moderate increases of 0.1 percent in both November and December.

Aladdin turns a profit in January: Higher revenue and dramatically reduced interest expenses resulted in the Aladdin hotel-casino posting its most profitable month since the bankrupt resort opened in 2000.

Homeowners, associations square off over bill: By Timothy Pratt; A state senator Thursday ordered the state's real estate administrator and ombudsman to settle a dispute in Summerlin over the right to leave out basketball hoops.

Gibbons gives Guinn grief over raising taxes: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Rep. Jim Gibbons returned to familiar surroundings Thursday night, using a law he pushed as an assemblyman to provide a warning to those who think raising taxes is the only option.

Earnings up for casino supplier: Wall Street analysts, on average, had expected the company to earn 18 cents per share.

Bill would require sheriff to have degree: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- A bill designed to close a loophole for the registrar of voters could end up keeping many folks from running for sheriff in Clark County.

Plan OK'd to curb water use: Weathering a verbal barrage from persistent critics of the agency, the board of the Southern Nevada Water Authority passed a plan Thursday to deal with more than three years of drought that has threatened Las Vegas' water supply.

GOP poll says Reid vulnerable: The poll was sponsored by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and conducted by the Moore Information Inc., a private firm with offices in Portland, Ore., and Washington. It surveyed 500 registered voters in Nevada by phone Jan. 22-25. It was the first poll the committee has taken, committee sources said.

Water plan set in three stages: The first stage, drought watch, would likely be declared by this summer, after local governments sign off on the plan.

32 to lose jobs in office closure: Leisure Industries Corp. of America, which developed the Ramada Vacation Suites and last year announced plans for a $450 million renovation of its 18.5-acre Leisure Resorts Las Vegas flagship property just east of the Imperial Palace hotel-casino, announced this week that it would contract out sales.

Nevada lawmakers prepare for protest: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Staffers for Nevada lawmakers said they will field calls as best they can from a national anti-war group that intends to inundate each member of Congress with a call every minute on Wednesday.

Man gets 56 months for slaying: Erica Johnson; A 21-year-old man charged in a shooting at an apartment complex that left a North Las Vegas man dead will spend at least 56 months in prison.

CPA organization lining up against Guinn's proposed gross receipts tax: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Society of Certified Public Accountants has given a thumbs down to the linchpin of Gov. Kenny Guinn's tax plan.

Nevada Power may benefit from new Enron investigation: Kevin Rademacher; A federal investigation into Enron Corp.'s involvement in two Las Vegas-area power plants could pay off for Nevada Power Co.

Paris Las Vegas to open nightclub, restaurant: The Ah Sin restaurant will feature Japanese sushi, Chinese noodle specialties, Thai satay, Korean barbecue, a tea menu and French desserts.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Listen to UNLV thinker: Rothman's "It's time for a new law of the river" piece is both concise and interesting for people depending on the Colorado River as their source of water. He describes the history and shortcomings of the Colorado River Compact. He calls it the "fiction of the river" and says it's obsolete.

Editorial: Algebra's importance hasn't been reduced: We are encouraged that Garcia still is committed to the algebra initiative. Administrators say that while the course may be extended, it won't be watered down. Algebra mastery is important, and the fact that students have done poorly on the high school proficiency exam -- roughly 20 percent of that exam incorporates algebraic concepts -- shows that all students should be taking this course work earlier, not later.

Arena League standingd: NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Columnist Barb Henderson: How to float your boat on Lake Mead: Barb Henderson; Southern Nevada boaters and anglers navigate the waters of Lake Mead year-round.

Win has LV team excited, anxious: Adam Candee; NEXT UP

Midwestern casino operator signs deal for cashless slots: The deal also allows for retrofits of up to another 1,000 existing IGT machines over the next two years to change the machines over to ticket voucher technology, the company said.

Suspect in Arizona kidnapping arrested in LV: Police said Cardenas befriended a 9-year-old boy in June 1994 at a concert and told him the boy's mother asked him to drive him home. The boy gave Cardenas his address and then fell asleep in the car. When he awoke, he was at Cardenas' home.

Green Valley, Centennial to meet for 4A soccer title: Adam Candee; The Green Valley revenge train rolled through its latest challenge, leaving it just a single stop from its ultimate destination.

Prep Schedule: TODAY

Columbia debris sought in Nevada: Ed Koch and Mary Manning; The key to the space shuttle Columbia disaster may lie in the high desert 170 miles north of Las Vegas, authorities said today.

Man sentenced in slaying: Erica D. Johnson; A black Las Vegas man was sentenced to 6 to 20 years in prison this morning in connection with the killing of a white man defense attorneys say tried to mow the man's friends down with a truck.

Columnist Jeff German: Stripping away club's facade: For years lawmen have linked the topless club's owner, Rick Rizzolo, to organized crime figures, but he has denied having any business dealings with them.

The praise of their peers: Once, they were neighbors on the Strip.

Oscar knows Campas will bring big punch: Dean Juipe; It may not be the most competitive fight on paper, yet Oscar De La Hoya knows there's a risk involved and it's Yory Boy Campas' right hand.

Collective bargaining debated at Legislature: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- The tax battle is yet to be waged in the Legislature, but some of the first volleys were fired Thursday during a hearing on collective bargaining for state employees.

UNLV women move up to No. 18 in rankings: The Rebels (2-1) host UC Riverside today at 2 p.m. and San Jose State at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Lady Rebels fall to BYU: BYU (15-8, 6-4), which leads the MWC in three-point accuracy (.373), converted 8-of-18 three-pointers. The Cougars took a 40-20 lead into halftime and led by as many as 25 points with 7:07 remaining.

Dark Star Orchestra members are Dead ringers: Spencer Patterson; Traveling from gig to gig in a bus with more than 2,000 Grateful Dead concert recordings on board, Rob Koritz and his mates might easily be taken for average hardcore tourheads.

Panel OKs license plate measure: CARSON CITY -- A bill that would crack down on new residents who don't register their vehicles was approved Thursday by the Assembly Transportation Committee.

Columnist Dean juipe: Tyson antics aid McCain's boxing bill: Dean juipe; There are times when it seems hardly anyone affiliated with professional boxing favors the formation of a national commission to oversee the sport, yet the possibility of such a thing happening increased tenfold in the past few days. Thanks, in large part, to Mike Tyson.

Rebels make charge at Hawaii tournament: UNLV was four strokes behind Arizona, which led the event for the second straight day.

Obituaries for Feb. 21, 2003: Albert S. Alimboyoguen, 74, of North Las Vegas died Tuesday in a local hospital. He was born Sept. 14, 1928, in Kauai, Hawaii. A resident for nine years, he was a retired pipefitter for an oil refinery, an Army veteran and a volunteer with Telephone Pioneers.

Gibson calls for review of services in annual address: Dan Kulin; Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson is calling for a complete review of work done by local governments and state agencies in Southern Nevada to see if taxpayers' money could be saved by transferring work among the various arms of government.

Letter: Saddam won't attack U.S.: Saddam had WMD during the Persian Gulf war. He didn't use them because James Baker made it clear to Saddam that if Iraq used chemical weapons, the U.S. would use nuclear weapons.

Youth prison plan is opposed: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn's plan to operate the Summit View youth prison near North Las Vegas with state employees is running into stiff opposition from Republican legislators.

Water Authority OKs Lincoln deal: The Southern Nevada Water Authority approved a deal Thursday that would settle a longstanding dispute with Lincoln County over the rights to water north of Las Vegas.

LV shows have averted fire mishaps: Jen Lawson; Pyrotechnics are commonly used during Las Vegas shows and concerts, but local fire officials said no fires have stemmed from these flashy flame shows because the city's fire codes are stringent and strictly enforced.

Convicted slot cheat added to Black Book: Brendan Riley; CARSON CITY -- Tommy Glenn Carmichael says he's now using his cheating skills to improve slot machine security. But that got him nowhere Thursday with Nevada gambling industry regulators.

UNLV women leading MWC Championships: Three-time defending conference champion BYU leads the men's field with 342 points. The Rebels are a distant second with 195 points.

In or out?: Steve Guiremand; NEXT UP

Limits sought on ethics panel's power over campaign speech: CARSON CITY -- The American Civil Liberties Union is pushing for the repeal of the law that gives the state Ethics Commission the power to fine political candidates who make false statements about their opponents during a campaign.

Editorial: LV Confidential: A run of six months: It's understandable how confidential medical information about patients at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center got into the hands of a Wisconsin businessman. What's not understandable is the response of hospital and state officials when they were informed of the glitch that compromised the privacy of at least 20 patients over a six-month period.

Editorial: All must share in water plan: The plan emphasizes conservation and enforcement. It affects nearly everyone, from those who want to wash their cars at home and plant new grass in their yards, to small businesses that want an ornamental fountain on their property, and to larger-scale water users, such as those who operate golf courses.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Power elite dread raid fallout: Like his good friend Michael McDonald, the Las Vegas councilman who was once accused of being Rizzolo's shill, the strip joint boss looks and sounds like an extra from a Martin Scorsese picture. But looks can be deceiving, especially in a place where men who were criminals elsewhere became the pillars of society, where businessmen in more respectable enterprises act much more like thugs and where black turtlenecks don't necessarily mean there is a matching black hat.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Venetian chooses iconic approach: Another Warhol-heavy pop art show is coming to Las Vegas.

Las Vegas testing design-build concept: WEEKEND EDITION: Feb. 22, 2003

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Listen to business pros: When Gov. Kenny Guinn gave us the State of the State address, he described Nevada's predicament as fragile. Without an increase in revenues -- read that taxes -- Nevada would fall even further down the ladder of unsuccessful states. In most quality-of-life criteria, our state ranks at or near the bottom, so Gov. Guinn has challenged the people of Nevada, through their legislators, to do what needs to be done. And that is the same thing many of our sister states will have to do very soon: Raise taxes.

Columnist Jeff German: Bizarre behavior a sign of the times: We seemed to have more than our share of disturbing acts.

Letter: United Nations a complete failure: The United Nations has had 12 years to see that Iraq divested itself of all weapons of mass destruction. Where has the U.N. Security Council been hiding all these years while Saddam Hussein has been playing games on the U.N, and killing his own people?

Letter: Imperialism not in the spirit of democracy: The truth is that the oil and mineral wealth of Eurasia, including Iraq, is the greatest source of power in the world. While Bush claims that he does not wish to dominate the region, he also contends that no evil power must be permitted to dominate it. That is a little like a wolf saying that there are many dangers out there, but you may hide in my mouth for safety.

Local music students to perform at Grammys viewing benefit party: Eric Leake; Four local high school students will perform at an exclusive Grammy Awards party to benefit public school music programs.

Local agency plans celebration for National Youth Service Day: The Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada has been chosen as a lead agency for the 15th Annual National Youth Service Day.

Yanni Be Good: Spencer Patterson; WEEKEND EDITION: Feb. 23, 2003

Columnist Benjamin Grove: Great divide exists on an Iraq war: Benjamin Grove; Could news reporters on both sides of the pond be partly responsible for the widening rift?

Columnist Susan Snyder: LV traffic ignorance runneth over: When is it OK to hit a pedestrian?

Troupe tries Vivaldi, Pink Floyd: Marilyn LaRocque; What: Nevada Ballet Theatre's "Vivaldi to Pink Floyd."

Community briefs for Feb. 21, 2003: A forum of Municipal Court candidates for Department 1 and Department 6 will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Wednesday at Garside Middle High School, 300 S. Torrey Pines Drive.

Columnist Erin Neff: GOP finds surefire way to lose its momentum: Erin Neff; But while Democrats did lose four seats there, the gains once proclaimed by the GOP are being effectively erased at the rate of one per week.

Letter: Girl victimized a second time: It was painful to watch Mr. Abood go after the 14-year-old victim in such a demeaning, condescending and, may I add, arrogant way. The victim couldn't even look at her rapist as she testified during her direct examination. But when Mr. Abood began his cross examination, he sat at the defense table so she would be forced to look at both of the men who were victimizing her.

On Display for February 21, 2003: Artist and UNLV instructor Jared Jaffe's "A Balancing Act" is on display Sunday through Thursday at the campus' Archie C. Grant Gallery. 895-1575.

Columnist Spencer Patterson: Grammys still can't seem to pick up rhythm: Spencer Patterson; Theoretically, the Grammys should be the best awards show on television.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Living in state of (Ah) Sin fulfills appetite: Ah Sin. No, that's not a comment on the return to the days when Las Vegas was affectionately known as Sin City, that's the name of a splendid new restaurant opening at Paris Las Vegas on March 13. And the catchy moniker has little to do with misbehaving. The restaurant is named after a 19th-century character created by writer Bret Harte.

Performing Arts for February 21, 2003: Concert

Datebook for February 21, 2003: Registration for Las Vegas' Cultural Affairs Division's art classes March 11 through April 19 will be Tuesday through March 6 at the East Las Vegas Community/Senior Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave., and Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St. Fees vary depending upon the class. 229-1515, 229-6383, 229-6211 or 229-4800.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: School expansion is Agassi's first service: But after spending some time with Andre Agassi on Thursday, the worst thing I can say is that perhaps he could have been wearing a black turtleneck instead of gray.

God in Me Ministry gets reprieve from LV council: Judy Odierna; A ministry that also operates as a transitional living center for homeless men will be allowed to keep its doors open until its fate is decided by the Las Vegas City Council.

Weiss to perform Brahms with LV Philharmonic: Marilyn LaRocque; Pianist Orion Weiss vaulted to musical prominence when he substituted for Andre Watts with the Baltimore Symphony on less than 24 hours' notice to play the Shostakovich "Piano Concerto No. 2." He joins the Las Vegas Philharmonic on Saturday to perform Johannes Brahms' "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No. 1, in D Minor."

Editorial: Watch out for pills' downside: Ephedra use in Asia dates back thousands of years and it was used widely in the United States in the 1920s. The American College of Physicians, in a recent study on the safety of ephedra compared with other herbal products, said it was used in this country to stimulate the central nervous system and as a treatment for nasal congestion and asthma. It also reported that its use here declined substantially in the 1930s because of safety concerns. Because ephedra, which has made a huge comeback over the past decade, is an herb regulated only as a dietary supplement, approval ...

Clinic hosts hepatitis C testing: Eric Leake; Bill Provost lived on the streets for years unaware he had hepatitis C.

At Flamingo, the sun never sets on Knight: By Jerry Fink; As Gladys Knight sings in "You're the Best Thing That's Ever Happened to Me," she has had her share of life's ups and downs.

Scene Selection -- Geoff Carter: 'X-Men' deserves promotion: With their generous gifts of behind-the-scenes material, director's insights and previously unseen footage, it's sometimes hard to remember that many DVDs are blatant promotions for upcoming movies.

Cholesterol class set for Monday: Amy Godsoe, community health educator, will conduct the seminar, which will teach participants how to lower their cholesterol and live healthier.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Sometimes it pays to volunteer: Rick McGough is glad to get his paycheck back.

$11 mil. Agassi school expansion dedicated: By Emily Richmond; Andrew Colton, a third grader at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas, said Thursday his school's founder and namesake could do anything he set his mind to -- with one possible exception.

Heart disease program planned: Guest speaker Dr. James Mock will offer additional information and insights on women and heart disease.

Nominations sought for Impact Awards: Clark County, Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas are accepting applications through March 5 for the 2003 Neighborhood Impact Awards. The awards will be presented at the fifth annual Neighborhood Congress.

Letter: Lawmakers need to pass bill for mass transit: Please urge our legislators in Carson City to pass the transit tax (Question 10 in Clark County). This would reduce traffic jams, reduce smog, create less dependence on foreign oil and create more open space.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Las Vegas celebrities have Capozzoli's on tap: Capozzoli's has long been a favorite late-night spot for entertainers looking for a place to unwind, have a bite to eat and maybe do a little impromptu performing away from the Strip.