Print edition for February 25, 2003

Metro seeks record budget for officers: Jen Lawson and Judy Odierna; Sheriff Bill Young asked for a 25 percent increase in funding Monday for the next fiscal year, one of the largest requests for extra funding in Metro's history.

Students talk up plan to lift school cell phone ban: By Emily Richmond; When the dismissal bell rang at 1:16 p.m. Monday, Silverado High School students poured out of the doors, and the cellular phones popped out of the pockets.

Weber facing death sentence: Erica D. Johnson; Eighteen-year-old Chris Gautier this morning told the jury that was to decide Timmy J. Weber's fate that he misses the mother and brother whom Weber was convicted Monday of killing.

Mother, 26, missing after leaving for store: Jen Lawson; Metro Police are investigating the disappearance of a 26-year-old woman who left her apartment near Silverado Ranch Boulevard and Maryland Parkway on Thursday to buy cigarettes.

15-year-old arrested in stabbing death of man: Jen Lawson and Mary Manning; Metro Police arrested a 15-year-old boy early today in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man in a west Las Vegas gated community home.

Columnist Jeff German: Rizzolo opens PR campaign: If anything, he has gone on the offensive.

Casino equipment maker files suit against slot makers: The suit follows an announcement last week that Shuffle Master entered into a licensing deal for bonusing software with International Game Technology.

Slot maker in deal with Boyd: Cashless machines can pay out paper tickets instead of coins. Some casinos say the machines are responsible for an increase in gambler play as well as a savings in labor costs.

Forum Shops expansion on tap: Construction on the expansion is to be completed in fall 2004.

LV insurer restructures debt: The company also said its board of directors expanded a stock repurchase program, initiated in January, by 600,000 shares to 2.6 million shares.

Mirage facing reporting penalty: The Mirage faces a hefty fine because of a failure to file required financial information with federal and state authorities.

Combined Citibank, Cal Fed taking shape: Kevin Rademacher; Nine months after a merger agreement was struck between Citibank and California Federal Bank, the new look of the combined company's Las Vegas operation is taking shape.

Cuts threaten opening of Yucca, Abraham says: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham today said that budget cuts would cause delays for Yucca Mountain, saying it would be "extremely difficult" to submit a license application as planned next year.

Bill would water down oversight in Wynn battle: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Casino developer Steve Wynn's company wants state regulators removed from overseeing the water service it provides to 10 homeowners on the Desert Inn Golf Course.

Nevada debris still not confirmed: Investigators don't know yet whether debris found in southeastern Nevada over the weekend came from the space shuttle Columbia, a NASA spokesman said this morning.

Rebels get air scare: Steve Guiremand; UNLV coach Charlie Spoonhour said he has the utmost respect for the Mountain West cellar-dwelling Air Force Falcons. But he also has seen quite enough of those Princeton-style backdoor cuts and timely 3-pointers, thank you.

Runnin' Rebels box: 3-Point Goals: 11-27 (Keller 5-6, Gerlach 4-6, Bellairs 1-5, Kuhle 1-3, Hood 0-5, Holum 0-1, Welch 0-1).

Rebels pull zone press to surprise Air Force: UNLV caught Air Force off-guard in the first half Monday night by opening with a 2-2-1 fullcourt zone on defense and not letting up for the entire first half.

Lewis, Banks help hold off pesky Falcons: the numbers; First Half: UNLV 37-32

Columnist Dean Juipe: Duty calls but Falcons stay in game: Dean Juipe; Falling back on a little military protocol of its own, UNLV did what every good soldier is asked to do: See your duty, and do it.

Younger Busch ready to step out of shadow: Kyle Busch had heard the whispers from the moment he started driving for Roush Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Rising costs will alter format of future events: Adam Candee; Fans of the craziest four-day stretch in Nevada prep sports will want to get their fill of this week's state basketball tournament in Reno because it likely will be the last of its kind.

UNLV's Zarndt finalist for NCAA scholarship: Zarndt, a cross country standout and graduate of Cheyenne High, serves as president for the UNLV Student-Athlete Advisory Board and as campus senate president pro-tempore. In 2002, she became only the third Rebel in school history to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Rebels women 14th at Wildcat Invitational: The round marked a rough return for the Rebels, who had been idle since finishing second at the Las Vegas Founders Women's Collegiate Showdown in November.

Rebels to open '03 vs. Toledo: Steve Guiremand; 2003 schedule

Columnist Rusty Wallace: Timing was right to make switch from Dodge to Ford: Rusty Wallace; LVMS weekend race schedule

Ruiz's camp talking trash: Dean Juipe; His purse to be determined to a large part by the number of pay-per-view buys his fight with Roy Jones Jr. generates, World Boxing Association heavyweight champion John Ruiz has gone out of his way to make himself available in the days and weeks leading up to his Saturday title defense at the Thomas & Mack Center.

SEC approves fourth credit-rating agency: Wall Street credit-rating agencies, among the players blamed by lawmakers for the massive accounting failure at Enron Corp., are being scrutinized by the Securities and Exchange Commission for possibly stifling competition in their field.

Profit declines: The nation's largest home improvement store chain also announced that it will no longer give quarterly earnings guidance so it can focus on its long-term outlook. It will give guidance only on an annual basis.

Union-owned hotel at center of federal suit: Leigh Strope; WASHINGTON -- The luxury hotel in Florida where labor leaders hold an AFL-CIO executive council meeting this week is at the center of a federal lawsuit against its union owners and the pension fund used to buy and renovate it.

Labor exec meeting focusing on future: Leigh Strope; HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- Even sunny Florida can't totally brighten a troubled labor movement.

County union contract put above raises: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Some Assembly Democrats told Clark County officials Monday that if they want raises for their elected officers, they had better settle a contract for 10,000 union workers.

Legislative briefs for Feb. 25, 2003: Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley and Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, both Las Vegas Democrats, said Monday they have asked for a bill to require legislators to put their names on all requests for bill drafts.

Henderson college closure on the budget-cuts table: CARSON CITY -- Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, said today elimination of Nevada State College in Henderson is one of the items being considered as the Legislature tries to balance the budget.

Panel of scientists warns of quake: An independent scientific panel warned Monday that major earthquakes could occur at Yucca Mountain, posing a threat to the safety of a planned high-level nuclear waste depository there.

Weekly's campaign fax called accident: Judy Odierna; A press release promoting a campaign event for Las Vegas Councilman Lawrence Weekly was sent out through the Metro Police Department's fax machine, and a spokesman says it was a technological mistake.

Oklahoma governor defends lottery plan: Jennifer L. Brown; OKLAHOMA CITY -- Gov. Brad Henry called his lottery proposal the "only game in town" to bail out education, but a Republican lawmaker said he wouldn't risk children's futures on such an uncertain scheme.

Crazy Horse Too wants items back: Jace Radke; Rick Rizzolo, the owner of the Crazy Horse Too topless club, is going to court to try to retrieve items seized last week in a joint raid by federal and local law enforcement.

Winter storm warning in effect: Southern Nevada is under its first winter storm warning of 2003, with up to 18 inches of snow expected on Mount Charleston and a quarter of an inch of rain in the Las Vegas Valley through tonight.

News briefs for Feb. 25, 2003: Metro Police arrested a 22-year-old mother on charges of murder by child abuse in connection with the death of her 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Metro Police said.

Kelsey, longtime owner of LV steel business, dies at 94: Bill Kelsey was a stickler for working with only the finest steel available.

Obituaries for Feb. 25, 2003: Robert Carlto Baker, 56, of Las Vegas died Feb. 6 in a local hospital. He was born Jan. 6, 1947, in Illinois. A resident for eight years, he was a laborer for a printing firm and a Vietnam War Army veteran.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Eroding citizen trust: Today's column focuses on what the writer called legalized extortion, which is an impassioned description about a system -- what happens from the time you get a ticket --- that has been "broke and not yet fixed." The writer's name is unimportant since most of us already know half a dozen similar stories because it has happened to people we know and, in many cases, to a person we know very well.

Editorial: Reopen Summit View to ease overcrowding: The overcapacity is occurring despite a new county program that has resulted in 100 youths being released. The youths are screened to determine if they are a danger before releasing them to the supervision of their parents or probation officer. While the program is worthy, its return rate is about 20 percent. That, coupled with Southern Nevada's growth, almost assures continual overcrowding unless Summit View is reopened. Gov. Kenny Guinn has $6 million in his budget to reopen it, this time with state employees. As the need is easily documented, it's an expense that should be approved.

Letter: Splitting school district bad move: The result can only be a situation in which there are the same number of students and the same number of teachers, but twice as many administrators. Most of the complaints about the current district have to do with excessive administrative costs. Splitting the district can only make those costs significantly higher.

Letter: We must decide if we want to surpass cavemen: A few thousand years ago societies blossomed in places like China, Babylon, Egypt, Greece and Rome. The people were pawns of their rulers, made to pay taxes, and often being called upon to provide labor for a variety of public projects, or serve in the military. They had value only as instruments of the state.

Community briefs for Feb. 25, 2003: The Economic Opportunity Board Community Action Partnership is planning to open two new Head Start Learning Centers, one in Henderson and one in Spring Valley, in September, an official for the nonprofit group said.

Cameras: Big Brother or big helper?: Dan Kulin; Behind the front desk at the Boulder City Police station, dispatchers can keep their eyes on vehicles moving past the city's two traffic lights, watch part of Veterans Memorial Park, or see if dust is blowing off the dry lake bed near town.

Editorial: Schools are at risk if budget fails: The iNVest plan's calculations, accounting for such things as increases in the cost of books, utilities, liability insurance, employee health benefits and the numbers of children who cannot speak English, were laid out for all to see. The math also covered basic achievement-oriented needs, such as full-day kindergarten for at-risk students, summer school, tutorial programs, manageable class sizes and teacher training.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Art controversy on display at UNLV: Lumpkin was lured to the university on Maryland Parkway from a small East Coast institution called Harvard.