VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Splashy office mishap is no secret

Thursday, Feb. 27, 2003 | 8:54 a.m.

The show must go on.

Even for law enforcement.

So when a malfunctioning sprinkler recently flooded the offices of the Secret Service in the Alan Bible Federal Building on Las Vegas Boulevard South last week, it was business as usual.

"Yes, we did have an incident like what you described," Secret Service spokesman Paul Masto told VegasBeat.

"There was damage to the office and some files may have gotten wet, but it didn't interfere with our operations," which include a wide variety of duties besides protection for government officials.

"Las Vegas is a city that actually lends itself beautifully to our types of violations," Masto said. His agency also investigates counterfeit currency, for example, and is connected to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and investigates lawbreakers in those areas.

The water mainly damaged the reception area and the office of the special agent in charge, Doug Coombs. Coombs had to move out of his office and work in a temporary space with other agents.

Masto said the repair process was under way, including installing new drywall and carpeting, but he had no dollar amount to place on the damage.

Also affected were the offices of the U.S. Customs Service on the floor below.

Half pint

Rapper 50 Cent -- currently one of the nation's top-selling musical acts -- is coming to Las Vegas.

Tickets -- $50 to $100, and cash only, please -- go on sale at noon today for a 2 a.m. Sunday (that's late Saturday night for our clock-challenged readers) performance at ibiza USA. That's a new club in the space where the Blue Note Las Vegas used to be, on Harmon Avenue just off the Strip.

The club is the only place tickets are available.

Mr. Cent (real name: Curtis Jackson), a protege of Eminem, has a gig Saturday night in Alabama and then jets to Vegas.

He also has a performance slated for Sunday night at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix.

Race appeal

I don't quite get the appeal of watching fast cars repeatedly turn left for a few hours each Sunday afternoon, but that's just me.

The big UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 NASCAR race is taking place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, and fans will have a golden opportunity to meet some of the sports' biggest stars at the NASCAR Cafe at the Sahara.

Today four circuit stars will be there for an hour or so each, to sign autographs: Steve Park arrives at 4 p.m., Kyle Petty takes over at 5 p.m. and Bobby Labonte and Rusty Wallace pull in at 6:30 p.m.

On Friday Las Vegas native Kurt Busch and Elliot Sadler are appearing at 6:30 p.m.

Television analysts Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond appear Saturday at 7 p.m., as does Kerry Earnhardt.

Separately, Wallace is hosting a party with the band Tweed Friday night at 9 at Sam's Town on Boulder Highway.

Never mind

Kiss and the Las Vegas-based fireworks company it works with mutually decided Wednesday not to have any displays when the band plays at Rain in the Desert at Palms on March 16.

On Tuesday VegasBeat reported that the band and the arena were gung-ho in favor of pyrotechnics.

"Two reasons for the change," Bob Ross, president of Pyrotech, told VegasBeat. "First is out of respect for what happened in Rhode Island, and second is that the venue is not that big and since we couldn't do an arena-type display we decided to just cancel the whole thing."

Bye, Robin, bye

After a week of mediocre television, viewer calls now determine who stays and who goes on "I'm A Celebrity -- Get Me Out of Here!"

The first to be voted off the show was ... Las Vegas' own Robin Leach. It happened Wednesday night.

VegasBeat thinks the fix is in. Leach was the only celebrity who demonstrated any cooking skills, so I think the producers want to make the show more interesting by having the remaining celebs starve.

Regardless, Leach has plenty on his plate when he returns to Las Vegas in two weeks. His new KVUU Channel 5 late-night talk show "Penthouse F" is set to debut shortly after he returns in mid-March.

Also when he gets back, Leach will resume scouting for space with Drew Nieporent for a restaurant the pair plan to open in Las Vegas.

Leach, besides being a prolific eater, is one of the founders of the Food Network. Nieporent, a friend of mine from New York, is Robert De Niro's partner in the restaurant Tribeca Grill and owns several other destination eateries in Gotham.

Full house

Today VegasBeat turns five -- as in five days per week.

Due to an overwhelming amount of personality news in Las Vegas, and a clamor from readers (both of them!), Thursday is now a regular part of the VegasBeat schedule.

So, we're here Monday through Friday, plus Sundays.

VegasBits

"Friends" star David Schwimmer and girlfriend Carla Alapont shared a romantic meal at Aureole at Mandalay Bay on Tuesday night ...

Another Friend, Matthew Perry, was at the David Copperfield show at MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre on Saturday night. Supermodel Tyra Banks saw Copperfield's show on Sunday ...

Ann-Margret, who starred with Elvis Presley in the film classic "Viva Las Vegas," is coming back to the Strip. She'll bring her "glamorous and sensuous production show," according to the hotel's announcement, to the Hollywood Theatre March 27 through April 2. Tickets are $49.50 and go on sale today ...

Elaine Wynn is hosting a charity golf tournament today at Rhodes Ranch, and a gala dinner at the Aladdin. Among those with tee times: Denzel Washington, Sen. Harry Reid, Chris Tucker, Oscar Goodman, Don King and scores of retired NFL stars.

From Sun wires

Moonlighting: David Letterman took a rare sick day on Wednesday, staying home from his "Late Show" because of an eye infection.

Actor Bruce Willis was an emergency replacement, called upon to interview Dan Rather about the CBS anchor's interview with Saddam Hussein.

Except for when he missed time following a heart bypass operation, it's the first time Letterman has called in sick in 20 years, a "Late Show" representative said.

"Late Show" will air reruns on Thursday and Friday. Next week is a planned "dark" week, when reruns will also air.