Print edition for January 8, 2003

LV Gladiators to look at Denton for QB spot: Denton was among about 120 athletes who appeared at the Gladiators' open tryout at Sam Boyd Stadium on Sunday, when Haege was impressed with Denton's physical skills and leadership ability. Jay McDonagh is the team's veteran quarterback.

Pet-neutering vouchers are gone: The county handed out 850 vouchers worth a total of $25,000 since the giveaway began Thursday, he said.

Family escapes blaze in northwest LV home: The dream of a new life in Las Vegas for an extended family of 13 was interrupted by fire in northwest Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Proctor and gamble: Taking chances has paid off for venerable entertainer: Perhaps it's because the energetic 70-year-old comedian is dyslexic. Or maybe it's because his mind fires like a machine gun that never runs out of bullets.

With orders, you've got (delicious) mail: Max Jacobson; Now that holiday gift ordering is over, it's time to consider our own indulgences. The United States abounds with excellent boutique and specialty foods that can be ordered by mail or on the Internet.

NHP rapped for worker's suspension: CARSON CITY -- Using profanity in the workplace at the Nevada Highway Patrol does not justify the five-day suspension of an employee, a state hearing officer has ruled.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Houssels celebrates No. 80 in style at Four Seasons: Elizabeth Foyt; Planned in secret by his wife, Nancy, with the help of their children and spouses, the party was a rich blend of "Old Vegas," with a plentiful addition of many who share the Houssels' love of Nevada Ballet Theatre and other cultural endeavors in our city.

Editorial: Guinn must be a leader on tax plan: Yet his main strategy remained -- cut state spending wherever possible, wait for the task force to finish and then study its suggestions, along with the suggestions from his advisers, interest groups, legislators and individuals. Given that his re-election was a certainty, he could have campaigned on the need for more revenue and pushed for specific tax increases. He didn't. He could have used the months after his election to outline a specific tax agenda. He didn't. This reticence could make it much more difficult for him to build a coalition to pass a broad-based business tax during the 2003 ...

Editorial: Iraq is one issue, N. Korea is another: This is not true with North Korea. We cannot allow the country to step up its nuclear arms capabilities, but there is still time for diplomacy in this sphere of the world. Bush set himself up for criticism when he linked Iraq and North Korea, calling them, along with Iran, an "axis of evil." But the fact remains that North Korea's history, neighbors and alliances are entirely different from Iraq's. If the time comes, yes, we could begin mobilizing for war against North Korea. But unlike with Iraq, that time has not yet arrived.

Community briefs for Jan. 8, 2003: Faith Community Lutheran Church will host a rummage sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the church, 2700 S. Town Center Drive, to benefit the Faith Lutheran Academy Expansion Fund.

Lady Rebels working out kinks as MWC season approaches: UNLV forward Talisha Mitchell agreed that, at times, the Lady Rebels turn into spectators when slippery senior Constance Jinks is putting her signature on a game.

Shoemaker front-runner for job: Speaking softly into his cellular phone Tuesday inside a movie theater in the Dominican Republic, John Shoemaker declined to confirm that he has been hired as manager of the Las Vegas 51s.

CES proves valuable in national politics: Erin Neff; Each year politicians flock to the Consumer Electronics Show to check out the industry's latest offerings and to curry favor with the tech industry's movers and shakers.

DMV stops mailing insurance forms: The department began reviewing incomplete insurance records in October 2002 and hundreds of insured motorists received requests to verify insurance information.

Savvy wine buys: Hedges Three Vineyards blend '99: During the past three or four years, though, Washington winemakers have begun producing bordeaux-style blends of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, such as this shining example.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Maloof turns Palms into poling place: It is just the latest in Las Vegas accommodations: dancer poles in your hotel room, for when guests call in the strippers.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Charm of Surf & Sand unchanged: My traveling companion and I were on our way to the Surf & Sand resort. It had been many years since I had stayed in Laguna. One of the most endearing things about a small beach town is that with limited growth, it's a given that the places and sights remembered so fondly will still be there.

Letter: Rich get richer under Bush plan for tax cuts: Instead, these already-too-wealthy capitalists should be charged a higher tax rate.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Brains, brawn an intriguing mix at Duke: Dean Juipe; Envious? Well, yeah, I guess so.

Letter: All generations must get involved: The fact is that both political parties are failing. They ignore crucial issues, and a three-party system is not likely to succeed.

Obituaries for Jan. 8, 2003: Walter Adams, 99, of Las Vegas died Sunday in a local hospital. He was born May 19, 1903, in Los Angeles. A resident for eight years, he was a retired owner of a landscaping business and a retired Los Angeles Police employee.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Thursday's races at Santa Anita: Thursday's card

Nevada Republicans hail Bush's proposal: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Nevada Republicans in Congress hailed the economic plan President Bush unveiled Tuesday as the best plan for Nevadans. Democrats said their plan was better, as a new session of Congress -- and a war of words over dueling economic proposals -- got under way.

Analyst lowers rating: The company has strong growth prospects and remains a "solid long-term investment," Schmitt said. "However, on a 12-18 month time horizon, we believe that our forecast fully reflects the company's prospects."

Lawmakers say tax system overhaul is needed to fund public education: By Emily Richmond; Public education in Nevada is reaching a crisis point that will likely require a "major overhaul" of the state's tax system to fix, lawmakers told an audience at a public forum Tuesday.

State gets mixed report card in survey: By Emily Richmond; Nevada's schools earned a mixed report card in a national education survey, taking home a D+ in overall school climate and a B- in standards and accountability.

Bush nominates Bybee again for federal bench: Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., recommended Bybee to Bush early last year for a seat on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which considers federal appeals cases from nine states, including Nevada.

Court briefs for Jan. 8, 2003: The attempted murder trial of an elderly reputed mobster accused of shooting up a local car dealership was postponed Tuesday in District Court.

Teacher charged with groping teen: Jen Lawson and Emily Richmond; A third grade teacher was arrested Monday at Moore Elementary School for allegedly groping a 15-year-old girl three times between fall 2001 and December 2002, Metro Police said.

Valley gets its first taste of rain this year: By 8:40 a.m. the Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) at McCarran International Airport measured one-hundredth of an inch of rainfall, according to the National Weather Service. The temperature was 55 degrees.

Preschool testing worries educators: By Emily Richmond; Preschoolers enrolled in Clark County's Head Start programs will get an early introduction to academic pressure this fall when the federal government begins requiring proof of progress in exchange for continued funding.

Translation problem doesn't affect case: Erica D. Johnson; District Judge Michael Douglas on Tuesday said a translation problem was insufficient reason to throw out charges against a local man accused of killing two teens in a drug deal gone bad.

Company hires ad agency: The company declined to reveal billings for the account.

Trade group names committee: The committee will steer the definition and deployment of a protocol standard for gaming devices that it expects to complete by the end of the year and implement in 2004.

Plan could aid 6,000 Nevadans: As many as 6,000 jobless Nevadans could benefit in the next five months from the Senate-approved plan to continue offering 13 weeks of federal unemployment benefits to people who have exhausted typical 26-week state benefits.

Nevada youth not safe from gunfire: Jen Lawson; For the sixth year in a row, a national organization that aims to protect children from guns has ranked Nevada's efforts as below average.

Police say shooting rampage suspect claimed he wanted officers to kill him: Jen Lawson; The man who went on a shooting rampage Tuesday morning at a downtown apartment building told officers he wanted them to kill him, police said.

Columnist Jeff German: Where's the justice in this raise?: Commissioners voted unanimously to give a dozen justices of the peace in Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas a 30 percent pay raise. Their salaries are going up from $99,000 to $128,700, costing taxpayers an additional $440,000 a year.

City reports operating shortfall: Dan Kulin; The City of North Las Vegas saw expenditures exceed revenues by $4.1 million last fiscal year, and is projected to continue to see costs exceed annual income over the next two years, according to city projections made public Tuesday.

Gaming stocks drop on year-end results: By Liz Benston; Las Vegas casino stocks took a nosedive this morning after two major Strip operators that together control the most rooms on the Strip -- Mandalay Resort Group and MGM MIRAGE -- announced their earnings would be much lower than analysts' estimates.

Members of two Nellis helicopter squadrons expecting deployment: Jace Radke; The 66th and 58th Rescue Squadrons at Nellis Air Force Base are taking the next step today toward being deployed, possibly to the Middle East.

National Guard members to help with Nellis security: Jace Radke; Clark County employee Joe Watts has been following the build-up to a possible war with Iraq, so he figured his Nevada Air National Guard unit would be called to active duty. He just didn't expect to be stationed so close to home.

Late Joe Zaher earns All-American award: Zaher, who was an attacking midfielder for Oregon State, ranked third in the Pac-10 in points (25), second in goals (10), tied for seventh in assists (5) and led the conference in game-winning goals (4).

Guinn outlines $704 million budget deficit: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn said today the state faces a $704 million deficit in the next two years just to continue existing services and to pay for growth in such areas as public schools and medical care for the needy.

Hawaiian Airlines adds nonstop service: A traditional Hawaiian blessing was also scheduled to be performed by a kahu (Hawaiian priest). The flights leave Las Vegas Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

Agreement may free up water for Southern Nevada: A 5-year-old feud between Lincoln County and the Southern Nevada Water Authority over water rights may end next month, and that would put Las Vegas one step closer to more water for its booming population.

DaimlerChrysler chief says turnaround ahead of schedule: John Porretto; DETROIT -- Despite forecasts for a drop in U.S. vehicle sales this year, DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group expects to increase its market share as it heads into the final phase of a three-year turnaround effort.

Fraud alleged by state: Lockyer accused Abbott Laboratories of Illinois and New Jersey-based Wyeth of reporting false prices, which California used to set its Medi-Cal reimbursement rates.

Nevada Republicans hail Bush proposal: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Nevada Republicans in Congress hailed the economic plan President Bush unveiled Tuesday as the best plan for Nevadans. Democrats said their plan was better, as a new session of Congress -- and a war of words over dueling economic proposals -- got under way.

Drug maker settles with states: The attorney general of Oregon, Hardy Myers, who led the investigation, had accused Pfizer of misrepresenting the effectiveness of Zithromax in its ad campaigns and of failing to disclose the risks of overusing antibiotics.

United pilots approve 29% cut in pay: Dave Carpenter; CHICAGO -- Making progress toward lowering labor costs in bankruptcy, United Airlines won three unions' approval of temporary wage cuts and began negotiating with its machinists on longer term proposals.

Repeal of Las Vegas Nights law likely to be challenged: Kathryn Masterson; HARTFORD, Conn. -- Indian tribes and their supporters are challenging an attempt by the state to stop more casinos from opening in Connecticut, a move they say is unfair and discriminatory.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: CART, IRL to run under new names: North America's two major open-wheel series, which have been suffering identity crises since the CART-IRL split in 1996, will operate under new names this season.

City officials back report on convention center: Jeffrey Libby; Until new construction takes root on Water Street, the downtown Henderson Convention Center should focus its efforts on accommodating residents who attend events there but sleep in their own beds the same night, city officials said last week.