Print edition for January 9, 2003

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Marnell has new car, crew chief for '03: NHRA Pro Stock owner/driver George Marnell of Las Vegas is gearing up for the 2003 NHRA season with a new racecar and a new crew chief.

U.K. retailer gets surprise offer: Safeway, the country's fourth-biggest supermarket chain, has long been the subject of takeover speculation, but Morrisons, whose conservative management has focused on organic growth, wasn't seen as a likely bidder. Morrisons ranks fifth in British food retailing.

Cash bid hiked for LV tech company: Grace Leong; The sale of bankrupt Las Vegas technology company PurchasePro.com to Perfect Commerce Inc. -- subject of an investigation by the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee -- won approval Wednesday after the buyer raised its cash bid to $2.325 million from $2.15 million.

Sun Girls Hoops Top 10: Sun Girls Hoops Top 10

State files new lawsuit over Yucca Mountain: Cy Ryan and Mary Manning; In the latest legal filing to try to stop the Energy Department from building a high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada officials today announced a lawsuit charging that the federal government is violating Nevada's rights as a state by going ahead with the plan.

51 neglected dogs found at grooming shop: Officers arriving at Artistic Pet discovered a couple of stolen cars parked near the shop, police said.

Jones out to prove he can beat bigger guy: Dean Juipe; Roy Jones Jr. has a healthy respect not only for the man he'll fight March 1 in Las Vegas, but for challenging any legitimate heavyweight.

JT hires Steinberg as agent: Steve Guiremand; Jason Thomas may have lost the confidence of some UNLV fans, teammates and even his head coach, regarding his ability to become an NFL caliber quarterback. But he has the backing of perhaps the top football agent in the business.

Bulldogs aim to defend crown: Adam Candee; The drills run with utmost attention, one flowing into another without hint of a seam. First, the monotonous free throws, followed by the team wind sprints, then back to more shooting practice. A quick water break? Maybe, if they really think it is necessary.

Sun Boys Hoops Top 10: Sun Boys Hoops Top 10

Tribe, Calif. agency argue campaign donations case: Erica Werner; SACRAMENTO -- One of California's wealthiest and most influential Indian tribes tried to convince a judge Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit by the state's political watchdog agency accusing it of campaign finance violations.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: College coaches want summer slate: Crazy ideas are like SUVs -- seemingly everybody has one.

Editorial: Safety sure isn't part of this agency's lingo: One would think that after 9-11, as Nevada's Rep. Shelley Berkley noted the other day, all federal agencies would include anti-terrorism measures in their planning and decisions. When the NRC eventually weighs the Yucca Mountain application, it should consider terrorism risks involved in the transportation and storage of nuclear waste.

Gates' latest gadgets receive mixed review: Don't expect Las Vegas technology expert Michael Beardslee to be first in line to buy one of Bill Gates' new high-tech watches.

His kind of town: UNLV reserve forward Omari Pearson will almost taste the Italian beef hot dogs from Portillo's and his favorite thin-crust pizza all the way to Chicago today.

Reid bill would tighten nuclear plant security: Reid, along with bill co-sponsors Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., James Jeffords, I-Vt., and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., were scheduled to renew their push for improved plant security at a press conference today.

It's official: 51s hire Shoemaker: Bill Bavasi, the director of player development for the Dodgers, had been interviewing at least one other undisclosed candidate through Wednesday. Shoemaker accepted the offer at the end of the business day.

Las Vegas Council briefs for Jan. 9, 2003: Las Vegas City Manager Doug Selby said he will have information about ballot advisory questions regarding raises and car allowances for the mayor and city council ready for the City Council to consider at its Jan. 22 meeting.

Columnist Adam Candee: Cheyenne, Centennial no surprise in polls: Adam Candee; Today marks the return of the Sun prep basketball rankings, and they come with very little surprise: Southern Nevada dominates the boys choices, while the North controls most of the girls spots.

Letter: Business leaders, senators should march into Iraq: Yep, the Reverse Robin Hood has yanked veterans benefits and denied home heating oil to the elderly in the northeastern U.S., all while pledging obscene amounts of money to Israel and the military industrial complex.

Bankrupt National Steel sold: Under the deal, U.S. Steel would also assume about $200 million of its smaller rival's debt.

Rundle accused wife of killing his mother: Jen Lawson; Accused killer William Rundle told police that before he beat his wife to death, she had killed his mother by upping her doses of morphine, then arranged for the disposal of the 87-year-old woman's body, according to court documents.

NHP worker wins battle, loses his job: CARSON CITY -- A mechanic for the Nevada Highway Patrol who successfully challenged his suspension for using swear words in the workplace has been fired for other reasons.

Guinn says legislators who resist taxes will pay price: State legislators who don't vote for new taxes to solve Nevada's $704 million deficit will have a hard time getting re-elected, Gov. Kenny Guinn predicted Wednesday.

Fight schedule: Friday

County to revisit sticky zoning issues: Clark County Commissioners indicated they are ready -- some even eager -- to take a fresh look at a handful of controversial zoning decisions that split the board and the community late last year.

Editorial: Tests will not reveal big picture: The testing, scheduled to begin in the fall, follows a Bush administration initiative last year to push literacy in Head Start programs, on the premise that children were not academically prepared upon entering public grade schools. Our view is that the administration does not fully understand who Head Start serves or the full scope of the program. Head Start has never been simply about education in the traditional sense of taking and passing tests. It's about literacy and numbers, yes, but it's also about teaching social skills and encouraging parents to spend quality time with their children. It stresses nutrition ...

Killer of wife gets two life sentences: Erica D. Johnson; A Las Vegas man accused of killing his wife after she told him she was filing for a divorce was sentenced to two life sentences Wednesday in District Court.

Air Force reduces number of officer training students: Dick Benoit; Growth in Air Force ROTC at colleges has reduced the number of officers the Air Force needs to commission through officer training school, the commander of Air Education and Training Command announced recently.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: More needs than water: Closer to home is the threat of our own area losing 30,000 acre-feet now coming out of Lake Mead. The growing need of water for California's large urban areas has put the cities and Imperial Valley farmers at odds. Both Las Vegas and Southern California have become adapted to using water in excess of their legal allocations.

Work propels Ruiz into 1st big payday: Dean Juipe; It's a measure of how far John Ruiz has come to realize that eight years ago he took a fight at the Silver Nugget in North Las Vegas.

Berkley not on key committee: Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California chose Reps. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio and Max Sandlin of Texas to fill the empty slots on the panel.

Strip club asked to pay for death: Erica D. Johnson; A California woman told a District Court jury Wednesday that she cannot go on with her life until someone pays for her husband's beating death at a Las Vegas topless club nearly eight years ago.

84 airmen from Nellis southwest Asia-bound: Jace Radke; Everything from gas mask filters to small camouflaged Bibles were provided Wednesday to Nellis Air Force Base personnel who have been ordered to Southwest Asia.

Nuke waste headed from NTS to New Mexico: The Energy Department is planning to ship materials contaminated with plutonium used in nuclear weapons experiments from the Nevada Test Site to a repository in New Mexico some time in June, officials said.

Report recommends continued use of personal watercraft: The report recommends continued use of personal watercraft on 95 percent of the lakes, said William Dickinson, superintendent of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Mother of slain woman fights parole: CARSON CITY -- A woman whose daughter was stabbed to death in Clark County says she has gathered 28,000 signatures of people opposed to the release of convicted murderer Simon Macias.

Sen. Feinstein urges cleanup of Henderson chemical spill: U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is asking Kerr-McGee Corp. to speed up efforts to clean up a chemical spill at its Henderson facility, and is also urging the Environmental Protection Agency to oversee the remediation.

Snyder leaves booth for Robinson's staff: Steve Guiremand; UNLV head football coach John Robinson was the National Coach of the Year in 1979 at USC.

Congressman renews effort to limit Internet gambling: Federal law-enforcement officials told Congress last year that online gambling could be an avenue for money laundering for drug dealers and even terrorists.

Letter: War necessary to stop attacks: No. 1, we have lived without oil from Iraq since economic sanctions were enacted against Saddam Hussein after the 1991 Desert Storm victory. So much for the oil excuse.

Metro hopes for calm parade: Jeffrey Libby; After a parade without violence last year, Metro Police say they have assigned fewer officers to Saturday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade through downtown Las Vegas.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Byrd looking toward fight with Ruiz: Dean Juipe; Without specifically predicting John Ruiz will win, Chris Byrd likes the defending World Boxing Association heavyweight champion's chances against Roy Jones Jr. when they fight March 1 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Cause unclear in woman's death: Jen Lawson; Homicide detectives are investigating Wednesday morning's "curious" death of a 26-year-old woman who had been partying at a Strip nightclub and had a fight with a roommate in the final hours of her life.

College Roundup: USC knocks off UCLA, ends skid at Pauley: A scene, even rarer than the home team playing defense, was played out Wednesday night at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion: Trojans dancing across the floor.

Report: Black colleges received lottery money: An opinion from Robert D. Cook, assistant deputy attorney general, said the state constitution prohibits giving public money to any "religious or other private educational institution."

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

Positively Kids given new office: In addition to office space, which will serve as headquarters for the nonprofit group, BusinessSuites Hughes Center provided conference space, telephone lines and Internet access.

Obituaries for Jan. 9, 2003: Tom Abbas, 69, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in Las Vegas. A machine operator, he was born Dec. 26, 1933, in the Netherlands.

Catching up With ... C.J. Watson: Where he is now: Tennessee

Council OKs acceptance of LVCVA grant: The Las Vegas City Council approved a cooperative agreement with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority on Wednesday to accept a $7 million recreation grant that will upgrade the light and sound system of the Fremont Street Experience.

News briefs for Jan. 9, 2003: A 42-year-old man shot and killed Wednesday morning by a rooftop sniper in downtown Las Vegas has been identified by Metro Police and the Clark County coroner as Bryan Ricks of Las Vegas.

Las Vegas to become planner for 61 acres: The Las Vegas City Council directed its staff Wednesday to start negotiations with a team of experts to attempt to redevelop the old railroad yard in the western downtown area into an "urban village."

'Springfield Sam' takes plea deal: Erica D. Johnson; Moments before his attempted murder trail was expected to begin Wednesday, an elderly reputed mobster accused of shooting up a local car dealership took a deal that will guarantee he spends at least two years in prison.

Community briefs for Jan. 9, 2003: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area offers hikes, walks and programs free of charge. To make required reservations or for more information on the following or upcoming programs, call 363-1922:

Judge orders $112 million tax refund to racetracks: "Ouch," State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald said when he learned of the ruling Wednesday. "With the state's financial condition, $112 million is a significant setback."

Expert says future of slot makers looks good: By Liz Benston; Northeastern states like New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland are grabbing many of the headlines over the potential of legalizing more ways to gamble following last year's elections.

Tuscany project clears hurdles: Jeffrey Libby; By springtime, a quarter-mile stretch of pavement in east Henderson could bring golfers past freshly constructed "Italian ruins" and a grove of imported palm trees that have stood for nearly seven years at the gateway to hundreds of abandoned, half-built house lots.

The show goes on at Municipal Court: Las Vegas Municipal Court has had its share of judges who have led interesting celebrity lives.

Sun Prep Athletes of the Week: Robert Porter and Oshaylee Thomas: School: Bishop Gorman

LV businesswoman receives GOP honor: Arnold, who owns Professional Permanent Cosmetics, also received the committee's National Leadership Award.

Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Have a Coke and a smile: Ruthe Deskin; The mail brings reminders via official forms showing us what we have earned and what has been reported to the IRS.

Victims aboard US Airways Express Flight 5481, which crashed at Charlotte, N.C.'s airport: AP; Caitlin Albury, 13, Marsh Harbor, Bahamas

Chow, baby: International eating contest served up in Vegas: Kirk Baird; Such as eating 1 1/2 gallons of chili in 10 minutes. Or 49 glazed doughnuts in eight minutes. And how about 38 hard-boiled eggs in 10 minutes, or four 32-ounce bowls of mayonnaise in eight minutes?