Print edition for January 15, 2003

Gadgets Galore: Big and small, CES offered impressive electronics products: Kirk Baird; For high-tech junkies, the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is as close to nirvana as it gets:

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Cruises can really float your boat: If you've never cruised before, do some homework. Better yet, do a lot of homework. It's important to choose a ship with programs and amenities that will fit your budget and your expectations.

Wranglers gather momentum: Las Vegas Wranglers president Matthew Riley knows all about bottom lines and business plans that make minor-league sports franchises successful.

Downtown still priority for Goodman: Judy Odierna; Hitting on themes that began in his election campaign four years ago and have flowed through his administration, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman reiterated his vision of a vibrant downtown in his State of the City address on Tuesday.

Station signs agreement to acquire Wildfire Casino: By Liz Benston; Locals' casino operator Station Casinos Inc. has signed an agreement to purchase a small casino just south of the company's Texas Station and Fiesta Rancho properties.

Utah parents plan visit to off-limits Las Vegas: Paul McSweeney of Mapleton is organizing an excursion to Las Vegas so the Springville High School Russian-language and art-history students can visit the "Faberge: Treasures of the Kremlin" exhibit at the Bellagio and the "Art Through the Ages: Masterpieces of Painting From Titian to Picasso" at The Venetian.

Two prep football stars commit to Oregon State: Adam Candee; The Las Vegas-to-Corvallis, Ore., football pipeline continues to funnel the area's best high school players to Oregon State.

$10 million less sought for new state college: Erin Neff; The Nevada State College at Henderson was viewed as a questionable big-ticket item from the time it was first proposed.

Time away hurt BYU's Bigelow: Steve Guiremand; NEXT UP

Rescue groups plan to save 800 wild horses: CARSON CITY -- A spokesman for a coalition of 18 animal rescue groups from throughout the nation said Tuesday they expect to keep an estimated 800 wild horses from being slaughtered, thanks to the Internet and a deadline extension.

Vets nursing home rejected again: Jeffrey Libby; For the second time in a month, a candidate for administrator of the state's first veterans nursing home declined the job after visiting the Boulder City facility, Chuck Fulkerson, state director of the Office of Veterans Affairs said Tuesday.

Bush official: U.S. recovery is under way: Scott Sonner; RENO -- President Bush's plans to cut taxes and create jobs would spur an already recovering U.S. economy into prosperity, a U.S. Labor Department official told Nevada business leaders Tuesday.

Company seeks OK to offer long-distance calling in Nevada: SBC said it filed an application Tuesday with the Federal Communications Commission. Last month, the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada endorsed SBC's application, the San Antonio- based company said in a statement.

Nellis troops continue deployment overseas: Master Sgt. Joe Perez and his wife, Vicki, strolled arm-in-arm into a Nellis Air Force Base hangar Tuesday, preparing to spend their 19th wedding anniversary saying goodbye.

Columnist Jeff German: NFL snub is a score for LVCVA: It's all because the stuffy suits at NFL headquarters in New York are refusing to let the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority run an edgy commercial promoting the city during the Super Bowl, the year's most-watched television event.

Alliance reports decline; still beats analysts' estimates: By Liz Benston; Alliance Gaming Corp. reported a 7 percent decline in earnings for the second fiscal quarter ending Dec. 31 but still managed to beat Wall Street analysts' profit estimates for the company, driven by strong performance in its Bally slot-making unit.

Nevada laws frown on charter schools, study says: By Emily Richmond; Parents and teachers seeking to start charter schools in Nevada face too many hurdles and not enough help, according to a new report released Tuesday by a national education watchdog group.

States closely watch Nevada case before Supreme Court: Benjamin Grove; Fired from his job after taking time off to care for his ailing wife, Hibbs has a seemingly simple request.

Court gives Disney victory: Gina Holland; WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court today upheld lengthier copyrights protecting the profits of songs, books and cartoon characters -- a huge triumph for Disney and other companies.

Task force OKs tax increase: The committee voted 4-2 to offer the Legislature two options for raising taxes. The plans would raise an additional $35 million annually in casino taxes.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Alamo's new role raises conflict issue: Dean Juipe; Notes today, leading off with a hint of dissension within the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Closures aimed to bring Kmart out of bankruptcy: DETROIT -- While more than 300 Kmart stores plan for their final blue light specials, smaller discount chains are eyeing their markets, and some experts are advising Kmart to radically rethink its strategy.

Agassi cruises to win: John Pye; MELBOURNE, Australia -- Three-time champion Andre Agassi took the simplest path to the third round, losing just one game in his second match at the Australian Open.

Feinstein staffers visit Kerr-McGee: The plant produced perchlorate, a salt used in rocket motors, for decades, ending in 1998. Kerr-McGee, under the supervision of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has installed more than 30 wells over the last two years in an effort to stop groundwater from migrating from the Henderson plant to Las Vegas Wash and then into Lake Mead.

Community briefs for Jan. 15, 2003: Mayor Oscar Goodman will officially conduct the tip-off of the charity basketball game between the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue's Throwin' Heat Metro Police's The Dragnets at 4 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Spago's anniversary festivities mark a perfect 10: Elizabeth Foyt; Hosting the party were a gathering of Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group managing partners and chefs, including Tom Kaplan, David Robins, Matt Dickerson, John LaGrone and other key executives.

Laughlin Challenge: SCORE TROPHY-TRUCK (Unlimited Production Trucks) : -4 Gustavo Vildosola Sr., 49, Mexicali, Mexico, Ford F-150 21 Roger Gray, 26/Robert Gray, 58, Cupertino, Calif., Chevy Silverado 5 Marty Coyne, 46/Travis Coyne, 23, El Centro, Calif., Ford F-150 11 Mike Dondel, 36/Dale Dondel, 38, Hemet, Calif., Chevy Silverado 1 Tim Herbst, 39/Ed Herbst, 41, Las Vegas, Ford F-150 7 Scott Steinberger, 35, Cypress, Calif./Jesse Jones, 36, Phoenix, Ford F-150 12 Brian Collins, 40, Las Vegas, Chevy Silverado 3 Mark Post, 45, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Jerry Welchel, 42, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Ford F-150 15 Jim Beaver, 22, Parker, Ariz., Ford F-250 8 ...

Letter: Liberals blame it all on GOP: First, the liberals accuse Republicans of "taking away baby's milk" when common-sense restraints on runaway programs are instituted. But who said that my money should pay for someone else's kid in the first place? Having kids is a personal responsibility; but I guess the liberals don't believe in that.

Editorial: Children's statistics need study: Last week the Children's Advocacy Alliance, a 5-year-old nonprofit corporation based in Henderson, published its annual report on the education, health and safety of children in Nevada. The report looked at 21 areas in which state and local governments play a role in children's lives and grouped them into four general categories. The results were: Health, D plus; Safety and Security, D; Education, F; Teen years, F.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Penn & Teller are taking no ... guff: Showtime uses the full word, which is fitting for a barnyard but not a family newspaper. We've cleaned it up for VegasBeat.

Letter: Gold Butte area is worthy of protection: Located south of Mesquite between Lake Mead and Arizona, Gold Butte is an area rich in outdoor recreation, with something for everyone: wildlife, vast petroglyph panels, hiking and rock climbing, and many types of flora unique to Southern Nevada.

Obituaries for Jan. 15, 2003: Ralph Eugene Bennett Jr., 80, of Las Vegas died Sunday in a local hospital. He was born Jan. 18, 1922, in Pittsfield, Mass. A resident for 3 1/2 years, he was a World War II Army veteran who served as a supply clerk.

Judge won't bar tapes from sexual assault trial: Erica D. Johnson; Tapes of phone calls made from prison by the alleged rapist of a 14-year-old girl as well as his videotape of the alleged assault will not be excluded before the start of the man's trial, a District Court judge ruled Tuesday.

Rundle's statements to police will be allowed in murder trial: Erica D. Johnson; A jury will hear incriminating statements William Rundle gave police upon his arrest, despite his attorneys' protests that he was under mental and physical stress when the statements were obtained.

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

Editorial: Flag thrown on NFL rejection of LV ads: Let's try this quote: "An association between the NFL and beer -- even in an advertising context -- could have a uniquely negative effect ..." Lewin wouldn't dream of saying that, even though beer, featured prominently in Super Bowl ads, could be associated with drunken driving and domestic violence, not to mention illegal sports betting down at the corner bar. The NFL is correct to strictly police its players, owners and officials -- the game could indeed suffer if they were linked to sports gambling. But we cannot comprehend how ads promoting Las Vegas tourism could have a negative effect ...

Savvy wine buys: Logan Chardonnay '00 Sleepy Hollow Vineyards: The wine is 65-percent barrel fermented, and then aged 12 months on French oak, which gives it a nice aging potential. It has a beautiful straw-gold color, and is fruit forward, with broad hints of pear and banana, and a lush sweetness that belies that fact that it has virtually no residual sugar at all.

NLV license fees expected to increase: Dan Kulin; Fees for many business licenses and city documents in North Las Vegas are expected to increase, some by as much as 100 percent, following votes tonight by the City Council.

Columnist Peter Benton: UNLV's Davis named SNGA's player of year: Peter Benton; UNLV golfer Brien Davis was named the Outstanding Player of the Year in the Championship Division at last week's Southern Nevada Golf Association awards banquet.

UNLV coach lands radio show for 2003: The half-hour show, featuring the Rebels' second-year head coach, will air each Monday at 6 p.m. on KSHP 1400-AM. The weekly show will originate every Monday during the regular season from Glory Days Grill at 10075 S. Eastern Ave. in Henderson.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Andretti considers giving up his driving career: Michael Andretti's driving career in the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series may be short-lived.

Harrah's to sponsor Foyt's Cup team in '03: Under the terms of the two-year sponsorship deal, Foyt will drive the No. 14 Harrah's Dodge Intrepid for A.J. Foyt Racing, the team owned by the 25-year-old rookie's father and racing legend. The younger Foyt will make his Winston Cup debut Feb. 16 in the Daytona 500 -- a race his father won in 1972.

Chamber report says low pay hurts teacher retention: By Emily Richmond; Low pay is the main reason Clark County can't find or keep enough teachers, according to a report released Tuesday by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.

Culinary leader Conley Mallia dies: The welfare of Las Vegas' working men and women was the primary concern of Marge Conley Mallia.

News briefs for Jan. 15, 2003: A mass-fatalities drill was to be held from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. today at the Clark County Fire Training Center at 4425 W. Tropicana Ave., near Decatur Boulevard.

Crisis cost state $45 billion: The report, from the Public Policy Institute of California, concluded there was no one cause for the energy crisis, which peaked in the winter of 2000-01 and led to six days of rolling blackouts.

Walters fights for shopping center: Golf course developer Billy Walters will not accept anything less than a shopping center, an office complex and a golf course in a contentious battle over the future use of county land in southwest Las Vegas, one of Walters' advisors said Tuesday.