Print edition for January 22, 2003

Brothers' argument leads to shooting: Jeffrey Libby; An apparent argument about gang loyalties between two teenage brothers ended early Tuesday morning on the front porch, Henderson police allege, after the older brother critically wounded his younger brother with a shotgun blast.

Schools advised on preventing shootings: Jace Radke; The key to preventing school shootings is identifying subtle changes in students' behavior that could lead to the threat of violence, according to a Secret Service study of 37 school shootings over the past 25 years.

Profit improves for Vegas bank operators: U.S. Bancorp on Tuesday reported fourth-quarter net income of $849.8 million, or 44 cents per share, compared with $695.4 million, or 36 cents per share, a year earlier.

Columnist Jeff German: Chamber puts itself in a spot: That is if you think they deserve pity for putting themselves in a box as the state's tax debate moves to the Legislature.

Aladdin improves cash flow for the year: Adam Goldman; The Aladdin hotel-casino posted $276 million in revenue and significantly improved cash flow last year despite a weak December, the company reported Tuesday in a federal bankruptcy court filing.

Garcia gives self passing grades on evaluation: By Emily Richmond; When Clark County School Board members meet today to evaluate the performance of Superintendent Carlos Garcia, they'll have at least one glowing critique to consider -- written by Garcia himself.

IGT stock drops despite higher profit: By Liz Benston; Driven by sales of higher-priced "cashless" slot machines to casinos, International Game Technology beat Wall Street expectations as it today reported earnings rose 77 percent in its fiscal first quarter.

Las Vegas firms merge: The consolidation of the operations of Leavitt Insurance Agency and LaPorta-Clark-Leavitt Insurance Agency, which took effect Jan. 1, resulted in three employee layoffs. Both offices will move to 7881 W. Charleston Blvd. by April. The merged entity, which has 55 employees, will be known as Leavitt Insurance Agency.

Two girls stabbed in Mesquite; one dies: Jen Lawson and Judy Odierna; A 3-year-old girl was killed and her 10-year-old sister was critically injured after a stabbing this morning in a Mesquite RV park next to the CasaBlanca resort, authorities said.

Entertainment key to resort, mogul tells home builders: Steve Wynn has said on numerous occasions that he must achieve new levels of sophistication in the development of Le Reve in order to meet the expectations of the public.

Sawyer Building losing outer tiles: CARSON CITY -- Tiles are falling off the exterior of the 7-year-old Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas, and it will cost at least $316,346 to fix the problem, a state official said Tuesday.

Las Vegas airline traffic still off from 2000: The airport said 2.7 million people used the airport last month, compared with 2.5 million in December 2001. However, in December 2000, 3 million people used McCarran, 8.5 percent more than last month.

UMC 'crisis' remains thorn for commission: A day after Gov. Kenny Guinn painted a bleak financial picture of Nevada's coming year, Clark County commissioners sketched a similar portrait in their annual State of the County report Tuesday.

Guinn's proposal would give some teachers $5,000 bonuses: CARSON CITY -- Some schoolteachers could earn $5,000 a year in bonuses under the education budget submitted by Gov. Kenny Guinn to the Legislature.

Teens buck school board to visit Strip museums: Judy Odierna; A group of Utah teens whose trip to Las Vegas was nixed by school board members last year arrived here Tuesday afternoon and were welcomed by Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.

Neighborhood seeks historic label: Judy Odierna; The homes near John S. Park Elementary School may not be Mediterranean revival-style mansions, nor are they art deco, but some residents and city officials say the area's claim to fame as one of the city's earliest neighborhoods gives it some value worth keeping.

Rate drop to benefit doctors: CARSON CITY -- State Insurance Commissioner Alice Molasky-Arman said today she has approved a rating change that will mean a reduction in medical malpractice insurance for obstetricians covered by the physician-owned Nevada Mutual Insurance Company.

African nations cited for terrorism: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Somalia is still very much the lawless land it was in 1993 when U.S. forces were pinned down in a deadly firefight there, making it a haven for terrorists, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said.

Council preserves residents' right to fly American flag: Jeffrey Libby; Vietnam veteran Robaire Orfaly has the right to fly an American flag at his rented home just as he always has -- with some restrictions.

Tuesday's prep results: GIRLS SOCCER

Community briefs for Jan. 22, 2003: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is holding its 2003 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Contest for students in kindergarten through high school.

Students to get overdue vaccinations: State and local health officials say thousands of Nevada high school and college students will be called in for tetanus and diphtheria vaccinations now that a nationwide shortage of vaccines for the deadly diseases has eased.

Obituaries for Jan. 22, 2003: B. Jean Alexandre, 54, of Las Vegas died Friday in Las Vegas. A resident for 15 years, she was born April 7, 1948, in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

PBA Las Vegas Classic: Leaders in the PBA Las Vegas Classic in the round of 32 at the Castaways Bowling Center. (Best-of-seven; losers eliminated):

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

The lure of Lutefisk: Sons of Norway lye in wait for big dinner: Caught off the shores of Norway, dried into hard slabs, then later soaked in water and lye, its pungent odor wafts from church basements and lodges at annual dinners during wintertime.

Savvy wine buys: Flowers Perennial '01: But now they are making this amazing blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier, the Rhone varietal Syrah and a dab of chardonnay, resulting in a delicious red wine for all seasons. The wine has the character of both the Rhone and Burgundy, and loads of deep black fruits such as cherry, plum and blackberry. Drink now, or cellar this gem for a few years.

Editorial: Paid sick days not needed if elected: In our view, that should be reason enough to exclude full-time elected officials from sick-time benefits, which can be expensive. Retired Sheriff Jerry Keller, for example, recently collected more than $15,000 for unused sick time and retired District Attorney Stewart Bell has put in for more than $20,000. Full-time elected officials, moreover, do not need the benefit. They may take as many sick days as are necessary and still receive full pay. Unlike regular employees, they cannot have their pay docked if their absence extends beyond a set number of days.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: View is ideal at Montage: This luxurious resort blends into the terrain in a most beguiling way. The simple-yet-dramatic Craftsman-style architecture includes such classic elements as a variety of rich woods, natural stone, copper gutters and shingle-style roofing.

Letter: Give everyone an equal chance: Whether giving points or anything else not properly earned because you're considered a minority is ludicrous and shows favoritism. This action has proven to be unconstitutional.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Add Bowe to unsavory roll call: Dean Juipe; Boxers, as a rule, are not Rhodes scholar candidates. They're tough guys, oftentimes from tough streets, and they live their lives accordingly.

Council members can keep benefits until end of terms: Jeffrey Libby; A September ballot initiative that stripped Boulder City Council members of auto and health benefits will not go into effect until after the close of current elected terms, District Judge Stewart Bell ruled Tuesday.

Court briefs for Jan. 22, 2003: The Nevada Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that convicted killer Frederick Steese is entitled to a hearing in District Court to present evidence that he did not understand the sentencing options offered after being convicted in the fatal stabbing of a Las Vegas man.

Raw deals abound in Las Vegas: Max Jacobson; Several restaurants that specialize in seafood, for instance McCormick and Schmick, don't display their wares but rather hide them in the kitchen, in spite of offering four to six types of non-pasteurized oysters daily, clams on the half-shell and other sea creatures.

Hearing on petition to alter council policies is delayed: Dan Kulin; North Las Vegas city attorneys and a group of citizens will face off in District Court 10 days later than originally scheduled because a the man representing the citizens has asked for a different judge for the case.

Woman tells of rage over mother's killing: Erica D. Johnson; The daughter of an elderly widow who was killed by the man she tried to help told a District Court judge Tuesday she has been filled with rage since her mother's murder.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Strings attached for Graf-Agassi combo: Steffi Graf may make a tennis comeback -- to play mixed doubles with her husband Andre Agassi.

News briefs for Jan. 22, 2003: The Las Vegas Real Estate Committee approved staff's recommendation to relinquish a 20-acre Recreation and Public Purpose lease from the Bureau of Land Management at the request of a private developer.

Peace advocates deliver petitions to Nevada leaders: Dan Kulin; Hoping to keep the United States from going to war with Iraq again, peace advocates met with representatives from local Senate and congressional offices Tuesday seeking support for the call to let United Nations weapons inspectors finish their work.

Columnist Peter Benton: Tiger Woods continues to bring home honors: Peter Benton; This will not come as a surprise, but Tiger Woods was selected PGA Tour Player of the Year for an unprecedented fifth time.

Editorial: Road work must stay a priority: When work on U.S. 95 is finished, the east-west portion between Martin Luther King and Rainbow boulevards will have been widened from six lanes to 10, and the north-south portion from Rainbow to Craig Road from two and four lanes to six. After Guinn's fast-track order, design plans were prioritized, rights-of-way acquisitions were speeded up, and early construction phases were undertaken, enabling the finish date to be moved up a year, to 2006. The accelerated work is appreciated by the commuters who measure their progress by the inch during rush hours. Guinn will ask the 2003 Legislature for $325 million ...

Governor weighs slot expansion: "No final decision has been made. Not even close," Ehrlich said today in an interview as he headed to his office.

Rabbi named to Jewish Living panel: Under its aegis, the reform movement provides information to more than 900 reform congregations who are affiliated with the Union of American Hebrew Congregations in areas dealing with worship, music, adult education, holiday observances and spirituality.

Las Vegas Gladiators games to air on KBAD: The Gladiators' regular season begins Feb. 2 at Los Angeles.

Changes may benefit LVMS: Las Vegas Motor Speedway president and general manager Chris Powell said it would be premature to speculate about whether his track could receive a second Winston Cup date as a result of NASCAR's announcement on Tuesday that it was considering moving less successful races to venues that draw better.

Students design cities of the future: The event at 8100 Robindale Road will begin at 8:30 a.m. and feature 18 Las Vegas schools, four from Henderson, one from North Las Vegas school, one from Overton and one Sandy Valley school.

State Supreme Court calls for new appeals court: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Legislature to set in motion a constitutional amendment to create an intermediate court of appeals that would reduce the number of cases that reach the state's highest court.

Letter: Many are forced needlessly to endure pain: There is no reason any patient, whether terminal or one who suffers from chronic pain, should suffer to that degree of desperation and, most often, depression.

Casinos seek lower taxes, expansion of gambling: Tom Swoik, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association, told Illinois Gaming Board officials a recent tax increase on casino profits and restrictions on the number of gamblers allowed into riverboats are hurting the industry and, subsequently, reducing the amount of tax money generated.

Chemical terminal set for Nevada: The program is to begin this month with conversion of UP locations in Henderson; Portland, Ore.; Rifle, Colo.; and Santa Fe Springs, Calif., to TRANSFLO-operated terminals.

Agassi takes on Ferreira next: With a victory, Agassi would advance to the Australian Open finals. That match will be shown live locally at 7 p.m. Saturday on ESPN (Ch. 30).

New limits recommended on drinking in public: Judy Odierna; Las Vegas Councilmen Michael Mack and Lawrence Weekly, acting as a recommending committee, approved an ordinance Tuesday that would further restrict the drinking of packaged alcoholic beverages in public.

New flocks of chickens are destroyed: Three more poultry populations have been found to be infected with the highly contagious bird disease, and those affected birds also will be destroyed, officials said.

City Council to consider increase in property tax: Dan Kulin; In the next six months the North Las Vegas City Council will decide whether to raise the city's property tax rate as well as water and sewer rates, city officials said Tuesday.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: NBT's season launches with Black and White Ball: Elizabeth Foyt; Sponsored by Cartier Las Vegas, the gala was chaired by Donna Baldwin with committee members Kitty Boeddeker, Phyllis McGuire, Sharon Bader, Harriet Cox, Carolyn Morledge Sparks, Wendy Plaster, Susie Perrine, Melissa Warren, Nancy Houssels and Cartier General Manager Mariam Afshai.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Tagliani looks forward to driving for new team: Alex Tagliani has yet to turn a competitive lap with his new CART Champ Car team, Rocketsports Racing, but the Las Vegas resident already is feeling he has found a home with team owner Paul Gentilozzi.

Homeland security secrecy discussed: Jace Radke; Emergency managers and local fire and police officials were scheduled to meet today in Henderson to discuss whether they intend to keep homeland security information secret.