Print edition for July 24, 2003

Broadcasters to weather benefit: Darren Peck, KVVU Channel 5; Bob Jeswald, KTNV Channel 13; and John Fredericks, KVBC Channel 3, will show off their recently acquired skills with a benefit performance.

Dodgers demote Ward to Las Vegas: LOS ANGELES -- Daryle Ward may be making $1.35 million this season, but that wasn't enough to keep his spot on the Los Angeles Dodgers roster.

Letter: Tax cut does not help rising unemployment: This is more than an academic question. The jobless rate in June rose to 6.4 percent, or 9.4 million workers, versus 6.1 percent, or 9 million workers in May, the Labor Department reported. Significantly, the administration had forecast the creation of 1.4 million new jobs by the end of 2004 after its most recent tax cut became law. Against this backdrop, 913,000 workers joined the ranks of the unemployed between March and June, according to the Labor Department.

Driver cited in trash truck rollover: Afsha Bawany; A garbage truck driver for Republic Services of Southern Nevada was cited for an unsafe turn after the truck he was driving rolled over Wednesday.

Labor market may improve: First-time filings for unemployment insurance declined by 29,000 to 386,000 in the week that ended Saturday, the Labor Department said in Washington. It was the first time since the week ended Feb. 8 that claims fell below 400,000, considered by economists as the dividing point between an improving and a deteriorating job market.

Basic High grad trains Koreans in sniper tactics: Dick Benoit; Former Henderson resident Nicholas Diaz proved his weaponry skills as he and fellow snipers from a Marine scout sniper platoon trained South Korean Marine snipers during a recent deployment to Korea in support of the Korean Integrated Training Program.

UNLV opener switched to Friday for TV audience: Steve Guiremand; If UNLV is still looking for a theme for the 2003 football season, it might want to try this one:

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 10 a.m.

Letter: Security shutters not 'unsightly': We also live in a seniors' community and are quite aware of having to have a board's approval before making any outside changes. Ms. Roy had that approval, which was confirmed by Christine Bakazan, the former president of her homeowners association. In good faith she went ahead with her plans to install the shutters.

Guest Columnist Linda Frohlich: A few scrapes won't hurt the Liberty: Do you remember when you first learned how to ride a bike?

Holyfield, Toney get together by default: Dean Juipe; The alleged unreasonableness of promoter Don King and middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins brought James Toney and Evander Holyfield together.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Trainer: Fitz will give Vargas fits: Dean Juipe; Believing his man is trained to perfection and thinking their better-known opponent is past his prime, Grant Elvis Phillips predicts Fitz Vanderpool will not only upset but knock out Fernando Vargas when they fight Saturday night in Los Angeles.

Attorneys get more time to study argument over two-thirds vote: CARSON CITY -- Attorneys for the Legislature have more time to decide how to respond to the effort to get the Nevada Supreme Court to withdraw the decision that undercut the constitutional requirement for a two-thirds vote on new or increased taxes.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Half-century of service: KLAS Channel 8 is 50 years old. On July 22, 1953, Gov. Charles Russell pulled the switch that brought television to Southern Nevada and with it a televised history of one of the most dramatic and positive stories in America.

Pieces of 8: Memories abound as KLAS celebrates 50th anniversary: Kirk Baird; You only turn 50 once.

Transfer rules not as difficult as they seem: Adam Candee; Six pages of legal jargon -- that's what it takes for the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association to lay out all of its guidelines for eligibility and transfers.

Foe seeks probe of track owner: Sen. Gibson Armstrong, R-Lancaster, in a letter to Rendell and Revenue Secretary Gregory Fajt, asked for the investigation as part of a background check ahead of the possible legalization of slot-machine operations at the state's racetracks, which would almost certainly enrich racetrack owners.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Force cast in role of Funny Car spoiler: After spending each of the past 20 seasons chasing the NHRA Funny Car championship, John Force finds himself in an unfamiliar position in the second half of the 2003 NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series.

Orchard neighbors fight school: The Las Vegas Planning Commission tonight is expected to hear the pros and cons of building a high school in what neighbors call the last agricultural bastion in the Las Vegas Valley.

UNLV field cut to five: Steve Guiremand; Shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Zack Smith, a member of the president's office at UNLV, got off an elevator at the Tam Alumni Center and began carting away large boxes of folders and resumes.

Obituaries for July 24, 2003: Ann V. Barcus, 76, of Las Vegas died Sunday in Las Vegas. She was born July 8, 1927, in Chicago. A resident for 15 years, she was an executive secretary for a manufacturing company and a member of the Paradise Active Seniors Club for 10 years.

All the right moves?: Adam Candee; Not the silence again, Kevin Soares thought. Anything but the silence.

Wednesday's Big Time basketball tournament scores: West Orange (CA) 88, Illinois Fire (IL) 77

Blake denied bail in double-killing case: Erica D. Johnson; The aspiring R&B singer charged in a triple shooting will continue to be held at the Clark County Detention Center without bail.

Editorial: A turning point? Not right now: The turning point in the Iraq war will come when American soldiers are no longer being shot and killed every day.

Witness fails to identify Duarte: Erica D. Johnson; The case against the man charged in a 1999 casino heist in which two armored truck guards were shot got off to a rocky start Wednesday when a key eyewitness for the state was unable to identify the suspect as the getaway driver.

Columnist Ruthe Deskin: Bryant just the latest to disappoint: Ruthe Deskin; Basketball fans have grown to expect outlandish behavior from the likes of Dennis Rodman and J.R. Rider, but Laker star Kobe Bryant always looked and acted like a gentleman. He wasn't expected to have feet of clay.

Rebels' Hunter shows that transfers work: Adam Candee; He grew up in front of Las Vegas basketball fans, a do-it-all guard with a ceiling as high as the Stratosphere. He earned a scholarship to Georgetown and eventually came home to play for UNLV, where he is now the hope of the Rebels' backcourt in 2003-04 as a senior.

DARE names new director: The mission of the DARE program in Clark County schools is to teach children to resist drugs and violence. DARE collaborates with law enforcement agencies and the school district to educate students on the dangers of drugs, alcohol and violence each year.

Teachers qualify for awards: CARSON CITY -- Five Clark County high school and middle school teachers have qualified for the 2003 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, and each will receive $10,000.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Friday's races at Del Mar: 1st Race -- SMILIN SUSAN -- P. Val atop Mitchell trainee, draws well for mile opener, backers hope Susan has them Smilin in winners circle. THE BORG QUEEN -- Draws good rail post for two-turn claimer, Espinoza on Mullins trainee for owner Englander, solid connections. Value Play -- BEING WITH YOU

Editorial: New law will serve workers, businesses: Owing to a new state law taking effect Oct. 1, the agency will be able to prioritize the complaints rather than taking them in order. The law is patterned after federal rules that allow the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to move quickly in cases where there is enough evidence or witness testimony to quickly sustain or dismiss a complaint.

Compact racers are really a drag: Abel Ibarra has turned an obsession for speed into a nice livelihood as one of the most recognizable drivers in sport compact racing.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Winning Le Mans car has soul -- and attitude: I was just about to excuse myself from a reception honoring Las Vegas' newest world champion, Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing, which won the GT Class at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans last month, if for no other reason to put my Chevy S-10 out of its misery.

New witness joins Moncrief case: Mary Manning and Ed Koch; In a sworn affidavit Wednesday, Bill Ahern stated that he helped Moncrief and others put stamps on mailers just days before the June general runoff. Moncrief has maintained that those mailers were created, paid for and mailed out by Pete "Chris" Christoff, but Christoff has said that he acted under Moncrief's direction.

Las Vegas companies searched in securities investigation by state: Secretary of State Dean Heller said that his office executed a search warrant on Creative Business Solutions and the Nevada Heart and Imaging Centers Inc., owned and operated by Lawrence S. Yanez, 50, and his wife Emily Yanez, 30.

Tropicana results decline, redevelopment studied: By Liz Benston; Aztar Corp. executives said Wednesday they are on track with a plan that will allow them to make a definitive decision on whether to redevelop the Tropicana resort in Las Vegas.

School district welcomes new teachers aboard: By Emily Richmond; Edna Campbell left the Clark County School District's new teacher welcome center with a critical piece of information Wednesday -- how to pronounce the name of the school where she'll be working.

Nevada parents set to receive checks: By Timothy Pratt; With the federal government set to mail millions of checks to parents nationwide, Internal Revenue Service officials set up a toll-free number to field questions and comments.

Henderson receives funds to fight drugs: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Two Las Vegas Valley cities are anticipating more federal money that can be used to combat drug crimes.

Longtime general manager planning to retire: Replacing Fraim as head of the Las Vegas CBS Network affiliate will be Emily Neilson, who is now KLAS director of new business and programming. She will become station manager on Aug. 1 and general manager and president on Jan. 1, Fraim said.

Drug treatment center won't be relocated: A certified drug treatment center that provides counseling for at least 200 convicted drug offenders per day will remain next to a middle school.

Outlook good for Las Vegas home builder: BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. -- Pulte Homes Inc., the fourth-largest U.S. homebuilder and the second-largest in Las Vegas, raised its 2003 earnings forecast after profit in the second quarter advanced a greater-than-expected 35 percent as record low mortgage rates fueled home sales.

Nevada boosts college funding: Jennifer Knight; With the ink now dry on the state budget, university system officials are relieved: Funding for higher education in Nevada went up at a time when other states are seeing their budgets cut.

Hard Rock hotel-casino OK'd: The new casino is expected to open in May 2005 at a site adjacent to Beau Rivage Casino and Hotel in Biloxi.

Tax hike expected to cut teen smoking: Afsha Bawany; Health advocates estimate that a hike in Nevada's cigarette taxes will cut the number of children who smoke significantly.

War turn heightens fears of LV families: Jace Radke; When her 22-year-old son was deployed to Iraq, Connie Graham knew that he might see combat, but recent ambush-style attacks against U.S. forces have reawakened her fears.

Castaways to get new Vestin loan: Kevin Rademacher; The bankrupt Castaways hotel-casino on Wednesday received a financial boost from an unlikely source.

Motive elusive in man's slaying: Jen Lawson; Jimmie Brown moved to Las Vegas eight years ago to escape the crime that had taken over his Los Angeles neighborhood, his friends and relatives said.

Valley gets first tiny taste of this year's flash floods: Mary Manning and Ed Koch; A futile search for a man reported floating in a desert wash filled with rushing water Wednesday afternoon gave Las Vegas its first taste this year of the dangers of flash floods.

Senate OKs plan to consider tourists in security funding: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The Senate late Wednesday agreed to a resolution directing the Homeland Security Department to take tourist populations into consideration when making grants.

Park Place revenue falls in second quarter: Park Place Entertainment Corp. of Las Vegas, the world's largest casino resort company, today said second-quarter profit slumped 57 percent because of the war in Iraq, the SARS outbreak and the flat economy.

Union wants immediate Aladdin representation: Sun Staff; An estimated 1,000 sign-carrying demonstrators, boosted by an appearance by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, marched in front of the Aladdin hotel-casino Wednesday afternoon, rallying for union representation at the Strip property.

Nation's first gay-oriented wine launched: Jennifer Shubinski; A company with Las Vegas ties is marketing itself as the nation's first gay-owned winery -- and is achieving crucial support for the venture from the local gay community.

Sierra Health profit rises: Sierra Health Services Inc. of Las Vegas, the largest health insurer in Nevada, said Wednesday that income from continuing operations in the second quarter nearly doubled due to its "disciplined" pricing policies, expense controls and higher investment income.

LV-area sites called Cold War landmarks: Suzanne Stuglinksi; The Senate Energy Committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would allow those designations. The bill, introduced in February by Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., is now ready to go to the Senate floor. Reid spokeswoman Tessa Hafen said Reid will try to attach the bill to other legislation now under consideration by the Senate, but did not know which one yet.