Print edition for May 13, 2003

Deal considered in bicyclist's death: Erica D. Johnson; The man authorities say killed a bicyclist during a drunken driving rampage is considering negotiating a deal with prosecutors, his attorney said Monday.

North-South rivalary renewed during championship week: Adam Candee; A surprise-free set of regionals gives way to the excitement of state championship week, complete with two dominant Northern entries sure to test the best of the South.

Defense says Rundle killing was not premeditated: Erica D. Johnson; William Rundle killed his wife with a baseball bat in a fit of rage, but it wasn't premeditated as prosecutors contend, a defense attorney told jurors on Monday.

'Garfield' slots face scrutiny: Mikohn Gaming Corp. announced Monday that it had acquired the casino rights to Garfield and would develop games by the end of the year. Terms were not disclosed.

Columnist Tony Renna: Qualifying at Indy is a major step: Tony Renna; INDIANAPOLIS -- I think there is definitely a feeling of relief at finally qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. It's one more step we've climbed, and we have a lot more steps left to climb. But we're finally in it and it's fun to be in it and be a part of it.

Wynn describes letters from man who says he's half-brother: Jace Radke; Steve Wynn told a jury Monday that when he started getting threatening letters and phone calls from a man demanding $10 million and claiming to be a long-lost half brother, he flashed back to the 1993 kidnapping of his daughter.

Election ethics measure killed: CARSON CITY -- In an about-face, the Senate Government Affairs Committee Monday voted to allow the state Ethics Commission to continue deciding whether a political candidate lied about his opponent during an election campaign.

Feds eye recent airline ticket price increases: Brad Foss; NEW YORK -- The Justice Department is scrutinizing the $10-per-roundtrip fare increases made by the nation's largest airlines to determine whether carriers violated an antitrust ruling enacted nearly a decade ago.

Editorial: Pedestrian deaths need examination: Some of the safety improvements under consideration: countdown clocks to let pedestrians know just how long they have to get through an intersection and flashing signals at crosswalks that pedestrians, by pushing a button, can activate to alert motorists that they want to cross the street. No technological improvement, however, can match the use of courtesy and common sense by motorists and pedestrians when they approach intersections or crosswalks -- and that doesn't cost a dime.

Wednesday's horse racing entries: Post Time 1:20 p.m.

Editorial: Uninsured children need help: It's more than just numbers, as the Sun reports in today's installment of the seven-part series, "Children Left Behind." If a child goes without medical care, it can be debilitating. Even a routine illness can quickly worsen, endangering the child's life. While Nevada ranks poorly in terms of children who are uninsured, it could be worse. Nevada Check-Up, a joint federal-state program that provides low-cost health insurance for children who come from lower-income families, had 25,687 children enrolled as of March. Participants in the program, based on a sliding scale of how much they earn, pay up to $200 a ...

Committee backs plan for highway bonds: CARSON CITY -- The Senate Finance Committee on Monday endorsed Gov. Kenny Guinn's plan to sell $325 million in bonds to speed up construction on five "super" highway projects, including three in Southern Nevada to relieve traffic congestion.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Breathtaking Cascata to open its gates briefly: Dean Juipe; Exclusivity is a word with very specific characteristics.

State is buckling down on drivers: Cy Ryan and Mary Manning; CARSON CITY -- If the commercials don't convince you, maybe a ticket will.

Letter: Gore supporter not informed: What amazes me is how many of these "Bush bashers" still use "bumper sticker mentality" with phrases like "blood for oil." Be you a Democrat or a Republican, a conservative or a liberal, please read a paper or watch the news a little bit before shouting rhetoric and second-guessing our leaders on foreign policy!

Major League snapshot: Giambi hit his eighth homer of the season Friday in a defeat in Oakland, but he sat out Saturday and Sunday because of a lingering staph infection near his left eye. He has tried various medications, to no avail ... yet. The AL will know when he's cured.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Wednesday's races at Hollywood Park: Wednesday's card

Additional DMV staffing approved: CARSON CITY -- Hoping to reduce the long lines for driver's licenses and registration, the Senate Finance Committee voted to provide 129 new employees for the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Longtime UNLV coach Shan McDonald fired: McDonald spent 17 years as the Rebels' head coach, arriving in Las Vegas in 1987. She guided UNLV to a 511-469-2 record and seven postseason appearances.

Nevada sees boost in child vaccinations: One area of children's health where the state has shown sharp improvement is in vaccinations of those 19 to 35 months old.

Mother of teen devastated by news of body found: The mother of a former Las Vegas teen whose body turned up in a Colorado wheat field after he was missing for three months said Monday she was "devastated" by the discovery and doesn't know what might have happened.

Business briefs for May 13, 2003: CARSON CITY -- A state Commission on Construction Defects would be created to help homeowners get their houses repaired under a bill approved by the Senate.

Parish convicted in child's death: Jace Radke; The sentencing phase of the trial of a former Nellis Air Force Base airman convicted in the beating death of his ex-girlfriend's infant daughter was scheduled to begin today.

Legislative briefs for May 13, 2003: A bill to clamp down on "diploma mills" has been approved by the Senate and sent to the Assembly.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: At least local kids don't call collect: Intermittently, I have used this space to implore UNLV to recruit more local athletes, especially in the non-revenue sports, principally because it's cheaper to recruit them and it helps build goodwill between the university and the community.

Letter: U.S. prosperity slowed by U.N.: Astonishingly, the mainstream right, which is understandably furious at our foreign enemies, and hopelessly enamored with George W. Bush, has unwittingly bought this bill of goods. Republican Party loyalists, some, but not all "religious right" activists, "ditto-heads" and other movement conservatives have embraced the new line with the dutiful fervor of North Korean cadres parroting the latest pronouncements from Kim Jong Il.

Big hike OK'd in mental health budget: CARSON CITY -- The Senate Finance Committee on Monday approved spending $371.6 million on mental health programs over the next biennium, a nearly 40 percent increase over 2001.

Prep playoff schedule: TODAY

Letter: Seeing climber as a hero sends wrong message: Ralston, a member of a search and rescue team, could have possibly saved his arm if he had put to use what he learned and should be teaching others. Having a partner along could have meant being rescued in less than five days.

Police seek leads in shooting: Lt. Cindy Galindo said detectives are having difficulty getting witnesses to talk. It's not clear if one or two suspects fired weapons, and they don't have a description of the suspect or suspects.

Stars approaching milestones: Rafael Palmeiro smacked home run No. 500 on Sunday, a club Sammy Sosa joined earlier this season, and Roger Clemens is a couple of wins away from 300 for his career.

Lottery board OKs deal: The Rhode Island Lottery Commission has approved a deal to give the company exclusive rights to operate the state's lottery system for 20 years.

Teamsters to help fighters' welfare: Dean Juipe; It's a subject that periodically surfaces and attracts speculation, yet it took Eddie Mustafa Muhammad to bring to it fruition.

U.S. Foodservice chief out: Ahold's supervisory board said it accepted the resignation of Jim Miller, who was the chief executive of Foodservice since 1997, following an independent report that the U.S. company had overstated profits by $880 million over three years.

UNLV hopes to sow good seed: Adam Candee; Forget the national championship and the sterling reputation.

Ruan steals a look at 51s future: Nick Christensen; When Wilkin Ruan was a child in his native Dominican Republic, he used to run up and down the mountains near his home of Guaymate.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Kyle Busch glad he joined Hendrick Motorsports: Kyle Busch is looking more and more like a genius for his decision to break away from Roush Racing and join Hendrick Motorsports.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Out with the old, in with Alexis: According to the Social Security Administration, she'll have trouble just finding guys named Tom, Dick and Harry. None were among the 10 most popular baby names of the past decade.

Obituaries for May 13, 2003: Vida Blake Albright, 73, of Las Vegas died Sunday in Las Vegas. She was born April 13, 1930, in St. Anthony, Idaho. A resident for 49 years, she was a medical assistant, a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers and past president of the LDS Relief Society.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: President at it again: The incomparable Lionel Richie made that song famous but those words, well, Nevadans have learned to live by them ever since we provided the electoral margin of victory for President George W. Bush.

Scaled-down plan approved: Westgate Resorts plans to build a 42-story, 492-unit timeshare resort adjacent to the mall, near its parking garage.

Shooting called a warning to motorists: Jen Lawson; The killing of a 54-year-old man after what Henderson police are calling a road rage encounter with two teens should be viewed as a cautionary tale, said Erin Breen, director of UNLV's Safe Community Partnership.

Democratic-controlled Assembly panel raps medical malpractice bill: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- The Senate bill proposing changes to the state's medical malpractice insurance law was widely criticized in the Democrat-controlled Assembly Judiciary Committee this morning.

News briefs for May 13, 2003: A fire Monday evening caused $30,000 in damage at Nick's Supper Club, Henderson Fire Department Batillion Chief Doug Koopman said.

Sierra Pacific shareholder meeting termed 'productive': Kevin Rademacher; A potentially volatile shareholders meeting on Monday went surprisingly smooth for Sierra Pacific Resources, parent company of Nevada Power Co.

Rival convention venues make gains on Las Vegas: The list of the country's 200 largest shows by net square footage leased is produced annually by Tradeshow Week, a publication covering the convention and meetings industry.

Property owners to benefit from flood improvements: Hundreds of property owners on the south side of the Las Vegas Valley will save dramatically on flood insurance thanks to new construction, local officials said Monday.

Police: Search for crack ended in murder: Jen Lawson; As family and friends of murder victim Simone Hirst scattered her ashes Monday in the mountains of Utah, a beach in California and a bay in Australia, Metro Police were arresting the 25-year-old man who allegedly killed her.

Kids' health care ailing: By Steve Kanigher; Sick children have a harder time getting health care in Nevada than in most other states.

Las Vegas March visitor volume off: The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported 3 million visitors in March compared with 3.3 million in March 2002, a 7.4 percent downturn. Convention attendance was off 17.6 percent for the month, to 565,678 from 686,867 a year ago.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Morgan parks it in old neighborhood: The Vegas native and longtime major league ballplayer was back in his old neighborhood over the weekend to play baseball with his own kids -- in a park newly named for him.

Nevada Power decision draws mixed reaction: Kevin Rademacher; A proposed $180 million rate disallowance facing Nevada Power Co. was cut by regulators to $47.3 million, a move questioned by the state consumer advocate but cheered by investors.

Panel OKs Red Rock restrictions: The Assembly Government Affairs Committee dealt a blow to developer Jim Rhodes' plans to build a golf course community next door to Red Rock Canyon, voting 12-1 Monday for new restrictions around the conservation area.

Yucca project struggles to stay open after cuts: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department is struggling to keep the Yucca Mountain project on track to meet key deadlines amid budget cuts, top project managers said today.

Panel pushed to OK water deal: Erin Neff; CARSON CITY -- Lincoln County officials told legislators Monday that Senate Bill 487 is the only way the rural area can develop the 2 percent of its property that isn't under federal ownership.

Pitch not perfect: Seniors question Bush administration's Medicare reforms: By Timothy Pratt; A Bush administration official said Monday that proposed Medicare reforms will be good for the pocketbooks and ailments of senior citizens nationwide, but a group of them in Henderson responded with a dose of skepticism.

Columnist Jeff German: Cassidy describes downfall: He had taken leave as a top aide to Mayor Oscar Goodman to serve as the lead defense investigator in the well-publicized Ted Binion murder trial.

Preservation group lists at-risk sites: Preserve Nevada, associated with the National Trust for Historical Preservation, released its annual list of sites this week. It includes the Moulin Rouge hotel-casino, built in 1955 for black entertainers who were not allowed to stay at the Strip locales where they performed.

Noted Democratic Party activist Page dies at 73: A memorial gathering for longtime Las Vegas insurance adjuster and Democratic Party mainstay Lee Page will be 4 p.m. Friday at the Spanish Oaks Clubhouse, 2201 Spanish Oaks Drive off West Sahara Avenue.

Cannon, civic leader, widow of longtime U.S. senator, dies at 88: Native Nevadan Dorothy Pace Cannon, widow of former U.S. Sen. Howard Cannon and a civic leader who supported the causes of everyone from children to war veterans, died on Mother's Day following a lengthy illness. She was 88.

DRI gets record gift from television mogul Rogers: Jennifer Knight; The largest donation in the history of the Desert Research Institute was given as an homage to a father.

Community briefs for May 13, 2003: Novasoy Natural Power Tour will offer free bone density screenings plus information on the power of soy from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday at National Vitamin, 7440 Industrial Blvd., and Sunday at Belz Factory Outlet World, 7400 Las Vegas Blvd. South.