Print edition for November 3, 2003

Editorial: Give claims to agency that cares: Before any compensation could be paid, a worker's illness first had to be certified as job related. This required a system, which the Energy Department created. For those contract workers making a claim, the department was to gather all of their employment records and pass them to an independent panel of physicians, which would then determine if exposure to harmful materials on the job caused the illness. If so, the Energy Department would then assist the worker in filing a claim for workers' compensation.

Killer of 9-year-old sentenced to death: Erica D. Johnson; The man convicted of firing the shots that killed a 9-year-old North Las Vegas girl will be put to death, jurors announced this morning.

County billboard debate loses some intensity: The debates that have been going on for years over where to put billboards in unincorporated parts of Clark County are not quite over.

Big names leaving Vestin board: Kevin Rademacher; The list of high-powered directors for Vestin Group Inc., a big Las Vegas real estate lender, is getting smaller.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Eclipse Award for trainer still wide open: Ralph Siraco; This year's Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer is a tale of two accomplishments.

Sex assault case stems from teen treatment center: Jen Lawson; Metro Police have arrested a former employee of a residential treatment center for troubled teenagers on 27 counts of sexual assault, allegedly involving a 14-year-old girl.

Fire captain critical after truck overturns: Ed Koch and Mary Manning; A Las Vegas firefighter remained in critical condition at University Medical Center this morning after an accident late Friday in which a fire truck flipped over on U.S. 95 at the Rainbow Boulevard off-ramp.

Two LV airlines growing: Three of the nation's major air carriers will have new nonstop round-trip flights to and from Las Vegas by early next year.

Letter: Don't count on business next to Station tower: Station's justification for building the tower 300 feet stems from current zoning for 250-foot buildings just east of its project. The argument is that if Station wants to be a destination resort, it needs to be able to provide its customers unobstructed views of the Strip. The 250-foot buildings are currently zoned for business. Herein lies the rub -- these buildings have not yet been built and probably never will be.

Sierra resorts rush to open following snowfall: AP; The combination of cold temperatures, snowmaking equipment and an unexpectedly strong storm over the weekend that left up to 3 feet of snow in the mountains has turned bare ground white.

Ford sales fall: Ford sales fall

Retailer coming to LV market: The 22,500-square-foot store will employ 50 full- and part-time staff and is expected to open in April.

Nevadans growing fatter and fatter: CARSON CITY -- More than 55 percent of Nevadans are overweight or obese, and the number of growing, state Health Officer Dr. Bradford Lee said today.

Simon Property profit falls 31 percent: Jennifer Shubinski; Simon Property Group Inc. of Indianapolis, the world's largest owner of shopping malls, last week said third-quarter earnings fell 31 percent because of costs connected to the failed hostile takeover of Taubman Centers Inc.

Bond refinancing gives casino room to expand: By Liz Benston; For a property with a small casino floor, a mere 657 rooms and roughly 1,200 parking spaces, the Hard Rock's influence extends far beyond its off-Strip location in the shadow of the city's megaresorts.

Las Vegas visitors are reunited with lost wallet: Heather Rawlyk; In a city known for relieving tourists of their money, a vacationing couple recently were reunited with their bankroll.

More killers are dumping bodies near Boulder City: The widespread residential and commercial development of the once vast and pristine Las Vegas desert apparently has made it difficult for killers to find a decent secluded place to dump a body, local homicide experts say.

California driver killed in rollover: Brent Hilz was killed after his car went off the right shoulder, over-corrected, spun out of control, left the roadway and flipped in the desert, Trooper Angie Wolff, NHP spokeswoman, said.

Ref aims to keep Jones, Tarver clean: Dean Juipe; Never known for his ability to sell tickets, Roy Jones Jr. undermined the marketability of his Saturday fight with Antonio Tarver at Mandalay Bay by skipping a scheduled conference call late last week.

Dorsey among those who had 'special' afternoon for UNLV: He couldn't have known it at the the time, but Dominique Dorsey was prophetic when he suggested last week that returning kickoffs was the least of UNLV's problems.

News briefs for Nov. 3, 2003: Metro Police homicide detectives are investigating two separate killings from the weekend.

Unified voting system planned for state in '04: CARSON CITY -- Although he previously said he wouldn't, Secretary of State Dean Heller now plans to spend $6 million to $8 million on new voting machines for Washoe and the rural counties for the 2004 election.

Sports briefs for Nov. 3, 2003: Both teams called news conferences for later today.

Resort to expand: The new space will be designed to provide flexibility for groups that want larger rooms as well as smaller break-out rooms, said Michael Massari, executive director of Pavilion sales and operations for the Rio.

Plan would hike Yucca funding: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The Yucca Mountain project would be guaranteed at least $725 million in 2005 and beyond if a proposed change to its funding rules wins approval.

Fire crews return from California: Christina Littlefield and Mary Manning; When Las Vegas-area firefighters arrived near the front lines of wildfires around San Diego, they found themselves frustrated as they spent hours waiting at the command post for orders and then fought mostly minor hot spots.

Letter: Goodman's future venture?: PATRICIA DUCHARME

Correction: Correction

Nantkes' leg injury came in QB's finest half of the season: Steve Guiremand; Kurt Nantkes was walking with a noticeable limp at practice on Sunday night at Rebel Park.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Disguise bright for LV on holiday weekend: The annual Halloween house party that has evolved into one of Las Vegas' most anticipated, hosted by Rio exec Adeana Shendal and her husband, popular KVBC Channel 3 anchor Jim Snyder, was missing something this year.

Mall plan updated: May Department Stores Co. sold the property back to Rouse after May announced this year it would not occupy the space as previously planned.

Passenger killed in chain-reaction crash on I-15: Six others, including two juveniles, were injured in the pile-up about 8 p.m. in the northbound lanes of I-15 near Jean. None of their names were released by authorities.

Confident Turner got job done in stunner: Steve Guiremand; Scott Turner's UNLV career had consisted of just one snap against Utah before Saturday night's Mountain West Conference game at New Mexico.

Police honor citizens, officers for community contributions: Heather Rawlyk; Henderson Police honored local citizens and police officers for their outstanding contributions to the community.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Is new ABA team coming to Las Vegas?: Dean Juipe; Notes today, leading off with one that supposedly is a fact even if it reads like fiction.

Editorial: Coming up on 100: The city recently signed a contract with Clear Channel, a company specializing in spectacular live events. The company will line up corporate sponsorships and help plan the festivities. We agree with Mayor Oscar Goodman and the City Council that the celebration should be on a scale large enough to attract the world's attention. It will be a good opportunity to draw millions of more people to Las Vegas -- and to make up for our lackluster party at the change of the millennium.

Death penalty of Las Vegas man overturned: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court today overturned the conviction of Dorion Daniel, sentenced to death for the fatal shooting of two men and the wounding of two others in a Las Vegas apartment in July 1997.

NLV growth spurs need for more cops: Dan Kulin; To ensure the North Las Vegas Police Department keeps pace with the city's projected population growth, the city needs to more than triple its police force and build four or five new police stations -- including a new headquarters -- by 2020 or 2025, according to a consultant's report to be presented to the City Council on Wednesday.

Early morning blaze destroys warehouse: A three-alarm fire that began shortly before midnight Sunday destroyed a vending company warehouse, forced evacuation of a nearby strip club, slowed freight train service from the downtown area and knocked out power to homes and businesses.

Rebels' force to be Beck-oned with: For most of the past four years, Romel Beck has more than noticed how opponents initially take him lightly after taking their first glances at his slim stature.

Veterans' agency says claims backlog reduced: Veterans Affairs officials in Washington, D.C., and in Nevada say they have reduced the backlog of pending disability claims by more than 40 percent, meeting guidelines set by the Bush administration.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Thrills and spills were all over the dial: People often wonder why I prefer college football over the professional kind.

Some Scotch 80s residents want gated community: Sito Negron; The Scotch 80s has a history of residents as colorful as its name, including Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and entertainer Jerry Lewis, and a present as an island of luxury in the midst of what urban planners call a transitional area. Some residents say a major reason the neighborhood retained its value through the '90s, as the valley boomed and upscale mansions on the edges of the city drew wealthy home buyers, was because it closed off several streets and limited access to a few entrances.

Letter: Clinton is key to 2004 race: Clinton believes that politics should be about the future, but we need him in our present so we can have a future! With Bill Clinton as vice president, along with a Democratic president, America knows the economy would be righted. Many new jobs would be created, states would receive federal funds, and our successful social programs -- including Medicare and Social Security as well as the environment -- would be protected. Also, our global relations would be repaired, which would benefit our military.

Riverboat referendum divides Indiana town: Kimberly Hefling; FRENCH LICK, Ind. -- For years, residents clad in orange T-shirts drove by the busloads through the winding hills of southern Indiana to the Statehouse to lobby lawmakers for a casino.

Vegas donations provide big boost: KOOL 93.1 radio morning show host Jim Zippo opened Friday's USA Today newspaper on the road to Southern California's wildland fires and saw a photo of his parents' Cedar Glen, Calif., mountain home in flames.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Sifting through the fire's ashes: It had been up less than an hour when I stepped onto the patio of Carole's house in Rancho Cucamonga. The home of my partner's sister-in-law had been spared by the worst wildfires in California history.

Snow blankets Sierra resorts, Nevada roads: AP; Chains were mandatory on Interstate-80 past Boreal Mountain Resort, Which became the first ski area in the Lake Tahoe Basin to open on Saturday. Others were expected to follow later in the month.

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for Nov. 3, 2003: Lisa Ferguson; In the mood to do a little light reading? Good news: When it comes to literature, it doesn't get much "lighter"than the topics of a few new books just waiting to be perused.

The Human Touch: With upgrades, Madame Tussauds is moving with the times: Across the room, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward looked entranced while Dr. Robert Schuller, minister and author, gave an approving grin. Meryl Streep smiled politely. Spears' "I'm A Slave 4 You" rumbled through the speakers.

Obituaries for Nov.3, 2003: Evelyn L. Annal, 78, of Las Vegas died Friday in Las Vegas. She was born Sept. 3, 1925, in Boston. A resident for 28 years, she was a grocery store change person.

Gaming briefs for Nov. 3, 2003: Boyd Gaming Corp. agreed to pay $375,000 to settle a lawsuit filed in 1998 by Astoria Entertainment Inc., according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Birth announcements for Nov. 3, 2003: Oct. 10:

String Cheese presents its big, fat 'Freak' concert: Spencer Patterson; The String Cheese Incident's Halloween shows are famous for their surprises, but I really didn't expect to hear Nelly on Friday night.

Colo. vote on lottery terminals generates controversy: Jon Sarche; DENVER -- It is alternatively portrayed as a way to revive Colorado's stagnant economy by increasing tourism promotion and painted as a boondoggle to give a British company a near-monopoly on gambling along the state's Front Range.