Print edition for November 5, 2003

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Fashion Show puts on a show: Shows run on the hour beginning at 1:30 p.m. and at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. The last show Wednesday through Saturday is at 7:30; the last show on Sunday is at 5:30 p.m.

Tabcorp offers to buy second gaming company: Tabcorp offers to buy second gaming company

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Fund-raiser has pharmacy school's prescription: Elizabeth Foyt; The event was chaired by Jackie Seip, with welcoming comments provided by Dr. Thomas Wiser, dean of the Nevada College of Pharmacy, and Donna Bond, chair of the college's board of trustees. Keynote speakers at the dinner-dance included Rep. Jon Porter,R-Nev., Las Vegas Councilwoman Lynette Boggs-McDonald and Dr. Harry Rosenberg, president of the Nevada College of Pharmacy.

Letter: Lawyers should be banned from state Legislature: Allen then says this excludes public employees from serving in the Legislature. I cannot see how this eliminates a secretary or a professor from serving. There is no "exercise of power" by these public employees. At their workplaces, they are not legislators or judges or part of the executive branch.

Returns indicate Maine voters OK racino plan: Maine voters who rejected a proposed $650 million casino referendum Tuesday were more amenable to a proposal to allow hundreds of slot machines at harness racing tracks in Bangor and Scarborough.

Top fashion execs leaving firm: Pinault Printemps-Redoute, which took control of the Gucci Group two years ago, announced that it had been unable to reach a new contract agreement with Tom Ford, Gucci's designer since 1994, and Domenico De Sole, its chief executive, after months of negotiation. They will leave the company in April, though Ford will design men's and women's collections for Gucci and Saint Laurent through the fall 2004 season.

Billboard firms not happy with new county rules: Representatives from billboard companies objected sharply to new rules passed by the Clark County Commission on Tuesday, but their lawsuit against the county's existing rules was cited as a primary reason for the new ordinance.

Court briefs for Nov. 5, 2003: Jury selection began on Tuesday in the trial of a man in the shooting death of a Las Vegas father as he helped his daughter put her bike away.

County poses challenges for Edison schools: By Emily Richmond; More than 100 principals from Edison Schools Inc. campuses across the country met at The Mirage Tuesday for workshops on data management, tips for doing a five-minute school "walk through" and ways to help teachers improve their own classroom skills.

Letter: Route nuke waste around Las Vegas: Over the past several weeks, I've read in the news that the House of Representatives passed legislation to keep the Energy Department from shipping waste through Las Vegas to Yucca Mountain. The Energy Department would instead have to route shipments through rural, unpopulated areas of Nevada. However, the Senate must support this initiative or it will die. Reid does a good job sympathizing with the people of Nevada; I just hope that he remembers he works for them too.

BC fire department gets federal grant: The grant was one of 453 given to fire departments across the country during the 20th round of the 2003 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. A total of $29 million were given out during this round.

Obituaries for Nov. 5, 2003: Grant Floyd Banks, 77, of Henderson died Sunday in a local hospital. He was born March 9, 1926, in Alberta. A resident for 13 years, he was a retired custodial engineer and a World War II Navy veteran.

Test Site workers screened for beryllium: Anyone who worked at least one year from 1951 to 1992 in areas at the Nevada Test Site where nuclear weapons experiments were conducted, or at the North Las Vegas Atlas complex on Losee Road, may be eligible for free medical screenings.

Editorial: Were critics right?: From the outset, however, critics of the law have predicted that it would be abused. They labeled the Patriot Act as a crack in the U.S. Constitution and warned that it would be continually widened. They asked: How long will it be before any investigation can draw upon the new powers?

Touch of Rosemary: Jordans' trek unexpectedly winds up in Vegas: Ken Miller; The Jordans give credit to loved ones who helped them get where they are today, and use their life experience to flavor the cuisine they serve Las Vegas.

Firefighters pull for injured captain: Las Vegas firefighters have organized a candlelight vigil tonight in support of Capt. Thelonious Adams, 39, who remains in critical condition at University Medical Center's Trauma Center.

Nominations sought for land deals: The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 allows the BLM to auction public lands in the Las Vegas Valley for development and use the bulk of the proceeds to purchase environmentally sensitive land throughout Nevada, with priority on parcels in Clark County. The money also can be used for improvement projects in environmentally sensitive areas.

Neighbors fight apartment complex: Sito Negron; It's only 10 acres, but to neighbors, it represents a change in their community they'll have to live with as long as they own their homes.

Burton fans are victims of scam: A telemarketing scam using the name of magician Lance Burton is deceiving hundreds of people who are made to believe they have won free tickets to Burton's show, Metro Police said.

Community briefs for Nov. 5, 2003: United Blood Services will present its Images of Life celebrity fund-raiser blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at the Fashion Show, lower level, outside Starbucks.

Letter: Courageous Bush policy succeeding: He was offered Osama bin Laden on several occasions but wouldn't even bring him in for questioning. Do you think it possible that 9-11 would not have happened if he had taken bin Laden into custody? Clinton also believed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and did nothing about that either.

Guinn's new chief of staff is welcomed: CARSON CITY -- Michael Hillerby, a trained opera singer and a veteran lobbyist, takes over as chief of staff for Gov. Kenny Guinn at the end of this week, and he says not to expect any major changes.

More federal aid sought for mental health: CARSON CITY -- Nevada's mental health agency chief Tuesday called on Congress to provide more money to help the states deliver a coordinated system of services to people with mental problems.

Star banker to be retried: The decision, which many legal experts caution could backfire, comes less than two weeks after the former star Silicon Valley financier's first trial on obstruction-of-justice charges ended in a hung jury.

Editorial: A quiet SEC opens door for Spitzer: Spitzer is continuing to use the resources of his office to attack dishonesty on Wall Street. The emerging mutual-funds investigation began with his office charging that ordinary investors were being harmed because well-connected investors were allowed to engage in unethical and illegal trading practices. The investigation has been joined by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Congress is holding hearings.

News briefs for Nov. 5, 2003: Saturday evening, weather permitting, a total eclipse of the moon will be visible in Las Vegas.

Author talks about background of nuke-waste thriller: "A Single Star," published in February, is a story about how South Carolina battles the federal government to keep plutonium shipments out after a fictional high-level radioactive waste spill in the town of Florence.

Federal health initiative gives seniors options: To check the ratings on home health agencies by state, county or ZIP code, go to welfare.gov on the web or call 1-800-633-4227. The site compares agencies based on how patients improved in areas of mobility, daily living and mental health as well as the occurrence rate of patient medical emergencies.

Molina shocks Coronado: Adam Candee; Oscar Molina pulled off his orange jersey even faster than he changed the complexion of the Sunrise Region boys' soccer playoffs.

Brimmer a Thorpe semifinalist: Junior strong safety Jamaal Brimmer is UNLV's first semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, the organization announced late Tuesday. Brimmer is one of 12 players still in contention to win the honor that goes annually to the nation's best defensive back. Three finalists will be selected Nov. 25 and the winner will be announced Dec. 11 on ESPN's College Football Awards Show.

Columnist Jeff German: Cassidy may yet get to tell story: He struck a deal in court this morning, resolving the criminal charges against him stemming from the sexual assault of his wife and the burning down of her massage parlor in February.

Casino firms, suppliers assess results of balloting: By Liz Benston; The results of voter referendums in Indiana, Colorado and Maine held some victories as well as losses for the casino and gaming equipment industry, yielding mixed reactions from analysts but a cheer from the company expected to reap the greatest benefit from gambling expansion nationwide.

Ralph Siraco's Santa Anita selections: 1st Race -- LOVE THAT SONG -- Draws good box for freshman opener, Krone aboard Gallagher trainee, backers to sing happy tune with graduation here. IRON HOLD -- Enriquez atop Harte trainee, draws good rail post for route maiden/claimer, Iron diploma on Hold here? Value Play -- MR. BONES

Lawmakers earmark $580 million for Yucca: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Senate and House negotiators agreed to give the Yucca Mountain dump $580 million next year, an increase of $120 million from the current fiscal year.

State lists schools failing to improve: Emily Richmond and Cy Ryan; Nevada Education Department released a list today of schools that failed to show adequate yearly progress for at least one year, including 47 elementary schools and three charter schools in Clark County. Elementary Schools: Beatty, Beckley, Bell, Bruner, Bunker, Cahlan, Cortez, Crestwood, Culley, Cunningham , Dailey, Dearing, Detwiler, Diskin, Dondero, Ira Earl, Edwards, Elizondo, Fitzgerald, Fong, Galloway, Gragson, Guy, Herr, Hewetson, Jacobson, Jydstrup, Katz Lake, Long, Martinez, May, McMillan, Mendoza, Moore, Mountain View, Newton, Paradise, Rhodes, Ronzone, Rundle, Sewell, Hal Smith, Squires, Thomas, Woolley, Wynn Charter Schools: Keystone, Odyssey, Odyssey Elementary

Radio-transmitting tags set for baggage: The tags and tracking system are being supplied under a $25 million, five-year contract. The system will help ensure that all bags pass through screening equipment, said Randy Walker, director of the Clark County Department of Aviation.

Thursday's horse racing entries: OAK TREE MEETING

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Fox puts Village People skit in closet: The station's latest controversy centers on two accounting department staffers who dressed in blackface on Halloween during a Village People skit.

Men honored for stopping thief: Dan Kulin; When his next-door neighbors' garage door closed, Phil Floth knew their two children were in the house with someone who shouldn't be there.

State retirement system suspends Putnam: CARSON CITY -- The state Public Employees Retirement System has suspended the authority of Putnam Investments to make any more investments in a portfolio of more than $400 million after the company was accused with mutual fund trading irregularities.

GPS improves prisoner tracking: Jace Radke; Jail and electronic monitoring have long been the two options for federal defendants considered flight risks or dangers to the community, but new technology is providing another option.

Court questions some terms of Microsoft antitrust settlement: Ted Bridis; WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court on Tuesday pointedly questioned whether the Bush administration's antitrust settlement with Microsoft Corp. adequately protects consumers and competitors from monopolistic abuses.

County denies appeals of fired Assembly members: Clark County on Tuesday denied the appeals of two county employees and Assembly members fired by the county last month for receiving pay and benefits from both governments.

Basic primed to answer wake-up call: Adam Candee; Basic coach Cliff Frazier sensed a week before it actually happened that, despite a 5-0 record, his Wolves were heading toward a disaster.

Sports briefs for November 5, 2003: It's unclear if Martinez's 18th major league season will be the last for the designated hitter.

Cities weigh in on double-dipping controversy: Dan Kulin; Boulder City may join the other government agencies expected to respond to the double-dipping controversy with new policies requiring public employees who are also State Legislators to take a leave of absence while the Legislature is in session.

Aztecs QB a primary concern for UNLV secondary: San Diego State quarterback Adam Hall and his arsenal flummoxed UNLV's secondary last season with a variety of sets that the Rebels had not previously seen.

Pedestrian's death raises safety questions: Nearly every day for the past six years, Ashlee Marie Bicknell used a faded crosswalk at Bonanza Road at Wardelle Street to get home.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Designer drugs keep testers and leagues in hot pursuit: Dean Juipe; It's a war that may never be won, and, some would say, shouldn't even be fought.

Columnist Peter Benton: Fosburg's 133 wins Amateur Championship: Peter Benton; Last week's Vegas City Amateur Championship, played over the venerable Las Vegas golf club, leaves just one designated tournament remaining on the Southern Nevada Golf Association's 2003 calendar.

Gaming briefs for Nov. 5, 2003: Harrah's Entertainment Inc. has received approval from the Mississippi Gaming Commission to pursue an Internet casino in Alderney, one of the British Channel Islands.

Profit steady for LV mall operator: Jennifer Shubinski; Chelsea Property Group Inc., owner of the Las Vegas Premium Outlets and the Las Vegas Outlet Center, Tuesday reported a profit of $25 million or 55 cents per share for the third quarter, compared to $24.2 million, or 61 cents in the year-ago quarter when fewer shares were outstanding.

Voters in Indiana county OK casino plan: FRENCH LICK, Ind. -- Proponents of a casino for economically depressed Orange County won a swift victory Tuesday, passing a referendum after a decade-long campaign to win gambling rights.

Centennial passes tests against Bonanza: Adam Candee; Jeff Noa could not believe the two challenges Centennial made for itself in Tuesday's Sunset Region quarterfinals at Coronado High School. Thanks to Courtney Ballif, the Bulldogs passed both of them with ease.

Manning sponsors unfazed by suit: The defamation lawsuit against Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning will not affect his relationship with at least one of the companies that uses him as a pitchman.