Print edition for October 22, 2003

Mammograms, health classes are offered: Dillard's Boulevard Mall and Elizabeth Arden cosmetics and fragrance are partnering with the society by providing a free Bag of Beauty and Fragrance to women who receive a mammogram. To receive the complimentary gift, women must provide the American Cancer Society with a receipt from the mammography facility. Once their receipt is received, they may stop by the Elizabeth Arden cosmetics counter at Dillards' Boulevard Mall through Nov. 28 to pickup their gift.

Funny Car points race brings drama to LVMS: Two of the four NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series championships already have been decided, but this weekend's ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway certainly won't lack for drama.

Metro Review Board open house set: The open house celebration marks a milestone for the Review Board in establishing itself as an independent oversight board responsible for reviewing Metro Police Department investigations and complaints of misconduct filed against Metro police and corrections officers.

Governments nervous over projects on Indian land: CARSON CITY -- An American Indian official in Northern Nevada says he's surprised at the controversy surrounding the lease of land by the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony to a new Mercedes-Benz car dealership coming into the south part of Reno.

Dedicated bicycle lanes to remain: Dozens of Henderson residents living along Warm Springs Road clapped and cheered as the Henderson City Council agreed to keep four traffic lanes and dedicated bike lanes intact on a busy stretch of the street in their neighborhood.

Regent calls for Harter to disclose PurchasePro dealings: Jennifer Knight; Regent Mark Alden is calling for University of Nevada, Las Vegas, President Carol Harter to provide the board of regents with a full explanation of her involvement with PurchasePro.com, a company accused of securities violations, corporate waste and breach of fiduciary duty.

PETA files complaint against USDA over Siegfried & Roy: Jen Lawson and Jean Reid Norman; An animal rights group has filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleging that animal inspectors accepted thousands of dollars worth of Siegfried & Roy tickets in exchange for letting the performers violate the Animal Welfare Act.

Red Flag session for U.S. only: Jace Radke; While Air Force pilots are engaged in mock combat over the 2.9-million-acre Nevada Test and Training Range, a specialized operations group will be testing its skills in coordinating an air war over the next 10 days at Nellis Air Force Base.

Renna dies in crash at Indy: Indy Racing League driver Tony Renna, a former Las Vegas resident, was killed this morning after he crashed during a test session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, according to multiple sources in Indianapolis. He was 26.

Sports briefs for October 22, 2003: An athletic 6-foot-10 center, Barro splashed onto the national scene two summers ago with his performance at the Nike Camp in Princeton, N.J.

Panelists discuss future in cell phone technology: In the not-too-distant future, you'll be able to walk up to a vending machine, whip out your cellular telephone, dial a number, punch in an access code and receive a soft drink, charged to your monthly wireless tab.

Enron execs press Nevada case: Kevin Rademacher; Executives from Enron Corp. continue to make their case for settlement talks in an increasingly heated contract dispute with Sierra Pacific Resources and its subsidiary utilities Nevada Power Co. and Sierra Pacific Power Co.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Rocket Man particular about his fuel: At his announcement Tuesday about his upcoming series of concerts at the Diva Dome (aka The Colosseum at Caesars Palace), Sir Elton had four beverages placed on the table in front of him: one bottle of Evian, one Perrier and two cans of what appeared to be Diet Coke -- crudely wrapped in black duct tape.

Different shooter blamed in death of 9-year-old: Erica D. Johnson; Testimony from several witnesses on Tuesday helped defense attorneys lay a foundation for their argument that Pascual Lozano did not fire the gunshots that killed a 9-year-old North Las Vegas girl.

Yu's 73 helps Gorman cruise to state title: Adam Candee; Justina Yu seemed unsure of herself as she made her way to the front of the crowd Tuesday to accept the medal as individual state champion, slinking along with a smile on her ducked head.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Hockey is back in town after 4-year hiatus: The box score will show that Marc Magliarditi, Greg Day and Chris Kenady were the first, second and third stars of the first home game in Las Vegas Wranglers hockey history Tuesday night.

County suggests two legislator/employees be fired: Sito Negron; Two Clark County employees who collected sick pay for days when they were also collecting salaries as state legislators should be fired, county management has recommended.

News briefs for Oct. 22, 2003: Clark County sold off some of the land it manages near the airport Tuesday.

Cougars 'D' provides test for the Rebels: One of the more intriguing matchups in UNLV's football game against Brigham Young on Saturday afternoon at Sam Boyd Stadium will take place in the trenches.

Boyd Gaming profit declines: By Liz Benston; Early returns from Boyd Gaming Corp.'s Borgata resort in Atlantic City weren't enough to save the company from a 32 percent decline in profit during the third quarter as higher taxes and expenses clipped returns in several states.

AMR generates a small profit: AMR Corp. said it earned about $1 million in the July-September period -- break-even on a per-share basis -- on revenue of $4.60 billion. AMR lost $924 million in last year's third quarter.

Red Flag's forces defending friendly nation from aggressor: Ed Koch and Jace Radke; Facing imminent attack from the aggressive and highly militarized nation of Tulare, the tiny United States ally Colusa has asked the United Nations for military coalition force assistance.

Merck reports sluggish results: Merck reports sluggish results

Nevadans receive Points of Light Awards: Awards were named by the Nevada Commission for National & Community Service, Inc. at a dinner last week attended by more than 250 business and community leaders statewide in Reno.

UNLV archivists entrusted with Harrah's documents: By Liz Benston; Deep in the special collections department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas lies a photo showing the seedy gambling halls and bingo parlors that lined the streets of downtown Reno, then the state's gambling capital, in the 1930s.

Mack to face state ethics panel: CARSON CITY -- Las Vegas City Councilman Michael Mack has been ordered to go before the state Ethics Commission on Nov. 13 to respond to allegations that he failed to fully disclose his business ties to two of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman's sons when he abstained from voting on a billboard issue.

Auction House: Las Vegan buys Spanish Trail home for $1.3 million: By Timothy Pratt; Moments after dozens of men and women imagined their house filled with the sounds of the ivory keys of a player piano, or debated whether a $1.2 million house with a golf course view across the street was worth more than one in which they were standing, the shouting was over.

Hospital owner hurt by unpaid bills: Hospital owner hurt by unpaid bills

Couple found shot to death: Tuesday afternoon, the man's co-workers filed a missing persons report because he had failed to show up for work Monday and Tuesday. When police went to the home they found the man and the woman dead in one of the bedrooms.

Columnist Jeff German: Confidence in air travel needs fixing: But Heatwole, though he deserves to be punished, managed to point out that we still have gaps in airline security more than two years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Game on: Nick Christensen; When the Las Vegas Wranglers closed out the second period Tuesday night, they had a 3-0 lead against the Bakersfield Condors. But that wasn't their biggest accomplishment.

Record October heat hits Las Vegas Valley: The old Las Vegas record of 91 degrees for Oct. 21 was set in 1940.

Girl, 13, dies after being struck by car: Emily Richmond and Mary Manning; A 13-year-old girl, Adriana Lauzon, who was struck by a car along with a friend in Southern Highlands last week, died Tuesday at University Medical Center.

Views vary on hotel tower: Dan Kulin; After looking at pictures and drawings of the proposed Red Rock Station casino Tuesday night, Susan Braun said she could easily imagine looking out her back door and "seeing this monstrosity."

Harrah's revenue up, profit down 1.5 percent: By Liz Benston; Higher casino taxes and stiffer competition from Indian and non-Indian casinos cut third quarter profit at Harrah's Entertainment Inc., though strong returns at the company's Las Vegas casinos proved a bright spot for the company.

Metro robbery detective accused of lying: Jen Lawson; A Metro Police robbery detective better known as the department's former media spokesman is facing termination for allegedly lying about an off-duty shooting, authorities said.

McCarran exercise simulates disaster: Jace Radke; Smoke rising from McCarran International Airport and emergency vehicles rushing onto the runway this morning were part of a simulated airline disaster designed to test airport and local responders.

Official: Williams' actions justify firing: Sito Negron; Las Vegas officials should consider firing Wendell Williams and his City Hall supervisor for their mishandling of his leave and sick time, the deputy city manager has concluded.

Community briefs for Oct. 22, 2003: Treasure Island will celebrate its 10th year anniversary Saturday with a breakfast and roundtable discussion to look at how Las Vegas has changed over the past 10 years.

Lottery, poverty link highlighted in slot debate: Gambling opponents and some researchers say these are also the people more likely to play slots, should Maryland legalize machines, raising questions of whether state-run slots would exploit the disadvantaged.

Fountains to flow at resorts, dry up elsewhere: Fountains at business parks and condominiums are banned, but the same features are allowed at resorts in a new water policy passed Tuesday by the Clark County Commission.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Sinatra Meritage a fine wine: "Our goal was to create a limited quantity of the best possible wine in honor of Sinatra," Kahn said. The Sinatra family has not only given the project its blessing, it has given it access to the Sinatra archives, allowing the winery to use photos and paintings by the talented entertainer/artist.

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

Editorial: How did this happen?: Nathaniel Travis Heatwole admits he left the materials on the plane as an "act of civil disobedience." His actions came to light when an airline repairman discovered one of his surprises and security officials responded by reviewing their e-mail database. They found that on Sept. 15, Heatwole had informed them of his actions and had included his name and phone number. So we have a situation where the TSA missed not only the potentially dangerous materials, but also an e-mail that surely should have raised a red flag.

Two groups call for Perkins to quit police: Members of a group called Nevadans for a Sound Government and the Independent American Party urged Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins to resign from the Henderson Police Department or pay legal fees over an opinion challenging his next campaign.

One Knight Stand: Sir Elton John announces three-year commitment to Colosseum: By Jerry Fink; John and Caesars Palace President Mark Juliano announced a three-year, 75-performance agreement Tuesday that will put the singer of such hits as "Rocket Man" and "Crocodile Rock" at the center of The Colosseum's severely raked stage when Dion is not performing.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Tracy on verge of title: Paul Tracy has been racing in the CART Champ Car World Series long enough -- 13 seasons -- to know how important it would be to clinch the series championship this weekend in Australia.

Planners consider annexing 7,700 acres: Sito Negron; Las Vegas will take the first steps toward adding about 7,700 acres or about 12 square miles in the northwest when the Planning Commission considers the proposed annexation Thursday.

Different shooter claimed in death of 9-year-old: Erica D. Johnson; Testimony from several witnesses on Tuesday helped defense attorneys lay a foundation for their argument that Pascual Lozano did not fire the gunshots that killed a 9-year-old North Las Vegas girl.

Letter: Republicans are fixing problems left by Democrats: Gov. Gray Davis took California from a surplus of more than $10 billion to a deficit of more than $38 billion in one term and 11 months. The negative swing of $48 billion, and then the lies told by Davis to California voters before his re-election regarding the depth of the fiscal problems, represent behavior that is the same or worse than Enron's.

Editorial: A dose of reality for Yucca plan: Yet the federal government's fast-moving plans for Yucca Mountain are constantly being labeled as error-prone. The latest doubt is being cast by a letter now circulating in Washington. The letter, not yet in its final form, was written by members of the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, a scientific panel appointed by Congress to advise the Energy Department.

Report: Ensign-led bill could 'jump-start' economy: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Efforts to stimulate the U.S. economy by bringing foreign assets of American companies back home could generate $400 billion and more than 650,000 jobs, a new report shows.

Ralph Siraco's Santa Anita selections: 2nd Race -- PLACE TO HIDE -- On outside for sprint maiden/claimer, Fogelsonger on Baffert trainee for owner Pegram, Hide the diploma? LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE -- Baze aboard Machowsky trainee for owner Golden Eagle Farm, draws well for graduation try, hopes to Light Up backers Life. Value Play -- LORENA MARIA

Letter: New residents getting free ride: Apparently, these 6,000 to 8,000 "new residents" who move to Clark County every month don't have to pay property taxes, utility taxes, gas taxes, sales taxes, taxes on taxes, and numerous government fees that us longtime residents must pay.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Sun shines on charity's maiden fund-raiser: Elizabeth Foyt; "Art and Innocence Celebration," held at the Guggenheim Hermitage inside The Venetian on Saturday, featured Robin Leach in rare form as auctioneer, driving up the bidding at every opportunity and having fun with audience members and sponsors alike during Project Sunshine's gala evening.

Two new casinos likely to be approved: The Gulfport-based Delta Blues Casino LLC plans to build on the former Chicago Mill property on Lake Ferguson. Plans call for a casino, hotel, blues museum, water park and a meeting facility.

Obituaries for Oct. 22, 2003: Thomas J. Arstein, 72, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in Las Vegas. He was born July 28, 1931, in North Dakota. A resident for 12 years, he was a retired teacher, a member of the Elks, Los Padres Golfers, Sons of Norway and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

County workers may be fired: Sito Negron; Two employees who collected sick pay from Clark County for days when they were are also collecting salaries as state legislators should be fired, county management has recommended.

More record heat across Nevada: AP; "It's possible we might break a record for the warmest October," National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Fuis said in Las Vegas.

County opposes Indian casino: Sonoma County's Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 against the construction of the casino, which was approved by Rohnert Park city council members last week. The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, made up of about 600 Miwoks and Pomos, plan to build a hotel-casino.

Columnist Peter Benton: Member/guest tradition continues at LVCC: Peter Benton; The capacity field of 160 contestants in last week's Las Vegas Country Club's 33rd annual Men's Member/Guest Tournament were treated to absolute idyllic weather conditions and a course that was in truly pristine shape. (This event is not only the oldest member/guest tournament in town but it is without doubt the most popular.)