Print edition for September 22, 2003

Springing to life: Work continues on historic site: Sito Negron; Just out of sight of the many motorists speeding along U.S. 95 at Valley View Boulevard, a $166 million effort is under way to reclaim the ancient birthplace of Las Vegas so that it can serve to educate and entertain generations to come.

Harmon to be sentenced in mortgage company fraud: Jace Radke; Former Assemblyman Harley L. Harmon was scheduled to be sentenced today after being found guilty of 34 counts of mail fraud in a scheme that cost investors more hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Police settle with brain-damaged woman: Jen Lawson; A Metro Police panel agreed this morning to pay $110,000 to a Las Vegas woman who suffered permanent brain damage after being hit by a police car as the officer drove through a stop sign on his way to a burglary call three years ago.

Bail cut in half for alleged gang member: Erica D. Johnson; A district judge cut bail in half this morning for one of the alleged 311 Boyz on additional battery charges stemming from an attack in northwest Las Vegas in which two men were struck with a crowbar.

Business filings strong: Secretary of State Dean Heller said business filings rose by 12 percent in June, 14 percent in July and 13 percent in August compared to the same time of a year ago. A spokesman said some of the firms may have been trying to beat the increase in filing fees that become effective in November. Heller said 35,823 new businesses filed organizational documents this year as of Aug. 31, bringing the total to 216,337 on file as of Aug. 31. That comparies with 198,209 at the same time in 2003.

News briefs for Sept. 22, 2003: The fire that destroyed five businesses and caused more than $1 million in damage started in the attic of a popular restaurant, fire investigators announced. The cause of the fire is still is under investigation.

Gaming regulator, teacher Bybee dies at 65: By Liz Benston; Shannon Bybee was only 32 years old when he was appointed by then-Governor Mike O'Callaghan to serve on the state Gaming Control Board in 1971, one of the youngest members ever appointed to the powerful regulatory post.

Gaming briefs for Sept. 22, 2003: WATERLOO, Iowa -- A group opposed to gambling wants to stop an Oct. 7 vote on whether a riverboat casino should be located in Black Hawk County.

Indictments 'imminent' for LV targets: Jeff German and Jace Radke; Federal prosecutors have told the Las Vegas targets of the political corruption investigation linked to strip clubs that they only have days left to make deals because more indictments will be handed down as early as this week.

Audit shows schools owed money for water lines: By Emily Richmond; The Clark County School District is owed $187,580 from the Las Vegas Valley Water District, a reimbursement that's gone unclaimed for two years, according to a new audit of the district's $3.5 billion capital improvement plan.

Bodies being recovered from canyon: By Timothy Pratt; Authorities today were to begin removing bodies from the wreckage of a Las Vegas-based helicopter that crashed near the Grand Canyon on Saturday, the Mohave County sheriff's office said.

Unser Jr. to make permanent residence in Henderson: FONTANA, Calif. -- In a continuing effort to separate himself from his troubled past -- which led him last year to seek treatment for alcohol dependency -- two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. has decided to live in Henderson on a full-time basis.

Hornish tightens points chase with win: FONTANA, Calif. -- With its side-by-side racing and extremely close finishes, the Indy Racing League has distinguished itself from other open-wheel racing series.

Park Place, Trump join bidding for Ind. license: Shannon Dininny; INDIANAPOLIS -- Five companies submitted applications by Friday to operate a proposed casino in Orange County, including Park Place Entertainment Corp. of Las Vegas, an investor group involving Indiana Pacers President Larry Bird and a group led by casino magnate Donald Trump.

Meeting planned on proposed auction of land: The Charleston Neighborhood Preservation Association is holding an informational meeting on the plans 7 p.m. Wednesday at Garside Junior High School, 300 Torrey Pines Drive.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Red-hot Rebels catch break: Dean Juipe; One fire is out, but another still burns.

Casino officials arraigned in alleged bribery scheme: Michael Mello; PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Top officials connected to the Lincoln Park gambling center pleaded innocent Friday to federal charges they concocted a $4.5 million bribery scheme to win political support for expansion plans.

Rebels win, but lack respect in national polls: Steve Guiremand; If UNLV coach John Robinson needs anything to keep his team focused during this week's bye workouts, all he has to do is show them this week's Top 25 polls.

Big MAC attack produces three more upsets: The next time Toledo coach Tom Amstutz drives through the Fort Pitt Tunnel on a recruiting trip to Pittsburgh, don't be surprised if he stops to scrawl his initials along with an inscription that "The Rockets Were Here."

Birth announcements for Sept. 22, 2003: Aug. 7:

Federal, local officials to share water information: Federal, state and local officials will gather in Henderson next week to look at a shrinking local resource.

Sin (City) is In: 'Las Vegas' joins growing list of Strip-centric TV shows: Kirk Baird; Well, sort of.

Community briefs for Sept. 22, 2003: Opportunity Village will hold the 11th annual Miss Kitty's Jeans to Jewels at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Bitter Root Ranch, 6828 Rio Vista St.

Editorial: Area needs a center for performing arts: The Las Vegas Performing Arts Center Foundation is working hard to make that happen. Its chairman, Donald Snyder, is a former banking executive and is now president of Boyd Gaming. He leads a group of business and community leaders who are committed to the concept of building a center in downtown Las Vegas using a mix of private and public funds.

Editorial: Loophole still hasn't been closed: Failure to screen air cargo increases the risk that a commercial airliner will be the target of another attack. The price tag to implement the screening of air cargo admittedly won't be cheap -- it's estimated each screening machine would cost about $10 million -- but it's essential that it be done. Otherwise, U.S. travelers could be exposed to what happened in 1988 over Lockerbie, Scotland, when 170 people lost their lives after Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed by a bomb that had been loaded into its cargo hold.

Pressure on QB Chang helped Rebels' secondary: Editor's note: The key matchup of each UNLV football game will be previewed in the Las Vegas Sun this season and followed up with after the game by an examination of how it turned out.

Gaming regulator, teacher Bybee dies: By Liz Benston; Shannon Bybee was only 32 years old when he was appointed by then-Gov. Mike O'Callaghan to serve on the state Gaming Control Board in 1971, one of the youngest members ever appointed to the powerful regulatory post.

Letter: Recall is latest GOP effort to steal elections: Republicans got away with contaminating the 2000 presidential election and now believe that their latest ploy to remove any Democrat or other elected official from office is too clever for Americans to realize what is happening to our constitutional voting processes.

Division games get off to early start this week: Adam Candee; Sun prep rankings

Letter: Parties work for special interests: The Republicans pander to the insurance companies, which are at least 50 percent responsible for the problem. They invested heavily in the stock market and lost money, as most Americans did. They are recouping their losses by unfairly overcharging for medical malpractice insurance. In a free market system their shareholders should pay for the poor executive decisions in the stock market.

Housing bias complaints rise: By Timothy Pratt; Nevada, one of the few states in the nation with no agency to handle housing discrimination complaints, has seen the number of complaints rise dramatically in the past three years.

Critic says Nevada Power bills would soar under plan: Kevin Rademacher; Nevada Power Co. customers could see rates increase 82.5 percent if the utility is allowed to move ahead with the construction of two power plants, Nevada Consumer Advocate Tim Hay said on Friday.

State's effort to fine insurance company stalls: CARSON CITY -- A hearing by Nevada's insurance division over whether to fine an insurance company $24 million for touching off the medical malpractice crisis in Clark County is expected to be delayed at least until November.

Event to showcase companies: The event is 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ocean Spray Cranberry World, 1301 American Pacific Drive.

LV has long relationship with the small screen: Kirk Baird; Hollywood and Las Vegas. A perfect marriage.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Blue stone of Nevada keeps shining: Turquoise has been mined for at least 70 years in central Nevada -- so much that the state once was considered the nation's capital for production of the typically pale blue stone.

Stripes white hot in full-bodied performance: Spencer Patterson; How else could two musicians produce such a glorious ruckus?

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for Sept. 22, 2003: Lisa Ferguson; With California's recall election on hold, there's no telling exactly when or if, for that matter the Golden State will be making way for a new governor.

Judge clears way for Acres vote: By Liz Benston; A Clark County District Court judge has denied a motion by a disgruntled shareholder for a temporary restraining order to stop slot maker International Game Technology from buying a Las Vegas software company.

Inquest rules officers justified in fatal shooting: Erica D. Johnson; Police were justified in killing a former Metro Police officer who had kidnapped a Henderson doctor in an attempt to obtain prescription narcotics, a coroner's inquest determined on Friday.

Educators try to reach Hispanic students: By Timothy Pratt; At the end of Lunt Elementary School's first open house for parents in Las Vegas earlier this month, the mothers and fathers of the school's 650 students went home with more than an idea of what their children would be learning this year.

New hospital gearing up for Oct. 1 opening: Michelle Swafford; Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center is opening in 10 days in the southwest Las Vegas Valley and the public is participating in events before the opening.

LV may get fed funding for pedestrian overpasses: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Las Vegas would get $300,000 in federal funding for new pedestrian overpasses downtown if the current version of the national transportation spending bill is approved.

Obituaries for Sept. 22, 2003: Mary Ann Bruun, 75, of Las Vegas died Friday in a local hospice. She was born May 12, 1928, in Columbus Grove, Ohio. A resident for 12 years, she was a secretary.

Vegas firm hit with federal discrimination complaint: Alana Roberts; The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit accusing Campbell Concrete of Nevada Inc. of illegally discriminating against a worker and then retaliating when she complained.

Correction: Correction

Regulators probe iGames' ties with slot cheat: By Liz Benston; Nevada regulators are requiring a Las Vegas gambling device company and its chief executive to submit to a background licensing investigation over concerns about a business arrangement with a convicted slot cheat.

Sears sells tire and battery unit: Sears sells tire and battery unit

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Have a cow!: 'Zumanity' acts up: But the city is the site of a new $50 million theater for a show where one of the top acts features a man dressed as a 17th-century Puritan simulating intercourse with a cow. Loudly.

NLV hospital exec leaves: Jeff Comer transferred to Whittier Hospital Medical Center in Whittier, Calif., near Los Angeles. The active administrator for Lake Mead Hospital is interim chief operations officer Bob Caldwell. It has not been determined whether Caldwell will become permanent in either role.