Print edition for April 20, 2004

Immunization schedule for April 20, 2004: NORTH LAS VEGAS PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER: 1820 E. Lake Mead Blvd., Suite F, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Obituaries for April 20, 2004: Robert Lee Bowyer Jr., 46, of Henderson died Wednesday in Henderson. He was born Sept. 19, 1957, in Jacksonville, Fla. A resident for 24 years, he was a supervisor.

Man caught in chat room sting charged with attempted child sex: Heather Rawlyk; A 27-year-old Las Vegas man was arrested Friday for allegedly trying to set up a sexual encounter with whom he thought was a 14-year-old boy he had met in an Internet chat room.

State cracks down on fake identifications: CARSON CITY -- More than 50 people have been arrested by investigators with the state Department of Motor Vehicles since a 2003 law made identification fraud a felony.

Iowa lawmakers OK expansion bill: Amy Lorentzen; DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Senate gave final approval Monday to a gambling bill that has been a central issue of the legislative session.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Taking a spin with a mighty wind: It's wind. Spring wind. Wind that tosses lawn furniture into the swimming pool and wraps plastic grocery bags from God knows where around shrubbery along Interstate 15 as if it's part of the landscaping plan.

CEO resigns: US Airways is seeking more concessions from its pilots in contract talks and has asked other workers to prepare for cuts. The company, which posted losses of $188 million in the past two quarters, faces new competition from Southwest Airlines Co. at its hub airport in Philadelphia starting next month.

Community briefs for April 20, 2004: Seniors are invited to join Las Vegas Councilman Gary Reese, the Senior Citizens Law Project and the Nevada Center for Ethics and Health Policy for the second annual Southern Nevada Health Care Planning Day event from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the East Las Vegas Community Senior Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave.

Oprah lauded at NAB for lifetime achievement: Kirk Baird; She's also found tremendous success in television, from her early anchoring days in the 1970s to her expanding broadcast empire that includes her own No. 1-rated syndicated talk show, "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Playing the Mods: Mid-century modernism reflected in LV homes: Kirk Baird; "Everything had an optimistic feel to it and that's so attractive," said Mary-Margaret Stratton. "The clothing, the music, the furniture, the objects, the kitchenware they all express that optimism to me."

Bacharach maintains his composure amid claptrap: Composer/pianist Burt Bacharach should name his concerts "Applause."

Clark criticizes policies in Iraq: Kirsten Searer; Former presidential hopeful Wesley Clark visited Las Vegas on Monday to give his thoughts on ongoing struggles in the world, especially in Iraq.

Cummings' tenure threatened: University system attorneys have taken the first steps to revoke tenure from former lobbyist John Cummings, which could ultimately lead to his firing from the Community College of Southern Nevada.

Bilbray plans run for regent: Former Rep. Jim Bilbray said Monday he is considering a run for the university regent seat held by Tom Kirkpatrick.

Editorial: Right man for the job: The next chancellor, then, will have to be an exceptionally strong individual who also has the kind of vision to put the state's university system back on track. Last week the Board of Regents started to gear up for a national search to replace Nichols, but we don't think that's necessary. An individual who has indicated he's willing to take the job, business leader and philanthropist James Rogers, would be the ideal selection as chancellor. Many Las Vegans know Rogers as the owner of KVBC-TV, the local NBC television affiliate, which is part of a group of 16 stations that ...

Empty shoes tell the grim story of DUI dangers: Heather Rawlyk; The steps leading to the Clark County Courthouse told the story Monday with a single glance: 188 pairs of shoes were grouped side-by-side, symbolizing the number of Nevadans killed in drunken and drugged driving crashes in 2003.

Letter: Self-checkout takes away jobs at grocery stores: When I go to a store, whether it be a grocery store, department store or hardware store, I want customer service from a human being. That person behind the cash register earns money, pays taxes that support the community and buys at other stores that also employ people who work and support the community.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Stadium squabble could put Chargers on the move: Dean Juipe; Notes today, leading off with this not-so-random thought: The heck with the Montreal Expos, Las Vegas might soon be in position to go after the San Diego Chargers.

America West reports profit: America West Holdings Corp., parent of the eighth-largest U.S. airline, had a first-quarter profit as it cut costs and travel increased. America West said it expects to be profitable for the full year.

Blowtorch sparks fire at apartment complex: Stephen Curran; A plumber using a blowtorch inadvertently caused a fire Monday afternoon that heavily damaged an apartment complex, fire investigators say.

News briefs for April 20, 2004: A man in his 30s was struck and killed as he walked along the Las Vegas Beltway near Flamingo Road Monday night.

Satellite radio under attack at LV NAB convention: Kevin Rademacher; The National Association of Broadcasters convention is shaping up to be the site for an escalation of a feud between traditional over-the-air radio broadcasters and subscription satellite radio providers.

Valley home prices going through roof: Home prices continued to rise at unprecedented rates, and the number of resales and permits for new housing hit record levels in Southern Nevada in March.

Letter: U.S. loses respect under Bush: Dr. Rice placed the blame on the Clinton administration, when it was clearly the Bush administration that had failed miserably.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Kyle Busch not looking forward to Talladega race: Kyle Busch had a good run in his first restrictor-plate race this season until he was forced to drop out with an overheating problem in the NASCAR Busch Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Starwood, Kerzner hike Wembley bid: Toby Anderson; Starwood Capital Group LLC and casino operator Kerzner International Ltd. today raised their joint offer for Wembley Plc to 309 million pounds ($555 million), topping an MGM MIRAGE bid, as U.K. government plans to relax gambling laws prompt competition for venues.

Moody's ranks Vegas market low: The company's Red-Yellow-Green quarterly survey of U.S. commercial real estate lists the top 100 markets in the company. Las Vegas ranked 99th, ahead of Hartford, Conn.

Impeachment plank stirs debate: Kirsten Searer; Nevada's new Democratic Party platform that calls for the impeachment of President Bush drew some national attention on Monday when conservative commentator Tucker Carlson called the platform plank "completely insane" on the CNN show "Crossfire."

Wells Fargo first-quarter profit up 18%: Michael Nol; Wells Fargo & Co., the fifth-biggest U.S. bank, said first-quarter profit rose 18 percent as the company opened more accounts and made more loans to consumers.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Second race at LVMS isn't a grandstand play: Anybody who thinks a second NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway would be an automatic slam dunk at the box office -- in other words, everybody but me, as I believe its chance to equal the first race would be more like a Shaquille O'Neal's free throw -- should consider what's happening down I-15.

NFL draft at a glance: 2002 -- DE Anton Palepoi (Seattle, 2nd round), FS Sam Brandon (Denver, 4th), CB Kevin Thomas (Buffalo, 6th), DL Ahmad Miller (Houston, 7th).

Riviera results up: Compared to the first quarter of 2003, net revenue of $50.5 was up 6.3 percent, income from operations was up 57 percent to $7.4 million and cash flow of $10.7 million was up $1.8 million.

Ridge gives $37 million to Nevada: Jace Radke; Calling Las Vegas a strategically important and symbolic city, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Monday announced the expansion of an Internet-based communication system that will link local governments and agencies to federal information.

Senators overwhelmingly favor indecency crackdown: Neil Roland; The Senate next month will "overwhelmingly" pass a bill to toughen penalties against television and radio broadcasters that air indecent content, a senior Senate Republican said Monday in Las Vegas.

Enforcement order sought on Lincoln County waste site: CARSON CITY -- The state attorney general's office has filed a motion in District Court in Lincoln County claiming Western Elite Inc. is violating a consent decree that limits the corporation's acceptance of waste at a site in Lincoln County near the Clark County border.

Rodman pleads no contest: Former NBA star Dennis Rodman entered a no-contest plea Monday to one misdemeanor charge of drunken driving in connection with an October motorcycle crash outside a local strip club.

Sprint results rise; sales increase 5.8%: Dana Cimilluca; Sprint Corp., the No. 3 U.S. long-distance phone company, said first-quarter profit from continuing operations more than doubled as sales increased 5.8 percent, driven by PCS wireless revenue.

More funds urged for Lake Mead: Lake Mead National Recreation Area was already being shortchanged by the federal government before the dropping water level made it even more expensive to maintain, some at the first Lake Mead Summit said Monday.

Patriots get Corey Dillon from Bengals: Tebucky Jones for Corey Dillon.

GOP voter registration edge trimmed: CARSON CITY -- For the second straight month, Democrats have narrowed the lead of Republicans in voter registration in Nevada.

Columnist Jeff German: Judges, court workers look for justice: It has more to do with money and power than legal issues.

Editorial: Let the voters decide: All in all, the platform was what you would expect to emerge from a Democratic convention. There was one glaring exception, however -- a plank calling for the impeachment of President Bush. Such talk is ridiculous. Just as we opposed the impeachment of President Clinton, and the divisiveness and distraction it caused, we oppose any thought of impeaching President Bush. Impeachment is a grave matter for the House of Representatives to initiate after charges have been made and facts have been carefully weighed. It's not something that should gain its momentum from partisan politics. The presidential election is less than ...

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Adult star Jameson has X-citing news: The billion-dollar-per-year adult film industry went on a voluntary 60-day hiatus after last week's announcement that stars Darren James and Lara Roxx had tested positive for HIV.

3 years after crash, trooper still recovering: Jen Lawson; Former Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Bobby Kintzel recently returned to the stretch of U.S. 95 where three years ago he had been hit by a sport utility vehicle driven by a fleeing killer going more than 95 mph.

Big commercial development planned: EJM Development of Los Angeles plans to build a 4.5 million-square-foot project over the next 10 years on the property, said Kirk Boylston, head of EJM's Las Vegas operations.

Sports briefs for April 20, 2004: Hoping to revive its basketball program, Georgetown University hired John Thompson III, the son of the only coach to lead the Hoyas to a national title.

TV mogul is willing to serve as chancellor: By Steve Kanigher; Television station owner Jim Rogers, one of Nevada's biggest donors to higher education, has told several state Board of Regents members that he would be interested in serving as the next chancellor of the University and Community College System of Nevada.

Radioactive waste mounts at Test Site: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- While the fight to keep high-level nuclear waste out of Nevada continues, two massive pits of low-level radioactive waste are already piling up at the Nevada Test Site, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Earnings briefs for April 20, 2004: General Motors Corp. earned $1.3 billion in the first quarter, beating Wall Street estimates even though the results were down 13 percent from a year ago when the world's largest automaker had a big gain from the sale of its defense business. Its shares surged.

Judge drops Kmart suit over local taxes: TROY, Mich. -- A federal judge in Chicago has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Kmart that claimed hundreds of towns, cities and counties nationwide overcharged the discount retailer millions of dollars in property taxes.

Nine plead not guilty in River Run shootout: Christina Littlefield and Jace Radke; Two days before motorcyclists were to converge in Laughlin for the annual River Run, nine alleged motorcycle gang members entered not guilty pleas Monday on 73 counts, including murder, in connection with a shootout at the 2002 gathering that left three people dead.

Croom's day: Steve Guiremand; Larry Croom has his weekend plans all mapped out.

Plans to guard shipments questioned: CARSON CITY -- A federal official expressed doubt Monday that the Energy Department has developed plans to guard against terrorist attacks on trains or trucks loaded with nuclear waste bound for Yucca Mountain.

Business briefs for April 20, 2004: Janus Capital Group Inc. said Chief Executive Mark Whiston is stepping down as the U.S. mutual fund company struggles to settle allegations that it permitted improper trading that hurt investors.

Gaming briefs for April 20, 2004: BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Caesars Entertainment Inc. of Las Vegas is renewing its push to build a casino near the Mall of America now that Minnesota lawmakers are lining up behind gambling bills.

Ely inmate stabbed to death: Carl Green, 37, was stabbed in the neck by another inmate in his housing unit about 1:30 p.m. and died at the William R. Riree Hospital in Ely while undergoing surgery a few hours later, officials said.

Station Casinos' cash flow, revenue increase: By Liz Benston; A $93 million charge to refinance debt depressed first-quarter earnings at Station Casinos Inc., but profit more than doubled without the charge on the strength of the company's locals casinos, officials said today.