Print edition for April 26, 2004

Nevadans join demonstrators: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Nevadan from across the state joined hundreds of thousands of people in Washington on Sunday in the "March for Women's Lives," a rally for reproductive rights.

Sports briefs for April 26, 2004: Jenna Cooper, 21, a standout on the University of Nebraska women's team, was fatally shot at a party early Sunday morning in Lincoln, Neb.

Faces keep changing as Vegas loses again: Nick Christensen; Terry Kennedy frequently says he's "fatalistic" about all the roster moves a Triple-A team faces over a season.

Merger creates No. 3 drug company: Laurence Frost; PARIS -- The board of Franco-German drug maker Aventis SA accepted a new offer from Sanofi-Synthelabo SA on Sunday in a deal that would merge France's two largest drug makers and create the world's third biggest pharmaceutical company, authorities said.

Letter: Can't spin Bush's terrible record: Gliddon stated that the economy is soaring, yet all economic indicators are pointing down from the date that Bush assumed office. How can any reasonable person think that the employment picture is bright, when in actuality unemployment has increased from a 40-year low of 3.9 percent under the Clinton administration to a current 5.7 percent, or a 40 percent increase under the Bush administration?

March new home sales rise to a record 1.3 million rate: Single-family home sales rose 8.9 percent from a revised 1.13 million annual pace in February, the Commerce Department said in Washington. New home sales reached an all-time high of 1.1 million in 2003.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Inner-city tennis program develops champion: While raising the possibility of professional tennis returning to town last week, I referred to Las Vegas as the "quintessential country club city," which, with apologies to Palm Springs and Thurston Howell III, it is.

Tragedy fails to deter Little Feat, Gov't Mule: Spencer Patterson; Sadly, Little Feat and Gov't Mule aren't linked only by their Southern rock attitudes and high-energy jams.

Montgomery Gentry keeps it loose at Sunset: Leah Robinson; The band played for 2,200 fans Saturday at Sunset Station's Outdoor Amphitheatre, a near sell-out. Frontmen Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry brought out all the hits, including the title track and probably future hit "You Do Your Thing," from the group's soon-to-be-released album.

Editorial: State role is needed: WestCare's program is badly needed -- at full capacity it serves more than 6,000 people a year. The reason it's badly needed is because the state over the years has sorely neglected its responsibility to adequately fund mental health services. Yet the state refuses to pitch in and help this program. The 2003 Legislature refused. Last November the Legislative Interim Finance Committee refused. And last week a state task force distributing $8 million from the Nevada's tobacco settlement refused a WestCare request for money.

Volunteer day set at Red Rock: Work projects include trail maintenance, removing unwanted fire rings and work at the campground.

Birth announcements for April 26, 2004: Tyler to Melissa and Jacob Johnson; Nathaniel to Keri Robinson and Christopher Rash; Jailyne to Beatriz Pineda and Oscar Avila.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Plans for quiet take flight: Take the test. Drive a whole day with the windows down. How hard is it to hear the radio or the voice of the person sitting in the passenger seat?

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for April 26, 2004: Lisa Ferguson; If you aren't a devotee of the age-old spring-cleaning ritual, you probably don't give a hoot that April has been designated Tackle Your Clutter Month (no doubt, by some annoyingly organized person with way too much time on his or her yellow rubber-gloved hands).

Letter: President wants to eliminate overtime pay: The Bush administration's objective is to enhance the profits of mega enterprises by eliminating overtime. A revised administration proposal raises the eligibility floor from $22,100 to $23,660 a year. The classification criteria for exemption from overtime remains and definitive rules are unclear. This is the "rules" redefinition, which would have eliminated overtime for approximately 8 million workers, including police, fire and EMTs. Last year the Senate and the House voted to prohibit overtime cuts. However, the White House strong-armed Congress to prevent the congressional action from becoming law.

Packing it in: 'Cool Stuff' exhibit a slapdash collection of odd artifacts: Kirk Baird; There is no theme.

Editorial: Don't hide coffins from public view: So how did the media get the photos if news organizations weren't allowed near Dover Air Force Base? Despite the Pentagon's ban on the media taking photos, the military had been taking pictures of coffins -- more than 350 of them -- for what it claimed were "historical" reasons. The operator of a Web site opposed to government secrecy had filed a Freedom of Information Act request for any pictures that the Defense Department might have taken of the coffins, and someone lower on the chain of command approved their release. Once top officials discovered that the photos had been ...

Letter: Hybrid cars help environment: I purchased a Toyota Prius 13 months ago -- just a month before purchasing a new home in Las Vegas. My wife and I made a number of trips between California and Las Vegas while our home was being built. We traveled more than 20,000 miles and averaged 42.5 miles a gallon. This includes both stop-and-go urban traffic and long-distance travel.

Gladiators snap losing streak: Adam Candee; What has gone wrong and what still ails them really did not matter Sunday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Regulators concerned about betting kiosks: CARSON CITY -- State gaming officials are concerned that rapid advances in technology could generate problems in regulating the Nevada casino industry.

LV plant gets rare equipment: LV plant gets rare equipment

Meeting addresses plans on tours over Lake Mead: The first step in the long journey to draft an air tour management plan for Lake Mead National Recreation Area begins Tuesday with a meeting to determine the scope of the plan.

UNLV's Furio tabbed by Eagles in 7th round: Steve Guiremand; Dominic Furio was busy walking through a supermarket in his hometown of San Pedro, Calif., on Sunday afternoon when he got a call from a reporter.

Obituaries for April 26, 2004: Gail Marie Cox, 45, of Las Vegas died Friday in a local hospital. She was born Nov. 28, 1958, in Chicago. A resident for 15 years, she was an administrative assistant in the gaming industry and volunteer at Desert Springs Hospital.

Court: Board, agent immune from suit: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court says the state Gaming Control Board and one of its agents are immune from a lawsuit in a case where a Las Vegas man was held for questioning about cheating the Resort at Summerlin in July 1999.

Suspect says criminal group threatened her: A woman charged with beating a man to death to steal a $44,000 gambling ticket told jurors Friday during the opening arguments of her trial that she purposely messed up in cleaning up the crime scene in an attempt to bring the man's killers to justice.

Flat-proof tire concept advances: The company said the performance of its flat-proof tire is the first credibility threshold the product must cross in efforts to begin commercial production. The test examines strength, endurance, high-speed performance and load rating.

District struggles to retain minority teachers: By Emily Richmond; Despite aggressive efforts the Clark County School District continues to struggle with hiring -- and keeping -- minority teachers, educators said.

Minority panel eyeing range of topics: CARSON CITY -- The newly created Nevada Commission on Minority Affairs was to hold its first meeting today.

Mother who left twins in car released from jail: Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron released Kathy Lizanne Lawson, 28, after setting a preliminary hearing for June 25. Bennett-Haron also referred the case to Clark County Child Protective Services.

School police seize weapons from student's bedroom: By Emily Richmond; Clark County School District Police seized a record-sized cache of weapons -- including handguns, knives, axes and throwing stars -- from the home of a Desert Pines High School student Thursday, police said.

New safety rules set for firefighting planes: In the wake of three fatal firefighting aircraft accidents blamed on cracked wings, including a 2002 crash of a Nevada-based air tanker, a federal safety board issued new maintenance programs on Friday.

Record poker payout awarded: Dekenijff's pair of 10s beat the Ace-high hand held by Downey, Calif., player Hasan Habib in the $8.34 million prize-pool, no-limit Texas hold'em event.

Studying in the desert: The Bureau of Land Management and other groups will consider the planning of Oliver Ranch and take community input at the following meetings:

Democrats have big fund-raisers: Julie Whitacre, campaign aide for Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, said between $350,000 and $400,000 in checks were collected Thursday during a fund-raiser attended by about 150 at Cili at the Bali Hai Golf Course.

Fallen Marine had family in Vegas: Gibson was one of five Marines ambushed by insurgents while escorting a convoy near the Syrian border in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.

Gaming briefs for April 26, 2004: DiMassimo Brand Adverting competed with more than 40 other advertising agencies for the account, Phil Shalala, vice president of marketing at the Hard Rock, said.

Profit improves for Icahn's Vegas casinos: Icahn's American Casino & Entertainment Properties LLC (ACEP), a subsidiary of his American Real Estate Partners (AREP), announced the results for the Stratosphere and the two Arizona Charlie's hotel-casinos.

News briefs for April 26, 2004: A 32-year-old man died Saturday after being stabbed at a Las Vegas apartment complex. Residents of the complex, who described the man as friendly, followed a suspect until Metro Police arrived and arrested him.

Expert raps law on child access to guns: Nevada is one of 18 states that has a law to punish gun owners when children find their unsecured weapons and use them to either threaten or shoot someone.

Reverse stock split planned: The stock split will ensure the company's position on the Nasdaq Small Cap stock market. In a March SEC filing, the company said it had fallen out of compliance for listing on the National Market.

Pharmacy giant Medco settles probe with states: The nation's largest pharmacy benefits manager said today it has agreed to pay $29 million to settle allegations by 20 states that it was switching patients to medications to save itself money, not to benefit the patients.

Architects named for VA health care facilities: A VA commission has proposed building a 120-bed nursing home and an outpatient clinic as part of its Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services, or CARES.

Las Vegas to close Sky-Vue: Sito Negron; Las Vegas officials today were to give notice to the remaining occupants of about 40 trailers at Sky-Vue Mobile Park that they have 72 hours to move out because the park is too unhealthy and dangerous to live in, Elaine Sanchez, spokeswoman for Mayor Oscar Goodman, said.

3-year-old is left in Head Start van: By Timothy Pratt; A 3-year-old boy was left in a Head Start van at the agency's transportation yard Wednesday afternoon, according to a spokesman for the nonprofit board that runs the early childhood program.

State gun laws: Here is a state-by-state look by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence:

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Tapit gives Las Vegas a rooting interest in Derby: Ralph Siraco; Las Vegas will brace for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. After all, the Derby is the second biggest single-day sporting event weekend in this gaming capital, just behind the Super Bowl for a one-day event.

Teen dies as car hits power pole: A Las Vegas teen died after his speeding Chevrolet Camaro struck a wooden power pole at Carey Avenue and Christy Lane at about 1:45 a.m., police said.

LV woman, Army at odds over harassment claims: Molly Ball; A Las Vegas woman has been absent without leave, or AWOL, from the Army for five months after filing a claim alleging that she was sexually harassed by her superiors at Fort Irwin in Southern California.

River Run concludes with little fanfare: Heather Rawlyk; By Sunday afternoon, the Laughlin River Run was winding down.

State puts new drug card on hold: CARSON CITY -- The Guinn administration is holding off on a state program that could give 15 percent discounts on prescription drugs to all senior citizens in Nevada.