Print edition for April 27, 2004

Gaming briefs for April 27, 2004: The Culinary Union is urging shareholders of The Cheesecake Factory Inc. to vote against the re-election of director Thomas L. Gregory at the company's annual meeting May 18.

Web comments stir Yell controversy: Stephen Curran; A University of Nevada, Las Vegas student slated to take charge of the campus newspaper is under fire from a Jewish student organization for alleged anti-Semitic comments posted on his personal Web site.

Parents of boy left in van want details: By Timothy Pratt; The parents of a 3-year-old boy who was left in a Head Start van on Wednesday were not told by the school what had happened until five days later, they said Monday.

Sports briefs for April 27, 2004: For the first time, the IOC has taken out cancellation insurance on the Olympics -- a $170 million policy to cover the risk of the Athens Games being called off because of war, terrorism, earthquakes or flooding.

Feds: Patriot Act not used in probe: Jace Radke; The Patriot Act wasn't used by FBI agents to intercept phone calls and other communications in connection with an investigation into local politicians charged with trading political influence for money and gifts from a local strip club owner, a federal prosecutor said Monday.

Pulte's profit jumps 53 percent as costs for borrowing drop: BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. -- Pulte Homes Inc., the fourth-largest U.S. homebuilder by stock market value and a big player in Las Vegas, on Monday said first-quarter profit jumped 53 percent as falling mortgage rates spurred more people to buy new houses.

Firm buys space propulsion unit: The unit makes small thruster rockets used to position satellites in space.

Second timeshare phase planned: Groundbreaking for the 431-unit addition is planned for July, with construction of the $126 million expansion scheduled for completion in summer 2006. The first 283 units of HGVClub on the Las Vegas Strip, located in a 28-story tower, opened for occupancy in November and are nearly one third sold. With the opening of Phase II, 714 units of the planned four phase 1,577-unit project will be opened.

Fed governor warns bankers in Vegas of cyber attacks: U.S. banks need to heighten security and plan for the possibility of more cyber attacks, Federal Reserve Governor Susan Bies said Monday.

Legality of Yucca meetings eyed: Stephen Curran; The state attorney general's office is looking into whether a board studying a proposed railroad line from Caliente to Yucca Mountain may have broken state open-meeting laws by barring local residents and media from its meetings.

LV consultant for developers, Oglesby dies: Jean Reid Norman; For the past 10 years, as Dick Oglesby battled cancer, he worked on making his vision of Las Vegas become a reality.

Forced move: Sky-Vue residents have 72 hours to find new homes: Anthony Molina admits that the Sky-Vue Mobile Home Park has gone downhill since he moved his then-new single-wide coach into the 100-space park at 15 W. Owens Ave., 40 years ago.

Columnist Jeff German: Phone tapes put corruption trial on hold: And because the key evidence remains under a court-ordered seal, we know little more about this case than we did six months ago and aren't likely to learn much more for some time.

Next DI implosion planned: By Jeff Simpson; It's almost time again for one of Las Vegas' most impressive spectacles -- a hotel implosion.

Charges considered against mom in death of diabetic girl: Jen Lawson and Mary Manning; Metro Police homicide detectives and prosecutors from the district attorney's office will meet today to determine if charges will be filed against a mother whose diabetic daughter's February death was ruled a homicide last week.

Venetian breaks LV profit record: Weeks away from opening a casino in Macau, the owner of The Venetian today said the Las Vegas Strip megaresort shattered Las Vegas hotel-casino profitability records during the first quarter.

Google IPO suspense may culminate with filing this week: SAN FRANCISCO -- Google Inc.'s looming initial public stock offering is stirring tremendous excitement, but it shouldn't be surprising if its biggest beneficiaries have some reservations.

Sierra Health earnings zoom past estimates: Sierra said Monday its profit from continuing operations for the quarter ended March 31 was $26.3 million, or 75 cents per share, up from $15.4 million, or 50 cents, for the same period in 2003.

Consumer confidence, home resales on rise: Joe Richter and Carlos Torres; U.S. consumer confidence rose in April to a three-month high and previously owned home sales increased to the second-fastest pace on record amid record job and income growth.

Ritz-Carlton eyes long-term growth in LV: "It's something (Ritz-Carlton President Simon Cooper) thinks would make a lot of sense, but there are is nothing immediate happening," spokeswoman Vivian Deuschl said.

Boys and Girls Clubs willing to run child-care program: In a recent letter from Hill to his fellow board members, he said the United Way would be responsible for the "fiscal aspects of the program" and the Boys and Girls Clubs would be responsible for "the administration of child care."

Defendant tries to discredit key witness in murder trial: A woman on trial on a charge of murdering a man for his winning sports bet ticket used mental health records Monday in an attempt to discredit the state's key eyewitness.

Police chase down same man twice: It started with a traffic collision about 8:30 a.m. Monday on U.S. 95 north just past Sahara Avenue. Trooper Robert Lujan was attempting to pull over a car for driving in the shoulder when his Nevada Highway Patrol cruiser was sideswiped by a 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis, Trooper Angie Wolff said.

Community College HS taking aps: Community College HS allows juniors and seniors to take high school and college courses. Students who attend a Community College HS can get a head start on their college career by completing as many as 30-plus college credits by the end of high school.

UNLV women headed East for NCAA regional: Adam Candee; If there is such a thing as being too good for your own good, the UNLV women's golf team figured out how to do it.

Columnist Dean Juipe: The real story: Dean Juipe; Sports Illustrated is 41 weeks into a series entitled "The Poll" in which it details the high points in the sports history of each of the 50 states, but it has yet to publish its findings for Nevada.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Cascata: Douglas and pals are in for a treat: My initial thought upon seeing the exclusive Cascata golf course for the first time Monday was that it was even more spectacular than I'd imagined.

Officials point to cuts in New Mexico's funding: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department's elimination of funding for a New Mexico watchdog group illustrates why Nevada would not negotiate for federal benefits in exchange for accepting a high-level waste dump at Yucca Mountain, officials say.

Texas slots debate under way: April Castro; AUSTIN, Texas -- Allowing video slots gambling at horse and dog racing tracks would create rural jobs and boost Texas' position in the national horse racing scene, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs testified Monday.

News briefs for April 27, 2004: A driver was killed this morning when his right rear tire blew out and he lost control while driving south on the Las Vegas Beltway approaching Charleston Boulevard, the Nevada Highway Patrol said.

Letter: Oil interests are Bush's priority: We need to vote for a president who will represent the people, not the national and international oil interests. I hope that this November everyone in America makes the right choice for president of the United States of America.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Gans says rumors are all a Mirage: He has missed an extraordinary number of performances for either unknown or seemingly preposterous reasons -- such as missing three weeks after taking a tumble in his bathroom after stepping on his dog.

Father wants out of deal on neglect charges: District Judge Donald Mosley denied a Henderson father's request to withdraw his guilty plea in the death of his 18-month-old daughter and the neglect of his four other children Monday.

Gibbons demands answers to Yucca rail questions: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., is challenging the Energy Department's intentions to proceed with plans to build a new rail line in Nevada for nuclear waste shipments without first answering security questions about how the shipments will be handled.

Success at the plate isn't all Greek to 51s' Theodorou: Nick Christensen; A team doesn't usually need a benchwarmer when it's 115 degrees, but Nick Theodorou fit that role last year for the Las Vegas 51s.

Mescaleros relieved to settle gaming feud: Susan Montoya Bryan; ALBUQUERQUE -- The dark cloud that had loomed over the Mescalero Apache Tribe and the slot machines at its mountain resort and casino dissipated last week with the stroke of pen.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Shane Hmiel gets second chance in Busch Series: Shane Hmiel will make his first NASCAR Busch Series start in more than seven months in Saturday's 1-800-Pit-Shop.com 300 at California Speedway.

Officials coordinate West Nile virus strategy: Nevada and Clark County health officials are bracing for the West Nile virus to hit the state for the first time this summer, and health agencies are pooling their efforts to face it.

Kruger, Rebels add their first 'big man' to commitment list: Steve Guiremand; New UNLV basketball coach Lon Kruger said landing two big men would be his No. 1 recruiting priority this spring. He's half way there.

GOP is fitting planks into platform: CARSON CITY -- Nevada Republicans will hammer out their platform and resolutions behind closed doors this week, as the state GOP convention convenes Friday in Reno.

Obituaries for April 27, 2004: Lawrence George Bartleson, 82, of Las Vegas died April 12 in Las Vegas. He was born Dec. 29, 1921, in Susquehanna, Pa. A resident for 24 years, he was a real estate salesman and a Navy veteran.

Fingers craves return to game: Dissolving algae from the murky lakes and ponds of some of the region's finer country clubs has been easier for Rollie Fingers than getting a chance to fix what ails certain big league pitchers.

Venetian hotel-casino breaks Las Vegas profit record: AP; The Las Vegas Strip hotel posted quarterly cash flow of $103.9 million for the quarter, up 63.4 percent from $63.6 million a year ago, Las Vegas Sands Inc. said.

Community briefs for April 27, 2004: Zelzah Shriners will hold their annual Vidalia onions sale starting Thursday at the Shrine Center, 2222 W. Mesquite Ave.

Letter: Bush used 9-11 coffin imagery: In a climate of mixed messages, George W. Bush advises that he approved a campaign television ad that showed him adjacent to a flag-covered casket from the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center.

Letter: Residents should define standards for billboards: Residents should phone or write to the LVCVA and complain about its appeal to the lowest common denominator of tourist, a class that comes here to feed on its vices. Residents should also call the casinos that have no standards in their advertising.

Vision Quest: Ambition to hit it big fuels Las Vegas indie filmmakers: "This is how it all started," Schwarze said about the early days of his production company, Vision Dynamics Entertainment.

Editorial: A shared sacrifice: The fact is that young men and women who are wealthy, or who come from privileged backgrounds, aren't as likely to put themselves in harm's way by joining the military. Just after the start of the Iraq war last year, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune reported that of the 535 members of Congress, fewer than a dozen had children in the military who were fighting in Iraq. The lack of shared sacrifice, along with a U.S. military that already is being stretched thin by fighting two wars at once, is so pronounced that it has even led for calls to ...

Immunization schedule for April 27, 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.

Columnist Susan Snyder: At KNCV, youth is classic: Quick!

Editorial: Principals must have discretion: It all depends on how the new policy will be enforced. We understand why the school district is considering the policy. Unlike most adults in the work place, students cannot always be expected to follow the directions for taking medicine. The district is having to deal with students becoming ill from overdosing on ordinary, nonprescription medicine.

In face of harsh criticism, Monet talks: By Liz Benston; The critics questioned the unorthodox arrangement between the for-profit gallery that rents space at the resort and the nonprofit museum. The gallery is owned and operated by PaperBall, a division of New York art dealer Pace Wildenstein.