Print edition for April 29, 2004

Smalltown superstar: Adam Candee; PANACA -- A dirt-ringed cowboy hat and a kind smile introduce Gino Chouquer, whose easy drawl offers an embrace into a forgotten part of Nevada.

Editorial: An election-year sop: If it's OK for a few states in the Medicaid program to pool their resources to buy drugs, then why not all of them? And why won't the federal government use its enormous purchasing power to buy drugs in bulk, and get lower prices, under the new prescription drug plan for seniors in Medicare? The reason is simple: President Bush and top Republican lawmakers are afraid to significantly cut into the profits of drug makers, which have showered these politicians with campaign donations. On the other hand, allowing just a handful of states to receive some savings on prescription drugs ...

Letter: Tax cuts created how many jobs?: My question is: Can they specify how many jobs were created by the very substantial individual tax cuts that they personally received?

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Young Palo Verde pitcher is the real deal: These are what I like to call the "Jim McKay Days" for a local sports columnist. As in there's a wide world of sports stories out there worth telling, if you can just find them.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Ragland draws 1st position in Baja 500 desert race: Veteran off-road racer Larry Ragland, who drives in the Trophy Truck division for Las Vegas-based Collins Motorsports, drew the first starting position among the car and truck classes for the June 5 Tecate SCORE Baja 500 desert race in Ensenada, Mexico.

Former NRC member helping DOE on Yucca: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Former Nuclear Regulatory Commission member Greta Joy Dicus is helping the Energy Department work on its license application for the Yucca Mountain project, an arrangement that would violate federal rules if she was working for a private applicant or for Nevada.

Community briefs for April 29, 2004: Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at the Doolittle Community Center, 1950 N. J St., a temporary health center for the community to speak to physicians and counselors regarding their health care questions, as well as receiving free basic physical examinations.

DaimlerChrysler reports drop in earnings: David Rising; BERLIN -- DaimlerChrysler reported a 33 percent drop in first-quarter net profit today, largely because of restructuring costs at its U.S. Chrysler division and troubles with a truck toll project in Germany.

Killer Instinct: Las Vegas band counting on Coachella for invaluable exposure: Spencer Patterson; Las Vegan Mark Stoermer figured he would get to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival one day, his finances and work schedule permitting.

Enjoy the cool air; heat will be back soon: Las Vegas has a brief respite from the heat before more 90-degree daytime temperatures return next week, National Weather Service forecasters said today.

Letter: Exciting to see grandson's photo: Well, on April 8, in the business section, there was an article about the defeat of the Wal-Mart store that they wanted to open in Inglewood, Calif. There was a picture of one of the supporters of "No on Measure 4A" celebrating that voters rejected a ballot measure that would have cleared the way for a colossal Wal-Mart in this Los Angeles suburb. I was so excited and surprised to see the picture of my grandson standing to the left of the woman in the picture. The Los Angeles Times had published this picture in their paper, however, the part ...

On his way out: Dean Juipe; A conference call designed to feature Roy Jones Jr. instead dissolved into a warning from his trainer that the great fighter and World Boxing Council light heavyweight champion is near the end of his fistic career.

Business briefs for April 29, 2004: NEW YORK -- Time Warner Inc., the world's largest media company, said first-quarter profit more than doubled, fueled by growth at its film and cable-television businesses and cost cutting at America Online.

Letter: Bush should stand on his own before 9-11 panel: So when I hear that he was not fully in touch with the terrorist threat before 9-11, I am not surprised. Nor do I view a three-year recession as much of a surprise. But what does surprise me is the vehemence in which his partisans attempt to protect him from scrutiny. Particularly in a time of national crisis.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Pacquaio needs to validate most recent win: Dean Juipe; As much as a victory against Marco Antonio Barrera meant to Manny Pacquaio, his trainer believes it will have lost its luster if the featherweight contender fails to follow it up with a win of even greater significance.

Seniors need help with daily tasks: Volunteers are placed in assignments as close to their home as possible, and after the assignment is accepted, arrangements are made for an orientation.

Nellis warrior of the week named: Dick Benoit; A Centennial High School graduate was recently featured in the Nellis Air Force Base weekly newspaper, The Bullseye, as a Warrior of the Week.

Editorial: No real plan for hauling nuke waste: On its Yucca Mountain Project Web site (www.ymp.gov), the department says, "In an emergency, state, local and tribal governments are responsible for the safety of their residents and responding to accidents in their jurisdictions." The department, which plans to begin shipments in six years, goes on to say that it is required by Congress to "provide technical and financial assistance to states and tribes for training public safety officials in procedures for safe, routine transportation and emergency response procedures. This assistance would begin about three to five years before shipments start."

Aladdin handover to new owners could be delayed: Adam Goldman; It's unlikely that the new owners of the Aladdin hotel-casino will take control of the bankrupt property in June as previously planned, Nevada's top gambling enforcement officer said Wednesday.

Regents lose move in lawsuit: Glass ruled that discovery in the case should move forward.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: For friendly wagering, check out Paris: OK, reality it isn't. And that is part of the reason "Friends" has been such a popular show for the past decade.

May 2005 trial set for siblings in murder case of 3-year-old: The trial date was set this morning when 20-year-old Beau Maestas and his 17-year-old sister Monique Maestas changed lawyers. The siblings remain jailed while awaiting trial on murder and other charges stemming from the attack that left Krystianna Cowan dead and her 10-year-old sister, Brittney Bergeron, a paraplegic.

Proposed bank building called 'second to none': Sito Negron; Las Vegas is talking to BankWest of Nevada about placing a new, iconic bank building on the 61-acre downtown plot west of the Plaza that Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman calls the "jewel of the desert."

Woman who buried body in back yard apologizes to family: A Las Vegas woman charged with killing her live-in handyman and then burying him in her back yard began sobbing Wednesday during her sentencing hearing as she apologized to the victim's family.

Clerk's tip leads to arrest in kidnapping: Jen Lawson; A tip from a Vegas Motel clerk led to the arrest of a 23-year-old man who Metro Police said kidnapped his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint Tuesday night because he was upset over their breakup.

Deal reached to end casino strike: The announcement came after a full day of back-and-forth bargaining through provincial mediators at a local hotel.

LV trash hauler's profit soars: First-quarter net income rose to $56.9 million, or 36 cents a share, from $16.8 million, or 10 cents, in the year-earlier period, the company said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Revenue rose 7.2 percent to $637.3 million.

Neighbors help catch driver who allegedly hit girl, 3: Heather Rawlyk; Angry neighbors who said they were fed up with drivers speeding down their North Las Vegas street helped police catch a motorist who allegedly ran over a 3-year-old girl before driving away Wednesday night, police said.

Colder first quarter adds to Southwest Gas profit: Kevin Rademacher; Crediting cooler weather, Southwest Gas Corp. of Las Vegas on Wednesday reported a wider first-quarter profit.

Desperate dad searches for missing girl: Mary Manning and Jen Lawson; Jesse Holland has lived for 14 days on little sleep, fast food and an inner drive to find his 14-year-old daughter, Jesseca, who seems to have vanished from the streets of Las Vegas as one of the approximately 1,200 runaways reported each month in the valley.

Sports briefs for April 29, 2004: Defender Eddie Pope scored in the 93rd minute to give the United State national team a 1-0 victory Wednesday night against Mexico in front of a crowd of 45,048 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Sniper suspect had gun in LV arrest: McCoy, who faces charges connected to 24 sniper shootings between May 2003 and February, was extradited to Columbus, Ohio, after being arrested in Las Vegas.

Vegas charter operator halts operations: Jackie's Tour made the announcement Tuesday after the carrier it uses, World Airways Inc., said it is owed $2.3 million and will not provide air service for Jackie's customers after May 7.

Group seeks to compel drug czar to report expenses: CARSON CITY -- An organization pushing a petition to legalize small amounts of marijuana has filed suit in the Nevada Supreme Court to force federal drug czar John Walters to file campaign expense reports when he campaigns against the issue in this state.

Obituaries for April 29, 2004: Mary R. Aguilar, 81, of Henderson died Wednesday in Henderson. A homemaker, she was born Dec. 28, 1922, in Henderson.

Alleged 311 Boyz member to face more charges: A Clark County grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday charging alleged 311 Boyz gang member Jeff Hart with the July 3, 2003, beatings of two teens, one of whom was knocked out and suffered a severe concussion.

Man killed after blowout identified: King lost control of his vehicle, hit the median and was ejected while approaching Charleston Boulevard. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A female passenger suffered head injuries, the Nevada Highway Patrol said.

Commission delays launch of super bus: The RTC originally scheduled the Metropolitan Area Express system to begin service in March. Computer control issues for the buses, which are designed to run much like a subway system with computer-guided entry and exit from regular stops, initially delayed the opening.

First quarter income up for Ameristar: First quarter income up for Ameristar

Middle ground sought for juvenile penalties: CARSON CITY -- Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins says he is working on a proposal for a "middle ground" in handling juveniles who get into serious trouble.

Casino operator's stock tumbles on earnings miss: In heavy trading, shares of the Biloxi-based company dropped by 11.4 percent to close at $20.90.

LV Council blasts Sky-Vue owners, OKs motion to sue: Sito Negron; The Las Vegas City Council lambasted the owners of the Sky-Vue Mobile Park during a special meeting Wednesday, then approved a motion that allows the city attorney to take them to court to shut the park down and possibly impose civil penalties.

Census: Homeless spread around county: Jean Reid Norman; A census of the Las Vegas Valley's homeless population showed what advocates have suspected for a couple of years: that the population is growing and that, under the pressure of sweeps, the homeless have spread out.

Critical report warns EOB of loss of funds: By Timothy Pratt; A federally funded report released Wednesday makes clear that the Economic Opportunity Board -- the Las Vegas Valley's largest nonprofit agency -- must make dramatic top-to-bottom changes in order to keep millions of taxpayer dollars under its control.

Court rules in contracting dispute: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a registered architect does not need a contractor's license to provide construction management services.

Las Vegas mall operator's quarterly profit improves: Net income climbed to $59.1 million, or 27 cents a share, from $45.5 million, or 24 cents, a year earlier, the company said in a statement.

LV continues to dominate as convention host: Tradeshow Week said Las Vegas remains atop the Tradeshow Week 200, a list of the top 200 shows by exhibit space conducted in 2003. The publication will report in Friday's edition that Las Vegas played host to 38 of the top 200 shows and had exhibit space totalling 16.9 million square feet.

Regulators OK measures for Nevada utilities: In the past, utilities were only required to receive commission approval for long-term deals, but Nevada Power Co. has had hundreds of millions of dollars in short-term deals disallowed after the fact by regulators in recent years. Those disallowances left the utility with a junk credit rating, and the new provision for prior approval should limit future disallowances.

Nevada taxable sales rise again in February: CARSON CITY -- Taxable sales in Nevada, one measure of the economy, reached $2.8 billion in February, up 13.4 percent from February 2003 and the second straight month of a double-digit increase.

Cancer fund-raiser is no con: Inmates at the Southern Desert Correctional Center at Indian Springs are paying their debts to society and -- when it comes to raising money for breast cancer research -- a little more.

Residents sound off about options for U.S. 95 growth: Heather Rawlyk; Todd Farlow has installed a second wall around his house at 19th Street and Stewart Avenue, as well as two sets of double-pane glass on his windows to keep out the noise from U.S. 95, about the length of a football field away.

High court overturns hearing in murder case: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Wednesday stopped Clark County District Judge Michael Cherry from holding another hearing on the appeal of Patrick Cavanaugh, sentenced to death for a Las Vegas murder in 1980.

Cox unveils LV rate changes: Kevin Rademacher; Las Vegas-area customers receiving Cox Communications' preferred basic cable service will soon see prices go up $2.49 a month.

Homeowners' group bans artificial lawns: Dan Kulin; Summerlin homeowners association board members decided Wednesday to ban artificial turf from front lawns in its community, saying they felt most of their neighbors were afraid a sea of fake grass would include at least some ugly artificial turf.

Plan surfaces for city gambling votes: Andrew Welsh-Huggins; COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Polls that looked at Ohioans' willingness to support slot machines at racetracks found strong support for using profits to fund college scholarships, guarantee increases in school funding and provide money for preschool programs, slots proponents say.

Court briefs for April 29, 2004: Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron ruled there was enough evidence to prosecute a man on murder charges in his wife's slaying after a preliminary hearing Wednesday.