Print edition for August 4, 2004

Prosecutors granted more time in teacher case: By Matt Pordum; Prosecutors this morning were granted a five-day extension to prepare their case against a 28-year-old Chaparral High School English teacher facing two counts of sexual misconduct involving a 17-year-old student.

State may be called disaster area: CARSON CITY -- For the second straight year, all or part of Nevada may be designated as a disaster area because of the drought that is hurting farmers and ranchers in this state, officials said.

City may trade land for golf course: Dan Kulin; Henderson is looking to trade city-owned land for the privately owned Wildhorse Golf Club, with plans to open it as the city's first municipal golf course in as little as 90 days, top city officials said Tuesday.

Southwest Airlines' CEO faces future of higher costs: David Koenig; DALLAS -- Over the past two years, Gary Kelly made a series of bets that the price of jet fuel would rise, a hunch that has saved Southwest Airlines millions -- possibly the difference between a profit and loss in some quarters.

Woman sentenced in death of owner of jewelry kiosk: By Matt Pordum; A 20-year-old mother of two on Tuesday was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for the May 2003 murder of the 40-year-old owner of a jewelry kiosk at Fashion Show mall.

Editorial: Regents need new attitude of openness: The Sun filed a written complaint with the Nevada attorney general's office, which ruled July 26 that Ray had violated the state open-meeting law in refusing the reporter's request. The law is clear. "Supporting materials" for items on the meeting agenda of a public board, such as the Board of Regents, must be provided to the public upon request. Rogers' proposed contract was on the agenda of a special board meeting set for May 7. And the draft contract had been sent to all members of the board.

Panel OKs higher Detroit casino tax: David Eggert; LANSING, Mich. -- The tax on Detroit's three casinos would go up by one-third under a compromise reached Tuesday evening by a legislative committee.

Letter: Bush's results are horrendous: As a result of Bush's financial bungling, a $200 billion budget surplus has become a budget deficit projected at over $500 billion.

Knicks set to acquire Crawford from Bulls: After weeks of negotiating, the New York Knicks have agreed on a deal to acquire guard Jamal Crawford from the Chicago Bulls, his agent said Tuesday night.

Tim Brown tells Raiders teammates he's on his way out: NAPA, Calif. -- Receiver Tim Brown told some of his Oakland teammates, including Jerry Rice, that he won't be playing for the Raiders this season.

Letter: No Child Left Behind Act is not properly funded: The 22,000 members of the Nevada State Education Association have always supported the goals of the NCLB Act, and we believe every kid deserves a great public school.

D.C. board strikes down petition signatures: Chevetta Gilmore; WASHINGTON -- The District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics voted on Tuesday to disallow thousands of petition signatures gathered in support of a video lottery casino.

Shelter designed to centralize services: Lynn Doan and Ed Koch; When construction of the $14.5 million Animal Foundation regional shelter is completed and the doors are open, residents of unincorporated Clark County as well as their neighbors in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas will all benefit -- as will animals that are housed there.

Obituaries for August 4, 2004: Ruby T. Baker, 90, of Las Vegas died Thursday in Fallon. She was born Aug. 16, 1913, in Texas. A resident for 23 years, she was a secretary for Boeing, and also worked at the Showboat and Castaways in the bowling centers.

Thursday's horse racing entries: Post Time 2 p.m.

Columnist Adam Candee: Ryan Moore takes his hot game to Ireland: Adam Candee; I'll make a guarantee that might appear blasphemous: Ryan Moore will not win the tournament in which he is playing this week.

Ralph Siraco's Del Mar selections: 1st Race -- MOUNTAIN MUSTANG -- Flores aboard co-owner Spawr trainee, draws good box for sprint opener, Mountain to beat molehills? KINGOFTHECOURT -- Court atop O'Neill trainee, draws good post for sophomore tag dash, victory appropriately named for horse and rider. Value Play -- VILAMOURA

Editorial: Yucca takes a back seat: On the Las Vegas Sun's televised news show, "Face to Face With Jon Ralston," Ensign said, "(Yucca Mountain) is a major issue, but there is a global war on terrorism, there is the economy, there are many other issues." Other issues? In Nevada, whose future for the rest of time is threatened by this proposed nuclear waste dump, there is no issue more important.

Letter: Democrat themes are not original: John Edwards also used a Bush theme in his speech, when he said a Kerry-Edwards administration would "destroy" al-Qaida.

Slot route owner posts loss: Herbst refinanced virtually all of its debt in the second quarter and incurred about $38 million in related costs.

Henderson-based Toyota bank names first CEO: The company -- a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp. -- named Raymond Specht the new bank's chief executive. He ran a similar Volkswagen subsidiary before being hired by Toyota, said Toyota Financial Services spokeswoman Cheryl Burnett.

Turf experiment completed: Dan Kulin; Las Vegas parks officials are embarking on a million-dollar plan to replace grass with artificial turf, which officials say will save water and allow for more playing time on the fields.

Businesses targeted in scam: The Council of Better Business Bureaus (BBB) issued a national alert Tuesday to warn consumers and businesses about the scheme, which involves people calling business owners under the guise that they are updating BBB information or discussing a compliant. The callers leave the contact phone number 1-800-CALLBBB (225-5222), which is not operated by the BBB.

Schwarzenegger in Vegas today: An event -- scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at the Fashion Show Mall -- was originally scheduled for June 7 but was cancelled following the death of former President Reagan. Schwarzenegger's staff declined to give any further details on the event other than to describe it as "jobs related."

Sports briefs for August 4, 2004: The woman who accused Kobe Bryant of rape will have to discuss with prosecutors whether she will go ahead with the criminal case because she fears the release of court documents about her sex life threatens her chance of getting a fair hearing, one of her lawyers said today.

Columnist Jeff German: Tabish is looking for public's aid: With all of the money being thrown around by the defense, it's mindboggling to think that one of the defendants, Rick Tabish, wants the public to pick up a sizeable part of his legal tab.

Tay-Sachs is rare, misunderstood: The Nevada Office of Vital Statistics in Carson City says there was one recorded Tay-Sachs death in the state in 2000, one in 2001 and none in 2002. Preliminary findings for 2003 are that there were no Tay-Sachs deaths that year, state vital statistics officials said.

County to discontinue employee buyouts: As Las Vegas city officials were continuing to pay out millions of dollars to employees to get them to retire, Clark County officials quietly concluded at the end of June that employee buyouts are not the best value for taxpayers.

Plan of attack in sand trap starts with the lie: Adam Candee; Editors note: The Las Vegas Sun will present occa- sional tips from local club pros on the weekly golf page.

Vehicle arsonist sought: The fires, northeast of Decatur Boulevard and Russell Road intersection, were being investigated this morning, spokesman Bob Leinbach said.

Mayor denies endorsement in county race: "I absolutely am not endorsing Mary Kincaid," Goodman said in a prepared statement. "I was specific in that I was not endorsing any of the candidates."

Family hopes Jacob's Light will spare others from their anguish: Foundation

DA won't charge candidate: Clark County prosecutors will not pursue criminal charges against a Board of Regents candidate accused of not living in the district he is running in, District Attorney David Roger said.

Electrical malfunction causes Circus Circus fire: Heather Rawlyk; Three floors of guests at Circus Circus were evacuated Tuesday after a fire broke out in a third-floor hotel room.

County approves lease for armory: Over the objections of some neighbors, the Clark County Commission on Tuesday approved the lease of about 40 acres in southwest Las Vegas for use by the Nevada National Guard as an armory.

Community briefs for August 4, 2004: Friends of Red Rock Canyon, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association, is sponsoring the third annual Photo Contest. The theme this year will be "Nature and Wildlife of the Mojave Desert, Scenery, and Cultural Resources of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area."

New leader for Catholic Charities: Frank Richo will lead the United Way's 2-1-1 project beginning Monday. It's a new initiative that uses those three digits as a telephone clearinghouse for government and nonprofit agencies providing social services, replacing dozens of separate telephone numbers.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Community says goodbye to college president: Elizabeth Foyt; Gianini, who accepted the interim position after a career as president of Valencia Community College in Daytona Beach, Fla., brought with him a wealth of fund-raising experience, as Valencia leads the nation in endowments and corporate support gifts. He and wife Sandra, while enjoying their Las Vegas sojourn, returned home to Florida this past weekend.

Supper Man: Detroit transplant Wojtowicz keeps spirit of old Vegas alive: Ken Miller; When he first took over the Hill Top House Supper Club in 1972, Stan had one of the only restaurants in his area, and he liked it that way.

Commission chairman sells interest in engineering firm: Clark County Commission Chairman Chip Maxfield announced Tuesday that he has sold his interest in a Las Vegas civil engineering firm.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Shoppers check out new stores: New at The District at Green Valley Ranch are Cachet, Flea Bags Barkery & Bow-Tique and Footworks. Cachet features fine handbags, hats and other accessories for women. Flea Bags showcases an array of clothing and merchandise for dogs and cats, as well as snacks that please felines and canines. Footworks offers casual shoes for men and women.

Corrections: * Because of an error by the Sun, a July 19 story about the monorail system misstated state law. The law allows nonprofit groups to seek tax-exempt status if they "provide services that are otherwise required to be provided by a local government, the state or the federal government." The story also contained inaccurate information provided to the Sun. It incorrectly stated that members of the state tax commission awarded the monorail with the tax exemption. A state agency approved the designation. The Sun regrets the errors.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: LV confab drums up support for Ringo: The former Beatles drummer had dinner with a Las Vegas resident who promotes concerts, and a mutual friend of theirs, Somer Hollingsworth, chief executive of the Nevada Development Authority.

Real estate school bought: The school offers pre-licensing and continuing education services. The Southern Nevada School of Real Estate opened in 1985 and has licensed more than 15,000 Nevada real estate agents.

Anthem sues Calif. insurance official over merger block: Robert Jablon; LOS ANGELES -- Anthem Inc. sued California's insurance commissioner Tuesday for blocking its proposed $16.4 billion merger with WellPoint Health Networks Inc., a deal that would create the nation's largest health insurer.

Condo explosion probed: Lynn Doan; Though Southwest Gas crews spent most of Tuesday jackhammering open the streets surrounding the remains of a Green Valley condominium that exploded, the workers could not locate the source of an alleged gas leak that caused the explosion.

Nevada wants 'hard sell' probe: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Nevada is accusing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's staff of being partial to the Energy Department in an argument over whether or not the department followed the commission policy.

Hilton kicks off 2004 'SuperContest': Contestants pick five NFL games against the spread each week, competing for a prize pool of $525,000 (based on an estimated 350 entries), according to Jay Kornegay, sports book director at the Hilton.

Investment banking firm to follow casino stocks: The company has an "underweight" rating on Harrah's Entertainment Inc., Mandalay Resort Group and Caesars Entertainment Inc.

Handicappers take a look at NFL season: At the handicappers' conference at Mandalay Bay, gambling figures Marc Lawrence, Wayne Root and Buzz Daly offered insights on how they are analyzing the upcoming football season:

Coroner unsure if Taser contributed to death: Jen Lawson; The Clark County coroner's office has not yet determined what killed a 47-year-old man who died shortly after a Metro Police officer shocked him with a Taser gun during a struggle Monday night.

Sierra Club: Highway suit prompting threats: Stephen Curran; Members of a nonprofit environmental group whose lawsuit is stalling the widening of U.S. 95 say they are being harassed and threatened by angry motorists.

Columnist Jeff Haney: BoDog president: Offshore books 'will never, ever replace Las Vegas': HANDICAPPER: Someone who studies and projects outcomes of sporting events. Often used to describe someone who sells his sports predictions as well.

Hard road for a rookie: Last year, when he was relegated to running a handful of NASCAR Busch Series and ARCA races, Kyle Busch said it was difficult not being able to race on a regular basis.

Remington may have settled lawsuit with board of regents: More than eight months after he was demoted, former Community College of Southern Nevada President Ron Remington may have reached a settlement in his lawsuit against the Board of Regents, his attorney said Tuesday night.

Ash Meadows fire contained: About 80 interagency firefighters had contained by 6 p.m. Tuesday a wildland fire in Ash Meadows, a unique desert oasis filled with plants, snails and fish.

Panel to weigh new mental health unit: CARSON CITY -- The Legislative Interim Finance Committee is to meet Aug. 12 regarding the proposal to spend $1.9 million in emergency funds to start a new mental health unit in the Las Vegas Valley.

Henderson hopes to trade city land for golf course: Dan Kulin; Henderson is looking to trade city-owned land for the privately owned Wildhorse Golf Club, with plans to open it as the city's first municipal golf course in as little as 90 days, top city officials said Tuesday.

Meeting on the mound: Mike Shapiro met Don Logan for the first time Monday afternoon inside Logan's office at Cashman Field, home of the Las Vegas 51s, and both parties regretted that the session hadn't taken place sooner.

Study: Minorities' buying power soaring in Nevada: Alana Roberts; Ten years ago Samuel Kim, a dentist of Korean descent, was drawn to Las Vegas from Anaheim, Calif., because the area was burgeoning with opportunities for dentists -- something Anaheim lacked.

Shuffle Master files lawsuits over patents: Saying the company intends to aggressively defend patent rights on its products, Shuffle Master Inc. filed a pair of lawsuits in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, including one against a subsidiary of rival Las Vegas gaming equipment manufacturer Alliance Gaming Corp.

Firms, individuals honored: Caesars Entertainment Inc. Executive Vice President of Human Resources Stephen Bell was named executive of the year and Cordell Stokes, director of career counselors at Nevada Partners, won the New Leadership award.

Gladiators spread out in search for a new coach: Adam Candee; At least eight candidates are under consideration for the Las Vegas Gladiators' vacant head coaching position -- and the list could still grow.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: IRL will take its show on the road for 2005 campaign: Date -- Venue (type)

News briefs for August 4, 2004: A robbery victim who died Monday night after he was stabbed near Fremont Street and Eastern Avenue has been identified by the coroner's office as 28-year-old Geryon Nash of North Las Vegas.

Business briefs for August 4, 2004: Citing additional expenses related to the acquisition of an explosives products division, Las Vegas-based American Pacific Corp. on Tuesday announced a loss for its fiscal third quarter.