Print edition for August 5, 2004

Corrections: * Because of an error by the New York Times News Service, an article in Friday's edition ofthe Sun about tensions in the town of Nauvoo, Ill., referred incorrectly to Wayne S. Marting,who said real estate sales had risen since a Mormon temple was restored. He is an agent for one of the town's three real estate agencies, not the town4s only agent. The Sun regrets the error.

Las Vegas plummets on literate cities list: Beth Slovic; Las Vegas' literate behavior is in decline, according to a new analysis of various big cities' love for reading.

Just one medical measure will be sent to Legislature: Michelle Swafford; After the Legislative Committee on Health Care held its fifth and final meeting between legislative sessions Wednesday, members decided to write only one bill to send to the full Legislature despite agreement that Nevada is facing a crisis in many areas of health care.

DOE failed to alert workers to disease risk: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department was warned of the dangers of silica at Yucca Mountain years before it told workers of the threat, department documents show.

Moncrief case back before grand jury: Jeff German and Jace Radke; After a six-month break, the state attorney general's office this morning went back to a grand jury with evidence of alleged campaign fraud against City Councilwoman Janet Moncrief.

Nurse: Woman was warned her daughter needed better treatment: Lynn Doan; A nurse in Colorado warned 38-year-old Cheryl Botzet that her daughter Ariel was not getting proper treatment for her diabetes two years before the 11-year-old girl died of complications of the disease, according to court documents filed Wednesday.

Suspect wanted in California arrested: Tomas Pinon was arrested at a construction site in the southwest Las Vegas Valley after police received a tip.

Union stages rally over organization at Aladdin: Union demonstrators issued the prospective new owners of the Aladdin hotel-casino a reminder Wednesday: They still want a union contract.

Father speaks out on death of son: Jen Lawson; The man who died Monday after being shocked with a Taser gun during a struggle with Metro Police was not violent and had been left with broken limbs after being hit by a car recently, his father said, so he doesn't understand how he could have been a threat to the officers.

Calif. governor's efforts highlight states' rivalry: Kevin Rademacher; Amid hundreds of screaming fans, theatrical smoke and pounding music, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday strolled down a catwalk at the Fashion Show mall.

Hospitals to state: 'It's your problem': By Timothy Pratt; In a move that one official described as, "We keep them in our hallways, now you can keep them in yours," a board of Las Vegas Valley hospital administrators on Wednesday gave the state 24 hours to accept or reject a proposal to stop "warehousing" the mentally ill in their emergency rooms.

Council briefs for August 5, 2004: In other action Wednesday, the Las Vegas City Council introduced an ordinance that would prohibit city employees from being paid by the city while running for elected office or while serving at the Nevada Legislature while it is in session.

Guinn seeks disaster declaration for Carson City fire: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn said today he asked President Bush to issue a disaster declaration for the fire that burned more than 8,700 acres of forest and sagebrush near Carson City and destroyed at least 17 homes.

Chancellor, attorney general meet: A private sit down Wednesday afternoon between the university system chancellor and the Nevada attorney general may have been what each entity needed to put an end to their conflict over the open-meeting law.

Firm settles probe: Creative Management Services is a creator of trade shows, exhibits and events, with offices in Las Vegas, the BSA said in a statement. The company did a self-audit and found it had more copies of Adobe, Autodesk and Microsoft software than it had licenses for, BSA said.

Young amphitheater gets mostly glowing reviews: Dan Kulin; Henderson's nearly 2-year-old outdoor amphitheater in Green Valley is expected to cost taxpayers almost $500,000 to run this fiscal year, an expense city leaders say is well worth the boost to residents' quality of life and family-friendly activities.

Tax collectors hit up on more Nevada individuals, businesses: CARSON CITY -- There may be as many as 200,000 individuals and companies that have failed to pay a new $100 a year business registration fee and the state Tax Department said it is speeding up its efforts to track them down.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Vegas could be in a funny situation: Probably the only TV genre where Las Vegas is not represented is the situation comedy.

Power plant plan praised by PUC: Kevin Rademacher; Nevada Power Co. is attracting widespread support -- even from frequent critics -- for its $558 million plan to purchase and complete and unfinished power plant from Duke Energy of North Carolina.

City to launch homeless initiative: By June 2005 the Las Vegas City Council should have a plan to end chronic homelessness in the city, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said Wednesday.

Motorcycle crash victim dies: Paul Bellanca was flown to University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead as a result of blunt force trauma to the head, a coroner's office spokeswoman said.

Tamarisk-eating beetle could help here: Molly Ball; A hungry imported beetle that is shaping up as a solution for the pesky tamarisk tree in Northern Nevada has the potential to help Clark County, too, but it will be years before scientists can unleash it here.

Human resource firm expands to Las Vegas: Workforce Solutions is a professional employer organization that offers small and medium-sized companies human resource services such as payroll, benefit packages, employee relations, unemployment insurance claims and recruiting.

Commissioner won't pull controversial ad: Launce Rake and Ed Koch; Does he or doesn't he?

County approves 5 towers near Strip: Here come the skyscrapers.

McKay hoops case occupies school police: By Emily Richmond; The Clark County School Police force has just one detective assigned to fraud and embezzlement cases -- and he's spent the better part of the past year working on only one investigation, Chief Elliot Phelps said Wednesday.

Plan for music, TV studio dies: A project designed to be a shot in the arm for economically depressed west Las Vegas apparently is dead.

Squadron expected to return next month: Jace Radke; The Nellis-based 820th Red Horse Civil Engineering is expected to finish a humanitarian mission to Guyana, South America, next month and return home to Las Vegas.

Bush has helped high-tech industries grow, Ensign says: Kirsten Searer; Standing in a growing Las Vegas high-tech business, Sen. John Ensign touted President Bush's work to help new industries grow and said that John Kerry would force the nation to take a step back.

News briefs for August 5, 2004: The sprinkler system inside the north hotel tower of Circus Circus was in proper working order when a fire broke out Tuesday in a third-floor guest room, a Clark County fire investigator said.

Planned hospital already seen as inadequate: CARSON CITY -- The $32 million 150-bed state mental hospital that will be built in Las Vegas will be inadequate when it is completed in 2006, the director of the University Medical Center emergency department told state lawmakers Wednesday.

Former senator hopes to revitalize Meadows Village: Former U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan fondly recalls 40 years ago when he and his wife managed the Ramona Apartments at 1905 Fairfield Ave. for Las Vegas pioneer Pete Peccole. What is now Meadows Village was a vibrant, young community in those days.

AC casinos betting on great outdoors: John Curran; ATLANTIC CITY -- Inside Resorts Atlantic City, the roulette wheels were spinning and the slot machine bells were ringing.

High court agrees to expedited schedule on ballot questions: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court decided Wednesday to speed up its handling of an appeal on whether the initiative petitions on raising the minimum wage and preventing frivolous lawsuits will be on the November ballot.

Where I Stand -- Guest columnist Heather Murren: A goal to be proud of: Every cancer therapy begins as an idea. It undergoes testing in the lab and in clinical trials before gaining approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

Court briefs for August 5, 2004: A 38-year-old man accused of being under the influence of alcohol when he allegedly failed to stop at a red light last year, crashing into a bus stop and killing a man, had his bail reduced to $50,000 from $200,000 on Wednesday.

Obituaries for August 5, 2004: Paul Bellanca III, 16, of Las Vegas died Monday in Las Vegas. A high school student, he was born Oct.19, 1987, in New York.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Showtime sluggers a promising match: Dean Juipe; Big hitters will be on display Saturday on Showtime as lightweight sluggers Acelino Freitas and Diego Corrales are matched in what figures to be an interesting bout.

Advisory vote set on Indian casino complex: The Kenosha County Board voted 15-12 Tuesday to place the referendum on the ballot. The referendum will be nonbinding, giving city and county officials the authority to make the ultimate decision on whether to pursue negotiations with the Indian tribe.

Casino tax hike clears Michigan Legislature: David Eggert; LANSING, Mich. -- The state Legislature on Wednesday night voted to increase the tax on Detroit's three casinos by one-third and set aside some of the new revenue for agriculture programs.

Ralph Siraco's Del Mar selections: 1st Race -- LYCIUS LIFE -- Draws well for mile opener, Espinoza aboard co-owner Hollendorfer trainee, solid barn with solid chance here. SUNNY STREET -- Draws alongside top pick for two-turn maiden/claimer, Desormeaux atop Hendricks trainee, victory for trainer would be appropriately named. Value Play -- KISS'N DYNA

Community briefs for August 5, 2004: The YMCA of Southern Nevada announced the grand opening of the new outdoor aquatic center at at the Bill and Lillie Heinrich YMCA. Officials from the YMCA will join Mayor Oscar B. Goodman, City Councilwoman Janet Moncrief and City Manager Doug Selby to at 11 a.m. Friday at the YMCA, 4141 Meadows Lane, to celebrate the grand opening of the new center. Entrance from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. will be free. Free food will be served beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Search engines accused of promoting gambling: SAN FRANCISCO -- Google Inc., which runs the world's most-used Internet search engine, denied accusations in a lawsuit that it sells advertisements to companies that promote online gambling.

Just sew: Fashion students a fine fit at International Academy of Design and Technology: An assistant dresser to Celine Dion in "A New Day ...," this is one day Richardson doesn't have to race across town to get to work. Dion is off this particular week. "We're done here at 1:30," Richardson said. "I usually have to be there by 2:30. If I'm lucky I can make it to Jack In the Box."

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 10 a.m.

'Shocked' Carter disputes rumors concerning cocaine: Quincy Carter dismissed as "ridiculous" the drug rumors connected with his sudden release Wednesday by the Dallas Cowboys. Several reported cited a failed drug test as the reason.

Soil shift may have led to condominium blast: Lynn Doan; Anyone who suspects a gas leak should call Southwest Gas' customer assistance line at (702) 365-1555.

University ordered to put the 'R' back in UNR: What's in a name?

Judge bars move of barge: The ruling struck down a permit approving the new location as a legal gambling site.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Kalitta's hot and so is the Top Fuel championship race: Doug Kalitta notched his third NHRA Top Fuel victory of the season last weekend in Sonoma, Calif., and kept the Top Fuel category one of the most hotly contested of the 2004 NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series season.

Letter: Terrorism alerts are disruptive: We have been told since Sept. 11, 2001, that the terrorists work by putting fear into us and trying to disrupt our lives. How is pulling out old information and going to the American public with statements such as "nation of danger" any different?

Letter: Taxpayers fund offshore work: On July 30 Gov. Kenny Guinn and Attorney General Brian Sandoval, acting as the Nevada Board of Examiners, awarded a $28 million contract to Accenture LLP, the Bermuda-based remnant of the former Arthur Andersen accounting firm.

Editorial: Fake is the real deal: The city decided to go forward after trying artificial turf on two soccer fields at Ed Fountain Park for three months. One girls' soccer coach told a Sun reporter that the artificial turf was great and comparable to the real thing. Another plus is that, unlike grass, artificial fields don't need to be rested after repeated use, which means they can be played on more frequently, increasing their availability for residents. One drawback, and something that will have to be closely monitored for safety's sake, is that in the summer artificial grass can get a lot hotter than natural grass. ...

Fight schedule: At Hollywood, Fla., Samuel Peter, Las Vegas, vs. Jovo Pudar, Queens, N.Y., 10, heavyweights.

Sports briefs for August 5, 2004: The judge in the Kobe Bryant case expanded a gag order after lawyers for Bryant's accuser said she would rethink whether to participate in the upcoming criminal trial.

Lottery turns record profit: Lottery turns record profit

Editorial: Do the math, formally, via official audit: Henderson and North Las Vegas have not been offering the program and have no intention of doing so. Explaining to the Sun why they don't, North Las Vegas officials said any monetary savings wouldn't be worth the loss of their experienced employees.

Letter: Kerry would seek moderate justices for court: Everything from Miranda to Roe, workers' rights to civil rights, separation of church and state to environmental protection laws and freedom of speech are in jeopardy. If George W. Bush has his way, he'll fill the courts with right-wing extremists.

Father of man stunned by Taser says his son was not a threat: Jen Lawson; The man who died Monday after being shocked with a Taser gun during a struggle with Metro Police was not violent and had been left with broken limbs after being hit by a car recently, his father said, so he doesn't understand how he could have been a threat to the officers.

Sons of Las Vegas residents graduate Air Force Academy: Dick Benoit; Air Force Cadets Paul Roque, son of Armando and Joy Roque of Las Vegas; Jeffrey Gould, son of Ric Gould of Las Vegas; and Lance Kallman, son of Rod and Vicki Kallman of Las Vegas, have graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.