Print edition for August 6, 2004

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

Lawsuits claim gouging by Las Vegas hospital giants: Michelle Swafford; The Las Vegas Valley's two largest hospital operators were sued Thursday on allegations that they are "gouging" uninsured patients and using predatory collection practices.

Columnist Jeff German: Voters will demand integrity: Senior Deputy Attorney General Conrad Hafen spent much of Thursday presenting evidence to a grand jury investigating reported irregularities in Moncrief's 2003 campaign. A criminal indictment was expected to be unveiled this morning.

Pointing for Indy: INDIANAPOLIS -- Although he is mired in a battle to remain in the top 10 in NASCAR Nextel Cup points and qualify for the 10-race "Chase for the Championship," Kurt Busch insisted he isn't altering his approach to Sunday's Brickyard 400 or any of the other five remaining "regular-season" races.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Indy still feels like home to Stewart: INDIANAPOLIS -- Since he joined NASCAR's premier division in 1999, Tony Stewart has greeted the Brickyard 400 weekend with equal parts excitement and dread.

Auditor: No problems at CCSN in past 18 months: Money and resources were used properly and records well kept during the past 18 months of demoted CCSN President Ron Remington's tenure, the higher education system's internal auditor said.

After week in hospital, man accused in bludgeoning jailed: By Matt Pordum; A 25-year-old accused of bludgeoning his neighbor to death on July 16 in a Lakes area apartment spent a week hospitalized for an apparent drug overdose after the slaying; now he's in jail and on Thursday his preliminary hearing was scheduled for Aug. 25.

High-rise project OK'd: A proposal to build two high-rise towers on the west side of the Las Vegas Valley received the approval of the Clark County Planning Commission late Thursday night.

Bail reduced in drunken driving case: By Matt Pordum; A man who is charged with crashing his car into a Las Vegas bus stop on May 3, killing a 4-year-old boy and hospitalizing the child's mother while having a blood-alcohol content of more than twice the legal limit, had his bail lowered from $500,000 to $50,000 on Thursday.

Park Service's plan to buy Hacienda advances: By Liz Benston; A casino near the entrance to Lake Mead that has long been eyed by developers is one step closer to becoming property of the National Park Service.

North Vista, Kindred owners post mixed quarterly results: Michelle Swafford; Two owners of Las Vegas Valley hospitals reported mixed quarterly results.

Four get year in jail: Christina Littlefield and Lynn Doan; Four alleged members of the 311 Boyz gang this morning were sentenced to a year in jail and a year of house arrest in the July 2003 rock attack that left 18-year-old Stephen Tanner Hansen disfigured.

13-year-old pleads not guilty to charges of attempted murder: By Matt Pordum; A 13-year-old boy pleaded not guilty Thursday to two counts of attempted murder in connection with the May 18 shooting of two Mexican immigrant construction workers.

Columnist Dean Juipe: ABC forces a secrecy pact on fighters: Dean Juipe; Notes today, leading off with one that needs to be kept at least somewhat secret.

School officials say they knew of teacher's conviction: By Emily Richmond; Clark County School District officials said this morning they were aware that Kenneth Stacy -- a Chaparral High School teacher arrested on charges of sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old student -- had been convicted of attempted grand larceny last fall.

Moncrief indicted for campaign violations: Jace Radke and Ed Koch; Las Vegas City Councilwoman Janet Moncrief has been indicted by a grand jury for violating state campaign laws, sources close to the investigation said.

Casino plan deleted from ballot: "They turned the law of the District of Columbia on its head," said Wilma A. Lewis, chair of the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics.

Man shot by police sentenced for assault: By Matt Pordum; A 34-year-old self-professed drug addict was sentenced to 16 months to 2 years in prison on Thursday for using a knife to threaten a Metro Police officer who subsequently shot him.

New shortstop no stranger to the travels of Triple-A: Nick Christensen; Saturday afternoon, Henri Stanley was walking off the field as word spread that Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra had been traded.

State workers' slashed benefits may be restored: CARSON CITY -- A committee that oversees the state employees health insurance plan voted Thursday to try to restore some of the benefits that were cut when the system was in financial trouble.

Kerry will visit; Bush may follow: Kirsten Searer; Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry on Tuesday will visit Southern Nevada for the third time this year, and President Bush is expected to follow closely behind.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Stardust considering dates for Newton: News reports at the time said that "the contract can continue for up to 10 years," was worth "up to $25 million" and that Mr. Las Vegas would play the Stardust "40 weeks per year."

State's deadline for mentally ill patients extended until Monday: By Timothy Pratt; A day after area hospital administrators gave the state 24 hours to comment on a plan to force the mentally ill out of their emergency rooms, both sides backed off the tough talk and agreed on a Monday deadline.

International tie at the top, but rain wins: The Aussies are coming, the Aussies are coming.

Elimination games put pressure on everybody: Nick Christensen; Double Elimination First Round

Henderson plant owner swings to a profit: The supplier to the aerospace and other industries said quarterly sales of $124.1 million advanced from $101.8 million during the year-ago period.

A dozen banks sign up to finance Wynn project: MACAU -- Deutsche Bank AG and Societe Generale SA signed up 12 banks to join a $397 million loan for the Macau unit of Wynn Resorts Ltd., the Las Vegas casino firm run by Steve Wynn, said a banker involved in the transaction.

Community briefs for August 6, 2004: These locations will host blood drives next week for United Blood Services, 6930 W. Charleston Blvd.:

Sports briefs for August 6, 2004: Georgia's men's basketball team was placed on four years' probation Thursday for rules violations under former coach Jim Harrick involving academic fraud, unethical conduct and improper benefits.

Klecko on move for Patriots: Dan Klecko is approaching his switch from defensive line to inside linebacker with the same attitude he demonstrated as a rookie last year, when the team used him at everything from nose tackle to fullback.

Police involved in struggle identified: Denny has been with the department since February 2001 and Hutchinson joined the department in August 2001. Both work out of Metro's Southeast Area Command.

Goodman: Photo not intended for campaign ad: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman on Thursday acknowledged that he took a photo with County Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey in his office last Thursday, but he said he did not intend it for use in a television campaign ad.

RTC looking for traffic management facility leader: The Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation operations management committee, created when the state turned over control of the traffic system to the Regional Transportation Commission, looked over the three-page agreement between FAST and the RTC describing the new job Thursday at the Clark County Government Center.

Maddux will let others do talking: After Greg Maddux missed winning his 300th game as a major league pitcher Sunday at Wrigley Field, teammate Matt Clement dismissed the idea that Maddux's quest could become a distraction to the Chicago Cubs.

Mack wants review of ethics decision: Las Vegas City Councilman Michael Mack is taking the Nevada Ethics Commission to court -- and to task.

Rogers calls for reorganization of legal office: A restructuring of the higher education system's legal office is being proposed in the wake of allegations by the attorney general's office that the Board of Regents violated the state open-meeting law.

Tech heavyweights sign up for Vegas trade show: That was illustrated Thursday when the Virginia-based Consumer Electronics Association announced that top Intel and Microsoft executives will deliver key speeches at the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show set for Jan. 6-9.

News briefs for August 6, 2004: The 34-foot tall leprechaun that used to be part of the Fitzgeralds hotel sign downtown was damaged by fire this morning at the Neon Boneyard, which houses a collection of the city's old signs, fire officials said.

Vestin agrees to $5,000 fine for ad violations: The Mortgage Lending Division alleged that Vestin placed an advertisement that suggested that an investor would be guaranteed a specific rate of return or a specific rate of interest on the principal amount of money invested, which would be a violation of Nevada law.

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

Sierra Club hoping Yucca issue will draw voters: On the same day that Interior Secretary Gale Norton received bipartisan praise for bringing money from federal land sales in Clark County back to Nevada, environmentalists sharply criticized both her boss and her party.

Norton OKs $493 million for Nevada conservation: Interior Secretary Gale Norton, a ranking member of the Bush administration criticized by environmentalists for catering to business interests, announced her approval Thursday of $493 million to be spent for conservation-related purposes in Nevada.

Green Valley stars want their chance to shine: Adam Candee; Surrounding the pressure-filled games, there is plenty of downtime during the Green Valley Little League All-Stars' 10-day excursion to the Western Region tournament in San Bernardino, Calif. There is a pool, a ping-pong table and plenty of imagination at the compound where they sleep, eat and play with their competition from around the West.

Vegas company posts a profit: The casino and hotel company on Thursday also boosted its earnings projection for the full year. Pinnacle said it earned $15.7 million, or 43 cents a share, compared with a loss of $2.4 million, or 9 cents a share, a year earlier.

Volunteers wanted to write arguments on initiatives: CARSON CITY -- Volunteers are being sought by the Secretary of State's Office to write arguments for and against the initiative petitions to repeal the $833.5 million tax increase and to prohibit government workers from serving in the Nevada Legislature.

Trade show lodges complaint against Mandalay director: By Liz Benston; A small trade show said it has filed a formal complaint with Mandalay Resort Group against a Mandalay board member, saying the board member violated the company's conflict of interest rules by attempting to obtain an equity interest in the show and then blocking the show's desired dates.

Woman accused of beating kids to death with bat to stand trial: By Matt Pordum; A woman accused of beating her children to death with a baseball bat last year was found to be competent to stand trial on Thursday as District Judge Joseph Bonaventure remanded her case to the North Las Vegas Justice Court.

Appeals court strikes down Nevada campaign law: CARSON CITY -- A federal appeals court Friday struck down a Nevada law that required political pamphlets and campaign publications to contain the names of those who financed them.

Novel ideas: Caitlin Hudgins; WEEKEND EDITION

Taxes, sweet taxes: Emily Richmond, Launce Rake and Kirsten Searer; A recent California exile who moved to Nevada to buy a bigger house, Steven Ewing could barely believe his property tax bill when it arrived last month.

After addition of Lani, it's Society of eight: The Society of Seven is back -- and this time the seven fabulous entertainers are not alone.

Camp would help friendly children relate to others: August 7 - 8, 2004

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Kasten took the comedy road less traveled: Lisa Ferguson; The actor/comedian hasn't necessarily had trouble as an adult attempting to tackle simple equations and the like. Instead, he's referring to his decision more than two decades ago to follow through with a stand-up act that swam straight against the mainstream-comedy tide.

Casino plan deleted from D.C. ballot: Heather Greenfield; WASHINGTON -- A proposal to put a casino in the nation's capital was knocked off the ballot Thursday by election officials who accused supporters of flouting the law.

Datebook for August 6, 2004: Las Vegas' Arts District will host "First Friday," a district-wide open house and street fair, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. today on Colorado Street from 3rd Street to Main Street. 384-0092.

Letter: Lack of regret over war is telling: August 7 - 8, 2004

Google faces probe; IPO may be delayed: SAN FRANCISCO -- Google Inc., owner of the most-used Internet search engine, is being investigated by the California Department of Corporations after the company said Wednesday it failed to register shares issued to some workers and consultants.

Riffs in, rift out as Van Halen welcomes back Hagar: Spencer Patterson; Van Halen's game of musical vocalists is back on, and this time the winner is ... Sammy Hagar.

Performing Arts for August 6, 2004: Shawn Colvin

Columnist Jerry Fink: Stacy is father of country at Saddle 'N' Spurs: Dozens of young singers (and a few of the older ones, such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard) rode the crest of the tidal wave. But the wave began to lose power in the mid-'90s.

State hires casino consulting firm: The $764,000 contract for Information Services Group began July 15, 10 days after Gov. Ed Rendell signed legislation legalizing up to 61,000 slot machines at 14 racetracks, resorts and other sites.

Ex-Enron official pleads guilty to manipulation: David Kravets; SAN FRANCISCO -- A former Enron trading executive pleaded guilty Thursday to charges he manipulated energy markets during California's power crisis in 2001 and promised to aid the state and public utilities in their lawsuits seeking to recoup billions from the energy industry.

Columnist Barb Henderson: Bassmaster Classic keeps fishing fans hooked: Barb Henderson; Last weekend, 53 pro anglers began a voyage on Lake Wylie, a 12,455-acre reservoir along the border of North and South Carolina.

Letter: Bush uses scare tactics for votes: This is their latest ruse to scare the public into voting for them. What a farce these people represent.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Accident leaves pain, uncertainty: WEEKEND EDITION

Library executive, children's literature expert Dixon dies: Joyce Dixon's passion for bringing books to children through library services kept her up nights.

Editorial: Ignoring mentally ill: We certainly sympathize with the plight of the hospitals, which have been taking on a responsibility that rests with the state. The hospitals believe, with good justification, that their emergency rooms are becoming "warehouses" for the mentally ill. Gov. Kenny Guinn has tried to make things better, including getting the Legislature last year to approve his plan to open by 2006 a 150-bed state mental hospital, but even that will fall far short of the need. The problem is that the Legislature has lacked the political will to devise a long-term plan to treat the mentally ill. There isn't a ...

Editorial: A vision of future shock: A memo dated July 1992, from the department's safety manager to the Yucca Mountain project manager, for example, outlines a silica sampling plan that should have been undertaken during the boring. Another memo, dated August 1994, from the Yucca project's assistant manager for environment, safety and health, warned the project's technical office that those working in the tunnel "must use appropriate respiratory protection." Two years later this assistant manager sent another memo to the technical staff, saying that the disposable respirators in use were not providing sufficient protection.

Letter: Diversity must not be forgotten: I think this is the sickest time I have lived since I was 15 years old and decried Herbert Hoover's dirty tricks against Catholic Al Smith. As innocent as I was then (and I am a Lutheran), it disgusted me. It was so unfair. Even even then we called them dirty tricks by Republicans.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Moncrief's luck running out: WEEKEND EDITION

Letter: Bush has lost credibility on terror warnings: August 7 - 8, 2004

Columnist Spencer Patterson: Colvin uses fame to educate about depression: Spencer Patterson; That's a major reason why the 48-year-old singer-songwriter has become a spokeswoman for Beyond the Music, a national awareness campaign focused on the disease she was diagnosed with at age 19.

Sentencing of alleged gang members expected today: Under a plea agreement, the alleged attackers -- Ernest Aguilar, 17, Brandon Gallion, 16, Christopher Farley, 18, Jeff Hart, 17, Matthew Costello, 18, and Steven Gazlay, 19 -- did not admit guilt to the charges of attempted murder, battery and coercion but agreed prosecutors could prove their case at trial.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: New restaurants at MGM cure curiosity: For some months I'd been watching the latest restaurant renaissance unfold at MGM Grand's Studio Walk. New concept restaurants with dazzling food and extraordinary designs were being built. Painted construction walls with only the name of the property titillated the imagination.

Rich and Famous: WEEKEND EDITION

On Display for August 6, 2004: Logandale artist S.G. Rich will display watercolors and oils depicting Native American dances, desert flora and southwest landscapes in "Southwest Visited" during the month of August at the Lost City Museum in Overton. Admission is $3 adults, $2 seniors over 65. 397-2193.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Just Lunch serves up singles: "You can always say, 'I've got to go to a meeting,' because you probably do," said Cindy Taylor, owner of It's Just Lunch, a matchmaking service that just opened a Las Vegas office.

Wireless system lets library users get on the move: Caitlin Hudgins; WEEKEND EDITION

Obituaries for August 6, 2004: Leonard H. Burns, 52, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in a local hospital. He was born Feb. 20, 1952, in Tallulah, La. A resident for 37 years, he worked in a hotel warehouse.

Editorial: Leadership training is necessary: August 7 - 8, 2004

Columnist Jeff German: Sierra Club puts heat on GOP: WEEKEND EDITION

His Highness: Spencer Patterson; That changed in May, when the 78-year-old icon received the prestigious Polar Music Prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

Where I Stand -- Carol C. Harter: A pioneering nexus: WEEKEND EDITION

Fishing report: Morning is the time for lake action: Because of the hot weather, most anglers have been fishing in the early morning hours and then heading home by mid-morning. Those who have tried their luck during the past week have found some action, but the fishing for striped and largemouth bass has been only fair.

Letter: Low salaries for teachers at heart of problem: Mr. Sestini asks, "What is a good teacher worth?" Excellent question. Much of the media and the general public loves to focus on the negative in education and blame many education woes on what goes on in the classroom. Tremendous pressure is forced on any individual teacher by parents, administrators and society in general. While educational detractors are strong on verbiage and demands, they are equally weak on understanding and realistic solutions. The average individual is quite unaware of the impact a school district's administrators have on education. They are the ones who formulate policies, develop programs, distribute funds, set ...

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: M.I.L.K. served at Fashion Show: WEEKEND EDITION

Property taxes have become hot political issue: Kirsten Searer; WEEKEND EDITION

Delta shares fall: Delta shares fall

'Night Dreamer' offers Shorter version of jazz: Spencer Patterson; It's easy to assume Wayne Shorter came of age as a composer during his six-year stay with the Miles Davis Quintet.