Print edition for August 16, 2004

Teacher who copied math test suspended: By Emily Richmond; The State Board of Education has approved an 80-day suspension for Clark County School District math teacher Steven Degelbeck for copying and distributing portions of the math proficiency exam to his students.

Reservists face tough mission in Africa: Jace Radke; Maj. Don Cullison is one of a group of about 20 Las Vegas-based Army Reservists who are working under the threat of terrorism to complete a mission half a world away.

Giants win in crowded NL wild-card race: AP; Brett Tomko allowed one run in six innings for his first win in nearly a month Sunday, leading the Giants to a 3-1 road victory over Philadelphia that completed a three-game sweep.

Back-to-school ritual performed throughout valley: Heather Rawlyk; "It's something we look forward to every year," Partlow said. "It's a time we get to spend just us two girls. This year is really special because Meghan's starting high school."

Colleges take gamble on casino studies: Michael Gormley; ALBANY, N.Y. -- Ivy walls and ivory towers now have back rooms and they're churning out blackjack dealers and casino managers.

Venezuela vote lowers prices: On the New York Mercantile Exchange, September crude oil was down 21 cents at $46.37 a barrel this morning in electronic trading. Earlier it had risen to $46.91 a barrel, the highest intraday price since oil futures began trading in 1983.

Lowe's posts higher earnings: Lowe's posts higher earnings

Gaming briefs for August 16, 2004: Las Vegas gaming leasing company PDS Gaming Corp. today reported a 2 percent increase in second quarter profit to $186,000. On a per share basis, profit was flat at 5 cents compared with the second quarter of last year.

Proposed schools budget goes to Guinn: CARSON CITY -- A $2.8 billion proposed spending plan for the state's public schools calls for a 3 percent pay raise for teachers and other educational personnel in each of the coming two fiscal years and an expansion of the kindergarten day by 30 minutes.

Pot ruling opens door for other initiatives: Jace Radke and Kirsten Searer; Now that a federal judge has opened the door for the marijuana initiative petition to possibly be placed on the November ballot, county clerks are scrambling to verify signatures on four petitions that could be affected by the ruling.

News briefs for August 16, 2004: Heavy flooding Sunday night closed U.S. 95 at three locations, the most serious of which was at State Route 160 at Pahrump, the Nevada Highway Patrol said.

Columnist Susan Snyder: History in the making in Goldfield: Soon after Lake Tahoe-area residents Steve Cramer and Angela P. Haag bought the 1907 bank building in Goldfield, they decided they needed more property close by for parking and fire access.

West Nile virus' spread watched: Molly Ball and Mary Manning; With seven new probable cases of West Nile virus reported in Clark County, officials are monitoring the disease's spread but say there is no way to tell how far-reaching the outbreak will be.

Roddick gets the spirit, leads U.S. to 5-0 day: ATHENS -- Playing in his first Olympics, Andy Roddick admitted it was "definitely something different" than anything he has been a part of before.

States' highway patrols to join forces on I-15: Stephen Curran; In theory Interstate 15 from Baker, Calif., to Las Vegas, with its lengthy straightaways, is a stretch of highway even the most novice driver could master.

Suspect charged in fatal shooting: Ralph A. Medina is accused of shooting Michael Lopez on Aug. 10 in a home in the 1600 block of Clint Canyon Drive near Wagon Wheel Drive and Boulder Highway.

Editorial: Put laws in context: Taking advantage of that oversight, some store owners saw no need for any initiative on their part and ignored the ordinance. Others went overboard, inundating their customers with so much information that it probably went unread. At least one salesperson tried calling the city for a clarification, but was referred to the Nevada Legislature's hotline.

Rise in LV home values shatters U.S. record: Jennifer Shubinski; Ask almost any homeowner in the Las Vegas Valley about their house and they'll tell you how much it's appreciated in the past year -- or how they wish they'd bought sooner.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Racing's fall classics are coming into focus: Ralph Siraco; Summertime racing can be frustrating and exciting. It can also be a time of anticipation for the fall classics and for some vacation tanning.

Regents again face dispute over open-meeting law: Interim Chancellor Jim Rogers' attempts to resolve the higher education system's problems with the open-meeting law have led to questions about whether his solution is violating the law.

Retailer's profit tied to fewer price cuts: Net income of $1.54 a share compared with a net loss of $5 million, or 6 cents, a year earlier. Sales in the three months ended July 28 fell 15 percent to $4.79 billion, the Troy-based company said today in a statement. Kmart boosted profit margin more than 4 percentage points by keeping inventory low, which reduced the need for price cuts.

Birth announcements for August 16, 2004: July 29:

Vegas businessman recommended for license: CARSON CITY -- A Las Vegas businessman who was turned away last year from obtaining a state casino license has won preliminary approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which praised him for his turnaround.

Sports briefs for August 16, 2004: Czech Republic national ice hockey team coach, and former Pittsburgh Penguins coach, Ivan Hlinka died today after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash, an official said.

Getting Estandia more involved is the tall order for 2004 season: Steve Guiremand; As far as opening game debuts go, it would be hard to top the one turned in by tight end Greg Estandia last year.

Letter: Bush avoided meeting residents: President Bush's apparent limited access to Las Vegans to discuss current issues, including Yucca Mountain, is not something that could be placed in his resume as an example of a profile in courage. I say shame on the president for cowering away from citizens in Las Vegas. The president can meet citizens in large venues in other cities and states but not in Las Vegas. Why?

Aladdin changeover under way: By Liz Benston; The management group that is working to buy the Aladdin hotel-casino out of bankruptcy has sent termination letters to about 20 managers as part of the group's plan to remake the property into a Planet Hollywood resort.

Letter: Kerry cannot be trusted on Yucca Mountain dump: Unfortunately, Kerry's selective memory only provided half of the story. The other half begins with his vote for the "Screw Nevada" bill in 1987. Without that critical piece of legislation, Yucca Mountain would be a mere sentence in a history book about a proposed project that never happened. Instead, Nevadans have spent 20 years fighting to keep deadly nuclear waste out of our backyard.

Weekend Sports Transactions: AP; NEW YORK YANKEES-Called up INF Andy Phillips from Columbus of the IL. Optioned RHP Bret Prinz to Columbus.

Letter: President can't defend record: Could it be they're not proud of what they've done? Lets see, we have war, terrorism threats, education reform that is teaching kids how to take tests, environmental degradation, restriction of civil liberties, recession and job losses, an improving economy but with jobs that pay less than those that have disappeared and so forth.

Concert simulcast is a fun game of Phish: Kirk Baird; It wasn't the Las Vegas vacation Melissa Kubik and Amy Whynman dreamed of.

Feds investigate county's approval of drugstore: Federal investigators are reviewing land records from a controversial approval of a drugstore and convenience store granted almost three years ago by the Clark County Commission.

Roman Ruler wins Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar: AP; Ridden by Corey Nakatani and carrying 118 pounds, Roman Ruler finished the six furlongs in 1:15 4/5 and paid $3, $2.20 and $2.10.

Owner says 'sloppy' play led to Haege's dismissal: Adam Candee; An emotionally detached assessment showed Jim Ferraro that he wanted to fire Frank Haege as the Gladiators' head coach. The perceived danger of losing current and prospective players because of Haege, combined with the owner's distaste for the team's "sloppy" play during the past two seasons, made it easy for Ferraro.

Champ Car Schedule-Winners: AP; May 23 - Monterey, Mexico (Sebastien Bourdais)

Obituaries for August 16, 2004: William J. Acklin, 88, of Las Vegas died Saturday in Las Vegas. He was born April 29, 1916, in Caliente. A lifelong Nevada resident, he was a retired Union Pacific railroad conductor, grandson of Nevada pioneers and attended high school in Alamo.

Nevada, regional hospitals included in merger: BRENTWOOD, Tenn. -- LifePoint Hospitals Inc., which owns medical centers mainly in the U.S. Southeast, agreed to buy Province Healthcare Co. for about $1.13 billion in cash and stock to gain 22 hospitals in rural communities.

Hill equal to mountainous task at Caesars: Leah Robinson; The short answer: yes. Of course, it helps to make your re-appearance in the jaw-dropping Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Confidently working the daunting stage, she made the night her own.

NRC outlines proposal to test nuke waste casks: Suzannne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The government could test nuclear waste containers destined for Yucca Mountain by running a train into one and then engulfing it in fire.

Editorial: Keep those traffic safety laws coming: Nationally, 42,643 people died in vehicle crashes in 2003. While that number remains shockingly high, it nevertheless is lower by 362 from the previous year. The number represents a traffic death rate of 1.48 for every 100 million miles driven. This is the lowest number since the federal government began charting traffic fatalities in 1966.

More cooling showers are expected: After a blistering week that included heat advisories, Las Vegas Valley residents can look forward to cooler than normal temperatures for a couple of days, thanks to weekend rain, National Weather Service forecasters said Sunday.

Valley Hospital closing psych unit: The unit will close Sept. 1 to make room for the hospital's expanding OB-GYN clinic, Lori Harris, a spokeswoman for the hospital, said.

Incubus drums up support at Thomas & Mack: Spencer Patterson; Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center headliner Incubus proved it is not the average superstar rock band.

N.J. seeking answers from tourists: Hathy Hennessy; ATLANTIC CITY -- Is it the boardwalk, the casinos or the Victorian charm of Cape May that brings vacationers "down the shore?"

Lightning reacquire Prospal, and walk away from Stillman arbitration award: AP; Prospal was acquired from the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Monday for a second-round pick in the 2005 draft. He led the Lightning with 79 points in the 2002-03 season but then left as an unrestricted free agent.

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for August 16, 2004: Lisa Ferguson; Celebrating a birthday this month? That's terrific though not entirely surprising, since 21 million Americans have August birthdays. That little tidbit comes courtesy of greeting-card conglomerate Hallmark.

Community briefs for August 16, 2004: Clark County Parks and Community Services will host Back to School festivities from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at the Cambridge Recreation Center, 3930 Cambridge St.

Jury decides knife attack was attempted murder: By Matt Pordum; A Clark County jury decided a 38-year-old man, who went on a knife wielding rampage at the Clark County Social Services center in Henderson in December 2003, did so with the intent to kill.