Print edition for August 19, 2004

Expedia's local call center to close: A representative of the Bellevue, Wash.-based parent company, a division of IAC/InterActiveCorp, said Wednesday the company would close the Las Vegas operation over the next nine months and transfer some 100 call center jobs to Tacoma, Wash., and Miami.

Limousines back on legislative agenda: A proposal to establish an allocation system for limousines operating in Clark County will be reconsidered by the state Legislative Commission next week.

Attorneys: Ex-UNLV athlete to make plea deal in sex case: By Matt Pordum; A former University of Nevada, Las Vegas basketball player accused of having had sex with female students while working as a substitute high school teacher plans to plead guilty, attorneys said Wednesday.

Council signs on to billboard ban: Dan Kulin; Billboard companies looking for sites for new signs probably shouldn't look to North Las Vegas anymore.

Pappas family settles for $4.5 million: Sito Negron; The Pappas family will receive $4.5 million to end an 11-year struggle that began as a quest to keep their downtown property, but evolved into a fight over the value of the parcel, now part of the Fremont Street Experience garage.

Letter: There can be no excuse for leaving kids in hot cars: If a child is sleeping and the mother or father does not want to disturb the child and decides to run into a store, or house, for whatever the reason, I agree that the act was not intentional or willful. A choice was made, however. We all have choices, and sometimes we make the right one and other times we make the wrong one. How can one determine what's intentional in a case like this?

Name on school brings tears to retired coach's eyes: By Emily Richmond; When Jack Mannion found out a campus would be named for him and his wife, the retired high school basketball coach admits he joked that the Clark County School District must have finally exhausted the list of people deserving the honor.

Landlord alleged to have videotaped girl showering: Jen Lawson; A landlord accused of rigging his tenant's shower with one-way mirrored tiles and videotaping an 8-year-old girl as she bathed was arrested Tuesday on child pornography charges.

Assembly District 29: The crowded Republican primary lost one candidate when Anne DiMartini's residency was successfully challenged.

Bail at $10,000 for former schools AD: By Matt Pordum; Bail of $10,000 was set this morning for former Clark County School District athletic director Larry McKay on charges of felony theft charges.

Gladiators could have new coach picked by Friday: Adam Candee; Now three weeks old, the search for a new Las Vegas Gladiators head coach could come to an end Friday.

A Real Gem: Pop artist Ruby Mazur leads charmed life in LV: Classic rock is pouring through Mazur's spacious home, his 250-pound Newfoundland, Zeus, is circling the commotion and the artist's 16-year-old twin sons, Cezanne and Miro, visiting from Vienna, are glancing over with a smile.

Dorsey in the fast lane for a strong senior year: Steve Guiremand; UNLV opened as a 21-point underdog for its Sept. 5 opener at Tennessee at the Las Vegas Hilton and the spread quickly moved up to 21 1/2.

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 3:30 p.m.

Editorial: Hard truths at college need support: Drawing on his more than 30 years of experience in higher education, Carpenter spelled out all of those observations and put them into a memo addressed to the Board of Regents and Jim Rogers, interim chancellor of the University and Community College System of Nevada. Carpenter warned Rogers and the regents of the severity of the problems at CCSN, calling them "pervasive, deep and systemic." He was realistic in saying, "While (the problems) are certainly solvable, the solutions will not all be popular."

Highest ranking sergeant visits Nellis: Dick Benoit; The most senior sergeant in the Air Force recently visited with the troops at Nellis Air Force Base and told them that the modern day strength of the Air Force is not so much aircraft flying over targets as it is the diversity of the Air Force mission, and airmen working to make sure the mission is accomplished.

Rental inspection program approved: Dan Kulin; A proposed North Las Vegas rental inspection program was supported by the City Council on Wednesday, putting the city on track to be the first in the state with such a program.

Man facing molestation charges apparently flees to native Hungary: Jen Lawson; When John Udvardi learned that the family member he allegedly began molesting about 10 years ago was planning to report him to the authorities, he apparently fled to his native country of Hungary, Metro Police said Wednesday.

Economic indicators index drops: Economic indicators index drops

LV council proposes bill changing binding arbitration: Those requests are given to the Legislative Counsel Bureau, which develops them into proposed bills.

Las Vegas Justice Court Department 9: Liz Hatcher, Charles Michalek, Deanne Rymarowicz, Joseph Sciscento, Bernie Zadrowski, Michael Federico, Joe Bonaventure and Fernando Guzman will appear on the primary ballot for the spot. All are or have been lawyers.

Suicide leads to closure on busy Blue Diamond Road: Heather Rawlyk; Drivers traveling on Blue Diamond Road at Rainbow Boulevard Wednesday afternoon were forced to either pull over or wait in a long line of traffic because Metro Police thought a motorist on a nearby side street was considering suicide with a gun.

McDonald returns to council, this time as lobbyist: Sito Negron; Las Vegas city staffers sitting in the front row at the council meeting Wednesday morning called out to Michael McDonald, eagerly shaking his hand and calling him "councilman," a title he had until June 2003, when he was defeated for the Ward 1 seat by Janet Moncrief.

Medical provider supports Chaparral coach's actions in player's heat collapse: Nick Christensen; Qualified personnel followed the correct procedures when a Chaparral football player suffered heat stroke at a practice last Saturday, according to a HealthSouth spokesman.

News briefs for August 19, 2004: Metro Police arrested a 34-year-old man Wednesday night on charges of fatally stabbing his 23-year-old girlfriend in an apartment near Twain Avenue and Paradise Road.

Obituaries for August 19, 2004: Effie J. Andrews, 72, of Las Vegas died Sunday in Las Vegas. She was born July 16, 1932, in Texas. A resident for 17 years, she was a retired waitress.

Community briefs for August 19, 2004: Henderson Police are accepting applications for the upcoming Citizen Police Academy. The 13-week academy meets each Wednesday to educate citizens with a unique insight into the life and training of a Henderson Police officer.

Guilty verdict returned in murder case dating to '91: By Matt Pordum; After a day and a half of deliberations, a Clark County jury found a man guilty of second-degree murder Wednesday in the shooting of a 21 year-old man outside a birthday party more than 12 years ago.

A disastrous day in tennis for 'loaded' American team: ATHENS, Greece -- It all began ominously enough, with Venus Williams getting called for a foot fault, then double-faulting to lose her first service game.

Mother of three and her father slain in driveway: Beth Slovic; A 42-year-old mother of three and her 65-year-old father were stabbed to death early Wednesday morning in the driveway of their Whitney Ranch home, police said.

Las Vegas monorail contractor suspended: The employee, a technician for Bombardier Transportation, the contracted operator of the system, was dispatched to the train -- parked at the Las Vegas Hilton platform -- after crews reported a maintenance light turning on about 2:30 p.m. Monday, Todd Walker, a spokesman for the monorail, said.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: The fast-rising star of Champ Car racing is a son of Le Mans: A year ago, he became the first rookie since Nigel Mansell to capture pole position in his first two starts in the Champ Car World Series before going on to claim three more poles, win three races and finish fourth in final points.

Injured OT Crandal almost sure to have season-ending surgery: Steve Guiremand; Starting offensive tackle Tyler Crandal met with UNLV team neurosurgeon Dr. Albert Capanna on Wednesday to have an MRI done on his aching back.

Fire hits mobile home park: Ed Koch and Jen Lawson; The second fire in the past three weeks at the condemned Sky-Vue Mobile Home Park came on the heels of the city of Las Vegas sending a notice to the park's owners ordering them to demolish the trailers, authorities said.

About 175 Nevadans set to be deployed: Jace Radke; About 175 Nevada Army National Guard soldiers were saying goodbye to their loved ones this morning as they embarked on an 18-month deployment to Iraq and Kuwait.

District improves kids' lunches: By Emily Richmond; Cafeteria fare in Clark County schools earned a C plus Wednesday from a watchdog group that promotes vegetarian and vegan diets -- a vast improvement over the failing grade the district was handed last year.

Sports briefs for August 19, 2004: A bill banning California's public schools from using "Redskins" as a team or mascot name is moving to the desk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger after the state Assembly approved it Wednesday.

Ex-teacher's aide accused of sex with teen neighbor to face trial: By Matt Pordum; A former teacher's aide charged with seducing her 14-year-old neighbor will stand trial, Henderson Justice of the Peace Stephen George ruled on Wednesday.

Ralph Siraco's Del Mar selections: 1st Race -- AWESOME DIVIDEND -- Draws good rail post for mile opener, Naktani atop Baffert trainee, pays Awesome Dividend with victory for backers? TANGMALANGALOO -- Bug boy Ruis aboard Headley trainee, draws well for starter allowance run, Tang-ma-lang-a-winna? Value Play -- DOWNTIME

State ethics commission OKs rule that muzzles members: CARSON CITY -- The state Ethics Commission wants to stop its members from making "inaccurate or stray comments" to the public involving a case.

Letter: Kerry would protect privacy: What this means to those who value the right to privacy, as established by a long line of case law, is that the next president could either confirm and protect this right or erode it through his selection of new justices.

Board of Regents District 13: James Dean Leavitt, Gloria Sturman, Matthew Berkus, Jim Germain and Mark DeStefano are vying for Kirkpatrick's spot on the board that oversees the University and Community College System of Nevada.

Assembly District 28: The Republican primary race features two candidates: Benjamin J. Bell Sr. and Tino Mendoza, no relation to the Rosa Mendoza who is a candidate for the district's Democratic spot.

Slow burn: How fast is fast enough?

Business briefs for August 19, 2004: BRAMPTON, Ontario -- Nortel Networks Corp., North America's largest telephone-equipment maker, fired seven finance officials tied to an accounting restatement and said it will cut 3,500 jobs, or 10 percent of its work force.

Las Vegans in on huge Bay Area casino deal: By Liz Benston; Two people with Las Vegas connections are poised to become part of a management team that is expected to run one of the world's largest casinos in the densely populated San Francisco Bay Area.

Fire chiefs tell Reid of need for funds to fight terrorism: Kirsten Searer; State fire chiefs told Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Wednesday that they need federal funds to modernize communications systems in case of a terrorist attack.

Google shares fall short of expectations, price at $85: May Wong; SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Shares of Google Inc. were expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market today, the culmination of a unique and highly public initial stock offering for the 6-year-old dot-com dreamed up in a garage.

AT&T launches VoIP service: The CallVantage service, which provides service over a high-speed Internet connection instead of a traditional phone line, allows customers unlimited local and long-distance calling for a flat fee of $34.99 a month. An initial introductory price of $19.99 per month for the first six months is currently available.

Assembly District 1: Democrat Assemblyman Tom Collins had represented the district since 1992, but is running for the Clark County Commission.

Champ Cars, Vegas track have a future: Top speeds in Wednesday's testing at LVMS

Status of petitions: Qualified for ballot

Assembly District 4: Beers is running for the state Senate, but the three Republicans -- Francis Allen, Justin Doucette and Richard McArthur -- vying for his spot have realized this district, which includes Sun City, still likes to hear about cutting taxes.

North Las Vegas landing its own bank: Kevin Rademacher; Amid a flood of development activity, North Las Vegas appears on the verge of getting its own bank.

Crash kills two on way to teen boxing tourney: Stephen Curran; Donations to the family of Frank Enriquez can be made to "Jayme Delamore for the benefit of victims and families of the Las Vegas Elite Boxing Team," c/o Bank of The West, Account 265028159

Adelson-Wynn parking feud sparked again: Last month's Clark County Commission decision apparently did not settle a longstanding dispute over parking between Strip casino titans Steve Wynn and Sheldon Adelson.

New CCSN president faces questions over hiring: The new CCSN president, who blasted the campus for cronyism in a memo Tuesday, is now facing the same criticism.

County steps back to look at high-rise condos: High-rise condos may one day be a pervasive feature of the Las Vegas skyline, but Clark County commissioners are asking for more guidance about where they should be built.

Prostitution conviction unlikely to be key in strip club decision: Jace Radke and Sito Negron; The Wednesday conviction of a former Treasures dancer for prostitution solicitation isn't likely to dramatically change the landscape facing the Las Vegas City Council on Sept. 1 when it considers whether to extend or eliminate the strip club's liquor license.

School Board District E: Frank Albano, who spent 20 years teaching in three states and is retired, is making his first bid for public office. Albano, 62, also writes for the Las Vegas Tribune, a local publication.

Tougher drought rules may be avoided: As a result of reduced water use in the Las Vegas Valley, the Southern Nevada Water Authority is recommending that the region forgo a heightened "drought emergency" that had been planned for Jan. 1.

Ethics panel fines ex-Board of Education member: CARSON CITY -- After an all-day hearing Wednesday, the state Ethics Commission found former state Board of Education member John Hawk guilty of two ethics violations in his advocacy of a charter school in Clark County.

Gaming briefs for August 19, 2004: TRENTON, N.J. -- New Jersey lottery revenue rose more than 5 percent in the past fiscal year, topping $2 billion in sales for the third consecutive year.

Rogers revokes $25 million gift to UNLV: By Christina Littlefield; Interim Chancellor Jim Rogers is so frustrated with the higher education system he volunteered to run that he's withdrawing a $25 million gift he considered giving to UNLV, university and system officials said Wednesday.

Unit embarks on mission to Iraq: Jace Radke; A company of Nevada Army National Guard soldiers said goodbye to their loved ones this morning as they embarked on an 18-month deployment to Iraq and Kuwait.

Lawsuit filed to remove another petition: Kirsten Searer; Yet another lawsuit has been filed over a petition scheduled to appear on the November ballot.

County Commission District D: It could be the last hurrah for Joe Neal, a 32-year veteran of the Nevada Senate who is known for his controversial calls for tax increases on casino profits. Also running is Clark County Public Works technician Jesus Carlos Moreno.

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