Print edition for December 27, 2004

Community news briefs for December 27, 2004: Tuesday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m., HealthSouth Rehab Hospital, 1250 S. Valley View Blvd.; 1-6 p.m., Zelzah Shriners, 2200 W. Mesquite.

Holiday wrecks leave 3 dead: Eric Leake and Christina Littlefield; Three people were killed in traffic collisions over the holiday weekend, bringing the total traffic deaths in Metro Police's jurisdiction to 143 so far this year, a 14 percent increase over the total for all of last year.

Shreveport looks to trolleys to solve parking problems: The city has secured a commitment through the federal government's mass transit system toward the purchase of three trolleys costing $270,000 each.

Letter: Statistics on class sizes in Nevada are deceptive: What was not mentioned by your editorial was that class average computations include nonteaching positions of librarians, deans, counselors and activities directors in the overall average. These positions are not assigned classrooms of students to handle each day, but are included in the teaching staff numbers.

Addiction treatment pushed in Oregon: Brad Cain; SALEM, Ore. -- With the state getting ready to offer electronic slot machines, the 2005 Legislature will come under pressure to fully fund gambling addiction treatment programs that could become a lot busier.

Growth is still the big county issue: The Clark County Commission, a group of seven men and women who collectively govern a population of more than 1.7 million and an area the size of Massachusetts, has had a busy year wrestling with the strain of growth.

Big penalty kills Wranglers, 1-0: Nick Christensen; Another night, another one-goal defeat for the Las Vegas Wranglers -- and as the losses mount, Wranglers players and coaches continue to wonder what's behind the recent slump that has seen Las Vegas slip to second-to-last in the ECHL's eight-team West Division.

Two Las Vegas families lose homes in holiday fires: Eric Leake; When they should have otherwise been enjoying the holidays, two families were coping with the aftermath of house fires Christmas Day.

Las Vegas officials announce Moncrief recall election dates: Ward 1 residents interested in running against Moncrief have until 5 p.m. Jan. 5 to file a nominating petition at City Hall. Potential candidates must have been Ward 1 residents as of Dec. 6.

Nevada remains in top 10 for states with the most female legislators: Kirsten Searer; Nevada ranks in the top 10 in the nation for the number of female legislators it elected this year, according to a new study by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Dollar declines to record against euro: Mark Tannenbaum and Jonas Bergman; The dollar declined past $1.36 per euro for the first time, reaching a record low for the seventh time this month, on speculation the U.S. and Europe will allow the currency to drop.

Sports briefs for December 27, 2004: Bishop Gorman football coach David White was named today to the West coaching staff for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 15 in San Antonio.

Two LV families lose homes in fires: Eric Leake and Emily Richmond; When they should have otherwise been enjoying the holidays, two families were coping with the aftermath of house fires Christmas Day.

Woman charged in fatal crash pleads not guilty: Albert Lasso, the lawyer for 57-year-old Sharon Rapstad, entered the plea before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace William Jansen to the misdemeanor traffic charges Rapstad faces for the crash that killed Debbie Blinder.

Holmes doing well after colon cancer surgery: The small tumor was discovered during a routine colonoscopy earlier this month. He had surgery Wednesday at Southern Hills Hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, according to a statement from Kirvin Doak Communications, which handles Holmes' public relations.

Online retailer sets record: The company had its busiest holiday season, setting a single-day record with more than 2.8 million units ordered, or 32 items per second, Amazon.com said. The company ran out of Apple Computer Inc.'s 20-gigabyte iPod music player and reported DVD players and digital cameras were among its top sellers.

County to receive less money for food, shelter: By Timothy Pratt; Federal funding for emergency food and shelter in Clark County is lower than at any time since the year 2000, prompting some who receive the funds to suggest the formula driving the amounts year after year -- based on unemployment rates -- should be changed.

Man convicted in killing of four will get new trial: CARSON CITY -- A 24-year-old inmate, sentenced to life in prison without parole for his part in the killing of four men in Clark County, is going to get a new trial because he could not get along with his trial attorney.

Two convicted killers face California trial: Molly Ball; David Riker and Richard Walker were on a killing spree, authorities said, when in 1992 they allegedly stabbed a man to death in California, drove his vehicle to Las Vegas and fatally stabbed another man.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Float has us counting the flowers: If she says to split grass, you split grass. If she says to cut impossibly weensy petals from flowers, get your scissors and start snipping.

Editorial: Solar energy has potential for Nevada: A movement for massive solar farms in Southern Nevada sprang up in the early 1990s. The plan then was to arrange thousands of solar collectors, resembling gigantic satellite dishes, in the desert and use the power from the sun to separate hydrogen from water. Proponents, including Sen. Harry Reid, foresaw the day when hydrogen, not oil, would be the main source of energy. While they were right in sensing that inevitability, researchers began favoring other methods of producing hydrogen.

Entertainment Weakly: Kirk Baird; It wasn't exactly a stellar year for me when it came to the annual predictions.

Record passenger count reported for November: Year-to-date McCarran has reported 38.1 million passengers, up 14.3 percent compared with the 33.3 million counted from January through November 2003.

American textile companies bracing for import quotas to end: Paul Nowell; CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- To Carolina Mills Chief Executive Steve Dobbins, the elimination of import quotas on hundreds of textile products will only increase the pain his company has suffered for some time.

Letter: Nonsmokers not feeling welcomed in local casinos: If you're a nonsmoker, and complain that a smoker just sat down next to you, you're ignored or told that there's nothing anyone can do. Does that make you feel welcome? Does that make you feel comfortable? Does that cause you to gamble less or leave? Yes!

Roulette maker gets chance in LV: Few table game devices attract the eye of casino customers like the roulette wheel.

Police say burglary suspect found in casino: Daniel G. Townsend, a 26-year-old transient, was taken into custody at the Best Bet Casino shortly after midnight, police said. He was held in the Flathead County jail and faces charges of burglary and criminal mischief.

Preps: Schedule: Boys' Basketball

Senators not interested in discussing gambling: Thirty-six senators -- 11 more than a majority -- said in the Associated Press annual pre-session survey that they would not support efforts to revive a casino gambling plan.

Woman rises in NLV fire department ranks: David Kihara; When Terri Davis was a rookie firefighter at North Las Vegas Firehouse 51 in 1992, she felt she had to demonstrate time and again that she could do the same work as her male colleagues.

Monday's EST Time Schedule: AP; College Football

Obituaries for December 27, 2004: Anne Abbriano, 70, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in Las Vegas. She was born Jan. 15, 1934, in Pasadena, Calif. A resident for 15 years, she was a retired farmer and a dance member of Kapuna Hula Group.

Presents ease family's loss at Christmastime: Eric Leake; Matthew, 6, and his sister Kailey, 4, lost their cochlear hearing devices. The devices and the family's Christmas presents were in the family's van that was stolen out of the driveway early last week.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Holiday hiatus has players itching to get back at it: Ralph Siraco; The traditional Christmas present that horseplayers open the day after Christmas signaled the first of the new year for racing fans.

Another free day set for monorail: Stephen Curran; After carrying passengers Friday for the first time since early September, the Las Vegas Monorail will continue allowing people to ride free through Tuesday.

Officer shoots, kills carjacking suspect: The victim of the carjacking pointed out the suspect to police about 2:15 a.m., after the man tried to steal the car in the parking lot of mall, which faces the Strip at Spring Mountain Road, police said.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: NHL player keeps head in the game with Gulls: The next time the Wranglers drop the puck at an unusual time, you might want to head out to the Orleans Arena, because there's no telling who or what you might see.

Monorail officials hope to set record on New Year's: Christina Littlefield and Stephen Curran; Las Vegas Monorail officials are looking forward to transporting tens of thousands of passengers on New Year's Eve after breaking their previous ridership numbers on Christmas Day.

Mandalay, union reach deal: By Liz Benston; Maintenance workers at three Mandalay Resort Group properties averted a strike planned for this week by agreeing to a sweetened wage offer from the company late Friday.

Births for December 27, 2004: Dec. 10:

Editorial: Straight talk needed: Bush refused to answer the reporter's question, however. "Don't bother to ask me," Bush said. The president said that he wasn't going "to start playing my hand," suggesting that answering specific questions about Social Security now would hurt him later when he tries to negotiate with Congress. Congressional Democrats and some Republicans, too, believe that it will only require tweaking to ensure Social Security's solvency, not a sweeping transformation as Bush is contemplating.

Company sells interest in South African casino: South Africa-based Peermont will buy the stake in Caesars Gauteng with partner Marang Gaming Investments, Caesars said in a statement.

Three killed in valley in weekend violence: Violence over the holiday weekend, including an officer-involved shooting, left three people dead and two others in serious condition, authorities reported.

Consumers head to stores on hunt for heftier discounts: Anne D'Innocenzio; After struggling through a disappointing holiday season, retailers were heartened by a surge in business last week, and a busy shopping day after Christmas, creating more hope that they would meet their modest sales goals.