Print edition for February 27, 2004

Controversial movie stirs emotions, fosters dialogue: Mel Gibson's brutal depiction of Jesus' death by Roman crucifixion in "The Passion of the Christ" has raised myriad emotions among local religious leaders since the movie opened Wednesday.

Business briefs for Feb. 27, 2004: Joyce Steves Storm today said that her sister, Chardell Steves, left the downtown Las Vegas Neonopolis mall at the end of January. Storm's New York-based real estate advisory firm, JSS Advisors, is Neonopolis' management company.

Teen's slaying mystery to mom: Jen Lawson; Seventeen-year-old Jared Whaley left his home the morning of Oct. 14 and set out on his daily walk down the street to his school bus stop, but he never got on the bus.

Full-day kindergarten proposed: By Emily Richmond; Clark County School District officials are considering a pilot program in which parents would pay tuition for their children to attend full-day kindergarten classes.

Columnist Jeff German: For Jim and Ed, the truck stops here: Ludwick, a 55-year-old ironworker, and Krizewicz, a 72-year-old retired Chicago firefighter, don't have much political juice. They're average citizens who, for the past six years, have had a tough time getting Clark County officials to address their concerns.

Boy, 16, found guilty of murder: Erica D. Johnson; Jurors convicted a 16-year-old boy of second-degree murder this morning in the stabbing death of a Las Vegas man, a verdict the the teen's family members called a "small victory."

Growth controls would cost Nevada billions of dollars: A report presented to the Southern Nevada Water Authority Thursday warns of deep economic disruptions throughout the entire region if local governments impose restraints on growth.

Hilton Hotels Corp. executives promoted: BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Hilton Hotels Corp., the third- biggest U.S. hotel company, today appointed Chief Executive Stephen Bollenbach co-chairman and named Matt Hart as president and chief operating officer to oversee hotel operations.

DOE under gun on Yucca questions: Suzanne Struglinski; ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may not have enough time to review all of the answers the Energy Department plans to submit to the remaining technical question on the proposed Yucca Mountain Project before the license application is submitted at the end of the year.

Heller won't challenge Reid: Kirsten Searer; Secretary of State Dean Heller has decided not to run for the U.S. Senate, meaning that Richard Ziser could be the last major Republican figure planning a run against Sen. Harry Reid.

Improved scores may save Edison contract: By Emily Richmond; Edison Schools Inc. may have earned a reprieve in Clark County with respectable scores on its biggest test yet, as students at the six elementary schools managed by the private company outperformed students with similar backgrounds in the math portion of the latest round of standardized tests.

Water released at dam as part of test: Heather Rawlyk and Jean Reid Norman; Visitors to Hoover Dam Thursday afternoon witnessed a sight not listed in the tour book, as 130 million gallons of water burst from the Nevada wall of Black Canyon.

New instruments could ease McCarran delays: Dan Kulin; Weather-related delays and flight cancellations at McCarran International Airport like the problems this week could be eased in the future with new equipment that will allow more flights to land in poor visibility.

Terrorism fighting weapons used in stings: Jace Radke; Using resources brought together to fight terrorism, a newly combined federal agency has been able to root out thousands of case of child pornography across the country.

Public defender list cut to three candidates: Erica D. Johnson; The list of potential candidates to take over the Clark County public defender's office has been narrowed down to three, County Manager Thom Reilly announced Thursday.

Inquest begins in shooting at elementary school: Jen Lawson; A Clark County coroner's inquest convened this morning to determine whether a Henderson Police officer was justified in killing a man during a standoff in the parking lot of Fay Galloway Elementary School last month.

On Display for Feb. 27, 2004: "Alvino in Glass," fused glass artworks by Scott Rubin, will hang from Thursday to March 31 at Art@The Funk House, 1228 S. Casino Center. Admission is free. 384-0092.

Earl thinking of time shares for Aladdin site: Planet Hollywood International Inc. Chairman Robert Earl thinks a couple of thousand time share units may be the best way to use a vacant parcel next to the Aladdin that he and his partners would acquire as part of the Las Vegas megaresort they've agreed to purchase out of bankruptcy protection.

DOE submits more Yucca answers: Suzanne Struglinski; ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The Energy Department has submitted answers to 90 of the original 293 unresolved scientific questions on its proposed Yucca Mountain projects.

Editorial: Predictable irony: The upshot would be that more radioactive waste would then be allowed to stay at nuclear facilities across the nation. Currently there are 53 million gallons of radioactive material at the Hanford site in Washington state, 34 million gallons of the liquid waste at the Savannah River site in South Carolina and 900,000 gallons at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. The Bush administration isn't above playing hardball on this issue, warning that it will withhold $350 million in cleanup funds at nuclear facilities unless it gets its way in reclassifying the waste.

Figures in Venetian contest-rigging land at Indian casino: Two of the casino executives fired by the Las Vegas Strip's Venetian resort for their involvement in the rigging of three 2002 promotional contests are still working in the casino business.

Date-rape drug OK'd for sleep disorders: RENO -- The state Board of Pharmacy Thursday approved a version of the date-rape drug GHB to be prescribed for some sleep disorders.

Consumer cutbacks lead to relaxation of water rules: The board of the Southern Nevada Water Authority approved Thursday a relaxation of rules designed to curb water use -- a testament, agency staffers said, to the success of consumers in cutting back use of the resource.

Now in LV, Gaines would pass on UNLV job: With a top-10-rated schedule and more success, coach Quin Snyder is bound for the NCAAs during a season of turmoil.

Is LV holding a Trump card?: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said Thursday morning that he had a brief meeting with Donald Trump while in New York last week, and may see the real estate mogul in the next two weeks when Trump visits Las Vegas.

Retired admiral withdraws NRC bid: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- A former Navy admiral has withdrawn his nomination to serve on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the White House announced Thursday.

Mitchell's 'Blue' period established her as a star: Spencer Patterson; Though I don't go out of my way to find obscurities for my weekly picks, I do generally try to avoid the obvious.

Projects could bring untapped water to LV within three years: Huge infrastructure projects could be built within three years to bring new and as yet untapped water to thirsty Las Vegas, officials of the Southern Nevada Water Authority told the agency's governing board Thursday.

Lucas has record night to pace Centennial girls: Adam Candee; RENO -- It is difficult to predict who will lead Centennial, a team defined by its lack of a single star, in tonight's state title game against Reno.

Palo Verde, Foothill to clash for boys' title: Adam Candee; RENO -- A little stage fright nearly put Palo Verde and Foothill right back on the bus to southern Nevada today.

Obituaries for Feb. 27, 2004: Roderick Adam, 62, of Las Vegas died Feb. 13 in Las Vegas. He was born Feb. 5, 1942, in California. A resident for 36 years, he was a musician and a Navy veteran.

Complaint alleges council violated open-meeting law: Dan Kulin; A Boulder City woman has filed an open-meeting law complaint with the state attorney general's office, alleging Boulder City's Council negotiated the severance package for ousted City Manager John Sullard during a series of secret meetings.

UNLV can't solve Lobos' defense: A few minutes after she was held to just two baskets and 10 points, nine below her conference-leading average, UNLV's RanDee Henry was asked what makes New Mexico so good on defense.

Phair is Fair: Eschewing 'indie' label, Liz Phair continues musical odyssey: Spencer Patterson; "I was definitely part of (the indie scene), but I was always at odds with it," Phair said in a phone interview from her Los Angeles home. "There was always friction there."

Editorial: Don't trash states' role in marriage: Despite the president's claim that this is a grave matter, this proposed amendment is unworthy of being added to the U.S. Constitution, which only has been amended 27 times in our nation's history. Besides, the federal government has no business getting involved in marriage, a role historically reserved for states and local governments. Bush's decision is all about energizing the far-right conservative base of the Republican Party, but there are some things that should be out-of-bounds during an election year, and one of those is debasing the U.S. Constitution with a needless amendment that will drive even more of a ...

Execution stay issued in Mack case: CARSON CITY -- The state Corrections Department said today that a stay of execution has been issued for Daryl Mack, 45, convicted of the rape-strangulation of a Reno woman in her home in October 1988.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Sadler lends hand to allow Long shot: Carl Long may have destroyed his only NASCAR Nextel Cup car in a violent crash last weekend at North Carolina Speedway, but Long has secured a ride for next Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Fishing report: Weather keeps anglers off most of area's lakes: Creel census clerks reported a dramatic decline in fishing activity from the previous week at Lake Mead because of the weather front that enveloped the area.

Sports briefs for February 27, 2004: Rogge couched his expectations by stressing: "If the Athens Games run smoothly and, I repeat, if they run smoothly ... There's still a lot to do -- we have only five and a half months. "Our experts say if the pace and the rhythm of the work continues, there is enough time to finish."

Wreckage of missing plane found: Civil Air Patrol teams located the crash site about 12:20 p.m. Thursday.

Midnight fireworks approved: The hospital received approval to shoot fireworks for a couple minutes as part of its ribbon-cutting ceremony, beginning at 12:01 a.m.

Marshals' contract clarification goes before City Council: Sito Negron; Las Vegas negotiators and the city's marshals have agreed to clarify a union contract that gives all officers a boost in pay, a move that could cost the city about $560,000 over the four-year contract period.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Top Rank weathers FBI storm: Dean Juipe; Approached by a local TV sportscaster who was looking for file video of Jesus Chavez, Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels laughed Thursday while indicating his company no longer has access to its extensive video library.

Lower rate of abuses reported in Nevada: Nevada's dioceses, jointly operated from 1950 to 1995, reported a much lower rate of priest abuses than the national average. Eight out of 521 total priests, or 1.5 percent were accused of sexually abusing minors during that time period.

Columnist Barb Henderson: Fly-fishing class offered locally: Barb Henderson; If you are interested in learning to fly-fish, that desire may not be hard to achieve.

Popular Morales set for test from Chavez: Dean Juipe; They're the gladiators of the sport, the guys who refuse to quit and will only lose "if they're carried out on their shield."

Wright course to pros leads to Wranglers job: Nick Christensen; For the past seven years, Doug Wright lived in the shadow of his older brother Tyler.

Woman killed in accident: The woman was sitting in the right rear seat and apparently was not wearing a seat belt, which could have saved her life, Clark County Fire Department spokesman Bob Leinback said today.

Letter: Reid targeting wilderness areas: Reid will go county by county until he has locked Nevadans out of the back country. He is supported by the Sierra Club on this issue, the same group that has sued the state over the widening of U.S. 95.

Woman arrested after shots fired in neighbor dispute: By Emily Richmond; Carrie Frazier, 68, was arrested shortly before 7 a.m. , five hours after police received the first call reporting shots had been fired in her neighborhood, said Henderson Police spokesman Shane Lewis.

Community briefs for Feb. 27, 2004: The American Cancer Society invites women undergoing treatment for cancer to attend the Look Good ... Feel Better class from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, and March 11, 17 and 25 at various locations throughout the valley.

Hospital prepped to open: Michelle Swafford; Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center, the second of three hospitals opening in the southwest part of the Las Vegas Valley, is scheduled to open Monday at 12:01 a.m. with fireworks and fanfare.

Kruger wasn't only job hopeful to call: Steve Guiremand; UNLV athletic director Mike Hamrick confirmed Thursday that he met this week with former Atlanta Hawks coach Lon Kruger to discuss the school's head coaching opening, but said Kruger wasn't the only person to have come through town to talk about the Rebels job.

Tougher penalties created for fugitive dust violations: The state Environmental Commission on Thursday toughened the penalties for fugitive dust violations, allowing a $10,000-a-day fine after the second violation.

Supermarkets, clerks reach tentative deal: Alex Veiga; LOS ANGELES -- Negotiators for three supermarket chains and grocery clerks reached a tentative contract agreement Thursday, creating hope that the longest supermarket strike in U.S. history would end and send 70,000 financially strapped employees back to work.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: More DREAM support: Today it appears that the problems of illegal immigrants have captured the attention of politicians and other decision-makers. Most have completely missed what some of us consider of major importance. I'm referring to the children who have been brought into the United States illegally and have been raised as part of our society and culture. They are, for all reasonable purposes, American citizens. Thousands of them have succeeded in our schools and now serve honorably in the uniform of our military services.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Lebowski fans to wind up in the gutter: But we're pretty excited about this weekend's Lebowski Fest West.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Allen remembered by famous friends: For sure, he would have been thankful to all of his friends and fans who came to his birthday party at Bootlegger Bistro on Wednesday and brought with them clothing and other items for the homeless.

Woman sought in slaying: Donald Ursem was shot by a man who had knocked on his front door in the 5700 block Carl Street, near Vegas Drive and Jones Boulevard. The gunman had demanded Ursem's wallet before shooting him, police said.

Heller won't challenge Reid, Ziser still planning campaign: Kirsten Searer; Secretary of State Dean Heller has decided not to run for the U.S. Senate, meaning that Richard Ziser could be the last major Republican figure planning a run against Sen. Harry Reid.

LV gaming supplier reports earnings gains: The company said revenue was up 31 percent and earnings up 30 percent over last year.

Fraud charge dismissed, others stand: Dismissal of the fraud count, which carried a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, will mean less prison time for Stewart if she's convicted of other charges. Four other conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges, which are still pending before U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum, carry sentences of up to five years.

Longterm problem not expected from spill: Clark County Water Reclamation District officials said today they do not believe there will be any longterm environmental problems resulting from a 2-million-gallon sewage spill near the Strip this week.

Letter: Gay marriage question cutting across party lines: Some newscasters hinted that the decision against gay marriage was an issue that was divided down the two major political parties.

'Mamma Mia!' still having the time of its life: It's as youthful, refreshing and energetic (and as sold out) as it was at its premiere.

Hearing for consumers on rate increase set: The event will be held at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.

Irresistible Air Force: Steve Guiremand; Joe Scott knew what some of his coaching colleagues were thinking when he left his assistant coaching position at Princeton University to become the head basketball coach at Air Force in 2000.

Gladiators convinced they belong at the top: Adam Candee; Noon, Thomas & Mack Center TV: NBC, Ch. 3 Radio: KBAD 920-AM

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Wild Oats is conscious of our environment: It's true. The plastic containers that are showing up at both Las Vegas stores are made from a corn-based resin called Nature Works PLA. Wild Oats plans to have these easily composted containers in all 75 Wild Oats stores nationally by the end of March.

Hazardous waste dump in Beatty can lower its fees: RENO -- A regulation that could nearly double the amount of toxic waste being shipped into Nevada for burial near Beatty was approved by the state Environmental Commission Thursday.

Inquest begins in in shooting at school: The case stems from the killing of Hezekiah E. Lewis, 40, of Henderson on Jan. 21 by Officer Mike Gillis of the department's special response team after Lewis allegedly threatened police during a standoff at 701 Skyline Road, near Horizon Drive.

Letter: Many reasons to vote against Bush: What happened to the tax cut? It all went to the rich, with some payments to families with children.

Legislators move against gambling expansion: The bill freezes the number of gambling licenses at the current level, a move that upset those in areas of the state that have passed referendums for riverboat casinos.

Jury told teen killed to stop 911 call: Erica D. Johnson; Prosecutors told jurors on Thursday that a 16-year-old boy charged with killing a man in a home invasion robbery violently stabbed the homeowner to prevent him from reporting the crime to police.

More scrutiny ahead for medical examiners board: WEEKEND EDITION

Performing Arts for Feb. 27, 2004: Small Potatoes

Movie Guide: Kirk Baird; WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Susan Snyder: LV needs to take care of its own: So it's good that local volunteers have been working to keep the state's parks presentable. It's kind of embarrassing to invite the world to your doorstep when the living room ceiling leaks.

District looking for help on teacher recruiting program: Feb. 28 - 29, 2004

Letter: Gibson's film moves followers: Feb. 28 - 29, 2004

Letter: Violent 'Passion' fails to inspire: Feb. 28 - 29, 2004

18 months after law enacted, doctors say it hasn't worked: By Steve Kanigher; Eighteen months after Nevada lawmakers passed legislation aimed at stabilizing rapidly increasing medical malpractice insurance rates, doctors say the law has been a colossal failure.

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Wing waxes poetic about his dual careers: Lisa Ferguson; Though he has nurtured a successful comedy career for 18 years, Wing has penned poetic verses since he was a teen, and is the author of three poetry tomes.

Columnist Jeff German: Superunion may not fear casinos' kryptonite: WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Jon Ralston: AG's ruling to define paths: WEEKEND EDITION

Letter: Gay marriages nothing to fear: Feb. 28 - 29, 2004

Safe house: Heather Rawlyk; WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Spencer Patterson: Pavarotti offers fans chance of a lifetime: Spencer Patterson; That's when operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti kicks off what is expected to be his final world tour with an 8 p.m. concert at The Colosseum.

VegasBeat -- Columnist Timothy McDarrah: Stars have riches in the bag: WEEKEND EDITION

Datebook for Feb. 27, 2004: Imperial Palace will host "Lebowski Fest West," an homage to Coen Brothers' 1998 movie, "The Big Lebowski," at 8 p.m. today. The film will be screened, and at least one cast member will attend. Admission is free. 794-3114.