Print edition for January 13, 2004

Rebels need to rebound: Steve Guiremand; The UNLV Rebels find themselves in a familar position after Monday night's Mountain West Conference opener with Utah. ... looking up in the standings.

Porter undergoes surgery to stabilize his hearing loss: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., had surgery Monday to help stabilize hearing loss in his right ear, and afterward his spokesman said Porter was doing fine and waiting for doctors to release him.

Inmate delivers baby boy: CARSON CITY -- Korinda Martin, the inmate who says she was impregnated by a guard at the women's prison in North Las Vegas, gave birth to a boy Monday at Carson-Tahoe Hospital.

Otton to coach UNLV QBs: Steve Guiremand; Until about two weeks ago Brad Otton was the answer to a USC football trivia question.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Park wants more speed after Daytona test: Steve Park called his first test with the Las Vegas-based Orleans Racing team a success, but the veteran driver left Daytona International Speedway on Monday sounding a lot like the other 33 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers who took part in the three-day test.

Giunchigliani defends CCSN, Assembly roles: Heather Rawlyk; Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, a Community College of Southern Nevada spokeswoman who narrowly avoided being fired by the Board of Regents, said Monday her hiring process was fair and that she did not improperly mix college business with her legislative duties.

Softwood lumber deal rejected: Provincial governments opposed the deal, which would have dropped the tariffs in exchange for a quota system limiting Canada's access to the U.S. market.

Competitive fire has Terry Kennedy back in baseball as new LV manager: Nick Christensen; Terry Kennedy remembered very well what it was like being the child of a major leaguer, and he wasn't about to put his kids in the same position.

State chips away at prison privatization: CARSON CITY -- The state's experiment of letting private businesses operate full-scale state prison programs is slowly coming to an end.

Sports briefs for January 13, 2004: IRL spokesman Fred Nation confirmed Monday that representatives of the series began examining CART's equipment and contracts Friday, but the IRL will not decide for several days yet whether to bid on any of the assets. The deadline for bids is Jan. 23.

Old plans energized for hydroelectric plant: A once-controversial but years-dormant proposal to build two huge water reservoirs just outside the borders of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area may be gaining new life.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Big Monday is Mountain West's wake-up call: One of these days, Rick Majerus is going to show up to one of these "Big Monday" games wearing pajamas and house slippers, and maybe then ESPN will get the idea that starting a basketball game at 9 p.m. is a bit too late.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: In main event, Sinatra family prevails: "My father spent a lifetime concerned with the quality and integrity of his professional life; it is unfortunate that we must resort to the judicial system to stop people who simply want to profit from the use of his name," Sinatra's daughter Tina Sinatra said in a statement released over the weekend.

Woman escapes car stuck on tracks before train hits: A woman who drove her car onto railroad tracks just west of Interstate 15 at Craig Road this morning was able to get out of the car just before a train slammed into it.

LV players prepare for life after game: Nick Christensen; Most athletes would readily admit that sport is their dream job. Even at the minor-league level, the money's good enough and dreams big enough to keep players in the game as long as their talent and body will keep them there.

Numbers confirm record sales in Vegas: There were 2,831 new home sales in December, bringing the year-end total to 25,230 recorded new home sales, a year-to-year increase of 12 percent or 2,728 recorded sales. The median price of a new home in December was $209,611, a year-to-year increase of 12 percent.

Parents facing annual agony over zoning: Dan Kulin; As parents gathered in the Durango High School theater to talk about where their children may attend school next year, some parents wanted their students moved into a new school and others asked that theirs be left alone.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Loss seemingly difference between night and day: Dean Juipe; Right to the wire, the game appeared to be there for the taking for UNLV. It was winnable, all the way to the end.

Jacobson's leadership proves to be difference for Utah down the stretch: As UNLV players intermittently filed by him, congratulating him on his performance, in the hallway outside both teams' locker rooms, Nick Jacobson talked about his best Monday move.

LV builder's results improve: Jennifer Shubinski; M.D.C. Holdings Inc. of Denver, which builds under the name Richmond American Homes in Las Vegas, Monday reported strong year-end results, attributing the improvement to an increase in home closings and a greater profit margin.

Court to rule on identity issue: CARSON CITY -- On March 22 the Supreme Court is to hear oral arguments regarding a Nevada case that should establish whether it is a crime to refuse to identify oneself when stopped by a law enforcement officer.

Obituaries for Jan. 13, 2004: Eva B. Barlow, 84, of Henderson died Sunday in a local care center. She was born Oct. 14, 1919, in Crockett, Texas. A resident for 54 years, she was a retired bartender, active in the Democratic Party, and a volunteer for the Salvation Army.

Director ready for Tennessee lottery launch: Amber McDowell; NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A little more than a week before the first Tennessee lottery ticket is sold, CEO Rebecca Paul said the "infrastructure is ready" for a successful launch.

Nevada set to make final Yucca stand: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Nevada's 20-year fight against Yucca Mountain will come down to three hours of arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington on Wednesday.

Missing person alert system set to go on line: Jen Lawson; A child is missing.

Gates to lead Dean camp: Atkinson Gates said she will advise Dean on issues important to Nevadans, including Yucca Mountain, which will be her top priority.

Teaching talent may be on the way: Several of Clark County's most at-risk and low-income schools may receive an infusion of talented young teachers this fall to help bridge the gap in education caused by socio-economic differences.

Burglars take expensive photo of Augusta National: The print was one of a kind and measures 32 by 40 inches, Lt. Larry Spinosa of Metro's property crimes section said.

Woman drives car onto rails, escapes just before train hits: A woman who drove her car onto railroad tracks just west of Interstate 15 at Craig Road this morning fled the car just before a train slammed into it.

Park police, Metro merger eyed: County Manager Thom Reilly said that making the county's 18 park officers a part of Metro would streamline services and reduce costs.

Gaming briefs for Jan. 13, 2004: BATON ROUGE, La. -- Six people were arrested and six more warrants were issued in a case where casino employees were accused of skimming at least $50,000 in a yearlong slot machine scam.

Harrah's expected to sell Horseshoe: Liz Benston and Jeff German; Harrah's Entertainment Inc. is expected to sell Binion's Horseshoe hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas to another interested casino operator and retain the rights to the Horseshoe brand for use elsewhere in Las Vegas, experts say.

Teen's relatives, friend may have been exposed to mercury vapors: The Clark County Health District is contacting 11 relatives of a Las Vegas teen who suffered acute mercury poisoning, including several who during holiday visits slept on the floor and may have inhaled vapors from particles embedded in the carpet.

News briefs for Jan. 13, 2004: A 44-year-old Carson City cabdriver was sentenced to five years' probation and ordered to pay more than $19,000 in restitution Monday for her part in the looting of more than 11,000 archaeological artifacts from protected public lands.

Mad cow crisis affects appetites: By Timothy Pratt; Benjamin Chen, manager of 99 Ranch Market at Chinatown Plaza on Spring Mountain Road, recalled with some nostalgia Monday how his father would give him cow's brains as a boy in Taiwan because it "made him smarter."

Bank's profit improves: The results represent a 36 percent improvement over the $995,000, or 76 cents per share reported for the same 2002 quarter. The company, which operates eight Silver State Bank branches in Southern Nevada, reported loans and other assets at the end of the quarter of $490 million.

Stepped-up LV security here to stay: Jace Radke; For three weeks Nevada Homeland Security Adviser Jerry Bussell burned up the phone lines for the latest intelligence and saw firsthand the security precautions needed to safeguard Las Vegas.

Immunization schedule for Jan. 13, 2004: HENDERSON PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER: 129 W. Lake Mead Drive, Building A, Suite 10, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Columnist Susan Snyder: It's time for us to un-stress: But at least there were three cities in which it is more stressful to live than Las Vegas, according to a study released last week by the Sperling's Best Places website, www.bestplaces.net.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Telling tales out of NSC: Watching the CBS program "60 Minutes" last Sunday was interesting when O'Neill talked about the book. When discussing the new Bush administration's National Security Council's initial meeting in 2001, O'Neill said, "From the very beginning, there was a conviction that Saddam Hussein was a bad person and that he needed to go." According to O'Neill, the tone of that and future NSC meetings gave every indication Bush was seeking a way to help Saddam out the door.

Letter: Pervasive greed, corruption mark selfish Bush era: When one muses about this pervasive attitude by the business community in our society, you can only come to the conclusion that America has been infected by a germ called "greed." You see it everywhere, beginning with the advertisements on every TV station, the frivolous lawsuits to find quick riches, to exorbitant salaries paid executives, entertainers and star professional athletes. There is little said of the homeless and derelicts of our society. I always viewed our country as a champion of the less fortunate and the underdogs of our society, but I guess I was wrong.

Student wins Cochlear scholarship: The Graeme Clark Cochlear Scholarship Foundation is a fund intended to provide college-age students with tuition assistance.

N.D. Powerball marketing under way: Dale Wetzel; BISMARCK, N.D. -- More than 300 North Dakota merchants have been chosen to sell Powerball tickets when the state's new lottery begins March 25, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said.

County, businesses join forces to offer jobs to inner-city youth: The jobs will be available to qualifying high school students going into either their junior or senior year.

Sound Decisions: Questions abound as DVD-Audio, SACD vie for next-generation CD market: Spencer Patterson; Now, the industry tells us, there are reasons to invest in new copies of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" and the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds."

Editorial: Deane -- year late -- gets it right: We're glad Deane finally has implemented a fair system so that mail-in customers won't see several weeks' delay in the processing of their documents. Still, it's disturbing that it took so long, especially since state law says that such documents should be recorded as they're received. But that Deane dithered in complying isn't too surprising -- she's done a terrible job since taking office, repeatedly showing poor judgment. Last March she earned an F in customer service when, as she tried to clear up a backlog of documents, her office didn't answer the phones at all. Title companies, though, did ...

Editorial: A Silver State servant: The kind and true words that Leavitt spoke about Foley can now be said of himself. Leavitt died Friday here in Las Vegas, the city where he was born in 1930. He spent his whole life making contributions to his hometown and to his state.

Letter: Don't rush to judge Peterson: A short time before Laci's disappearance in the Modesto, Calif., area, there was a grisly murder of a woman that was done in the same fashion and in the same area. It might have been done by a serial killer. The defense seems to feel that police have not conducted an adequate investigation into this previous murder.

Letter: Tourists won't be interested in zoo: I am familiar with the hotel business and can tell you the last thing tourists would be interested in is this nonsense. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true.

Community briefs for Jan. 13, 2004: The Jewish Film Festival is showing five films Thursday through Sunday at the Century Suncoast 16 theaters at the Suncoast hotel.

Highlights of November 2003 revenue report on Nevada casinos: AP; -STATEWIDE: $763.7 million win, up 4.3 percent.

Several young men become Eagles Scouts: Douglas Kent Bawden Jr., 18; Brian Douglas Blakley, 17; Jeffrey Scott Bullock, 17; Jeffery Adam Burr, 16; Jacob Anthony Giberson, 18; Zachary George Haney, 17; Taylor Jordon Hansen, 13; Stephen Lee Johnson, 18; Jordan C. Leavitt, 14; Tyler Gregory MacKay, 14; James Reinarz, 17; Matthew Nicholas Ross, 17; Robert Norman Saylors, 16; Curt Lamar Schelin, 18; Brandan Sheridan, 18, and John Bryson Thuett, 16, all of Las Vegas.

Columnist Jeff German: Binion's failure inevitable: That didn't make it any less sad, however, to watch federal marshals Friday shut down a casino that is such a big part of Las Vegas folklore.

Venetian ponders sale of Grand Canal Shoppes: The Venetian hotel-casino has hired a financial adviser to explore selling its Grand Canal Shoppes retail mall in a bid to raise capital to finance its proposed new resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

Free speech to rule on Fremont Street: Jace Radke; The Fremont Street Experience remains a public forum after the U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to hear a Las Vegas appeal designed to limit leafleteers and commercial speech.

November gaming win advances: CARSON CITY -- Fueled by strong play in slot machines, Nevada casinos won $763.7 million in November, a gain of 4.29 percent and the third straight monthly increase.