Print edition for July 12, 2004

Political impact of Yucca remains unclear: Kirsten Searer; Forget the donkey: Local Democrats use Yucca Man and Chicken George as party symbols these days.

Trustee questions funds funneled to firms tied to NADN executives: Kevin Rademacher; National Audit Defense Network paid more than $12 million to companies controlled by top executives and managers in the months before it sought bankruptcy protection and, ultimately, liquidation.

Mental health crisis called county's worst: A state of emergency continues for Clark County, dealing with what county government and health care officials are calling the worst mental-health crisis in the region's history.

Mellon agrees to acquire Paragon: Mellon Financial Corp., which runs Dreyfus mutual funds, agreed today to buy closely held Paragon Asset Management Co. to expand its wealth management business in the Las Vegas Valley.

Ex-Mirage official pleads guilty in privacy case: By Liz Benston; Former Mirage Resorts Inc. corporate security manager Eugene Harding has pleaded guilty to a federal charge that he conspired with a government official to illegally access an individual's personal tax records while Harding was employed at the Mirage.

Education officials negotiate to replace Harcourt: Harcourt has had a series of high-profile errors over the last two years, including using the wrong scoring sheet to grade elementary school standardized tests.

Fate of repository shifts back into EPA's hands: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court decision Friday puts the fate of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in the hands of the Environmental Protection Agency unless Congress intervenes.

EOB housing program still mired in problems: By Timothy Pratt; Jenny Stokes thought she, her fiancee, Reginald Minor, and their two daughters could finally get out of their one-bedroom apartment managed by the Economic Opportunity Board when that nonprofit organization told them in recent weeks they had overcharged the family $920 for rent during the past six months.

Sports briefs for July 12, 2004: Roger Clemens will start the All-Star Game for the National League, throwing the first pitch to his nemesis, New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza.

Gaming briefs for July 12, 2004: David Carroll, vice president of human resources at Horseshoe Gaming Holding Corp., joins Harrah's as Central Division vice president of human resources. Carroll will be responsible for human resources operations in the company's nine-property central region, including Horseshoe's three casinos.

Fed cuts could put poor on the streets: Threatened cuts to agencies subsidizing rent for low-income families could push those residents onto the street, the outgoing head of the Clark County Housing Authority warned Friday.

Vegas group plays pat hand: Groups representing Washington, D.C., and two Virginia areas landed in Houston on Sunday.

Nurses union reaches tentative contract: Union-supportive nurses at King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health's Desert Springs and Valley hospitals had planned to strike for 24 hours today had they not reached an agreement. The nurses are scheduled to vote on the contract today. If they do not approve the contract, they would be required under the National Labor Relations Act to file another 10-day notice before holding a strike.

Downtown group stands by misdemeanor crackdown: A downtown Las Vegas citizens group that has pushed for stiffer sentences for misdemeanor offenders stands by its strategy, despite the fact that homeless people apparently have been hit hard in the crackdown.

Guinn proposes trust to back plant financing: The Temporary Renewable Energy Development trust is designed to give renewable developers additional guarantees that they will receive a return on their investments, Guinn said in a press release. Developers had complained that because of the shaky financial condition of Nevada Power Co. in Las Vegas and Sierra Pacific Power Co. in Reno, financiers had been hesitant to fund the deals.

Poker fund-raiser successful: Poker fund-raiser successful

Guinn says Augustine will continue to work: CARSON CITY -- Despite being charged with an ethics violation that could get her thrown out of office, state Controller Kathy Augustine will be at work every day, Gov. Kenny Guinn says.

New voting machines hit snag: Molly Ball; The machines Nevada voters will use to cast their ballots in the September primary and the November election still aren't ready, alarming election officials who say they are already under immense strain.

Effort under way to slow traffic in neighborhood: Sito Negron; St. Louis Avenue may soon become the latest piece of downtown residents' push to take charge of its surroundings.

News briefs for July 12, 2004: Three pedestrians were struck and killed on Las Vegas Valley highways Saturday and Sunday, the Nevada Highway Patrol said.

Quiet time will settle gym team: Two weeks ago, the so-called USA women's gymnastics Olympic Trials took place in front of a boisterous crowd of more than 10,000 spectators at the Arrowhead Pond.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Cuban show becoming quite a production: But that is exactly the situation with "Havana Nights," a Siegfried & Roy-produced show that is supposed to play at the Stardust from July 31 to Sept. 6.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Bolla ready to return to coaching: Dean Juipe; Jim Bolla was burned out on coaching when he walked away from the UNLV women's basketball program in 1996.

Suspicious signatures surface on initiative petitions: Ed Koch and Beth Slovic; When the late President Lyndon Baines Johnson was accused of benefitting from votes of Texans who were dead, political observers mused that, being loyal Democrats, that's how the dead would have wanted their votes cast.

51s retreat into break: Nick Christensen; With the all-star break officially under way, it seemed as though everyone was in a hurry to just leave after the Las Vegas 51s' 10-7 loss to the Salt Lake Stingers Sunday.

Child Proofs: In growing numbers, celebrities are writing books for kids: Kirk Baird; Then again, Shaquille O'Neal has never written a children's book before.

Birth announcements for July 12, 2004: June 29:

Letter: Gay marriage ban doesn't belong in Constitution: Many Republican leaders have expressed conservative reasons to oppose this amendment, including:

UNLV program puts students on degree track: Suebrina Falk, 17, and Kimberly Gardner, 18, don't know what they want to be when they grow up.

Obituaries for July 12, 2004: Neal Clark, 56, of North Las Vegas died Saturday in a local hospital. He was born Oct. 14, 1947, in Hecla, S.D. A resident for 27 years, he was a retired saw blade machinist and a Vietnam War Army veteran.

New urbanism taking root in Henderson: Lynn Doan; Henderson may be next to join a national trend toward developing pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods that emphasize the narrow streets and town centers of pre-World War II communities.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Still a lot to be decided for Breeders' Cup Classic: Ralph Siraco; With racing's spa meets at Del Mar and Saratoga right around the corner, it is time to take a first look at the road to the Breeders' Cup. The year-end championship of thoroughbred racing will be presented this year at Lone Star Park, in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Oct. 30.

Initiative to boost minimum wage falls short: CARSON CITY -- An initiative petition to boost the minimum wage in Nevada by $1 an hour has failed to gain enough signatures to put the question in the ballot, Secretary of State Dean Heller said Friday.

Letter: Younger voters in the spotlight: But there are also many young people in Nevada who will also be voting in November. While Nevada veterans are certainly appreciated for their hand in protecting our country and its liberties, the current war does not affect them nearly as much as it affects young people. If there were a draft, anyone over 30 would be in the clear, while almost half the population of 18-30 year olds would be eligible to serve.

Consumer fraud is targeted: Beth Slovic; Consumer fraud runs the gamut from the manufacturing and sale of counterfeit handbags to predatory lending to identity theft, and investigators in Las Vegas and across the country are doing their best to combat it.

Editorial: Jail guards' offense was brushed off: The suit leaves us asking for something too -- an explanation as to why the two officers remain on the job. We'd also like to know why no charges were pursued against them for endangering inmates. The explosive device referred to in the suit was an M-80, which is a large firecracker capable of causing physical harm. In 1966 Congress outlawed the sale and possession of M-80s because of their potential for causing injuries.

Indiana casino bid pits Trump against Bird: Kimberly Hefling; FRENCH LICK, Ind. -- He may be the beloved "Hick from French Lick," but Larry Bird has competition these days on his home court, and it's coming from The Donald.

Letter: Demand answers from politicians: On the other hand, we seem not to care that elected officials lie in order to get their way. This has cost hundreds of our men and women in the military their lives, and has left countless thousands of people with injuries.

Lea Fastow begins prison term: HOUSTON -- Lea Fastow, the wife of Enron Corp.'s former chief financial officer, began a one-year prison term today for her role in the accounting fraud that forced the company into bankruptcy in 2001.

Rebels have inside track on outside help: Steve Guiremand; INDIANAPOLIS --- UNLV coach Lon Kruger has made no secret of the fact that he needs to recruit perimeter players to help fill the void left by the graduations of star players such as Odartey Blankson, Jerel Blassingame and Romel Beck after the 2004-05 season.

Leucadia aims to buy company: New York-based Leucadia notified MCI that it intends to make a filing with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice to purchase the majority stake, MCI said in a brief news release.

Charter school rejection called 'nothing personal': Emily Richmond and Cy Ryan; As far as three members of the State Board of Education are concerned, their decision to shoot down colleague John Hawk's proposed charter high school was "nothing personal."

Editorial: Too little, too late?: We were glad to learn that the Federal Trade Commission has begun an investigation into the planned closure. Even though this refinery produces only 2.2 percent of the state's gasoline supply, Southern Nevadans are certain to be hit with a spike in gas prices if it closes. Is this another case where supply is intentionally decreased to drive up prices? The FTC aims to find out.

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Sun Lite for July 12, 2004: Lisa Ferguson; Nothing, it seems, is immune these days from makeover madness - not even man's best friend. Pet-food maker The Iams Company is offering pet owners the means by which to transform their scruffy mutts and alley cats into perfect pooches and fancy felines - with the help of its free Pet Makeover Kit, available by calling (800) 863-4267.

Mentally ill landing in jails across nation: By Mary Manning; Southern Nevada isn't the only area in the country where the mentally ill are spilling into overcrowded jails and hospital emergency rooms.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Landing money won't stop issue: President George W. Bush last week signed a measure that distributes $145 million to Western Shoshone Indians to compensate for the loss of their ancestral lands.