Print edition for July 15, 2004

Boxing schedule: At Santa Ynez, Calif., (Showtime), Nurham Suleyman, Houston, vs. David Estrada, Chicago, 10, welterweights.

Rawson, Beers square off: Kirsten Searer; In his own tempered way, Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, fought back Wednesday against criticism that he supported too many taxes and irresponsibly juggled his duties as a professor and legislator.

Business briefs for July 15, 2004: WASHINGTON -- Wholesale prices fell by 0.3 percent in June and big industry production was down as well, unexpected developments that one analyst likened to the economy hitting a speed bump.

Counties receive first funds to mitigate casino impacts: Chris T. Nguyen; LOS ANGELES -- Counties have begun receiving money for the first time from a fund designed to help them address traffic, public safety and other concerns related to tribal casinos.

Kerry not aligned with his church: Mr. Esperian may be well-versed in Catholic dogma, but not as well-versed as the bishops who have or will deny Holy Communion to John Kerry.

Obituaries for July 15, 2004: Chelsea C. "C.C." Apodac, 22, of Las Vegas died Friday in Las Vegas. She was born Dec. 7, 1981, in Simi Valley, Calif. A resident for 10 years, she was a task force member.

Letter: Edwards provides effective contrast to Cheney's views: We have now had 20 years to see what this revolution brought us: higher deficits for our children and grandchildren, higher energy costs, a financial squeeze on working people, corporate greed and corruption and an unnecessary war. Those behind this conservative revolution haven't finished yet -- they would still like to dismantle Social Security and Medicare.

Community briefs for July 15, 2004: Chabad of Green Valley will hold a Shabbaton at 7 p.m. Friday at the Chabad Center, 10870 S. Eastern Ave., Suite 104.

Sports briefs for July 15, 2004: The Associated Press poll will count for one-third of each team's ranking under the new formula Bowl Championship Series officials unveiled today in their latest attempt to find a simpler, more equitable way to determine a national champion.

The Kerr Campaign: Vegas Veteran Kenny Kerr makes flamboyant return but did he ever leave?: "I never left," Kerr said.

Cleveland Clinic pullout won't slow downtown plans: The pullout of the Cleveland Clinic from the 61-acre project in downtown Las Vegas is not a death knell for plans for an urban village or other project on the site, local and national urban planning and business experts say.

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 7:05 p.m.

Editorial: Mean-spirited Bush: Bush wanted to please right-wing Republicans, who make up that party's base, even though the amendment would infringe on the power of states to regulate marriage. These Republican leaders, who ardently support states' rights, have a convenient case of amnesia when the issue involves gay Americans. It also should be noted that with the exception of Prohibition -- and we all know what a rousing success that was -- amendments to the Constitution have been adopted to expand rights, not take them away.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: NHRA moving quickly to increase safety measures: In the wake of Top Fuel driver Darrell Russell's death in an accident last month at Gateway International Raceway, NHRA officials have mandated several safety changes that will go into effect at this weekend's Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway near Denver.

Woman indicted in death of 8-year-old bicyclist: By Matt Pordum; A woman accused of being under the influence of drugs when she drove her car into an 8-year-old bicyclist was indicted by a Clark County grand jury on multiple charges Wednesday.

Some tribes split by membership disputes: Don Thompson; SACRAMENTO -- The split between the haves and the have-nots among California tribes widened Wednesday, when disenfranchised Indians formed a new organization and asked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to halt casino negotiations until tribes create courts to resolve membership disputes.

Hoyos chases drivers' title at full speed: WHAT: Second annual Garrett Turbos NHRA Sport Compact Nationals, Round 6 of the 10-race 2004 NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series.

Letter: GOP has wielded film's techniques: Furthermore, the wrath roused by Moore's purported use of "insinuation" is laughable when compared to the Bush administration's use of that technique to convince America that there was a connection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11, a propaganda lie that 40 percent of Americans still believe, according to recent reports.

Editorial: No giving up on 61 acres: After more than four years of earnest effort, though, the 61 acres is still open. No plans for its development have been adopted -- although many were floated -- and no master developer has been chosen. Through all of the disappointment, Goodman has kept his sights high, which we find admirable.

Amount of federal aid for McCarran screeners unclear: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- McCarran International Airport will receive federal support for its new baggage screening system, a Transportation Security Administration official said Wednesday, but it's unclear how much money the federal government will provide.

Man pleads not guilty in beating: By Matt Pordum; A 20-year-old Las Vegas man pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Justice Court on charges of severely beating another man whom he found sleeping in his car on West Boston Avenue last month.

SEC requests information in bond market inquiry: The request is about "practices in the auction-rate market," Bank of America spokeswoman Shirley Norton said in an e-mailed statement. She said the bank is cooperating fully and declined to comment further, citing a policy at the Charlotte, N.C.-based company against discussing "open regulatory inquiries."

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Champ Cars will make fast friends: Heck, if all it took to bring some real racecars to town was to go on vacation, I would have packed my bags and called Clark Griswold in 1996.

Judges to hear state's complaint on nuclear documents: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- A three-judge panel will hear Nevada's complaint that the Energy Department has not filed all of its backup documents with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a complaint that if upheld could delay the department's licensing request.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Cingular sponsorship is not in the cards: And if drinking and swearing is involved, communications giant Cingular Wireless doesn't want to be part of it.

Army Guard helicopter unit presented with medical award: Dick Benoit; The Nevada Army National Guard's 126th Medical Company (Air Ambulance), located in Reno, was presented with the Association of Medical Directors of Information Systems award for 2004 on Wednesday at the national Physician Computer Connection Symposium in San Diego. The award salutes organizations that improve the practice of medicine by the direct physician use of information technology.

Woman who died in crash identified: Smith was speeding along Mariner Drive when she lost control of the 1998 BMW she was driving and hit a tree, Metro Police said. Her car caught fire when she crashed.

Plan could mean health coverage for more Nevadans: Kirsten Searer; At least another 10,000 Nevadans could have health coverage under a plan approved by a legislative subcommittee on Wednesday.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Tyson's opponent promises to raise his game: Dean Juipe; Danny Williams blames himself for a lackluster boxing career, yet he intends to do something about it.

Summerlin officials urged to open homeowners meetings: Stephen Curran; A majority of delegates representing Summerlin subdivisions on Wednesday urged the planned community's board to revisit a June 23 decision to close meetings of the delegates and elected members of the Summerlin North Community Association to homeowners.

Two plead not guilty in slaying: Rodney Evans, 19, and Jim Holden, 24, are scheduled to stand trial before District Court Judge Jennifer Togliatti on Sept. 13 for the slaying of Michael Panek, the attempted murder of another shooting victim, one count of conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of kidnapping with a deadly weapon.

Wholesale prices, industrial production fall in June: A retreat in food and energy costs caused the drop in the Producer Price Index, the biggest in a year, the Labor Department reported today. That came after wholesale costs shot up in the prior two months, reflecting sharply higher prices for energy and food. Wholesale prices had risen by 0.7 percent in April and by 0.8 percent in May.

News briefs for July 15, 2004: An initial court appearance for former Clark County Commission chairman Dario Herrera on a charge of punching a man at a construction site on the Strip was delayed this morning until Aug. 19.

Flood watch expected as thunderstorms threaten: The weather service issued a watch on Wednesday for southern Clark County and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area through 9 p.m.

UNLV gives shot in arm to aspiring doc's career: Dean Juipe; Yevgeniy Korshunov prefers not to talk at length about his past, maybe because the path he's on seems so much brighter than the one he has already walked.

Schools' bond request OK'd: By Emily Richmond; The Clark County School District received a pat on the back this week from one of the most keen-eyed critics of its $3.5 billion construction program -- Carole Vilardo, executive director of the Nevada Taxpayers Association.

Judge to allow testimony of slain guard's co-workers: By Matt Pordum; A ruling Wednesday by District Judge John McGroarty is expected to help prosecutors' case against a 22-year-old alleged gang member accused of killing a security guard outside a Las Vegas Housing Authority complex.

Gallagher gaining ground, poll says: Kirsten Searer; Democratic congressional candidate Tom Gallagher released a poll Wednesday indicating he has made major gains after an expensive three-week advertising blitz.

Ex-UNLV player's cases combined: By Matt Pordum; A former University of Nevada, Las Vegas basketball player accused of having had sex with female students while serving as a substitute teacher at Grant Sawyer Middle School will have one trial for the separate cases.

Goodman not talking about ethics panel meeting: Molly Ball; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman asked the advice of the state Ethics Commission in a closed-door session Wednesday morning but refused to disclose the subject of the meeting.

EPA considers clean air suits against Nevada Power, others: WASHINGTON -- The owners of nearly two dozen mostly coal-burning power plants, including Nevada Power Co., could face lawsuits from the Environmental Protection Agency for clean air violations stemming from plant expansions or improvements, according to agency officials and documents.

Hotel sold to McKellar: The sale price was $7.2 million in cash. The hotel, at 7100 Cascade Valley Court, is near Mountain View Hospital and employs 31 people.

Average Nevada price at $2.11: Despite the lower prices, Nevada drivers are still paying a statewide average of 41 cents a gallon more today than they did a year ago, AAA Nevada reported. The nationwide average price for a gallon of gas is $1.91.

Venetian contest rigger lectured by regulators: The former Venetian hotel-casino employee who concocted the plan to rig drawings in a bid to appease high-rollers who had lost money in a February 2002 gambling trip apologized to gaming regulators Wednesday.

Southwest Airlines CEO replaced as profit dips: Dino Chiecchi; DALLAS -- Southwest Airlines Co. Chief Executive James Parker abruptly stepped down today, saying he was retiring for personal reasons. The company said he would immediately be replaced by Chief Financial Officer Gary Kelly, who had previously been tapped as Parker's eventual successor.

Public employee case dismissed: Cy Ryan and Dan Kulin; CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an effort to bar state employees from serving in the Legislature, but left the door open for future challenges to the practice.

Gaming briefs for July 15, 2004: AUSTIN, Texas -- The Las Vegas law firm hired to write legislation that would have legalized video gambling in Texas has billed the state for $111,000 more than the contract allows, according to a report issued Wednesday by the state auditor's office.

Officials seek clues in fire that killed baby girl: Beth Slovic; Authorities are continuing to investigate an apartment fire that took the life of a 7-month-old girl early Wednesday morning to determine if anyone should be held responsible for the fire or the child's death.

Nevada wants Yucca meetings public: Suzanne Struglinski; On Friday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia threw out an Environmental Protection Agency guideline that required the high-level nuclear waste dump to contain radiation for 10,000 years, noting that the National Academy of Sciences recommended a longer period.

Minority vendors divided on mergers: Alana Roberts; Minority small business people attending the MBE (minority business enterprise) Showcase 2004 in Las Vegas on Wednesday had mixed opinions about how the proposed mergers of major gaming companies will affect their chances of doing business with those companies.

Carson City fire rages: Cy Ryan and Ed Koch; CARSON CITY -- Firefighters this morning were trying to contain a raging wildfire on the west edge of Carson City that was believed to be started by teens.

Las Vegas Monorail goes public: Stephen Curran; This morning's opening of the Las Vegas Monorail didn't have the bevy of celebrities and national media present at a gala on Wednesday, but it had what monorail officials wanted: tourists, convention-goers and a few locals ready to pay $3 to hop aboard.

Neurological institute created: Dan Kulin; The newly created Nevada Neurosciences Institute at Sunrise gives potential patients in Southern Nevada a central place to contact for treatment and education about neurological health problems and is expected to lead to greater research opportunities, the doctors involved said Wednesday.

Tourists not wild about new merger: For many Strip tourists who learned this morning of Harrah's Entertainment Inc.'s blockbuster acquisition of Caesars Entertainment Inc., bigger doesn't necessarily mean better.

Cause of exec's death unknown: Michael Tata, 33, was found dead in his Henderson home July 6. Investigators are awaiting the results of toxicology tests, which could take four to 12 weeks to be completed.

Professor: Deals will boost casinos' clout: Michelle Swafford; Harrah's Entertainment Inc.'s proposal to buy Caesars Entertainment Inc. will not likely hurt consumers or employees, industry observers and union officials said today.

One killed in racial brawl at state prison: CARSON CITY -- A prisoner from Las Vegas died Wednesday from injuries suffered in a racial brawl that involved 60 prisoners at High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs, prison officials said.

Harrah's, Caesars ink deal: By Liz Benston; The boards of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Inc. agreed to a megadeal Wednesday night in which Harrah's would buy Caesars for about $9.4 billion, including the assumption of about $4.2 billion in debt.

Try for rural water draws foes: The Southern Nevada Water Authority's plans to develop ground water sources in rural Nevada this week took hits on two fronts.

Ex-state worker pleads guilty in child porn case: By Matt Pordum; A 41-year-old valley man pleaded guilty Wednesday to downloading child pornography onto the computer at his office -- in Nevada's Division of Welfare offices.