Print edition for July 30, 2004

State: Yucca finding 'masks issue': Ed Koch and Suzanne Struglinski; Nevada officials say findings this week by the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board that one form of corrosion at Yucca Mountain is "unlikely" masks the real issue that the site is just unsafe for nuclear waste.

Area mosquitoes carry West Nile virus: Dan Kulin; Tests have confirmed that a Las Vegas resident had the West Nile virus and indicate that he got it from mosquitoes near his northwest Las Vegas home, county health officials said Thursday.

Panel wary of politics in tax debate: Kirsten Searer; While many agree that the prospect of skyrocketing property taxes is an issue that must be addressed soon, advisers on a legislative committee argued Thursday that the movement cannot get caught up in politics.

Editorial: Kerry speech will energize his campaign: July 31 - Aug. 1, 2004

Fit and Trim: Kirk Baird; WEEKEND EDITION

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Group taps celebs for Bush: WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Susan Snyder: Resist the urge to expand: WEEKEND EDITION

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Hope for Nevada: WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Jeff German: Differences on Yucca clear, not confusing: WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Jon Ralston: Ludicrous pandering on taxes: WEEKEND EDITION

Editorial: The real deception: july 31 - Aug. 1, 2004

Letter: Moore's film is a cure for apathy: July 31 - Aug. 1, 2004

Letter: Question of gay marriage belongs to states: July 31 - Aug. 1, 2004

Guinn decides against special session: SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

Appeal for death row inmate denied: SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

Scholarships help children attend camp: July 31 - Aug. 1, 2004

Camp for disabled a welcome break for kids, caregivers: Caitlin Hudgins; WEEKEND EDITION

Lifeguard contest more than a game: Caitlin Hudgins; WEEKEND EDITION

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: 'Havana Nights' looking bleak at Stardust: Seems that the curtain might not rise anytime soon for the Cuban-themed stage show that was originally scheduled to open tonight at the Stardust.

Mount Charleston wildfire is nearly contained: Mary Manning and Stephen Curran; Helicopter pilot Ken Johnson of Casper, Wyo., spent three days flying over the 290-acre Robber's Fire. During a stop for fuel at sunset Thursday, he said the danger of erratic winds pushing flames out of the canyon was gone.

Candidate challenged over residency question: Molly Ball; A Board of Regents candidate could be charged with a crime if prosecutors conclude that he does not live in the district in which he is running, but it is too late to take his name off the ballot, District Attorney David Roger said today.

Crash on test range blamed on pilot's fatal heart attack: Jace Radke; A fatal heart attack suffered by a civilian pilot caused a March 16 plane crash on the Nevada Test and Training Range that killed the four other Las Vegas residents who were passengers on the plane, Air Force officials said.

Hard Rock, attorney general closer to new settlement: Attorneys for the Hard Rock hotel-casino and the state attorney general's office say they're close to a new settlement of a complaint over the resort's controversial advertising campaign.

Gaming briefs for July 30, 2004: OTTUMWA, Iowa -- The River Hills Riverboat Commission has chosen Wild Rose Entertainment to develop and operate a casino in the Ottumwa area if the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission approves a Wapello County casino.

Earnings briefs for July 30, 2004: ATLANTA -- Shares of Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., the biggest bottler of Coca-Cola Co. beverages, plunged 18 percent Thursday after it missed Wall Street second-quarter earnings expectations by a wide margin because of higher concentrate costs and poor summer weather in Europe.

Business briefs for July 30, 2004: Washington Mutual Inc., the biggest U.S. savings and loan, plans to close 53 commercial-banking offices that serve large- and mid-sized businesses, eliminating 850 jobs.

Hacking experts: High-tech voting flawed: Kevin Rademacher; Since a national firestorm over hanging chads plunged the 2000 U.S. presidential election into chaos, efforts have been afoot to upgrade election equipment.

$1.9 million OK'd for mental ward: CARSON CITY -- The state Board of Examiners today recommended an emergency allocation of $1.9 million to open a mental health facility to care for mentally ill patients that are filling up the emergency rooms of hospitals in Clark County.

Police lose audio tape of arrest: Jace Radke; An audio tape that could contain evidence into why an 84-year-old suffered broken ribs and a broken hip during his arrest by a Henderson Police officer two years ago is missing.

Expensive car totaled in high-speed wreck: Lynn Doan; A Las Vegas man may think twice next time before going out of town and leaving the keys to a $285,000 sports car available to young visitors staying at his house.

Columnist Jeff German: Romanian mob goes high tech: They loved driving luxury cars, wearing expensive jewelry, surrounding themselves with beautiful women, throwing money around the crowded Strip nightclub scene and hosting lavish parties with an endless supply of Cristal champagne.

Blaze erupts at Sky-Vue: Jim Dunker, a homeless man hired through the Salvation Army's work program to guard a vacant lot east of the Sky-Vue Mobile Home Park, sat on his folding chair beneath a mesquite tree Thursday afternoon, sipping bottled water and watching six trailers in the city-condemned park burn to rubble.

Playoff birdie worth the wait: Adam Candee; Imagine standing at the first hole for about eight hours waiting to tee off, playing a hole or two and then packing it in for a long drive home.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Never any shortcuts: She leaves for Greece today, via the obligatory layover at the Karolyi gymnastics compound in suburban Houston, knowing full well that her biggest contribution to the U.S. pursuit of Olympic gold in Athens may be shagging gyros for her teammates.

Sports briefs for July 30, 2004: Southern Cal was an overwhelming choice as the preseason No. 1 team in the country in the ESPN-USA Today coaches' poll released today. The Trojans, who were No. 2 in the final coaches' poll for 2003, received 449 out of 466 possible first-place votes.

Trump in new LV condo deal: Jennifer Shubinski; Real estate mogul Donald Trump and casino owner Phil Ruffin, who two years ago announced plans for a Las Vegas Strip-area condo tower, said Thursday that those plans had been scrapped and are being replaced by a larger project.

Southwest Gas Corp. posts quarterly loss: Kevin Rademacher; The high cost of keeping up with growth was cited as the major culprit in a wider second-quarter loss for Southwest Gas Corp. of Las Vegas.

Health insurers' growth helps fuel increase in profit: Michelle Swafford; Two major health insurers that do business in Nevada announced Thursday that their profitability increased in the second quarter from higher premiums and membership growth. Both insurers say Nevada will continue to be an important market for their portfolios.

Bank raising capital: The bank's Chief Executive Bill Ferguson, a former Las Vegas banker and regulator, said the bank is now in the process of raising $10 million in start-up capital. The bank's opening is loosely planned for the fall of this year. Key to the bank's strategy is a downtown office location at 201 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Ferguson said this morning.

Maddux has a ball: In Anaheim last month, with a "What happens in Las Vegas ... " advertisement in front of him and the common half-blue, half-red Vegas banner ad off to his right, Greg Maddux tried some sleight of hand.

Ault takes the reins to rebuild in Reno: Steve Guiremand; RENO -- Chris Ault said he had no thoughts of trading in his athletic director's duties for a third stint as head football coach at Nevada-Reno when he met with school president John Lilley on the night of Dec. 1.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Morales' successors are coming, Arum says: Dean Juipe; Erik Morales may yet be a young man at the age of 27, but the vaunted Mexican slugger has 47 fights under his belt as he goes into a Saturday fight against Carlos Hernandez at the MGM. At some point, that mileage is going to show.

Arum ready to sign Tyson: Dean Juipe; His pen figuratively in hand, promoter Bob Arum said Thursday that he is on the brink of signing former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson to a promotional agreement.

Gulutzan looking to fill out roster: Nick Christensen; Wranglers coach and general manager Glen Gulutzan said Thursday he and Calgary Flames general manager Darryl Sutter have agreed in principle to extend the Wranglers' affiliation with the NHL's Western Conference champions, and he expects to have the deal signed by Aug. 15.

Williams' trouble started last season, attorney says: Following a report that Ricky Williams faced a four-game suspension this season for failing a third NFL drug test, the attorney who appealed the second test said Thursday that a loss at New England last season sent the retired Dolphins running back into a downward spiral.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Stewart and Kahne work out differences: A30-minute phone conversation on Tuesday apparently has cleared the air between NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne, whose teams were involved in a pit-road melee two weeks ago at Chicagoland Speedway.

Ralph Siraco's Del Mar selections: 1st Race -- SHE'S A JEWEL -- Baze aboard Cerin trainee, draws good post for short sprint opener, backers hope She's THE Jewel of first-year filly group. SHE'S SALTY -- Court atop O'Neill trainee, draws inner box for maiden dash, Salty graduation forthcoming? Value Play -- SWIFT WINGS

Saturday's horse racing entries: Post Time 2 p.m.

Columnist Barb Henderson: Outdoors Games lure audience wherever they find a home: Barb Henderson; For three years the Great Outdoor Games were held in Lake Placid, N.Y. Last year the games were here in the Silver State, in Reno and Lake Tahoe, and this year the excitement of competition took place July 8-11 in Madison, Wis.

Fishing report: Seems it's just too hot to spend time fishing: There has been a noticeable lack of anglers at the lake in recent days, likely because the hot weather has been keeping them indoors near their air conditioners.

'Scrounged' mental ward might relieve ER overcrowding: CARSON CITY -- Carlos Brandenburg says he has been able to "scrounge" beds, tables and other furniture to set up a mental health ward in Las Vegas to relieve hospital emergency rooms of overcrowding.

Firm suspected of illegally dumping waste: Lynn Doan and Cy Ryan; Authorities raided the offices of a Las Vegas company Wednesday that is suspected of dumping hazardous trash at an illegal waste site in Lincoln County, Metro Police said.

School of arts looks for new home: By Christina Littlefield; A space crunch at the Las Vegas Academy has pushed nearly 600 students and faculty members of the private Nevada School of the Arts out of their studios at the downtown public high school.

News briefs for July 30, 2004: Two men assaulted and robbed a truck driver with United Coin near a convenience store on Decatur Boulevard and Washington Avenue this morning, Metro police said.

Car worth $285,000 destroyed in high-speed wreck: Lynn Doan; A Las Vegas man may think twice next time before going out of town and leaving the keys to a $285,000 sports car available to young visitors staying at his house.

Shootout startles gated community: Heather Rawlyk; Two men were shot in an exchange of gunfire outside a northwest Las Vegas home Thursday afternoon, leading to a police chase that ended at at a truck stop about 10 miles away.

Life jackets save father, son at lake: A Las Vegas father and his 12-year-old son were rescued alive from Lake Mead after being in wind-whipped waves for 45 minutes, National Park Service rangers said Thursday.

Scientists cleaning up site in New Mexico: The site, known as Gasbuggy, is about 55 miles east of Farmington, N.M. It was the location of an underground nuclear test conducted in 1967.

Monorail buses pulled for emergency service: Stephen Curran; Saying the agency needed to have more spare buses at the ready this summer, the Regional Transportation Commission on Thursday decided to suspend bus service from downtown Las Vegas to newly constructed monorail stations, an RTC spokeswoman said.

Woman sentenced in fatal beating over sports ticket: By Matt Pordum; District Judge John McGroarty on Thursday sentenced a woman to 54 years to life in prison for beating to death a 66-year-old man over a $44,000 sports ticket.

Judge denies bail change in child-molestation case: By Matt Pordum; A 40-year-old Las Vegas shuttle driver accused of molesting two 13-year-old girls after luring them into a closet with a promise of lollipops will remain jailed in lieu of an $80,000 cash bond.

Cisneros makes pitch to Nevada: Suzanne Struglinski; BOSTON -- The encouragement for Nevada to go Democratic continues, this time with a former Clinton cabinet member telling delegates the state can make history by going for John Kerry.

Nevada's presence greater than usual: Suzanne Struglinski; BOSTON -- Nevada's presence in this week's Democratic National Convention was much bigger than what its five electoral votes would typically command. Nevada, which has less than 2 percent of the electoral votes needed to elect the next president, witnessed a newfound prominence at the convention:

Conviction returned in slaying of mall kiosk owner: By Matt Pordum; A Clark County jury on Thursday convicted a 20-year-old man of killing the 40-year-old owner of a jewelry kiosk at Fashion Show mall.

Man convicted of molesting children receives 35 years: David William Ashman, 56, originally had been charged with 107 counts, but prosecutors dropped most of those counts in exchange for Ashman pleading guilty to two counts of sexual assault with a child under the age of 14, two counts of lewdness with a child under the age of 14 and one count of use of a minor in the production of pornography.

Obituaries for July 30, 2004: Donald LeRoy Bovee, 84, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in a local care center. He was born Sept. 11, 1919, in Pueblo, Colo. A resident for 20 years, he was a retired customs agent, retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veteran.

Speech inspires Las Vegas delegates: Suzanne Struglinski; BOSTON -- Las Vegas delegate Edna Flores had one of the best seats in the house to hear John Kerry tell America why he should be president.

California city to help finance tribal casino: Chris T. Nguyen; LOS ANGELES -- A Southern California city plans to issue a $145 million bond to pay for a tribe's new casino and hotel, a practice under scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service in at least one state.

Penn National posts strong numbers: Vicki Smith; Penn National Gaming Inc. reported a record profit again this week, posting a second-quarter gain of $19.7 million that exceeded expectations.

Datebook for July 30, 2004: Students will showcase their artwork, dance routines and musical numbers at a "Summer Student Showcase" from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the East Las Vegas Community/Senior Center, 250 N. Eastern Ave. Admission is free. 229-1515.

Performing Arts for July 30, 2004: Tony Scodwell

On Display for July 30, 2004: Karen Wheeler, president of the Vegas Artists Guild, will have her art displayed from Monday to Sept. 2 at the Twin Lakes Gallery, 3343 W. Washington Ave. Admisison is free. 229-6601.

Gold Coast's 'Rockin' & Romancin' mostly uninspirin': I have a lot of respect for producer Sharon Haynes.

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: White sees green in real estate, radio careers: Lisa Ferguson; So the longtime stand-up comic devised a plan: For one year, he would put the brakes on his comedy and acting careers so he and his wife could relocate from Los Angeles to Southern Nevada, which they did last fall. White wanted to focus entirely on becoming a sort of real estate mogul, buying up properties here and selling them in a hurry to reap some hefty profits.

Letter: Social services are insufficient: In Las Vegas we have Mayor Oscar Goodman, a nationally known lawyer proud of having protected the constitutional rights of mobsters, who, along with the City Council, city attorney and others, has declared virtual war on the homeless. They would never dare treat us or tourists with the same unconstitutional actions.

Fun House: You have to wonder what goes through the amazing mind of the Amazing Johnathan, the amazing comic magician whose macabre sense of humor has made him one of the most popular acts in Las Vegas.

Letter: Bush's flip-flops have had deadly consequences: Yet Bush has flip-flopped in major ways.

Editorial: Convenient timing: That Hawk was still on the board as recently as Wednesday is mind-boggling. Way back in November the Ethics Commission issued an opinion that said Hawk should resign from the State Board of Education if it was going to act on the Hawks' charter school application. But the Ethics Commission's warning didn't faze Hawk. Hawk continued to sponsor the proposed charter school and stay on the State Board of Education even though it was an obvious conflict of interest, a conflict that couldn't be mitigated by Hawk's abstaining on votes involving his application. Hawk even filed for re-election in May. ...

Editorial: Sierra Club should drop U.S. 95 suit: The lawsuit, filed in April 2002, was rejected in March by U.S. District Court Judge Philip Pro. The environmental group appealed, however, and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this week put at least a temporary halt to the project. Preparations, including grading of the land and the building of sound walls and overpasses, can continue. Actual construction of additional lanes, however, which the state had been planning to start in September, is now postponed until after the appeal can be heard.

Columnist Spencer Patterson: First half of 2004 ushers in strong contenders: Spencer Patterson; Sure, the top of the charts has been dominated by the usual fare: commercial rappers Lloyd Banks and Jadakiss, popsters Avril Lavigne and Jessica Simpson and the aforementioned Usher juggernaut.

21 years later, 'Pyromania' is still contagious: Spencer Patterson; You won't find Def Leppard's "Pyromania" among the "100 Greatest British Albums" ranked by UK music magazine Observer Music Monthly last month.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Starlight Lounge gig is for a worthy Carse: Vocalist Steph Carse is making his Las Vegas debut at the Stardust's Starlight Lounge, with performances at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. during a limited nine-day engagement that began Saturday.

Columnist Susan Snyder: No kidding around in this rig: Kids did not pile out of ours -- nor will they ever.

Immunization schedule for July 30, 2004: Wednesday: 10:30 p.m., Quest Diagnostic, 4230 Burnham Ave.; 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., North Las Vegas Police, 1301 E. Lake Mead Blvd.

Sands of time sweet for 101-year-old: Heather Rawlyk; At 101 years old, Leroy Lewis can still remember the feeling of fresh dough squishing between his fingers and the procedure for making delicate sugar-flowers for his prize-winning cakes.

Community briefs for July 30, 2004: In recognition of National Immunization Month, the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District and the Clark County Health District will offer various immunizations that meet 2004 school admission requirements from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Las Vegas Library, 833 Las Vegas Blvd. North.