Print edition for June 7, 2004

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: SunLite for June 7, 2004: Lisa Ferguson; Taking the plunge this month? It being June and all, you surely must know you and your beloved won't be the only ones belly-flopping into matrimony.

Sports briefs for June 7, 2004: Owen Hambrook, who led the UNLV men's tennis team to a 10-win improvement in his first season overseeing the program as an interim coach, was rewarded for his efforts by getting the job permanently, the athletic department announced Sunday.

19 percent of seniors fail proficiency test: By Emily Richmond; About one of every five Clark County high school seniors won't receive a diploma at this year's graduation ceremonies because of a failing score on the statewide math proficiency test.

Dean, ethics panel may make a deal: The commission has scheduled a meeting for 10 a.m. Wednesday at which Deane could stipulate to ethical violations. Deane referred questions Friday to her attorney, Lew Brandon.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Arum salvages Top Rank by appeasing Hopkins: Dean Juipe; Bob Arum saved his company and his business during a man-to-man meeting Friday with Bernard Hopkins in a suite at the MGM.

Lavin Large: Kirk Baird; What: CineVegas Film Festival.

Don't be fooled twice by Bush: Nonsense, all nonsense.

Letter: A no-brainer to boost recycling: We are a family of dedicated recyclers and I would estimate that we recycle at least two, possibly three, times the amount we dispose as garbage. By the end of two weeks, that is an enormous amount of debris in our garage.

Charge of sexual assault dismissed: By Matt Pordum; The most serious charge facing a 21-year-old man accused of molesting two young girls was dismissed without prejudice by District Judge Donald Mosley on Friday.

New indictment charges bikers with murder: By Matt Pordum; Five members of the rival motorcycle gangs the Mongols and Hells Angels were charged with murder in connection with the 2002 Laughlin River Run riot

Peltyn, structural engineer on Strip megaresorts, dies at 60: Born Jan. 14, 1944, in Brooklyn, N.Y., Peltyn was president of Martin & Peltyn and the structural engineer who designed the steel skeletons supporting Bellagio, The Mirage, The Venetian, Golden Nugget and other resorts.

Despite NCAA title, Moore won't go pro: Adam Candee; Ryan Moore's cell phone battery died early last week and he left the charger at home. By the time he got it working again over the weekend, it would not stop ringing with congratulations that Moore found a little unusual.

Murphy's attorney withdraws from second Binion trial: By Matt Pordum; The lead attorney representing Sandy Murphy in her upcoming trial in the murder of Ted Binion, has withdrawn from the case saying "non-lawyers" were trying to take over Murphy's case.

Editorial: Let's conserve, not grab: The water authority, of course, must have approval from State Engineer Hugh Ricci before pumping ground water from anywhere. We empathize with the Indian Springs residents and agree with Ricci, who has said Indian Springs is already short of water. An alternative plan would be to "mine" for ground water right here in the Las Vegas Valley. Better yet, we should develop a real conservation plan for the valley before we go after water elsewhere. With our ubiquitous fountains, lakes, swimming pools, sprawling lawns and golf courses, it's hard to justify plans to grab Indian Springs' water.

Letter: Gasoline prices bound to affect political race: Now, bear in mind that the middle-class family described above received less than $300 in tax relief from Bush's big tax giveaway to the rich, who can easily afford the current high prices of energy.

Rebels sent packing in two games: PALO ALTO, Calif. -- In auto racing, when somebody asks "How fast do you want to go?" the answer almost always is "How much money do you want to spend?"

Medical residents OK'd for mental center: Beth Slovic; Responding to what a state official called a growing crisis in Las Vegas' capacity for treating mentally ill patients, the Medical Examiners Board on Friday approved a measure that will allow third-year medical residents perform routine physicals at Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services.

Smarty Jones' failure saddens the masses: Ralph Siraco; Smarty Jones lost his bid for the Triple Crown. Smarty Jones lost the Belmont Stakes. Smarty Jones left a big hole in the stomach of most who watched a numbing defeat in the shadow of the finish line at Belmont Park on Saturday.

Obituaries for June 7, 2004: Louise Amanda Tezon Kirby Farkas, 83, of Henderson died Wednesday in Henderson. She was born June 7, 1920, in Boonville, Mo. A resident for 39 years, she was a homemaker, a member of the Henderson Senior Citizens Center and a volunteer at St. Rose Dominican Hospital.

Newton wins in Laughlin: Newton defeated fellow Arizonan Dave Bryant in the final for the flat-bottom, V-8-powered crafts.

Parraz expected to be selected high: Adam Candee; Don't be surprised if the first local name called in today's Major League Baseball first-year player draft sounds a lot like the one that caused the biggest stir last year.

Wins by Oscar, Hopkins set up 'big one': Dean Juipe; Oscar De La Hoya has won and lost a number of close fights in Las Vegas, but none was closer than his Saturday bout against Felix Sturm.

Board not dropping probe of doctor: Beth Slovic; The state Board of Medical Examiners on Friday changed course and decided not to drop its investigation of Kurt Buzard, the Las Vegas ophthalmologist who pleaded guilty last year to a misdemeanor charge of cocaine possession.

Birth announcements for June 7, 2004: May 23:

Editorial: Officials got sandbagged on Wal-Mart: Why did you approve this Wal-Mart? was the collective question of the day for the commissioners. Shockingly, their collective answer was, "We did?" Commissioner Myrna Williams affirmed the confusion. "I didn't know Wal-Mart was part of that agreement," she said. "None of us did." The agreement was for the lease of county-owned land managed by the county's Aviation Department. It was approved March 16 as part of the County Commission's consent agenda, which normally consists of routine, noncontroversial items that are bundled together so they can be quickly passed with one vote.

Business news briefs for June 7, 2004: Valley Hospital laid off 15 longtime security guards and hired Allied Security Inc. to provide security last week.

Student survives crash, moves to head of class: By Emily Richmond; Standing in the bright sunshine of the academic quad at Cimarron-Memorial High School last week, senior Eric Reichenbacher pulls aside a lank of his light brown hair to reveal the scar running across the top of his head.

Compensation soars for casino executives: By Liz Benston; Large grants of restricted stock and sales of millions of dollars' worth of stock options boosted compensation for casino executives to record highs last fiscal year, with experts attributing much of the rich pay increases to savvy profit-taking and impressive gains in casino stocks.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Region has bear of a problem: Carl Lackey's problem this spring is a bear.

Kerkorian strikes again: MGM MIRAGE's surprise bid to buy out Mandalay Resort Group had the familiar signature of a legendary deal maker.

Williams fills tall order: If he had to rely on his vocal talent, Paul Williams would be walking horses for a living.

Mandalay shares soar after takeover bid: By Liz Benston; Mandalay Resort Group shares soared 20 percent this morning after news late Friday that MGM MIRAGE offered to buy Mandalay for $68 per share, or $7.65 billion.

Regulator gets mixed reviews in mortgage cleanup: Kevin Rademacher; The process of developing new regulations for Nevada's mortgage industry will not be easy.

Schwarzenegger cancels Vegas trip: Kevin Rademacher; California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plans to lure businesses back to his state will not change the mind of Mitchell Greif.

Kyle Busch finishes fifth to retain points lead: DOVER, Del. -- Greg Biffle outlasted Martin Truex Jr. and David Green to win the rain-delayed MBNA 200 NASCAR Busch race today and Kyle Busch finished fifth to retain the points lead.

Reagan's ties long, strong to LV: Dressed in casual clothing, including a T-shirt and cowboy hat, President Ronald Reagan in 1984 sat on the edge of his bed at his Southern California ranch and watched a tape of a campaign ad that was proposed for network airing.

Colorado River states postpone meeting: Kay Brothers, deputy general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said the meeting was postponed to give staff members from water agencies throughout the seven states more time to work on technical issues.

State, federal regulators would review deal: By Jeff Simpson; Federal and state officials would definitely review an MGM MIRAGE combination with Mandalay Resort Group on potential antimonopoly grounds.

News briefs for June 7, 2004: A botched drug deal left a Las Vegas man dead and his fiancee in critical condition with a gunshot wound early this morning, according to Metro Police.

Gaming news briefs for June 7, 2004: Shuffle Master Inc. of Las Vegas, which makes card-shuffling equipment and other gambling products, said it fired Chief Financial Officer Gerald Koslow for failing to disclose an arrest on a renewal form with the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Regents must trim building wish list: ELKO -- The university Board of Regents faced some tough choices Saturday on its construction wish list last week, made even worse by steel prices that have risen 65 percent in recent months.

Talib Kweli performs for the enlightened: Spencer Patterson; Early in his show Saturday night, rapper Talib Kweli asked, "Where were you the day hip-hop died?" in his song "Too Late."

Visitors unlikely to notice changes: By Liz Benston; MGM MIRAGE's pending offer for Mandalay Resort Group would create a gaming behemoth with the kind of power to control prices for rooms and other amenities, some customers and analysts say. But others say the deal would have little to no effect on the way the casinos are run and would be imperceptible to consumers.

Money set aside to help the poor pay utility bills goes untapped: By Timothy Pratt; Thirteen million dollars meant to help the state's poor pay their utility bills is sitting in a bank account unused because a 3-year-old program remains largely unknown.

Family embarks on final journey: Jeff Wilson; SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- As a fragile Nancy Reagan looked on, soldiers and sailors carefully loaded Ronald Reagan's flag-covered casket into a hearse today to begin his final journey, first to a private family service, then to a state funeral in Washington.

Woman found dead in home; arson suspected: Stephen Curran; A woman in her 30s was found dead this morning in what has been ruled an arson at a home near Buffalo Drive and Smoke Ranch Road, Las Vegas fire officials said.

Board of Regents news briefs for June 7, 2004: The Community College of Southern Nevada is going to get its own police force.

Marina struggles against a fickle lake: Lynn Doan; The Las Vegas Boat Harbor has relocated about 60 times in the past five years, searching for higher water levels as Lake Mead recedes.

Area's first excessive heat warning issued: Mary Manning and Heather Rawlyk; The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that about 400 people nationwide die each year from heat exposure. People can suffer heat-related illness when the body's temperature control system is overloaded. Warning signs of heat stroke, the most serious heat-related illness, may include the following:

Chicken Ranch brothel in Pahrump is for sale: Investors in the Chicken Ranch include Western Best Ltd. and its managing partner, Kenneth Green, said Bob Fisher, a spokesman for the brothel. Fisher today said Western Best is selling the property located on 40 acres, an hour away from Las Vegas, because the owners are ready to move on.

Sunrise urges support for trauma center: Stephen Curran; Saying it represented one of Clark County's "most critical health care decisions," officials from Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center rolled out a public relations blitz Friday to drum up support for their proposed trauma center, which would be the second in Southern Nevada.

Prisoner halfway house may be near approval: Gov. Kenny Guinn, Secretary of State Dean Heller and Attorney General Brian Sandoval on Tuesday will consider a proposed halfway house for non-violent prisoners, bringing the proposal a step closer to fruition.

80-year-old man jailed after girlfriend stabbed to death: Jen Lawson; An 80-year-old man was arrested Friday in the stabbing death of his 73-year-old girlfriend outside a beauty salon on Rainbow Boulevard.

Possible breaches of open meeting law rise: By Timothy Pratt; The state attorney general's office this year has received nearly twice as many complaints as it did last year about possible violations of Nevada's open meeting law, one of the top officials from that office says.

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