Print edition for June 15, 2004

Judge gives green light to casino vote: Robert Sandler; JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A judge dismissed a lawsuit Monday that sought to block Missourians from voting on a constitutional amendment to allow casino gambling in the southwest Missouri town of Rockaway Beach.

BIA rejects Connecticut tribe's bid for recognition: Lolita C. Baldor; WASHINGTON -- The Golden Hill Paugussetts' plans for a Connecticut casino and thousands of acres of land claims were dealt a major setback Monday, as the Bureau of Indian Affairs rejected their bid for federal recognition for a second time.

Bike hike: Nick Christensen; WHAT: 23rd annual Insight Race Across America, a 2,958.6-mile bicycle race from San Diego to Atlantic City.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Poor scoring decisions still plaguing officials: NASCAR president Mike Helton spent two days this past weekend apologizing for the sanctioning body's inept handling of scoring decisions during Nextel Cup races a week ago at Dover International Speedway and again Sunday at Pocono Raceway.

Schieck finally gets shot at office he helped create: By Matt Pordum; Clark County's new special public defender, the person responsible for overseeing the defense of most of the people who are facing the death penalty in the county, has been preparing for his new job since the position was created.

Zany rules part of race: Nick Christensen; The unusual challenge that is the Insight Race Across America is reflected in a couple of the unusual rules for competitors in the race.

News briefs for June 15, 2004: A 10-year-old California girl was injured Saturday night when she was hit in the head with a rock while on the roller coaster at New York-New York, a hotel spokeswoman said.

Utility: Enron manipulated energy market in power crisis: Gene Johnson; SEATTLE -- Enron Corp. manipulated the energy market practically every day during the 2000-01 power crunch and gouged Western customers for at least $1.1 billion, according to audiotapes and documents released Monday.

Rebels, Badgers renew contract: Steve Guiremand; Tentative future nonconference UNLV football schedules:

51s' trip to Edmonton again full of crazy tales: Nick Christensen; The Edmonton Trappers are moving to Round Rock, Texas, next year, and you won't hear too many complaints from the Las Vegas 51s.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Bird's view doesn't jibe with reality: Dean Juipe; Looking for a photo that would include the crowd from the classic Michigan State vs. Indiana State NCAA basketball championship game in 1979, I came across The Complete Book of Basketball by the New York Times. And the picture I needed was right there on the cover of the 1982 publication, shot the night of March 27, 1979, at the Special Events Center in Salt Lake City.

Yahoo boosts storage for e-mail customers: Subscribers to Yahoo's free e-mail service will automatically be upgraded to 100 megabytes of storage, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo said in a statement. Users previously had 4 megabytes of storage. Yahoo also said it is opening up more than 50 million additional e-mail addresses.

Police seek three in deaths of two men: Officers responded to the Rancho Mesa apartment complex about 12:30 a.m. after neighbors reported hearing more than 20 shots fired. When they arrived, police found two Las Vegas men -- both in their early 20s -- had died at the scene, Metro Homicide Lt. Tom Monahan said.

Beating victim is in critical condition: If a 51-year-old Las Vegas man dies, a suspect already in custody in connection with his beating and robbery could face more charges, Metro Police said.

Canadian's trial set in countryman's death: By Matt Pordum; A man accused of robbing and killing a fellow Canadian tourist he met playing poker at a Las Vegas Strip resort pleaded not guilty before District Judge Nancy Saitta on Monday.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Execs in lather over hair-raising move: Bellagio management is said to be especially angry about the recent defection of stylist director Jorgen Nielson from its salon to Wynn Las Vegas.

Fire department given accreditation: The fire department earned the status by passing 254 measurements of emergency planning, inspection, training, education, suppression and resource allocation.

High overhead: Upgraded Fremont Street Experience a $17 million gamble: Celebrities Rich Little, Sheena Easton and Gladys Knight strode confidently across the red carpet in downtown Las Vegas on Monday night.

Legendary Four Tops still spinning at 50: They liked the sound, and the next day they got together and practiced.

CineVegas continues run at Palms: For ticket information, go to: www.cinevegas.com or call 992-7979.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Cat's tale is quite a production: The story isn't part of the museum's official "Cats! Wild to Mild" show. McCully-Sexton, a Lied Animal Shelter volunteer, told it Saturday as she ran a kitten adoption table in the museum's lobby.

Phone decision not likely to immediately affect rates: The decision by the Bush administration last week to side with the regional Bell companies in their legal fight over the access fees they charge others to lease their phone lines has set off alarm bells among consumer groups, long-distance providers and state utility commissions.

Sports briefs for June 15, 2004: Las Vegan Andre Agassi pulled out of Wimbledon today with a hip injury, tournament officials said.

Letter: Bush suppresses information: There is a plethora of problems facing U.S. citizens today, including those who are financially secure as well as those who are in the middle class and those who are poor. The very least we deserve is the truth.

Wednesday's horse racing entries: Post Time 1:20 p.m.

Petition seeks increase in Nevada's minimum wage: Kirsten Searer; No full-time worker should struggle to make ends meet in Nevada's thriving economy, union and Democratic activists said Monday.

Molester of boys sentenced: By Matt Pordum; A former church volunteer charged with molesting young boys at his Las Vegas home was sentenced to 10 to 50 years in prison on Monday.

Clerical error blamed in delay of Treasures case: Stephen Curran; A clerical error was blamed Monday morning for the delay of the prostitution trial of a Las Vegas exotic dancer that could cost a local strip club its city tavern license.

Competency tests ordered in request to withdraw plea: By Matt Pordum; A hearing to determine whether a man who pleaded guilty to killing a Las Vegas father could withdraw his plea was postponed on Monday so tests could be performed to determine his competence.

Body of man found floating in Lake Mead: The National Park Service is investigating the death of an unidentified man whose body was discovered floating near the shore on the east side of lower Gypsum Wash at Lake Mead.

Reid says Gulf War POWs should be compensated: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- If the Defense Department plans to compensate Iraqis injured in U.S. military prisons, it also needs to pay 17 U.S. soldiers held as prisoners of war during the first Gulf War, Sen. Harry Reid said Monday.

Obituaries for June 15, 2004: John Arata, 86, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in a local care center. He was born Nov. 22, 1917, in Montebello, Calif. A resident for 50 years, he was a retired hotel maintenance supervisor, a World War II Army veteran and a member of Teamsters Local 995.

State keeps close watch on Yucca data: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Nevada will be closely watching how the Nuclear Regulatory Commission handles the Energy Department's posting of documentation -- or lack thereof -- into the Yucca Mountain project's database.

Rogers to recommend Miltenberger: Miltenberger has worked with the state college on its accreditation from its inception, Rogers noted.

Rangers keep a watch for pesky mollusks: The Memorial Day weekend discovery of zebra mussels on the hull of a boat that was preparing to launch into Lake Mead underscored the need for National Park Service and Southern Nevada Water Authority personnel to constantly be on guard against the invasive mollusks, officials said.

Garcia has 'constructive' meeting with School Board: By Emily Richmond; The Clark County School Board met with Superintendent Carlos Garcia in a closed session Monday to discuss his performance, emerging after 90 minutes to pronounce in a prepared statement that the "dialogue was constructive."

Judge rules regents violated open-meeting law: District Judge Jackie Glass ruled Monday that the university Board of Regents violated the state's open-meeting law during closed personnel sessions in November, and that all of the actions the board took during those meetings are "null and void."

Cashman joins ethics panel: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn has named Las Vegas businessman Tim Cashman to the state Ethics Commission to succeed Betsy Gonzalez, who resigned to run for District Court in Clark County.

Man sent immediately to prison because of hug from child: By Matt Pordum; A hug from a granddaughter outside a Clark County courtroom Monday caused a man to be immediately sentenced to a two- to five-year prison sentence.

Minorities not united on merger possibility: As the boards of directors of MGM MIRAGE and Mandalay Resort Group meet separately today to review details of the $7.9 billion deal that would form a dominating presence in the gaming industry, representatives of Las Vegas minority business communities began contemplating how the deal would affect opportunities for minority vendors.

Tax hike foes get 35 more days for cause: By Matt Pordum; District Judge Kenneth Cory this morning granted a 35-day deadline extension to a group seeking to put two referendums on the Nov. 2 ballot.

Race Across America: Race Across America

Angelos folding his cards?: Anthony A. Williams, the mayor of Washington, D.C., told baseball last month that "the train is ready to leave the station," in regards to the national pastime returning to the nation's capital.

Race for Ward 2 seat heats up: Sito Negron; It's down to the wire for Ward 2 candidates, who have stepped up the pace in an already frantic six-week campaign to serve on City Council.

Bybee scrutinized for signing torture memo: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- U.S. senators got few answers from Jay Bybee about his work at the Justice Department while evaluating his nomination to be a judge on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Business briefs for June 15, 2004: Yahoo! Inc., owner of the second most-used Internet search engine, is increasing the free storage it offers e-mail customers as Google Inc. is considering plans to provide free e-mail. Subscribers to Yahoo's free e-mail service will automatically be upgraded to 100 megabytes of storage, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo said in a statement.

Probe finds three Metro officers used excessive force: Jen Lawson; Three Metro Police officers who patrolled the department's southwest region on the graveyard shift used excessive force on suspects and then lied about the incidents during an internal investigation, officials said.

Police say engaged couple commit robberies: Jen Lawson; Trying to get rent money and stave off eviction, a young couple engaged to be married robbed four small businesses within 30 minutes, Metro Police said.

Experts warn newcomers of flash flood dangers: Flash flood control experts are reaching out to new residents, warning them of the potential dangers of a sudden summer thunderstorm that could swamp them in their homes or cars within minutes.

MGM MIRAGE cites 'juggernaut': By Liz Benston; If MGM MIRAGE consummates the biggest casino deal in history by acquiring Mandalay Resort Group, regulators aren't likely to require the company to sell off any of the combined entity's 29 casinos with the possible exception of a property in Detroit, where both companies each operate a casino, a top negotiator for MGM MIRAGE said Monday.

Task force urges creating trauma care system: Dan Kulin; Faced with a decision on whether to create a new trauma center in the Las Vegas Valley, a Clark County task force instead recommended Monday that the county create a system to oversee and coordinate trauma care.

LV doctor chief of examiners: CARSON CITY -- A Las Vegas physician has been elected president of the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners that licenses and disciplines doctors.

Magazine praises local hospital: Magazine praises local hospital

Gaming briefs for June 15, 2004: BATON ROUGE, La. -- Harrah's Entertainment Inc. may buy Horseshoe Gaming Holding Corp., the Louisiana Gaming Control Board agreed 9-0.

Reid pushes to get aide on nuclear panel: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is raising the stakes in his fight to get one of his aides onto the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Name changed to 'North Vista Hospital': The 198-bed hospital will now be called North Vista Hospital, which reflects its location and the surrounding mountain views in North Las Vegas and means "a new vision" in Spanish, hospital Chief Executive Craig Preston said in a statement.

Petitioners seek increase in Nevada's minimum wage: Kirsten Searer and Cy Ryan; The flurry of initiative action continued Monday and today.

Las Vegas Hilton buyer could play merger role: Kevin Rademacher; Colony Capital LLC could be a player in the MGM MIRAGE-Mandalay Resort Group merger if the consummation of the deal requires divestiture of local resort properties.

Venetian may scale back investment: Representatives of Las Vegas Sands Inc. issued a statement Monday saying that a proposed cap on the number of slot machines the company could install in its planned casinos in the United Kingdom "would affect the level" of the company's multimillion-dollar investment there.

Suits demand best deal for shareholders: Two Mandalay Resort Group shareholders filed separate suits last week in Clark County District Court accusing the company's executives and board of directors of failing to protect shareholders' interests during MGM MIRAGE's unsolicited takeover bid.

Immunization schedule for June 15, 2004: NORTH LAS VEGAS PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER: 1820 E. Lake Mead Blvd., Suite F, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Editorial: Approve halfway house: The Legislature's Interim Finance Committee must give its approval on Wednesday before the Corrections Department can go forward with construction. There are good reasons why this program should be approved. For starters, it saves the state money. The price of warehousing an inmate in a prison is $16,000 a year, nearly double that of a halfway house, whose expenses will be defrayed by part of the parolees' salaries. More importantly, the program promotes public safety, turning former inmates into law-abiding, productive individuals. A similar program in Reno had a recidivism rate of just 18 percent over three years. In contrast, ...

Grants available for drug prevention: Nonprofit groups can apply for the state incentive grants with $340,000 per year for the next three years to run the programs in Clark County. Applicants must attend a bidders' conference 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday at 1660 E. Flamingo Road.

Letter: Welfare Division is out of touch with the needy: Linda Mercer, energy assistance program manager of the Nevada Welfare Division, was quoted as saying, "We've tried the traditional methods ... to let people know we had lots of money to help lots of people ... but it didn't do the job." This is outrageous. Did she contact United Way, Catholic Charities, the Jewish Federation or any of the church groups and civic organizations that seem to find the poor and the needy without any trouble?

Letter: Elected officials must finish terms: If we could pass just one law that compels any politician to serve the full term before jumping ship, that one law would straighten out more messes and waste of taxes and everyone else's money than any other single or multiple action.

Editorial: Response to Sky-Vue has been strong: But since the articles appeared, the city has acted appropriately. Citing health and safety issues, the city closed the park April 30. It provided temporary shelter for displaced residents and their pets until permanent housing could be found. It paid for the residents' moving expenses and hired security patrols to protect their belongings.

Community briefs for June 15, 2004: The Food and Beverage Directors Association of Nevada is hosting its annual Black Tie Dinner beginning with a reception and silent auction at 6 p.m. Saturday at The Venetian, to honor James E. Rogers, Chairman and CEO of Sunbelt Communications and interim chancellor of the University and Community College System of Nevada.

Indians again an issue in slots negotiations: Marc Levy; HARRISBURG, Pa. -- As supporters of the legalization of slot machines try to compromise on a bill this month, they are addressing the idea of Indian-run casinos, the issue that as much as anything killed negotiations in December.

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