Print edition for May 18, 2004

Maroon 5 is adrift in search for an identity: Spencer Patterson; For the first few seconds, AC/DC's metal classic "Highway to Hell" seemed a strange encore for light-rocking Maroon 5 on Monday night at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.

Parlors demand equal taxation: Michael Mello; PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- If a casino were built in West Warwick it would steal business from existing gambling parlors in Newport and Lincoln, representatives from both operations said Monday.

Community briefs for May 18, 2004: Auditions for firefighters who want to be included in the 2005/2006 Las Vegas Firefighters Calendar, the proceeds of which benefit some of Southern Nevada's most deserving children, will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday poolside at Plush, the new nightclub inside the J.W. Marriott, 221 N. Rampart Blvd.

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

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

Manson family specter looms over local mystery: Jen Lawson; The last time anyone saw 78-year-old Ruby Dorman she was leaving the Flamingo Laughlin after finishing her shift as a buffet hostess.

Casino license mired in legal proceedings: Maura Kelly; CHICAGO -- A bankruptcy court judge Monday said a decision by Attorney General Lisa Madigan to resume revocation hearings for the license held by the bankrupt Emerald Casino Inc. won't have any bearing on whether he decides to let Emerald move forward with selling its license.

Editorial: One man can make a difference: Ensign certainly knows a thing or two about false promises. It was George W. Bush who told Nevadans, when he was campaigning for president in 2000, that he wouldn't support Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste dump unless it had been deemed scientifically safe. At the time, Bush's pledge elicited skepticism since the nuclear power industry, which backs Yucca Mountain, was supporting his candidacy. Nevertheless, Bush's views on Yucca Mountain were defended by the state's top Republican leaders. And what did Nevada get in return for delivering its electoral votes -- and the election -- to Bush based on his ...

Toyota marketing to younger buyers: Yuri Kageyama; TOKYO -- With video games, baby strollers and manicure kits to welcome visitors, dealers at a Toyota showroom in suburban Tokyo are working to convince buyers that today's models have nothing to do with their parents' boring old cars.

Longtime referee Curtis dies at 79: A hard, straight left from then-World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Lupe Pintor to Jovito Rengifo's jaw made the challenger's eyes roll in his head. Referee Joey Curtis had seen enough.

51s finding their bats at home: Nick Christensen; When the Las Vegas 51s kicked off their current homestand last week, the team was batting .253 with 142 runs -- 4.4 per game -- second-worst in the Pacific Coast League in both statistics.

Mark His Words: Holbrook revises role as Mark Twain at UNLV: Holbrook, 79, has taken Twain to Broadway (winning a Tony Award), the Ed Sullivan Theater, school assemblies, the Edinborough Festival, on CBS prime time and theaters throughout the United States. He has performed Twain at some point every year.

Other crimes might make way into new death penalty hearing: By Matt Pordum; District Judge Lee Gates decided Monday that a jury that will reconsider Donte Johnson's death sentence in the 1998 execution-style killings of four young men will also hear about allegations that Johnson was involved in an attack on a fellow inmate.

Louisiana casino take improves: Alan Sayre; NEW ORLEANS -- Louisiana's state-licensed casinos won $176.6 million from gamblers in April -- a $22 million increase from April 2003, state police reported Monday.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Biker Finn still speaks of spokes: Today Finn manages the national BMX pro team for Specialized Bicycles and co-owns Manual and Ollie's Bicycle Shop on Boulder Highway in Henderson.

Editorial: Abuse rooted in policy?: The articles are dissecting a dangerous policy embraced after Sept. 11 by the Bush White House and the Justice and Defense departments. Understanding that the offensive in Afghanistan would begin a "new kind of war," the Bush administration came to see the Geneva Conventions as obsolete. The conventions, worked out among most of the world's major nations between 1864 and 1949, and fully supported by the United States, established rights for prisoners of war and detainees and protected them from murder and cruel treatment.

UNLV women hoping to pull surprise: Adam Candee; No wide eyes or sweaty palms. Not from this group. Not even in this venue.

Gaming briefs for May 18, 2004: Cirque du Soleil is appealing an adverse Las Vegas court decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco over the company's rights to the name "cirque."

Power plant ready: The plant was built by GenWest LLC, a subsidiary of Phoenix-based Pinnacle West Energy, which will operate Silverhawk. The Southern Nevada Water Authority on Monday also completed its agreement to purchase a 25 percent share in the $400 million plant.

Columnist Jeff German: Redefining homeland security: The Nevada Homeland Security Commission hasn't even been in existence for a year, but it's already headed for an "extreme makeover."

LVI undergoes format changes: Adam Candee; They say that it is not being done to attract Tiger Woods and that it is just for one year.

Petition for tax repeal runs out of time: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant an extra 60 days for the gathering of signatures, effectively killing the referendum petition seeking a repeal of the $833 million tax increase.

Letter: Story about state's tax hike was incomplete: There is, however, no mention made in either of the articles that any thought has been given, or any effort made, to question the extent of the impact of these new taxes on the residents of the state. It is reported that the state budget for this fiscal year is $5.9 billion, and for next fiscal year it will be $6.2 billion. Given the state population of just over 2 million people, the budget for this fiscal year represents about $3,600 spent for every man, woman and child in the state.

County OKs budget, job cuts: The Clark County Commission passed a record $948.4 million budget Tuesday, the largest in the county's history.

Harrah's review focusing on Chicago area: By Liz Benston; Federal regulators studying a major merger involving Harrah's Entertainment Inc. have recently focused their attention on the potential market concentration of Harrah's casinos around the Chicago area, an official for Harrah's said Monday.

First full class of Millennium Scholars completes college: Candice deGuzman dreamed of being a doctor when she grew up.

Vegas Coke workers could strike tonight: Alana Roberts; Warehouse workers and truck drivers are threatening to strike tonight at the Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. distribution plant in Las Vegas.

Money flowing from Las Vegas to Mexico: By Timothy Pratt; For most people in the Las Vegas Valley, stretching paychecks means juggling bills, clipping coupons or cutting back on restaurants at the end of the month.

Letter: Tax increase was responsible: In 1967 two other Republican leaders, California Gov. Ronald Reagan and Nevada Gov. Paul Laxalt, championed tax increases for their states. "It's the responsible thing to do," Reagan remarked at the time. A bipartisan coalition of Nevada legislators increased the gaming tax by 20 percent and the sales tax by 50 percent.

Resale housing prices up more than 30 percent: Jennifer Shubinski; Las Vegas-area housing prices continued to soar in April, but local analysts expect prices to level off by the end of the year while others said it is already starting to happen.

LV wants to make deals on land for City Hall expansion: Las Vegas officials want to talk to the owners of property in the way of City Hall's planned expansion before a vote is taken that could lead to the sale or condemnation of their properties.

Schools locked down as man shot nearby: Jen Lawson; A middle school and an elementary school were locked down for about three hours this morning after a teen shot a man in the shoulder on 28th Street at Stewart Avenue, police said.

TV show to be put on hiatus: Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. also announced related staff cuts within the television business segment, and said it will post a restructuring charge of up to $2 million in the second quarter.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Frohlich's WNBA future placed in limbo: On Saturday, I received an e-mail from the Lady Rebels' unofficial booster club confirming a bus trip to Phoenix in July to watch former UNLV star Linda Frohlich play for her new WNBA team, the Phoenix Mercury.

Water District budget approved: The Clark County Commission on Monday approved a $400.2 million budget for the Las Vegas Valley Water District.

Three file for special LV City Council election: And they're off, running in the political equivalent of the 100-yard dash.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: 'The Vegas Show' has golden touch: The TV show formerly known as "Vegas Live! With Clint Holmes and Sheena Easton" has a new name, a new studio, a new broadcast home, a beefed-up staff with some sterling resumes and one excited executive producer.

New Nevada Citizen Corps would assist in emergencies: Dan Kulin; When disaster strikes -- whether it is a terrorist attack, earthquake, or tornado -- officials hope volunteers trained through the Citizen Corps will step in to help the police, fire and other emergency responders.

Math problems add up for LV students: By Emily Richmond; For Desert Pines senior Sarah Williamson, the fourth time had better be the charm.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Kyle Busch to skip Nextel Open for Busch race: Hendrick Motorsports has withdrawn its entry in Saturday's Nextel Open for Las Vegas native Kyle Busch so he can focus on Sunday's NASCAR Busch Series race at Nazareth Speedway, the team announced Monday.

Lincoln not saying yes to Yucca: Stephen Curran; The Lincoln County commission on Monday voted to soften language in its official reaction to an environmental study for a rail line to the proposed nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain.

Carr stuns field, himself with lead: Nick Christensen; Nobody expected Dennis Carr to be leading after the first round of the NIAA 4A state golf championship -- especially not Dennis Carr.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Union has its advocates: Dean Juipe; The idea is an honorable one and it's working, even if it's not quite going as originally planned.

Letter: Wrong message from ethics panel: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said he will run the city just the way he wants and will do just what he wants. The Ethics Commission has just given him the go-ahead to do just this. I hope the commissioners realize they may have let loose a tiger, or something worse.

Adelson plans separate Macau Strip, IPO: As owners of the Venetian opened their $240 million casino in Macau today, another opening -- the opening of bids to begin site preparation work for another project at another Macau location known as the Cotai Strip -- holds even greater potential for the Las Vegas casino company.

Regents lament possible loss of college president: As Nevada State College faculty and staff were still basking in the success of the infant institution's first graduation, they were hit Monday with the news that another obstacle may lie ahead.

Missing bipolar teenager found: Jesseca Holland, a 16-year-old who had vanished more than a month ago in Las Vegas, was found early Sunday.

EOB fails to meet federal deadlines: By Timothy Pratt; The troubled Economic Opportunity Board -- the Las Vegas Valley's largest nonprofit organization -- has failed to meet two important deadlines for providing financial information to the federal Head Start bureau, said Windy Hill, associate commissioner for the agency.

Ensign demands more TSA screeners: Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., calling a roughly 5 percent increase in baggage screeners for McCarran International Airport "completely unacceptable," today said he would block approval of the top Transportation Safety Administration official until more screeners are approved.

Obituaries for May 18, 2004: James "Sam" Ballard, 89, of Las Vegas died Saturday in a local care center. He was born June 3, 1914, in Valentine, Neb. A resident for 30 years, he was a retired motel owner and a World War II Navy veteran.

Sands Macau opens: Helen Luk; MACAU -- A Las Vegas tycoon opened a new casino here today, raising the stakes in Macau's huge gambling industry by bringing in competition for the first time in more than 40 years.

Smog blows in from California: Smog from California apparently is being blown into the Las Vegas Valley, threatening Southern Nevada with a third unhealthy day for ozone this year, air quality officials said today.

Colorado River states meet to discuss drought: Representatives from seven Western states and the Interior Department met behind closed doors in Las Vegas on Monday to weigh how the longest drought in modern history has affected the Colorado River.

Las Vegas firm settles lawsuit: The suit was filed on behalf of Belina Garcia, a former dispatcher of Mexican descent. Garcia said she was disciplined and later fired after complaining to management that she and other Mexican employees had been harassed about Mexican traditions, food, dress and customs by supervisors and other employees.

Public offers thoughts on Yucca Mountain: Las Vegas native Bob Haygood said he is neutral on the controversial nuclear waste repository project at Yucca Mountain, where the government wants to bury 77,000 tons of high-level radioactive waste.

Sports briefs for May 18, 2004: For the first time this season, UNLV baseball swept the Mountain West Conference's weekly awards, as junior right fielder Eric Nielsen was named Player of the Week and senior right-hander David Seccombe picked up the Pitcher of the Week award.

Peter wins main event on Bally's fight card: Dean Juipe; As the 10th and final round was about to begin, a hint of anxiety surfaced in the corner of Samuel Peter.

More legal problems hit former temporary judge in Henderson: CARSON CITY -- A former temporary judge in Henderson is in more trouble with the state Judicial Discipline Commission -- this time for more than $8,000 in unpaid parking tickets.

Family members shot, vehicles vandalized: The shooting occurred about 3:30 a.m. on Payson Court. A man was shot in the back and a 15-year-old boy believed to be his son was shot in the leg. They were being treated at University Medical Center.

Black leaders say schools still unequal: Kirsten Searer; Fifty years after the Brown vs. Board of Education decision ruled that students cannot be segregated by race, many of Nevada's students still receive unequal educations, some black leaders said Monday.

Judge rejects appeal of teen's 1999 murder conviction: By Matt Pordum; District Judge Nancy Saitta on Monday rejected the argument that the trial attorney of a 14-year-old boy facing murder charges in 1999 was negligent for not calling an expert witness to question the validity of witness statements.