Print edition for November 29, 2004

TV-fueled poker revival attracts Strip casinos: By Liz Benston; Caesars Palace will open its first poker room in at least 12 years in response to the burgeoning popularity of poker, while Bellagio and Bally's Las Vegas are considering expanding their poker areas.

Cold front grips LV on busy travel weekend: Eric Leake, Jace Radke and Mary Manning; Unusually chilly weather was as much a surprise as delayed flights and traffic for those returning home Sunday after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Holiday shopping start leaves retailers with mixed results: Anne D'Innocenzio; NEW YORK -- The holiday shopping season began with a surge in spending but consumers faded by the long Thanksgiving weekend's close and many retailers were facing decent but hardly impressive sales.

Woman killed in crash on bridge over U.S. 95: A Las Vegas woman was killed and six others were injured, two of them critically, in a weekend crash that is still under investigation by Metro Police.

Top 25 Fared: AP; No. 1 Southern Cal (11-0) beat Notre Dame 41-10. Next: vs. UCLA, Saturday.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Lady Rebels have steps for any dance floor: When the new women's basketball poll comes out today, it's conceiveable North Carolina may be ranked as high as No. 2, which would be its highest poll position since it won the national championship 10 years ago.

Bush chooses CEO of Kellogg to be commerce secretary: Deb Riechmann; WASHINGTON -- President Bush on today chose Carlos Gutierrez, a native of Cuba and now the chief executive of Kellogg Co., to be secretary of commerce.

Boggs McDonald will represent Nevada counties on national board: As one of two state representatives, Boggs McDonald will represent Nevada's 17 counties on the national organization's board during the one-year appointment.

Preps basketball: Sunset region: Nick Christensen; Basic WOLVES 2003-04 RECORDS: Boys -- 9-16. Girls -- 14-14, lost in Sunrise quarterfinals to Desert Pines. COACHES: Boys -- Steve Bentz, 2nd year. Girls -- Teresa Gallegos, 3rd year. PAST STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS: Boys (3) -- 1959, 1956, 1947. Girls -- None. RETURNING STARTERS: 2 boys, 4 girls. BOYS' OUTLOOK: The Wolves only return two starters, but many Basic players had experience last year at the varsity level. "We lost a lot of close games that hopefully we can win this year," coach Steve Bentz said. Basic's anchored by center Kyle Lange. GIRLS' OUTLOOK: Basic returns four starters, including center ...

Yucca standard won't be appealed: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The Nuclear Energy Institute will not ask the Supreme Court to review a federal appeals court ruling that threw out a radiation protection standard for the Yucca Mountain project.

LVCVA says visitor estimate hit mark: Richard N. Velotta and Liz Benston; Marina Nicola, a spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said she thinks Las Vegas hosted the number of tourists that the authority projected would come.

Company names new leader for Macau operation: Frank McFadden, currently chief executive of Vienna-based Casinos Austria International Ltd., has been appointed chief operating officer at U.S.-based Las Vegas Sands' Macau arm, Venetian Macau Ltd., the South China Morning Post said.

UNLV lab teaches DNA work to community: For more information or to register for the DNA workshop, visit shadowlane.unlv.edu online or e-mail Goldstein at walter.goldstein@ ccmail.nev

UCLA stuns No. 4 Texas with rally: Three years ago, when Nikki Blue spurned perennial national championship contender Connecticut and chose to come to UCLA and help rebuild the program, she envisioned days like Sunday.

Barrera's win lifts a nation of boxers: Before the third installment in the intense rivalry between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, Morales said too often in his sport, the excitement surrounding the buildup to a big match fizzles out when the fight itself ends up as a dud.

Storm grounds thousands of passengers in Reno: Martin Griffith; RENO -- Thousands of passengers were grounded during a snowstorm at Reno-Tahoe International Airport on its busiest weekend of the year.

Online travel search engines set to take off: Michael Liedtke; SAN FRANCISCO -- Like a lot of frequent travelers, Kevin Pollard relies on the Internet to save money on airfares, hotel rooms and rental cars. The quest generally took him to the Web's most popular travel sites -- Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia -- until he discovered a new breed of specialty search engines that promise to dig up even better bargains.

President chooses Kellogg CEO to be Commerce secretary: If confirmed by the Senate, Gutierrez would succeed Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, a Texas confidant of Bush's, who announced his resignation shortly after the Nov. 2 election.

Study: Adults needed to curb teen drinking: Cy Ryan and Molly Ball; CARSON CITY -- Teenage drinking and driving may be on the decline, but it is still a serious problem, and a state study says efforts to reduce underage drinking should be focused on adults.

Panel: Plant builders must contribute to Nevada Power project: Kevin Rademacher; Nevada Power Co.'s massive Centennial Project will get a financial contribution from two power plant builders that might never use the transmission system.

Woman sought in holiday slaying arrested: Henderson Police officers, responding to a homeowner's call of a prowler late Saturday, took into custody the 25-year-old California woman wanted in the shooting death of a 51-year-old Las Vegas woman on Thanksgiving Day.

Points for March: Adam Candee; The springboard of a moral victory does not provide the bounce that the trampoline of an actual upset against an elite team would have for the Lady Rebels.

Giving spirit fades after holidays: By Timothy Pratt; With the glow of Thanksgiving feasts fading on Friday, nonprofit organizations around the Las Vegas Valley geared up for the next big thing: Christmas, and the donations it brings.

Attorneys for Augustine file objections: CARSON CITY -- Controller Kathy Augustine is not well liked by her employees and is guilty of "misguided judgment" in using state workers in her re-election campaign, but that is not enough to toss her out of office, her lawyers say.

Letter: Election over, but the causes endure: My grandchildren should be protected from huge deficits and be able to live in a cleaner environment. They should be guaranteed a sound, quality public school education. Their rights to organize and bargain collectively should not be diminished and their health and welfare made more secure by intelligent and honorable domestic and foreign policy decisions.

Fallen Las Vegas Marine is remembered: Eric Leake; As Eleanor Dachtler struggled with grief after her son, Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas Anderson, died in Iraq, she heard on the radio a song that became something more.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Frankel again dominates Hollywood Turf Festival: Ralph Siraco; At the end of last year trainer Bobby Frankel established some pretty lofty statistics on the way to another Eclipse Award. His 25 Grade I victories and money-won title of $19,143,289 in earnings were both records.

Letter: Schools shouldn't stymie creativity: A uniform policy in public schools carries with it much more danger than just the further deterioration of the Bill of Rights. It creates an atmosphere of everyone walking in lockstep with each other. When people begin to dress the same, the next step is to think and act the same.

Definity Health sold: The purchase of Definity Health, based in Minneapolis, probably will close in the fourth quarter, Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth said in a statement. Definity Health expects $100 million in 2005 revenue and is profitable, UnitedHealth said.

Controller found success despite aggressive style: Kirsten Searer; People who have watched Kathy Augustine's quick rise through Nevada's political stratosphere say they aren't surprised the state controller is kicking and screaming on the way back down.

Sports briefs for November 29, 2004: Marc Magliarditi stopped 44 shots in regulation and made three saves in the shootout as the Wranglers left Pensacola, Fla., Sunday night with a 1-0 win in the fifth game of their marathon, 10-game ECHL road trip.

News briefs for November 29, 2004: A 56-year-old man was critically injured this morning after losing control of his car and hitting several light poles and a tree on Pecos Road near Sunrise Avenue, Metro Police said.

Preps: Weekend results: Saturday Football 4A State Semifinals Las Vegas 21, Reed 14 Palo Verde 21, McQueen 14 Boys' Basketball Centennial 52, Las Vegas 30: CENT: Anthony Burton 19 pts. Cheyenne 69, Eldorado 58: CHEY: DeMarcus Branch 18 pts, Melvyn Oliver 13 pts. ELDO: Martell Odom 19 pts, Alfonso McNeil 14 pts. Liberty 75, Western 69: LBTY: Brian Magann 22 pts, Jordan Stokes 20 pts, 16 reb. Travoy Edwards 6 pts, 13 reb. WEST: Chris Fowler 22 pts. Mojave 82, Spring Valley 41: MJVE: Dominique Watson 29 pts. SPRV: Blaize Smith 9 pts. Girls' Basketball Centennial 91, Las Vegas 43: CENT: Italee Lucas ...

Mitsubishi setting up joint venture for vehicle financing: Details of the deal were not decided, but Mitsubishi Motors also said it agreed to sell $2 billion of its U.S. credit company's $4 billion assets -- including leases and loans -- to Merrill Lynch, a spokesman at the Tokyo-based automaker said. The price was not disclosed.

Police shut down gambling club that catered to elderly: The Brockton club, located steps away from a day-care center for children, featured video poker games, card games, and plenty of alcohol, authorities said. It was in operation for at least three years.

Shun Tak to rent casino to Ho for share of take: Shun Tak will lease about 215,280 square feet to Sociedade de Jogos de Macau for a casino with at least 180 gambling tables, the Hong Kong company said in a statement. It will get 40 percent of the gross revenue from 60 tables and at least 30 percent of revenue from remaining tables.

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Southern teams sweep into final: Nick Christensen; One team did it in the wind, another did it in the snow. And for the first time ever, two Southern Nevada teams will play for the large-school football championship Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Editorial: Toying with public trust: It's so far unclear how the tax-return provision made its way into the bill, but what is clear is why it and questionable pork-barrel projects can so easily become law: When members of Congress voted on the appropriations bill more than a week ago, no one really had a chance to read the bill in its entirety because it was plopped on the members' desks just hours before the roll call. The appropriations process was done in secrecy, and Democrats ripped House GOP leaders for not following the House's own rules that require members to be given at least three ...

Obituaries for November 29, 2004: Steven Charles Allen, 55, of Las Vegas died Nov. 17 in Las Vegas. He was born Nov. 21, 1948, in Rhode Island. A resident for 15 years, he was a government technical engineer and a Vietnam War Army veteran.

Gators' height a big edge: Nick Christensen; Two years ago, Green Valley went undefeated in league play, then lost to Valley by 4 in a Sunrise Region semifinal.

Clark fires football coach: Lamb was in his fourth season at Clark, and athletic administrator Wilfredo Rivera said he expects to have a decision on Lamb's replacement next week. Six candidates have applied for the Clark vacancy.

Birth announcements for November 29, 2004: Nov. 13:

Columnist Susan Snyder: Van Troba makes artful life change: Van Troba lives in Kingston, a village in the middle of Nevada's scenic Smoky Valley.

London Clubs mulls joint casino venture: Gabrielle Monaghan; London Clubs International Plc, a British casino owner whose stock has doubled in the past year, will probably enter a joint venture with a foreign counterpart to open a Las Vegas-style super casino in the U.K.

Georgetown County to appeal casino boat ruling: The unanimous vote came earlier this week after little discussion. County Attorney John "Mac" Tolar told the members he thinks Circuit Court Judge Jackson Gregory was wrong when he ruled the county's law banning casino boats was unconstitutional.

Editorial: Attention all parents: One of the most popular pastimes of children today is mastering video and computer games. Thanks to a total lack of civic responsibility, many manufacturers are producing games entirely inappropriatefor children. Murder, thievery, assaults, nudity, profanity -- it's all out there and presented as a value worth emulating. This isn't "The Rifleman" we're talking about, the late '50s, early '60s TV show starring Chuck Connors. These type of shows featured violence, for sure, but it wasn't very graphic and it was always rooted in upholding a family or community value.

Cost of Dubuque casino expansion climbs $6 million: The Dubuque Racing Association Board has authorized $3 million in additional borrowing for the project, currently under construction.

Letter: Dangers of Yucca dump cannot be underestimated: Personally, I don't know how anyone can ignore the Yucca Mountain issue. Las Vegas will most certainly become a nuclear disaster area if we let this happen. Shipments to Yucca Mountain will make a fine target for terrorists. To derail a train or attack a truck would not be that difficult.

Web Site Wonderland: Stress-free holiday shopping just a point and click away: Kirk Baird; Chances are many of you reading this story have already been brave enough to venture to the malls, outlet stores and anywhere there was an advertised sale for holiday gifts.

Lecture set on public schools: Goodnough will address the realities of teaching in the public school system as portrayed in her book, "Ms. Moffett's First Year." The book tells the story of Donna Moffett, a legal secretary who answered an ad for the New York City Teaching Fellows program, which sought to recruit "talented professionals" from other fields to teach in some of the city's worst schools.