Print edition for November 30, 2004

Letter: U.S. becoming a theocracy: The Christian Coalition is already demanding payment for its role in guaranteeing Bush's re-election.

Gorman girls have their eyes on lead dogs: Nick Christensen; Saturday afternoon, Centennial High School's girls' basketball team scored a 4A-record 91 points in its win at Las Vegas.

Preps basketball: Sunset region: Nick Christensen; Bishop Gorman GAELS 2003-04 RECORDS: Boys -- 20-8, lost in Sunset quarterfinals to Cheyenne. Girls -- 21-4, lost in Sunset final to Centennial. PAST STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS: Boys -- (10) 2002, 2000, 1997, 1989, 1988, 1984, 1979, 1978, 1963, 1962; Girls -- None. COACHES: Boys -- Grant Rice, 4th year. Girls -- Sheryl Krmpotich, 7th year. RETURNING STARTERS: 4 boys, 3 girls. BOYS' OUTLOOK: : Gorman is ranked as high as 20th in the U.S. by national publications. Led by guards Kashif Watson, Marcus Lawrence and Greg Williams, as well as forward C.J. Portz, the Gaels are the team to beat ...

Details of fireworks unveiled: Representatives of organizations planning "America's Party" on the Las Vegas Strip were scheduled to unveil additional details today.

Editorial: On laws and parents: Oftentimes the drinking occurs with parental permission, such as at home parties. We know what can happen after such parties, as the Las Vegas Valley has had more than its share of tragic car accidents involving drunken teenagers.

IBM leaves legislative rival at the gate: CARSON CITY -- IBM has won the contract if the Legislature decides to buy new laptop computers.

Ralph Siraco's Hollywood Park selections: 1st Race -- LITTLE FOXY BABY -- Training at Santa Anita, bug boy Cohen atop Marlow trainee, Las Vegan-owned runner draws good post in two-turn opener. IMAGOLDSEEKER -- Draws rail post for route claimer, Espinoza on Cardenas trainee, sans blinkers for this try. Value Play -- CAN'T BE DENIED

Preps: Monday's Results: Today Boys' Basketball All times 6:30 p.m. unless noted: Bonanza at Chaparral, Cheyenne at Foothill, Coronado at Durango, Desert Pines at Western, Eldorado at Centennial, Green Valley at Bishop Gorman, Liberty at Cimarron-Memorial, Mojave at Valley, Palo Verde at Las Vegas, Sierra Vista at Basic, Spring Valley at Del Sol, Moapa Valley at Cedar City (Utah) 6 p.m., Boulder City at River Valley (Bullhead City, Ariz.) 6 p.m., Virgin Valley at Kanab (Utah) 5:15 p.m. Girls' Basketball All times 5 p.m. unless noted: Bonanza at Chaparral, Cheyenne at Foothill, Coronado at Durango, Desert Pines at Western, Eldorado at Centennial, Green ...

Patient's quilt puts a face on AIDS: Molly Ball; Sue's quilt square is divided into quadrants. Pictures of her large family mingle with puffy-painted designs and brightly colored letters that spell out words like "service," "fitness," "family" and "BBQ."

Centennial getting sendoff with roses and fireworks: Dan Kulin; The yearlong 100th birthday celebration of the birth of Las Vegas will kick off with fireworks on the Strip and also venture into another New Year's tradition -- the 2005 Rose Parade.

Obituaries for November 30, 2004: Thomas D. Bellenir, 73, of Las Vegas died Saturday in Las Vegas. He was born Oct. 9, 1931, in Detroit. A resident for 2 1/2 years, he was a retired electrician and a Korean War Air Force veteran.

Assistant solicitor general named to UNLV legal post: Assistant Solicitor General Richard Linstrom is going from suing the university system to defending it.

Wednesday's horse racing entries: Post Time 12:30 p.m.

EOB team receives more time: By Timothy Pratt; A team that fell behind on a five-month plan to clean up the Economic Opportunity Board was given seven more months to do the job Monday, at a price tag of nearly $400,000 in taxpayer funds.

Reid creates Democratic war room: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., plans to launch a high-profile Democratic communications "war room" in an effort to put the party's agenda in front of voters.

Fewer lottery scholarships granted than were projected: About 30,060 Tennessee students attending college in-state this fall received the lottery-funded scholarships, which were worth more than $44 million.

Top 25 Schedule: AP; No. 2 Oklahoma vs. Colorado at Kansas City, Mo., 8 p.m.

State lottery revenue on record-setting pace: In 2003, its best year ever, the Massachusetts State Lottery recorded $912 million in profits, director Joseph Sullivan told the Boston Herald.

UNLV search focuses on three: Steve Guiremand; Two Rebels football players were named first-team All-Mountain West Conference on Monday -- senior running back Dominique Dorsey, left, the conference's leading rusher, and senior safety Jamaal Brimmer, right, who became a three-time recipient of first-team honors.

PacifiCare buys unit from another insurer: Cypress, Calif.-based PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. announced Monday it plans to purchase Pacific Life Insurance Co.'s group health insurance business, which includes medical, dental and life insurance coverage for small and large employers in 30 states.

Law lets Gibbons use leftover funds for future race: Kirsten Searer; Should he decide to run for governor, Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., likely will be able to carry over more than $400,000 in federal campaign funds remaining from his recent re-election bid.

Correction: The Sun corrects its errors. If you find a mistake, call 385-3111 to report it.

Suspect in Collins death pleads not guilty: By Matt Pordum; A 33-year-old man accused of killing an aspiring Las Vegas rap singer in 2000 and then fleeing to Spain to avoid prosecution pleaded not guilty Monday.

Sports briefs for November 30, 2004: A collection of 1914 Cracker Jack baseball cards found inside a shoebox of a New York woman's home has sold for $800,000, a record for a complete set of cards.

Suspect in series of rapes enters plea: By Matt Pordum; A man accused of being a serial rapist who authorities allege kidnapped, robbed and raped several women at knifepoint this summer pleaded not guilty before District Judge Jennifer Togliatti and had his trial scheduled for May 2.

Proposal aims to define 'neighborhood casino': By Launce Rake; Clark County Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald said Monday that she will ask the county's planning staff to draft a proposal to define what is -- and isn't -- a "neighborhood casino."

Southern Nevadans shiver on coldest night of year: On Monday, the coldest night in a year, 15 people were turned away from the Salvation Army's shelter on Owens Avenue west of Main Street by 8:30 p.m.

Story places Tabish at Binion house: By Matt Pordum; Rick Tabish's ex-wife told a Metro Police detective Tabish called her from Ted Binion's home on the morning of his death saying Binion was "taking a bunch of pills and he (Tabish) was going to get out of there before he (Binion) overdosed."

Kruger prefers fastbreak when it comes to the road: Steve Guiremand; The UNLV Rebels will visit two of the top vacation areas on the West Coast in the next eight days when they travel to the Bay Area to face Cal on Wednesday and then head down the coast to Malibu to face Pepperdine the following Wednesday night.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Kerry Earnhardt replaces Hmiel in truck: Billy Ballew Motorsports, which earned its first victory in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in September at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, has hired Kerry Earnhardt to drive the team's No. 15 Chevrolet Silverado in 2005.

Burglars hit sports book at Nevada Palace: David Kihara; Two men netted about $4,700 when they burglarized a Leroy's Race and Sports Book outlet inside Nevada Palace on Monday night, a Leroy's employee and police said.

Holiday Inn plans more hotels in Las Vegas Valley: By Liz Benston; InterContinental Hotels Group Plc will be opening three Holiday Inn franchise locations across the Las Vegas Valley over the next couple of years and is also eyeing the Strip for a potential hotel site.

Streamline Tower project starts: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman led a contingent of city officials and development company representatives Monday for the ceremonial start of the project. Streamline Tower will be a $105 million high-rise located across the street from Neonopolis, and one block south of City Hall. The 251 condominiums in Streamline Tower are expected to cost $400,000 to $900,000 each, and will be ready for new residents around December 2006.

Tribe makes progress on new casino efforts: The City Council in Blythe approved a memorandum of understanding that lays out details for the Colorado River Indian Tribes' casino.

Hospitals respond to patient complaints: Michelle Swafford; The Las Vegas Valley's acute-care hospitals generate their share of complaints each year, and hospitals say they are responding in a variety of ways to make patients happier.

Spending bill gives Metro $1.5 million: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Metro Police will get $1.5 million in federal funds to meet Homeland Security requirements for communication equipment, based on money included in a large spending bill passed by the Senate.

School cuts sex aspect from awareness project: Molly Ball; This year the local observance of World AIDS Day will include a program at a Las Vegas high school, a very unusual occurrence.

Some fear court will rule against medical marijuana program: Kirsten Searer; Advocates for medical marijuana said Monday they're concerned the U.S. Supreme Court might rule against the 11 states, including Nevada, that allow medical marijuana use.

Officers in shootout identified: Officers were dispatched to the Boston bar at 1035 E. Flamingo Road to investigate a fight and while Breed was en route he heard a gunshot come from a gold Saturn on Cambridge Street.

Columnist Jeff German: Silencing Tabish's ex was crucial: But her testimony would have shed light on the whereabouts of her former husband, Rick Tabish, on the morning of Binion's Sept. 17, 1998, death -- and a lot more.

Megaclubs go mainstream: By Liz Benston; Behind a massive construction wall wedged between an Elton John retail store and the sports book at Caesars Palace, a short-lived legacy is methodically torn down in time for a polished, adults-only image to emerge by the end of the year.

Henderson mulls settlement with 86-year-old man: Jace Radke; The Henderson City Council is scheduled to review a possible settlement of a federal lawsuit filed by an 86-year-old man who alleges that Henderson Police broke his hip during a traffic stop.

Hundreds brave cold for flu shots: Stephen Curran; Hundreds of people, mostly senior citizens, stood in the cold early this morning to make sure they received one of the Clark County Health District's newly available flu shots.

Economy grows faster than expected in third quarter: Jeannine Aversa; WASHINGTON -- The economy -- helped out by more brisk consumer and business spending -- grew at an annual rate of 3.9 percent in the third quarter, a performance that was stronger than previously thought.

Firms picked for voter registration system: CARSON CITY -- A $4.6 million contract has been awarded to two companies to build a statewide voter registration system in time for the 2006 election to comply with the federal 2002 voting act.

DOE: Tunnel supports not a priority for Yucca: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Yucca Mountain tunnel supports that prevent rock falls ultimately are not "important" to safely isolating nuclear waste, the Energy Department said.

Senate proceeding with Augustine trial: CARSON CITY -- The state Senate on Monday brushed aside preliminary objections from defense lawyers and voted to proceed with the impeachment trial of Controller Kathy Augustine.

College Basketball Schedule: AP; Southern Cal at La Salle, 7 p.m.

Passenger counts continue record-setting pace: It was the second-busiest month in the airport's history.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Hamrick keeps it close to his vest: By Ron Kantowski; Normally, the fact that the search for John Robinson's replacement as UNLV football coach has been quieter than the flip side of Marcel Marceau's Greatest Hits would be construed as a good thing by most, a credit to Rebels athletic director Mike Hamrick and his one-man search committee (himself) for keeping the process on the q.t. and out of the newspapers.

New CFO named: Joe Richmond will join the hospital Dec. 13 and comes from HCA Inc.'s largest hospital system, CJW Medical Center in Richmond, Va. There he served as controller of 748 beds.

Satellite failure stops state's lottery ticket sales: According to Nebraska Lottery, communication between the Nebraska Lottery and retailers was interrupted early Sunday morning after a communications satellite failed.

Dorsey, Brimmer get top MWC selection: Steve Guiremand; Jamaal Brimmer has something else in common now with former UNLV football star Randall Cunningham.

Manendo honored for DUI fight: Manendo pushed Nevada's new law that lowered the legal blood-alcohol content to 0.08 percent. He also has worked on laws to require more community service hours and fines for people convicted of driving drunk.

Editorial: Don't listen to this feeble old excuse: In September, in an agreement with the Nevada Ethics Commission, Augustine stipulated to three "willful" violations of the state ethics law. The violations were committed during Augustine's 2002 re-election campaign, when she directed members of her controller's staff, who were state employees, to work on her re-election campaign. She allowed them to work during hours the taxpayers were paying their salaries, and she allowed them to use state equipment. In order to avoid a full public hearing -- and a full revelation of the extent of her use of state employees and state equipment for her campaign -- Augustine agreed ...

Pain, losses taking toll on McNair: To be clear, Steve McNair never used the word retirement.

Columnist Susan Snyder: This is one cheese that stands alone: I haven't been this excited since the Tropicana offered the chance to play tick-tack-toe against a live chicken.

Community briefs for November 30, 2004: AIDS Interfaith Ministries is sponsoring a candlelight vigil 7 p.m. Wednesday at Second Baptist Church, 500 W. Madison Ave., in recognition of World AIDS Day.

Letter: President refuses to repent from his wicked ways: Timothy R. Carroll, in a Nov. 19 letter, took issue with her column, stating that Americans want to revert to biblical principles and morality. If Americans did this it would be just fine. But Bush supporters and the DeLays, Roves and members of the religious right should qualify their morals.