Print edition for September 2, 2004

Illinois Gaming Board called 'most messed up state agency': Maura Kelly Lannan; CHICAGO -- The Illinois Gaming Board is the "most messed up state agency" because it cannot conduct business or even officially meet until Gov. Rod Blagojevich appoints another member, one of the two remaining board members charged Wednesday.

The next generation of greatness: Steve Guiremand; UNLV offensive line coach Jonathan Himebauch remembers well the first time he met University of Tennessee offensive tackle Michael Munoz.

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

Ausborne takes deal in student sex case: By Matt Pordum; A former University of Nevada, Las Vegas basketball player accused of having had sex with female students while working as a substitute high school teacher pleaded guilty to a reduced number of charges Wednesday.

UNLV Football 2004: Plenty of locals take outbound express: Nick Christensen; They all have their reasons for leaving Las Vegas, but for the local high school football players who went out of town, it would have been fairly easy to get them to stay.

Current heat not unusual: "It's summertime," Schlott said. There are three more weeks to go before the calendar turns to autumn.

Bank to buy First Community: "First Community has a superb reputation for commercial banking and other financial services," Glenn Godkin, regional president for Wells Fargo in Houston, said in a statement. "Our cultures are a great match."

Letter: Real questions from real people: I would like to ask him why he changed his mind and decided to dump the nuclear waste of this country on us. I would like to ask him if he would be willing to send his daughters to Iraq to fight for the end of terrorism. I would like to ask him if his daughters were afflicted with diabetes or multiple sclerosis, or if his wife had Alzheimer's disease, if he would be so against stem cell research. I would like to ask him if he could live on minimum wage.

Letter: Saddam made war necessary: His refusal to comply with U.N. resolutions cannot be blamed on either President Bush or the failure of intelligence. Come on, people, please remember that we had just suffered through 9/11. Then we have a dictator who is hostile to the U.S., and who has used chemical weapons to kill people and who is refusing to allow the U.N. to conduct sanctioned inspections.

Backers confident of pot petition: CARSON CITY -- While disappointed by the latest development in its ongoing quest, a group supporting the marijuana initiative petition is predicting that voters will get to cast their ballots on the issue in November.

Boy lost on cycle is found: Officer Tim Bedwell, spokesman for the department, said Zachary Russie and his father were riding motorcycles in a desert area in the area of the Las Vegas Beltway and Commerce Street when the two became separated about 6:30 p.m.

Professorship endowed in name of Denton: Beth Slovic; Ralph Denton -- native Nevadan, lawyer and political candidate -- is being honored with a professorship in his name at the Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Obituaries for September 2, 2004: Deborah Ann Bell, 52, of Las Vegas died Monday in a local hospital. She was born Nov. 9, 1951, in San Pedro, Calif. A resident for 14 years, she was a licensed, hospital vocational nurse.

First decision in Carter grievance goes to Cowboys: Owner Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have won the first round of their fight with the NFL Players Association over the termination of former quarterback Quincy Carter.

Defense to get full summary of probe: Jace Radke; The summary of a Justice Department investigation into alleged misconduct by the prosecutor who was handling the ongoing political corruption case involving Clark County commissioners and a former strip club owner will be released in its entirety to defense attorneys.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Pedregon goes for the money in Skoal Showdown: Winning Sunday's Skoal Showdown, an all-star race for the eight quickest and most consistent NHRA Funny Car drivers during the past year, would be a nice feather in Tony Pedregon's cap.

Guinn casts Nevada's official votes to nominate Bush: Suzanne Struglinski; NEW YORK -- Gov. Kenny Guinn officially cast Nevada's 33 votes to nominate President Bush for re-election Wednesday, emphasizing on the convention floor that Nevada put Bush in the White House in 2000 and aims to do it again this time around.

Taxes play big role in battle for state Senate: Kirsten Searer; The Senate 6 race, along with debates for Senate Districts 1, 4 and 5, will ' tonight at 9 on KLVX Channel 10.

Complaint targets former PurchasePro exec: Kevin Rademacher; A U.S. Bankruptcy Court complaint has been filed seeking more than $2 million from former PurchasePro.com Inc. Chief Executive Richard Clemmer.

Malone, developer get FBI letters: Jace Radke; Developer Don Davidson and former Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone have received form letters from the FBI notifying them that they appear on wiretap intercepts in an ongoing political corruption investigation, their lawyer, Dominic Gentile, said Wednesday.

Sports briefs for September 2, 2004: Representatives of the National Hockey League and its players union agreed to meet for a third consecutive day in Montreal today in an effort to reach a new collective bargaining agreement and avoid a work stoppage. The two sides also met last week in Ottawa, but failed to move closer to a new agreement.

UNLV Football 2004: They're talking BCS in Utah: Steve Guiremand; Utah head coach Urban Meyer took home several national coach of the year awards after leading the Utes to a 10-2 record and an outright Mountain West Conference championship.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Strip shows not popular among Emmy voters: At least, that is the impression one walks away with after looking at the odds on the 56th Annual Emmy Awards as posted this week by John Avello, director of Race & Sports Operations at Bally's/Paris Las Vegas.

Letter: Attack ads seek to distract voters: Countenanced and perhaps promoted by President Bush in order to divert public attention from his administration's failures, this organization's effort is bound to fail. No amount of diversionary criticism can mask the huge, unconscionable deficits run up by this administration.

Gaming briefs for September 2, 2004: Paul-Son Gaming Corp. announced it has completed a name change to Gaming Partners International Corp. and that it has acquired a new Nasdaq trading symbol, GPIC.

Probe: Monorail technicians missed warning: Stephen Curran and Heather Rawlyk; Technicians should have seen warnings that a 60-pound tire assembly powering the Las Vegas Monorail was unstable the day before the tire fell more than 20 feet off the train and prompted the ongoing shutdown of the system, the man in charge of the monorail management company said this morning.

Initiative petitions to appear on ballot: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court ruled today that initiative petitions to raise the state minimum wage and to prevent frivolous lawsuits are qualified to be on the November election ballot.

Continental to cut 425 jobs, $200 mil. in costs: HOUSTON -- Continental Airlines Inc., the fifth-largest U.S. carrier, said today it will eliminate 425 jobs, mostly managers and clerical workers, to help reduce annual costs by $200 million.

Arrest of alleged rapist shows forensics lab woes: Jen Lawson; Sitting in an envelope in the Metro Police forensics lab, among thousands of others, there could be a DNA sample that would solve a crime.

Statement filing delayed: The results will be filed by the end of October, Brampton, Ontario-based Nortel said in a statement. The "volume and complexity" of the restatement for 2003 and earlier periods caused the delay, Nortel spokeswoman Tina Warren said in an interview. She wouldn't elaborate.

Defendant: Drug, rape led to killing: By Matt Pordum; The lawyer representing a 35-year-old man on trial for murder and robbery said Wednesday that, when the killing occurred, his client was under the influence of the club drug GHB and had awakened to find that he was being raped, so he reacted violently.

UNLV Football 2004: Rebels looking for a finishing touch: Steve Guiremand; It's too bad Eric Gagne didn't have some college football eligibility he wouldn't mind using.

Leap of Faith: Crusaders stepping up in class: Nick Christensen; It wasn't long ago that Faith Lutheran was the underdog.

Ralph Siraco's Del Mar selections: 1st Race -- PRESUMPTION -- Espinoza aboard Hess trainee, draws well for small field in sprint opener, the Presumption here is a victory. GREY MISTY -- Smith scales Spawr trainee, outside box for sophomore claiming dash, win in the Grey area? Value Play -- ORCHID THIEF

Local tire business founder Wiens dies at 84: Local tire king Ted Wiens built his business on two principles -- treating his employees well and instilling in them that the customers, not him, were their true bosses.

Report puts costs on development: Dan Kulin; In North Las Vegas, new office, industrial and most residential developments bring more money to the city than the city spends on services for those developments, according to a report presented Tuesday to the City Council.

Letter: Schools' funds going unspent: Yet, No Child Left Behind has stressed that there is flexibility for states in how they can use their federal funds. Could none of this money have been used in Nevada's schools? What of this year's expected excess of $1.1 million earmarked for assessments and testing? What is to happen to the unspent $382,305 remaining in special education grants or the $22,822 left over for adult education programs? (Las Vegas Sun, July 19).

UNLV Football 2004: Two who made a difference: Steve Guiremand; Drive around Las Vegas these days and you might come across a billboard with the faces of All-American safety Jamaal Brimmer or all-Mountain West Conference linebacker Adam Seward looking down at you.

Democrats fail to keep Nader off the ballot: CARSON CITY -- A District Court ruling to keep independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader on the ballot in Nevada will have "a marginal effect at best" on the state's election results, a political scientist said.

Trade mission on tap: "When we asked our building customers where they wanted the LVCVA to host its first international trade mission, they unanimously selected Brazil," said Rossi Ralenkotter, president and chief executive of the LVCVA. The event will spread the Las Vegas brand overseas to help boost visitation to Las Vegas as well as build new relationships with trade associations and potential convention-goers, he said.

Landlord to stand trial on child porn charges: By Matt Pordum; A landlord accused of rigging his tenants' shower with one-way mirrored tiles and videotaping an 8-year-old girl as she bathed will stand trial on child pornography charges, Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Douglas Smith ruled Wednesday.

Top Bush aide: Nevadans should look at leadership: Suzanne Struglinski; NEW YORK -- Nevada voters should look to President Bush's leadership and his plans to protect the country, not Democratic arguments about the Yucca Mountain project, a top Bush aide said Wednesday.

Letter: Range deserves to be protected: Americans who treasure the nation's special wild places must work to see that our leaders continue to protect them for future generations.

LV carrier eyes Elko flights: Elko was among 46 cities awarded a federal Small Community Air Service Development Program grant, which helps small communities get air service by subsidizing airlines. Nevada Sens. Harry Reid and John Ensign announced that Elko received a $222,000 grant and said Scenic Airlines would serve the route.

Suspended hearing master gets warning: Mary Manning and Christina Littlefield; Hearing Master Sylvia Beller has been put on notice that when she returns from suspension later this month for inappropriately ordering a teenage defendent to remove his clothing, she has one last chance to return to the bench.

Lawyers underscore Yucca silica dangers: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Attorneys who filed the lawsuit against Yucca Mountain contractors on the grounds that they did not warn workers about the dangers of silica dust are attempting to paint it as one of the worst industrial disasters in U.S. history.

Book calls Henderson high-priced for seniors: By Timothy Pratt; A book rating places for senior citizens to retire says Henderson offers one of the worst cultural environments and highest costs of living in the nation.

Wynn Resorts seeks to buy out Macau partners: By Liz Benston; Wynn Resorts Ltd. is issuing about 1.3 million shares to buy out the company's minority partners in a Macau casino development subsidiary.

Court upholds judgment against School District: CARSON CITY -- A federal appeals court Wednesday upheld a $75,000 judgment against the Clark County School District for its retaliation against a kindergarten teacher because she won a prior suit against the district.

Preps: 3A and 2A South: Nick Christensen; Boulder City EAGLES

News briefs for September 2, 2004: A Las Vegas city spokesman said Wednesday that a contractor found six trailers that contained asbestos at the ruined Sky-Vue mobile home park, 15 W. Owens Ave.

Funeral home mix-up prompts investigation: Molly Ball; Two bodies were switched at a North Las Vegas funeral home last fall, causing the wrong man to be cremated and the wrong ashes to be given to a California widow, Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy said Wednesday.

Rats haunt residents of upscale community: Residents of the upscale Sun City Anthem retirement community in Henderson tolerate the coyotes, jack rabbits and desert squirrels that try to hang on to what once was their habitat, but homeowners draw the line at rats.

County praises upgrades on flood control: Stephen Curran; Millions of dollars in improvements recently completed on the Flamingo Wash will do more than keep the 3,000-plus homes near it dry. It will also make flood insurance bills there lighter, Clark County Regional Flood Control District officials said Wednesday.

Probation given for child abuse: By Matt Pordum; A 28-year-old man who had been charged with child abuse and neglect after his 2-year-old son was found to have cocaine in his system was sentenced to probation Wednesday.

Holiday closings: SAFETY: Police and fire emergency services will be operating as usual. Administrative offices will be closed.

Editorial: Do Not Call law works if enforced: A Las Vegas company, Braglia Marketing Group LLC, has become the first firm in the nation to be sued solely on the basis of violating the Do Not Call legislation. The suit, filed Monday in federal court in Las Vegas, was brought by the Justice Department on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission. The company and its owners, Frank and Kate Braglia, stand accused of making unsolicited calls to more than 300,000 people who had placed their phone numbers on the registry. The lawsuit also says the company made more than 10,000 calls without first paying the fee for the ...

Rancho grad becomes Army Ranger: Dick Benoit; Pvt. Samuel Aidoo, Rancho High School class of 2002, has graduated from the Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Ga., with authorization to wear the distinctive Ranger Tab. A graduate of the Ranger course is considered the epitome of the U.S. infantryman.

Exhibit is a study of pre-teen perspective, post 9/11: In artist Clayton Campbell's new work, "Words My Son Has Learned Since 9-11," we get a glimpse of the scary world spinning around in the mind of a politically aware pre-teen in a 9/11 world.

Norman Is An Island: Rockwell's work unique, but not universally respected: Had Rockwell wanted to paint crotch-grabbing performers, he certainly could have found them. Had he wanted to paint a homeless man who had lost his soul, he could have done that, too.

Radiation expert to speak at Atomic Testing Museum: The museum is located in the Desert Research Institute's Frank H. Rogers Science and Technology Building, 755 E. Flamingo Road.

City Council briefs for September 2, 2004: After a discussion going back to 2003, the City Council approved a policy Wednesday outlining restrictions on employees who are candidates for elected office or already are lawmakers.

College Football 2004: Tracking the local talent pool: Nick Christensen; Atlantic Coast Conference None

Letter: Bush ignored science questions at Yucca dump: George W. Bush has said of Yucca Mountain, "When I campaigned here (in 2000), I said I would make a decision based upon science, not politics. ... I said I would listen to the scientists, those involved with determining whether or not this project could move forward in a safe manner. And that's exactly what I did."

Editorial: Junk foods' absence: There are some items that many people wouldn't think of as a healthy snack -- such as Pop Tarts -- that will be allowed in vending machines because their content of fat and sugar is low enough to be deemed acceptable by the school district. While we might quibble with allowing Pop Tarts to be sold, it shouldn't minimize the progress being made. We believe that vending machines filled with bottled water, natural snacks and baked potato chips, which are healthier than the regular kind, is an excellent start. Children in this nation increasingly are becoming obese, due mainly to ...

Community briefs for September 2, 2004: The Guns vs. Hoses charity baseball game will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Cashman Field with local fire departments battling police to raise money to benefit the Southern Nevada Firefighters Burn Foundation.

Churchgoers, residents get compromise: Sito Negron; Residents along Cashman Drive will be allowed to close their street every day but Sunday, when someone from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be allowed to unlock the gate and let the faithful worship.

No action taken on Treasures' problems: Sito Negron; As expected, the Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday again postponed making a decision on whether to grant a permanent liquor license to the $30 million strip club Treausures.

UNLV Football 2004: MWC schedules: AIR FORCE Sep. 4 California, 9 a.m. Sep. 11 E. Washington, 11 a.m. Sep. 18 at UNLV, TBA Sep. 25 at Utah, TBA Sep. 30 Navy, 4:45 p.m. Oct. 9 New Mexico, TBA Oct. 23 BYU, TBA Oct. 30 at Wyoming, Noon. Nov. 6 at Army, 10 a.m. Nov. 13 San Diego State, TBA Nov. 20 Colorado State, TBA

Letter: Trade pacts are bad for nation: In that same report, former Congressman and federal appeals court Judge Abner Mikva commented, "If members of Congress had known that there was anything like this in NAFTA, they would never have voted for it."

Public to help pay for landscaping at bank building: Sito Negron; The Las Vegas City Council agreed to kick in $94,400 for a public landscaping project next to a downtown building owned by a prominent Las Vegas developer.