Print edition for September 10, 2004

Highlights of July 2004 revenue report on Nevada casinos: AP; -STATEWIDE: $812.5 million win, down 1.6 percent.

State tourism commission seeking budget increase: The Nevada Commission on Tourism will submit $16.2 million and $16.6 million budgets for the next two fiscal years for the Nevada Legislature's consideration next year.

Dolphins-Titans shifts to Saturday because of storm: The Miami Dolphins' home opener with the Tennessee Titans was moved to 10 a.m. PDT Saturday -- 24 hours ahead of schedule -- because of concerns about Hurricane Ivan.

Pharmacy school dean questions need for new effort: CARSON CITY -- A private school in Clark County that is turning out pharmacists is questioning the need for the University and Community College System of Nevada to spend millions of dollars on the creation of a public school of pharmacy.

Nevada Power claims Enron didn't plan to fulfill contract: Kevin Rademacher; Nevada Power Co. took its latest shot at Enron Corp. in testimony filed Thursday with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Teamsters to vote on contract: Michelle Swafford; GES Exposition Services Inc. and Freeman Decorating have presented a new labor contract proposal to the Teamsters & Truck Drivers Local 631, which have been on strike since Saturday night.

Gaming win slumps in July: CARSON CITY -- After months of double-digit increases, winnings in Nevada casinos slumped in July by 1.5 percent compared with a year ago.

Monorail operators facing additional concerns: Stephen Curran; The beleaguered Las Vegas Monorail was dealt another blow this morning as the system's prolonged closure prompted a Wall Street firm to place the system's $451 million in bonds on an investment watchlist.

Tour bus crashes on I-15 in storm; 19 are injured: A tour bus filled with visitors from Thailand slid off Interstate 15 on its way to Las Vegas Thursday during a widespread thunderstorm, injuring all on board.

LVCVA settles employee lawsuits: By Liz Benston; The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has settled a pair of lawsuits filed by workers against the agency.

Nevada hospital charges high: Michelle Swafford; Las Vegas Valley hospitals billed patients and insurers as much as five times their actual costs, according to a national study released Wednesday.

Gentile's removal from case sought: Jace Radke; Federal prosecutors this morning argued that attorney Dominic Gentile should be removed from the political corruption case in which a sitting county commissioner and two former county commissioners were indicted.

Columnist Jeff German: Monorail's motto: Look out below: The answer is you don't, which is why Transit Management Systems, the high-powered company that runs the Las Vegas Monorail, has been forced to shut down service twice in the past week.

Harter envisions university district: UNLV President Carol Harter unveiled a plan Thursday to redevelop the section of Maryland Parkway that abuts the campus into a "true university district."

Two inmates questioned on flaming envelopes: CARSON CITY -- Two Ely State Prison inmates were interrogated Thursday after at least five governors as well as Nevada's prison chief received envelopes that, when opened, ignited matches.

Group accuses chain of selling prescription information: Privacy Rights Clearinghouse accuses Albertsons and its pharmacy units -- Sav-on Drug Stores, Osco Drug and Jewel Osco -- of sharing customer names, addresses, phone numbers and prescribed medications.

Tabish, Murphy lawyers question witness pay: Jace Radke and Matt Pordum; Attorneys for Rick Tabish and Sandy Murphy this morning explored the circumstances under which rewards were paid to witnesses in the 2000 trial on the death of casino executive Ted Binion.

GOP touts 'Contract with Nevada': Kirsten Searer; He might be slightly miscast as Newt Gingrich, but Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick hopes a new "Contract with Nevada" will put the Assembly firmly in the hands of Republicans.

Valley's Muslim residents wary of attack anniversary: By Timothy Pratt; As Sept. 11 approaches again, the Las Vegas Valley's Muslims are a knot of emotions, ranging from grief that for some is as specific as mourning a lost loved one, to frustration over a war against terrorism they see as reeling out of control.

Case of jury tampering is called 'despicable': Jen Lawson; Arnold Anderson thought Juror 11 could be his ticket to freedom.

Top 25 Fared: AP; No. 1 Southern Cal (1-0) did not play. Next: vs. Colorado State, Saturday.

Top 25 Schedule: AP; Saturday, Sept. 11

White House, Colorado governor blast casino proposal: The Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribe of Oklahoma has claimed it is the rightful owner of 27 million acres in Colorado, including all of Denver and Colorado Springs. The tribe and its financial backer, Longmont venture capitalist Steve Hillard, offered to give up the claim in exchange for permission to build a casino on 500 acres near Denver International Airport.

EEOC accuses Riviera of retaliating against workers: By Liz Benston; The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Thursday filed suit against the Riviera, alleging that the property retaliated against workers for cooperating with a previous EEOC investigation into alleged discrimination at the hotel.

LV company buys casinos: The Las Vegas company in May announced an agreement to purchase the Mardi Gras casino in Black Hawk, a small town located about 45 minutes from Denver. The company expects the sales to close before the end of the year.

Gaming Board grills license applicants: Two Southern Nevada gaming license applicants were under the microscope Thursday, ultimately winning a recommendation for a restricted license from the state Gaming Control Board.

Atlantic City casino workers vote overwhelmingly to authorize strike: Casino workers in Atlantic City voted overwhelmingly Thursday to authorize their union to strike if a new contract is not reached by Wednesday.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Cirque show is for yesterday ... and today: Don't make it bad.

State could get power windfall: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- About 37,400 acres of Bureau of Land Management property in Nevada could bring money to the state through wind power development, according to a draft environmental assessment released today.

News briefs for September 10, 2004: Metro Police arrested a 27-year-old man Thursday in connection with a carjacking that was originally thought to have occurred at the Bellagio, but actually happened on a nearby street.

They've been waiting for this one: Steve Guiremand; Wisconsin players were still in the midst of celebrating an impressive 34-6 season-opening victory against Central Florida last week when the topic of playing UNLV on Saturday was broached.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Interest spikes, but this tough sport is no day at the beach: WHAT: Aquafina AVP Shootout presented by Bud Light. WHERE: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino temporary beach court. WHEN: Today, 4:30-9 p.m.; Saturday, 3:30-10:30 p.m. WHO: Top men's and women's beach volleyball touring pros including 2004 Olympic gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May; 2004 bronze medalists Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs, 2000 Olympic gold medalists Eric Fonoimoana and Dain Blanton and three-time Olympic gold medalist Karch Kiraly. PURSE: $150,000 . TICKETS: $10 general admission. TV: NBC (3) 1 p.m.Sunday (tape delay). ON THE WEB: www.avp.com

Sports briefs for September 10, 2004: After failing to make any progress toward a new collective bargaining agreement, the NHL owners and players agreed on one point: A lockout seems inevitable.

Saturday's matchup: UNLV (0-1) at Wisconsin (1-0): UNLV pass offense vs. Wisconsin pass defense Other than one bad read near the goal line, senior quarterback Kurt Nantkes had a solid game in noisy Neyland Stadium, completing 13 of 24 passes for 175 yards. All-Mountain West Conference wide receiver Earvin Johnson, who had two acrobatic touchdown grabs in last year's upset in Madison, practiced on Thursday and is expected to start despite bruising his knee in the first quarter at Tennessee. The Rebels desperately miss 6-foot-8 tight end Greg Estandia (knee), especially when they get close to the goal-line. Wisconsin has a solid secondary led by senior free ...

Columnist Steve Guiremand: Florida newcomers storm through Hawaii: Steve Guiremand; While most of the state was focusing on trying to survive Hurricane Frances on Saturday night, Howard Schnellenberger's Florida Athlantic University squad was enjoying paradise about 5,000 miles away in Honolulu.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Junqueira poised to pass teammate: MONTEREY, Calif. -- Since the second race of the 2004 season, a Newman/Haas Racing driver has sat atop the Champ Car World Series points standings.

Columnist Nick Christensen: Wildcats take a familiar route this week: Nick Christensen; Believe it or not, Las Vegas High is not in Utah's 3A Region 9.

Sun State Rankings: Compiled by the Las Vegas Sun and the Sparks Tribune

Preps: Schedule: Boys' Tennis

Columnist Barb Henderson: State parks offer variety of ways to enjoy outdoors: Barb Henderson; When was the last time you took time from the hustle and bustle of city life and spent some time outdoors, enjoying one of Nevada's 24 state parks?

Fishing report: Striper action slows as holiday weekend brings out boaters: There has been a noticeable decline in the striper fishing during the past week in the Boulder Basin as anglers are having to search for fish. Although fish continue to be caught by boaters who are fishing off Boulder Beach, the action has slowed.

Gabriel shows top form in 'Passion': Spencer Patterson; Fifteen years before Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" stirred up emotions and controversy, Peter Gabriel created a "Passion" of his own.

Fugitive leads officers on chase to county jail: Jace Radke; While fleeing authorities this morning, Charles Terrell Allen found himself running toward the one place he didn't want to be -- the Clark County Detention Center.

'Bite' not exactly newfangled fare: By Jerry Fink; This Gothic horror story is afflicted with an overbite -- it's too loud, too pretentious, too vague and has too much music and too little exposition.

No Lie: Spencer Patterson; Deception makes Todd Rundgren angry, and he's taking it out on the Easter Bunny. OK, not exactly. But the veteran singer-songwriter has a serious problem with the many untruths he says he encounters these days.

Disney CEO planning to leave in 2006: Jill Lawless; LONDON -- Michael Eisner, who led the Walt Disney Co. to huge success in the 1980s but more recently clashed with dissident stockholders including the founder's family, will leave the company in 2006 when his contract expires, the company said today.

Computer services company could cut thousands more jobs: "The next two years, there are going to be a lot of change in EDS," Jordan said at an investor conference in New York. "But that will, as I said, take 20 percent out of our cost structure -- $3 billion out."

Walters wins tax reductions: Dan Kulin; The state board that presides over appeals of property assessments gave golf course developer Billy Walters a small victory Thursday when the board members agreed to lower the assessment for two golf courses.

Pharmacy school dean questions need for new progam: CARSON CITY -- A private school in Clark County that is turning out pharmacists is questioning the need for the University and Community College System of Nevada to spend millions of dollars on the creation of a public school of pharmacy.

Datebook for September 10, 2004: Film legend Tony Curtis will be inducted into the Nevada Entertainer/Artist Hall of Fame during an awards ceremony at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Artemus Ham Concert Hall on the UNLV campus. Tickets are $25 general, $10 students. 895-2787.

Treasures' fate awaits decision by City Council: Sito Negron; It's anyone's guess what will happen to Treasures next week, when the strip club's temporary liquor license expires and the Las Vegas City Council is to decide whether to grant a permanent extension.

Council to divvy up downtown LV: Sito Negron; Three Las Vegas City Council members would represent portions of downtown under a redistricting proposal spurred by rapid growth in the northwest. The proposal is to be presented at the council's meeting Wednesday.

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Peet scores hat trick with threefold career: Lisa Ferguson; In February the comedian was involved in a serious motorcycle accident.

Columnist Spencer Patterson: Concert fans enjoy Jillian's split personality: Spencer Patterson; After playing their opening set at Jillian's, the members of Audio Karate moved over to the venue's bowling lanes, where they challenged members of the crowd to a few rounds while headliner Tsunami Bomb performed.

Auditions set for 'Laugh Across America': A mandatory informational meeting will be held one hour before auditions start.

Performing Arts for September 10, 2004: Atkins tribute

Fed approval sought for bioterrorism lab: Jace Radke; Clark County Health District officials are hoping to receive federal certification in the next two months for a $2.3 million lab that will be able to identify dangerous diseases and bioterrorism agents.

On Display for September 10, 2004: Photographer Charles Pfeiffer and several artists from Pahrump Valley Pottery will display their art during the month of September at the Lost City Museum in Overton. Admission is $3 adults, $2 ages 65 and above, free for children. 397-2193.

Mayor says he's not aware of land deal: Sito Negron; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said Thursday that he didn't know about a downtown land deal that led to his son suing a woman to force her to sell the property to a company owned by the Mayor's son's partner.

Obituaries for September 10, 2004: Michael Andrews, 56, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in a local hospital. He was born July 19, 1948, in Mesa, Ariz. A resident for 10 years, he was a welder and a Vietnam War Marine Corps veteran.

Open-meeting law unfairness alleged: CARSON CITY -- Douglas County District Attorney Scott Doyle is suing state Attorney General Brian Sandoval, charging that Sandoval is using a double standard in enforcing the open-meeting law.

Letter: Taxis are safer than monorail: PATRICIA DUCHARME

Letter: Kerry lying about Vietnam duty: She says, "The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have been exposed as having connections to the Bush campaign, and their lies have been exposed by official Navy records." They have not been "exposed," as Ms. Fischella charges. There are only allegations about ties to the Bush campaign, which the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth adamantly deny. They are doing this on their own without ties to the Bush campaign or its official approval.

Westin has room for big plans: The showroom at the Westin is small -- fewer than 250 seats.

Letter: Choking incident fodder for cynics: On a day in July 1988, the Las Vegas Sun reported that when Hecht had a piece of apple lodged in his throat, other senators tried slapping him on the back. But it was Kerry who chanced to be walking by and intervened in time to apply the Heimlich maneuver. On Kerry's fourth attempt, the morsel dislodged and Hecht lived to tell the tale.

Letter: Kerry's service is more admirable: He did not get five deferments, as Vice President Dick Cheney did, nor did he disregard orders to report for a medical exam, as Bush did while serving in the National Guard. That is all the truth I need to hear.

Letter: Putting ideology ahead of science: Examples are too numerous to name, and range from the posting of misleading information on the National Cancer Institute Web site linking abortion to breast cancer, to an ignorant denial of the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change, to an inconceivable ban on basic research involving human embryonic stem cells.

Letter: Parents have essential role in education: Some parents will merely send their youngsters off to school, as if it were a babysitting service; there will be little encouragement, reinforcement of instruction, interest, motivation or participation in the learning process at home. Parents who are directly involved in their child's education will provide support and participate in their child's entire education.

Sports-betting analyst, author Lee dies: Just like every good sports handicapper, Mike Lee knew how to analyze the numbers. But in a career that spanned four decades, he also never forgot the human element that plays a factor in which teams beat the point spread.

Exploring school schedules: By Emily Richmond; The weeks have gotten shorter -- and the days longer -- for students at Explore Knowledge Academy, one of Clark County's newer charter schools.

Dye to trace sewage flow in Lake Mead: Boaters, swimmers, even airplane pilots and passengers may notice a patch of bright red in Lake Mead next week when scientists put a dye into the lake to study how water flows and mixes.

Community briefs for September 10, 2004: Las Vegas Harley-Davidson presents its third annual Celebrity Ride from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at Harley-Davidson/Buell, 2605 S. Eastern Ave., to benefit Nellis Air Force Base personnel and families in need.

Dress controversy frustrates board: By Emily Richmond; It's a toss-up as to who was the most frustrated Thursday: the parents and students who came yet again to complain about the district's dress code policy or the Clark County School Board members fed up with rehashing the issue week after week.

Editorial: Heed police and support assault ban: Except for their appropriate use by police forces and the military, the law banned the production and sale of semi-automatic assault weapons and ammunition clips that hold more than 10 rounds. It also banned the importation of such weapons. The law also banned from general production and sale many other products with no reasonable civilian use, such as grenade launchers, threaded muzzles, protruding pistol grips and bayonet mounts. The law went out of its way to protect guns not equipped with assault features, such as hunting rifles.

Editorial: Gloomy fiscal future: So how did President Bush react to this bad news? Tim Adams, policy director for the Bush campaign, actually portrayed this as a positive development, saying that the $422 billion deficit this year is $56 billion less than what the CBO had forecast in March. As Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry aptly noted, "Only George W. Bush could celebrate over a record budget deficit of $422 billion."

Columnist Jerry Fink: Bootlegger's Gian adds Stardust to resume: Crooner Joey Gian, who has a Wednesday night gig in the restaurant's lounge, is flying to Bozeman, Mont., this weekend to perform at the Montana Film and Audiovisual Festival.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Monorail defects are easy to track: Poor monorail. Seems state tax exemption isn't the only break it has.

Editorial: Monorail headaches: September 11 - 12, 2004

Letter: Cheney displays insensitivity: September 11 - 12, 2004

Letter: A proud recovery: September 11 - 12, 2004

Columnist Jon Ralston: Coincidences hard to ignore: WEEKEND EDITION

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: A missed opportunity: WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Jeff German: Cameras in cabs still too slow in developing: WEEKEND EDITION

Editorial: Republican demagogue on terror: September 11 - 12, 2004

Columnist Susan Snyder: At Games, chef learned to sprint: WEEKEND EDITION

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: Dion on brink of a new deal: WEEKEND EDITION

Taking Root: By Jeff Haney; While his self-promoting tactics grate on his competitors, who can be vocal in their dislike of Root, he shrugs off the criticism as a natural by-product of the dog-eat-underdog sports betting advisory business.

Primary results yield general questions: WEEKEND EDITION

Simple steps increase pets' chances in fire: Heather Rawlyk; WEEKEND EDITION

UNLV earns award for counseling: September 11 - 12, 2004

Stepping up to the plate: Christina Littlefield and Beth Slovic; WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Pass tense: Sal DeFilippo; I'm sure the announcement concerning the Packers' starter at quarterback will come any day now.