Print edition for April 5, 2005

Moore plays nice, quiet practice round: Adam Candee; AUGUSTA, Ga. -- It's a long and cold shadow that Tiger Woods casts, one into which Ryan Moore cheerfully dove Monday afternoon.

Community briefs for April 5, 2005: The Children's Festival will be 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at Winchester Cultural Center and Park, 3130 S. McLeod Drive.

Finding Enlightenment: No topic too esoteric at convention of 18th-century aficionados: The chair welcomed the scholars to the "pretentiously titled" round-table called "What Has the Enlightenment to do With the Twenty-First Century?"

New bill may target NLV's nonlawyer judges: As North Las Vegas voters go to the polls today to select a judge for the newly created Municipal Court, state lawmakers this spring may consider if such lower level jurists should be required to be lawyers.

Bankruptcy reform draws complaints: CARSON CITY -- The wealthy are using the federal bankruptcy courts to get ahead financially and are not paying their legitimate debts, bankruptcy trustees testified Monday.

Immunization schedule for April 5, 2005: HENDERSON PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER: 129 W. Lake Mead Parkway, Building A, Suite 10, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Columnist Susan Snyder: At 80, attendant is 86'd: Jackson turns 80 in June. He walks with a cane because a pinched nerve in his spine has weakened his right leg.

Comic artists indulge in April Fools' Day tomfoolery: Conley, author and artist of Get Fuzzy, and Pastis, the brains behind Pearls Before Swine, conspired to us the same joke in each of their comic strips that ran in the Sun on Friday (see reprints of the strips above).

Obituaries for April 5, 2005: Harriett Louise Abig, 82, of Columbus, Ohio, died Wednesday in Antigo, Wis. She was born July 23, 1922, in Columbus. A former Henderson resident, she was a retired telephone operator and a World War II Coast Guard veteran.

Salazar memorial photo honored: Jace Radke; An image of a serviceman mourning the loss of a Las Vegas Marine was part of a portfolio of Associated Press photographs from the war in Iraq that have been recognized for the Pulitzer prize in breaking news photography.

Court briefs for April 5, 2005: A 25-year-old California woman pleaded not guilty on Monday in the killing of her boyfriend's 51-year-old mother.

Assessor doesn't think voters will rise up against tax cap: Clark County Assessor Mark Schofield said he does not think Nevada taxpayers will revolt against the tax cap approved by the Nevada Legislature last week.

Program raises awareness of long-term care needs: Michelle Swafford; The cost of a skilled-nursing home can be expensive, and many people are not prepared for the realities associated with long-term care.

Montecito begins work on $50 million shopping plaza: Jennifer Shubinski; Montecito Cos. said it broke ground on the $50 million Montecito Marketplace in northwest Las Vegas and has plans for additional retail centers throughout the northern part of the valley.

Hales back bigger, better than ever: Steve Guiremand; When he graduated from Las Vegas High School back in 2001, Jacob Hales lacked the size to be a Division I-caliber defensive lineman.

Editorial: Endangered children: Rothschild's department is responding by stepping up its recruitment and training of foster parents -- a lengthy process that involves home inspections, checking references and conducting criminal background checks. This is because Child Haven, the county's home for abused, neglected and abandoned children, is running out of room. "We're continuing to build as many options as possible, as the need is rising so quickly," Rothschild told the Sun.

Ralph Siraco's Santa Anita selections: 1st Race -- PINE LAKE GENIUS -- Draws good box for two-furlong dash, Atkinson atop one of two Dutton-trained entries, dash for the cash here. LADY ASSASSIN -- Part of Warren-owned coupled entry with LOOKING FORWARD, Pedroza/Sise here, John/Van Berg there, double diploma threat. Value Play -- FOR AN OCCASION

Atkinson Gates to testify in D.C. on Head Start program: Atkinson Gates, a Democrat, was invited to testify before the Senate's Education and Early Childhood Development subcommittee by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.

Plaza hopes strategy will woo growing Hispanic community: By Liz Benston; Over the next several weeks, the Plaza hotel and casino expects to introduce Hispanic-theme slot machines, Spanish-speaking blackjack dealers and soccer games in its sports book in an effort to attract Hispanic customers.

Bonaventure rejects argument in Tabish case: By Matt Pordum; District Judge Joseph Bonaventure on Monday rejected the argument that Rick Tabish's convictions related to his excavation of silver from Ted Binion's vault in Pahrump should be set aside because the case was tried in the wrong jurisdiction.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Las Vegas native keeps on truckin' despite setbacks: Casey Kingsland is hoping the third time is a charm.

Amateur Eaton makes sure to put fun first at Augusta: Adam Candee; AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Starting Thursday morning, more than 100 professional players, two college kids, a young Brit and a 35-year-old homebuilder from a quiet New Hampshire town will tee off in the Masters.

Colorado River habitat pact signed: Representatives from Nevada, Arizona and California joined federal officials Monday for the signing of a new conservation program that they said would provide five decades of protection for endangered Colorado River animals while maintaining the river as a resource for human use.

Tax cap forcing cities to redo budgets: By Brian Wargo; A property tax cap approved by the Nevada Legislature is forcing Southern Nevada's local governments to rework their budgets for the coming year.

Opposition to Utah site growing: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Opposition to the proposed Private Fuel Storage nuclear waste site in Utah grows stronger as its critics fear a temporary agreement will turn into a permanent one.

DOE had knowledge of Yucca e-mails in December: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department knew about e-mails detailing possibly falsified work on the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump in December, according to internal department memos released Monday.

Letter: Worthy effort on birth control: As someone who opposes abortion, Sen. Reid has made it a top priority to pass common-sense policies that reduce the need for the medical procedure. His amendment would have ensured that health-insurance plans that cover Viagra also cover "the pill." It would also have established teen pregnancy prevention programs and increased women's awareness of emergency contraceptives.

Borgata still winning big: The 2,010-room casino hotel, which has bowled over its competitors since opening in July 2003, posted gross operating profits of $223.5 million last year, tops among the city's 12 properties, according to figures released Monday by the state Casino Control Commission.

The Boulevard of broken dreams: Stephen Curran; The repeated burglaries that left James Mouse without a television, hot plate and underwear were not enough to make him consider moving from his single-room home at the Boulevard hotel.

Sports briefs for April 5, 2005: Italian sports events will be suspended Friday as a mark of respect for the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

Low voter turnout predicted for today: David Kihara; With less than 4 percent of the eligible Clark County voters casting their ballots early, candidates and election officials predicted a low turnout for today's municipal election.

Student arrested with gun at school: By Emily Richmond; An eighth grader at Canarelli Middle School was arrested Monday after bringing an unloaded handgun with him to campus.

Lawmakers consider several bills designed to enforce open meetings: Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- Legislators considered a list of bills Monday designed to reel in the state Board of Regents, which has been accused of repeatedly breaking state open-meeting laws.

Top Yucca scientist opts for early retirement: A top scientist who had worked for years on the Yucca Mountain nuclear dump effort took early retirement on March 29.

Minority students cut grad rate gap at UNLV: Bucking national trends, UNLV has significantly decreased the achievement gap in graduation rates among its minority students in the past year, according to data released by the university's Institutional Planning and Analysis office on Monday.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Kruger proud of ties to Illini, just not enough to wear them: As he sat down in his living room with his current players to watch some of his former ones battle North Carolina for the NCAA championship Monday, UNLV coach Lon Kruger admitted he was torn between cheering for his old team and his old friend.

Crackdown on drunken driving urged: Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- Nevada would crack down on repeat drunken drivers under three bills heard today in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Broncos' Cleveland imports optimistic about fresh start: Still dripping with sweat from his first offseason workout as a member of the Denver Broncos, former Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Gerard Warren sat in the media hot seat Monday morning.

Bill would drain $100 million from UMC: CARSON CITY -- A Senate bill that would redirect money to three private hospitals in Clark County would drain $98.9 million from University Medical Center's budget, county officials said Monday.

High standards: Steelman impresses Asian officials with speed, quality of Sands Macau: Paul Steelman knew that his work in Macau set new standards for the Chinese market when local officials began using his progress to measure the pace of construction projects.

Senate panel rejects casino: Supporters of the plan were quick to say that the metro casino isn't dead for the session, pointing out that the bill is still alive in the House of Representatives. Pawlenty's chief of staff, Dan McElroy, said it could also come up during budget negotiations that are likely to come in the session's final days.

Industry expansion opponents fear more addiction problems: Maura Kelly Lannan; CHICAGO -- Jerry Prosapio got hooked on gambling the first time he visited a casino.

Governor must vigorously pursue proposed rebate: "Governor, are you out there? We know you're very busy but no one has really seen or heard from you since the State of the State speech in January. And we don't think anyone in the Legislature was listening to your proposal to give us a rebate on their vehicle registrations. In fact, we haven't even heard any discussion about it since January when you told everyone about the state's huge surplus from the overtaxing that all the elected representatives of the last legislative session put into effect.

Blair agrees to limit of a single U.K. supercasino: Robert Hutton; U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair's government cut the number of Las Vegas-style supercasinos to be allowed in its gambling bill from eight to one, in a accord to get the measure passed before the May 5 general election.

Lockyer takes money from casino he opposed: Don Thompson; SACRAMENTO -- When a Sonoma County Indian tribe started building a casino in June 2002, Attorney General Bill Lockyer said it might be illegal and vowed to fight it.

Caesars kitchen workers allege sexual harassment: Alana Roberts; The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last week filed a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Caesars Entertainment Inc., alleging six former and current Caesars Palace kitchen workers were sexually assaulted and subjected to unwanted touching and vulgar language by their supervisors.

Legislation aids gaming moguls who've had legal troubles: Pinnacle Entertainment filed a federal lawsuit Jan. 25 against track owner R.D. Hubbard. It alleges that he breached a settlement brokered by the Indiana Gaming Commission by trying to exercise his Pinnacle stock options. If a federal court rules against Hubbard, it could cause the Indiana Gaming Commission to take disciplinary action against him.

Security guard can't ID shooter who killed partner: By Matt Pordum; A security guard testified Monday the fatal bullets that killed his partner outside of a Las Vegas Housing Authority complex on Jan. 20, 2003, came from the same area where the 22-year-old alleged gang member accused of firing the shots was standing.

Drugmaker trims forecast: The company said its 2005 earnings are expected to be $2 per share, short of the average view of $2.13 per share from analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial. Accounting for one-time items, full-year income is estimated at $1.16 per share.

Editorial: John Paul II, 1920-2005: John Paul's insistence on doctrinal discipline within the Catholic Church -- on controversial issues such as birth control -- sometimes was criticized as being out of touch, particularly from some congregants in Europe and the United States. But the fact remains that the Catholic Church continued to grow, including in the United States. In many respects, the pope's unwavering support of traditional teachings and values won him admirers, including from critics, because they saw his unflinching conviction as a source of strength and morality.

Company makes management change at New York-New York: Creighton was recently hired by MGM Mirage from Caesars Entertainment Inc., where he ran the Flamingo resort as the Strip's first black property president on the Strip.

Rancho graduate dies in Iraq war: Jace Radke; Amanda Weber remembers her brother as a kind-hearted man that couldn't stop from helping people or animals.

Letter: Schiavo was tortured to death: Well, what happened to Terri Schiavo's rights?

Preps: Monday's results: Green Valley 6, Las Vegas 5: W: Richie. L: Simpson. GV: Gred 2-3, 2B; Ryan Heroy 2-4, 2B; Chris Zuniga 2-3, RBI (bottom 7th). LV: Gonzalez 2-4, 2B. Chasse 5.0 IP (Start), 0 R, 6 H.

Authorities clash over handling of teens arrested for prostitution: Molly Ball; By the time Joy found out her teenage daughter had been picked up by police for soliciting prostitution, it was too late to pick her up and take her home from jail.

Teen arrested after taking unloaded gun to school: By Emily Richmond; An eighth grader at Canarelli Middle School was arrested Monday after bringing an unloaded handgun with him to campus.

Football players give track team a boost: Nick Christensen; Palo Verde is hosting this year's regional and state track championships, and so far this year, the Panthers look to be well represented at those May meets.

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

Casino cash revitalizes towns: Maura Kelly Lannan; ELGIN, Ill. -- Ornate black and gold street lamps line the newly paved sidewalks of Elgin's downtown, and dozens of stately Victorian homes have been repainted in their traditional yellows, greens and blues.

Boulevard of broken dreams: Stephen Curran; The repeated burglaries that left James Mouse without a television, hot plate and underwear were not enough to make him consider moving from his single-room home at the Boulevard hotel.

News briefs for April 5, 2005: The Assembly Judiciary Committee Monday approved a bill intended to make it easier to prosecute pimps.

Verizon presses MCI: The message, in a letter from Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg, puts pressure on MCI's board to choose -- once and for all -- between Qwest and Verizon as a merger partner. Verizon is offering $7.6 billion in stock and cash; Qwest's latest offer of nearly $9 billion exceeds its entire market capitalization. Qwest has given MCI until tonight to take or leave its offer.

Legislative briefs for April 5, 2005: A bill aimed at alleviating the problem of the long wait endured by some patients delivered to the emergency rooms at some hospitals in Clark County, won approval Monday from the Senate Human Resources and EducationCommittee.