Print edition for April 29, 2005

Group eyes purchase of Reno Hilton: Grand Sierra Resort Corp. has been considering the idea for more than a year but hotel officials said there is no signed agreement, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported today.

Federal appeals court lifts injunction on Detroit casinos: Sarah Karush; DETROIT -- The three casinos in the city can proceed with plans to build permanent facilities, including hotels, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

Students compete to develop themed rooms: Students compete to develop themed rooms

Housekeepers compete at hotel and restaurant show: The convention, held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, drew 350 suppliers from the lodging and food-service industry. Convention officials expected attendance of 4,000.

Judge denies initiative to be placed on NLV ballot: A federal judge has denied a request by North Las Vegas residents who were trying to get an initiative placed on the June 7 general election ballot.

Toyota plans to issue credit cards: Toyota Motor Corp., the world's second-largest automaker, announced it will issue credit cards in the United States under its Lexus brand to expand financial services and help attract and keep luxury-vehicle customers.

Profit soars at health insurer: Michelle Swafford; PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. announced Thursday a 28 percent profit increase in the first quarter, beating analysts' expectations.

Councilwoman willing to give up board nomination: Mary Tallon; CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Sheila Simon, a reluctant pick to serve on the Illinois Gaming Board, says she would not object if Gov. Rod Blagojevich withdrew her nomination so she can focus on her work as a law professor, city councilwoman and mother.

Senate panel OKs tougher slavery law: Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- The attorney general's office argued Thursday that modern-day slavery is on the rise in the United States, and Nevada officials need to crack down.

Senate OKs changes to death penalty in Nevada: CARSON CITY -- A bill to outlaw the death penalty for those younger than 18 years is on its way to Gov. Kenny Guinn for his signature after a reluctant Senate approved the measure Thursday.

Menzies leaves with Rebels' blessing: Steve Guiremand; Louisville head coach Rick Pitino arrived in Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon to check out Steve Wynn's newest megaresort hotel.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Slow start to Nextel Cup season not unexpected for Earnhardt Jr.: Following his third-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled at the ensuing two races and left Las Vegas in early March ranked 27th in the NASCAR Nextel Cup standings.

Rogers is 'right person at right time': Interim Chancellor Jim Rogers will likely drop the interim from his title next Friday after a Board of Regents search committee unanimously recommended him for the permanent position Thursday.

Wynn Las Vegas exec, Mack aide are arrested: Jen Lawson; After the opening of Wynn Las Vegas on Thursday morning, Metro Police arrested one of the resort's executives and his wife, who works for City Councilman Michael Mack, following a alleged drunken post-party confrontation with officers on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Fishing report: It's all about cats and bass: LAKE MEAD: Fishing has been good and appears to be getting even better as both shore anglers and boaters are reeling in striped bass and channel catfish in the Boulder Basin and Overton Arm.

Democrats drop pay-raise bill: Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- Assembly Democrats dropped a bill Thursday that would give state employees 5 percent cost-of-living raises in each of the next two years.

Father pleads guilty in shaking death of 4-month-old son: By Matt Pordum; A 30-year-old Henderson father who originally faced murder charges for violently shaking his 4-month-old son, inflicting severe brain injuries that killed the baby 11 days later, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Thursday.

Preps: Schedule: Baseball

Homebuilder buys Rinker land: The 147.5-acre site, at 4511 S. Buffalo just north of Tropicana Avenue, has been used as an industrial mining site for nearly 40 years. As the town grew around the plant, residents near the site have complained about dust and noise that come from the plant and rock-hauling trucks.

Flutie could be signed by Giants: Jeremy Shockey finally showed up at the Giants' off-season workouts Thursday, but his return was trumped by the surprise appearance of another intriguing visitor: quarterback Doug Flutie.

Columnist Jeff German: Cabdriver group gets little help: But local cabbies Greg Bambic, Phillip Alexander and Craig Harris are doing their best to stir up interest in their fledgling group, the New Professional Drivers Association.

Obituaries for April 29, 2005: Thomas Archbold, 39, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in a local hospital. He was born May 22, 1965, in New York. A resident for one year, he was a retired baker.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: As a whole, it's been a banner year for UNLV: The success of a Division I athletic program will always be judged by its won-loss record and/or bottom line in football and men's basketball, and using that criteria, UNLV has had sort of a middling year.

Tentative agreement reached with pilots: Terms of the tentative agreement between Hawaiian and the Air Line Pilots Association were not immediately disclosed. But Capt. Jim Giddings, the Hawaiian pilots' lead negotiator, said the tentative three-year agreement contains pay raises of 1 percent each year for three years. The contract covers the period from June 30 last year, when the previous contract expired, to June 30, 2007, he said.

Seastrand resigns regent post, joins UNLV: University Regent Doug Seastrand resigned from the University and Community College System board Thursday because he has gotten a job at UNLV.

Flood project to cause delays on Charleston: Charleston is expected to narrow to one lane through the Tonopah Drive intersection tonight and will fully reopen early Monday morning. Tonopah will be completely closed between Charleston and Rancho Lane. Drivers are urged to detour at Palomino Lane and Goldring Avenue.

Playoffs might be on the line: Adam Candee; Sunday, 10 a.m., Allstate Arena TV: KVBC Ch. 3; Radio: ESPN 920-AM

Court dismisses suit over N.M. casino: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday refused to order pretrial arbitration in a suit in Las Vegas between two companies over operation of a casino for an Indian tribe in New Mexico.

Mobile home park oversight bill advances: CARSON CITY -- A bill to tighten the law forcing mobile home parks to meet the health and safety standards was approved by the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee today.

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

Supreme Court upholds stings by 'vagrant' detectives: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Thursday upheld the convictions of two men arrested by Metro police in undercover decoy programs in which officers are dressed as vagrants.

Hispanic parents criticize School District: By Emily Richmond; A group of Hispanic parents sharply criticized the quality of education students receive in the Clark County School District's east region Thursday, saying their children aren't learning English quickly enough.

Legislative briefs for April 29, 2005: A bill that permits the state Transportation Department to designate lanes on highways for the exclusive use of car-pooling vehicles has been passed by the Senate and is headed for the signature of Gov. Kenny Guinn.

Input is sought on superintendent search: Joyce Haldeman, executive director of community and government relations for the district, said she is gathering input from School Board members as to their preferences for the size and scope of the search. At a School Board meeting April 14, Garcia announced he was resigning to become vice president of urban markets for education publishing giant McGraw-Hill Cos. His resignation takes effect July 13.

Labor Commissioner seeking construction wage information: Alana Roberts; Nevada's Labor Commissioner is soliciting 14,500 contractors that perform construction work in Nevada to respond to his annual prevailing wage survey to determine the prevailing wage of construction workers in each of the state's counties.

Severe weather prompts Test Site emergency call: The end of April brought showers to the Las Vegas Valley and severe weather, including hail and funnel clouds to the Nevada Test Site and to Yucca Mountain, site of a proposed high-level nuclear waste repository.

Dodgers prospect regaining past form: Nick Christensen; At a time when most 19-year-olds in the minors are planning how best to spend their summers in exciting destinations like Cedar Rapids, Hickory or Modesto, James Loney was playing ball with the big boys - and doing a good job of it.

Man a step closer to being executed: By Matt Pordum; A man convicted of tying up and killing four young men is eligible for the death penalty, a jury determined Thursday.

Murphy discharged from prison: By Matt Pordum; Sandy Murphy had her discharge papers signed Thursday morning at the Southern Nevada Women's Correctional Center and will not serve any prison time for stealing Ted Binion's silver.

Activists say laws have done little to protect wild horses: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Animal activists say they suspect that a number of wild horses from public lands have gone to U.S. slaughterhouses for years, despite laws designed to protect them.

Vegas-based bank plans IPO: Kevin Rademacher; Las Vegas-based Western Alliance Bancorporation has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public stock offering.

Magazine: Vegas convention industry trumps competition: Las Vegas widened the competitive gap against rival convention hosts, maintaining its 19 percent market share of the nation's 200 major shows while No. 2 Chicago fell behind.

$14.5 million purchase of Vegas office building OK'd: By Emily Richmond; The Clark County School Board voted Thursday to spend $14.5 million for an office building at 5100 West Sahara Avenue that will serve as a temporary solution to an ongoing space crunch.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Wynn Las Vegas opens in smooth fashion: Guests trying to decide where to dine studied the map that was included in the registration packet. There were so many choices. I decided to start at the south end at Red 8, an Asian bistro. Red 8 was packed with contented diners, yet getting a table was not a problem.

Man found shot dead in street: The victim, whose name was not released this morning, was near the curb, Officer Tim Bedwell, police spokesman, said. A shopping cart was nearby.

Court dismisses lawsuit over New Mexico casino: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday refused to order pretrial arbitration in a suit in Las Vegas between two companies over operation of a casino for an Indian tribe in New Mexico.

More funding set aside for traffic improvement: The matter, which came before the RTC's executive advisory committee, more than doubles the allocation to the Traffic Capacity Improvement Program, raising its budget from $2 million to $5.3 million for Southern Nevada.

Alliance Gaming reports loss: Alliance Gaming Corp. on Thursday reported an 8 percent increase in revenue in its fiscal third quarter and showed a profit before a series of charges, delighting analysts.

Southwest Gas reports lower income: Kevin Rademacher; Pleasant weather in the first quarter cooled earnings for Las Vegas-based Southwest Gas Corp. of Las Vegas.

Man gets 14 years to life in stabbing death: Miguel Reyes-Carreon, 28, had previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for stabbing 30-year-old Jose Ramirez to death inside an apartment in the 2200 block of Statz Street near Carey Avenue.

Sports briefs for April 29, 2005: Disappointed parents and bitter players who go after sports officials may face stiffer penalties under a bill that passed unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

Clarification: Clarification

Funds OK'd for inmate transition project: CARSON CITY -- A legislative budget committee agreed Thursday to spend an additional $320,000 on the opening of Casa Grande, a new state prison program for paroled inmates to find jobs and get ready to return to society.

Gaming briefs for April 29, 2005: Bank of America Corp. and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc completed their $7 billion loan financing for MGM Mirage that allowed the casino company's acquisition of Mandalay Resort Group, a filing by MGM Mirage shows.

Woman killed while driving on highway: A woman was killed early today on Interstate 15 near Charleston Boulevard when someone apparently pulled alongside her and fired several rounds into the driver's side of the car she was driving, Metro Police and Nevada Highway Patrol said.

Tiger Direct sues over Mac software name: Tiger Direct, which sells computers and related products on the Internet, said the use of the name threatens to lessen the value of its trademark. The company also accused Apple of deceptive and unfair trade practices in the lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in Miami.

New schedule has Rebels running with the big dogs: Enough with the Gardner-Webbs, Florida Atlantics, Occidentals and IPFWs of the college hoops world, UNLV coach Lon Kruger has aimed to upgrade his non-conference schedule.

UNLV's Cox Pavilion giving Las Vegas some Elmo room: Colors disappear as our favorite furry friends perform a series of musical numbers. Professor Art and his Palettes are there to help solve the mystery while taking audiences to ancient Egypt, a musical junkyard and world of dinosaurs.

Editorial: Legal twist over Yucca: In 1982 Congress passed a law that required the government to take possession of the nuclear waste by 1998, but since that hasn't happened, utilities have filed lawsuits against the Energy Department, alleging breach of contract. While the utilities are seeking monetary damages, they also are hoping to put pressure on the federal government to accelerate the project. But there has been an unanticipated development. A U.S. Court of Federal Claims judge says she is willing to cancel the Energy Department's contract with a Sacramento utility -- unless she can be persuaded that the federal government didn't renege on its ...

Editorial: Recycle recycling plan: April 30 - May 1, 2005

Voice(s) of Vegas: Vocalist-impressionist Danny Gans has extended his contract with the Mirage through April 2008, which is good news for the army of fans who have packed his showroom five nights a week for the past five years.

Mos-Kweli team shows hip-hop mastery in debut: Spencer Patterson; "One, two, three / Mos Def and Talib Kweli / We came to rock it on to the tip-top / Best alliance in hip-hop."

'Echoes of Spring' set for Doc Rando Recital Hall: "Echoes of Spring" features the music of Mendelssohn, Brahms, Pinkham and Piket. Also scheduled are David Dickhau's "In Time of Daffodils," Richard Rodgers' "It Might As Well Be Spring," Cecil Effinger's "Basket," and the folk songs "Scarlet Ribbons" and "Go Gently From Me, Lover."

Bar has been raised: By Brian Greenspun; Vegas has another Wynner! It is hard to write about the Wynn Las Vegas hotel without reaching deep into a bag full of superlatives, an exercise already repeated in newspapers and on television sets all over the world. So, to save the repetition and to keep it simple, Steve Wynn has met every expectation, each of which was exceedingly and unreasonably high.

Letter: Expand Medicare for everyone: There would be no requirement for Medicaid.

Letter: Republicans use religion as ploy for more judges: Those Christians who are making that claim for political gain should re-read the Ten Commandments, with particular attention to, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."

Valley residents get chance to protect the Las Vegas Wash: WEEKEND EDITION

Editorial: Hiring raises ethics issue: April 30 - May 1, 2005

Yucca e-mails: Smoking gun or blowing smoke?: Benjamin Grove; WEEKEND EDITION

Carlin reads from the whine list at Stardust: Note to comic genius George Carlin: Lighten up, dude. Chill out. Take a pill. Smoke something. Sip some wine and relax. An edgy comedian on edge, cursing his audience, isn't a pretty site.

Community briefs for April 29, 2005: Touch-A-Truck, an event that allows children to get up close and personal with their favorite big rigs, fire trucks, police cars, construction trucks and more will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Challenger School parking lot, 9900 Isaac Newton Way (formerly Shiloh School Lane).

Anti-drug task force recognized: The task force will serve as the model for a new anti-drug and anti-gang group in Carson City.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Centennial a mission for Arlen's son: By Jerry Fink; He wrote the Academy Award-winning "Over The Rainbow" -- which has been recognized as the No. 1 song of the 20th century by the Recording Industry Association of America, the National Endowment for the Arts and, most recently, by the American Film Institute.

Learning-Earning helps at-risk students: The drive behind CCSN's initiative is to reduce Nevada's high school dropout rate, improve the graduation rate and open wider access to college. Learning and Earning benefits Clark County 11th and 12th graders in jeopardy of not graduating with their peers.

Letter: Trash collection schedule perfect: April 30 - May 1, 2005

Convicted sex offender pleads not guilty in peeping case: By Matt Pordum; A 44-year-old convicted sex offender accused of peeping in the window of a woman's Green Valley apartment and exposing himself pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges related to the incident.

Editorial: Wynn a winner again: A gaming visionary and marketing genius who early in his career led a revival of downtown Las Vegas through his then-ownership of the Golden Nugget, Wynn didn't release much information about his newest gem, a strategy that had people bursting with curiosity by opening night. Las Vegas Sun reporters who mingled with the opening-night crowd learned quickly that people, once again, were struck with Wynn's mastery of decor and customer service.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Hams broker success at Vegas nightclub: By night, they run a nightclub.

Columnist Spencer Patterson: Coachella reaches out to Vegas music fans: Spencer Patterson; A flier, advertising the 2005 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, to be held this weekend at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, Calif.

Columnist Jon Ralston: All that's old is new again: WEEKEND EDITION

Performing Arts for April 29, 2005: Free concert

Datebook for April 29, 2005: The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District presents the films "The Thin Man" at 1 p.m. and "Spider" (Rated R) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, as part of its ongoing film series. Admission is free. 507-3459.

Spilotro played the role of feared mobster in Vegas: WEEKEND EDITION

Letter: Massive school districts good for teachers, not kids: Retired teacher Virgil Sestini, in his April 26 letter, wrote that deconsolidation of the Clark County School District would "not be good for teachers." Unfortunately, Mr. Sestini has spent too much time in the education business and seems to have forgotten that what's good for students is what schools are all about.

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Skirting the issues is not an option for Omaha: Lisa Ferguson; The comedian has made it his business to "show the ridiculousness of stereotypes" while still finding the humor in them during his stand-up act, which he performs through Sunday at The Improv at Harrah's.

Going beyond the uniform: Eric Leake; WEEKEND EDITION

Law keeps identity of landowners a secret: WEEKEND EDITION

NCT turns to comedy: 'You Can't Take It with You': Throw away the business suit, slide down the company ladder and follow your passions into the golden sunset.

Child care honor goes to teacher: Meddock-Wright was honored for her professionalism and commitment to the children she teaches.

News briefs for May 1, 2005: Thomas Friedman, one of the nation's foremost thinkers and writers about foreign affairs, will provide his insights on world events here May 12 as part of UNLV's Barbara Greenspun Lecture Series. A New York Times columnist and three-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Friedman is the author of a new book that has been highly acclaimed, "The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century."