Print edition for August 4, 2005

Editorial: Resort not appropriate: The summit was a precursor to a long-range plan for Mount Charleston, which we hope will stress the importance of preservation. We're not opposed to development at Mount Charleston, but we believe this proposal should be rejected. It would radically change the character of this quiet, natural place that for decades has served as a respite from Las Vegas-style entertainment.

Former comrade describes slaying suspect: David Kihara; A man who said he served in Iraq with the former U.S. Army specialist who is charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with a Sunday-morning shooting in Las Vegas says the defendant is level-headed but "tenacious when threatened."

Rogers nearly halfway there on governor run: Eric Leake; Leaving much room for speculation, Jim Rogers said Wednesday that he is close to 50 percent committed to running for governor in 2006.

DOE: Nevada misspent Yucca oversight funds: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Clark County misspent about $163,000 in federal funds earmarked for Yucca Mountain oversight, according to an Energy Department inspector general office report released today.

Bill: Land sale money should pay for Lake Mead project: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Congress did not approve $9.3 million for a Lake Mead water and sewer line project requested by the Interior Department as part of a spending bill approved last week.

Fire forces evacuation at Aztec Inn on Strip: A three-alarm fire at the Aztec Inn, 2200 Las Vegas Blvd. South just north of Sahara Avenue forced the evacuation of the casino and caused an estimated $200,000 in damage but no injuries late Wednesday, fire officials said.

Glitch blamed in failure to mail license-renewal notices: Department Director Chuck Chinnock said those who did not receive their notices will not be assessed any late payment penalty. And the renewal notices should start going out next week.

Gibbons to open governor's run Aug. 31: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., is expected to launch his candidacy for governor on Aug. 31, with announcements in both Southern and Northern Nevada.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Anderson hits many landmarks with win at Infineon: Greg Anderson's NHRA Pro Stock victory Sunday at Infineon Raceway proved to be a milestone event for a number of reasons.

Omission of $9.3 million for Lake Mead raises ire: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Congress did not approve $9.3 million for a Lake Mead water and sewer line project requested by the Interior Department as part of a department spending bill approved last week.

Suspect jailed in bank robbery: Mary Manning and Jennifer Lawson; A few hours after a woman was shot during a botched bank robbery Wednesday morning, Metro Police said they were able to arrest the man who shot her because he left a crucial piece of evidence behind -- a withdrawal slip with his name on it.

Company unveils Spanish version of Web site: The site includes information about the Siena and Rose de Lima campuses' medical services, classes, events and support groups. Maps, virtual tours, physician contacts and hospital job openings also are available at www.strosehospitals.org. There is an "Espanol" button on the Web site in the top right corner that translates the information into Spanish.

Southwest teams still dominate in summer: Nick Christensen; Three months ago, the Southwest Division ruled high school baseball in Nevada.

Ad for online poker room pulled from Las Vegas radio station: Liz Benston and Richard N. Velotta; Nevada's leading public radio station is no longer running an advertising spot for an Internet poker room that both the state and federal governments consider to be illegal.

Police probe city's handling of golf course plan: Metro Police are investigating "the conduct of (Las Vegas) city employees" handling developer Billy Walters' request to have a deed restriction on his Royal Links Golf Course lifted to make way for housing.

'Responsible gaming' pushed in AGA ad: By Liz Benston; The American Gaming Association has created its first public service announcement about responsible gambling that will air during broadcasts of World Poker Tour tournaments as well as other gambling-related programming on the Travel Channel -- home to many shows about Las Vegas casinos.

Names in the game for August 4, 2005: Defending Nextel Cup champion and Las Vegas native Kurt Busch promises Indianapolis bar patrons a safe ride home tonight, although it might be a little quicker than usual.

Regional mall developers plan NLV projects: North Las Vegas, a city without a regional mall despite a population of nearly 180,000 people, has two developers proposing malls within 3.5 miles of one another.

Median sales price of LV houses nearly $307,000: Kevin Rademacher; After a brief lull, the Las Vegas housing market reached a new milestone in July with a median sales price of $306,950.

VEGAS.com ranked as one of top travel sites: VEGAS.com was ranked the No. 36 Internet travel site by alexa.com, a research site operated by amazon.com.

Woman killed in terrorist attack eulogized in Vegas: By Mary Manning; Friends and family of Kristina Miller, the only American killed in last month's Egyptian resort terrorist bombings, remembered her Wednesday as an all-American girl who was driven to make all her dreams come true until explosions ended her life.

Caesars purchase helps lift Harrah's quarterly earnings: By Liz Benston; Profit at Harrah's Entertainment Inc. rose 17 percent in the second quarter, boosted by the first two-and-a-half weeks of owning Caesars Entertainment casinos in addition to higher gambling activity at the company's Harrah's-brand properties.

Brothers sharing $11 million lottery win return to work: The 55-year-old brothers, both Brockton natives, quit their school department jobs shortly after winning the Mass Millions game in October 1992. They will split annual lottery checks of $415,451 for 20 years.

Rancho graduate returns to LV to command key Nellis unit: Dick Benoit; The son of a retired Air Force helicopter air crewman has returned to his hometown to command one of the key units at Nellis Air Force Base.

Fire Forces Evacuation of Casino: By Mary Manning; A three-alarm fire at the Aztec Inn, 2200 Las Vegas Blvd. South just north of Sahara Avenue forced the evacuation of the casino and caused an estimated $200,000 in damage but no injuries late Wednesday, fire officials said.

Obituaries for August 4, 2005: Donna Marie Barnett, 52, of North Las Vegas died Monday in a local hospital. She was born Sept. 26, 1952, in Fairfield, Calif. A resident for 42 years, she was a bartender.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Cows create their own gas crisis: Air regulators in California (Those people regulate everything, don't they?), say dairy cows create more air pollution than cars and light trucks.

Bill jump-starts local projects: Stephen Curran; The long-stalled highway and mass transit bill that finally sputtered its way through Congress late last week didn't come a minute too early for Southern Nevada, local House and transportation officials said Wednesday.

Where I Stand -- Guest columnist Pat Shalmy: Keeping the lights on: LAS VEGAS has been one of the hottest regions in the United States -- and not just on the Weather Channel -- for decades. People are moving here in droves, seeking new opportunities, and the trend is continuing. Government agencies and utilities are working diligently to develop the massive infrastructure required to serve the homes and businesses springing up throughout our valley.

Community briefs for August 4, 2005: Cardi-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first-aid classes for ages 16-adult will be offered at the times and locations listed for a $25 fee. Receive a two-year certification accepted by Clark County School District. Register in advance.

Federal slots suit dismissed: Developer Charles Betters, who hopes to land a gambling license in Pittsburgh, had claimed that the 13-month-old law unfairly excluded him from vying for one of the seven gambling licenses that are to be awarded to horse racing tracks.

Editorial: Barnburner in 2006?: For Rogers, running as an independent would mean avoiding a bruising primary battle that is shaping up in the Republican primary, which likely will include U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt and state Sen. Bob Beers. Once he collects enough signatures to get on the ballot, Rogers would go straight to the general election against whoever wins the Democratic and Republican primaries.

Governor returns contribution from Indian gambling group: Tom Chorneau; SACRAMENTO -- One week after accepting a $50,000 donation from a partner in a tribal casino project, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's political committee said Wednesday it would return the money after questions were raised about the donation by the Associated Press.

Closing arguments made in bribery trial: Eric Tucker; WORCESTER, Mass. -- Two former gambling executives concocted a simple scheme to pay a bribe of up to $4 million to the law firm of the powerful speaker of the Rhode Island House, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.

County OKs plan that could lead to Chinatown gaming: Stephen Curran; The Clark County Commission on Wednesday approved a segment of its comprehensive plan that could pave the way to gaming in Las Vegas' fledgling Chinatown district.

Editorial: Risky for consumers: Clark County is now considering a major change to this traditional service. The county's Development Services Department wants to allow home builders to hire private inspectors. The reason is that the department is having trouble filling all 95 of its inspector positions. The department is down 10 inspectors, which in some cases causes a delay for home buyers eager to move in. Ron Lynn, who heads the department, says it's difficult to fill open positions because the county's pay scale for inspectors is not competitive with other local governments.

Camp aims to ease stress of students entering middle school: By Emily Richmond; For more than 100 soon-to-be sixth graders, the prospect of their first day of classes at Swainston Middle School became a little less intimidating Wednesday.

Sprint-Nextel merger OK'd: After the Federal Communications Commission approved the deal, the Justice Department gave its blessing a short time later.

State board hears complaints on equalization: CARSON CITY -- Lake Tahoe property owners told a state hearing Wednesday that the Washoe County Assessor's Office exerts undue influence over the county board of equalization in the dispute over fast-rising value of land and homes in that area.

Ralph Siraco's Del Mar selections: 1st Race -- VATCHESVENDETTA -- Nakatani again on Abrams trainee, been knocking on diploma door, gets right trip here. YEARLY ATITUDE -- P. Val aboard young Stute trainee, must overcome outside post in mile maiden turf outing, rider best chance for graduation. Value Play -- TRIPLE STRAND

Not guilty plea is entered in death of boy, 3: By Matt Pordum; A 23-year-old man accused of murdering his live-in girlfriend's 3-year-old son, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.

Up next: Las Vegas 51s (47-64) at Omaha Royals (51-60): Up next: Las Vegas 51s (47-64) at Omaha Royals (51-60)

LV City Council briefs for August 4, 2005: A local massage parlor owner has rubbed the Las Vegas City Council the wrong way -- and on Wednesday it has cost him his license to operate one of his two city businesses.

Plea agreement reached in case involving a minor: By Matt Pordum; A 62-year-old former church-camp worker pleaded guilty Wednesday to a sexual assault charge for videotaping himself assaulting his then 11-year-old relative in 1998.

Regional homeless chief Haynes-Green steps down: By Timothy Pratt; Sixteen months ago, when the Las Vegas Valley became what experts said was the first metropolitan area in the nation to create the position of regional coordinator of homeless services, Paula Haynes-Green was told her main job was to create a plan to address homelessness.

Latino music gaining clout on-air: P. Solomon Banda; DENVER -- As he waited for the bus on a searingly hot day in Denver, Chaz Aguinaldo leaned back and listened to the syncopated beat and Spanish lyrics coming through his headphones.

Fight schedule: Today

Letter: Profit-driven diets are dubious: The Atkins high-protein diet craze peaked in early 2004, when more than 9 percent of U.S. adults subscribed to such diet, according to market research firm NPD Group. That figure declined gradually to 2.2 percent last month after a consumer advocacy group released a medical examiner's report showing that Atkins was overweight and suffered of heart disease.

Chain's bid to open payday loan operation is rejected: The North Las Vegas City Council, which two weeks ago enacted a six-month moratorium on new payday loan companies, rejected a chain's bid Wednesday for a permit to open a store.

Champ's top drivers test in Vegas: Defending Champ Car World Series champion Sebastien Bourdais and Paul Tracy tested at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Wednesday in preparation for the Sept. 24 Double Down in the Desert NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-Champ Car World Series doubleheader.

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 4 p.m.

Henderson Police arrest six in recent burglaries: Fingerprints left at the scene of some of the burglaries and subsequent police surveillance resulted in the arrests, police spokesman Keith Paul said.

Boyd Gaming, city reach accord on downtown land: To acquire land in support of the Main Street Station redevelopment project 16 years ago, the city of Las Vegas spent $6.9 million in public funds, scooping up three small parcels through eminent domain for a proposed 900-space parking garage to accommodate the crowds.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Military personnel treated to free boxing show: Camp Pendleton, the sprawling U.S. Marine Corps base near San Diego, is home to thousands of Marines who have fought and who continue to fight the war in Iraq.

Lawyer's resignation from bar approved by high court: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Wednesday granted the request of attorney Sean M. Liles to resign from the Nevada Bar, rather than face a charge of misconduct.

Sports briefs for August 4, 2005: Lance Cpl. Timothy Michael Bell Jr., a nephew of Kansas City Royals manager Buddy Bell, was among the 14 Marines killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

News briefs for August 4, 2005: A 28-year-old North Las Vegas woman was killed early today when she lost control of her vehicle on Interstate 215, the Nevada Highway Patrol stated.

Letter: Public's money should be spent more cautiously: How about we call back Rollie Massimino, the former head coach of UNLV's basketball team. Throwing a lot of money at that issue solved the problem. No wait, I have a better idea. Let's recall Bob Snow, the man who developed Main Street Station, from Florida. Giving him a lot of public money really changed things. Hold on, I have another brilliant idea. How about getting the construction company from the Regional Justice Center to consult with us? They did a fine job of managing our money and completing things on time.