Print edition for February 2, 2005

Rape victim: 'I know those eyes': By Matt Pordum; One of the victims of a man who prosecutors alleged committed a series of rapes in the late 1990s identified her attacker based upon his eyes.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Wine benefit at Hilton draws a grand attendance: Elizabeth Foyt; Presented by Southern Nevada Public Television and the Friends of Channel 10, the vast affair, with its many sampling stations and bountiful food offerings, was coordinated by chairman Charlotte Hill with Tony Goitia of Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada.

Lone Mountain killing jury gives 40 years to life: By Matt Pordum; A jury sentenced a 19-year-old man to 40 years to life in prison for first-degree murder on Tuesday for the beating death of his friend before leaving the body at the base of Lone Mountain last summer.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Tiffany is always good company: And when hip meets the master of silver design with sterling silver pendants that are are cool, casual and affordable, gift shoppers will know they are on the right track.

Fiscal 2004 gross and net profits report on Nevada casinos: AP; - STATEWIDE: Grossed $19.59 billion, had EBITDA of $3.89 billion and $1.33 billion net income.

Peter's Principle: Mastrioni brings attitude, strong work ethic to Las Vegas restaurant: Ken Miller; What was scheduled to be a one-hour interview at his restaurant, Cafe Mastrioni, ended up taking almost four, as Mastrioni constantly went from cooking in the kitchen to taking orders in the dining area to dealing with the new waiter who arrived earlier that morning even though his staff was available.

Letter: Sarkisian sisters hardly a threat to national security: Still, it took a call from Nevada's Sen. Harry Reid to Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge to ensure their well-being. What was as outrageous as their incarceration and possible deportation was the reality of what that decision to deport would have meant -- a factor which our system leaders seemed unaware. Christian Armenia, though both historical and unique, borders Islamic Azerbaijan and Turkey, making the region a continuoulsy volatile one. It is not a place one would want to send U.S. teenage girls who cannot speak the language.

Council considers annexing 3,626 acres in southwest: Eric Leake; Henderson will soon grow by 3,626 acres if it approves an annexation the City Council decided to consider Tuesday.

New homes approved on 16 acres: Eric Leake; Members of the Henderson City Council acknowledged that when it comes to some development concerns, there just isn't a perfect answer. So they went ahead and approved a 16.5-acre home development Tuesday.

Letter: Social Security reforms a sham: It would have 2 percent of all paychecks drawn in United States of America forcibly injected daily into the stock market on a continuing basis. Under this plan, people would have to buy whatever stocks are currently available, regardless of desirability, price, fair market value or activity projections.

Company will sell advisory unit to focus on credit cards: American Express Financial Advisors, while profitable, has been a drag on the faster-growing charge card and credit card operations and a payment network business that processes more than $400 billion in payments worldwide. Splitting off the advisory unit, executives said, will allow both companies to grow more quickly.

Obituaries for February 2, 2005: Mary V. Behrbaum, 85, of Las Vegas died Sunday in a local hospital. She was born May 2, 1919, in Marion Heights, Pa. A resident for 23 years, she retired as a supervisor with the Clark County School District.

LV Water District issued flood of water-waster fines: Beth Slovic; Last year the Las Vegas Valley Water District issued 2,140 fines totaling $193,900, and Henderson's water district assessed 200 fees totaling $5,775 for water wasting after levying none the prior year.

Immunization schedule for February 2, 2005: HENDERSON PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER: 129 W. Lake Mead Parkway, Building A, Suite 10, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Guinn asks for presidential disaster declaration: The emergency in Clark County is officially over, although some agencies are still picking up the pieces and totaling the costs from January's floods and avalanches.

Slot legislation proposed: Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, said he planned to file two separate bills that would allow the state to lean on gambling revenue to help ease its budgetary woes.

Sands seeks to reduce loans' interest margins: Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Scotia Capital are being asked to cut the interest margin on more than $1 billion in bank loans for casino-owner Las Vegas Sands Corp., according to a regulatory filing.

Resignation of head of problem gambling group sought: Guy Clark, who heads the New Mexico Coalition Against Gambling, also questioned Kandace Blanchard's $125,000 annual salary.

Tribe may withhold payment: The development prompted Republican Rep. Dean Kaufert, co-chairman of the Legislature's budget committee, to call on Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle to do whatever necessary to get the payment or "shut down all the Ho-Chunk-operated casinos in the state" until the issue is resolved.

Caesars says tribe settled land claim with New York: In exchange for dropping the claim, the St. Regis Mohawk tribe will receive $100 million, the right to purchase 14,000 acres of land, low-cost electric power and free college tuition at State University of New York schools, Las Vegas-based Caesars said in a statement today.

PacifiCare awards $40,000 in grants: Boys and Girls Clubs of Las Vegas received a $5,000 grant to support its Street SMART program at six Boys and Girls Club sites in at-risk neighborhoods.

Manufacturer profit dives 84 percent on charges: The results reported today still easily exceeded Wall Street's expectations as earnings and sales rose at its defense unit, now by far its biggest business. But the commercial airplanes division lost money during the quarter on charges and a decline in deliveries.

Preps: Tuesday's results: Basic 68, Foothill 47: BASC: Victor Armendariz 18 pts. FTHL: Danny Green 10 pts.

Commissioner doesn't expect many NHL players to sign: Nick Christensen; If and when the NHL does officially cancel the 2004-05 season, don't expect a final influx of major-league talent, ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna said Tuesday.

Wet winter can increase wildfire dangers: Jace Radke; A wet winter in the Western United States has eased drought conditions, but it's also resulting in the growth of grass and vegetation that could provide added fuel for wildfires in Nevada.

Moratorium extended on neighborhood casinos: During a joint session Monday, officials say they expect state lawmakers to consider controls over casino proposals along state highways during the 2005 legislative session that begins next week.

Editorial: Why did this happen?: The hospital, however, decided last year to contract with CMN on its own, bypassing the foundation. The hospital failed and now CMN is on the verge of contracting with St. Rose Dominican Hospital and the foundation says it's on the verge of disbanding.

Editorial: Panel won't serve victims: Nevada experimented with a screening panel from 1986 through 2002. The above theories never panned out. Insurance companies weren't moved to settle a case based on the panel's finding. And alleged victims were just as likely to proceed with a lawsuit regardless of the panel's opinion. The failure of the Nevada panel, which was composed of three doctors and three trial lawyers serving on a voluntary basis, was evident in 2002. That year, doctors declared a medical malpractice "crisis" when their insurance premiums finally topped out at levels they said they could not afford.

Community briefs for February 2, 2005: Young dancers from Las Vegas and Henderson will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Horn Theater at the Cheyenne Campus of the Community College of Southern Nevada to raise money for Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Hendrick team ably fills voids created by tragedy: Despite losing several key members of his Hendrick Motorsports team in a plane crash last October, Jeff Gordon said he is confident that the organization is in a position to have him contend for the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup championship.

Mesquite's response to Virgin River flood scrutinized: Federal agencies and an environmental activist joined Mesquite officials Tuesday to look at the city's response to flooding on the Virgin River.

Henderson council briefs for February 2, 2005: The Henderson City Council approved a zoning change for a planned Henderson branch of Nathan Adelson Hospice.

LV sisters' case sheds light on immigration law: By Timothy Pratt; After a last-minute phone call from Capitol Hill freed two Las Vegas teenage sisters from a Los Angeles cell holding immigrants scheduled for deportation, Jeanne Butterfield, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said it was the "right result -- wrong method."

Monorail shut down for repair: Stephen Curran; The Las Vegas Monorail was closed this morning as engineers were investigating what caused a 30-foot rail that powers the train to short-circuit this morning.

Stoic 13-year-old praises slain mom during tribute: Thirteen-year-old stabbing victim Shiloh Edsitty spoke from his heart to more than 50 people who came to a chapel to pay tribute to his dead mother, Teresa Tilden, and to show support for the boy.

West division gets two more teams: Nick Christensen; The ECHL has added two teams to the West Division in two days, and that might be good news for the Las Vegas Wranglers next season.

Wallace feeling a touch of retirer's remorse: When Rusty Wallace announced last August that he would retire from NASCAR Nextel Cup racing at the end of the 2005 season, he said he was comfortable with his decision.

Surge in gambling revenue doubles Harrah's Entertainment earnings: By Liz Benston; The acquisition of the Horseshoe casino chain in the Midwest and revenue growth in Las Vegas helped boost fourth-quarter profit at Harrah's Entertainment Inc. by 118 percent.

Judge orders home study of family: The destiny of Shiloh Edsitty hinges heavily on whether the Navajo Nation believes that the non-American Indian family that is seeking permanent guardianship of the 13-year-old will raise him in an environment that encourages his Indian heritage and culture.

News briefs for February 2, 2005: Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. will lead the Senate's Technology, Innovation and Competitiveness subcommittee. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, named Ensign chairman of that committee Tuesday.

Snow: Valley development must change to ease traffic: Jennifer Shubinski; The Las Vegas Valley needs to start thinking, and allowing, for different types of development and building, the region's top transportation official told builders Tuesday.

Sanford's class gets 'A' grade: Steve Guiremand; Mid-Year Enrollees

Nevada wildlife program in deep financial trouble: CARSON CITY -- Nevada's wildlife program faces grave financial problems, and a lawsuit by out-of-state hunters could shut the big-game season down this year.

Past Nevada Medal Winners: AP; 2004 - Farouk El-Baz, research professor and director, Center for Remote Sensing Boston University; pioneered environmental remote sensing with satellites and the understanding of the origin and evolution of desert land forms.

Slaying hits casino employees hard: David Kihara; News of the apparently random homicide of 60-year-old John McCoy, slots manager at the Rainbow Club and Casino, hit employees hard Tuesday, with many remembering him as a kind and generous person.

State lacks funds for AIDS patients: Molly Ball; HIV and AIDS patients could languish on waiting lists for medication, putting their health in danger, due to a lack of funding for the state's AIDS program, those who work with the disease warned this week.

Education official: State can't meet requirements: The state also is continuing to fall short in efforts to recruit additional math, science and special education teachers.

Berkley, Gibbons to lead group: Former Nevada Republican Reps. Barbara Vucanovich and Republican Sen. John Ensign, who served in the House at time, along with Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., created the caucus in 1995 to educate other members of Congress on the full impact gaming has on a state's economy.

School District official seeks spot on state board: By Emily Richmond; George Ann Rice, associate superintendent of human resources for the Clark County School District, wants to fill the District 4 seat on the State Board of Education left vacant with John Hawk's resignation.

Girls' state rankings: Compiled by the Las Vegas Sun and the Sparks Tribune

Bush aims to redirect Nevada money: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Facing a soaring federal deficit, President Bush aims to funnel to the federal treasury profit generated by federal land sales in Clark County -- money currently set aside for projects in Nevada.

Official: Phasing in power rate increase could increase cost: Kevin Rademacher; Intervenors participating in Nevada Power Co.'s proposal to raise rates by $115.9 million sounded off in regulatory filings on Tuesday.

Not just for bats anymore: By Rob Miech; UNLV baseball coach Buddy Gouldsmith might have seen his program transform itself before his very eyes Saturday on a wet Wilson Stadium field.

Group may appeal Web site ruling: Officials of the Greenspun Media Group will decide by next week whether they plan to appeal a Clark County judge's ruling Tuesday that allows the owner of the lasvegas.com Internet site to reacquire the leasing rights to the site.

Twins carry Basic to win against Foothill: Nick Christensen; Ask Ashley Purdie about the secret to her success, and she'll tell you it's all about connections.

Henderson council briefs: The Henderson City Council approved a zoning change for a planned Henderson branch of Nathan Adelson Hospice.

Sports briefs for February 2, 2005: Hall of Famer Yogi Berra has filed a $10 million lawsuit against TBS, claiming the cable television network sullied his name by using it in a racy advertisement for its "Sex & the City" reruns.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Treatment Parsons received is the pits: This could never happen at Darlington or Talladega or anywhere else where NASCAR is a religion instead of merely a sport.

Columnist Peter Benton: Singh headlines list of players on 2005 Hall of Fame ballot: Peter Benton; The World Golf Hall of Fame, which currently has 104 members, recently released the names of 33 golfers on the 2005 ballot list. In all, 19 of the 22 PGA tour/Champions tour ballot candidates are major championship winners.

Columnist Jeff German: Casinos learning to play nice with NFL: Even with news that the game-time partying on the Strip will be scaled back Sunday to comply with the National Football League's broadcast rights, this year's version of the super weekend is shaping up to be a record-breaker.

Strip's gaming profit soars: CARSON CITY -- The 41 big casinos along the Las Vegas Strip posted record profit in the past fiscal year, generating more than $1 billion in net income.

Quick first step: Nick Christensen; Clint Conover didn't know what to expect when he came to Las Vegas last summer to start up a girls' basketball program at Canyon Springs.

Auditors inspect finances of defunct charter high school: By Emily Richmond; The Clark County School District is scrutinizing the finances of a charter high school that the school board ordered closed last year.

NFL rejects LVCVA's bid for ads: The National Football League has again rejected the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's bid to advertise the city during Sunday's Super Bowl broadcast.

Metro Police, BLM included in audit of county land sales: Metro Police and the federal Bureau of Land Management will be involved in an audit of Clark County land sales, county officials said today.

Columnist Adam Candee: Outlook for UNLV women may not be so sunny: Adam Candee; Right Said Fred. Joe Charboneau. Spice Girls. My one date with a gymnast.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Late money at betting windows will be for the Birds: This time a year ago, the New England Patriots were favored by 7 points against their NFC opponent in the Super Bowl.

Ex-judge candidate arrested for battery: Jen Lawson; A criminal defense attorney who ran for election in several judge races using the motto "Stanford Smart, NFL Tough" was arrested for allegedly choking and striking his roommate last month, according to Metro Police records.

Former UNLV student sues school over poor grade: A former UNLV graduate student is suing the university's history department over a grade dispute.

Groundbreaking held for psychiatric hospital in LV: Beth Slovic; Gov. Kenny Guinn was present Tuesday for the groundbreaking of the $32 million psychiatric hospital officials hope will relieve the severe overcrowding of Southern Nevada's emergency rooms.