Print edition for February 7, 2005

Ex-company chief receives prison term: Jace Radke; The former chief financial officer of a local real estate development company told a federal judge Friday that a gambling addiction led to his embezzlement of millions of dollars.

Wellpoint reports lower profit in first earnings since merger: Charles Wilson; INDIANAPOLIS -- WellPoint Inc. said today its fourth-quarter profit dropped nearly 12 percent primarily due to expenses related to debt retirement and the merger that created the nation's largest health insurance company.

Man suing golf club had previous trouble with regulator: By Timothy Pratt; Goett's lawyer, Mark Ferrario, did not return calls seeking comment this morning.

FTC approves purchase of Indiana riverboat: Caesars announced plans last month to buy its partner's 18 percent interest in the Caesars Indiana casino resort for about $70 million, gaining full control of the property. The company expects to complete the transaction by the end of March.

$651 million requested for Yucca: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- President Bush today asked Congress for $651 million in the coming fiscal year for Yucca Mountain, far less than his $880 million request last year.

Valley woman's case highlights medical malpractice debate: Molly Ball; Four years ago, Dianne Meyer was working as an usher at Cirque du Soleil's "O." She called it her "little senior job," and she loved the chance it gave her to stay active and mingle with a glamorous crowd.

Krolicki delays revealing plans for election: CARSON CITY -- State Treasurer Brian Krolicki said today that he won't announce his apparent intention to run for lieutenant governor until later this week.

Nonprofit elects new board members: The new directors are Jan Jones, a senior vice president at Harrah's Entertainment Inc. and mayor of Las Vegas from 1991 to 1999; Eileen Luna-Firebaugh, associate professor of American Indian studies at the University of Arizona and former executive director of the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission Eric M. Turner.

Four longtime senators not returning to capital: Kirsten Searer; For the first time in two decades, the state Legislature convened without Ray Rawson.

Two LV black men lose airport concession: Launce Rake; The termination of a McCarran International Airport lease held by two prominent black Las Vegans has raised the specter of a 7-year-old Clark County ethics scandal affecting the airport.

73rd Nevada session starts today: CARSON CITY -- Taxes, marijuana and improving Nevada schools are among the major issues that will confront the 73rd Nevada Legislature that was to open at noon today.

Budget plan cuts funds to several Nevada programs: CARSON CITY -- President Bush's budget cuts back funding to hospitals, nursing homes and law enforcement in Nevada, a preliminary assessment shows.

Prosecutors petition high court for death penalty reversal: CARSON CITY -- Prosecutors rarely ask for reconsideration from the Nevada Supreme Court when it upholds the death penalty for a killer.

Big game hunting: Bob Ameral was so excited about watching the Super Bowl in a casino Sunday that he got to the tiny sports book at the Cannery 2 1/2 hours before kickoff to get the best seat.

Flights planned between LV, Missoula, Mont.: The Las Vegas-based discount carrier which specializes in nonstop flights linking McCarran International Airport with secondary markets, will fly Thursdays and Sundays beginning March 31 to and from Missoula International Airport. The Montana city is the home of the University of Montana.

Bush's proposed BLM cuts could hurt Nevada: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- President Bush today proposed budget cuts for the Bureau of Land Management that would be felt in Nevada if ultimately approved by Congress.

Neighbors nervous after couple stabbed: Eric Leake; Residents of a northwest Las Vegas neighborhood where an elderly couple was repeatedly stabbed were uneasy Sunday evening, answering doors through cracks or side windows.

Preps: Weekend results: 4A Regional Tournaments at Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex

Passenger numbers rise; cargo volume sets record: The number of passengers using Macau's airport rose to 3.7 million, compared with 2.9 million in 2003, CAM-Macau International Airport said in an e-mailed statement today. Cargo volume rose 56 percent to a record 220,894 metric tons.

Horse industry preparing to lobby on gambling: Former Gov. Brereton Jones, a Woodford County horse breeder and the chairman of the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP), said any gambling-related bills would have to benefit the horse industry while providing new tax revenue for other state programs and services.

Rebels have no time to sulk with Utes up next: Steve Guiremand; Bruised, beaten and battered.

Country's winding road leads to Strait: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty, Johnny Paycheck and a host of other performers -- some of whom redefined country music -- have passed on.

'Forever Plaid' an enjoyable, affordable '50s nostalgia trip: "Forever Plaid" is a harmonic blend of nostalgia, comedy and ... harmony.

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Letter: Boulder City remains vigilant against growth: I am a resident of Boulder City, which has a growth-control ordinance. We are constantly fighting those who want to circumvent our ordinance and open the city up to overdevelopment.

Young Gaels move on: Nick Christensen; Having one of the youngest rosters in town, the Bishop Gorman girls' soccer team has been playing the underdog all year.

UFC finds home in Vegas: Las Vegas solidified its status as a hot spot for mixed martial arts this past weekend, as a sellout crowd of 11,218 watched Tito Ortiz edge Vitor Belfort in the main event of an Ultimate Fighting Championship card at Mandalay Bay.

News briefs for February 7, 2005: The Nevada Highway Patrol has stepped up patrols around the Torrey Pines Drive overpass at U.S. 95 after a Las Vegas man reported his vehicle was struck by a rock thrown from the bridge, a Highway Patrol spokesman said.

Birth announcements for February 7, 2005: Jan. 26:

Editorial: Hope, peril await foes of Yucca: "The commission believes it is only a matter of time before Congress and even the nuclear industry recognize the futility of continuing to invest money and resources in a project that has no chance of succeeding and that has become a financial, technical, legal and environmental black hole instead of a viable solution to the nuclear waste problem," wrote Commission Chairman Brian McKay, a former Nevada attorney general. In light of this finding, it was interesting to read last week's New York Times story that reported nuclear energy advocates are backing away from their previous position that a nuclear waste ...

Sports briefs for February 7, 2005: The UNLV baseball team ended a season-opening two-game losing streak in a big way Sunday, rapping out 15 hits in a 19-9 rout of Cal State Northridge at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.

Expert upbeat on LV housing: Jennifer Shubinski; The chief executive of Century 21 Real Estate Corp. said he expects Las Vegas to continue to have a strong real estate market this year.

Obituaries for February 7, 2005: Etta Mae Bell, 60, of Las Vegas died Thursday in a local hospital. She was born Aug. 7, 1944, in Fort Worth, Texas. A resident for 22 years, she was a homemaker.

Events target AIDS in black community: By Timothy Pratt; The Clark County Health District will be offering testing for HIV and information at two events today as part of a nationwide effort to draw attention to the prevalence of AIDS in the black community.

Landry's has big plans for Nugget: By Liz Benston; The prospective owner of the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas expects to open from six to eight Golden Nugget-brand casinos nationwide over the next three to five years.

Dollar holds near 3-month high: Greenspan's prediction on Friday that the shortfall will shrink and Asian investors will support the dollar is "very, very important," European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said after a Group of Seven meeting in London the next day. The United States is "on track" to cut its budget deficit by half by 2009, Treasury Undersecretary John Taylor said at the meeting.

Nurse faces five years in prison for role in planning escape: Jace Radke; A nurse has pleaded guilty to a charge of instigating or assisting an escape of a convicted gang member.

Several incumbents face no challenges: Dan Kulin; A handful of local City Council incumbents and Municipal Court judges get free passes to another term because their re-elections remained unchallenged at the end of the candidate-filing period on Friday.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Quick trip covers a lot of territory: That's five more minutes than Bill Smith used to give it.

Mystery shrouds LV visit: John William Albertson has not been seen since leaving Las Vegas a week ago Saturday for Northern California.

Chancellor gets power to fire college presidents: Interim Chancellor Jim Rogers finally got his wish.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Tags, you're full of it: In his previous life, before he overhauled all those TV evangelists to become the world's biggest money-grabbing hypocrite, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, it can be assumed, was a pretty good lawyer.

Analyst predicts Russia as world's next gaming hotbed: By Liz Benston; Governments in the Chinese province of Macau and Singapore have lately grabbed much of the attention of those focusing on the sweetest overseas casino markets.

Letter: Focus should be on Americans: President Bush needs to think about the people who have contributed to this government all of their lives. What kind of life will the citizens of America have if we cannot even support our families and have decent health coverage and Social Security.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Rock Hard Ten delivers for Mandella in Strub: Ralph Siraco; While the first Kentucky Derby pari-mutuel future book offerings head up this week's racing action, the older division, known as the handicap runners, took to the track over the weekend. Some old familiar faces -- both human and equine -- made action on the track as good as that on the gridiron in the race and sports books.

Ad blitz: Kirk Baird; There was no halftime wardrobe malfunction. There were no commercials with flatulent horses or crotch-biting dogs.

FTC seeks further information on sale of Caesars Tahoe: In a statement Friday, Caesars said the companies intend to "respond promptly" to the information request. The second request for information extends the waiting period imposed by federal antitrust law by another 30 days after the companies have complied with the request.