Print edition for February 15, 2005

Letter: Health care crisis deserves most attention: The real problem in America is health care. Although health care got just a brief mention in the State of the Union address, it is our major domestic concern and needs immediate attention.

$324 million is pledged for Casino Windsor expansion: "Casino Windsor attracts around 6 million visitors each year and is a key driver of the local economy," Joseph Cordiano, economic development minister, said Monday. "Our government recognizes this strategic investment is crucial to safeguard jobs and keep Windsor and the surrounding region strong and competitive."

Editorial: Shield Nellis from growth: Today, development pressure persists. In August 2002 the Clark County Commission approved the building of 52 homes just southwest of the base, within an area known as the Accident Potential Zone. Commissioners gave approvals despite objections from the Air Force. Later in 2002 a proposal was floated to build 36,000 homes at the Apex industrial park, northwest of Nellis and directly under its flight path for armed planes. That proposal was withdrawn but pressure to develop that area remains. Although the Air Force is buying land northwest of Nellis to preserve a safety zone, a development the size of the ...

Community briefs for February 15, 2005: Safe Kids Clark County is currently conducting child car seat clinics as part of National Child Passenger Safety Week.

Poll finds most in favor of slot machines at tracks: And if the state needs to raise money to balance the budget, support climbs to 61 percent, according to the Bluegrass Poll, conducted by The Courier-Journal and published today.

Court OKs bankruptcy plan: Many of the objections raised over the plan, which shareholders viewed as enriching majority stakeholder Donald Trump, were addressed in an amended version of the plan filed Sunday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Camden, N.J.

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

Top-seeded Bishop Gorman boys cognizant of last year's upset loss: Nick Christensen; The game was 363 days ago, but the memories are still fresh at Bishop Gorman High.

U.S. music stores will feature LV Centennial CDs: Ten CDs featuring vintage Las Vegas headliners performing live at local resorts will be featured on specialty racks at 42 percent of the nation's music outlets, according to a report presented to the Las Vegas Centennial Celebration Committee on Monday.

Tribe accuses Pataki of cronyism in deals: Michael Gormley; ALBANY, N.Y. -- The head of the New York Oneida tribe on Monday said Gov. George Pataki is luring out-of-state tribes into Catskills casino deals to benefit the governor's friends and cronies.

Preps: Schedule: 4A Sunset Region

Goodwill plans new training program: The program trains and places people, ages 16 to 21, with disabilities in part- and full-time positions. Employment fields include office, retail sales, and processing work.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Travelers driven to RV show: We were halfway through a self-contained bicycle tour of Canada's Icefields Parkway and had pitched our tent the previous evening in a storm that had changed from rain to sleet and snow.

Struggling DEI still the team to beat: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Nobody in the NASCAR Nextel Cup garage is writing off the Dale Earnhardt Inc. drivers despite their sub-par performance in Sunday's qualifying for the Daytona 500.

Lawmaker pitches video lottery for bars: Sen. David Tomassoni introduced a bill Monday that would allow for up to five video lottery machines in every bar in Minnesota -- a proposal that could add more than $350 million annually to the state's general fund.

Seven-hour standoff ends in death of Las Vegas man: Stephen Curran; A Metro Police standoff came to a violent end Monday afternoon as an officer shot and killed a man who had held his mother and brother hostage for more than seven hours.

Editorial: A new role for Dean: Several months ago top Democrats -- and Republicans, too -- were surprised that former presidential candidate Howard Dean would want such a job, given his penchant for being the center of attention. But, over the weekend, state party officials selected Dean as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Many Democratic leaders in Congress, such as Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., are wary of Dean. They don't believe the former Vermont governor -- lampooned for the "Dean scream" that hastened his exit from the 2004 presidential campaign -- should be the voice of ...

Gang member arrested in LV: Kenneth Gilliam, 20, was found by the U.S. Marshal-led task force in an apartment in the 10000 block of West Sunset Road after a weeklong investigation, Marshals officials said.

Riviera narrows losses in fourth quarter: By Liz Benston; Shares of Riviera Holdings Corp., which owns the Riviera hotel and casino in Las Vegas, rose more than $6 per share in early trading today as the company narrowed losses and approved a three-for-one stock split.

Harrah's hopes to grab larger share of convention industry: Harrah's Entertainment Inc. is positioning itself to be a bigger player in the Las Vegas meetings industry with an expansion at the Rio opening in May and the acquisition of more halls in its Caesars Entertainment Inc. deal.

Sports briefs for February 15, 2005: FBI Special Agent Greg Stajskal claimed today in a New York Daily News article that he warned Major League Baseball about 10 years ago that some of its players were using steroids, but baseball executives failed to act on the information.

Green Valley wins with fourth-quarter fireworks: Nick Christensen; Tied at 34 going into the fourth quarter, Monday's Sunrise Region quarterfinal between Eldorado and Green Valley looked like anything but an offensive battle.

Ex-athlete, teacher gets 2-5 years in sex case: By Matt Pordum; A judge sentenced a substitute teacher to 2-5 years in prison on Monday for having sex with two middle school students, saying the man broke the obvious commandment before all teachers -- "Thou shall not have sexual relations with a student."

Rise in room rates, payoff of markers lift profits on Strip: By Liz Benston; A rebounding economy meant more gamblers paid their markers last year, a state official said.

Equipment lodged under walkway: No one was injured in the incident, which began about 7:30 Monday morning as a construction elevator being carried by tractor-trailer from the Turnberry Place condominiums to the MGM Grand got stuck under the walkway that connects the Convention Center to a neighboring parking lot, Marina Nicola, a center spokeswoman, said.

Disney taking hotel bookings 7 months before opening: Rates at the 400-room Victorian-style Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel will start at HK$1,600 ($205), compared with an average HK$1,356 for luxury hotels in Hong Kong last year. Disney's 600-room Hollywood Hotel will charge at least HK$1,000 when the park opens Sept. 12. The five-star Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim, Calif., home of Disneyland, charges about $189 a night.

Superintendent tells lawmakers full-day kindergarten top priority for educators: Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- Full-day kindergarten is the top legislative priority for educators this year, Clark County Superintendent Carlos Garcia told the Assembly's Education Committee Monday.

Retail sales drop 0.3% in January: Martin Crutsinger; WASHINGTON -- Retail sales fell 0.3 percent in January -- the weakest showing in five months -- as a big drop in demand for cars offset strength at clothing and department stores. Spending was powered mostly by consumers eager to use holiday gift cards.

Beers wants to pull dental school: CARSON CITY -- The state could save more than $23 million over the next two years by eliminating the dental school at UNLV and sending the students to other schools, says Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas.

Casino company buys motel: The deal, which closed Friday, will allow Barrick to build a residential high-rise tower adjacent to the Gold Spike, one of four casinos Barrick Gaming bought from downtown casino owner Jackie Gaughan last March.

51s bring back two of team's leaders: Nick Christensen; After three years in Las Vegas, one might think Joe Thurston and Chin-Feng Chen would be looking for a change of scenery -- preferably, one that might have a major league uniform with their names on it.

Fed judge dismisses Mosley suit against discipline panel: CARSON CITY -- A senior federal judge has dismissed a suit by District Judge Donald Mosley of Las Vegas who complained he was improperly penalized by the state Commission on Judicial Discipline.

Receiver: LV firm's title woes worse than expected: Kevin Rademacher; After more than a year in control of the Global Express investment operations, the court-appointed federal receiver said it will be at least another year before a tangle of problems is sorted out.

News briefs for February 15, 2005: Steven Ferguson will be able to play golf at Southern Highlands golf club after U.S. District Judge James Mahan issued a preliminary injunction reinstating the black Las Vegas resident to the club while his racial discrimination case is pending.

Bodman: DOE must be ready to restart nuke weapons tests: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said it is important for the Energy Department to meet its October 2006 goal to be ready to restart testing nuclear weapons within 18 months of a presidential order to do so.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Canseco: Meeting here put Bonds on path to 73: You just knew that somehow Las Vegas would be blamed, or at least implicated, for what ails baseball, too.

Max makes early appearance from his Red Rock burrow: The National Weather Service released rain totals for Southern Nevada locations from October through January. The locations plus rainfall in inches include:

NHL owner is sued over stake in casino: Jeannine DeFoe and David Rovella; Marian Ilitch, the co-owner of the Detroit Red Wings, was sued by investors in a casino who claim she tried to buy a majority stake in the MotorCity casino from MGM Mirage and Mandalay Resort Group without consulting them.

New school police chief must adjust to culture shock: By Emily Richmond; It was Hector Garcia's first day of work Monday, and the new chief of the Clark County School District Police acknowledged he was a long way from the familiar surroundings of his south Florida hometown.

Southern Hills Level II nursery: The designation, certified by the state Health Department, allows the hospital to treat premature infants suffering from complications including breathing difficulties, low blood sugar and heart murmurs. The hospital has also stepped up access to physicians, providing neonatologists 24 hours a day, according to a Southern Hills statement.

Wynn hoping to make megaresort feel smaller: By Jeff Simpson; Steve Wynn's almost ready to show off his $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas, and the developer thinks it's the little things that will distinguish his property from the competition.

Group complains about federal budget cuts: CARSON CITY -- President Bush's budget would cut millions of dollars from Nevada's programs that affect the poor, elderly and children, a coalition of 29 groups says.

Assembly panel approves money for mental health triage center: Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- The state Legislature might aid Clark County's overwhelmed emergency rooms by kicking in money for a triage center to evaluate mental health patients.

Felons' check-in law to be relaxed: A 52-year-old Henderson ordinance requiring all convicted felons and even misdemeanor drug offenders to register with the police department 24 hours after their arrival in town to live or visit is going off the books.

Ski resort reopens after avalanche: Molly Ball; Bright sun glinted off the frosting-white slopes of the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort and hardly a cloud lingered in a Crayola-Sky-Blue sky as 27-year-old Steve Marsh unbuckled his snowboard and collapsed at a picnic table.

Closure of casino meeting prompts ire of activists: Community activists took exception Monday to a claim by a county commissioner that she did not know a meeting of a group considering rules for new neighborhood casinos was closed to the public.

Off-night shooting doesn't stop Rams: Nick Christensen; It may be Rancho's inside presence that takes the Rams deep into the playoffs, but it was long-range shooting and strong perimeter defense that carried the Rams on Monday.

Outgoing Yucca director sees budget as top priority: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department's outgoing Yucca Mountain project chief is confident the nuclear waste repository will open, but she said Congress has to allocate enough money first.

MAGIC convention in town: MAGIC convention in town

Columnist Jeff German: Israeli mob still has grip: Federal agents, however, have a different opinion.

State's rate of black grads rises: By Emily Richmond; The percentage of Nevada's black students who graduated from high school in 2002 jumped 7 percentage points over the prior year, a new report being released today shows.

Analysts debate effect of Indian gaming as 2004 revenue jumps: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Indian gaming industry revenue continued to grow last year, up from roughly $16.7 billion in 2003 to an estimated $18.5 billion, the National Indian Gaming Association announced today.

Letter: War funds must be in budget: Bush was re-elected because he used the fear of terrorism to dupe Americans into voting for him. What we really should be afraid of is what he himself is doing to this country.

Cottages may make way for downtown high rise: Dan Kulin; History would move across town to make way for the continuing vertical development of downtown Las Vegas under plans associated with a proposed 60-story office and condominium building going before the City Council on Wednesday.

Arrest is made after body found at motel: Eric Leake; After a couple spent most of Monday in a motel apartment in the company of a corpse, Metro Police arrested another man in connection with the victim's murder.

Obituaries for February 15, 2005: Donna E. Bast, 64, of Las Vegas died Sunday in Las Vegas. She was born Sept. 19, 1940, in Kittanning, Pa. A resident for 10 years, she was a retired casino floor person.

Martin content with final lap: Mark Martin has enjoyed one of the most successful careers in NASCAR history. Among the many high-water marks include:

St. Rose, coalition reach deal: The agreement, which is still being finalized, marks the conclusion of negotiations with each of the 11 Las Vegas Valley hospitals and Boulder City Hospital. A contract extension with St. Rose, which is owned by Catholic Healthcare West, was scheduled to expire at midnight Monday. Contract details were not released.

Moncrief to pay fine in exchange for criminal charges being dropped: Janet Moncrief may have deserved to lose her Las Vegas City Council seat via the court of public opinion over her filing false campaign reports, but not her livelihood from a conviction in the criminal court, the prosecutor said today.

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