Print edition for February 16, 2005

Wynn boasts high-tech slot floor: By Jeff Simpson; One of the biggest advantages enjoyed by a brand-new casino is the opportunity to offer fresh gaming products, particularly on the slot floor.

LV first in housing appreciation: Jennifer Shubinski; With just under 50 percent appreciation, the Las Vegas market had the strongest appreciation in the nation for nine months last year, the National Association of Realtors reported.

Plan to save scholarships offered: Cy Ryan and Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn and the state Legislature's top leaders are expected to announce an agreement today that would save the financially troubled Millenium Scholarship program for at least a decade without floating state bonds.

Speculation drives up shares of Riviera owner: By Liz Benston; Shares of Riviera Holdings Corp. surged again this morning on continued speculation that the company's Riviera Las Vegas resort could be redeveloped under new ownership.

Education official: Property tax cap would cause shortfall: Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- A 6 percent property tax cap would leave a $44 million hole in school funding over the next biennium, an official from the Nevada Department of Education said Tuesday.

Slot maker to open Asian office: Reno-based International Game Technology on Tuesday announced plans to develop an Asian division and open an office in Macau. The company said IGT-Asia would be led by managing director Scott Winzeler, formerly IGT's director of international markets.

Control Board meetings on MGM, Mandalay buyout set: Nevada's gaming regulators have set special meetings to consider the combination of MGM Mirage and the Mandalay Resort Group, an indication that federal regulators are close to reaching a decision on the $7.9 billion deal.

Nuke official: Take Yucca benefits: CARSON CITY -- A nuclear power industry official told lawmakers Tuesday the state should start pursuing benefits still available from the federal government for accepting the proposed Yucca Mountain waste repository.

Bush's top economic adviser leaving his post: N. Gregory Mankiw, the chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, wrote Bush a letter of resignation dated Feb. 9. "It is time for me to return to my family, my students and my books," the former Harvard University professor wrote in the letter that also praised Bush's economic policies.

Homeland security funds would cause other law-enforcement cuts: Jace Radke and Jen Lawson; While President Bush's proposed budget calls for increases to homeland security, it is at the expense of other law enforcement funding streams.

Gun maker expands to Nevada after ruling by California AG: Kevin Rademacher; A gun maker is expanding to Henderson amid criticism that the move is in response to a California order that it stop producing an unsafe pistol.

Family says man killed by police mentally ill: Stephen Curran; Monday's fatal shooting of a mentally ill Las Vegas man who kept Metro Police at bay for more than seven hours came after he had held two of his family members hostage in their small apartment since the night before, officers said.

Columnist Jeff German: Feds show Nevada no quarter: We are being asked to store the nation's deadly nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain and send back $700 million from land sales to bail out the deficit-ridden national treasury.

Cities negotiates land deals with Oklahoma-based tribe: The Oklahoma-based Eastern Shawnee tribe, which has roots in Ohio, is entering agreements to buy property around the state, positioning itself to build casinos if it can persuade the General Assembly and Gov. Bob Taft to amend state law.

Winnings for casinos remain relatively flat: But eight of the state's 14 riverboat casinos were doing worse than a year ago. In the Shreveport-Bossier City market, the Louisiana Downs slots casino was the only one in better shape than in January 2004.

Defending champs extended to OT: Nick Christensen; It's been no secret lately -- teams that can control P'Allen Stinnett have a pretty good shot at beating the Palo Verde boys basketball team.

State amendment would double lawmakers' pay: CARSON CITY -- A proposed constitutional amendment to double the pay of lawmakers cleared its first hurdle in the Legislature on Tuesday after testimony that legislators should be paid for the days they work.

Cancer insurance coverage urged: CARSON CITY -- Twenty-five percent of cancer patients in Nevada leave the state for treatment, the president and chief executive of the Nevada Cancer Institute said Tuesday.

Board vacancies stall projects in Illinois: Maura Kelly Lannan; CHICAGO -- Millions of dollars worth of construction and untold numbers of jobs have been on hold for months because Gov. Rod Blagojevich has failed to fill vacancies on the state board that oversees gambling.

McCarran castoffs turned into gold: Molly Ball; A cleaver with a 10-inch blade. A chainsaw. A sledgehammer.

Angelos family nixes purchase of raceway: Tom Stuckey; ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The family of Peter Angelos backed out of a deal to purchase Rosecroft Raceway Tuesday, citing concern about what is happening in Annapolis with slot machines and the racing industry.

New big shot on campus: Steve Guiremand; All in all it wasn't too bad a weekend for Curtis Terry and older brother Jason when it came to making clutch baskets. Here's a rundown of what happened:

Letter: Arafat's death key to cease-fire: But credit for what? For Arafat's natural death? That is the real -- and only -- reason things are looking up, for this week at least.

Nevada officials dissect Bush's proposed cuts: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Buried in the eclectic mix of 154 programs that President Bush asked Congress to scrap or scale back are federal medical care, education and small business programs that operate in Nevada.

Letter: System depends on hearty input, vigilant activism: Political activists have a healthy cynicism and a knowledge that our founders gave us each the right and duty to petition the government. Along with this responsibility is their insistence that their questions and petitions be answered to their satisfaction. Form letters that do not address concerns are not helpful or honest. They should not be accepted without protest. Phone calls that are not returned should be answered by a call to a superior. If it is an elected official, on any level, call a reporter or editor. Perhaps they can answer your question or elevate it to an article ...

New tax approved for car rentals: A new performing arts center for Las Vegas moved a step closer to reality Tuesday as the Clark County Commission approved a new tax on car rentals.

News briefs for February 16, 2005: A man killed Monday in a room at the Town & Country Manor motel has been identified as 42-year-old Gary Christopher Brooks of Las Vegas.

Obituaries for February 16, 2005: Guillermo Aguja Calabines, 80, of Las Vegas died Monday in Las Vegas. He was born April 6, 1924, in the Philippines. A resident for 10 years, he was a retired farmer.

Unauthorized guns brought onto Test Site: The report found that two government handguns were signed out from the Energy Department's National Training Center in Albuquerque, N.M., without following armory requirements, and that the handguns were passed among several individuals at the Test Site without following chain of custody requirements.

Ensign seeks to ban interstate sale of animal-fighting tools: Ensign, who was a veterinarian before entering politics, said he is "fully committed to bring about the demise of this abhorrent activity."

Budget cutbacks ground weekend weather balloons: Twice a day, every day of the year, meteorologists with the National Nuclear Security Administration launch weather balloons that send vital information to National Weather Service forecasters in the Las Vegas office.

State may garnish jackpots won by deadbeat parents: John Curran; ATLANTIC CITY -- Deadbeat parents who hit it big in New Jersey casinos may not be so lucky next time they win.

Bill would give guardsmen more health care access: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Members of the National Guard and military Reserves and their families would have access to a portion of the military health care system, known as Tri-Care, under a bill introduced in the Senate.

Lottery chief proposes lower commissions on slot games: Lottery retailers get an average of 28.8 percent of net revenue from video poker machines. Penn proposed a 15 percent rate for revenue from slot-type games when they are added in a few months.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Kudos to Sweet Lou, local legend: Although he would become his biggest admirer, there was a time when Jim Gemma, the veteran Las Vegas 51s publicist, and Lou Pisani, the veteran ... well, just about everything else when it comes to local baseball, didn't exactly see eye to eye.

Letter: Reid's will won't be easy to dismiss: I suddenly feel that the White House, particularly Karl Rove, has made a gigantic error. Doesn't Rove know that you should never mess with a man from Searchlight, Nev.?

Sports briefs for February 16, 2005: Six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will attempt his seventh consecutive win in cycling's most prestigious race this summer.

Gates promises a more secure Web browser: In a wide-ranging speech at the RSA computer security conference, Gates, Microsoft's chairman, said the company was making progress in its fight against spam, adding that "phishing" software scams were the fastest growing security problem the company faces. He said the company is spending about $2 billion a year on computer security development and research.

Three plead guilty to rigging insurance bids: Six other executives, one from Marsh and two of them from AIG, had earlier pleaded guilty in an investigation of the insurance industry by the New York attorney general. All nine are cooperating with investigators, who say they already have leads implicating several dozen executives at Marsh, the world's largest insurance broker, and several major insurance companies.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Hidden treasure? NCAA futures still carry value: Odds provided by Station Casinos as of Tuesday:

MGM could decide soon on stake in MotorCity Casino: Under the $525 million deal, Ilitch would acquire Mandalay Resort Group's 53.3 percent stake in MotorCity. Ilitch already owns 25 percent of MotorCity Casino, so she would become the majority owner if MGM agrees to the deal.

Women of Distinction awards ceremony planned: Michelle Swafford; The Southern Nevada chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners on Monday announced nominees and winners for a series of awards that will be presented next month.

Domenici urges support for Yucca: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- The Senate's top advocate for Yucca Mountain today urged nuclear energy industry leaders to not waver in their support of the proposed nuclear waste repository.

Renewable energy report encouraging for Nevada: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- With the support of Congress, the United States could realistically rely on renewable energy sources for 20 percent of the nation's electricity needs by 2020, a new report says.

Funds OK'd for traffic controls: The ubiquitous four-way stop signs controlling many intersections in Clark County could soon become much more rare. The Clark County Commission approved $2.9 million Tuesday for new traffic controls at intersections now controlled by only signs.

Nation's construction at two-decade high: Martin Crutsinger; WASHINGTON -- Construction of new homes and apartments rose 4.7 percent in January to the highest level in over two decades as low mortgage rates continued to power the nation's housing industry.

Airport parking rates are changing: Aviation Department Director Randy Walker said the problem with the existing parking charges isn't revenue, but accessibility. Too many people are now using the parking garage at $10 a day rather than the remote lots, now renamed the economy lots, at $8 a day. Those people who are running late and really need the convenience of the garage sometimes can't find a spot, and some people have missed their flights, Walker told the commission.

Man for all races: Among Mario Andretti's many accomplishments are:

Editorial: Free press at stake: On Tuesday a lower court's decision to hold the two in contempt for their silence was upheld by a three-judge panel of a federal appeals court. We hope the full appeals court overturns the panel's decision. Or, if the case gets to the Supreme Court, that it will be overturned there.

FTC clears MGM Mirage buyout of Mandalay Resort Group: Liz Benston and Richard N. Velotta; The Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously this afternoon to allow MGM Mirage's $7.9 billion buyout of Mandalay Resort Group to proceed, paving the way for a deal that would put nearly half of the Strip's more than 74,000 hotel rooms under one company.

Battle brews over handicapped spaces: There is a battle brewing between disabled people who utilize exclusive van-only handicapped parking spaces and those who are prohibited from parking in those spots even though they drive cars with handicapped parking permits.

Titus rips Bush plan to take land sales funds: CARSON CITY -- Improvements to Lake Mead and Red Rock Canyon would be threatened under a money recapture plan by President Bush that would siphon an annual $700 million out of Nevada.

Immunization schedule for February 16, 2005: HENDERSON PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER: 129 W. Lake Mead Parkway, Building A, Suite 10, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Be careful when viewing wildflowers: County environment and air quality officials want residents to remember these tips when traveling in the desert:

Columnist Adam Candee: Even with riches coming, free time is not a luxury Moore can afford: Adam Candee; Ryan Moore itches to get back to practicing and working on the steely focus and deft touch that made him the nation's amateur golf sensation last summer.

Legislative briefs for February 16, 2005: A bill to tighten the issuance of driver's licenses to those younger than 18 has been introduced by Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas.

Editorial: Kindergarten proposal has worthy goal: While most of the iNVest plan was scuttled by the cost-conscious Legislature in 2003, legislators did raise per-pupil funding for Nevada's K-12 schools by about 7 percent. This increase still left Nevada about 13 percent behind the national average in per-pupil funding, but it nevertheless was enough of a gain to inspire the superintendents to keep iNVest alive. One program not included in the 2003 iNVest plan was full-day kindergarten for all students in the state, which the superintendents estimated as costing about $135 million a year. They sensed that this cost was "prohibitive" during a legislative year dominated by ...

Drug addict's taped testimony fingers defendant in killing: By Matt Pordum; In a court case riddled with tales of crack use and sex-for-drugs, the prosecution's star witness, an admitted heroin addict, told a Clark County jury Tuesday about his sighting of a soon-to-be murder victim -- and her alleged killer.

Desert Pines duo the real deal against Gators: Jeff Neubert; Desert Pines coach Jim Richmond had a goal in mind defensively against Green Valley star Jabrenta Hubbard, and his team hit that goal on the dot.

Stiffer domestic violence law urged: Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- Some domestic violence advocates and prosecutors asked the Assembly Judiciary Committee Tuesday to require that all misdemeanor domestic battery charges be prosecuted.

Shorthanded Foothill succumbs to Valley's pressure: Mike Sims; The Valley High girls' basketball team took advantage of a shorthanded Foothill squad and moved on to the semifinals with a 70-50 win Tuesday in the Class 4A Sunrise Region quarterfinals.

Community briefs for February 16, 2005: David Saxe's third annual benefit for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis will begin 9 p.m. Friday in the V Theater in the Desert Passage shops at the Aladdin.

Murder suspect wanted since 1993 in Chicago is caught in LV: Nathaniel Hoskins, 36, allegedly got into an argument on April 19, 1993, with Jerome Lucious over the possible theft of some tires, Metro Police Sgt. Tom Roberts said. Hoskins allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Lucious several times in the face in an alley.

Las Vegas defense in a rush to prove worth: Adam Candee; New York quarterback Aaron Garcia ranks among the best in arena football -- that is, when he is actually given a chance to throw the ball.

Bail reduced in abuse case stemming from girls' stabbing: By Matt Pordum; Tamara Ann Schmidt -- the mother of two children who were stabbed in Mesquite -- and her husband, who are both charged with multiple counts of child abuse and neglect, were released from custody on Tuesday after a judge reduced their bail to $36,000 from $810,000.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Men's mag is loaded with Cargo: More to my liking is Cargo, a super men's mag filled with hip, useful info that usually encourages me to buy things I didn't even know I wanted. The groovy staff manages each month to find an item I love.

Will race for food: Past champions compare checkbooks with today's Nextel Cup drivers: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The subject of Daytona 500 payouts came up during Tuesday's "Gathering of Champions" at the Short Track Summit, which was attended by 10 former 500 winners, including Junior Johnson and Marvin Panch.

Water, sewer rates to be raised over next two years: By Buck Wargo; Henderson residents will pay nearly $29 more a year for water and sewer service once new rates are implemented by the end of 2006.

Big Business: Fashion industry has designs on expanding plus-size market: Kirk Baird; For decades consumers have been led to believe "thin is in."

Monorail officials offer reassurance: David Kihara; Las Vegas Monorail officials Tuesday assured lawmakers that the monorail's finances were sufficient to carry into 2005 despite various setbacks and that the state would not be responsible if the company cannot repay any of the tax-exempts bonds.