Print edition for February 21, 2005

Playboy concept store to open: The 2,100-square-foot store will sell clothes and accessories as well as Playboy memorabilia items. No magazines or videos will be sold at the store, Playboy and mall officials said.

Antitrust waiting period expires for Harrah's-Caesars merger: Josh Fineman; Harrah's Entertainment Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Inc. said the waiting period during which time federal regulators may take antitrust action against their planned merger has expired.

Legislature weighs minimum wage: CARSON CITY -- Thirteen states have minimum wages higher than required by the federal government and a bill in the Assembly would make Nevada the 14th state.

Low-fare carrier Song to add transcontinental flights: Delta Air Lines' discount subsidiary Song made a big splash in Las Vegas when the lime green-scripted Boeing 757 jets first rolled into McCarran International Airport in July 2003.

Gaels stop Centennial juggernaut: Nick Christensen; Bishop Gorman vs. Centennial

Letter: Bush's education plan is creating better schools: Now we must extend the benefits of No Child Left Behind to our high schools. The president's new $1.5 billion High School Initiative will ensure that every student can graduate with the skills to succeed in higher education and the 21st century workforce.

Ohio lawmakers to take up another gambling debate: John McCarthy; COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The new legislative session has taken its first tiptoe into the issue of casino gambling. This time the point man for gambling expansion for majority Republicans in the House is telling the disparate parties promoting the idea to get on the same page.

Finance panel makes pitches for surplus funds: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn's proposals to further develop the Southern Nevada Railroad Museum and to expand the Nevada Cancer Institute to Reno went before lawmakers today.

Few respond to utility's request to increase rates: Alana Roberts; Only three Nevada Power Co. customers spoke during a morning consumer session Friday of the Public Utilities Commission to allow consumers to express their opinions about the utility's $115.9 million rate increase request.

Letter: Taxes must be kept reasonable: Unless property taxes are reined in, those who bought homes just a few years ago, and budgeted for taxes and other expenses, will no longer be able to afford to live here. And certainly many prospective homeowners will be priced out of the market. "Come and live in Nevada ... if you can afford to," would become our new slogan.

Rain expected to visit throughout the week: After a brief break in heavy rainfall Sunday, rain and snow storms returned to Southern Nevada today and are expected to hang around through the week, weather forecasters said.

Bank makes bid for Japanese lender: The offer from Mitsubishi Tokyo matched an unsolicited rival bid last year from the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, setting off the first takeover battle for a major Japanese bank. But now that the preferred buyer has put a concrete bid on the table, analysts say Mitsubishi Tokyo will likely carry the day. Though the two banks have been in talks since last July, Mitsubishi had never put a number on its offer until now.

Boxer gets 15 months in fight-fix conviction: Jace Radke; A boxer convicted of throwing a fight at Paris Las Vegas in 2000 has been sentenced to 15 months in prison.

Obituaries for February 21, 2005: Stephine Askin, 43, of Las Vegas died Feb. 14 in Las Vegas. She was born Feb. 7, 1962, in Louisiana. A resident for 41 years, she was a hotel driver.

News briefs for February 21, 2005: Two men remained hospitalized this morning after they allegedly stabbed each other Sunday night in the parking lot of a Best Buy store on Marks Street in Henderson.

Wreck cuts short younger Busch's experience: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR Nextel Cup rookie Kyle Busch's first Daytona 500 was over before he was able to wear out a set of Goodyear tires.

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Minimum weights finally raised to 116: Ralph Siraco; The California Horse Racing Board decided last Thursday to do what the country's racing jurisdictions should have done a dozen years ago. They voted unanimously to raise the scale of minimum weights that horses must carry in races to 116 pounds from 112 -- most of it in the form of a jockey. Hooray. So, they finally got what all of us have known. Any parent will tell you that little Joey or Betty will sprout taller than mom and dad before puberty. Each generation gets bigger and bigger. Period. Jockeys, therefore, by evolution, have too.

Lady Rebels climb even in MWC: Adam Candee; All is not cured, but at least the Lady Rebels can think about success instead of survival for the first time in almost a month.

Gambling board examines $280 million track sale: Its growing list of challenges now includes figuring out what, if anything, it should do about the recent sale of an aging Wilkes-Barre harness-racing facility for the eye-popping price of $280 million.

EPA revises perchlorate evaluation: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday declared that the amount of perchlorate that is safe is much greater than the agency had previously recommended.

15 county residents named to state boards: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn has named 15 Clark County residents to state boards, including eight people to the Advisory Council on Education Relating to the Holocaust.

Tour guides sought for post office: Applications are due by Feb. 29. Those interested in becoming part of the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse Post Modern docent team and would like to receive an application form, can contact Kim Jones at the city of Las Vegas at 229-4739 or by email at kjones@lasvegasnevada.gov.

Rebels are on a Rocky Mountain high heading into Colorado: Steve Guiremand; FORT COLLINS, Colo. --- Thanks to their second consecutive last-second, come-from-behind road victory Saturday afternoon at Wyoming, the resurgent UNLV men's basketball team put itself in position to make a little history tonight.

Lawyer reprimanded for missing deadlines: CARSON CITY -- A Las Vegas lawyer who missed seven deadlines in filing a brief in a criminal appeal at the Nevada Supreme Court has been publicly reprimanded.

Teens' note contained plot to kill a teacher: By Emily Richmond; Two Canyon Springs High School students detailed a plot to kill one of their teachers in a written note and both girls have been suspended pending expulsion, Clark County School District officials confirmed Friday.

Indictment: Actress falsely claimed cancer: Jace Radke; A former Las Vegas Strip performer has been indicted on allegations that she has faked having cancer in order to collect more than $31,000 from celebrity benefits.

Editorial: Teens need this law: The letter was read last week at a joint hearing of the Assembly and Senate Transportation committee. Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, has introduced bills calling for such a law since 1997. This time, with the letter from Larimer in hand, and after having heard live testimony from his mother, the Legislature seems more inclined to approve a law.

Alleged killer says victim fell 3 feet: By Matt Pordum; A 25-year-old man accused of bludgeoning a tourist to death with a rock told detectives the woman died after falling out a window only three feet from the ground.

Asian Chamber honors leaders: Asian Chamber honors leaders

ACLU seeking exoneration of UNLV professor: UNLV has completely dropped its prosecution of economics professor Hans-Hermann Hoppe for comments about gays he made in a lecture, but ACLU of Nevada officials say they are still not satisfied.

Gordon gets late push from Busch: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Could this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship?

The Lonely Won: Oscar's victors often suffer from imminent decline: Kirk Baird; As it turned out, Goldberg's victory for "Ghost" might as well serve as a career achievement award.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: NHL has been lapped by NASCAR: At first, I couldn't figure out why the NHL owners and players wanted to reconvene in a last, last, last ditch effort to resuscitate a hockey season after they already had pulled the plug.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Pet project an inexact science: Scientists, veterinarians, geneticists, zoologists and cat conservationists are terribly excited about it all.

Emergency funds OK'd: CARSON CITY -- President Bush has approved emergency disaster relief funds to help governments reimburse state and local governments for the added costs in responding to the record storms that hit in late December and early January.

Summit planned on problems at Mount Charleston: Federal, state and local officials will host a summit meeting Tuesday in an effort to find solutions to the overcrowding, environmental problems and other issues affecting the Mount Charleston area.

Gladiators sink to all-time low on offense, 38-13: Adam Candee; Gladiators lineman Wilky Bazile unloaded on Georgia's Jim Kubiak as the quarterback threw the ball away, then straddled him and glared down for a spell to celebrate the momentous occasion.

Policy group warns of new lottery tactic: It's an advertising drive in east Alabama thanking residents for driving to Georgia to buy lottery tickets, said Bill Ahern, spokesman for the Washington-based Tax Foundation that recently studied state lotteries and their impact.

Birth announcements for February 21, 2005: Feb. 7:

Las Vegas singers face the music in Idol' competition: Kirk Baird; After all, what are the odds that, of the 6,000 contestants who auditioned at the Orleans in September, the final two Las Vegas "Idols" were side by side from the beginning?

Editorial: A 'crisis' in name only: The president is being disingenuous, however, when he suggests he is being open-minded on Social Security. To begin with, even though Bush paints a bleak future of Social Security, there is no consensus whatsoever among economists that a crisis exists as he suggests. It wouldn't be until 2042 at the earliest -- and that's a conservative estimate -- that the government would reach a point of having to reduce full benefits. A further indication that Bush is closed-minded on Social Security is that he already has said that workers should be allowed to invest their payroll taxes in the stock ...

Insta-Move closed down by regulators: Insta-Move must cease operations in the state as a result of the three-member authority's vote last week. The company's owner, Stephen Maresca, also was fined $50,000.

Golden Nugget settlement, fine on Thursday agenda: A three-count complaint filed last month by the state Gaming Control Board accuses company executives of two irregularities at the casino's sports book and of Golden Nugget executive Tim Poster misdealing cards in a celebrity appearance last year.

Dialed-in Harry Connick Jr. a smooth operator: Spencer Patterson; Harry Connick Jr. conceded he was a bit rattled during his Saturday night concert, and not just because his father was in the room.

Exoneration sought for UNLV professor: UNLV has completely dropped its prosecution of economics professor Hans-Hermann Hoppe for comments about gays he made in a lecture, but ACLU of Nevada officials say they are still not satisfied.

Sports briefs for February 21, 2005: Unearned runs and one costly pitch doomed UNLV baseball Sunday afternoon as the Rebels dropped a 6-4 decision to in-state rival UNR at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.

Lawmaker wants casino: Gionet, a Republican from Lincoln, filed legislation that would permit the creation of a privately owned and operated White Mountain Resort & Casino. Under the plan, the state lottery commission would collect 20 percent of the proposed casino's gross profits for deposit into the state's general fund.

Protesters make stand at atomic museum opening: As hundreds of people stood for hours at the opening of the Atomic Testing Museum on Sunday, the museum's director invited anti-nuclear demonstrators inside to take a look for themselves at 50 years of Cold War memorabilia.

Web site plans partnership with Strip property: GolfAdventures.com will announce details later this week on its partnership with the 2,700-room property.

Ex-wife expected standoff situation to occur: Stephen Curran; Tiffany Dailey needed only to look at a calendar to know what prompted her ex-husband to take his mother and brother hostage last Monday in a prolonged standoff that ended with 33-year-old Daniel Kloskowski dead at the hands of Metro Police.

Issue of soaring property taxes heats up: Kirsten Searer and Jace Radke; The two days of angry public testimony on how to curb property taxes did little to clear up the issue.

Two killed as truck explodes in morning crash on I-15: The crash this morning was the second tractor-trailer crash near the on-ramp at I-15 and Washington Avenue in a little more than a week.

City to probe sweep of homeless camp: By Timothy Pratt; North Las Vegas officials are scheduled to meet Tuesday to investigate the cleanup of a homeless camp of up to 100 men and women, according to city spokeswoman Brenda Johnson.