Print edition for February 23, 2005

Senate OKs pay raise for lawmakers: CARSON CITY -- A proposed constitutional amendment to double the salary of legislators was approved Tuesday by the Senate and sent to the Assembly.

Lawyer: Nevada kept out of Yucca meetings: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency has been quietly meeting with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Energy Department to discuss the EPA's effort to comply with a court ruling that stalled a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, a lawyer for Nevada said today.

Homebuilder boosts 2005 forecast: Toll Brothers Inc., the largest U.S. builder of luxury houses, raised its profit forecast for this year after fiscal first-quarter earnings more than doubled.

MGM-Mandalay buyout breezes by Control Board: Even before the state Gaming Control Board met to consider the antitrust implications of MGM Mirage's request to acquire Mandalay Resort Group, observers were labeling the outcome a slam dunk.

Rain delay: Weather puts valley construction projects on hold: Jennifer Shubinski; The record-setting rain hasn't just bogged down Las Vegas Valley traffic and threatened some homes -- it has brought construction at some sites to a virtual halt.

Culinary, Aladdin set to talk: Alana Roberts; Despite a previously contentious relationship with the current and previous owners of the Aladdin, Culinary Union and company leaders have expressed optimism about their ability to hammer out a deal.

Storms wash away more rain records: Eric Leake and Mary Manning; With 10 more months to go in the year, today could be the day Las Vegas ties -- or breaks -- the average annual rainfall.

Racing, wet street lead to death: Eric Leake and Stephen Curran; A 23-year-old Las Vegas man died Tuesday night after he crashed his car into another while racing on the city's rain-slicked streets, Metro Police said.

Police won't charge teen in accidental shooting of siblings: Jen Lawson; The victims, ages 13 and 15, suffered minor gunshot wounds, Officer Jose Montoya, police spokesman, said. A bullet grazed the hand of one boy and the other was shot in the foot.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: 'Salute to Heroes' gets healthy show of support: Elizabeth Foyt; Wayne Newton and his wife, Kathleen, served as honorary co-chairs. Rose-themed and romantic by design, the well-planned dinner and dance is the organization's largest annual benefit, with proceeds funding community outreach health support and educational efforts to combat heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women in our community.

Students chew the fat with 'Super Size Me' filmmaker: "What the hell were you thinking?"

Reno coach declares: 'It would take a near-perfect game' to beat Gaels: Nick Christensen; Observers up north pegged this year's 4A boys' teams as possibly the strongest group in the past 20 years, and out of the fracas of up to five championship contenders, Galena advanced as the lone entrant in the 4A semifinals.

Lawmakers near nitty-gritty of slots amendment: One bill discussed in a key House committee would set the tax rate at 30 percent. A bill presented by an opponent would give the state ownership of the slots and a guaranteed take of 39 percent, completely cutting out any profit for the pari-mutuel industry.

Cross-gender fight in the works: Dan Kulin; What is being billed as perhaps the first "real" boxing match between a man and woman in the United States was given the green light on Tuesday by the Mississippi Athletic Commission, said Las Vegas-based political consultant and boxing promoter Tony Dane, who is arranging the fight.

Legislative briefs for February 23, 2005: A woman whose mentally disturbed boyfriend committed suicide handed a check for $300 to a legislative subcommittee Tuesday and asked lawmakers to use the money to improve state services for the mentally ill.

Companies, executives ordered to pay up: According to the IRS, the offending executives, often aided by corporate lawyers and public accountants, transferred stock options between 1997 to 2001 to family-controlled partnerships or related entities. They were created for the sole purpose of avoiding the payment of federal taxes on gains that would result when the executives exercised the options -- or bought option shares -- after the company's stock had appreciated.

Columnist Peter Benton: Takefuji Classic just around the corner: Peter Benton; If you haven't been counting, there are but seven weeks remaining before the third LPGA Takefuji Classic gets under way at the Las Vegas Country Club. The 18-hole Pro-Am segment of play takes place on Wednesday, April 13, with the 54-hold tournament scheduled for the following Thursday through Saturday.

Resolution on centennial passes: CARSON CITY -- Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman made a visit to the Legislature Tuesday to watch the passage of a joint resolution commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of his city.

Columnist Jeff German: Mandalay's Sloan charts new course: He's among the senior Mandalay executives leaving to pursue other interests.

Adding airport to monorail has baggage attached: CARSON CITY -- The head of McCarran International Airport says he has no objection to an extension of the Las Vegas monorail to the airport, but he suggested there is a problem getting airline passengers to ride it.

Henderson opposition prompts RTC to give up on terminal: Faced with opposition from condominium owners and Henderson, the Regional Transportation Commission has withdrawn plans for its first mass transit center in Henderson after spending more than $400,000 on the effort.

Mountain summit addresses the effects of increased use: The snow painted an appealing cover over Mount Charleston on Tuesday, but the troubling facts were clear to those attending a mountain "summit" of politicians, agency officials and residents: Too many visitors are overwhelming one of Southern Nevada's recreational jewels.

James refuses to name starter: Adam Candee; Gladiators coach Ron James is creating a bit of suspense for the Nashville Kats, even if he might know which of his backup quarterbacks will start Saturday night on the road.

Consumer inflation increases by modest 0.1 percent in January: Martin Cutsinger; WASHINGTON -- Consumer prices edged up a tiny 0.1 percent last month as energy costs went down significantly for the second straight month, sending a price-stability message that was at odds with the most recent wholesale price report.

Company to purchase VirtGame for $20 million: Progressive Gaming said in a statement it will exchange 2 million shares for all the common stock, warrants and preferred stock of San Diego-based VirtGame. The transaction values VirtGame at about 31 cents a share, based on VirtGame's 63.6 million fully diluted shares outstanding, or an 11 percent discount to Friday's closing stock price of 35 cents.

Coalition looking to avoid another 'crisis': Michelle Swafford; New hospital rate contracts negotiated two weeks ago on behalf of 320,000 Las Vegas Valley workers are just the beginning of many proposed changes to the health care system.

Judge orders reinstatement for whistleblower: In the ruling issued Feb. 15, Administrative Law Judge Stephen Purcell ordered Cardinal Bankshares Inc. to reinstate its former chief financial officer, David Welch, and pay him nearly $65,000 in back pay and damages.

License plate will help the outdoors: The Outside Las Vegas Foundation is a nonprofit organization that encourages people to use and protect the public lands in Southern Nevada. Call 364-8787.

Tax hike solutions moved to front burner: Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- After hearing more than a full day of testimony from experts over the span of several meetings, legislative leaders said they're ready to start taking up proposed solutions for the problem of rising property taxes.

Refinancing to cut quarterly profit by $133 million: The company's Las Vegas Sands Inc. and Venetian Casino Resort LLC units today closed a $1.62 billion senior secured credit facility. The refinancing will save $63 million this year before taxes, the company said today in a statement.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Baseball talk takes public hit from Wynn: On Jan. 5, Mayor Oscar Goodman told reporters that he hoped to make an announcement about a Major League Baseball team coming to Las Vegas "within the next month."

Editorial: Initiative is paying off: Now he's working on behalf of youths who have been lightly sentenced. They are not dangerous, but must wait in jail because there are no immediate vacancies in the group homes or treatment programs to which they've been assigned.

News briefs for February 23, 2005: Closing arguments were made Tuesday in the case against 25-year-old Shod Walker, who is accused of killing 39-year-old Simone Hirst by hitting her head with a 44-pound rock.

Weather increases West Nile threat: David Kihara; The recent heavy rains in Nevada could exacerbate the threat of West Nile virus in Southern Nevada by creating breeding grounds for certain types of mosquitoes that carry and transmit the virus, the Clark County Health District officials said Tuesday.

Sports briefs for February 23, 2005: Elena Kurokawa earned her fourth career top-10 finish and UNLV placed eighth overall at the Arizona Invitational, which wrapped up Tuesday afternoon at the Arizona National Golf Club in Tucscon.

Community briefs for February 23, 2005: As part of the upcoming Las Vegas Centennial, the city is looking for volunteers to serve as museum guides for the historic downtown post office.

Job applicant sues casino over weight rules: John Curran; ATLANTIC CITY -- A legal challenge to a new weight-limit policy for Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa cocktail servers hit the courts Tuesday, with lawyers for a Borgata job applicant asking a judge to bar the casino from enforcing it.

Regents to honor Nevada citizens: The Distinguished Nevadan represents the most prestigious award conferred by the regents. It is bestowed upon prominent individuals who have made significant achievements that have contributed to the cultural, scientific or social advancement of Nevada. The recipients will be honored at commencements in Reno and Las Vegas in May.

Editorial: New Metro policy will save lives: Metro Police officers have been involved in high-profile cases of ED that have resulted in death. Last year two men exhibiting the symptoms died after struggling with police officers and being struck by darts fired from Taser stun guns. In 2001 a French citizen apparently in the throes of ED died after fighting with Metro Police officers and guards at the Clark County Detention Center. Many other police departments around the country have dealt with the problem, and many times with the same deadly results.

Appeals court overturns molestation conviction: CARSON CITY -- A federal appeals court, in a split decision, has overturned the sexual assault conviction of a Las Vegas man who was sentenced to life in prison and has been behind bars for more than 16 years for allegedly molesting a 6-year-old girl.

Dollar rises as Japan, South Korea say they won't sell the currency: Taizo Hirose; The dollar rose in Asia after Japan's Ministry of Finance and South Korea's central bank said they have no plans to reduce U.S. currency holdings.

Wild horse protection sought: David Kihara; Thousand of previously protected wild horses and burros in Nevada and across the country are currently in danger of being sold to slaughterhouses despite vocal protests to keep the treasured "symbols of the West" from ending up on dinner tables in Europe.

Letter: Dental school is a valuable asset: Hundreds of would-be students all over the nation are trying to enroll in that school, as it is now one of the best dental schools in the nation.

Hospital hosting diabetes classes: Continuing its commitment to encouraging a healthy lifestyle, Sunrise Hospital will hold three-day sessions from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the hospital, 3186 S. Maryland Parkway.

Utility, state agree on rate hike: Kevin Rademacher; A collective agreement has put an early end to two weeks of planned hearings into Nevada Power Co.'s request to recover $115.9 million in past fuel and purchased power costs.

Columnist Adam Candee: No sparks flying from wet matches: Adam Candee; Congratulations if you have been able to get your newspaper out of the plastic sleeve and into your hands without covering it in water this week.

Slots bill on the move: The House version, which was endorsed by a legislative subcommittee Tuesday, differs significantly from a bill introduced by Gov. Robert Ehrlich that passed the Senate last Friday.

Fight fixer goes to prison: Jace Radke; South Carolina boxing promoter Robert Mitchell was sentenced to more than three years in prison and fined $6,000 Tuesday for his role in organizing a fixed fight at Paris Las Vegas in 2000.

Goodman sits in on passage of resolution on centennial: CARSON CITY -- Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman made a visit to the Legislature Tuesday to watch the passage of a joint resolution commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of his city.

Rain a factor in crashes: Eric Leake and Stephen Curran; A 23-year-old man died Tuesday night after he crashed his car into another while drag racing on the city's rain-slicked streets, Metro Police said.

NLV distribution center planned: The new facility will serve the western United States and will complement CDW's existing 450,000-square-foot Illinois distribution center.

Daines won't campaign for N. Las Vegas judge position: Dan Kulin; Faced with the possibility of being forced to take unpaid leave from her job in Las Vegas Municipal Court because she was running for judge in North Las Vegas Municipal Court, Marcia Daines tried to withdraw from the election on Tuesday.

Letter: Amendment is more ambitious than older ERA: Associated Press reporter Kathleen Hennessey wrote, "Advocates also are struggling to maintain the amendment as a top priority for women's groups. The National Organization for Women has taken steps that distance it from the women's movement's most famous failure."

Obituaries for February 23, 2005: Mary W. Bagley, 83, of Las Vegas died Feb. 5 in a local hospital. She was born Feb. 15, 1921, in New York. A resident for 12 years, she was an actress and a member of the Screen Actors Guild.

Seniors feel appeals made statement on taxes: Molly Ball; When more than 800 senior citizens filed appeals of their property assessments last month to protest their high taxes, the board that decides such cases braced for days of hearings stretching long into the evening.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Living la vida 'pura': By Jeff Haney; High-stakes sports betting is alive and well in Las Vegas, professional gambler Alan Boston says.

Reid urges registration law change: Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he is urging the Legislature to change the voter registration deadline to sign up more people closer to election day.

Police probe garbage bin find: Someone called 911 just before 11 p.m. Tuesday to report the discovery at the Wyandotte Apartments at 2631 Wyandotte Ave.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Kanaan maintains lofty goals after record-breaking season: Tony Kanaan realizes he has his work cut out for him if he wants to improve upon his 2004 Indy Racing League season.

Rogers nixes Hoppe sabbatical: Embattled UNLV economics professor Hans-Hermann Hoppe may get his requested exoneration, but he can say goodbye to his request for a one-year sabbatical, Interim Chancellor Jim Rogers said Tuesday.

Mandalay Resort buyout is 'revenue story,' officials say: By Liz Benston; MGM Mirage's top executive said he expects to close the company's $7.9 billion acquisition of Mandalay Resort Group in the next week or two following meetings with managers at each of the Mandalay properties.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Bellagio, chefs boost Ruvo center: His magic works on all of us, infusing our senses with the staging and performances. Nothing is impossible in Laliberte's world. He travels the world seeking acts that can perform impossible feats, and he finds them.

The Pizza Guys: Arena, Facchini bring decades of experience to Las Vegas chain: Ken Miller; But neither man minds it a bit. Pizza has been part of their lives for 38 years, and they've dedicated themselves to the preservation of the authentic pizzeria, not just in Las Vegas but across the country.

Senator wants rural input on petitions: CARSON CITY -- A suggested constitutional amendment to change the system for collecting signatures on initiative petitions was described by opponents as a logistical nightmare.

Jewish Federation will host Dershowitz: The event at the Green Valley Ranch Station, 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway, in Henderson, also will include the presentation of the 2005 Hank Greenspun Founders Award to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Senate minority leader.

Texas panel mulls gambling: April Castro; AUSTIN, Texas -- The expansion of gambling in Texas could be the downfall of society or the goose that laid the golden egg, depending on whom you talked to at the state Capitol on Tuesday.

High school's science project Tad bit of work: By Emily Richmond; With only a few days to go before departing Rancho High School for a regional science competition, it appeared Tad was feeling the pressure.

Investor wins approval to buy stake in Kerr-McGee: A list published by the Federal Trade Commission in Washington said the government concluded its review of plans by Icahn and Icahn Partners Master Fund LP to each buy $100 million to $500 million of the Oklahoma City-based firm's stock.