Print edition for January 6, 2005

Retailers report generally solid December sales figures: Anne D'Innocenzio; NEW YORK -- Last-minute shoppers gave retailers a mixed yet overall respectable 2004 holiday season, with a variety of stores from discounters to apparel retailers reporting better than expected sales.

One for Coach Clarke: Nick Christensen; One by one, they touched the empty chair at the end of their bench, a reminder of their lost friend and teacher who won't be there to watch but whose lessons still resonate.

Monterrey air service to expand: Aeromexico announced today that it would offer daily round-trip nonstop flights on Boeing 737 twin-engine jets, replacing the existing twice-a-week service the airline currently has between Monterrey and McCarran International Airport.

New rules will try to tackle size of neighborhood casinos: The Clark County Commission on Wednesday directed county planning staff to draft a new ordinance that would specify how big a neighborhood casino can be and what design elements it can have.

Community briefs for January 6, 2005: In an effort to reduce unwanted dogs and cats form unexpected litters, Clark County is sponsoring a pet sterilization campaign.

Editorial: State, parents can do better: Clark County School District Superintendent Carlos Garcia has been critical of the state's education spending since he came aboard in mid-2000. In responding to the Education Week report, he showed that his frustration remains. "I remember when I first got here everyone was talking about how we ranked 40th in education funding," Garcia told Sun reporter Emily Richmond. "We've dropped eight spots in four years. People are under the illusion that we've put a whole lot more into public education in this state, when the truth is we keep falling further and further behind."

Pot-bellied pigs granted OK in residential areas: Eric Leake; Wallowing in discussion of stink, pig feces, and pygmy goats, the North Las Vegas City Council decided Wednesday to allow pot-bellied pigs in residential zones.

Gladiators optimistic about 2005: Adam Candee; What: Las Vegas Gladiators training camp

Rebels sleepwalk through tuneup: Steve Guiremand; With just four days to go before its big nationally televised league opener at Utah, the UNLV basketball team showed during Wednesday night's final tuneup that it is more than ready for the start of conference play.

LV-Pittsburgh flights on Southwest likely: Southwest Airlines isn't saying whether it will fly directly between Las Vegas and Pittsburgh when it begins service to the Pennsylvania city in May.

Location, height of high rises subject of new ordinances: Clark County commissioners Wednesday adopted new rules governing the location, height and population density of mixed-use projects, including new high rises, but left the door open for significant changes to the rules.

Tiffany finds breaking up is hard to sell: By Emily Richmond; A proposal by state Sen. Sandra Tiffany to break up the Clark County School District found little support Wednesday as community leaders, educators and elected officials urged the assistant majority whip to instead tackle inequities in the quality of public education.

LV will host drill sergeant training for Army Reserve: Dick Benoit; Las Vegas will soon be a training center for Army Reserve drill sergeants, according to a recent release from the 104th (Institutional Training) Division, U.S Army Reserve in Vancouver, Wash.

Letter: No moral values in Bush's policies: I am still dumbstruck regarding the reason President Bush got re-elected -- moral values, indeed.

New lab to help adults learn English: By Emily Richmond; For Gaby Lopez, enrolling in the Clark County School District's adult education program was a necessity because she has three young children who speak English better than she does.

Stanley Leisure lowers annual profit forecast: Gabrielle Monaghan; Stanley Leisure Plc, the largest U.K. casino operator, cut its annual profit forecast because of unfavorable sports results that hurt the betting business and unpaid gaming debts. The stock slid 12 percent, the sharpest decline in 21 months.

Bank switches debit cards to MasterCard: Terms and the length of the multiyear contract were not disclosed Wednesday.

Harrah's U.K. venture nixed: By Liz Benston; Harrah's Entertainment Inc. said Wednesday it has pulled out of a joint venture with U.K. bingo parlor operator Gala Group Ltd. because of recent moves in Britain's Parliament to limit the scope of regional casinos the venture expected to build. The company still will pursue previous plans to build major resorts in the United Kingdom on its own.

Preps: Wednesday's Results: Palo Verde 71, Cheyenne 64: PV: P'Allen Stinnett 42 pts. CHEY: Quinton Carter 14 pts.

Court asks for briefs in suit over Detroit casino franchises: Lawyers for the casino, owned by Las Vegas-based MGM Mirage Inc., in May asked the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati to reconsider a lower court's ruling in the lawsuit by the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians.

Glitches, hope for a digital future mark Gates' CES keynote speech: Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates was counting on getting big laughs by having NBC late-night funnyman Conan O'Brien interview him talk-show style for the kickoff keynote for the International Consumer Electronics Show Wednesday.

Preps: State Boys' Basketball Rankings: Compiled by the Las Vegas Sun and the Sparks Tribune

Fight in stands halts game at Cimarron: According to Cimarron coach Steve Boyack, three or four fans were pepper sprayed in the altercation, which happened with 7:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. No players were involved, but the lingering pepper spray forced a delay with the Spartans leading 50-41.

Major sewer overhaul begins under Las Vegas Boulevard: The project, part of a larger effort to rehabilitate several miles of sewer lines in the Clark County Water Reclamation District's service area, revolves around the repair of the sewer line on Las Vegas Boulevard between Stardust and Spring Mountain roads.

News briefs for January 6, 2005: Inmates at the High Desert State Prison near Indian Springs may soon be making tanks for brew pubs.

Vo-Tech goes the extra mile to compete: Nick Christensen; Every morning, around 1,700 students from across Las Vegas wake up for their bus ride to the Southern Nevada Vocational Technical Center, on Whitney Mesa in southeast Las Vegas.

Jordan to open fitness center, restaurants in LV: Basketball star Michael Jordan is opening a fitness center and two restaurants in a new Las Vegas resort.

Police say man killed by officers wanted to die: Jen Lawson; Jeffrey Allan Gaddis worked as a manager at a courier service and was described by his former boss as an excellent employee.

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 1 p.m.

Lanni ready for legislative fights as AGA chief: By Liz Benston; The American Gaming Association is starting the new year in its usual defensive position, hoping to fend off federal legislation that could hurt the casino industry or restrict growth, a top gaming executive said Wednesday.

Editorial: An example to follow: A case in point is Kuwait. As The New York Times noted in a story this week, Kuwait is awash in money -- it has a budget surplus of $10 billion this year -- and many of the country's 1.3 million foreign workers come from the areas devastated by the tsunami. It was only after criticism by Kuwaitis that Kuwait's government announced on Sunday that it would donate $10 million to relief efforts, increasing its previous commitment, which was a paltry $2 million. Other Arab countries have increased their contributions following the rebukes, including Saudi Arabia, which upped its donation ...

Sanford dips into Utes'pool: Steve Guiremand; First new UNLV head football coach Mike Sanford took a pair of Utah assistants with him from Salt Lake City. Now he has garnered one of the Utes' top recruits.

Las Vegas homes staying on the market longer: Jennifer Shubinski; When Ray Buehne put his Seven Hills home on the market last July, he was hoping to make a hefty profit that would help him move his family out of state.

Florida man may become new chief of school police: By Emily Richmond; A veteran of south Florida municipal and school law enforcement is poised to become the Clark County School District's new police chief.

Home ownership rising on Arizona reservations: Judy Nichols; PHOENIX -- Inside the front door of Serena Norris' moss-green home is a welcome mat bearing the Pima symbol of the Man in the Maze, a circular depiction of a person's path through life.

Letter: Conference on property taxes should be open: The invitees will represent one-third of the Legislature, key state and local government officials, representatives from public service organizations and out-of-state "academic experts" to discuss property tax reform. I guess UNLV and the head of the Public Administration Department never heard of open meeting laws.

Bankruptcy judge cancels machinists' contract: The termination of the contract with the International Association of Machinists would result in pay cuts for union workers ranging from 6 percent to 35 percent and the loss of thousands of union jobs.

Sports briefs for January 6, 2005: The city of Anaheim filed suit in a California court Wednesday seeking to block the Angels franchise from changing its name in an attempt to increase business in the second-biggest U.S. media market.

Ex-DEA agent won't face more prison time: By Matt Pordum; A former federal Drug Enforcement Administration agent who passed notes to boys at area Wal-Marts and Kmarts offering them money in exchange for sex will not serve any more prison time than the five years he is currently spending in federal prison.

Developments not going Moncrief's way: Dan Kulin; Las Vegas City Councilwoman Janet Moncrief hoped the two main issues her detractors are using in her coming recall election would be settled in her favor by the time Ward 1 voters head to the polls on Jan. 25. But two developments Wednesday mean that won't happen.

Surveys say LV high in fat, low in IQ: David Kihara; You may think of Las Vegas as the city of beautifully thin, intelligent people.

CCSN fights to save auto center: Community College of Southern Nevada officials are scrambling to secure private donations this morning for a new automotive technology center out of fear that the building may be moved off the Board of Regents' capital construction priority list.

Salvadorans get 18-month extension on U.S. stay: By Timothy Pratt; Carolina Ramirez, who spends her days making casino chips in a Las Vegas factory, was relieved to hear a last-minute announcement the federal government made this morning allowing them to stay in the United States another 18 months.

Garcia gets hike in pay: By Emily Richmond; The Clark County School Board gave Superintendent Carlos Garcia a vote of confidence at the completion of his annual evaluation Wednesday, determining he had met or exceeded nearly all of the measures used to gauge his performance.

Exclusive developer signed for downtown LV parcel: Dan Kulin; In what Las Vegas leaders called a significant step toward the development of downtown, the City Council on Wednesday entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement with The Related Cos., giving the company 120 days to hammer out a plan to fill 61 acres of vacant former rail yards with new construction that could include residential high rises, a new City Hall, and a baseball stadium.

Parents blame state for shooting: Jen Lawson; Jeffrey Allan Gaddis worked as a manager at a courier service and was described by his former boss as an excellent employee.

Obituaries for January 6, 2005: Goldie Lee Baker, 72, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in Las Vegas. She was born July 26, 1932, in Oklahoma. A resident for 14 years, she was a retired executive secretary for a manufacturing firm and a member of Royal Neighbors of America.

Homes could take over gravel pit: For nearly 40 years a mining operation on the Las Vegas Valley's west side has provided gravel and rock for the region's growing population.

Adelson-Wynn battle parked in commission again: A legal and political battle between Strip titans Sheldon Adelson, owner of the Venetian, and Steve Wynn, owner of the as-yet-to-open Wynn Las Vegas, entered the Clark County Commission chambers and stayed there throughout most of last year.

Colulmnist Susan Snyder: We can't curb our enthusiasm: Need a sofa but short on cash? Las Vegas Freecyclers probably have one, and you can have it for free.

Encore: Year's best Vegas concerts range from Prince to Green Day: Spencer Patterson; Twelve months later, my year was capped by Alanis Morissette's poppy single "Hands Clean," just before the stroke of midnight last Friday at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.

Weekend Time Schedule: AP; N.Y. Jets at San Diego, 8 p.m.

SUMMARY BOX: Median home price at Lake Tahoe now $617,475: AP; THE MEDIAN: The median price of a single-family home sold in the Lake Tahoe basin in 2004 was $617,475, up 17 percent from 2003.

Macau casino chief quits: Las Vegas Sands, in an e-mailed statement, didn't give a reason for Trinh's departure. Spokesman Buddy Lam said in a phone interview that Trinh hadn't been fired, declining to elaborate.

Linen company's drivers returning to work after strike: Alana Roberts; Teamster truck drivers are set to return to work today at Mission Industries after voting overwhelmingly to ratify a three-year contract agreement with the linen company on Wednesday.

Guinn proposes rebate for vehicle registrations: CARSON CITY -- With tax revenues coming in faster than expected, Gov. Kenny Guinn today unveiled a plan to give a rebate of up to $300 for each vehicle registered last year.

Officials weigh solutions for property tax crisis: Kirsten Searer and Cy Ryan; Legislators are eyeing an end-of-March deadline to solve the looming property tax crisis, and it appears the momentum is moving away from the original 6 percent cap proposed this summer.

VoIP grabbing more attention: Kevin Rademacher; Voice-over Internet Protocol -- the use of broadband connections to send voice calls, bypassing the aging copper-wire system -- is currently estimated to have about 1 million U.S. lines.

Top 25 Schedule: AP; No. 11 Gonzaga at Santa Clara, 11 p.m.

Driver critically injured in head-on crash in school zone: Metro Police said the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed in a 1988 Ford Mustang on Del Ray Avenue near Torrey Pines Drive and West Charleston Boulevard when he came up on a slower-moving vehicle in the school zone.

PacifiCare, GeriNet teaming: The partnership creates SecureAdvantage, a program that will be available Feb. 1 to PacifiCare's Secure Horizons health plan members who live in one of Trans Healthcare's eight skilled-nursing homes in Henderson, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Boulder City and sign up for the program.

Judge cancels machinists' contract with US Airways: Matthew Barakat; ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- A bankruptcy judge today canceled a collective bargaining agreement between US Airways and its machinists union, providing hundreds of millions of dollars in annual savings that the airline says will prevent the need for a quick liquidation.