Las Vegas Sun

Archive for January 7, 2005

Women's Top 25 Basketball Schedule: AP; No. 22 UCLA at Washington State, 10 p.m.; 12:03 p.m.

Wet weather to continue this weekend: Stephen Curran; A storm system nicknamed "the Pineapple Express" rolled into the Las Vegas Valley this morning and delivered a load of moisture expected to continue through the weekend, a National Weather Service spokesman said.; 11:21 a.m.

Local soldiers set for Iraq deployment: Jace Radke; James Redhouse Jr., a 21-year-old Las Vegas resident, just finished a two-year mission, and is now preparing to leave for an 18-month mission. This one will take him to Iraq.; 11:20 a.m.

Hewlett-Packard expands into entertainment: Hewlett-Packard expands into entertainment; 11:20 a.m.

Columnist Jeff German: Big-league quest needs team effort: He's the only local elected official who has had the vision to see that Las Vegas, with its 1.6 million population and 37 million annual visitors, has potential to support a professional franchise.; 11:19 a.m.

Charges reduced in bus stop crash: By Matt Pordum; A man charged with crashing his truck into a Las Vegas bus stop, killing a 4-year-old boy and hospitalizing the child's mother, will face one less charge because prosecutors can't find an alleged third victim.; 11:18 a.m.

Youth correction official ordered reinstated: CARSON CITY -- A hearing officer has ordered the reinstatement of a key executive of the state's youth correction center in Caliente in a case that upset city officials.; 11:17 a.m.

Naming of college chief may stall: The formal appointment for Nevada State College's new president may get hung up today on the details of his employment contract.; 11:16 a.m.

Baby home from hospital after suffering injuries: The 3-month-old Henderson infant who suffered acute bleeding in his brain as a result of allegedly being shaken by his nanny returned home Thursday night.; 11:15 a.m.

CCSN's auto tech center to receive new priority: The Community College of Southern Nevada will likely come out better off following changes to the university system's capital construction list, President Richard Carpenter said.; 11:14 a.m.

Audit rips UNLV, UNR on bidding: CARSON CITY -- UNLV and UNR violated the law in failing to ask for bids on millions of dollars of energy savings projects and some of them didn't produce any savings, a legislative audit said ...; 11:13 a.m.

December hiring helped fuel most job growth in five years: The Labor Department reported today that the 2.2 million new jobs created in 2004 were the most in any year since 1999, when employers added 3.2 million positions, based on a government survey of businesses.; 11:10 a.m.

Stagehands' union elects new officers: Alana Roberts; The International Alliance of Stage Employees Local 720, the union that represents stagehands at most Strip properties, has elected a new slate of officers to replace two trustees appointed by the union's international leadership in ...; 11:10 a.m.

Small Business Administration loan volume jumps: There were 23,197 loans totaling $3.56 billion approved through the 7(a) loan program from October to December, compared with 18,822 loans worth $3.12 billion in the year-ago quarter. The loans are SBA-backed, but are funded ...; 11:08 a.m.

IBM buys local software company: Kevin Rademacher; Technology giant IBM Corp. this morning announced that it has acquired Las Vegas software company Systems Research and Development.; 11:08 a.m.

Firm's contract for CES extended: GES Exposition Services, a Las Vegas-based subsidiary of Viad Corp., Phoenix, provided about 2,700 jobs for this years CES. GES contract with the Consumer Electronics Association, the producers for CES, was due to expire in ...; 11:08 a.m.

Weather threatens to strand conventioneers: With snow on the East Coast, ice storms in the Midwest and heavy rain in California, it's no surprise that thousands of people who are flooding Las Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show are ...; 11:08 a.m.

Another condominium complex planned for downtown Vegas: Jennifer Shubinski; Another group of developers is betting that downtown Las Vegas is the next place the city's workers and elite will want to live.; 11:08 a.m.

Discount changes announced: The new policies, which are effective immediately, apply to uninsured patients whose incomes exceed Medicaid and charity care requirements. There are no minimum or maximum income requirements under the new program that provides discounted rates ...; 11:07 a.m.

CFO: 2004 revenue at $28.8 bil.: Indianapolis-based WellPoint, formed in November by Anthem Inc.'s acquisition of WellPoint Health Networks Inc., said it expected to report fourth-quarter 2004 earnings of 90 cents a share, below the company's previous forecast of 95 cents ...; 11:07 a.m.

U.S. appeals WTO ban ruling: Antigua, a Caribbean island nation of 67,800, won its WTO case against the U.S. in November. Internet companies in Antigua, which developed online gambling to boost a tourism-dependent economy rebuilding after a series of hurricanes, ...; 11:07 a.m.

Company makes Forbes list: The company was the only one selected in the "hotels, restaurants and leisure" category. Forbes ran screens across 26 industries for companies with at least $1 billion in annual revenue and high ranks for corporate ...; 11:07 a.m.

Dawn Gibbons considers run for Congress: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- If given a choice, former Assemblywoman Dawn Gibbons, the wife of Rep. Jim Gibbons, said she would prefer the title of "Congresswoman" to that of "Nevada's first lady."; 11:07 a.m.

Powell: Products will change face of regulations: Kevin Rademacher; Michael Powell is, admittedly, an avid consumer of the latest electronic gadgets.; 11:03 a.m.

Panel: Future looks exciting, but consumers want reliability now: You may not recognize the next generation of cellular telephones when they arrive.; 11:03 a.m.

Audit reveals improper spending by Nevada's university system: CARSON CITY -- Legislative auditors uncovered several instances of misspent funds and problems with travel documents during a review of the University and Community College System of Nevada, lawmakers learned Thursday.; 11:01 a.m.

Association predicts busy year for national lobbyist: By Liz Benston; New regulations or changes to existing laws stemming from the federal government's anti-terrorism efforts will keep the casino industry's Washington lobbyist busy this year.; 11:00 a.m.

News briefs for January 5, 2005: The Henderson Courthouse was locked down for a short time Thursday morning while police searched for a man wanted for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, police said.; 10:57 a.m.

Las Vegas woman injured in crash: Metro Police said Rebecca Broetmann was driving north on Fort Apache just before 1 a.m. with her headlights off. Her SUV collided with a Saturn that was pulling out of a parking lot and trying ...; 10:55 a.m.

Mental health agency seeks big budget: By Timothy Pratt; The local arm of the state mental health agency unveiled its wish list for the upcoming Legislature on Thursday, with an estimated price tag of $97 million a year -- a 70 percent increase from ...; 10:53 a.m.

Judges, candidates may have broken rules: Molly Ball; Several judges or judicial candidates appear to have violated both campaign-finance laws and judicial ethics canons during the 2004 election campaign, according to financial filings with the secretary of state's office.; 10:53 a.m.

Plans to fix property taxes get failing grades: More than half of the proposals to curb skyrocketing property tax increases have fatal flaws, according to a report on 14 proposals.; 10:53 a.m.

Sports briefs for January 7, 2005: The little guys made it big Thursday in the International Boxing Hall of Fame class of 2005.; 10:49 a.m.

Columnist Sal DeFilippo: We backed into it with a loss, but could be back into it with a win: Sal DeFilippo; Every Sunday, sometime between the late afternoon games finish and before the evening game kicks off, my phone inevitably rings.; 10:48 a.m.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: MWC would be MIA in March Madness BCS: Well, ready (perhaps in Utah's case) or not (most definitely in UNLV's case), it's here: The start of the conference basketball season in the Mountain West.; 10:48 a.m.

Conference crown is up for grabs: Steve Guiremand; First team; 10:08 a.m.

Audit: UNLV, UNR overspending: CARSON CITY -- UNLV spent $20 million on its athletic teams in fiscal year 2003, the third-highest in the eight-member Mountain West Conference, a legislative audit showed Thursday.; 10:06 a.m.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Gaughan has designs on Truck Series: By Brian Hilderbrand; It has been four weeks since he lost his ride with Penske-Jasper Racing in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, and Brendan Gaughan said he couldn't be happier.; 9:54 a.m.

Columnist Barb Henderson: It's time to apply for turkey tags: Barb Henderson; Nevada turkey hunters are already beginning to "strut their stuff," as they fill out applications with hopes of drawing a tag in the Nevada Department of Wildlife computerized drawing.; 9:52 a.m.

Washington the team to watch: We'll be keeping a keen eye on the Washington Huskies, who are flirting with a top-10 ranking, over the next few months.; 9:52 a.m.

Preps: Thursday's Results: Green Valley 72, Silverado 56: GV: Matt Gonzalez 21 pts, Jordan Ragan 18 pts, Thomas Racioppo 16 pts. SILV: Heiden Ratner 21 pts, Ryan Whitesitt 11 pts.; 9:51 a.m.

Saturday's horse racing entries: Post Time 1 p.m.; 9:47 a.m.

McBain gets all-star nod: Nick Christensen; The ECHL All-Star Game has generally been a time for prospects to show off their skills in the hope of one day finding a job in the National Hockey League.; 9:46 a.m.

Four-team trade goes through after one month of dealing: Nick Christensen; Just in time for Rejean Stringer to come back to Las Vegas, the Wranglers completed the deal that began when Stringer was traded to Peoria on Dec. 7.; 9:46 a.m.

News briefs for January 7, 2005: The Henderson Courthouse was locked down for a short time Thursday morning while police searched for a man wanted for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, police said.; 9:46 a.m.

Fishing report: Stripers getting closer to shore: Trout are hiding in brush around Special Events Beach and stripers are coming in to feed on the recent planters. Anglers are using top water lures as well as anchovies.; 9:42 a.m.

Some points of legislative audit on local schools: Some points of legislative audit on local schools; 9:36 a.m.

Audit finds few problems with CCSD: By Emily Richmond; The Clark County School District's operations received generally high marks in a legislative audit released Thursday although recommendations were made for improving oversight in several areas, including employee health funds, food services and the energy ...; 9:36 a.m.

Two attacks on High Desert Prison inmates probed: David Kihara; Two inmates were wounded in separate attacks at High Desert State Prison near Indian Springs this week, including one inmate from the Kentucky prison system who had posted an ad on an Internet dating site ...; 9:26 a.m.

Brief monorail shutdown blamed on human error: Stephen Curran; Human error was to blame for the Las Vegas Monorail leaving a platform with a door open Wednesday afternoon, the system's first glitch since the $650 million system reopened Dec. 24, company and county officials ...; 9:26 a.m.

Developers visit possible casino sites: CapitaLand Ltd., City Developments Ltd., and Keppel Land Ltd, Singapore's three largest property developers, were all represented at the meeting, the reports said.; 9:25 a.m.

Audit: Safety inspections neglected on buses, limos: CARSON CITY -- The state Transportation Services Authority failed to ensure that safety inspections were conducted on limousines and buses in Nevada and on taxicabs outside of Clark County in 2003, a legislative audit said ...; 9:25 a.m.

Company to sell about $300 million of junk bonds: Penn National hasn't determined a maturity for the new securities, the person said. Deutsche Bank AG is managing the transaction; 9:25 a.m.

Aykroyd's nightclub company gets into the game in Atlantic City: John Curran; ATLANTIC CITY -- Joliet Jake would have rolled over in his grave.; 9:24 a.m.

Reid welcomes discussion of election: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Thursday offered moral support to Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who made a historic objection to President Bush's election victory.; 9:14 a.m.

Raptors once again soar over Nevada desert: Jace Radke; The Air Force's newest stealth fighter jet, the F/A-22 Raptor, is again flying out of Nellis Air Force Base for training missions over the Nevada Test and Training Range.; 9:10 a.m.

UNLV group asked to assess state security: Jace Radke; The UNLV Institute for Security Studies has been tapped to head up a statewide vulnerability assessment to assist law enforcement and emergency agencies in better identifying where federal homeland security dollars are best spent.; 9:09 a.m.

Beers backs Guinn's plan for refunds: David Kihara; Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, who originally proposed that Nevadans receive up to a $100 refund on their vehicle registration fees, is supporting Gov. Kenny Guinn's nearly identical plan.; 9:09 a.m.

Letter: Now is time for Rumsfeld to go: Now, in his speeches to our troops in Iraq, Rumsfeld answers them very curtly and firmly. He avoids certain issues. A lot of the members of his Republican Party are criticizing his actions. On a ...; 9:09 a.m.

Letter: U.S. stingy with global aid, cheap with services here: Of the 22 richest countries in the world, the United States gives the least, not only in percentage of budget but often in dollars given. This may be a blessing, as aid is often given ...; 9:08 a.m.

Editorial: Ethics get tossed aside: GOP congressional leaders had hoped that the aforementioned changes might get overlooked because media attention would be focused on their decision not to relax other ethical standards. In a bid at damage control, Republicans junked ...; 9:07 a.m.

Editorial: Size is the new issue: The law, however, exempted more than a dozen sites in Las Vegas that had already been approved. It also said new sites could be established at highway intersections and within as-yet undeveloped areas -- loopholes ...; 9:07 a.m.

Schoolchildren offer help to tsunami survivors: Beth Slovic; Local students absorbed the news of the tsunami disaster while at home last week during their winter vacation.; 9:00 a.m.

After-School All-Stars honored: After-School All-Stars volunteers will be highlighted on the Daily Points of Light Foundation Web site, www.pointsoflight.org/awards/dpol/.; 9:00 a.m.

Valley getting wetter, mountains whiter: Stephen Curran; A storm system nicknamed "the Pineapple Express" was expected to roll into the Las Vegas Valley today and drop a little piece of the tropics on the region, a National Weather Service spokesman said.; 8:59 a.m.

Obituaries for January 7, 2005: Yolanda D. Bacon, 29, of Las Vegas died Dec. 27 in Las Vegas. She was born Oct. 30, 1975, in California.; 8:55 a.m.

Henderson Police lawsuit is settled: Jace Radke; A federal lawsuit filed against Henderson Police alleging that officers beat a man with batons following a traffic stop was settled Thursday.; 8:54 a.m.

Trial begins in jewelry store holdup, death of guard: Jace Radke; Government prosecutors allege that Vu Nguyen was a member of an ever-changing gang of violent thieves responsible for strings of robberies and murders, including a 1999 jewelry store robbery in Las Vegas that resulted in ...; 8:53 a.m.

Police agencies say local killings have dropped 9 percent: Jen Lawson; The Las Vegas Valley saw a 9 percent decline in homicides in 2004 compared with the year before, with Metro, North Las Vegas and Henderson police all reporting drops in killings.; 8:52 a.m.

Goodman plans State of the City: Goodman is expected to report on the state of the city and its government, discuss its accomplishments and deliver a vision of the future. He will also reflect on the community's upcoming 100th birthday May ...; 8:51 a.m.

IRS announces expanding filing: The IRS is taking steps in several areas to help taxpayers. Many of these features can be found on IRS.gov, including:; 8:51 a.m.

Blood drives: Tuesday: 9 a.m.-noon, Albertsons, 2650 W. Horizon Ridge, Henderson; 2:30-5:30 p.m., Albertsons, 201 S. Stephanie St., Henderson; Henderson Chevrolet, 240 N. Gibson Road, Henderson; 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Lady Luck Casino.; 8:51 a.m.

Community briefs for January 7, 2005: Metro Police Sgt. Edward Kravetz will speak on identity theft at the Community Associations Institute's luncheon 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday at Palace Station.; 8:50 a.m.

Magical Mystery Tour: Magician Rick Thomas may have to saw himself in half.; 8:48 a.m.

Live and taped, 'X' sizzles in new home: Duct tape is Bubba's universal remedy for almost any problem.; 8:47 a.m.

'Amanita' set stage for Pond's depth: Spencer Patterson; If you're the kind of person who only enjoys music you can sing along with, avoid Bardo Pond at all costs.; 8:41 a.m.

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: 'Beer Man' brings his own humor to the game: Lisa Ferguson; For nearly three decades the New York native has pursued his passion, vending all sorts of snacks at Yankee Stadium.; 8:39 a.m.

Performing Arts for January 7, 2005: 'Claptrap'; 8:38 a.m.

Columnist Spencer Patterson: Venue options for local bands are limited: Spencer Patterson; The rock quartet achieved more in a 12-month period than most of Las Vegas' home-bred bands manage in a lifetime.; 8:37 a.m.

On Display for January 7, 2005: The Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St., presents the show "The Altered Landscape: The Carol Franc Buck Collection" until Sunday. Admission is free. 229-4674.; 8:34 a.m.

Sun adding two new comics: Brevity is featured on page 22E of today's Sun. Written and drawn by Guy Endore-Kaiser and Rodd Perry, the comic was launched nationwide Monday. It will run weekdays in the Sun.; 8:33 a.m.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Fleur de Lys a San Francisco treat: Travel today is arduous, no matter how short the flight, but I was prepared for the security checkpoint. I'd followed all the suggestions offered by a travel expert on NBC's "Today" show.; 8:30 a.m.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Little brings USO riches: His largest audience numbered about 200. Most of those he entertained were Air Force servicemen.; 8:29 a.m.

Columnist Jerry Fink: David is always up for an eat-and-greet: Steven David offers supper so that he can sing.; 8:28 a.m.

Kluger: Big-band man Shaw put on a great show: Irv Kluger remembers Artie Shaw.; 8:26 a.m.

Datebook for January 7, 2005: First Friday, the monthly arts festival held in the Las Vegas Arts District, begins at 6 p.m. today. For maps and gallery information, go online to www.whirlygiglasvegas.org.; 8:25 a.m.

$1 million bail cut in murder case: By Matt Pordum; The bail for a 34-year-old woman who allegedly convinced a friend to kill the man she believed burglarized her was reduced from $1 million to $100,000 on Thursday by District Judge Valorie Vega.; 8:24 a.m.

Year in jail given in hitman case: By Matt Pordum; A woman accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill her husband is to spend the next year in the Clark County Detention Center.; 8:24 a.m.

Missing murder trial witness found: By Matt Pordum; The witness whose failure to finish her testimony at a murder trial caused a mistrial has been located by authorities and is being held in the county jail.; 8:23 a.m.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Science is key ally: WEEKEND EDITION; 5:36 a.m.

Columnist Jon Ralston: It's time for telling fortunes: WEEKEND EDITION; 5:35 a.m.

Letter: Math test merits more attention: January 8 - 9, 2005; 5:34 a.m.

Letter: Wasteful SUVs are reason we're fighting oil war: January 8 - 9, 2005; 5:33 a.m.

Columnist Jeff German: Plan for cameras in cabs running into curb: WEEKEND EDITION; 5:31 a.m.

Editorial: Diminishing returns: January 8 - 9, 2005; 5:30 a.m.

Editorial: Hey, what's in it for me?: January 8 - 9, 2005; 5:28 a.m.

Weekend Time Schedule: AP; N.Y. Jets at San Diego, 8 p.m.; 5:10 a.m.

Civil rights panel's lack of activity questioned: By Timothy Pratt; WEEKEND EDITION; 5:02 a.m.

Locating emergencies: Molly Ball; WEEKEND EDITION; 5:02 a.m.

Children find golf suits them to a tee: Beth Slovic; WEEKEND EDITION; 3:43 a.m.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Series gives kids Fudd for thought: WEEKEND EDITION; 3:41 a.m.

Paint it Black: Kirk Baird; WEEKEND EDITION; 3:38 a.m.

When King did lead: January 8 - 9, 2005; 3:34 a.m.

King's work not yet complete, say local residents: WEEKEND EDITION; 3:33 a.m.

104 stories

: Locally owned and independent since 1950; Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, best news website in the nation & DuPont Award for broadcast journalism

Follow us:

Las Vegas Sun 2275 Corporate Circle, Ste. 300 Henderson, NV 89074