Print edition for January 24, 2005

Letter: Spend more time in classrooms: An audit should be made to determine how many district and building administrators have been out of the classroom more than five years since assuming administrative duties. Those that occupy positions with limited student contact are the ones most likely to turn out mindless, nonsensical and meaningless paperwork and procedures to overburden teachers. Too often these individuals must justify their position by producing additional paperwork to be completed by teachers.

Former teacher who pleaded guilty to sex crimes has shot at probation: By Matt Pordum; A former UNLV basketball player who had sex with students while serving as a middle school substitute teacher has a chance at probation next month, thanks to a prosecutor's backdating of his crimes by a year.

Two-thirds-vote case rejected: CARSON CITY -- For a second time, the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear a petition asking it to rule that a two-thirds vote is needed to pass any tax by the Nevada Legislature.

Tourist killed trying to stop robbers: Stephen Curran; A 49-year-old man visiting Las Vegas for a convention died Saturday from gunshot wounds he suffered when he tried to stop two men who were fleeing a McDonald's they had just robbed, police said.

Early voting numbers indicate low turnout: Beth Slovic; The final ballots won't be cast until Tuesday, but if the early voting is any indication, a relatively low number of people will determine whether or not Janet Moncrief remains as the Ward 1 representative on the Las Vegas City Council.

Northeast digging out after huge snowstorm: Theo Emery; BOSTON -- The city's airport partially reopened today but schools and courthouses were closed in many areas as the Northeast struggled to recover from the weekend's blizzard.

Limited rail service restored: The rail operator said that the line, which was damaged by flooding two weeks ago, will be limited to about 15 trains per day. At full service, the line serves about 25 trains a day. Union Pacific said the partial service status will remain for about a week.

Frustration mounts for boxed-in Wranglers: Nick Christensen; Two weeks ago, the ECHL began cracking down on stick penalties, making calls such as slashing more frequently and for incidents with less severity.

Metro identifies officer who shot boy: According to a department statement, Rivas-Guevara, 33, has been employed by Metro since August 2001 and was assigned to the patrol division in the northwest area command.

Jobless rate stays near low: CARSON CITY -- Unemployment in Nevada in December inched up to 3.8 percent with an estimated 43,400 persons out of work, but it was still near the record low set in October.

Former casino worker pleads guilty in prostitution: Michael Chau, 34, who worked at Trump Taj Mahal, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Friday to using the telephone to promote prostitution. He faces up to five years prison when he is sentenced.

Cops to pay settlement to family of slain man: David Herrera's family members, Guadalupe Herrera and Adolfo Cruz, filed the wrongful death suit after the 27-year-old was killed Jan. 17, 2001, by Officer Al Woodruff.

Carson had long Vegas history: Johnny Carson, the definitive late-night talk show host, had a long presence in Las Vegas, and is being remembered today by local entertainers for giving them their big breaks in show business and for being an intensely private man.

Police see drop in violent crimes: Eric Leake; There are times that North Las Vegas bartender Deanna Radabaugh feels safe enough to walk home after her night shift at Hank's Poo Bear Lounge.

LV flights planned for Pittsburgh, Anchorage: The Tempe, Ariz.-based airline, the No. 2 commercial passenger carrier at McCarran International Airport, announced today that it would offer daily flights to Anchorage, Alaska, and Pittsburgh.

Progam helps put minorities, women in construction jobs: Alana Roberts; With commercial construction projects dotting the Las Vegas map the need for construction workers in the valley is high. Because of that demand there is a push to bring more women and minorities into the construction trades.

New contract at Lake Michigan casinos win first union vote: Eighty-six percent of the union members at Harrah's casino in East Chicago voted in favor of the new contract on Thursday, said Clare Fauke, a spokeswoman for Chicago-based Unite Here Local 1.

Cemetery plans buried in boondoggle: The recent controversial commercial rezoning of a piece of former airport property that the county had sold was necessary because the land previously had been zoned residential and it shouldn't have been, a county official said Sunday.

Deal is made in killing at alleged meth house: By Matt Pordum; One of the two men accused in the killing of a 19-year-old at a home where alleged methamphetamine users lived pleaded guilty to lesser charges on Friday and is expected to be sentenced to five to 20 years.

Death outside bar is ruled an accident: According to the coroner's office, Kenneth Klein died from head trauma after he fell outside Brando's Grill and Bar, 2801 Green Valley Parkway near Sunset Road in Henderson.

UNLV alum makes roster: Adam Candee; A former NFL first-round pick couldn't make it, but a one-time UNLV standout did.

Trial delayed in cabdriver's death: By Matt Pordum; A 33-year-old man accused of killing a cabdriver by setting him on fire during a robbery will face the death penalty, but won't stand trial until September.

Research group says huge tax increase in 2003 was unnecessary: Kirsten Searer; Nevada didn't need to raise taxes by a record $833 million in the 2003 legislative session, according to a new study by a free-market policy group.

Man dies after stabbing at store: Police were called to the Circle K on Belmont Street near Carey Avenue about 9:15 p.m. and found Jeremiah Warlick suffering from serious stab wounds. Warlick was rushed to University Medical Center where he later died, police reported.

Police report on Galardi to be heard by county: Metro Police officers are preparing to present the results of a yearlong investigation of Jack Galardi, father of a former strip club mogul at the center of a federal public corruption probe, at a meeting of the Clark County Commission scheduled Tuesday.

Tax rebate, new school program top Guinn plan: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn says he can hardly wait to deliver his State of the State address tonight to outline his priorities in the estimated $5.7 billion budget that includes a new education program for young children, a $300 million tax rebate and potential relief for rising property value.

Branch's big plays break Steelers: Lee Jenkins; PITTSBURGH -- From the moment New England receiver Deion Branch hit the end zone, it was as if 50,000 Terrible Towels had hit the ground.

Lawyer: No negotiation in strip club case: Jace Radke; Speculation that Crazy Horse Too shift manager Robert D'Apice could cut a deal with the government to implicate club owner Rick Rizzolo in racketeering charges will prove to be untrue, according to D'Apice's attorney Michael Cristalli.

Casinos still leery of lottery: Liz Benston and Kristen Searer; Introducing a state lottery could be counterproductive and even hurt the state's primary industry, according to one casino representative.

Hawk rejects education post at swearing-in ceremony: CARSON CITY -- John Hawk, re-elected to the state Board of Education from his Las Vegas district in November, spent Friday, his last day on the board, playing a cat-and-mouse game with state officials.

Rebels hope to build momentum: Steve Guiremand; Whew!!!

NFL Playoff Glance: AP; N.Y. Jets 20, San Diego 17, OT

Mental health crisis center sought: CARSON CITY -- The chairwoman of the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee said Sunday that immediate action is needed to solve the mental health crisis in Southern Nevada.

LV labors to lure gay tourists: Is Las Vegas ready to embrace the gay traveler with open arms?

Rebels land third all-state first-teamer in Rodriguez: Steve Guiremand; New UNLV head football coach Mike Sanford picked up four more commitments over the weekend, including a third from the first team of the Sun's All-State squad.

Two years given in tax case: Jace Radke; Despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that made federal sentencing guidelines advisory in nature, U.S. District Judge Lloyd George stayed within those guidelines when sentencing a Las Vegas man to two years in prison.

Judge agrees that erotic dance law is too vague: By Matt Pordum; A judge stripped away Las Vegas' law preventing erotic dancers from "fondling and caressing" patrons during lap dances because it was "too vague" on Friday.

Judge dismisses lawsuit over payments to Vegas firm: District Judge Stephen Yelenosky said the plaintiff, Russ Verney of Dallas, did not have standing to file the lawsuit because he did not prove he was unduly harmed by the state contract with the firm.

Democrats outline priorities: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today outlined the party's legislative priorities for the year, including plans to lower drug prices for seniors, pay for the No Child Left Behind Act and do a better job of targeting terrorists.

Woman, 75, injured while crossing street: Florence Dunning was crossing in the 2600 block of High Vale Drive in Las Vegas about 5:15 Saturday evening when she entered the path of a 2000 Lexus driven by 80-year-old Elizabeth Robinson of Las Vegas, police said.

Station Casinos earnings jump: By Liz Benston; Stronger than expected demand from local gamblers helped Station Casinos Inc. blow past Wall Street estimates for the fourth quarter. The company reported profit of $38 million compared with a loss of $8.6 million in the prior year's quarter.

Caesars shareholders to vote on buyout in March: Under the agreement, shareholders will elect to convert each share of Caesars stock to $17.75 in cash or 0.347 shares of Harrah's, according to a notice sent to Caesars shareholders.

Newspaper deals investigated: The Wall Street Journal said the Justice Department is investigating Gannett's proposed buyout of HomeTown Communications Network Inc., a Midwest community-newspaper publisher based in Livonia, Mich., and has opened a preliminary inquiry into the Times' plans to take a 49 percent stake in Metro Boston, a free daily that competes with the Boston Globe, which is also owned by the Times.

Banks plan course of action against newest state taxes: Kevin Rademacher; With just weeks to go before state lawmakers converge on Carson City, Nevada's bankers are finalizing their strategy for the new legislative session.

Editorial: Go slow on lottery idea: This is in contrast with previous sessions, when bills presented by individual lawmakers received no support from the leadership and, consequently, went nowhere. But now two Democratic leaders, both of whom are probable candidates for governor, are supporting a lottery. Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, and Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, cite a revenue potential of as much as $50 million in the first year. They say the money would be directed toward specific education needs, such as textbooks.

IBM PC unit sale to Lenovo faces security hurdle: Members of the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States, including the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security, worry that Chinese operatives might use an IBM facility in North Carolina to engage in industrial espionage, using stolen technologies for military purposes, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

First Lake Mead fatality of year reported: Stephen Curran and Mary Manning; Las Vegas native David Revis likely died doing what he loved in a place he loved, his sister said this morning.

Sports briefs for January 24, 2005: Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis denied a published report that said he'll end his retirement to fight Vitali Klitschko in November.

Company to submit casino proposal for Singapore: The company had previously expressed interest in Singapore, which is inviting several companies to submit informal concepts for projects.

Preps: Schedule: Boys' Basketball

Columnist Ralph Siraco: Eclipse Awards televised tonight from Beverly Hills: Ralph Siraco; Tonight the 34th annual Eclipse Awards will be presented at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. It has finally arrived: Thoroughbred racing's Oscars will be televised. Live. In the never-ending string of award shows, the Eclipse Awards becomes the latest entry, on the TVG horse racing cable network --Channel 324 on the Cox Cable system -- starting at 6 p.m. The 4 1/2-hour program will start with a 90-minute "red carpet" show, followed by the 2 1/2-hour presentation show and a 30-minute wrapup show.

Public gets fresh look at growth: Clark County and a host of local agencies brought an ongoing look at growth and its effects to the public on Saturday and showed some new products for gauging the pace of growth.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Renewed love affair with tennis: I'm not what you would call a big tennis fan. Maybe I'll watch the four majors, beginning with the quarterfinals, but that's about it. Unless, of course, Kournikova is playing in one of those made-for-TV celebrity matches in high definition.

Court hears arguments for smoking petition: CARSON CITY -- A coalition of health groups says its initiative petition to limit smoking in public places should be allowed to be presented to the Legislature next month because a law regarding signatures is ambiguous.

U.K. firms oppose Blair's gaming bill: Reed V. Landberg; U.K. gaming companies led by Rank Group Plc and Gala Group Ltd. are fighting Prime Minister Tony Blair's plan to open the industry to Las Vegas-style casinos, saying their businesses will be damaged by the competition.

Community briefs for January 24, 2005: Hyde Park Middle School's symphonic band has been invited to represent Nevada at the White House for The Salute America Celebration April 20-24..

Snoop Dogg rolls through show at House of Blues: Spencer Patterson; Seemingly, each time one of the venue's sentries spotted someone smoking the stuff and advised him to put it out, three more in the sold-out crowd of 1,800 would light up.

Long Division: Experts say celeb marriages such as Pitt-Aniston often succumb to pressure: Kirk Baird; "Brad & Angelina: The Real Truth."

Five Nevadans to help elect new Democratic chairman: Kirsten Searer; Even though President Bush won the state by 21,500 votes last year, Democrats aren't willing to throw in the towel on Nevada.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Statewide, growth needs planning: Not that I would know personally, of course. About the only place I'm popular is at home, and then it's only because I have the opposable thumbs needed to open a can of cat food.

Letter: Tiffany should work for citizens, not GOP bosses: It's the teachers union that she is talking about. Why does she continue to attack teachers? Nobody works harder for less than our teachers. Why does she want to destroy the Clark County School District by breaking it up into smaller districts?

IRS reminds e-filers to 'send': Also, Free File, the free tax-service partnership and an important component of IRS e-file, opens its third year with free service offerings to taxpayers who have access to a computer and the Internet.

In eating contest, 'Black Widow' is woman of devour: Kirk Baird; Call it: Man vs. Beef.

Editorial: Yucca word games: Previously, Bodman was deputy commerce secretary and before that he served in executive positions in private corporations. He hasn't had any experience dealing with Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, where the federal government wants to bury the deadly waste from nuclear power plants.

Birth announcements for January 24, 2005: Jan. 12:

Obituaries for January 24, 2005: Lucrecia Catindig Aguilar, 67, of Las Vegas died Friday in a local hospital. She was born Nov. 28, 1937, in the Philippines. A resident for five years, she was a retired hospital certified nursing assistant.