Print edition for January 28, 2005

State health aid to county omitted: Molly Ball; A longtime state budget item that local health officials hoped would bring nearly $2 million to Clark County's efforts to address diseases such as cancer and asthma in the coming two years does not appear in Gov. Kenny Guinn's proposed budget.

Gladiators see opening against rival Avengers: Adam Candee; The Las Vegas Gladiators have spent two years looking up and finding Tony Graziani, Chris Jackson and the Los Angeles Avengers stepping down on them.

Las Vegans head to California to cast ballots in Iraqi election: Beth Slovic; Last week, Jamal Almosawy of Las Vegas drove to Irvine, Calif., with an Iraqi friend and a cousin to register to vote. They will return on Saturday to cast ballots in Iraq's election.

Columnist Nick Christensen: When grades come first, everyone wins: Nick Christensen; There's three weeks left in basketball season, but some teams' playoff hopes pretty much fell flat last week.

Reid's phone call to Ridge spurs LV sisters' release from federal custody: By Timothy Pratt; The Las Vegas teens who have spent the last two weeks detained in Los Angeles pending deportation to Armenia were scheduled to arrive at McCarran International Airport this morning.

Business Bank earnings hit record: The results easily beat the $599,430, or 32 cents a share, reported in the same 2003 quarter.

County may pass tough ordinance on day laborers: The Clark County Commission is scheduled to consider introduction of an ordinance that would make it illegal for the would-be employers to stop in traffic to pick up the day laborers, who are often undocumented immigrants.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: New team has Capps thinking championship: A new team and a new racecar was all it took to have NHRA veteran Ron Capps feeling like a rookie during his first test session in the Don Schumacher Racing Brut-sponsored Funny Car.

Columnist Jeff German: Tabish team hits a new low: This strategy of deception and manipulation -- engineered by the defendants themselves, Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish, with a seemingly endless supply of cash -- has never been about seeking justice, but rather about beating the system.

Builder acquires Arizona land: Rhodes Homes bought the land because of its central location between Las Vegas and Phoenix, Jim Rhodes, owner of Rhodes Homes, said in a press release.

Nicorette, not Winston, now part of NASCAR: CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- One year after Winston ended its partnership with NASCAR, one company is using the sport to promote a much different message: quit smoking.

AMA leader says companies can help ease health crisis: Michelle Swafford; The current health care system is in a crisis, but there are several things employers can do to make a difference.

Suit against Gaming Control Board is dismissed: The state Gaming Control Board and its members have been dismissed as defendants in a lawsuit filed by a Los Angeles gambler.

Two more file for Mack's job: Robert D. Glover and Steve Ross filed on Thursday to run for the Ward 6 seat on the Las Vegas City Council.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Marathon men should run with NASCAR: It's Las Vegas Marathon weekend, which means it's time for some well-meaning sports columnist to feign interest in long-distance running and call for the Strip to be shut down, so as to provide an interesting backdrop for the runners that would attract network television and turn the event into the boffo attraction we all know it can be.

Defense presses, stresses Lobos: Adam Candee; They won five consecutive games and finally looked ready to soar, then promptly dropped three in a row and appeared primed to collapse.

Man sentenced in bat attack: By Matt Pordum; As she sentenced 18-year-old Elvin Avila to two to six years in prison Thursday, District Judge Valorie Vega said that being an angry drunk was no excuse for using a baseball bat to beat a group of young women in a park.

DLJ files $26 million claim in bankruptcy case: DLJ Merchant Banking Partners III, which unsuccessfully negotiated a $400 million bailout for the cash-strapped casino company in August, says its contract contained a clause providing that if Trump reached an alternative deal with someone else by Dec. 1, 2004, it would have to pay a $25 million transaction fee to DLJ.

Worker coalition: Hospitals' rate hike request too high: Michelle Swafford; A coalition of more than 300,000 private and public employees claims that hospitals are attempting to charge between 6 percent and 11 percent more than they need to for services.

Metro lieutenant facing DUI charges in Utah retires: Lt. Chris Van Cleef, the subject of an internal investigation after his Oct. 2 arrest outside Cedar City, Utah, on suspicion of drunken driving, retired from the department effective Jan. 22. He had still been on the job while the department pursued the off-duty conduct investigation, Officer Jose Montoya, a Metro spokesman, said.

Analysts: Wynn will be able to charge more for rooms: By Liz Benston; After a preliminary tour of the $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas resort under construction, some analysts say the property will be able to charge more for rooms than expected and will command among the highest rates on the Strip.

Organizers expect biggest, best race yet: Mike Sims; Sunday marks the 39th running of the Las Vegas Marathon, a 26.2-mile race that starts a half-mile north of the Gold Strike Hotel in Jean and ends at Sunset Park,

Rogers wants state surplus for education: Interim university system Chancellor Jim Rogers plans to ask state lawmakers on Monday to use some of the state's budget surplus to increase higher education funding.

Vegas testing sets tone for Nextel Cup season: Johnny Borneman, Tim Fedewa, Denny Hamlin, Shane Hmiel, Michel Jourdain Jr., Justin Labonte, Paul Menard, Johnny Sauter, Brent Sherman, Reed Sorensen, Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Walker, Kenny Wallace, Paul Wolfe and J.J. Yeley.

Sports briefs for January 28, 2005: Cheyenne High School running back Torrie Coleman (6-foot-2, 210 pounds), a second-team member of the Sun's all-state football team, has scheduled a news conference today at the school to announce his college choice.

LV nurse returning to India to help children of lepers: Donations to help Rising Star Outreach replace the lost fishing boats and nets to the villagers of Chennai or to help provide treatment for those afflicted with leprosy can be made at the organization's Web site risingstaroutreach.org.

DOE unveils details of above-ground storage plan: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department today unveiled new plans for a 500-foot-by-500-foot "aging pad" where nuclear waste would be stored above ground at Yucca Mountain until it was ready for placement in the underground repository.

Arena League gets Sunday spotlight: Adam Candee; The National Football League is off, but live pro football will be on TV this weekend.

LV blows lid off downtown odor: Dan Kulin; Trash and pieces of concrete stewing in pools of rain water trapped beneath downtown Las Vegas are responsible for the foul odor that has plagued the Fremont Street area for years, City Engineer Charles Kajkowski said Thursday.

Private gaming salons at Venetian approved: Like a gambler on a win streak, the Venetian was on top when the Nevada Gaming Commission approved its plans Thursday for its new private gaming salons.

County may change way airport sells surplus land: A recent controversy involving a land deal between the Clark County Aviation Department and a local developer has sparked a familiar litany of suggestions of back-room deals and residents hurt by new commercial development next door.

United mechanics reject contract deal: Mike Colias; CHICAGO -- United Airlines' mechanics union announced today that its members rejected a tentative contract agreement, dealing the carrier a setback in its efforts to cut labor costs without alienating its workers.

Tough road trip will decide Rebels' place in MWC: Steve Guiremand; A sweep of the Front Range schools last weekend at the Thomas & Mack Center has brought the UNLV men's basketball team back to the .500 mark in Mountain West Conference play.

Sentencing postponed in drug case involving Internet prescriptions: There were two reasons cited for the delay in sentencing 46-year-old Christian Frederic Finze. One is that he is suffering from an unspecified medical condition and needs treatment, court officials said. A growth slightly larger than a softball could be his seen on his left elbow in court and he was in a wheelchair.

Power plant construction progress exceeding expectations of PUC: Kevin Rademacher; A massive power plant being built by Nevada Power Co. north of Las Vegas is ahead of schedule and under budget, utility executives told state regulators on Thursday.

Fishing report: Wintry weather brings out bass in the wash: LAKE MEAD: Winter fishing has definitely arrived at the lake and anglers have responded by hooking on baits, such as anchovies and squid, and fishing deep for striped bass.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Eglash pays tribute to Carson: "It started off as a business relationship, but then we became friends," said the 74-year-old Eglash, reached by telephone at his home in Everett, Wash., 25 miles north of Seattle.

Datebook for January 28, 2005: Women at least 50 years old are invited to join a new Red Hat Society chapter forming at the Derfelt Senior Citizens Center, 3343 W. Washington Ave., at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Admission is free. 229-6601.

Poole, an original Rhythmette at Las Vegas High, dies at 70: At a time when Las Vegas was viewed as little more than dice pits, neon lights and one-armed bandit slot machines, Joan Poole did her part as a member of a teenaged precision dance team to show the world a different side of the town.

Performing Arts for January 28, 2005: 'Songbook'

On Display for January 28, 2005: Moapa Valley artists Jo Tame and Betty Halverson will display their watercolors at the Lost City Museum in Overton beginning Tuesday. The museum is located on State Route 169 off Interstate 15, exit, #93 or via Lake Mead or the Valley of Fire. Admission is $3 adults, $2 ages 65 and above, free for children and members. 397-2193.

Tribute to Marilyn Monroe doesn't blow our skirts up: Four walling should be outlawed.

Obituaries for January 28, 2005: Robert "The Chief" Beckwith, 80, of Henderson died Tuesday in Henderson. He was born Aug. 17, 1924, in Brooklyn, N.Y. A resident for 21 years, he was a retired owner of an electricital business and a World War II Army Air Corps veteran.

A history of change: By Ed Koch; Las Vegas is celebrating its centennial this year despite its history of imploding its history.The old railroad ice house, historic casinos such as the Sands and the Dunes and numerous other sites of yesteryear have been wiped off the desert floor to make way for the growth of America's foremost boomtown.

Letter: Casinos must pay a higher share: January 29 - 30, 2005

Columnist Jon Ralston: Guinn's long list lacks vision: WEEKEND EDITION

Columnist Susan Snyder: Grown-ups are behaving childish: WEEKEND EDITION

Kids get the facts about sex and HIV: Beth Slovic; Ariel Edwards is 12 years old and talks openly to her mother about sex and contraception, even though she's still too embarrassed to talk about boys she may like.

Editorial: Iraq hopes to chart new beginning: January 29 - 30, 2005

Children's workshops stage a little fun: Eric Leake; WEEKEND EDITION

New park is a doggone good idea: Beth Slovic; WEEKEND EDITION

Community briefs for January 28, 2005: Sushi Roku will host artist Bruce Sulzberg as he unveils the first 3-dimensional acrylic painting on layers of acrylic glass during the a reception from 1 p.m. 4 p.m. Saturday at Sushi Roku in the New Forum Shops at Caesars.

Rock Talk: Kirk Baird; WEEKEND EDITION

Letter: Small fixes for Social Security: January 29 - 30, 2005

Ensign introduces bill to revise truck fuel tax: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., introduced a bill to benefit the concrete industry on Wednesday. The legislation would change a tax "inequity" that affects owners of ready-mixed concrete and sanitation trucks.

Columnist Jeff German: Yucca foes may have DOE on ropes: WEEKEND EDITION

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Culture of the uninformed: WEEKEND EDITION

Editorial: Cutting dead weight: One of those programs that Carpenter has ended is the community college's professional truck driving school. Carpenter said this week that the program was losing too much money -- it was more than $273,000 in the red this year. And since there are four private trucking schools locally that students can attend, it's not as if the need can't be met elsewhere.

Saturday's matchup: UNLV (9-7, 2-2) at New Mexico (14-5, 1-3): Steve Guiremand; Saturday's matchup: UNLV (9-7, 2-2) at New Mexico (14-5, 1-3)

Letter: Spend surplus on urgent needs: Some of the surplus should be spent to install enhanced 911 emergency service in our major cities.

Fight schedule: At Northern Quest Casino, Airway Heights, Wash. (ESPN2), Eddie Sanchez, New Orleans, vs. Teddy Reid, Adelphi, Md., 12, for the interim NABF super welterweight title; Whyber Garcia, Panama, vs. Valdemir Pereira, Brazil, 12, for Garcia's WBA Fedelatin featherweight title.

Casino site goes for $3.5 million: Seven bidders from the coast, Hattiesburg and New Orleans had registered for Tuesday's auction, but the only bid came from the Florida-based Point South Land Trust. The bid was $3.2 million, but commissions and other expenses put the price for the site at $3.5 million.

Council certifies Tarkanian's win: "I feel honored to be part of the City Council," Tarkanian said after the council voted 5-0 to accept the election results. "I hope to do the best I can."

Lottery chief wants to thwart legal, illegal competitors: The competition has cost taxpayers about $12 million so far, Iowa Lottery Authority Chief Executive Ed Stanek told lawmakers Wednesday.

County ponders 2 percent tax on car rentals: The cost of renting a car, at least for visitors, could go up 2 percent under a proposed ordinance the Clark County Commission could introduce Tuesday.

Morrison takes listeners down relaxing 'Highway': Spencer Patterson; "Hard Nose the Highway" probably isn't the first Van Morrison album anyone should own, but it is the one I listen to most often.

Berkley: Bechtel shouldn't get bonus: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The company that has the contract to create a nuclear dump inside Yucca Mountain should not receive any part of its $15.3 million "performance-based incentive" bonus because the deadline for the license application was missed, Rep. Shelley Berkley said Thursday.

Preps: Thursday's Results: Green Valley 69, Basic 54: GV: Matt Gonzales 23 pts, Thomas Raccioppo 16 pts BASC: Victor Armendariz 17 pts, Richie Lewis 13 pts.

Video game, server software help profit beat expectations: A decrease in stock-based compensation costs also helped.

Ralph Siraco's Santa Anita selections: 1st Race -- SILVER SCREEN HERO -- Draws good rail post for route opener, Espinoza aboard Jones trainee, takes shortest route to winners circle here? TIZZAROUND -- Baze aboard O'Neill trainee, should commit to pace from outside post in two-turn claimer, once around in front for a Tizzaround win. Value Play -- GOSPODIN

Fire hydrant fixed after blaze destroys houses: Eric Leake; The broken hydrant fire investigators said allowed flames to gut three houses under construction in North Las Vegas early this week was working again Thursday after someone dug to the underground valve for the hydrant, a Clark County Fire Department spokesman said Thursday.

RTC will ask feds for $150 million for trains: Stephen Curran; The Regional Transportation Commission will push ahead with a request for $150 million in federal funds for a fixed guideway system planners say could eventually link Henderson to North Las Vegas, the commission's general manager said Thursday.

Inquest to rule on fatal shooting: Aquileo Jimenez-Duran, 21, had allegedly been trying to steal a vehicle from the mall parking lot and at first fled when Officer Jon David approached him, police said.

Correction: The Sun corrects its errors. If you find a mistake, call 385-3111 to report it.

Grants to benefit school programs: More than $50,000 in grant money will be divvied up into grants generally peaking at $7,500 for programs that benefit students in the areas of math, science, and technology, said Nevada Community Foundation President Bret Bicoy.

Federal funds will be used for new homeless project: By Timothy Pratt; The Las Vegas Valley became one of the few urban areas in the nation to get federal funding for start-up projects to help the homeless, part of nearly $6 million announced Thursday, a county official said.

Don't believe everything you see about Rupp: The Great

Ferraro's State of the City sees powerfully green future: In his annual State of the City address Thursday, Boulder City Mayor Bob Ferraro said green energy projects could add cash to the city's coffers.

Ceremony marks start of work on Silver Slipper casino: In reality, work on the project is well under way.

News briefs for January 28, 2005: The Las Vegas Recovery Center is creating a scholarship fund for students studying addiction at UNLV, Stuart Smith, the center's chief executive officer, announced Thursday.

Rogers wants policy set on single professional schools: Interim Chancellor Jim Rogers wants university regents to formally adopt a policy that limits professional programs in the state to one law school, one medical school and one school of dentistry for the next 20 years.

Henderson briefs for January 28, 2005: Because delivery drivers, residents, and even city personnel are sometimes confused by the disjointed turn in Green Valley Parkway, Henderson is considering renaming half the street.

Berkley attends Auschwitz ceremony: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Walking through the barracks in Auschwitz, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., thought that if she had been born a generation earlier, she might have seen the Jewish concentration camp as an inmate instead of as a congresswoman.

Saturday's horse racing entries: Post Time 11:45 a.m.

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Queen mom Blizzard reigns on comedy stages: Lisa Ferguson; Covered in baby drool and chasing after her three young children, the stay-at-home mom says the year she spent reigning as Miss New Jersey 1995 seems as though it happened a lifetime -- not a decade -- ago.

Money, time are toughest challenges for Yucca rail line: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Constructing a new rail line in Nevada to haul nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain would be a "pretty easy technical challenge," an Energy Department official said Thursday.

Card games at tribal casinos make legal debut: The agreements, or compacts, are between the state and the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, Comanche Nation, Miami Tribe and the Cherokee Nation.

Life sentence given in killing in parking lot of the Palms: Frederic Dixon shot 36-year-old Derrick Nunley several times while Nunley was in his car trying to flee, prosecutors said.

Report traces Nevada's record growth, water use: David Kihara; From 1950 to 2000, Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the nation and increased its use of water more than any other state in the Southwest, according to a new report.

Uber Time: Away from Blue Man, members of Uberschall find time to play: Spencer Patterson; By his own admission, Jordan Cohen didn't get much accomplished Monday.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Blues artist Wolf turning life around: When the 50-year-old Kiowa Indian from Anadarko, Okla., performs at Euro Place Ristorante, he reaches deep down inside and pulls out the pain of experiences from an enigmatic life that has taken him to some very dark places.

Lawsuit over downtown property put on hold: Dan Kulin; The lawsuit in which Louis Palazzo and Ross Goodman, son of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, are trying to force an elderly woman to sell her downtown property will be on hold until Tuesday while Palazzo and Goodman decide if they want a new judge to hear the case.

Fired reformatory official files suit: CARSON CITY -- A man who is fighting to regain his supervisor job at the state youth reformatory in Caliente has beaten the state to the punch in filing a lawsuit.

Letter: Too many rules at school district restrain teachers: I experienced this during eight years of teaching in a local junior high (I retired in 2000), and I've watched it since because my wife taught until a year ago, and our daughter is still teaching in the district.

Columnist Spencer Patterson: Tisdale rebounds to overcome stage jitters: Spencer Patterson; Yet when the Oklahoma native began his second career as a jazz bassist, he routinely felt nervous as he took the stage.

Commission to set big game seasons: Setting of 2005-06 and 2006-07 big game hunting seasons and wild horse management will be discussed by the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners during a meeting at the Clark County Government Center on Feb. 4-5 at 500 Grand Central Parkway.

Growth brings power plant pollution to residents: Molly Ball; At the corner of Sahara Avenue and Tree Line Drive on the eastern edge of town, the stacks of the Clark power plant are visible from the parking lot of Las Vegas High School, towering over the tops of orderly rows of houses.

Flu season has been mild so far: In Clark County, there have been 22 confirmed cases of the illness, senior epidemiologist Brian Labus told the county Health Board at Thursday's meeting.

Editorial: More debate, less bickering: Gov. Kenny Guinn, a Republican, wants to spend $100 million on the state's failing schools, for such programs as full-day kindergarten. While providing extra money to at-risk schools is admirable, the Legislature's Democrats have a valid point when they counter that all of Nevada's children would benefit from full-day kindergarten.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Pastries (and more) are found at patisserie: This patisserie offers much more than pastries. Exhibited in a brilliantly designed showcase that is the patisserie's central focus are flaky croissants, madeleines, pastries and other cafe-style foods. The patisserie's wall shelves overflow with Chef Jean-Philippe's exquisite chocolates, preserves and other food items. The custom packaging design for the candies were designed by Jean-Philippe.

UNLV tries to deal with low graduation rates: By Christina Littlefield; Compare the graduation rates of UNLV or any other four-year institution to similar institutions online at collegeresults.org.

Economic growth slows in final quarter of 2004: Jeannine Aversa; WASHINGTON -- Economic growth slowed a bit in the final stretch of 2004, expanding at a still respectable 3.1 percent pace. For all of last year, though, the economy clocked in at its fastest clip since 1999, a compelling sign that the recovery is more deeply rooted.

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