Print edition for July 21, 2005

Columnist Susan Snyder: A study in waste management: Only two?

Video poker take up: Gamblers lost $583.8 million playing video poker during the 2004-05 fiscal year at truck stops, bars, restaurants, hotels, and off-track betting parlors, compared with $566 million for the 2003-04 year. Both fiscal years ended on June 30.

Speak performance: Author Beth Lisick wields wit while bringing personal stories to life: By Kristen Peterson; "I was a very practical, utilitarian kind of person," Lisick said from her home in Berkeley, Calif. "I thought I wanted to be a doctor, maybe. It seemed like a stable, good thing to be."

Man to stand trial in death of girlfriend's son, 3: By Matt Pordum; A jury will determine whether a 3-year-old boy was murdered by his mother's live-in boyfriend or instead sustained the fatal injuries after accidentally falling off a bunk bed and crashing into a bed post while pretending to be Spiderman.

Community briefs for July 21, 2005: The Henderson Parks and Recreation Department is accepting Safekey and Teen Scene registration for the 2005-06 school year starting Aug. 18. For times and locations, call the Safekey office at 267-4100.

Editorial: A serious undertaking: Roberts, at first glance, would appear to have what it takes to easily pass Senate confirmation. But career accomplishments and a genial personality only count for so much when someone is seeking a lifetime appointment to the most powerful court in the nation. More important is a Supreme Court nominee's judicial philosophy -- and there are some significant questions regarding Roberts in this area. Right now, because Roberts hasn't been a federal judge for a long time, his judicial record is thin. It is uncertain if he is in the mold of O'Connor, a mainstream conservative, who often was the ...

Young to defend self in retrial for slayings of four young men: By Matt Pordum; A 25-year-old man with an 11th grade education said, "I don't want no attorney," prior to a judge ruling Wednesday he can defend himself at his retrial in the execution-style slaying of four young men in August 1998.

Jobless claims post biggest decline in 2 1/2 years: The Labor Department reported that new benefit claims dropped by 34,000 to a new total of 303,000 as the labor market continued to signal strength.

Editorial: Support our troops: Within an hour the fund had grown to $80,000. Before long individuals and businesses had built the fund up to $135,000. The fund's bylaws stipulated that $12,000 would go to widows and widowers who had children, and that $6,000 would go to the families of fallen troops who did not have children. Tragically, 17 Nevadans have now been killed in either Iraq or Afghanistan. As a result, the fund is running low on money.

Corrections: Corrections

Las Vegas helps Air Force test straight-to-basic-training project: Dick Benoit; Las Vegas is one of three cities participating in an Air Force Recruiting Service (AFRS) test program to ship recruits to basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas directly from their hometowns.

Murder trial under way for roommate of man found buried in apartment floor: By Matt Pordum; Relatives of 52-year-old Robert Wilson testified Tuesday that during the months that they were worried about why they couldn't reach him, his former roommate, Gregory Stiegler, gave them varying stories about Wilson's disappearance.

Regents banking on research for UNLV: In his UNLV laboratory on Tuesday, biological sciences professor Allen Gibbs was hard at work trying to understand how a certain gene allows some fruit flies to resist stressful desert conditions such as extreme heat and lack of water.

Proposed golf course rule aims at using recycled water: Woodbury announced the ordinance -- which could halt construction of new facilities or expansions to existing ones -- last week in response to what he said were prolonged drought conditions that strain Southern Nevada's water supply. The matter is now expected to come before the full commission in September.

BLM wants land near speedway auctioned: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The Las Vegas Motor Speedway should have to get public land for a new parking lot through an auction rather than a simple sale, a Bureau of Land Management official told a Senate panel Wednesday.

Rubber checks leave DMV short: Department of Motor Vehicle records show that at least 120 customers got away with passing bad checks two or more times between 1990 and 1999, when the agency was stuck with more than $500,000 in bad debt.

Action on Walters' request postponed: Dan Kulin; The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday again postponed action on golf course developer Billy Walters' request to have a deed restriction on his Royal Links Golf Club lifted so he can build homes there.

Police: Child's shooting random: Police have not been able to find a motive for the shooting. No arrests have been made.

Census report confirms Nevada's growth: Following Nevada was Arizona at 3 percent, Utah at 2.6 percent and Florida and Idaho both at 2.5 percent, the housing gains report said.

Sports briefs for July 21, 2005: Michael Johnson and the rest of the U.S. 1,600-meter relay team can keep their gold medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled today.

Witness says suspect told him that he was defending himself: By Matt Pordum; A man charged with killing his roommate and burying him under the floor of their apartment has said little in his defense. However, the man who turned him in to the FBI testified Wednesday that it was a case of self-defense.

Preps: 2005 football schedule: Desert Pines at Shadow Ridge, Coronado at Palo Verde, Silverado at Cheyenne, Liberty at Centennial, Mojave at Chaparral, Basic at Cimarron-Memorial, The Meadows at Arbor View, Las Vegas at Pineview (St. George, Utah), Durango at Del Sol, Rancho at Clark, Foothill at Eldorado, Spring Valley at Canyon Springs, Green Valley at Sierra Vista, Virgin Valley at Dixie (St. George, Utah), Boulder City at Sparks, Faith Lutheran at Mineral County, Carlin at Indian Springs, Laughlin at Beatty, Moapa Valley at Carson, Beaver Dam (Ariz.) at Spring Mountain Youth Camp (Saturday), Round Mountain at Coleville (Calif.) (Saturday).

Letter: Many cherished principles are being threatened: Eighty-four years later a Civil War was fought, not only to hold this new nation together, but also to ensure that these rights would remain. Great battles were fought -- Gettysburg, Bull Run, Antietam -- at the cost of thousands of lives. This young country, in its short existence, has fought in two world wars, in which more of its sons and daughters, by the hundreds of thousands, died to keep the principles that have made it the most democratic country in the world.

Golf briefs for July 21, 2005: The 2002 Girls' Junior champion, In-Bee Park, 17, birdied four holes in eliminating Stephanie Kono, 15, of Honolulu, 3 and 2. Then she defeated Lila Barton of Dallas 2 and 1.

Many casinos outside Nevada face tough marketing rules: By Liz Benston; Recent ads for Las Vegas casinos feature bunny rabbits cavorting with women in bikinis and half-naked women partying in nightclubs.

Group promotes man's return to the moon: Soon after Meriwether Lewis and William Clark returned from their historic government-sponsored exploration west of the Mississippi River in 1806, others followed the trail they blazed.

City OKs appointments: The council voted 7-0 to approve the appointments, many of which let the mayor and council members remain on panels they already belonged to, or in positions they already held, such as the reappointment of Councilman Gary Reese as mayor pro tem.

Downtown, West Las Vegas land deals approved: Dan Kulin; Two land deals, one downtown and one in the West Las Vegas, were unanimously approved by the Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday.

Fight schedule: TONIGHT

America West profit rises 30 percent to $13.9 million: John Hughes and Mary Schlangenstein; America West Holdings Corp., parent of the eighth-largest U.S. airline, said second-quarter profit rose 30 percent as sales growth overcame a fuel-cost rise.

Board to weigh uses for school building: By Emily Richmond; A $14.5 million building some Clark County School District critics called lavish and a waste of money could end up turning a profit for the district.

Wilhelm: AFL-CIO 'bureaucratic,' 'disconnected' from workers: Alana Roberts; Although John Wilhelm says he won't challenge John Sweeney for the presidency of the AFL-CIO, he levels strong criticism at labor's top official.

Bicyclists in silent support of officer: Eric Leake; Cyclists rode through Red Rock Canyon in silence this morning to support a Metro Police officer who was critically injured after a hit-and-run collision Wednesday.

Enron trying to fight possible venue change: Kevin Rademacher; Nevada's U.S. senators on Wednesday were fuming over Enron Corp.'s latest salvo in an epic battle between Nevada utilities and the disgraced power trader.

Report on locals' casinos delayed: The committee created at the request of Clark County Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald in January is now reviewing possible changes to the design requirements for the hotels, which unlike massive Strip properties are built near residential neighborhoods and often feature shopping, movie theaters and bowling alleys designed to appeal to families.

Remington Park, zoo reach racetrack lease agreement: The payment is in addition to the $132,857 annually that Magna Entertainment Corp. already was obligated to pay.

Tropicana owner reports higher profit: By Liz Benston; The owner of the Tropicana hotel and casino in Las Vegas said profit soared 65 percent, largely from the addition of a new retail mall at its flagship casino in Atlantic City.

Deadline on Yucca documents is Friday: WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department has until Friday to deliver Yucca Mountain project documents to the House Government Reform Committee under a subpoena delivered Wednesday by Chairman Tom Davis.

Binion's owner announces 47 percent decline in profit: Profit was $1.6 million or 6 cents per share -- half of what analysts expected the company to earn in the second quarter. That compares with $3 million or 10 cents per share a year ago.

Ralph Siraco's Del Mar selections: 1st Race -- S S STRANGE -- Draws good rail post for mile opener, Baze aboard Mitchell trainee, sails into winners circle here? TAKE A CHANCE -- P. Val atop Knapp trainee, draws alongside top pick for two-turn claimer, hey, Take A Chance here? Value Play -- GO COYOTE JOE

Obituaries for July 21, 2005: Dulce M. Basnueva, 97, of Las Vegas died Wednesday in Las Vegas. She was born Jan. 15, 1908, in Cuba. A resident for 32 years, she was a homemaker.

IGT beats analysts' expectations: International Game Technology continued to weather a drought in domestic casino openings today, reporting third-quarter earnings that fell 16 percent from a year ago, yet still beat analysts' expectations.

Animal shelter expansion offers relief just in time: In the corner of a kennel at the Animal Foundation's new, expanded bungalow shelters, Miss, a 2-year-old, long-haired Chihuahua, sat shaking in fear.

Roberts praised for role in Nevada cases: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., already delving into the background of John Roberts, offered subtle praise today for the Supreme Court nominee's role in two Nevada-related cases.

Republican poll may stop 'bloody' primary in spring: Kirsten Searer; Clark County Republicans could take the controversial step of holding a straw poll as soon as this fall to endorse candidates in the 2006 primary elections.

Chief investor in Emerald Casino denies lying to gaming board: Maura Kelly Lannan; CHICAGO -- A chief investor in the bankrupt Emerald Casino denied Wednesday that he lied to Illinois Gaming Board investigators, refuting one of the main reasons the board wants to revoke the casino's license.

Mechanics' strike OK'd: The threat of a strike and potential flight delays or disruptions could cripple Northwest, which has lost more than $3 billion since 2001 and is pushing all of its workers to accept $1.1 billion worth of annual pay and benefit cuts.

UNLV's Marshall cleared by doctor: Steve Guiremand; UNLV football coach Mike Sanford got a piece of potentially good news Wednesday when senior wide receiver Alvin Marshall received clearance from a cardiologist to begin conditioning drills.

Letter: Gibbons has earned respect: Leadership is not about personal barbs or slaps. It's about commitment and staying the course. It's about public service and military courage. It's about being a member of Congress for five terms. It's about the people who know you and support you.

Mercury hits 110 for 9th straight day: By Mary Manning; As daytime temperatures dropped seven degrees in the Las Vegas Valley on Wednesday, Southern Nevada still managed to break a record.

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 2 p.m.

NLV OKs new ban on payday loan firms: North Las Vegas enacted a six-month moratorium on new payday loan companies Wednesday, but the industry opposes any regulations that limit their number in the community and distance from one another.

News briefs for July 21, 2005: WASHINGTON -- A top Yucca Mountain project official will leave his post next week, citing personal reasons.

Architect selected for state college: CARSON CITY -- In an effort to get construction started on a long-delayed building at Nevada State College in Henderson, the state Public Works Board on Wednesday selected an architect without soliciting proposals from others.