Print edition for July 29, 2005

EOB has new director, but same troubles to address: By Timothy Pratt; The Economic Opportunity Board, after more than a year of heavy turnover and searing federal reviews, had its first board meeting under a new director Thursday -- and faced many of the same issues that brought on troubles in the first place.

Editorial: A telling moment?: In response to the IRA's announcement, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said this "may be the day on which, finally, after all these false dawns and dashed hopes, peace replaced war, politics replaces terror on the island of Ireland." Protestant leaders in Northern Ireland were more reserved, however, saying it would take at least several months to see if the IRA's deeds match its words.

Letter: Hours, duties of teachers often misunderstood: I am a teacher and, yes, our salary is a basic package with a total value to include health insurance and retirement. I'm sorry that we need health and retirement benefits, but for Mr. Lanstyak to write that we have "no experience" is ludicrous! In order to get a license in teaching, the law requires internships, several of them, just like any other high-end field career.

Lottery CEO could get 65 percent pay bonus: "You ought to do your work," said state Sen. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis. "You get paid your salary. You do your best."

Columnist Spencer Patterson: Asia, Rolie represent a lively rock lineage: Spencer Patterson; The two band leaders' career approaches, however, could hardly have been more different.

Corrections: Corrections

Mental health officials deny suit's claims: David Kihara; Nevada mental health officials denied they are violating the due process of detainees at county jails, according to federal court documents filed on Thursday.

Don't expect MWC tourney back in Denver: No league or school official will comment, for the record, about the first round of unofficial talks that could lead the Mountain West Conference to move its annual basketball tournament out of Denver.

High court upholds LV woman's conviction: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the conviction of Amy Green, found guilty in Las Vegas of exploiting an 85-year-old ailing woman, getting her to hand over $1.5 million of her life savings.

Prosecutor tries to poke holes in Potter's claims: Nigel Potter, former chief executive of Wembley PLC, is one of two former executives affiliated with Lincoln Park charged with plotting to bribe former Speaker John Harwood in hopes of winning his support for a plan to add slot machines at the dog track. Until recently, British-based Wembley owned the track in Lincoln, R.I.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Group works to relay information: WEEKEND EDITION

State law forces shuffling of Health Board positions: The bill proposed by Assemblyman David Parks, D-Las Vegas, originally met with opposition from the board, but was amended so that the board stays the same size but some posts change.

Dog racing entrepreneur Funk dies at 63: Dog racing was in David J. Funk's blood, even though early on in his career the son of a legendary greyhound track operator did not always get the best jobs.

Letter: President's daughters should enlist: July 30-31, 2005

On Display for July 29, 2005: Artist Susan Bowen's digital panoramic photographs will be displayed until Monday at CCSN's Performing Arts Center, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave. Admission is free. 651-4205.

Blood drives: Tuesday: 10 a.m.-2 p.m, Bank of America Computer Center, 4101 E. Charleston Blvd.; 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Bechtel, 7690 W. Cheyenne Ave.; 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Southwest Gas, 4300 W. Tropicana Ave.; 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Sunrise Hospital, 3186 S. Maryland Parkway.

Editorial: President's money grab off for now: For Nevadans, that "some point" was intended by the Bush administration to begin immediately in the form of reduced benefits from the Public Land Management Act of 1998. Congress passed the act to compensate Nevada for the overwhelming amount of federal land it contains, land that cannot be used to develop tax-producing businesses and industries. The act says that all proceeds from federal land sales in Nevada are to be spent in Nevada on airport improvements, water infrastructure, education and conservation programs.

Letter: Invest more in teachers, not superintendent: July 30-31, 2005

Woman tells different story on stand than one told to cops: By Matt Pordum; Did the mother of three of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s children lie to police about being kicked and beaten by the WBC lightweight champion outside a nightclub, or was she lying in court Thursday?

GDP grows by 3.4 percent rate in second quarter: The solid increase in the gross domestic product for the April-to-June quarter, reported by the Commerce Department today, came on the heels of a larger 3.8 percent growth rate in the opening quarter of this year.

Resort pays fine after violating regulation: The Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday approved a settlement in a complaint filed against the Mandalay Bay Resort earlier this month by the state attorney general's office on behalf of the state Gaming Control Board.

Registration due for youth soccer: Drop-off registration will be accepted Aug. 22 through Aug. 25. Walk-in registration will be available at player rating days pending space availability.

Porter's committee still waiting for some Yucca documents: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jon Porter's subcommittee is still waiting for some of the Yucca Mountain nuclear dump documents it requested through a subpoena earlier this month, despite Energy Department assurances that it would comply with the subpoena.

Gibson says he'll be a Democrat if he runs for governor: Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson said Thursday that any bid he makes for Nevada governor will be as a Democrat.

Ensign says unveiling of bill boosted stock market: At a morning Capitol press conference, Ensign, R-Nev., unveiled a bill he authored that would overhaul the telecommunications industry.

Proposal banning sales of wild horses to slaughterhouses dies: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The Bureau of Land Management will continue to be able to sell wild horses and burros under a controversial federal program created last year which allowed some of the animals to be sent to slaughterhouses.

News briefs for July 29, 2005: A federal magistrate is allowing a defendant in the Hells Angels case to travel to Spain to attend a tattoo convention, according to court documents filed on Thursday.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Laguna Beach resort achieves lofty status: The outdoor patio setting of Mosaic is more casual than the gracious Loft, and Mosaic's menu is more casual. But both feature bold California cuisine as interpreted by Chef John Cuevas and his team.

Fishing report: Elements work against anglers: Boaters continue to enjoy good action while shore anglers are still waiting for the stripers to move close to the shoreline. Many anglers are now fishing at night in order to avoid the scorching summer heat.

Senate nears vote on energy bill: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The Senate is debating a final version of the energy bill this morning and is likely to vote on it later today.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Things to consider: WEEKEND EDITION

A good night's sleep is second to Mum: Spencer Patterson; Over the last few months, I've gotten into the habit of going to bed with my iPod earphones on.

Casino revenue for June up on coast, down along river: Coastal casinos reported a take of $108.6 million in June. It was a 9.5 percent increase over June 2004 when gross gambling revenue totaled $99.2 million.

Thunderstorms hit parts of valley: Two strangers pulled a Henderson nanny and a 2-year-old girl from a car swamped on Sunset Road near Annie Oakley Drive Thursday as thunderstorms dumped heavy rain on the Las Vegas Valley.

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

Columnist Jon Ralston: Beers sets tone for debate: WEEKEND EDITION

Making over Mirabelli: Las Vegas Leisure Services officials say because of pending demolition of the old Mirabelli Community Center, fall activities will be moved to two sites near the 6200 Elton Avenue facility.

Health District workers say management unfair: Molly Ball; The union representing workers for the Clark County Health District says its contract negotiations are being conducted in bad faith and its members are treated disrespectfully.

Boulder City backs wildlife officials: Boulder City officials and residents say the River Mountain bighorn sheep have minds of their own and will come down to the park even if people do nothing to encourage them.

Letter: Rove must pay for dirty deeds: Americans also need to realize that any problems in any organization come from the top down. Sadly, in 30 short years, any lessons that should have been learned from Watergate have been forgotten, or, worse, trivialized.

Editorial: Progressive thought: July 30-31, 2005

77-year-old arrested after allegedly raising gun toward Metro officer: Sun Staff; The suspect, William Kurt, 77, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and was booked into the Clark County Detention Center.

Lottery scholarship program faces financial squeeze: The latest financial projections could derail proposals by Gov. Bill Richardson and lawmakers who have advocated expanding student eligibility for the scholarships to allow more New Mexicans to attend college.

Editorial: Rate schools more fairly: July 30-31, 2005

Columnist Lisa Ferguson: Kamenoff coaches performers to get the words out: Lisa Ferguson; The actress/comedian, who performs through Sunday at Riviera Comedy Club, is also a teacher. She leads several classes for writers and performers in the Los Angeles area. One of them, called Tasty Words, is a "spoken-word salon" that marries live music and storytelling to stand-up comedy.

Rebate checks to be mailed in late September: CARSON CITY -- The $300 million in rebate checks to Nevada motorists will be put in the mail on one day in late September, it was revealed Thursday.

Catawbas sue state, claim right to video poker: Jacob Jordan; COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Catawba Indian Nation sued the state of South Carolina on Thursday, claiming the tribe has the right to operate video gambling and other gaming machines on its reservation in York County.

Out Front: Kirk Baird; WEEKEND EDITION

Ralph Siraco's Del Mar selections: 1st Race -- CYCLOTRON -- Solis scales co-owner Headley trainee, draws good post in tough sprint maiden outing, Las Vegas connections victorious at Del Mar? APALACHEE TIGER -- Espinoza aboard Baffert trainee for owners Bob & Beverly Lewis, draws good post for dash opener, may be Tiger-by-the-tail? Value Play -- DIXIE GLOW

Red Cross says take care of pets: Also follow these Disaster Preparedness for Pets tips:

Hard Rock opts out of tribal deal to focus on LV project: By Liz Benston; The Hard Rock hotel and casino has severed ties with a California Indian tribe in order to focus its energies on building its $1 billion-plus condominium project and casino expansion in Las Vegas.

Columnist Jeff German: Who will police the cabbies?: Only in the zany world of Las Vegas cabbies could this happen.

Bill includes $45 million in funds for Las Vegas-to-Primm maglev train: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Nevada lawmakers will return home for a traditional August congressional recess with a present for their districts -- millions of dollars for highway and transit projects.

Public defender seeks to help teen prostitutes: Molly Ball; The public defender's office has decided to defend teen prostitutes rather than their pimps, reversing a long-standing practice.

Officer hit on bicycle at Red Rock dies: Officer Don Albietz was pronounced dead at 11:45 a.m. at University Medical Center, where he had been since the July 20 collision along State Route 159 in Red Rock Canyon.

Labor rift leaves local unions looking for ways to cooperate: Alana Roberts; Leaders of the Nevada State AFL-CIO are planning to meet early next week to determine how to continue the political and union organizing efforts the group has coordinated -- despite national AFL-CIO rules that bar disaffiliated unions from participating in or supporting state or local AFL-CIO affiliates.

Polynesians top minority group in starting Nevada businesses: Alana Roberts; Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders opened a greater percentage of businesses in Nevada from 1997 to 2002 than any other minority group, statistics from the Census Bureau indicate.

Schools want credit for progress: By Emily Richmond; The Clark County School District wants to change how Nevada measures "Adequate Yearly Progress" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Homeless, immigrants get boost: By Timothy Pratt; The homeless and immigrant populations of the Las Vegas Valley got a vote of confidence from area governments Thursday -- literally.

Guinn to look into allegations about Rawson: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn will look into a controversy in Hawaii involving former state Sen. Ray Rawson, now a member of the Nevada Gaming Commission, but the governor "has the utmost faith" in Rawson, the governor's spokesman said today.

Final word coming from league: The Thomas & Mack Center has been put on notice to reserve a room for the National Basketball Association for a news conference next week, presumably to announce the 2007 NBA All-Star Game will be in Las Vegas.

United flight attendants stage protest over pension cuts: Las Vegas-based flight attendants for United Airlines said random strikes that could cause headaches for vacationers and conventioneers may be on the horizon for the third-busiest air carrier serving McCarran International Airport.

Partnership to specialize in high rises: By Liz Benston; Developers Stephen Cloobeck and Steven Molasky have formed a partnership that will specialize in developing high-rise residences on or near the Strip.

Desert rain portends surreal night for 51s: Nick Christensen; Oklahoma RedHawks (51-54) at Las Vegas 51s (46-60)

School Board tries to look at report's bright side: Eric Leake; Clark County School Board members said they did not want to focus on only the negative in approving a report on the district's "Adequate Yearly Performance" Thursday evening.

Obituaries for July 29, 2005: Emelyn Arduino, 85, of Las Vegas died Monday in a local hospital. She was born April 13, 1920, in Apollo, Pa. A resident for 29 years, she was a homemaker.

Gaming Commission OKs rules for slot surveillance: The Nevada Gaming Commission unanimously approved a series of new gaming regulations that shorten the process for modifying surveillance systems, allow slot manufacturers to ship devices out of state to locations that allow gaming and allow slot machines in liquor stores.

Reid votes against bill; Ensign supports it: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., voted against a massive energy bill passed by the Senate today.

Clark sales continue to rise: CARSON CITY -- May was the 17th consecutive month in which Clark County merchants posted double-digit sales increases, registering a 14.1 percent jump over May 2004 when sales zoomed 14.2 percent.

Bighorns find summer home in Boulder City: When Pam and Greg Heilman were considering buying a Boulder City home in the River Mountain foothills overlooking Lake Mead two years ago, they saw members of a herd of desert bighorn sheep perched majestically on a nearby ledge.

Sports briefs for July 29, 2005: The Sunday Times newspaper in London won a ruling allowing it to defend a libel lawsuit brought by Lance Armstrong by claiming its allegations related to performance-enhancing drugs were in the public interest.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Anything goes when desert racing gets on dirt track: Schedule of events

High Court rules for labor: CARSON CITY -- Employees injured while arriving or leaving their jobs may now qualify for workers' compensation benefits in some cases.

Center's first show a success: Kevin Rademacher; After a week of everything from ribbon cuttings and champagne to sofas and dining room tables, the first Las Vegas Furniture Market is wrapping up.

Nevada prisoners may get break with reality TV show: CARSON CITY -- Inmates who work in a car restoration program at the Southern Desert Correctional Center at Indian Springs may soon be starring in their own reality TV series. And other inmates will soon begin building a line of custom motorcycles that they want to call "The Shank."