Las Vegas Sun

Archive for June 30, 2005

Work continues on condo project: Work continues on condo project; 11:28 a.m.

Sloan Canyon called among most threatened: The Sierra Club has included the 3-year-old Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area south of Henderson on a list released today of the nation's most threatened environmental areas.; 11:13 a.m.

County's 10th graders lose ground on standardized reading, math test scores: By Emily Richmond; The performance of Clark County 10th graders on a standardized test dipped in 2005, with their national percentile rank dropping five percentage points from the previous year in both reading and mathematics.; 11:12 a.m.

Emerald says board actions mock ruling: Maura Kelly Lannan; CHICAGO -- In the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the bankrupt Emerald Casino, members of the Illinois Gaming Board renewed its license Wednesday for four years -- but started the clock from the ...; 11:09 a.m.

Columnist Jeff German: Public's trust is trampled: This is the secret deal the LVCVA struck in November to give advertising giant R & R Partners all rights -- for $1 -- to its valuable and most popular marketing slogan, "What happens here, ...; 11:09 a.m.

Quality of life a concern as boom hits high gear: By Ed Koch; With booming growth placing three Las Vegas Valley cities among the nation's leaders in population increases, local officials say the key issue is protecting quality of life.; 11:08 a.m.

Police chief search down to two finalists: Henderson's next chief of police will be a Southern Californian.; 11:07 a.m.

Bush names Glassman as acting chairwoman: SEC Chairman William Donaldson is stepping down today. The Senate has yet to approve Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif., Bush's choice to replace Donaldson.; 11:05 a.m.

Feds target online exchange of copyrighted materials: FBI agents and investigators in the other nations conducted 90 searches starting Wednesday, arresting four people and shutting down at least eight major online distribution servers for pirated works, a Justice official said. Authorities also ...; 11:04 a.m.

Health issues seen as fires darken skies: Smoke from nearby wildfires has again blanketed Las Vegas with a thick cover of haze and, along with rising ozone levels, could cause health problems for some people.; 11:04 a.m.

VA secretary seeks $975 million to make up for shortfall: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson today asked Congress for $975 million to make up a budget shortfall estimated to be between $1 billion and $1.6 billion this year.; 11:03 a.m.

Sobel barred from holding judge post: CARSON CITY -- The state Judicial Discipline Commission Wednesday found former District Judge Jeffrey Sobel guilty of three violations, ruling that he did try to pressure lawyers to give him campaign contributions in his 2002 ...; 11:03 a.m.

Boyd: Diversity numbers good for small company: By Liz Benston; Following a lead taken by industry giant MGM Mirage, Boyd Gaming Corp. has for the first time released statistics on minority hiring and purchasing and will unveil an online registry and a supplier system designed ...; 11:03 a.m.

Excerpts from the agreement: The eight-page "Trademark Assignment and License-Back Agreement" was signed on Nov. 9 by LVCVA President Rossi Ralenkotter and R&R Partners Inc. Chief Executive Billy Vassiliadis. The agreement was effective as of Jan. 1, 2004.; 11:03 a.m.

Goodman promises inquiry in slogan deal: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman vowed Wednesday that he would conduct a full hearing to get to the bottom of a potentially lucrative trademark transfer agreement between the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and ...; 11:02 a.m.

Las Vegas company files suit, forms new division: In a suit filed earlier this month in the Western Washington District in Seattle, Shuffle Master Inc. is accused of patent infringement in the development of its MD2 Shuffler system.; 11:02 a.m.

$10 million infusion is approved for Barrick: Employees and suppliers of four downtown Las Vegas casinos will get paid thanks to regulators' approval Wednesday of a plan to invest $10 million to keep the parent company afloat.; 11:02 a.m.

Correction: The Sun corrects its errors. If you find a mistake, call 385-3111 to report it.; 10:27 a.m.

Lightweight rematch no done deal: Promoter Gary Shaw disputed an online report that said a deal has been struck for Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo to stage a rematch of their memorable May 7 lightweight bout on Oct. 8 ...; 10:05 a.m.

Sports briefs for June 30, 2005: Golfer Annika Sorenstam and pitcher Scott Erickson are the latest to run afoul of environmental regulations at Lake Tahoe.; 10:05 a.m.

Buccaneers say they're after Law: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to make room for another veteran cornerback with a Super Bowl ring.; 10:00 a.m.

Up next: Las Vegas 51s (32-46) vs. Portland Beavers (40-39): PROBABLE STARTERS; 10:00 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's Hollywood Park selections: 1st Race -- TALENTED PERFORMER -- Draws good outside post for sprint opener, Nakatani atop Abrams trainee, victory by a Talented Performer? COSMIC LADY -- P. Val atop Monteleone trainee, has good post for sophomore ...; 9:59 a.m.

Wooster's Rasner steady and stellar: Nick Christensen; Ron Malcom rattles off the stats without pause, he's so used to reciting them.; 9:58 a.m.

Preps Baseball: All-State Players: Kris CICHOSKI 1B, SENIOR, DURANGO NOTEWORTHY: Had a .500 batting average with 33 RBIs and 13 extra-base hits. ... Struck out eight times in the season. ... Had a 5-3 record as a pitcher with ...; 9:58 a.m.

Preps Softball: All-State Players: Jennifer LIDDELL 1B, SOPHOMORE, CIMARRON-MEMORIAL NOTEWORTHY: Hit .495 for the Northwest Division regular season champions. ...Had 20 RBIs while striking out just two times. ... Also led the Spartans with a 2.18 ERA and a ...; 9:56 a.m.

Obituaries for June 30, 2005: Virginia Lee Bragg, 80, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in a local hospital. She was born Nov. 22, 1924, in Shawnee, Okla. A resident for 40 years, she was a homemaker.; 9:53 a.m.

Ensign will support Las Vegan's nomination to State Department: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., gave a hearty endorsement to Las Vegan Henrietta Holsman Fore in her nomination to a top State Department job, following a meeting with her on Wednesday.; 9:52 a.m.

New laws go into effect Friday: CARSON CITY -- More money for Nevada's failing schools, a new program to help problem gamblers and greater protection in the law from unscrupulous payday loan companies all take effect Friday.; 9:52 a.m.

News briefs for June 30, 2005: A man was shot and killed this morning at an apartment complex on Twain Avenue near Swenson Street, Metro Police said.; 9:52 a.m.

Metro to put staff in Homeland Security center: Jen Lawson; In what one Metro Police official called a major step forward in the plan to prevent a terrorist attack on Las Vegas, the department will be stationing a detective in the Department of Homeland Security's ...; 9:51 a.m.

Suit by worker against Cirque du Soleil is set for trial: David Kihara; A lawsuit filed by a man who suffered serious injuries when he was crushed by a 1,000-pound prop from Cirque du Soleil's "O" show at the Bellagio is set to go to trial this week.; 9:50 a.m.

Police chief search down to 2 finalists: Henderson's next chief of police will be a Southern Californian.; 9:50 a.m.

Ex-GOP official, friend indicted in dual slayings: By Matt Pordum; The former treasurer of the Clark County Republican Party and his friend were indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday in the stabbing deaths of his ex-wife and her father last August.; 9:50 a.m.

Holiday closings: Safety: Police and fire emergency services as usual. Administrative offices closed.; 9:39 a.m.

Venerable gym closes to make way for parking lot: It's not about the clusters of colorful tournament championship trophies waiting to be packed away on the cold concrete floor of Barry's Boxing gymnasium in an industrial section of Las Vegas.; 9:32 a.m.

Silverado's Griego never took it easy: Nick Christensen; In past years, there was a clear formula for picking the state's best softball player -- find the state champion, note their starting pitcher's dominance and pass along the title.; 9:26 a.m.

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 7:05 p.m.; 9:25 a.m.

Pitching leads the way for the best of 2005: Nick Christensen; Anytime a pitcher with an ERA below 0.90 shows up, batters cringe.; 9:24 a.m.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Tough test for Peter (and that's no bull): With a gaudy record of 23-0 including 20 knockouts, hard-hitting Samuel Peter of Las Vegas has been hailed as an up-and-coming star in the heavyweight division -- as a remedy, even, for boxing's ailing signature ...; 9:24 a.m.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Fuller's race team stunned by crew chief's defection: Las Vegas resident Rod Fuller on Wednesday lost crew chief Richard Hogan to Don Schumacher Racing, which announced the addition of a second NHRA Top Fuel team.; 9:22 a.m.

Feinstein bill to block San Pablo casino passes Senate committee: Erica Werner; WASHINGTON -- Legislation by Sen. Dianne Feinstein that would block an Indian tribe from building a Nevada-style casino across the bay from San Francisco passed a Senate committee on Wednesday.; 9:15 a.m.

Foxwoods operator plans Virgin Islands casino resort: Matt Apuzzo; NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which operates Foxwoods Resort Casino, said Wednesday that it plans to build a 600-acre resort and casino in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the latest move by ...; 9:13 a.m.

Emerald license renewed, but it's already expired: Maura Kelly Lannan; CHICAGO -- In the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the bankrupt Emerald Casino, members of the Illinois Gaming Board renewed its license Wednesday for four years -- but started the clock from the ...; 9:12 a.m.

Beer license yanked due to poker tournaments: Todd Erks "has been running an illegal card game in his business since its inception," according to State's Attorney Tom Wollman. "There's no difference between his operation and Deadwood, Flandreau or other Indian casinos. The ...; 9:11 a.m.

Revenue from tribal gaming falls short of estimate: The tribes paid nearly $2.3 million through last week and no more money is due for the fiscal year that ends today, officials said. State Treasurer Scott Meacham had predicted the state's share at between ...; 9:10 a.m.

Store owner who stole winnings stripped of lottery license: Prosecutors said Patrick Simboli, 45, told customer Elizabeth Gelarderes, of Raymond, N.H., that she'd won $2 on a "Cash Winfall" ticket purchased at his store on May 9. In fact, the ticket was worth $32,480, ...; 9:10 a.m.

Gambling bill may not get second chance after all: "Gambling is a second tier issue," Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt told reporters.; 9:10 a.m.

Income growth, spending both slow in May: Martin Crutsinger; WASHINGTON -- Personal income growth slowed sharply in May and people's spending didn't increase at all, the government reported today.; 9:09 a.m.

Bank of America agrees to buy MBNA: George Stein and Justin Baer; Bank of America Corp. agreed to buy MBNA Corp., the biggest stand-alone credit card issuer, for $35 billion in stock and cash as Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis raises the stakes in his rivalry with Citigroup ...; 9:06 a.m.

Icahn wins court approval to buy WestPoint Stevens: U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in New York on Wednesday approved the sale, six days after WestPoint selected Icahn's offer over a $697 million bid from financier Wilbur Ross.; 9:06 a.m.

Kroger, Safeway, Albertson's ratings cut by S&P: The chains had their ratings cut to BBB-, the lowest investment grade, from BBB, New York-based S&P said in a statement on Wednesday. The companies were removed from CreditWatch and their outlooks are "stable."; 9:05 a.m.

UMC technician seeks to withdraw plea, go to trial: By Matt Pordum; A 45-year-old former radiological services technician at University Medical Center who had pleaded guilty to fondling and stealing from patients avoided sentencing on Wednesday by announcing that he wants to withdraw his plea and go ...; 8:59 a.m.

Quarantined inmate not contagious: Molly Ball; A jail inmate who was quarantined for tuberculosis has been found not to be contagious, and the court proceedings against him will be dropped.; 8:58 a.m.

Attorney urges pay for pro bono work: CARSON CITY -- A Las Vegas lawyer told the Nevada Supreme Court Wednesday he was entitled to collect fees from the opposing side in a case he worked for free.; 8:58 a.m.

Letter: Those at home need help first: Whatever happened to voluntary contributions?; 8:54 a.m.

Letter: U.S. Foreign Legion is needed: If we want to continue our warlike stance, and bring democracy to the world, then clearly more troops will be needed. A draft perhaps, or maybe another idea that has been floated -- an American ...; 8:53 a.m.

Letter: Democrats must not deter Bush's correct course: The No. 1 Democrat in the Senate, Harry Reid, calls the president a liar and a loser. The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, Richard Durbin, equates the U.S. military to Nazis. Sen. John Kerry ...; 8:53 a.m.

Lawyer blames loss in custody battle on judge's bias: In court papers filed Tuesday, lawyer Randy Rumph accuses Family Court Judge Cheryl Moss of favoring some lawyers over others because of personal relationships and campaign contributions.; 8:50 a.m.

Editorial: In search of momentum: Bush tried to reassure the public that he isn't out of touch. "Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed," Bush said. "Every picture is horrifying, and the suffering is real. Amid ...; 8:49 a.m.

Pair who led police on chase to stand trial together: By Matt Pordum; A woman who allegedly shot at police while her fugitive boyfriend led Metro Police on a high-speed chase will stand trial along with the boyfriend despite his objections to that arrangement.; 8:48 a.m.

Editorial: A precious resource: We were encouraged that one of the draft proposals is to increase water conservation, one of the fastest, easiest ways to make water available for truly needed uses. One of the Las Vegas Valley's most ...; 8:48 a.m.

Going Fourth: McGee's 'Rhapsody' highlights annual LV Phil concert: But we've yet to hear from classical music composers telling our story through the voice of a full orchestra - a feat to be accomplished Monday at the Las Vegas Philharmonic's annual Fourth of July ...; 8:27 a.m.

Community briefs for June 30, 2005: The following are tips for preventing dangers with fireworks:; 8:26 a.m.

Centennial, Western grads receive ROTC scholarships: Dick Benoit; Centennial High School 2005 graduate Afton Brown has received an Air Force ROTC scholarship offer.; 8:25 a.m.

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