Print edition for March 31, 2005

Columnist Jeff Haney: Arum, Shaw take jabs at HBO's Merchant: Promoters Bob Arum and Gary Shaw assailed HBO boxing commentator Larry Merchant this week after Merchant criticized the Nevada State Athletic Commission on a Saturday night broadcast.

Legislative briefs for March 31, 2005: Gov. Kenny Guinn signed a bill Wednesday allocating $11.3 million more towards construction of the new state mental hospital in Las Vegas.

39 casino workers plead guilty to taking part in demonstration: John Curran; ATLANTIC CITY -- Thirty-nine casino hotel workers who participated in a sit-in during a strike in October pleaded guilty to reduced charges Wednesday, with a judge fining each $500. Their union is paying the fines.

Tribes confer over land claims: The meeting, an attempt to show unity among the tribes, involved leaders of the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York, the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma, the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians and the Akwesasne Mohawks. They discussed pushing for passage of a proposal by Gov. George Pataki to settle longstanding Indian land claims in the state. The governor's offer would allow the tribes to build five casinos in the Catskills.

Company to pay $20.7 million in Indiana settlement: Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc., which owns a riverboat casino and hotel in Gary, Ind., will pay $500,000 within five days, the company said today in a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

LV will have water even if Lake Powell release is cut: Southern Nevada will be able to make do if federal officials cut the amount of water sent downstream from Lake Powell, the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority said Wednesday.

Bonds' ex-girlfriend speaks out on steroids, jury testimony: The scene was typical of spring nights in Arizona. Their work for the day done, baseball people gather in various night spots and restaurants in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area: Diamond Charlie's, Capital Grill, Marco Polo, Pink Pony, Axis, Radius, Suede.

Community briefs for March 31, 2005: The Spring Career Fair will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at Community College of Southern Nevada, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Densham team still working out kinks after three races: Three races into the 2005 NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series season, Gary Densham has failed to qualify for two national events and is a distant 18th in the NHRA Funny Car standings.

Gonzalez services to be Sunday in California: Gonzalez died in an SUV rollover accident Monday afternoon outside of Baker, Calif.

Letter: Lottery's defeat hurts education: Could it just be that our casino industry wants nothing to do with a state lottery? Maybe with a lottery in Nevada the newspaper headlines would not be able to read: "Nevada casino industry posts record profits." Think about it, people.

Players vote six onto 'leadership committee': Steve Guiremand; The high-scoring spread option offense and tough, fast-paced practices aren't the only things new UNLV head football coach Mike Sanford has brought along with him from Utah.

Preps: Wednesday's results: Palo Verde 4, Eldorado 0: W: Lindsey Callaway 1 H, 14 K, 4 BB. L: Jasmine Pickett PV: Alisha Perry 2-2, 2 R, RBI; Melissa Wilson 2-3. ELDO: Jamie Larson 3B.

Sports briefs for March 31, 2005: UNLV landed a verbal commitment from one of the nation's top unsigned prep post prospects Wednesday when 6-foot-8 1/2, 235-pound Jerome Johnson of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., picked the Rebels.

Preps: Softball Top 10: Compiled by the Las Vegas Sun and the Sparks Tribune

Editorial: Pedestrians need more protection: Family members of the victims were upset to learn that Schmidt will escape felony charges, but Detective Bill Redfairn, the lead investigator in the crash, said there was nothing more that Metro Police could have done. Prosecutors, in order to obtain a felony conviction under Nevada's existing manslaughter law, must prove that a driver was reckless and willfully disregarded public safety -- a burden of proof difficult to meet. Redfairn added, however, that Las Vegans should contact their legislators to get them to change vehicular traffic laws so that they have some teeth. Some help, in fact, might be on ...

Obituaries for March 31, 2005: LeNorthern H. "Angel" Brewer, 48, of North Las Vegas died March 23 in a local hospital. She was born Aug. 18, 1956, in Michigan. A resident for 45 years, she was a registrar for the Clark County School District at Southwest Behavior Center.

Marathon might run on the Strip: The Las Vegas International Marathon may end up taking its act to the Strip.

Ralph Siraco's Santa Anita selections: 1st Race -- FIRST WORD -- Draws good rail post in mile maiden special weight opener, Solis scales Frankel trainee for owner Juddmonte Farms. BULL RANCH -- Part of Earnhardt-owned & Baffert-trained coupled entry with GALLARDO, Espinoza here, Baze there. Value Play -- AWESOME JET

League pushes union for tougher standards: The NFL, trying to tighten its ban on steroids, has asked the players' union to agree to a tougher standard for detecting high levels of testosterone.

Friday's horse racing entries: Post Time 1 p.m.

UNLV students celebrate start of recreation centers: UNLV administrators and students ceremoniously kicked off construction on a $45 million student union and a $54 million student recreation center with a swank groundbreaking party Wednesday afternoon.

Gibson's war chest comes under criticism: Two-term Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson has raised more than $600,000 for his re-election bid, trouncing his two challengers who combined have raised a little more than $5,000 for Tuesday's primary.

Scholarships set for Spanish speakers: The scholarships, funded by the PaciCare Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PacifiCare Health Systems, are offered on behalf of PacifiCare's Latino Health Scholars program designed to educate and encourage Hispanic students to pursue career opportunities in health care.

Panel endorses gambling bill; fate in Senate uncertain: The bill would set aside the state's revenue from the new gambling for public schools. Supporters estimated the bill would raise $150 million during the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Metro officer gets Nevada DARE honor: Harris has been nominated for National DARE officer of the year. The winner will be presented at the National DARE Training Conference in Houston Aug. 9-11.

Silverado conserving ace's arm: Nick Christensen; Shortly after beating defending state champion Centennial by the 10-run rule, Silverado softball coach Steve Hodges did his best to send warning to the Northwest Division.

Letter: A much better way to prevent identity theft: The answer to securing our important personal information lies in following the computer security rules already in place throughout the state and business world. These security rules include locking up critical equipment every night, using cable locks to ensure computers are difficult to remove by unauthorized persons, locking up all sensitive forms and driver's license blanks, following existing rules that ensure no consumer information is stored on remote office computers, and the enforcement of existing password and access procedures.

Michigan connection a concern in school plans: By Emily Richmond; Clark County School District officials are recommending the School Board reject an application for a new charter school that would serve at-risk, special needs high school students.

News briefs for March 31, 2005: The mother of a 16-year-old boy who was among four people struck and killed by a vehicle at a bus stop has filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful death and negligence against the driver, Veronica Schmidt.

Return to Realism: Classical techniques of Fifteen Santa Fe Artists' fill LVAM: It included a "six-part rationale" that coincided with Mann's theory of a new movement "afoot" in the art world.

Fugitive from Scotland arrested: Scot Douglas MacLennan, 24, who has been living in Las Vegas for about five years, was wanted by Interpol, an international criminal investigation organization headquartered in London.

Changes to gaming board encouraged: Maura Kelly Lannan; CHICAGO -- The new chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board urged lawmakers Wednesday to separate the board from the state Department of Revenue, saying the five-member regulatory board needs to be truly independent and hire its own staff.

State GOP rips Democrats over Gibbons billboards: David Kihara; The Nevada Republican Party defended Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., on Wednesday against a recent billboard campaign by the state Democratic Party that implied Gibbons wanted to use Americans as "human shields" in the war in Iraq.

Army nurse returns to Germany after Iraq tour: Dick Benoit; Army 1st Lt. Lara Laak, the daughter of Song Laak and Gary Laak, both of Las Vegas, has recently returned to Wuerzburg, Germany, after a deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The soldier is regularly assigned to the 67th Combat Support Hospital in Wuerzburg.

Appearance counts: Casinos say looks just one aspect of standards for cocktail servers: Alana Roberts; For cocktail servers in Las Vegas casinos, it's the survival of the fittest.

Incomes, consumer spending both show solid gains: The Commerce Department said the gain in spending followed a much smaller 0.1 percent increase in January and reflected the fact that auto sales rebounded last month after having fallen in January.

Columnist Susan Snyder: With water, we're on the take: But the man who lives around the corner from me in Summerlin was hosing down the walkway in front of his house last week.

Porter calls for punishment of falsifiers of Yucca work: CARSON CITY -- Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., said Wednesday that if federal employees did indeed falsify Yucca Mountain nuclear dump documents they should at least be fired and could also be charged criminally.

Democrats join opposition to gambling expansion: Democratic Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, flanked by three of his Democratic colleagues, said they would vote against gambling and appealed to the state's leadership to eliminate slot machines as a revenue-generating option.

Fight schedule: Friday

Former Jackson bodyguard might refuse to testify at trial: By Matt Pordum; A Las Vegas lawyer for a former bodyguard of Michael Jackson who had been expected to be a key prosecution witness in Jackson's child molestation trial said his client would most likely refuse to testify in the Jackson case.

Government services to be brought to the homeless: By Timothy Pratt; At the second meeting in a week on the ongoing problems surrounding a camp of homeless people near downtown Las Vegas, officials decided to reverse a decision to stop feeding the needy at the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, as well as to move forward with plans to set up intensive services in the area.

Nevada said to have low prison recividism rate: CARSON CITY -- Inmates released from prison in Nevada do better at keeping out of trouble than the national average, an expert on inmates told lawmakers Wednesday.

Boulder City planning to cap its own property taxes: Boulder City isn't waiting for the Nevada Legislature to give its residents some property tax relief.

Man, 20, convicted in killing: By Matt Pordum; A jury determined on Wednesday that a 20-year-old alleged member of the Crips was guilty of murder and not acting in self-defense when he killed an alleged member of the rival Bloods gang in May 2003.

Las Vegas will have water even if release to Lake Powell is cut: Even if federal officials reduce the amount of water sent to Lake Mead from Lake Powell, the Las Vegas Valley will have enough to get through the year thanks to the large amounts of precipitation the region has enjoyed in recent months, the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority said Wednesday.

Las Vegan's dying wish of citizenship granted: Faik Halilovic, who escaped war in his native Bosnia in the 1990s, had prepared for an examination to become a United States citizen for months, but he became deathly ill with cancer on the way to take the final test.

Nevada said to have low prison recidivism rate: CARSON CITY -- Inmates released from prison in Nevada do better at keeping out of trouble than the national average, an expert on inmates told lawmakers Wednesday.

Station plans quick opening for Durango movie theater: By Liz Benston; Station Casinos Inc. said it will begin building a 17-screen movie theater on land it owns at the southwest corner of the Las Vegas Beltway and Durango Drive and may accelerate the eventual development of a hotel and casino at the site.

Las Vegas contractor pleads guilty to perjury: Onofre was sentenced by Clark County District Court to 12 to 32 months in Nevada State Prison, suspended, two years probation, fined $1,000 and ordered to pay restitution of $1,800.

Goodman's reality TV show in jeopardy: Dan Kulin; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman's chances of becoming the next reality television star might be in jeopardy as the mayor and potential producers of the program wrangle over Goodman's demand that he have the power to censor the show.

Monorail firm's rating lowered: Stephen Curran; The Las Vegas Monorail's lower-than-expected ridership caught up with the system Wednesday, after a Wall Street bond analyst further downgraded the state-issued bonds that helped lay the tracks.

Site work begins on condo towers: Jennifer Shubinski; Work has started on Spanish View Tower Homes, a future complex of three condominium towers in the southwest part of the valley.

Drive time less than national average: Stephen Curran; It may be tough for the scores of drivers who spent much of this morning on Southern Nevada's traffic-clogged highways to believe, but their commutes aren't nearly as bad as their counterparts' in most other counties, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report.

LVCVA launches new travel Web site: Officials with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority say their new Internet site -- www.VisitLasVegas.com -- won't compete with existing sites about the city and is designed to convince undecided travelers to commit to visiting Southern Nevada.

Police issue early reminders about children left in cars: Jen Lawson; A Palace Station security officer came across a suspicious sight Saturday morning: a car parked in a far corner of the parking lot with the rear and side windows covered with newspaper.

Tax proposal in Senate's hands: Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- Representatives of business interests who complained about the latest proposal to curb property taxes scored a partial win Wednesday.

FBI steps into Yucca document investigation: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The FBI is examining the documents allegedly falsified by government employees working on the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, a federal official says.

Complaints concerning apartment complex continue: Eric Leake; Eunice Allen says that Buena Vista Springs apartment management had answered her complaints about not having heat in the winter by giving her two space heaters; complaints about no air conditioning were answered with the opening of a window.