Print edition for May 25, 2005

Obituaries for May 25, 2005: Robert Cimo, 74, of Las Vegas died Monday in a local hospice. He was born Nov. 1, 1930, in Chicago. A resident for 11 years, he was a retired insurance broker.

Columnist Adam Candee: Future is now for LPGA's newest star on tour: Adam Candee; Pencils down, heads up: Name the teenage girl who won the LPGA's qualifying school last year and just claimed her first tour victory last week in New York.

Corrections: Corrections

Columnist Jeff Haney: Bookmakers take Patrick seriously at Indy 500: Station Casinos propositions on Sunday's Coca-Cola 600:

CCSD's purchase of office building draws criticism: By Emily Richmond; The Clark County School Board's decision to spend $14.5 million for a fully outfitted office building has some critics questioning the timing and necessity of the purchase.

League concerned about ties between Man U and casino: The NFL asked Tampa Bay owner Malcolm Glazer on Tuesday to explain Manchester United's relationship with a Las Vegas casino, a venture that could run afoul of the league's policies concerning gambling.

51s' fortunes turn against PCL's best team: Nick Christensen; Two days ago, Las Vegas 51s manager Jerry Royster offered sharp criticism of his team's play.

Cabdrivers may get share of increased revenue: Clark County's 16 taxi companies, pressured by cabdrivers and their unions, say they'll see to it that drivers will share the revenue generated by a fuel surcharge approved by the Taxicab Authority last month.

School police chief Garcia earns certification: By Emily Richmond; After just three months on the job, Clark County School Police Chief Hector Garcia has completed the state-required certification process for law enforcement officers, something his predecessor failed to do during a four-year tenure.

Columnist Peter Benton: Team's talents fit perfectly at Foothills Invite: Peter Benton; The pride of the Foothills Invitational is a two-man low net and low gross tournament, which is played annually over California's challenging Glendora Country Club. Because of the popularity of this event the field has had to be limited to 90 teams, with competitors coming from all corners of the country.

Illegal immigration forum protested: By Timothy Pratt; A national summit about illegal immigration scheduled for this weekend at Cashman Center has aroused the rage of a coalition of Hispanic groups, who are calling organizers of the event "Nazi white supremacist(s)."

Sports briefs for May 25, 2005: UNLV baseball head coach Buddy Gouldsmith was named the Mountain West Conference coach of the year, and seven Rebels were selected to the all-conference team. Justin Tellam, Mike Cruz, Zeke Parraz, Ryan Bird, JC Sibley, Derek Rodriguez and Efren Navarro Jr. were all named to the MWC All-Conference squad as selected by the league's coaches.

Key highway interchange is celebrated: Stephen Curran; A key northwest interchange was left in a traffic jam of its own for more than three years as crews scrambled to finish necessary improvements to keep traffic on nearby roads flowing, Clark County Public Works officials said.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: IRL backs off; Champ Car buys Long Beach GP: Champ Car World Series officials ensured their continued association with their marquee event, the Long Beach Grand Prix, by purchasing the assets of The Grand Prix Association of Long Beach from Dover Motorsports.

Letter: Raising children not library's role: A parent should not abdicate the minimal level of responsibility in simply taking a few seconds to inspect a DVD a child has selected and veto inappropriate material. I wouldn't expect a library circulation clerk to take a more active role in raising my child than I do.

Oregon ruling may slow drive for Indian casinos: Matthew Daly; WASHINGTON -- Momentum for off-reservation gambling at Indian-owned casinos may be slowing after the Interior Department's rejection of a deal for a tribal casino near the Columbia River in Oregon, lawmakers on both sides of the issue say.

Rogers says schools should consider 'Gateway' curriculum: Christina Littlefield and Emily Richmond; The Clark County School District should mandate that students take more challenging levels of math, English and science courses to reduce the increasing need for incoming college freshmen to enroll in remedial classes, university system Chancellor Jim Rogers wrote in a letter to School Board President Larry Mason.

Early voting begins for LV Ward 6: By Tuesday night, 44 voters had cast ballots in the race between Steve Ross and Mary Gillins. Ward 6 incumbent Michael Mack is not seeking re-election.

News briefs for May 25, 2005: Metro Police have arrested four people in connection with the shooting of a 44-year-old man found dead last week near Lake Mead.

Hospitals investing in efforts aimed at error reduction: Michelle Swafford; HCA Inc., owner of three Las Vegas hospitals, is spending millions of dollars to improve the quality of care it provides and to reduce medical errors and long-term costs.

Panel says schools need to address educational equality: David Kihara; Civil rights leaders on Tuesday criticized the Clark County School District for failing to provide adequate educational services for poor and minority students and for treating some minority teachers unfairly.

Reid claims victory, but still takes a hit: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said there were no individual winners in the historic agreement struck late Monday to avert a showdown over the "nuclear option." The Senate and the public won, he said.

Dealer, California police officer arrested on cheating allegations: A Southern California police officer and a Las Vegas blackjack dealer have been arrested for alleged cheating.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: If it's not broken, Bzdelik will fix it: Well, it looks like Air Force is going back to being a football school.

Governor warns against successor's financial plans: In an interview to air Thursday, Gov. Kenny Guinn said that he's "scared to death" of his successor coming in and saying the state doesn't need any more money.

Failed deal spurs lawsuit: By Liz Benston; A San Diego Indian tribe has sued Caesars Entertainment Inc. and Harrah's Entertainment Inc. for breach of contract, saying Caesars abandoned an agreement to develop a major casino for the tribe and misled the tribe about a pending deal with Harrah's.

Police: Slayings may be tied to gangster warfare: Jen Lawson; Anthony "Fat Tone" Watkins was known in Kansas City, Mo., for his rap sheet just as well as for his rap music.

Reality show's final bout packs a punch: Apparently there was something called "American Idol" on one of the other channels at 8 o'clock Tuesday night.

Two hurt in truck accidents: Eric Leake; Construction industry vehicles were involved in two separate traffic collisions Tuesday afternoon sending the drivers of a moped and a pickup truck to area hospitals with serious to critical injuries, authorities said.

City Council OKs new community: The Henderson City Council on Tuesday approved a 1,900-acre master-planned community west of Sun City Anthem that will mark the region's entry into development reminiscent pre-World War II communities.

Columnist Jeff German: Good news for Nevada from D.C.: An 11th-hour agreement has averted a constitutional crisis over changing the Senate's filibuster rules during the debate over President Bush's judicial nominees.

Las Vegas businessman, banker, developer Fong dies at 79: Ed Koch and Eric Leake; Wing Fong, a banker, businessman, land developer and civic leader perhaps best known for building Fong's Garden on East Charleston Boulevard nearly half a century ago, died Sunday. He was 79.

Mobile homes destroyed in fire: Jeff Donaldson; Metro Police and fire department officials are looking into whether squatters living in trailers on a storage lot near Nellis Air Force Base may have started a fire that destroyed three mobile homes early today.

School expands: School expands

Man stabs pit bull to death after attack on his dog: David Kihara and Jeff Donaldson; A man stabbed a pit bull to death on Monday at Sunset Park after the dog attacked his smaller dog, Clark County Park Police said on Tuesday.

Ethics Commission: Regulatory board member can seek campaign donations: CARSON CITY -- Nevada law does not bar a member of a state regulatory board from seeking campaign contributions from those in the industry the board oversees, the state Ethics Commission said in an advisory opinion released Tuesday.

Details of plan for tax rebate debated: Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- Even after receiving legal opinions, Assembly Democrats and Gov. Kenny Guinn's office are still at odds on how to rebate $300 million to taxpayers this year.

Opening statements start in Ivanpah suit: Stephen Curran; The latest chapter is set to begin this morning in a legal showdown between a firm whose lawyers claim the county owes it more than $700,000 for a study of the proposed airport in Ivanpah Valley.

Taxable sales jump 14 percent in March: CARSON CITY -- The vibrant Nevada economy continued in March with taxable sales rising by 14 percent to $4 billion.

Company purchases 50 acres near Reno: The company did not disclose in a form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission the amount paid for the property near U.S. Highway 395 and Mt. Rose Highway.

Reinvestment in properties key, General Growth CEO says: Kevin Rademacher; John Bucksbaum has been riding his bicycle from the Las Vegas Strip through Summerlin a few times a year since the mid-1980s.

Power outage hits new resort: A spokeswoman for the property said most guests never knew about the outage because a backup power generation system worked flawlessly after the power went out early Tuesday afternoon.

Assembly panel calls for raise for teachers: CARSON CITY -- The Assembly Ways and Means Committee today approved an addition to the state's school budget that calls for a 5 percent raise in each of the next two years for teachers.

Labor talks resume: The two sides are working against a deadline of May 31, when an interim contract for the 20,000 ramp workers, food service employees and customer-service agents expires. That also is the date a bankruptcy judge has set to rule on United's motion to break the machinists' contract, imposing terms unilaterally if there is no agreement.

Gladiators enter offseason with familiar questions: Adam Candee; 2003: AFL -- 11,397; Gladiators -- 9,791

Editorial: Fragile peace in the Senate: The compromise expressly allows up-or-down floor votes on three nominees to federal appeals courts that Democrats have blocked -- Priscilla R. Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William H. Pryor Jr. For this, the seven Republicans in the negotiating group agreed not to support a change to the filibuster rule, meaning that Frist would not get the necessary majority vote if he went ahead with his nuclear option. The seven Democrats in the negotiating group, in exchange, agreed to support use of the filibuster on future judicial nominees only under "extraordinary circumstances."

Ralph Siraco's Hollywood Park selections: 1st Race -- FOSTER -- Baze aboard Mandella trainee for owner Hancock, draws good post for route maiden opener, to Foster a graduation here? RYDELL --In outside post in six-horse two-turn run, Espinoza astride Shirreffs trainee for owners Moss, Derby-winning team here. Value Play -- AFFORDABLE STAR

State's final riverboat casino is set to open: Alan Sayre; The 15th and final riverboat casino allowed by law in Louisiana opens Thursday as Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. unveils its $365 million gambling resort in Lake Charles.

Tribe signs casino deal: Tribal President Eugene Little Coyote said the agreement is merely a first step and still subject to approval by the National Indian Gaming Commission. He said consultation on the project also needs to occur with the state.

Panel passes bill that would allow Lincoln Park's sale: The legislation also includes a gambling revenue-sharing requirement that could impact a proposal to build a new casino in West Warwick.

Talks fail to settle charges against mayor: Tazewell County Circuit Judge J. Peter Ault issued a gag order after prosecutors and defense attorneys failed to settle the case before a scheduled hearing Tuesday, the (Pekin) Daily Times reported.

Editorial: Funding is welcome: Just this week, for example, the Assembly Ways and Means Committee approved $15 million for more care that includes long-term, crisis and triage services. Earlier, the whole Legislature approved reimbursing WestCare, a Las Vegas center for treating mentally ill people, for services provided earlier in this fiscal year. The state also has the money to negotiate a contract with WestCare for services until a new state psychiatric hospital opens in Las Vegas next year.

Thursday's horse racing entries: Post Time 1:20 p.m.

Second person dies from injuries after casino trip: The second victim was a woman at least 60 years old who was a passenger on the bus, Waupaca County Sheriff Steve Liebe said.

Letter: Commitments to veterans should be honored first: With all due respect to the terrible losses caused by the South Asian tsunami, it's puzzling to me that hundreds of millions of dollars can be found by the U.S. government at the blink of an eye for support, but dollars are not available to honor commitments to veterans of the World War II, Korean War and other eras.

Planning board position available: Wolfson is looking for a new commissioner to fill the Ward 2 seat on the commission, which is being vacated by Laura McSwain. McSwain's term on the commission expires June 20.

Guinn signs bill for water importation fee: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn signed 22 bills into law Tuesday including ones to allow a fee for the importation of water, a ban on smoking in video arcades and to allow sale of tax liens to private investors.

Community briefs for May 25, 2005: Mayor Oscar Goodman and Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian will be joined by U.S. District Judge Lloyd George to celebrate the opening of the new Centennial Plaza 12:30 p.m. Friday on Fourth Street near Lewis Avenue.

The Grater Good: Cutting-edge gadgets unveiled at Gourmet Housewares Show: We now have the ability to make the perfect boiled egg, open soup cans with ease and fashionably slice fruit.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: As author, Chef Flay really cooks: This has been a banner year for Flay. In February he married actress Stephanie March. In March, Bon Appetit magazine named his Mesa Grill restaurant at Caesars Palace one of the 50 hottest new restaurants in the nation, and the Conde Nast Traveler named the restaurant as one of two in Las Vegas on its Hot List in its May edition.

Panel considers transportation authority: CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn's plan to abolish the state Transportation Services Authority that regulates limousines, tow cars, household movers and some taxicabs was to face a vote today in the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee.

Columnist Elizabeth Foyt: Architects' reception a model of elegance: Elizabeth Foyt; The trade show and professional conference drew more than 25,000 visitors and was coordinated by the AIA-Las Vegas chapter, with Las Vegas architect Brad Schultz as conference chair, assisted by AIA-Las Vegas chapter president Robert Fielden and executive director Randi Lavigne. (It was the smallest AIA chapter to ever host the conference.)

Rules debated; critics say legislation too weak: As the House Financial Services Committee opened debate on the measure, the National Council of La Raza was preparing to release a study today showing Hispanics are more likely than other groups to depend on high-cost mortgages, making them prime targets for unscrupulous lenders.

Panel OKs more time for seat belts in school buses: Kirsten Searer; CARSON CITY -- Members of an Assembly committee said Tuesday they want to put seat belts in school buses, but they opted to give the state a few years to get ready.

Bill to change rules for diploma faces opposition: CARSON CITY -- A bill that would change the criteria for receiving a high school diploma came under attack from officials of the Clark and Washoe county school districts Tuesday.

CCSN hires academic affairs vice president: Michael Richards, currently associate provost for Southern Utah University in Cedar City, will take over the position July 1, Carpenter said. He will make $130,000 a year.