Las Vegas Sun

Archive for September 9, 2005

Library board votes to discharge old fines: The trustees made the decision about fines from 2000 at a regular board meeting Thursday night at the West Las Vegas Library branch, said Elaine Sanchez, chairwoman of the board.; 11:19 a.m.

Columnist Jeff German: Cab company offers hope in New Orleans: Shranko, operations manager for taxicab conglomerate Yellow Checker Star, is heading a "disaster relocation team," sponsored by his company, in Houston.; 11:19 a.m.

Control Board recommends licensure for Aladdin execs: Call it Planet Aladdin -- for now.; 11:17 a.m.

Yucca chief choice: 'John Q. Public': Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The White House pick to head the Yucca Mountain project admits he doesn't know many of the details about the Energy Department's plan to store nuclear waste in Nevada, but he knows the ...; 11:15 a.m.

Bus fare hike OK'd: Stephen Curran; Saying it will help pay for future expansions to its bus service, the Regional Transportation Commission on Thursday approved the valley mass transit system's first bus fare increase in six years.; 11:15 a.m.

Outdoor man: Nearly 50 years ago a man stumbled into the Southern Nevada outdoors. Howard Booth has been exploring the region and nearby places ever since.; 11:15 a.m.

Woman in murder case made references to hurting mom: David Kihara; The 38-year-old woman charged in the suffocation of her 77-year-old mother previously had made references to harming her mother and had been suffering from a bipolar disorder, according to Metro Police and her husband.; 11:12 a.m.

LV team searches for radioactivity: A Beechcraft 200 airplane based in Las Vegas spent all day Thursday flying over flooded New Orleans searching for radioactive sources to ensure they remained in place and intact, a National Nuclear Security Administration spokesman ...; 11:12 a.m.

Construction on MGM condo project continues: Construction on MGM condo project continues; 11:11 a.m.

Station reveals estimated value of land holdings: By Liz Benston; Station Casinos executives say the 489 acres of land the company has accumulated primarily in Nevada is worth up to $1.3 billion -- the first detailed disclosure of land values to investors and an indicator ...; 11:07 a.m.

Slot monitoring operations damaged by hurricane: But another 700 machines remain inoperable as well, since gaming operations monitoring sites in New Orleans and in Gulfport, Miss., were damaged by the storm and are inoperable.; 11:06 a.m.

CEO's NFL ties would affect wagers: When sports bettors place professional football wagers at the two Golden Nugget properties in Southern Nevada, they won't be able to bet on the Houston Texans.; 11:05 a.m.

Alliance postpones earnings report again: Alliance Gaming Inc. has delayed release of its 2005 fiscal year results for the third time, raising concerns that the company could default on credit agreements it has with its lenders.; 11:04 a.m.

Court says ID of informant can stay confidential: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court ruled today that the identity of a confidential informant does not have to be revealed to defense attorneys for a Clark County resident whose charge of possession of ...; 11:03 a.m.

Las Vegas Strip, locals drive record-setting July casino win: CARSON CITY -- If Nevada's casinos are running on all cylinders -- and they are -- the Las Vegas Strip is a V-12 Maserati.; 11:03 a.m.

CCSN president to get $20,000 raise: Carpenter has only been on the job for one year, but he's the last of the presidents to see a salary increase. The raises were sparked by the higher than usual salary given to incoming ...; 11:03 a.m.

License for nuke storage site OK'd: Benjamin Grove and Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Utah lost an important battle today in its effort to keep a temporary nuclear waste dump out of its borders, and that could be a blow to Nevada's fight against Yucca Mountain.; 10:58 a.m.

Victims visiting LV share stories of storm's wrath: J. Craig Anderson; New Orleans resident Barbara Mason was determined to spend a normal Sunday at home Aug. 28.; 10:58 a.m.

Letter: Patriot Act can't be permanent: The House of Representatives voted in the last session of Congress to make permanent provisions of the Patriot Act that would severely curtail our civil liberties. While there was some excuse after the 9/11 attacks ...; 10:05 a.m.

Letter: Touch of class is sorely missed: My husband and I took a trip to Las Vegas in early August and we were appalled by the lack of decorum in many of the higher-rated restaurants and clubs; we always enjoyed dressing for ...; 10:05 a.m.

Displaced casino workers taking jobs in Midwest: The Isle of Capri casino in Bettendorf and the Rhythm City Casino in Davenport have taken in a total of 10 workers from their flagship casino in Biloxi, Miss.; 10:04 a.m.

Letter: Property taxes should be limited: Contrary to your Sept. 6 editorial, the "Property Tax Restraint Initiative" by Reno Assemblywoman Sharron Angle (which mimics California's Proposition 13) does not restrict any innovative taxes. The proposal simply limits annual property taxes enough ...; 10:04 a.m.

Letter: Use lessons to change policies: Now we, as a country, have been caught with our hypocrisy showing. Where were the troops who should have helped the flood victims? They are fighting in Iraq, because (well, let's face it, we don't ...; 10:03 a.m.

Letter: Hopelessness spawned panic: Our government did not attempt to establish control of the area, nor did it provide any hope for the homeless and destitute hurricane victims until four days after the storm. Imagine, four days without food, ...; 10:02 a.m.

Letter: Rebate checks better used for hurricane relief: For seniors, those on fixed incomes or those struggling to make ends meet with rising property taxes and fuel costs, the checks will provide a welcome source of additional funds.; 10:01 a.m.

Porter is expecting more Yucca documents to use in e-mail probe: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., expects another set of documents from the Energy Department today to use in his investigation of government worker e-mails that insinuate poor management and possible falsified information at the ...; 9:59 a.m.

Former tax preparer arrested in fraud case: David Kihara; The U.S. Marshals Service on Wednesday arrested a former tax preparer for not complying with a court order to turn over a list of clients in an investigation into alleged fraudulent tax returns.; 9:59 a.m.

Survey: Get good schools manager: Get a good manager.; 9:58 a.m.

Bus passes set aside for displaced: Speaking before the RTC board at its monthly meeting, Snow said the 30-day passes would be made available to the roughly 500 survivors of Hurricane Katrina who started arriving at the Fertitta Community Assistance Center ...; 9:56 a.m.

Laboratory testing on dead bighorn sheep doesn't reveal why animals perished: Nevada wildlife officials know what did not cause 22 desert bighorn sheep to die in the Southern Nevada mountains in July, but they may never know what actually killed the animals.; 9:55 a.m.

High court tosses out Perez-Marquez murder conviction: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the first-degree murder conviction of Oscar Perez-Marquez, sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for setting another man on fire in a ...; 9:55 a.m.

Ex-New Orleans teacher at home in LV: By Emily Richmond; In a car crammed with hastily packed bags, their two young children and the family dog, Charlotte and Charles LaRocca fled Hurricane Katrina's fury and left their home and its six large live oak trees ...; 9:54 a.m.

Disaster team describes aftermath: When critical care provider Ed Enriquez learned that Nevada's medical strike team had been placed on alert to respond to Hurricane Katrina's aftermath at the Louisiana Superdome, his wife started "freaking out."; 9:54 a.m.

Obituaries for Sept. 9, 2005: Napoleon Tomas Granil, 76, of Las Vegas died Tuesday in a local hospital. He was born Sept. 5, 1929, in the Philippines. A resident for 31 years, he was a retired Navy chief petty officer ...; 9:54 a.m.

Vegans seek ways to help families fleeing the South: By Timothy Pratt; Hurricane Katrina's slap continued to be felt in the Las Vegas Valley on Thursday, with the total number of people filing through a one-stop center approaching 1,000 in its second day, even while the federal ...; 9:53 a.m.

No time to dwell on loss: Steve Guiremand; After opening its season Monday at New Mexico, the UNLV football team found itself with a short week to prepare for Saturday night's home opener against Idaho (0-1) at Sam Boyd Stadium.; 9:50 a.m.

W.Va. governor rules out gaming as special session topic: Lawrence Messina; CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Gov. Joe Manchin has closed the door to adding casino table games to the agenda of the special legislative session he convened Wednesday, following a last-ditch appeal from Northern Panhandle lawmakers.; 9:47 a.m.

Board to take applications for slot-machine licenses: Mark Scolforo; HARRISBURG, Pa. -- The Gaming Control Board decided Thursday to let the state's six horse tracks begin applying for "conditional" slot-machine gambling licenses within the next week, and its chairman said he hoped licenses could ...; 9:46 a.m.

Businessman gets 7 years for illegal video poker ring: David "Ricky" Godwin, 57, of Kenly was sentenced for crimes uncovered in an ongoing federal and state investigation of illegal video poker operations. The probe previously led to the conviction of former state Transportation Secretary ...; 9:46 a.m.

Crude oil prices rise: George Jahn; VIENNA, Austria -- Crude oil prices rose above $65 a barrel today after the U.S. Department of Energy said energy costs this winter in the United States would be the highest in 10 years.; 9:46 a.m.

Airlines: Tax break would help contain fuel costs: John Hughes; U.S. airlines, many of them losing money and some trying to avoid bankruptcy, are asking Congress for a $600 million tax break to help offset record fuel prices, said James May, president of the industry's ...; 9:45 a.m.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Summerlin resident reunited with Cup: As one who grew up near Chicago having memorized Bobby Hull's lifetime statistics, it pains me to say that pro hockey, at least the way they play it in the NHL, has more problems than ...; 9:45 a.m.

Poker tourney event canceled: The casino was completely destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged the Mississippi Gulf Coast.; 9:45 a.m.

Consumer confidence sinks: The RBC CASH Index, based on polling by Ipsos, showed that consumer confidence sank to 61.5 in September, the lowest since early March 2003, when confidence dropped to 61.4 as a nervous country hunkered down ...; 9:44 a.m.

Editorial: Let the court decide: In reviewing the case, however, the city's medical expert concluded that the level of Xanax in Schmidt's bloodstream was far above a therapeutic level. In addition to the charges recommended by Metro, the city also ...; 9:44 a.m.

Company to end employee discount for all buyers Sept. 30: Dealers were notified of the decision Wednesday, GM spokeswoman Deborah Silverman said Thursday. The Detroit-based company used the employee discounts to post U.S. sales gains in June and July before a 13 percent decline last ...; 9:43 a.m.

Sports briefs for September 9, 2005: Magic Johnson promised jobs to some Hurricane Katrina victims living at a shelter in Los Angeles, in addition to helping provide them with shoes, food and entertainment.; 9:43 a.m.

Ford close to sale of rental car unit, executives say: Ford is expected to sell Hertz to one of two competing groups of corporate buyout firms, but hasn't yet selected which one, according to the executives, who requested anonymity because the deal isn't yet complete. ...; 9:42 a.m.

Goodman invites Hornets to Vegas: Dan Kulin; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman indicated Thursday he has had discussions about trying to bring the NBA's New Orleans Hornets to Las Vegas, but it was unclear who the mayor might be speaking with.; 9:41 a.m.

Debut of sports book part of property transformation: The 696-room Hooters brand resort is expected to open in the first quarter of 2006 with a new marquee and several new restaurants, including the chain's namesake eatery.; 9:40 a.m.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Disappointed Gordon already looking ahead to 2006: When the green flag drops on Saturday night's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway, 10 drivers will be battling for the four remaining spots in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.; 9:40 a.m.

Columnist Nick Christensen: Class size always an issue for schools: Nick Christensen; In one of the strongest midseason tests for a state title contender, Shadow Ridge will face J.K. Mullen, a Catholic school from the Denver area, at 6 p.m. today at Ray DePalma Field.; 9:38 a.m.

Reid sets new partisan tone: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid this week led an aggressive multi-pronged attack on Republicans, with the Bush administration bearing the brunt for its response to Hurricane Katrina.; 9:25 a.m.

Reid, Ensign taking different stances on Roberts: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Nevada's senators are taking starkly different stances on Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, who faces confirmation hearings next week.; 9:24 a.m.

Man who had inert grenade on bus pleads not guilty: The 23-year-old Iranian man who on Aug. 1 allegedly claimed to be Osama bin Laden's cousin before displaying an inert grenade on a bus pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges stemming from the incident.; 9:24 a.m.

Appeals court denies Williams' petition: CARSON CITY -- A federal appeals court Thursday denied the petition of Jessica Williams, who claimed her constitutional rights were violated when she was convicted in the crash on Interstate 15 that killed six teenagers ...; 9:21 a.m.

Prison guard loses appeal: CARSON CITY -- An armed correctional officer, fired because he was found sleeping while guarding a prisoner, has lost his appeal to be reinstated.; 9:20 a.m.

Fight schedule: At the Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Eddie Chambers, Homewood, Pa., vs. Robert Hawkins, Philadelphia, 12, for the vacant IBU heavyweight title.; 9:19 a.m.

Saturday's horse racing entries: Post Time 10 a.m.; 9:19 a.m.

Preps: Thursday's results: Reed 33, Hug 14: Reed 2-1, Hug 2-1; 9:18 a.m.

Fishing report: Weather and bass remain hot topics: The size of the stripers being caught picked up somewhat late last week for anglers who were fishing in the Las Vegas Wash area with more fish in the 3-pound range being seen in the ...; 9:17 a.m.

Editorial: The worst of the worst: Americans' generous nature, however, also means that scam artists are taking advantage of this tragedy. A story in Thursday's New York Times reports that the Internet in particular is a lucrative venue for ripping off ...; 9:15 a.m.

Man gets 10 years for killing ex-girlfriend: A 23-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison Thursday for killing his 24-year-old former girlfriend in 2003.; 9:14 a.m.

Highlights of July 2005 revenue report on Nevada casinos: AP; -STATEWIDE: $958.4 million win, up 17.9 percent.; 9:11 a.m.

Blood drives: Thursday: 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Clark High School, 4291 W. Pennwood Ave.; 9 a.m.-noon, Sierra Health Rancho, 2300 W. Charleston Blvd.; 8:36 a.m.

Community briefs for Sept. 9, 2005: The Clark County Department of Family Services and the First African Methodist Episcopal Church will host a community adoption festival to recruit new foster and adoptive parents for children with special needs.; 8:36 a.m.

Aid for victims: Volunteers are needed to help collect and assemble the packages. For more information or to donate your time call 258-1995.; 8:36 a.m.

Census to be taken on homeless youth: Volunteers are expected to complete a one-hour training course prior to the October count and receive an assigned area that they will canvass to identify homeless individuals under 18.; 8:35 a.m.

'Avenue Q' tips traditional puppetry toward edgy adult themes: Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his puppet Charlie McCarthy were popular on the radio and in the movies in the '30s and '40s.; 8:24 a.m.

Minor Threat a major experience: Spencer Patterson; I remember being thoroughly repulsed the first time a high school buddy played a Minor Threat cassette for me.; 8:23 a.m.

Columnist Spencer Patterson: Ex-carpenter LaMontagne builds dream career: Spencer Patterson; Not from a religious deity. From Stephen Stills, specifically Stills' song "Treetop Flyer."; 8:23 a.m.

Buenos Amigos: Members of legendary Latin band Los Lobos have grown up together: Spencer Patterson; The musicians, who once sold self-released records from the backs of their cars, now have the clout to bring Elvis Costello, Ruben Blades and Tom Waits into the studio for collaborative projects.; 8:22 a.m.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Dick Fazio's career has evolved to kids' stuff: "I grew real tired of the music business," said the New York native, who has performed in clubs around the country for decades. "I needed to make a drastic change in my life, and so ...; 8:18 a.m.

John Stuart focuses on a single legend -- Elvis: There will be plenty of Elvis sightings at the Fremont Street Experience tonight and Saturday as more than 50 amateur and professional impersonators participate in producer John Stuart's first "The Spirit of Elvis Celebration."; 8:16 a.m.

Columnist Jerry Fink: Move to LV was lucky for Lokey: He had left his home near the beach in Biloxi, Miss., for an assignment in the desert that might have spared him from experiencing yet another natural disaster -- Hurricane Katrina.; 8:16 a.m.

Columnist Jeff German: Dollar deal is costing LVCVA big bucks: WEEKEND EDITION; 6:08 a.m.

Columnist Jon Ralston: Medical center edges closer: WEEKEND EDITION; 5:56 a.m.

Editorial: There he goes again ...: Sept, 10-11, 2005; 5:55 a.m.

Editorial: Rid top-level federal jobs of patronage: Sept. 10-11, 2005; 5:52 a.m.

Letter: Bush's foes have been unfairly critical: Sept. 10-11, 2005; 5:50 a.m.

Letter: Discrimination is evident in Delta: Sept. 10-11, 2005; 5:49 a.m.

Letter: Military bases can be used for emergencies: Sept. 10-11, 2005; 5:47 a.m.

Letter: Don't make political game of response: Sept. 10-11, 2005; 5:45 a.m.

Letter: Bad environmental, tax policies to blame: Sept. 10-11, 2005; 5:43 a.m.

Letter: Katrina victims will depend on generosity of local residents: Sept. 10-11, 2005; 5:42 a.m.

Legends in their time: WEEKEND EDITION; 5:32 a.m.

Legend Has It: WEEKEND EDITION; 3:36 a.m.

Columnist Susan Snyder: Charities heed call of donors: WEEKEND EDITION; 3:31 a.m.

88 stories

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