News - Las Vegas Sun

Board chief fires back, backs off: Accused of hindering Desai probe, he blasts prosecutor, then backpedals; medical board to cooperate; Thu, May 8, 2008 (2 a.m.); By Marshall Allen; The executive director of the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners unleashed a tirade against a county prosecutor before saying the board would turn over to investigators any complaints in its files about Dr. Dipak Desai.

Nevada Republicans bolt party line, support housing package: By Lisa Mascaro; In a sign of how the mortgage crisis is rippling through Nevada and across the national political landscape, the state’s two Republican House members broke ranks with their party Thursday and defied President Bush’s veto threat to vote for the main provisions of a Democratic housing rescue package.

Las Vegas ambassador extraordinaire: G. Barney Rawlings: 1922 — 2008:; By Mary Manning; World War II fighter pilot G. Barney Rawlings came to Las Vegas in 1947 to sing — launching a half-century career as a performer, emcee and executive director of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

CNA tips status quo, but doesn’t oust SEIU: Outcome for St. Rose nurses still uncertain, but union unrest is clear; By Tony Cook, Michael Mishak; The Service Employees International Union suffered a clear vote of no confidence this week as registered nurses it represents at three St. Rose Dominican hospitals voted in greater — though still inconclusive — numbers to join a rival union.

Union pushed; Trop fell: Behind the scenes, the Culinary and its parent helped bring about the loss of Tropicana’s New Jersey license and its filing for bankruptcy protection; By Michael Mishak; The owners of the Tropicana might have filed for bankruptcy protection regardless of labor union tactics. But the Culinary Union and its parent certainly saw where the Tropicana, a long-standing nemesis, was vulnerable. And the union then set itself on a course of action that it knew would lead to the company’s financial unraveling. The gaming company has filed for bankruptcy reorganization after the union’s parent, Unite Here, led a successful charge for the revocation of its New Jersey gaming license.

Sun journalists win Best of the West awards: Three Las Vegas Sun journalists have won awards in the 2008 Best of the West contest, recognized as the most prestigious journalism contest spanning the 13 Western states.

True sign of the times: Vegas tips are slipping: Service workers report business is down, customers are less generous; Thursday, May 8, 2008; By Brendan Buhler; First-quarter room occupancy is down 1 percentage point, Boyd Gaming’s Las Vegas revenue is down 5 or 6 percent, MGM Mirage’s revenue is down 30 percent, and Stacy Taylor’s income is down 40 percent. And as part of the 10 percent of the Las Vegas labor force that earns tip income, she might be considered a barometer of the Las Vegas economy.

Divorce as political spectacle: Governor may have asked for privacy, but observers say his actions invite public scrutiny; Thursday, May 8, 2008; By David McGrath Schwartz; When word of marital trouble in the Governor’s Mansion seeped out, Gov. Jim Gibbons’ allies hoped for as quiet a divorce as possible. That clearly is not how things have gone.

Transgender killer torn with guilt, searching still for identity: Life story riddled with abuse of alcohol, hidden tendencies; Thursday, May 8, 2008; By Abigail Goldman; The hairdresser who bleached Raven Navajo’s roots in jail wasn’t given much time or many tools, so the result was more mine shaft canary than blond — dingy yellow hair fried so thin it seemed to float on static electricity.

UMC thefts on overtime alleged: Police say workers helped bosses steal goods on company time; Wednesday, May 7, 2008; By Tony Cook; Not only did University Medical Center employees help their bosses steal from the public hospital — they also charged the hospital tens of thousands of dollars in overtime while doing it, according to police.

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