Las Vegas Sun

May 19, 2024

Archive for May 14, 1999

Letter: Some are just not cut out for law enforcement
That means to me, that an assailant must be coming towards me with a weapon that I can plainly see, even at night, to be justifiable.
12:35 p.m.
Letter: Society, not guns at root of the problem
But our parents taught us how to handle them, as well as our heroes Roy, Gene and Hopalong who kept us straight. I think we are seeing a moral decay of our society. Remember the ...
12:33 p.m.
Letter: Give youngsters positive feedback
At most 35 parents and siblings attended the concert: fewer than one person in the audience per child on the stage.
12:32 p.m.
New trial date set in DuPont case
The mistrial apparently saved Joseph Balignasa a conviction on murder charges in the strangulation death of 45-year-old Patricia Margello, the drug-using girlfriend of a junior heir to the du Pont chemical fortune.
12:08 p.m.
Coalition opposes housing measure
"I don't like this bill because I believe it is an issue better addressed by local governments -- not the state legislature," said Clark County Commission Chairman Bruce Woodbury, who is a member of the ...
12:07 p.m.
Birth announcements
Lake Mead Hospital
11:58 a.m.
Henderson to swear in new councilman
The ceremony is set for 5:45 p.m. in the council chambers in City Hall, 240 Water St. A reception will be held in the courtyard immediately following the ceremony.
11:58 a.m.
Fill that empty space beside you with a pet
That empty space beside your bed at night -- there could be a dog there, exuding loyalty and keeping you safe.
11:57 a.m.
Wynn buys more art
The painting, "Landscape, Island of La Grand Jaffe," fetched a record price for a Seurat, the Journal said. It will likely go on display at Bellagio's Gallery of Fine Arts, known for its spectacular art ...
11:57 a.m.
Two LV companies on top 500 list
Wheeler's Las Vegas RV is ranked No. 346 with revenue of $30 million and 90 employees. It's controlled by Marlene Wheeler.
11:56 a.m.
Profit up, revenue down for LV resort
Stratosphere generated revenues of $33.9 million in the quarter, down from $34.2 million in the year-ago quarter.
11:55 a.m.
Irishman captures crown at World Series of Poker
J.J. Furlong, the 61-year-old owner of Ireland's largest carpet-making business, took the worst cards into the final hand of the 30th annual World Series of Poker and wound up a $1 million winner.
11:52 a.m.
St. Jude Mired in Controversy
Amid the mosaic of tranquility, however, a storm of controversy has blown in and buffeted St. Jude's, a nonprofit residential facility for abused and neglected children.
11:51 a.m.
City, Babbitt work on land agreement
That's according to Mayor Michael Montandon and City Manager Pat Importuna, who returned late Wednesday from a two-day trip to Washington, D.C., where they met with Babbitt and members of Nevada's congressional delegation concerning a ...
11:50 a.m.
Bellagio art trade-off: More kids' access for tax break
The Taxation Committee, with one member dissenting, approved Senate Bill 521 but attached new conditions to those seeking an exemption.
11:49 a.m.
Two executives file to sell stock
At Friday's mid-day trading price of $48.31, Wade's sale would raise about $3.5 million.
11:48 a.m.
LV phone company issuing more stock
Separately, MGC said first quarter revenue of $8.4 million was up 29 percent from the preceding quarter. It lost $14.2 million or 83 cents per share compared to a loss in the year-ago quarter of ...
11:48 a.m.
Chamber in partnership to install kiosks on Strip
Doug Trenner, former owner of KNUU 970-AM, hopes to build three 10-foot-tall, 11 1/2-by-13-foot computerized information centers by August. Backed by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, the three visitor service centers would offer two ...
11:47 a.m.
Keller praises cooperation with casino security forces
Speaking at a recent Casino Management Association seminar, Keller said the Las Vegas tourist corridor is safe because the private police forces in the employ of major resort casinos work so well with Metro.
11:45 a.m.
Man sought in burglary
"Right now we are treating it as a sexual assault, but the medical tests are not back yet," Lt. Tom Monahan said. "If it turns out that it wasn't a sexual assault we can drop ...
11:44 a.m.
Del Papa to discuss gas prices at conference
The conference had been planned before the rising gas prices became a major issue in Western states last month, Del Papa spokesman Steve George said.
11:32 a.m.
Mirage lining up financing for its next LV megaresort
The announcement was made by Dan Lee, Mirage's chief financial officer, at a Nevada Gaming Control Board meeting this week. Last week, Mirage raised $416 million by selling 16.6 million shares in a spot secondary ...
11:32 a.m.
Financial problems emerge at LV company
Company executives will be available to discuss the issue during a regular quarterly conference call with note holders on Thursday, May 20.
11:31 a.m.
Cox is inching up cable ladder
So far, the company has 67,000 high-speed Internet access customers, 75,000 for digital TV and 28,000 telephone customers.
11:30 a.m.
Final arrangements made for Clinton
The president's visit, the last stop in a four-day fund-raising blitz in the West, is expected to bring in as much as $400,000 for the Democratic National Committee at two Las Vegas events.
11:29 a.m.
Judge delays hearing in Binion case
Cherry said he needed more time to review new court papers filed by lawyers for Binion's sister, Horseshoe Club owner Becky Behnen.
11:29 a.m.
Three drown on same day at Mead, Mohave
Valentine Buzlea, 49, a Romanian national, drowned while swimming with friends in Chili Pepper Cove, 7 miles north of Katherine's Landing near the Arizona side of Lake Mohave, downstream from Hoover Dam. Witnesses told park ...
11:28 a.m.
Editorial: HMOs stop Medicare coverage
The GAO found that 91 percent of counties with a high payment rate experienced a withdrawal by an HMO compared with 34 percent from counties that had low payment rates. It also should be noted ...
11:26 a.m.
Editorial: Put end to inequity between employees
The controversy has its roots in a 1992 decision by the state Prisons Board that revenue from vending machines in prisons could be used to pay for personal items for prison employees instead of being ...
11:26 a.m.
Cash to equalize college funding approved
Senate and Assembly leaders met behind closed doors for about 45 minutes and then unveiled their plan at a meeting of the joint subcommittee on funding for higher education.
11:26 a.m.
Lower proficiency scores eyed
"The Legislature did not intend the standards to punish these students but (to be used) as something to shoot for," Assembly Education Committee Chairman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, said.
11:25 a.m.
County to hold special budget meeting
Clark County commissioners called a special meeting for Monday to discuss their budget of $722.7 million and review recommendations, which include 255 new positions to help various divisions catch up with growth.
11:24 a.m.
Metro officers gun down man while serving warrants
The incident was Clark County's third officer-involved fatal shooting this year.
11:23 a.m.
Revenue increases for LV firm
Quarterly revenues increased 20 percent to $16.9 million thanks to higher sales of perchlorate (rocket fuel) and sodium azide (airbag propellant).
11:22 a.m.
Summerlin's SportsPark opens tonight
"Mom, can I take hockey lessons?" Smith asked, tugging on mother Meg Smith's purse-laden left arm. "It's so cool here."
11:21 a.m.
Nevada may ban mercury sludge
"At this time, the state is inclined not to allow the sludge into the state," said David Emme, chief of the state Division of Environmental Protection's solid waste.
11:20 a.m.
Las Vegas 4, Salt Lake 2
A -- 8,899 T -- 2:34
11:19 a.m.
Sex charges against Club Utopia tossed
Club Utopia was cited for illegally operating an erotic dance establishment after two investigators detailed what they considered to be numerous ordinance violations.
11:11 a.m.
Columnist Scott Dickensheets: Andersen skewers power brokers in 'Turn of the Century'
Aspiring to be a big (659 pages!), sprawling (New York! Los Angeles! Las Vegas! Seattle!) best seller in the Tom Wolfean mode (incisive social satire!), "Turn of the Century" is set next year in the ...
11:04 a.m.
Stress-related nervous habits range from the mildy innocuous to the monumentally irritating
That initially comedic, jerky head swivel he'd do during his reign over "The Tonight Show" and couldn't seem to stop, and the tap-tap-tapping with his pencil that distracted some guests into a frenzy.
11:01 a.m.
Obituaries for May 14, 199
He is survived by his wife, Rufina; seven sons, Robinson Bacay, Leonardo Bacay, Rudyard Bacay, Romeo Bacay, Victor Bacay, Renante Bacay and Oscar Bacay; and two daughters, Annabel Matule and Vilma Delgado.
10:54 a.m.
Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Cheever returns to Indy as champion
When Eddie Cheever walks into Gasoline Alley at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend for the opening practice for the 83rd Indianapolis 500, he expects to suffer an acute attack of goose bumps.
10:51 a.m.
Senior Classic: Aoki breezes into lead
What was so surprising about the opening round of the Las Vegas Senior Classic was not who was leading, but who wasn't.
10:47 a.m.
Correction: Endanger species story
The Sun corrects its errors. If you find a mistake, call 702-385-3111 to report it.
10:45 a.m.
Panel approves help for homeowners Assembly to vote on construction-defects bill
Senate Bill 37, which now moves to the floor of the Assembly, is part of a package that cracks down on errant home builders and gives the buyer more protection.
10:44 a.m.
Columnist Dean Juipe: Amateurs burden golf tournament
It's a wonder either of the two professional golf tour events that Las Vegas annually hosts attract any decent players at all.
10:44 a.m.
New law to help poor with phone bills
Senate Bill 487 gives a $5.25 a month subsidy on basic service to families that qualify. There is also financial help for poor families to pay for telephone hook-up service. Federal funds will reimburse the ...
10:43 a.m.
Senators open some doors for legal concealed weapons
In a 19-2 vote Thursday afternoon, Senate members expanded the list of buildings into which one can carry a legally owned gun by adding courthouses, federal and state office buildings.
10:42 a.m.
Stars return home after sweep
The question is just how many of those 12 games will left-handed starter Heath Murray be around to watch?
10:41 a.m.
Governor kept busy signing measures dealing with kids
The bills include Assembly Bill 544, by Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, requiring parents with joint custody arrangements to file for a change in custody status before moving out of state.
10:41 a.m.
Toppled king of sex tease clubs given probation, fine
Thursday's sentencing came long after the closure of the clubs amid escalating public outcry, and Gordon will be saddled with a felony conviction on his record for obtaining money under false pretenses.
10:40 a.m.
Senior Classic: Players: Sarazen was ambassador to game
Gene Sarazen was remembered not only as a great golfer, but as an equally outstanding ambassador for the game of golf by many of the players competing in the Las Vegas Senior Classic.
10:39 a.m.
Former world flyweight boxing contender Pacheco dies
"Ray couldn't gain the weight, and I didn't want to have to forfeit the $100 I gave (the Nevada Athletic Commission) to guarantee he would be that heavy," said 75-year-old Ray Nelson, the one-time trainer ...
10:39 a.m.
Henderson: Subdivision, church approved
The commission unanimously voted to approve the architectural review for the 13,360-square-foot Wagonwheel Baptist Church on five acres at 821 Cadiz Ave. in the Foothills area of Henderson.
10:38 a.m.
Columnist Joe Delaney: A wish list that would start millennium right
Comedy in most comedy clubs follows a rigid formula, too much of it is the same, three or four comics doing 15 or 20 minutes apiece. ... Some of the club headliners are excellent, but ...
10:36 a.m.
Heavy favorite Oscar De La Hoya planning for knockout
It's a familiar refrain for Oscar De La Hoya.
10:35 a.m.
Sunlife datebook
BOOK SIGNING
10:34 a.m.
'Derby II' expected to be a fight to the finish
If you settle in to watch the 124th running of the Preakness Stakes tomorrow and you think you've seen it before -- you might be a racing fan.
10:32 a.m.
Columnist Geoff Carter: 'Star Wars' sound could only come from Williams
"Star Wars: A New Hope" scored by:
10:15 a.m.
Columnist Muriel Stevens: A scrumptious visit to Taste of Bread Bakery & Cafe
Some of the same recipes created at Leader's Bread Alone, in New York's Catskill Mountains, are being produced at Taste of Bread, and they're wonderful.
10:10 a.m.
Auto racing schedule, leaders and standings -- May 14, 1999
NASCAR Winston Cup schedule, with winners in parentheses, and driver point standings:
10:09 a.m.
From goof-off to genius, Lucas reflects on his Force
When the first installment of the three "Star Wars" prequels, "The Phantom Menace," arrives on Wednesday, Lucas will be lying on a beach in the South Pacific somewhere.
10:09 a.m.
'Joan of Arc,' Kubrick take Leelee Sobieski to stardom
Leelee Sobieski is giving up the relative anonymity of a typical American adolescence by playing Joan of Arc on TV and appearing in Stanley Kubrick's much anticipated last film.
10:08 a.m.
Friday's prep results -- May 14, 1999
Bonanza 2, Basic 0 Basic 000 000 0 -- 0 2 2 Bonanza 000 200 x -- 2 5 0
10:06 a.m.
Dial File -- Steve Bornfeld: Fall pilots rev up on the runway
Put another way: The '99-'00 TV season.
10:06 a.m.
Coming to Vegas
Tuesday: Dogstar, Boulder Station
10:04 a.m.
4A Zone baseball, softball results, schedule
4A SOUTHERN ZONE TOURNAMENT
10:04 a.m.
'Lord of Dance' taps out weak story
Vivid in color and creative foot movements, the show is definitely a pleaser for the tourist crowd. One out-of-towner attending a performance earlier this week couldn't say enough about the dancers' artistry and talent, clasping ...
10:02 a.m.
Ex-hockey director sues Schlesinger
The lawsuit, filed by attorney Matt Callister on behalf of former professional hockey player Michael Jorgensen, alleges a breach of his two-year employment contract, terminated in December.
10:00 a.m.
Movie Guys: Expect cinematic sizzle at summer box office
Still, with more than 100 films slated for release this summer, there is bound to be something for everyone: Genetically-mutated Great White sharks, mechanical spiders, haunted houses, giant iron robots, witches, Tarzan, and the Muppets ...
10:00 a.m.
Saturday at Hollywood Park
1st race 1-1/16 mi 4YO & up Clm: 1 Askabout (Espinoza) 116; 2 Just Java (Flores) 118; 3 Sweetnsour Gold (Berrio) 116; 4 Chamar (Pincay) 116; 5 Fashion Outlaw (Black) 116; 6 Sierratime (Alvarado) 116; ...
9:58 a.m.
Saturday at Golden Gate
1st race 6 fur 3YO Fil Mdn Clm: 1 Party Pirate (Hunter) 117; 2 Miss Champ Star (Radke) 112; 3 Lady Macknight (Delgadillo) 117; 4 Smokin Star Dancer (Barton) 117; 5 Robertanne (Carr) 117; 6 ...
9:58 a.m.
Saturday at Belmont Park
1st race 1-1/16 mi 3YO & up F&M Alw: 1 Buster's Pineapple (Bravo) 113; 2 Lolly Go Litely (Castillo) 120; 3 Gracious Joan (Diaz) 120; 4 Joey's Lauren (Bridgmohan) 113; 5 Red Tees (Leon) 120; ...
9:57 a.m.
Box score: Stars 7, Canadians 5
E--Christenson. DP--Vancouver 1. LOB--Las Vegas 7, Vancouver 3. 2B--Snellgrove 2, Allen, Freeman, Ortiz, Ardoin, Christenson. HR--Gonzalez (1). SB--Menechino, Christenson. CS--Allen.
9:56 a.m.
Box score: Stars 5, Canadians 1
E--Darr, DP--Las Vegas 1. LOB--Las Vegas 1, Vancouver 9. 2B--Matthews, Menechino, Vaz. HR--Guiel (4). SF--Lesher. SB--Davis.
9:56 a.m.
EAT'M Alive!
At first glance the Emerging Artists and Talent in Music conference seems to encompass everything an aspiring, Bohemian-fringe contemporary music artist would disdain.
9:55 a.m.
Brothel biz and art mingle in Reno area
At the center of both are the prostitutes. In each setting, they make eye contact, but the eyes actually focus somewhere behind you.
9:51 a.m.
Update on the Bard is a gentle 'Dream'
So says Bottom in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and he could be describing the play he occupies. It is an enchanted folly, suggesting that romance is a matter of chance, since love is blind; ...
9:44 a.m.
72 incidents reported in nuke transportation
The incidents, reported by the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratory near Albuquerque, N.M., include anything from minor accidents to four times that radioactive contamination escaped the vehicle. That's out of a total 2,500 shipments.
9:43 a.m.
Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: Proving the cynics wrong
If you don't believe me, ask the parents, students and friends who showed up Tuesday night for the formal dedication of the Irwin and Susan Molasky Middle School. They can tell you firsthand what the ...
9:42 a.m.
'eXistenZ' puts new spin on game-inspired flicks
"eXistenZ" is the new film from David Cronenberg, the Canadian director who must be a thorn in the side of the MPAA ratings board. He's always filming activities that look like sex, but don't employ ...
9:40 a.m.
Miniseries points to real danger
Another train tries to stop the loaded freight cars as they slow while climbing a steep hill, but it cannot connect. Frantic railroad workers make a desperate attempt to connect the brake lines dangling inches ...
9:38 a.m.
Trevino takes lead in Las Vegas Senior Classic
But it was his even-par 71 on Thursday at TPC The Canyons that has him in position to win his first tournament since last June, the Southwestern Bell Dominion.
9:29 a.m.
Assemblyman to research brothels
He has organized such tours in past sessions, although his plan for a tour during the 1997 session was abandoned following adverse publicity.
9:09 a.m.
Panel OKs Washoe room tax hike
But the Taxation Committee also deleted a provision that would allow Sparks to boost its room tax an extra 1 percent to be in line with Reno and the county.
9:09 a.m.
Assembly leader hospitalized, undergoing tests
Assembly leaders said Evans is keeping in touch by telephone with what is happening as the session winds toward its conclusion at the end of the month.
9:08 a.m.
Wild horse management plan trots out of Senate
A federal judge would be asked to grant approval to either the county or state to remove the horses if the government couldn't or wouldn't.
9:07 a.m.
Rent control measure left to die in Senate committee
"Rent control would be the single worst thing we could do for the state of Nevada," Townsend said. "It would dry up capital and it would dry up the ability to build new parks."
9:07 a.m.
Compact discussions between state, tribal leaders open on positive note
"It has been like night and day compared to our dealings with the Pete Wilson administration," said Mary Ann Martin Andreas, chairwoman of the United Tribes Compact Steering Committee.
9:06 a.m.
Women's health parity bills heard by Senate panel
Three of the bills mandate that health insurance plans cover birth control and early testing for breast cancer and osteoporosis. But critics told the Commerce and Labor committee the measures would cover only 30 percent ...
9:05 a.m.
Concealed-weapons bill approved by Senate
AB166, by Assemblyman Lynn Hettrick, initially allowed concealed weapons to be carried into public buildings unless there was a metal detector or a sign posted saying no firearms are allowed.
9:05 a.m.
Homeowner protections approved by Assembly panel
SB32 was endorsed Thursday after going through substantial changes and amendments.
8:57 a.m.
Wynn's art tax break endorsed by Assembly panel
The Taxation Committee voted 10-1 Thursday for SB521, a proposal that opponents have termed a $15 million break for Wynn and his collection of Monets, Picassos, Van Goghs and other works. Assemblywoman Sandra Tiffany, R-Henderson, ...
8:56 a.m.
Irishman wins $1 million and poker's top title
The 61-year-old Irishman bluffed his way to a $1 million prize Thursday to prove he is the world's best poker player.
8:55 a.m.
Star witness' testimony challenged
Michelle Michaud choked back tears as she recounted the night of Sept. 29, 1997, when Daveggio allegedly snatched the 20-year-old woman off a Reno street and threw her into Michaud's van, then repeatedly raped and ...
8:55 a.m.
University system scores extra $23.7 million but school officials unhappy
But school officials are unhappy at the action of the Senate-Assembly subcommittee on higher education, saying the system is still being shortchanged.
8:25 a.m.
Governor's bill advances to Senate floor
Under the bill, all staffers would become non-classified, which clears the way for higher salaries if warranted but also removes job security provided by the classified status that most state workers have.
8:22 a.m.
Top-spending Nevada lobbyists through April
Robert Dickens, University of Nevada, Reno, $1,930.
8:22 a.m.
Schneider, Shaffer, Dini still at top of lobbyist spending list
An analysis by The Associated Press also shows that lobbyists for casinos, mines, taxpayer and business associations and Nevada's two state universities in Reno and Las Vegas are the big spenders among the nearly 700 ...
8:21 a.m.
Property taxes in Churchill County expected to rise
The tax hike is subject to approval of the Nevada Department of Taxation. State law would have allowed an increase as large as 24 cents per $100, county comptroller Alan Kalt said.
8:01 a.m.
Commission postpones decision on golf course purchase
Reno activist Sam Dehne raised the issue of who currently owns the golf courses. Since the county collects taxes used by RSCVA to pay for operating the courses, Dehne argued, the county is already a ...
7:59 a.m.
Elko considers $5 million in school construction projects
Other proposed projects would remodel school rooms, expand parking lots, construct library additions and build new boilers at a variety of area schools.
7:57 a.m.
New trial ordered for Fallon man in prison for child molestation
The judge said Wright's defense attorney, now Churchill County District Judge David Huff, "committed a multitude of errors" that probably would have resulted in acquittal during Wright's three-day jury trial.
7:56 a.m.
Man hailed as a hero for rescuing 64-year-old from burning house
He awakened George A. Sznyczr then used his phone to call 911 before both got out of the burning home without injury.
7:54 a.m.
Authorities capture duck shot with blowdart
The saga began earlier this week when residents spotted the duck in a pond on the city's southwest side, a 5-inch blowdart protruding through its neck.
7:40 a.m.
Man shot as officers try and make an arrest
The shooting occurred after two plain-clothes officers went to the Britcher Palms Business Center, 6200 S. Industrial Road, on Thursday following an informant's tip that stolen construction equipment was being sold.
4:55 a.m.
Key witness completes testimony in kidnap-rape trial
"We were both very, very high on methamphetamine that evening," Michelle Michaud testified under cross examination.
3:11 a.m.
Four Vegas teams hoping to snap the South's softball slump
With their clubs safely in next week's 4A State Tournament, the coaches for Las Vegas' four remaining softball teams turned their attention Thursday to their sport's perennial question.
2:55 a.m.
'Smash' tennis event at Sports Park
'Smash' tennis event at Sports Park
2:54 a.m.
Olympic roller hockey medalists in Las Vegas
Olympic roller hockey medalists in Las Vegas
2:53 a.m.
Drag racing: Stardust Memories at LVMS
The race is named after the old Stardust International Raceway, which operated from 1966-71 in the southwest portion of the Las Vegas valley. The facility hosted major drag race events such as the NHRA National ...
2:52 a.m.
UNLV baseball team at Fresno; eyes berth in WAC tournament
The Rebels (25-31 overall, 14-13 in the Western Athletic Conference) are tied with three teams for fourth place in the standings, while the Bulldogs (32-28, 13-14) are tied for seventh.
2:51 a.m.
Wynn works to help Democrats in House
Wynn, after cultivating ties with House Republicans the past five years, now wants to see Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri, a gaming industry friend, become the new speaker, sources close to the casino mogul ...
2:34 a.m.

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