Las Vegas Sun

Archive for March 4, 2004

Oil industry says soaring Nevada gas prices set by market flux: AP; High crude oil prices, strict schedules for refineries in California to change from winter to summer blends, routine maintenance, and cold weather all have contributed to higher costs, said John Felmy, chief economist with the ...; 11:38 a.m.

Bush campaign chief says 'it's time to set the record straight': Kirsten Searer; President Bush's critics already have hammered Nevada with political ads, but today Nevada voters will see the beginning of the president's response.; 11:23 a.m.

News briefs for March 4, 2004: Thirty-four illegal aliens who came to the Las Vegas area to hide from criminal authorities in other countries were arrested in a weeklong blitz that ended Wednesday.; 11:23 a.m.

Water plan would avoid pipeline: Suzanne Struglinski, Launce Rake and Ed Koch; The Interior Department is looking at a proposal to allow the Southern Nevada Water Authority to draw extra water out of Lake Mead based on the authority's rights to water from the Virgin and Muddy ...; 11:19 a.m.

Yucca foes see hearing as opportunity: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- A congressional committee will try to sort through the Energy Department's plans for shipping nuclear waste to Nevada at a hearing in Las Vegas on Friday.; 11:19 a.m.

SW Gas rate hike draws little comment: Kevin Rademacher; Just two consumers spoke out Wednesday at a consumer session on a proposed $45.6 million Southwest Gas Corp. rate increase.; 11:17 a.m.

Single-sex classes give scores a boost: By Emily Richmond; Freshmen taking part in a pilot study at Cheyenne High School where remedial students have been divided up by gender have shown a 15 percent improvement in mathematics grades -- a gain educators say bodes ...; 11:16 a.m.

Source of hotel virus remains a mystery: Dan Kulin and Timothy Pratt; Clark County Health District officials said today they may never know the source of a Norwalk virus that has infected more than 100 guests of the California Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas since ...; 11:14 a.m.

New Orleans hotel planned: The 450-room hotel will open in 2006, Las Vegas-based Harrah's said in a statement. The casino is near the city's French Quarter.; 11:13 a.m.

Taeubel named VP, general manager: Tony Taeubel, who most recently served as chief operating officer of gaming operations at the Pearl River Resort in Choctaw, Miss., took the position at the 1,552-room Las Vegas property Monday, a spokesman for owner ...; 11:13 a.m.

Ticket prices announced: The monorail doesn't have a firm opening date, but it is expected to occur next month. Once the 3.9-mile mass transit system opens between the MGM Grand and the Sahara hotel-casinos, it will offer introductory ...; 11:13 a.m.

Executive selling shares: Mark Yoseloff, chairman and chief executive of the Las Vegas company, is selling those holdings as part of a plan that allows corporate insiders to establish prearranged written plans to buy or sell a specified ...; 11:13 a.m.

Chamber holds job shadow day: Chamber holds job shadow day; 11:13 a.m.

Hard Rock challenging gaming board complaint: The Hard Rock Hotel said Wednesday it will fight a complaint filed by Nevada gaming regulators that claims the boutique Paradise Road property's advertising violates state rules because of references to illegal activity and sexually ...; 11:13 a.m.

Mayor pressing to keep poker tourney downtown: Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., which is buying the WSOP and the Horseshoe brand name from Becky Binion Behnen, at some point plans to move the poker tournament, the world's biggest and most prestigious, to a different ...; 11:13 a.m.

MTR Gaming OK'd for Binion's purchase: Downtown landmark Binion's Horseshoe is set to reopen on April 1 after state gaming regulators approved the $50 million sale of Binion's Horseshoe to West Virginia-based MTR Gaming Group in Wednesday hearings.; 11:11 a.m.

Barrick Gaming bullish on downtown: Prospective downtown casino owner Barrick Gaming expects to be a key player in a revitalization of the classic gaming market, company executives said Wednesday as they announced a sequence of new investments they hope will ...; 11:10 a.m.

Jurors focus on broker's testimony: Jurors focus on broker's testimony; 11:09 a.m.

Council to vote on takeover of golf course: Dan Kulin; The sometimes rocky relationship between Boulder City and a private firm that has run the city's Boulder Creek Golf Club since it opened may be coming to an end.; 11:04 a.m.

Ebbers pleads innocent: Ebbers is accused of conspiring with Scott D. Sullivan, WorldCom's former chief financial officer, to conceal the company's weakening performance starting in 2000 and participating in fraudulent reports to Wall Street and regulators about its ...; 11:02 a.m.

Man who asked for death penalty gets life: Erica D. Johnson; Jurors on Wednesday spared the life of a 21-year-old man convicted in the multiple stabbing and mutilation death of a local driving instructor.; 10:59 a.m.

Nellis-based squadron is back from the war: Jace Radke; Twelve-year-old Hope Pomeroy bounced up and down in a parking lot near the Nellis Air Force Base runways Wednesday trying to find her father through a crowd of camouflage-clad airmen who had just spent five ...; 10:56 a.m.

Rebels' Nantkes still out with hurt abdomen: Steve Guiremand; It has been more than four months since UNLV starting quarterback Kurt Nantkes had to be helped off the field after a vicious hit by New Mexico defensive end Zach Rupp. But Nantkes, a 6-foot-4 ...; 10:55 a.m.

Candidates ordered to clear up finance questions: Kirsten Searer; The secretary of state's office gave two legislative candidates notice on Tuesday that they have until March 17 to clear up questions about their recent campaign finance reports.; 10:54 a.m.

Sports briefs for March 4, 2004: Defenseman Mike McBain scored two goals for the Wranglers (36-18-6) in their first loss to Fresno in nine games (7-1-1) this season. Greg Day and Cam Bristow scored the other Wranglers goals.; 10:54 a.m.

Second LV man arrested in Internet porn sting: Jace Radke; A second Las Vegas resident has been arrested in connection with a child pornography investigation that centers around a Belarus-based website called Regpay that charged people's credit cards for access to more than 50 child ...; 10:53 a.m.

LV delays decision on marshals' pay: Sito Negron; The Las Vegas City Council will wait two weeks before deciding whether to add $560,000 to a contract with its marshals that was meant to bring the officers in line with police elsewhere in the ...; 10:53 a.m.

NLV Council votes to rezone land near pig farm for homes: Marc Jones, principal planner for the city, said the homes will be built on 3,000- to 6,000-square-foot lots, termed "small lots" by the city.; 10:51 a.m.

NASCAR 2004: 50 years of big-time racing: With state-of-the-art Las Vegas Motor Speedway about to mark its seventh year as host of one of NASCAR's most popular races, and two local racers now driving full-time on the Nextel Cup circuit, big-time stock ...; 10:45 a.m.

NASCAR 2004: 14-year-old's race potential seems limitless: It took only six years for Alex Haase to zip from slipping into that first go-kart to spinning doughnuts in the North Carolina snow, with buddy and idol Kyle Busch, a few weeks ago.; 10:43 a.m.

NASCAR 2004: Dick Cobb had the speed, not the timing: While Las Vegas Motor Speedway has given rise to budding homegrown NASCAR stars such as Kurt and Kyle Busch and Brendan Gaughan, it came along about 10 years too late for Dick Cobb.; 10:42 a.m.

NASCAR 2004: Kyle Busch sets own course: Kyle Busch has accomplished so much in his brief racing career that it is sometimes difficult to believe that he is only 18 years old.; 10:41 a.m.

NASCAR 2004: Gaughan's career bloomed in desert: Brendan Gaughan exudes so much confidence that some who don't know him might call him "cocky."; 10:40 a.m.

NASCAR 2004: Career has been a rocket ride for Kurt Busch: It is difficult to imagine any driver having more of a meteoric rise in NASCAR than Las Vegas native Kurt Busch.; 10:39 a.m.

NASCAR 2004: Revved up in Vegas: Las Vegas has produced professional football, baseball, basketball and tennis players and Olympic medalists, so it should come as no surprise that the valley eventually would spawn a top-flight auto racer.; 10:35 a.m.

VegasBeat -- Timothy McDarrah: New Sahara acts to rock the Casbar: At a marvelously entertaining event Tuesday afternoon, the venerable Strip institution introduced several new acts that will be appearing regularly at the hotel -- including Lena Prima, the daughter of celebrated jazz trumpet player, bandleader, ...; 10:33 a.m.

Reid to sponsor Senate hearing on silicosis: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department's lack of silica protection for former Yucca Mountain project workers will be topic of a Senate hearing to take place March 15.; 9:55 a.m.

Porter cleared to return home to Nevada: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., will return to Nevada today for the first time since December. Doctors say the ear problem that kept him off airplanes for the past three months is now stable ...; 9:55 a.m.

Obituaries for March 4, 2004: Patricia L. Bartlett, 76, of North Las Vegas died Tuesday in a local health care center. She was born March 9, 1927, in Wichita, Kan. A resident for 51 years, she was a homemaker and ...; 9:55 a.m.

Tie vote delays zoo proposal: Sito Negron; The proponents of building a zoo in Floyd Lamb Park gained time to convince some skeptical Las Vegas City Council members that their idea won't cost city taxpayers anything, but failed Wednesday in their bid ...; 9:54 a.m.

Series aims to keep team costs down: With sponsorship dollars continuing to dwindle, it may be only a matter of time before you flip on the TV some Sunday afternoon and a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race takes the green flag without ...; 9:51 a.m.

Seniors hope to end with a bang: J.K. Edwards said it would be poetic for this chaotic UNLV basketball season to end in the NCAA tournament, while James Peters would welcome a second consecutive start this weekend.; 9:50 a.m.

Lady Rebels looking to pull off upset at Utah: While the consensus is that the Lady Rebels must run the table at next week's Mountain West Conference tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament, their immediate goal is to get out from ...; 9:49 a.m.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: It's time to honor LVMS founder: On Friday afternoon, when Las Vegas Motor Speedway is dedicating the new 22,000-seat Dale Earhardt Terrace in a special ceremony, I think I'll dedicate my one seat in the press box to Richie Clyne.; 9:48 a.m.

NASCAR 3D documentary movie runs up front: If you think having Jimmy Spencer in your rear view mirror is frightening on its own accord, just imagine what it's like in 3D.; 9:48 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's Santa Anita selections: 1st Race -- LADY GENERAL -- Draws good post for 7-panel opener, Saint-Martin atop O'Neill trainee, Lady to get General diploma here? COZY LEGEND -- Bug boy Ruis on Lewis trainee, draws well for Cal-bred ...; 9:46 a.m.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Flip-flop has Goossen in other corner: Dean Juipe; Joe Goossen helped Joel Casamayor defeat Diego Corrales, and now he's trying to help Corrales defeat Casamayor.; 9:43 a.m.

Company to raise medical malpractice rates: CARSON CITY -- A company that writes medical malpractice insurance for more than 300 physicians in Nevada -- most of them in Las Vegas -- has been authorized to raise its base rate by 15 ...; 9:42 a.m.

Focused on business: Dean Juipe; Shane Mosley has been a professional fighter for more than 10 years and he knows something about keeping his priorities in order. It's first things first, and all of that.; 9:42 a.m.

Health officials: Downtown hotel not the source of mystery illness: Daniel Maxson, an environmental health supervisor with the Health District, said they inspected the restaurants and other eateries in the California and found nothing in them, or throughout the rest of the hotel, that would ...; 9:42 a.m.

Fight schedule: At Las Vegas, N.M., (Telefutura), Johnny Tapia, Albuquerque, vs. Frankie Archuleta, Albuquerque, 10, featherweights.; 9:41 a.m.

Nevadans say panel shouldn't consider Yucca budget proposal: Suzanne Struglinski; WASHINGTON -- The House Budget Committee should not consider an increase in funds or a proposal to change how the Energy Department receives money for the Yucca Mountain project, Nevada's members of the House of ...; 9:41 a.m.

Las Vegas City Council briefs for March 4, 2004: The Las Vegas City Council made official Wednesday the agreement with strip club owner Jack Galardi that allows him to escape punishment for misdeeds that he was not involved with and that were committed by ...; 9:40 a.m.

Penske to drivers: No betting: NASCAR Nextel Cup Series team owner Roger Penske has established a policy prohibiting his drivers from wagering on the outcome of auto races.; 9:39 a.m.

County moves to restrict billboards: Commissioners voted 6-0 to establish a 90-day moratorium on accepting land-use applications for new billboards Wednesday, but set an April 21 hearing for a proposed ordinance that would ban new billboards throughout much of the ...; 9:38 a.m.

Top oil company execs resign: The chairman of the company, Philip Watts, stepped down less than a month after insisting that he would stay on despite criticism from investors over how the company handled the restatement. Walter van de Vijver, ...; 9:38 a.m.

Tax refunds boost retail sales: Wal-Mart's sales at U.S. stores open at least a year rose 6.2 percent from a year earlier. Same-store sales rose 12 percent, Gap said. J.C. Penney department-store sales surged 12 percent last month.; 9:38 a.m.

NASCAR Nextel Cup Series: Race week schedule: 2:30 p.m. -- World of Outlaws pit gate opens (LVMS dirt track); 9:38 a.m.

Air Force to review sex assault response programs at 15 bases: Sonja Barisic; HAMPTON, Va. -- The Air Force is examining sexual assault response programs at all 15 of its Air Combat Command installations, including Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas.; 9:37 a.m.

ACLU targets state's law on birth control: CARSON CITY -- A Nevada law that exempts religious groups from offering birth control coverage in health insurance if they are morally opposed to contraception might be challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union.; 9:33 a.m.

Court allows California's suit on Indian campaign donations: Don Thompson; SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California can sue an Indian tribe over its failure to properly report campaign donations, a state appeals court ruled Wednesday, rejecting the tribe's claim of sovereign immunity.; 9:33 a.m.

Community briefs for March 4, 2004: Fit for the Cure, a program designed to help women across America join in the fight against breast cancer will take place Wednesday at the Nordstrom store at the Fashion Show mall.; 9:11 a.m.

Foreign-born service members can speed up citizenship process: Dick Benoit; Foreign-born service members who have served honorably for any period of time beginning on or after Sept. 11, 2001, are eligible to apply for expedited U.S. citizenship, according to Air Force Col. Michael A. Pachuta, ...; 9:10 a.m.

Letter: Have same name for same rights: While I believe his attempt at compromise is honorable, I'd like to point out that the argument for civil "unions" instead of civil "marriage" is inherently flawed. It makes no sense to extend the same ...; 9:01 a.m.

Letter: Only oil firms are benefiting: This administration could ease the situation by releasing some of the Strategic Reserve, but won't because it wants to make the case and gain support for further exploration of developing coastal and Alaska opportunities.; 9:01 a.m.

Letter: Country should be phasing out nuclear power: The American people were sold out in 1954 when we were saddled with the responsibility of nuclear waste by the federal government. If all the subsidies and tax breaks would be added back and included ...; 9:01 a.m.

Father wants to retract guilty plea in daughter's death: Erica D. Johnson; The Henderson father who pleaded guilty in the death of his 18-month-old daughter and the neglect of his four other children wants to back out of his plea deal, his attorney said Wednesday.; 9:00 a.m.

County sets design standards for CMA: Clark County established new rules Wednesday governing the way properties will look in the huge, 9,300-acre Cooperative Management Area lying beneath McCarran International Airport's flight paths.; 8:55 a.m.

Las Vegan pleads guilty in woman's slaying: Erica D. Johnson; A Las Vegas man on Tuesday pleaded guilty to beating a 26-year-old disabled woman to death last year.; 8:55 a.m.

Editorial: Turn back the rise in drug deaths: The city's culture won't change soon, if ever, but that doesn't mean we should give up on fighting drug abuse. In fact, innovative approaches have been used to tackle the issue. In 1992, for example, ...; 8:54 a.m.

Editorial: Self-defeating business: Unfortunately for the businesses, the county defined them as "rental" companies, not transportation companies, meaning charging for rides was illegal. The county also determined that it was illegal for the drivers to collect tips.; 8:54 a.m.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Close unneeded bases: The thought of leaving the farm brought all kinds of terrible thoughts and feelings to me. What about my dogs and cats? Where would old Jess the mare go? What would happen to the cows ...; 8:27 a.m.

Small Steps: Pahrump is growing faster than its entertainment scene: It was 9 on a Friday night at the Stagestop, a dark, low-slung building on the northern edge of town that started out a dozen years ago as a steak house, then added a bar ...; 8:26 a.m.

Disney statement after splitting chairman, CEO positions: AP; The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors, mindful of the shareholder vote today, announced that it is separating the positions of CEO and Chairman. Effective immediately, the Board created the position of Chairman of the ...; 3:52 a.m.

HUD official to make announcement: HUD Assistant Secretary Roy A. Bernardi was to make the announcement at the East Las Vegas Community Senior Center at 2 p.m.; 2:20 a.m.

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