Las Vegas Review-Journal (Las Vegas, NV) articles from July 2003

Las Vegas Review-Journal (Las Vegas, NV) archives from July 2003

Buddy Hackett dead at 78.(news)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: DOUG ELFMAN, REVIEW-JOURNAL Comedian and actor Buddy Hackett, who became one of the biggest headliners in Las Vegas during the 1950s and 1960s, has died, his son Sandy Hackett said Monday. Hackett, who was 78, was a regular on...

Time to sue,school, unionofficials say.(news)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: LISA KIM BACH, REVIEW-JOURNAL Public school officials and the local teachers union were ready late Monday for quick legal action against lawmakers for failing to pass the public schools budget by today's start of the new fiscal...

Bewarebacklashof voters.(news)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: JANE ANN MORRISON, REVIEW-JOURNAL Two experts on Nevada politics concurred Monday that the failure of legislators to agree on a plan to finance state government will leave residents cynical and disgusted with their representatives....

Raise ontoday'scountyagenda.(news)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: FRANK GEARY, REVIEW-JOURNAL Amid budget woes for the government, Clark County commissioners today will consider giving themselves a nearly 27 percent pay raise. Some commissioners insist they deserve the raise, which would boost...

HOMELAND SECURITY: County gets shortchanged.(news)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: J.M. KALIL, REVIEW-JOURNAL Clark County will receive less than one-third of the $6.7 million the Homeland Security Department granted Nevada earlier this year in the first wave of federal anti-terrorism funding. Southern Nevada...

Boulder City slaying might be work of serial killer, police say.(news)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: FRANK CURRERI, REVIEW-JOURNAL Las Vegas police are reaching out to law enforcement agencies nationwide to determine whether the man charged with murdering and dismembering a hotel porter last week near Boulder City is a serial...

IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN: Sean Connery makes big splash at film premiere.(news)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: CAROL CLING, REVIEW-JOURNAL The movie's title may be "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," but one extraordinary gentleman -- Sean Connery -- dominated the spotlight Monday night at The Venetian, site of the movie's world...

Advertisement makes case for Binion trial defendant.(news)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: GLENN PUIT, REVIEW-JOURNAL A newspaper advertisement demonstrates that three years after Sandy Murphy was found guilty of killing gaming mogul Ted Binion, her supporters have not given up on attempts to overturn her murder...

NLV police investigating double slaying outside apartments.(news)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: FRANK CURRERI, REVIEW-JOURNAL North Las Vegas police are investigating a double slaying that happened Sunday night after an argument outside an apartment complex. The shootings occurred about 10:30 p.m. at the Hayden Point...

Police, witness who allegedracial profiling settle lawsuit.(news)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: GLENN PUIT, REVIEW-JOURNAL A man who said his 2000 arrest in Las Vegas was the result of racial profiling has entered into a confidential settlement with Las Vegas police. But other than to confirm Julian Reinhardt's federal...

Former Valley Bank official dead at 75.(news)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL Dan Rotunno, 75, former senior vice president at former Valley Bank, died Friday after a brief illness. Rotunno joined Valley Bank of Nevada in the late 1960s. He served as executive vice president with...

Dallimore carries major wait.(sports)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: KEVIN IOLE, REVIEW-JOURNAL Brian Dallimore isn't quite ready to give up on his baseball career, but he knows the next phase of his life is beckoning. Dallimore, a former Clark High School star, is in his eighth year as a...

51s announcer gets major league call-up.(sports)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: KEVIN IOLE, REVIEW-JOURNAL Russ Langer had his life mapped out by the time he was 7 years old, but he soon had to make a change of plans. As an 8-year-old Little Leaguer, Langer learned a harsh lesson: He wasn't good enough to...

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: Hit with an ugly stick.(living)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: JOHN PRZYBYS, REVIEW-JOURNAL You really, really, really don't like Terrey Winkler's lamp. You remember Winkler's entry in the Review-Journal's Ugly Lamp Contest. It's the Davy Crockett-meets-Freddy Krueger number that features...

YOUTH SPOTLIGHT: Fifth-grader to make movie debut in `Freaky Friday' remake.(living)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: DEANA DI DIO, REVIEW-JOURNAL Ryan Malgarini has heroes, just like any other 11-year-old. But his heroes are Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra. "It literally just takes you away," Malgarini says of Kelly's dancing....

Marriott closes deal on Chateau time-share resort.(business)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL Marriott Vacation Club International has closed the deal to develop and market the $300 million Chateau time-share resort on Harmon Avenue at the site of the former Shark Club, an executive with Las Vegas-based...

Ranchers, vineyard plan winery for Minden.(business)
July 1, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL The owners of a historic ranch in Minden have joined with the owners of a vineyard and winery to build the first full production winery in Nevada. The partnership between Tahoe Ridge Vineyards and Winery and Van...

Las Vegas Review-Journal Business Briefs Column.
July 1, 2003

Marriott to Co-Develop Time-Share Resort in Las Vegas.
July 1, 2003

Former Executive at Valley Bank of Nevada Dies.
July 1, 2003

Ranchers, Vineyard Plan Winery for Minden, Nev.
July 1, 2003

Commissioners approve pay raise.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: FRANK GEARY, REVIEW-JOURNAL After hearing Tuesday about University Medical Center's growing deficit and the need to purchase millions of dollars worth of new computers, Clark County commissioners gave themselves a pay raise. ...

Washoe, Clark school districts join legal assault.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: LISA KIM BACH, REVIEW-JOURNAL Nevada's two largest school districts are jumping into the legal fray arising from lawmakers' failure to approve an education budget and a supporting tax package. Clark County and Washoe County...

GUINN LAWSUIT: Court takes up budget battle.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL CARSON CITY -- Nevada Supreme Court justices pledged Tuesday to swiftly address the governor's request that they resolve the legislative tax impasse. In a hastily called news conference in Las Vegas, Chief...

ANIMAL FOUNDATION: Deal OK'd on animal control.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: FRANK GEARY, REVIEW-JOURNAL Hundreds of pets lost or discarded each year in unincorporated areas of Clark County will be cared for starting in 2005 by a nonprofit agency that has been criticized for its treatment of animals. ...

Fireworks damage mounts.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: K.C. HOWARD, REVIEW-JOURNAL Since fireworks kiosks opened for business Saturday in Clark County, one Las Vegas man has been seriously burned and more than $50,000 in damage has been attributed to pyrotechnic thrill seekers, fire...

Budget concerns force cutback of fill-in judges.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: GLENN PUIT, REVIEW-JOURNAL A Nevada Supreme Court judge has found himself presiding over divorce and child custody cases in Clark County because Nevada is running out of money to pay for fill-ins for temporary judicial vacancies....

Grassyparkscoulddry up.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: ADRIENNE PACKER, REVIEW-JOURNAL The community of Henderson built its reputation on large green parks and tree-lined boulevards. But in the face of Southern Nevada's worst drought in centuries, city officials who covet turf are...

Repeat DUI offender faces 60-year term.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: GLENN PUIT, REVIEW-JOURNAL A man with seven prior drunken driving arrests pleaded guilty in court Tuesday to driving drunk at the time of a car crash that killed a Florida couple in Boulder City. George Andrew Robinson, 52, now...

ROAD WARRIOR Q&A: Freeway Artwork.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: MICHAEL SQUIRES, REVIEW-JOURNAL This week readers want to know when the Durango Drive overpass will get a coat of paint, whether the county plans to replace vanishing lane markers on Interstate 215 and whether crews at work on the...

Extradition uncertain in Boulder City slaying.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: FRANK CURRERI, REVIEW-JOURNAL Slaying suspect Perry Monroe made his first appearance in a Fresno, Calif., courtroom Monday, but no decision was made about when he might be extradited to Nevada to face charges in the dismemberment...

MALPRACTICE RULING: Board strips physician of license.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: JOELLE BABULA, REVIEW-JOURNAL State medical officials have stripped a Las Vegas doctor of his license after finding the physician guilty of malpractice for giving a lethal dose of morphine to a patient who wasn't terminally ill. ...

Killings called gang-related executions.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: FRANK CURRERI, REVIEW-JOURNAL Two young men who were killed Sunday night at a North Las Vegas apartment complex were shot execution-style by rival gang members, police said. The victims were identified by the Clark County...

Police say man killed self during standoff.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL Authorities said a 52-year-old man shot and killed himself during a standoff with police on Tuesday. It was the second time in two weeks that the man, whose identity was not released, had holed himself up in a...

5-year-oldstarts blazeby accident.(news)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL A 5-year-old boy toying with a lighter sparked an apartment fire that displaced 12 people and killed a dog Tuesday morning, officials said. A family of four was awakened by their smoke alarm about 9:30 a.m. at...

Motocross track to stay open.(sports)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: JEFF WOLF, REVIEW-JOURNAL Las Vegas Motor Speedway decided Tuesday that it will try to continue operating its motocross track, one day after it said it would close the motorcycle circuit permanently, apparently the result of the...

Dodgers threaten to quit 51s.(sports)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: KEVIN IOLE, REVIEW-JOURNAL A top Los Angeles Dodgers official said Tuesday the team will end its affiliation with the Las Vegas 51s after the 2004 season unless plans are in place for a new stadium to replace Cashman Field. However,...

Holyfield willfight Toney atMandalay Bay.(sports)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: KEVIN IOLE, REVIEW-JOURNAL Mandalay Bay landed a major heavyweight fight Tuesday when it reached a deal with Goossen Tutor Promotions to host a bout between former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield and cruiserweight champion...

UNLV group to considerAD candidates on July 10.(sports)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: STEVE CARP, REVIEW-JOURNAL The deadline to apply has passed. Now it's time to whittle the field in UNLV's search for an athletic director to replace John Robinson. By the time the 15-member search committee meets in closed...

Ortiz, UFC enddispute; boutset for Las Vegas.(sports)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: KEVIN IOLE, REVIEW-JOURNAL Tito Ortiz resolved his contractual dispute with the Ultimate Fighting Championships, signing a new four-fight agreement that will put him back in the Octagon against interim light heavyweight champion...

Hermansen's batting average, confidence soaring.(sports)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: KEVIN IOLE, REVIEW-JOURNAL He's a former No. 1 pick, thought by many to be a bust, but who now is flirting with a .400 average in the minors. For much of the season, that described 51s outfielder Bubba Crosby. But now it's also...

VERSATILE VEGETABLE: Nothing to Cry About.(living)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: SONYA PADGETT, REVIEW-JOURNAL Throughout history, people have imbued onions with all sorts of magical and healing properties. Ancient Romans thought that ingesting onions could cure everything from blindness to dog bites;...

RESTAURANT REPORT.(living)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: KEN WHITE, REVIEW-JOURNAL Circle K, 4375 Spring Mountain Road, received 20 demerits June 17. Violations included no hand sink, and uncovered employee beverages stored throughout. GRADE: B Le Sports Bar, Paris Las Vegas, 3655...

Gauge shows local weakness.(business)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: HUBBLE SMITH, REVIEW-JOURNAL The proclaimed end of the Iraqi war has settled many concerns of possible weakness lurking in the U.S. economy since late last year. Still, most of the numbers from the Southern Nevada Index of...

Official says budget fiasco could affect bond ratings.(business)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: JOHN G. EDWARDS, REVIEW-JOURNAL Nevada's current tax standoff could affect the state's bond ratings and thus the cost of borrowing for public projects, State Treasurer Brian Krolicki said Tuesday. The state financial official...

Utility: More plants needed.(business)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: JOHN G. EDWARDS, REVIEW-JOURNAL Nevada Power Co., burned by surging wholesale power prices during the Western energy crisis two years ago, proposes to generate more of its own electricity, according to a plan filed Tuesday. ...

Motion ride company posts wider loss for first quarter.(business)
July 2, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL Cinema Ride, the Studio City-based company with a 50-percent stake in Tickets2Nite, the company operating a half-price show tickets box office on the Strip, posted a wider first-quarter loss. In a late Monday...

Las Vegas Review-Journal Inside Business Column.
July 2, 2003

Studio City, Calif.-Based Ticket Seller Posts Wider Loss for First Quarter.
July 2, 2003

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to Welcome New Board Members.
July 2, 2003

Fremont Street decision reversed.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: J.M. KALIL and MICHAEL SQUIRES, REVIEW-JOURNAL A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that the Fremont Street Experience is a public forum where all First Amendment-protected activities are allowed, reversing a 2001 decision by a...

BUDGET IMPASSE: Legislators to resume bargaining.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: JANE ANN MORRISON, REVIEW-JOURNAL CARSON CITY -- Legislative leaders plan to meet during the holiday weekend to seek a tax compromise before a possible landmark decision by the Nevada Supreme Court. Democratic and Republican...

Southern Nevada soldier injured in attack in Iraq.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: KEITH ROGERS, REVIEW-JOURNAL A Southern Nevada soldier was being transported late Wednesday to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., after an attack in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Friday that destroyed a truck...

Former governors weigh in on budget impasse.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: JANE ANN MORRISON, REVIEW-JOURNAL Three former governors had different predictions Wednesday regarding how the Nevada Supreme Court might rule on the governor's request that justices resolve the ongoing legislative tax impasse. ...

Man shot, killed in robbery try.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: J.M. KALIL, REVIEW-JOURNAL An off-duty police officer foiled the heist of a fireworks stand he was manning late Tuesday by shooting and killing a handgun-wielding robber, authorities said. The 11:30 p.m. shooting unfolded at a...

Maxfield accused of conflict in casting project's deciding vote.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: FRANK GEARY, REVIEW-JOURNAL Angry residents from a southeast valley neighborhood accused Clark County Commissioner Chip Maxfield of having a conflict after he cast the deciding vote on a project that benefits his son's future...

Trial begins for man accused of killing peacemaker.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: GLENN PUIT, REVIEW-JOURNAL Authorities say Joseph Dela Cruz was trying to act as a peacemaker when he attempted to stop a fight outside a Las Vegas nightclub last year. As a result of his efforts, Dela Cruz was shot in the...

Police say nomadic thievespreying upon valley's elderly.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: K.C. HOWARD, REVIEW-JOURNAL Authorities are searching for traveling bands of nomadic thieves who they allege have targeted Las Vegas' elderly for the past six months. Some call them gypsies or vagabonds, but police say they're...

ARGUMENTS HEARD: Poultry rule OK'd by council.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: MICHAEL SQUIRES, REVIEW-JOURNAL A proposal to allow grocery stores and other businesses in commercial sections of Las Vegas to slaughter chickens on-site brought an odd pairing of foes face to face Wednesday: exotic bird lovers and...

FOURTH OF JULY: Busy holiday set for valley.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: K.C. HOWARD, REVIEW-JOURNAL Las Vegas needs no excuse to go glitz, but casinos will dress up in fireworks displays as hordes of tourists start flooding the city today for the Fourth of July weekend. The Las Vegas Convention and...

Defense attorneys say DNA test will exonerate client.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: GLENN PUIT, REVIEW-JOURNAL When Henderson resident Shao Lei Liu was slain last year, her estranged husband immediately became a suspect. At the time of the slaying, Liu and David Ruffa were involved in a nasty custody dispute...

Law enforcement tight-lipped on tribal slaying.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL KINGMAN, Ariz. -- Law enforcement agencies remain tight-lipped five days after a Hualapai Indian tribal police officer shot and killed a teenager on the reservation in Peach Springs, east of Kingman. The FBI is...

Judge to stay in Mosley custody case.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: FRANK CURRERI, REVIEW-JOURNAL The state Supreme Court will not remove the judge who is handling a decade-long child custody battle between District Judge Donald Mosley and a Henderson woman, according to a decision made Wednesday....

Fireman suffers electric shock battling blaze.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL An afternoon fire in downtown Las Vegas injured one firefighter and displaced six residents, officials said. Firefighters were called to a home at 815 Franklin Ave., near the intersection of E. Charleston...

Council OKs slots in supper clubs over tavern qualms.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: MICHAEL SQUIRES, REVIEW-JOURNAL Over the protests of tavern owners, the Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday approved allowing supper clubs to operate up to five slot machines. The ordinance, which doesn't apply to...

City to discuss cell phone tower.(news)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL Can you hear me now? The Las Vegas City Council hopes to keep cellular telephone users in the northwest valley from repeating that phrase. Council members voted unanimously Wednesday to enter talks to erect a...

Ex-Gael Watson nets spot onU.S. junior basketball squad.(sports)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: STEVE CARP, REVIEW-JOURNAL C.J. Watson has played plenty of basketball during the summer. But he normally doesn't need a passport to get on the floor. Instead of playing pickup ball with his friends in Las Vegas, the former...

LewisleaningtowardKlitschko.(sports)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: KEVIN IOLE, REVIEW-JOURNAL They never have met in the ring, but heavyweight contender Vitali Klitschko picked up a victory on Roy Jones Jr. on Wednesday when champion Lennox Lewis indicated a preference for a rematch with Klitschko...

Familiar names seek UNLV post.(sports)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: STEVE CARP, REVIEW-JOURNAL Andy Fry says he doesn't know who has applied for the UNLV athletic director's job. But the chairman of the search committee probably will recognize the names of some who are seeking to replace John...

Alderman duefor some success.(sports)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: JEFF WOLF, REVIEW-JOURNAL Thane Alderman has plenty of motivation to win tonight's Super Late Models race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's Bullring. Alderman, the reigning king of the speedway's premier stock-car division, has had...

Hermansen, Ruancalled up to Dodgers.(sports)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: KEVIN IOLE, REVIEW-JOURNAL Bad news for Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Dave Roberts was good news for two 51s outfielders Wednesday. The Dodgers summoned former Green Valley High School star Chad Hermansen and Wilkin Ruan to...

51s' Bell refusesto look upward.(sports)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: KEVIN IOLE, REVIEW-JOURNAL Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Dan Evans vehemently denies he's looking for a new third baseman, but numerous media reports stating otherwise are difficult to ignore. Until the Florida Marlins...

Arum buttingheads withheavyweights.(sports)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: KEVIN IOLE, REVIEW-JOURNAL Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said he has no qualms about going head-to-head on pay per view against a bout featuring Evander Holyfield, one of the great draws in the history of the pay-per-view industry. ...

Culinary Institution.(living)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: HEIDI KNAPP RINELLA, REVIEW-JOURNAL Nancy Williams Baker has been frequenting Bill Fong's cafes and lunch counters for a long time. Longer than you might imagine. "I've been in business here 50 years," said Baker, owner of...

County orders traffic study for time share tower.(business)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: HUBBLE SMITH, REVIEW-JOURNAL Florida-based Westgate Resorts was given 60 days Wednesday to complete a traffic study for its proposed high-rise time share condominium on a small Strip parcel next to the MGM Grand, which opposes the...

Lakes closes Marriott deal.(business)
July 3, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL Lakes Entertainment, a Minnetonka, Minn.-based gaming company headed by Lyle Berman, received $15 million in cash from the sale of its Shark Club property in Las Vegas to Marriott Vacation Club. Lakes was also...

Minnetonka, Minn.-Based Gaming Company Closes Deal on Las Vegas Property.
July 3, 2003

Nevada Regulators Approve Westin Hotel Licensing.
July 3, 2003

Agencies remainto help homeless.(news)
July 4, 2003... BYLINE: JULIET V. CASEY, REVIEW-JOURNAL This week's closure of the Crisis Intervention Center for the valley's homeless won't leave them without services downtown, but it does signal a changing approach to helping the homeless, officials...

Fourth is pets' worst day,animal control officers say.(news)
July 4, 2003... BYLINE: RICHARD LAKE, REVIEW-JOURNAL Today probably will be the busiest day of the year for local animal control officers. Temperatures have been in triple digits all week, leading to complaints about dogs left in cars or in...

SINGLE-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS: Fatigue cited in fatal crashes.(news)
July 4, 2003... BYLINE: FRANK CURRERI, REVIEW-JOURNAL A total of three people died in three single-vehicle crashes caused by driver fatigue, authorities said Thursday. Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Angie Wolff said an 18-year-old man died in an...

Parade to honor soldier who died.(news)
July 4, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL Matt Commons, the 21-year-old soldier killed in Afghanistan in March, will be honored during Boulder City's 55th annual Damboree parade today. Commons, a 1999 graduate of Boulder City High School and one of...

Police make find in murder suspect's car.(news)
July 4, 2003... BYLINE: FRANK CURRERI, REVIEW-JOURNAL A weapon that murder suspect Perry Monroe might have used to kill a Boulder City woman was found in his car, Las Vegas police revealed Thursday. "We recovered what we think is the murder weapon, as...

Longtime journalist, author dies.(news)
July 4, 2003... BYLINE: REVIEW-JOURNAL Veteran Las Vegas journalist, gaming executive and author Dick Odessky died Thursday at his home in Gleneden Beach, Ore. He was 70. Odessky had been battling cancer. His wife, Joyce, was with him when he died in...