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COPYRIGHT 2006 Las Vegas Review-Journal
Byline: Howard Stutz
Aug. 27--When Larry Gregory heard last fall that MGM Mirage planned to reopen the storm-ravaged Beau Rivage exactly one year after Hurricane Katrina laid waste to the Gulf Coast's casino industry, the executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission gave a private chuckle.
No way, Gregory thought, would the Las Vegas-based casino giant be able to make repairs to Biloxi's largest gaming property in such a short time.
Tuesday morning, Gregory will happily eat some serious crow.
The 1,740-room Beau Rivage reopens its $550 million renovation following a brief ceremony honoring the estimated 238 Mississippi residents who died when the Category 4 storm hit Biloxi and the surrounding areas last Aug. 29.
More than 3,800 MGM Mirage employees -- about 60 percent who worked at the casino last year -- will go back to their jobs and try to return some normalcy to the Gulf Coast region following a year of turmoil and rebuilding.
For Gregory, Mississippi's chief gaming regulator since December 2001, the Beau Rivage...
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