Jul. 12, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Augustine dies without regaining consciousness
By ED VOGEL
REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU

[[[Kathy Augustine
State controller suffered heart attack early Saturday]]]

[[[Controller Kathy Augustine, flanked by her attorneys Dominic Gentile, right, and John Arrascada, listens in November 2004 during a proceeding before her impeachment trial. Augustine, the only constitutional officer in Nevada history to have been impeached and convicted, died Tuesday at a Reno hospital.
Photo by K.M. Cannon.]]]

CARSON CITY -- Kathy Augustine, Nevada's impeached state controller, died Tuesday afternoon at a Reno hospital. She was 50.

Augustine never regained consciousness after suffering a massive heart attack early Saturday at her Reno home. She died about 4:30 p.m. in Washoe Medical Center's intensive care unit. Her husband and parents as well as other family members were at her bedside at the time of her death, a hospital spokesman said.

Augustine's husband, Chaz Higgs, found her lying unconscious in their bed when he went to wake her Saturday morning. Higgs, a critical care nurse, said she wasn't breathing and had no pulse. He tried unsuccessfully to revive her and then called for an ambulance.

Higgs said Monday that his wife had complained of a stomachache and heartburn in the preceding days. He declined Tuesday during a hospital news conference to answer whether the family had requested the removal of life support systems.

"She was a great leader, mother, daughter, wife and friend who will be greatly missed," said Dallas Augustine, the controller's daughter. "She will always be remembered for her strong commitment to her work, family, friends and causes. Please remember her that way."

Funeral arrangements are pending with Davis Funeral Home in Las Vegas. In lieu of flowers, the family asks well-wishers to make donations to their local food bank.

Augustine loved her job, Higgs said, before she was impeached by the Assembly for three counts of campaign ethics violations in 2004. She remains the only state politician ever to be impeached in Nevada history.

"She was having fun and then that happened," he said. "The only thing I can say is she was a fighter. She felt she didn't do anything wrong."

The state Senate convicted her on just one of three impeachment counts, finding that she violated a state law by using equipment in her state office to advance her re-election campaign in 2002. The Senate only reprimanded Augustine, allowing her to remain in office. A term limits law prevented her from running for another term as controller, so in May she filed as a Republican candidate for state treasurer.

Despite her death, her name will remain on the ballot for the Aug. 15 primary, for which early voting begins July 29, according to the secretary of state's office.

The sudden death of a longtime political leader with no history of previous serious medical problems shocked state politicians.

"We are all deeply saddened by the distressing news of someone so young and vibrant as Kathy Augustine passing away so unexpectedly," Gov. Kenny Guinn said. "On behalf of so many people in our state who knew Kathy and appreciated her dedication and hard work as controller, I offer her family our heartfelt sympathy."

"We are all saddened by Kathy's unexpected death," added Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno. "She should not be remembered for any failings, but for her many years of public service as an assemblyman, a state senator and two terms as state controller. Even her critics have to recognize she had great talent, humor, and was very dedicated to the state."

A former flight attendant and the mother of four children and stepchildren, Augustine served as a Republican state Assembly member from Las Vegas from 1993 until 1995, as a state senator from 1995 until 1999, and as state controller since 1999.

During a Monday news conference, Higgs said he felt stress from the campaign and impeachment might have been the primary factor that led to her heart attack.

Sen. Sandra Tiffany, R-Henderson, said she had been a friend of Augustine since they campaigned together for the Legislature in 1992.

"I thought she was impeached for her personality, rather than her own doing," Tiffany said. "I did not approve of it. She had a strong personality. She stood her ground. She was very aggressive.

"Sometimes in politics you pay a dear price. She paid the ultimate price."

In an interview earlier this year, Augustine said she felt a victory in the treasurer's race would restore her reputation as a responsible state official. As controller, her office received seven consecutive annual awards for excellence in financial reporting. The office also recovered more than $5 million in delinquent payments owed by residents and companies.

Chief Deputy Controller Bill Reinhard will act at least temporarily as the controller. Guinn must name a replacement for Augustine, whose term was to expire at the end of the year.

"He probably will make a decision in the next day or two," said Steve George, Guinn's press secretary.

Mark Taylor, assistant state controller who acted as Augustine's spokesman, said he and other members of her staff were stunned by her death.

"She was upbeat and excited about the campaign when I talked to her last Thursday," he said. She was in good spirits. She felt things were moving in the right direction.

"I thought she was a great leader," he continued. "She was the most committed government official I had the pleasure of working for."

Although Augustine publicly displayed an upbeat personality, Tiffany said she thought the impeachment and treasurer's campaign took its toll.

"It wasn't in her to quit," she said. "I would like to have seen her vindicated."

Jul. 11, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Heart attack fells official
Augustine in coma at Reno hospital
By ED VOGEL
REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU

[[[Kathy Augustine
Nevada controller running for office of state treasurer]]]

[[[Chaz Higgs, husband of Nevada Controller Kathy Augustine, answers questions Monday in Carson City. Augustine suffered a massive heart attack over the weekend and is in a Reno hospital.
Photo by The Associated Press]]]

CARSON CITY -- State Controller Kathy Augustine remained in critical condition Monday in the intensive care unit at Washoe Medical Center after a massive heart attack Saturday in her Reno home.

Her husband, Chaz Higgs, said he found Augustine, 50, lying unconscious in bed Saturday morning. Higgs, a critical care nurse at Carson-Tahoe Hospital, said his wife had no pulse, and he immediately called for an ambulance.

Augustine had complained in recent days about a stomachache, but she does not have a history of serious medical problems, Higgs said.

As for what brought on the heart attack, Higgs said, "Stress. I think that is probably the factor. She has been complaining about it during the whole campaign."

During his news conference at the Capitol on Monday, Higgs refused to answer questions about whether Augustine was on life support systems at the Reno hospital. Higgs would only say that she is in a coma.

"We won't know the full prognosis until tomorrow," Higgs said.

Augustine, a former Republican state senator from Las Vegas, will complete her second and final term as state controller at the end of the year. She filed her candidacy in May for the Aug. 15 Republican primary for state treasurer.

Higgs said he didn't know how her candidacy would be handled now.

"Right now our primary concern is her health," Higgs said. "We aren't thinking about campaigning, or politics or anything like that."

Phil Alfano, Augustine's brother, said his parents have joined him and other family members at the hospital. Augustine is the mother of four children, including a daughter, Dallas Augustine, who attended the news conference, but chose not to speak.

Even if Kathy Augustine is incapacitated or dies, her name cannot be removed from the primary election ballot, according to the secretary of state's office. Candidates by law had to withdraw their names by May 22. Early voting for the primary begins July 29.

Augustine's two primary opponents wouldn't say whether they would suspend campaigning while Augustine is in a coma.

"We wish her a full and speedy recovery," said Ryan Erwin, campaign manager for Mark DeStefano, a businessman seeking the Republican treasurer nomination. "However, we know very few specifics about her condition at this time, therefore it would be premature to discuss any campaign-related decisions."

The third Republican candidate, retiree Joseph Pitts, said he would need more information before deciding how to proceed with the campaign. "Right now my only concern is with her and her family," Pitts said.

Two Democrats and an Independent American are also running for the office.

Augustine is the only state official in Nevada history to have been impeached.

The state Assembly impeached her on three counts of breaking campaign ethics laws in 2004. Earlier the Ethics Commission fined her $15,000 after she signed a statement that she had violated ethics laws.

The state Senate in December 2004, however, convicted her on just one of the three impeachment counts. State senators found that she violated a state law by using equipment in her state office to advancing her re-election campaign in 2002.

Despite that conviction, the Senate only reprimanded Augustine. She was not removed from office. Before the impeachment hearings, Gov. Kenny Guinn, Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., and other top Republican leaders had urged her to resign.

At May's state Republican convention, party Chairman Paul Adams, who had asked Augustine not to run, succeeded in getting a bylaw change passed that essentially disowned Augustine. The rule change says that the party will not acknowledge candidates who have been impeached and convicted.

Adams said Monday he felt only concern for Augustine.

"I just hope she gets better," he said. "My goal was for her to live a long and productive life, just not as a Republican candidate."

Augustine has continued to maintain her innocence and asserted in an interview last January that a victory in the treasurer's race would vindicate her reputation as a dedicated and responsible public official.

"My name recognition is high," she said. "I have some unfavorables, but I have done a lot of good things in this office. The press only concentrates on the negatives. I have to overcome that by focusing it on the positives."

Higgs acknowledged during the news conference that he and other family members had been concerned about Augustine embarking on another political campaign in what would be an "uphill battle to win."

But, he said, she wanted to run and had been putting in full days in the controller's office and then spending weekends and evenings on the treasurer's campaign.

Deputy Controller Bill Reinhard said he will serve as acting controller in Augustine's absence.

Review-Journal writer Molly Ball contributed to this report.

Jun. 30, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV dental school interim dean leaving
By K.C. HOWARD
REVIEW-JOURNAL

UNLV dental school's interim Dean Richard Carr is leaving the institution.

Carr has been criticized in recent weeks for his decision to allow 10 students to graduate after they had been caught cheating.

But UNLV officials said the scandal had nothing to do with his decision and that Carr had always planned to leave June 30 for personal reasons.

The university system has also backed Carr's decision about the students' sanctions as fair, because he followed UNLV's judiciary procedures.

He came out of retirement in March to fill the position at the dental school when Patrick Ferrillo resigned to take a job as dean at the University of the Pacific in California.

Ferrillo announced his resignation in December, saying he planned to stay on through June at UNLV.

But because he had racked up so much time off and was gone from the school too frequently, the university brought Carr out of retirement in March, said UNLV spokeswoman Hilarie Grey.

In the spring, the timeframe of the dean's search was unexpectedly extended so finalists could meet the new UNLV president, David Ashley, Grey said.

Carr's annual salary was set at $240,000 as interim dean, about $74,000 more than he made as executive associate dean, a position he retired from a year ago today.

Carr could not be reached for comment Thursday.

His replacement will be Victor Sandoval, who is professor and chairman of the department of professional studies.

He starts as dean July 1.

Sandoval's wife, Leslie Karns, who also works in the dental school as an associate dean for clinical services, will be supervised by the dental school's executive associate dean William Harman, while Sandoval serves as dean to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest.

Before Sandoval's appointment, the couple did not report to each other, said Richard Linstrom, UNLV general counsel.

Jun. 20, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Council to weigh height proposal
Developers, property owners pitted against neighborhood residents
By DAVID McGRATH SCHWARTZ
REVIEW-JOURNAL

A proposal to limit building height along Las Vegas Boulevard to 60 feet or five stories will come before the City Council on Wednesday, pitting property owners and developers against many residents of the influential John S. Park neighborhood.

Some of downtown's biggest names in development have joined to oppose the plan, hiring a firm to collect signatures from residents in opposition and lobbying the mayor and members of the City Council.

......................................

Jun. 13, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NEON TUESDAY

See Amyl Nitrate, Imperial Leather

Amyl Nitrate sports a mohawk and a chip on her shoulder the size of the Luxor.

She sings of setting the world on fire in a hoarse holler than sounds like a pterodactyl clearing its throat.

As frontlady for Swedish anarcho punks Imperial Leather, Nitrate has plenty to be mad about: namely, touring the world in a small van with five smelly boys.

Seriously though, those Swedes are really good at putting together bikini teams and tough punk combos (Hellacopters, Backyard Babies, Refused, etc.), aren't they?

See the band at 7 p.m. at Rock N Java, 8878 S. Eastern Ave. Tickets are $8; call 932-8098.

-- JASON BRACELIN

judy,

Today, we honor America's heroes, our brave military men and women who are the reasons we enjoy freedom. Their service and sacrifice are an inspiration to me.

Thanks to these heroes, people like me can run for political office and try to give something back ourselves. Let me leave you with one of my favorite quotes:

"It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protestor to burn the flag."

?Father Denis Edward O'Brien, USMC

We remember those who have fallen in service and sacrifice. We are eternally grateful.

Bob Beers

email: andy@beers4nevada.org
phone: 702-876-1555
web: http://www.beers4nevada.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 10, 2006 CONTACT: Steve George, Dir. of Communications (775) 684-5668

CARSON CITY ? The website detailing the state?s Canadian Pharmacy prescription drug program is now live and operational. The site, http://govcha.state.nv.us/CP-index.htm, is listed under the Office for Consumer Health Assistance.

Office of the Governor
101 North Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701
Fax: 775-684-7198

Grant Sawyer State Office Building
555 East Washington, Suite 5100 Las Vegas, NV 89101
Fax: 702-486-2505

Apr. 23, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NEON SUNDAY

Pianist performs with wind quintet

The Las Vegas Wind Quintet diversifies its sound with the help of pianist Lisa Maresch in a free 3 p.m. concert today at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St.

Advertisement

Maresch holds two degrees in piano performance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Next fall, she heads for Arizona State University's doctorate program in collaborative piano.

The program includes the familiar "Pavane" by Gabriel Faure and a portion of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Quintuor." Call 229-6383.

-- MIKE WEATHERFORD

Iraq's al-Maliki Promises Quick Action
Washington Post - 2 hours ago
By ROBERT H. REID. BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The Shiite hard-liner tapped as Iraq's new prime minister promised Saturday to swiftly finish building a unity government after parliament elected a top national leadership ...

Google.cn and Google.com published this section (Quick News of WBTI) at 9:11 a.m. in the morning on March 31, 2006. It covers about the 25 fliers from January 18, 2006 to March 21, 2006.

Just type your name, the title of a report or an article, your concerned, the name of an organization, an event, or a reporter;{like "Chairperson Elaine Chao", "ęā¸¬—–", "‹LˇŅä——½‰Ć", and among others) on the searching box of Google.cn and Google.com please, and what can you find the good things that Google and WBTI have for you?*2

Many people have a good perspective on Google. Google.cn and Google.com will put more effort and wisdom to contribute to English and Chinese readers being an efficient visitor on the searching of fluent and useful information. Washington Business and Technology Institute's (WBTI's) website has been continuously published by Google.com and Google.cn about every 11 days. We wish advanced performance may be extended from Google.cn to WBTI.*3

You're on Google.cn and Google.com, if you're on Washington Business and Technology Institute's website at http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti

[[[A compliment or encouragement is verbal sunshine! We are pleased to quote the following three short but meaningful ones:
***** No matter how busy you are, you must take time to make other person feel important. ---Mary Kay Ash
***** There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assit another human being---to help someone succeed. ---Alan Loy McGinnis
***** There are two things people want more than sex and money ...recognition and praise. ---Mary Kay Ash
All art, permanent or temporary, has a life in the immediate experience, but then has a life in the imagination. ---Anish Kapoor 1954- :in "Sunday Times" 11 July 1999
"Accomplishment will prove to be a journey, not a destination." ---Dwight D. Eisenhower]]]

[[[Dear Dr. & Mrs. Lei:
I am writing this letter to invite you to my next Senior Advisory Committee meeting at 9:30 am on Thursday, February 23, 2006, at the Lieburn Senior Center, 6230 Garwood Avenue (map is enclosed). ..... Dr. Tony Tung-tien Lei has been U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley's Senior Advisor since January 2000.]]]*4

[[["It's really my pleasure and honor to be named as an Associate Professor of the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration of WBTI. WBTI has a good reputation with its Advisory Board and faculty members. The Board has Governor Kenny Guinn as its Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign as Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman as Executive Directors. With the excellent and informative publications of 'Google.cn', 'Google.com', 'Communitylink of Reviewjournal.com', 'Next Weekly' and among others, high-ranking officials of Nevada with the spiritual leadership of Chairperson Elaine Chao of WBTI have been inspired to help realize the creed for professional righteousness, community service, and humane spirit of WBTI," expressed Justice Michael Douglas of Nevada Supreme Court at the Event and Dinner Party in the Emperor's Garden Restaurant on February 4, 2005 in Las Vegas. It was held by the Committee to implement the ART EXHIBIT of Mr. QIN QUAN XIONG.]]]*5

[[[Some of the significant idea from the letters to Dr. Tony Lei, President of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI):
"It's my great pleasure and honor to be named by you as a Senior Advisor and Honorary Chairman of CCDAPCC of WBTI. Please know that I irrevocably stand by my personal commitment to diversity issues in this state and that my sense of patriotism and faith in America stems from its embrace of that diversity." --A. William Maupin, Chief Justice of Nevada Supreme Court
"As Mayor, I will continue to devote my energies into the preservation and improvement of the standard of living enjoyed here in the City of Las Vegas." --Oscar B. Goodman
"It is only with the dedication and commitment of good people like yourself that I will achieve my goal of becoming Governor of this great state. Dema and I can't thank you enough for your assistance and your positive activivities in the community." --Kenny C. Guinn]]]*6

[[["As the Hononary Chairperson of International Cities Business Council of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI), I'll have more venues to work for international tourism with Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn who is the Chairman of the Advisory Board of WBTI. We're putting all our effort and wisdom to work for our people, land, and country under the spiritual leadership of Chairperson Elaine Chao of WBTI," said Lorraine Hunt, Lt. Governor of Nevada, on November 11, 2005.
The above message was signed by Lt. Governor of Nevada Lorraine Hunt:.....]]]*7

[[["It's my great pleasure to extend my warm greetings of 'Happy Lunar New Year!' to every American and Chinese here in Las Vegas and North America through the Communitylink (at http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbti) of the largest newspaper in Nevada, Las Vegas Review-Journal," said James Gibbons, U. S. Congressman and Senior Director of Washington Business and Technology Institute, in the Event and Dinner Party held by Nevada Republican Party and ARCC on January 29, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event and dinner party were sponsored by Asian Republicans of Clark County for a reunion of the lunar new year to the Chinese, Asian, and American people in Las Vegas:.....]]]*8

---------------------------------------------
References

*1. Michael Douglas is a distinguished Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court. Valerie Weber is a famous and achieved Assemblywoman of Nevada and the Minority
Whip of the Assembly. Cheryl Moss is an outstanding District Court Judge of Nevada serving in Las Vegas, Clark County.
*2. PAI of WBTI. 'U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao's on Google!' "A search of 'U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao' on the Google.com," Mountain View, California: Google.com.
*3. Ibid.
*4. Berkley, Shelley. 'I am writing this letter to invite you to,' "A letter from U. S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley to Dr. and Mrs. Tony Tung-tien Lei," (February 8, 2006), Las Vegas, Nevada: Congresswoman Shelley Berkley's Office.
*5. Denton, Mark; Vega, Valorie; and Chang, Tiffany. 'Michael Douglas has been appointed Associate Professor of GSBPA by WBTI,' "A search of 'Justice Michael Douglas wbti' on the Google.com," (March 25, 2006), Mountain View, California: Google.com.
*6. Guinn, Kenny C. 'Nevada Proud of Our Troops in the Middle East,' "Section of 'Business & Administration' of the WBTI website," (March 23, 2006), Las Vegas, Nevada: WBTI.
*7. Hunt, Lorraine. 'As the Hononary Chairperson of International Cities Business Council,' "A search of 'Chairperson Lorraine Hunt' on the Google.com," (March 26, 2006), Mountain View, California: Google.com.
*8. Gibbons, James. 'It's my great pleasure to extend my warm greetings of,' "A search of 'James Gibbons, U. S. Congressman' on the Google.com," (March 27, 2006), Mountain View, California: Google.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 4, 2006 CONTACT: Steve George, Dir. of Communications (775) 684-5668

CARSON CITY – Gov. Kenny Guinn’s hip replacement surgery on his right hip this morning at Spring Valley Hospital in Las Vegas was successfully completed. He is now back in his room, resting comfortably.

First Lady Dema Guinn said, “Kenny came through the surgery beautifully. Hopefully he will be able to be up and around soon without the pain he was feeling before the operation. We are very grateful to Dr. Swanson and the staff at Spring Valley Hospital for their care and attention.”

According to Naomi Jones, spokesperson for Spring Valley Hospital, the operation went very well and there were no complications due to the surgery. Jones said Gov. Guinn will remain at Spring Valley Hospital until this Thursday or Friday, recovering from the operation. The Hospital and Dr. Todd Swanson, who performed the operation, will conduct a news conference on Wednesday, April 5, at 8:15 a.m. in Conference Room B, to discuss the procedure and answer any questions relating to the surgery and recovery period.

Dr. Swanson developed the state-of-the-art procedure used to replace the Governor’s hip, which uses a minimally invasive technique that allows for a quicker recovery of the patient. With x-ray guidance, a surgeon inserts small instruments to remove the damaged ball-and-socket hip and replaces it with a metal-and-plastic implant. Ligaments, muscles and tendons are avoided, rather than cut as in traditional surgery. The duration of the surgery is approximately 2 ½ hours. Patients are usually discharged within 24-48 hours, compared to a 3-5 day average length of stay after traditional hip surgery. Recovery includes a 4-6 week rehabilitation program. A traditional total hip replacement requires 6-8 weeks on crutches or walker, and 3-4 months total recovery time.

In accordance with state law, Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt is the acting governor while Gov. Guinn is recuperating from the surgery. Although Gov. Guinn will be recovering from the surgery for several weeks and be curtailing his travel and appearance schedule during the month of April, he will be “on the job” throughout that process.

For more information about the surgical procedure, please contact Naomi Jones at (702) 853-3308. If you would like to send a card or flowers, please send to Governor Kenny Guinn, Spring Valley Hospital, 5400 S. Rainbow Boulevard, Las Vegas, 89118.

Office of the Governor
101 North Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701
Fax: 775-684-7198

Grant Sawyer State Office Building
555 East Washington, Suite 5100 Las Vegas, NV 89101
Fax: 702-486-2505

On LV visit, Gonzales tells marchers: School counts
REVIEW-JOURNAL

[[[U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales meets with members of the National Association of Hispanic Publications during a conference Friday at the Las Vegas Hilton. In his speech, he outlined the Bush administration's goals for immigration reform.
Photo by John Locher.]]]

By MOLLY BALL

In his first visit to Las Vegas as U.S. attorney general, Alberto Gonzales on Friday called student protests here and in other cities "counterproductive" and said the best way for Hispanic children to achieve their goals was to stay in school.

Gonzales defended President Bush's immigration priorities, saying an amnesty for illegal immigrants would not be effective and the nation's borders must be secured.

Speaking at a convention of publishers of Hispanic publications, Gonzales, a Texas-born Mexican-American who is America's first Hispanic attorney general, stressed the importance of education.

His message to the marchers was: "Get an education. Freedom in this country is only available to those who can speak English well, those who can write English well."

Most of the protesters' parents came to this country seeking a better life for their children, and the children should uphold that dream by not skipping classes, he said.

"There is time after school, there is time on the weekends if they want somehow to convey a message to government leaders," Gonzales said.

He told the publishers the Bush administration is looking at three ways to improve life for Hispanics: cracking down on the gang violence that pervades many Hispanic neighborhoods, protecting minorities' civil rights and addressing immigration.

Immigration was clearly the foremost issue on everyone's mind as schoolchildren massed on the streets of many Western U.S. cities to call for amnesty for illegal immigrants. The marches during the past week, prompted by debate in Congress on the issue, have unleashed wellsprings of both pro-immigrant advocacy and anti-immigrant anger.

Gonzales said Bush strongly opposes an amnesty for illegal immigrants of the sort granted by President Reagan 20 years ago.

The amnesty wasn't effective, he said: "It didn't stop, it encouraged further illegal immigration." An amnesty, he said, would be "unwise and unfair to the many people who have followed the rules."

Bush has instead backed a guest worker program that would grant visas to immigrants to stay and work in the United States only temporarily, without a way to work toward becoming citizens.

Although Gonzales emphasized the need to secure America's borders against terrorists and criminals, he said he did not support some legislators' call to build a fence along the Mexico border.

"I think that's contrary to our traditions," he said, noting that "99.9 percent" of illegal immigrants "come across to seek a better life for their families," not to make trouble.

Gonzales portrayed himself as a product of the American dream, recalling that his mother once had to come in the back entrance of some places because of racism, but "she recently went into the front door of the White House to meet the president of the United States."

He also related a gruesome incident in Texas involving two illegal immigrants who were gang-raped and left for dead by their traffickers, saying stopping human smuggling is a priority for the Bush administration.

"Family values do not stop at the Rio Grande River," Gonzales said, to applause. "But in a post-9/11 world, we must know who is crossing our borders."

Mar. 30, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nevada taxable sales jump 11.9 percent in January

Double-digit gain is biggest since August; Clark County up 10.8 percent

By SEAN WHALEY
REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU
Click image for enlargement.

CARSON CITY -- Nevada's consumers pushed taxable sales back into double-digit increases in January, with $3.6 billion worth of goods and services generating an 11.9 percent gain over the same month a year ago, the Department of Taxation reported Wednesday.

Clark County taxable sales were up 10.8 percent to $2.7 billion. It was the first double-digit gain in taxable sales since August.

The largest increases in statewide taxable sales were in wholesale trade and durable goods, up 33.9 percent; eating and drinking places, up 10.1 percent; building materials and hardware, up 30.5 percent; construction -- special trade, up 38.5 percent; and miscellaneous retail, up 7.4 percent.

The only significant negative number came in automotive dealers and gasoline, which was down 2.1 percent from January 2005.

"I hope there isn't an end," said Chuck Chinnock, executive director of the department. "It just keeps going. We have a very good economy."

Construction activity is a key component of the strong economy and the resulting taxable sales increases, he said.

Other taxable sales categories showing increases in January were general merchandise stores, up 7.4 percent; business services, up 9.1 percent; home furniture and furnishings, up 12.1 percent; and apparel and accessory stores, up 10.8 percent.

In Clark County, the major taxable sales category of eating and drinking places was up 10 percent in January. It was up 12.7 percent in Washoe County.

For the first seven months of the 2005-06 fiscal year, statewide taxable sales have grown by 11.6 percent and total $27.9 billion. In Clark County, taxable sales for the fiscal year are up 10.6 percent, to $20.4 billion.

For the month of January, only Esmeralda and Lander counties reported lower taxable sales than in January 2005. All other 15 counties reported gains, 11 with double-digit increases.

The agency reported that excise tax collections in January, which totaled $15.7 million, decreased more than 12 percent compared to January 2005. This was due primarily to the federal repeal of the estate tax. But cigarette taxes are also off, down 14 percent in January compared to the same month the previous year.

Meanwhile, liquor taxes were up 26.6 percent in January. The live entertainment tax was also up nearly 25 percent.

According to projections for these tax revenues by the Economic Forum, cigarette taxes for the fiscal year are 0.03 percent below estimates, liquor taxes are 5.1 percent above and the live entertainment tax is off nearly 25 percent.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 20, 2006 CONTACT: Steve George, Dir. of Communications (775) 684-5668

CARSON CITY ? Gov. Kenny Guinn is inviting members of the media to his Capitol Building office on Wednesday, March 22, 2006, at 11:00 a.m. to hear about his recently completed Middle East trip where he visited with National Guard and regular Army troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait. The informal meeting will take place immediately following the 10:00 a.m. Board of Examiners meeting.

Office of the Governor
101 North Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701
Fax: 775-684-7198

Grant Sawyer State Office Building
555 East Washington, Suite 5100 Las Vegas, NV 89101
Fax: 702-486-2505

***MEDIA ADVISORY: The scheduled time for the teleconference has been changed to 11:45 a.m., PST.***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 14, 2006 CONTACT: Steve George, Dir. of Communications (775) 684-5668

CARSON CITY – Gov. Kenny Guinn is in the midst of a Middle East tour arranged by the Department of Defense in which he is visiting Nevada Air and Army National Guard troops and other American soldiers serving their nation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nevada currently has roughly 696 Army National Guard and 55 Air National Guard troops deployed in the region.

“I am honored to be provided the opportunity to visit with our brave men and women from Nevada and across the nation who are sacrificing so much in defense of our nation,” Gov. Guinn said. “As the Commander-in-Chief of Nevada’s National Guard, I want our soldiers to know that our citizens stand solidly behind their efforts, and that we are proud of their service to our state and country.”

Gov. Guinn is being joined by governors Phil Bredesen (D-TN), James Douglas (R-VT), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) on the trip.

Today, at 11:45 a.m., Governor Guinn will be available via teleconference in his Capitol Building office to answer media questions about his Middle East trip. Accredited members of the media are invited to attend.

While Governor Guinn is out of state, in accordance with state law, Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt is the acting governor.

For obvious security and safety reasons, the exact itinerary of Gov. Guinn’s trip is not available

Office of the Governor
101 North Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701
Fax: 775-684-7198

Grant Sawyer State Office Building
555 East Washington, Suite 5100 Las Vegas, NV 89101
Fax: 702-486-2505

Mar. 08, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Ancient area, new exhibits
Changes at Red Rock Visitors Center celebrated
By LAWRENCE MOWER
REVIEW-JOURNAL

[[[A geology exhibit Tuesday lights up a corner of a redesigned visitors center at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
Photo by Gary Thompson.]]]

About 600 million years ago, Southern Nevada, including what is now known as the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, was at the bottom of a shallow sea filled with brachiopods, trilobites and corals.

Nature, geological changes and those fossilized specimens created the limestone and dolostone rocks of the Spring Mountains and Red Rock.

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The Red Rock Visitors Center has revealed several new exhibits to help people visualize the history of the area that Southern Nevadans and visitors alike have come to enjoy.

The Bureau of Land Management, Friends of Red Rock Canyon and Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association celebrated the completion of new exhibits at the visitors center Tuesday.

The new exhibits, which cost about half a million dollars to build, feature a multiscreen geology display, a replica of a person scaling a cliff wall and replicas of the many animals native to the Mojave Desert.

The improvements include a floor map depicting the Old Spanish Trail and computers dedicated to monitoring weather and seismic activity in the area.

Money for the exhibits came from land sales within the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, which places revenue from BLM land sales into local parks, trails and natural areas.

One of the main reasons the visitors center was upgraded, said Interpretive Association Executive Director Jackson Ramsey, is to bring the facility up to date and make it more interesting for younger people.

The previous exhibits dated to the 1980s, Ramsey said, and "the '80s is not what cuts it today."

The Interpretive Association, which is contracted by the BLM to manage the fee collecting program and the Red Rock Canyon Gift and Book Store, was integral in creating the new exhibits, BLM Field Manager Juan Palma said.

The Red Rock National Conservation Area collects more fees annually than any other BLM park in the nation, about $1 million worth, BLM representative Kirsten Cannon said.

The area sells about 10,000 yearly passes each year at $20 each, Ramsey said.

Although Red Rock is popular with Southern Nevadans, Palma thinks most visitors are not locals.

That matches up with the makeup of the nonprofit Friends of Red Rock Canyon, a group that donates to the conservation area and volunteers between 15,000 and 20,000 hours each year to maintain it, President Pat Williams said.

Williams said the group has more than 750 members in 25 states and Great Britain.

"We just have a good time while we love the land," Williams said.

Montreal native Pascale Belanger said she did not recognize the new area of the visitors center since her last visit to Las Vegas 10 years ago.

"It's good, it's very nice," she said.

There is no extra charge to visit the visitors center and the new exhibits after paying the $5 fee to enter the park.

Feb. 24, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

JANE 'CORDOVA' DOE: Two arrested in girl's death
Authorities make connection to California investigation
By BRIAN HAYNES
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Sgt. Russ Shoemaker, left, Lt. Lew Roberts and Deputy Chief Greg McCurdy of the Metropolitan Police Department talk Thursday about developments in the case of Jane "Cordova" Doe, the 3-year-old girl who was found dead last month in a trash bin.
Photo by John Locher.

Lt. Lew Roberts discusses the Jane "Cordova" Doe case at a news conference Thursday. A California law enforcement official helped crack the case, Las Vegas police said. At Roberts' right is Sgt. Russ Shoemaker, and at his left is Deputy Chief Greg McCurdy.
Photo by John Locher.

In the six weeks since Jane "Cordova" Doe's body was discarded like a piece of trash, Las Vegas police received hundreds of tips.

The tips came from throughout Southern Nevada, from as far as Maine, even from Canada and Mexico. The dozens of detectives on the case chased them all, hoping the next one would solve the mystery of the little girl who was beaten to death and dropped in a garbage bin.

Late Wednesday, detectives got the break they were looking for when a detective in Central California investigating a report of a missing 3-year-old connected his case to Jane "Cordova" Doe.

"To be quite frank with you, this is one of those cases where we got a lucky break," said Lt. Lew Roberts, head of the Las Vegas police homicide unit.

Police said late Thursday that they now know the name of the girl who wore a fluffy white jacket with pink hearts, but they withheld her name because her identity had not been confirmed by the coroner's office.

They did not hold back the names of the two people they allege are responsible for the girl's death. Police identified them as the girl's mother, 24-year-old Gladys Perez, and her boyfriend, 28-year-old Marc Anthony Colon. Both were arrested Thursday.

Police revealed little more about the investigation because it was still an open case.

"We still have a long way to go," Roberts said.

The case of Jane "Cordova" Doe touched the hearts of Las Vegas Valley residents almost as soon as her body was discovered on the morning of Jan. 12 in a trash bin at the Fountains at Villa Cordova apartments, 2800 S. Eastern Ave., near Sahara Avenue. The neatly dressed girl had died from blunt force trauma to her torso and showed signs of previous abuse, authorities said.

The community reacted by creating a makeshift memorial of candles, stuffed animals and handwritten notes near where she was found. Visitors stopped by with children of their own to offer prayers for the girl they never knew. Two churches held memorial services.

Meanwhile, police blanketed the area with fliers and went door to door in nearby neighborhoods, talking to anyone they could find in the search for clues. They set up a command post in a vacant apartment overlooking the trash bin.

A mobile billboard rolled down valley streets carrying a large portrait of Jane "Cordova" Doe. As days went by without solid leads, police expanded their search and attracted national attention to the case on "America's Most Wanted" and cable news shows.

Police also worked with Spanish-language television networks to get the story broadcast in Central and South America in case the girl was not from the United States.

The media blitz generated close to 1,000 leads, but none panned out.

In the meantime, Las Vegas police tackled several major incidents, including two shootouts and the slaying of one of their own. But Deputy Chief Greg McCurdy said Thursday that detectives stayed focused on the little girl.

"Ever since this girl was found, we've worked tirelessly following every lead, and we never lost sight of this investigation," McCurdy said. "Our detectives never stopped trying to find out who this little girl was and who was responsible for her being dumped in a Dumpster."

The break in the case came Wednesday when a woman in Tulare County, Calif., reported her granddaughter missing. The woman told authorities that the girl might have been in Las Vegas.

The detective investigated, found the Jane "Cordova" Doe case and made a match. Las Vegas police got the call late Wednesday.

"From there, the case took off," Roberts said.

Detectives from Las Vegas headed for California to interview the girl's mother. They found that Perez and Colon had been in Las Vegas in mid-January, considering a possible move to Southern Nevada.

Perez was arrested Thursday evening in California on a charge of murder.

Earlier that day, authorities in St. Paul, Minn., arrested Colon.

Acting on information from Las Vegas police, members of the FBI's Minnesota Fugitive Task Force tracked Colon down to an apartment complex in St. Paul, Special Agent Paul McCabe said.

They arrested him without incident, and he was being held on a warrant for a parole violation out of California, he said.

Colon might have relatives in Minnesota, he said.

Roberts said police plan to charge Colon with murder.

If he is charged, it would not be the first time he has faced charges for harming a child.

In 2002, he pleaded guilty to inflicting injury upon a child in San Bernardino County, Calif. A second charge of willful cruelty to a child with possible injury or death was dismissed under a plea agreement.

Colon was sentenced to 180 days in the county jail. After his release, he violated probation at least twice.

The second violation landed him a two-year prison term starting in May 2003.

It could not be determined how much time Colon served and when he was released.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 17, 2006 CONTACT: Steve George, Dir. of Communications (775) 684-5668

LAS VEGAS – Gov. Kenny Guinn and United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt today hosted a statewide summit to discuss planning for a potential pandemic flu outbreak. The summit, which took place at the Henderson Convention Center, brought together more than 150 officials and community leaders to discuss best practices and to coordinate plans in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak.

The goal of the summit was to raise awareness among state and local leaders about the importance of planning for a possible flu outbreak or any other health-related threat that may occur in the state in the future.

“Although the state was already working very diligently to prepare for the potential outbreak of a pandemic flu, today’s summit allowed healthcare professionals and key community leaders the opportunity to hear how the federal government is preparing and to better coordinate existing statewide plans in the event of a health emergency,” Gov. Guinn said. “I want to thank the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services for all its work in coordinating this summit and in making it such an outstanding success.”

In addition to the aforementioned, Nevada summit invitees included: hospital and healthcare professionals; federal representatives and state legislators; education officials; county commissioners and county managers, mayors and city managers; chamber of commerce members; military personnel; airport authority members; various state and local agency personnel; and other community and religious organizations.

The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, working in conjunction with the governor’s office, has been meeting with numerous state and local agencies since October 2005 to discuss planning for a possible pandemic flu emergency. Specific plans have been formulated as a result of these meetings, which involve both public agency and private business responses to such an emergency, including how hospitals would respond if inundated with a barrage of patients exhibiting flu-like symptoms.

Sec. Leavitt and other federal officials are in the midst of a national campaign, conducting individual summits in each state.

For more information about how Nevada and the nation are preparing for a potential pandemic flu, go to www.pandemicflu.nv.gov, or www.pandemicflu.gov.

Office of the Governor
101 North Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701
Fax: 775-684-7198

Grant Sawyer State Office Building
555 East Washington, Suite 5100 Las Vegas, NV 89101
Fax: 702-486-2505

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 14, 2006 CONTACT: Steve George, Dir. of Communications (775) 684-5668

[[[***MEDIA ADVISORY***
STATE SUMMIT ON PANDEMIC FLU
WILL TAKE PLACE ON FEBRUARY 17TH]]]

CARSON CITY – Gov. Kenny Guinn and United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt will host a statewide summit to discuss planning for a possible pandemic flu outbreak on:

· February 17, 2006

· Henderson Convention Center

200 Water St.

· 2:00P.M. to 5:00P.M.

The goal of the summit is to raise awareness among state and local leaders about the importance of planning for a potential flu outbreak or any other health-related threat that may appear in the state in the future.

Nevada’s summit is part of Sec. Leavitt’s national campaign in which he and other federal officials are conducting individual summits in each state that bring together federal, state, and local officials, along with community leaders, to discuss best practices and to coordinate plans in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak.

More than 200 people from across the state have been invited to attend the summit. Due to space limitations, the summit is not open to the public.

Members of the media are welcome and encouraged to attend the summit. Sec. Leavitt and Gov. Guinn will conduct a media information session at approximately 2:50P.M.

For more information about the summit, please contact Steve George, Director of Communications for the Office of the Governor, at (775) 684-5668. You can also find information about how Nevada and the nation is preparing for a potential pandemic flu outbreak at www.pandemicflu.nv.gov or at www.pandemicflu.gov.

Office of the Governor
101 North Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701
Fax: 775-684-7198

Grant Sawyer State Office Building
555 East Washington, Suite 5100 Las Vegas, NV 89101
Fax: 702-486-2505

Feb. 13, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

ROAD WORK : U.S. 95 closings, detours ahead
Drivers on Swenson also face frustrations
By OMAR SOFRADZIJA
REVIEW-JOURNAL

U.S. Highway 95 traffic passes structures that will support a Nellis Boulevard overpass. Work on the bridge will cause closures of the freeway's southbound lanes tonight through Wednesday morning. Northbound lanes will close nightly Wednesday through Friday morning. More closures are planned next week.
Photo by John Gurzinski.

If you use U.S. Highway 95 late at night, or you drive to McCarran International Airport or the University of Nevada, Las Vegas at any time of the day, watch out this week.

Road work will be squeezing traffic on two major Las Vegas Valley roadways entering Henderson and linking McCarran to UNLV and the school's Thomas & Mack Center.

U.S. 95 in the southeast Las Vegas Valley is facing overnight shutdowns for bridge work, including Tuesday night, on Valentine's Day. And Swenson Street has major around-the-clock lane reductions to allow underground sewer work.

Work to extend Nellis Boulevard over U.S. 95 will cause overnight closures of the southbound portion of the freeway between Tropicana Avenue and Russell Road from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. tonight through Wednesday morning.

Then, northbound U.S. 95 between Tropicana and Russell will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Wednesday night through Friday morning.

Crews will be extending bridge beams over U.S. 95 during the closure.

"Rather than have lane reductions for an extended period of time, we got together with the Nevada Department of Transportation, and we decided it would be best to have some overnight, temporary closures," said Bobby Shelton, spokesman for Clark County's Public Works Department, which is building the new Nellis overpass.

Next week, closures will resume with a southbound U.S. 95 shutdown from 9 p.m. Feb. 21 to 5 a.m. Feb. 22 and a northbound closure from 9 p.m. Feb. 22 to 5 a.m. Feb. 23.

"Hopefully, we'll mitigate or eliminate any more need to close down the freeway," Shelton said.

Tuesday night's shutdown is coming despite the Valentine's Day holiday, which could result in more drivers than usual using the highway late at night.

"We're at a point where we have to hang the bridge structure. We can't wait just because of a holiday that might impact a few people on the roadway," Shelton said. "We realize it's an inconvenience, but we need to put the bridge structure up."

During southbound U.S. 95 shutdowns, a detour will be set up from the U.S. 95 exit at Tropicana to Boulder Highway to Russell Road and back to southbound U.S. 95.

During northbound U.S. 95 closures, a detour will be set up from the U.S. 95 exit at Russell to Boulder to Tropicana and back to U.S. 95.

But drivers are advised to find other routes, if possible.

"If they're planning on using U.S. 95, we'd ask them to plan alternate routes," Shelton said.

An unrelated underground sewer project has resulted in lane reductions since last week on northbound Swenson from Kitty Hawk Way to Tropicana, between McCarran and UNLV.

Those closures are expected to last through at least March 3.

Also, on Thursday and Friday, all left turn lanes from Swenson onto westbound Tropicana near McCarran will be closed, and left turns from Swenson to westbound Tropicana will be prohibited. On Friday and Saturday, there will be lane reductions on eastbound Tropicana at Swenson.

"The work is going to impact traffic for those who are exiting the airport and traveling through the (airport connector) tunnel and airport bypass route to get to the Thomas & Mack Center, UNLV and Tropicana Avenue," Sam Scire, engineering manager for the Clark County Water Reclamation District, said in a statement.

"While this work is going on, people should allow themselves extra time, take extra precautions, or even avoid driving through this area," Scire said in his statement.

Feb. 11, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Medical school to take part in study
By ANNETTE WELLS
REVIEW-JOURNAL

The University of Nevada School of Medicine learned Friday it will be one of 58 sites participating in a five-year, $60 million national study on memory decline.

Michelle Scholar, a research supervisor at the School of Medicine, said Friday that the state has a vested interest in Alzheimer's research because its aged population continues to grow.

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"Alzheimer's is and will be an issue here,'' she said. "And if we're at the forefront of Alzheimer's research, that means we will be at the forefront of early detection and treatment.''

Sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative is an effort to identify changes in the brain that might be associated with memory loss by using brain imaging, said Dr. Leon Thal, a researcher at the University of California, San Diego.
..............................

Jan. 31, 2006
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

WINTER LAS VEGAS MARKET: It's showtime -- again
Second World Market Center show musters talk about future markets
By HOWARD STUTZ
GAMING WIRE

Furniture show patrons walk Monday to the first World Market Center, which is in the shadow of a second building, still under construction. Photos by Craig L. Moran.

Furniture show patrons walk though the entrance of the Amini Innovation Corp. showroom Monday during the opening day of the Winter Las Vegas Market at the World Market Center near downtown.

As some 40,000 to 50,000 furniture industry representatives scanned showrooms Monday on the first day of the weeklong Winter Las Vegas Market, World Market Center officials were already planning next year's show.

Flanked by Gov. Kenny Guinn and Mayor Oscar Goodman, World Market Center General Manager Dave Palmer said phase two of the complex -- a 16-story, 1.6 million-square-foot showroom -- is fully leased and will be ready for occupancy in a year.

Combined with the original 10-story, 1.3 million-square-foot building, retailers housed in 350,000 square feet of temporary tents on the northern portion of the World Market Center's 57 acres southeast of the Interstate 15-U.S. Highway 95 interchange will gain a permanent home.

But that doesn't mean the tents will come down. World Market Center spokeswoman Dana Pretner said continued growth in the twice-a-year furniture markets will require some exhibitors to continue using tents as well as off-site locations, such as the Mandalay Bay Events Center or the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Eventually, World Market Center will encompass eight buildings and 12 million square feet of furniture and home products showrooms.

This week's show is the second event at the World Market Center, following July's initial Las Vegas Market.

Palmer said the 62,000 attendees in July were 50 to 60 percent higher than expected. Pre-registration for the current market, he said, includes 10,000 who did not attend the summer event.

That drew comparisons with the world's largest furniture and furnishings shows, held in April and October in High Point, N.C., in the heart of the nation's furniture manufacturing region. It typically draws more than 70,000 people and 1,200 exhibitors from all 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries.

"They have a little over 1 million square feet, with another building going up," said Judy Mendenhall, High Point International Home Furnishings Market Authority president. "We have close to 12 million square feet."

The High Point show president said she was unwilling to attribute an 8 percent drop in attendance at her October show to the first Las Vegas show -- which also is seen as a challenge to regional markets in San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago and Tupelo, Miss.

"Retail sales were soft, energy prices were high and the disasters affected people in the Southeast," Mendenhall said of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which hit the Gulf Coast in August and September.

Officials at both ends of the country called competition healthy for business, and Mendenhall noted that a top High Point executive was attending the Las Vegas show, which runs through Friday.

"You take it, you understand it, you learn from it and you pay attention to your own show," Mendenhall said.

The talk of growing attendance figures and increased exhibitors brought a smile to Guinn, who made a sales pitch to furniture company representatives attending an afternoon news conference about the financial benefits of doing business in Nevada.

"There is no inventory tax, so you can leave your wares here without any worry of taxation," Guinn said. "There are probably 25 to 30 taxes that our neighboring states have that we don't have. So, we welcome your business."

Guinn lauded the World Market Center and the development and business opportunities it brings to the state. Some 1,200 companies are tenants and exhibitors at the World Market Center.

The second phase of the center will house 300 exhibitors and will be similar in design to the first building. Sky bridges will connect the various categories of exhibitors from building to building on each level. The new building will also feature a year-round design center on the first and second floors.

The biannual markets at the World Market Center attract buyers, retailers and manufacturers from around the world, but are closed to the public. But the events generate sales for the various companies.

World Market Center officials said that according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, this week's show would have a nongaming economic impact of $91 million.

"World Market Center has created thousands of new jobs, both at the center itself and indirectly through business that will support the market's needs," Guinn said.

Construction on each building creates more than 2,800 construction jobs, according to World Market Center officials. In addition, 1,500 permanent and temporary jobs will be created at the World Market Center as the project builds out.

The first building cost $225 million. The second will cost $360 million, officials said. A third, expected to open in late 2008, is expected to be 18 stories, 2 million square feet and cost $500 million.

Center officials said an independent study by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas suggests the World Market Center will generate $60 million in additional local and state tax revenues when the project is completed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.