Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 1

7 oaLTJTING VB'TSRiiS 0 Work continues at Northern Nevada Veterans Cemetery, 1 Woman seeks answers about husband missing in action since 1 968, 1 Vets make sure troops get friendly homecoming, 2A Reno Gaze OURI i JL h- TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2003 FINAL EDITION WWW.RGJ.COM Knr CMTC May to higher i ml FCC says home numbers can be switched to cell phones Bell companies denounce decision: Transfers are to start late this month. homr phones to go wireless-only, says industry researcher Yankee Group. An additional 2 million to 3 million will follow suit within two years as a result of the ruling, predicts consulting group AMS. "Today, the FCC struck down a major barrier to competition in the near-monopoly land line tele- Ehone market," says Steve argent, head of the Cellular Telecommunications Sc ever to cut the cord," FCC Chairman Michael Powell said. One caveat: The wired phone you want to switch must be in the wireless carrier's local calling area, as is typically the case.

Loct: jjhone companies in the USA's 100 biggest markets must start making the number transfers on Nov. 24. In smaller markets, they have until May 24. The number transfers must be made in four days, though the FCC is studying whether faster is feasible. The agency already had set Nov.

24 as the date on which cell phone firms in major markets are required to let consumers take their cell phone numbers with them if they switch to a new wireless carrier. About 5.8 million people already have ditched wired but we don't have the opportunity to take theirs." The disparity for the Bells lies in the fact that wireless local calling areas are generally much bigger than those of the Bells ana may overlap several. So unless the wired phone and the wireless firm's equipment are in the same Bell who switched a number to a wired phone could face toll charges to call next door. Internet Association. Three regional Bells SBC, Qwest and BellSouth called the ruling unfair.

While the FCC decision also requires companies to let wireless customers switch their numbers to home or business phones, technical hurdles now limit the feasibility of that option. "It's not fair," says BellSouth spokesman Bill McCloskey. "They can takeour customers, By Paul Davidson USA TODAY Cutting the cord on your home phone will get easier this month, thanks to a Federal Communications Commission ruling Monday that will let consumers switch their wired "land line" num bers to cell phones. The FCC, in a 5-0 vote that had been expected, said that customers can transfer their home or business numbers to their wireless phones despite protests from local phone companies that fear the loss of millions of subscribers. "After today, it's easier than Citifare grows with region mm si to MBii I iUtrSj I ni A the prisoners at Guantanamo most of them captured in Afghanistan are enemy combatants who do not have prisoner of war status and can be held indefinitely without lawyers, charges or recourse to courts.

The case before the court combines appeals on behalf of two British nationals, two Australians and 12 Kuwaitis. Lower courts ruled that the federal court system did not have jurisdiction in these cases because the prisoners are aliens held on Cuban territory leased to the United States. The justices will limit their review to jurisdiction, but larger issues of civil liberties, the global attention focused on Guantanamo and the precedent set by indefinite detention will overshadow the court's handling of the case. The decision to hear the case was a setback for the Bush administration and See DETAINEES on 4A Guantanamo Bay: Justices to rule on prisoners' access to civilian courts. By Frank Davles and Stephen Henderson KNIGHT RIDDER WASHINGTON The Supreme Court, grappling with a major legal issue in the war on terrorism for the first time, announced Monday that it will consider whether foreign terrorism suspects held at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba should have access to civilian courts.

The justices will decide by July whether at least some of the 660 detainees at the base can challenge their detentions in federal court. At stake is a fundamental issue of a president's powers in an undeclared war. The Bush administration maintains that Photos by Oavld B. PaiksfReno Gazette-Journal CATCHING A RIDE: A passenger boards a Citfare bus Monday at the CitiCenter bus station in downtown Reno. mmainnwi i iyf rwprain Transportation officials envision expansions through next 30 years Potential buyer shows interest in closed Sundowner Citifare bus service, marking its 25th year, is expected to continue to grow to keep pace with the growing population, expected to reach 550,000 by 2030.

Regional Transportation Commission officials who oversee the Citifare system said they have a 30-year plan that includes making downtown Reno a major hub for all bus service, upgrading the fleet of about 70 vehicles with modern buses and launching the Virginia Street Bus Rapid Transit system. The total projected cost is $82.7 million. The Virginia Street system will be a highspeed transit corridor that operates much See CITIFARE on 4A By Pedro Morales RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL Sean Beauchamp is only 36, but he remembers riding the Citifare bus as a child when the southern edge of Reno was Moana Lane. Now the bus system sprawls across Washoe County. Citifare operates buses on 27 routescovering290milesof county roads.

The buses travel 27.7 million miles annually, with 7.7 million riders a year. "The buses are keeping up with growth in Reno," Beauchamp said one day while riding the bus instead of driving his 1 980 Ford-350 truck, which he calls a "guzzler." PASSENGERS: Kate Cohen, 15, of San Francisco and Joe Wiles, 1 4, of Reno wait for a bus Monday at the CitiCenter station. MORE GSF0RMATI0II Inside: One rider wins 25 years of free rides as Citifare celebrates 25 years. Details, 4A On the Web: For interactive Citifare maps, trip planners and video, see this story at RGJ.com. Harry Reid filibusters against Republican plans Regency a IffV Casino 8 lSV'A'B- ---T McCirran .1 cw Nevada senator talks for more than eight hours By Thomas J.

Walsh RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL On the day that the Sundowner Hotel and Casino in downtown Reno closed, a senior executive said that an out-of-state buyer has expressed interest in redeveloping the 593-room property. "To my knowledge, this buyer is pretty interested," CFO Rob Whittey said Monday. said he is just like the rest of the Sundowner's more than 300 employees in the dark, and soon, out of work. "The employees were very hopeful that this buyer would come along and be the knight in shining armor and save us," he said. "But in the business world, those types of transactions don't happen quickly enough for us." Mark Stafford, a commercial property appraiser for Washoe County, said Mon- RGJ.COM POLL J.

XurowtkiReno Gazette-Journal Did Sen. Harry Reid make a valid point with his filibuster on the Senate floor or just waste time? Log on to RGJ.comnewsto vote. SENATOR: Sen. Harry Reid speaks on Capitol Hill in this July 9, 2002 photo. On Monday, Reid unexpectedly launched a floor speech that lasted more than eight hours.

The filibuster was a protest against GOP actions. Associated Press file S3 INSIDE Gaming win: Carson Valley casinos post region's only positive numbers. Details 1D The three-term Nevada Democrat is frustrated that Republicans plan a 30-hour debate this week to protest Senate Democrats blocking votes on judicial nominees. The Senate has confirmed 168 judges nominated by President Bush and turned down four. "We have schools crumbling.

We have a war going on in Iraq," Reid said. "And See REID on 4A By DougAbrahms RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL WASHINGTON Sen. Harry Reid talked for more than eight hours on the Senate floor Monday to protest what he believed was the Republican leadership wasting time on partisan issues rather than working with Democrats to pass legislation. But the Republican leadership blames Democrats, including Reid, for holding up bills that should be passed. Reid's minifilibuster held up at least one of the spending bills that must be passed before Congress can leave Washington for the year.

day that he had adjusted the value of the Sundowner last See SUNDOWNER on 4A Life Business Spohts om Eagles top Packers Hytek Microsystems Young job-seekers 6F 6F 7F MOB 2G 2G 2G 1-8 A Obituaries 2A Sports 7A Fan's Planner 8A Business 1-8B Health 2B Lite 3B Insider 4B Movies 1-6C TVHappenings 2C Comics 140 Classifieds 1-6E Crossword 1-8F DearAbby 2F Horoscope 54 29 HIGH LOW Mostly sunny today, staying clear tonight. Details, 8 A You can find today's news and much more every day at our Web site. Briefing Opinion weather Reno Lottery Crime Carson City-based Hytek Microsystems narrows its third-quarter losses. Page 1D Some 25- to 34-year-olds say they are victims of reverse age discrimination. Page 1F Philadelphia gets a last-minute touchdown to beat Green Bay, 17-14.

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