106 years of heritage to give way to casinos

BILOXI, Miss. -- It took five minutes for crews to tear down what was left of Kenny Barhanovich's home. It was one of only three structures still standing on First Street after Hurricane Katrina wiped out this section of Biloxi.

In 40 minutes, crews had taken all of the debris, wiping the area clean. In 45 minutes, 106 years of Barhanovich family history was gone. There's been a Barhanovich living at this spot since 1900. Drawn here by the sea, they came to Biloxi to work in the seafood industry. Many settled in an area known as Point Cadet, or just "the Point," if you're local.

There's not much left on First Street now.
St. Michael's Church, known as the fisherman's church, is the only original building here. The rest are mobile homes.
[Read full article]

Casino compacts go bust

Deals that would have allowed four Inland tribes to operate mega-casinos with thousands of new slot machines are dead until at least next year.

After a massive labor union push against the agreements, the state Senate refused to bring three Inland tribes' gaming compacts up for a vote Thursday, the final day of the legislative session. Hours later, a fourth agreement failed again to win ratification by the Assembly.
[Read full article]

State says casino petition comparison faulty

LINCOLN -- A judge ignored the plain meaning of the Nebraska Constitution when she ruled that a casino gambling petition could appear on the November ballot, attorneys for the state said Tuesday.

Attorney General Jon Bruning's office filed a legal brief with the Nebraska Supreme Court arguing that Lancaster County District Judge Karen Flowers erred in her Aug. 17 ruling.
[Read full article]