Thursday, September 04, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

COLUMN: Norm!

Futrell, Cheese getting day jobs

Futrell will work news full time. Cheese grew up in Las Vegas. Reid was at Palms birthday bash. Melinda conjures up a baby boy.

Ron Futrell has chronicled the golden age of Las Vegas sports during his 20 years at KTNV-TV, Channel 13. Rikki Cheese has been anchoring Las Vegas news for almost as long.

Starting Monday, from 5-7 a.m., they are teaming up on the morning news at KTNV with weatherman Bob Jeswald to bring a more personality-driven show to the morning and noon news slots. They replace Rob Piercy and Christine Chang.

Futrell said he looks forward to the move to full-time news and to working with Cheese, who grew up in Las Vegas.

"Between the two of us, we've got more than 40 years of local experience," said Futrell, who covered UNLV's glorious basketball era along with Mike Tyson's ups and downs.

Futrell said he leaves his old job proud that he was one of the few local sports anchors "who took a stand and did some biting journalism. If they want me to go off, I'll still do that when I feel it's needed."

Dennis Evans moves into Futrell's sports chair, but no final decision has been made on whether that is a permanent promotion.

Cheese was part of KVBC-TV, Channel 3's ratings powerhouse as a main evening anchor until her falling-out at the station in 2000. After a three-year hiatus from broadcast journalism, she returned in March when she joined KTNV as a general assignment reporter.

The Scene and Heard

Melinda the First Lady of Magic is a first-time mommy. Baby boy Mason Ray Evensvold, at 6 pounds, 15 ounces, arrived Aug. 24 and "it's the best magic that's happened in my life," said Melinda, a Siegfried and Roy dancer before her 18-year run as the world's most beautiful magician. "He looks so much like my husband (Mark Evensvold) that's he's a mini-Mark." ...

That hot gossip we mentioned last week about CNN's Larry King is official: "A Night With Larry King" is set for Oct. 28 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. ...

NBC-TV has big programming plans for "Las Vegas" and Las Vegas on Sept. 22. That's the new launch date, changed from Sept. 29, for the casino surveillance series starring James Caan. A two-hour "Fear Factor" special will precede "Las Vegas" at 8 p.m., and Jay Leno will continue the "Vegas Night" theme with remotes from the Strip for "The Tonight Show." ...

May I recommend ...

Bikinis at The Rio offers free drinks for local ladies until 1 a.m. on Thursdays. Also at The Rio, it's Latin La-Beat-Oh at Club Rio, and you never know who you might see. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez showed up for salsa lessons during Thanksgiving weekend.

Sightings

Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, actress Tara Reid (just out of rehab) and former UNLV and current Boston Celtics player Marcus Banks, among the VIP throng at Palms owner George Maloof's birthday party. 'N Sync's Lance Bass and J.C. Chasez serenaded Maloof with "Birthday" from the Beatles White Album, and Maloof flashed the Big Ben of wrist watches. The diamond-studded whopper is reportedly worth $30,000, a gift from Bass, a Palms regular.

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.