Thursday, September 15, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NORM: KVBC's Escalante has skin cancer

It's a boy for Britney and Kevin. Ann-Margret doing USO show at Nellis. Frank Marino gets his own street.

This time, KVBC-TV, Channel 3's Stacey Escalante is the story, not the reporter. The station announced Tuesday that Escalante has Stage 3 melanoma.

Colleague Beth Fisher reported that Escalante, who joined the station in 1997, detected a small growth on her back during her second pregnancy, with daughter Gabriella. Surgery revealed that the skin cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, Fisher said.

Escalante had lymph node surgery Monday and will be bedridden for at least a month, Fisher said.

"She's finding out things that I have known all along about her," Escalante's husband, Matt McColl, a photo journalist at the station, said in the report. "Her capability for maintaining a positive attitude is remarkable." Their son, Will, is 2 1/2 years old, and Gabriella is nine months.

Escalante received the Electronic Media Award as "Television Reporter of the Year" in 1999 and 2000 and was nominated again this year. KVBC has set up a message board at www.kvbc.com for well-wishers.

It's a boy

Britney Spears had a boy Wednesday after a Caesarean section in Los Angeles.

After published reports that she wanted to name the child London and her husband/backup dancer, Kevin Federline, was holding out for Vegas, they agreed on Preston Michael Spears Federline.

Spears, 23, married Federline on Sept. 18, about nine months after marrying childhood pal Jason Alexander in Las Vegas after partying at the Palms. Their marriage ended 55 hours later in an annulment.

The Scene and Heard

"La Cage" star Frank Marino will have a street named after him today at Crane Street and Lake North Drive in The Lakes. Ward 2 Councilman Steve Wolfson and city traffic engineers will be on hand for the 11 a.m. dedication. Marino is celebrating his 20th anniversary Sunday as Joan Rivers' persona in "An Evening at La Cage." A sign with the name Frank Marino Street will be attached under the official street sign. ...

Ann-Margret reunites with Chuck Day and Mickey Jones at the USO Reunion Show during Aviation Nation on Nov. 11-13 at Nellis Air Force Base. They were members of the same USO tour in Southeast Asia in March 1966. Aviation Nation events include an Operation Welcome Home Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11 and the Fremont Street Experience's Patriots Party that weekend. ... Siegfried Fischbacher will serve as "buergermeister," German for "mayor," during Saturday's Oktoberfest kickoff keg-tapping ceremonies at the Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas. ...

The Billboard Music Awards return to the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Dec. 6. The two-hour telecast honors the most popular songs and artists as determined by Billboard magazine's weekly charts.

Sightings

Max Baer Jr., meeting with Aladdin/Planet Hollywood honcho Mike Mecca on Tuesday. ... WBO heavyweight champ Lamon Brewster, doing an interview with Germany's ZDF television network at the Hofbrauhaus on Monday. He defends his title Sept. 28 in Hamburg, Germany, against Germany's Luan Krasniqi. ... Linda Deutsch, known for her big-case coverage as The Associated Press' premier courtroom reporter, taking in the Bootlegger's Monday night karaoke show with friends. Karaoke host Kelly Clinton returns Monday after a week in New York that included meetings for acting roles.

The Punch Line

"Los Angeles has a new slogan: `Batteries not included.' " -- Jay Leno, after Monday's major power outage

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