BALCO Founder VICTOR CONTE and DR. BRIAN HALEVIE-GOLDMAN will be ordered by the California Dept. of Health Services to pay $772,170, the “largest fine levied against a licensed lab” in state history for “willful and unlawful conduct.” The state health department cited three violations: operation of a licensed clinical lab without proper personnel, submitting false statements on licensed documents and allowing an unlicensed person to perform complex testing. Conte’s attorney, ROBERT HOLLEY, said of the fine: “He’s gonna fight it, and he has a defense to everything” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/13).
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| Jamie McCout Fighting Potential Blindness |
JAMIE MCCOURT: Dodgers Vice Chair JAMIE MCCOURT “might have been permanently blinded in her right eye after contracting a bacterial infection last month that has prevented her from attending games at Dodger Stadium.” McCourt has been diagnosed with a corneal ulcer, believed to have been contracted last month from bacteria encountered while she was swimming. Dodgers VP/Communications GARY MIEREANU said that McCourt “has maintained an active role in running the team from her home office” (Ben Bolch, L.A. TIMES, 7/13).
POLITICS 101: MIKE DITKA said that he is “mulling over asking GOP leaders to appoint him to replace JACK RYAN as the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate” in Illinois. Ditka’s remarks “are the clearest signal yet that [his] candidacy may not just be the creation of a small group of wishful Republicans and gullible reporters.” Illinois Republican state Senator DAVE SYVERSON, a member of the GOP panel who will select Ryan’s replacement, said of Ditka: “He would be an ideal candidate” (Fornek & Mendieta, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/13)....Hockey HOFer PETER STASTNY was elected to represent Slovakia in the European Union Parliament after campaigning on a platform of “lowering taxes and reducing governmental red tape” (SI, 7/12 issue).
MOVIE REEL: Rapper NELLY will make his movie debut in Paramount/Sony’s remake of “THE LONGEST YARD,” playing a running back for the prisoners’ team alongside former Cowboys WR MICHAEL IRVIN. Nelly also plans to record a single for the movie’s soundtrack to coincide with the film’s May ’05 release. Production on the movie will begin later this month in New Mexico (DAILY VARIETY, 7/13). ....DreamWorks is in talks to pick up the project “DREAMER,” based on a true story of a Kentucky horse trainer and his 11-year-old son, who “rescue a horse with a broken leg.” The horse recovers to appear in the Breeders’ Cup. JOHN GATINS is slated to direct with KURT RUSSELL appearing in the Tollin/Robbins Production (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 7/13).
