Print edition for December 26, 2005

Letter: Group strives to improve diabetes care: Chronic diseases such as diabetes require much time to teach patients, and even more time to analyze their diabetes problems. Insurance coverage for diabetes education can be a challenge for some patients, and this has vexed all physicians involved in diabetes care. The Joslin clinic will be no different.

The week ahead: San Diego Gulls at Las Vegas Wranglers, 7 p.m., Orleans Arena Mini Kiss is gone but maxi minor league hockey is here to stay, judging by the standings.

Editorial: New hope for the homeless: Two significant developments this year show promise of positive change.

'Write your Congressman' more than just a catch phrase: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON -- Santa may receive a lot of mail before Christmas, but he's got nothing on congressional lawmakers, who get it by the bagful all year.

Fast moving storm leaves up to 2 feet of snow in Sierra: AP; Sierra-at-Tahoe and Kirkwood both received 24 inches of snow, Alpine Meadows picked up 15 inches and Heavenly Valley reported a foot. In Nevada, 18 inches fell on Mount Rose.

Editorial: A broadcasting touchdown: Two people were behind the birth of "Monday Night Football" -- the late Roone Arledge and the late Pete Rozelle. Arledge was the programming genius behind "ABC's Wide World of Sports" before embracing "Monday Night Football" and going on to lead the network as its president. Rozelle, NFL commissioner from 1960 to 1989, set the stage for the first Super Bowl, in 1967, and staked his reputation on the marketability of "Monday Night Football."

Letter: Bush might as well put on his crown: Yep, the KGB has arrived in the United States: King George Bush.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Somalian tall, but maybe that's not all: For the past couple of weeks I have been getting phone calls from a fellow named Muhamed Muhammed from Somalia, who says he has a cousin back home who is a pretty good basketball player. He said he had a videotape to prove it.

Columnist Jeff Haney: A look at the big picture in sports gaming with Las Vegas novelist Paul Czuchra: His experience at the University of Chicago -- where he wrote a master's thesis as well as a doctoral dissertation -- taught him to look at the big picture, Paul Czuchra says.

Editorial: Conservation vs. drilling: Yet President Bush could be making another demand, one that would go a long way toward solving our oil crisis while improving the environment at the same time. He could be demanding that Congress pass legislation to increase the fuel efficiency standards for the nation's automobiles, particularly for cars, SUVs and pickup trucks.

Letter: Drug makers don't need more protection: The president's claim that drug companies need liability protection because of the large number of lawsuits they face is a scare tactic -- this is about corporate bottom lines.

State's caseload of immigrants on welfare on the rise: By Timothy Pratt; A state program that gives monthly welfare payments to children born in the United States with parents who are illegal immigrants has had increasing caseloads three consecutive years, state figures show.

Police chief to foot bill for sunroof: Henderson Police Chief Alan Kerstein will reimburse the city $830 for ordering a sunroof for his department car, a city official said.

Welfare program for immigrant victims of domestic abuse up for consideration: By Timothy Pratt; The state agency that oversees welfare is expected in January to consider offering help to a new group of Nevadans -- immigrants who have been the victims of abuse.