Print edition for December 28, 2005

Former judge Parraguirre dies: Born: Dec. 13, 1923, in Gardnerville, a third-generation Nevadan.

Editorial: All the warmth of a computer: Brad Morris recounted in the story how two of his friends from Texas, who were wed in Las Vegas, responded to his $100 cash gift. Morris recalled that he received a mass message from the bride's e-mail account addressed to "Dear friends," or something to that effect, generically thanking those who attended the wedding and for "all the nice gifts."

Balancing money, safety: Henderson could earn about $50 million in property taxes over the next 19 years if the city approves a Wal-Mart and retail and office project adjacent to an industrial complex that stores hazardous chemicals, according to a city-commissioned report.

Kids' safety at a crossroads: By Emily Richmond; To report problems with signs, crosswalks or other school-zone safety features, contact the public works and traffic operations departments for these cities:

Letter: President has helped working Americans: "Every day working Americans are watching their paychecks being eaten away by rising taxes."

Columnist Tom Gorman: In search of the gay cowboys: The film "Brokeback Mountain" is creating a huge buzz, especially in the gay community and, more specifically, among gay cowboys.

Williams has more campaign-reporting woes: CARSON CITY -- Former Assemblyman Wendell Williams of Las Vegas is paying off a $15,000 fine for missing deadlines in filing campaign reports, and now he faces another $5,000 fine.

Urban park gets a new meaning: Dan Kulin; Faced with a downtown that does not easily lend itself to having a large central green space, Las Vegas officials instead are developing plans for a park consisting of pieces that would be scattered throughout the city's core.

Letter: With faith, proof isn't necessary: I am obviously a proponent of the intelligent design theory. I have heard both sides and have decided, along with an overwhelming majority of humans, to believe what has been handed down through all the ages from the beginning of man by word-of-mouth and by their writings. These truths were recorded by intelligent beings, as opposed to animals.

Editorial: The president as a lone wolf: In the two weeks since the story was first broken by The New York Times, it has gotten bigger. Saturday, for example, The New York Times published another lengthy story on the issue, over a headline reading, "Actions without warrants are called wider than yet acknowledged." The Los Angeles Times reported that same development on Sunday, in a story headlined, "U.S. spying is much wider, some suspect."

Where I Stand -- Farah Minwalla: Teens agree to disagree on variety of topics: In a world full of chaos and confusion, the last choice that teenagers want is to not be able to speak their minds. The youth of today defines the hope of future generations to come, and on Nov. 22 high school teens from all over the Clark Country School District participated in the 50th annual Sun Youth Forum. This one-day event took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center where juniors and seniors discussed many issues facing our current day and age.

Once homeless, Popeye turned his life around: John "Popeye" McFarland spent years living on the streets of Las Vegas before finding a niche in life. He moved into the only home he ever knew 20 years ago and devoted himself to helping others, especially those trying to make their way from the streets.

Agencies may soon be under one roof: By Timothy Pratt; It's not easy to interview candidates for running a public agency that may not be around in a year or two, but that's what Carl Rowe and staff are faced with at the Clark County Housing Authority.

Costly fixes needed for pro tennis event: Dan Kulin; The ATP Tennis Channel Tournament coming to Las Vegas from Feb. 27 through March 5 is forcing some major -- and costly -- changes at the city's new tennis complex.

Editorial: Who will discover AIDS cure?: "We're going to have an HIV vaccine," the researcher testified in a recent employment lawsuit, whose transcripts were reviewed and reported upon by the Associated Press. "It's not going to be made by a company. They're dropping out like flies because there is no real incentive for them to do it. We have to do it."

Police aim to curb bad driving: David Kihara; This year fatal traffic accidents in Southern Nevada are up by 6 percent, according to information compiled by the Nevada Public Safety Department.

Letter: We can't deny our dependence on energy: The U.S. government (not just the current administration) may be joined at the hip with energy interests, and that is because the world sorely needs these energy sources.