Print edition for October 13, 2005

Editorial: Vegetable oil versus smog: Cleaner air is not all that will be commemorated. Biodiesel also represents one proven way of reducing the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

Letter: Why do we have to learn Spanish?: I remember that anyone who came to America was able to take a lesson called "English as a Second Language." Now we are being forced to learn Spanish. Why don't schools require that every American learn Italian, Polish, German and so forth?

Letter: Original reasons for war long forgotten: The newly revised rationale for this policy is the claim that Iraq represents the focal point for Muslim terrorists, whose goal is to subvert Western democracies. Anti-war protesters such as Cindy Sheehan are viewed as unpatriotic, and, like Vietnam protesters three decades before her, as aiding the enemy.

Letter: Frist should move into Martha's cell: Sometime in June, just before a damaging report on the financial condition of HCA was presented, he ordered that his shares, and the shares held by his wife, be sold. If this isn't evidence of insider trading, I don't know what is.

Editorial: Measuring growth in degrees: Certainly, the actual number of college graduates living in the valley has increased, along with the actual number of people. But U.S. Census figures show the percentage of residents 25 and older with at least a four-year college degree was 18 percent in 2000 and also 18 percent in 2004. The valley enjoys some of the nation's most enviable job growth, but the percentage of college graduates that its workforce needs doesn't seem to have shifted.

Columnist Jeff German: Picking a taxicab chief: The five-member board of political appointees that oversees the Taxicab Authority has scheduled a special public meeting Monday to interview the 11 applicants looking to become the agency's next administrator.

Columnist Hal Rothman: Water ways: Hal Rothman; Editor's note: Thursday's column on water is the fifth in an eight-part series on the consequences of growth in the Las Vegas Valley.

How deep is safe?: By Launce Rake; Lake Mead is both the source of the region's drinking water and the receptacle for the end product.

Editorial: Emergency will have to wait: One of its solutions was to place 50 mentally ill patients at WestCare, a Las Vegas drug and rehabilitation center.

Film appearance may be bad exposure for suspect: David Kihara; A Las Vegas man who is facing a 24-count murder and conspiracy indictment may have provided federal prosecutors with additional evidence to use against him by appearing in an underground documentary about gangs in various cities.

Town, developers talk swap: Boulder City is willing to talk about a land swap that could minimize the impact of nearby growth.

Teachers' tenure on front burner: UNLV history professor Andrew Kirk has spent the last 18 1/2 years of his life working toward one illustrious goal -- tenure.

Sports briefs for October 13, 2005: Competing under head coaches Pat Barry and Augie Sanchez, Louie Padilla won the 106-pound open division championship, and Jessie Vargas won the 132-pound junior open division championship.

Professor at center of controversy not invited to assembly: UNLV's "Pursuing Academic Freedom in a Time of Crisis" conference is free and open to the public. The conference runs from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday in the Richard Tam Alumni Center. For more information or to register for the panel discussions, visit law.unlv.edu/AFC--Conference.html.

Flu vaccine is plentiful: Source: Clark County Health District Office of Epidemiology

Penny saved is a penny earned: By Emily Richmond; By turning off lights, powering down computers and not fiddling with thermostats, Clark County's schools saved $6.1 million in energy costs for the 2004-05 fiscal year, district officials said Wednesday.

Phone lines tied up by rebate check questions: The rebate hotline was down from 8 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. because of "a Sprint problem," DMV spokesman Tom Jacobs said.

Locals casinos aim for Asian gamblers: By Liz Benston; For Coast Casinos, a billboard in Chinese promoting the company's Gold Coast casino is a new venture and the latest sign that the valley's growing Asian community is commanding attention.

Stewart says there's plenty of racing left: "Everybody wants to talk points every week, but let me put it in perspective for you: We're not even halfway through the schedule these last 10 weeks, so it would be like talking about points after race 16 of a 36-race season," Stewart said. "There's a long way to go yet."

County seeking to block police raise: J. Craig Anderson; Clark County is being underrepresented and misrepresented on a committee that appears poised to grant Metro Police an unprecedented four-year, 25.6 percent compensation increase, top county officials said Wednesday.

Storms KO two opponents: The devastation wrought by hurricanes Katrina and Rita has reduced the number of Las Vegas Wranglers' ECHL competitors by two as the Mississippi Sea Wolves and Texas Wildcatters have been granted one-year suspensions to regroup, rebuild and hopefully, recover.

Stars adopt charitable approach in magic show: Later this month a troupe of Las Vegas entertainers will be working magic for rescued pets in need of a permanent home.

The Gamez file: Las Vegas native Robert Gamez established a PGA Tour benchmark in San Antonio on Sept. 25 by winning the Texas Open. That came 15 years, six months after his last tour victory, at the 1990 Bay Hill Invitational. Butch Baird -- at 15 years, five months and 10 days -- had held the previous mark for time between tour wins.

Columnist John Katsilometes: One hotel GM's Vegas renaissance -- thanks to 'Idol': Renaissance Las Vegas General Manager Larry Brown jokes about taking the stage for 'American Idol,' but his age -- 57 -- interferes. So does his admitted lack of entertainment talent.