Print edition for April 7, 2006

Program puts dream in reach: Dreams can come true, but they sometimes require some driving.

Binion's hoping for 'Net gain: By Liz Benston; In an attempt to reclaim its pre-eminence in the world of poker, Binion's will soon become the first casino in Nevada to broadcast poker tournaments on the Internet.

Dismissal is latest flap at prison: David Kihara; State prison officials fired a vocational program director Thursday, a day after she led an assemblyman on a tour of the women's prison in North Las Vegas to view what she and others are calling horrible conditions.

John Katsilometes takes a trip to the 51-year-old Riviera, where questions from the staff abound about the hotel's sale as the deal is made official: Thursday was the day the hotel's purchase by a group of private developers was announced, not that anyone working knew exactly what was going on. As a country act at Le Bistro Theatre loudly performed such staples as Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" those who would seem to have answers were left with questions. I heard a lot of, "What have you heard?" while moseying around the casino Thursday afternoon.

Letter: Millions in prevention worth billions in cure: I suggested that the government build an electrified fence - along with signs in Spanish saying it was an electrified barrier - from Tijuana, Mexico, to Brownsville, Texas - with watchtowers manned every few hundred yards by either Border Patrol or military guards.

Editorial: Public-service crisis looms: The study, conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and released this week, examined the immediate debt facing college graduates who chose careers in teaching and social work. Extrapolating what they had found with these graduates, researchers concluded that many fields of public-service work are in danger of becoming far less attractive to college students as they make their career choices.

Mountain lions in Arizona's line of fire: The number of sheep in the region has dropped by at least 50 percent in recent years. Jim deVos, research branch chief for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, attributes that to the toll drought has taken on the population of the mule deer, the mountain lion's more common prey.

566637024.html: I love the place - its dam history, its ban on gambling, its quaint, small-town feel, its family values, its vision to give every resident a million dollars ...

Tom Gorman sees a life of luxury in his future with a move to Boulder City: I love the place - its dam history, its ban on gambling, its quaint, small-town feel, its family values, its vision to give every resident a million dollars ...

NLV voters to decide how they vote: North Las Vegas residents will decide in November whether they believe the quality of service they receive from City Hall is shaped by how they elect the City Council members who serve there.

First Friday expands to live shows at amphitheater: But tonight Clark County is stretching the cultural and art festival to its government center, where the county will present independent videos by Las Vegas filmmakers, live performances and artist booths in its amphitheater.

Letter: Faithful should not fear scientic method: Why is it that we allow science to run every aspect of our lives, including health, housing, transportation, food production and so on, yet when we apply science to gain some understanding about a part of human existence that's been with us since we climbed out of the trees, the "faithful" only take offense?

Jon Ralston empties out his notebook for another week, including some poll numbers on some pols, a nonrace for attorney general and a new regent hopeful: The statewide survey of 1,105 voters (margin of error is 3 percentage points) showed that 52 percent of Nevadans have a negative view of the president, while 39 percent have a positive view.

Editorial: Tragedies call for openness: Because Child Protective Services, a division of the Clark County Family Services Department, had provided care to the girl and counseling to her parents from July 2003 to June 2004, this newspaper requested to see the agency's records about this family. Citing state and federal privacy laws, the county refused the request. A District Court judge upheld the county after the Las Vegas Sun filed a lawsuit.

Editorial: Spring is our fair season: County fairs are a summer staple in most areas of the country. But in the desert, summer days are hot enough to melt cotton candy right off the stick. Spring offers a far more tolerable environment for enjoying ice cream cones and rodeo clowns. And Logandale is only an hour's drive north of Las Vegas on Interstate 15.

Letter: Invading Iran would be as disastrous as Iraq: The big questions are, will the "loyal opposition" in Congress roll over and give them a stamp of approval to bomb and invade Iran, and will the American public once again be fooled by all the 9/11-based propaganda into supporting another "pre-emptive" war?

An incredulous Mayor Goodman speaks out: An incredulous Mayor Goodman speaks out

TAKE FIVE: MAYWEATHER VS. JUDAH: Judah, a former undisputed world welterweight champ, is coming off a loss in January to mandatory challenger Carlos Baldomir, who won a unanimous decision as a 15-1 underdog at Madison Square Garden. In a textbook example of convoluted boxing logic, Mayweather's promoter, Bob Arum, insisted that the loss enhances - rather than diminishes - the appeal of Saturday's showdown. The truly frightening thing is that if you listen long enough, Arum's argument starts making sense. "(Judah) will probably put up a much better fight because he's fighting for his life, in effect, than if he had just won a victory ...

Las Vegas maintains lofty goals for season: The goals set by the Las Vegas Gladiators in training camp haven't changed - not even after a near-disastrous 1-4 start.

Jeff Haney finds good plays on the Masters, the title fight and the American League East: The Las Vegas Hilton sports book is offering adjusted daily odds on the Masters, both to win the tournament outright and on a selection of head-to-head player matchups for each round.