Print edition for August 28, 2006

Letter: Too much time spent attacking, defending: Mr. Epperson did not identify any specific or proven Republican lie in his letter, but did end by calling the Republicans liars. I guess that's what free speech is about.

Editorial: Preserve our open spaces: Early American Indians communicate with us today through their centuries-old etchings on rocks and stone walls in desert wilderness areas.

Tourists do worry about gas prices: By Liz Benston; Research guru Jim Medick doesn't want to rub it in. But it's difficult for him not to say, "I told you so," after a handful of major gaming companies have blamed rising gasoline prices for lackluster profit growth at lower-rent properties frequented by budget-conscious tourists.

Put away the claws: Their cat fight became a Las Vegas legend. Hiss. Poke. Two top female impersonators taking shots at each other. Jab. Hiss. Joan Rivers verbally pulling Barbra Streisand's hair. Hiss. Claw. Dueling drag queens: The media loved it and fed their feud. Hiss. For 21 years.

LOOKING IN ON: EDUCATION: By Emily Richmond; Call it a bona fide Las Vegas miracle. New Clark County School District teacher Vicki Droscher got her life back.

FLASHPOINT for Aug 28, 2006: Never give up, never surrender. I tell my daughter that all the time. But my indomitable 11-year-old has nothing on gubernatorial hopeful Dina Titus. She is surrendering nothing in rural Nevada to Republican Jim Gibbons and is embarking on a tour of the cow counties. Elko. Winnemucca. Fallon. Fernley. Titus is likely to get destroyed in all those places by Gibbons - or so history would argue. But she believes that cutting down the margin of defeat in those places could well be the difference in the race. Considering that the margins usually are 3 or 4 to 1, she ...

When casinos decide you're losing too much money: By Liz Benston; The Harrah's casino in Reno expects to see one of its regulars in the next few days.

Letter: Growth should stop before water runs dry: Am I missing something here? Will all of the casinos and resorts close up shop, if we can't build more homes? Will those of us who retired here decide to leave, if more homes aren't built? Will everyone in the valley leave, if roads don't become more congested?

Editorial: Finally, on to Plan B: The decision calls for selling the pill only in pharmacies and health clinics, and anyone younger than 18 still will need a prescription to obtain it. According to a story by The New York Times, Andrew von Eschenbach, acting FDA director, said 18 was a proper age cutoff because sales of nicotine products and cold medicines also are restricted in that manner. We support the FDA's decision to make Plan B accessible to women because it helps prevent unwanted pregnancies, which in turn can lead to a decrease in abortions.

More power to make power: Southern Nevada may be blessed with an abundance of potential clean, renewable energy sources, but one big user of energy has had a tough time putting the sun and wind to work.

Letter: FDA's responsibility is to the people first: The FDA shouldn't have played politics. Nevada's teenage girls deserve options. As someone who has been an intern with Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, I know that women under 18 are the ones most benefited by over-the-counter access to an emergency contraceptive. Making it harder for teens to avoid unintended pregnancies is a bad decision, furthering our outrageous teen pregnancy rate.

Editorial: Finding a home: The newer approach places people into homes first and then addresses substance abuse, job searches and other issues. The older, more familiar approach - commonly called the "continuum of care" - offers people space in a shelter and access to drug-abuse treatment, job training and other services to address the problems that contributed to their homelessness in the first place. Then they look for permanent homes.

John Katsilometes saunters into a famous, sometimes infamous, one-of-a-kind gentlemen's establishment enjoying a renaissance: If the club's history is an indication, it should be an eventful 13 years.

Jeff Haney runs down the list of pro football pick 'em contests: Fewer freerolls - where you can take a shot at a prize without risking any money - are available this year than in past seasons.