Print edition for December 4, 2006

Crime hasn't closed other parks: City officials cited safety concerns when they closed a local park last week, but statistics on crime and calls for police aid around other city parks and buildings are considerably higher.

Editorial: Protections still needed: According to a recent story by the Associated Press, the report says that only 3 percent of oil deposits and 13 percent of natural gas contained beneath 99 million acres of federal land may be accessed under Bureau of Land Management's standard leases, which require only basic protections for cultural and environmental resources. Companies can drill for another 46 percent of the oil and 60 percent of gas deposits only after abiding by more stringent restrictions, designed to prevent erosion, protect antelopes' winter forage and bald eagles' nesting areas.

Monorail needs line to remain on track: By Richard N. Velotta; Curtis Myles has been a little on edge lately, and it has nothing to do with the Las Vegas Monorail Co.'s low passenger counts, subpar credit rating or the blistering he routinely takes from critics in the press.

LOOKING IN ON: EDUCATION: By Emily Richmond; The Clark County School Board won't vote until January on a proposal to increase graduation requirements, but campus guidance counselors have already raised the bar.

Editorial: EPA asleep at the wheel: By making this claim, the administration is distancing itself from any involvement in one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time - global warming.

Search for thriving jazz scene led to U.S.: 'Once I play, they'll shut up,' says the young jazz bassist of her skeptics

LOOKING IN ON: WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON - They like to think of it as the green felt revolution - the upset defeat of Iowa Rep. Jim Leach, father of the Internet gambling ban, in last month's congressional election.

Unclaimed property feeds state coffers at growing rate: By Michael Mishak; Tens of millions of dollars in unclaimed property flow into the Nevada treasurer's office annually.

Questions for citizenship test have some perplexed: By Timothy Pratt; Quick. Name one of the authors of the Federalist papers.

Letter: Parking spaces reserved for good reason: Some 15 to 20 years ago, after my brother suffered a severe stroke and was in a wheelchair, I "hauled" him around to do his shopping. I was particularly incensed when I saw someone with no sticker or license parking in the reserved space.

Ron Kantowski on how one of the smallest guys on the field made the biggest impact of all the Wildcats in another championship win: Unfortunately, the first thing he saw wearing black and red was a man-mountain named Art Plunkett, a Las Vegas assistant coach who was a starting offensive tackle for the Super Bowl New England Patriots.

FLASHPOINT for Dec 04, 2006: The more things change in Las Vegas, the more they don't. No, this isn't a rant about juice or political incest or any of my usual hobbyhorses. This is about college sports. Two decades ago I was stunned how many people here were all about UNLV sports, especially the Runnin' Rebels. The T&M was the center of the universe. Jerry Tarkanian was a hero. So when he was ousted, the town was divided. And over what? Fast forward and Chancellor Jim Rogers raises some questions about the sports programs and suddenly the town goes nuts. Some of the crazies have ...

Letter: Total isolation is only way to please some: Maybe history will cast an approving judgment on the Iraq war, but centuries of hatred between the Shiite and Sunni sects may not be settled until the last Sunni or Shiite survives the bloodletting. It was that sectarian hostility that President Bush ignored, turning a military victory into a guerrilla war, which Vietnam showed cannot be won by an American military force lacking support from the American public.

John Katsilometes on '48 Hours Mystery's' interest in the death of Kathy Augustine: A CBS News spokeswoman confirmed that producers of the hourlong program, which airs at 10 p.m. Saturdays, have been investigating the story.

Letter: Killers, Panic! don't represent Vegas scene: I am an avid follower of the Las Vegas music scene that Mr. Kulish spoke of in Tuesday's edition. Being a fan of the scene for more than 10 years, it's frustrating for me to see continuous stories about the Killers and Panic! At The Disco "leading" the scene. That couldn't be further from the truth.

Editorial: GM finally looking ahead: The company that lost its place atop the auto world by arrogantly believing consumer interest in its gas hogs would keep growing despite soaring energy prices has now committed itself to the next generation of hybrid vehicle.

Protector of the wash: By Mike Trask; Jill DeStefano moved away from Florida to get away from incessant development. Southern Nevada probably wasn't the best choice for someone looking for a quiet place.

Jeff Haney offers an alternative to bowl games: a 16-team postseason playoff for college football: Highly unsatisfying.

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