Print edition for December 15, 2006

Gift of caring gets man off streets: John Winn was living in an abandoned gravel lot last July, when a $40 drug deal went wrong. He was hit over the head with a brick, stabbed in the arm and left for dead.

Slogan stays in Vegas, money leaves: Amount R&R Partners paid the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for the rights to What happens here, stays here slogan:

Editorial: Dying for lack of sleep: Such a grueling schedule exhausts these doctors-in-training and, more importantly, it places the patients under their care at greater risk of injury or even death from the mistakes these worn-out doctors make.

John Katsilometes catches up with Mayor Oscar Goodman, who is already gearing up for New Year's Eve in his favorite city: "I can tell you that my favorite was before I was the mayor, because I went to bed at 9 o'clock at night," the mayor said Thursday morning after a news conference announcing "America's Party: Las Vegas New Year 2007." The party's wide scope - from the Strip to Fremont Street - was evident by those who participated in Thursday's event. Also taking the stage were Las Vegas Events President Pa t Christenson, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Vice President Vince Alberta, Fremont Street Experience President Jeff Victor and Pyro Spectaculars President Jim Souza. The fireworks show - produced ...

LOOKING IN ON: LAS VEGAS WRANGLERS: What: Stockton Thunder at Las Vegas Wranglers

Jon Ralston on the governor-elect's big transition team and whether his ascension marks end of Guinn Era: Perhaps there is a fine reason why the incoming governor needs almost 200 people on a transition team, a typically small number of folks who create a bridge from one administration to another.

Country acts ride off with cowboys as NFR ends: By Jerry Fink; The 2006 National Finals Rodeo has ridden into the sunset and with it the abundance of country entertainment that dominates the showrooms this time of year.

Sampling out-of-state culture: Las Vegas has charming little galleries that showcase work by artists from other cities tucked into two of its cultural centers.

LOOKING IN ON: GAMING: By Liz Benston; Morgans Hotel Group signed an agreement in May to buy the Hard Rock Hotel from Peter Morton and will forfeit $50 million if the $770 million deal doesn't close by Feb. 11 - a fast-approaching deadline given that Morgans and one-third equity partner DLJ Merchant Banking Partners haven't yet applied for Nevada gaming licenses.

Prediction by Reid returns to haunt: WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader-elect Harry Reid once said it would take a miracle for Democrats to win the Senate this year, and he must have been remembering those words this week when a colleague's serious illness threatened to wrest away the victory won by the party last month.

Editorial: Vital contract a nightmare: As it stands, however, the Coast Guard has very little to show for itself more than four years into a 20-year, $24 billion contract with the two companies.

Editorial: Cherishing our freedoms: Ratified on Dec. 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights encompasses the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution that provide the very building blocks of our nation.

Letter: Bush's stubbornness is the world's problem: As the Decider, Mr. Bush has made one mistake and blunder after another in the prosecution of the war - false WMD justifications, failure of preinvasion and postwar occupation evaluations, lack of armor, Abu Ghraib, etc. And what about Bush's multiple votes of confidence given to the highly incompetent defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, until such time that it became politically imperative and necessary to dismiss him after the 2006 midterm elections? Obviously, the Decider was more interested in his political allegiance to Rumsfeld and maintaining Republican control of Congress than the protection and best interests of our troops.

Letter: Pig farm was there first, so get used to it: Then they start complaining that they want the farm moved, or it smells too bad, or we can't sit outside because of the smells, or something stupid. Well, Robert Combs put this farm out there, in the middle of the desert, away from the city, many years ago. If people don't like it, let them move and quit complaining. And if they are from out of state, they should move back to where they came from.

Ron Kantowski says shoot, howdy, maybe that old rodeo and other moneymakers are good for UNLV athletics: At first, I thought some bareback rider from Cheyenne had made a wrong turn on the way to the National Finals Rodeo.

Letter: Giving teachers guns compounds problem: One of our state senators, Bob "Archie Bunker" Beers, has come up with a similar solution to students bringing guns to school. He recommends that teachers have guns. Well, hopefully it wouldn't include any teacher who might take advantage of students by threatening them in any way for which teachers have been tried and convicted in the past.

Jeff Haney on a pair of Wisconsin natives whose paths will meet at a $100,000 crossroads: Championship round: Erin Rynning vs. "Doc" Moseman

FLASHPOINT for Dec 15, 2006: The fine, often-nonexistent line between politics and humanity has been highlighted since South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson suffered a brain seizure. Democrats and Republicans rushed to put out releases with virtually identical language - their "thoughts and prayers" are with Johnson and his family. Yes, some in the Gang of 535 are sincere, feeling human beings. But that doesn't mean they also aren't thinking and praying about the possibility of a partisan power switch if Johnson is incapacitated or dies. The prospect of a Republican governor appointing a GOP replacement and giving the majority back to the Republicans, thus depriving ...