Print edition for December 29, 2006

Editorial: Learning a new drill: According to a recent story by the Associated Press, Democrats are expected to propose legislation that seeks to reduce the tax breaks that Republicans gave the oil industry less than two years ago and instead use the money to establish a fund for promoting renewable energy sources.

Editorial: Patient care at stake: And tens of thousands of other local residents in need of medical procedures will be greatly inconvenienced if the dispute extends past the contract's expiration, as they will have to change hospitals and even doctors.

Ron Kantowski on how the tires might be smoking during NASCAR Weekend but not the fans in the grandstands: If Jim Croce were still alive he would be amazed to learn that his pal Rapid Roy would be in violation of a new Las Vegas Motor Speedway policy that will go into effect March 9-11, 2007, better known around these parts as NASCAR Weekend.

Jeff Haney on why one handicapper backs Liddell: For Saturday night's big Ultimate Fighting Championship showdown between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, Cofield is making an exception to his rule.

CHASING LAKE MEAD'S WATER: PART 1 OF 3: By Launce Rake; Click here for a printable graphic.

Commentary: Rethink what it takes to get a rewarding education: The mark of maturity is to discuss opposing ideas calmly and rationally, and it is often assumed that teenagers do not possess this trait. My group proved this assumption false and it was obvious that this group of students has what it takes to change problems within our schools.

Letter: Protect kids? Ban smoking in homes: I knew that Question 4 was completely meaningless and that Question 5 would penalize small-business owners and discriminate against 25 percent of the population (the smokers) while failing to protect vulnerable individuals, especially children, from secondhand smoke.

Letter: Rumsfeld should have been fired long ago: Mr. Gliddon's letter reminds me of the comments of Thomas Friedman, the foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times on "Meet the Press" on Dec. 17, who, when speaking of Vice President's Dick Cheney's comments that Mr. Rumsfeld was the best defense secretary in the history of the U.S., stated that this means that Mr. Cheney is either a liar or President Bush is a fool. Mr. Friedman stated that if, as Mr. Cheney claimed, Mr. Rumsfeld was the best defense secretary of all time, then why at this most critical time of the Iraq war would Mr. Bush ...

Las Vegas gets tough with developer: Frustrated over the failure to attract a grocery store to West Las Vegas, city leaders have started to get tough with a developer and would like to use the same tactics with grocers.

Police say not all key phone records subpoenaed: Jeff German and Sam Skolnik; A top Metro Police official acknowledged Thursday that detectives did not subpoena cell phone records of several people who could have been involved in an alleged plot to persuade Chrissy Mazzeo to keep silent about her late-night encounter with Gov.-elect Jim Gibbons.

Energy-efficient house passes first test: By Christina Littlefield; A model home has lived up to its promise of producing more energy than it consumed in a yearlong test, leading to the next - and more critical - test in the experiment: Gauging energy use when the house is occupied.

Letter: Wisdom only comes with age, experience: Questioning whether people in their 70s are " physically and mentally able to keep up anymore" is both insulting and unlearned. From everything I currently read about aging, 70 is the new 40 and most 70-somethings are just getting their second wind.

TAKE FIVE: ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP, CHUCK LIDDELL VS. TITO ORTIZ: Principals: Chuck Liddell (19-3 mixed martial arts) vs. Tito Ortiz (16-4), five scheduled rounds

Editorial: Searching for the soulless: Do the math. That's an average of 10 hit-and-run collisions each day that, according to a story by the Las Vegas Sun on Thursday, have resulted in 18 deaths here this year. A friend of one of those victims, 44-year-old Dennis Scott, told Sun reporter Abigail Goldman that a driver who hits another human being and then drives off "doesn't have a soul."