Print edition for February 2, 2006

History of Las Vegas, ancient and recent, is coming together: Dan Kulin; The projects, ranging from centuries-old relics to more familiar 20th-century icons, represent perhaps the most expensive collection of historic preservation plans undertaken by the city.

Letter: It's time for some detailed information: When has any president ever given a real assessment of our situation? I can get all the cheerleading I want at a high school football game. What I want is real information and real plans that can produce real results.

Burton slams speedway changes: As a two-time winner of the NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Jeff Burton has been one of the speedway's most vocal supporters.

John Katsilometes on the more exclusive cable audience that will tune into Miss America on CMT: kats@lasvegassun.com; Consider these numbers when gauging the success of Saturday's pageant at the Aladdin, to be broadcast on CMT: The most recent pageant, held in September 2004 and broadcast on ABC, drew its lowest Nielsen ratings with a total audience of 9.8 million. A decade earlier 20.9 million watched the pageant. In 1984 the total audience was 28.9 million - about three times higher than in 2004.

Nonstops from Japan might stop: Japan Airlines is likely to drop the only nonstop flights from Asia to Las Vegas, but local tourism officials intend to continue to aggressively market the city in Japan, the largest source of visitors from the Far East and the city's second-largest overseas market.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: Asking the longtime announcer, who is nearing his 1,000th game behind the microphone, what games he remembers best: This Saturday, longtime -- and that's putting it mildly -- broadcaster Bob Blum will call his 1,000th UNLV game when the Lady Rebels visit Wyoming. The limitations of medical science will probably preclude him from making it to 2,000.

Letter: What is nonessential freedom anyway?: He suggests that we give up some "nonessential" freedoms for a little more safety. I personally feel that not being spied upon without just cause as an essential freedom, so I tried to think of some of those freedoms that would be nonessential. I couldn't come up with any.

The ouster of Carol Harter: By Christina Littlefield; The tension between UNLV President Carol Harter and her boss, university system Chancellor Jim Rogers, had been building long before a lunch meeting Dec. 20 at the Stirling Club.

CityCenter already expanding: By Liz Benston; Adding roughly $1 billion to what already is the biggest and most expensive construction project ever attempted on the Strip, MGM Mirage plans to expand the number of hotel rooms and residences at its massive Project CityCenter development.

Interim nuclear waste site mulled: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON - President Bush likely will propose that the government estabtlish an above-ground facility for temporary storage of highly radioactive waste while Yucca Mountain is under construction, an energy trade publication said Monday.

Flashpoint for Feb. 2, 2006: So first we have to imagine folks in a Harry Reid thong, which stretches the bounds of good taste like Chuck Yeager once pushed the sound envelope. But that image comes courtesy of hawkers I told you about a few days ago. Now Reid himself has given us an image so searing, so frightening that counseling may be required for all those about to read this. According to CQ, Reid was asked about an ethics proposal that would ban former members from lobbying congressman in the House gym. The Senate minority leader said that he had never been lobbied in ...

Minority health office opens: By Timothy Pratt; Actually, there was hardly anything in the office, home of the recently created, $280,000-a-year state office of minority health - a desk, a phone, a fax machine, a bunch of boxes.

Speed Reading: NASCAR's preseason thunder: 1. What happened: Carl Edwards (170.778) and Kasey Kahne (170.374) turned the two fastest laps of the three-day test Wednesday morning as 29 drivers took part in the final day of testing in preparation for the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup season.

Letter: Feeling distressed about State of the Union: President Bush said, "Let us never forget the sacrifices of our military families." (At that time Cindy Sheehan was being booked in the Capitol Police headquarters.)

Columnist John Katsilometes: Braces for another development on Harmon Avenue -- the Rolling Stone hotel: Jann Wenner has built a publishing empire. Today it looks like he has a more concrete sort of building planned, on Harmon Avenue.

Board gets schooled on meeting law: By Emily Richmond; Prior to calling the first speaker, School Board President Ruth Johnson reminded the audience of the usual two-minute time limit for public comment. Subsequently several people were "buzzed" when their time ex-pired and asked to summarize their remarks.

Minicasinos are just right size for some: By Liz Benston; It's early afternoon at the Skyline Casino on Boulder Highway, where the beer is cheap, the slots are loose and the hot dogs, sometimes, are free.

Editorial: Hope arises for water future: By injecting funds and federal water experts into the West's growing problem, the Interior Department hoped that regional crises and conflicts among the states could be avoided. A major strategy under the program was to assure the states that the federal government would listen to any proposals they brought to the table. Another strategy was to encourage -- and if that didn't work, pressure -- the states to begin collaborating with each other to produce the proposals.

Editorial: Ratcheting up pressure on Iran: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Tuesday that Iran had obtained information via the black market that shows how to make a nuclear warhead. Today the IAEA is expected to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council, a step that ultimately could result in economic sanctions. Iranian leaders say if the issue is turned over to the Security Council, Iran would halt any more U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities and Iran would accelerate its uranium enrichment program.

Summary Box: Populations don't collide in many NFL towns.: AP; CITY RIVALRY: A few decades from now, several fast-growing communities will be able to boast potential fan bases that will far outnumber those of some current teams.

Editorial: A system sorely lacking in care: In a Las Vegas Sun story Tuesday, prison officials told reporter Molly Ball that all pharmacy services for the state's 12,000 inmates have been moved to the system's Jean campus. This has caused disruptions in delivery of medicines. Prison officials say they are not overly concerned and that the system's kinks are being worked out.

Water Authority stymies Henderson's land plans: Legislation for the proposed acquisition - introduced last year by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and backed by the rest of the Nevada delegation - had been expected to win easy approval.

Prison's medicine in short supply: Molly Ball; Sick inmates at the women's prison in North Las Vegas are going without medication, leading them to fear for their imperiled health.

Columnist Jeff German: Surveying the court scene during a dramatic announcement in the murder case of Melissa James: Dressed in chains and navy blue jail garb, and with a horde of reporters and cameramen watching her every move, Kelly Ryan looked lost and scared Wednesday as bailiffs escorted her to a seat in Justice Court.

Corporate Nevada plans to spread the word on diversity: By Timothy Pratt; A group of casinos and organizations representing restaurants and hotels in Nevada is mounting a campaign to spread a message across the Las Vegas Valley.