Print edition for January 13, 2006

Columnist John Katsilometes: Making a trip to Madame Tussauds Las Vegas at the Venetian for a visit with the wax figure of Dr. Martin Luther King: Somewhere between being depicted on cash and on Las Vegas gaming chips is the honor of being memorialized in wax by the artists of Madame Tussauds. The company's interactive museum in Las Vegas unveiled a figure of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Thursday, to coincide with Monday's national holiday honoring the late civil-rights leader.

Rogers: Keep cash on campus: University Chancellor Jim Rogers is advancing a plan to improve colleges and universities by reducing the Legislature's control of education funding.

Analysis -- Nevada draws line in Canada drug fight: Molly Ball; Nevada's law allowing citizens to import prescription drugs from Canada ratchets up the battle that pits states against the federal government and the pharmaceutical industry.

Editorial: Giving low-tech solution a try: The rationale is correct and the 2,000-mile border today is safer, but far from secure. The increased U.S. aid, which includes communications gear, scanners, specially outfitted helicopters, motorcycles and pickup trucks, is being put to use throughout Mexico, which dilutes its effectiveness along the border. Thousands of miles remain unprotected, even with the U.S. Border Patrol on guard.

Carolla steps into void left by Stern: By Jerry Fink; Howard Stern has left the planet, broadcasting his outrageous brand of humor from outer space via Sirius satellite radio.

Letter: Many groups feed off obesity problem: We are taught from childhood to waste not, want not. We eat and eat until it is all gone (well that is a good enough reason as any to clean the plate). Go to the buffets in Las Vegas and you see people become gluttonous pigs beyond all belief.

Editorial: Big traffic woes in a little city: Boulder City, a small town built for Hoover Dam workers and their families in the 1930s, is everything Las Vegas isn't. Gambling is illegal. Liquor licenses weren't allowed until 1969. And a 1979 growth-control policy limits the number of new homes that can be built each year. The city's strategic plan says Boulder City "is committed to preserving its small town charm."

Editorial: Finding the honest critics: The Associated Press reports that the president was speaking to more than 400 members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in the same Washington hotel ballroom where last month he admitted to making major errors in the early efforts to rebuild Iraq.

Columnist Tom Gorman: Asking 'as the Sons of Norway plan their annual lutefisk dinner: Oh cod, why?': The Vegas Viking Lodge of Sons of Norway is holding its eighth annual lutefisk and meatball dinner next month.

Columnist Jeff German: Taking a look at the effect cameras had on crimes against taxicab drivers in Las Vegas over the course of a year: There's no surprise here.

Arts Notes: 'Midas Drowned' has golden touch: In Greek mythology, King Midas' ability to turn everything he touched to gold was inevitably his downfall.

Three remain: Scoping out the candidates: Candidate: Peter Gorman, 41, Tustin, Calif., Unified School District.

Letter: Praise for those who spoke out: Those individuals who reported the secret nonsense that has been going on in the Bush administration are the heroes of our time, not those who think that they are above the law and thought that they could get away with hiding things from the people.

Letter: Much more to learn about school woes: In the middle of the teacher shortage (mentioned in the editorial), most of our high schools are going from a six-period to an eight-period schedule. This requires approximately 10 percent more teachers.

Columnist Jeff Haney: Explaining why we shouldn't feel too badly for sports books this football season: Reaction was strong and varied to our Jan. 2 column recapping how Nevada's sports books fared in football betting through the end of October, according to the most recent figures available from the state Gaming Control Board.

Excuse the Interjection: By Ron Kantowski; Jeff Haney's take: Until the time comes when we say "Deutschland" instead of Germany, "Venezia" instead of Venice and "Eire" instead of Ireland in everyday conversation, it's Turin. That's the American word for the city.

Pioneer LV lounge singer Ricco dies: Born: John Riccobene, on Jan. 15, 1929, in Camden, N.J.

Columnist Jon Ralston: On how the lesser of two believables kept Clark County's commissioner out of hot water: As Clark County Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald declared victory Thursday after she was absolved of wrongdoing by the state Ethics Commission, she had to consider herself fortunate to have faced such putrid opposition.

Borgata Bob is Boyd's point man for Echelon: By Liz Benston; When Boyd Gaming executive Bob Boughner is asked to describe his company's planned $4 billion Echelon Place, he uses words like "energetic, sensual and international."

Flashpoint for Jan. 13, 2006: From shooting star to forgotten man. Once hailed as the presumptive heir apparent to Gov. Kenny Guinn, Speaker Richard Perkins has faded from view since he withdrew from the governor's race last year. He has had to watch his own heir apparent, Barbara Buckley, chew up political scenery. Buckley was at it again Thursday at the Pharmacy Board but Perkins showed up and testified. Alas, at one point, the board's executive secretary thanked Perkins but added, innocently enough: "I didn't get your name, please." I'm sure Perkins must have been thinking of Terry Malloy - he coulda been a contender ...