Print edition for January 17, 2006

Columnist John Katsilometes: The medical aspirations of Miss America: One day, a proud parent in Alabama can claim, "Junior's doctor is a former Miss America!"

Letter: Don't expect the U.N.'s help now: Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell and the other neocons ignored the U.N. before deciding unilaterally to attack the Iraqi people. They virtually thumbed their noses at the U.N.

Letter: Bush spells doom for America: President Bush tells Iran to stop what it is doing now -- or else. Iran tells him to go pound sand. Bush orders a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Iran then sends its 500,000- man army across the border to drive the Americans from Iraq.

Rebirth of the Riviera?: By Liz Benston; The murky future of the Riviera may be about to get clearer.

Editorial: Neglecting children's rights: According to a story in Monday's Las Vegas Sun, Family Court Judge Gerald Hardcastle said fewer than 50 percent of children who come into his courtroom have an advocate or legal representative. Federal and state laws require such representation.

Editorial: Solar brightening our future: Next month, spurred on by tax incentives from the Nevada Commission on Economic Development, a North Carolina-based company is scheduled to break ground in Boulder City on what will become one of the world's largest solar plants. When construction is finished, estimated to be sometime next year, the electricity emanating from the plant at peak capacity will be enough to power 48,000 homes a day.

County girding for battle over annexation: In what is shaping up as a battle over the future of southern Clark County, Henderson and county officials are locking horns over control of a future South Strip and the city's proposed expansion along Interstate 15 toward Jean.

Transit plans: Will it pay to ride?: J. Craig Anderson; The future of light rail in Las Vegas will come before a citizens committee Thursday. The committee, which includes business people, educational leaders and other interest groups, will be asked to recommend one of four alternatives:

Take Five: In-Bee Park: She has two top-10 finishes in three LPGA Tour events -- all before her 17th birthday -- but Bishop Gorman senior In-Bee Park will have to wait until at least July if she wants to make more regular appearances on the Tour.

Letter: New teachers should be given more options: The drain upon family income has dramatically increased during the past several decades. The primary cause is the personal demand for more and bigger things and dramatically increased salary competition from foreign labor. Two workers per family has become the norm.

Amundson enjoys the thrill of L-o-o-o-o cheer: Louis Amundson will undoubtedly hear more "L-o-o-o-o" cheers echo from the Thomas & Mack Center rafters Wednesday night when the Rebels host Colorado State.

Columnist Jeff German: What brings polar opposites to Las Vegas: Last week the nation's porn stars were in Las Vegas promoting the adult side of the Consumer Electronics Show.

Board pushes for vote on new school superintendent: By Emily Richmond; A majority of Clark County School Board members said Monday they want to choose a new superintendent today rather than put off the vote until they gather more information about the remaining out-of-town candidate.

Flashpoint for Jan. 17, 2006: Let the spin begin. As the campaign contribution reports are released today, look for the rival campaigns to describe exactly what they mean for the benighted. Take the governor's race. Jim Gibson is owned by developers -- that will be the Dina Titus spin. Dina Titus can't raise as much in a year as I did in a month -- that will be the Jim Gibson spin. If you add what Gibson and Titus have raised, you get what I have -- that will be the Jim Gibbons spin. Money doesn't mean everything -- that will be the Lorraine Hunt ...

Editorial: National identity crisis looms: The survey, conducted by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and detailed in an Associated Press story last week, polled state driver's license officials about the Real ID Act.

The art of listening to God: Friday, Jan. 27, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., St. Viator's Catholic Community, 2461 E. Flamingo Road. Call 456-3114 for more information.

Apartment-to-condominium issue is not going away soon: Dan Kulin; The contentious issue of limiting the conversion of apartments into condominiums in Las Vegas is headed back to the City Council -- and without a call for a moratorium on the practice.