Print edition for January 31, 2006

A slow start for reform: By Timothy Pratt; A year after the federal government announced that the Las Vegas Valley's Head Start program needed to be put in new hands, the issue seems to have advanced little beyond piles of legal papers building up here and in Washington.

Umeh's knees still a sore spot: While UNLV junior guard Michael Umeh awaits a firm diagnosis on his sore right knee, he said he remembers feeling pain in both knees as early as last summer.

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

Letter: November elections offer slice of hope: It would take volumes in which to itemize all of his failed initiatives. They can best be highlighted by the mounting death toll in Iraq of both GIs and Iraqi civilians with no end in sight, the lack of adequate preparation and response to Hurricane Katrina, and the mounting energy costs and the skyrocketing national debt.

Regent Howard rips into Rogers: Chancellor Jim Rogers' "maverick" ways have caused "problems," Regent Linda Howard said.

Editorial: Dispensing medicine or religion: The contentious national debate, which was highlighted in a Las Vegas Sun story Monday, revolves around dispensing emergency contraception or the so-called "morning-after pill." Some pharmacists, because of their religious beliefs, are opposed to filling such prescriptions.

Editorial: Growing up is hard to do: A story in Monday's Las Vegas Sun notes that North Las Vegas City Manager Gregory Rose agrees with results of a 2005 audit, which, among other things, says the burgeoning city should be operating on a five-day, 40-hour week, rather than the four-day, 36-hour week that has been in place since 1977.

Letter: Democrats have not forgotten 9/11: First, the Patriot Act was a quickly passed, knee-jerk reaction to 9/11. Upon further review, it was noted that several parts of this act infringed on the civil liberties of normal Americans. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., along with several Republican legislators, want to correct these errors before renewing the act.

Editorial: Health vision a blur for poor: Under Bush's plan, the days of reasonably priced group insurance largely funded by employers and the federal government (through in- come-tax deductions for employer premiums) will fade and be replaced by individual policies.

Speed Reading: NASCAR's preseason thunder: What happened: Twenty-four drivers took part in the test Monday, but the biggest news was made off the track. LVMS formally announced its $27 million track reconfiguration and infield renovation plans.

A whole new meaning: Growing up black and Jewish in Beverly Hills was a challenge.

Flashpoint for Jan. 31, 2006: So thanks to gentle persuasion from the genteel chancellor, the university system now is looking for presidents for its two major institutions. As Jim Rogers leads the search for replacements for John Lilley and Carol Harter, neither of whom he wanted in their jobs, one wag had a suggestion. Perhaps the Clark County School Board folks could form a committee, call it the Committee for a Better Nevada, and come up with recommendations on who would make fine replacements for Harter and Lilley. Then, after putting forth their candidate, the committee members could follow the chancellor to the interviews and ...

Henderson planning for future development: While Henderson and Clark County debate where the city's southwest boundary should be, Henderson already is mapping out plans for its next generation of master-planned communities on both sides of the city limits.

Letter: Plenty of terrorists right here at home: Who are terrorists? Can't gang members be labeled terrorists? Don't they bring fear to people when they randomly shoot people in the streets or invade their homes? What about the other terrorists who rape women, kidnap children, molest children? What about the terrorists who mug people or the ones who commit identity theft? Aren't gay bashers terrorists to the gay community? Isn't the Ku Klux Klan a terrorist group?

Goodman calmer about team talks: Dan Kulin; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said recently that he continues to receive calls from top-level sports owners inquiring about Las Vegas as a possible future home city. But it appears the excitement that once surrounded every hint of movement toward landing a team has officially worn off.

Columnist Jeff German: On a dramatic day between business foes -- and who came out on top: In a city that loves legends, we may one day remember this as the legend of Pete Eliades.

Columnist Jon Katsilometes: Talking with James "Bucky" Buchanan, the star of a new reality show on Court TV, about the show's future: Jon Katsilometes; Las Vegas attorney James "Bucky" Buchanan's life is a spirited mix of courtroom intrigue and social hobnobbing.

History of Las Vegas, ancient and recent, is coming together: Dan Kulin; Although a common perception is that Las Vegas' history began with slot machines and neon, the city's roots can be traced to prehistoric times -- and will be saved for future generations thanks to millions of dollars in preservation projects.

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.