Print edition for June 11, 2006

Parks and plight of the homeless plight: Dan Kulin; But representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, who have opposed the city's past efforts on this front, said they also will battle the proposed law, expected to go to the council later this month.

Letter: Development should carry its own weight: The highway gridlock problem in Las Vegas is that increased services demanded by the growth has outstripped our existing infrastructure, including our highways. In other words, growth is not paying its way.

Indigent may lose Medicaid benefits: Cy Ryan and Mark Hansel; CARSON CITY - Thousands of low-income Nevadans could lose or be denied free medical care under a federal law that becomes effective July 1.

Editorial: No taming of this shrew: "I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much," Coulter writes in her new book, "Godless: The Church of Liberalism." She was referring to the four women whose efforts resulted in the creation of the 9/11 Commission that investigated the terrorists' hijackings and attacks.

Congress cannot avoid immigration measure: Even though Americans have put that reform among their top priorities, Congress has not been able to make progress on merging the two radically different bills into one proposal for President Bush to consider.

Letter: Focus on the borders, not the immigrants: Has Mr. Burgess seriously considered the alternative? If so, then where will he put the 12 million or so "criminals"? Our jails are already overcrowded. I guess he wants us to build more prisons, or maybe just deport all these "criminals."

Hot enough for you? Report says it'll only get hotter, drier: Launce Rake and Mary Manning; While Las Vegas residents might find it hard to believe that the Southwest could get any hotter and drier, a new United Nations report is warning just that.

Letter: Victims' rights too often go ignored: In violent crimes, the offenders' voices echo through our courts through the decisions of juries and subsequent appeals processes. Each time an offender is sentenced, the survivors of crime, the families and the victims themselves, receive life sentences. Appeals, reversed decisions and other attempts to stall justice are part of their life sentence.

Jon Ralston outlines the need for Nevada judges to be appointed: The newspaper's investigative series - "Juice vs. Justice" - is the product of years of research and interviews, replete with telling vignettes and documentary evidence of how relationships and money pollute the valley's judicial system.

Hal Rothman looks at the Nevada Indoor Clean Air Act as a microcosm of the duel between the state's tradition and its future: But, of course, the world is more complicated. Stand under any overhang at the edge of any building that forbids smoking and you find the smokers' enclave. Clustered in clumps, smokers enjoy their almost-forbidden pleasure, leaving the distinct aroma of their presence after they finish. I for one instinctively flinch and hold my nose as I approach such places, knowing full well that the smell of stale tobacco will soon hit me in the face.

Puck's Vegas food empire grows: By Liz Benston; Wolfgang Puck owns or manages several fine dining restaurants across the country. This list does not include the company's franchised restaurants or catering operations.

Editorial: Put surplus to good use: The economy is so good that tax money coming into the state treasury exceeds what has been budgeted for education, public safety, health care, social services, state parks and other public programs that contribute to the quality of life here.

Jeff Simpson on how the downside of growth - traffic jams - cuts casino profits: It's a problem that plagues many valley businesses, and I hear from a lot of them when their customers are inconvenienced by traffic snarls and road construction.

Letter: Future threatened by low pay for teachers: This is considering that the new nurse works a normal 36-hour week with no overtime (three 12-hour shifts). Granted, teachers usually work a 10-month contract, but considering the extra 10 hours per week they put in for preparation, this equates to approximately $15 per hour. Dedication and a desire to help future generations will not get the bills paid!

Editorial: No denying cost of roads: Gov. Kenny Guinn, needing help with this question, appointed a task force last year. Its 17 members were asked to review projects that the state Transportation Board strongly recommends be completed or under way by 2015. They were also asked to find ways to fund the projects that they agreed were necessary.

John Katsilometes meets up with Dennis Hopper, whose history in Las Vegas dates to the '50s, as the annual film festival CineVegas opens: "There's been a lot of change since I first came here," Hopper said early Friday evening during a party hosted by Hollywood Reporter to kick off the 2006 CineVegas Film Festival. The 70-year-old Hopper is on the CineVegas board and made the party loop looking dapper in a navy-blue suit and lime-green tie.