Print edition for March 6, 2006

Conservation program reforms under way: J. Craig Anderson; The federal agency that polices a Clark County environmental program crucial to continued growth is expected to decide this month whether to allow changes aimed at eliminating conflicts of interest.

Jeff Haney notes the similarities between blackjack and poker, and the differences between blackjack and its tournament version: Yet, in a paradox, much of the skill required has little or nothing to do with playing the game of blackjack at a high level.

State museums attracting fewer and fewer patrons: Since 2000 the numbers at the seven state museums have slumped 15 percent, and officials say they are failing to attract tourists.

John Katsilometes on veteran entertainment deal maker Jaki Baskow, who is honored at a special Oscar night party at the Bellagio: Thus, the longtime entertainment deal maker has an informed opinion about Las Vegas trends - and she is bemoaning the loss of lounges.

As Strip hotels sink, workers will try to stay afloat: By Liz Benston; For many Strip workers employed at the current hotels, enthusiasm over that renaissance is mitigated by one nagging question: Will I have a job?

Getting to the bottom of Yucca Mountain: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON - In the classic children's book, "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel," Mike promises that his beloved but outdated machine Mary Anne can still dig a cellar in a single day.

Ron Kantowski eavesdrops on a conversation between two tennis fans during the championship match at the Tennis Channel Open: Game, first set Blake, 7-5.

Wynn: Deal is good for Macau: By Jeff Simpson; PBL is controlled by the family of the late Kerry Packer, who died in December. The company owns many of Australia's leading broadcasting and magazine assets as well as the Crown casino operation. Packer's son James Packer runs PBL.

Cyberclasses short of seats: By Christina Littlefield; The Community College of Southern Nevada last fall turned away more than 20,000 students who tried to enroll in an online course but could not.

Editorial: Don't undermine food safety: But members of Congress who are pushing the legislation, which is being supported in part by food manufacturers and supermarket chains, contend that the same level of food safety should exist everywhere.

Mourning 'a darling man': The population of Mayberry, N.C., continues to shrink.

Editorial: A satellite view of global warming: The new study, published Friday in the journal Science, shows melting of the thick sheet of ice that covers Antarctica released about 40.1 trillion gallons of water from 2002 to 2005. That is roughly the amount of water the United States would consume in 38 years.

Editorial: Radiation standards a farce: A radiation standard sets the amount of radioactivity allowed to be emitted in any one year from Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. This is the site under study - and under construction - by the federal government as the nation's sole burial spot for high-level nuclear waste.

THE WEEK AHEAD: by Ron Kantowski; Texas Tech at UNLV (6:30 p.m. today, 1 p.m. Tuesday), Wilson Stadium.

Letter: Thwarting Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: I have personal knowledge of this. I have had custody of my great niece since she was born; she is three years old now. She tested positive at birth for drugs, so Child Protective Services took custody of her and I received guardianship of her two days later. We knew something was wrong shortly after she was born. About a year later she was diagnosed with FAS. Fortunately she wasn't born with the facial deformities that can accompany FAS, but she does have the behaviors. She has recently started having seizures.

Campuses swell wish list for new buildings beyond system budget: Christina Littlefield; The original requests for state money stood at nearly $1 billion, including about $200 million for health sciences initiatives. In the 2005 Legislature, state lawmakers approved an unprecedented $194 million for higher education projects.

Letter: What was behind Cheney's deferments?: How ironic that the two most senior men in our government, and the most determined of hawks regarding the Iraq War, were able to avoid military conflict when they were of fighting age and, now that neither has to risk his own skin in battle, has no reluctance in sending the flower of our country's youth to die by the thousands in a war of their own making.

Nevada veterans take to Capitol Hill to air budget complaints: Benjamin Grove; White House and VA budget officers have been under fire in recent years for submitting inadequate budget proposals. In an embarrassing reversal last year, the agency defended its budget request, but later went to Congress to request an emergency budget boost of $1.2 billion when it became clear the agency had underestimated expenses.