Print edition for February 17, 2007

Editorial: Alternatives to prison: For the short term, $22.4 million worth of temporary cells is being proposed. If the 2007 Legislature does not come through with this funding, the state prison system will be in danger of being taken over by a federal court within a year.

Letter: Earmarks cannot stand the light of day: Let's face it, they are disguised as earmarks because they cannot stand the light of day. In 2006, the editorial states, UNLV "received about $37 million from earmarks, much of which went into its research budget." Thirty-seven million dollars is a lot of money on the Black Market Pork Scale. Since much of the earmarks went into research, it did not go to student instruction.

FLASHPOINT for Feb 17, 2007: Gov. Jim Gibbons may have a few, teeny problems to deal with these days, but he still had time Friday for an executive order on energy. He's a fan of renewables, it turns out: "Today I signed the first executive order of my administration that focuses on energy development. Nevada is blessed with an abundance of clean and renewable energy resources and it is important for us to encourage the development of these resources." So what does his first executive order do? It streamlines the permitting process for renewable energy projects , which sounds like a heck of a good ...

Letter: Bush lacks credibility with public, troops: Why won't George W. Bush just sit back and keep quiet for the next two years? Who's going to believe that Iran is an imminent threat to the United States if it's coming from him? His own aides have to debunk or tone down his rhetoric on a regular basis.

New immigration policy causes concern: By Timothy Pratt; Local attorneys and a university law clinic worry that a new policy at a Las Vegas federal immigration office is stifling their ability to help clients with complex cases.

It's Goliath vs. Goliath in Culinary negotiations: By Michael Mishak; Every five years, the town's biggest labor union and gaming bosses sit down to forge pacts over salaries and benefits.

It all comes down to this: WASHINGTON - This just might be the day Americans see their senators take a stand on whether to back President Bush's troop surge in Iraq.

Brush up on your NBA for the weekend festivities: Ron Kantowski, Las Vegas Sun; Introducing the first Tostitos Manute Bol/Slick Watts NBA All-Star Game Quiz and Extravaganza presented by Dr. Pepper. Or, as I like to call it, something interactive you can do in relation to NBA All-Star weekend that won't cost $20.

CORRECTIONS: A story in Friday's Sun about the cost of improving Nevada education incorrectly identified Republican Assemblyman Garn Mabey as the majority leader. He is the Assembly minority leader. The Sun regrets the error.

Letter: America needs to prioritize education: The Clark County School District is currently short 500 classroom teachers. Instead of offering competitive salaries to attract and retain the best qualified teachers, our district sends administrators on recruiting expeditions throughout the world. In America, we have our priorities in order.

Not picture-perfect: Joe Schoenmann, Las Vegas Sun; If there's one thing the National Basketball Association proved with its All-Star week, it's that Las Vegas is continuing to mature into a mainstream, all-American city. Even the NBA commissioner, David Stern, is talking about planting a team here.

Editorial: Mercury rising?: According to a story by the Las Vegas Sun on Wednesday, mercury levels outside four of the 10 mines tested were five times higher than the amount of mercury that occurs in the environment naturally. Levels at three other mines were significantly higher than that - including readings taken a mile away from one mine that showed mercury levels at twice the federal limits for toxic exposure. Mercury levels were at or below naturally occurring thresholds at the three remaining mines.

District Court workload in county up in 2006: Sam Skolnik; District Court judges in Clark County presided over more criminal and civil cases last year than ever before, according to newly released statistics.

Gibbons in the national hot seat: From the political blogs to the nation's influential newspapers, Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons has been one hot, unflattering item the last several days.

Editorial: Look, up in the sky!: According to a recent story by USA Today, NASA and the military have researched the possibility of crafting airplanes that, like some birds, can alter the size and shape of their wings for more versatile flight under varying conditions. NASA also is trying to create computer sensors that mimic the abilities of some bats and birds to detect minute wind shifts.