Print edition for February 18, 2007

Jeff Simpson on why Binion's is likely to go on the block - or worse, close: West Virginia-based MTR Gaming on Tuesday announced its plans to sell the Speedway Casino in North Las Vegas to Mandekic Cos. for $18.2 million.

Downtown's time is now: If Michael Cornthwaite put the philosophy behind his new bar in downtown Las Vegas into a slogan, it might be: It's the locals, stupid.

Editorial: Grinding to gridlock: The subcommittee heard about the most common type of partnership - the toll road - and how it could be a disaster for the nation's highway system.

Jon Ralston on why, for Gov. Jim Gibbons, the best-case scenario to come out of the eTreppid scandal is legal bribery: If you are a successful and presumably savvy businessman and your wife sends you an e-mail reminding you to "bring the money you promised" for a politician and his spouse, would you:

Editorial: Criminals, guns don't mix: Such efforts are undertaken to determine whether gun shops are permitting "straw purchases" - those made with the intent of giving or selling the guns to criminals. Support for these investigations comes from the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, which counts 150 U.S. mayors in its membership, including Geno Martini of Sparks.

Brian Greenspun on exactly who should be sorry for getting us into this terrible war: If you are over 40 years old or have a penchant for old cinematic reruns, you will recall this famous line from the Ali McGraw-Ryan O'Neal tear-jerker, "Love Story."

The advantage of public service: By Jeff German, Mike Trask; That distinction belongs to Carl Nelson, a 30-year emergency medical services supervisor who, thanks to 2,400 hours of overtime, last year earned $232,791, well above Valentine's $180,692.

Fundraiser set to benefit family of Hal Rothman: Rothman suffers from ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. The father of two was diagnosed in December 2005. The disease robs its victims of all motor functions, erasing any ability to move and, in the end stages, to communicate, while keeping the victim's mental functions intact.

Letter: Helmet law is a question of liberty: Sen. Beers is profoundly correct in wanting Nevadans to be able to choose for themselves whether or not to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. Neither Thomas Paine nor Thomas Jefferson would have approved the helmet law regardless of the claims to its efficacy. It's a question of liberty, something for which you have no use unless yours is being threatened.

FLASHPOINT for Feb 18, 2007: If you still had doubts that Nevada is for real in the presidential nominating process, doubt no more. If anything should persuade you, it is the last few days and the days about to come. Over the weekend John Edwards and Barack Obama - two of the front-runners for the nomination - were scheduled to do events in lil' ole Nevada. And CNN's Wolf Blitzer is devoting part of today's program to Nevada (Harry Reid is on) and he interviewed locals before the weekend. The Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton will appear at the Carson City forum Wednesday, but she also ...

Letter: Best scientists confirm global warming: The south polar CO2 ice caps are shrinking because it is summer in that hemisphere. The article goes on to explain in patient detail the processes that affect Martian climate, and I am sure Mr. Gliddon would stop using such a ridiculous argument against our effects on Earth's climate, if he would only read the actual science.

Court administrator says he has earned every penny of his salary: By Ed Koch; Clark County Court Administrator Chuck Short's $172,579 salary in 2006 placed him 43rd among the county's 7,255 employees.

House members stuck on same old talking points: WASHINGTON - About 200 speakers (and 30 hours) into the House debate on President Bush's proposed Iraq troop surge, noted congressional scholar Norman J. Ornstein made a sad observation: This was no debate, this was speech-making politics as usual.

Letter: Nevadans deserve better than this: Is the reason we have such pandering dolts a function of the utterly distasteful process of becoming elected? Where are the honest, decent and bright young men and women? Is our current lineup of politicians a byproduct of our mental laziness to understand local issues and then to actually vote. Why are not Rory Reid and the County Commission being lambasted for their utter leadership failure in the UMC fiasco? We are left with finger pointing, wagging tongues, sudden vacations, " not my job" and "I'm not an accountant" drivel. They can't even oversee the local animal shelter without complete ...

CARSON CITY: THE WEEK IN REVIEW: By J. Patrick Coolican; A fire alarm went off Wednesday at the Legislature Building, and with everyone milling around outside in the pleasant warmth of the sierra sun, it felt a little like high school.

John Katsilometes on Daren Libonati's preparations for today's NBA All-Star Game: Then he returned, saying, "It's the mayor's gin. What brand is it? Bombay Sapphire? We need to have it in his VIP suites."

Editorial: Facing the facts: The first sign of that was clear last week when the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways & Means Committee met to hear a presentation on a study that found the Legislature is not providing an adequate amount of money to the state's school districts. The study concluded that Nevada needs to spend an extra $2 billion over the next nine years to meet goals set by a panel of education experts.

In state's civil war, the South is gaining on the North: Michael J. Mishak; U.S. 95 AT THE CLARK COUNTY LINE - Beyond the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip, U.S. 95 snakes its way northwest toward Indian Springs, the first of about a dozen lonely towns on the way to Reno.