Print edition for February 19, 2007

Jeff Haney spells out a strategy that has been profitable on betting baseball teams' win totals: Oddsmakers at the Las Vegas Hilton sports book have just posted regular-season victory totals for the 2007 major league baseball season.

John Katsilometes on a star-studded event of a different sort celebrated over the weekend in Las Vegas: Jack Weinstein? Indeed. He can really handle the rock.

Chief of staff: Governor didn't mean what he said: Nevada conservation leaders say Gov. Jim Gibbons, during a private meeting last week, questioned the need for a pipeline to bring rural central Nevada water to metropolitan Southern Nevada.

Letter: Prince Harry does more than talk the talk: It is my fervent hope that the members of our royal family in the USA would heed and follow the example of our friends across the ocean and send their loved ones into harm's way and share the same sacrifice of our brave men and women fighting President Bush's and Vice President Dick Cheney's war in Iraq.

Editorial: Raising the damage cap: Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, sponsored the legislation that would raise to $100,000 a damage cap that has been the same since 1979. The increase, Care recently told the Associated Press, still is less than the $130,000 the cap would be if it were adjusted for inflation.

Developer may get rematch: Downtown Las Vegas residents who opposed a six-story apartment complex in their neighborhood won a battle this month when the City Council withdrew needed variance requests, but worry that their victory could be short-lived.

Rubardt puts exclamation point on Phil auditions: The echoes of Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony floated like blossoms on a warm breeze through UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall.

First look: Obama makes Nevada a priority: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., reaches for his notes after the wind brifly interrupted his speech at the Government Center ampitheatre. Other Democrats will attend a forum for presidential candidates Feb. 21 in Carson City, but since Obama had a scheduling conflict for that date, he came to Las Vegas on Sunday.

Goldman puts art in cartoon: Kristen Peterson, Las Vegas Sun; Todd Goldman brandishes toy diamond rings in celebration of his "Golddigger" exhibit at the Entertainment Galleries at the Venetian. A stylish and exceptionally good-looking crowd mingles around him.

Editorial: Professional tennis, anyone?: This will be the second Tennis Channel Open held in Las Vegas. Last year's debut tournament was a success not only for its main attraction, the big-name pro players, but also for its side events, such as a championship air hockey tournament.

Letter: Bush out of touch with his own war: When asked if he believed Iraq was in a civil war, his reply was, "It's hard for me, living in this beautiful White House, to give a firsthand assessment. I haven't been there, you (the press) have." When asked about the troops' morale, part of his answer was, "I know there's concern about the home front. I haven't heard deep concern about the morale of the troops in Iraq."

Ron Kantowski on why the race for a Las Vegas pro sports team doesn't end after the first two hurdles have been cleared: All-Star Celebrity Game:

FLASHPOINT for Feb 19, 2007: Get out your hankies, folks. Tomorrow is County Com- missioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates' last meeting. Or so the county announced in a news release (!) on Friday. "Commendations and expressions of gratitude are expected for" Atkinson Gates, the release trumpets, while also declaring: "Four major projects spearheaded by Atkinson Gates still planned." And this reminder: "She decided to retire so she could spend more time with her family, complete a doctoral program in public administration at ... (UNLV) and develop personal business interests." Is that why she retired for sure? This is the government's official line, too, not just the ...

A home of their own: By Liz Benston; Before housing prices began to skyrocket in 2003, Las Vegas was a dream come true for blue-collar workers - a valley of plentiful jobs and homes that hourly casino employees could afford.

Editorial: Wasted time and money: David Walker, comptroller of the Government Accountability Office - the auditing arm of Congress - told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday that Defense Department officials have condoned or turned a blind eye to project delays, poor accounting methods and overcharges or payments for shoddy work.

School officials, Gibbons not on same page: By Emily Richmond; The already strained relationship between the state's schools superintendents and Gov. Jim Gibbons has taken a turn for the snarky.