Print edition for October 26, 2007

LOOKING IN ON: GOLF: By Brian Hilderbrand; Dwaine Knight has had the good fortune of having several players he recruited to the UNLV golf program make immediate contributions as freshmen.

Jeff Haney points out the NFL's hypocrisy in staging a game in betting-crazed England while taking a hard line on Las Vegas: Boise State minus 3 points against Fresno State: "Boise is stronger than Fresno in every department," D'Amico said. Expect the Bulldogs to falter after looking good in a 30-0 victory against San Jose State a week ago.

Letter: So this president is riding to the rescue?: That's a major improvement over his delayed visit to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck. He has learned. He's not stupid after all. He can be our hero again.

Editorial: Big 'documents problem': The scandal raises this question: How much of the $600 billion that we have committed to Iraq has been stolen, wasted or used against us?

Editorial: Total disregard for wildlife: A 6.9-mile section of the barrier will cut across Arizona's San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, which includes the San Pedro River and hosts a diverse assortment of flora and fauna while providing an important bird migration flyway.

Letter: Initiative could be a win-win for education: Recently, the Nevada State Education Association decided to use a ballot initiative to increase funding for K-12 education. As a middle school teacher and an NSEA member, I am intrigued by this option.

Sun follow -up: INdentured doctors: By Marshall Allen; Jim White was relieved after moving to Pahrump, because it put him so close to a cancer treatment center.

Letter: Mess in Iraq fits definition of folly: Our esteemed king declared that the mess he had created in Iraq was a war, by claiming it was a war on terror. Nobody's figured out how an international political movement can justifiably be declared a war against a single, innocent country. Oil politics, more likely?

Editorial: Looking beyond expansion: A story in Tuesday's Las Vegas Sun notes that Strip properties have historically shunned trade shows that draw fewer than 1,000 people, favoring instead huge conventions such as the Consumer Electronics Show and the MAGIC apparel convention, each of which brings 100,000 or more participants.

looking in on: GAMING: By Liz Benston; Some of the country's largest hotel companies think Micros Systems' Opera hotel reservations system is the cat's meow because of how well it tracks customer purchases and buying preferences.

Heller stands by opposition to bill expanding children's health insurance =: By Lisa Mascaro; WASHINGTON - Despite being pummeled by ads and protests, Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., stood his ground Thursday and again voted against an expansion of a popular children's health insurance program. And he wasn't alone.

Lucrative contract for manager raises some eyebrows in NLV: By Mike Trask; "If he gets fired tomorrow, he gets paid for (four) years. It's not right for the taxpayers who would have to foot the bill."

Patients in rural areas suffer: By Marshall Allen; Jim White was relieved after moving to Pahrump, because it put him so close to a cancer treatment center. White needed chemotherapy three times a week to treat a type of blood cancer found in bone marrow, and the clinic operated in Pahrump by the Las Vegas Cancer Center was most convenient.

Jon Ralston on the latest twist in Nevada's coal debate: By Jon Ralston; "Keep Nevada's Lights on with Clean Coal," declares the newspaper ad that ran north, south and in rural Nevada last weekend. The copy contains fun facts about coal - it produces half our electricity, use has tripled over the past 30 years, dozens of new plants are being built with "superior technologies." And the power company's PR department could have penned this: "Nevadans need all forms of energy to meet our needs, and clean coal can help carry the load. Let's get smart about our energy choices."

FLASHPOINT for Oct 26, 2007: It may seem at first glance that Democrats hoping to oust Rep. Jon Porter got a huge break when the Darren Mack trial was moved here from Reno. That gave their candidate of choice, Robert Daskas, a chance to show off his skills every day on television and in the newspaper as he prosecuted Mack, who is accused of murdering his ex-wife and trying to kill a judge. How wonderful for Daskas' name ID. Free media for months in the run-up to the campaign. What could be better? And then, as the trial started, the opening days showed a defendant ...

Reconsider on taxes, Jim: David McGrath Schwartz; The state's No. 2 Republican broke with Gov. Jim Gibbons on Thursday, criticizing him and other politicians for not being willing to talk about raising taxes.