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A Las Vegas police officer was critically wounded and a car thief was killed in a Tuesday night gunbattle in the backyard of a home near Rainbow Boulevard and Washington Avenue.

Michael Madland, who has been on the force three years, underwent several surgeries after a bullet tore through an artery in his leg.

Police said Madland was wounded by Damon Beal, a 26-year-old with a criminal record who fired on the officer during a foot chase after Beal's vehicle was stopped.

Madland's partner, whose identity has not been released, returned fire, killing Beal, police said.

Madland also was shot in the chest, but his protective vest stopped the bullet.

He was still listed in critical condition Saturday.

Monday

Gibbons vows lawsuit

Gov. Jim Gibbons said federal health care reform is unconstitutional and Nevada should sue to block it as Republican officials in other states have promised to do.

But state Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat, wouldn't commit to legal action until she has analyzed the massive legislation.

The comments from Gibbons, himself a Republican, came the day after Congress passed the comprehensive health care reform measure in a highly contentious vote that broke along party lines.

Tuesday

On the chopping block

Seven academic departments and a service center for teachers could be cut at UNLV as university administrators seek to implement the latest round of state budget cuts.

University administrators must implement about $9 million in cuts for next year.

They have said they will try to save $5 million in academic support areas -- leaving open administrative positions unfilled, for example -- and another $4 million in academics.

Departments that could face elimination include marriage and family therapy, informatics and women's studies.

Wednesday

Breaking up hard to do

The Fertitta brothers would acquire a minority stake in four casinos, but the bulk of Station Casinos' 18 properties would be put up for court-supervised sale under a reorganization plan filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Reno.

Under the proposed plan, Station Casinos founders Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta would pay $85.6 million for a 46 percent stake in Red Rock Resort, Palace Station, Boulder Station and Sunset Station while the rest of their casino empire is sold off.

Thursday

Rulffes to retire

Clark County School District Superintendent Walt Rulffes announced in an e-mail that he will not seek renewal of his contract with the nation's fifth-largest school system.

The district now faces a budget shortfall of $123 million, but Rulffes did not cite the financial hard times as a factor in his decision to move on. Instead, Rulffes said he made the decision because of a "long bucket list" of things he wants to do in retirement.

Friday

Year-round no more

To cut costs, 21 elementary schools that are on year-round schedules will be converted back to the traditional nine-month calendar, but the other 55 will not be changed for now.

The Clark County School Board decided not to convert all 76 year-round schools at once because the change would be too sudden and dramatic.

The school district is trying to figure how to close a $123 million budget gap for its next fiscal year starting July 1.