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A District Court judge from Gardnerville dealt a blow to the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s proposed pipeline, effectively stripping the project of the water it would have carried to Las Vegas in its first phase.

Judge Norman Robison ruled that State Engineer Tracy Taylor "acted arbitrarily, capriciously and oppressively" in 2008 when he cleared the authority to pump more than 6 billion gallons of groundwater a year from Cave, Delamar and Dry Lake valleys in Lincoln County.

Authority officials vowed to appeal the ruling, which a spokesman described as biased and "flat-out wrong."

The Nevada Supreme Court would hear any appeal brought by the state engineer’s office, the water authority or both.

MONDAY

HIT THE CALL BUTTON

There are plenty of beds but not enough medical personnel available to treat an onslaught of H1N1 patients.

So said Southern Nevada health officials when asked about contingency plans for a true emergency relating to the so-called swine flu.

The statement came just days after President Barack Obama signed a declaration that made the H1N1 outbreak a national emergency.

TUESDAY

CANCER WAR ESCALATES

The Nevada Cancer Institute celebrated its new research center, a $50 million, 184,000-square-foot facility that now ranks as the largest dedicated research building in the state.

The research center is named for Ralph and Betty Engelstad, namesakes of the Engelstad Family Foundation of Las Vegas, which committed $20 million for the facility on top of $15 million it gave to the institute for lung cancer research in 2006.

WEDNESDAY

YEP, ANOTHER ARENA

Las Vegas has another potential arena developer scoping out land downtown.

The Cordish Companies, a Baltimore-based developer, has floated plans to build a sports arena on 12 acres of city-owned land. First, though, the company wants a contract with the city to lock up the property while Cordish researches the project.

The land includes the Las Vegas City Hall site.

Council members, some of whom support building a new City Hall, will consider the contract this week.

THURSDAY

‘STOLEN VALOR’ CASE

A Veterans Affairs employee from Las Vegas has been indicted in the first known prosecution in Nevada under a 2005 law outlawing false claims of military honor.

According to the indictment, David M. Perelman claimed to have received a Purple Heart medal for wounds he suffered in Vietnam when in fact he had been wounded by a self-inflicted gunshot in 1991.

Perelman, 56, also is accused of stealing about $180,000 in monthly disability benefits from the federal agency over 14 years.

FRIDAY

FEDS SAY JOBS CREATED

More than 5,600 jobs have been created or saved in Nevada through the $787 billion federal stimulus plan, government officials report.

According to the recovery.gov Web site, Nevada has been awarded $988 million in stimulus funds, but has received only $315 million so far. The funds have created or saved 5,667 jobs, it states.

A spokesman for Gov. Jim Gibbons questioned the accuracy of the job figures.