WEEK IN REVIEW: Top News

A yearlong investigation by the Review-Journal reveals a Metropolitan Police Department that is quick to use deadly force but slow to weed out problem cops or adopt procedures that could protect officers and the public.

Las Vegas police use deadly force at a higher rate than many other urban law enforcement agencies, according to the newspaper's analysis of 378 officer-involved shootings since 1990.

In dozens of incidents, officers' actions were unavoidable -- even heroic. In others, use of deadly force could have been avoided.

Prompted by two controversial shootings last year, the analysis was based on thousands of pages of police reports, coroner's inquest transcripts, court files and other records, as well as interviews with police officers and law enforcement experts.

The five-part series and searchable database of police shootings is available at lvrj.com/deadlyforce.

MONDAY

NO. 18 WITH A BULLET

The Rebels vaulted into The Associated Press college basketball poll for the first time this season, debuting at No. 18 on the strength of their upset of previously top-ranked North Carolina on Nov. 26.

Under first-year coach Dave Rice, UNLV defeated the Tar Heels 90-80 in the finals of the Las Vegas Invitational at Orleans Arena.

UNLV was ranked in the weekly Top 25 poll for four weeks last season.

The Rebels are No. 20 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, also released Monday.

TUESDAY

PICK HAS FAMILIAR NAME

In a choice tinged with controversy, the Henderson City Council voted to hire Josh Reid, son of U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, as the next city attorney.

Accusations that the job description was tilted in Reid's favor surfaced several weeks ago when it was learned that his father had lobbied Mayor Andy Hafen and at least one other City Council member to hire him.

The city also lowered the qualifications for the position, a move critics contend was made so the less experienced Reid could be hired. Council members denied that claim, and Hafen criticized media speculation that Reid would be picked as a political favor to his father.

WEDNESDAY

TEACHER LAYOFFS LOOM

Hundreds of new teachers across the Clark County School District may soon face unemployment.

The cash-strapped district, at an impasse with its teachers union over cost-saving measures, is bracing for about 1,000 possible layoffs of licensed staff.

The ax will fall if an arbitrator sides with the Clark County Education Association, which has refused to grant $78 million in contract concessions over this year and next.

thursday

first blast of winter

A camper and his dog spent an unscheduled night on Mount Charleston as the year's first winter storm brought wind, chilly temperatures and snow to higher elevations. The storm dropped more than a foot of snow on the Spring Mountains.

Just as he told search crews in an electronic message sent by cellphone, the lost camper survived unscathed and was rescued by helicopter Friday morning. His dog was fine, too.

friday

cancer institute sells

The Nevada Cancer Institute is being sold to the University of California, San Diego Health System.

The university will take over all operations at the Las Vegas-based outpatient cancer treatment facility. The sale comes in conjunction with the institute's filing of bankruptcy to restructure and reduce its debt by more than $50 million.

The sale is expected to be completed early next year.