The Nevada Appeal's "Silver Dollar" and "Wooden Nickel" feature recognizes positive achievements from the capital region and, when warranted, points out others that missed the mark.
SILVER DOLLAR: To Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao. When Pacquiao faced Miguel Cotto in November, many high rollers visited Las Vegas - in turn helping the state's gambling win increase for the first time in almost two years. The state's win was $873. 2 million, a 4.35 percent increase from November 2008.
WOODEN NICKEL: To gas prices, which early last week climbed to a statewide average of $2.85. In Carson City, prices were averaging $2.88. Higher gas prices bring back memories of summer 2008 when prices were near $4 a gallon. We don't want to see prices that high ever again.
SILVER DOLLAR: To anyone who helps earthquake victims in Haiti. The 10,714-square-mile country in the Caribbean was rocked with a magnitude 7 earthquake Tuesday. The likely death toll ranges from 50,000 according the Red Cross to 140,000 according to the Haitian government.
SILVER DOLLAR: To Barbara and Martin Hancock of Carson City, who agreed to go public with their brush with scam artists, thus helping bring attention to this growing scourge. After a very convincing phone call purportedly from an attorney asking for bail money for their nephew, Barbara Hancock's spider sense began tingling and she told the scammer to go take a hike. Hopefully, reading about people right here in Carson City may prevent others from falling for these skillful liars.
WOODEN NICKEL: To Leno, O'Brien, Letterman, Kimmel and anyone else taking pot shots on national TV over who's going to host the "Tonight Show" after Jay's prime time experiment tanked. With all that's going on in the world, this multimillionaires' pity party makes us want to grab our pitchforks and storm the Bastille. Enough, already.