Stories for April 2011

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Saturday, April 30

NHL: Sharks tip Detroit 2-1 in OT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - In a series filled with some of hockey's biggest stars and most accomplished players, it was someone who spent almost the entire second half of the season in the minors who came up with the biggest play - on his birthday no less.

COLLEGE: WNC sweeps CSI, now leads Salt Lake by 4 with 6 left

Jon Sigado is the first to admit that his sophomore season at Western Nevada College has resembled a rollercoaster ride.

DIEZ: Carson City racer wins at Reno-Fernley Raceway

Local drivers fared well at Reno-Fernley Raceway's season opener last Saturday night.

COLLEGE: WNC softball drops 2

HENDERSON - College of Southern Nevada swept Western Nevada in a Scenic West Athletic Conference softball doubleheader.

Marquis, Nix send Lincecum to 2nd straight defeat

WASHINGTON (AP) - Tim Lincecum, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, was outpitched Friday night. Of course, everyone has looked dominant against the scuffling San Francisco lineup lately.

Friday, April 29

AL: Ninth-inning slam by Cleveland beats Tigers

CLEVELAND (AP) - Carlos Santana hit a grand slam with one out in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a 9-5 win over the Detroit Tigers as the surging Indians extended their home winning streak to 11 games Friday night.

NL: Howard's slam leads Phils to win

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Ryan Howard hit two homers, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs to back rookie fill-in Vance Worley and lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 10-3 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night.

NBA: Grizzlies finish off No. 1 seeded Spurs in 6 games

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Zach Randolph had 31 points and 11 rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies advanced to their first Western Conference semifinals and made NBA history in knocking off the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs 99-91 on Friday night.

Niners select Kaepernick

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - The pressure was on the San Francisco 49ers to find a quarterback this offseason to fill the team's greatest need.

NFL lockout is back on

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) - The NFL lockout is back.

Oakland adds another Wisniewski to the roster

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) - The Oakland Raiders decided to keep it in the family when it came time to make their first selection in the NFL draft.

NASCAR: Montoya wins 7th career pole, 1st at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Juan Pablo Montoya and his team needed some time to get up to full speed Friday. When they did, they ended up winning the pole for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race Saturday night.

NASCAR: Hamlin makes it 2 wins in 2 nights at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Make it two wins in two nights for Denny Hamlin at his home track.

GOLF: Sandra Gal leads Avnet LPGA Classic

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - Sandra Gal birdied five of the final eight holes Friday for a 5-under 67 and a one-stroke lead over Amy Yang in the Avnet LPGA Classic, the tour's only event in a six-week stretch.

GOLF: Bubba Watson leads Zurich Classic

AVONDALE, La. (AP) - Bubba Watson's mother knew best.

Boulder Bay redevelopment moving forward

KINGS BEACH - After four years of pensive anticipation, what's another 12-hour wait for one of the most momentous decisions in the recent history of the Lake Tahoe Basin? After years of public scoping sessions, spirited debates, concessions and project alterations, the Tahoe Biltmore redevelopment project put forth by developer Boulder Bay was approved 12-2 Wednesday by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency governing board, inducing a weary celebration from Boulder Bay President and CEO Roger Wittenberg.

Boomers getting involved in parents' finances

As I meet with clients of the baby boomer generation, I see more and more of them getting more involved in the financial affairs of their elderly parents. Although this may be due in part to an increased awareness over their parents of economic matters, bringing up the subject of money can nonetheless, be extraordinarily difficult to broach with parents. However, I think a positive conversation can be achieved with the proper choice of tone, timing and words.

Showcase spotlights faces of local business

One theme quickly emerged at the 11th annual Business Showcase recently - face time with real people. In a small community like Carson Valley, that meant not only face time with business owners, but with neighbors, friends and family members.

Surprising Marlins off to fast start

MIAMI (AP) - Former major leaguer Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez recently joined the Florida Marlins' small bandwagon, bringing his Little League team to a game, and he snared two foul balls while watching the home team win.

Twins' Mauer will need rehab before return

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Coming off of arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Joe Mauer tried to take it easy in spring training to conserve his legs for the rigors of catching in the regular season.

Ugly allegations against McDowell follow Braves

ATLANTA (AP) - The Braves are returning to Atlanta with momentum from a strong finish to a road trip and their pitching coach engulfed in an ugly scandal.

Giants' Vogelsong tames Pirates

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Neil Walker was the only one who could solve Ryan Vogelsong, and that was hardly enough.

NL: Nationals edge Mets

WASHINGTON (AP) - New father Ian Desmond homered and tripled in his first game back from paternity leave and Livan Hernandez pitched eight strong innings to lead Washington past New York.

AL: Zobrist drives in 10 in two games

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Jeff Niemann carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Ben Zobrist hit a two-run homer to give him 10 RBIs for the day and the Tampa Bay Rays swept a day-night doubleheader with a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night.

PREPS: Carson knocks off DHS thanks to big first inning

Carson High is facing the meatiest part of its schedule now, and coach Cody Farnworth hopes that his team is ready for the challenge ahead.

PREPS: Carson outlasts McQueen

The Carson High softball team blew into a tie for first place in the Sierra League with a 6-3 win at McQueen on a windy Thursday.

ON BOXING: Brinkley in action tonight

The first contender series produced two rising stars in boxing, Jesse Brinkley and Joey Gilbert.

GOLF: Watson, Jones share first-round Zurich lead

AVONDALE, La. (AP) - Matt Jones chipped in from 57 feet on his final hole for a 6-under 66 and a share of the first-round lead with Bubba Watson on Thursday in the Zurich Classic.

Briefly

49ers' Harbaugh to speak at Pack event

DRAFT: Kaepernick elects to stay home instead of attending the draft

Colin Kaepernick picked the living room at his parents' house over the green room at Radio City Music Hall.

FODDER: Can Kaepernick make it in the NFL?

Sports fodder for a Friday morning . . .

NBA: Lakers close out New Orleans in 6

NEW ORLEANS - Kobe Bryant scored 22 of his 24 points in the first three quarters, then let his teammates take over in a dominant 98-80 victory over New Orleans on Thursday night that wrapped up the first-round series for Los Angeles in six games.

NHL: Canucks knock off Predators

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - Roberto Luongo stopped 20 shots and made Chris Higgins' second-period goal stand up in the Vancouver Canucks' 1-0 win over the Nashville Predators in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals on Thursday night.

Thursday, April 28

Taua deserves to hear his name called

Vai Taua deserves to hear his name called during the NFL draft this weekend.

Wednesday, April 27

Senators rally for win; gear up for Douglas

It took until the bottom of the sixth inning for the Carson bats to wake up Tuesday against Elko.

NFL, players struggle through lockout limbo

Lockout has turned into limbo for NFL players and owners, and everyone is stuck there for the time being.

COMMUNITY SPORTS BRIEFLY: Mello/Gussow win opening tourney at Thunder Canyon

Dave Mello and Jeff Gussow combined for a 10-under-par 62 to win the opening tournament of the season at Thunder Canyon Country Club.

Tuesday, April 26

Culture-defining recipes worth saving

Just when you thought the United Nations was only good for dishing out sanctions and giving third world dictators a venue to vent, along comes UNESCO - the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

Time Out with Sam Hadley

SCHOOL: Dayton High SPORT: Baseball YEAR: Junior

Carson slugger headed to Lewis & Clark

On her first day of batting practice at Carson High School, Moriah Lane hit the scoreboard in left-centerfield, and she hasn't stopped hitting since.

Monday, April 25

NHL Playoff Capsules: Blackhawks force Game 7

CHICAGO (AP) - Ben Smith scored on a rebound at 15:30 of overtime and the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 on Sunday night to force a seventh game in the opening-round series.

NBA Playoff Capsules: Celtics sweep Knicks

NEW YORK (AP) - Kevin Garnett had 26 points and 10 rebounds, Rajon Rondo added 21 points and 12 assists, and the Boston Celtics swept their way into the Eastern Conference semifinals, holding on for a 101-89 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday.

AL Capsules: Sox blank Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif (AP) - John Lackey threw eight superb innings, Carl Crawford hit his first home run in a Boston uniform and the Red Sox completed a pitching-dominated four-game sweep by beating the Los Angeles Angels 7-0 Sunday.

Sunday, April 24

NL: Lincecum off from start in loss to Hudson, Braves

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Tim Lincecum's tough day began with back-to-back walks, the first two of what became a career-high six overall.

AL: A's score season high in 9-1 win over Mariners

SEATTLE (AP) - Coco Crisp broke Oakland's 20-inning scoreless streak with an RBI double, Cliff Pennington and Kevin Kouzmanoff both later hit his first home run of the season and the Athletics' offense woke up in a 9-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.

GOLF: Donald overtakes Furyk for third-round lead

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. - Luke Donald remained in position to take the No. 1 ranking, shooting a 1-under 70 on Saturday for a one-stroke lead over defending champion Jim Furyk in The Heritage.

COLLEGE: Nevada sweeps NMSU

RENO - Brock Stassi summed up the weekend perfectly for the Nevada Wolf Pack baseball team.

Briefly

Owings pitches a gem in Aces' 9-2 win

NHL: Sharks unable to close out Kings

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Jonathan Quick made 51 saves to help Los Angeles hold on to a big lead that Kyle Clifford and Wayne Simmonds helped provide and the Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 3-1 in Game 5 on Saturday night to remain alive in their first-round series.

NBA: Blazers, Roy rally

PORTLAND, Ore. - Brandon Roy's go-ahead bank shot with 39.2 seconds left capped Portland's 23-point second half comeback and the Blazers beat the Dallas Mavericks 84-82 on Saturday, evening the first-round playoff series at two games apiece.

PREPS: Arias wins twice at Dayton track meet

DAYTON - Kathie Arias won two individual events for Dayton to lead the Dust Devils to a fourth-place finish at the annual Dayton Invitational Saturday.

MOODY: Carson needs Friday night lights

I talked to Carson High principal Ron Beck for a few minutes at a recent baseball game, and he said that the school is looking into replacing lights at the football stadium.

COLLEGE: WNC sweeps again, leads SLCC by 3

Western Nevada College finds itself in an enviable position heading into the last two weeks of the Scenic West Athletic Conference baseball season.

NFL: Draft capsules for Thursday's draft

Team-by-team capsules for the NFL draft on April 28-30 in New York:

WOLF PACK BASEBALL NOTEBOOK: Gardner enjoying dream season

RENO - Matt Gardner is enjoying a season that pitchers normally can only dream about.

Saturday, April 23

CBKB: UConn player arrested on drug charge

HARTFORD, Conn. - Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, a swingman on Connecticut's national championship basketball team, has been arrested on a marijuana possession charge.

CBKB: Coach Jim Larranaga leaving George Mason for Miami

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - Jim Larranaga has taken the Miami Hurricanes' basketball job after 14 years at George Mason, including an improbable run to the Final Four in 2006.

MOUNTAIN WEST: BYU's Davies likely to play after code violation

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Forward Brandon Davies expects to suit up next season for BYU despite missing this year's NCAA tournament run for violating the university's honor code.

WAC BASKETBALL: Aggies sign Utah star

LOGAN, Utah (AP) - Utah State coach Stew Morrill says in-state standout David Collette has agreed to play basketball for the Aggies next season.

COLLEGE: Life goes on for Ohio State's Tattoo Five

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - In many ways, the five-game NCAA suspensions handed to five of Ohio State's top players and head coach Jim Tressel haven't had much effect on the team's spring workouts.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL: WNC splits with Snow

Western Nevada College split its Scenic West Athletic Conference doubleheader against Snow College Friday at the Edmonds Sports Complex, winning the opener 4-2 and dropping the nightcap 9-3.

COLLEGE: WNC walks off with 2 wins over CSN

Games between Western Nevada and Southern Nevada are not for the faint of heart. The battles tend to keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

49ers gear up for another key draft led by Baalke

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - A year ago, Trent Baalke guided the San Francisco 49ers through the draft for the first time and added a few key pieces to a team favored to win the NFC West and reach the playoffs after a long absence. His top two picks became immediate starters on a revamped offensive line, while several others also made impacts as rookies.

NFL: No deadline for when games would be canceled

NEW YORK (AP) - The NFL doesn't have a deadline for when games would be canceled without a collective bargaining agreement.

NBA: Crawford's big 3 gives Hawks win over Magic 88-84

ATLANTA (AP) - Sitting in Jamal Crawford's locker after getting tossed from the game in the closing minutes, Zaza Pachulia was still miffed at his teammate for missing a free throw.

NBA: Pierce, Allen lead Celtics to 3-0 lead over Knicks

NEW YORK (AP) - No fantastic finish needed for the Boston Celtics this time.

NBA: Lakers take 2-1 series lead with win over Hornets

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Pau Gasol snapped out of his playoff funk and Kobe Bryant was his usual prolific self, a combination that proved too much for the upstart New Orleans Hornets to overcome.

AL: Rangers homer 5 times to beat KC

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Mike Napoli, Ian Kinsler and David Murphy were among five Rangers with homers and Texas beat the Kansas City Royals 11-6 on a windy Friday night.

NL: Tommy Hanson shuts down Giants as Braves win 4-1

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Chipper Jones hit a two-run double, Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman each singled in runs during a decisive four-run third inning to back Tommy Hanson and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Francisco Giants 4-1 on Friday night.

NL: Sanchez 1-hits Rockies

MIAMI (AP) - Anibal Sanchez held the Colorado Rockies hitless Friday night until Dexter Fowler led off the ninth inning with a broken-bat single. Sanchez then got the final three outs for a one-hitter and the Marlins won 4-1.

AL: Pineda, Mariners shut down Oakland in 4-0 win

SEATTLE (AP) - Rookie Michael Pineda dazzled again, throwing six shutout innings for his third straight victory, and Adam Kennedy's two-run single was enough offense in the Seattle Mariners' 4-0 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.

GOLF: Donald has eye on No. 1 ranking

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) - English star Luke Donald moved a step closer to the No. 1 ranking Friday, shooting a 6-under 65 on Friday to take the lead halfway through The Heritage.

NHL: Sabres beat Flyers in OT, take 3-2 series lead

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Flyers had the stirring comeback.

NHL: Predators make dramatic comeback, beat Ducks in OT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Jerred Smithson scored 1:57 into overtime, and the Nashville Predators moved to the brink of winning a playoff series for the first time, beating the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 on Friday night to take a 3-2 series lead.

Friday, April 22

Demand for truckers picks up with business rebound

Heather Aldrich's cell phone rings nearly every Monday morning with callers seeking to hire her students. Aldrich owns Nevada Truck Driving School on North Virginia Street, and student enrollment has increased between 30 and 40 percent from 2009 enrollment levels as new students and unemployed workers seek retraining for new jobs behind the wheel of commercial vehicles.

Sports books' sale reflects capital needs

Growing complexity in the sports book sector - and especially the demand for substantial fresh investments in technology - played a role in driving the sale of the Cal Neva Sportsbook Division and American Wagering Inc., the Las Vegas-based parent of the Leroy's group of sports books.

Business Licenses for April 24

The following business licenses were filed in Carson City between April 11-15: B-Thrifty Thrift Store, 4750 Highway 50 E. Suite 7, retail store, small, Beverly Rolfe, owner, 775-291-4182. Barrier Sealers Inc., 7482 Mackinly Ct., handyman, 775-629-4507.

Business Briefs for April 24

Carson City comic book shop participating in Free Comic Book Day Dreamwell Comics, 4250 Cochise St., Suite 20, will participate in the national Free Comic Book Day on May 7 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

U.S. needs to get deficit under control

Most of us who have heard the saying "Nero fiddles while Rome burns" may not be aware that the fiddle, or violin was not invented until the 16th century. Regardless of it's dubious origin, the saying is not as important as it's modern meaning which is "to occupy oneself with unimportant matters and neglect priorities during a crisis." Some say Nero started the fire, but who really knows and today how many really care? I bring this saying up because it has current relevance.

AL: Royals edge Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Melky Cabrera sent a bases-loaded, two-run single into left field off Cleveland closer Chris Perez with one out in the ninth inning, lifting Kansas City over the Indians.

PREPS: Carson hammers Reed 13-3

Carson High didn't need any seventh-inning theatrics against Reed this time around.

Raiders coach Jackson prepares for 1st season

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) - Hue Jackson has hired a staff, talked strategy and philosophy with his new assistants, put together a playbook and promoted the Oakland Raiders in the community as he prepares for his first season as a head coach in the NFL.

NFL says law firm can't bring new players to court

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The NFL has rejected a law firm's request for a conflict-of-interest waiver to represent a group of players seeking to join the antitrust fight against the league.

Panthers GM: No final decision made on No. 1 pick

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney insists he's still undecided and his phone isn't ringing as he prepares to use the top pick in next week's NFL draft.

Aces fall to Sacramento 11-10

(ACES STAFF) - Cole Gillespie hit a home run and his league-leading fifth and sixth triples, but the Sacramento River Cats rallied for an 11-10 win Thursday night at Aces Ballpark.

PREPS: Galena routs Tigers

The Douglas baseball team fell back early and never got back into it Thursday afternoon, losing 11-1 at Galena.

Hernandez strikes out 8, M's beat A's 1-0

SEATTLE (AP) - Felix Hernandez took a shutout into the eighth inning and Adam Kennedy's home run was all the Seattle Mariners needed to beat the Oakland Athletics 1-0 Thursday night.

NL: Kemp HR beats Braves in 12th

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Matt Kemp hit his second game-ending homer in five days, connecting in the 12th inning Thursday to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Atlanta Braves 5-3.

FODDER: Nevada still doesn't have starting QB

Sports fodder for a Friday morning ...

NBA: Heat one win away from sweep

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Dwyane Wade had 32 points and 10 rebounds, LeBron James finished with 24 points and 15 boards and Miami took a 3-0 lead in its first-round series against Philadelphia with a 100-94 victory Thursday night.

NHL: Sharks win, take 3-1 lead

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Ryane Clowe scored two goals, Jason Demers added another in the second period and the San Jose Sharks beat the Los Angeles Kings 6-3 on Thursday night to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series.

Thursday, April 21

Wednesday, April 20

NBA: AP Source: Love is Most Improved Player

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - In one short season, Kevin Love went from gritting his teeth on the bench as a sixth man for the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves to playing as an All-Star and becoming the NBA's leading rebounder.

NBA: Lakers show PSA after Bryant's anti-gay slur

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles Lakers have debuted a public-service announcement at Staples Center in response to Kobe Bryant's anti-gay slur during a game last week.

NBA: Thunder takes 2-0 lead

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Kevin Durant scored 23 points, Russell Westbrook added 21 and Oklahoma City built a big first-half lead on the way to a 106-89 victory over Denver in Game 2 on Wednesday night.

PREPS: Dayton boys hammer Vaqueros

FERNLEY - After getting swept by Fallon last weekend, you knew that Dayton High's baseball team would be one angry and determined group on Wednesday.

ON BOXING: Reno siblings headed to Golden Gloves

The two words "Golden Gloves" seem to put out a magical sound. A sound well known to all boxers whether pro or amateur and a phrase known to all people familiar with the sport of boxing. The first Golden Gloves tournament was held in New York in 1927.

CFB: Decison time looming on Fiesta Bowl

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - The BCS could decide within a month whether the troubled Fiesta Bowl should keep its place among college football's marquee bowls.

MLB takes over day-to-day operation of Dodgers

NEW YORK - Major League Baseball is taking the extraordinary and historic step of assuming control of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team increasingly paralyzed by its owners' bitter divorce.

Dustin Johnson splits up with caddie

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Dustin Johnson has decided to split up with his caddie, who was on the bag during two chances to win a major last year and was involved in the American star nearly missing his tee time at Riviera.

GOLF: Furyk says hopeful buzz about Heritage sponsor

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) - Jim Furyk noticed there were several more politicians and decision makers on hand than usual when he arrived at Harbour Town Golf Links. And the Heritage defending champion hopes that means good things for the tournament's future.

GOLF: New Tiger, old Tiger, they both sound the same

He still swears. He still tosses clubs. His interviews, still, are clipped and smug - the few he gives, that is.

NFL: 49ers would welcome back QB Alex Smith

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - The San Francisco 49ers would welcome back quarterback Alex Smith if the 2005 first overall pick wants to return.

No progress in NFL labor talks

M I NNEAPOLIS (AP) - The NFL and its locked-out players wrapped up their fourth day of court-ordered talks Wednesday with few signs of progress and no plans to meet again until mid-May.

Sacramento outslugs Aces 14-7

RENO - Tony Abreu extended his hitting streak to a season-long 13 games Wednesday afternoon, but the Reno Aces lost 14-7 to the Sacramento River Cats at Aces Ballpark.

NL: Rockies rough up Cain, Giants

DENVER (AP) - Jorge De La Rosa overcame a shaky start to pitch seven sharp innings and Ty Wigginton tied a career high with four RBIs, including a three-run homer, as the Colorado Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants 10-2 on Wednesday.

AL: Red Sox get first road win

OAKLAND, Calif. - Kevin Youkilis and Jed Lowrie homered off the previously untouchable Gio Gonzalez and the Boston Red Sox got their first road win of the season after seven straight losses, beating the Oakland Athletics 5-3 on Wednesday.

Kaepernick's rise leads to draft invite

A few months back, there was little doubt that Colin Kaepernick would be spending draft day with his family at his parents' house in California.

Community sports: Damonte Ranch wins boys, girls JV titles at Carson Invite

Damonte Ranch won both the JV boys and girls team titles at last weekend's Carson Invitational.

NBA Playoffs: Garnett steals game from Knicks

BOSTON - Kevin Garnett sank the go-ahead basket with 14 seconds left, then stole the ball as the Boston Celtics overcame Carmelo Anthony's 42 points and beat the depleted New York Knicks 96-93 to take a 2-0 lead in their playoff series on Tuesday night.

Sharks rally to win in OT

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Devin Setoguchi scored 3:09 into overtime to give the San Jose Sharks a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, who blew a four-goal lead, in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.

Tuesday, April 19

Douglas comes up short against Galena

The thing about tight pitchers' duels is that someone eventually has to come up on the short end of them.

Using spring greens in fresh (and easy) ways

The other day a wise man - my dentist, Chris Kleintjes - mention that someone must have came up with the name "spring" for this season because around here the weather keeps springing back and forth. "At least that's my perspective," he said. Even if that is not really the reason behind the name "spring," I think from this point forward that's what we should say anyway. As I write this, looking out the window it was very evident as the weather had sprung back to winter, while just the day before was a decent spring day.

Monday, April 18

Sunday, April 17

Is Bonds case over?

SAN FRANCISCO - The Barry Bonds trial may have had a strange ending, but his lawyers still face a tough fight in clearing the slugger's name.

AL: Indians keep home win streak alive

CLEVELAND (AP) - Josh Tomlin delivered yet another quality start for Cleveland, Orlando Cabrera drove in four runs and the first-place Indians won their sixth straight at home, 8-3 on Saturday over the Baltimore Orioles, who have lost six in a row and are having trouble scoring.

NL: Hernandez's slam beats Pirates

CINCINNATI (AP) - Ramon Hernandez broke open a close game with his sixth career grand slam and the Cincinnati Reds overpowered the Pirates 11-2 on Saturday, sending Pittsburgh to its fifth loss in six games.

COLLEGE: Woolley sparks WNC to DH, series sweep

For the second time in three games, Western Nevada College found itself in an early hole against Eastern Utah, and for the second time roared back to grab a win.

PREPS: Carson youngsters shine

Carson High got a glimpse into its girls track future Saturday, and it's a bright one indeed.

COLLEGE: WNC women lose three

North Idaho Community College won Saturday's Scenic West Athletic Conference tripleheader against Western Nevada 13-9, 9-4 and 12-4.

PREPS: Fallon sweeps Dayton; Carson girls split

FALLON - After being shut down on Wednesday, the Fallon baseball team regained form and swept the Dayton Dust Devils on Saturday at the Edward Arciniega Complex.

MLB: Giants. A's post victories

PHOENIX (AP) - Freddy Sanchez doubled in the tying run in the sixth inning, then put San Francisco up for good with a two-run single in the seventh and the Giants won their fourth in a row by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3 on Saturday night.

MLB: Zito injured, leaves game

PHOENIX (AP) - San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito left his start Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second inning because of a sprained right foot.

NBA: Heat wins playoff opener

MIAMI - Game on the line, a sold-out arena standing in anticipation.

CFB: New rules changes coming next year

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - College football could have a very different look next fall.

GOLF: Steele has Texas Open lead

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - PGA Tour rookie Brendan Steele birdied Nos. 17 and 18 for a 4-under 68 on Saturday, grabbing sole possession of the Texas Open lead after beginning the day tied with a whopping six other players for the top spot.

NASCAR: Kyle Busch wins wild Nationwide race

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) - Kyle Busch won under a yellow flag in a wild finish Saturday, taking the Nationwide race at Talladega Superspeedway when the last of 10 crashes sent Mike Wallace's car flipping upside down.

NHL: Kings even series with Sharks

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Drew Doughty had two goals and two assists, Jonathan Quick made 34 saves and the Los Angeles Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 4-0 in Game 2 on Saturday night to even their first-round series at one game apiece.

Saturday, April 16

Union to get new CBA offer; Maloofs get extension

NEW YORK (AP) - NBA Commissioner David Stern said Friday the league plans to submit to the players' union a revised proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement within the next couple of weeks.

Lakers' Phil Jackson prepares for last playoff run

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) - Phil Jackson showed up for the first day of his final NBA playoff run with the Los Angeles Lakers in a plaid shirt and khaki shorts, lightly leaning on a walking stick.

Warriors owner has plan for next GM, coach awaits

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - New Golden State Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob knows how he wants his management and basketball operations staff structured for the future, and he has moved swiftly this offseason to put them in place.

Kings owners get extension to file for relocation

NEW YORK (AP) - The NBA has granted the owners of the Sacramento Kings another extension until May 2 to file paperwork requesting a relocation to Anaheim.

NHL: LA's Stoll suspended for Game 2 for hit on White

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - The Los Angeles Kings know they will be without forward Jarret Stoll for one game for his blindside hit that knocked San Jose defender Ian White out of Game 1 of their first-round series.

USD president expresses support for coach, AD

SAN DIEGO (AP) - University of San Diego President Mary E. Lyons said Friday that she and the school's trustees have "unwavering support" for men's basketball coach Bill Grier and athletic director Ky Snyder as the FBI investigates a bribery case involving two former players and a former assistant coach.

NCAA committee approves series of rules changes

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - College football could have a very different look next fall.

GOLF: Cochran shoots 64 to lead Outback by 2 strokes

LUTZ, Fla. (AP) - Russ Cochran isn't hitting his driver well. You would just never know it by his first-round score at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.

Day 2 of NFL mediation ends; talks resume Tuesday

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Negotiators for the NFL and its locked-out players wrapped up a second day of court-ordered talks Friday with no signs of significant progress. They plan to sit down again next week.

NFL: Lockout had little effect on underclassmen

NEW YORK (AP) - Lockout. Such a big, bad, scary word.

COLLEGE: Three-run homers carry WNC to SWAC sweep

Three was the key number for the Western Nevada College Wildcats Friday afternoon.

PREPS: Carson tops Novato, Spanish Springs

SPARKS - Carson High's offense was in top form Friday, belting out 26 hits en route to wins over Novato and Spanish Springs Friday at the Sierra Nevada Classic at Spanish Springs High School.

Giants' Cain beats D-Backs

PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona's Daniel Hudson matched his career high with 10 strikeouts but he was no match for the crafty pitcher for the San Francisco Giants.

Tigers' rally gives manager Leyland 1,500th win

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Brennan Boesch hit a go-ahead two-run double with the bases loaded in the 10th inning and the Detroit Tigers rallied to beat the Oakland Athletics 8-4 on Friday night for manager Jim Leyland's 1,500th career win.

Friday, April 15

GOLF: Rookie Steele among rare 7-way tie at Texas Open

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - PGA Tour rookie Brendan Steele wrangled the winds and nearly emerged at the Texas Open solely atop the leaderboard.

DIEZ: Busy weekend for racing fans

This is another weekend when race fans risk overheating their TVs and DVRs. NASCAR is running Nationwide and Sprint Cup series at Talladega, the streets of Long Beach host both the IndyCar and the American Lemans series, the NHRA four-wide Nationals run at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Formula 1 completes its far-east swing with the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

PREPS: Carson's track meet will go on today despite tragedy

The annual Carson High Invitational track meet goes off today (8:45 a.m. is the first field event) with the host school at less-than full strength.

Last day for collectibles roadshow

Colleen Rivera of the Ohio Valley Refinery & Roadshow looks at a collection of pocket watches brought in by South Lake Tahoe resident Glen Gerrard on Thursday afternoon at The Plaza Hotel & Conference Center. The show continues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.

Business Licenses for April 17

The following business licenses were filed in Carson City between March 28-April 8: A Much Better Way, out of town, Ohio, 888-817-1850. Amreiwade, 3650 Research Way, Suite 24, retail store, Robert Coleman, owner, 775-883-7255.

Investing in gold: Leveraging precious metals

Silver has been on the rise and leverage accounts seem to be marketed more in today's environment. Leverage accounts are nothing new, but as silver tears up the charts there are companies that are pitching them as the way to reap profits quickly.

'Haycations' provide boost in revenue

Fifty miles from the nearest telephone line and far beyond cell-phone coverage, Soldier Meadows Ranch north of Gerlach appeals to visitors grown weary of bright lights and big cities. But as the snowpack begins its retreat up the Black Rock Mountain Range to the east of the ranch, owners Jim and Kathy Kudrna hold their breath as they wait to see what the summer tourism season will bring.

Restaurants re-think tactics as costs of ingredients rise

Dean Christopher, owner of Blind Onion Pizza & Pub stores in Reno, hangs up the phone after a lengthy conversation with his bookkeeper and shakes his head. Christopher each month purchases more than a ton of flour and about 2,000 pounds of cheese between his two stores, and prices are rising rapidly on both commodities, as well as other dairy products, produce and meats.

STANLEY CUP: Price helps Habs even series with Bruins

BOSTON (AP) - Carey Price returned as Montreal's starting playoff goalie with his third postseason shutout, Brian Gionta scored twice and the Canadiens opened the series with a 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

SPORTS BRIEFLY

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.- An early seven-run Aces lead and the chance for a series sweep was spoiled by an eight-run fourth inning for Colorado Springs on Thursday, as the Sky Sox rallied past Reno, 18-13, at Security Service Field.

PREPS: Carson rallies for 10-5 baseball win

SPARKS - For five innings, Head-Royce's Spenser Linney had Carson hitters eating out of his hands.

COLLEGE: WNC is home at last

The road warriors of junior college baseball, also known as the Western Nevada College Wildcats, are finally home.

NHL: Sharks win playoff opener in OT

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Joe Pavelski scored 14:44 into overtime to give the San Jose Sharks a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of their all-California opening round playoff series Thursday night.

AL: Damon HR beats Minnesota

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Johnny Damon hit a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the Tampa Bay Rays a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night.

NL: Lee sharp in win over Nationals

WASHINGTON (AP) - Back at his best after an unusually brief outing, Cliff Lee struck out 12 in a three-hit shutout Thursday night, allowing the Philadelphia Phillies to overcome their own problems at the plate in a 4-0 victory over the Washington Nationals.

NFL, players have constructive day in mediation

MINNEAPOLIS - The NFL and its locked-out players started talking again, and they talked all day.

CFB: Fairley trying to stay stress free

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Not long ago, Nick Fairley was being projected as a possible No. 1 overall NFL draft pick.

GOLF: Henry, Cink lead Texas Open after 1 round

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Kevin Na watched his first shot on No. 9 veer badly off course. His next stroke wasn't any better. Or the next one. Or the 11 after that.

FODDER: Nevada stars get red-carpet treatment

Sports fodder for a Friday morning ..

Thursday, April 14

AL: Inge powers Tigers to win

DETROIT (AP) - Brandon Inge hit a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth and the Detroit Tigers beat the Texas Rangers in their last at-bat for the second straight day, 3-2 on Wednesday.

NL: Halladay beats Nationals for first complete game

WASHINGTON (AP) - At his dominant best until a shaky ninth inning, Roy Halladay held on to throw his first complete game of 2011, leading the Philadelphia Phillies past the Washington Nationals 3-2 Wednesday night.

Bulls win 9th straight, earn overall No. 1 seed

CHICAGO (AP) - Kyle Korver scored 19 points, Derrick Rose had 15 and the Chicago Bulls closed the regular season with their ninth straight victory, beating the New Jersey Nets 97-92 on Wednesday night.

Kings fans let emotions out, maybe one last time

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The cowbells rang loud and proud again.

Bonds guilty of obstruction of justice

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Just like the whole Steroid Era: We'll never really know.

Tennessee Titans player Kenny Britt arrested in NJ

BAYONNE, N.J. (AP) - Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt was arrested in his hometown of Bayonne, N.J., on Tuesday after an officer reported seeing him speeding.

NFL meets judge; Goodell expected at mediation

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Different state. Different mediator. Same disagreements.

NFL's rookie pitch: divert 300M from 1st rounders

NEW YORK (AP) - The NFL's proposal to the players for a rookie compensation system would divert about $300 million a year from first-round draft picks' contracts to veterans and player benefits.

GOLF: Scott ready to defend Texas Open crown

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - When he pulled a 9-iron shot with a half swing on the final hole at last year's Texas Open, Adam Scott admitted he had to go "straight away" to the range to work out the kinks.

A's Giants post victories

CHICAGO - Cliff Pennington's swing had been off and he'd been limited for two games because of an infected sweat gland under his arm.

PREPS: Garling's HR sparks Dayton to 12-4 win

DAYTON - Logan Garling might be the best No. 9 hitter in Northern Nevada.

PREPS: Pinder out-duels Cole to beat Dayton 2-0

DAYTON - Jill Pinder and Kenzie Cole are two of the best softball pitchers in Northern Nevada, and when they hook up in the circle, runs and hits are going to be at a premium.

NHL: Penguins blank Tampa Bay

PITTSBURGH - Alex Kovalev and Arron Asham scored third-period goals 18 seconds apart and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 32 shots to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first-round playoff opener on Wednesday night.

Wednesday, April 13

Economic fair offers 10 principles of preparedness

With the world and nation facing an uncertain future, there is no better time to learn how to lead a life of preparedness. The Constitutional, Economic Preparedness Fair comes to Carson City, April 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Plaza Conference Center, 211 E. Ninth St..

NBA: Celtics, Lakers need to clean things up before playoffs

NEW YORK (AP) - Once a good possibility, an NBA finals rematch sure seems in jeopardy now.

Tuesday, April 12

NHL Eastern Conference Preview Capsules

Capsules of NHL Eastern Conference first-round series:

NHL Western Conference Preview Capsules

Capsules of NHL Western Conference first-round series:

NHL: Oilers will pick No. 1 overall again

TORONTO (AP) - The Edmonton Oilers will pick first overall in the NHL draft for a second straight year.

NBA: Kings finale feels like farewell for Sacramento

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Some will cry. Others will protest. There will be signs of support and banners expressing anger. And in the end, no matter the score, everyone will say goodbye.

COMMUNITY SPORTS: Foursome wins tourney at Silver Oak

John Vandervort, Buzz Wagner, Walter Aster and Rion Causey combined for a 116 to win Silver Oak Senior Men's Club 4-man Cha Cha Cha tourney held on April 5.

NFL: Legal team for NFL players meet with judge

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - With the lockout at one month and counting, attorneys for NFL players sat down Tuesday with the federal magistrate who will oversee court-ordered mediation with the league later this week.

Hamilton may be sidelined 2 months with broken arm

DETROIT (AP) - Texas slugger Josh Hamilton is expected to miss six to eight weeks after breaking his upper right arm on a headfirst dive into home plate Tuesday, a daring dash the AL MVP later called "stupid."

SS Rafael Furcal goes on DL with broken left thumb

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Los Angeles Dodgers are down a key member of their infield yet again.

NL: Giants waiting to decide whether Torres goes on DL

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Giants decided Tuesday to give injured center fielder and leadoff man Andres Torres a little bit longer to heal from a strained left Achilles' tendon before determining whether he needs a stint on the disabled list for the World Series champions.

MLB: Giants raise nearly $70,000 for injured fan

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The San Francisco Giants have raised nearly $70,000 to help the longtime fan who was attacked earlier this season outside Dodger Stadium.

GOLF: South Africa tour announces $10 million WGC event

JOHANNESBURG (AP) - The Sunshine Tour will make leading golfers choose between the world's richest tournament in South Africa and Tiger Woods' charity event in California from next year.

GOLF: Masters highlights growing pains of global golf

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Masters champion Charl Schwartzel first showed his potential on a big stage last year in the World Golf Championship at Doral when he went toe-to-toe with Ernie Els until losing ground at the end.

AL: Ramirez's HR in 10th beats A's

CHICAGO (AP) - Alexei Ramirez hit his second homer of the game with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 6-5 win over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.

Hard-boiled eggs for Easter brunch

Do you have a "finder" in your family? We did. Our younger son could usually find just about anything that was lost, hidden, or plain old misplaced. That included wrenches left on beams, frogs hiding under driftwood at Pyramid Lake and, of course, Easter eggs. We were always careful there was no peeking or cheating, but no matter how well hidden in our backyard the eggs were, he had three or four in his basket long before anyone else had found any at all. We would have to hold him back a bit so the others could find some.

Monday, April 11

Sunday, April 10

NFL: Film is closest coaches can get to players

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The NFL lockout makes it even more difficult being a new coach with a new team in the league. Coaches can't work with the players they have on the roster, and there's no wooing of free agents who could fill gaping holes.

Aces drop season opener to Bees

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah- After inclement weather postponed the first two games of the season, the Reno Aces kicked-off the 2011 campaign Saturday night, falling 8-1 to the Salt Lake Bees at Spring Mobile Ballpark.

MASTERS: McIlroy leads Masters, staying cool on hot day

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - It was a roar that defines the Masters, so loud it startled even Tiger Woods.

NHL: Sharks clinch 2nd seed with 3-1 win over Coyotes

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Having completed their long climb from 12th to second place in the Western Conference in the final three months of the regular season, the San Jose Sharks can now start looking ahead to the most important time of year.

PREPS: Reno rallies to beat Carson 9-4

On Thursday, the Carson Senators gave one away to Reno. On Saturday, the Huskies took one away from the Senators.

MASTERS NOTEBOOK: Scott, Cabrera, Schwartzel on the move

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Adam Scott will take a 67 any day at Augusta National.

NASCAR: Kenseth ends drought

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Matt Kenseth had a dominating run at Texas, breaking a 76-race NASCAR Sprint Cup winless streak Saturday night.

AL: Gonzalez, Fuentes pitch A's to win

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Gio Gonzalez pitched six sharp innings and the Athletics' offense was just a little less futile than Minnesota's in Oakland's 1-0 victory over the Twins on Saturday night.

NL: Giants get another walk-off win

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Miguel Tejada hit a two-run double that glanced off the glove of center fielder Colby Rasmus with two outs in the ninth inning and the San Francisco Giants rallied late for the second straight day to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 on Saturday night a few hours after receiving their World Series rings.

Comstock Shootout standings

Girls U10 7v7 CASCADE W L T PTS GF GA

MOODY: Play high school playoff games at night

The NIAA baseball post-season is about a month away, and Reno and Galena high schools have been chosen as the host playoff sites.

BOXING: Maidana wins vacant WBA crown

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Marcos Maidana outpointed five-time world champion Erik Morales on Saturday night to win the vacant WBA interim super lightweight title.

COLLEGE: WNC men complete sweep of Colorado Northwestern

RANGELY, Colo. - Donald Glover hit two doubles and drove in six runs to lead Western Nevada College to an easy 17-2 win over Colorado Northwestern Saturday in a Scenic West Athletic Conference game.

PREP ROUNDUP: Oliver throws perfect game for Dayton

DAYTON - Conner Oliver struck out 14 of 15 batters en route to pitching a perfect game in a 14-0 win over Silver Stage in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.

Saturday, April 9

Carson City Sheriff's log April 9

Carson City The following people were booked into the Carson City Jail. All suspects are innocent until proved guilty in court: • A 36-year-old Carson City man was arrested at 6:07 p.m. Thursday in the 1500 block of North Carson Street on suspicion of misdemeanor failure to appear and driving without a license. Bail was set at $239.

NASCAR: Edwards captures Nationwide win

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Carl Edwards escaped a crash that wiped out primary challenger Kyle Busch and won his second consecutive Nationwide race at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night.

WNC: Baseball, softball squads win three apiece

Western Nevada College's baseball squad won three games Friday to move back into first place in the Scenic West Athletic Conference by a half-game over Salt Lake City Community College.

Friday, April 8

DIEZ: Harvick seeks three-peat in Texas

Kevin Harvick, variously known as "The Closer" and "Where Did He Come From?",

NASCAR: David Ragan earns first Sprint Cup pole at Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - David Ragan feels like he is taking the right steps to get up to par with his Roush Fenway teammates. Now he has his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup pole.

CBKB: St. John's coach Steve Lavin has prostate cancer

NEW YORK (AP) - Steve Lavin, who revived St. John's basketball in his first season with the Red Storm, has prostate cancer but his doctor expects him to keep coaching and make a complete recovery.

NFL: Players, owners arguing about site for negotiations

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The locked-out NFL players don't want to go back to collective bargaining with the league. They have now made a move to allow their former union boss to be present if court-supervised talks take place between the two sides.

CFB: Kaepernick trying to generate some interest from NFL teams

Colin Kaepernick is living the life of a traveling salesman these days.

Cheers & Kudos for April 10

Many helpers made blanket drive a success Many thanks to all who donated blankets to our drive sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Cleaning was greatly appreciated, which was provided by Economy Wash & Dry on Hot Springs Road. The donations were delivered to Tahoe Youth and Family Services and will be distributed to the homeless and couch surfers in need.

MASTERS: Amy Mickelson back in her element at Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Phil Mickelson waited at the bottom of the ninth fairway for the green to clear when he looked over to his left and broke into a big smile. He touched two fingers to his eyes, then pointed them toward a blonde woman in a royal blue dress.

Smith's begins fundraising campaign

(Nevada Appeal Staff Report) - Smith's Food & Drug Stores has kicked off its annual campaign to raise funds for Primary Children's Medical Center Foundation in support of charity care for needy children.

Discovery of remains slows construction project at UNR

Construction of a new dormitory and classroom space at University of Nevada, Reno, was slightly delayed this winter when excavation crews unearthed the remains of eight people. But the eight-day delay provided real-world experience for anthropology students.

MASTERS NOTEBOOK: Els avoids early exit by departing major champs

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - After an opening-round 75, Ernie Els looked like a prime candidate to join the convoy of major champions heading out of town at the Masters ahead of the weekend.

Making their own path: Nevada leads country in startups in 2010

Mario Benitez has spent more than a year scouring online job boards and sending out resumes for a chance to snag one of the precious few construction jobs in the region, so far to no avail. So about a month ago, Benitez decided to do what more and more Nevadans are doing in this time of double-digit unemployment: He decided to make a job for himself.

Business Briefs for April 10

Gov. Sandoval to address NNDA Gov. Brian Sandoval will speak at the next breakfast meeting for the Northern Nevada Development Authority on April 27.

What comes next after reflation?

According to Wikipedia, the definition of reflation is the act of stimulating the economy by increasing the money supply or reducing taxes. It is the opposite of disinflation. It can refer to an economic policy whereby a government uses fiscal or monetary stimulus in order to expand output.

MASTERS: Tiger gives the kids a run at the Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Everyone could hear Tiger Woods charging on the back nine of Augusta National, with tree-rattling cheers after each of his five birdies as he made a familiar run up the leaderboard.

NL: Giants raise World Series banner, then beat Cards in 12th

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The San Francisco Giants raised the flag and the Cardinals dropped the ball.

MLB: Ramirez retires after failing drug test

NEW YORK (AP) - Manny Ramirez walked away from baseball on Friday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, abruptly ending the mercurial career of one of the most talented - and tainted - hitters to ever play the game.

AL: Twins' Pavano beats Athletics 2-1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Brett Anderson was rolling through the Minnesota Twins lineup, breaking bats and changing speeds for seven brilliant innings while the Oakland Athletics were clinging to a 1-0 lead.

NL: Houston knocks off Reds

CINCINNATI (AP) - Matt Downs doubled home the tiebreaking run with two outs in the ninth inning on Thursday and the Houston Astros held on for their first win of the season, 3-2 over the previously unbeaten Cincinnati Reds.

AL: Red Sox remain winless

CLEVELAND (AP) - The winless Boston Red Sox lost their sixth in a row when the Cleveland Indians squeezed home the only run in the eighth inning, then trapped pinch-runner Darnell McDonald off second base for the final out Thursday in a 1-0 victory.

PREPS: Carson errors give Reno extra-inning win

RENO - For the second straight game, Carson High's baseball team had a poor defensive game, and just as they did on Tuesday, the Senators paid the price.

PREPS: Spanish Springs blanks Tigers

MINDEN - Keeping the powerful Spanish Springs lineup under wraps is quite a feat this season.

SOCCER: The Comstock Shootout is back

During the next two weekends, 6,000 soccer lovers will take over Carson City and the Edmonds Sports Complex.

FODDER: Golf is better when Tiger is winning

Sports fodder for a Friday morning ..

Giants gear up for home opener against Cardinals

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The San Francisco Giants' slow start likely will mean little this weekend. The anguish and torture that became so familiar to fans with all the close games during last season's remarkable run to the World Series can be forgotten for a few days at least.

AL: Cahill, A's beat Toronto

TORONTO (AP) - After spending most of spring training working on his curveball, Trevor Cahill's extra effort is starting to pay off.

Bonds' fate is now in the jury's hands

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The eight women and four men sat in the jury box for more than 4 1/2 hours, listening to angry arguments from federal prosecutors and Barry Bonds' attorneys at the end of a 12-day trial that exposed the dark world of baseball's Steroids Era.

NFL: Jets' Ainge tackling life as recovering addict

WELLESLEY, Mass. (AP) - Erik Ainge glances at his wrists whenever he needs a quick pick-me-up during recovery from his painful past.

NFL, players disagree on who should oversee talks

WASHINGTON (AP) - A day after the judge handling the NFL lockout lawsuit urged the sides to go "back to the table," the players and owners both expressed a willingness to do so. The hitch: Each offered to meet for talks in a setting the other finds unpalatable.

MASTERS: McIlroy, Quiros off to roarin' start at Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - The flair of Rory McIlroy. The sheer power of Alvaro Quiros. These are but two of the fresh faces in golf who offered more evidence Thursday at the Masters that a new generation is on the way.

MASTERS: Fowler's finery on display in Masters first round

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - Rickie Fowler might have taken the whole Masters green thing a bit too far.

Thursday, April 7

L.A. crowd holds vigil for hospitalized Giants fan

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A crowd of supporters, some dressed in Los Angeles Dodgers attire, held a candlelight prayer vigil Wednesday night outside the hospital where a San Francisco Giants fan was taken after he was savagely beaten in a Dodger Stadium parking lot.

Nevada basketball losing 2 to transfers

RENO (AP) - Nevada basketball coach David Carter says reserves Derrel Conner and Marko Cukic have decided to transfer to other schools in search of more playing time.

Barry Bonds rests with no defense witnesses

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Barry Bonds' confident defense team rested its case Wednesday without calling a single witness, just minutes after a federal judge accepted the government's request to dismiss one of the five counts against the home run king.

A Masters with endless possibilities

AUGUSTA, Ga - On the far end of the course Wednesday, near the only palm tree at Augusta National, Lee Westwood rolled long putts across the fourth green as he practiced alone on a quiet afternoon before the Masters.

Judge urges both sides to resume talks

ST. PAUL, Minn (AP) - As she wrapped up the five-hour hearing on the legality of the NFL lockout, the federal judge overseeing the case said she'd take "a couple of weeks" to rule on the players' request to return to work.

Networks work to master new era of sports in 3-D

NEW YORK (AP) - The camera is affectionately known as WALL-E, its two lenses reminiscent of the eyes on the animated movie robot.

Wednesday, April 6

PREPS: Tigers fall to Wooster

Riding a four-game win streak, the Douglas baseball team ran into a sizeable speed bump against Wooster Tuesday afternoon.

PREPS: Carson's win streak is over

Carson High's five-game winning streak came to an ugly end Tuesday afternoon at Ron McNutt Field.

COMMUNITY SPORTS: Bighorns put playoff tickets on sale

RENO - Reno Bighorns single-game and group playoff ticket packages went on sale Tuesday at Ticketmaster.com, RenoBighorns.com, the Reno Events Center box office, the Silver Legacy box office and the Reno Bighorns front office.

NBA: Rondo leads Celtics to victory

BOSTON (AP) - Rajon Rondo scored 16 points with 13 assists and the Boston Celtics moved into a tie for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Philadelphia 76ers 99-82 on Tuesday night.

NFL: Players, owners ready to fight it out in court

MINNEAPOLIS - The NFL lockout is about to head to court.

GOLF: A year later, Tiger may still be in denial

AUGUSTA, Ga. - The circus is largely gone and so, mostly, are the questions about his personal life. Tiger Woods returned to the Masters this week without feeling the urge to apologize for anything, even the poor state of his game.

AL: Cleveland keeps BoSox winless

CLEVELAND (AP) - Josh Tomlin outpitched Boston's Josh Beckett, Cleveland came up with just enough timely hits and the Indians kept the Red Sox winless so far this season with a 3-1 victory Tuesday night over the team many predicted would win it all.

AL: Escobar hits two-run homer in 10th for Blue Jays

TORONTO (AP) - Oakland manager Bob Geren knows what really beat the Athletics: sloppy defense.

Tuesday, April 5

Time running out before tax deadline

So far about 681,000 Nevadans have e-filed their federal 2010 tax returns, according to the IRS. That figure doesn't include people who still file their taxes on paper, said IRS spokesman Raphael Tulino said, adding about 1.2 million tax returns from Nevadans are expected to be filed this year. Tulino said more and more Americans are filing their taxes electronically. Last year about 99 million tax returns were e-filed out of the 142 million filed nationwide.

Boeing didn't expect 737 cracks so soon

PHOENIX (AP) - Boeing engineers figured the joints holding the skin in place on their older 737 jetliners would begin to wear, but only as the planes neared retirement. They never expected it to happen in middle age. Caught off guard when a piece of the fuselage on a Southwest Airlines jet peeled away as it flew over Arizona last week, they are rushing to create inspection and repair instructions for hundreds of similar planes in service worldwide.

Retail sector adding jobs, but not always careers

Erin Abell left a job in finance to volunteer for John McCain's presidential campaign in early 2008. She had hoped to return to the industry after the election, but by then Wall Street was on life support, and Abell had to live off credit cards until joining a friend's startup. So she started working part-time at Banana Republic to help cut her debts. Yet Abell was paid less at age 30 than she made in a retail job in her early 20s.

The pasta-less pasta

So simple. So healthy. So versatile. So delicious! I love spaghetti squash for all of these reasons.

Falling for slow-cooked meat

Hear the phrase "falling off the bone" and, if you are a meat-eater, you start salivating. You think of short ribs, lamb shanks, osso bucco, coq au vin - all the spectacular stews and braises that make you want to belly up to the table and dig in. All the dishes in which the meat is fork-tender, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. In other words, "falling off the bone," whether or not (as in the ragout, below) there are actual bones involved.

Monday, April 4

Mind the job gap

"He must have been in jail," one employer told me as he reviewed applications. He was holding the resume of an applicant who had not worked in nine months. Jobseekers take note: It may be unfair, but employers have a negative bias about gaps in the work history of a job candidate. They may not think you were in jail, but they might think you have a poor work ethic.

Thanks... but no thanks! - How to decline a job offer with class

One candidate just never responded to the job offer, and the no-response was eventually a no. Another declined through a text message. "I've dealt with these issues and others at every level," says Dan Ehrling, president of Accounts One, a 40-year-old recruiting firm in Atlanta. "They're all the way up and down the board, from rookie staff accountant to CFO."

Other ways to work

Workers thrown out of jobs and unable to land another fulltime position in their field sooner or later run into employment arrangements they never knew existed. It's important to understand how these different employment arrangements work. Negatives define these so-called "non-standard jobs." Typically, they are not full-time, not permanent, they have no benefits and no job security. These positions can include independent contract work, temporary employment, part-time work and freelancing.

Interview tips: What's your weakness?

If an employer asks about your weaknesses, what should you say? Some experts suggest trying a fault-as-virtue approach: "I'm a perfectionist," say. Or "I'm a workaholic." I think most interviewers have heard this tired tactic before and will be turned off by it.

Tax laws must be simplified

Probably we all agree the income tax code (law) is too complicated. It seems to me that only Congress can take action to simplify it, but they are going in the wrong direction. Trying to influence social actions with special tax law provisions is not working. It has been estimated that the tax code in 2005 was three times longer than it was 30 years before.

Sunday, April 3

Mack leads Butler back to national title game

HOUSTON (AP) - "We're not done yet! Unfinished business, baby!"

NCAA: UConn holds on for 56-55 win over Kentucky

HOUSTON (AP) - When the options boil down to winning or heading home, nobody's better than Kemba and Connecticut.

Beebe encouraged by Fiesta Bowl's response

Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe is encouraged by the Fiesta Bowl's response to an investigative report that led to the firing of its longtime president for alleged misuse of funds.

Auburn's Moseley snaps out of 'pity party'

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) - It finally hit Clint Moseley three games into last season: He had to stop moping and get it together.

PREPS: Blueberg hammers 3 homers in CHS win

RENO - The last three games for Colby Blueberg were nothing to write home about. He was 2-for-10 with six strikeouts, and he was even put on the bench at the end of one game.

Bighorns clinch Western Conference championship

BAKERSFIELD, Calif.- Despite playing their third game in five nights on the heels of a seven-hour overnight bus trip, the Reno Bighorns clinched their first-ever Western Conference championship by defeating Bakersfield 94-83 on Saturday night in the Jam Events Center.

NBA: Rose scores 36 in Chicago's win

CHICAGO (AP) - Derrick Rose had 36 points and 10 assists, and the Chicago Bulls took another step toward the top seed in the Eastern Conference with their 15th victory in 17 games, hanging on to beat the short-handed Toronto Raptors 113-106 on Saturday night.

NHL: Sharks beat Ducks 4-2 in possible playoff preview

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Devin Setoguchi scored the tiebreaking goal on the power play with 5:21 remaining and the San Jose Sharks rallied from an early two-goal deficit too beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 on Saturday night in a possible playoff preview.

PREPS: Douglas edges Wooster

A leadoff man is supposed to set the tone for the game, but in Shane Fencl's case Saturday morning, he pretty much decided the game from the top of the order for Douglas High.

MOODY: Baseball season finally has arrived

This, without a doubt, is my favorite time of the year. It's a time of the year where you get up every morning and try to find the boxscores from games played the previous night.

NFL: Jets respond to lawsuit over alleged Favre texts

NEW YORK (AP) - Two massage therapists who say the New York Jets blacklisted them for objecting to randy text messages from former quarterback Brett Favre are overplaying their ties to the team, the Jets say in court documents.

NL: Cain, relievers blank Dodgers

LOS ANGELES (AP) - After going winless in his first 14 starts against the Dodgers, Matt Cain has proven more than able ever since.

AL: Suzuki becomes Seattle's hit leader

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Ichiro Suzuki had two infield hits to become Seattle's career leader, including a bouncer in the ninth that drove in the go-ahead run in the Mariners' 5-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night.

Saturday, April 2

COLLEGE: WNC softball, baseball teams swept by Salt Lake

Western Nevada College's softball team played two more seven-inning games against nationally ranked Salt Lake Community College before losing 8-2 and 4-2 Saturday at Edmonds Sports Complex.

PREPS: CARSON SPLITS WITH MANOGUE

RENO - Carson High's softball team split its doubleheader at Bishop Manogue Saturday afternoon.

GOLF: Tiger is a mystery again at the Masters

Tiger Woods at the Masters is every bit the mystery he was a year ago.

NASCAR: Sauter outlasts Busch in truck race

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) - Johnny Sauter passed Kyle Busch one lap before the finish to win the Trucks Series race at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday.

NASCAR: McMurray wins pole at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) - Jamie McMurray took a step toward jump-starting his season Saturday by winning the pole at Martinsville Speedway.

GOLF: Mickelson shoots 9-under 63 to grab share of lead

HUMBLE, Texas (AP) - Phil Mickelson is tied for the lead in the Houston Open as he prepares for next week's Masters.

New judge is ready to tackle NFL lockout issue

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Susan Richard Nelson wanted to make a difference as an attorney. Do something that mattered.

MLB: Dodger fans attack, critically injure Giants fan

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Opening day at Dodger Stadium turned violent when authorities say two men in Dodgers clothing severely beat a San Francisco Giants fan after the longtime rival teams' first game.

AL: Rangers rally past Red Sox

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Pinch-hitter David Murphy delivered a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth inning and the Texas Rangers rallied for a 9-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday after raising their American League championship flag.

NL: Mayberry Jr. has a smashing debut

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Pinch-hitter John Mayberry Jr. lined an RBI single off closer Brandon Lyon that capped a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Houston Astros 5-4.

Bighorns hold on to first in West

RENO - The Reno Bighorns scored 32 points in the first quarter and never trailed Friday night, collecting their seventh-straight victory, 113-97, over the Bakersfield Jam in the Reno Events Center.

PREPS: Dayton's Ply, Cole turn in superb pitching performances

DAYTON - Dayton High, thanks to a nine-run first inning, rolled to an easy 12-1 win over South Tahoe in a 3A crossover game Friday afternoon.

COLLEGE: WNC splits with second-place Salt Lake baseball

SALT LAKE CITY - The Scenic West Athletic Conference powerhouses - No. 14 Western Nevada and No. 1 Salt Lake - met for the first time on Friday.

DIEZ: Local racing gets under way

With all the professional racing series' seasons under way, it's time to get started with local racing.

GOLF: Rookie takes lead after 36 in Houston

HUMBLE, Texas (AP) - Course knowledge matters at the Houston Open.

MLB: Giants, A's lose

LOS ANGELES - Rafael Furcal singled in the go-ahead run to highlight a three-run sixth inning and lift the Dodgers over San Francisco, 4-3.

Friday, April 1

Comstock Mining forming community focus group in Storey, Lyon counties

Comstock Mining Inc. is asking members of the community to participate in a focus group to discuss the company's mining plans and its participation in the community. The initial purpose is to allow the company to hear about the community's concerns regarding the impact and benefits of mining activity. Simultaneously, the community will have the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the company's plans: including scope, mine plans, processing details, safety and environmental protocols. Once a base of understanding is established, the more important goal is to identify and structure the most effective ways Comstock Mining can interact with the community to provide a significant and broad-reaching benefit to residents.

Steam power isn't cooling down

An auction of geothermal leases on federal lands in Nevada last week drew tepid interest from a small handful of companies that are developing the renewable source of power generation. But development of steam power is by no mean cooling down in the state, industry executives say.

Aerial imaging helps mine exploration

Advances in aerial imaging that better define Nevada's proven mineral trends are helping the state's hard rock mining companies narrow down their search for new gold deposits - and providing no shortage of exploration work for the state's fleet of drilling contractors.

Business Briefs

City to host job fair on April 18 The Carson City Health and Human Services Workforce Program will host a job fair from 2-5 p.m. April 18. The event will take place inside the Carson City Senior Center, 911 Beverly Drive.

NBA: Mayor to plead Sacramento's case to keep Kings

Sacramento isn't losing its NBA team without a fight.

Former aide says she saw trainer inject Bonds

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Tears streaming from her eyes, Barry Bonds' former personal shopper became the first and only one of the government's 23 witnesses at his federal trial to say she saw the all-time home run leader getting an injection from his trainer.

NFL: League, players cooperate in marketing

NEW YORK (AP) - Business as usual in the NFL.

NFL: Players ask judge for damages in TV case

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - NFL players have put a number on how much money the league should pay back if it loses a court fight over $4 billion in television revenue.

AL: Granderson HR leads Yankees past Tigers

NEW YORK (AP) - Curtis Granderson hit a go-ahead homer leading off the seventh inning and Mark Teixeira had a three-run shot off Justin Verlander, lifting New York over the Detroit Tigers 6-3 Thursday in the first regular-season game played in the Bronx in March.

NL: Reds nip Brewers

CINCINNATI (AP) - Ramon Hernandez hit a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, rallying Cincinnati to the victory in an opening-day flashback to its NL Central title season.

MLB: Dodgers beat World Series champion Giants 2-1

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Making his first opening-day start, Clayton Kershaw showed why the Dodgers have been so high on him for three years.

Lincicome, Lewis share lead at Kraft Nabisco

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) - Brittany Lincicome and Stacy Lewis are splitting more than dinner checks and lodging bills at the LPGA Tour's first major of the year.

Walker ties course record at Houston Open

HUMBLE, Texas (AP) - Jimmy Walker didn't make every birdie putt he saw during the first round of the Houston Open on Thursday.

NHL: Sharks clinch playoffs with 6-0 win over Stars

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Making the playoffs has become expected in San Jose, with the clinching usually generating little attention for a franchise that has topped 100 points the past four years.

NBA: Lakers, Celtics post big wins

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Kobe Bryant scored 28 points, Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 110-82 in a testy affair in which five players were ejected Thursday night.

FODDER: Giants will repeat

Sports fodder for a Friday morning .

PREPS: Carson softball knocks off Reed 8-6

Despite some shaky moments, Carson High's softball team passed the first of three big tests this week.

PREPS: Carson baseball squad wins 4th straight

RENO - Carson High's baseball team extended its win streak to four with an easy 11-0 win over North Valleys Thursday afternoon in a 4A game.

PREPS: Douglas bombs McQueen

MINDEN - Kameron Van Winkle and Cody Lommori each hit home runs Thursday afternoon as the Douglas baseball team cruised to a 12-2 win over McQueen.