Coming Friday

- Minden Elementary students put on their annual play, poking fun at the holiday season. Dressed as reindeer and elves, the students lip-synced and danced on Wednesday. Page A1

- Valley ranchers hoping to make the list of recommendations for BLM purchase of development rights this year didn't even get a lump of coal. The only Douglas County proposal accepted was for Cave Rock. Page A1

- Marvin and Pauline Kirk died as a result of injuries received in a head-on accident on Tuesday. The couple lived in Carson Valley for 13 years. Page A1

- An arsonist is setting fires at north county parks, one of which has claimed a piece of playground equipment at a Sunridge park. Page A1

- Douglas High School students gave nearly 8 gallons of blood on Tuesday during their annual blood drive. Page A2

- Project Santa Claus will be literally wrapping up next week when donated gifts get a coat of paper and a bow before being distributed to those in need. Page A2

- Two men face charges in connection with the burglary of a home belonging to an elderly Gardnerville woman. Scott David Crapo and Gabriel Guzman Silvestre were arrested Tuesday. Page A3

- Two men waived their preliminary hearings in connection with trafficking charges and will appear in District Court. Ignacio Rodriguez-Ibarra and Felipe Ledezma-Aguilar appeared in court on Wednesday. Page A3

- Jan Lopes has decorated her home for a cowboy Christmas. The Jubilee Ranch manager mends fences and sews curtains in addition to making furniture. Page A7

- More than 1,000 celebrants attended the St. Gall Catholic Church celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Saturday. The festivities included Aztec dancers and a procession to the altar. Page B1

- Northwest Martial Arts and The Record-Courier sponsored a gift drive for troops stationed in Iraq. Monday, 119 boxes were shipped to soldiers and Marines who will spend Christmas in remote areas of a foreign land. Page B1

- The Douglas boys' basketball team fell to the No. 11-ranked team in the country Wednesday night in the showcase round of the George Maldonado Invitational at Galena High School. Arlington Country Day School out of Jacksonville, Fla., won 86-66. Page C1

- The Douglas wrestling team beat North Valleys 62-12 Wednesday night in Reno, winning every one of the contested matches. North Valleys got all of its points off of two forfeits. Page C1

- The Sierra Lutheran boys' basketball team improved to 4-0 on the year with a 32-30 win over Excel Christian Tuesday. Page C1