5-MINUTE R-C

• A school bus hit an SUV at the intersection of Highway 395 and Riverview Drive on Thursday morning. Six children on the school bus were injured and all but one has been released. The three children from the SUV airlifted to Reno appear to be in stable and good condition. Page A1

• Services are 11 a.m. Saturday at the Douglas High School gymnasium for Army Pfc. Philip Brandon Williams. The Gardnerville resident was killed Oct. 9 by a sniper in Baghdad. Page A1

• Douglas County voters were urged to approve ballot questions 1 and 2 at a political forum at the CVIC Hall on Wednesday night. Question 1 asks voters to approve a 1Ú2-cent increase in sales tax to help pay for law enforcement. Question 2 would increase the tax by 1Ú4 cent to build a senior center among other things. Page A2

• Candiates asked each other some pointed questions during the same forum on Wednesday. The new format raised the temperature at the forum. Page A3

• A mother of two was arrested on Wednesday after she allegedly left her two children inside her running vehicle on Wednesday. Melissa Marie Deines was booked after she was paged at a Minden casino. Page A3

ALPINE

• Alpine County columnist Gina Gigli visits a new gift shop in Woodfords called the Odd Pony. Page A9

• Kirkwood ski resorts rolls out upgrades for the 2006-07 winter ski season. General Manager Chip Seamans talks about what's coming this year.Page A9

PEOPLE

• People editor Jo Rafferty give a first-hand account of "getting in the spirit" for the Haunted Weekend, which begins tonight with the Gardnerville Ghost Walk. Page B1

• The bats are ready for signing at the fundraiser "Go To Bat World Series Party" presented Saturday by the Coalition for a Boys & Girls Club in Carson Valley. Chat with Major League Baseball players Saturday afternoon and attend the fundraiser dinner and auction at night. Page B1

• Other events in the Valley coming Saturday are: the Kids & Horses Therapeutic Riding Center pumpkin patch, the Town of Gardnerville and Valley Cruisers Rockathon Car Show and Swap Meet, the Douglas County Sheriff's Mounted Posse and Great Basin Equine Medicine and Surgery, Inc., equine clinic and the Minden/Douglas Elks Lodge luau. Page B1

SPORTS

• Douglas High basketball standout Keith Olson has given a verbal committment to play for Northern Arizona University next season. Page C1

• The Douglas volleyball team swept easily past South Tahoe Tuesday night to clinch a Northern 4A Regional playoff spot. Page C1

• Mike Gransbery and Morgan LeFever each got a little closer to breaking their respective goals records in twin wins over Hug earlier this week. Page C1