December 16, 2011 in News WASHINGTON — Congressional negotiators reached tentative agreement Friday on a two-month extension of President Barack Obama’s payroll tax cut, and in doing so potentially cleared the way for approval of …

December 16, 2011 in Sports It’s becoming a broken record. More than anything, though, it’s an extension of how the University boys basketball team practices.

December 16, 2011 in News OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A federal court is blocking some of the budget cuts Washington state made to a social services program for the disabled, threatening to force millions of … 14

December 16, 2011 in Sports With 3D the recent rage in cinema, it’s comforting for certain NCAA Division I college basketball coaches to know D-III is still an option.

December 16, 2011 in Sports Tim Flanders rushed for 287 yards on 26 carries and Sam Houston State advanced to its first national championship game with a 31-28 win over Montana in the Football Championship …

December 16, 2011 in Nation/World If a national animal rights group gets its way, people in a small mountain town in North Carolina will have to greet the new year without lowering a scrappy marsupial …

December 16, 2011 in Sports Gary Bell Jr. gets a chance to play in front of family and friends. Guy Landry Edi gets a chance to play, period.

December 16, 2011 in Business, City Avista Corp. will be allowed to raise rates on January 1, but not as much as the company requested. Washington state regulators have agreed to let Avista collect an additional … 26

December 16, 2011 The Coeur d’Alene Tribe will donate $35,000 to the Post Falls Food Bank Weekend Nutrition Backpack Program, which aids Post Falls students who don’t have reliable access to good food … 3

December 16, 2011 in Region Seattle police have engaged in excessive force that violated federal law and the Constitution, the U.S. Justice Department said today. 17

December 16, 2011 in Opinion Questions of school board candidates at the Faceoff at Ferris Debate. 5

December 16, 2011 in Idaho Police have completed an investigation into the murder of a University of Idaho graduate student, finding a professor acted alone when he killed her outside of her home in Moscow … 2

December 16, 2011 in Nation/World, Region Washington state is one of nine states that will share $500 million in grant money won in a high-profile competition intended to jump-start improvements in early childhood programs, the Obama … 2

December 16, 2011 in Idaho The unemployment rate in Idaho fell three-tenths of a percentage point to a two-year low of 8.5 percent in November. State officials say that’s the largest one-month decline since 1983. 3

December 16, 2011 in Region Kyle Ater remembers the three-letter chalk message left on the floor of his Orcas Island grocery store after it was burglarized for the second time by the Barefoot Bandit. Next … 2

December 16, 2011 in Nation/World on Page A1 • CASUALTIES: • U.S. deaths as of Dec. 15: 4,487, according to the Pentagon. 31

December 16, 2011 in City on Page A1 Six of seven injured miners have returned home following the Wednesday night rock burst inside Lucky Friday Mine that was strong enough to register on seismographs. The failure of the …

December 16, 2011 in Nation/World on Page A2 WASHINGTON – Herman Cain is no longer running for president. He doesn’t think he’s likely to be picked as the eventual nominee’s running mate, either. But he does have a … 9

December 16, 2011 in City on Page A2 For 12-16-2011 1

December 16, 2011 in Nation/World on Page A3 BEIRUT – Syrian army defectors killed 27 government forces Thursday in apparently coordinated attacks that were among the deadliest by rebel troops since the uprising began nine months ago. The …