Here's a news item from the AP:  BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Syringa Networks is suing the state, saying the Idaho Department of Administration illegally awarded a lucrative Idaho Education Network contract to Qwest even though Qwest didn't have the lowest bid. In the lawsuit filed in 4th District Court, Syringa's attorneys say an impartial evaluation team selected by the Department of Administration found the company was the most technically proficient bidder and also the least expensive. But, Syringa contends, department director Mike Gwartney decided to award the contract to Qwest Communication Co. anyway, depriving Syringa of an estimated $60 million in work over the next two decades. The work is part of an ambitious project to link public schools, universities and businesses over a high-speed broadband network. Gwartney and other department officials could not be immediately reached by The Associated Press.

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