Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Coeur d'Alene, says the main reason he won't seek a fourth term in the Senate is that he wants to stop spending so much time away from his wife, kids and grandkids. "I'm missing my grandkids' plays and baseball games," he said. "Five years from now, nobody's going to remember what I did here, but my grandkids will remember that I was there."

Hammond said he plans to apply for the upcoming opening for president at North Idaho College, as well as looking at other options that will keep him closer to home and family. "I have not applied, but I intend to," he said. "That's the kind of thing that I love doing - working with the community, working with employees. I find that very rewarding." However, he emphasized, "My decision to leave here is not directly related to that. That's one of the opportunities out there." You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.

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