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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2009

Ward bashes Minnick's 'blitz' 

GOP congressional hopeful Vaughn Ward's campaign had this statement today in response to Democratic Congressman Walt Minnick's announcement of an "economic blitz" across the 1st Congressional District during the Congress' summer break, in which Minnick will host four events to connect Idaho companies and communities…

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It was 18 years ago today... 

Today marks my 18th anniversary with The Spokesman-Review. Though things have changed quite a bit since I joined the newspaper as its Idaho editor in 1991, we're still in the same business - reporting the news. We just do it in a lot of new…

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Minnick launches 'economic blitz'

Freshman Idaho Congressman Walt Minnick says in his seven months in office, he's become convinced that creating new jobs in Idaho is the most pressing issue he can address, and there's federal money, contracts and more that could help - if Idahoans just had a…

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2010 guv's race starts shaping up...

Here's a link to my full story in today's paper on what's up in Idaho's 2010 gubernatorial race, from the half-dozen lesser-known candidates already out stumping to the lack of any campaign launch yet from either incumbent Gov. Butch Otter or a major Democratic challenger.…

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TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2009

'No, this is Butch'

One of my favorite Idaho reporting anecdotes is the time I called then-Gov. Phil Batt's press secretary, Amy Kleiner, and a voice that clearly wasn't Amy's answered, saying, "Amy Kleiner's office." It was Gov. Batt. Well, it just happened again. I put in a call…

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Idaho Dems launch candidate hunt

The Idaho Democratic Party is launching a "special candidate recruitment committee for the 2010 elections," at a time when, with the 2010 primary 10 months away, the party has had no major candidate step forward to challenge sitting GOP Gov. Butch Otter. State party Chairman…

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Spend it now or spend it later...

The National Conference of State Legislatures has surveyed all the states to see how quickly they're spending their federal economic stimulus money - some are spending it all to close their state budget gaps in the current fiscal year, leaving nothing for the following year…

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MONDAY, JULY 27, 2009

Tawni, a dancer at the Torch 2 bikini club in Boise, shows off her 8-inch stiletto heels as she joins Ron "Pete" Peterson, seated at the bar, who announced his candidacy for governor of Idaho Monday at the club.
 (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

Not your average campaign kickoff... 

When Ron "Pete" Peterson announced his candidacy for governor today at a Boise bikini bar, there wasn't exactly a crowd on hand, but the few people there were mostly supportive. "I think it's wonderful," said a dancer named Tawni, who slipped off her 8-inch-high stilettos…

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It's now officially rabid bat season

A bat in Ada County has tested positive for rabies, prompting Idaho health officials to remind people throughout the state to take precautions around bats and make sure that their dogs, cats and horses are adequately vaccinated against rabies. It's the first rabid bat found…

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Risch, Crapo both to oppose Sotomayor confirmation 

Both of Idaho's U.S. senators, Republicans Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, said today they'll vote against confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Differences on 2nd Amendment/gun rights issues were among the top concerns the two cited; both met with Sotomayor personally. “There is…

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SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2009


Priest, Payette Lake lot fees in limbo

When owners of hundreds of cabins on Idaho state land submit their applications to renew their leases next year, each will have to pay a $250 fee – up from $10. But that doesn’t have the owners upset, because it’s small potatoes compared with the…

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THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009



WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009



Officials including the governor and first lady, lawmakers and other shovel dirt at the groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for the long-awaited replacement of the Dover Bridge in North Idaho. (Courtesy phot / Idaho Transportation Department)

Ground broken for Dover Bridge 

The groundbreaking is on now for the infamous Dover Bridge replacement, a project that languished for three decades for lack of funding - despite a large chunk of the bridge deck falling away, and national attention from such media outlets as Popular Mechanics magazine and…

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When a 17.9% loss is good...

Idaho's permanent endowment fund, whose earnings benefit public schools and universities, has been battered by the market in recent years. But there was relatively good news this week: For the fiscal year that ended July 1, the fund was down just 17.9 percent. That may…

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TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2009

Otter praises lottery's 'self-taxation' 

Gov. Butch Otter today approvingly called the Idaho Lottery "probably the clearest form of self-taxation that we have in the state." Here's a link to the governor talking about how much the lottery has raised for schools and state buildings in Idaho in the past…

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Brad Duke of Star, Idaho, won $220.3 million in a PowerBall lottery drawing in 2005. He says he still plays the state lottery from time to time. (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

Winner: 'A couple of bucks for some hope'

When Eye on Boise asked him why he thinks Idahoans are still buying lottery tickets despite the downturn, Idaho's biggest-ever lottery winner, Brad Duke, who won $220.3 million in a Powerball drawing in 2005, said, "There's always the chance, there's always the hope. I suppose…

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Norman Southworth, left, a sales representative for the Idaho Lottery in the Idaho Falls area, indulges in a free hot dog while chatting with the lottery's "PowerBall" mascot at a celebration marking the lottery's 20th anniversary on Tuesday in Boise. (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

Idaho lottery profits up despite downturn

Though the economic times are grim, there's one way Idaho's still making money: By chance. Idaho's state lottery announced today that its revenues for the recently concluded fiscal year set a record for the seventh time in eight years, coming in 2 percent over last…

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Eye On Boise

News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.