Brian Boeck, of Kirkland, Wash., left, and his friend Tim McGuiness clip into their snowboards at Stevens Pass, Wash., Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 24, 2006. The first measurable snow, about 3-4 inches at the base, fell at Stevens Pass during the day prompting Boeck and McGuiness to drop their rock climbing plans and see what the snow was like at the ski area. (AP Photo/The Herald, Jennifer Buchanan)

Eye On Boise 2-fer: Demo Jerry Brady's internal polling shows him with 2 point lead over Butch Otter in Idaho guv race here. And: Bill Sali, Larry Grant exchange verbal jabs in final debate here.

1. Vacuum cleaner salesman from Hayden becomes the first person to be busted by St. Maries police for allegedly violating the city's anti-soliciting ordinance here.

2. The real estate slump in Boise has Realtors desperate enough to turn to their patron saint, St. Joseph, and even try voodoo here.

3. Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg, Idaho, has stopped publishing the names of newborn babies in local newspapers out of concern that the baby notices could lead to abductions here.

4. The principal of Park High School in the Livingston (Mont.) School District returned to school Tuesday after a six-day suspension for giving a student a "wedgie" here.

5. Spurred by the knowledge that Spokane's Slavic community is using PCB-laden fish as a substenance source, Washington state has begun a massive cleanup of the Spokane River here.

6. IMHO-NW: Jim Fisher/Lewiston Tribune (Stuck with president's course), Trish Gannon/River Journal ('Tis fun to work with kids), Randy Stapilus/Ridenbaugh Press (2nd District D raises $$$ old-fashioned way), John Blanchette/SR (Coug defenders have adapted well), and Brian Murphy/Idaho Statesman (Largent honored as hall-of-famer).

Online Poll: 37.3% of 899 respondents to a Seattle PI poll said it of equal importance to them in voting is a candidates' qualifications and which party controls Congress.

*Boise State running back Ian Johnson is ranked No. 1 in the nation in Pat Forde's ESPN.com column (at bottom) here.

*Spokane County assessor pulls property info from county database after real estate pros sound off here.

*UIdaho saves $123 million by cutting pensioners' retirement benefits here.

Orbusmax Special: Eastern Washingtonian pleads innocent to trying to hire a hitman to kill unborn child here.

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