Huckleberries Best of the INorthwest — 2/2/07

After clearing snow off the spring count-down sign, Josh Clarke, an employee at Plant Land in Evergreen, Mont., changes the days from 49 to 48 on Thursday. The first day of spring is March 21/Craig Moore, AP Photo/Daily Inter Lake.

Eye On Olympia: State Capitol could get a souvenir shop — finally here.

1. Racing to get a new law in place a day before threatened protests at military memorial services in Yakima and Spokane, Gov. Chris Gregoire this morning signed into law “the Washington Rest in Peace Act.” The bill bans “tumultuous conduct” and other disruptions within 500 feet of funerals here. Meanwhile, a Kansas group has called off plans to picket a soldier’s funeral in Yakima this weekend here.

2. A Senate committee unanimously endorsed legislation Thursday that would allow the hunting of wolves and grizzly bears in Montana once the animals are removed from federal protections. The bill by Sen. Joe Balyeat, R-Bozeman, drew no opposition in a Senate Fish and Game Committee hearing, and is backed by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks here.

3. Four Northwest senators say they will support a bipartisan resolution that criticizes President Bush’s plan to increase U.S. troop presence in Iraq: Republican Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon and Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell of Washington state here.

4. A House committee passed a measure today that would protect journalists from facing prison for not revealing confidential sources. The bill now heads to a vote on the House floor. The House Judiciary Committee passed the measure on a 10-1 vote with no debate here.

5. E-mails Gone Wild: Kootenai County Deputy Prosecutor Rick Baughman quit in the wake of a scandal involving office e-mails here. Meanwhile, Spokane police are investigating a Spokesman-Review online employee for possibly downloading child porn after he was fired by the newspaper here.

6. IMHO-NW: Rich Landers/Spokesman-Review (Beware when computers are involved), Tecla Markosky/UI Argonaut (Politics of starving), Milt Priggee/political cartoon (Iraq reality), Idaho Statesman (Fill positions in public safety), G. George Ostrom/Bigfork (Mont.) Eagle (A wolf not shot).

Online Poll: 54% of 962 respondents to a Seattle PI poll say it’s “a great idea” that the UIowa has installed high-tech washing machines in its dorms that e-mail students when the laundry cycle is finished. 27% said, “it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of.”

*Ex-Coeur d’Alene bingo casino CEO Dave Matheson wants tribal members paid $1,000 per month from gaming profits here.

*UIdaho student enrollment drops again here.

*A construction worker is in critical condition after being buried under 3 feet of dirt near Caldwell, Idaho, here.

*Indians’ heritage, eagles collide in court here.

Orbusmax Special: Man who left Alaska on a lawnmower in 2005 is now in Utah here.