"I've decided not to bore you with a long commentary about the latest developments involving the last remaining daily newspaper in Spokane and the fact that it cut its news staff by 40 persons in what employees called "Black Thursday," columnizes Bob Paulos/Coeur d'Alene Press. "It also announced a new program for its North Idaho edition, one of which may be even more impractical than the several it has tried so far. On the death of its latest effort one Review staffer remarked, "The Review's tombstone will be more readable than The Coeur d'Alene Press." Now perhaps the mental giant who came up with that remark will figure out a way to deliver tombstones to North Idaho homes each morning and get people to pay for them. That idea is dead on delivery as they say. The Review is one Spokane business that still refuses to believe that North Idaho has become its own 'Inland Empire' and not part of theirs." Full column here.

DFO: Coupla things. Sixteen were laid off in the SR newsroom, not 40. About 40 were laid off companywide. Secondly, I'm as much of a fan of Coeur d'Alene as my old buddy Bob. But you'd have to be blind not to see that there's all kinds of revitalization energy going on in downtown Spokane. "Inland Empire" is an old name that means little to newcomers. I prefer Inland Northwest -- and to enjoy what's happening on both sides of the state line.

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