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In her new End Notes blog, SR colleague Rebecca Nappi posts: “At lunch Thursday with one of my favorite people, Dr. Elizabeth Welty, who was a doctor in Spokane when women doctors were quite rare here, told me the 'secret' to an active life at 96. 'Keep busy. Plan tomorrow.' And, I noted, she drank real coffee — black.” (2007 SR file photo of Dr. Welty)
trappings made of fanciful materials such as feathers, flowers, lace or beads. They're typically attached to hats or worn in one's hair in lieu of a hat, along with formal attire. Some American hat retailers say the accouterments have been selling strong ever since photos of Ms. Middleton wearing them began to surface a few months ago. Customers are mostly brides and fans of the Kentucky Derby, the annual race that's populated by attendees donning frivolous, oversized hats/Sarah E. Needleman, Wall Street Journal. 
ceremony on Sunday. While the Roman 
violent felony. Like every other criminal defendant, Grow is presumed innocent — repeat, innocent — until proved guilty. But Grow's constitutional rights as an individual do not parallel — nor do they outweigh — his obligation to serve the public interest. Valley County deputies arrested Grow April 14 at his Brammer Building office. The next day, he appeared before Magistrate Henry R. Boomer on a charge of sexually assaulting a woman April 3 inside a residence at Tamarack Resort near Donnelly. A preliminary hearing is set for May 10. Released on $15,000 bail, Grow attended the April 18 commissioners' meeting. So far, he has declined to talk about his case, except to say he intends to remain in office/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. 
second place tie with CBS in the 18-49 demographic behind Fox and American Idol. On a night when the broadcast networks faced stiff competition from the first round of the NFL draft on ESPN and the NBA playoffs on TNT, Fox averaged a 4.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 14.4 million viewers overall while NBC and CBS averaged a 2.5 rating each, with NBC pulling in 5.2 million viewers compared to CBS’ 10.9 million/The Hollywood Reporter. 
nostalgic: “Remember the fun midnight madness sales that downtown merchants used to make happen on warm summer nights? The pre-Art on the Green/Mega-Street Fair-era sidewalk sales which only the actual shops participated in? I do really enjoy what downtown Cd'A has to offer in the current tense (art galleries, art galleries, pricey ladies clothing boutiques, art galleries and art galleries), but it seems to me there was just a more interesting variety of shopping and dining options back then (where did all the bookstores go?). A handful of places from back then are still in existence, but a fond RIP to the rest of these long-forgotten names. 
“Hoop Shoot” Finals in Springfield, MA on April 29th and May 1st. Dylan Bengtson, a fourth grade student at Dalton Elementary, has earned his spot in the national event after winning the local, district, state and regional qualifying rounds. At the regional contest in Portland, Dylan made 22 out of 25 free throw shots to secure his spot at nationals. Boys and girls from ages 8 to 13 will compete in the 39th annual event on Saturday that originated in Corvallis, Oregon when an Elks member noticed younger grade school kids being left out of basketball play at a local gymnasium/KHQ. 
Saunders of Coldwell Banker is asking herself that after a burglar swiped copper pipe from a vacant house at 27142 Clagstone Road/Athol, between April 18 and Wednesday, when the theft was noticed. The thief took the copper pipe from a closet in the basement containing the hot water heater. The thief took three pieces of 1-inch pipe — in lengths of 48, 40, and 12 inches. The sheriff's report says the cut ends of the copper pipe remaining were crimped incidating they had been cut with a bolt cutter. The house has been vacant for a year.
being with a 25YO buddy who'd been arrested 13 minutes earlier for DUI. Seems they were in their buddies vehicle in the 500 block of Lakeside when cops popped their friend who blew a .148. The buddy admitted to drinking but told officers he'd started the vehicle to warm up. Beer was found in the vehicle. Afterward, the two sidekicks confessed they were drinking as they walked home. All this happened between 1:37 and 1:50 a.m. And this post means that 
On his Facebook wall, Henry Johnston writes that he got more than he asked for when he asked the Daily Grind in Moscow today for “The biggest Mocha you have, double shots” He'd seen the biggest cup on display as a 20 oz thought that'd be fine. Instead, he got a 36oz mega tub with 12 shots in it. Quoth Henry: “Wowza! I'm wired!”
flashed an oversized grin. “The girls call this my Joker smile.” I sighed and squirmed, trying to get comfortable on the beige plastic chair at the Department of Licensing. “I like it. It’s cute,” I replied to my son. “Gosh, Mom! It’s supposed to be scary – horrifying, even!” Zachary and I were at the DOL to get his learner’s permit. In a few months’ time I’ll have three children who are licensed to drive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you/Cindy Hval, Front Porch. SR. 
say he was seeking an intimate relationship. The messages were among more than 14,000 Steele sent through a Ukrainian online dating website in the months before his arrest last June. Steele told Tatyana Loginova he was looking for “his second half, a girl he couldn't live without,” and that he was not in love with his wife. Edgar Steele told her he had “produced the greatest children in the world, but I deserve more. I will never have another American woman, never again,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci Whelan said/Meghann Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. 
contested-case hearing today that ISP has received “intel” about “people who may want to interfere with the loads.” He said, “There are organizations who would like to disrupt the movement of the load either by means of personnel or more severe.” Richardson declined to provide more information, saying the intelligence was “confidential information.” He said, “There have been threats,” and said, “Everybody has got a different definition of terrorism”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. 
trivia. By year’s end, Idaho may be the only state in the union to never hold a special election to fill a U.S. House vacancy, Idaho has shared this distinction with Nevada. But later this year, Nevada will hold a special election to succeed Republican Rep. Dean Heller, who was appointed this week to succeed John Ensign in the U.S. Senate. Part of this is a matter of happenstance. Idaho has never had a House member resign mid-term, and only one Idaho House member has died while in office/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman.
his white heritage, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The reason he picketed taco trucks in Coeur d’Alene – an activity that is deeply offensive to both heart and stomach – is because the Hop brothers, being from California and all, truly understand what will happen if we let tacos and the people who make them proliferate. In his interview with the S-R, Michael Hop tried to whitewash these things the way bigots always do – it’s not that they hate anybody; it’s just that they’re proud of their race, see? Nothing wrong with that/Shawn Vestal, SR. 
U.S. Sen. Jim Risch: By far and away there is really only one issue today. And that's the precarious issue of our finances. The federal government will spend $3.8 trillion this year which doesn't mean anything to anyone because of the size of that number. But when I tell you that they will borrow 40% of it, between $4 and $5 billion every day (twice the annual budget of the entire state of Idaho), it will help put it into perspective.
sentenced to 15 years in prison. James Roy “Slim” O'Neill, 49, was the kingpin of a cocaine distribution ring that supplied the drug in North Idaho for at least a decade and operated partly out of Chiller's bar on Sherman Avenue. According to court documents, O'Neill also grew marijuana near Mineral Ridge, a popular hiking area that gives a 
hero renounces his U.S citizenship following a clash with the federal government. The Man of Steel, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938, has always been recognized as a devoted American warrior who constantly fought evil, but as of Thursday, he is no longer the country's own to claim. “I intend to speak before the United Nations tomorrow and inform them that I am renouncing my U.S. citizenship,” he says in a cell in the issue. “I'm tired of having my actions construed as instruments of U.S. policy”/Holly McKay, Fox News. 
volumes about the show. For one thing, they are seeking someone to play the “Olympia Beer Bikini Girl.” The show is about a group of 30-something guys on a bowling team and, like every show on Spike, it is aimed at the male market. Or should we say, the dude market. Here are a few of the fictional bowling teams being cast locally through Big Fish NW Talent: The Mullets (plus a Mullet Mom and Mullet Baby). The Super Vixens. Ballbarians/Jim Kershner, Spotlight. 
obsessed with, some become too emotionally invested to admit there was no conspiracy. Therefore, people believe the Warren Commission was a fraud, and that two Independent Counsel reports from offices overseen by Republican IG sconcluding that Vince Foster committed suicide, are merely covering up. For others, there are more practical reasons to keep the conspiracy alive/Adam Graham, Adam's Blog. 
safety reasons and to allow students to get to their classes. “The policy is to keep the campus safe and undisrupted when demonstrations are taking place. When Westboro Baptist Church visited us this last year we did not have a policy in place to say ‘OK, you’re welcome on our campus and we believe in the First Amendment right to free speech.’ However, we don’t believe groups that are demonstrating or exercising their right to free speech have the right to impede traffic or to disrupt classes or things of that nature”/Mitch Coffman, Idaho Reporter. 
Parents who let their kids drink when supervised – because they think it's safer than an outright ban on underage drinking – may want to rethink their approach due to a new study in the 
has he seen a reaction as stoic as that of Edgar Steele at his Sagle-area home last June when Spike told him his wife, Cyndi Steele, had died in a car crash after being run off the road near Portland, Ore., Spike testified today. “It was flat, paused, almost contrived. It was as if he was trying to retrieve something in an archive and come up with what the answer was. It wasn't natural,” Spike said. “He kind of choked up. It appeared as though he was trying to develop tears, and no tears developed”/Meghann Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels.
Santa Fe: Why is the leader of this country and wife on Oprah in the first place? Didn’t he state yesterday regarding him producing the long form of his birth certificate that “there are more important things that need to be done”? Guess the appearance on Oprah is important????
all goes according to plan, I’m 8 weeks from delivering my son. It’s my second, so I shouldn’t be surprised at the weird things people say to pregnant women. I was starting to think it was just me, so I checked around with some of my pregnant friends. I found out, it’s universal; people say really weird things to you as soon as another human being starts growing in your stomach. Maybe people just don’t know what they should say, so, on behalf of pregnant women everywhere, I am here to be your guide/Melissa Luck, KXLY. 
tragedy. In a News-Press column today, she said: “I have watched them walk the streets of Mullan without seeing them, speak to people in genuine distress without hearing them, and attend a heartfelt and moving vigil without actually being there. I am sickened. Being an objective journalist does not mean it is acceptable to sell your soul for a story; there must be a level of compassion and connection to the people around you or the integrity of your words is lost.” I'd say young Tessler has lost her objectivity in an attempt to ingratiate herself to individuals that she will be covering in the Silver Valley. I'd also say that she certainly wasn't describing professional SR staffers Becky Kramer, Alison Boggs, and Kathy Plonka who have been covering the tragedy. She should name names and specific examples rather than slime a whole profession that knows a whole lot more than her how to deal with breaking news. 
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna. Lanza said he doesn't know how many are working for the company hired for the job with money from the National Education Association on behalf of the Idaho Education Association. “The IEA took this step, and I endorse it, because we are serious about succeeding in this petition drive,” Lanza said in an email. “Having paid signature gatherers is not unusual, as you know. They've been hired as insurance. We expect to collect at least 60,000 signatures just through volunteers”/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. 
is malevolent. Cynical. Corrosive. The hubbub about the royal wedding is rooted not just in romance, but in an affinity for history. The huffing and puffing about Obama the “foreigner” reflects the worst of the politics of the present. So, if my oather friends wake up Friday when the clock strikes Ungodly, to watch a wedding seven times zones away, so what? It’s no skin off of the nose I haughtily hold aloft. You celebrate the event in your way. I’ll shrug it off in my way. Just let me sleep in, and all is right with the world. But, ah, the birthers. Can’t fathom them, either. So I’ve tried to ignore them, much as I’m trying to tune out the oathers this week/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. 
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for the door didn’t stay secured (old fridge), so while the Vet and Vet Tech’s were gone for 2 days the door was open,” said executive director Rondi Renaldo. Among the medicines lost were: Cat vaccines FVRCP, Dog Vaccines DA2PPV and Bordetella, Rabies Vaccines, SNAP test kits – which test for Parvo and these are very expensive, and Blood test panels – slides for our machine. “We have around 80 dogs and 120 cats so we can’t wait to replace the medicine,” said Renaldo. The Humane Society doesn't get money from local governments. All donations are tax deductible. /Kootenai Humane Society news release (208-699-4844).
constitutionality of SB 1108, the bill to remove most collective bargaining rights from Idaho teachers, and related “trailer” bills including one adding an emergency clause to that measure. “Because the Legislature, Gov. Otter and State Superintendent Luna failed to listen to the voices of Idaho citizens and, in the case of SB 1108 and the trailer bills, overstepped their legal bounds, the IEA supports citizen efforts to place referenda on the ballot challenging the Luna laws,” said Sherri Wood, IEA president/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. 
world cup…. buntings galore will start appearing tomorrow (I do know there are tackie souvenirs in the shops of maties tell me) and many hundreds of thousands of normal everyday people prepare for the street parties… special licenses have been obtains to have roads closed for such events…. I myself will be going to a street party up me fellow woodelfs road, which is a culdisac…. tables will be laid in the middle of the street with buntings and all the houses will come together for a huge party… its mainly for the kids, ok thats a lie LOL/Marmitetoasty. 
That's what Mr. Obama, Senior was listed as - African. And for the life of me, I do not remember “nationality” (African) being substituted with “race” in the 1960's. But, I may be in complete error. When I first wrote on this issue, I asked for folks to help me find out how blacks/negroes/African Americans were referred to, on official Hawaiian documents, during that period of time. My guess is, that IF the “birther” conspiracy continues, it will hinge on some key points, one of which is this “official term”. Another might be signatures and some minor point that pops out. 
the lake some, or flooding will be severe this year. They were negligent a few years ago, imo, in not anticipating the runoff and flooding was major. With huge accumulations of snow in the mountains still occurring and virtually no melt, the recipe is for big time grief. The water in the lake is like money in the bank to them but I think their civic duty should prevail. If Avista Dan is around, I hope they get the message. This record rainfall will do nothing but make the potential problem more likely.
at press conference in 1963): “I met her. She came to San Francisco to speak to the Commonwealth Club when my father was its President. Since I spoke French, he took me with him to meet her at the airport. With her was her daughter, about my age (maybe the one who died in 1967), with whom I got to visit after the limo dropped us at her hotel. My faux pas: asking what kind of music and dances they liked in Vietnam — they were not allowed to dance.” 
May. Kayla Heard of Union, Washington, could talk when she was 1, and read at 18 months. She started first grade at age 3, graduated from high school at 10, and began community college at 11. Kayla is home-schooled and is earning her social sciences degree though WSU online. “My parents felt it wouldn't be good to send me to a campus at such a young age,” she said. “I appreciate their decision, mainly because online studying has given me quite a bit of flexibility in my schedule”/Eric Wilkinson, KING5. 
April 17. Mr. Payne filed first degree murder charges against four defendants involved in the murder, which may have been sparked by jealousy. “Based on what I know right now, I don’t believe it meets with the statutory criteria,” Mr. Payne said of his decision not to seek the death penalty. Jody Miller, Kelly Miller, Irael Kennedy and Stephen Milton drove from Spokane to Plummer the night of the murder. The four left a Spokane bar to make the trip to Plummer several hours after Jody Miller saw seeing Swiney with Miller’s former girlfriend/Dan Hammes, St. Maries Gazette-Record. 
this month. Sheriff Robert Kirts deputized five tribal police officers. The action came two months after an effort by the tribe to pass a state law that would give tribal officers authority over non-tribal members failed. Benewah County lobbied against the legislation, which generated considerable news coverage at the time. “I deputized five of their officers who I know are good officers and work well with our officers,” Sheriff Kirts said
that opponents have portrayed it as, Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, says the Republican budget proposal is actually an attempt to save the country from bankruptcy. The “Path to Prosperity” proposal, also referred to as the Ryan plan after House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, would revamp the Medicare/Medicaid system and reduce federal spending by upwards of $4 trillion over the next decade. Speaking to about 100 people at a town hall meeting in Lewiston Tuesday evening, Labrador said the first thing people need to understand is the plan wouldn't affect Medicare benefits for anyone who's 55 or older/William L. Spence, Lewiston Tribune. 
at the self-serve counter at Mitchell’s IGA in Cheney. He ate it as he shopped for peanut butter (crunchy), jelly, bread and other items. When he left, he forgot to pay for the 99-cent dog – though he did pay for more than $28 in groceries. Store managers approached him once he left the store, refused his efforts to pay for it, and held him for the police to arrive when things got heated. Thirteen weeks later, Richardson was found not guilty by a baffled jury with a minimum of deliberation/Shawn Vestal, SR. 
school's campus, limiting potentially disruptive picketing, leafleting and other free speech activities to the designated zone. NIC Vice President for Student Services Sheldon Nord says that if approved, the policy would place limits on the time, place and manner of free speech activities. He says similar restrictions have been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court/Associated Press. 
On her Facebook wall, Cindy tells of a one-sided conversation with her son, Zack, who stated after school: “Look what this girl at school gave me! A 22 caliber bullet! Isn't it shiny? She also gave me crayons— cuz I wanted crayons.” Comments Cindy: “Courtship rituals sure have changed since I was in high school.”
watch. I confess, I am a sucker for this kind of stuff, I can hardly wait as I am looking forward to every detail and wardrobe malfunction that may occur. But mostly, I am looking forward to the red carpet hats, the flowers, the colors, who sits next to who, the horses and carriage, and all of the fanfare that comes with it! Seriously, who doesn’t like a wedding? And, this one is free, you don’t even have to pony up a gift/Stebbijo, Stebbijo's Place. 
expansion of the brewery that would be happening soon with the addition of five more fermenter’s. When I asked him if that had anything to do with the rumor I heard about them possibly adding canning equipment to the brewery, he replied “We are still looking at that, but nothing is set in stone”. What he did tell me is that the reason for the expansion is that they are going to become a internationally distributed craft beer with the addition of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada to their distribution area. (They are currently in 30+ states in the US)/Jamie Lynn Morgan, Brewing Some Fun. 
of being dismissed. He did ask that I point out to motorists that when seeing a deer at the side of the road, slow way down. They sometimes panic jump just when you are about to pass. All’s well that ends well, except the damage to her car and the cost of retaining an attorney, which turned out to be unnecessary due to the public outcry of Injustice. The ISP definitely has egg on their faces for not supervising their troopers effectively. I’ll have more on this story on my blog, Bayviews.
Shannon Derby, pictured, was just struggling to fit in. Derby’s family moved a lot making high school a challenge for the teenager, who attended 10 different schools by the time she was a junior in high school. She was constantly starting over and trying to make friends while struggling to keep up on her school work and meet the requirements to advance grade levels. Midway through her junior year, when her parents announced they were planning to move again, Derby decided to drop out/Stacy Hudson, Press Room. 
On his Facebook wall, OrangeTV/
an “old codger” with a snow blower across the street. When I asked Taryn, with concern, how she defined “old codger,” she replied: “
conspiracy theorists. The JFK assassination theorists at least have some probable explanation to cover most of their bases. People who challenged whether the death of Vince Foster was a suicide had some serious forensics questions about the matter. Now, most of the people asking the questions may have been amateurs, but there was at least some rhyme and reason to the questions. A good conspiracy theorist has got a story to tell that is endowed with some, at least, superficial plausibility. What we’re presented with the questions about the President’s birth certificate doesn’t even rise to the level of hypothesis/Adam Graham, Adam's Blog. 
and I'd put on Phoebe Snow's new self-titled album with its sad and haunting single “Poetry Man” and pace the living room of my sister's house holding Nichole and crying. It was my first real experience with that grief unique to first heartbreak, and I didn't know how I would ever be happy again. Snow, pictured, sang my despair. The singer died today from a brain hemorrhage, according to a 
KISS has been booked into the Spokane Arena for a June 24 show. Tickets will be $47.50, $67.50 and $97.50, on sale Friday at 10 a.m. through 
like there's any money blocking my access!” No response, not even a smile or acknowledgment that I was there other than a hand held out to collect my boarding pass and ID. I found it, he checked it and then I was simply pointed to the next stop in the cattle run that is airport security. After nearly stripping to my skivvies at the metal detector, I was led through one of those newfangled body scanners. Trying to lighten the mood a bit, I made a comment to the agent somewhere along the lines of “I hope the person on the other end likes what they see!” That comment got me escorted off to the side where I was subjected to a rather rigorous and almost date-worthy groping/Henry Johnston, Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
and feather President Bush after gasoline hit the $3-a-gallon mark. Then along came Obama who promised us all change. Too bad we didn’t realize that he was talking about gas changing to four bucks a gallon. I tell you, the gas woes are so bad that even the criminals are suffering. Take what happened Easter Sunday on Lake Coeur d’Alene. A couple of bozos supposedly stole a 19-foot fishing boat from a slip. Their joy cruise was short-lived. Kootenai County sheriff’s deputies found the fools bobbing in the water like a dead carp. You guessed it – outta gas!/Doug Clark, SR. 
few grasp what that means. “A lot of people are hearing this urban renewal word and LCDC, and don't really understand what it is,” Souza said. Folks need to be enlightened, the business owner and community activist said. Souza and other community members have organized a town hall meeting tonight aimed at bringing folks up to speed on how urban renewal districts work, as well as their current status in Idaho/Alecia Warren, Coeur d'Alene Press. 
what? That is the kind of enterprise that gives me a run-and-hide feeling. Are they tunneling under my house even now? From which sewer pipe will one of these guys emerge to bomb our men and women? We will never, ever in a million years eliminate the Taliban. We have only stirred a bees nest that will come home to haunt us in our quaint hometowns. I wonder how they treated these people in that prison — if they treated them like some of the horror scenes we have seen. If so America has some new hardcore enemies on the loose. “The War in Afghanistan: Brought to you by the makers of the War on Drugs.” Great job on these wars, fellaz, really shining example of what not to do for your country. (AP photo: A prisoner looks out of his cell window at the main prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Monday.)
April 4th, 2000. It just hurt too much to run anymore. In 2002, I entered Bloomsday at the last minute, walking most of it, trying to run some of it. And afterwards, I had waay too much pain. I couldn’t walk for almost a week. When I was in shape for running, Bloomsday was almost like a big Runners’ Party. But in the 2002 Bloomsday, my gout flared way up, I was totally out of shape, and hadn’t trained for it, so my advice is, if you’re gonna enter it, and you’re not in shape for it, don’t decide to run it at the last minute.
wrong with promoting conservation, but to say that we should all stop eating meat totally is pushing it a little too far. After all, we humans, are omnivores. And seriously, I’m not going to start eating tofu and beans every day just so I can save some cows and chickens from being slaughtered. Also, I do stand by my previous statement that if they can perform medical research on animals before they start testing it on humans I’m all for that. Medical research that is, not testing women’s cosmetics or whatever other things they do from time to time.
human beings and, to the best of your ability, live an antiseptic life. But no matter how hard you try, if there is a cold germ in the vicinity with your name on it, you're going to get sick. I caught mine in church, which is an indication that even God himself is not going to protect you from a cold germ. I was minding my own business, praying to the Lord for goodness and world peace and stuff like that when I noticed out of the corner of my eye a little girl in the row next to me who kept sniffling and snuffling and wiping her runny nose with her hands and then wiping her hands on the sides of her dress/Kathy Hedberg, Lewiston Tribune. 
the air back in olde Eire when friends and strangers gather together at the corner public house and start guzzling robust pints of ale. Your liver may disagree with that idea, but O'Shay's Irish Pub & Eatery in Coeur d'Alene is a great place to get totally sláinted. Located directly on the last leg of the eastbound stretch of the Centennial Trail, over time O'Shay's has proved itself as one of few reasons to travel further east on Sherman Ave. than the old IGA for a maple bar and a juicy Chester Fried Chicken breast/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. 
western hard-rock mining companies here for every violation they can, no matter how trivial and irrelevant to safety, in order to keep funding the agency. That they will attempt to capitalize on the tragedy of one mining family (and community) is simply egregious. MSHA ran a full inspection of the Lucky Friday not very long ago and found nothing of import wanting, and Pete’s is the mine’s first fatality in a quarter of a century. MSHA should clean its own house, including the rule that no rescue efforts can begin until their people show up from all over the country, when there are people “on the ground” and ready to roll right away.
windshield, causing her to swerve out of control and sever a power pole on Highway 2, near the western city limits of Sandpoint. Judith H. Linker, 69, was airlifted to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane after the crash, which occurred at 11:14 at M/P 25. Keith E. Nicholas, 37, of Libby, Mont., kept his eastbound 1986 Ford Mercury under control after hitting a deer that emerged from a ditch along the road. However, after the deer hit her westbound 2009 Toyota Scion, Linker swerved across Highway 2, severed a power poll, traveled through a creek, coming to rest on the opposite side.
Major Ben Wolfinger's weekly warrants roundup for missing felons is offering a Ladies Day of sorts this week, with 4 local females leading the notorious honor roll. Carey Rose Bradshaw, 30, of Post Falls (far left, top) is wanted on a probation violation charge in a case originally involving obtaining controlled substance by fraud. (Bail bond for her is set at $75,000). Mindy Renee Dixon, of Coeur d'Alene (middle, top), who celebrated her 30th birthday last Wednesday on the run, 
is wanted on a charge of criminal possession of a financial transaction card, grand theft. (Bail is set for her at $35,000.) Chrisanna Marie Gagne, 20, of Athol (bottom), is charged with probation violation for grand theft. (No bond is set.) and Andrea Rebecca Roll, 28, of Coeur d'Alene (far right), is wanted for failure to appear in court on a charge of possession of controlled substance, possesion of paraphernalia, and pettit theft. (Bond is set for her at $50,000.) 
out of my car) I put the garbage in a McDonald's bag, but apparently tossed my wallet on top of the bag when I was done paying, and threw it away with the trash. It wasn't until the next day when I realized my wallet was gone, remembered that the trash seemed heavy and it all clicked I was most worried about losing my fishing license, but I called Fish and Game and found out I can get a replacement — and that will be lots easier than replacing my driver's license and social security card.”
need a bit of dirt underfoot and the smell of pine needles in your nose. But to get out in nature, it usually takes an extended ride in an exhaust-belching car. Which feels a little strange.” The Inlander then picked out 5 spots in Spokane where you can feel as though you're away from it all. Now, driving to Spokane, would take a ride of around 35 miles — and you still would be hard-pressed to match what you would find in North Idaho/Inlander. 
get people’s attention? Playboy models pose in a bathtub to highlight the UK's water consumption during PETA World Water Day in March. 
the hook for presents big-time. Trouble is, I’m out of ideas. Not just short of gifting notions, mind you, but bereft. Back when we were courting my go-to plan was always a book of poetry. But we’ve run through Byron, Shelley, Keats, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Emily Dickinson, Yeats and a whole lot of Shakespeare. Matter of fact, I think we’re down to Rudyard Kipling; shoot, I almost gave Victoria a copy of Charge of the Light Brigade on our anniversary last year. … So the sad, sad truth, the dirty lowdown, is that I’m gonna have to resort to gift cards/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. 
Dunno what Lonnie's musical tastes are. But if a vehicle burglar broke into my Toyota 4Runner to steal my CDs, s/he'd better be a Broadway musical fan. The burglar would find the scores to “Les Miserables,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Rent,” “Evita,” and many more.
On his 
education system: “The Columbia Basin Herald apologizes for negative comments made in the “My Turn” column about an experience at Moses Lake High School. “This newspaper does not agree with or support (reporter) Lynne Lynch's opinions about our public school system,” said Publisher Harlan Beagley. “We find it offensive and in no way do we endorse it.” Lynch wrote her opinion about why she was choosing private school over public education in the Moses Lake School District in the weekly “My Turn” column. She included personal observations of a teacher's wardrobe, a staff member's hygiene, two students swearing in a parking lot and the annual salary for a teacher. Lynch said she was trying to illustrate a few areas she perceived as problems.” 
this judicial development with the last installment in my trilogy of Eddie Ray tunes. I give you “Goodbye Eddie Ray Hall,” a makeover of Elton John’s 1973 smash, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” Nobody can say Eddie Ray didn’t earn the attention. He’s played the system for a fool since the mid-1970s, racking up at least 16 felony convictions, scores of dope and burglary-related arrests, and at least eight trips to prison, not to mention the bail jumping and escape. But the big hammer came down Thursday in a Spokane courtroom/Doug Clark, SR. 
boat gas, on the trailer, from local Idaho gas stations (Idaho gas is considerably cheaper than Washington gas. Many purchase Idaho fishing licenses. Most Washington boaters register their vessels in Idaho and pay Idaho sales tax on their vessels. (Considerably cheaper than Washington registration and sales tax.) More below.
Dumpster and the fireplace, I was filled with the kind of satisfaction that comes only with a thorough spring cleaning. I was ridding my life of decades of accumulated paperwork. I was liberating myself from encumbrances. I was freeing myself from the dead past. I felt very Zen, assuming a person can feel Zen while staring at an old 1040-A form and muttering, “Geez, how broke were we?” But then, the horrifying thought occurred to me: Was I shredding my life?/Jim Kershner, SR. 
or embarrassed. It was because the bulge – fashioned from wire mesh and cotton quilt batting – didn’t actually contain a baby. For the past 6 1/2 months – the bulk of her senior year at Toppenish High School – the 17-year-old A-student faked her own pregnancy. Only a handful of people – her mother, boyfriend and principal among them – knew Gaby was pretending to be pregnant for her senior project, a culminating assignment required for graduation. Her teachers and fellow students, except for her best friend, didn’t realize they were part of a social experiment/Yakima Herald-Republic. 
meeting hosted by Facebook on Wednesday and asked for help in beating back “radical” Republican budget proposals. He sat on a stage next to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who served as moderator and funneled largely friendly questions to a president who makes extensive use of social media in reaching out to voters. Zuckerberg confessed to being nervous, but the two bantered easily. Obama made a light reference to the 26-year-old’s billionaire status. In describing his tax plan, Obama said that he and “frankly, you, Mark,” can afford to pay “a little more in taxes”/Associated Press. 
the boat launch as part of an multi-million dollar renovation to nearby McEuen Field.On Saturday, dozens of boaters and concerned citizens rallied at McEuen Field to encourage city council members to preserve the McEuen field and keep the launch open. “We all agree that we could use a little sprucing up, we could use really nice restrooms and some more paths and benches and nice playground, nice restroom facilities but we don't need $39 million spent in this end of town,” said Rita Sims-Snyder, with Friends of McEuen, a non-profit created to save the area/Annie Bishop, KXLY. 
On her Facebook wall, Cindy writes: “A well-dressed woman knows how to accessorize. That's why today, I'm going with the melted cheese. It adds a bright spot of color when dripped over a V-necked black T-shirt.
accountants, lawyers or physicians. The men who make their living on crab boats have more in common with U.S. Army Rangers, Marines and Navy SEALs than they do with college professors. I was not always the suave, sophisticated, erudite man of letters who stands before you today. I came into this world descended from a long line of hard-rock miners who clawed out a living by busting rocks deep beneath the Earth's surface or in Arizona's open-pit copper mines. They were all hard men. And although early on in my life I decided that I did not wish to follow generations of Costellos into the mine shafts, it never occurred to me that my life would be as anything other than a hard man. The hard man works hard and relaxes hard. Hard men often live lives that are cut short by the intensity of the lives they lead/Michael Costello, Lewiston Tribune. 
playground (near the old oak tree) found broken, asbestos-laden tiles instead. Huckleberries has received a copy of a letter sent out by Bryan Elementary Principal Joel Palmer this afternoon assures parents that the type of asbestos found in the tiles, according to a lab report, doesn't “contain the type of asbestos that becomes airborne when disturbed and causes serious health dangers.” The Coeur d'Alene school, which is located on Harrison between 7th & 10th streets, took the following measures to ensure student safety today: The area was covered with a plastic tarp, filled with soil, covered with sod and then fenced off.” Huckleberries has learned from Bryan sources that younger students believe that a leprechaun lives in the old oak tree and has buried gold somewhere nearby. That's why some of them dig in the area. 
Louisville and Las Vegas, I've indulged in some mighty-fine nightlife. Hell, some of the finest the good ol' U.S. of A has to offer. But each of these aforementioned trips has left me with a certain void upon return - a void I've yet to fill in Coeur d'Alene. You see, I'm a live music fanatic. I love cheap drink specials. I'm a sucker for a good brew. And I love interacting with like-minded individuals. Combine all of these things and I'm one happy camper. The problem is, I typically have to venture far away from our little “Lake City” to achieve this/Mike McCall, North Idaho Sentinel. 
— basically, straight Tea Party doctrine. (My posts from the campaign are 
the defunct Falls Christian Academy in Post Falls, Facebooks that he bought an unused Adam Morrison rookie (Charlotte Bobcats) jersey for $2 at a thrift store. Ryan figures it would have cost $100 new back in the day before the acclaimed rookie from Gonzaga became a bust with two world championship rings with the L.A. Lakers. Such has been the downward trajectory of A-Mo that Ryan wonders: “Should I have just gotten a Slurpee instead?”
feeders, they occupy every major tributary in Idaho south of Lewiston and they are here to stay.” Worly goes on to give a history of carp in Idaho. He concludes by singing the praises of carp tacos, which were offered to him unexpectedly by a friend: “To my relief, all I could taste was the eye-watering hot pepper sauce Ernesto had slathered all over the tortilla. There was no unpleasant taste from the fish and no bones. I was so impressed I ate four more.” 
Blankenship was the blogger of The Justice Gambit. Apparently, he'd recently had surgery. Of his death, President Bob Kustra of Boise State told the Idaho Statesman: ““Mike was highly respected by his students, who were engaged by his lively debates; by his colleagues, who appreciated his passion for teaching and reforming the criminal justice system; and by the Treasure Valley community, who were touched by his outreach and advocacy.” You can read more of 
Last week, Stickman made a reasonable plea that we should have one post a week in which you Merry Hucksters tell the rest of us what you're reading. Rather than simply list a number of titles and authors that you're currently reading or planning to read, I'd like to amend Stickman's request to ask you to give a brief review of your book and grade it on a scale of 1-10 in terms of recommending it to others. Moi? I'm reading Arthur Pink's “Exposition on the Sermon on the Mount”).
3-year-old Trig Palin, is experiencing a boomlet thanks to a new academic 
“Straight Pride.” Those public events have brought attention to the local chapter and its parent organization, Youth for Western Civilization. The goal of the seven-member chapter is to revive Western civilization and make it the dominant culture in the U.S., according to Phil Tignino, the student coordinator for the WSU chapter. “I don't think the U.S. should be known as the country that is home to every culture, language and belief system in the world,” said Tignino, a 22-year-old political science major from Los Angeles/Andrea Castillo, WSU Murrow News Service. 
carded every time I go into a bar unless the employees already know me. I do need to give a shoutout to The Torch here, because I've been going there for years, and they all know me there, but still card just to be on the safe side. I have a friend who has been going there even longer than I have, and he forgot his ID when he walked down one night. Even though everybody from the dancers to the managers knew him and I'd already paid his cover before he arrived, they wouldn't let him in. There are two bars in town where I've never been carded/Anonymous Downtown Bar Patron. 
went in 2002. Both trips, undertaken as a private citizen (but no former president is really a private citizen), were designed to try and move U.S – Cuba relations in a more positive direction. Predictably, Carter was immediately 
due to an impasse over the budget was hardly mentioned. Nary a word was spoken about bailouts or taxes. Instead, speakers at this Tea Party event gave the crowd a heavy dose of racist “birther” attacks on President Obama, discussions of the conspiracy behind the problem facing America (complete with anti-Semitic illustration), Christian nationalism, anti-environmentalism, and serious calls for legislation promoting states’ rights and “nullification.” Stout, the Idaho state coordinator for Tea Party Patriots attracted around seventy Tea Party activists from Idaho, Montana, and Washington to the Coeur D’Alene Inn for the conference/Devin Burghart, Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. 
Nearly everyone will admit to watching too much TV, and most of us understand that sitting in front of the tube for hours on end does a lot of negative things to the waistline and little else to our brains. So trying to cut an hour or two out of our daily schedule is a worthy thing to do, but it can be challenging. To turn it off completely for an entire week takes a lot of self-restraint and a lot of planning/Sandra Kelly, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. 
letter from my state senator, John Goedde. In it, Goedde underline a couple of things, including the statement: “Total General Fund appropriations for Public Education (K-12) saw a modest increase of about 1% from the previous year.” Also, the chairman of the Senate Education Committee, mentions the, ahem, “measureable impact” that educators, administrators, and other interested persons had on proposals to reform education. (And you thought that the legislators didn't listen at all? Tsk. Tsk.) You have to read pretty hard between the lines to sense any of the devastation to public education wrought by the 2011 Legislature that looms ahead like Titantic's iceberg. 
on his shoulder. It was former Vandals star lineman Mike Iupati, now of the San Francisco 49ers, who decided to spring a surprise visit on his old coach and teammates. “I turn around and there’s a mountain standing there,” Akey said after Thursday’s workout. “I jumped up and gave him a hug and I started crying.” Akey put a sudden stop to practice and rounded up his players so that Iupati, who helped guide Idaho to a Humanitarian Bowl triumph in 2009, could give an impromptu address to the team. San Francisco’s first-round pick from a year ago didn’t disappoint/Josh Wright, SR. 
celebration of Good Friday converge on April 22. To many in the church this will come as an unwelcome intrusion. I’ve learned in my years as a pastor not to schedule anything that would compete with the rhythms of Holy Week. I’m still reminded occasionally by the keepers of the church calendar about the year I agreed to do a wedding on the Saturday before Easter. I won’t do that again. For others, the threat of this coincidence goes much deeper than potential scheduling conflicts. They will see this as a sacred-secular fault line in an ongoing cultural struggle between two opposing ideologies/Craig Goodwin, pastor of Millwood Presbyterian Church of Spokane, special to CNN. 
of an embodiment of government run amok.
we were having a vodka holiday that week and somehow missed the news. I haven't driven by the newly-constructed Riverstone location (1927 W. Riverstone Drive) to see if construction of this place is indeed an actual reality but I'm assuming it's happening since they already have a presence in the various listings and maps on Google and the online yellow pages (the internet never lies)/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. 
list in the bill which is now law. What is interesting, if I understand this post correctly, is that applications & nominations are being accepted which is a different approach than asking each of the groups delinated in that list to pick the people that will represent them. For example, wouldn’t the School Board Association decide amongst themselves who will sit on the Task Force? Does this announcement mean that if you are a member of the School Board Association you can submit your application directly to the Supt. who will choose the person to sit on the Task Force? Again, if this is the Task Force set out in the bill, it also has a prescribed list of duties too. 
federal judge in Boise ruled Thursday. The testimony and expertise from one proposed expert was unreliable, U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill found, and the qualifications and testimony of the second were irrelevant, at least at this point. Steele, a self-described “attorney for the damned” who’s represented clients including the Aryan Nations, goes to trial on Tuesday on four felony charges related to an alleged murder-for-hire plot to kill his wife and mother-in-law; he faces up to 30 years in prison/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. 
bread and shared it. Scripture reminds us that we will “find Him in the breaking of the bread.” My most profound experience of the risen Christ in the breaking of the bread happened not at church, but at Tampa International Airport. My father was dying and I was escorting him on his journey home. On a sunny Sunday morning, a limousine took us on dad's last ride to an airport. The driver, not knowing dad's health status, asked if he could say a prayer before we left the driveway. He likes to do that, he told us. Of course/Catherine Johnston, EndNotes. 
could be in your latte or your child’s bowl of breakfast cereal. It could be in your refrigerator or freezer. At the very least, the FDA wants to make certain that it’s not in any of the 8 million milk-producing cattle in the United States or the 500,000 dairy cows in Idaho. When test results released last year by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service showed extremely high levels of drugs and antibiotics in cattle from dairies across the nation, including in Idaho, the federal agency announced it would launch a series of tests to address a potential problem/George Prentice, Inlander.
Spokane, Washington. Ah, yes. There are so many reasons not to go there – the considerable excess of Wal-Marts, the tweaked-out, drug-addled zombie people, and for every Smartcar modestly obeying traffic in Seattle, there are two over sized, gas-guzzling pick-up trucks in Spokane running over flowers and babies. Yet here I am, making up a list of reasons why you should drive there on Friday. Well, it’s all about the love – G. Love, that is/Gwendolyn Elliott, Seattle Weekly. 
Herb Huseland: I just read on AOL news that two guys in New York City hailed a cab and said, “take us to Los Angeles.” The cabbie did just that. A $5000 fare compared to about $1000 by air didn’t deter these guys. They claimed they were sick and tired of being strip searched in airports, sitting in crowded aircraft where even peanuts aren’t free anymore. I remember a similar situation where another driver (when I was a cda cabbie) had a woman hire him to take her from Coeur d’Alene to Seattle.
Auditor tab. “This project has been supported by all the County’s elected officials,” said County Clerk Cliff Hayes. “Getting specific descriptions for each expense entered in plain language has been a team effort by numerous County employees who process invoices for payment.” The most recent payables report is online now; new reports will be posted weekly/Kootenai County clerk news release. 
supposed bouncer making-out-and-getting-punched incident and I call BS. We have two bouncers and they’re both extremely hetero (not that there’s anything wrong with that), not to mention one is also female. People tell the police completely crazy things all the time to form a cover story for their various drunken carryings-on and drama moments outside our bar. This one smells really fishy to me like that.
issue in Montana. The ACLU asked the First Judicial Court in January to recognize same-sex couples as domestic partnerships in Montana to guarantee protection of their rights. In Judge Sherlock's ruling, which was filed April 19th, it states, “…in spite of this Court's sympathy for the plight of the Plaintiffs this court finds that the state's motion to dismiss should be granted.” It further states, “This court finds that to be an inappropriate exercise of this Court's power. Primarily it would violate the separation of powers contained in the Montana Constitution”/Melissa Anderson, KRTV. 
Codywiench: I’m from Moscow … so coming to the bars in Coeur d’Alene may as well be going to the bars in the Jersey Shore to me — many of them are full of tools. Moscow is more laid back … we don’t have anyone to impress. 
successful college students. They’ve also been called disposable, unwanted and told they’d never succeed. These Spokane Falls Community College students are former foster youth who are proving their detractors wrong. Recently, the three shared their stories at a College Success Foundation storytelling workshop in Issaquah, Wash. The foundation funds and administrates several scholarship programs like Passport to College Promise, which makes it possible for foster care youth to attend college/Cindy Hval, SR. 
prefer to react as Andy Griffith, not Barney Fife. I grew up with guns. I know how to use them. Family members own guns. I insisted my kids learned how to use them safely. But I don’t see the need to have one handy. I acknowledge that may change. Ironically there are campgrounds I just won’t go to because of the prevalence of alcohol and guns used in concert. I’ve rarely had a need for a gun to protect myself from large predators. But I’ve definitely been scared of my fellow man a time or two. (Wikipedia photo of Don Knotts as Mayberry character Barney Fife)
royal wedding, and urged people to support the royal couple in the weeks, months and years to come. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who will preside over the couple's April 29 ceremony at Westminster Abbey, says he feels honored to be leading the historic nuptials. Williams emphasizes how the couple's wedding will send a positive message to the world. He also praises William and Kate for keeping the wedding true to themselves as a couple, saying that they are “deeply unpretentious people,” sensible and realistic/Associated Press. 
in the back door after he'd been kicked out of the bar. Seems the bar fly thought that the Icon was his house. And who are we to say that the man doesn't feel more at home at the Icon than anywhere else? All of this can be found in the latest Downtown Coeur d'Alene Bar Report (which I posted late Wednesday afternoon, but I didn't want you to miss it). You can also read about the bouncer who got punched in the face by another man but didn't want to press charges because the two had been making out earlier. 
serving on the Students Come First Technology Task Force, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna announced today. Under 
between the city of Coeur d’Alene and the owners of eight homes on a Lake Coeur d’Alene beach that also offers public access. “For the first time, there’s some certainty among the homeowners and the public about public access on Sanders Beach,” said Mike Haman, an attorney for the city. “That’s important because summer is coming and the public will know what they can and can’t do.” Litigation regarding public access to Sanders Beach versus private property rights has dragged on for decades/Alison Boggs, SR. 
describes himself as an anti-race mixing activist on the racist website Vanguard News Network, is accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Investigators are searching Hop’s home near Pullman right now, as well as another property in Whitman County associated with the suspect, said Don Robinson, supervisor for the FBI’s Coeur d’Alene office. Hop, who was arrested this morning, is not a member of the Aryan Nations but is involved in racist circles, Robinson said. Hop, 29, is to appear before a federal magistrate in Spokane Thursday morning/Meghann Cuniff, SR. 
Later, the two were drinking at the Icon when the husband “became aggressive,” according to the latest Downtown Coeur d'Alene Bar Report, because his Bride + A Few Years was talking to another man. Upon returning to the motel room, Mr. Hot Head became abusive toward his wife and trashed the room, “knocking over the microwave, cracking the toilet and other damage.” Mr. Hot Head, 34, was then arrested by Coeur d'Alene's finest for domestic battery. All of this is my way of saying that the latest 
pencil, maybe a gum ball. “But having something you can look at, something that evokes a feeling of place, is priceless,” he said. Cartwright was busy handing out a piece of pricelessness to West Glacier and Canyon elementary school children last week during a ceremony commemorating the newest America the Beautiful quarter. The coin features a scene of a mountain goat standing on a rock overlooking Mount Reynolds, near Logan Pass in Glacier Park/Chris Peterson, Hungry Horse News. 
currently on the Web page of the Freeman School District: “Our community was fortunate to have a quality pool of candidates interested in our superintendent position. We interviewed four great finalists. We are grateful for the participation and involvement of staff, students, and community. Everyone’s input was very helpful. The Board is pleased to announce that we have offered Randy Russell, currently principal of Coeur d'Alene High School, a contract for the position of Superintendent of Freeman School District. Randy will join us at next Thursday’s board meeting. Everyone is welcome to come and be introduced.” A Berry Picker believes that a special meeting for teachers aftere school today will address Russell's move to the Freeman School District.
event, didn’t uphold the rigid weight, height and age standards that other competitions institute. They wanted to be inclusive. “We wanted the event to be open to everyone, to show that Spokane’s fashion scene is diverse,” says event manager Taylor Fyhrie. More pageant than fashion show, Fyhrie says the event was created to celebrate Spokane’s growing fashion scene. “The event is about bringing new opportunities to Spokane,” he says. “Spokane is working to get caught up as far as Seattle and other more fashionably-forward communities”/Jordy Byrd, Inlander. 
heaven. “That’s the beauty. You can make your own masterpiece,” says Froyo Earth owner Steve Kraft. Kraft opened his downtown self-serve frozen yogurt store last summer — and already plans to open northside, Valley and South Hill locations by the end of June. At Froyo Earth, customers choose from 10 different flavors of frozen yogurt and sorbets and more than 50 toppings. “You take and pay for no more than you want,” says Kraft/Kirsten Harrington, Inlander. 
into deviled eggs. In my humble opinion, God was really on his game the day he came up with chickens that lay eggs. With Easter approaching, I’ve found myself craving fish and eggs, not necessarily in that order. But while you can get a fish sandwich from nearly every place in town, it’s hard to find anyone who offers deviled eggs as a regular part of the menu. I’d advise against buying the ones offered at Albertsons. Their deli does a lot of things right, but deviled eggs aren’t one of them. The ones I’ve had there feature overly mustardy yolks surrounded by a rubbery layer of white/Susan Engle, Postcards from the Edge, Lewiston Tribune.
regulations on those games. To appease a 2009 law (set to hit the books this year) aimed at regulating summer and day camp programs , the agency formed a list of “non-passive recreational activities with significant risk of injury” that if a program took part in would then classify the program as a camp, requiring additional—and costly—staffing for medical purposes and record keeping. The list … surprised more than a few people with the inclusion of wiffleball, red rover, dodgeball, kickball, tag, capture the flag, tetherball and so many more/Tim Newcomb, Time. 
missing silver miner in Idaho, a spokeswoman for the mining company said Wednesday. The camera is designed to work in plumbing pipes and is not capable of immediately giving a large-scale view of the open space, said Melanie Hennessey of Hecla Mining Co. “It will take a bit of time to get an understanding of the area,”’ she said. The camera, inserted through a 180-foot-long bore hole completed on Tuesday, provides images from such a small area at a time that rescuers are not sure how large the open space is, she said/Nichola K. Geranios, Associated Press. 
years ago. In fact, I've given away at least half of that collection to local thrift stores — and have plans to keep only a few hundred of my favorites. Part of my problem is finding Pandora online. I can listen to whatever music strikes my fancy without digging into my pile of albums for an oldie but goodie. A Facebook Friend writes of this phenomenon: “Does the availability of music online take the fun out of being a music geek for those of us old enough to have spent endless hours going from record shop to record shop looking for a hard-to-find album or single?
and Gov. Butch Otter. Because the state chose to finance public schools on the cheap, cutting K-12 budgets for the third consecutive year, the Boise district will have to grovel to voters. On Aug. 30, the district will ask voters to pass a property tax levy — aimed at keeping teachers on the job and preventing increases in class size. District officials don’t know exactly how much they’ll seek. They’ll figure that out in July, after they have a better sense of the state’s revenue picture/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. 
telephones. A report by the Centers for Disease Control issued today shows 31.7 percent of Idaho households are wireless only, compared to a 27.5 percent national average. The survey shows the wireless-only trend is growing, up 10 percent compared from 2007 when nearly 20 percent of Idaho homes lacked a land line. Idaho trails Arizona, with 35 percent of homes with wireless phones only, followed by Mississippi, Texas and North Dakota/Spokesman-Review. 
bestselling “Three Cups of Tea” and the massive charity that grew from it? Join the club. In 2001, five years before Mortenson's story turned into a book that would rocket off the bestseller charts, he sold the same tale to me. And I bought it. In my own feeble defense, Mortenson came to me with some automatic mountain-cred: an introduction by Seattle's Tom Hornbein, the legendary Mount Everest climber who then served as a member of the board of the Central Asia Institute, Mortenson's charity to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The reputation of Hornbein, the longtime head of the University of Washington's anesthesiology department, is rock-solid/Ron Judd, Seattle Times.
SReporter Erica Curless. Mayor Curless earns $2400 per year. In a mea culpa on Tuesday, Mayor Hellar writes in the Bee: “In my rush to get my guest editorial published I committed a stupid error. I did not check the information I got from the Internet. I tried to call Dover City Hall and Randy Curless, mayor of Dover, before I submitted it. I could not reach them. I should have waited until I could confirm the data. The Dover mayor does make $45,000, but that is the salary of the mayor of Dover, Md. I sincerely apologize to Randy and the citizens of Dover for the problem I caused.”
on a bill that would prevent Idaho from enacting optional provisions of the 2010 federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly referred to as Obamacare. This will be the first measure axed by Otter in 2011. The death of the measure will be short-lived, however. Republican House Reps. Vito Barbieri of Dalton Gardens and Judy Boyle of Midvale confirmed toIdahoReporter.com Tuesday that the governor will replace the anti-health reform bill with an executive order that contains what could be considered stronger language/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. 
conclusion to six lawsuits arising from disputes regarding Sanders Beach. Orders dismissing the lawsuits, some of which date back to 1998, have been signed and entered. In addition to settling the six lawsuits, the city acquired the homeowners’ rights to build docks and also acquired over sixty feet of beach frontage. In exchange, the city paid a total of $278,500.00 to purchase the property and acquire the dock rights, and also amended the Shoreline Ordinance to allow fences between public and private property at 12th and 15th streets/Victoria Bruno, Coeur d'Alene Today. 
statewide who scored a perfect 100% on Adam Graham's annual conservative scorecard. Vick voted as Adam deemed appropriate on 16 different issues during the Idaho Legislature. John Goedde of Coeur d'Alene and Jim Hammond of Post Falls agreed agreed with Adam 14 of 16 times to score 88% in the annual ratings for North Idaho senators. Bringing up the rear were Shawn Keough of Sandpoint, 63%, and Joyce Broadsword of Sagle, 40%. 
accounts – to organize efforts to repeal three controversial education reform laws passed by the Idaho Legislature earlier this year. One of the teachers even offered to distribute hard copies of referendum petitions through the district’s physical mailing system. According to e-mails turned over to IdahoReporter.com by a source within the district, Eric Thies and Rebekah Marquez, teachers at Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian, used their public e-mail addresses to organize and promote the referendum effort/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. 
ninth-term state senator; two years earlier, he'd sold his house in Soda Springs and bought a home in Meridian, but he was still renting a home in Soda Springs. Under state policies, Geddes was entitled to reimbursement for his moving expenses for the job, including one-way transport of two vehicles. But since he was in Boise, he had to go back to Soda Springs in eastern Idaho each time he packed up and moved household items from there to Boise; as a result, the $1,861.66 in moving expenses he submitted violated the state's rules for two reasons/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. 
on Monday, there was snow, hail, thunder, and lightning. Then the sun came out and within minutes the accumulation on the roof melted, sending a stream of rainwater down from the gutters to the rain chain. Only in Idaho.” A southeastern Idaho reporter used the same expression to describe a lost goat that wandered into a music store. I often wonder when I hear the “Only in Idaho” expression whether such events truly can be found only in the Gem State. Montana, for example, has more weird weather than Idaho, according to my experience in both states. It's possible for a goat or worse to wander into a store in other rural states.
effect
during the session. The Legislature long has done this as a matter of public interest; it's in the public's interest that the business of the legislative session gets reported to the public. Lobbyists, who are here to represent their own interests and clients, rent a room in the capitol and pay for it. In the past, in addition to the rent-free press work space for use during the session, there were several news outlets that also rented year-round space in the Capitol: The Associated Press, the Idaho Statesman, Idaho Public Television and NPR-Boise State Public Radio/Betsy Russell, Idaho Press Club president. 
Idaho Statesman reports the 90-minute drama was part of the Boise Contemporary Theater’s new works reading series Monday. The play, “Off the Record,” is about an airport police officer who detains a U.S. senator after a toe-tapping incident in a public restroom. Lynn Allison’s play takes a fictional turn as the officer and the senator engage in a conversation about American attitudes on homosexuality/Associated Press. 
them could pass me in the store and I wouldn’t recognize them. Like my neighbor who lives across the alley from us. I have talked to him once or twice. And I have join the King in talking to her twice. Their son join the reserves and I wrote several letters and sent pictures of what was going on and telling him what was going on in the town while he was away at boot camp. But recognize him… sorry, but the honest answer is no/Cis, From A Simple Mind.
Spokesman-Review, the Twin Falls Times-News, and the Post Register, among others – are allowed to have free, private office space in the Statehouse funded by taxpayers. The reporters are members of the Capitol Correspondents Association (CCA), which is granted credentialing authority by the Idaho Legislature in Joint Rule 14. When news workers join the CCA, they pay a $10 fee for supplies and are granted some perks, including exclusive access to floor session of the House and Senate, along with free, private office space in the garden level of the Capitol/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. 
department into the renamed Kootenai County Department of Community Development. In a news release this morning, Commissioner Dan Green, pictured, announced that the staff reduction was a move “to respond to changing building industry needs and continued focus on providing cost effective government.” The staff cuts will result in a cost savings of $286,000 per year. The commissioners also reduced their own administrative staff by one person. 
all respect for them. This is mainly because of people like Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter, who recently made it all but impossible for Idahoans to sue megaload companies for damages. For all the Idaho politicians from the Republican Party who claim to be for the common man, a lot of them are siding with big business. Knock it off/Chava, UIdaho Argonaut.
A 26-year-old Pullman man wanted for a probation violation in a case originally involving possession of a controlled substance heads Mayor Ben Wolfinger's felony warrants list of individuals wanted by the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department. A $75,000 bond has been posted for Tracy Don Sines, left. Others with high bonds posted for their apprehension include Shelly Turner, 29, of Athol ($50,000 bond), center, who is wanted for failing to appear to face charges of burglary and kidnapping, and James Ray Garner Jr., 33, of Post Falls ($25,000 bond), who is wanted on a grand theft charge. 
some anti-Republican remarks he made at a conference of the Idaho Education Association (IEA) Friday. Corder encouraged delegates of the group to work against the Idaho Republican Party on education reform laws. It’s possible that Corder, who serves as chair of the Senate Agricultural Committee, could lose that post due to the remarks, though Senate Pro Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, told IdahoReporter.com that decision is up to the GOP caucus and not him/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. 
House District 2. Graham scored Idaho legislators on 16 different votes. Uberconservatives Phil Hart of District 3 and Dick Harwood of District 2 were docked for voting incorrectly, in Graham's estimation, for voting against advertising on school buses — and received a 94% grade as a result. Another uberconservative Vito Barbieri of District 3 missed a perfect score by voting for GARVEE bonding, against Graham's wishes. 4 North Idaho solons scored 94s — Harwood, Barbieri, Bob Nonini, and Frank Henderson, while Hart scored a 93. Rep. George Eskridge scored lowest with a 56%. Everyone else was at 81 percent or better. 
Café, and was hatched earlier this month by that restaurant’s owners Viljo and Autumn Basso. I’ve always enjoyed Syringa for seeming like a little spot of Seattle in the middle of North Idaho, and the Garnet Café has the same hip, urban vibe. There’s a dim-lit bar lined with tall wooden stools, the bandying about of phrases like “duck confit” and “house cured salmon gravlocks”, and a selection of unconventional framed photos and art (our favorite was a wild painting of a gun-welding octopus)/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. 
gives him until May 8 to decide to return to Washington State if he wants. But after listening to him talk for about 15 minutes, it was pretty clear the junior will only be back at WSU next season if something extraordinary happens. We'll have a story up soon/Vince Grippi, SR. (Moscow-Pullman Daily News/AP file photo, Dean Hare: Washington State student Emily King holds a sign asking junior guard Klay Thompson to stay for his senior season March 23, before Washington State's game against Northwestern in the quarterfinals of the NIT in Pullman) 
to hardware stores. And vice versa. Much of the problem with marriages today is the myth that men don't like to shop. Not true. Most men love to shop. They just don't like to shop in fabric stores. And most women don't like to spend too much of their lives in hardware stores. But that fact isn't routinely exaggerated into a myth that most women don't like to shop. Of course, they do, but not so much in hardware stores. They just like fabric better than power tools - unless the power tool is a sewing machine or electric pinking shears/Bill Hall, Lewiston Tribune. 
cultures, they call that Wallace, Idaho. It may be the coolest town on I-90 between Coeur d’Alene and Missoula. In fact, I’m pretty sure it is. It’s home to the Oasis Bordello Museum (a former brothel), the Northern Pacific Depot Railroad Museum and most recently, the 
to buy, that is the question. We would have to license it, get helmets, and put insurance on it… is that worth saving tons in gas money? Probably. Thoughts?” My son rode a moped to the Denver School of Medicine for a few years before he and daughter-in-law Sweet Stephanie bought a second vehicle. Junior's moped has been in mothballs since. Now, as a member of the University of Florida medical staff who deals with head injuries, Junior's stance against mopeds is stronger than ever. He's also become a Helmet Nazi. He once told his mother who shied from wearing a helmet while bike riding because it doesn't look good: “You know what looks worse — brains splattered all over cement.”
basketball team three months after he was one of three individuals expelled for an alleged sexual assault from the University of Pacific in Stockton, Calif. Johnson, who played in 2009-10 for the Vandals, claimed before a judicial board at University of Pacific that he wasn't present at the sexual assault. Head Vandal coach Don Verlin and associate head coach from the University of Pacific, Ron Verlin, are twin brothers. Don Verlin told a local newspaper he recruited Johnson after talking to his brother. The “60 Minutes” promo reads: “In 'The Case of Beckett Brennan,' Katie Couric reports on a female college basketball player named Beckett Brennan who says she was raped by three athletes at the college. The University Judicial Review board did not help her as they should have, and she has had to come forward in order to get justice.” 
cave-in at the Lucky Friday Mine. But they still hadn’t reached Larry “Pete” Marek, pictured. As the hours tick away, concern grows in Idaho’s Silver Valley, where generations of families have worked in the mines. Marek, 53, was trapped more than a mile underground when the ceiling of his work area, or stope, collapsed Friday evening. Marek’s brother – his mining partner – escaped unharmed.
11-year-old ballerina and soccer player with a newly torn ligament in her foot? I don’t think I’ll make the ‘crutch store’ before they close.” Seems Mike’s daughter, Maggie, landed a jump wrong during ballet practice. Responded Carrie Cook, a Coeur d’Alene resident who attended a Texas university like Mike: “I have some used recently by a 10-year old. … I can set them on my front porch for you to swing by and grab them.” By the time the thread had played out with 24 comments, many of us Facebook friends of Mike had warm fuzzies for the good-neighborliness found online in Lake City/DFO, Huckleberries Online. 
Eagle Eye: In my opinion (the McEuen Field renovation), if done right, could be the biggest economic addtiion we have had to Coeur d Alene since the Resort was built. I am sorry if there are people who think that the word tourist is a dirty word. I think tourists = jobs and a better way fo life for all of Coeur d Alene. And I am all for it. (Full comment below)
than I am – but also for a more alarming reason, which I’ll get to shortly. First I need to explain my complicated relationship with cellphones in general. Up until about three weeks ago, I refused to carry one. We owned one, a standard flip-phone, but my wife and I shared it and I made her carry it most of the time. I have never been crazy about talking on telephones of any kind, so why would I want to carry around a cellphone? Then, last month, I bought an iPhone. It was as if I had traded in my STA bus pass for a Maserati/Jim Kershner. 
might be called the Tim Tebow rule. No longer will players be allowed to wear eye black with messages on them. Tebow made the practice a trend while at Florida, showing off a specific verse in the Bible (John 3:16). Reggie Bush did the same thing with the number “619” – a tribute to his home area code. The rules panel also approved rules regulating wedge blocks and taunting/Jared Frank, KHQ/SWXRightNow.com. 
Idaho, one from within the NAIA and one from within the Warrior family. The finalists are Jared Phay, coach at North Idaho College; Kevin Burton, coach at Lambuth; and George Pfeifer, who had the L-C job from 1989-2005. L-C athletic director Gary Picone confirmed the list of finalists Thursday. “I like the pool of guys; I think we've got a quality pool of finalists,” Picone said. “We're going to hire a really good head basketball coach here”/Matt Baney, Lewiston Tribune. 
back story: Group of us were at Capone's about 10:30 pm on Friday night. We all ordered mixed drinks (which I know I should stick to beer, but a girl needs variety sometimes). The doubles that a couple people ordered were barely singles and my Ultimate White Russian was a glass full of ice and cream. … We should have complained and not paid, but instead we just vowed to not ever go back there unless all we wanted was beer or food (they on occasion have good beer on tap and I enjoy their food). Now back to today (Sunday, April 10)/Jamie Morgan, Hoppy Girl & Her Guy. 
'dressed up' I mean she wrapped herself in streamers. By 'company mascot' I mean it's self appointed, our company doesn't have a mascot. When she asked me what I thought of he outfit, I told her I sometimes worry about her mental health.”
normally turn left here then right on 12th Street,” she’ll say. “Mom,” I think to myself, “these streets make a grid. Any combination of lefts and rights will get us there. I promise you, we’re going to make it.” Or she’ll stand over my shoulder while I’m cooking and either asks if she can help or offers unsolicited advice. “Mom,” I think to myself, “you taught me how to cook when I was eight, I live by myself now. I got this.” But I never say those things to her. I just say “Yes, ma’am” or wait for her to leave the kitchen on her own. Then I smile to myself and think about how fortunate I am to have her in my life/R.J. Taylor, UIdaho Argonaut. 
Association's delegate assembly today in Boise, and spoke out against the Idaho school reform bills pushed by state schools Superintendent Tom Luna. He likened the Luna legislation to moves against public employee unions in Wisconsin and other states, and said it's “not about education. What it’s about is political payback. It’s about wealthy CEOs who put themselves before country and put making money before everything else. It’s the wrong direction for America”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. 
they're based on self-interest, not respect. “We're interconnected,” he said. Then, he went on to say that “we have so many labels to identify people. We build a wall every time we put a label on a person.” All of which made me think of the “conservative” and “liberal” labels that we throw around Huckleberries Online. And worse, at times. One of the first things I noticed when I began this gig is that few people are totally conservative. Or totally “librul.” Most of us have cross-currents below the surface, depending on the issue. Some conservatives can be liberal when, for example, they're discussing a social issue. Liberals can be fiscal conservatives. Moderates, etc. Then there are a host of other influences from are personal history, culture, schooling, etc.
wife mentioned around 8 o'clock last night that the doctor's office had called to remind me. Usually, I fret about physicals and dentist appointments for several days before the appointments — not that they bother me all that much any more. I was surprised to see that my 2010 physical occurred on the same calendar day. I've become religious about physical exams, dental cleanings, and eye checkups. It's my way of telling my wife, who's 6 years younger, that I'm serious about keeping in the best shape possible to be there for her, God willing, in old age. BTW, I'm not going to go into any of the details, other than to say I was pleased w/results. (SR file photo/Kathy Plonka, for illustrative
from Idaho’s 1st Congressional District said this week the country’s “spending crisis” is its most important challenge. And while he said his “heart goes out” to the 522 people who will lose their jobs at a Nampa meat packing plant in June, he said it is not the role of government to create jobs. He said government can help create a climate for new jobs by actions such as eliminating the national deficit. Labrador called the challenges facing the country “eye-opening”/Mike Butts, Idaho Press-Tribune. 
an opportunity to get out critical information in a hurry to the public. DFO became an instant friend, and also re-tweeted the info on the rape suspect for us. I think it is going to be a good communication tool.
A federal judge has ruled in favor of two students who wore breast-cancer awareness bracelets to their middle 
school, even after they knew the be-sloganed accessories had been banned by administrators. The bracelets said “I [heart] boobies” and “Check yourself” alongside the website address of the non-profit organization Keep A Breast. Judge Mary McLauglin's 40-page decision says that even though school districts have the right to ban lewd speech, the word “boobies” is not vulgar/Liz Goodwin, The Outlook. More here.
Question: Do you think the word “boobies” is vulgar?
natural causes in a Great Falls hospital, said Stacia Kirby, spokeswoman of the Rainbow Senior Living retirement home where he lived. Breuning had been hospitalized since the beginning of the month with an undisclosed illness.
Tea Party Patriots of North Idaho before roughly 400 people on Thursday night at the Greyhound Park and Event Center. He said some believe the movement is fading and will continue to do so if the economy or political climate improve, but the rally's turnout and a spirit to return to our roots dictate otherwise. “We are not controllable,” Miller said. “We have one allegiance and that's to the Constitution. That is not politics as usual. But if that's extreme, then so be it.” Miller said the Tea Party is in the business of holding people accountable/Brian Walker, Coeur d'Alene Press. 
was kinda waiting to see what the costs might look like and, more importantly, how it would be funded. I have taken all the comments here under consideration and appreciate the input. All of it. But, although the comments have been useful, I don’t seem to get a real impression as to how everybody actually feels about it, now especially considering the projected expense. Now knowing the figures, are you, individually, in favor of going forward with the project or not? Yes or no.
folks will say ‘we want smaller government, we want the government to spend less money,’ but then they will call the government to respond to a couple of dogs chasing cars behind a smoke-shop, or a tree fallen in the woods, or spinstress sexual imaginings. Do we want a government large enough to respond to every chasing dog, every fallen tree, every neighbor with a penchant for plastic and wire?
looked hot in and worked hot in. When I put one of these power suits on, it was like putting on armor. I grew. I flew. I was Power Jeanie, Secretary Extraordinaire. I swear that I could type faster, think sharper, and could toss the grammar book down the elevator shaft because my power suit was ON. People looked at me in awe — I was that good. A professional secretary with crisp lines, brain at snap attention, focus on the prize — a job well done by a super human machine. I gave them away today/JeanieSpokane, Nuts & Nonsense. 
formerly housed Bunkers. Like the original MoonDollars that opened in Post Falls in 2007, MoonDollars at TLV will feature fresh-baked rolls, buns and pizza crust made with locally grown and fresh ground Rathdrum Prairie Hard Red Spring Wheat. The menu will feature MoonDollars’ signature omelets, hand-formed “Out of This World Gourmet Burgers,” fresh hand-cut fries, specialty salads and soups, handcrafted wheat pizzas and a selection of “To The Moon And Back Sandwiches.” A daily offering of gourmet desserts and fresh-baked goods will also be available/Taryn Hecker-Thompson (pictured). 
and dread. “C’mon Mom!” Sam urged. I stood at the top of the escalator and tried to gather my courage. “Just a minute,” I said, as I slowly rotated my neck and did a few shoulder rolls. After another deep breath I joined Sam and his friend Karsten, and together we descended to Bumpers Fun Center at NorthTown Mall. Or as I call it: The Bumpers Basement of Despair/Cindy Hval, SR Front Porch. 
sometime during the early morning hours at a residence in area near Coeur d'Alene City Hall. The victim, a 17-year-old girl, stated she was sleeping when the attack occurred. The suspect is known to her as a family friend. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Scott Patrick Giordano, 30, from Arizona. He is possibly driving a red pickup with a canopy. His girlfriend, Grace Emery, and their 3-month-old baby are reported to be with him/via 
this evening at the 3rd annual gathering of Tea Party Patriots of North Idaho. The event begins at 6 o'clock at the Greyhound Park in Post Falls. Miller faced Democrat Scott McAdams and Independent Lisa Murkowski in the general election. 
towns of Pine Valley and Llanview as All My Children and One Life to Live wrap up for good. AMC's last episode – which was 
On his Facebook wall last night, Sam wondered: “How much tupperware does your wife horde in your cupboards? Mine has a lot. If there was a land war in Asia and the victor's success was based on an inordinate ownership of stashed tupperware, my wife would be a plastic-storage-based superpower you wouldn't want to mess with.
Facebook page and utilizing Twitter. Both entities will prove valuable in posting timely, and critical information necessary to public safety. The Facebook site will provide general departmental information, crime prevention tips, the latest press releases, and details about various events. Twitter will be used to provide instant information about crimes in progress, road closures, or any hazards to the public/Christie Wood, Coeur d'Alene Police Department spokeswoman. 
possibility that the high end of those numbers could increase to almost $40 million, depending on embellishments. The cost estimate for parking, for example, is $7 million to $8.3 million. But another $5.5 million could be added to that estimate if the City Council decides to go ahead with a third-level to parking on north side of Front Street that would replace the large 3rd Street lot. Also, the cost estimates include $2.3 million to $2.7 million to replace the boat launch with one at Silver Beach and $1.8 million to $2 million to build a state-of-the-art baseball stadium for the American Legion elsewhere. Parks Director Doug Eastwood estimated the additional maintenance and operation costs at $24,000 per year. You can see the cost estimates 
time a name is misspelled. It’s what followed the parent’s request that had me chuckling. I won’t name names, but the parent wanted us to make sure his daughter’s name was spelled correctly so that when the college coaches check the box scores they’ll be able to follow how she’s doing. So I watched how this girl was faring. To this point she had been averaging 5 points per game. Then the next two games following the email she went scoreless in one game and had three in the other. Perhaps the fact we published those box scores cost her a scholarship offer or two/Greg Lee, SR. 
school officials and a big thumbs down from many students. “If they don’t have fries or tater tots with lunch, a lot of kids won’t eat it,” said Scott Wolfe, an eighth-grade student at Sacajawea Middle School in Spokane. Wednesday was the last day for public comment on the plan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is attempting to make changes to fight the childhood obesity epidemic/John Stucke, SR. 
up and I was waiting tables. Dropped a pitcher of Sangria and six glasses at my first table. The owner was standing there and said, “Get another pitcher and take the Sangria off first.” He started picking up the broken glass while I went and refilled the order. Later, he told me not to give the table a check. When I informed the customer, he gave me a $100 tip. After work that night the owner called me into his office and told me a disaster story about his first night working in the nightclub business and then he gave me a $100 tip. I made $350 that night (good money in 1972).
a Heck of a lot different than it was in 2006 and 2008. I think the Kennedy-Brannon race proved that Coeur d’alene is pretty competitive and divided, as it was no secret that Kennedy is a Democrat and Brannon is a Republican. While Sayler may very well be a case of a strong candidate with weak opposition and Goedde’s close calls may be a function of Goedde’s personality and campaigning, all I’m saying is that District 4 isn’t like other areas in Kootenai County, where the Republican nomination pretty much guarantees election.
everything had to come out of the pockets, even my passport and ticket. (Pretty hard to show them your ID and ticket when they’re in a bucket.) Then boarding in SLC yesterday, going through the routine divestiture of jewelry, the TSA chap said, ‘You can leave your ring on; the equipment’s not that sensitive.’ On one plus side, the TSA personnel are generally more civil than they were, say, 5 years ago. But it’s still an annoyance and certainly instills no sense of confidence in the government’s ability to do anything intelligently.
Vice President Joe Biden feels your pain. At a Wednesday press conference where Obama presented his ‘framework‘ for reducing the budget deficit, Biden was caught on camera nodding off. The President called for reducing the nation's budget deficit through a combination of spending cuts and tax increases. He stated his opposition to extending Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy and to changing Medicare into a voucher program. In a statement published by USA Today, Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said, “Did President Obama's speech on the deficit even put his chief negotiator to sleep?”/KHQ. (AP file photo of Vice President Biden)
Councilman MikeK tweets/Facebooks this SOS to “Kootenai County Locals: Anybody have a lightly used pair of crutches for use by, say, an 11-year old ballerina and soccer player with a newly torn ligament in her foot? I don't think I'll make the “crutch store” before they close. Not that I've ever been to a “crutch store” before …”
Councilman Mike Kennedy asked Hayes (at 10:29) and Hayes response via email to Huckleberries Online (at 11:46) — and ultimately a follow-up posting that Mike made (12:42) asking for three specific types of information. Here's Hayes response directly to Kennedy afterward: “To (sic) much data to research and supply. The tax numbers were before our computer system on many items before the URD’s were formed. Would be a large dollar amount to calculate. Let me know if you want an amount. If you want to come in and look at data you are welcome. The citizens who requested the data were requesting current tax distributions, not many years ago. Call me if you would like to discuss.”
the long-running Idaho Legislature debate on six bills sponsored by Sims, Hart, and other anti-urban renewal legislators, Mayor Sandi Bloem sent an SOS to Idaho legislators, urging: “Please support economic development in Idaho.” Sims received one of those letters. She responded angrily to the Her Sandiness: “Mayor Bloom (sic), You are wrong on all issues. You will see these bills every year till they pass.” 
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna's website advocated online learning. The question touted flexible scheduling and said online classes can be “equally challenging” as traditional courses, as long as they are taught by quality instructors. A parent called the Statesman Wednesday to complain that his 10th grade daughter pointed out the question to him, which he found offensive. Luna spokeswoman Melissa McGrath said the question was removed as a result of the complaint. She said the question was written by the State Board of Education in 2007 and 
think it would be very interesting. I take one whole day off a week and just spend it reading, all day. I know many these days have no time for anything, our society has become so fast paced, but reading is truly one of my favorite things to do. I try to stay away from t.v., and the best way is to read a good book. Lately I’ve read ‘Unbroken’, a great book, and ‘Escape from the land of Snows’. One of my favorites is the ‘The Book Thief’.I would love to see lists from some of our bloggers on their favorite books and the ones they are reading now. I think it would be an interesting thread.
I wanted to get some faces behind the people who are supporting the changes proposed. Names and faces of those opposing are thoroughly out there. (The meeting is planned after Team McEuen unveils cost estimates at a 7:30 a.m. workshop Thursday.)
proceedings in the case to be completed. As a result, today the Idaho State Police got a check for $456,446, and the Coeur d'Alene Police Department will get one for $18,630. … Mertens was convicted of 11 federal counts including conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, distribution of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute heroin; a federal jury found that from 1995 to 2003, he regularly sold drugs from his Coeur d'Alene business, Northwest Coin & Jewelry, his homes in Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint, and a flea market in Sagle/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. 
his greatest passions. “I love food and I love to write. I also love people,” he said. But what he saw and heard while writing about area restaurants were a lot of disenfranchised, hurting people. The food service industry is the largest industry in the nation. It also has the highest rate of drug and alcohol abuse, Finch said. “The divorce rate is pretty high, as well,” he said. “I don’t think it’s just the largest industry in the country – it’s also the toughest. It can be a cauldron of stress”/Cindy Hval, SR. 
women's basketball tournament would be more “interesting” if the ladies wore outfits that were more flattering and not what the men wear. Someone could develop/promote this and make lotsa bucks.” Today, 
against the rich, anti-states rights federalist stealing state lands by making them parks. Showed his weaknesses by negotiatiating a peace between Russia and Japan instead of standing by our allies and choosing sides. Got an undeserved Nobel Prize for this. Stupidly sent his son Kermit to WWl instead of finding a way out for him. Squandered a fortune on a Central American ditch. Probably the foulest Republican to ever live, save for Abraham Lincoln. The End.
Stebbijo (re: 
conservative district. If I were to generalize from what I know, which is that they are married and only one of them is an IEA member, they are likely conservative themselves and just lashing out at the circumstances they and the rest of Idaho’s teachers are finding ourselves in. This is going to get a lot uglier, and we are going to see all manner of boycotts and work slowdowns as the next year and a half — until the 2012 referendum — unfold.
measures in East Valley, Coeur d’Alene and Orchard Prairie. Orchard Prairie is a tiny district northeast of Spokane, with about 75 students in grades K through 8. It’s asking voters for a levy to help cover shortfalls in state funding, and the responsible citizens sent out one of their typical yellow, scare-headlined fliers in opposition. It said the district was asking for $2,490 over two years from the owner of a $100,000 home. Trouble is, the responsible figure is $249. Or, if you want to put it another way: $10.38 a month/Shawn Vestal, SR. 
after a disturbing report out of Denver. Denver's 
St. Pius. Father Bill was an example of what someone in ministry should strive to be. Unlike many today who will only fight the fights they can win, Father Bill fought the fights that needed fighting. As I study to go into ministry he is one of the people who have been my inspiration.
their students a few weeks ago. The letter, sent home by Mrs. Lora Stanger, Mrs. Linda McArthur, and Mrs. Cory Bingham, was a message of protest against recent education reform legislation thought up and pushed by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna. In the undated letter, the teachers tell parents they are not going to help students outside of specific contracted times, meaning that pupils wouldn’t be able to access extra help during recesses, lunch breaks, or after school. The teachers also vowed not to take any class work home because that is not part of their contracts/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. 
Superintendent of Public Instruction by removing Tom Luna from elected office. Under Tom Luna’s Leadership, the Idaho legislature has rammed through the three part “Student’s Come First” education reform that will create a series of long lasting damage for Idaho families. Luna did not draw support across the aisle, and he disregarded the will and voice of the majority of Idahoans who will be negatively affected by the reforms. Mr. Luna no longer represents the best interests of students, parents, teachers, and the public education system. Mr. Luna ran on a pro-education platform consistently reiterating that major reforms were not necessary. Then, to the contrary, he launched a complete overhaul of the Idaho public education system during the 2011 legislative session/Committee to Recall Tom Luna. 
and serve 100% cupcakes. The store is located next to Cricket's Bar and Grill on Sherman Ave. Owner Jennifer Tarr says they have more than 36 different cupcakes up for sale, all coming from her own recipes. Tarr says she has had a positive and enthusiastic response from the community about the idea of opening a cupcake store. They've already been taking pre-orders and are lining up catering events. Even with the slow economy, Tarr thinks her store will be very successful/KHQ. 
2011, the James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research commemorated that visit with a lecture from Douglas Brinkley, a historian and author of the biography “The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America.” Brinkley spoke to a crowd of students, faculty and community members Friday evening in the Student Union Building ballroom. The lecture, entitled “Wild America from Theodore Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower,” focused on Roosevelt’s legacy of conservation in the United States as well as conservation efforts since his presidency/Anja Sundali, UI Argonaut. 
Force on Human Relations. The joke back then was that Bill was picked as the chairman of the task force because, as a priest, he was the only one without a wife and kids. Tony and I talked about a trip that the aforementioned four and I made to Noxon High in the late 1980s. The militia movement was in full sway in western Sanders County. And some community leaders wanted to start a task force a la Kootenai County to combat the neo-Nazi influence. We were escorted from the state line to Noxon and back again by sheriff's deputies. About 300 townspeople jammed the high school gym, including 20 neo-Nazis and KKKers in full uniform who stood side-by-side at the back with arms folded across their chests, glaring. Tony remembers nervously telling Marshall that he made a fine target on the podium with his white shirt. Gallows humor. The racists behaved themselves because the community eagerly accepted the message delivered by Wassmuth, which included his famous signature line, “Saying Yes to Human Rights is the best way to say no to prejudice and bigotry.” Afterward, the gathering broke into discussion groups in classrooms throughout the high school. No violent incident occurred. And I wrote the story by flashlight while hobnobbing with Wassmuth and the other local human rights leaders as we headed for dinner in Sandpoint, in one piece — DFO. 
“Blowin' in the Wind” filled the air Monday when Bozeman High School students transformed their American studies classroom into a ‘60s museum. The student-built time machine offered visitors two doors - The War at Home and The War Abroad. Students, teachers and parents who entered got to travel back 50 years and visit exhibits recreating the turbulent decade, from its wild fashions to its divisive war/Gail Schontzler, Bozeman Chronicle. 
The Masters Golf Tournament made me want to take up golf again. The only problem is the courses I can afford to play aren’t anywhere near as spectacular as Augusta National. But, I suppose in the end I’m not a spectacular golfer like Phil, Tiger or this year’s winner Charl Schwartzel. I’ll stick to my public courses and my Charles Barkley swing/Nick, UIdaho Argonaut. 
system says he thinks voters won’t strike down the reform efforts and that state education leaders must now get started rolling out the policies and rules to that follow the changes of the laws. Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, sponsored the “Students Come First” plan from Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna, and chairs the Senate Education Committee, which formally introduced the legislation of the plan, heard the most testimony on the education reform package and cast the narrowest votes on package/Brad Iverson-Long, Idaho Reporter. 
Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna. Navarro was the chief elections officer in Idaho's largest county for 20 years, having been elected in 1990. Navarro wasn't available for comment Tuesday morning. Navarro was among 34 valid signatures from Ada and Canyon counties that started the recall effort. Petitioners have until June 27 to collect 158,107 valid signatures to force an Aug. 30 special election/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. 
college professors to carry concealed weapons on campus. A similar bill, SB 1467, which would allow anyone to carry a gun on the sidewalks and roads of public universities, sailed through the House last Thursday, despite the fact that the majority of Arizonans oppose sending guns to college. “The legislature is being very extreme on gun issues, and it couldn't be more opposite to what the public wants,” said Hildy Saizow, President of Arizonans for Gun Safety, a gun control advocacy group/Laura Gottesdiener, Huffington Post. 
the class on Major Ben Wolfinger's weekly warrants honor roll. Major Ben's Deputy Dawgs are looking for Christina Ann Hickson, left, a Post Falls resident, who's wanted for failing to appear to face charges for aggravated DUI and possession of a controlled substance. Bond is set for Hickson at $70,000. Deputy Dawgs are also searching for Lori Ann Blakey-Moon, of Spirit Lake, right, who is wanted for felony battery on a correctional officer. She is to be held without bond. You can read 
president, suggested that other Republicans vying for the party's nomination are concerned he might wage a third-party campaign, which Trump said he thought was a viable path to the White House. “The concern is, if I don't win, will I run as an Independent? And the answer is probably yes,” Trump said in 
collapsed on the trunk of a woman's car. Idaho Fish and Game officers located the moose after receiving a call around 10 a.m., according to Regional Wildlife Manager Jim Hayden. The bull, most likely a yearling, was reported near the Kootenai County Sheriff's campus on Government Way, then strolled over to Dalton Children's Center on Dalton Avenue. While the moose was lying down next to the building, officers fired an air-powered dart into its leg, Regional Conservation Officer Craig Walker said. The moose rose, wandered into the middle of U.S. 95, and fell against the trunk of a small sedan stopped at the Dalton Avenue red light. Its upper body rested against the vehicle, while its legs remained on the street/Nick Rotunno, Press. 
bakery department at Fred Meyer several times a week from his home near Amity Road. The way he figures it, he’s putting a lot of wear and tear on the engine of his 70,000-mile vehicle, plus dumping about $60 into the gas tank every time it needs filling. So Davis, 65, recently bought a 150 cc scooter that gets about 75 miles to the gallon. As the weather warms, he intends to take it for the short hauls and save his Cherokee for the longer fishing trips he savors. “It’s going to help,” he said/Bill Roberts, Statesman. 
Gandhi, grandson of the legendary pacifist and spiritual leader, Mahatma Gandhi, carried that message Monday to North Idaho. Arun shared some of the lessons he learned from his grandfather with more than 450 people who attended the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations' 14th annual Human Rights Banquet at the Best Western Coeur d'Alene Inn. “Non-violence is about learning how to be with your anger and learning how to channel it positively and constructively,” Arun told the crowd. Like his grandfather, Arun learned the benefits of peaceful conflict resolution from his own life experiences/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d'Alene Press. 
and marital failure caused me to seek new horizons which I had left in Idaho in the '70's. One should never go back after a long absence from a place. The changes have been radical. Traffic is horrible, new homes everywhere with tiny little yards separating neighbors from each other. I looked out my bedroom window and found I was staring at the next door neighbor through an opposite window just 12 feet away/Herb Huseland, Bay Views. 
insurance reform legislation – came and went a while back there was increasing acceptance of the notion that the U.S. Supreme Court will get the last word on the issue that continues to shape our politics. That word will likely be handed down across the street from the U.S. Capitol right in the middle of the next presidential election campaign. One of the most vocal defenders of the controversial law, New York Rep. Anthony Weiner, 
the Kootenai County Task Force On Human Relations this evening at the Coeur d'Alene Inn. Arun Gandhi grew up in South Africa during apartheid and frequently was beaten by both white and black youth because of his race. When he was 12, his parents sent him to India to be with his famous grandfather when they discovered how angry he’d become. Through his grandfather’s guidance, he learned to appreciate peaceful nonviolence. In 1991, Arun Gandhi and his late wife, Sunanda, founded the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence at the University of Rochester in New York. Gandhi’s speech is titled: “Lessons learned from my grandfather: Nonviolence in a violent world.” The event begins at 5:30 with a social hour, followed by dinner at 6:30. 
Over the weekend we got the final report on the March Madness bracket contest that we competed in. There were 133 of us in the competition with me, my wife and son nowhere close to getting in on the winnings. However, the winner, who had picked UConn and beat out everyone in total points and won over $460…. WAS 10 YEARS OLD !!!
Mark Zuckerberg — can't undo their settlement over the social networking site. The appeals court ruled that the twins were savvy enough to understand what they were agreeing to when they signed the agreement in 2008, a deal that called for a $20 million cash payment and a partial ownership of Facebook. “At some point, litigation must come to an end,” chief justice Alex Kozinksi wrote for the unanimous three-judge panel. “That point has now been reached”/Fox News. 
tested the theory that the checkout counter line in which you are standing is always the slowest. Everybody thinks so, but everybody is wrong. Turns out it was only the slowest nine out of 10 times. In the other case, some woman pushing a grocery cart laden with 10 gallons of raspberry sorbet got into the queue at another checkstand behind a guy who chose to balance his checkbook right there and then. I paid for my purchases and stood there and watched as all that sherbet melted in little puddles around the lady’s new Nikes/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. 
during their lunch period each day. The students can either eat the cafeteria food—or go hungry. Only students with allergies are allowed to bring a homemade lunch to school, 
bathroom on her own. She dresses herself. She follows directions. She watches SpongeBob with her sister and they play games. “Maara has really enriched our family,” Greg said. In other ways, though, caring for her is difficult and it has changed the Washingtons' lives. Maara is in a program at North Star Child Development Center for autistic children. She has difficulty speaking. Social outings can be trouble. Maara has her own version of playing with other children. (SR file photo, of Trevin, from the website of Ashley Potter, who photographed Spokane children with autism)
of drunken driving. Lance Dean Falcon, 44, of Plummer, Idaho, had a blood-alcohol level of .167 and .162 in two breathe samples submitted at the Spokane Public Safety Building after a Washington State Patrol trooper stopped him for speeding about 6 a.m. near Madison Road and Dishman Mica Road. Falcon had an unopened can of Keystone Ice beer in his car, and police say they found an empty can of the same beer tossed in the street near where Falcon’s pickup stopped. They also say he smelled of alcohol and had glassy, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech/Meghann Cuniff, SR. 
the budget bill pending before Congress. Inclusion of the language to lift protections for wolves was confirmed by the offices of Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson on Saturday. A Simpson spokesperson said the bill also would prevent courts from reversing any Congressional action/Talk Radio 950 KOZE. 
boat and trailer into position, the fisherman jumped through a couple inches of lake water that had washed over the walkway. Whisner had launched his boat free of charge, per usual. But starting next month, fees will be collected at the Honeysuckle Beach ramp, city of Hayden officials said. The fees will be in effect from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The daily access fee for boats is $6 for city of Hayden residents and $8 for everybody else. A season pass is $30 for residents and $60 for those living outside the city/David Cole & Nick Rotunno, Coeur d'Alene Press. 
wrong. Worst doesn't begin to describe it. The men and women who sat out the winter under the Capitol dome have delivered a government that is radically different: Lawmakers become lawgivers - Time was, if lawmakers wanted to pass a sales tax or shift schools from local to state support, they asked you. They coaxed you. They won your support. And they took their time. Today's lawgivers descend from Mount Heyburn and inform the rest of us how life is going to be/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. 
curiosities mostly – RBI streaks, a hitter who owns opponent pitching, season highs and the like. All as straightforward as junior high math. On Sunday, however, after the Mariners were swept in their home-opening series by the Cleveland Indians, the final note read: “With today’s loss, the Mariners are currently on a seven-game losing streak … this is the first time they have lost seven straight since Sept. 8-15, 2010.” Now, these guys are pros. They have plausible deniability. Just pointing out the facts, they can say. No editorial comment intended. But you know. You just know. The first time since Sept. 8-15?/John Blanchette, SR. 
One is not buying a house in Idaho, but looking in Spokane where it’s possible to make a liveable wage and still enjoy the lake and mountains of Idaho without all of the negatives. The other is postponing pursuing their graduate degree because they are evaluating if it’s worth it to stay. Three of the four were born and raised here. Idaho is drowning under the one party syatem.
(mainly because I needed to wash my favorite comfy jeans that I usually don’t relinquish very easily). A few people responded, and one noted that I’d be surprised how many places she wears her PJs. So, do you wear your PJs in unconventional places? I have been able to go out in the summer in pretty PJ bottoms with flower prints, or Betty Boop, or Mickey Mouse, and pretty much go wherever I want – to the store, to the post office, for a walk – and nobody is any wiser. At least that is what I tell myself. Maybe people are whispering to each other about how loony I am to go out in public in my pajamas/JeanieS, Nuts & Nonsense. 
because of the predicted deleterious effects of Tom Luna’s so called reform legislation. She has been accepted into a Ph.D. program at Gonzaga. I am pleased to let DFO know that Ms. Ridley was one of the recipients of a graduate student award presented by my company this year. We make the monetary awards each year to students who demonstrate outstanding commitment to their discipline. We gave an award to Ms. Ridley because of the information that DFO presented here. Thanks for the knowledge, DFO.
Friday and held him at gunpoint until police arrived. Hagedorn, a 20-year-veteran of the Navy, is among the legislators who pressed for a bill allowing guns on college campuses. He sometimes carries a sidearm at the Capitol. Meridian police said Nicholas Kuklish, 21, was “very intoxicated” and apparently used Hagedorn's hot tub before attempting to enter Hagedorne's home. Police said Kuklish “believed he was at his own residence” when he tried to get inside. Police said Kuklish's blood-alcohol content was three times the legal limit for driving/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. 
mooring buoys had been of great concern to the residents of Cougar Bay as well as the many individuals in the community that visit the bay for quiet recreation and wildlife viewing. After listening to community concerns, Kootenai County Parks and Waterways agreed not to install mooring buoys in Cougar Bay and instead will begin looking for a more appropriate mooring location that can better serve the needs of the motorized boater. Meanwhile, Parks and Waterways will install the less controversial buoys to delineate the no-wake zone at the beginning of the Summer 2011 boating season/Adrienne Conebaugh, KEA Blog. 
Hedgehog’ from the video game, that’s pretty much exactly what my hair looks like right now if I take my bandana off, like without it being blue, standing up on end like a big fur ball,” said Tucker, an English major. Tucker said her favorite thing about her hair is that it takes her 50 seconds to style it — get it wet, mess it up, hairspray — and “ta-dah, done.” She would like to do more with it and said she wishes she had the patience to grow it out. “Well, I’ve dyed it like every color you can probably die it,” Tucker said. “I had dreads for just over five years, so that was fun”/Rhiannon Rinas, UIdaho Argonaut. 
Mike Patrick, on his way to adjudicate his case on fishing without a license in Cache County, Utah. He was mistaken for a notorious methamphetamine trafficker — one of Nevada's most wanted — and booked in the county jail for two days. Patrick, who now works in Boise for the Oregon-based Capital Press, told the Salt Lake City Tribune: “I was pretty scared. You hear of people put on death row who didn’t do it, so I’m thinking it’s feasible I could go to prison for this.” The Tribune story continues: “An attorney was able to find articles he wrote and time cards showing he wasn’t in Mesquite, Nev., on the dates he was accused of selling meth.” 
female reactions to sexual pleasure. Each is followed by laughter. “I’m so moved by you,” student director Diana Mallon says, grinning at her cast. “I’m so excited that together we’re going to make Gonzaga history in eight days.” The students are running one of the final rehearsals for their upcoming performance of The Vagina Monologues. For the past 10 years, this play has been banned on Gonzaga’s campus/Daniel Walters, Inlander. 
“Butch” Otter. United Vision for Idaho had some some paperwork for Otter Thursday: a 140-page petition protesting much of the legislation. “We're gutting Medicare. We're gutting education,” said Adrienne Evans, UVI's executive director. “We're taking everything out of the hands of people who have helped build Idaho and that can't continue.” Evans and her colleagues presented a petition with 2,350 signatures and comments, including: “You have killed the American dream for my husband and me.” “I'm ashamed of my state.” “Don't cut my taxes. Let my kids have good public schools”/Jody May-Chang, Boise Weekly.
memory. If this is our idea of bad, Hoffman sez, he hopes the 2012 Legislature is worse. (If that's possible.) Quoth Hoffman: “I guess they didn't get the big government solutions they were hoping for. In reality, this was one of the best legislative sessions in recent memory, one that will have long-term benefits for Idahoans. Idaho lawmakers should be thanked for balancing the budget without raising taxes, for putting students first in our education system and for beginning to turn the tide on entitlement spending.” I still don't understand how anyone can parrot that students were put first when millions and millions of dollars will be siphoned from teacher salaries to buy computers. Oh wait. I forgot the Idaho Education Association is evil. My bad. 
referendum process. Organizers will gather in the Idaho Capitol rotunda at 11:30 and deliver the petition to the Secretary of State’s office before noon. “We have to take this step of pursuing a referendum on these bills because thousands of emails, thousands of people attending rallies across Idaho, and the testimony of parents, school board members, school administrators, and teachers did not matter to Gov. Otter and a majority of the state Legislature,” said Mike Lanza, chair of Idahoans for Responsible Education Reform and co-founder (with Maria Greeley) of Idaho Parents and Teachers Together/Idahoans for Responsible Education Reform news release.
passed such a law last year and the governor signed it. Kansas passed one recently, and it awaits the governor’s signature. The Idaho attorney general’s office issued an opinion that the Idaho version would not pass constitutional muster, but lawmakers want to spend taxpayer dollars to find out for themselves. This is foolhardy, given the nearly three-quarters of a million dollars the state has spent on futile court battles over previous anti-abortion laws. It is especially conspicuous in a year where more than $90 million in painful budget cuts were approved/Spokesman-Review Editorial Board. 
The Inland Northwest has enjoyed a long and happy relationship with Elton John. At least, John should be happy with it, from a box-office standpoint. His show tonight at the Spokane Arena sold all 11,000 tickets in three days. And that includes the seats behind the stage. In fact, every time, Reg Dwight (yes, that’s his real name) has appeared in the region, the tickets have gone rocketing out of the box office. This will be the fourth time Sir Elton has taken the stage in the Inland Northwest/Jim Kershner, SR. 
remained deadlocked over federal support for Planned Parenthood and other spending as they narrowed their differences over the size of proposed budget cuts. President Barack Obama called on lawmakers to reach a last- minute deal to avert a government shutdown today. Democratic officials said a dispute over financing for Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions among other services, was preventing an agreement over more than $30 billion in overall spending cuts/San Francisco Chronicle. 
they should still file their taxes. Experts have said the deadline to file your taxes will not change. Taxpayers are still responsible for filing and paying on time. And for CPA Charlie Gilligan, it's business as usual. He advises all his clients to file on time, no matter what happens between the Republicans and Democrats in Washington, D.C. “Everybody should get it taken care of because it's a first deadline and there are significant penalties attached,” said Gilligan/KREM. 
when they take part in the first ever “Bras on Dudes” fashion show and auction to benefit this summer’s American Cancer Society Coeur d’Alene Relay For Life. The fundraiser is set for Saturday, May 7, 7 p.m. at the Fedora Pub & Grille in Coeur d’Alene. According to Ronnie Carder, committee member for the Coeur d’Alene Relay For Life, the men will model bras that have been decorated and donated from around the community. There will also be a silent and live auction during the event/American Cancer Society news release. 
at Transportation and Tom Trail at Agriculture - announced quietly just as the House was adjourning, sent shock waves through the House. Denney said he made the move to enforce party discipline. Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, said, “It's not always easy being in leadership, that's all I can say.” House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, said, “I think they will lose something. Leon has huge experience in transportation, and I'm not sure that Joe does”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. 
commentary of those seasoned announcers. I especially love the British guy, who would never in a million years talk trash about the game's ultimate playa, Tiger Woods. I also get goosebumps when the quiet crowd erupts: “Get in the hole!” No matter how you feel about a game where grown men chase a little white ball, you've got to admit that's a pretty damn good sports cheer. Here's what's even cuckoo-nuttier: I don't just like to watch, I play, too. Oh, I'm terrible. My middle name is Mulligan, but it's one of the few sports — besides bowling — where drinking is encouraged while you're doing it. (Maybe that's one reason I'm so terrible.) I really love The 19th Hole. That's code for “the bar”/Leslie Kelly, Seattle Blogs (featuring SR staffer Ralph Walter, photo above). 
All these lovely spring showers are bringing serious discomfort to allergy sufferers around the valley. March was wetter than normal — precipitation was 2.25 inches, almost an inch above the normal amount. More water means more green growth, which means more pollen fills the air. For local doctors, that means a rise in the number of hay fever patients seeking relief. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. “It’s not even the peak yet,” said Dr. Joe Llenos, a board-certified family physician with West Valley Medical Group in Caldwell. “May will be the peak for trees, and then the grass and ragweed start coming”/Sharon Strauss, Idaho Press-Tribune. 
uses the results of a poll conducted here at Huckleberries Online to launch a comment about the silliness of the overwhelmingly GOP Legislature to waste time declaring a wolf emergency. Remember? I asked you which scared you most — wolves in the Idaho wilderness or legislators in Boise. By a 74% to 10% margin, you said that legislators were scarier. The Times-News editorial said: “Any governor would need his head examined if he invoked HB343, sending cops traipsing off into the backcountry while there are real criminals on the streets.” And: ” … our Legislature has completely abandoned reasoned discourse.” And: “Under every speaker of the House and president of the Senate we can think of — extending back to Pete Cenarrusa and Jack Murphy — lawmakers took pride in not wasting their constituents’ money on hysterical nonsense. That’s not the case anymore.” 
“So,” posts Cindy on her Facebook wall, “I and 6 other people are having lunch today with one of my favorite authors, Elizabeth Berg. Her book on writing 'Escaping into the Open: the Art of Writing True' is inspirational and her novels are wonderful. But … I kinda feel pressured to ask her some 'writerly, impressive questions.'”
wing who fought in court and through the Legislature to close primaries to Independents and other non-party members. Consider. In the past, such nonpartisan office holders as the city mayor, council members, school board members, and road commissioners were able to run for office without revealing their political affiliation. I can guess at the political sympathies of some local mayors and council members but I don't know for sure (other than Coeur d'Alene Councilman Mike Kennedy, who has Democratic pedigree and has been the target of local Republican attacks for years now). Beginning in spring 2012, I'll know the party affiliation of my mayor and councilmen, however. Sandi Bloem, Clay Larkin, and other mayors and council members will have to register with one party or the other in order to vote in the primaries. If they register as Democrats, I'll guarantee you that the ideologues running the Kootenai County GOP machine will target them in subsequent elections. If they do the safe thing and register as Republicans, I would imagine that Democrats and Independent constituents will look at them differently. And wonder if controversial votes are prompted by politics or the public good. It'll officially introduce partisanship into nonpartisan races — DFO.
members of Tremble Clefs serenaded residents and guests. Tremble Clefs is a singing ensemble composed of people with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers. The program is one of the services offered by Parkinson’s Resource Center of Spokane. The center also sponsors a dance group and several support groups. While the most visible sign of Parkinson’s is trembling, some patients experience loss of voice volume and control. So, in addition to dealing with tremors that can make it difficult to walk confidently or button a shirt, many patients struggle just to be heard/Cindy Hval, SR. 
couple happens to be the very last house on my route, and they being early risers, we had met several times; exchanged Christmas cards, and she’d left cookies, snacks, and recycled paper bags many times as well. I’d received a nice tip from them Sunday night and so made a point to go out and purchase a thank you card to tuck in their paper- rather than the usual quick note I scribble on other occasions when I get left a few bucks. Later that day, the Mrs. called me and invited me over for coffee. 
but then ran unopposed in November, is more upbeat than most in looking back on this year's legislative session. Barbieri, who stepped into the spotlight as the lead sponsor of legislation attempting to “nullify” the federal health care reform law, then later settled for a compromise bill, said, “It's nice to have a success. I really didn't expect to have anything more than a discussion about that.” He said that issue plus the anti-wolf bill gave him hope about pushing back against federal influence in the state/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. 
throat of another 13-year-old boy during the lunch hour at Lakes Middle School, 930 N15th/CdA, according to Coeur d'Alene police reports. The school resource officer said the incident occurred in front of other students in the lunch room area. There was no verbal altercation or angry words that preceded the incident. The victim cut his hand while trying to push the knife away. He was treated at KMC for the wound and released. The alleged assailant was taken to the juvenile detention facility on Dalton Avenue.
heads the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department warrant roundup list this week. Deputies are looking for William Bechtel of Coeur d'Alene (left), who has a bond set for him of $60,000. Other large bonds on outstanding warrants are set for Jordan Cloark Kerr (right), 23, of Coeur d'Alene, for a probation violation for three counts of grand theft ($50,000 bond) and for Frank Triano, 50, of Coeur d'Alene, intimidating a witness ($20,000 bond). 
than a week Groene's Facebook page for his son's Dylan and Slade has tripled in followers. Groene's boys were two of Duncan's five murder victims. His daughter Shasta was tortured but survived. Groene believes a one-strike law may have saved his family. “Who's to say that if this hadn't been done to my boys that one of them might not have been president some day and been the best president this nation ever had,” said Groene/KREM.
Detar said he got a call from a man who told him that the German shepherd with a red collar and name tag with “Rodi” on it was in the gravel parking area of the bus stop at Cougar Gulch Road. Detar found his dog at the site, where he believes it was dumped after being killed. Detar had reported the dog lost on March 21. He told authorities that the dog was “very friendly” and doubts that it was killed by someone defending himself. Detar said “it looked to him as if the dog had been shot from up close and straight above,” accordin to the sheriff's report. Initially, he took the dog home and buried it. Later, he decided to report the incident in case someone witnessed the crime or there's a rash of this type of cruelty occurring in the area.
rights to host the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Wrestling National Championships in 2014. The bid was approved by the NJCAA Championship Events Committee and Board of Directors and announced at the NJCAA annual legislative meetings on March 29. NIC was the host college for the NJCAA wrestling national tournament hosted February 2011 at the Spokane Convention Center/NIC Press Room. 
neighborhood stroll and I'm the only one on foot. I wait forever to cross intesections because drivers don't seem to know what pedestrian right of way means. But on this trip there has been a steady stream of walkers passing by my window at all hours of the day.
p.m. Saturday, March 5, in which a Baja Bargarita patron became disoriented while driving near the Coeur d'Alene Resort: “Officers responded to a call of a possible DUI and vehicle stuck in a snow berm in front of the
Commissioners. Nipp was appointed to the LCDC Board at its formation in 1997, and was elected Chairman that same year. Nipp has served as a volunteer commissioner on the LCDC Board for 15 years, serving as the LCDC Chairman from 1997 through 2008. Mr. Nipp shared with his fellow Board members that the time was right for him to step aside, knowing that the future of the LCDC is in great leadership hands/Lake City Development Corp. news release. 
effort to get signatures): We need 158,106 signatures. Once we reach those signatures, the secretary of state will give Tom Luna 5 business days to resign or file for a special election. That would basically dictate when that date would be. It could be this year. We decided to start on April 16. We have 75 days after April 16 to hit the required number of signatures.
Consider this little joke that appeared recently on Rep. Marv Hagedorn's Facebook page. “The Islamic coalition supporting the UN efforts in Libya is having a tough time identifying an Islamic leader suitable to take over when Gaddafi (sic) is overthrown. A retired Navy friend suggested we give them ours…” Get it? President Obama's a Muslim. Yuk, yuk. OK, it wasn't Hagedorn's joke. But the Meridian Republican (pictured) found it amusing enough to spread around/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. 
courses in high school, but he told the New York Times the State Board of Education will back a mandate. In January, Luna proposed mandating that eight of 46 required high school courses be taken online. In the face of opposition from lawmakers, he scaled that back to six, then four. But lawmakers removed the provision in Senate Bill 1184, deferring the decision to the unelected State Board of Education. In a story published in the 
Country Store, north of Hayden, late last night. Initial investigation indicates that a lone masked gunman entered the store at about 11 PM, held the clerk at gunpoint and had her empty the cash register of the currency. The suspect fled on foot. A subsequent track by a Sheriff’s Department K-9 followed the suspect to where he may have got into a vehicle a short distance away. Sheriff’s detectives are continuing the investigation/Kootenai County Sheriff's Department news release.
still bawling like a baby after being given a thousand dollar tip from an elderly couple in the community where one of my routes is. They said they were so impressed with my service, and after hearing my family's situation decided to help. I am just so grateful and amazed I don't even know what to do. I mean, WOW!!!! It couldn't have come at a better time, either.” People always complain that we news biz types only publish bad news. I hope this one brought a smile to your face.
owner, and board member finalized a deal to sell Cricket’s Downtown Bar and Grill on Friday, passing the Sherman Avenue fixture he has owned since 1985 to one-time dishwasher turned bar manager Rico Ciccone. So for Ciccone, 34, that means he has big shoes to fill. He knows that. He won’t change much/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d'Alene Press. 
cigarette tax. I don’t know the political science behind the minority party’s reasoning (they didn’t consult me on it), but I’m sure they figured the public overwhelmingly supports a cigarette tax increase, overwhelmingly wants more money for government services and that the public would rally in support. They figured (I surmise) the public would be alarmed that the majority party is “blocking” efforts to introduce a popular tax for popular programs. But none of those things happened. The reason is the public doesn’t support a tax increase, as evidenced by the November election results/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. 
Chatterbox: Has anyone read anything by Stanley Gordon West? I just finished Blind Your Ponies, which is about a small town in Montana that rallies around the local high school’s basketball team. Great story telling. I just want to know if his other works are comparable.
Most unwed teen mothers who become pregnant their senior year of high school can expect years of financial hardship as they find their way in the world while raising a kid. Not Bristol Palin. The now 20-year-old daughter of former Republican vice presidential candidate 
provides a YouTube video of a rapper singing the praises of the late Dave Niehaus (pictured). I haven't listened to too many Mariners broadcasts this spring. But I'm definitely not a fan of Dave Sims' calls. He simply doesn't bring excitement — or particular baseball knowledge — to the broadcasts. I even prefer Ron Fairly to him. Luckily, I bought the MLB.com radio package for the season. So I get any broadcast of any game over the computer. In other words, I can switch to the opponents' broadcast team, if I simply can't handle Sims & Rizzs.
health of the mother; only when the pregnancy threatens the mother's life or physical health could a post-20-week abortion be performed. An Idaho Attorney General's opinion said the bill is unconstitutional because it violates the Roe vs. Wade decision regarding state restrictions on abortions prior to the point of fetal viability; but backers said they're prepared to defend it in court. “Is not the child of that rape or incest also a victim?” asked Rep. Shannon McMillan (pictured), R-Silverton. “It didn't ask to be here. It was here under violent circumstances perhaps, but that was through no fault of its own”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. 
this promise. Where do I begin” They respond: “Start the process by asking her what she would like you to focus on: her professional accomplishments, her relationships, her life as your mom? Choose a focus. We have all attended memorial services where a mourner takes the microphone and simply weeps and sniffles through random spontaneous thoughts. Your mother deserves a better reflection on her life than sobs and the admission that you will miss her.” 
U.S. restaurants. McDonald's (
Japan, experts say. So far, it’s much less than we’d get from a chest X-ray. But consider this: Every day, all day long, we’re bathed in low levels of radiation – cosmic rays from outer space, radon in our houses, uranium deposits in the soil, radio signals from every AM and FM station in range, airport full-body scanners, dental X-rays, cellphones, even tiny hints lingering from the A-bomb tests of the 1940s and ’50s. And remember that radiation is cumulative. Most scientists agree there’s no such thing as a harmless dose. Now relax. It’s less scary than it sounds/Fred Tasker, Miami Herald. 
the voters of his North Idaho district expected from him. “It wasn’t enough to limit government, I was to shrink government, reduce the government. It wasn’t enough to hold the line on taxes, it was to find a way to stop the taxation in areas,” Barbieri said. He didn’t wait long to begin pushing that agenda. Having read Thomas Woods’ book “Nullification,” Barbieri — with the help of Sen. Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth, who became a mentor — set about to try to use the theory to dismantle the federal health care act in Idaho/Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman. 
December 2009, has now been arrested for suspected drug activities. Adam M. Johnson, who allegedly shot and seriously wounded two Moses Lake men, was being held Monday at Kootenai County jail on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. His combined bond is $10,000, a jail official said. A police report said Post Falls SWAT team members entered a home at 4990 E. Frazier Drive on Friday evening believing there was ongoing illegal drug activity at the residence, following tips and investigation/David Cole, Coeur d'Alene. 
the taste isn’t great but I love the taste,” said Smith, temporary faculty lecturer of the School of Journalism and Mass Media. “It’s not always the best thing to consume, sometimes you get jittery and its keeps you from going to sleep, but its just become so much a part of my daily routine and my life that I can’t imagine being without it. I am an addict.” Smith said he started drinking coffee as a junior in high school and he probably drinks about three quarts of coffee a day — a consumption that has been consistent for the last 30 or 40 years. “I am a coffee slut,” Smith said/Rhiannon Rinas, RAWR, UIdaho Argonaut. 
science, among other agency jobs. He knows the state, having worked in five of Fish and Game’s seven regional offices. As such, Moore surely knows something about the Idaho Legislature — and the Statehouse scientific charlatans who would be happy to help him do his job. On Friday, a day after Moore was promoted to director, Biology for Beginners was in session at the House Ways and Means Committee. Rep. Judy Boyle (pictured), the Midvale Republican and resident Statehouse Little Red Riding Hood, touted a bill to allow Idaho to declare a wolf disaster emergency/Idaho Statesman. 
least tout their reasons to support an increase in the cigarette tax. Several minority party members in the Statehouse want to increase the cigarette tax by $1.25 to provide more funding for Medicaid and public schools. Minority Leader John Rusche (pictured) said the tobacco tax hike would raise about $50 million to soften the blow of cuts to important programs. As it stands, health groups report Idaho ranks in 42nd for its tax on tobacco products, so it’s reasonable to give backers of an increase an opportunity to make their case/Idaho Press-Tribune Editorial Board. 
are telling me it's just going to get worse?? That's right, 
successful lawsuit against Idaho's primary election law, a settlement that was reached between the state and the party, revising the amount down from close to $144,000. But several senators noted that the court hasn't ordered payment. “I have to point out, we're paying $100,000 for the Republican Party to sue the Republican Legislature, defended by the Republican secretary of state, in order to close primaries in Idaho - I just think this is so bad it's comical,” said Sen. Elliot Werk, D-Boise/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. 
Idaho if passed. The claim made its way into debate in House and Senate committee and floor debate, a press release, and a minority report filed in opposition to the measure. It’s a claim that looks, for the most part, like it’s based solely on a mathematical formula and not solid analytical data. House Bill 260 is a measure that would essentially reduce Medicaid spending by the state and federal governments by $100 million next year. Of course removing that amount of money from the state’s economy will have some effect, but how deep an impact they might have, it seems, is anyone’s guess/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. 
adopted by the LCDC Board last August (please refer to 8/18/10 LCDC Board Minutes). Assuming everyone pays their taxes, Mr. Hayes’ documents show $3.9 million of estimated tax increment revenue for the LCDC Lake District ($3.1 million per FY2011 LCDC budget), and $1.7 million of estimated tax increment revenue for the LCDC River District ($1.4 million per FY2011 LCDC budget). The primary reason for the variance in Mr. Hayes’ values and the LCDC budget values is that LCDC has to use projected increment valuations and estimated taxing district levy rates when setting the budget in August of each year/Tony Berns, executive director/Lake City Development Corp. 
established juggernaut with the power of the presidency at his back. But his re-election bid, formally announced Monday, seeks to re-create the grassroots effort - the armies of volunteers, the flood of small donations, the spillover rallies - that marked his first campaign. The president's cast of campaign advisers looks remarkably similar to the last time around and will be spearheaded by David Axelrod. … The day-to-day operations in Chicago will be run by Jim Messina of Montana, the former White House deputy chief of staff/McClatchy Newspapers, Billings Gazette. 
trouble, and as an old farm boy I can tell you they don’t just crow at 5 a.m. After a year-long test of an ordinance allowing hens — but not their male counterparts — to be raised within the town’s limits, the Hailey City Council granted the birds permanent residency last week. The rules governing chickens were set to expire June 9 under a sunset clause that allowed the city to repeal the ordinance after a year of monitoring, but only two complaints were received, according to the Idaho Mountain Express/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. 
when he supposedly camped out on a farm near Lancaster, N.H., Steinbeck was actually at the Spalding Inn, a hotel so fancy that he had to borrow a coat and tie to eat in the dining room. 
who will be tasked with making it work. Republican legislative majorities voted for all three planks of the Luna plan. They did it over the objections of overmatched Democrats, and in the face of internal criticism from moderates, seasoned budget-writers, and other Republicans wisely worried about an unfunded mandate. On Friday, the Legislature finished its work, as the House approved the third and most complicated piece of the makeover. When this entire experiment is put into practice, this third law may have the most tangible effect on the educational experience for 275,000 children/Idaho Statesman. 
Democrats still want hearings on bills to raise the state's cigarette tax and to hold an advisory vote of the people on this year's school reform legislation. “We've asked the introduction of two pieces of legislation in order that these concerns be heard,” Rusche said. “When we needed to, we used legitimate procedural protests to try to draw that attention…. But perhaps the best thing we can do for Idaho's citizens is rapidly bring this session to a close,” so lawmakers can return to their districts and hear the concerns of the citizens there/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. 
shortchange their students' opportunities. That's a matter of choice, not necessity. Idaho House Republicans refused to raise $50 million by raising one of the nation's lowest taxes on cigarettes by $1.25 a pack. They deliberately ignored an economic forecast that Idaho will take in another $90 million above what has been budgeted. They refused to spend millions of dollars held in reserve throughout various state accounts. And they won't consider going after the tax owed on Internet and catalog sales but beyond the reach of Idaho's tax collection arm/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. 
issue of the tobacco tax and a rally focused on workers' rights. Idaho House Democrats are holding the hearing on the possibility of raising the cigarette tax to fill in budget shortfalls for schools and health services. Although bills were drafted, they were never introduced. … The hearing happens at the same time as a rally on the Capitol steps. The “We are One” rally is one of hundreds nationwide to show support for worker issues and the right of the public to be heard in state legislatures. National Education Association president Dennis Van Roekel has issued a call to Idahoans to wear red and attend a rally in Boise, Coeur d'Alene or Pocatello/Public News Service. 
Arena to Riverfront Park, he (delivered) a speech. For some, his appearance will shine an unwanted spotlight on the Inland Northwest. Spokane was chosen because of the bomb found at a Martin Luther King Day Jr. march on Jan. 17, which added to the area’s litany of white supremacist activities. … Some who are skeptical of Jealous’ visit wonder when the commotion about racism will ever end. Probably never. No community has ever stamped out the darkness that infects the hearts and minds of bigots. But public soul-searching itself has a cleansing effect. We prefer to view his appearance as an honor and another opportunity to have a forthright discussion about race and tolerance/Spokesman-Review Editorial Board. 
learned that the smartest depiction of ’60s-era cultural bias won’t be returning this season. Both shows provide a backdrop to the news that the U.S. Supreme Court appeared to divide sharply along gender lines Tuesday during arguments in a discrimination case against Wal-Mart. The justices will be deciding whether a group of more than 1 million women can be joined in a class-action suit against the country’s largest retailer. These shows also help explain why the women on the bench appear to see this case so differently than the men. It’s difficult to comprehend discrimination that doesn’t target you/Jamie Tobias Neely, SR. 
materials company. She worked as a controller, and took on information technology duties as well. A year later, the economy crumbled. Two years later, the company sold out to a large corporation. Evans saw her coveted information technology work assigned elsewhere. With all of the changes, the position was no longer a good fit, and she left the job in March 2010. Evans took time off but is back to work now in a temporary job, doing finance tasks for a service company in Spokane. She found the job through Accountemps, a placement agency for accounting professionals/Rebecca Nappi, SR. 
commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who was killed April 4, 1968. Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, will speak at the Demand Justice and Promote Peace event, which will include a march from the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena to Riverfront Park. “We feel very privileged that he is going to come in,” said V. Anne Smith, president of the NAACP’s Spokane chapter. In addition, Oscar Eason Jr., president of the NAACP Alaska, Oregon and Washington State-Area Conference, will be a speaker. The event starts at 3 p.m./Kevin Graman, SR. 
Idaho's most active wolf opponents, told a hastily organized meeting of the House Ways and Means Committee that residents feel physically and psychologically threatened. No wolves have been documented attacking humans, but the predators kill dozens or hundreds of sheep, cattle, hunting dogs and wild game including deer and elk annually. Boyle wants a new law giving the governor authority to declare a disaster emergency that allows rapid steps to be taken against wolves until the species is delisted, or the emergency no longer exists/Associated Press. 
also signaled broadening anti-American sentiment and the difficulty of handing security responsibility back to Afghans. Worshippers attacked U.N. headquarters in Mazar-i-Sharif after a sermon during Friday prayers that denounced the burning of the Quran last month after a mock trial organized by the Dove World Outreach Center. The pastor of the small fringe congregation received worldwide publicity last fall when he announced he was going to burn a copy of the book but later said he changed his mind. The crowd overpowered and killed guards who tried to fight them off, set parts of the U.N. compound ablaze and hunted down workers trapped inside, according to Afghan police/Associated Press. 
suspicion of drunken driving last weekend in Coeur d’Alene. Deputy Daniel Knight, 42, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19 and 0.188 during breath tests administered after his arrest early Sunday. The legal limit for driving is .08. Coeur d’Alene Police Officer Jared Reneau said he was about to turn into the police substation on Fourth Street and Foster Avenue when he noticed a silver truck driving an estimated 40 mph on Fourth, where the speed limit is 25 mph/Meghann Cuniff, SR. 
last December. Christopher Alan Cook, 22, was ordered this week to serve 30 days in jail for misdemeanor theft after a felony burglary charge was dismissed. He'll be credited for 10 days already served. Cook was arrested March 20 for a series of car break-ins in Sandpoint between Dec. 17 and Dec. 20. He pleaded guilty on Wednesday and was sentenced to 365 days in jail with 335 suspended. He also was fined $1,000 with $700 suspended and will be on unsupervised probation for two years/Meghann Cuniff, SR. 
responsibility and tribal people will be better off. Don’t be fooled, it’s not a new joke. Indian country heard this same argument during the termination era. John Stossel’s piece “Freeloaders” is conveniently making its way across the internet just as Congress considers budget cuts in excess of $30 billion, putting Indian country and the federal trust responsibility in the crosshairs. The objective is simple: Distract the public and distract Indian country from holding Congress accountable to meet one of its most basic constitutional responsibilities/Jefferson Keel, Indian Country. 
Krauss says he can't attend because there's a chance that his favorite team, University of Kentucky, could be playing in the NCAA men's basketball championship game. “Everybody knows Kentucky basketball fans are lunatics and I'm no exception,” Krauss said Thursday. Krauss noted, however, that Monday would have been maybe the fourth meeting he's ever missed in his seven years on the commission, which meets four times a month. Kentucky will play University of Connecticut on Saturday to determine which team goes on to Monday night's title game/Amanda Ricker, Bozeman Chronicle. 
daily puzzle that Jumble was being discontinued. An IPT staffer writes: “Attention Jumble puzzle fans. April Fool's Day. The puzzle will not be discontinued. The creator of the popular Jumble word puzzle pulled a trick on us — and our readers — today, drawing a tiny message that says: “After today, Jumble will not be featured by newspapers.” Trust us, the puzzle will be back tomorrow. We've already got it on the page.” City Editor Addy Hatch of the Spokesman-Review and our newsroom have also fielded irate calls from Jumble players.
others. In the comments section, Bree offers some help with this comment about the photo of that humongous diamond that I posted this morning: “I’d rather spend the money on something else. I had to tell my hubby to stop buying me jewelry (before he became my husband) I appreciated it, but I rarely wear it. I’d rather go on vacation or out to nice restaurants.”
changes in his office): That wouldn’t surprise me either DFO and I don’t even live in CDA. What makes a former police chief qualified to be the county clerk? Not much. But a former police chief who is an incumbent elected official and has made such “sweeping changes” to another county department and can bring that same type of change to the sheriff’s department? Thats money right there.
Country in protest of Fox News’ latest rant by commentator John Stossel, has some advice for Fox President Roger Ailes: don’t fire Stossel, re-educate him. Michael O. Finley today sent the attached letter to Ailes, recommending that Fox attempt to improve its dismal reputation for biased reporting by sending Stossel to a course on American Indian History and then to live on a reservation for a month. Stossel had claimed, on a recent segment of Fox and Friends, that American Indians have benefited from the generosity of the federal government more than any other group/Colville Indian Tribe news release. 
company as the Democratic and Republican parties, according to a new national poll. A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday indicates that 32% of the public have a favorable view of the two-year-old anti-tax movement, which also calls for less government spending and a more limited role for the federal government in our lives. The 32% favorable rating is down five points from December/CNN Politics. 
accountability and protect every dollar handled, said Clerk Cliff Hayes. Some changes are simpler than others. Like time cards. Only some employees in the office had been filling them out, Hayes said. “There was nothing recording the time the person started work or ended, or when they went to lunch,” he said.
Representatives, poking a finger in the eye of opposition Democrats is more important than helping disabled children with special needs get access to early intervention services. A Senate-passed bill to do that failed 52-15 in the House on Wednesday in retaliation for Democrats’ stalling tactics as the Legislature nears adjournment. Republicans acknowledge that the sole reason it didn’t pass was because the legislation’s sponsor, Rep. Phylis King of Boise (pictured), has a “D” behind her name/Twin Falls Times-News. 
earlier, according to the company's annual proxy statement filed on Thursday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Scott Morris (pictured), Avista's chairman, president and chief executive officer, earned $3.24 million last year. That was a jump of more than $217,000 compared with 2009. He made $2.68 million in 2008.
month. Why do you have it so good? “My whole life, everywhere, going to elementary school, going to middle school, going to high school, going to college … I always heard, ‘Why do you guys get all that (funding)? Why do you get those monthly checks?’ ” said Allan, the chairman of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. And so, when Allan heard Fox News bloviator John Stossel’s piece, “Freeloading Doesn’t Help the Freeloaders” – about the negative effects on tribes of the government’s “help” for them – it chapped his hide. Stossel didn’t mention the fictional monthly checks, but he managed to drag out every other element of the arguments Allan’s heard all his life/Shawn Vestal, SR. 
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