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Archive for February 2011
Gonzaga wrapped up the regular season with a 96-49 victory over Cal State Bakersfield. The Bulldogs (22-9,11-3 WCC) won their seventh straight game.
Robert Sacre and Sam Dower scored 16 points apiece as Gonzaga cruised to a 96-49 victory over Cal State Bakersfield on Monday night in its regular season finale.Mathis Monninghoff had 12 points for the Bulldogs (22-9) and Elias Harris added 10. Gonzaga's lone senior and leading scorer, Steven Gray, was held to nine points on senior night.Donavan Bragg led the Roadrunners (9-18) with 17 points, and Rashad Savage added 10. The Roadrunners shot just 25.9 percent in the second half and were held to 18 points/Associated Press. ESPN/AP game story and boxscore here.
Question: How will Gonzaga fare in the West Coast Conference tournament next weekend?
Brad Iverson-Long and Dustin Hurst launched my week in a nice way this morning by noting that Twitter has named Huckleberries Online Twitter as one of the top political Twitter sites in Idaho to follow. Brad, Dustin, Idaho Reporter, Betsy Russell, John Foster, and the Idaho Education Association are among the others to follow. You can see a map of the lists for each state here and story here. And you thought I was simply a pretty blog face? Now for your Wild Card …
Travis Phillips, left, Robert Rackstraw, center, and A. J. MacVittie, all Navy ROTC cadets at the University of Idaho, run in their combat boots during the Fifth Annual Red Dress Run/Walk sponsored by Gritman Medical Center, outside the Palouse Mall, in Moscow. The run raised money from donations for scholarships to the GMC cardiac rehabilitation program. Phillips, 21, is a senior engineering and technology education major from La Conner, Wash. Rackstraw, 21, is a junior majoring in engineering and technology education, from Billings, Mont. MacVittie, 20, is a junior majoring in geology, from Missoula, Mont. (AP Photo/Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Dean Hare)
The electronics that are coming out fast and furious is getting so out of hand for those of us over 60. Most of us 
held our heads high with the coming of computers. Even as they changed, we slowly came along with each one… but now? I don’t know.. I know my computer is far smarter than I am… and if some teen came in and
used it .. they could get it to stand up and sing, so to speak. But I-pods, I-pads, I-phones, Blackberry’s, Adroid or something like that, Kindles and Nooks instead of books. And there are so many other electronic things there that I don’t have a clue how to operate/Cis, From A Simple Mind. More here.
Question: Which type of electronic equipment intimidates you most?
A Berry Picker e-mailed this photo of Boise area high school youths who continued their protest Monday after police kicked them out of the Capitol for making too much noise. You can see a bunch of other photos of the protest from Idaho Reports Facebook page here. And: Idaho Press Tribune Facebook page here.
Legendary snakeman Jackie Bibby, age, 61, right, sits in a plastic bath tub while handlers place 126 Western Diamondback rattlesnakes around him Saturday in Oglesby, Texas. Bibby was trying to set a world record during the annual rattlesnake hunt. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Rod Aydelotte)
Top Cutlines:
What, exactly, is the price of a miner's penance? How much must a miner pay to cover the shame of being an American miner? (Let us leave alone for a moment the question of why an American miner should be made to 
feel ashamed of being an American miner by the United Snakes Government.) We have a working number and you should be sitting down for this. The United Snakes government's shame price, the price which an American miner must pay to ensure that he will not be further persecuted for producing metals that for millennia have been used as honest money, and additionally metals which enable cell-phones, Volvos and Prius cars, refrigerators, is: Seven hundred and thirty-one thousand and 667 dollars and some change — $731,666.66 to be precise. Per miner. Per Lucky Friday miner at Hecla's operations in northern Idaho. All in, $263.4 million: two-hundred sixty-three point four million dollars/David Bond, Wallace Street Journal. More here.
Question: Is the mining industry being punished too much for providing us with the metals which enable cell-phones, Volvos and Prius cars, refrigerators?
“The last day of February is a vision of white caps on Lake Coeur d'Alene as high winds whip the falling snow near the boardwalk on the north shore,” posts Kerri Thoreson, More Main Street. “There seems to be little chance that March will come in like a lamb tomorrow.”
Hucks Online numbers (for week of Feb. 20-26): 51,721 page-views/32,032 unique views
Friday, Feb. 18: 0034 hours (900 Block N 5th St – DUI) — “Officers responded to a call reference an 
unconscious female in the roadway. Upon arrival they contacted the female who admitted to jumping out of a moving vehicle (she thought the vehicle was moving slower than it actually was). The female was part of a group of intoxicated people driving two different vehicles. During the investigation of this incident, officers contacted and arrested a 23 year old male for DUI (BAC = .153). The male told officers he had been drinking at Crickets earlier in the evening.” (As you can see, it's time for another Downtown Coeur d'Alene Bar Report, for Feb. 18-23. Click here.)
Washington's Matthew Bryan-Amaning (11) looks on as Washington State's Abe Lodwick (31) grabs a rebound in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
DFO: If a flagrant foul wasn't called on this play, it shoulda been. Ouch!
Everyone has a favorite teacher; that one person who went the extra mile and made a measurable difference 
in their lives. Sometimes it is someone who makes you really want to learn about a particular subject, sometimes it is someone who instills in you a desire to be the best at any certain thing, sometimes it is a coach. Regardless of who that teacher was for each of us, those people are under attack in this country, especially in Idaho where influence on policy is radiating from corporations not classrooms. For me, there isn't just one teacher who made a lasting impact on my life, there were a half dozen or so who are a large part of who I am today/Tara Rowe, Political Game. More here.
Question: Is there a teacher or teachers who had a major influence on your life?
Boise Police Department and Idaho State Police officers ushered protesting students out of the state Capitol on Monday afternoon, after roughly 150 students demonstrating against school superintendent Tom Luna's education-reform proposals began chanting in the rotunda. With students on the three floors shouting “Kill the Bill,” the noise reached every corner of the Capitol. Officers escorted the students down the steps, out of the building and across Jefferson St. “It was just getting a little out of hand. It was distrubing and regular business could not proceed,” said ISP Capt. Brian Zimmerman. “They've been very cooperative. They've followed our directions. They can be anywhere they want in this public building, they just have to be a little bit more civil”/Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Did you take part in a demonstration, as a kid or young adult?
U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, (left) meets Spc. Matthew Hoefling (right), a Post Falls native, with B Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade, Feb. 2 at Camp Victory in Baghdad. Labrador took time out of his schedule, assessing U.S. government spending in Iraq, to have dinner with Idaho Army National Guard Soldiers from his congressional district who are currently serving under United States Division Ð Center in Support of Operation New Dawn. http://www.dvidshub.net/news/66032/us-representative-visits-troops-baghdad. More here. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. April Davis, 116th Garrison Command, USD-C)
A good friend of mine sent me an email in response to my recent post on the Senate State Affairs Committee's 
recent rejection of the “Nullification” Bill. Entitled “Seriously”, he asked me in the email if I REALLY supported the nullifying movement. My response to him was simple. Those State Senators who quietly led Tea Party members across Idaho (and specifically in their districts) to believe that they REALLY wanted the Tea Party support at election time, were ultimately disingenuous. Here's why: when THE vote of votes (Nullification) came up to allow the full Senate to cast a vote (up or down - but to go on record re the Tea Party's major project), they killed the bill - protecting other Senators from having to publicly vote on the issue. It's called “providing cover”… and it stinks/Dennis Mansfield. More here. And Idaho Conservative Blogger's viewpoint here.
Question: Will the state senators who voted to kill nullification in the Senate State Affairs Committee be road-kill when they face re-election in 2012?
The 1955 Dodgers are the team the legend is built around: starting the season 22-2, coasting to the National 
League pennant and winning Brooklyn's only world championship. But centerfielder Duke Snider, who died Sunday at 84, believed that wasn't the best team the “Boys of Summer” ever fielded. That distinction, Snider said, went to the 1952 club that lost to the New York Yankees in the World Series in seven games. “I think the '52 team was the best team I played on,” Snider told USA TODAY in a 2008 interview. “We were solid at every position — Andy Pafko in the outfield, Billy Cox at third base. Outstanding pitching. … We were just solid all the way through”/Mike Dodd, USA Today. More here. (AP file photo of, from left, Willie Mays, Duke Snider, Don Mueller)
Question: Have you ever read Roger Kahn's “The Boys of Summer” re: the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers? Is there a better baseball book?
Jim McClure, a former chairman of the Senate Energy Committee and one of the most powerful Idahoans to 
ever serve in Congress, died Saturday at his home in Garden City, surrounded by his wife and three children. Known for his grasp of detail and common touch in a 24-year congressional career, the Republican was mourned by famous colleagues after the news broke Sunday afternoon. Howard Baker, a former Senate majority leader and chief of staff for President Ronald Reagan, told the Statesman, “He was steady, and when I got to positions where I could, I always depended on him for advice. He was special, and he certainly was my friend”/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: What do you recall most re: Idaho U.S. Sen. Jim McClure?
Idaho Reporter tweets: “High school students with anti-LunaPlan signs now lining the railings of the 2nd, 3rd & 4th floor Capitol rotunda.” A Berry Picker sent this photo to Huckleberries Online via Window Phone 7 four minutes ago.
Dev Patel plays Prince Zuko in a scene from M. Night Shyamalan's “The Last Airbender.” The film was nominated for nine Razzies, including worst picture (which it won), Patel for worst supporting actor and Shyamalan for worst director and screenplay. (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Industrial Light & Magic, File)
Question: Which movie is the worst one that you saw last year?
A plan that would strengthen states’ ability to make targeted changes to the U.S. Constitution faces a vote in the Idaho Senate. The effort that its backer said could let states push back against the federal government was approved Monday by the same committee that snuffed out an effort to nullify the federal health care law. Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, said he’d prefer using the court system and a potential U.S. constitutional amendment to stop the health care reform rather than the legislation that would opt Idaho out of the program. He said one reason is the Idaho attorney general’s office’s opinion that states nullifying federal laws violates the U.S. and Idaho constitutions/Brad Iverson-Long, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Should it be easier from protesting Legislatures, like the one in Idaho, to change the U.S. Constitution?
But it was worse than a missing boat. Much worse, as Peterson would soon find out. By breakfast, everyone at the lake thought they knew the story: Pete Peterson (pictured), out screwing around in his fancy boat, had killed two girls. 
“The next morning, Dad walks into the room and said, ‘Well, it looks like you killed two girls,’ ” Peterson said. “That was the hardest thing. I don’t think he meant it like that, but that’s what he said.” Two 16-year-old girls were missing: Barbara Horne and Carol Thornton. They were visiting the lake with their families from College Place, near Walla Walla. Wreckage of their boat, a simple 13-foot fiberglass outboard, was found floating on the lake. The mystery combined with Peterson’s reputation as a hellion to lead people to one conclusion – which would hang over his head for nearly two decades, making him feel guilty and ashamed, a persona non grata at clubby, well-to-do Hayden Lake/Shawn Vestal, SR. More here.
Question: Do you remember this tragedy?
North Idaho College's Jesse Nielson, right, locks on to Keithen Cast of Northwest College to win on points in the 174 lb. class Saturday at the Spokane Convention Center. Nielson, a former Coeur d'Alene High Vik won five matches and captured the national championship in his weight class by beating Keithin Cast of Northwest College 5-3 in the finals. He becomes the first national champion wrestler from Coeur d'Alene. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)
Idaho public schools face a budget crisis, whether or not Tom Luna’s education overhaul plan becomes law. However, the state superintendent’s Students Come First plan does not provide a clear path forward. It 
instead complicates an already difficult situation. We urge the Legislature to put the brakes on a plan that has confused and divided Idahoans — not just the traditional education “stakeholders,” but the parents who send their children to school, and the taxpayers who finance the school system. This rushed plan represents a recipe for upheaval that cannot well serve the state’s 275,000 public school students. We do not arrive at this conclusion casually. On Jan. 16, we praised Luna for unveiling “a vision for education that deserves a close look, particularly in challenging times”/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here. (AP file photo, of Tom Luna)
Question: What do you make of this about-face on Tom Luna's education “reform”?
About 100 Boise High School students (pictured) are now gathered in the second-floor rotunda of the state capitol, where they're quietly doing their homework. It's part of walkouts at high schools across the state this morning in protest of the proposed school reform plan; the Associated Press reports that about 100 students walked out of classes at Meridian High School and more than 150 walked out at Nampa High. Students were also reported to have walked out of classes at other high schools in Boise, Caldwell and Pocatello/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. (SR photo/Betsy Russell)
Question: What impact will the student walkout have on legislative approval of Superintendent Tom Luna's education “reform”?
“The King’s Speech” was crowned best picture Sunday at an Academy Awards ceremony as precise as a state coronation, the monarchy drama leading as expected with four Oscars and predictable favorites claiming 
acting honors. Colin Firth, as stammering British ruler George VI in “The King’s Speech,” earned the best-actor prize, while Natalie Portman won best actress as a delusional ballerina in “Black Swan.” The boxing drama “The Fighter” claimed both supporting-acting honors, for Christian Bale as a boxer-turned-drug-abuser and Melissa Leo as a boxing clan’s domineering matriarch. “The King’s Speech” also won the directing prize for Tom Hooper and the original-screenplay Oscar for David Seidler, a boyhood stutterer himself/Associated Press. More here. (AP photo: Christian Bale, left, best supporting actor, Natalie Portman, best actress, second from left, Melissa Leo, second from right, best supporting actress, and Colin Firth, best actor.)
Question: I've seen 5 of the nominees for Best Picture at the 83rd annual Academy Awards, including the movie that won, “The King's Speech.” I plan to see “The Fighter” now. How many of the nominated movies have you seen. Which one of the remainders is at the top of your list to see?
Item: Getting There: Winter brings out the worst in local drivers/Mike Prager, SR
More Info: It’s not as if this bad driving is without consequence. Ask the hundreds of people who were caught in backups Wednesday on Interstate 90 in Spokane and Post Falls. If they were lucky, being delayed was the worst of it. Consider the little boy who lay injured in a wrecked vehicle for a period of time while firefighters and medics tended to him, Briggs said. Someone approaching the Division Street exit made an abrupt lane change, triggering the accident and causing a massive backup eastbound on Wednesday afternoon.
Question: Why are drivers in this region such lousy winter drivers?
Cassie Evans, 14, of Clackamas, Ore., competes in the floor exercise portion of the 2011 Great West Gym Fest held at the Coeur d'Alene Resort on Friday. Several hundred gymnasts are in town for the event that runs through Sunday. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
New state Rep. Shannon McMillan (pictured), R-Silverton, introduced her first bill last week, but it’s actually from her son, Wallace attorney James McMillan. She told the House State Affairs Committee, “I would like to yield my time to 
my son to explain this further,” to which Chairman Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, responded, “I think that would be appropriate.” It’s a nonbinding memorial to Congress demanding that the EPA be removed from Shoshone County, along with its Superfund designation, within five years. He said the EPA’s proposed multiyear cleanup plan “would have a devastating effect upon our mining industry.” James McMillan said human health concerns in the Bunker Hill cleanup already have been addressed. “Now they say that their focus is fish and wildlife,” he told the committee. “They keep changing the focus. … We need to tell them that this needs to stop”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you think the EPA's work is done in the Silver Valley?
There’s not much room for irony in wrestling – just you and the other guy, a mat, 7 minutes, will and fatigue. 
OK, not always 7 minutes. Sometimes 7 seconds. That’s all the time that elapsed from the moment Walker Clarke dared initiate the move he had to think might jump-start him toward a second national championship until he found himself on his back, immobilized, marooned without rescue, saddled with one of those oh-dammit flashbacks that may take a while to lose. It’s all the time Jamelle Jones required to turn a rather humdrum final round of the National Junior College Athletic Association wrestling championships into something electric, and borderline breathtaking/John Blanchette, SR. More here. (SR photo/Jesse Tinsley: Jamelle Jones of NIC wins national wrestling championship.)
Question: Which sports moment this winter has thrilled you most?
Item: Myopia kept Idaho Education Association from seeing big picture/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman
More Info: Had the IEA paid attention to key Senate races, the outcome could well have been different. Two seats might have been saved — in Southeast Boise and Twin Falls. You might say, as IEA President Sherri Wood does, that a two-seat gain would have meant an 18-17 win for Luna. My read is a one-vote margin would mean both bills would still be in the Senate Education Committee, where Luna’s third bill is stuck because of a similarly sketchy majority. Close votes on huge policy changes make lawmakers nervous, especially since Luna revealed the plan just six weeks ago and public reaction has been largely negative.
Question: Do you agree with Dan Popkey's contention that the Idaho Education Association would have been better off concentrating money and effort in helping key senators win, rather than beating Luna?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
Images from the 83rd Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011.
As expected, Gonzaga beat San Diego to tie Saint Mary's for the West Coast Conference championship, the Zags record 11th one in a row. Only UCLA has won more consecutive championships than the Zags — 13 in a row in the old PAC-8. To make things even sweeter, Coeur d'Alene High won its second state championship in a row. And North Idaho College finished second to Clackamas Community College in the national community college wrestling championships in Spokane. I'll replay this Wild Card … and we can all glory in the quality sports that we enjoy in the Inland Northwest …
Gonzaga's Sam Dower, left, picks up a loose ball as San Diego's Chris Gabriel, center, and Gonzaga's Marquise Carter, right, look on in the first half of their NCAA college basketball game tonight in San Diego. Gonzaga and Saint Mary's both won Saturday night to tie for the WCC title with 11-3 records. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Elias Harris scored 17 points as Gonzaga won at least a share of its 11th consecutive West Coast Conference regular-season title with a 68-31 win over San Diego Saturday night.Gonzaga (21-9, 11-3) came into the game tied with Saint Mary's for the conference lead. The Gaels host Portland on Saturday night.The title puts the Bulldogs second on the NCAA's all-time list behind UCLA, which captured 13 straight Pac-8 or Pac-10 championships (1967-79)/Associated Press. More here.
Clackamas Community College won the team title with 109 points at the 2011 National Junior College Athletic 
Association national wrestling tournament in Spokane. Clackamas held the top spot since early in the competition Friday, Feb. 25. There was only a one-point spread between Clackamas and second-place North Idaho College at the end of the championship semi finals Saturday, Feb. 26. The lead expanded to a 13.5-point difference after the consolation semi finals. Clackamas clinched the tournament team title with 10.5 points over second-place North Idaho College. The tight team race ended with Rend Lake College in third place with 94 points and Iowa Central Community College in fourth place with 93 points/Stacy Hudson, NIC Press Room. More here. (NIC photo: NIC's Jamelle Jones pinned Walker Clarke of Labette Community College to win the national competition at 197 pounds and later be named the “Wrestler of the Year.”)
There are no game-winning field goals in wrestling, no buzzer-beating jump shots nor walk-off home runs. But on Saturday afternoon at the Idaho Center, Coeur d’Alene senior Caleb Davis got a chance to be the hero. As he and Caldwell senior Tim Hartwig took the mat for their 189-pound final, each knew what was at stake: After more than 400 matches, the race for the 5A team championship had come down to this. “I knew,” Davis said. “I was just trying to stay calm.” Hartwig had the upper hand early, but Davis rallied for a second-round pin, setting off a wild Coeur d’Alene celebration. “I don’t even know how it happened,” Davis said. “I just smelled blood in the water and went for it.” Davis’ victory gave the Vikings 205 points, just enough to hold off Caldwell (1981/2)/Jordan Rodriguez, special to The Spokesman-Review. More here..
The 23rd-ranked Gonzaga women dispatched San Diego 80-58 Saturday afternoon, Feb. 26, 2011, as 6,000 fans paid homage to the most successful class in program history.
Bekah and I are fans of Texas Roadhouse and have been for several years. We considered it good news when 
they announced they were opening a Coeur d'Alene location. So far, they've yet to disappoint. It is our favorite new restaurant. Coeur d'Alene's newest eatery is easily one of my favorites.That's got me thinking. Mid-priced dining options are limited around here. I'm tired of Applebees and I burnt out on Olive Garden years ago. MacKenzie River Pizza was great when they opened but the service leaves something to be desired and the quality of food has declined. What does that leave? Chili's? Red Lobster? (I don't like seafood so that second option is out.) Texas Roadhouse it is/Nic, Rants, Raves, & Random Thoughts. More here.
Question: Nic goes on to list 5 restaurants he wished were located in the Coeur d'Alene area: 1. Old Chicago, 2. Camille's Sidwalk Cafe, 3. TGI Fridays, 4. Sanford's Grub & Pub, and 5. Hu Hot. What would you add to Nic's list?
A woman smokes a cigar at a gala dinner closing the 13th annual Cigar Festival in Havana, Cuba, Friday. Cigar enthusiasts from around the world come to Cuba during the annual celebration to visit tobacco farms and factories and taste new cigar brands. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)
Question: Do you enjoy smoking cigars?
It's nice to have a good laugh now and then - a real guffaw can change your outlook from gloomy to upbeat. Politicians use comedy to get the attention of voters, to relieve tension during legislative debate or to insult an 
opponent a la Don Rickles. Rep. Dick Harwood is no exception. The St. Maries uber Republican, fresh from the squaw-is-not-an-insult tour a few sessions ago, is taking his latest act to the people. He's currently appearing on a double bill with Tom Luna and his education reform review. And they're taking the Statehouse by storm. Harwood on Wednesday kicked-off his latest salute to common sense by introducing a bill that would effectively eliminate lawsuits against the state and its megaload policy/Murf Raquet, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Which North Idaho legislator do you consider to be the most off the wall?
Who would have guessed that the New York City Sanitation Department union's work slowdown during the Great Blizzard of 2011 would set the high water mark for public sector union civic responsibility? Since then, public 
sector union behavior has only gone downhill. In Wisconsin, a state facing a yawning multibillion-dollar deficit, the governor and the state legislature have attacked the problem where it is, in the excessive compensation paid to state employees. The unions engaged in an illegal strike and behaved as though they were millions of years behind the rest of us on the evolutionary scale. In Wisconsin, as elsewhere in the United States, the partnership between public sector unions and the Democratic Party has bankrupted the treasury/Michael Costello, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Has the public sector suffered as much as the private sector in terms of pay cuts, layoffs, and benefit reductions?
Funny, isn't it, how some of the biggest fiscal tightwads have no difficulty spending your tax dollars when it's something they want. This time, it's Wayne Hoffman, executive director of the Idaho Freedom Foundation. Last 
year, Hoffman bemoaned the Democratic Congress back-filling almost half of the $128 million Idaho lawmakers cut from public schools. … It was Hoffman who said Idaho Public Television is nice enough, but it's not within the “proper role of government,” and ought to be cut. … And Hoffman championed depriving Idaho's retired public employees of a meager 1 percent cost-of-living increase because it cost too much. … Yet it is Hoffman above all others who wanted the state to burn through potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend his quixotic notion of nullification/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Why is it that Tea Party legislators and backers are quick to slash budgets and yet embrace a concept like “nullification” that could cost the state hundreds of thousands in fruitless litigation?
Idaho Republican senators are looking for ways to revise the centerpiece of Tom Luna’s education-reform package so class sizes can remain at their current level and local districts have more flexibility in spending their state dollars. Senate Bill 1113 passed out of the Senate Education Committee 5-4 earlier this month, but wavering support and a lack of votes in the Senate persuaded Republicans to consider changes, even as they passed the other two parts of school Superintendent Luna’s overhaul on Thursday — a pay-for-performance plan and a rewriting of the labor contracts between districts and teachers. The final piece of Luna’s plan, a move to fund more technology in the classroom and increase teacher pay by eliminating 770 teaching positions and increasing class size, has been the most controversial. Increasing class size has been the No. 1 complaint from citizens, lawmakers have said consistently/Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: How would an increase of only one or two students per classroom affect Idaho education?
There’s no place like home. Region 18 wrestlers discovered that on the first day of the National Junior College Athletic Association national championships being contested at the Spokane Convention Center. A sizeable 
crowd watched as North Idaho secured five All-Americans, four of them semifinalists, and is in a spirited multi-team title challenge led by Region 18 rival Clackamas Community College. “It’s a typical national tournament,” said NIC coach Pat Whitcomb. “It’s a meat grinder, and (Friday) is a long, long day for the kids. All this does is set you up. (Today) is a new day.” Clackamas has five semifinalists, the most after one day of competition, and 68 points to the Cardinals’ 66.5. Last year’s top two finishers, Harper College from Illinois (61) and Iowa Central (63), are right behind and, like NIC, have four semifinalists/Mike Vlahovich, SR. More here. (SR photo/Colin Mulvany: In the 165 weight class, North Idaho College’s Jake Mason (in back) beat Lincoln’s Rick Goerke.)
Question: Were you aware that North Idaho College has won several national wrestling championships and has had a very good wrestling team for a long time?
Nick Anderson/Houston Chronicle
I noticed last night that my wood pile was beginning to run a little low. This, after I'd felt somewhat satisfied earlier in the week that I'd perfectly calculated the amount of wood I needed to get through the week. The unexpected snow storm and arctic chill that's hit us this week has turned things around. Oh well, I always have a back-up source that'll mean I'll contribute more than I want to help “struggling” Avista make it through the winter, too. Now, for your Wild Card …
Matt Keennon, program director at AeroVironment, demonstrates a tiny, drone aircraft known as the “nano-hummingbird,” during a briefing at the company's facility in Simi Valley, Calif., Friday. With a 6.5-inch wing span, the remote-controlled hummingbird plane weighs less than an AA battery and can fly at speeds of up to 11 mph, propelled only by the flapping of its two wings. It can climb and descend vertically, fly sideways, forward and backward, as well as rotate clockwise and counterclockwise, and hover. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
It seems more and more Idaho families want their children to attend charter schools as an alternative to public 
schools. According to figures provided by the Idaho Department of Education, the waiting list for charter schools has experienced large growth in recent years. In 2008, some 6,981 students awaited entry into charter schools, a number that increased to 7,500 in May of 2009. The latest figure, from May of last year, shows 9,304 Gem State students waiting to be admitted to charter schools. The number might be elevated due to multiple entries of names, but the department isn’t sure how many duplicates may be on the list/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here. (SR file photo: Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy Principal Dan Nicklay is shown in 2008 after Newsweek named his school one of the top ones in the country.)
Question: Does your child attend charter school? And/or: Are you a fan of charter schools?
“On Saturday prep wrestlers were dueling it out on the mats at Lakeland High School for state berths when the unthinkable happened,” writes Kerri Thoreson in her weekly Main Street column. “A freak accident during a match left Coeur d'Alene High School junior E.G. Lunceford with a broken neck … a fracture and dislocation of the C4 and C5 vertebrae. On Monday night E.G.'s dad, Frank Lunceford was nothing if not grateful.” More here.
To jeers of “Shame!” yelled by the Assembly Democrats, Assembly Republicans, foreground, immediately walk out of the chamber after cutting off debate and voting to pass the budget repair bill at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., early this morning. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/M.P. King, Wisconsin State Journal)
Top Cutlines:
The blogmistress at Live, Love, Laugh, Hope has a tonic for everyone out there who's suffering cabin fever. She focus her comments and camera on looking for beauty during the recent gray days we've experienced. And found enough that she was sad to see one gray day end. You can read her thoughts and see a number of other terrific black and white photos here.
Hucks Numbers (for Thursday): 9773/6141; (for Wednesday): 10077/5974; for (Tuesday) 8999/5974.
Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Cole Gillespie grabs a line drive by San Francisco Giants' Mark DeRosa during the first inning of a spring training baseball game in Scottsdale, Ariz. Friday. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Question: Which Major League Baseball team is your favorite?
Why does the Spokane International Airport has a state-of-the-art, full-body scanner but no free Wi-fi?
Mississippi is the most conservative state in the nation, a new Gallup poll finds. According to the study, 50.5 percent of the state's residents identify themselves as holding conservative political beliefs, the first time that a state has gone over 50 percent and the highest overall number that Gallup has found in similar polls. Idaho clocked in at second with 48.5 percent identification, and Alabama third with 48.3. The top ten most conservative states all had conservative identification numbers of 45 percent or higher/Huffington Post. More here. (AP file photo of renovated Idaho capitol building)
Question: Are you surprised that Mississippi is ranked as more conservative than Idaho?
Hecla Mining Co. has reached a tentative settlement with the federal government, Coeur d’Alene Tribe and 
state of Idaho over its role in turning the Coeur d’Alene Basin into a Superfund site, company officials said today. Under the proposal, Hecla would pay $263.4 million over the next four years to resolve the company’s financial liability for historic releases of heavy metals into the environment. By April 15, the parties must report on the status of their negotiations in U.S. District Court in Boise. “The opportunity to settlement this litigation is an important milestone for the company,” Phil Baker, Hecla’s chief executive officer, told financial analysts today during a conference call/Becky Kramer, SR. More here.
Question: Are you happy with this tentative agreement?
On her As The Lake Churns, Pecky Cox provides this photo & others taken this morning on Priest Lake's Kalispell Bay. E-mails Pecky: “Windstorm two nights ago brought pieces of ice to this area.Cold temperatures froze the lake, again.” You can see more photos of “Marble Lake” on her blog site here.
On her blog today, Editor Vickie Holbrook of the Idaho Press-Tribune/Nampa raised an interesting question: 
“When Idaho Education Association President Sherri Wood visited with the Idaho Press-Tribune editorial board a couple of weeks ago, she dropped the words, “Idaho's constitutional duty” to provide education. Listen to the audio. She didn't say it, but I sensed that a lawsuit against the state of Idaho could be a last resort if Luna's plan got the green light.” You can reach more re: Vickie's hunch here.
Question: Does the Idaho Education Association have good grounds to sue to stop implementation of Superintendent Tom Luna's education “reform” package, if it becomes law?
A federal judge in Idaho has denied a request by defense lawyers to move a murder-for-hire trial to Wyoming. While Edgar Steele’s case has received media attention, lawyers Robert McAllister and Gary Amendola have not shown that the area is “saturated” with prejudicial publicity about the alleged crimes, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled today. If the court decides during voir dire that finding an impartial jury in North Idaho is impossible, the trial will be moved to Pocatello or Boise, Winmill said/Meghann Cuniff, SR. More here.
Question: Could you serve as an impartial juror in Steele murder-for-hire case?
The Idaho Lottery has confirmed that one ticket from Wednesday's $154.8 million Powerball draw matched all five “white ball” numbers, but not the Powerball, and the player purchased the PowerPlay multiplier making it worth an automatic $1,000,000. The winning numbers are: 29, 32, 36, 39, 49 and the Powerball number was 29. The ticket was sold in Oneida County near the Idaho-Utah border/Idaho State Journal.
Question: Do you play the lottery?
A number of Detroit Pistons were rumored to be leaving the team around the trade deadline, but not like this. 
Tracy McGrady, Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton and Chris Wilcox missed the team's shootaround Friday morning before that night's game against the Sixers in Philadelphia, and team sources told multiple media outlets that the players were staging a protest. Sources told the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News that the shootaround boycott was directed at second-year coach John Kuester, who has clashed with players in the past. Team spokesman Cletus Lewis said that McGrady had a headache, Prince an upset stomach and Hamilton and Wilcox missed the bus from the team hotel. Rodney Stuckey and Austin Daye also missed the bus, but they arrived toward the end of a media session, Lewis said/ESPN NBA. More here. (AP file photo of Austin Daye)
Question: Are we entering a new era of walkouts and demonstrations (a la 1960s) as a result of great divide in this country? And/or: Have you ever been involved in a sit-in, die-in, walkout, or any other protest?
On his Facebook wall, SR colleague Joe Butler drew attention to one of the arguments made this morning in 
the Senate State Affairs hearing about unilateral “nullification” of federal health care reform. According to Betsy Russell/Eye On Boise, pro-nullificaiton speaker Thomas Rogers of Nampa told the panel, “This is going to create a monster. It's going to be worse than Dracula.” He urged the senators to “drive a stake through its heart,” and said, “If the government will just get out of the way, we can do a better job.” As someone who has just read Bram Stoker's original “Dracula,” I understand what passionate Rogers is saying. He's horrified by so-called “Obamacare.”
Question (from Joe Butler): Are there things that are worse than Dracula?
Raci Erdem called a few minutes ago to say that he meant absolutely nothing offense with the sign he posted 
to announce new Sunday hours for his White House/Post Falls restaurant: “Due to Boredom, Obama, Etc., we need your money.” Raci (pronounced Rah-gee) told Huckleberries that he would have published the same sign in an earlier time with the names of George Bush or Bill Clinton on it. He said he was disappointed that some people are upset, like the man who called him last night to say that he'd never dine at the White House again. Raci reiterated that he meant no offense, pointing out that he has used signs like “Gone fishing” in the past to let customers know that the business was shut for a period of time. Also, he said, he loves this country because you're allowed to express an opinion if you want. In his native Turkey, he said, he might be the target of a bomb for expressing an opinion. He was surprised that Your Huckleberry Hound had never eaten at his restaurant. (Photo courtesy of Kerri Thoreson Facebook page)
Workers from American Turf and Carpet roll out the red carpet at the Kadak Theatre in Los Angeles, Wednesday. James Franco and Anne Hathaway will host the 83rd annual Academy Awards Sunday. Story here. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Question: Who do you want to see win an Oscar — and for which category?
State Sen. Steve Vick, R-Hayden Lake, tweets: “HB 117 Hearing, Opting out of Obamacare: I am terribly disappointed to tell you that the bill died on a voice vote in committee today. But I ask you today to remember the words of noted abolitionist Wendell Phillips, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” — Don't ever give up.”
Question: No North Idaho senators serve on the Senate State Affairs Committee, which heard this bill. How do you think the five of them would have voted, if the legislation had made it to the Senate floor.
Sen. Russ Fulcher, R-Meridian, moved to send HB 117, the health care nullification bill, to the full Senate with a recommendation that it “do pass.” “I do believe that we as the states do have this right,” Fulcher said. “I believe that we must act.” Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Meridian, seconded the motion, but it failed on a voice vote - only Fulcher and Winder voted in favor. That means the bill dies/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise.
Question: Are you as surprised as I am that the push to unilaterally nullify federal health care reform didn't make it to the Idaho Senate floor?
J-Mac: I just wanted to post a follow up a post I put some time ago. Back in late November, my half sister, whom I had not heard from or seen in 26 years found me online and we have been getting reacquainted 
ever since. Well, she and her family came up this past Friday and stayed through Tuesday. My wife’s baby shower was Saturday and she really wanted to make it up for that. I don’t really get nervous at all, but I was hugely nervous to meet her on Friday night as she got in around 7:00 pm. Long story short, it went as well as it could possibly have gone. She is beautiful, smart and very, very sweet and her husband and boys were just as great. I took the boys skiing, we did Wolf Lodge, they came to our church…it was just a remarkable weekend getting to know them.
Question: Have you ever reunited with someone that you hadn't seen in at least 5-10 years? How did it go?
On her Idaho Scenic Images Facebook wall, talented Linda Lantzy provides this view of snow drifts on the Rathdrum Prairie from Thursday evening.
Why is it that companies take advantage of essential materials for life? I don't want to sound whiny, but it seems especially targeted toward female products. Have you ever seen the price of a quality bra? And I could buy a whole meal at Applebee's for how much a pack of Venus razors costs. Maybe I should start taking the French approach. It would be a lot cheaper. Sorry boyfriend — no more shaving for me/Kelcie Moseley, UI Argonaut editor-in-chief. More Off The Cuff column here.
Question: Is it more expensive being a gal than a guy?
Item: Student sues coaches, Lakeland: Senior claims he didn't have fair shot at making hoops team/Brian Walker, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: A Lakeland High senior has filed a tort claim against the Lakeland School District, claiming two boys' basketball coaches caused him “emotional distress” and didn't give him a fair chance at making the team. Wesley Bremer, 18, filed the claim seeking $1 million against coaches Trent Derrick and Greg Ward and alleging two separate incidents. Derrick is also the school's athletic director.
Question: What do you make of this lawsuit?
JEERS … to Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St.Maries. Bet you expected public officials to look after your rights. Not so. Harwood would rather defend multinational oil companies. Case in point: the megaloads. There's every 
reason to question unprecedented large, wide, tall and heavy rolling roadblocks of oil and mining equipment bottling up segments of U.S. Highway 12. But Harwood would block megaload skeptics from petitioning their government for redress of grievances. He'd do it by pricing them right out of the courtroom. Introduced Wednesday, Harwood's bill says anyone who sues to block a megaload must post a bond equal to 5 percent of the shipment's value. If a megaload is worth $10 million, for example, that's $500,000. And if the lawsuit fails, the Idaho Transportation Department gets a payday. Rather a big gamble just to exercise your legal rights, don't you think?/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Should private citizens have to post a bond of up to $500,000 to sue to stop ConocoPhillips megaloads?
Scott Menter, of Coeur d'Alene, gets a snowboard ride home through more than a foot of snow down 15th Street in Coeur d'Alene, on Thursday, courtesy of his dog Marley. (AP Photo/The Spokesman-Review, Jesse Tinsley)
The Senate State Affairs Committee has a substantial crowd in the Capitol Auditorium this morning for its 
hearing on HB 117, the health care nullification bill. Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, the bill's lead sponsor, asked the panel, “Are the state agencies responsible to the federal government or to the state of Idaho? This is not a nullification bill,” he said. “It merely directs state agencies to cease work,” on anything related to the new national health care reform law. “We ask them to stop implementing this onerous bill,” Barbieri said/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Rep. Vito Barbieri claims that his legislation is not a 'nullification bill.' Do you have a better term for it?
Item: Night club planned downtown: Hagadone Hospitality to open new entertainment venue near Tito's/Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: Hagadone Hospitality has announced a new entertainment venue in downtown Coeur d'Alene. Located on Sherman Avenue next to Tito Macaroni's Restaurant, the new venue will be open seven nights a week, and will also tailor special events to corporate or individual requests.
Question: Does downtown Coeur d'Alene need a new watering hole?
Sam Dower scored 21 points, Elias Harris added 18 and Gonzaga moved into first-place tie in the West Coast Conference with an 89-85 overtime victory over Saint Mary's on Thursday night.The Bulldogs (20-9, 10-3) overcame a rowdy road crowd and held off the Gaels to keep alive their hopes of building on a decade of dominance in the conference. Gonzaga has won a share of the league's regular-season title each of the past 10 years, and can claim at least a portion of it again with a win against San Diego on Saturday.Matthew Dellavedova had 24 points and Rob Jones scored 21 for Saint Mary's (22-7, 10-3), which has lost two straight conference games and will need a win over Portland this weekend to settle for at least a share of the conference crown/Associated Press. Jim Meehan's SR story here. And: ESPN/AP game story here.
On his blog this afternoon, opinionator Kevin Richert of the Idaho Statesman posts 2 completely different quotes re: today's Senate votes in favor of Tom Luna's “radical” education reform plans: From GOP state superintendent Tom Luna, after two of his overhaul bills passed the Senate on identical 20-15 votes: “This is a great day for Idaho, and its children.” From Senate Minority Leader Edgar Malepeai, D-Pocatello: “Today is a sad day for educators.” I side with Malepeai. Today will go down in Idaho history as the day that the Idaho Legislature sold out Idaho education. You can agree, disagree, or discuss any other subject with this Wild Card …
Marianne Love, of Slight Detour, writes: “We had a great time out Hope/Clark Fork way. We started at the drift yard, and this photo was taken there. While we were there, Scotsman Peak kept taking on different looks, thanks to the in-and-out actions of the sun and clouds.” More here.
A bill to allow corporate logos and other business advertisements to adorn black-and-yellow school buses 
that carry Idaho children to classes has moved to the Senate floor. The Senate Education Committee on Tuesday advanced the bill that was introduced earlier this month by Republican Assistant Majority Leader Chuck Winder of Boise. Lawmakers contend the ads are needed to offset the state budget deficit that will require nearly $92 million in cuts to Idaho agencies next year/Associated Press. More here. (AP file photo of Rexburg school bus, for illustrative purposes)
Question: Do you think corporations should be allowed to advertise on school buses?
“The Arctic chill and accompanying snow storm brought about 20 robins to seek shelter in the trees and shrubs around our Post Falls home on Thursday,” posts Kerri Thoreson on her Facebook page. “The sight of the birds made me wistful for springtime. More photos of our red-breasted visitors.” More photos of Kerri's robins here.
A float depicting United States President Barack Obama with his hat topped off by a man masked as al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden, and entitled 'Barack-Adabra' and the Great Circus of the Fleas' is shown at the traditional Viareggio Carnival parade in Viareggio, Italy, Sunday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Paolo Lazzeroni)
Top Cutlines:
I just dropped off IRS and state tax forms at the Coeur d'Alene Post Office. They were relatively simple forms in two different manilla envelopes — $1.05 postage each. Then, the helpful post officer clerk asked if I wanted to mail the envelopes with certified postage. I didn't know what that meant. So I asked. She responded: “Then, you'll have proof that you mailed the envelopes.” I thought to myself that the first-class mailing should be some sort of guarantee that the envelopes were going to get to Boise and Kansas City, right? I might have been OK with paying $2.85 total for the certification. But the cost was $2.85 apiece. Now I'm wondering what's the percentage of mailings to the IRS and Idaho Tax Commission that go missing because they weren't certified.
Question: When did you last lose something in the mail?
On her blog site, A Butterfly Moment, a homebound kindergarten teacher today, offers “10 things I'm not doing today,” including:
Question: What's something you're not doing today?
After the Idaho Senate passed two of his major education-reform bills, schools superintendent Tom Luna issued the following statement: “This is a great day for Idaho, and its children. With these two bills, we have reformed the way we pay teachers, and we have reformed the way school districts can operate by returning authority and flexibility to locally elected school boards. Next, we must reform Idaho's classrooms so all students learn in a 21st century classroom and are prepared to succeed in the world that awaits them”/Brian Murphy & Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.
This Jan. 12, 2010 file photo shows Montana Gov. Brian Scweitzer during a Bozeman City Commission meeting in Bozeman, Mont. Newly elected tea party enthusiasts in Montana are offering a vision of the future with a variety of new proposals. Their state would be a place where officials can ignore U.S. laws and FBI agents get a sheriff's OK before arresting anyone. But some residents, Gov. Schweitzer and even some Republican lawmakers say the bills are making Montana into a laughingstock. Associated Press story here. (AP Photo/Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Sean Sperry, File)
Question: Which state has a more extreme Legislature — Idaho or Montana?
Susan Drumheller, Idaho Conservation League representative in Bonner County, Facebooked me: “Winter weather has canceled tonight's Winter Wildlands Backcountry Film Fest! Gonzaga U is almost shutdown (except for a basketball game tonight), so that means curtains for the film festival — sponsored by Gonzaga Outdoors, Idaho Conservation League, Spokane Mountaineers and Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness.”
Question: Do you know of any other cancellations out there today?
SB 1110, the teacher performance pay bill, has passed the Senate on a 20-15 vote - the same vote as the previous bill, SB 1108 on teacher contracts/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise.
My Twitter friends are having fun with a quote from state Sen. Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth, during the education “reform” debate this morning that “They have gone through literal hell to get to this point.” One Twitter buddy observes: “I get a kick out of the use of 'literal' when they actually mean 'figurative.' They didn't literally go through hell. Figuratively.”
Question: Which misuse of a word amuses you most?
On her Idaho Scenic Images Facebook wall, photographer Linda Lantzy posts this photo from last night of a Lake Coeur d'Alene scene, which she calls “Swirls in the Ice.” She writes: “I could have photographed for hours … but all light was gone in about 15 minutes.”
“Has no one made the quip to ID Senators today that if they can read the (Tom Luna plan) bills out loud, they should thank a teacher?” — Brad Iverson-Long, Idaho Reporter.
The Idaho Senate has passed Senate Bill 1108, the bill to gut teacher rights, on a 20-15 vote. Eight Republican lawmakers joined all seven Democrats in opposing the bill. It will now go to the House Education Committee. There will be candlelight vigils this evening (Thursday, Feb. 24) across Idaho to mark S 1108's passage and to stand in opposition to the continued efforts of Superintendent Tom Luna to railroad these bills through the Legislature. This list will be updated throughout the afternoon/Idaho Education Association. More here.
Reaction?
Public employee unions have virtually held elected officials “hostage” for too long, Gov. Butch Otter says, voicing his support for fellow GOP Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin. Otter has weighed in on the issue at a Republican Governors Association-sponsored website. Walker is pushing a bill to limit collective-bargaining rights of many public employees — a bill that has drawn the ire of unions, and has caused Democratic lawmakers to leave the state in an attempt to delay a vote and force negotiations/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Do you support Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin or the public unions opposing him?
How they voted on SB 1108, trimming teacher contract rights, which passed 20-15:
Question: You want to give a shoutout or a thumbs down to any particular senator for his/her vote?
Sen. John Goedde, opening debate on SB 1110, the teacher performance pay bill, said it will reward teachers 
with bonuses for outstanding work, and let districts pay more to those in hard-to-fill positions. “Senators, we have an educator pay scale that's built in the 19th century,” Goedde said. “It doesn't work, it doesn't recognize excellence.” Sen. Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, said, “I'm having a hard time understanding how we're actually funding this. Where does the money actually come from?” Goedde said the cost would be $38 million starting in fiscal year 2013, and “there is no funding source attached to this”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: If you applied the merit pay principle to North Idaho solons, which ones would deserve raises or bonuses?
SR photographer Jesse Tinsley is pinch-hitting in the Coeur d'Alene office today, shooting snow scenes. Here, he's taken a photo this morning of Independence Point.
Martha Zito knows what it’s like to feel overwhelmed. When her mother was diagnosed with brain cancer in 
2008, Zito became her caregiver. “I had to make all the appointments and take care of the details – the paperwork,” said Zito. “I was so busy, I felt like I didn’t have time to just love her.” Her mother died within a few months of the diagnosis. That experience left Zito longing to help others who were in a similar situation. When she heard about the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program, she immediately volunteered to help. Road to Recovery provides transportation to and from treatment for cancer patients who don’t have a ride or are unable to drive themselves/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here.
Question: Do you volunteer anywhere?
Update: SB 1108 has passed the Senate on a rather close 20-15 vote, with bipartisan opposition. The Senate has now moved immediately to take up SB 1110, the teacher performance pay bill.
“I've received more email on this bill than any other bill in my years in the Legislature,” Sen. Les Bock, D-Boise, told the Senate. “We need more time to look at this. … We need more time. What is the rush?”
Sen. Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, who repeatedly objected to debate that was offered by Democratic senators on the motion that Davis said was actually debate on the bill, said Bock's argument - great public interest - is a reason to vote on the bill now. “I urge you to vote against the motion,” he said. … The motion to delay debate of SB 1108 indefinitely then was defeated on a straight party-line vote/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Are you as surprised as I am that Hammond, a former school principal and erstwhile moderate, is embracing Tom Luna's radical plan?
A form of summer transportation is covered winter snowfall in Coeur d'Alene Thursday after a 24-hour snowfall total of about a foot in the city by the lake. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)
Online classes are for the birds. I personally dropped both classes I attempted to take online. Just not my cup o tea — JimmyMAC.
Pro-union demonstrators show signs to passing drivers outside the Comfort Suites in Urbana, Ill., Thursday. About 30 Democratic members of the Indiana House of Representatives are staying at the hotel after fleeing Indianapolis this week to avoid voting on labor- and education-related legislation they oppose. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
LastDemoInIdaho: What bothers me a bit more is the well-oiled, orchestrated effort by GOP governors and 
legislators (with the bucks from various billionaires available as needed) to finally kill sick and dormant labor unions. Our country’s middle class was built on effective labor unions that made sure my father’s family (and probably many of your families as well) could survive and grow. I was the first in my family to attend a university. Without a solid union job behind our family, I am sure I would have spent my adult life laboring in the same oil refinery as my father and uncles and cousins.
Question: Last Demo goes on to wonder why Republicans and many young people are so anti-union. Has a union made your life or the life of your family better?
JohnA: I think MikeK is right to defer the question of cost until the plan is more firmly in place. That said, there clearly has never been a better time to build. Public works contracts I’ve seen lately are coming in well below 
engineer’s estimates, as hungry contractors are sharpening their pencils. Too, despite Gary’s concerns on urban renewal debt, financing costs have rarely been lower than they are now. Coupling the two factors of construction and financing costs shows that now is the time to move ahead if the city wishes to move ahead with McEuen at all. As a long time proponent of the upgrade, I’d advocate moving ahead sooner than later, as generations of users await the results.
Question: Some have argued that this is a poor time to be overhauling McEuen Field, due to the Great Recession. What do you think of John's argument that this might be the best time to do so?
A local convenience store in Lawrence, Kan., had to improvise when fuel prices required more number two's than were on hand Thursday. Oil prices rose again Thursday as the rebellion in Libya appeared to have shut down even more oil production than previously estimated. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
Question: How much higher do gas prices have to go before your driving habits are affected?
What do you give someone when you’ve already given them the greatest present they’ll ever know? I ask 
because I lost a bet and have to pay off. I didn’t really lose the bet myself as much as I lost it on behalf of all residents of Tacoma. If we had surpassed Spokane as the state’s second-most-populated city, I would be the one accepting the payoff. But you all dropped the ball in the procreation department. As reported Wednesday by the U.S. Census, Spokane retains the silver medal as runner-up to the mutually resented Seattle. It wasn’t even close, with Spokane building a 10,519 human advantage after leading by just 2,073 in 2000. I bet Doug Clark, a columnist for The Spokesman-Review/Peter Callaghan, Tacoma News Tribune. More here. (SR file photo of Spokane falls)
Question: I've always wondered why Spokane and Tacoma care so much re: which city is second most populated in Washington state. Neither will ever supplant Seattle as No. 1. Can anyone explain this to me?
The anti-education left has on its side, the powerful allies of fear and loathing of the unknown. Most voters 
know what a brick and mortar public school operating for a set number of periods with teachers in every classroom looks like. This whole online learning thing is unknown to a great percentage of voters. And there’s nothing easier for demogogues to make people scared of than the unknown. To make matters more difficult, out of staters will likely have some role in the software area, and most anyone who has extensive experience with this sort of system will be out of state. Other than the unknown, nothing can make people more scared than outsiders/Adam Graham, Adam's Blog. More here.
Question: State Sen. Steve Vick tweeted this morning that the Idaho Education Association appears to be the prime opponent to Tom Luna's education 'reform' plans. Others say that the entire state of Idaho is up in arms against the radical changes. Who do you think is right?
A man Newsweek once called America’s most influential baby boomer in education comes to the Idaho 
Statehouse Thursday to support online education and Idaho schools chief Tom Luna’s reform bills. Tom Vander Ark, pictured, who oversaw $3.5 billion in grants as head of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, calls himself a “frustrated independent” unattached to a political party. He now works on former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s “Digital Learning Now” project and is a partner in Learn Capital, a private equity investor concentrating on education innovation worldwide. He was invited by the Idaho Freedom Foundation, a free-market think tank, lobbying group and news outlet, which paid travel expenses/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Do you expect the Idaho Senate to follow suit and OK Superintendent Tom Luna's education 'reform' package today?
Coeur d'Alene's Carli Rosenthal (24) tries to get aournd the defense of Lewiston's Savannah Blinn (21) during a State Girls 5A Basketball Championship game between Lewiston Bengals and Coeur d'Alene Vikings at the Idaho Center in Nampa on Saturday. The 6-foot-3 Rosenthal has committed to play college basketball at St. Mary's in Morago, Calif. Story here. (SR file photo)
The firing of former state Transportation Director Pam Lowe, and defending the resulting wrongful-termination 
lawsuit, is costing Idaho about $25,000 a month, the Idaho Statesman reports today, with the state's legal bills for the outside lawyers it's hired to handle the case now at $257,913 and counting. That's just for March through December. A trial in the case is scheduled for Aug. 8, and there are a lot big legal bills to come; last month, the state submitted a 5,400-page brief in the case/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. (SR file photo of Pam Lowe)
Question: Could the Otter administration have handled the firing of former state Transportation Director more poorly?
A win over Saint Mary’s, which has lost only once at home, to Utah State last Saturday, and another over San 
Diego on Saturday would guarantee Gonzaga (19-9, 9-3) at least a share of title No. 11, trailing only UCLA’s 13-year run (1967-79, Pac-8/10) as the longest in D-I history. GU is tied with Connecticut (1951-60, Yankee) and UNLV (1983-92, Big West). “We’ve almost climbed out of the hole, but this last little bit, the last 10 meters of this hole is probably the steepest, darkest and toughest part,” Few said. “We’ll see if we’re up to the task”/Jim Meehan, SportsLink. More here. (SR photo: Dan Pelle, of Gonzaga's Robert Sacre and Saint Marys Michael Young at The Kennel Jan. 27.)
Question: Who will win? Why?
After nearly a foot of snow blanketed the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas, the National Weather Service has 
another treat in store. A blizzard warning is in effect until noon today for most of the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas as well as Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, Davenport and Cheney. A temperature of 10 degrees was reported at 7 a.m. with a northeast wind of 16 mph. Wind today could gust to 32 mph. The National Weather Service said that 11 inches of snow was recorded at Spokane International Airport since Wednesday/Mike Prager, SR. More here. (AP illustration)
Question: Did you get caught in traffic or experience any close calls during the snow dump yesterday and this morning? Are you waiting out the storm and cold by huddling indoors?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
I'd guess Councilman Ron Edinger is getting ready to run for re-election again, judging from the way he's been cozying up to the Reagan Republicans and OpenCDA crowd in the last few weeks. He's certainly making it harder for the aforementioned to run someone against him this week by coming out strongly in favor of a public vote on McEuen Field. But I wonder whether Mayor Sandi Bloem and others feel as though they've been thrown under the bus by the way Edinger has broken from them and taken his stand with opponents. You can discuss Edinger's positioning or anything else you'd like by using this Wild Card …
Lyle Burke of Alberta, Canada poses with a statue of Jesus Christ near the top of Chair 2 at Big Mountain Resort in Whitefish, Mont., on Sunday. Passers-by have visited and had their photos taken with the iconic statue since it was first installed in 1955 as a tribute to war veterans. Story here. (AP Photo/Missoulian, Linda Thompson)
Some Idahoans are at the boiling point when it comes to education reform. But now an official petition calling 
for Idaho's school chief to step down is circulating. “Last night I scanned in the petition,” said Nancy Berto, petition organizer. “I started emailing it to people all over the state and this morning I've already got some messages on my email and so I'm hopeful.” Berto is hoping to collect enough signatures to recall Idaho superintendent Tom Luna. She'll need more than 150,000 signatures to do so/Jen Wahl, KBOI. More here.
Question: Would you support a recall effort against Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna?
President Obama has instructed the Justice Department to stop defending the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which has since 1996 banned federal recognition of same-sex unions. The announcement 
was made in a letter from Attorney General Eric Holder to congressional leaders in relation to two lawsuits, Pedersen v. OPM and Windsor v. United States, which challenge a section of DOMA that defines marriage for federal purposes as only between one man and one woman. Obama “has made the determination,” Holder wrote, that Section 3 “as applied to same-sex couples who are legally married under state law, violates the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment”/ABC News. More here.
Question: Do you support the decision by the Obama administration to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act, which bans the recognition of same-sex unions?
Don Sausser snapped this photo of the waterfront 15 minutes ago. He e-mails: “Near City docks, waning storm clouds are reflected in open water surrounded by a thin layer of ice.”
Here's the whiteout scene that KHQ's Mike Perry ran into as he drove south on H95 from Coeur d'Alene a few minutes ago.
On Monday, Jonny Saunders, a student at Timberline High School in Boise, unleashed a powerful speech 
against education reform plans proposed by Superintendent Tom Luna, an address that has become a local YouTube hit, garnering more than 18,000 views in less than 48 hours on the social media site. In the speech, Saunders labeled Luna as a crook, beholden to corporate interests, and said that the reform plans would lead to a poor education system in the Gem State. During one portion of his speech, Saunders vehemently argued against merit pay, saying that the plan would ultimately lead to educators to only teach to tests. What makes his merit pay presentation particularly interesting is that it came at a pro-education rally to protest Luna’s plan but one controversial element of the plan, merit pay, is supported by the largest teachers’ organization in the state/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here. (Photo courtesy Idaho Reporter)
Question: Does Jonny Saunders disagreement with the teachers union on merit pay take away from his passionate speech against Superintendent Tom Luna's education “reform” proposals?
The Idaho Council on Indian Affairs is meeting in the state Capitol today, and its members expressed strong 
concerns about the introduction of legislation today regarding tobacco taxes on reservations without any consultation with the tribes. “Nobody's ever talked to us, approached us,” said Chief Allan, chairman of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. “I'm a little disappointed again that all of our efforts, all of these tribal leaders around the table trying to bridge that gap with the state, we seem to be taking a step backwards again. That's not the way I envisioned this. I would hope we as two government bodies could sit around the table and work our differences out”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. And: Denney bill here.
Question: Shouldn't House Speaker Lawerence Denney have consulted with Idaho's five tribes before introducing legislation that significantly affects them?
Toadman: Blame the snow on our three year old. Yesterday my wife said he stood at our window watching it try to snow, but not stick, and said: “HEY GOD! COULD YOU PLEASE LET IT SNOW ALL THE SNOW THERE IS?!” I may have to re-think my agnosticism. ;-)
Fed up with what he views as crappy treatment from the TSA, the owner of a restaurant near Seattle-Tacoma 
International Airport has decided to put all TSA agents on his No-Eat List. “We have posted signs on our doors basically saying that they aren't allowed to come into our business,” one employee tells travel journalist Christopher Elliott. “We have the right to refuse service to anyone.” She says that whenever a TSA agent attempts to dine at the restaurant, “we turn our backs and completely ignore them, and tell them to leave… Their kind aren't welcomed in our establishment”/Chris Morran, The Consumerist. More here. (AP file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: How would you describe your treatment at the hands of airport security?
When I was 5, I used to run with scissors. When I was 10, I sledded — with the sled pointing in the wrong 
direction — down Red Hill in Pocatello. When I was 15, I drove a Volkswagen Beetle whose floorboards had rusted away. Now, approaching 60, I’m reduced to checking my shoes for brown recluse spiders before I put them on in the morning — and remember, this is February in Idaho. And I drive much slower than I care to admit. Feet of Clay Syndrome, it’s called — the gradual realization that just about everything you’ve done all your life could kill you. And sooner than you think/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Are you as much of a risk taker today as you were 10 years ago?
Edgar Steele's lawyers want his murder-for-hire trial moved to Wyoming. A change of venue request filed by 
Robert McAllister and Gary Amendola cites “negative pre-trial publicity” that will hinder finding an impartial jury in North Idaho. The lawyers say ongoing news coverage, including the release of phone calls that are the basis for a witness tampering charge against Steele, was assisted by the U.S. government or Spokane County Jail officials. “There was no need for anyone to release evidence in a criminal case to the media other than to gain an unfair advantage,” according to the motion/Meghann Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. More here.
Question: Can Edgar Steele get a fair trial in Kootenai County?
A tractor-trailer sits in the ditch at the scene of an accident on U.S. Highway 95 about three miles north of Moscow Tuesday, after a snowstorm hit the region. No one was injured in the accident. Scanner Traffic is picking up numerous crashes & rollovers in the region with the new storm this afternoon. (AP Photo/Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Geoff Crimmins)
On her Facebook wall, Taryn Hecker-Thompson writes that her mother-in-law will be teaching her how to 
make lefse this afternoon — and that she's frantically cleaning the house before the cleaning lady shows up because she doesn't want Phil's mom to see the current mess in the house. All of which prompted Beth Bollinger to respond: “My grandma always made lefse - a couple years, she mailed me lefse packets at Christmas time.”
Question: Do you have a cultural food for your nationality that you like best?
As you know, Congressman Raul Labrador is death on taxes and spending. Yet, as one Coeur d'Alene resident points out to Huckleberries Online, he used his franking privileges to send out an impressive flier inviting Coeur d'Alene area residents to his town hall in the Lake City Monday night.
Question: Does a ritzy flyer like the one mailed to Coeur d'Alene residents (above) undermine Congressman Labrador's message of fiscal conservatism?
Dan Gookin: Even so, the big nut in the McEuen fruitcake is the cost. The public has a right to know how much 
it will be paying, not only for the whole enchilada but (as Mr. Edinger mentioned over and over yesterday) the maintenance and operations for eternity. I find it sad that such information is unknown at this point. From my viewpoint, it’s predictable from a City Hall that is unwilling to be completely honest with the public regarding costs and impacts of something that will have a major impact to the city. I also find it highly questionable that such an ambitious project is taking place with such urgency in these economic times. Full post below.
Question: Do you think proposed changes to McEuen Field are affordable and sustainable?
A young man in his twenties wanted to express his gratitude about the victories the youth of 25th of January 
have achieved and chose to express it in the form of naming his firstborn girl “Facebook” Jamal Ibrahim (his name.) The girl's family, friends, and neighbors in the Ibrahimya region gathered around the new born to express their continuing support for the revolution that started on Facebook. “Facebook” received many gifts from the youth who were overjoyed by her arrival and the new name. A name [Facebook] that shocked the entire world/Gawker. More here. (AP photo for illustrative purposes) H/T: Cabbage Boy
Question: If you were to honor a high-tech device or social media for improving your life by naming a daughter or son after it, what name would you choose?
Lindsay Lohan is surrounded by photographers as she leaves Los Angeles Superior Court on earlier today. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Keith Schwartz told Lindsay Lohan on Wednesday he would sentence her to jail if she accepted a plea deal from prosecutors to avoid trial for allegedly stealing a $2,500 necklace from an upscale jewelry store. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Question: What advice would you give Lindsay Lohan, if she was your daughter?
Five years ago tomorrow I received two coronary arterial stents at Kootenai Heart Center. I was 53 years old. 
February is Heart Health Month but every month it's important to listen to your heart. Heart disease kills more women each year than all forms of cancer combined. Since Feb. 24, 2006 I've celebrated five more birthdays of my own and of my daughters and grandsons, viewed 1,770 sunsets, watched a grandson graduate from high school and just enjoyed every single day of the second chance at life I was blessed to receive. Life is good/Kerri Thoreson, Main Street, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.
Question: Do you enjoy life more today as a result of overcoming a serious injury or illness?
As the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival approaches, businesses in Moscow are preparing for the 
mass amount of people who will be in town. The University of Idaho ticket office is continuing to sell tickets and has almost sold out for Friday nights show. “Tickets have been on sale since the beginning of the semester and we have found that Friday is the most popular because the Manhattan Transfer is a band that is popular and people are familiar with,” said Samantha Purcell, UI ticket sales representative. Local restaurants, including Applebee's and Smoky Mountain have been ordering more products to prepare/Kayla Hermann, UI Argonaut. More here. (AP illustration of Lionel Hampton)
Question: Which jazz musician is your favorite?
In a 9-page report presented to the General Services Committee Tuesday, attorney Scott Reed argues that state law prohibits the City Council for asking for a public vote on proposed McEuen Field changes. Writes Reed: “The McEuen Park Plan is an administrative action, not legislative, and cannot be under any circumstance or future revision be subject of a city election for a public vote.” You can read Scott's entire opinion here. After a public discussion on the matter Tuesday, Councilman Ron Edinger made a motion to hold a public vote on McEuen Field changes. The motion died for a lack of a second from Councilmen John Bruning and Mike Kennedy, who chaired the meeting.
Question: Do you agree with Scott Reed's opinion?
As I read the reports of the four American citizens who were brutally shot and killed yesterday by Somali 
pirates, I had to stop and ask the question of myself in the title, above. What would I give my life for? These Christians gave their lives for the distribution of Bibles in war ravaged lands. For Bibles … Like the Bible that's sitting on my shelf…or your shelf? Often unused. More than a book, the Bible represents freedom. And to the four people who were killed by pirates, it represents eternal freedom/Dennis Mansfield. More here.
Question: Is there something that you would give your life for?
Only five years after opening a convention center expansion, the Spokane Public Facilities District is pressing ahead with another expansion. This one would cost $60 miiion. Jonathan Brunt SR story here. (SR photo: Colin Mulvany)
Caden Davis steps off the stage as the crowd cheers. The singer/guitarist, along with his band, are at the end of a particularly aggressive set: AC/DC, Ted Nugent, ZZ Top, plus an original or two thrown in for good measure.They've traveled to Smelterville to play a pre-Superbowl show at a small, smoky lounge. It's their first real gig together, the first time Caden and the band have traveled out of town and played a real show for a real audience.”Ugh,” he says, when asked about how he felt on stage. “Just … AHHHH! That's ugh.” The life of a rock star can be a lot to take in when you're 11/Tim Martin, KXLY. More here.
Question: Did you dream of being a rock star when you were young? Did you play in a high school band?
mid all the weekend revelations about Idaho schools Superintendent Tom Luna's effort to create a multimillion-dollar market for his friends in the online education industry is something hiding in plain sight: 
Luna didn't just concoct eliminating 770 teaching jobs, crowding more kids into smaller classes and steering some of the savings toward providers of online courses. That's simply not credible given how long Luna has been in bed with the people running that industry. All of which suggests Idaho's top educator is guilty of political fraud. When did you hear Luna talk about this massive reorganization of your tax dollars away from teacher salaries and into the pockets of his friends in the online education industry? Not during his re-election campaign/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Did Superintendent Tom Luna have a moral obligation to Idahoans to unveil has radical education reform proposals during his 2010 re-election campaign?
Raci at White House Grill would rather switch than fight. Now that he's received considerable publicity for posting the sign on his building that originally said: “Do to boredom, Obama, etc., we need your money,” he has changed his sign. You can see what it now sez above. Kerri Thoreson posted this on her Facebook wall Tuesday.
Question: What do you think of the “corrected” sign offering White House fare?
There is, at least, one good thing about the contentious and difficult 2011 legislative session. On the issues 
that matter most, Idahoans are the most engaged. On Saturday, about 1,000 Idahoans gathered at the Statehouse to protest cuts to Medicaid, one of 17 rallies held across the state. On Presidents Day — a school holiday, but a working Monday for the Legislature — more than 1,000 people converged at the Capitol to protest state superintendent Tom Luna’s sweeping plan to overhaul public education. Again, similar events took place statewide. Democracy should work this way. Issues of statewide importance, and generational significance, ought to be debated on a statewide stage/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: When did you last attend a protest rally? What was it for? How did things turn out?
Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, has introduced legislation requiring anyone who files a lawsuit against a 
transportation project on state highways to post a bond equal to 5 percent of the value of the items being hauled, and if the plaintiffs lose the lawsuit, the whole bond would go to the Idaho Transportation Department. Plus, the bill would authorize the court to award damages to the hauler in the amount of its loss for delays related to the lawsuit. Harwood said, “This has been brought because of the megaloads. Any time an individual group can stop our commerce from flowing, it's not a good thing, and that's what happened”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you support Rep. Dick Harwood's attempt to price megaloads protesters out of a judicial remedy in the fight over megaloads?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
Idaho Reporter has been watching the views on that 10-minute YouTube video in which Timberline High student Jonny Sanders of Boise schools Superintendent Tom Luna on this education “reform” ideas. The video has received 8383 views and counting. You can see it here. Now, for your Wild Card …
Here's a roundup of the top photos from the Associated Press wire …
Oh, let me count the ways I used to be a fan of “Desperate Housewives.” That's right - past tense. After 
tonight's episode, I quit. I have watched every episode three or four times. I have bonded to Terry Hatcher, as Susan. I have related to her ever since she locked herself out of her house, stark naked. It’s something I would do. I have followed her every antic thinking how I would handle the same situation, and I have found myself thinking, when I’m in a predicament, “What would Susan do?” And, shazam! They made Susan go on dialysis - just like me! This has got to be good, I thought. BUT - Susan is NOT doing what I do and I would be embarrassed and mortified if I acted as she is/JeanieS, Nuts & Nonsense. More here.
Question: Which sitcom character do you most identify with?
North Idaho wrestler Jeremy Bommarito lifts his opponent during practice in Coeur d'Alene recently. NIC will compete in the NCJAA national championships on Friday and Saturday at the Spokane Convention Center. Mike Vlahovich SR story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
A woman in a fur coat watches a sexy mannequin at a flee market in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on an icecold Tuesday. Temperatures went down minus 5 degrees Celsius, the forecast predicts sunny but cold weather for the next days. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Top Cutlines:
Unexpected
but quite merry -
sunny days in
February!
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
Patrick and Crystal Leming of Lecompton are pictured with their infant daughter Alyssa in their Lecompton, Kan., home on Monday. Alyssa was born in a Kansas hospital elevator Friday. (AP Photo/Journal-World, Nick Krug)
Question: Were you or your children born somewhere other than a hospital?
Here's another of Raymond Pert's “faceless photography.” In his Kellogg Bloggin' post today, he has several black-and-white portraits under the heading: “Prayer.” More here.
Weekly Blog Numbers (for week of Feb. 13-19): 52,880 page-views/31,676 unique views
Heavy snow has been falling in portions of North Idaho today with up to 15 inches measured in the Bonners Ferry area through about 1 p.m. At the same time, winter storm warnings were issued for Wednesday and Thursday for Northeast Washington and North Idaho as a new storm system and arctic front arrive. The 15 inches were measured by a trained spotter just south of Bonners Ferry today, while another spotter six miles to the northeast had 12.5 inches as of early this afternoon. Heavy snow was also falling in Latah County and portions of the Washington Palouse. The Idaho State Police were asking drivers in Latah County to stay off the roads for the time being. Moscow had 6 inches of snow as of about 1:20 p.m., according to a trained spotter/Mike Prager, SR. More here.
Question: Anyone pulling his/her hair out today because we're not suppose to get this much snow in late February and minus-3 degrees awaits at week's end?
The Christchurch, New Zealand, suburb of Bexley is flooded following an earthquake, earlier today. A powerful earthquake collapsed buildings at the height of a busy workday Tuesday, killing and trapping dozens in one of the country's worst natural disasters. (AP/ New Zealand Herald photo: Mark Mitchell)
Question: Have you ever experienced an earthquake? What was it like?
Item: Poll shows ranchers are getting more popular, not less/Rocky Barker, Idaho Statesman
More Info: The University of Idaho poll found that 89 percent of Idaho residents approve of livestock grazing as a legitimate practice on public lands, and 85 percent support it as an appropriate use along with hiking, camping, mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing and hunting. Most important to the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission that sponsored the poll it shows that 86 percent of the 618 people chosen randomly want public lands grazing to continue.
Question: Does you family have ranching blood in its background?
A ladybug leaves a trail as it makes its way across a rain speckled window in Woolwich, Maine. With spring just around the corner, ladybugs are awakening and coming indoors. (AP file photo/Pat Wellenbach)
Question: I spotted a ladybug in my upstairs bathroom over the weekend. I hope it found shelter from the return of winter this week. How about you? Have you seen any ladybugs around the place?
If you're wealthy, straight, don't belong to a union and have no disabilities, the Idaho Legislature likes you. But 
if you take part in any social services, are gay or lesbian, have disabilities, belong to a union or live in the wrong area, most state lawmakers don't like you. Lawmakers certainly don't like teachers. If they did, Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter wouldn't be singing the praises of public schools chief Tom Luna's plan to get rid of more than 700 teachers. The fact that even school board members and school administrators have called Luna's plan unacceptable means nothing. The idea of enlarging classroom sizes to pay for Luna's “reforms” indicates Idaho doesn't care about its children, either/Sandra Kelly, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Would you un-Friend the 2011 Idaho Legislature based on its votes, actions, and comments so far this session?
Though no one appears to know when the first shot will be fired, law enforcement officials around the state are concerned about a looming proposal to change Idaho’s gun law. The proposal, which is supported by the National Rifle Association but has no lawmaker’s name attatched to it yet, would enable Idaho citizens to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. If the proposal passes, Idaho would join Alaska, Arizona and Vermont as the only states with so-called “concealed carry” laws/Idaho State Journal.
Question: Should Idahoans be allowed to carry concealed weapons without a special permit?
Mike Kennedy, chairman of the General Services Committee, told Huckleberries after today's meeting that the public vote issue for McEuen Field is dead. He said he discussed the matter with the city attorney's office. Unless Councilman Ron Edinger can prove that the matter wasn't properly vetted at the GSC meeting, he can't bring it to the full board. Also, Kennedy said that the audience opposed the public vote by a count of 26-14. Read Alison Boggs meeting story here.
Gov. Brian Schweitzer, pictured, told fellow Democrats Monday that bills advancing in the Republican-controlled 
Legislature to “nullify” federal laws in Montana are “anti-American” and do nothing to solve problems faced by the state. Schweitzer, speaking to a meeting of House Democrats, said if Montanans and others disagree with federal polices, they can advocate for Congress to change them. “But a state like Montana saying, ‘We will pick and choose which laws we will enforce?' ” the governor said. “That's not the American way. … “Some of these (bills) are actually passing. … The nullifying bills are anti-American”/Mike Dennison, Missoulian. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Do you think “nullification” bills are un-American, as Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer does?
The next megaload to travel east from the Port of Lewiston on U.S. Highway 12, weather permitting, will be a test load for ExxonMobil/Imperial Oil, to see if one of these bright-blue steel refinery structures built for the Kearl Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada, would be able to travel the highway through Idaho. Elaine Williams' story for Lewiston Tribune here. (Lewiston Tribune photo: Barry Kough)
A Berry Picker tells Huckleberries that approximately 60 people are attending a General Services Committee meeting re: a possible public vote on proposed McEuen Field changes that began at noon at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library. The three-member committee is chaired by Councilman Mike Kennedy. In a Coeur d'Alene Press article this morning, reporter Tom Hasslinger quoted Friends of McEuen member Rita Sims-Snyder as saying: “We want them to give us an agenda item at the City Council.” More here.
Question: Do you think Mayor Sandi Bloem and the City Council will opt for a public vote on McEuen Field changes?
Bob Asbury of Liberty Lake, is a descendant of George Washington's brother Samuel Washington pictured in the portrait on the wall. Mike Prager's SR story here. (SR photo: Colin Mulvany)
Question: Are you related to someone important?
The House has voted 55-14 in favor of SB 1006, to ban project labor agreements in public works construction contracts, a measure strongly opposed by union workers; the Senate-passed bill now moves to the governor's desk. Backers, including House sponsor Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, said the measure would level the playing field for union and non-union bids for public contracts, but opponents said it would do the opposite/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Would you describe yourself as pro-union or anti-union?
Thousands of Idahoans participated in a telephone town hall led by Gov. Butch Otter and other advocates of school reform. Monday night’s forum was paid for by the state’s largest business lobby, the Idaho Association 
of Commerce and Industry. Otter was joined by the author of the “Students Come First” plan, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna and the two chairmen of the Legislature’s education committees, Sen. John Goedde and Rep. Bob Nonini, both Republicans from Coeur d’Alene. Otter invited recipients of the call to join the one-hour forum in a recorded message, and they could choose whether to participate in the live call. Participants were asked two questions, according to IACI President Alex LaBeau, basically: “Do you support education reform?” and “Do you support raising taxes or not?” The reform question did not specifically mention the Luna-Otter “Students Come First” plan/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Charlie Litchfield)
Question: What do you make of Idaho's largest business group bankrolling a telephone town hall, featuring Gov. Butch Otter, Superintendent Tom Luna, and the 2 education chairman pushing ed 'reform'?
“She's supposed to go to kindergarten in the fall,” said Olivia Rhodes' stepfather, Darren Thiesen, of Rathdrum, as Rhodes held her sign at the education rally in Coeur d'Alene on Monday. Hundreds gathered at Coeur d'Alene City Hall and marched to the Human Rights Education Institute to protest the school reform bill. Betsy Russell's report re: statewide rallies against Superintendent Tom Luna's plan here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Senate Republicans plan to go into a closed-door caucus at 11 a.m. today (10 a.m. PST), according to Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg; there's no word at this point what will happen with the education reform bills, but there could be after the caucus.
Question: Why are Senate Republicans meeting in private to discuss Tom Luna's education “reform” proposals?
I have a feeling that the anti-reform teachers, parents and children are rising up and Tom Luna is losing the 
PR war. The incredible lack of countering the highly successful anti-reform earned media coverage is potentially devastating to the Supe's plan. His and his staff's PR silence is deafening. Tom Luna's political life is at stake, yet does his staff get it? Where are the pro-reform principals? Nowhere. Where are the pro-reform families? Nada. It's as if they think that the Senators and Reps are all that they need to pass this legislation. How terribly short-sighted/Dennis Mansfield. More here.
Question: Why hasn't Superintendent Tom Luna and his staff done a better job at trying to sell his education “reform” package?
An Idaho lawmaker wants to prohibit the restraint of female prisoners during child birth to protect the state from potential litigation. Rep. Janice McGeachin, R-Idaho Falls, says a dozen other states are considering similar legislation this year in the wake of a 2009 ruling in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. The court sided with an Arkansas woman who sued the state prison system after she was shackled during labor, saying she suffered lasting hip and back injuries. Inmates have lawsuits pending in several states. Hannah Brass with the ACLU of Idaho told lawmakers Monday that 10 states have already banned the shackling of prisoners giving birth/Associated Press. More here.
Question: Should inmates in labor be shackled?
New Rep. Shannon McMillan, R-Silverton, introduced her first bill today, but it’s actually from her son, Wallace 
attorney James McMillan. She told the House State Affairs Committee, “I would like to yield my time to my son to explain this further,” to which chairman Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, responded, “I think that would be appropriate.” It’s a non-binding memorial to Congress demanding that the EPA be removed from Shoshone County, along with its Superfund designation, within five years. “I’m actually the ultimate author of this resolution and I am here on behalf of Rep. Shannon McMillan,” James McMillan told the committee. He said the EPA’s proposed multi-year cleanup plan “would have a devastating effect upon our mining industry”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you think the EPA should get out of the Silver Valley?
The reported deaths of four Americans, including a Seattle couple, by pirates off Somalia is terrible news for friends at the Seattle Singles Yacht Club. Past commodore Joe Grande says Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay were “Great sailors, good people. They were doing what they wanted to do, but that's small comfort in the face of this.” More here. (AP/Courtesy photo)
A Post Falls police officer has been fired for pulling a taser on one of his friends while he was on 
duty.Officer Ian Johnson was fired last month for what his chief termed “bad decision making.”Just before Christmas, Officer Johnson was wrapping up a call for service at River City Physical Therapy. Johnson is a patient there and familiar with the staff and when he saw one of his friends he took the cartridge off his taser and pretended like he was going to stun the employee. The memory chip in the taser shows it was energized for one second but the physical therapy employee was never tasered/Jeff Humphrey, KXLY. More here. (Photo courtesy KXLY)
Question: Should Officer Johnson have been fired, given his track record of outstanding service?
Liz: My kids go to private schools. There is a reason for that. I also had very negative experiences growing up in public schools. There has been plenty written about public education and it’s shortcomings. Being as I have 
not chosen the public option, I have also figured I don’t have a whole lot to say in this one. However having been innundated with one public school teachers “rally the troops” updates continually via facebook, I do have to wonder if these kids are just repeating the rhetoric they have been hearing at school or if they have actually thought this stuff out to any degree. It does seem to me like public schools waste an awful lot of money and any way that kids can be efficiently educated by spending less money deserves to be looked at.
Question: Anyone else out there choosing an alternative to public education? Can you explain why?
Rational Universe: Luna’s problems go much deeper than just poor PR. He campaigned on “his” successes raising test scores in Idaho. Then he turns around, describes our schools as failing and places all the blame 
squarely in the laps of those who actually did the work to improve scores — the teachers. He sought no input from stakeholders in creating this plan. He states that he did, but that is simply not true. Everyone was blindsided by this plan. Luna charges the teachers’ Union with spreading dis-information. He is the master of dis-information. Luna continually states that only Idaho certified teachers will teach those online courses. What he doesn’t say is that that so-called Idaho teacher could be living in New Jersey and teaching through a for-profit online school based in Virginia.
Question: Do you expect a PR push by the Idaho Republican Party to try to sell Tom Luna's attempt to overhaul Idaho education, now that the theory has been put forth that it is losing PR battle?
Herb Huseland: We are all going to have to tighten our belts. The gravy train is over. Tough times are ahead. 
Tough times that the last several generations have not had to face. Every faction that is affected by the income shortfall is in denial. We are going to have to do more with less, become more inventive and stop throwing spears at each other. Luna did not invent the budget he is faced with administrating. The legislature did. I suspect he is doing the best he can with very little help from the funding end.
Question: Do you think we're facing a long-term recession that will last up to a decade?
We're facing another arctic blast this week that'll drive temperatures well down into the single digits. But I don't mind. At this point, winter's like the Big Bad Wolf, huffing and puffing at our brick houses, with March rapidly approaching. At this point, I'd like to give the Gonzaga Bulldogs a shoutout, as inconsistent as they've been, for helping me make it through another Inland Northwest winter. What would Thursday and Saturday nights be without 'em? Also, Washington State and Idaho deserve smaller hat tips for being more competitive this year. Now for your Wild Card …
AP photos taken from around world today …
From Jeff Ward's Facebook page: “The Kootenai County Reagan Republicans, in an unanimous vote of its Board of Directors, have whole-heartedly endorsed the “ Students Come First” plan proposed by Governor Butch Otter and Superintendent Tom Luna.”
Surprised?
I have been reluctant to venture out into Idaho State Superintendent Luna’s “Students Come First” initiative 
because I hate Politics and Education to mix but I guess there is no getting around it, with so much money involved when it comes to state funded education, it’s all about politics. It appears to me Tom Luna is losing the PR battle. News reports opposing Luna seem to outnumber the positive reports. I’m not sure if he was prepared for the battle that awaited him. I have met Tom Luna. He is a smart man, articulate, and passionate about his job. He must have known this battle was going to get ugly. All I know about this issue is what I read in the paper, see on the news, or hear on talk radio. Interesting ICB has not received one press release from the Luna camp stating his position/Idaho Conservative Blogger. More here.
Question: Is Superintendent Tom Luna's problem in trying to sell his education “reform” plan to the public, simply a matter of poor public relations? Or does it go much deeper than that?
Lake Pend Oreille Education Association prez Brian Smith speaks to the crowd of educators and supporters against Superintendent Tom Luna's education “reform” proposals moments ago at the Human Rights Education Institute, adjacent to Coeur d'Alene's City Park. (Photo courtesy of William Love)
Don Sausser snapped this photo 5 minutes ago as a group of 25 protesters cross entrance to Independence Point parking lot en route to Human Rights Education Institute for speeches. Educators and supporters are walking in groups of 25 because they don't have a parade permit. Don estimates there are 100 marching in total, commenting: “It's cold out there.” Terry Harris/KEA reports that numerous vehicles are honking in support of the march. William Love remarks that marchers are chanting: “Stop Luna's plan.”
The controversial school reform plan proposed by state schools Supt. Tom Luna could be pulled back to committee for changes, Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde said this afternoon. Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, met with representatives of three stakeholder groups today - the Idaho Education Association, the Idaho Association of School Administrators, and the Idaho School Boards Association - and the group came up with a long list of questions, problems and technical fixes for the package. “We went through each bill section by section,” Goedde said. “It's not too late. … We could have the bills that are out there right now returned to committee”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you think Goedde and other legislators are coming to their senses re: Tom Luna's radical plans? Or is this window dressing?
North Idaho educators and supporters are marching down Sherman Avenue in protest to Tom Luna's education “reform” plans as i post this. Here, Sandpoint High student Tyson Bird is talking to KHQ reporters about his objections to Luna's radical plan. (Photo courtesy of William Love)
Vandalism investigated as a possible religious hate crime was the result of a dispute between two teenage 
girls, Spokane police say. Detectives have identified a “potential suspect” and are continuing the investigation, said Officer Jennifer DeRuwe. Police were called to the home in the 7000 block of North Cochran about 2 a.m. today, where they found swastikas and foul language had been written on the house, two cars, two trucks and two boats. There were disparaging remarks about Jesus and references to God hating the occupants. A Bible had been set on fire on the porch, according to police/Meghann Cuniff, SR. More here.
Reaction?
Former Idaho U.S. Sen. Larry Craig is working for a sportsmen's group that wants Congress to lift Endangered 
Species Act protections from wolves on grounds the prolific predators are hurting big game populations that are coveted by hunters in the region. Craig represents Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife and was in Idaho's Capitol Monday, touting wolf delisting bills now in the U.S. House and Senate. Lawmakers, including Idaho U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, Craig's successor in Washington, D.C., seek to bypass the Endangered Species Act and lift 36-year-old protections for today's booming U.S. wolf population. Advocates who accompanied Craig say they have about 50 co-sponsors for federal legislation, including lawmakers from outside Rocky Mountain states, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan where most of the nation's wolves roam/John Miller, AP. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Is Larry Craig the right person to lobby against Endangered Species Act protection for wolves?
In case you were wondering what former SReporter extraordinaire Erica Curless is doing now … Erik Loney of KXLY will bring you up to speed in this clip. (Hint: Erica's still operating her Dog & Pony massage business for pooches and horses.
There are now three bills seeking to amend Idaho’s “conscience law” to protect patients’ living wills and 
advance care directives from being overridden by a caregiver as they’re dying, but one House committee chairman has buried all three in his desk drawer and refused to hold hearings on them. Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, chairman of the House State Affairs Committee, said Monday, “Where we don’t want to go is we don’t want to compel the health care provider to assist somebody to commit suicide.” Asked if he was equating assisted suicide with living wills or advance care directives that call for disconnecting a dying patient’s artificial life supports, such as ventilators or feeding tubes, Loertscher said, “You could view it that way”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do ” conscience law” fixes supported by Idaho AARP and others deserve a hearing?
After mulling the increasingly Far Right ideology of lawmakers in the Idaho Legislature — and particularly the three representatives of House District 3 last weekend — I concluded that Idaho needs a top-two primary system, like the one used in Washington state. How else are you going to get past the entrenched foot 
soldiers who push forward and elect Far Right ideologues in Republican primaries and watch their candidates waltz to victory, unopposed or heavily favored, in the general elections? Under the Washington system, the two top candidates advance to the general election, even if they belonged to the same party. If this method was in effect last year, for example, Rep. Vito Barbieri of Dalton Gardens, who co-sponsored unconstitional nullification legislation, would have had to face Duane Rasmussen in a run-off. The rest below.
Question: Are you OK with our current primary system in Idaho?
17-year-old student Jonny Saunders of Timberline High School in Boise smacks down plans by Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna & Idaho's overwhelmingly Republican Legislature to “reform” public education in Idaho. H/T: Idaho Reporter
Popkey's promised story is published, fleshing out the details in the concerted effort, for most of a decade of 
private, profit driven corporations gradually taking over the public education system in Idaho. The article expands the cast of characters of wealthy ideologically right wing players, including, Fox magnate Rupert Murdoch, junk bond felon Michael Milkin, the hypocrite Bill Bennett, and the son of disgraced Idaho Congressman George Hansen. In so doing Popkey connects the dots from the money to Luna and his education deform package/Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues. More here.
An Alaska state lawmaker is making her way back to the state Capitol after refusing a pat-down search at a 
Seattle airport, a spokeswoman said. Rep. Sharon Cissna underwent a body scan as she was preparing to leave Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Sunday and was then required to undergo the pat-down by Transportation Safety Administration officials, said Michelle Scannell, her chief of staff. Scannell said the TSA called for the pat-down because the scan showed Cissna had had a mastectomy. The TSA, on its website, says security officers “will need to see and touch your prosthetic device, cast or support brace as part of the screening process”/Becky Bohrer, Seattle Times. More here.
Question: What do you make of Rep. Cissna's decision to take a boat to Alaska rather than allow a TSA security worker to touch her prosthetic breast?
Police are investigating a hate crime against a family living on North Cochran in Spokane. Early this morning, their house was vandalized with foul-laced language, including disparaging remarks about Jesus and references to God hating them. A Bible had been set on fire on the porch, according to police. Story here. (SR photo: Colin Mulvany)
Update (from Meghann Cuniff's Twitter): Just in from Spokane police: vandalism investigated as hate crime resulted from dispute between teenage girls.
Then came the Kindle, with its portable screen and easy-to-read formatting, and suddenly reading books 
became more cost-effective and much easier than ever before. So why would I resist buying one of these new electronic gadgets? To put it simply, I already have too many electronic gadgets already. Holy thudpuckers! I have one whole side of my rather huge desk dedicated to various electronics, including four computers on a raised platform, 1 flatbed scanner, two USB hubs, a 5 port ethernet hub, an 8 port wireless hub, two UPS devices and two external hard drives. Oh, and I forgot an electronic alarm system/David Laird, Community Comment. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Name the last 3 books that you've read? Did you read any of them on Kindle?
More than a thousand people are closely packed into Capitol Park across from the state Capitol today for what was billed as a rally in favor of public education, and is decidedly a rally against state schools Supt. Tom Luna's school reform plan. Periodically, the crowd broke out into chants of “Kill the bills, kill the bills.” Longtime Boise School District trustee Rory Jones told the crowd, “This bill solves one problem and one problem only, and that is the lack of resolve to fund public schools”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. And: Idaho Statesman story here. (Idaho Statesman photo: Chris Butler)
This undated photo shows Elizabeth Widel working on a typewriter at the The Omak-Okanogan County (Wash.) Chronicle. Widel, at age 93, has been writing her column, “Exploring the Okanogan,” for the Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle every week since May 9, 1957. Widel has no plans to give up the column, which is just a small part of what she's done in more than half of a century of working for the Omak newspaper. Story here. (AP Photo/The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle)
Question: At what age do you plan to quit drawing a paycheck?
First-grader Bobby Best worked independently in the rural North Idaho classroom, diligently making her way 
through an activity book. A short distance away, teacher Sara Butler instructed a reading group in Priest Lake Elementary’s K-2 class. Other students sat at their desks and read to each other or went across the hall to help kindergartners with spelling. Priest Lake Elementary is the only school in the West Bonner School District with combined grade-level classrooms. In addition to K-2, grades 3-4 and 5-6 are combined classes. Mixing primary grades is unusual in Inland Northwest school districts – Coeur d’Alene School District doesn’t have any such classes, and Spokane Public Schools has 35 mixed classes in its 34 elementary schools/Jody Lawrence-Turner, SR. More here. (SR photo/Kathy Plonka: Priest Lake Elementary teacher Sara Butler smiles during class Tuesday. She teaches kindergarten through second grade at the school.)
Question: I began first grade in a two-room rural school house in which 4 grades were in each room. How about you? Did you ever go to school where more than one grade was taught in a classroom?
A puddle of sweat covers the concrete floor below Tom Aylward’s indoor training bike. But his trainer, Shawn 
Burke, doesn’t give Aylward much slack. As soon as the warm-up is complete, Aylward hits the ground for push-ups and squat thrusts, jumps laterally against a resistance band, then pulls almost 300 pounds, arm-over-arm, across the gym with a heavy rope. This pace would not have been possible 18 months ago when Aylward first approached Burke and asked for help training to participate in the Ford Ironman Coeur d’Alene. The 62-year-old man was more than 100 pounds overweight and had never biked, swum or run any distances, let alone completed one of the nation’s most challenging endurance races/Alison Boggs, SR. More here.
Question: Has the Ironman Coeur d'Alene race inspired you to get fitter?
Since I've gotten no bites on the Blake Griffin dunk at NBA All-Star game, how about this one: “Member of the “Optimalist” health club takes a dip in the icy water of a canal near the village of Viazynka, some 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Minsk, Sunday. The club promotes a healthy lifestyle. The temperatures in Belarus plunged to -12 Celsius. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Jessica Lewis, a 19-year-old Spokane resident, recently won $5,000 by placing second in a national grocery bagging competition sponsored by ConAgra Foods. A North Central High School graduate, Lewis attends Spokane Community College and works at Yoke’s Fresh Market on North Foothills Drive. In a Q-and-A, Jessica told the SR that she began bagging competitively three years ago. Last year, she won the top Yoke's bagger contest and that enabled her to go on and win the top prize in Olympia. More here. (SR photo: Christopher Anderson)
Question: Do you prefer plastic or paper bags for your groceries? Why?
Stebbijo: 
To openly picket at a mexican food stand is not free speech — it is a form of harrassment for racial purposes only. These guys are NOT picketing the hot dog or barbeque foodstands which we also have in CDA. They are pretty obvious when they wave their KKK flag - that they are protesting races that they do not approve. The police force —next time they show up at a legal mexican food stand needs to move in and arrest them. Period.
Question: Stebbijo raises a good point. Local supremacists are harassing a legitimate business with their intimidating pickets. Why isn't that malicious harassment instead of an example of free speech?
Marty
Trillhaase/Lewiston Tribune, takes House Speaker Lawerence Denney to task today for not only failing to properly punish state Rep. Phil Hart for his tax dodging/timber stealing ways but also for allowing the ethics process to be closed from the public in the future. Trillhaase writes: “Denney's impotence is the one constant in this mess. Denney had it within his prerogatives to strip the timber-stealing tax scofflaw of all committee assignments - letting him cool his heels on the House floor - until Hart paid his taxes and settled up with the state for the timber.”
Question: Have you changed your view of House Speaker Lawerence Denney as a result of his handling of Rep. Phil Hart's several missteps?
Brandon Palaniuk, 23, of Rathdrum, fishes in Lake Cataouatche during the final round in Jefferson Parish, La., Sunday. Palaniuk finished fourth in the Bassmaster Classic after the final weigh-in Sunday for the three-day “super bowl” of bass fishing. Palaniuk, 23, was the youngest of the 50 anglers to qualify for the competition. He also was the only angler from the West. Rich Landers/Outdoors blog tells you all about it here. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Question: How often do you fish? Are you good at it?
Spokane Police are treating a case of malicious mischief in North Spokane as a hate crime after finding a burned bible and swastikas painted on multiple vehicles and a house.The crime was called in to police around 2 a.m. Monday in the 7000 block of North Cochran.Officers found two SUVs, two trucks and two boats had been covered in toilet paper and written on with paint pens. A nearby home had also been vandalized/KXLY. More here.
Question: Anyone still naive enough to think that Inland Northwest racism is just a North Idaho problem?
It’s not every day that someone turns down $5.3 million over a coupla brewskies at Capone’s in Midtown 
Coeur d’Alene. But ex-NFL QB Jake Plummer did just that – in summer 2007, while quaffing $3 Molsons served by Tom Capone’s servers. Writer Chris Ballard provides the details in a nine-page feature story in the Feb. 14 issue of Sports Illustrated. The offer to Plummer, who now coaches Sandpoint High football, was made by then-coach Jon Gruden and GM Bruce Allen of Tampa Bay. Ballard writes: “Gruden leaned in and started selling. Join us in Tampa Bay, he said, and with our defense and your leadership we’ll have a shot at the Big One. Come to Florida, he said, and you’ll be the hero you could never be in Denver in the shadow of John Elway.” Plummer told the Tampa Bay jumbos that their offer was “sweet.” But not sweeter than the freedom he’d found in retirement/DFO, Huckleberries, SR. More here.
Question: Which Capone dish is your favorite?
Mary Wiseman, left, portraying Mary Washington, listens as Dean Malissa, portraying America's first president, Gen. George Washington, is asked “Where is Molly Pitcher?” (a legendary woman thought to have fought in Revolutionary War) by Megan Schuh, and her sister Jenna Schuh, right, at Mount Vernon, Washington's historic home in Mt. Vernon, Va. Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011. Monday the nation celebrates the president's 279th birthday. Three days of events over the President's Day weekend are taking place on the estate, which is located on the banks of the Potomac River, just south of the nation's capital. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Question: The Kootenai County Courthouse must be closed today because there were no cars in the parking lot as I passed by. That probably means the schools and City Hall are closed, too. Should President's Day be a national holiday for everyone — or just government employees?
AryanWomen88 (Re: Vandals, bigots target struggling stand): I just returned from N gov way & Sherman ave at the Cda park (where supremacists were picketing Saturday afternoon), and had the chance to speak with imperial wizard Shaun Winkler, he is more 
racist than even i am, It doesnt matter if you agree or disagree with the kkk , you should all take a opportuinty to go down and talk with him to hear thier reasoning to why they are out there its not just about the food, he says they will be at one of the taco stands every friday at lunch. so go down and talk with him or protest him or whatever, afterall he says he believes in everones right to free speach. … I dont believe they should be able to set up taco trucks where every they please and have them on all street corners, why dont they purchase or lease buildings that are vacant to run a legitement restaurant? Putting a taco cart on every corner makes our town look like trash!
DFO: I know this post is unsettling. It was posted by a person involved in the local racist protest against the three Mexican food stands in Coeur d'Alene. I view this as an opportunity to let the supremacists what you think of their protests.
In October 2009, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna held a re-election fundraiser in the 
Capitol Hill offices of Dutko Worldwide, one of America’s top lobbying firms. Sponsors included two leading voices in the Republican education re-form movement: former U.S. Education secretaries William Bennett and Rod Paige. The event marked an important moment in Luna’s re-election bid, as he won support from education technology companies interested in changing state policy to boost their business. If Luna’s “Students Come First” proposal passes the Legislature, online education will be mandated in Idaho and a laptop will be available to every high school student. That means 115 school districts, with 82,000 high school students, will be in the market for computers, software and online courses/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Does Luna's ties with online education companies cause you to question his education reform plans that rely heavily on computers?
We'll see if the Gonzaga Bulldogs can rebound from those 3 straight losses halfway through the WCC season to take sole possession of 2nd place when they face USF today. A win against the Dons and another one against first-place St. Mary's Thursday will put the Zags back in first. Meanwhile, the Coeur d'Alene Viks take aim at their fourth straight state basketball title tonight when they face northern Idaho nemesis Lewiston. Whichever team wins, northern Idaho will claim its fifth straight girls basketball championship. However, you don't need to talk sports to play this Wild Card …
Lewiston's Karlee Wilson (2) strips the ball away from Coeur d' Alene's Kyeli Parker (12) during the first half in the 5A Girls State Championship high school basketball game tonight in Nampa. The Bengals are state champions for the first time since 1976. Last year, Lewiston returned to the state tournament for the first time since 1989 and lost to Coeur d'Alene in the final. Coeur d'Alene's attempt to win a fourth state tournament fell short, leaving Meridian (1980-83) as the only program that has accomplished that feat in girls basketball/Jesse Zentz, Idaho Statesman. Complete tournament results here. (AP Photo/Matt Cilley)
A Spokane man was injured today after rear-ending another driver and being thrown from his motorcycle about 2:30 p.m. in Coeur d’Alene today. Police said Anthony Yeaw, 23, was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle when he sped through traffic and rear ended Wayne Bullington, 43, of Rathdrum, at 1500 Northwest Blvd. The collision threw him from the motorcycle. He was taken to Kootenai Medical Center, where he was treated and released. Bullington, who was driving a Ford van, was not injured. Yeaw was cited for inattentive driving/Spokesman-Review. (ISP report below.)
Steven Gray scored 19 points and Marquise Carter had 16 of his 18 points in the second half as Gonzaga pulled away from San Francisco for a 70-53 WCC win on Saturday. Gonzaga (19-9, 9-3) won its sixth straight conference game. The Zags moved ahead of USF (14-13, 8-4) into solo second place in the standings. Michael Williams paced the Dons with 13 points. ESPN game story & boxscore here.
The Spokane Shock held their first training-camp practice on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011.
Since 2007, Joseph B. Scott’s investment company, Alscott Inc., has brought in more than $15 million by selling part of its stake in Virginia-based K12 Inc., which sells online courses and other services to public schools. Meanwhile, his family’s tax-exempt foundation has helped K12 tap Idaho taxpayer dollars and now is supporting state schools chief Tom Luna’s plan to require every high school student in the state to take online classes. For nearly a decade, the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation has chipped in millions toward Idaho’s online public education system. One of those online schools, the Idaho Virtual Academy, has, in turn, directed tens of millions of public dollars into K12’s company coffers, for services ranging from curriculum to administration. … With debate over expanding Idaho’s Internet-based education system now dominating the 2011 Legislature, Scott, who is Joe Albertson’s grandson, and an avid skier with his own helicopter, isn’t staying on the sidelines, either/John Miller, Associated Press. More here.
Question: In a speech Friday, Luna denied that his radical plans for education reform were influenced by thousands of dollars in contribution from online education sources, like K12. What do you think?
Nine-year-old Kody Vaughn, of Liberty Lake visited Camille, a six-month-old Bactrian camel at the Post Falls Professional Center on Friday. “Camille in the Community,” was a fundraiser for the uninsured patient fund at Diversified Social Services, Inc, and Dirne Community Health Center. Story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Question: I've ridden an elephant but I've never ridden a camel. How about you?
A Coeur d’Alene taco stand that was picketed by white supremacists recently has been hit by vandals. The owner of Tacos Los Panchos says the vandals did $1,500 in damage to his stand.The stand, in the 2100 block of Fourth Street, was hit sometime overnight last Thursday. Owner Ignacio Sanabria says someone came behind the trailer and clipped the power, heating and propane lines.For Sanabria, the stand is a dream come true. He’s there seven days a week to support a family of five. “I get all recipes from my grandma, nobody around have marinara pork in town,” Sanabria said, boasting his family recipes.It’s only been eight months since he opened and the last two months have been hard/Sally Showman, KXLY. More here.
Question: Have you visited one of the 3 Mexican food stands in town to show your support for them in the face of harassment by white supremacists and now vandalism?
Idaho Sen. Shirley McKague of Meridian, pictured, introduced a bill Friday that would prohibit collective bargaining by all 
public-sector employees. The prohibition would apply to public school teachers, firefighters and other public employees at all levels of state and local government. McKague made it clear she wanted the bill introduced for discussion purposes. However, she held out the possibility it would be brought back next session. … McKague's bill indicates public employees would be free to join labor organizations, but it prohibits collective bargaining for rates of pay, hours of employment, work conditions or other employment matters. It would also be illegal to go out on strike/William L. Spence, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Should Idaho pass McKague's law to ban public-sector employees from collective bargaining?
Mike Kennedy (re: “Marc: Tribe police have other options”): If the good people of Benewah County want to cast their lot with the likes of Dick Harwood and Larry Spencer, they are free to do so and theoretically I do wish them 
the best. But I know that decision won’t end well for them. It never does. I, for one, will continue to engage with and work with the people of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, who have after generations of abuse and scorn, pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and built a real future in a tough and unforgiving terrain. My kids are being raised with a respect and appreciation for the legacy of hundreds of years of history of North Idaho. History of their grandparents who raised a family as loggers and history of the Coeur d’Alenes who were the original owners of all of this land we love so much. Mike's entire comment here.
Question: Do you teach your children to respect the tribes in your areas of the Inland Northwest?
Lewiston (21-3) will play three-time reigning champion Coeur d’Alene (20-5) — a 56-36 winner against Highland — in a rematch of last year’s championship game at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Idaho Center. “Every year, you expect to reach the state tournament, and it takes a lot of work to get there,” Coeur d’Alene coach Dale Poffenroth said. “Once you get there, if you don’t win, it’s a big letdown because you know how much work it took.” This will mark the fifth consecutive year a team from northern Idaho will claim the title. Centennial won in 2006, but Lake City won in 2007 and Coeur d’Alene has dominated ever since. “We’ve got a good team, but we’ll see what happens,” said Lewiston coach Pat Teichmer, whose team has beaten Coeur d’Alene twice this season. “We’ve asked our kids to jump one hurdle at a time and we have one more big one in front of us”/Jesse Zentz, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: When did you last see a high school girls basketball game?
Meghan Ridley, pictured, the Lakeland School District special education instructor who was slimed by Coeur d'Alene Press online trolls, has written an op-ed piece that is now online at the Press: “I personally fell victim to an ugly 
misuse of words myself lately. Following a picture of me on the cover of the February 13th issue of The Press, bloggers proceeded to write the most disgustingly horrible things I’ve ever heard about myself. They took their offense with my attire as an opportunity to offend both my person and profession. They accused me of selling sex in my classroom. They insinuated that my appearance is how I “hook” my special education students. They told me I should keep the flirting for after hours. They even compared me to the notorious pedophile, Mary Kay Letourneau. Wow! Words sure are powerful sometimes. I guess they didn’t realize I was a well-respected educator and member of the community, who when not in my classroom, spends time coaching the Special Olympics and pursuing my PhD at Gonzaga.” Full post here.
Question: Do you think the Press has learned its lesson?
I used to California dream on winter days in late February. But for some reason I'm Florida dreamin' today. I don't like walking carefully across a parking lot because it's slick this time of the year. Been there. Done that for 4 months. But the sun seems like it's trying to poke through. So that's a plus in our Winter Wonderland. The flu shot I received early this winter worked to keep away flu and sinus infections. Now, they need to develop a shot for cabin fever. Now, for your Wild Card …
Kevin VanDam, left, and Aaron Martens, right, fish nearby one another during the first day of competition of the Bassmaster Classic today on the Louisiana Delta new Westwego, La. Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum is in 11th place out of 50 anglers today after the first day of fishing at the Bassmaster Classic near New Orleans . The three-day “Super Bowl” of bass fishing runs through Sunday at the Louisiana Delta. Rich Landers Outdoors story here. (AP Photo/The Times-Picayune, Brett Duke)
An Idaho State Police report confirms that Cpl. Dan Howard fired the shots that killed one person and injured 
another after two Montana fugitives rammed his patrol car on Feb. 7. Mark Marion Maykopet, 24, of Butte, was treated at Kootenai Medical Center then jailed on a $1.5 million bond. His passenger, Christie O’Leary Little, 40, also known as Christie Ann Little, was killed. Following the incident, detectives found two guns on the floor of the Jeep Cherokee driven by Maykopet, the report said. A fully automatic 9 mm was found behind the rear seat with an empty 32-round magazine. A .25 caliber pistol was found under the passenger seat toward the rear with an eight-round magazine, but the chamber was not loaded/Alison Boggs, SR. More here.
Green River Killer Gary Ridgway stands to be escorted out following his arraignment on charges of murder in the 1982 death of Rebecca “Becky” Marrero at the King County Regional Justice Center in Kent., Wash., today. Ridgway already confessed to killing Marrero as part of a 2003 plea deal that spared him the death penalty. Story here. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Question: Can the state of Washington ever execute a person again when Gary Ridgway killed at least 49 people without being put down?
DFO and his daughter-in-law, Sweet Stephanie, meet “Bull Alligator” outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida during DFO's recent vacay to Gainesville. You write the cutline.
Top Cutline:
A doctor shows a 4-inch (10-centimeter) knife which has been removed from the skull of Li Fuyan against the x-ray scan at the People's Hospital in Yuxi in southwest China's Yunnan province. Surgeons in southern China successfully removed a rusty, 4-inch (10-centimeter) knife from the skull of a man who said it had been stuck in there for four years, the hospital said Friday. (AP Photo)
Question: Wouldn't you suspect that something's wrong if you had a 4-inch knife blade in your head?
Whether you have been at the head of the classroom or in a desk on the other end, you know the importance of quality teaching. It makes all the difference. With the help of a great teacher, a struggling student can excel. 
Under an ineffective teacher, that student may never catch up. We know this from our own school experiences, as well as extensive research. The teacher is and always will be the most important factor in student success. If we truly want to put students first, we have to make sure we invest in Idaho’s teachers. That’s exactly what the Students Come First plan does. As a former teacher, I am excited about the possibilities this plan provides for great teachers now and in the future. Some have claimed this plan “devalues teachers.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s the only option that actually invests in teachers/Lori Otter, Office of the First Lady. More here. (AP file photo of Gov. Otter and Miss Lori)
Question: Why do you think proponents are rolling out the heavy hitters like First Lady Lori Otter to defend Tom Luna's radical education “reform” plans? After all, they're winning the legislative battle.
At Kellogg Bloggin', Raymond Pert explains that he & Inland Empire Girl, who just celebrated her 4th blogiversary (see below) are experimenting with faceless portraits, like the one above. See more here.
Hucks Online numbers for Thursday (10,991/6369), Wednesday (9722/5697), and Tuesday (9199/5351)
A stuffed figure of Albert Einstein starts to sink as ice begins to melt on Webster Lake in Webster, Mass., Temperatures were forecast to be in the 50's in some parts of Massachusetts today. The Einstein figure is part of a contest for residents to guess when ice will be melted from the lake. (AP Photo/The Telegram & Gazette of Worcester, Rick Cinclair)
Question: How do you know when winter is officially over?
The internet website Politico has dubbed it the “Mormon primary” – the possibility of two articulate, intelligent, 
conservative-to-moderate former governors, who also are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon), will be slugging it out along with other contenders for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. It is an intriguing possibility, one that contrary to conventional wisdom may actually be a welcomed development by the presumptive front-runner, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the first serious Mormon candidate since his father, former Michigan Governor George Romney, ran in 1968. The possible entry of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr., who resigned his seat a few months after winning re-election with 78 percent of the vote to become U.S. Ambassador to China, is causing GOP aspirants, as well as the incumbent, to redo their political calculations/Chris Carlson, Carlson Chronicles. More here.
Question: Would you have any problem voting for a Mormon to be president?
Perry Moore, the executive producer of the 'Chronicles of Narnia' trilogy, was found dead in his New York 
apartment, the New York Daily News is reporting. He was 39. Sources told the newspaper that Moore was found unconscious by his partner, Hunter Hill, in the bathroom of their Soho home on Thursday after an apparent overdose of OxyContin. He was pronounced dead soon after responders arrived. “We're in shock,” Moore's father, Bill, told the Daily News. He added that when he spoke to his son just the night before, he was in a “great, great mood”/Huffington Post. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Are you a fan of the “Narnia” movie trilogy or C.S. Lewis' books?
Betsy Russell of the Spokesman Review reported that (Rep. Rich Wills, R-Glenns Ferry, pictured) “said he’s received hundreds of calls and e-mails threatening him and questioning his integrity for backing the bill. “I’ve had 
threats I’d better never go into the county again,” he said. “I’ve been called all kinds of sundry names.” Opponents raised fears, ranging from the tribe taking away the guns of non-Indians who have concealed weapons permits and pass through the reservation to provisions of tribal code being used to impose civil penalties on non-Indians – something that already can occur today on the reservation. “This doesn’t change anything about that,” Wills said. Instead, it addressed criminal violations – saying tribal police officers could enforce state law against non-tribal members, but they’d have to be cited under state law and into state court”/Randy Stapilus, Ridenbaugh Press. More here.
Question: What role did racism play in the 35-34 defeat of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe police bill?
Niki Zupanic, public policy director for ACLU Montana, speaks on behalf of HB514 in front of the House Judiciary Committee in the Montana state capitol building earlier today in Helena, Mont. Gay rights advocates want the Legislature to expand discrimination protection statewide _ while conservative religious groups want the lawmakers to repeal Missoula's local ordinance establishing extra protections for gays and others. Story here. (AP Photo/The Independent Record, Eliza Wiley)
In this October 2008 AP file photo, Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick (7) drives around Charlotte Bobcats forward Adam Morrison (35) during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game in Orlando. The Bobcats drafted the former Gonzaga Bulldog third overall in the 2006 NBA draft. Now, a list published in RealClearSports ranks Morrison as the No. 1 NBA basketball bust of all time. Story here. (AP Photo/John Raoux) H/T: SWX.
Question: Why do such former Gonzaga Stars like Morrison and Dan Dichau have such a hard time making it in the NBA?
Apparently, Idaho Statesman political sleuth extraordinaire Dan Popkey is preparing an article that suggests Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna may have been influenced by political contributions in trying to “reform” Idaho education. Randy Stapilus offered a follow-the-money scenario that might provide a background on the skewp by Popkey. Luna added some credence to a possible story by telling the Club At Boise earlier today that “political donations didn't sway him to propose “Students Come First” legislation to overhaul Idaho schools.
Idaho hasn’t seen an unemployment rate this high for more than a decade. In 2011, the Republican-controlled Legislature has made much ado about being anti-healthcare reform, anti-assisted suicide, anti-education funding, anti-urban renewal, anti-labor, and the list goes on. Idaho Republicans only listen to the GOP talking points sent from Washington, D.C., and they refuse to address what is most important to everyday Idahoans —jobs!/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Is it fair to characterize the current Idaho Republican Legislature as “anti-everything”?
… that State Controller Donna Jones sidestepped a tough question from Ron Johnson while speaking at a Republican Women's event in the Shore Lounge of the Coeur d'Alene Resort about an hour ago, according to a Berry Picker. Johnson asked Jones whether “Phil Hart's wages as a legislator are being garnished by the Federal government.” Jones responded: “If I knew I could not tell you.”
On her Facebook wall, Cindy tells of possibly inheriting a cat that followed son Sam home last night — and now, of course, won't leave. She even called Spokanimal to check out the situation because she was concerned that the cat might belong to somebody. Spokanimal came. The cat hid. Spokanimal left. Then, the cat reappeared on Cindy's porch. Cindy, of course, has her own cat, Milo, who doubles for her as a co-author and editor. What should she do?
Question: Have you ever kept an animal that followed you or one of your kids home? How did that work out?
Some nullification supporters tried their best to sound level-headed Wednesday. They tried to paint their effort as something straightforward: a bill simply directing state agencies to do nothing to implement federal health 
care reform. “It does no more, no less,” said House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke, R-Oakley. “It is a policy decision.” Now, consider this over-the-top comment from the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Vito Barbieri, pictured, who goaded his colleagues to stand up to Uncle Sam. “This issue was resolved during the Nuremberg trials. The idea that we are directed from on high, that orders are orders, was found to be no defense. But, rather, our conscience is our duty.” Barbieri represents a portion of Kootenai County, an area with a long history with neo-Nazi fringe groups. I wonder how Barbieri’s constituents feel about his choice of analogy/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: What do you make of state Rep. Vito Barbieri, who represents a House district with long ties to the Aryan Nations, using the Nuremberg trials analogy to defend nullification?
Kerry Taylor poses for photographs next to a see-through dress modeled by Kate Middleton, the fiancee of Britain's Prince William, in a university charity fashion show in 2002, in London. A see-through dress that some believe played a key role in bringing Kate Middleton and Prince William together will be auctioned off in London next month. Middleton wore the transparent dress over black lingerie at a 2002 charity fashion show at the University of St. Andrews when the two students were just friends. The piece of royal history is expected to sell for more than 8,000 pounds ($12,800) (AP Photo/Akira Suemori)
Question: How interested are you in the royal wedding between Prince William & Kate Middleton?
A North Idaho lawyer accused of hiring a hit man to kill his wife was involved with another woman who 
received a letter from him after his arrest, federal prosecutors allege. Edgar J. Steele, 65, wanted his wife murdered because he “had been establishing a relationship with a young woman who lives outside of the United States,” according to documents filed this week in U.S. District Court in Coeur d’Alene. Ukrainian officials interviewed the woman and say she provided them with a letter she received from Steele after his arrest last June. Prosecutors say they plan to show jurors other letters and evidence outlining steps Steele took to meet the woman/Meghann Cuniff, SR. More here.
Question: Do you think it's time for Cyndi Steele to kick this guy down the road?
Duane Hagadone likes to make big, bold, glitzy statements, and his latest development in Coeur d’Alene 
won’t stray from that pattern. The man behind the Coeur d’Alene Resort and its posh golf course, as well as luxurious homes on the lake and in Palm Desert, Calif., is now building a first-class wedding and event center on the lakefront. The 11,700-square-foot facility, set to open at the end of June, already has 11 weddings booked for later this year, said Jerry Jaeger, president and co-owner of Hagadone Hospitality. The first event won’t be a wedding, however. Idaho Gov. Butch Otter will host the Western Governor’s Conference there June 30/Scott Maben, SR. More here. (SR photo/Kathy Plonka: Groundwork continued in preparation for the construction of the Hagadone Events Center near the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course last week.)
Question: Would you like your son or daughter to get married at the Coeur d'Alene Resort wedding facility on the viewtiful resort golf course?
Item: Is this the final chapter? Future of bookstores in doubt with e-books gaining in popularity/Alecia Warren, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: Bookstores are feeling a squeeze these days. With the barrage of alternatives like online bookselling, downloading electronic books, and shopping at warehouse stores, independent bookstores could seem obsolete. And with Borders declaring bankruptcy this week, it begs the question: If the big guys can't make it, what is the future of the small bookstore?
Question: Will small bookstores soon be obsolete?
“This is just great,” said Howard White, owner of Saddle Up Grill Steakhouse in Athol. The restaurant reopened Thursdayafter spending two years rebuilding after a devastating fire. Mike Prager's SR story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Escapee: If a woman wants to play baseball, hockey, football, whatever, then womens’ leagues should be formed. It’s not really an honest-to-goodness competition if one sex is pitted against the other. Plus, if a guy 
beats a woman handily, he ‘bullied’ her, and if he doesn’t want to compete, then he’s a sissy, wimp, whatever. That’s an awkward position to be put in, and the lad who decided not to take on a female wrestler absolutely did the right thing. There’s a psychological side to this too. Many young men are advised all their lives by their parents to treat women like ladies. How difficult, then, would it be for that young man to all of a sudden be in the position of body-slamming a female?
Question: Should high school boys be allowed to play on girls' volleyball teams (since boys don't have an equivalent team)?
Marc Stewart: All of the Tribal Police Department has been to Idaho Peace Officers and Standards and Training and graduated. They are in good standing and you could verify this easily by talking to the Idaho 
POST. As a result, they are able to enforce state laws in Kootenai County. You can also confirm that with Rocky Watson. The Tribe’s first choice was a cross deputization agreement with Benewah County. That failed numerous times after Benewah County backed out of two deals, including one in December. You can confirm that with Rep. Rich Wills. The Tribe’s second choice was the state law. Since that failed today, the tribe will seriously consider going the federal route. It’s not saber rattling. It’s not being a bully. It’s just a fact of life that people should prepare themselves for.
Question: Should the Coeur d'Alene Tribe look to a federal solution to protect its citizens with law enforcement on the Coeur d'Alene Reservation?
Fat Lady Sings: Laptops for every student? Really? What happens when students (who lack supervision 
and/or the presence of positive role models or who trip on a rock) damage, destroy or pawn their laptops? How is the laptop replaced? What is the turn around time? What happens if the student misses a test as a result of not having access to their laptop? Who will provide IT services for the students? What happens if the student’s parent/s lose a job and cannot afford the internet connection and the service is shut off by the provider? And a 100 other what-if questions that are not even far fetched … what then? It’s an administrative and financial nightmare. (Full comment below)
Question: What do you think of Tom Luna's plan to provide a laptop to every high school freshman — and then expect that freshman to learn and take care of that laptop?
Junior guard Marquise Carter scored 13 of his career-high 20 points in the second half and David Stockton provided a couple of momentum-turning plays as Gonzaga defeated Santa Clara 85-76 on Thursday at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The victory keeps Gonzaga (18-9, 8-3 WCC) in a second-place tie with San Francisco, which defeated Portland 82-73 at the Chiles Center. The Dons visit GU on Saturday. Kevin Foster made 5 of 5 3s en route to 18 first-half points, but he cooled off in the second half. He finished 8 of 22 from the field and scored 27 points. Santa Clara dropped to 16-12, 6-5/Jim Meehan, SportsLink. More here. And: ESPN boxscore here.
I didn't think the sunshine, liquid and otherwise, that Mrs. O & I found in north-central Florida that week was all that warm. We experienced temperatures between 60 and 70 during our week with Junior & Miss Stephanie in the Gainesville area. Now, watching the small snow flakes swirl outside my window on NW Boulevard, I realize that I was living large among All-Things-Gator last week. As you see, I'm not quite out of vacay mode yet. Now for your Wild Card …
A post from Kerri Thoreson's Facebook page about a controversial White House Grill sign received numerous comments on her wall and her at Hucks Online earlier today. Kerri responded to some criticism for a sign that took a swipe at President Obama, stating that restaurant owner Raci's signs are known to take on both sides of the political spectrum. The one above is typical of Raci, says Kerri. You can see more of Raci's signs here.
A Coeur d’Alene taco stand that employees said has been picketed recently by white supremacists was vandalized last week. The owner of Tacos Los Panchos, 2102 N. Fourth St., discovered the vandalism when the trailer opened for business on Feb. 11, said Sgt. Christie Wood, a Coeur d’Alene Police Department spokeswoman. When the employees left, they said the trailer was secure and nothing had been damaged, Wood said. In the morning, they noticed that someone cut the power, propane and heater lines to the trailer — a total of $1,500 worth of damage, Wood said/Alison Boggs, SR. More here.
Reaction?
Grover G. Norquist President of Americans for Tax Reform, speaks at an any tax rally on the steps of the Idaho Statehouse Thursday in Boise. About 100 people came out for the noon rally. (Idaho Statesman/AP photo: Chris Butler)
Kudan Elementary School children touch a cheek of Japan's robot teacher Saya following a special class by the robot that can express six basic emotions, developed by Tokyo University of Science Professor Hiroshi Kobayashi, in Tokyo. Japan's space agency JAXA announced Monday that it is considering putting a talking humanoid robot on the International Space Station in 2013 to watch the mission while astronauts are asleep, monitor their health and stress levels and communicate to Earth through the microblogging site Twitter. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, FILE)
Top Cutlines:
The Idaho State Board of Education has voted to suspend the Faculty Senate at Idaho State University, after the senate voted “no confidence” in ISU President Art Vailas, in whom the state board had just voted its full confidence. In a news release, the board said the move was “the most reasonable action to take at this time”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Reaction?
L. Yvonne Wallis was found on the floor of her home by son, Michael Heath just prior to noon today. Michael doesn't know whether she fainted, or stumbled and hit her head. EMT's from Timberlake and Northern Lakes responded and transported her to Kootenai Hospital. Just prior to Christmas, Yvonne, along with daughter-in-law Patty Heath and son Michael were attacked by a allegedly deranged man living next door, Larry Cragun. Gragun is currently residing in the Kootenai County Jail awaiting trial for murder, aggrevated assault and other related charges/Herb Huseland, Bay Views. More here.
Sen. John Andreason, R-Boise, asked state schools Supt. Tom Luna, “Is it your opinion that we now have a 
finished product?” Or, he said, with all the changes, is there a need to go back and work over the plan with all the stakeholders? Luna responded that he's asking the committee to pass the three bills today. “There are some things that have to happen immediately,” he said. Among them: Addressing the current funding crisis, and giving school districts “the ability to manage” personnel and labor decisions. Said Luna, “This is the product that has to move forward.” Andreason said, “Mr. Chairman, I've received over 1,400 emails - 90 percent were against this plan. I'm trying to save the plan”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Marty Trillhaase of the Lewiston Tribune noted yesterday that the Legislature can't do anything, no matter how small, without appointing a task force to study it. How can that same group of timid individuals by pushing ahead a radical overhaul of the state's education system without careful study?
Nampa Mayor Tom Dale, pictured, Wednesday sharply criticized Idaho lawmakers for trying to limit the work of city urban 
renewal agencies with new legislation. Dale said lawmakers have a “disconnect” with city officials and city residents about urban renewal. He also said legislators lack trust in local governments and the voters who elect local officials. But Rep. Gary Collins, R-Nampa, who voted for legislation that limits urban renewal Wednesday, disagrees. Collins sits on the committee that considered the bills. He said lawmakers do listen to city officials. “But we’re also listening to the voters of our districts,” Collins said, “those who feel disenfranchised by urban renewal districts”/Mike Butts, Idaho Press Tribune. More here.
Question: Do you think the Idaho Legislature has a 'disconnect' with city officials and city residents regarding urban renewal?
A new restaurant in downtown Spokane, specializing in gourmet hot dogs, is getting heat for its logo.”I'm surprised people are talking about it and it's creating the controversy that it is,” said Serena Belsby, co-owner of Wild Dawgs. Esteban Vallejo, also owns the restaurant and designed the logo himself. The logo features a female comic book character eating a hot dog. The “W” in Wild Dawgs appears to have a double meaning. “And yeah , she has breasts, breasts are beautiful, it's part of being a woman ,” said Belsby.” It wasn't any intention to be naughty or to be offensive against people it was just trying to be fun,” said Vallejo. Some however believe the logo is very intentional/Annie Bishop, KXLY. More here.
Question: Do you find this advertising offensive?
Fans run onto the court as San Diego's Devin Ginty celebrates during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Saint Mary's Wednesday in San Diego. Cellar-dwelling San Diego upset the first-place Gaels 74-66. Story here. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
Question: When is the last time you were so excited that you literally jumped for joy (as the fan in the photo)?
The final public improvements could be complete within the next few months at Riverstone, a 160-acre 
residential and commercial project along the Spokane River in Coeur d’Alene. “We will have all of our infrastructure completed, and all of our lots will be available and ready to go with this last piece, so that feels pretty good,” said Development Manager Mike Craven, of SRM Development. “We’ll have more lots available and more choices.” Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency, the Lake City Development Corp., recently approved $1.5 million in tax-increment financing, which helps the developer extend a road to the complex’s final 11 lots. That brings the total of tax-increment financing used for the development since 2000 to $9.68 million/Alison Boggs, SR. More here. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)
Question: How often do you visit Riverstone, to do business, see a movie, shop, eat, or drink?
Authorities say an estimated 25,000 people are protesting anti-union legislation at the Wisconsin state Capitol, and nine demonstrators have been arrested. On the third day of protests, the Statehouse was completely jammed with protesters opposed to a bill that would strip public employees of their collective bargaining rights. The crowd filled the building's hallways, sat cross-legged across the floor and chanted slogans. For the moment, a group of Democratic senators have blocked the bill by refusing to attend a midday vote and leaving the Capitol. The sergeant at arms was looking for them/Associated Press. More here.
Question: What do you suppose the residents of Wisconsin would do with the union bashing and anti-union voting that goes on fairly unchecked in the Idaho Legislature?
This is a first and most likely a last. This is a column about fashion – something I am woefully unqualified to write about. But since when have I let qualifications or expertise get in the way of a column? Seriously, my 
fashion goal consists of getting out of the door each morning wearing matching shoes. If I remember socks or pantyhose, it’s a bonus. I haven’t paid attention to fashion trends since I started receiving parenting magazines instead of Prada catalogues in my mailbox. In fact, I’m so untrendy, I thought Crocs was an abbreviation for crocodiles and Ugg was something you said when you got slugged in the stomach. But no more. While waiting for a haircut, I picked up a fashion magazine and my eyes were opened. I read “Winter is no match for the hyper colors, crazy prints and ysl-isms we saw on the runways”/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here.
Question: Have you seen any of the above fashions in your area? Or do you wear pajamas in public or leave your baseball cap on your head?
Nez Perce County and the Nez Perce Tribe are in discussions on an agreement that would give law officers arrest power over tribal and nontribal members. The agreement, similar to a bill debated in the Idaho Legislature, would give county sheriff's deputies and tribal police the ability to interact with tribal and nontribal members within county and reservation boundaries. “If you look at this under the umbrella of public safety, this agreement is long overdue,” Nez Perce County Sheriff Dale Buttrey told commissioners during a meeting Tuesday/Brad W. Gary, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: How come Kootenai and Nez Perce counties can negotiate in good faith with nearby tribes re: cross deputization but Benewah County can't?
Arnold Schwarzennger takes some time to autograph a few posters for Artist Ralph Crawford's family members during his visit Wednesday in Lewiston. A 9-foot-tall statue depicting Schwarzenegger at the height of his bodybuilding career has received a final critique by the former Mr. Universe before being sent for bronzing. The former California governor visited Lewiston to suggest a few modifications to the clay sculpture. It's destined to stand outside his childhood home, which is now a museum in Thal, Austria. Jennifer Bauer story for Lewiston Tribune here. (AP Photo/Lewiston Tribune, Kyle Mills)
After debate finally was cut off by a two-thirds vote to move the previous question, a parliamentary maneuver designed to cut off debate, the House has voted 34-35 against HB 111, the tribal policing bill; it fails by one vote. The debate stretched through the lunch hour to 1 p.m./Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. (All Betsy's coverage this morning of the Indian policing issue here)
How they voted (complete vote here): In favor — Reps. Anderson, Chadderdon, Henderson, Nonini, and Sims; against — Reps. Barbieri, Eskridge, Hart, and Harwood, and McMillan.
DFO: I'm not surprised that Barbieri, Hart, and McMillan sided with Harwood. But I'm stunned that Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, did. Eskridge has always struck me as a bit more enlightened than this.
Question: Did your representative vote according to your wishes on this measure?
It’s every woman’s nightmare. Anyone who has been through it knows the anguish and despair of turning 
green. The hue of dark green with baby poop green highlights gives your hair the essence of a perpetual Halloween gone bad without intention. It just is - what it is: scary and bloodcurdling. Yes, it happened to me. However, I was optimistic as I sat for about 40 minutes with the light green tint saturating my locks of dyed gold and blonder combination of streaks with a natural two inch portion of fairly dark brown hair with minimal and barely noticeable fine gray. All I wanted was a natural blend but the blond could not be matched to my natural hairline so she says, “Well, it’s going to be dark, but it will fade”/Stebbijo, Stebbijo's Place. More here. (2010 SR file photo for illustrative purposes of Spokane Interstate Fair judge who donned a green wig for fun.)
Question: Can you describe a disastrous trip you've had to a barber or hair salon?
Cedar Falls' Cassy Herkelman, right, and her opponent Joel Northrup, of Linn-Mar High of Marion, stand at the scorers table waiting for their leg bands prior to their Class 3A 112 pound first-round match at the Iowa State Wrestling tournament on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa. Northrup of Linn-Mar High, defaulted the match to Herkelman who was one of the first girls to have a match at the state tournament. (AP Photo/Steve Pope)
Question: What do you make of Joel Northrup's decision to default to a girl wrestler in the state tournament?
Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, told the House, “I stand here with a heavy heart today to debate this bill.” He 
said some have accused people from his county of being racist. “I'll tell you that's nothing more than hate speech and that is not true, it is definitely not true. It's highly offensive to me and to the people of my county,” he said. He told the House, “It's hard for me to debate this bill because both the county members and the tribal members are my constituents. And the very reason that we're here is because the tribal council wants us to be here.” Harwood said he opposes HB 111, the tribal policing bill, because, “This bill will give the power to an entity that is not accountable to the people that it has the power over. That flies right in the face of everything this country's about, doesn't it? It sure seems like it to me”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Does anyone out there seriously think that Rep. Dick Harwood gives a rip about his constituents in the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe?
Raci, at the popular White House Grill, 712 Spokane St./Post Falls, has caused jaws to flap with this sign that he recently posted to advertise that his business is now open Sundays. Kerri Thoreson posted this photo on her Facebook wall … and now has 49 comments — and counting. One commenter said he would no longer frequent the business. Another said Raci is a clever marketer in fire-engine-red political country. Kerri commented: “The business names are The White House and The Oval Office. Raci for YEARS has had banners and readerboards with clever takes on elections/the White House/the economy/presidents (yes, including Bush) because of the business name. I guess I'm incredibly surprised that this sign's mention of Obama has generated such an interpretation.” What do you think?
Question: Are you more/less inclined to eat at the White House after seeing this banner?
The National Republican Congressional Committee has issued a statement on the two-year anniversary of the stimulus package passage, ripping … (pause for effect) ex-congressman Walt Minnick. Kevin 
Richert/Statesman points out the two reasons why the following statement is weird: “Today marks two years since the stimulus package was signed into law, riding on a wave of support from Walt Minnick and his former Democrat colleagues. Unfortunately, during the past two years, the $814 billion stimulus effort has failed to produce the jobs and economic recovery that had been promised. Today, as Minnick considers a run for his old seat, his former House Democrat allies are united under President Obama’s budget plan which proposes even more of the stimulus-style spending that will continue to add to our national debt and bring more uncertainty to small businesses trying to create jobs.” More here.
Question: Seriously?
Dale Poffenroth, longtime basketball coach and current Coeur d'Alene girls coach, listens to speakers at the annual Inland Northwest Sports Awards banquet on Wednesday at the Spokane Convention Center. Poffenroth was chosen as the junior female team coach of the year. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)
A Wenatchee hunter has a right to be proud for his photo showing a pride of mountain lions on the Douglas 
County ranch where he has permission to hunt. The black and white trail-cam image, which shows EIGHT cougars in one spot (web readers click on “photos” above), has gone viral in Northwest websites and e-mail lists since he first released it to acquaintances on Christmas Day. (Complete Outdoors post & photos from Rich Landers here)
Question: Which category are you in re: photo? Wildlife enthusiast? Alarmist? Skeptic?
The House State Affairs Committee has introduced a new version of Rep. Frank Henderson's bill to require 
community college trustees to run by district, rather than at large. Henderson said the new version corrects an error, plus makes a series of mostly minor changes requested by the College of Western Idaho. One more substantive change: Deleting a new requirement for community college trustees to file campaign finance reports. Henderson noted that legislation already has been introduced in the Senate to make that requirement, and it's moving forward separately. Henderson wants to make sure outlying areas of counties, not just population centers, are represented on community college boards/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Should trustee candidates for community college boards be required to file campaign finance reports?
Meghan Ridley, the target of the attack by Press trolls, e-mailed Hucks Online this morning, with permission to use her message: “By last night their blog on my story was up to 72 comments. This morning it was 47. The majority of the defamatory comments had been removed, but so was one that provided a definition of libel, 
which I thought was pretty convenient. They’ve also deleted all of my responses. When they asked me yesterday if I wanted them to do this, I had declined. Honestly, I felt it was too late and the damage had been done. A couple interesting sidenotes: on Thursday or Friday of last week, the front page of The Press had a picture of a high school student with a sign that read “Please Don’t Replace My Sexy Teacher With a Laptop” (or something to that effect). It caused quite a stir on the front page that week. Then, they put me on the front page Sunday … which I find rather interesting, especially since the article had no quotes from me. And yesterday, their front page had coverage of a cleavage-free prom…I believe the headline was “Hear Ye, Hear Ye…No Cleavage.” Their sequence of cover stories seems to be antagonizing a sensitive issue, clearly creating controversy. I’ve basically come to two conclusions with this: either they don’t monitor their blogs, which is extremely negligent given the heated nature of their photographs and cover stories, or they do monitor their blogs, and saw nothing wrong with the commentary until this morning.
Question: Do you think the Press ran the sequence of stories in the Press that focused on sexy teachers and cleavage?
Let’s start where we can agree. Slashing tires and spray painting a pickup truck are flat out wrong. That also goes for planning to confront the elderly mother of an elected official. Here’s where you might not agree with 
me. I’m not prepared to conclude that these unacceptable acts of vandalism and goonery are all related to politics. And I’m dismayed at those who have rushed to that judgment, for political gain. Amidst a bitter fight over his education reform plan, state schools superintendent Tom Luna has reported both of the above incidents to Nampa police. Now, let’s let the police do their jobs. Meanwhile, I’m going to be sympathetic, but open-minded. Luna is right. Family and personal property should be off-limits, even in heated debate. If these incidents were motivated by politics, then it embodies politics at its ugliest. But we’re still in “if-then” mode/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Do you agree with Kevin that Luna, Gov. Butch Otter, and other education “reform” allies should let the cops do their work in this vandalism case before blaming the IEA for inciting the act?
Kinsey Gomez, a top cross country runner from Coeur d'Alene, poses with her award for the Junior Female Athlete of the Year at the annual Inland Northwest Awards Awards banquet on Wednesday at the Spokane Convention Center. Gomez and Coeur d'Alene High girls basketball coach Dale Poffenroth were among the star athletes, coaches and teams honored at the annual Inland Northwest Sportswriters & Broadcasters (SWABs) awards. Greg Lee SR story here.
Fangio28: Please either teach your (blogging) daughter how to use the traffic scanner or DON’T take any more vacations. I suffer withdrawal without my daily dose of “traffic”. Thanks, Huckleberry “Hound.”
DFO: Cindy, who does a superb job subbing for me at Hucks Online HQ, doesn't have access to my scanners. Also, she doesn't get paid for a full-time gig in my absence. Monitoring the scanners is full time. I appreciate your fondness of Scanner Traffic.
Question: Are you a fan of Scanner Traffic?
Cindy (re: “Press trolls slime Lakeland teacher): Oh. My. God. Really? Its a good thing we live in Amercia 
where women don’t have to dress as men dictate. Even though all we all know how little self control men/boys have and how seeing cleavage might make them have bad, nasty thoughts! Thoughts they are NOT responsible for. I made it through half of the comments at the Press site before I saw RED and threw up in my mouth a little. I’m a professional woman and think Ms. Ridley dress is entirely appropriate. I’m also the mother of four sons and wouldn’t be SHOCKED or apalled if any of their female teachers wore a similar outift. It is beyond disgusting to me that the Press site allowed such outrageous, sexist comments. Grow up, already.
Question: Should the Coeur d'Alene Press monitor its online comments more closely?
Michael Haynes, owner of Kootenai Cafe: I must say thank you for the blog. Even though i am not the legal 
owner of the restaurant i have taken bride in trying to recreate the magic that our customer base gave the Pantry. Now six months in the time has come to redevelope the menu and make that next step in becoming Coeur d’ Alene’s Affordable Community restaurant. It is our intent to give this wonderful town it’s 24 hour hang out. I am very proud of our servers and the care that they have taken in serving our patrons that we have developed a relationship with.
Question: Do you agree with Michael Haynes that the local community needs a 24-hour hangout?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
A 47-year-old woman who'd been arrested by Coeur d'Alene police Tuesday for driving with a suspended license is in intensive care tonight after being injured in a T-bone accident at Boekel & Atlas early this afternoon. According to a sheriff's press release, Kathryn D. Adkins was southbound on Atlas, driving a Buick Park Avenue, when she allegedly failed to yield from a stop sign and pulled out in front of James R. Hervall, 30, driving a Nissan Pathfinder. Hervall attempted evasive actions but was unable to avoid colliding with Adkins. Adkins underwent emergency surgery at Kootenai Medical Center. Hervall was evaluated at the scene and released.
Huckleberries Online has reached another milestone today — it's 8th blogiversary. Dunno how many of you have been here for the long haul. But I've certainly seen changes to the posts, blog ware, and, of course, commenter & North Idaho blog mix featured here. I had no way of knowing when I started this blog that it would turn into a full-time gig — and that it would attract as much attention as it does. It's been a great run. And it's not over. I'm still having fun. Which is crucial for me. Thanks for hanging out here. Now, for your Wild Card …
Arnold Schwarzenegger goes over every detail as he gets the first in-person-look at the larger than life clay sculpture artist Ralph Crawford is sculpting for him today in Lewiston. Once complete the statue will be bronzed and sent to Austria to be displayed in Schwarzenegger's home town.(AP Photo/Lewiston Tribune, Kyle Mills)
Some think black hair is exotic in women. And women seem drawn to men with black hair as well. Myself, I 
love black hair men. My father has black hair, wonder, if that makes a difference in our preference? Also the King use to have black hair. I have even as a teen and in my adult life been always drawn to black hair. Even the movie stars and singers I like 99% of them have black hair … And of course my favorite, Johnny Cash, being the man in black. I also prefer roughed faces than pretty faces … but that is another day and post/Cis, From A Simple Mind. More here.
Question: Which color of hair do you find most attractive in a member of the opposite sex?
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter talks about cowboy ethics and the ten principles to live by to Melba sophomore Kimberly Bangerter, right, and other members of the Melba High School Student Council during the Wednesday Capitol for a Day event at the Melba Valley Senior Center in Melba. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Greg Kreller)
A respected Lakeland School District teacher has gotten rough treatment at the hands of swamp lizards that hang out at the Coeur d'Alene Press online site. Meghan Ridley, a special education teacher at Betty Kiefer 
School, was compared to infamous pedophile Mary Kay Letourneau by at least one of the trolls and tsk-tsked by others for what they thought to be improper, classroom dress. Meghan's photo appeared in the Press during a recent three-part series on the teachers union. After being attacked by the keyboard commandos, she entered the fray, commenting: “ … the words I read about myself on this blog were the worst I've ever heard about myself. To watch it snowball and escalate was nothing short of shocking. From a low cut shirt, to selling sex, to then finally being compared to Mary Kay Letourneau … I'm almost speechless.” Lost on the Press trolls is the fact that Meghan is “a graduate of idaho public schools from kindergarten through her master’s degree, a 6 -year special-ed teacher, a Special Olympics coach, the Lakeland Education Association’s president, and a doctoral student at Gonzaga University.” You can see what all the fuss is about here. (Lakeland High District staff photo of Meghan Ridley)
DFO: I just talked to Meghan. On Monday, she phoned the Press, asking editors to do something about the rude comments on the online edition. They got back to her today. She said she was so frustrated by the inaction this week that she finally weighed in with her own comments.
“You behave less like a government agency concerned with the general welfare than an occupying army. Your 
conduct here was likened by your own Ombudsman, Hugh Kaufman, a decade ago as the behaviour of “jack-booted thugs.” We miners are Parisians in Vichy France. For every seasonal job you create moving dirt from one place to another, you are very likely destroying two or three full-time, high-paying mining jobs that come with benefits, security, and a sense of worth. We need your permission to plant a shrub. You are destroying a way of life, as well. The way it looks from here, you'd rather have us all on the dole.” David Bond's complete Wallace Street Journal open letter to EPA here.
Question: Do you consider the EPA's cleanup intervention in the Silver Valley to be a plus or minus overall?
Right now, at Washington's largest corrections center for women, 871 inmates are serving their sentences. 
Among them are 8 babies being raised right in the middle of it all. It's a trailblazing program pioneered by Washington and now being adopted in other states. But, is prison a safe place to raise a child? Little Deegan's hands tell so much about the eight-month old boy. He's playful, curious and always reaching out to his mother Sunny.”We're all in this and it's hard,” Sunny Van Cleave explained. “Deegan makes people happy”/Melissa Luck, KXLY. More here.
Question: Do you support this experimental program?
I was quite partisan when I started this blog 8 years ago today with the warning to the few readers then to “fasten your seatbelts.” Originally, I began No Holds Barred/Hot Potatoes/Huckleberries as a means to 
support George Bush's re-election run. I was one of the two conservative voices on the SR editorial page at the time. Since then, largely as a result of the intense interaction with bloggers and commenters here, I've become fairly neutral re: politics. Now, I view what I do here as an alternative voice in a city where reporting in the local newspaper is suspect when dealing with certain issues and in a state that is leaning too far to the right. With each blogiversary, I wonder how much longer I'll be doing this. It isn't as easy as it looks. At this point, I still enjoy the give-and-take with commenters and other bloggers — and I relish the fact that I have a super sub for my vacations in Cindy. The blog isn't as wild as it used to be prior to the 2008 presidential election. But it isn't a tame blog either. For those like Cis who have been with me from the start, I offer a big-time thanks. I appreciate everyone else, too. Now, onto Year No. 9 and planning for the next blogfest — DFO.
Question: Which bit of Hucks Online silliness over the past 8 years was your favorite?
On her Idaho Scenic Images Facebook page, photographer Linda Lantzy has posted her 12 favorite photographs of 2011, including this one taken at Mount Shuksan in the northern Cascades. She writes of this photo: “I had an October morning at Mt. Shuksan for a couple of hours all to myself. There had been a light overnight snowfall, huckleberries were ripe, views were amazing, atmosphere was spectacular, and silence was grand.” You can see her other favorites here.
After reading on Hucks Online that the revolutionists in the Idaho Legislature had voted 49-20 to embrace Vito Barbieri's unconstitutional health-care nullification bill, Coeur d'Alene Councilman Mike Kennedy quipped: “I think I’ll make a motion at our next City Council meeting to nullify Idaho’s sales tax formula and keep our revenue here locally.”
Item: Hear ye, hear ye: No cleavage: Students host their own medieval-themed ‘clean prom’/Maureen Dolan, Press
More Info: It was a junior prom with a modesty rule. That's how the teens who planned it wanted it. Barbara Larson, 16, said they planned their “clean prom” because they didn't feel comfortable at their homecoming dance last fall. “There was a lot of making out, too much,” Larson said. And the dirty dancing was a little too dirty, she said.
Question: What do you remember from your junior prom?
Last week the Idaho legislature scheduled three days of hearings to get feedback from the public about Superintendent Tom Luna's surprising proposal to completely overhaul Idaho's education system. Senator 
John Goedde (pictured in Betsy Russell photo) is a Republican from Coeur d'Alene and chairman of the senate education committee before which the hearings were held. Goedde stacked the deck. He manipulated the process from the beginning of the debate. Despite the fact that overhaul opponents overwhelmed the proponents at the hearing, Chairman Goedde granted equal time to each group, as if there were an equal number of contentions. And when one speaker, who identified himself as a proponent, failed to speak in favor, Goedde blew a gasket. Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues. More here.
Question: Are you happy with the way Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, handled the Senate Education Committee debate re: Tom Luna's proposed education “reforms” this week?
At Yahoo! Sports, reporter Jay Busbee writes: “You know Tiger Woods hasn't been playing well of late. He had 
a chance at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic over the weekend before posting a godawful 75, and that was pretty much that. Now, though, word that Woods committed a far greater breach of golf etiquette during the tournament than just, you know, stinking: He spat on the 12th green!” Busbee goes on to quote a stunned commentator who said of Tiger's expectoration: “”Disgusting, what he has just done there … there are some parts of him that are just arrogant and petulant. Somebody now has to come behind him and maybe putt over his spit. It does not get much lower than that.” (AP photo, of Woods at Dubai tourney)
Question: Are you bothered by people who spit in public — on sidewalks, ballfields, or even on their hands?
The House has voted 49-20 in favor of HB 117, the health care nullification bill. In his closing debate, Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, said in his closing debate, “Now is the time. If Idaho is to stand for its sovereign rights, it must do so by every peaceful means. … The federal government must be restrained.” The bill now moves to the Senate side for consideration/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Stapilus concludes his commentary today by wondering whether its time for radical Idaho House members to introduce a secession bill. Would you put it past them?
Arnold Schwarzenegger visited Lewiston this morning to meet with sculptor Ralph Crawford, who will sculpt an 8-foot statue of the California governor/movie star for Schwarzenegger's Austrian home town. More from Lewiston Tribune here. (Lewiston Tribune photo: Kyle Mills)
Question: Which Schwarzenegger movie is your favorite?
In an Idaho Statesman editorial this morning, Kevin Richert breaks down the unanimous move by the Idaho House of Representatives to change the way it handles ethics complaints. Among the most troubling aspects of the new rules that are now in effect is this one: “An ethics complaint is now considered confidential, at least at first. A committee will consider sealed complaints in a closed session. If the committee finds probable cause, the complaint becomes public record. The justification, predictably enough, is to protect lawmakers from baseless smears. But this comes at an unacceptable price.” More here.
Question: After watching the House Ethics Committee's dog-and-pony show in (mis)handling the ethics complaints against Rep. Phil Hart, do you trust that House leadership will do a better job in the future with such complaints, now that they can keep things secret?
Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, asked Rep. Vito Barbieri about unfunded mandates that the state passes down to cities and counties. “Would they not have the right also to pursue nullification?” he asked. Barbieri responded, “Contrary to what others expressed here, I do not believe the states are creatures of the federal government. However, cities and counties are creatures of the state government. … Through creation of those government entities, we are in a position to dictate to them. … This does not stretch the other way.” Trail responded, “United we stand, divided we fall”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise.
Question: If “nullification” takes hold in Idaho, which law handed down by state legislators should Idaho counties and towns reject or ignore?
Washington Fish and Wildlife Department biologists confirm the authenticity of this remote camera photo made in the Moses Coulee area near Soap Lake, Wash. Biologists the rare shot of eight cougars in one spot — on the carcass of a dead animal — is the result of a female cougar with a litter converging with the adult cats from her pervious litter. The woman who forwarded the photos to Fish and Wildlife biologists was not identified.
Lawmakers have received two Idaho attorney general's opinions on nullification; the first said any attempt by state lawmakers to nullify a federal law through legislation would violate both the U.S. and Idaho constitutions and lawmakers' oath of office. The bill was revised after that, but the second opinion still said the new version likely is unconstitutional; plus, it said HB 117, if passed, could have the effect of opting Idaho out of participation in the federal Medicaid program - including receiving more than $1 billion in federal funds that now provide health care to the state's poorest and disabled residents/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Are 'nullification' advocates in Idaho Legislature playing with fire — and the possibility that they could cost the state $1B in Medicaid funding?
In the current, pre-swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated, writer Chris Ballard tells of a 2007 meeting at Capones in Midtown between NFL QB Jake Plummer and then Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden. 
Gruden and his traveling partner, GM Bruce Allen, visited Coeur d'Alene to try to talk Plummer out of retirement. They were carrying two footballs and a pair of new cleats. Ballard continues: “Shortly after 6 p.m. the duo walked into Capone's, a sports bar in Coeur d'Alene where people gather to watch Broncos games, play pool and drink $3 Molsons. Ten minutes later Jake Plummer and his wife, Kollette, walked in. Gruden rose and mustered all of his considerable charm, pumping Jake's hand and telling him how excited he, Jon Gruden, guru of quarterbacks, was to sit down and talk football with Jake Plummer, the ultimate gunslinger. Beers were consumed, pizzas were ordered. By and by, Gruden and Allen made their pitch.” Ultimately, Plummer turned down Gruden's $5.3 million offer and now helps coach football at Sandpoint High. SI story here. (AP file photo of Plummer warming up before Denver-Pittsburgh playoff game in January 2006)
Question: Have you ever turned down a good-paying job to pursue a dream?
Arthur the Aardvark and Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., center, listen as Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington this morning to discuss the future of Public Broadcasting. More here. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)
Question: Do you support federal funding of public broadcasting?
It
is a bit sad that it was on Valentines day that Senator McKenzie said he didn't plan to schedule a hearing on S1033 to finally make it so gay people in Idaho can no longer be legally fired from our jobs for no other reason than that we are gay. But let's be clear, no one I know is giving up. We can't. Next year is an election year, and every year there has been some reason why another year would be better to consider this legislation. Enough of this. For Idaho law to continue to stay silent is to say that all the cruelty, the violence, the discrimination is acceptable, that it is ok in the state of Idaho. It is time for a public hearing. That is next to nothing to ask/Rep. Nicole LeFavour, Notes from the Floor. More here. (Wikipedia photo of Nicole LeFavour)
Question: Do you think legislation that would expand anti-discrimination protection to gay Idahoans deserve at least a hearing?
In his testimony to Idaho legislators, Principal Dan Nicklay of the Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy said in part: 
“It is unfortunate that the majority of the plan's critics focus not on whether this plan is good for students, but on their feelings that they weren't adequately consulted, and that it is going to be difficult for the adults, affecting their job security, their accustomed way of doing things, and their aversion to change. I actually heard someone say to this committee the other day that this plan, to be done correctly, should have taken YEARS to develop. We don't have years. The money is gone. The same old answers haven't worked. The time for change is now.” More here. (SR file photo/Kathy Plonka, of Principal Dan Nicklay during recess in May 2008)
Question: Are you surprised that the principal of the Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy would support Superintendent Tom Luna's “Students Come First” proposals?
Legislation to outlaw physician-assisted suicide in Idaho has cleared the Senate State Affairs Committee, which just voted to send SB 1070 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass. The bill was sponsored by anti-abortion activists, but was negotiated with the Idaho Medical Association, which got wording added to protect physicians making appropriate patient-care decisions for dying patients or following those patients' living wills or advance care directives/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Would you want the ability to resort to assisted suicide for your end-of-life decisions?
Rick MacKinnon was removing junk from a property when he came across a musty pile of books and documents, including this edition of the laws passed by the first Congress. The producers of “Pawn Stars” were impressed. Shawn Vestal SR column here. (SR photo: Christopher Anderson)
Question: How old is the oldest book that you have in your home library?
Surachate Taokongta, right, kisses his wife Supatra during a World's Longest Continuous Kiss competition in Pattaya, southeastern Thailand, Sunday. Laksana Tiranarat and husband Ekkachai broke the record for longest continuous kiss by smooching for 46.24.09 hours, more than 12 hours longer than previous mark. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
Herb: Baseball fields are important. We must have those facilities available for our children. Having said that, most of the population growth has gone to the north. The advent of a second high school, the ball fields on the 
old land fill to the south of the school, has made downtown a ghost of what Coeur d’Alene was back when the ball fields were on the beach. Demographics have changed, Coeur d’Alene has moved north to meet Hayden. To use waterfront for the baseball field is to under utilize it’s potential in a most ridiculous way. A baseball field can be built on any large flat space. Waterfront, belonging to the entire population of the city, cannot be replicated. The law of higher and best use must prevail in this discussion.
Question: Do baseball/softball fields belong on McEuen Field, a prime piece of Lake Coeur d'Alene waterfront?
Moscow Minidoka: I find it funny that when nearly everyone I talk to in this state (including my very conservative relatives in southeastern Idaho, Boise, and the Magic Valley) thinks Luna’s plan is utter crap, someone it’s 
only “union thugs” who would stoop to this. Yeah, I’m sure some 50-something math teacher went over there and trashed Luna’s truck. Let’s see: Idaho citizens OVERWHELMINGLY OPPOSE this plan, yet Luna and the Legislature seem determined to do whatever the hell they want, just like ITD did with the megaloads, and just like the Legislature is doing with a bunch of other bills that are supported by ideologues in the statehouse, but not by the average Idahoan.
Question: Do you think Superintendent Tom Luna is qualified to be suggesting such radical changes to public education?
Item: If grocery items seem smaller, it may not be your imagination/McClatchy Newspapers
Question: Any tips re: how to shop for food and get your money's worth?
I still haven't shaken the cobwebs off from last week's vacation in the Sunshine State (that rained 3 of 6 days): Florida. I'm proudly wearing my University of Florida T-shirt as I blog this morning. I guess I'm becoming a de facto Florida Gator fan. I almost can tell the difference between the SEConference and the ACConference. Florida leads the basketball standings of the SEC. Duke leads the BB standings of the ACC. And fans of teams in both leagues don't follow the West Coast teams too closely because they've already gone to bed before our scores roll in. But enough of this southeast America sports chatter. Here's your Wild Card …
“When I teach my Intro to Photojournalism class at a community college, I always tell my students: 'There are photos all around you–you just have to see them'” posts SR photog Colin Mulvany/Snaps & Frames. ”As I got behind the wheel of my car parked in my driveway, I almost hit the windshield wipers before stopping an staring at the maple leaf nestled in raindrops on the glass.” More here.
1st District Judge John Mitchell has dismissed a lawsuit filed against North Idaho College & the North Idaho 
College Foundation re: the purchase of the future education corridor, brought by Larry Spencer, Thomas R. Macy, and William McCrory. Mitchell ruled that the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the lawsuit. Quoth Mitchell: “NIC correctly argues the general rule is taxpayers, such as plaintiffs, do not have standing to challenge government action. … An exception existed earlier in this litigation to allow the taxpayers, plaintiffs, to challenge whether the Lease Agreement was constitutional under Article VIII, § 3. Id. But the constitutionality of the Lease Agreement is now moot, as the lease ceases to exist. This 'repayment of the prepaid rent' now advanced by plaintiffs does not change the fact that the lease no longer exists. No sleight of hand argument by plaintiffs can resurrect the lease that was entirely paid off.” You can read Mitchell's 25-page findings here. (SR file photo/Jesse Tinsley, of Judge John Mitchell)
Reaction?
I located that graphic that went with Alison Boggs' story on McEuen Field on the front page of Sunday's SR edition. You can see the photo in larger scale and read Alison's center piece here.
Seattle Mariners pitcher Luke French (25) and other players participate in a drill during baseball spring training Monday in Peoria, Ariz. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Top Cutlines:
“60 Minutes” correspondent Lara Logan is shown last week covering the reaction in Cairo's Tahrir Square the day Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down. CBS News says Logan was attacked Friday, and suffered a brutal beating and sexual assault before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers. She is recovering in a U.S. hospital. Logan, CBS News' chief foreign affairs correspondent, is one of at least 140 correspondents who have been injured or killed since Jan. 30 while covering the unrest in Egypt, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Story here. (AP Photo/CBS News)
Question: Do you appreciate the courage that goes into gathering news in some of the world's hot spots after hearing of the pain and suffering suffering by CBS' correspondent Lara Logan?
Molly Rosenbusch knows the question to this answer: “This NIC student won first place on the famous quiz 
show Jeopardy!” Rosenbusch, 24, Twin Lakes, appeared on Jeopardy Feb. 1 and 2. The journalism student did well enough to win during the first taping and move on to compete in a second episode. “It's something that I always wanted to do,” she said. “My family always said, 'You should be on this!'” Rosenbusch said she is a “fountain of useless knowledge” and a “sponge” for information. She surfs the Internet when she's bored and learns about anything and everything. She says pop culture in general is one of her strengths. She also likes history/Devin Heilman, North Idaho College Sentinel. More here. (NIC Sentinel photo/Mike McCall: Molly Rosenbusch looks at computer video of her 'Jeopardy' performance.)
Question: Would you do well on “Jeopardy”?
Why does the relatively small Spokane airport have full-body scanners are security checkpoints, when a large 
airport like the one in Orlando, Fla., doesn't? I got virtually naked for the TSA — a female security worker at that — for the first time Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Spokane airport en route to Orlando. The X-ray exam was over in moments. I didn't even have time to blush. And the guy with the plastic gloves smiled when he waved me through the security checkpoint. I'm glad I didn't have to get up close and personal with him, too. However, I was surprised that the jam-packed Orlando airport on the return trip had the traditional security stations that require you to strip off belts, shoes, and anything else that makes the alarm ring. But no body scanners. I don't know if I felt safer after going through the airport at Spokane than I did at Orlando — DFO.
Question: Have you been through a full-body scanner at airport security yet? What do you think of the process?
Idaho Republican Party State Chairman Norm Semanko, pictured, issued the following statement in response to the 
recent incidents of harassment toward Superintendent Luna: “This is what happens when you step out and fight against the status quo. As Idahoans we cannot let these scare tactics win,” said Semanko. “The Students Come First plan has obviously touched a nerve and rightly so. We know the opposition’s rhetoric and misinformation has gotten us to this point today, and we cannot let these hostile tactics win in the end. We must do what’s right for Idaho students”/AP, via Betsy Russell's Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Is it just me or is Luna, with gale wind help from Gov. Butch Otter and GOP chairman Norm Semanko, trying to make himself out to be the victim here? Gracious, I once had all four tires of my car slashed at Flathead High in Kalispell, Mont., during a barbershop quartet concert. Now I wonder if you the school union thugs from the Flathead Valley were mad at something I'd written.
Members of the Kappa Delta sorority gather in the Idaho Commons as they host a fundraiser and pay respect to sorority sisters Andree' Maxwell and Michelle Bonasera. Bonasera, who died after her car drifted off the road and rolled Sunday, was a student at the University of Idaho. Maxwell is still in recovery and donations are being accepted at this time. Idaho Argonaut story here. (UI Argonaut photo: Steven Devine)
When a headache the morning after a night of drinking hits, most people crave two things — grease and 
water. Though responsible drinking should always be exercised and shouldn't result in a hangover, sometimes negative effects result the next day. The consumption of alcohol causes the pituitary gland to block an antidiuretic hormone called vasopressin, which sends water to the bladder instead of using it for other purposes in the body. All those trips to the bathroom rob the body of water, salt and potassium. By the next morning, dehydration takes its revenge in the form of a pounding head and queasy stomach. University of Idaho students say they have found refuge in foods at various restaurants around Moscow, including fast food like McDonald's and Taco Time/Kelcie Moseley, UIdaho Argonaut. More here. (SR file illustration)
Question: What's your best cure for a hangover?
A model has her hair styled before the Fall 2011 Herve Leger fashion show during Fashion Week in New York, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Question: Have you ever had a hair-raising experience? Can you describe it for other Merry Hucksters?
Item: Bill would require marriage counseling before divorce in Montana/Mike Dennison, Missoulian
More Info: Because of the devastating effects of divorce on children and families, the state of Montana should not allow couples with minor children to get divorced until they've undergone at least 10 hours of marriage counseling, supporters of a bill imposing that requirement told a legislative committee Monday.
Question: Should states require couples considering divorce to have counseling?
A bill in the Washington Legislature would require drivers with a drunk driving history to have license plates indicating their DUI record. The license plates would end with the letter “Z” and the drivers would also be required to pay an extra $100 for them. “It provides a tool for law enforcement … just to be aware that the car is registered to someone with a DUI conviction and to provide a little extra scrutiny,” said Representative Norma Smith of Clinton/KGW. More here.
Question: Would you support legislation like this that would require drivers with a drunk driving history to have license plates indicating their DUI record?
Tickets to the Elton John concert at the Spokane Arena on April 8 are sold out. It took only three days for all 
11,000 tickets to vanish, according to Becca Watters at the Spokane Arena. Tickets went on sale Saturday and only a few single tickets were left by Sunday evening. Those sold out by Monday night. Even the tickets behind the stage sold out. Will another show be added? That's what happened in 2008 when Elton's Pullman show sold out quickly. No word on that, yet, but don't get your hopes up/Jim Kershner, Spotlight. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Did you buy a ticket to the concert?
Ian Waltz prepares to throw during the men's discuss throw final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore., July 6, 2008. Waltz, the former WSU and Post Falls star athlete won the event to earn a place on the U.S. Olympic team. Now, he and five others, including former NFL QB Jake Plummer of Sandpoint, has been elected to the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame. SR story here. (AP file photo/Charlie Riedel)
Cindy woke up this morning and remembered that she once had a “tall, dark, handsome and, uh, sensitive” 
boyfriend named Terry. On her Facebook wall, Cindy writes: “Mom hated Terry because he was 19 and I was 15. When we moved to Spokane, he followed the moving van and cried.
A pick-up truck that belongs to to Idaho Department of Education Superintendent Tom Luna is shown outside his Nampa home Tuesday. Vandals slashed two tires and spray-painted the truck of Luna, as the furor over his proposed education reforms appeared to grow uglier. Hearings on the education reforms were expected to continue Tuesday in the Idaho Senate, where the legislation was introduced earlier this month and is now being reworked amid opposition from teachers, parents and some lawmakers. Story by Patrick Orr/Statesman here. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Greg Kreller)
Question: Luna blames the attack on “union thuggery” (Idaho Education Association), despite the clear condemnation of this event by IEA representatives. Should he have made that claim without evidence?
HR 2, the measure to amend the House ethics rules, has passed the House on a unanimous, 70-0 vote, after 
not only House Speaker Lawerence Denney and House Minority Leader John Rusche debated in favor of it, but so did Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, (pictured) the subject of three ethics complaints this year. “I have a few things in this bill that I really like,” Hart told the House. “One is that the phrase 'legislative duties' appears four times.” He said, “The due process process is better spelled out. It was already there, but it was difficult to ferret out. I think there are some things that we were unclear about that are now made clear, so I'm going to support the bill”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: What do you make of House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Rep. Phil Hart speaking up to support changes to the House ethics rules — and 70-0 vote from full House?
Justin Bieber performs at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
DFO: I watched — and for the most part — enjoyed the Grammy Awards Sunday. I can understand why Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Usher, Suburb, Eminem, etc., are stars in the music industry (although they're definitely not my taste). But I simply can't understand why Justin Bieber is such a ha-huge star. The 16YO seems fairly pop culture in a generation that prefers hard rock and alternative.
Question: Can you explain why Justin Bieber is a singing sensation?
Since 2007, state lawmakers have rejected legislation to ban discrimination in Idaho against people who are gay, lesbian or transgender. And Republican Sen. Curt McKenzie says this year will be no different. McKenzie chairs the Senate State Affairs Committee and says he doesn't plan to schedule a hearing on a bill introduced in the 2011 session to ban workplace and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity/Associated Press. More here.
Reaction?
One of the best things about the old place was the fact that they were open 24 hours a day and provided a 
fantastic spot for late-night post-bar folks to go and soak up their twelve shots of Rumple Minze with a tall stack of pancakes or a bacon burger. Since reopening as Kootenai Cafe last fall, the place has had very limited hours, breakfast and lunch only. Thankfully, they've seen the same success and Mike said that they are almost ready to once again stay open 24 hours a day and will also be introducing a dinner menu full of 'comfort foods” such as pot roast, meat loaf, and country fried chicken. Personally, I cannot wait to have one of their killer Monte Cristo sandwiches (the best in North Idaho) after a wild night out on the town/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here (scroll down).
Question: When did you last eat in a restaurant in the wee hours of the morning?
Last weekend I went with a group of friends to see one of Cher's final performances at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Cher is, regardless of what one may think of her music, an amazing performer. The production values 
of her concert were the best I'd ever seen and, at least according to the people sitting next to us, “true to Las Vegas style.” Something else true to Vegas style is those “one-arm bandits” known as slot machines. See, when we went to see Cher on Friday night, I put a buck in one of the slot machines near the entrance to the auditorium. The machine paid back $50 on my first pull and I promptly printed my voucher and headed for my seats. At the end of the show, I headed again for a machine and was able to ratchet up my winnings by another $30 and promptly cashed out. If I'd stopped there, I would have been better off but wouldn't have a great Vegas story to share/Henry Johnston, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: How often have you quit while you're ahead in Vegas?
Larry L. Anderson, 67, of Hayden, former owner of Franklin's Hoagies on 4th Street/CdA died Monday. He was 
born March 2, 1943, in Vancouver, Wash., to Noel and Alberta (Campbell) Anderson. The family moved to Coeur d'Alene in 1978. Larry started Larry's 5 Cent Coffee Shop, then moved on to Franklin's Hoagies where he and wife, Pauline, were for 24 years. Larry loved his work and loved his devoted customers. He loved teasing them and they would give it right back. Larry loved old cars and hanging around with his car buddies/Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.
Question: Were you a regular customer of Franklin's Hoagies during the days when Larry & Pauline owned it?
Theresa and Mark Eskridge took advantage of the free services offered at First Christian Church in Coeur d'Alene on Monday and renewed their wedding vows. The couple will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary in March. Becky Kramer's SR story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Question: Were you married in a preacher? By a courthouse official? By a wedding chapel minister? Other?
When I hear someone boasting that “I never watch television,” as I did the other day, I always want to ask a few 
cheeky questions: Have you also forsaken electric lights? Do you use indoor plumbing? How long does it take you to drive your buggy to work? When your foot gets infected, do you refuse modern cures like antibiotics? Do you remain true to your old standby, rubbing bat mucus and cobwebs on that pesky foot? If you don't watch television, do you ever listen to that new-fangled gadget, the radio? Do you write letters with a quill pen or do you use those satanic invitations to wasting time, the computer, the Internet and e-mail? Do you read parchment scrolls instead of books?/Bill Hall, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Some are all too willing to tell us about the evils of television. What do you consider to be the greatest benefits of TV?
Despite the testimony from Idaho's (Republican) attorney general that a proposed law nullifying the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional, the House State Affairs Committee voted 14-5 last week to approve the bill. One 
Republican lawmaker (Eric Anderson, R-Priest River, pictured) on the committee joined with four Democrats. … The majority, however, were in league with one of the know-nothing teabaggers in attendance at a hearing on the law: “I wasn't going to speak until I heard the self-proclaimed scholar,” Bruce Nave, a resident of rural Sweet, north of Boise, told the panel. “We as citizens are tired of being lorded over by representatives. We're not conspiracy theorists. We aren't kooks. No one is going to force me to buy anything.” Law, schmaw. If I don't agree with it, the hell with the rule of law. This “the hell with the Constitution” aspect of the nullification effort — alive and well not just in Idaho but in eleven others states — is disturbing, particularly coming from people who are making laws/Joan McCarter, Daily Kos. More here.
Question: What do you make of situations, like the nullification effort in the Idaho Legislature, when lawmakers knowingly defy the U.S. Constitution?
Item: Stone steps down: SRM Development, LLC announces his departure/Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: After 37 years in the development business, John Stone wants time to play a little more golf, maybe 
visit Hawaii, too. The man behind the Riverstone project in Coeur d'Alene has stepped away from his role as a partner with SRM Development, LLC. “I believe it is an opportune time to depart from SRM,” he said in a press release. “I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in a business that I have thoroughly enjoyed for over four decades and I look forward to continuing the Riverstone project until its completion.”
Question: How would you rate John Stone's impact on Coeur d'Alene?
I'm still trying to switch gears after a week in Gator country, in and around the University of Florida, at Gainesville. Ran into rain 3 of the 6 days in north-central Florida. But sunshine greeted the trip to St. Augustine and the Atlantic Coast. So it was all good. Never spotted that armadillo that dug holes around Junior's 5 acres, although I scouted it thoroughly and probably found its lair. No real gators either, although I saw a sign near the Florida campus warning spectators not to feed them or to get within 20 feet of them. Nice vacay. But it was nice to get back to the pines, lakes, and foothills of North Idaho. And, of course, Huckleberries Central. Now, for your Wild Card …
Players for the Seattle Mariners stretch during baeball spring training Monday in Peoria, Ariz. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Question: Do you expect the Mariners to finish last again in the American League West?
Roses are red … violets are blue …
If I tell you a secret, will you promise not to tell anyone else? I've been driving with an expired driver's license for the last 2-plus months. Yeah, yeah, I know we discussed expiration dates for driver's licenses some time 
ago. But I completely forgot that my license expired on my birthday Nov. 20 — until an observant airport security guard at the Orlando, Fla., airport spotted my oversight Saturday morning. I didn't know why she was holding staring at my license while she carefully turned it over a couple of times. “Do you know this license is expired?” she asked, in a voice that wasn't that pleasant. Hunh?! was the only reply I could muster. I imagined myself being stuck at the Orlando airport until I could figure out a way to prove who I was. The guard continued: “You know this is 2011 and not 2010, don't you.” I was a deer in the headlights. Mebbe she pitied me because I didn't look like a domestic terrorist. Or mebbe she was a Florida Gators fan. I was wearing my new Florida Gators T-shirt en route back home, with stops in Philadelphia and Denver. She let me continue through security. Moments ago, I re-upped at the local DMV. I'm legal again — and don't have to worry about an expired license for another 8 years.
Question: Do you know when your driver's license expires?
“A slow local news day had me cruising for a feature picture (last Thursday),” reports Colin Mulvany, Snaps & Frames. “I took a walk through Spokane’s Riverfront Park and found myself standing in front of this metal sculpture of the Canadian flag. I have, on several other occasions, tried to make this photo, but it always was missing the elements of decent light and waterfowl.” More here.
Supoj Jaengmoraka,right, and Maratee Sukamanee, left, swing out on rappelling ropes during their wedding ceremony Sunday in Prachinburi province, Thailand. The mountainside ceremony has become a favorite of adventure seeking Thai couples looking to marry near or on Valentine's Day. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
Top Cutlines:
Christopher Pruett, left, and Cindy Zuniga of Honolulu, Hawaii, kiss after being pronounced man and wife at the Little White Weddning Chapel earlier today in Las Vegas. (AP photo: Julie Jacobson)
Question: Was there anything unusual re: the place or the ceremony at your wedding?
Did you drive by Java recently and feel a sudden Bowl-of-Soul shaped hole in your soul that made you want to 
smoke a bowl of a different kind of soul when you saw the place locked up and emptied out? Relax, junkie. They were merely putting up a fresh coat of paint and had to close up for a bit to accomplish this task. You weren't the only one worried - I received several panicky emails wondering if i knew what was going on (I didn't) as well as several customers at my bar who were driven to drink over the situation. Well, they're always driven to drink, but as long as they don't drink and drive, I'm okay with that. Anyway, they are now open once again and life in Cd'A can carry on as normal/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: How would you be affected if Java on Sherman ever closed its doors?
From the “It Remains to Be Seen How Well This One Flies” Dept., I have it on good authority that the deconstruction of the former TW Fishers/Coeur d'Alene Brewing Company building that is going on at the 
moment will lead to it's re-opening as a fancy-schmancy Martini and Tapas restaurant this spring. Maybe I just run in the wrong circles (PBR anyone?), but I honestly can't imagine the need for another sort of place in the downtown area place where one must spend and entire days wages to enjoy a meal and an adult beverage. Certainly, the locals just love to complain about the texture of downtown Coeur d'Alene is increasingly being geared specifically for Touristas with hundred dollar bills flowing from their Prada handbags, and the opening of this place (name as yet unknown) will sure give them more fodder to bitch and moan about/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here. (SR file photo/Kathy Plonka: Landon Weichal of Ginno Construction watches razing of Coeur d'Alene Brewing Company.)
Question: Would you rather have the old Coeur d'Alene Brewing Company at 2nd & Lakeside? Or another “fancy-schmancy Martini and Tapas restaurant” this spring?
State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna has switched his list of five new bills to just three: One on labor conditions, one on reform, and a separate bill on pay for performance. Introducing the new measures, Luna said, “Ultimately because of this legislation, class sizes will be determined at the local level.” He said that he heard from teachers and other stakeholders that they wanted that option. “They expressed an interest in being able to choose to reduce their own pay in order to keep class sizes at the same level in their district,” Luna said, and to prevent teaching jobs in their district from being cut/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Would you vote to cut your own salary, if it meant saving the jobs of co-workers?
“The word February is born from the Latin word Februarius meaning to purify,”writes Sunny of Bent's Beer Garden. “Along those lines, February is also a great time to take inventory and purge the clutter. As you can see from the picture, that is exactly what occurred on Saturday at the Roots CSA (where I will soon work at my dream job) in Dalton Gardens.” More here.
Hucks Online numbers (for week of Feb. 6-12): 39,477 page-views/25,319 unique views
Emily Jones decorates chocolate hearts at the Lake Champlain Chocolates factory in Burlington, Vt. This Valentine's Day, activists say you may want to think twice before biting into a piece. Some of the cocoa in many Valentine's Day chocolates probably came from Ivory Coast, where cocoa revenues are helping the incumbent leader cling to power despite losing an election and where years of campaigning have done little to affect a longstanding problem of child labour. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot, File)
Question: Would you give up Valentine's Day chocolate because activists say there may be some connection to a despot who clinging to power another country?
Arpie:
My wife and thirteen year old daughter really piled on my fifteen year old son last night. He has his first girlfriend and no plans for the day. The poor boy is clueless like me. He hasn’t even asked her to the Sweetheart Dance Saturday. He thinks she knows they’re going together. I found a good woman somehow anyway. It will be interesting to see how this day goes for him.
Question: Do you offer dating tips to your teen(s)?
In a story today in the Missoulian, reporter Betsy Cohen tells how persistence on the part of Missoula fashion designer Cat Thordarson landed one of her designs in the upcoming Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. On a 
lark, Thordarson took 20 of her swimsuit designs to New York City last summer, where she approached editors of the sports magazine unannounced. It was the last swimsuit among her designs that got her “a piece of the most-coveted real estate in the world of swimsuit design.” Thordarson is quoted as saying: “I am so thrilled to have made it into the issue. I've been on the edge of my seat all these months, and I hadn't heard until just recently that one of my suits would make the cut.” Thordarson doesn't know which famous model will be wearing her sexy bikini, but it won't be hard to pick out, reports Cohen. The suit pattern is a wild geometric-inspired explosion of neon colors — and it's tiny. More here. (AP/Sports Illustrated file photo of model Esti Ginzburg for the 2010)
Question: Are you in shape to wear a bikini this summer?
William Yardley of the New York Times reports today on the fruitless effort by the FBI to find the individual who planted the sophisticated bomb along the Martin Luther King parade route a month ago in 
Spokane: “Nearly a month after a cleanup crew found the live bomb along the planned route of a large downtown march honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the F.B.I. is investigating the incident as an act of domestic terrorism. And Spokane has cycled from shock to relief to reassessment: have the white supremacists who once struck such fear here in the inland Northwest returned at a new level of dangerousness and sophistication? “We don’t have that kind of intelligence level to make that kind of explosive,” said Shaun Winkler, a Pennsylvania native who recently returned to the region to start a landscaping company and a chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.” More here. (SR file photo: A rally in Spokane, Wash., on Jan. 17 before a march to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Most people were unaware of a bomb found along the route until later in the day.)
Question: Izzit just me, or does the New York Times appear to have a propensity for tying all things Inland Northwest to the Aryan Nations and related racist groups? Is that fair?
Item: Boise man pleads guilty to battery for 'tapping' 15-year-old who wouldn’t turn off phone on airplane/Patrick Orr, Idaho Statesman
More Info: Russell Miller will have to spend two days in jail or do the equivalent amount of community service after pleading guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of battery in connection with a Dec. 28 incident that made him an Internet sensation. That’s the day Boise police say Miller hit a 15-year boy sitting across the aisle from him on the arm on a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Boise — because the boy didn’t turn his phone off during takeoff. That’s also the day the news about Miller’s arrest became a national story — from being discussed on CNN and MSNBC to being fodder for hundreds of blogs nationwide.
Question: Should Boisean Russell Miller have been charged with misdemeanor battery for “tapping” a teen who wasn't obeying flight attendant orders on Southwest Airlines to shut down his cell phone?
A government horseback rider hazes bison to move them from one location to another earlier today, just inside Yellowstone National Park near Gardiner, Mont. U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell in Helena issued a ruling this morning in which he denied a request from wildlife advocates to stop the slaughter of potentially hundreds of wild bison from Yellowstone National Park that had attempted to migrate into Montana. Story below. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
During my recent vacation to Florida, I had ample time to break in my Kindle, on the planes and in airports — 8 
1/2 hours en route to Florida and 10 1/2 hours on the return flight. I bought one book from Amazon and downloaded 4 freebies, including Bram Stoker's “Dracula,” Harriet Beecher Stowe's “Uncle Tom's Cabin,” and Lewis Carroll's “Alice in Wonderland.” I read “Dracula” and am still reading “Uncle Tom's Cabin.” I was pleasantly surprised how well the original story of the infamous vampire holds up to the modern-day incarnations, including Stephanie Meyer's “Twilight” series. I doubt that there were vegan vampires in Bram Stoker's day. I know a bit about “Uncle Tom's Cabin.” But have never read the book. I've been hooked since the opening chapter. I've been so impressed with the quality of these old novels that I plan to check out other ones of similar vintage.
Question: Which pre-1900s novel would you recommend as a must-read for other Merry Hucksters?
Diane Engelking gets a kiss from Ansel a Rhodesian ridgeback backstage during the first day of the Westminster Dog Show today at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP Photo/Jeff Christensen)
Question: Does it bother you to be licked in the face by a dog?
Ron Paul has written a book, End the Fed, well known in these circles. We have a better idea: Stiff the Fed. In 
case you missed it, the financial cable network CNBC actually produced something informative a little while ago. It listed our 15 biggest creditors, the entities to which the captive citizens of the United Snakes of America owes money. Canada, which we always held as infinitely more sensible, turned up in the Top 15 for the first time. We owe Canada $3.6 billion. Coming in at 14th is Hong Kong, at $138.9 billion. We owe the Cayman Islands' banking centers $146.3 billion. Twelfth is Brazil; we're into them for $184.4 billion. We owe OPEC $210.4 billion. We owe the insurance industry $261.8 billion. … Are we beginning to see a pattern here?/David Bond, Wallace Street Journal. More here.
Question: Bond goes on to say that the Number One I.O.U. “is our very own United Snakes Federal Reserve Bank, which has us on the hook for a staggering $5.351 trillion!” (which is five times as much as we owe the Chinese). Bond suggests that the U.S. walk away from its debt to the federal reserve, like so many former home owners, and concentrate on paying off everyone else. What do you think of that approach?
Obviously even those Democratic ethics committee members who had pressed the Hart case in spite of 
Republican intransigence had grown weary of the exercise. “I think he wore us out,” said Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum. “I think he apologized, both yesterday and he apologized today. He acknowledged it. I felt the remorse was there.” So it's time to move on. That's how it looks inside the state Capitol. Here's how it looks outside: Anybody else in this state who extends a middle finger to the tax man is going to pay some big fines if not do time in jail. If you haul thousands of dollars of timber from public forests without paying, the state isn't going to simply forget about it. But not Hart/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Is opinionator Marty Trillhaase being a bit rough on state Rep. Phil Hart, who has ap-hollow-gized for his tax problems and five-finger timber discount of days gone by?
On her Facebook wall, Cindy writes of the note she received from son Sam above: “Still basking in the BD glow brought on by this note from Sam.” My daughter wrote my all-time favorite note that I got from my urchins during their formative years. I noticed this on the pillow as I woke up one morning: “The tolit is broke. You need to fish it.” Amy Dearest was about 4 or 5 at the time. Rough way to wake up. But I laughed throughout the time that it took to “fish” the toilet.
Question: Do you save notes like these from your kids? Or. What's the most memorable BD greeting you've received?
A Coeur d'Alene woman is dead after rolling her truck off an Idaho Highway. The crash happened just after 3:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon on Highway 95 about six miles north of Moscow. Idaho State Troopers say Michelle Bonasera, 19, drifted off the road, went over the embankment and rolled. Her passenger Andree Maxwell, 20, from Boise, was ejected from the truck. Troopers say Maxwell was not wearing a seatbelt but Bonasera had one on/KREM. More here. Complete ISP report below.
Earnest money. Escrow. Fixed rate mortgage. 100 percent financing. Terms like these can baffle first-time or even veteran home buyers. Fortunately, several local mortgage companies offer assistance in decoding the mysteries of mortgage and real estate language via free classes sponsored by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. “We teach the basics of what’s out there for first-time home buyers,” said Julia Hansen, senior mortgage loan officer from Valley Guild Mortgage, who has been leading these free workshops since 1999/Cindy Hval, SR. More here.
Question: How much did you know about home-buying process when you bought your first home?
After Oregon State University canceled a self-described feminist pornographer as the keynote speaker at its 
Modern Sex Conference, OSU students rallied and raised $4,000 for Tristan Taormino to appear. She’ll speak Tuesday night on campus on “Claiming Your Sexual Power.” In addition, The Register Guard reports, she’ll speak Wednesday at the University of Oregon on the topic, “My Life as a Feminist Pornographer.” Her visit to UO is sponsored by campus groups. OSU administrators said it was her work in the pornography industry that that led them to not spend taxpayer dollars for her speech at this week’s sex conference/Associated Press. More Northwest briefs here. (Wikipedia photo of Tristan Taormino)
Question: Who did right here — Oregon State administrators who decided not to use taxpayer dollars to fund an individual with a background in the porn industry or students who raised money to hear her speak?
“I'm just glad to be working,” said Landon Weichal, of Ginno Construction, on Wednesday. Ginno Construction is working on the former Coeur d'Alene Brewing Co. in Coeur d'Alene. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
I just saw a re-tweet by SVDPNorthIdaho of a BobandTom tweet that advised: “Happy Valentine's Day. If you're 
a woman, enjoy! If you're a man, don't screw this up!” My wife and I enjoyed a week-long Valentine's season retreat with Junior and our daughter-in-law in the Gainesville, Fla., area, with several nights out. So I'm covered this year. But I admit that I get into a panic at times when the many official “gift days” during the year pop up — Mother's Day, birthday, Christmas, etc. I don't want to goof things up by buying something that is underwhelming. Fortunately, Amy Dearest is a good consultant on these things. I got two thumbs up from Mrs. O for Christmas. How about you? (AP photo, for illustration purposes)
Question: Do you panic when an official-gift day rolls around? Or are you a confident giver of gifts?
Item: Idaho Lawmakers Consider Changing Liquor Sales Rules/Tania Dall, KXLY
More Info:
While many states including Idaho are struggling to balance their budgets, Idaho's state liquor division says keeping its doors open longer would mean an extra $2.2 Million in revenue annually. Idaho's state-run liquor stores have seen a 40-percent spike in sales in the last five years. Last fiscal year, it made $47 Million in profit. The state liquor division credits population growth and more choice from manufacturers for the monetary boom. (SR file photo: Brian Plonka)
Question: Should state-run liquor stores in Idaho be allowed to keep their doors open longer to increase tax revenue?
President Obama's 2011-12 budget proposal continues down an “unsustainable path” of spending too much, taxing too much and borrowing too much, Idaho senior Sen. Mike Crapo said this morning. “This budget simply moves the money around, with no measurable reduction in the overall size of government,” said Crapo, R-Idaho, a member of the president's bipartisan commission on the debt and the deficit. “This is not only out of step with the priorities of the American people, but it fails to recognize the realities that the president’s own colleagues in Congress have begun to recognize.” According to the Associated Press, Obama's $3.73 trillion budget calls for a $1.65 trillion deficit this year and another $1.1 trillion deficit next year/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Do you agree/disagree with U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo that the deficits President Obama proposes in the next two years are 'unsustainable'?
It's Valentine's weekend. You've got 48-hours to spoil your sweetheart.
Quick! Makes some plans, create a card, buy some chocolates and give yourself over to commericialized romance. Or not.
I notice that most Valentine advertisements are geared toward gifts for women. Why do you think that is?
Back to blog business as usal when DFO returns on Monday, but until then post your weekend highlights, lowlights or other news that's fit to print on this Wild Card.
February is often considered the longest part of winter. The snow has been around for so long that green grass and hot sunshine seem less an actual memory, and more like a concept we’ve heard of but never seen; perhaps it was in a book we read, or a movie we saw.
Of course, we’ve read all our books by now, worked our way through even the ‘B’ movie selection at the video store, and navigating this winter’s two perennial choices—rock hard, slick-as-glass ice or slush to your knees—can make going outdoors, particularly in the evenings, a less than enjoyable exercise.
What’s a person to do? Trish Gannon, River Journal
Imagine my surprise when I discovered I'd been mentioned in an article about how to waste time! *Disclaimer* Do NOT read this article unless you really don't have anything to accomplish today.
What's your favorite way to waste time?
Had a great birthday, yesterday. KerriT brought fireman hats to lunch. Of course, she didn't bring any fireman, but you can't have everything. Then every traffic light on 95 was green on my way through Cda! First time I've ever experienced that.
DFO will return on Monday full of hearts and flowers and tales of armadillo hunting. SR reporter Meghann Cuniff had this to say about my blogmistress duties. “Remember when someone compared the blog under your regime to a really long episode of Oprah?”
I don't know why anyone would say that; I haven't given away a single car this week.
Here's your wild card.
Francis “Frank” Clark
Coeur d’Alene Police detectives are asking for the public’s help locating a missing 71-year-old man.
Francis “Frank” Clark was last seen at Kootenai Urgent Care in Coeur d’Alene on Feb. 6. His neighbors and family have not heard from him since. Investigators have checked his last known on the 800 block of North 7th St. in Coeur d’Alene and have no other leads on his whereabouts.
Clark is a white male, 5’10”, 140 pounds with hazel eyes and grayish/brown hair. He does not drive and uses a taxi to get around. He walks with the help of a walker. It is not known what type of clothing Clark was wearing last.
Anyone with information about Clark is asked to contact the Coeur d’Alene Police Department at (208) 769-2320.
Sen. Mike Baumgartner, R-Spokane, talks with Sen. Randi Becker Friday on the Senate floor.
OLYMPIA — Spokane Sen. Mike Baumgartner is taking a fair amount of ribbing from colleagues today, not for a vote he took but for one that was taken on him, naming him among the Inland Northwest's Sexiest People.
This week's edition of The Inlander lists Baumgartner among 11 people the weekly believes deserving of the honor. Arguably, he is The sexiest, considering he's listed first. (And it's not an alphabetized arrangement, like the way the Senate votes that puts him first.) Photocopies of the spread were in good supply in the Republican wings before the floor session started.
The spread also lists his appropriately Republican Turn ons, the Federalist Papers, and Turn offs, Reckless government spending. Jim Camden, Spin Control Read more.
So. Does Idaho have any sexy Senators?
SUFFOLK, Va. - A Virginia woman was caught by surprise when she called a toilet manufacturer's helpline for advice on installation and was put through to a potty-mouthed sex line.
Debbie Attard, a mom from Isle of Wight County, was fixing up the bathroom in her son's new mobile home when she found that the bowl the family bought from retail chain Lowe's was missing parts, WAVY-TV reported Thursday.
She dialed the 800 number listed in the owner's manual but was shocked when the voice that greeted her wanted to discuss parts of a more private nature.
“I was appalled,” Attard said. “I couldn't believe it. I had called it like five or six times to make sure I didn't dial it wrong.” More.
My favorite part of the story is that she kept calling!
Is there a moral to this story?
BOISE - A special task force has captured a high-risk fugitive near Mountain Home.
David Ray Davis was found at about 11 a.m. today, the Idaho Department of Correction announced.
The Idaho Department of Correction has been searching for Davis since Feb. 7 when Garden City Police discovered he was no longerliving at the location he claimed as his residence. As a registered sex offender, Davis is required to keep his current address on file with the Idaho Sex Offender Registry.
Davis was classified as a high-risk fugitive because of his criminal history. In 1992 in Ada County, he was convicted of rape, second-degree kidnapping and use of a firearm in the commission of a crime. More here.
As far as North Idaho College wrestling coach Pat Whitcomb is concerned, the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament essentially begins Saturday at the Region 18 Tournament.
The top-ranked Cardinals, who will host the NJCAA Tournament at the Spokane Convention Center in two weeks, hope to position themselves favorably with a strong showing at regionals at Southwestern Oregon College in Coos Bay.
“We told our guys this is an extension of the national tournament,” NIC coach Pat Whitcomb said. “If you win a regional title it puts you on a bracket where you don’t wrestle another regional champion until the quarterfinals (at nationals). If you don’t, you could hit a regional champ in the first or second match.” More. Jim Meehan, SR
Let's just hope they don't stop to pick up any raccoons along the way. Do you follow college wrestling?
Typically, the last thing you'd want to see in the hospital is a mouse. Especially on the maternity ward. But earlier this week, The New York Times reported that Disney has begun sending sales reps into 580 hospitals nationwide. The reps are offering new moms, within hours of giving birth, a free Disney Cuddly Bodysuit for their babies if they sign up for e-mail alerts from DisneyBaby.com. The idea is to encourage mothers to infuse their infants with brand loyalty as if it is mother's milk.
Suddenly the delivery room command to “push” has a whole new meaning. More here. Peggy Orenstein, NPR
When does product placement and merchandising go too far?
Ronnie Taylor left, and Brendan Green take a smoking break outside Big John’s pool hall in Omaha, Neb.
SEATTLE — Starting next month, a group of five hospitals in the south Puget Sound area will no longer hire smokers. The Franciscan Health System says it will screen applicants for nicotine.
Chief operating officer Cliff Robertson says it's going to “walk the talk” about creating healthier communities.
KOMO reports Franciscan is the first member of the Washington State Hospital Association to require job applicants to be nicotine-free. The Tacoma-based group has 8,100 employees in three counties. Read more.
Is this a good idea?
Jon Coggin, 10, sells chips for $1 to raise money for Carissa Outen on May 19, 2010, at the Spokane Community College Spring Fling Car Show.
Feeding toddlers a steady diet of processed foods could lead to more than just obesity — it could lower their IQs, according to a new study.
Researchers at England's University of Bristol found that a child's eating habits at age 3 may influence his cognitive abilities at age 8. Toddler diets high in fat and sugar were associated with lower IQ scores, while healthier eating was tied to higher scores.
The report, which appears in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, is being billed as “the first study to suggest a direct link between the diet of young children and their brainpower” years later.
Here, a brief guide to the findings.
Do we really need studies like this to tell us feeding our kids a steady diet of junk isn't healthy? Isn't it just common sense?
GENEVA — Alcohol causes nearly 4 percent of deaths worldwide, more than AIDS, tuberculosis or violence, the World
Rising incomes have triggered more drinking in heavily populated countries in Africa and Asia, including India and South Africa, and binge drinking is a problem in many developed countries, the United Nations agency said.
Yet alcohol control policies are weak and remain a low priority for most governments despite drinking's heavy toll on society from road accidents, violence, disease, child neglect and job absenteeism, it said.
Approximately 2.5 million people die each year from alcohol related causes, the WHO said in its “Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health.” Full story.
Hmm…this along with the news that Idaho's liquor industry is growing.
I'm really looking forward to my glass of (non-Sutter Home, not that there's anything wrong with Sutter Home) wine while I cook dinner tonite.
How often do you enjoy an alcoholic beverage?
BOISE — A North Idaho Republican says the state should not punish people who kill federally protected gray wolves.
Republican Rep. Phil Hart unveiled legislation Friday that would prohibit the state from investigating, arresting or prosecuting any person who kills a gray wolf in Idaho. The bill would also prohibit state employees from helping federal agencies arrest or prosecute someone who kills a gray wolf.
Under the proposed statute, first-time violators would face a $500 civil penalty.
Wolves in the Northern Rockies are listed as endangered under court order, but state and federal officials have been looking for ways to curb their population.
The House Resources and Conservation Committee decided to hold onto Hart’s bill amid concerns it could harm potential negotiations between governors in the Northern Rockies and the federal government over the status of gray wolves.
What do you think of Hart's plan?
Idaho State Liquor Division director Jeff Anderson tells legislative budget writers Friday that liquor sales continue to grow despite the down economy; he called state-run liquor sales “a very stable revenue stream” for the state.
BOISE - One thing still growing in these tough economic times in Idaho: Liquor sales.
“We’ve experienced growth in spite of the negative economic environment that we’ve been operating in,” Idaho state liquor division Director Jeff Anderson told legislative budget writers this morning.
The division turned over a record $47.2 million in net proceeds to the state in fiscal year 2010; most of that went to the state general fund, cities and counties, with slices going to courts, substance abuse treatment, community colleges and substance abuse treatment. “It’s a very stable revenue stream,” Anderson said. Betsy Z Russell, SR
To what do you attribute this continued growth?
LOS ANGELES – After seven years in the California governor's mansion, Arnold Schwarzenegger is returning to his old day job: acting.
Schwarzenegger wrote on Twitter that he's ready to start considering film roles again. The former governor tweeted Thursday night: “Exciting news. My friends at CAA have been asking me for 7 years when they can take offers seriously. Gave them the green light today.”
Schwarzenegger's personal aide, Daniel Ketchell, confirmed the tweet Friday morning. Before leading the state of California from 2003 to 2010, the former body builder was the star of such blockbusters as the “Terminator” franchise and “True Lies” and comedies like “Kindergarten Cop” and “Twins.”
Do you have a favorite Arnold movie?
My sister-in-law sent this to me.
Still smiling.
And NO that is NOT my sister-in-law and me on the card!
A “Frozen Gore” ice sculpture is unveiled Tuesday in Fairbanks, Alaska. The block, hooked up to the exhaust of a pickup to make it appear Gore is spouting hot air, is a dig from two businessmen at Gore’s beliefs about climate change.
Last week a severe storm froze Dallas under a sheet of ice, just in time to disrupt the plans of the tens of thousands of (American) football fans descending on the city for the Super Bowl. On the other side of the globe, Cyclone Yasi slammed northeastern Australia, destroying homes and crops and displacing hundreds of thousands of people.
Some climate alarmists would have us believe that these storms are yet another baleful consequence of man-made CO2 emissions. In addition to the latest weather events, they also point to recent cyclones in Burma, last winter's fatal chills in Nepal and Bangladesh, December's blizzards in Britain, and every other drought, typhoon and unseasonable heat wave around the world.
But is it true? To answer that question, you need to understand whether recent weather trends are extreme by historical standards. The Twentieth Century Reanalysis Project is the latest attempt to find out, using super-computers to generate a dataset of global atmospheric circulation from 1871 to the present.
Is the weather getting weirder?
H/t Bent
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer stands outside the Supreme Court.
PHOENIX – Gov. Jan Brewer sued the federal government Thursday for failing to control Arizona’s border with Mexico and enforce immigration laws, and for sticking the state with huge costs associated with jailing illegal immigrants who commit crimes.
The lawsuit claims the federal government has failed to protect Arizona from an “invasion” of illegal immigrants. It seeks increased reimbursements and extra safeguards, such as additional border fences.
Brewer’s court filing serves as a countersuit in the federal government’s legal challenge to Arizona’s new enforcement immigration law. The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to invalidate the law. Read more.
What's your reaction to Gov. Brewer's countersuit agains the federal government?
Rep. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, speaks to the House Education Committee
Superintendent Joel Wilson from the Aberdeen School District, located in south-central Idaho, is defending his use of a publicly-funded resource to lobby against legislation pending before the Legislature.
Earlier this week on its taxpayer-funded website, the district posted a warning to parents about House Bill 123, which would cut kindergarten funding by two-thirds. While it is common for school districts to put up informational postings on education issues being mulled by Legislature, Aberdeen’s message to parents contains information that could be construed as lobbying.
“Superintendent Wilson does not support this plan,” the post says. The district gives the names and telephone numbers of their state lawmakers and “urges parents who have concerns” to contact legislators. Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter Read more.
Thoughts?
Bubblehead on Thursday Wild Card 2.10.11 on February 11 at 8:18 a.m.
Here’s what happened to me at the Education hearing yesterday. Short story, the committee secretary ripped a political pamphlet from my hand, and a Capitol policeman attempted to intimidate me (in my opinion) when I complained about it.
Wow! Senate education secretary confiscates satirical handout, complains about rude people, bemoans her assignment and Bubblehead gets in trouble
.
Bubblehead asks: So, what do you think? Was I being a jerk to a poor young lady just trying to do her job? Or should I have stood up even more against what was clearly a violation of my First Amendment rights, let alone my property rights?
COEUR d'ALENE - By a show of cards, the crowd didn't support the conceptual plan for McEuen Field.
Those cards, flashed by audience members as questions came up, also said the city shouldn't move the Third Street boat launch.
And there should be a public vote - open for all Kootenai County residents.
“I hope it goes to a public vote,” said Duane Severson, leaving the McEuen Field meeting at Woodland Middle School Thursday, the forum that gave the public an opportunity to address the design team about the park's redesign plan. “Over 50 percent of them are against it, from what I saw in there.”
If it was feedback the team wanted, it's what they got, both pro and con. Around 300 people filled the gym, and many took the time to speak.
It's too big and grand some said, while others thought it was a home run. More here. Tom Hasslinger, Cda Press
Anyone attend last night's meeting? What is the liklihood of public vote re: McEuen?
HELENA - On a mostly party-line vote with Republicans in favor, the Montana House voted 63-37 Thursday to repeal the voter-passed 2004 law that legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes, as GOP lawmakers labeled it a “scourge” that is corrupting Montana.
“Today, we're not talking about medical marijuana,” said House Speaker Mike Milburn, the sponsor of House Bill 161. “We're talking about marijuana. It has gotten so far out of hand. We're talking about a totally uncontrolled epidemic by the drug trade industry. It's starting to undermine the very fabric of our state that we so greatly cherish.”
After endorsing the repeal, the House sent the bill to the House Appropriations Committee to examine the financial impacts of repealing the law. HB161 then will return to the House for a final vote before going to the Senate.
The final vote Thursday had 62 Republicans and one Democrat voting for HB161, while 31 Democrats and six Republicans opposed it.
Milburn, from Cascade, quoted a narcotics officer who estimated that medical marijuana is a $1 billion unregulated industry here, with Montana now considered “a source country” for marijuana, along with Mexico and Colombia, and other parts of South America. More.
Why the flip in Montana?
COEUR d'ALENE - The city of Coeur d'Alene won't fine a former City Council candidate for not filing an updated 2010 campaign finance disclosure report.
Former Seat 2 challenger Jim Brannon terminated his report in February 2010, and contributions and expenditures after that went to court costs associated with the legal suit that followed the election, Brannon said in a letter to the city.
The letter was dated Jan. 31, the deadline to file 2010 reports.
The city said Thursday it won't argue with that interpretation since Idaho law doesn't contradict it.
“We're not going to pursue anything, (the attorney general's office) didn't express any interest in pursuing anything, so that's kind of where it is,” said Mike Gridley, city attorney.
While 2010 wasn't an election year for a city seat, the 2009 election turned into a yearlong court case, meaning two former Seat 2 candidates were still accepting and spending money in 2010 tied to the 2009 campaign. Tom Hasslinger, Cda Press Full story.
Thoughts?
“I've lost my childhood home,” said Plummer, Idaho, resident Mariane Nomee, as she retrieved a brick from the burned rubble of the former Mary Immaculate School in DeSmet on Thursday.
In the late 1970s, after a stint at secretarial school and a time in Spokane, Mariane Nomee moved home.
For Nomee, that meant DeSmet, Idaho. The Coeur d’Alene Reservation. And the old brick schoolhouse on the hill where she had lived for most of her childhood.
By then, the old Mary Immaculate School was closed and rumored haunted. Haunted by ghosts and perhaps by a legacy as a place where children lived away from their parents and were taught to abandon their culture.
But when Nomee was allowed to move into the abandoned school temporarily with her young family, she was elated.
“I was so happy that I got to go back there,” said Nomee, 68. “A lot of people couldn’t understand why I’d stay in a haunted building. To me it wasn’t haunted. It was my home.”
Nomee’s home burned down early last Friday, and she’s still mourning it. Investigators are still trying to sort out what happened at the school, closed since 1974.
Nomee’s experience is a good reminder that the history of boarding schools for Native Americans represents a fraught chapter in a tragic story – but not a simple one. Full story. Shawn Vestal, SR.
Native American boarding schools: blessing, curse or a bit of each?
Anti-government protesters stamp on a poster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as they pose for a photo outside the Egyptian Parliament in Cairo on Wednesday.
CAIRO — Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak resigned as president and handed control to the military today after 29 years in power, bowing to a historic 18-day wave of pro-democracy demonstrations by hundreds of thousands. “The people ousted the president,” chanted a crowd of tens of thousands outside his presidential palace in Cairo.
Several hundred thousand protesters massed in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square exploded into joy, cheering and waving Egyptian flags. Fireworks, car horns and celebratory shots in the air were heard around the city of 18 million in joy after Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV just after nightfall.
Mubarak had sought to cling to power, handing some of his authorities to Suleiman while keeping his title. But an explosion of protests today rejecting the move appeared to have pushed the military into forcing him out completely. Hundreds of thousands marched throughout the day in cities across the country as soliders stood by, besieging his palace in Cairo and Alexandria and the state TV building. A governor of a southern province was forced to flee to safety in the face of protests there.
Headlines in the middle east change fast.
Now what?
LOS ANGELES – Loyola Marymount men’s basketball coach Max Good surveyed the stat sheet and liked what he saw for the most part.
“If you had told me (Robert) Sacre was going to go 1 for 6 and (Steven) Gray 5 for 16, I would have liked my chances,” Good said. “But it’s a sign of a good team that they have other guys. (Sam) Dower goes 4 of 4 and (David) Stockton was the key player in this game.”
Gonzaga led by 13 points in the first seven minutes and was on top by 14 early in the second half, but the mistake-prone Bulldogs needed eight free throws late to preserve a 67-57 victory Thursday in front of 2,964 at Gersten Pavilion.
“Who cares?” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said of the sloppy nature of the win. “Anyway you can get a road win, it’s a great thing for us. We went in with the mindset this was going to be a tough, hard-fought scrap and it was. We won it with our rebounding and defense, and we stepped up and made free throws at the end.” More.
Sorry to say I won't be around much today. But I'll try to post of few things to pique your interest throughout the day.
My 11-year-old is portraying Thomas Jefferson at his school's Living Museum this morning. Have you ever tried to create a Thomas Jefferson costume in less than 24-hrs? That's what I get for procrastinating.
Then I'll be joining BethB at the Hot Rod Cafe in Post Falls for the monthly meeting of kNIFVES (Northwest Independent Film & Video Entertainment Society). I hope they'll let me use a fork. Or at least a spoon.
And, yes. It is my birthday. So, you all will be on your best behavior, right? Right?
Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg
CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) – Prisoners in the state of South Carolina caught with banned cell phones, which are often tossed over a prison fence to them, can face solitary confinement and loss of visitation and canteen privileges.
But those caught updating their status on their Facebook page, by cell phone or any other means, might soon be looking at 30 extra days behind bars and a $500 fine.
Representative Wendell Gilliard, a Democrat from Charleston, has introduced a bill that would make it unlawful for an inmate to be a member of any internet social-networking site, and would provide a penalty on conviction for the offense.
Oh gosh! Hope none of my FB friends are posting status updates from the pen!
Do accept FB friendship request from people you don't know?
Jen on February 10 at 11:48 a.m.
Speaking of birthdays, anyone know of a good place in CDA/Hayden where I can throw a casual, inexpensive birthday party for my husband?
Anybody have some ideas for Jen?
ATLANTA – Hundreds of people may have been told they tested positive for syphilis when they didn't actually have the disease, health officials say.
A study of five U.S. labs shows about 18 percent of the positive results from a test method used since the 1980s were actually negative, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
Experts previously thought the statistic was much lower — under 7 percent.
The CDC recommends additional testing when this particular test gives a positive result. But even if most doctors retest, the new research suggests that some people have unnecessarily worried they were infected with an infamous sexually transmitted disease. Read more.
Have you or anyone you know been the victim of incorrect medical tests? (NOT for syphilis— cuz we really don't need to know that!)
WASHINGTON – Just how wide open is the Republican presidential field? Vast enough that Donald Trump may want you to hire him.
The billionaire real estate mogul and host of television's “The Apprentice” got a raucous reception Thursday when he dangled a potential candidacy before thousands of conservatives who descended on the nation's capital eager to help a GOP challenger deny President Barack Obama a second term.
“The United States is becoming the laughing stock of the world,” Trump said, sounding every bit a candidate as he offered his rationale for a possible bid. In a speech sprinkled with quips and jabs, he said he would decide by June whether to run.
“The Donald” was among nearly a dozen potential presidential candidates, in various stages and sincerity of considering a 2012 run, auditioning before 11,000 conservatives at the three-day Conservative Political Action Conference.
The annual gathering marked the unofficial start of the GOP presidential nomination fight. More here.
Here's a hypthetical: Would you rather see Donald Trump receive the GOP nod to run for president, or Sarah Palin.
World War II veteran Ray Daves
Here’s a local development that illustrates the power of a book: On Dec. 22, the tower at Spokane International Airport was officially named the Ray Daves Air Traffic Control Tower.
And it all came about because of the 2008 book “Radioman: An Eyewitness Account of Pearl Harbor and World War II in the Pacific” (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press) by Carol Hipperson, a Spokane author.
“Radioman” is about Ray Daves, a local Pearl Harbor survivor. His story resonated with the air traffic controllers at the airport, who started a drive to name the tower after their fellow radioman.
It wasn’t easy. In fact, it took an act of Congress. But they persevered, and the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate came on board. On Dec. 22, President Obama signed a bill officially naming the tower after Daves.
And on Feb. 25, Daves and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who sponsored the legislation, will be at the tower for a dedication ceremony.
“It’s about the power of a book,” said Hipperson. “You could even refer to it as a ‘concrete example.’” Jim Kershner, Spotlight
Can't tell you how happy this makes me I've written about Ray here and here. He is a sweet and humble man and I'm glad he is here to see this honor.
Don't you think we should honor the heroes among while they're still with us?
John Bilsky, 58
A Bonner County man was airlifted to a Spokane hospital after being shot during a neighbor dispute Wednesday, officials said today.
Employees at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center said they could not release information on the condition of the victim, Richard Larson, 59.
Authorities say John Bilsky, 58, shot Larson in the 200 block of Makers Way. The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office responded about 4 p.m. Larson was taken to Bonner General Hospital, then flown to Spokane.
Bilsky was arrested on an aggravated battery charge.
Bilsky is a resident of Pennsylvania, according to a news release, but the altercation was described as “an ongoing neighborhood dispute.”
Jakob and Matt Finney play video games in the game room on La Dame du Lac Friday, July 20, 2007.
COEUR d'ALENE - Hannah Masters recalls walking past her son's bedroom, and hearing what sounded like a party going on.
“It was just him in there, alone with the Xbox Live,” Masters said.
Like many gaming systems, Xbox Live allows players to compete against other players from anywhere in the world while connected to the Internet.
“I realized then that he had this whole other world that he was spending time in, where I didn't know what was really going on,” said Masters, the mother of two middle school-age boys.
Young gamers are often doing more than wandering through Hogwarts Castle when they're playing Lego Harry Potter or as they jam along with Rock Band 3. They can also chat online while they're playing games, and they can do that with anyone anywhere also.
It's something that happens on many devices children often use, Masters said.
“If it has two batteries and a plug, chances are it can be connected to the Internet,” she said.
Masters' concern about her own child's online activities grew when her son received a cell phone call at 10 p.m. one night last summer, and she discovered he had taken his phone to bed with him. He told her he was sleeping with the phone because he didn't want to miss a call.
That didn't sit well with Masters. Maureen Donlan, Cda Press Full story.
X-box live has caused some problems in our house. I am not a fan. My 16 year-old son is and thinks if he pays for it, he should have it.
Are you concerned about kids gaming or chatting with strangers online?
Sawla Children’s Home houses 38 children in northwest Ghana. The children range in age from 5 to 16.
When Enrique Henao returns to Spokane on Feb. 18 to play for the Children of Northwest Ghana Benefit Concert, it will be a homecoming of sorts. Though born in Colombia, Henao graduated from University High School in 1970.
While he currently resides in Edmonds, Wash., he recently attended his 40th class reunion, and said, “Spokane is my second home.”
A renowned classical guitarist, Henao said his father was his mentor. “He played the guitar for me while I was in my mother’s stomach!”
Henao came to Spokane on Feb. 21, 1969, to finish his education and launch his career. His arrival coincided with an incredibly snowy winter, but the warm welcome he received from his adopted homeland made up for the chilly weather.
That kind reception and the support he found here enabled him to launch an international music career. However, it’s his heart for children in developing countries that brings him back this month.Full story. Cindy Hval, SR
Have you traveled to a third world country?
COEUR d'ALENE - Couples thinking of tying the knot have an added incentive to seal the deal this Valentine's Day in Coeur d'Alene.
The First Christian Church on Fourth Street is offering free nuptials Monday in its new wedding chapel.
Rev. Al Holm will be performing the Valentine's Day ceremonies, and he hopes to be doing more of that in the future, for a fee.
Holm said opening the wedding chapel is a way to help the congregation as its membership and finances dwindle.
“We're doing everything that's legal and moral to sustain the church,” Holm said.
The number of regular members of the 100-year-old church has dipped below 50.
“That hurts,” Holm said. Maureen Donlan, Cda Press
Did you spend a lot on your wedding?
Spokane City Councilwoman Nancy McLaughlin and Spokane County Commissioner Mark Richard enjoy some quality time with a cat at the shelter.
OLYMPIA – Spokane City Councilwoman Nancy McLaughlin was among victims of child sexual abuse urging the Legislature on Wednesday to drop the statute of limitations that they say shields pedophiles from justice.
“It took me years to be able to call what happened to me between age 10 and 18 rape,” said McLaughlin , who told members of the House Public Safety Committee about years of sexual abuse by her father. “You shouldn’t lose the ability to bring about justice just because some years have elapsed.”
Michael Ross, of Spokane, the founder of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said some victims of child sexual abuse don’t come to grips with what happened to them until they are in their 40s or 50s. Current law protects pedophiles by requiring a victim of a child rape to report before turning 29, said Ross, who told the committee he was abused by a Catholic priest in his teens but repressed that memory until he was 47.
McLaughlin and Ross were among supporters of House Bill 1657, a proposal by Rep. John Ahern, R-Spokane, to lift the statute of limitations for any rape of a minor by an adult. Jim Camden/SR
Do you think the statute of limitations for the rape of a minor by an adult should be lifted?
This city has been called a lot of names over the years.
But here’s a new one: Spokane is the boldest town in the United States.
At least that’s the finding of a national survey commissioned by a major bourbon distiller. Apparently we were ranked No. 1 partly on the basis of a lot of guys here having tattoos. And then there’s the supposedly illuminating stat that “26 percent have arm-wrestled a stranger.”
Can you feel the pride swelling?
This, of course, is one of those attempts to generate free media exposure for the sponsor of the “study.” But there is one reason to consider the possibility that there might be something to this: Seattle came in at No. 63 in the national ranking of civic boldness. Portland is No. 16.
Spokane – “We’re No. 1!” – edged out Savannah, Ga., and Las Vegas for the top, uh, honor.
Whoo-hoo, as they say.
According to a press release issued Wednesday, more than 10,000 men across the country were interviewed. Apparently women are insufficiently schooled in the boldness arts to be asked. Perhaps they will take that as a compliment. Paul Turner, SR Read more.
Can you think of a city bolder than Spokane?
It’s not definitive proof of harm, but new research raises concern about diet soda. It suggests that people who drink it every day have higher risks for stroke and heart attack than those who drink no soda of any kind at all.
The findings come from a federally funded study of about 2,500 adults in the New York City area.
Doctors have no explanation for why diet soda might be risky. It could be that people who drink lots of it also fail to exercise, weigh more or have other risk factors like high blood pressure and smoking. However, the researchers took these factors into account and found the trend remained.
What to do? Drink water, the experts suggest.
The study was discussed Wednesday at an American Stroke Association conference in Los Angeles.
I don't drink much soda, but when I do it's always diet. Do you drink diet soda?
Freshman Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) brought birtherism to the stage at CPAC.
Speaking this morning, Labrador alluded to the fact that he was born in Puerto Rico.
That still makes him an American, though, he said.
“And I do have the birth certificate to prove it,” Labrador said, apparently making a reference to the belief, held by some conservatives, that President Obama was not born in the United States. More.
What do think about Labrador's joke at the Conservative Political Action Conference?
The substitute motion, to send the nullification bill, HB 117, to the full House with no recommendation, failed on a 5-14 vote. The original motion, to send it to the House with a recommendation that it pass, then passed 14-5, though a couple of votes switched; Rep. Jim Guthrie, who made the substitute motion, voted in favor of the original motion, and Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, voted against both.
Among those supporting the original motion: Rep. Erik Simpson, while thanking University of Idaho constitutional scholar David Adler for addressing the committee and saying “I really value his opinion,” referred to a headline in the Christian Science Monitor saying the federal government would push ahead with health care reform despite a Florida judge's ruling. Betsy Russell, EOB More.
Thoughts?
FILE - In this undated file photo provided by the office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Giffords, left, is shown with her husband, NASA astronaut Mark Kelly
Gabrielle Giffords’ simple request for a piece of toast for breakfast this week signaled a milestone in her recovery – because she asked for it with spoken words.
The Arizona congresswoman, severely wounded when she was shot in the head at a public event a month ago, has been speaking “more and more each day,” said C.J. Karamargin, one of her congressional aides.
Karamargin could not give specifics about the extent of her speech abilities or when she said her first words, but he said the development points to Giffords’ fighting spirit.
“It’s another one of these small miracles that we’re seeing that have been happening throughout this ordeal,” he said. Full story.
Have you been following Giffords' progress?
The public is invited to comment tonight on a proposal to remake McEuen Field in Coeur d’Alene.
The forum will be held at 6 p.m. at Woodland Middle School, 2101 St. Michelle Ave.
The plan includes a proposal to remove the Third Street Boat Launch and ball fields and move them elsewhere in the city. It also calls for adding a handicap-accessible trail on the north side of Tubbs Hill, putting parking below ground and replacing it with acres of green space that would house a public amphitheater, a fountain, walking trails and other features. The plan can be viewed at www.mceuenpark.com. For more information, contact city Parks Director Doug Eastwood at (208) 769-2252.
Will you be attending?
CLARENCE, N.Y. – A married New York congressman accused of sending a shirtless photo of himself to a woman abruptly resigned Wednesday, saying he regretted actions that had hurt his family and others.
The gossip website Gawker reported Wednesday that Rep. Christopher Lee, a two-term Republican with a young son, had e-mailed the photo to a woman he met on the Craigslist classified-ads website.
Lee said in an e-mailed statement that his resignation was effective immediately. The statement offered no confirmation or details of a Craigslist posting. More.
So, the moral of this story is only firefighters should email shirtless photos of themselves.
Or do you have a different moral of this story?
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Can your iPad or iPhone bring you closer to God? A new application for the devices aims to help Roman Catholics who haven’t been to the confessional booth in a while keep track of their sins, one Commandment at a time.
The $1.99 “Confession: A Roman Catholic App” can’t grant forgiveness – you still need to receive the sacrament from a real, live priest like always. The app’s designers and some believers see it as a way to spur Catholics back into the habit of repenting.
“There’s a reason we designed it for these mobile devices: We want you to go to confession,” said Patrick Leinen, one of the developers and a co-founder of the company Little iApps. Over the last several decades, American Catholics have been receiving the penitential sacrament less frequently, and many of them may not know how it’s done. More here.
Would you use this app to keep track of your sins?
WASHINGTON – House Republican leaders on Wednesday unveiled a wide swath of spending cuts but fell short of GOP promises to slice $100 billion, creating a political challenge for House Speaker John Boehner as he struggles to unite his majority in advance of next week’s vote.
Conservative lawmakers, including many tea party-inspired newcomers, see the leadership proposal as inadequate, despite substantial hits to longtime GOP targets including the Environmental Protection Agency, community policing and the arts.
“It’s not enough,” said freshman Rep. James Lankford, R-Okla.
Already this week, Boehner struggled in trying to lead a diverse, emboldened GOP majority when a coalition of newcomers and veteran conservatives joined Democrats to block an extension of terror surveillance legislation, seen by many as an overreach of government authority. Full story.
On the list of programs to be eliminated:
• Police hiring grants – $298 million • High speed rail – $1 billion
• Family planning – $317 million • Corporation for Public Broadcasting – $531 million
Thoughts?
Idaho guard Jeff Ledbetter, left, scores over Utah State guard Pooh Williams during the first half of Wednesday’s game in Moscow.
MOSCOW, Idaho – They couldn’t be sure until the final 11 seconds. But once Brockeith Pane’s jumper sailed into the stands, ending a tumultuous shooting night for Utah State, Idaho fans unleashed a deafening roar.
Then came a court-storming that Cowan Spectrum hasn’t seen in years.
Playing on national television against the WAC’s powerhouse men’s basketball program, the Vandals sprang a 64-56 upset of the 21st-ranked Aggies in front of 1,512 on Wednesday night.
The loss snapped USU’s 17-game winning streak. The Aggies (22-3, 11-1) had won a conference-record 25 consecutive regular-season WAC games dating back to Jan. 4 of last year. More here. Josh Wright, SR
Big win for the Vandals!
The House Judiciary Committee has voted 8-6 to send the tribal policing bill to the full House with a recommendation that it “do pass.” Rep. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d'Alene, voted with the majority in favor. “It was a safety issue,” she said. “Kootenai County has done a wonderful job.”
She said testimony from Kootenai County Sheriff Rocky Watson was particularly convincing. Chief Allan, chairman of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, said, “I'm excited. … I think this is the right thing to do.” Betsy Russell, EOB
Hats off to Betsy who did another excellent job reporting from the Capitol, in what proved to be a VERY long day.
kamm: “How does the Legislature police itself while cutting the other budgets?”
Christa Hazel: “They ask you to resign from committees when caught not paying taxes or when you didn’t pay the judgement owed for stealing timber from Idaho school children.”
Mike Kane, lobbyist for the Idaho Sheriffs Association, has proposed two amendments to the tribal policing bill. One would place everything under the purview of the local sheriff and prosecutor. The other would revoke POST certification of any tribal officer who cited a non-tribal member into tribal court. Lawmakers had lots of questions about the amendments, and Coeur d'Alene Tribe lobbyist Bill Roden said earlier that Kane made proposals that were unacceptable to the tribe, including “that no Indian officer could ever have anything to do with a non-Indian person, and I frankly resent that statement.”
Christina Crawford, former Benewah County commissioner, told the House Judiciary Committee, “There are serious issues in terms of response time that are not a criticism of the sheriff. It's a question of the logistics of the district.” Betsy Russell, EOB More.
“no Indian officer could ever have anything to do with a non-Indian person”
Seriously?
So our youngest child got glasses this week. That makes 3 out of 4 kids who are blessed with their mother's myopia. I thought I was soooo smart to marry someone with 20/20 vision. Apparently, his Norwegian genetics were no match for my Scotch-Irish-German heritage of nearsightedness
Hey, instead of DFO's “blogging at the speed of light” excuse, I'll just use my nearsightedness as an excuse for blog blunders.
Here's your wild card. Hope you can see it.
AP – This 1994 photo provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows Enrico Ponzo.
MARSING, Idaho – To his neighbors, he was Jay Shaw, the guy with the vaguely New York accent. He was known for fixing computers, buying everything with cash, raising cows and knowing how to handle a gun.
To the FBI, he was a New England mobster who vanished in 1994 after a botched attempt to whack his boss. On Wednesday, the 42-year-old dark-haired man, dressed in a yellow jumpsuit and his hands cuffed behind his back, strolled into a courtroom in Boise, sat down at a table and spoke calmly to a judge. “My name is Enrico M. Ponzo,” he said. Jessie L. Bonner, AP
Do you suspect any of your neighbors might be fugitives from the law?
There are several states in the U.S. that are losing the eduction race to most of the others. In the past decade, these states have declining math and reading scores, lower numbers of people with bachelor’s degrees, and comparatively fewer residents who hold white collar jobs.
Colorado, Michigan, and eight others are losing this competition to states who have residents that are better educated and who have done a better job obtaining higher quality jobs. These failing states have lost ground compared to the national average.
The recent State of the Union address, and almost any sweeping political speech or document that writes or speaks about unemployment and future competition for jobs, impresses the point that a well educated workforce–a smart workforce–has comparative advantages. Read more.
Guess what state is #4? That's right. Idaho:
In 2000, 84.7% of adults in Idaho had completed high school. By 2009, the number had dropped to 83.3%. This decrease of 1.71% is the third worst rate in the country. Idaho had the eighth worst percent difference in residents with bachelor’s degrees from 2000 to 2009, and the sixth worst percent difference in residents with advanced degrees.
Do you think anyone in the legislature is paying attention to stories like this?
H/T Christa Hazel
Doug Payne, Benewah County prosector, told the House Judiciary Committee that in his view, his county didn't renege on the deal with the tribe last spring after the Legislature ended. “That was not what occurred in this case,” he said. “I thought the deal was workable.”
But he said the county wasn't willing to accept the tribe enforcing its civil jurisdiction over things like boating speeds, hunting and fishing on tribal lands, and so forth, through citations. The pending bill doesn't address that; it deals with criminal law enforcement only. Betsy Russell, EOB
Hmm… “The deal was workable?”
Interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn created this dining room for HGTV.com by updating mismatched flea market chairs with the same color spray paint and cushion fabric for a high-end look on a tight budget.
Several Facebook friends posted this exciting news:
HGTV Fans - Your wait is over…HGTV’s Bang For your Buck is coming to Spokane.
We are looking for renovated GREAT ROOMS in the SPOKANE area.
.Send an email to czanandrie@highnoontv.com and tell us why you deserve to be on Bang For Your Buck. Include a couple of pictures and the estimated cost of the renovation. More about the show here.
Have you recently remodeled anything?
In NW news:
TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The Twin Falls Planning and Zoning Commission rejected a plan to build a zip line in the Snake River Canyon. Commissioners voted 3-3 on Tuesday, with two commissioners recusing themselves. The Times-News reported that commissioners noted the company, Magic Valley Flight Simulation, didn’t bring a business plan and engineering documents to the meeting and didn’t have a wetlands impact assessment.
Bummer. Sounds like a fun idea.
SANDPOINT — An Idaho State Police trooper accused of shooting a moose in Bonner County before the start of last fall’s hunting season has been charged with misdemeanor poaching. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson says he filed a misdemeanor charge because Cpl. Jeff Jayne has agreed to plead guilty. Jayne has said he incorrectly memorized the dates for the start of hunting season. A plea agreement calls for a $500 fine, six months of unsupervised probation and the revocation of Jayne’s hunting and fishing privileges for two years.
Poached moose sounds nasty anyway.
SALEM, Ore. — A teenage boy has been suspended from an Oregon middle school after a cell phone with a camera was found in a girls’ locker room in the town of St. Paul. The Statesman Journal reports there was no indication a recording on the phone had been distributed after it was discovered Friday during a girls’ basketball game. St. Paul School Superintendent and high school Principal Sid Hobgood said a student told him Friday during the game there was a camera in the team’s locker room. Hobgood said the 14-year-old boy who was suspended is an eighth-grader at St. Paul Middle School, which shares facilities with the high school. Marion County sheriff’s deputies are investigating.
No word on who he was trying to call.
VANCOUVER, Wash. – Scott Dole thought he’d scored the jackpot — or at least $51,600 — when he won “Wheel of Fortune.” More than a year later, he hasn’t seen a dime. A messy divorce between the 40-year-old Vancouver man and his wife has placed the winnings in escrow until the courts can sort through who gets what. Turns out it’s been somewhat of a wheel of misfortune. His wife wants half of the money, though she filed for divorce well before he taped the show. He might have to pay taxes on the winnings without actually having seen the money. And his brush with fame has prolonged finalizing his divorce by more than a year.
I'm sure he'd like to by a lot more than a vowel.
Benewah County Sheriff Bob Kirts testifies Wednesday to the House Judiciary Committee, opposing the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's tribal policing legislation.
Benewah County Sheriff Robert Kirts just told the House Judiciary Committee, “The bottom line of this issue is Idaho citizens' rights. Are you willing to sign away these rights guaranteed by the state Constitution?” He expressed concerns about existing tribal laws, and said county officers should be able to arrest tribal members and cite them into state court, an issue that's not addressed in the bill. Rep. Bill Killen, D-Boise, asked him what he thinks of the bill, HB 111.
“It adds to the problem,” Kirts responded. “First of all you have a bunch of citizens who do not wish to concur with the tribal court. … If you want to do something, make it reciprocal. If you want to arrest non-tribal members, let us arrest tribal members and cite 'em into state court.”
Asked what happened to last year's supposed agreement, Kirts told the lawmakers, “Last year both of us agreed in principle.” Read more. Betsy Russell, EOB
What chance do you give HB 111?
LOS ANGELES – Prosecutors said Tuesday they plan to charge Lindsay Lohan with felony grand theft of a $2,500 necklace reported stolen from a jewelry store last month – the most serious count the actress has faced in more than three years of trouble with the law.
District Attorney’s spokeswoman Jane Robison said the charge will be filed today. Lohan, 24, is due in court for an arraignment on this afternoon.
Los Angeles police said Feb. 2 that Lohan was under investigation for taking a necklace from a Venice store later identified as Kamofie and Co. Detectives obtained a search warrant to try to retrieve the item from Lohan’s home, but it was turned in to a police station before any search was made. More.
. You guys have been good at summing up the “moral of the story.” What can we learn from Lindsay's latest troubles?
WASHINGTON – The Republican-led House on Tuesday failed to pass a short-term extension of the USA Patriot Act favored by GOP leaders, an unexpected political setback that shows the difficulty the party faces in keeping control of their new majority, with its legion of tea party-inspired members.
Key provisions of the terrorist surveillance law expire at the end of the month, and a coalition of veteran Republican lawmakers and conservative new members blocked passage of a measure that many tea party activists see as federal government over-reach into private affairs.
The unexpected turn of events will require the White House, which is seeking to extend the Sept. 11-era bill through 2013, to work with congressional leaders to devise a new strategy for passage.
“I am disappointed in the outcome of tonight’s vote,” said Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., the author of the original act. “We are now under a time crunch.”
Btw, Idaho Reporter notes: Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador was one of 26 Republicans to vote against extending some provisions in the Patriot Act, which extends the surveillance power of the national government.
Thoughts?
Lily Neal stands beside the figure she posed for when she was nine months pregnant. Associated Press photos
DEAR MISS MANNERS: A client came in for tax season. We only see each other once a year. Anyway, in she came for her appointment; I came from around the corner in the office, saw her sitting/waiting, and greeted her with, “Oh! When are you due?” She looks about five to six months pregnant, but ISN’T!!!
We proceeded to discuss drinking enough water, medications, doctor visits, blood tests, etc. But the fact of the matter is she isn’t pregnant. How do I apologize for assuming? Should I apologize?
Has you ever made a blunder like this? What did you do to make amends?
Out for a winter walk: “The sidewalks are slippery,” said Lawrence Bradford, of Coeur d’Alene, as he walked along Fifth Street on Tuesday.
My favorite form of exercise is going on a brisk 3-4 mile walk through my neighborhood. But not in the slippery snow . How often do you exercise and what do you do to stay in shape?
Last year, the Idaho Legislature approved a resolution ordering the Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) to undertake a study of how to test welfare recipients for illegal drugs as a way to save money on social program spending.
The report is out and lawmakers may be surprised to see that drug testing may not save as much money as they had originally hoped. I
n fact, screening would actually cost the state more money than it would save by paying out less in program benefits. Because Idaho only pays some of the costs of the programs, any savings achieved via testing would be shared by the Gem State and the federal government. The problem with that is Idaho would be required to pay for all testing and could not use money saved by paying out fewer benefits to fund screenings. That means that while Idaho would save money from having fewer people in programs eligible for testing, it would lose more money by instituting testing. Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter Full story.
What do you think about the idea to drug test welfare recipients?
OLYMPIA – Locally distilled liquor could be bought at farmers markets along with organic tomatoes and handmade candles under a plan being considered by the Legislature.
And customers in state liquor stores would be able to taste test some pricey or exotic brands before buying under another proposal.
The state’s growing number of craft distilleries could sell their gins, vodkas and whiskeys at farmers markets that obtain the proper permits under Senate Bill 5650. Some farmers markets already can offer local wine or beer.
Ryan Hembree of Skip Rock distillers in Snohomish County said it would be a way of keeping money local by selling liquor made from local grains. “There’s a community pride in the product,” he said. Jim Camden, SR Read more.
Wow! If this passes in WA maybe it will catch on in Idaho and Bent will branch out from brewery to distillery. Then Sunny could offer samples at the Farmer's Market and….
Do you think it's a good idea to let customers sample liquor?
Dads who still haven't given up video games now have some justification to keep on playing — if they have a daughter.
Researchers from Brigham Young University's School of Family Life conducted a study on video games and children between 11 and 16 years old. They found that girls who played video games with a parent enjoyed a number of advantages. Those girls behaved better, felt more connected to their families and had stronger mental health. Professor Sarah Coyne is the lead author of the study, which appears Feb. 1 in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
“The surprising part about this for me is that girls don't play video games as much as boys,” Coyne said. “But they did spend about the same amount of time co-playing with a parent as boys did.” Science Daily Full story.
I have no girls. But I am the undisputed Mario champ in our family. Do/did you play video game with your kids?
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has finally done what millions of fellow Americans are still struggling to achieve – he’s given up smoking.
“Yes, he has,” his wife, Michelle, said Tuesday at the White House when asked whether he had conquered a nicotine habit that began as a teenager. “It’s been almost a year,” she said, offering no details on exactly when or how he quit.
But is the breakup with tobacco final? One in five adults, about 46 million people, still smoke, and brain research shows that nicotine is powerfully addictive. Three out of four smokers who try to kick the habit relapse within six months. More.
Have you ever quit smoking? How did you do it?
Dakota Taylor, a kindergartener at Fernan Elementary, writes her name on her whiteboard during class.
COEUR d'ALENE - Proposed legislation that would remove public kindergarten as an option for the majority of Idaho 5-year-olds has area school officials shaking their heads.
A bill introduced Tuesday in the Idaho Legislature's House Education Committee would eliminate two-thirds of the $50 million now appropriated in the annual budget for kindergarten, and leave $17 million to be used to prepare at-risk students to enter first grade.
Republican Rep. Steve Thayn, R-Emmett, introduced the plan, saying the state needs to decide what it's trying to accomplish with programs geared at Idaho's youngest students.
“The other two-thirds that might not attend kindergarten, what's going to happen to those kids?” said Pam Pratt, the Coeur d'Alene School District's director of elementary education and principal of the Hayden Kinder Center. “I see the gap in first grade widening between students who don't know letter naming fluency, sound naming fluency, blending and segmenting word sounds.”
If the legislation is enacted, the Coeur d'Alene School District estimates it will lose funding for 447 kindergarten students, and 11 teaching positions. Maureen Donlan, CDA Press Read more.
When I was a kid in the 70's in Spokane, there was no free kindergarten so I didn't go. But my own kids loved kindergarten and learned so much. What do you think about this proposal?
Kids in Idaho could use a right or two.
Or maybe just a hand. About half are living in “low-income” homes. A fifth live in homes headed by single mothers, whose unemployment rate is twice that of married men and women. The state ranks 41st for overall child health and well-being, according to a new scorecard.
Too bad the state House of Representatives is primarily concerned about their parents.
And the Constitution, of course.
You might have missed this, but the Idaho House, faced with all the woes of our day, voted for a nonbinding memorial Monday to support amending the Constitution to protect parental rights.
Protect them from whom, you might ask.
But don’t be silly. From the government. Federal, state and water district. From courts and schools. From international treaties that try to assert the rights of children. From the red-hot threat that our constitutional parental rights are dangling by a thread. Shawn Vestal, SR Read more.
Nonini said, “Longstanding constitutional rights are now hanging by a precarious thread.” Agree or disagree?
North Idaho College students will be able to earn an undergraduate or graduate degree in business from Walsh College in Michigan, the two schools announced Tuesday.
The Idaho students will be able to transfer up to 82 credits toward a bachelor’s degree offered online by Walsh, which has 4,600 students on two Michigan campuses, three Detroit university centers and on the Web.
A Walsh spokesman said the college has several such agreements with other junior colleges, most in Michigan, but NIC is the first school in the West where students will be able to enroll. Bert Caldwell, SR
What do you think about online degrees?
Vice President Joe Biden, right, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood walk to a train in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, heading to Philadelphia.
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is calling for a six-year, $53 billion spending plan for high-speed rail, as he seeks to use infrastructure spending to jump-start job creation.
An initial $8 billion in spending will be part of the budget plan Obama is set to release Monday. If Congress approves the plan, the money would go toward developing or improving trains that travel up to 250 mph, and connecting existing rail lines to new projects. The White House wouldn’t say where the money for the rest of the program would come from, though it’s likely Obama would seek funding in future budgets or transportation bills.
Obama’s push for high-speed rail spending is part of his broad goal of creating jobs in the short-term and increasing American competitiveness for the future through new funding for infrastructure, education and innovation. During last month’s State of the Union address, Obama said he wanted to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years. Julie Pace, AP Full story.
Thoughts?
Mark M. Maykopet, 24, from Butte, collided with a trooper's patrol car during a chase, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department.
Update:
A deadly police shooting in North Idaho occurred just after two Montana fugitives rammed an Idaho State Police car, authorities said Tuesday.
Christie Ann Little, 40, was pronounced dead at Kootenai Medical Center on Monday after being shot while a passenger in a Jeep Cherokee driven by Mark Marion Maykopet, 24, of Butte,
Maykopet also was shot but was released from the hospital and jailed on $1.5 million bond after appearing before Kootenai County District Judge Scott Wayman on Tuesday.
Investigators released few details about the shooting and haven’t said why the trooper felt the need to use deadly force.
Charges filed against Maykopet allege he rammed Cpl. Dan Howard’s patrol car during a police chase. More.
The Coeur d'Alene Tribe's Sisters Building was destroyed in an early-morning fire on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011, in DeSmet, Idaho. Tribal police are currently investigating the cause of the fire.
Authorities have discovered human remains in the rubble of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s historic former boarding school building, which was destroyed by fire Thursday.
Tribal police found the remains while investigating the cause of the fire, a Tuesday news release from the tribe said. The building, known as the Mary Immaculate School, came to be known as the sisters building or sisters school.
“We’re working with the FBI and the state fire marshal,” said Keith Hutcheson, tribal police chief, in the release. “Hopefully we can determine who this person was for the sake of this individual’s family.”
The cause of the fire is unknown.
Marc Stewart, a spokesman for the tribe, said crews securing the building site knocked over the walls and chimneys after the fire and the material fell into the foundation area. More here.
At Get Out North Idaho OTV says the Inlander's Cheap Eats issue was all well and good “but what about those times when you've got hundred dollar bills burning in your pocket like a bad rash and you're trying to impress the date you hired from an escort service? Or even when you want to treat your old battle ax to something fancier than Zip's Drive in on Valentine's Day?”
So he's compiled a brief list of Expensive Eats in North Idaho.
On his list: Syringa, Wolf Lodge Steakhouse and Beverly's.
Where do you like to dine when you're in the mood to splurge? What do you order?
So my husband comes home and says, “I just ordered a Roku box.” I think, great we're having Japanese food and I don't have to cook.
Wrong.
I'm still not sure what it is, but it isn't edible. Apparently, in a few days my family will join the swarms of Netflix, Hulu, Pandora lovers. We will have access to movies and music and no cable bill.
But. We've never had cable TV.
I don't even like TV. All I know is this involves ANOTHER remote control. One more thing to be lost and to blame on the kids. Or the cat. And one more thing I won't be able to use without the assistance of my 11-year-old.
Anyone else have a Roku box? Feel free to make me feel better, if you can. If not launch another topic on today's wild card.
BOISE - The respected Boise State University Public Policy Survey, a statewide poll that’s been conducted in the state for more than 20 years, yielded a surprising result Tuesday: 74 percent support for allowing “terminally and seriously ill patients to use and purchase marijuana for medical purposes.”
Just 23 percent said “no” to that in the statewide survey, and 3 percent said they didn’t know.
State Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, who has pending legislation to legalize medical marijuana in Idaho in precisely those situations, said, “I’m not surprised at all, because in similar states out here in the West, the results are 65 to 75 percent (in favor), as long as you focus, like we have, very narrowly on medical marijuana for folks who are in excruciating pain with long-term diseases.”
The statewide survey queried adults in 525 randomly selected Idaho households, included cell phone as well as land-line respondents, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent.More here. Besty Russell, SR
Does this finding surprise you?
If you're looking for a special way to celebrate Valentine's Day with your sweetheart, Taryn Hecker sends along this idea: The 4th Annual Wallace Beer Pong on Feb 12. Info here.
Do you think your sweetie would be interested?
Romanian witches perform a ritual in Chitila, Romania
BUCHAREST, Romania – There's more bad news in the cards for Romania's beleaguered witches.
A month after Romanian authorities began taxing them for their trade, the country's soothsayers and fortune tellers are cursing a new bill that threatens fines or even prison if their predictions don't come true.
Superstition is a serious matter in the land of Dracula, and officials have turned to witches to help the recession-hit country collect more money and crack down on tax evasion.
Witches argue they shouldn't be blamed for the failure of their tools.
“They can't condemn witches, they should condemn the cards,” Queen Witch Bratara Buzea told The Associated Press by telephone. Alison Mutler, AP Full story.
I'm pretty the folks who run the Pyschic Hotline have to pay taxes. Have you ever had your palm read or consulted a fortune teller?
COEUR d'ALENE - Twenty-five years ago, the Coeur d'Alene Resort opened its doors to a hopeful public in a down economy.
“Some have credited its opening to stimulating the region's economy,” said Jerry Jaeger, co-owner and president of Hagadone Hospitality. “Perhaps history will repeat itself.”
Jaeger was referring to the Hagadone Events Center - a venue at the gated Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course that will combine an 11,000 square foot state-of-the-art meeting facility with an elaborate base for weddings and banquets, a swimming pool, a beach area and more.
Construction started last week and will be completed by July 1, Jaeger said.
That deadline is firm because the first party already is booked: Gov. Butch Otter has scheduled the opening ceremony for the Western Governors Conference at Hagadone Events Center June 30. Read more. MIke Patrick, Cda Press
What do you think about Hagadone's lastest project?
Idaho now has more independents than Republicans, according to the new Boise State University Public Policy Survey - the first time that result has been found in 20 years of surveys. The survey, which queried 525 adults between Nov. 18 and Jan. 8, found that 39 percent identified their political affiliation as independent; 34 percent chose Republican; and 22 percent said they're Democrats.
In the last survey in 2007, Republicans were at 40 percent, independents 28 percent, and Democrats 25 percent. Carole Nemnich, associated director of the BSU Public Policy Center, said, “This is the first year we've seen independents actually spike above Republicans.”
The survey also found that just 49 percent of Idahoans say the state is headed in the right direction - the lowest result ever found by the survey, which saw 70 percent choose that answer in 2004. “It could be a reflection of the tough times,” said BSU professor Stephanie Witt. More here.
Surprised?
SANTIAGO, Chile – People are capable of doing many things for love. What Grace Guajardo did forced the evacuation of more than 300 people from a plane moments before takeoff.
Authorities say she phoned in a false bomb threat to keep her boyfriend from flying off to a new job. “I’m sorry, but I did it for love,” Guajardo said Monday after she was charged with making a false bomb threat.
Freed pending trial, she faces up to 61 days in jail if convicted. Prosecutors decided not to invoke the more severe anti-terrorism law after hearing the couple’s story.
What have you done for love?
According to a survey by Glamour magazine 75% of women fantasize about their guys being dressed as firemen.
H/T LizA
The Rev. Jesse Jackson addresses thousands Monday night at UI.
Freedom does not mean equality, the Rev. Jesse Jackson told a packed house at the University of Idaho on Monday night.
“We are all free, but we are becoming less equal every day,” the civil rights leader said, pointing to a widening economic disparity.
About 4,500 turned out to hear Jackson at the Kibbie-ASUI Activity Center to mark Black History Month. His lecture, “Keep Hope Alive,” targeted young people who he said are challenged with the struggle for economic justice, just as their predecessors fought for racial justice and voting rights.
“Black history is not for blacks only,” Jackson said. “Blacks were the catalyst for change, but they were not alone” in suffering the effects of inequality. More. Kevin Grama, SR
Jackson said, “Is not our character measured by ‘how we treat the least of these’?”
What do you think shows character?
YAKIMA, Wash. — Prosecutors in Washington state have filed a felony assault charge against a woman accused of biting the lower lip off another woman at a Yakima nightclub.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reports 37-year-old Kaycee Mae Gonzales was arraigned Monday for the Jan. 23 attack at Jack-Sons Sports Bar. The victim told police she was in the back of the bar when Gonzales attacked her without warning. Police said the woman was missing a large section of her lower lip and that the injury was “consistent with teeth marks.”
And the lesson we learn from this story is?
House Speaker Lawerence Denney, after introducing proposed changes in House ethics rules on Tuesday. The rules clarify that only House members - not just anyone - can file complaints, and add a clause for ethics violations that consist of “conduct unbecoming a member of the House.”
The House State Affairs Committee has approved legislation from Speaker Lawerence Denney making changes in the House's ethics rules, and sent it on to the full House for a vote, where it needs two-thirds approval to pass. The key change: Clarifying that “any member” of the House, not just “any person,” can file an ethics complaint against another member.
This year, the House received two ethics complaints from citizens, one from Hayden businessman Howard Griffiths, a write-in candidate this year against Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, against Hart; and one from Hart supporter Larry Spencer against Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, who had filed an ethics complaint against Hart. Both were found to be without basis and “frivolous.” Betsy Russell, EOB Read more.
Thoughts?
Bryan Fischer
From Right Wing Watch:
Bryan Fischer is back with another history lesson for us all - this one on how the Native Americans deserved to lose control of North America because “the superstition, savagery and sexual immorality” made them “morally disqualified from sovereign control of American soil.”
You see, there are three ways that control over land is established: settlement, purchase, and conquest. And in the case of Native Americans, it turns out that they were just like the Canaanites who were so immoral that God decided that “the slop bucket was full, and it was time to empty it out” and so he tasked Israel with being the “custodian to empty the bucket and start over.”
And in North America, that task fell to the Europeans … and Fischer notes that “many of the tribal reservations today remain mired in poverty and alcoholism” because they refuse to embrace Christianity, as demonstrated by the Native American invocation at the Tucson memorial:
H/T Kootenai Conservative
I think DFO instituted some kind of Bryan Fischer topic ban because some of you get a little out of control when he posted some of Fischer's opinions. So I front page this with some hesitation. Can we discuss this topic without going off into rants about Mr. Fischer's sanity, morals or family life?
I'd like to think we can.
I'd like to know if you think Fischer's opinions about Native Americans are more wide spread than we know?
COEUR d'ALENE - There's one more tax issue Kootenai County has to resolve.
The county has been overpaid nearly $70,000 by the state in tax relief funds, said county Finance Director David McDowell on Monday.
County staff made the discovery last fall, McDowell said, at the same time they uncovered that the county had failed to distribute more than $1.4 million to taxing districts.
“I can't tell you which system is at fault.” McDowell said of whether the error occurred on the county or state side. “This is kind of like the last piece of the puzzle, and everything will be square with the state and the taxing districts.”
The extra $67,580.54, which the Idaho State Tax Commission distributed to the county in 2007, was intended for the property tax relief, or “circuit breaker,” program.
The county commissioners voted unanimously at their public meeting on Monday on a memorandum of agreement with the state to settle the issue. Full story Alecia Warren, Cda Press
What next?
Idaho's program to keep invasive quagga and zebra mussels out of the state has seen “encouraging” results, state Agriculture Director Celia Gould told JFAC this morning.
Twenty inspection stations around the state operated for 19 weeks in the past year, and caught eight infested boats. That might not sound like a lot, Gould said, but, “It only takes one.”
And those boats were headed for key Idaho lakes including Pend Oreille, Priest Lake and Henry's Lake. Boats that came through the stations originated in 49 different states, Gould said.
Invasive species boat sticker fees, which were raised last year, were expected to cover the cost, but didn't. Program costs were less than expected, Gould said, at $1 million, “however the actual sticker fees came in lower,” at about $850,000. So there's a $150,000 deficiency warrant for the shortfall, which the state must pay. “This program impacts everyone within the state of Idaho,” Gould said. “It's not just an ag problem, it's not just a recreational problem. It's everybody's problem.” Betsy Russell, EOB
Agree or disagree with Gould's assertion that invasive mussels are “everybody's problem?”
With a nod to the 1950s, the state Department of Health has a campaign to fight flu that almost begs for mockery.
. OLYMPIA – The state Department of Health has a message for flu season: WashYourHandsington.
The agency’s campaign reminding people to wash up, cover their coughs and get a flu shot is summed up in a slogan that puts “Your Hands” between the “Wash” and the “ington” in the state’s name. It comes complete with posters reminiscent of a 1950s tourism campaign, a radio jingle and an Internet video.
Cheesy? A bit silly? Easy to make fun of? Yes to all, says Tim Church, department communications director. Radio talk show hosts have made fun of it, and comedian George Lopez did a takeoff.
But it gets the point across, Church says. When people call to say they don’t like this campaign about washing your hands and getting a flu shot, he contends “they may not like it, but they’re getting the message.” Jim Camden, SR
Do you think posters reminding folks to wash their hands, do any good?
In this recent unscientific online poll conducted by the Cda Press, readers were asked: “Is the U.S. in good hands with President Obama in charge?”
More than 3,000 votes were cast. Here are the results:
• Yes, 1,029 votes (30 percent)
• No, 2,278 votes (67 percent)
• Not sure, 101 votes (3 percent)
Reaction?
A police pursuit erupted in gunfire north of Coeur d’Alene Monday in what investigators are calling an officer-involved shooting.
Details were sketchy late Monday, but authorities confirmed two people from a fleeing vehicle were taken to Kootenai Medical Center with unspecified injuries after the shooting.
The incident began about 7 p.m. when an Idaho State Police trooper tried to stop a vehicle on U.S. Highway 95 at East Ohio Match Road, which is just south of Garwood. The vehicle fled, leading to a short pursuit that ended with shots fired at Ramsey Road, south of Highway 53.
MOSCOW, Idaho — Whoever left a backpack bomb on the route of Spokane’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day march last month “was more sick than mean,” the Rev. Jesse Jackson said Monday.
“We must address the issues that drive us to sickness.” The civil rights leader is in Moscow, Idaho, where he will speak at 7:15 tonight at the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center.
During a news conference in advance of his address, Jackson spoke of the conditions in the United States today that make unthinkable violence thinkable. Law enforcement continues to hunt for clues to the apparently racially motivated bomb attempt in Spokane. Kevin Graman, SR
Do you agree with Jackson's statement?
I know folks like to tease DFO about his 211 vactation days. But honestly, this is the FIRST vacation he's had all year!
The blogfather arrived safely in Florida, and yesterday told me he was preparing to go armadillo hunting. Of course, he hadn't had his coffee yet, so all communication is suspect. I asked him if armadillo hunting was like snipe hunting and he said, ” Not quite. I think armadillos are real.”
Haven't heard if he got one. Or what he plans to do with it if he gets one.
Things are a bit different around here when DFO is gone, because I don't have the luxury (?) of minding the blog full-time. But I'm always looking for interesting news to put out front. Feel free to send me an email at dchval@juno.com if you spot something you think would be of interest, or post your links here on this Wild Card.
Aaron Rodgers celebrates with teammates after Green Bay’s victory over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.
ARLINGTON, Texas – Absolutely no need to bring up Ol’ What’s His Name ever again. Aaron Rodgers is a Super Bowl championship quarterback in his own right.
And he’s the game’s MVP, too. That’s an honor Brett Favre, his Green Bay Packers predecessor, never earned.
With precise passes and cool under pressure, Rodgers completed 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions Sunday night to lead the Packers to a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers for Green Bay’s first NFL title since Favre’s in the January 1997 Super Bowl.
Got a favorite moment from Super Bowl XLV?
Spokane's Howard Street received designted bike lanes recently, part of ongoing efforts to improve safety and accessibility to cyclists.
Spokane and Coeur d’Alene aren’t quite Portland when it comes to bike lanes, trails and parking, but they are making progress on the road to making bike travel more feasible and friendly.
“We’ve go a ways to go to catch up with Portland,” said Grant Wencel, bike-pedestrian coordinator for the City of Spokane. “But we have good progress this past year, thanks largely to a grant from the state that allowed us to do some things.”
The $619,000 grant from WSDOT Highway Safety and Improvement Projects enabled the city to implement new bike lanes and a shared use path, as well as a small collection of locally designed and built racks in the downtown core. Some 90 percent of the grant-related construction was completed in 2010, with a few small projects to come in 2011. Full story. Pete Dunlop, Down to Earth NW
How long has it been since you rode a bike?
The structure of Kootenai County government could face a major overhaul in the next couple of years.
With two newly elected commissioners and commissioner Chairman Todd Tondee ready to change the status quo, the three officials are taking a fresh look at restructuring county government.
Ideas include creating a county administrator position, or adding more county commissioners.
But there are many details to iron out before anything is put to a public vote.
“It takes some time to develop,” said Commissioner Dan Green. “I personally don't see it (a vote on any changes) happening until the general election of 2012.”
It all comes down to deciding what new positions or officials are necessary, the salaries they would receive and the authority they would wield. Full story. Alecia Warren, CDA Press
Do you think it's time to restructure Kootnenai County government?
State schools Supt. Tom Luna pitches his education reform legislation to the Senate Education Committee on Monday, at the first of four days of hearings on the two-bill package.
There's been “an organized attempt to get people riled up” over his school reform plan, state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna told the Senate Education Committee. He said people have focused on his proposals to require online courses, provide a laptop for every high school student and increase class sizes in grades 4-12 rather than his proposals to eliminate tenure for new teachers and make other changes to teacher contracts, because “those issues don't get people riled up.” Betsy Russell, EOB More.
So. Are you riled up?
It’s become an increasingly familiar cry among teens and young adults: “(NUTS)! – my parents are on Facebook!” As the world’s biggest social-networking site continues to grow, parents are joining – and invariably asking the kids to include them in their circle of online friends.
Many young people are horrified at the idea of parents seeing their posts – which may include racy photos or talk about who they’re dating.
“I don’t want my mom asking me about everything I say on Facebook,” said 15-year-old Evie Petersen, who is ignoring her mother’s most recent friend request. More here.
My 21-year-old and 16-year-old sons both friended me on facebook and I accepted their requests. My 18-year-old has not, but he hasn't set his privacy settings very well so I can still read his updates if I choose. My teenage nephews also sent me friend requests. Do I see a lot of stuff I wish I didn't?
Yep.
How about you? Are you facebook friends with your kids?
TWIN FALLS — The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s 2009 compilation of residents’ vital statistics shows an increase in negative aspects and decrease in positive aspects.
The report says the number of marriages fell almost 6 percent compared to 2008, while the number of divorces increased by about that amount. The Times-News reports that the compilation also found that the number of births in the state fell almost 6 percent while the number of abortions went up 10 percent.
Male suicide rates increased from 26 per 100,000 residents in 2008 to 30 per 100,000 in 2009. Among women, suicide moved from 12th to 10th among leading causes of death with 72 suicides. Almost 3 percent of Idaho’s deaths in 2009 were suicides.
Thoughts?
SAN FRANCISCO — On “The Tonight Show,” Conan O’Brien used to get big laughs for mocking Twitter as an egotistical stream of mundane updates from celebrities.
But when he got bounced from his late-night gig at NBC, O’Brien could no longer take to the airwaves to reach his fans, so Twitter became his open hailing frequency. He later thanked Twitter “for saving my ass.”
O’Brien isn’t the only one who is tapping Twitter’s mass-media potential. The social network, which will celebrate its five-year anniversary in March, last year signed up more than 100 million people who sent more than 25 billion updates called tweets. Twitter Inc. gained another key following in December: investors who competed for the opportunity to pour $200 million into the company, nearly quadrupling its worth to $3.7 billion. Jessica Guynn LA Times
DFO has been relentless in his hounding me to join the Twitter nation. For those who tweet, who do you follow? Who follows you?
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – A raccoon has ended a North Dakota team’s bid for a fourth consecutive regional championship in high school wrestling.
The Carrington High School team was pulled from Saturday’s tournament when officials discovered the athletes had been exposed to a live raccoon.
Grafton police Sgt. Anthony Dumas said the team picked up what members thought was a dead raccoon on the way to the tournament in Grafton and stowed in the storage area of their bus. Dumas said when the compartment was opened later, the raccoon “just trotted away.”
The animal didn’t scratch or bite anyone, but it’s not known whether it had rabies. School officials brought the team home as a precaution, the Grand Forks Herald reported.
Any theories as to why they stowed the “dead” raccoon on their bus? Do you agree with the officals decision to not allow the wrestlers to compete?
This undated photo provided by West Elm shows square wood trays for TV dining.
In a way, Super Bowl Sunday is a festive celebration of one of America’s beloved bad habits. No, not football – eating in front of the TV.
Studies suggest chowing down while watching television isn’t good for you. (If you aren’t really paying attention to what you are shoveling into your mouth, it’s easy to consume too many calories.)
In addition, frowning observers of American family dynamics have warned for decades that being glued to a TV while having a meal diminishes any prospect of meaningful communication.
Family member A: “What can we do to give our lives authenticity and meaning?”
Family member B: “Huh? What? Show’s on.”
That’s not anyone’s vision of gracious living. Paul Turner, SR
Dining with the TV on is verbotten in our home. Every now and then we'll have a pizza/movie night, but that's the exception, not the rule.
Do you dine with the television on in your house?
When a man looks at a woman in that way, her math skills suffer, according to a study that will be published in the March issue of the journal Psychology of Women Quarterly.
Researchers at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and Pennsylvania State University at University Park asked 150 undergraduates at a large university in the Midwest — 67 women and 83 men — to participate in what they were told was a study of how people work together in teams. Instead, says Sarah J. Gervais, the lead author, the study examined how being visually “checked out” by a member of the opposite sex affected each student’s performance on math problems.
“We found that the objectifying gaze caused decreased math performance for women, but somewhat ironically we also found that the same women that were objectified also wanted more interaction with the person that had objectified them,” Ms. Gervais says in a videotaped interview with the editor of the journal. More. Don Troop
H/T keithincda
So this explains why I'm so bad at math! Or not. What do you think about this study?
Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, argues in the House on Monday for his resolution backing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution supporting parental rights.
The Idaho House is now debating a resolution pushed by Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, backing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution promoting parental rights, and opposing the United States ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, a treaty that already has been ratified by 194 nations - all nations except the United States and Somalia. “Such enumeration of these rights in the text of the Constitution will preserve them from being infringed upon by the shifting ideologies and interpretations of the United States Supreme Court,” the non-binding measure, HJM 1, declares.
Nonini said the proposed amendment “will not alter the current state of parental rights in this country. It will simply ensure that our current rights will remain free from erosion due to judicial activism” or international law. Nonini said he's convinced there's risk. “Longstanding constitutional rights are now hanging by a precarious thread,” he told the House. Read more. Betsy Russell, EOB
Do we need this change to the U.S. Constitution?
Update: House passes parental rights memorial after much debate.
Results of Friday's poll : Do you agree with the decision by House Ethics Committee to dismiss ethics charges against Rep. Phil Hart?
A whopping 83.25% (159 votes) said No, Hart should be dismissed from Legislature. 8.9% (17) said Yes, Hart has lost 2 key committee assignments, while 7.85% (15) believe he never should have faced ethics charges.
NEW YORK – Online company AOL Inc. is buying highly trafficked website Huffington Post in a $315-million deal that represents a big bet on the future of online news.
The acquisition, which will put Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington in charge of all AOL content, brings AOL an additional 25 million unique visitors a day. Full story.
That's a considerable investment in online news. Where do you get your news?
COEUR d'ALENE - The bad news is a Coeur d'Alene man's car was stolen. The good news is he was able to acquire a very detailed physical description of the alleged thief.
The 60-year-old man told police he was out drinking at Club 41 bar, in Post Falls, Wednesday night, and met a woman. He couldn't remember her name, a detail that he now wishes he had more actively pursued.
He said he left the bar with the woman, in her mid-20s, and they checked into the Holiday Inn Express at 11 p.m., according to a Coeur d'Alene Police report. While he's certain he was able to spend the night with the woman, he wasn't sure where he parked his green 2006 Chrysler 300c.
The problem was he was intoxicated when he and his guest arrived at the inn, located at 2300 W. Seltice Way, the report states. After a few hours alone in their suite, the man woke up around 3 a.m. Thursday and noticed the woman he had just met was gone, and quickly realized the key to his car also was missing from his pants pocket. David Cole, CDA Press
How would you sum up the moral to this story?
Ronda DiGiorgio jokes with Trent Wright, an auto dealership lobbyist, and Rep. Stephen Hartgen, from Twin Falls, during lunchtime on Jan. 27 in the Legislative Dining Room in Boise.
BOISE – Small signs sometimes signal big changes.
Such is the case with the 8-by-11-inch “Open to the Public” sign outside the Legislative Dining Room on the Garden Level of the Capitol.
When the 76-seat restaurant opened a year ago, it was exclusively for the 105 lawmakers and invited guests. Legislative staff could order take-out. Six weeks into the 2010 session the rule was relaxed, and the public was admitted from 7 to 11:30 a.m.
That prohibition slipped, too. Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman Full story.
So, which Idaho pol would you like to dine with?
SANDPOINT – A driver who killed a cyclist and injured a runner competing in the Spokane-to-Sandpoint relay last summer has been granted a reduced sentence.
Thirty-one-year-old Bowdeen S. Kahuhu of Newport, Wash., had her one-year sentence reduced Friday in 1st District Court to six months, over the objections of the victim’s family.
Kahuhu killed 46-year-old Patricia Anne Lambie, of Greenacres, and injured a 17-year-old relay runner on Aug. 14 in what police said was a case of drowsy driving.
Kahuhu pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter in November. The Bonner County Daily Bee reported that Kahuhu’s attorney petitioned for a reduced sentence so Kahuhu could care for her eight children.
Has justice been served?
Parked between the Clearwater River and U.S. Highway 12 at Kooskia, Idaho, on Thursday, the first megaload of a ConocoPhillips half-drum awaits the next leg of its journey to Billings.
KOOSKIA, Idaho – Huckleberry sourdough pancakes, cigarettes and bulbs for strobe lights are among the purchases megaload crew members are making as the oversized cargo rolls through Idaho.
Kooskia was bustling on Thursday, just after the arrival of half a coke drum bound for a ConocoPhillips refinery in Billings. The first four days of a three-week journey are on U.S. Highway 12.
“The megaload is our Disneyland castle,” said Lara Smith, an owner of Three Rivers Resort in Lowell and the Western Motor Inn in Kooskia. “Everybody has a picture of their kids in front of the megaload.” Elaine Williams, Lewiston Tribune
Will the boost in Idaho businesses silence some critics of megaloads?
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – Ronald Reagan’s name is enshrined on an airport, an aircraft carrier, belt buckles and highways. His likeness – with that sunny smile – appears on drink coasters, statues, talking dolls and a Rose Parade float.
Conservatives make the pilgrimage to his presidential library in Simi Valley, a showcase of all things Reagan. Presidential candidates debate there, hoping to be dubbed heir to the Reagan legacy. Even President Barack Obama invokes his name.
As the 100th anniversary of his birth arrives today, and a generation after he left the White House, the nation’s 40th president is held in higher esteem now than when he was in office. More here.
I'll never forget Reagan at the Berlin Wall. What comes to mind when you think of Reagan's legacy?
My Huckleberries Online crowd is easily distracted. I posted a bushy-tailed predator photographed along the Kalispell Bay beach path by the Priest Lake Photos Facebook crowd on Tuesday – and asked whether the critter was a coyote or wolf. The overwhelming consensus (including from the Sandpoint F&G office) leaned “Wile E.” Too small and the markings were wrong for Br’er Wolf. Then, the conversation focus switched to the proper pronunciation for “coyote.” One claimed “coyote” with a long-E is a dead giveaway that the speaker is a darn Easterner. Another that KYE-yoat indicates that the speaker is a Zane Gray/Louis L’Amour fan. A third opined: “The English cognate ‘coyote’ is taken directly from the Spanish word of the same spelling, in which the final “e” is pronounced (co-yo’-tay).” Read more.
Excessive celebration? Whatever. As Christa Hazels said via facebook, ”Where was the flag on Christina Aguilera's National Anthem? That's what I want to know. Perhaps she could have remembered the lyrics with less focus on the excessive embellishment.”
Shaping up to be a fun game and the commercials aren't bad either. I have to thank Joan Rivers for effectively silencing my menfolks' comments about ladies' racks. And the finger-sucking Dorito guy has turned them off Doritos for life!
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel and “The Beard.”
Can't really get excited about the Battle of the Yellow Pants. And despite years of mocking the Packers and their Cheesehead fans, today I will be wearing dairy products on my head and cheering for the Packers. Savvy sports writers and fans have told me that the Steelers will most likely win.
All the more reason to cheer for Green Bay.
Feel free to share your Super Bowl predictions here.
Gonzaga’s Robert Sacre looks to shoot over Memphis’ Will Barton during Saturday’s game at the Arena.
Just when one thinks the Gonzaga Bulldogs may have turned a corner, they run into another roadblock.
For the second straight game, the Bulldogs rallied from a 13-point deficit, only this time they weren’t able to finish the job, falling 62-58 to Memphis in the Ronald McDonald House Charities Classic viewed by 10,778 Saturday afternoon at the Arena.
Cindy's riding herd over you guys for the next week. Yeah, yeah, I'm taking the first of my 5 weeks of yearly vacation next week. Mebbe if you guys didn't work me over so hard, I could manage this center ring of this cyber circus with only 4 weeks of vacation. When I return to Hucks Central on Valentine's Day, we need to begin planning for Blogfest '11. It'll have to be at the end of the month or sometime in March. The blog turns 8 on Feb. 16. It's hard to imagine I've been blogging that long. It's still extremely enjoyable. I thank you for hanging out here in sufficient numbers that the Powers That Be allow me to continue to do this. I'll post your Weekend Wild Card now — and get outta Cindy's way …
Doug “Obi Wing” Petock eats chicken wings during the Wing Bowl in Philadelphia earlier today. Jon “Super” Squibb ate 255 chicken wings in the allotted time to win the 19th annual Wing Bowl eating contest, held every year the Friday before the Super Bowl. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Question: How do you know when you've eaten too much?
Nic sends along a fun map that compares the gross domestic product and population of other countries to the 50 individual states. If Idaho was its own country, it would be the equivalent of Sudan, while Washington matches up closely with Greece. Rounding out the Northwest, Oregon is Pakistan, Montana is Lebanon, and Wyoming is Lithuania. You can see how the other states rank with this Life Inc. map here.
Question: Are you surprised how the Northwest state rank on this map?
At As the Lake Churns, Pecky Cox snapped this shot of Fairchild 36th Rescue Squadron conducting winter training operations at Priest Lake.
A passing dog stops to sniff fish sitting on ice at nose-level before he was shoed-away from the City Fish Co. at the Pike Place Market Thursday in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Top Cutlines:
At Stebbijo's Place, the blogmistress writes: “These particular baked spuds (imported from Idaho) are from Vie de France, a Japanese owned European chain bakery, for ￥168 for 1 potato…with today’s exchange rate that’s $2.00 a spud near Tokyo. I know! Why can’t Idaho have some of these?” More here.
Hucks Online numbers (for Thursday) 9590/5874.
Elton John takes a final bow after performing at his April 22, 2009, show “The Red Piano” in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
“Word has finally arrived: Elton John will play the Spokane Arena on April 8, along with his band, in a show called “Greatest Hits Live.” Tickets go on sale Feb. 12, 10 a.m. through TicketsWest outlets (800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com). Prices are $27, $77 and $137. Elton John has appeared in the region three times: the Spokane Arena in 1999, Pullman (two shows) in 2008 and Yakima last April. When he played Pullman, the show created at ticket frenzy at TicketsWest. The system crashed briefly a couple of times, but it didn't prevent all 10,000 seats at Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum from being snapped up within two hours. Another performance was subsequently added/Spotlight.
Question: Would you pay $137 for a good seat at an Elton John concert?
“It's no secret that I've had a lot of media attention lately because of some of the circumstances involving my life. It's very complicated. … I'm sure most of you have at least some knowledge of what those are. I want to say that if I could go back 15 years and make some different choices, I would absolutely do that. I think I've learned through the school of hard knocks that I picked a pretty hard path to hoe.” Hart said that lately, in his “political activism … a few things snowballed. And since then I've been trying to wrap that up. I've even learned in the last few years that if I'd made a few less aggressive choices, and taken maybe a more simpler path … I think I would have … a lot of my more present circumstances more wrapped up than I have right now”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: I'm not a fan of Phil Hart and doubt that I'll ever be. But I'm satisfied with Hart's apology. Are you?
Idaho State Schools Supt. Tom Luna wants to change state laws so that anyone who's at least 25 and has a bachelor's degree could be superintendent of an Idaho school district, the AP reports. “This will give local school boards the flexibility to hire the individual they deem the right person for the job, whether it's a former teacher, a CEO of a company, an individual with an MBA or another qualified candidate,” Luna said. Luna is the first non-educator to serve as Idaho's state schools chief; he was the president of an industrial truck scale company in Nampa when he defeated Democrat Jana Jones in the November 2006 election/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Is it a good idea to allow anyone with a bachelor's degree to be a school district superintendent?
Parked between the Clearwater River and U.S. Highway 12 at Kooskia, Idaho, the first megaload of a ConocoPhillips half-drum awaits its third leg of its journey across Idaho to a refinery at Billings, Mont. Snowfall expected at higher elevations ahead has stopped the long caravan of vehicles. The Associated Press reports that the megaload scraped on rocks along the route and caused a 59-minute delay. The Idaho Transportation Department is demanding that the company submit a new plan before allowing a second megaload to leave from the Port of Lewiston. Story here. (AP Photo/Lewiston Tribune, Steve Hanks)
Question: Anyone out there ready to say: I told you so?
The amount of campaign contributions the Coeur d’Alene Tribe has given to Idaho politicians increased 
dramatically between 2004 and 2010. While the tribe, which operates several businesses and has about 2,000 employees, has long been a major player in the northern Idaho economy, its spending on political campaigns started increasing in recent years. In 2004 the tribe gave $4,450 in campaign contributions. Last year the tribe gave state politicians $58,000. The tribe gave more cash to legislative and statewide candidates in 2010 than several other major Idaho businesses including Potlatch Corporation, the state’s largest private landowner/Dan Hammes, St. Maries Gazette-Record. More here.
Question: Do you see any problems with the significant increases in political contributions made by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe from 2004 through 2010?
Edgar Steele is set to ask for a new attorney in his murder-for-hire case. Longtime Denver defense lawyer 
Robert T. McAllister said a hearing will take place Monday morning in Coeur d'Alene. “I am not Mr. Steele's attorney of record at this point in time, but I have been asked to represent him,” McAllister said. “If the court permits me to enter as his attorney, I intend to do so.” Steele, an anti-Semitic North Idaho lawyer who describes himself as the “attorney for the damned,” currently is represented by Roger Peven, executive director of the Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho/Meghann Cuniffs, SR. More here.
Question (for the legal community here): Why would a suspect seek a new lawyer this deep into a criminal case?
When College of Southern Idaho Trustee LeRoy Craig was defeated for reelection last fall, Jerome County — 
one of two counties in the community college district — lost its only representative on the board. But legislation, co-sponsored by state Sen. Bert Brackett, R-Three Creek; Rep. Bert Stevensen, R-Rupert; Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, and two other House Republicans (including Frank Henderson), would change that. The bill, introduced on Thursday in the House State Affairs Committee, would require community college trustee elections to be held by subdistrict, rather than at-large as they are now. … It’s a good idea/Twin Falls Times-News Editorial Board. More here.
Question: Can this legislation be called the “Nilson-Ketchum Revenge Bill”?
“I often extol the virtues of Idaho, Boise and my neighborhood which happens to be at the wildlife crossroads of the Boise Front and the Boise River,” writes Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues. “On Groundhogs Day I hit the greenbelt on my way to work and saw this critter walking casually towards me. She saw me coming and scooted across the dry ditch bed to see if anyone left some goodies on their back porch. It was about 15 degrees and this looked to be part of her regular route which I assume she usually took at night. She stayed clear of me but never rushed away from my presence, which was odd, since they tend to be very shy. I chalked that up to being cold and hungry.” Sis has a bunch of other photos of his close encounter here.
Question: Have you ever had a close encounter with an Inland Northwest predator? Tell us about it.
Green Bay Packers' Daryn Colledge waits for the start of media day for NFL football Super Bowl XLV Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. Colledge, a second-round pick in the 2006 draft from Boise State, tells the Associated Press how unique it is to live in Green Bay. Story here. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
On her Facebook wall, news anchor Nadine Woodward of KXLY (center) sez there's a reason you'll be seeing red today, if you tune into her broadcast. It's National Wear Red Day to support the fight against heart disease in women. Concludes Nadine: “Show us your red!” The other two KXLY staffers in the photo are Mike Gonzalez and Katie Utehs.
Question: Has any women among your family and friends contracted heart disease?
(Larry) Spencer's complaint, which questioned everything from how much Anderson paid for his home to whether he 
had a conflict of interest in voting on contractor registration legislation, led to hours of investigation that turned up nothing. “I didn't anticipate having a pretty thorough background check done on my life,” Anderson said, and joked, “but maybe that'll help me apply for future high-security government jobs.” Said the fourth-term lawmaker, “I've always tried to do the right thing. I've always tried to be honest in my actions.” Of Spencer (who is pictured), he said, “Larry's on some sort of crusade. … He seems to have a cause, and apparently I was it”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you agree with the ethics decision to drop Larry Spencer's complaint against Rep. Eric Anderson?
A jilted lover? Art? Maybe just trash that was tagged by someone with pithy thoughts. No matter. The propped up mattress made morning commuters do a double take as they headed north on Lincoln Street at Seventh Avenue in Spokane, Wash. Friday. Smiles ensued. (SR photo: Colin Mulvany)
Question: Any guesses re: the back story on this mattress message?
On her Facebook wall, Carol Nelson tells how sometimes starting a fire takes longer in the morning than 
usual because she reads the headlines in the newspaper that she's wadding up. Writes Carol: “I see articles that I missed; today's was about hour women are 'embracing' their gray hair in our youth-driven culture. My white-as-snow-haired grandma would've laughed and called that silly.”
Question: Do you embrace your gray hair? Or do you wash it away?
Super Bowl tickets are still widely available on resale websites, but the prices pack as much punch as Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. Tickets for Sunday's game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers in Arlington, Tex., start at $2,000 and go as high as $277,800 on StubHub.com. The average price of a Super Bowl ticket on FanSnap.com is $4,683. Officials for the website say that's nearly double the average price of a Super Bowl ticket at this time last year/New York Daily News. More here.
Question: What is the most you'd pay for a Super Bowl ticket?
Idaho's senior lawmaker is the subject of a story in Friday's Wall Street Journal, which says Crapo is working 
with three other senators who joined him in voting for the deficit commission's recommendations in December. “We are beyond the point of gridlock,” Crapo told the Journal. “We can't simply allow parochial interests or other narrow interests to prevent action. We need to start taking major steps to address our debt problems.” The Journal's Corey Boles writes that Crapo has been drawn “into the limelight from what had previously been a low-key congressional career”/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: We haven't discussed U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo much at Huckleberries Online. What's your impression of him and his work for Idaho?
Hawaii guard Hiram Thompson lies on the court after sustaining a cut above his right eye in the first half against Boise State in an NCAA college basketball game Thursday at Taco Bell Arena in Boise. Hawaii defeated the Broncos. (AP Photo/Idaho Statesman: Joe Jaszewski)
Item: Take two brings skeptics: Citizens wear hats, wave signs protesting possible removal of Third Street launch/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: The encore presentation, in many ways, was a lot like the original. One difference this time around: Some came with hats shaped like boats and some held signs in the crowd. But after Team McEuen shared its vision of a redeveloped McEuen park with the public Thursday night at Woodland Middle School, opinions on the proposal varied, just as they had after the January presentation.
Question: Anyone attend the meeting last night? Do you want to provide a report?
Rep. Rich Wills, R-Glenns Ferry, moved that no further action be taken against Rep. Phil Hart by the House 
Ethics Committee, and the complaints are now considered resolved by the committee. “I believe what we've observed here today on Rep. Hart has just been a huge concession on Rep. Hart's side,” he said. “Looking at all the things that have happened in the last two days, I believe that there has been a great deal of resolution.” Rep. Dell Raybould seconded the motion, saying it's in recognition that Hart has now voluntarily withdrawn as vice chairman of the House transportation committee. The motion then passed unanimously/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. (Photo/Betsy Russell: Phil Hart, left, and Vito Barbieri, after House Ethics Committee hearing)
Question: Is this a fair exchange: House Ethics Committee dropping complaint against Hart in exchange for his willingness to give up vice chairmanship of Transportation Committee?
Matt Anderson stopped for lunch at El Chiludo taco truck in Coeur d'Alene on Wednesday. An Aryan Nations group picketed the stand recently. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
I’m late to this bandwagon, which has been rolling on Huckleberries, an S-R blog run by Dave Oliveria. The two recent Aryan protests already prompted plenty of people to show their support, one taco at a time. The man taking orders at El Chiludo on Government Way – the target of two recent protests – said business was booming during Friday’s picketing. He didn’t want to do an interview without his boss’s permission, and I couldn’t reach his boss, but he said that apart from that day, things have been unfortunately slow. It sounds like business has been a bit brisker a few blocks away at Taco Works, where owner Oscar Magdalena said lots of people tell him they’re coming in “to prove we are on your side”/Shawn Vestal, SR. More here.
Question: Do you plan to buy a taco or other food fare from El Chiludo or Taco Works, to protest against the racist picket of the Mexican Food Stands?
State lawmakers have opened the door to an end-of-life debate this session with legislation to ban assisted suicide in Idaho. Republican Sen. Russ Fulcher introduced a bill Friday that would make it a felony to assist in the suicide, or attempted suicide, of another person. The Fulcher bill, introduced in the Senate State Affairs Committee, says there is a national effort under way to create a “right” to assisted suicide for people who are dying and his bill aims to keep that movement from encroaching upon Idaho, which is already surrounded by states that allow some form of assisted suicide/Associated Press. More here.
Question: Do you support this legislation that would ban assisted suicide in Idaho?
The astronaut husband of wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has made his choice. He's headed to space in 
April. An official close to the space shuttle program confirmed Friday morning that astronaut Mark Kelly will be aboard Endeavour for its final flight. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the information has not yet been made public. Kelly is holding a news conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston on Friday afternoon. He took a leave from training after his wife was shot in the head outside a Tucson, Ariz., supermarket as she met with constituents on Jan. 8/Marcia Dunn, AP. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Did Mark Kelly, the astronaut husband of Rep. Gabrille Giffords, make the right decision?
I had personal things to do tonight, so I won't be attending the second Team McEuen presentation at Woodland Middle School. If you attend, feel free to post your observations here. Of course, you can always use this Wild Card to start your own thread …
Nah, this isn't the moose and calf that was hanging out in the Northshire subdivision, just north of that Atlas Road industrial park. Pursued by Department of Fish and Wildlife and local law enforcement vehicles, a mother moose and two calves run along the street in Walla Walla, Wash. earlier today (AP Photo/Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, Matthew B. Zimmerman)
I was watching television the other day when they were interviewing a man who wrote a book. The book was 
about writing thank you notes. I forgot what brought him to the start of writing thank you notes, A friend who wrote one to him? He found a relative’s thank you note? What ever it was, he decided to start writing them himself. And because of that, he wrote the book. He talked about how good the person who receives one feels. And I can testify to that … as I have received some over the years, which I have kept/Cis, From A Simple Mind. More here.
Question: How important are thank you notes?
Coeur d'Alene High School cross country runner Kinsey Gomez is shown during practice in October. SR sports buddy Greg Lee reports that Kinsey has chosen to run cross country at Oregon State, rather than Arizona State and Utah, which also pursued the standout. Story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
A Dog named Muldoon waits in the snow for its owner, Tess Taylor, who stopped for coffee on Wednesday in Barre, Vt. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)
Top Cutline:
At Slight Detour, blogmistress Marianne Love explains this action shot simply as “dogs race on stump course.” Also, you can read Marianne's latest post, “Old haunts,” here.
Hucks Online numbers (for Wednesday): 10,196/6391, and (for month of January): 230,114/142,023
The Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Sister’s Building was destroyed in an early morning fire in the early morning hours Thursday. The cause of the blaze is unknown and is currently under investigation by tribal police. At this point, authorities don’t think anyone was hurt or killed. “This is a big loss,” said Coeur d’Alene Tribe Chairman Chief Allan. “Part of our history is gone. The memories will always be with our people, but it is a sad day for the Tribe.” The fire was reported around 3 a.m. by the tribal school superintendent Bob Sobotta. The Tensed Fire Protection District and Plummer Gateway Fire Protection District responded to blaze/Marc Stewart, Coeur d'Alene Tribe spokesman. More below.
Cis/From A Simple Mind provides a test from “Don't Gross Out the World” to see if you know how to handle yourself in dining situations internationally. There are 11 questions. I got 7 of them right. Check your skill here.
A new version of a tribal policing bill to replace HB 33 was introduced today on a unanimous vote in the House 
Judiciary Committee; it's mostly similar to the earlier measure, but makes a couple of changes suggested by the Idaho Sheriff's Association and a few clarifying tweaks, according to Coeur d'Alene Tribe Lobbyist Bill Roden. The tribe last year dropped proposed legislation when just as lawmakers were getting ready to pass it, Benewah County agreed to a cross-deputization agreement. Then, after the legislative session ended, the county backed out of the agreement/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Paris Hilton poses near the bull statue in front of the stock market in Frankfurt, central Germany earlier today. Hilton has come to Frankfurt to promote a drink brand. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Question: I watch Entertainment Tonight to stay up with the entertainment culture. But I simply don't understand the fascination with Paris Hilton or anything Kardashian. Can anyone explain the phenomenon?
On his Facebook wall, Shea Andersen, former spokesman for gubernatorial candidate Keith Allred, laments 
that he sold the pickup that he'd owned since he bought it new in 1994. Writes Shea: “Hard to get my head around all the things that truk and I have been through together. It must be a uniquely American experience, to become verklempt over a car. Henry, you were my great ole pick-em-up truck. I will miss you.” How about you?
Question: Have you ever had to sell or dump a vehicle that had become more than a means of transportation?
Molly Rosenbusch of Twin Lakes, Idaho, will not continue in competition on “Jeopardy.” She dominated the 
competition through most of the game, but failed to answer the Final Jeopardy question correctly and wagered all that she had (more than $16,000) on the question in the category “U.S. Presidents.” Rosenbusch, a current North Idaho College journalism student and Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy graduate, beat a two-day champion to become the returning champion on Feb. 2. Her final winnings total more than $19,000/Stacy Hudson, NIC Press Room. More here.
Question: Are you knowledgeable enough and gambler enough re: U.S. presidents that you'd better $16,000 on an answer to an unknown question about them?
Item: Idaho Conservation League models enviro success in tough political climate: ICL is major force behind enviro wins in very conservative state/Dennis Higman, New West
More Info: The ICL, founded in 1973, can point to an impressive track record of this steady-as-you-go approach. It includes preservation of the 2.3 million-acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in the ‘70s, the Idaho Clean Lakes and Water Quality Act in the ‘80s, a revised Idaho Forest Practices Act in the ‘90s and, more recently, helping pass the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness Bill, the first wilderness designation in Idaho in 29 years. Currently, ICL is in the forefront of the controversial effort to establish the Boulder White Clouds Wilderness in Idaho, or CIEDRA, (Central Idaho Environmental Development and Recreation Act) sponsored and championed by Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson (R).
Question: Do you generally have a positive/negative view of the Idaho Conservation League statewide and the Kootenai Environmental Alliance locally?
The Sisters of Charity of Providence School, which burned to the ground this morning, looked like this in about 1915 — from DeSmet photo postcard, circa 1915. See story below. (SR photo archives, first published in 1974)
Question: Have you ever stopped to visit Coeur d'Alene Tribe HQ or any other tribal sites along Highway 95, exclusing the Coeur d'Alene Casino?
A major Spokane Arena concert will be announced first thing Friday morning. Nope, I don't know what it is. Everyone is keeping mum. The only hint: It will apparently be a Live Nation show, which implies it will be a concert and not a monster truck rally or dinosaur extravaganza. The only other hint? I am told it'll be worth the wait/Jim Kershner, SR. More here.
Question: Does anybody out there have any guesses? Or even better, any actual information? BTW, what would you consider a concert that's “worth the wait”?
Darrell Rusk provided this photo today of his son, Marine Pfc. Colton Rusk, with Eli, a black Labrador being retired from military service following the death of the younger Rusk. Colton's parents are adopting the bomb-sniffing dog who the military says loyally rushed to their son's side when he was fatally shot. The 20-year-old Texan died in December during a gun battle with Taliban fighters. (AP Photo/courtesty of Darrell Rusk)
DFO: This is a heart-breaking photo. It makes me think of my niece, a lieutenant in the Army National Guard, who just returned to the Middle East for her second tour of duty. She was deployed in Afghanistan first. Now, she's in Iraq. Sometimes, we forget that many families still have loved ones in harm's way.
Question: Do you have a loved one currently deployed in either Afghanistan or Iraq?
12:16 p.m. Herb reports: Bayview experienced flooding this morning. Several streets were under water, due to springs and Bayview Creek getting ice jammed, then overflowing and refreezing. The road district brought in a front end loader and removed the ice jams. The streets have cleared for the most part, but Bayview Mercantile is still flooded. Volunteers are manning the mop brigade.
A record-breaking night Tuesday as Washington State University senior Charlie Vernon reclaims his world record of most basketball half-court shots in a minute, making nine baskets. Vernon currently is listed in the Guinness World Records with seven baskets, but was unseated in late January by Eric Valentin, a University of Wisconsin – Green Bay basketball player, who made eight baskets/WSU media affairs. More here.
Question: Which Guinness Record are you most likely to break?
Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, proposed legislation today to require community college trustee elections to be done by district, rather than at-large - which would change the way elections now work for all three of Idaho's community colleges, North Idaho College, the College of Western Idaho and the College of Southern Idaho. “I can tell you frankly the trustees … at NIC do not favor this, but the issue is equitable representation,” Henderson said/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you want to see the Board of Trustees from North Idaho College be elected from individual subdistricts or continue to run at large from the entire district?
Tonight is the second public presentation on the park's conceptual plan, which will detail 24 itemized enhancements with the project. But since the plan went public a little over a month ago, some of the most 
polarizing input has been on the controversial suggestion to swap the city launch with one about a mile away near North Idaho College. “We're getting lots of written comments on the boat launch,” said Dick Stauffer, Team McEuen designer who helped craft the overall plan. “It was expected.” Meanwhile, Team McEuen is crunching the numbers on survey results still coming in. The group is nearing 1,000 written and online surveys submitted, with an approval rating on the scope of the project around 65 percent, Stauffer said/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Question: Which of the contoversial elements of the Team McEuen plan bothers you most — moving the boat launch, moving the American Legion field, changing Tubbs Hill?
This screen shot provided by Kia Motors Corp., shows a scene from the Super Bowl commercial titled “One Epic Ride,” with the all-new 2011 Kia Optima being held by Poseidon. (AP Photo/Kia Motor Corp.)
Question: Which company consistently has the best Super Bowl ads?
He seemed earnest and sincere. Big brown eyes peered at me beneath dark bangs that needed a trim. His 
relatively clean black and white plaid coat matched his black jeans and Converse tennis shoes. “Excuse me, ma’am,” he said. “Do you have a dollar or two to spare, so I can buy gas?” One hand gestured toward the nearby gas pumps and the other hand clenched a fistful of quarters. I’d heard him call out to several other folks in the parking lot as I heaved bulging bags of groceries into the trunk of my minivan. I couldn’t hear how others had responded to his plea, but I’d listened to his dispirited, “Thanks, anyway,” and hoped he wouldn’t approach me/Cindy Hval, SR. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Do you think most panhandlers are really in need? Or simply too lazy to work?
Count Jason and Theresa Kirchner among the recent converts to the cord-cutting movement. The Hayden couple decided to switch from traditional TV service to Web-based viewing, saying they wished they’d done 
it sooner. They made the decision largely out of irritation at the monthlong blackout of Fox Network shows for regional DirecTV customers caused by a contract dispute with Spokane’s Fox Network affiliate. The Kirchners decided it was the right time to leap into the future of Web TV. Jason Kirchner, a public affairs officer with the U.S. Forest Service in Coeur d’Alene, found dozens of articles explaining how the “connected TV” is a less expensive option for replacing satellite or cable TV service/Tom Sowa, SR. More here. (Greg Thomson, of Spokane, dropped DirecTV a month ago. He now relies on shows streamed from his desktop computer to his television.)
Question: Have you thought about switching from traditional TV service to Web-based viewing?
Moscow Minidoka: I am a well-informed person and have great sources for national political news. Reading it on HBO doesn’t do anything but put me to sleep. I’ve gotten to the point where the only time I even say anything 
about national politics is to jerk the chain of our resident paranoid conspiracy-theorist birther, and even that’s not very enjoyable anymore, because it’s disheartening to know that some people actually believe in nonsense. I think HBO is strongest when we discuss local and regional politics and the other fun “slice of life” things. I’m not saying we *shouldn’t* discuss national politics, but after five (or six?) years as a member of HBO, I can’t say that anything productive ever happens when a thread focuses on national politics. It’s just the same old crap.
Question: Are important national political stories of interest to you on this blog?
This sign is located on the north side of I-90 at 1803 W. Fifth Avenue, Spokane. Michael Poulin and Marianne Torres own the building and paid $800 to have the sign made. Torres said the couple put the sign up in support of a boycott campaign that's gaining strength in the United States. Read Pia Hallengberg's SR story here. (SR photo: Pia Hallenberg)
Question: What is your reaction to the sign in downtown Spokane urging a boycott of Israel?
A historic brick building once used as a boarding school on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation was 
destroyed by fire early today in DeSmet. The three-story building, was a total loss, said Bob Sobotta, superintendent of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal School, which is adjacent to the fire scene. News files at The Spokesman-Review indicate that the building was constructed starting in 1908 and initially housed the girls school of the Sisters of Charity of Providence until 1974. It was known as the Mary Immaculate School/Spokesman-Review. More here. Also: KXLY story here. (Photo courtesy of KXLY)
Charles Sellier (sel-ee-AY’), producer of Christian films and creator of the book and television series “The Life 
and Time of Grizzly Adams,” has died. He was 67. Darryl Howard, director of sales and marketing for Sellier’s production company, says Sellier died unexpectedly in his home near Coeur d’ Alene on Monday. Howard declined to specify the cause of death. Sellier produced dozens of family-friendly films and television shows, many of them with religious themes. They include “In Search of Noah’s Ark” and “Mark Twain’s America.” More here.
Question: Were you a fan of the old television show “Grizzly Adams,” starring Dan Haggerty and Denver Pyle?
In supporting state superintendent Tom Luna’s education overhaul plan, the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation has also engaged in stunning public self-assessment. “The reform efforts we’ve funded have not 
worked, have had limited impact, or were never systematically adopted,” the foundation said in a full-page ad that appeared in Sunday’s Statesman. “At all levels and repeatedly, we’ve met with political indecision, territorialism, and a lack of political will. The historical focus on barriers, challenges, excuses and maintaining the status quo permeates our education system and stakeholder groups.” This, after 15 years and $400 million in investments, is nothing short of a remarkable statement. It’s a doom-and-gloom argument for education reform. For Idahoans who have been led to believe — by the likes of Luna and the foundation — that Idaho schools have provided good value on a modest budget, it’s all a little bit jarring/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Has Idaho provided a good public education for members of your family?
Anyone who has ever raised a piddling puppy knows how important it is to praise the brainless little yapper on 
those rare occasions when it does the right thing. So I’d like to say the following to the Spokane City Council: “You’re a goood Council. Yes you are. Yessss you are. You’re a very gooood Council. Dougie loves you. Yes he does. He really does. Goood JOB!!!” (I know. That’s embarrassing. But it’s always essential to speak down to the critter’s level of understanding.) Anyway, the council deserves positive reinforcement for not going along with an idiot proposal to up the fines on parking violations from $15 to 25 smackeroos/Doug Clark, SR. More here.
Question: Have you gotten a parking ticket in the last year?
Groundhog's Day is special in my family because my father, Franklin Simas Oliveria, was born on this date — in 1921. He would be 90 years old today, if he hadn't been killed in a vehicle accident in 1976 at age 55. I still miss him. I still regret that my children never met him. But I'm forever grateful that a good man like him who passed on a strong work ethic, family values, and love, by example, was my father. I use my initials in my byline in part to honor him. The F stands for Franklin. My dad didn't finish the 8th grade. But his 10 grandkids have earned medical, master's, and bachelor's degrees. What more can you want in life than to see future generations prosper? Now, for your wild card …
Actor Ryan O'Neal waves goodbye to Farrah Fawcett's red swimsuit, and seen in a poster at right, and other Fawcett memorabilia, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, in Washington, today, where he donated objects from the private collection of Farrah Fawcett's estate. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Question: Which of “Charlie's Angels” were you smitten by?
I've never knowingly eaten roadkill. That's the first reason Catherine Price's column in Slate about eating 
road-kill rabbit caught my eye. The second was the location of said road-kill — on a road in my childhood home town of Gridley, Calif., a spot along the Highway 99 between Chico and Marysville. Or Biggs and Live Oak, if you're a northern California junkie. Writes Price: “It really was a good-looking rabbit. Shiny coat, sleek body, glassy eyes—only its mangled back leg hinted at its violent cause of death. My husband Peter and I had come across this rabbit on a trip to a bird sanctuary in Gridley, Calif. It was lying in the middle of a narrow country road, stretched stiffly across the pavement; Peter swerved slightly to avoid its body.” You can read the rest here. (AP file photo for illustration purposes)
Question: Have you ever eaten road-kill? Would you?
Don Sausser writes of his photo this morning: “In spite of today’s brilliant sun, albeit only 23 degrees, a thin layer of ice glistens inside the Resort Marina.”
A car landed vertically into a snowbank after a multiple vehicle accident on Interstate 93 during a snow storm north of Salem, N.H. No one was injured. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/The Eagle-Tribune, Tim Jean)
Top Cutlines:
Old Fisherman: 
This is a tough one, having lived here for over 45 years, and occasionally used Tubbs Hill,I agree with trying to keep it intact. On the other hand many of you now want to discriminate against ADA folks. They are not ADA folks by desire, just unfortunate instances in their lives. They are entitled to the same views and vistas everyone else enjoys. This is a time to find common ground and satisfy both needs. It can be done.
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Walkabout:
I think about the inevitability of old age or of a disability curbing my walking everyday. I use to run all over Tubbs, now I am only able to walk. If a day comes when I am unable to experience Tubbs Hill instead of seeking accommodation, I will hope for future generations who will be able to experience the hill as I did.
Question: Should something be done to help the elderly and disabled to enjoy Tubbs Hill?
North Idaho law enforcement are asking for help solving two OxyContin robberies from 2009. The robberies - one an attempted - occurred Sept. 30, 2009, at Walgreens, 706 E. Seltice Way, in Post Falls at 5:28 p.m., and on Oct. 27 at the Walgreens at 260 W. Honeysuckle Ave. in Hayden at 5:59 p.m. Meghann Cuniff explains photo above and rest of story here.
Item: Repeal of health care reform law fails on party line vote in U.S. Senate/Politico
Sen. Jim Risch: “Washington, D.C., has once again failed the American people by upholding a health care law that requires 10 years worth of new taxes to pay for six years of benefits, takes billions of dollars from Medicare and drives up the cost of premiums. This law is bad public policy and the American people know it. We must end this nonsense of business as usual by repealing this law and replacing it with real reforms that remove the government from the doctor-patient relationship.”
Question: What now?
Hundreds of cars are seen stranded on Lake Shore Drive today in Chicago. A winter blizzard of historic proportions wobbled an otherwise snow-tough Chicago, stranding hundreds of drivers for up to 12 hours overnight on the city's showcase lakeshore thoroughfare and giving many city schoolchildren their first ever snow day. Story here. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)
Question: I know someone who has a ticket to fly to Orlando via Denver & Chicago Saturday. What would you advise him?
Item: Idaho lawmakers target child rights treaty/Jessie L. Bonner, Associated Press
More Info: Opponents of the treaty contend it would enable the government and U.N. officials to interfere with parental authority. Supporters view the treaty as a valuable guidepost for children’s basic rights, such as education, health care and protection from abuse, saying the goals are undermined by the refusal of the world’s lone superpower to ratify it.
Question: Where do you come down on the children's global rights treaty?
First 
they starved them, then they shot them. One hundred sled dogs in Whistler, British Columbia, owned by Outdoor Adventures. All because their bookings were down since the 2010 Olympics. You have no idea how angry I am. You have no idea how angry Hub is. He wrote every person we know in B.C., which are plenty, telling them we would no longer patronize their galleries nor any other B.C. business unless the killer, his company and the SPCA were thrown in jail and the key thrown away/Dogwalk Musings. More here. (AP photo, of dogs resting after tour run of Outdoor Adventures)
You Be The Judge: What should be done to the individuals responsible for killing the sled dogs?
Pecky Cox/As the Lake Churns tells of a rescue of a deer on ice at Priest Lake's Kalispell Bay. Pecky took photos while she and her husband, Fred, tried to rescue this critter about 1 p.m. today. At 4 degrees, sez Pecky, this wasn't “as fun as it seems. The deer kept running back away from us toward the ice. We had to get him out three different times.” Pecky cracked one of her camera lenses in the process. But “we are all fine — all three of us.”
North Idaho College journalism student Molly Rosenbusch of Coeur d'Alene will return to compete on tonight’s episode of Jeopardy at 7 on NBC. Rosenbusch, a Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy graduate, beat a two-day champion to become the returning champion on tonight’s episode/North Idaho College Press Room.
More here.
Rep. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d'Alene, proposed legislation to require county-wide elections for urban renewal 
boards. “I can't believe that I'm finally here and I'm finally talking about urban renewal,” she told the House Local Government Committee. “It's been on my mind for many years. … To a great extent urban renewal taxpayer dollars have been abused by many throughout the state. … That's what happens when the law is incorrectly written - predators move in and they exploit its good intentions”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Should urban renewal law in Idaho be reined in, dumped altogether, or left alone?
Isaiah Thomas also appeared miffed by the WSU students' storming of the floor, though he didn't seem nearly 
as bothered as Gant. “I don't know,” Thomas said. “I mean, it's January. We haven't done it. I guess it was a big win for them. Like I said, hats off to them. They played a great game. I told my guys in the locker room, just remember that. That's something to remember, because you don't win championships in February. But they thought it was a big win, and it was for them. And it's a rival game. You can't blame them, but I think we would have did it a little differently”/Christian Caple, Huskies Blog. More here. (AP file photo/Dean Hare: WSU fans storm court)
Question: What do you make of UW basketball players being miffed that fans stormed the court after Washington State upset the Huskies last week?
Columnist Steve Crump of the Twin Falls Times-News puts forth a premise today that we may be all stuck in a 
Groundhog's Day of sorts … Bill Murray's “Groundhog's Day.” As support for his conclusion that we're all in a loop of sorts, Crump offers: “Phil Connors, Murray’s character, spends much of the film trying to show his neighbors that they’re marooned in a time loop, but nobody notices. What if that’s true with us too? What did you have for breakfast yesterday? Can’t remember, can you? What if it was the same thing you had the day before and the day before that? What if you’ve been eating shredded wheat sprinkled with brown sugar every morning of your life, and for two or three lifetimes before that?” More here. (AP photo)
Question: Do you ever feel like your life is so repetitive that you could be living your version of Bill Murray's “Groundhog's Day”?
Despite the freezing weather people gather to watch as the first of four ConocoPhillips megaloads maneuvers its way onto the frontage road along U.S. Highway 12 Tuesday night in Lewiston. The cargo along with the two trucks and trailer hauling it weigh almost 300 tons are en-route to Billings, Montana. Missoulian story here. (AP Photo/Lewiston Tribune, Kyle Mills)
The Ken doll celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Around 2,700 exhibitors from 60 countries present their latest toy products until next Tuesday. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
Question: What kind of dolls did you have when you were growing up?
Huckleberries has learned from another reporter and 2 legislators who were present during today's House 
State Affairs Committee that Chairman Tom Loertscher wasn't the one who didn't know where Guatemala is. The punch line got mixed up. Loertscher told those assembled that his hair dresser didn't know where Guatemala was when she first started dating a man (who later became her husband) from there. Earlier today, Dustin Hurst, a reporter for the Idaho Reporter, tweeted a conversation that Loertscher related was between his hair stylist and him. The hair stylist admitted she was bad with geography and didn't know that Idaho Falls was north of Pocatello. Then came the comment about Guatemala that was inaccurately credited to Loertscher. Huckleberries regrets reprinting the error.
Potholes are starting to pop up in North Idaho. The temperatures in Coeur d’Alene have dropped and now city crews are going out to repair potholes. This year the city has about a dozen more than last year year. Most of those have been found along Atlas Road. As crews patched the potholes, people living in the area told KREM 2 News they aren’t sure it’s going to help. They worry about the freeze-thaw cycle that breaks up the patches/KREM. More here.
Question: Where is the worst pothole in North Idaho?
Followers of Rep. Phil Hart's message of freedom, personal responsibility and courage to fend off 
governmental intrusion gathered in a gun store for a fundraiser Saturday night. The shotgun turned into a popgun. A mere 40 Hart supporters showed up. At $25 a head, the collection plate would pay off less than one third of 1 percent Hart owes in taxes and penalties from years of refusing to pay his fair share as an American citizen. But today's editorial isn't just another rebuke of Hart, a truly fascinating man whose hypocrisy overshadows an otherwise competent, friendly and intelligent personality. It's the expression of hope that the unhealthy extremism Hart represents might be on the wane/Mike Patrick, Coeur d'Alene Press Editorial Board. More here.
Question: Do you think the influence and the Rally Right/Libertarian/Constitutionalist segment of the Republican Party is waning in Kootenai County?
Punxsutawney Phil, the weather predicting groundhog, crawls off the shoulder of handler Ben Hughes during the annual Groundhog Day festivities this morning in Punxsutawney, Pa. The Groundhog Club claimed that Phil did not see his shadow and predicted that winter has ended on Groundhog Day. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Question: Did you realize that winter ends today, because Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow?
A report released today identifies an estimated $52 million of tax dollars being diverted from local taxing 
districts to pay for government-selected projects with little economic benefit. Cato Institute Senior Policy Analyst Randal O'Toole wrote the report for the Idaho Freedom Foundation. The Cato Institute is a Washington, D.C.-based free market public policy research organization. “The report confirms Idaho's urban renewal districts are out of control, and the Legislature needs to act to fix the problem before it becomes even worse,” said Idaho Freedom Foundation Executive Director Wayne Hoffman/Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.
Question: Do you agree with Wayne Hoffman that “Idaho's urban renewal districts are out of control”?
An off-the-field nail-biter ahead of this Sunday's Super Bowl appeared to be headed toward a temporary resolution Tuesday night. DirecTV and Northwest Broadcasting announced an interim deal that will put Fox programming - including the big game - back on the air as early as today. “We're happy that Northwest (Broadcasting) granted our request to put the channels back on while we negotiate a deal,” Dan Hartman, DirecTV's senior vice president of marketing, said in a statement. “We are making arrangements to restore the channels as soon as possible and look forward to getting a deal done as quickly as we can”/Joel Mills, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Will you believe it when you see it?
Hayden Lake resident Karen Hayes talks Tuesday about the sale of 203 acres near her home. The Bonneville Power Administration is making the purchase for mitigation for habitat lost during the construction of the Albeni Falls Dam. Becky Kramer SR story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
CNN's Anderson Cooper and his camera crew were attacked and repeatedly punched by pro-government 
forces near Tahrir Square in Cairo today. “My team were set upon by the crowd,” Cooper said on CNN this morning via telephone from the safety of a hotel balcony. “There was no rhyme or reason to it—it was just people looking for a fight, looking to make a point, and punching us.” According to a Twitter post from George Hale, the English editor of the Ma'an news agency, who cited a CNN “manager,” Cooper was punched “10 times in the head”/Gawker. More here.
Reaction?
Item: Monster snowstorm forces flight cancellations & delays/Tania Dall, KXLY
More Info: Despite major airports shutting down across the country, flights were on-time at Spokane International on Tuesday. However, the concern for many travellers are connecting flights over the next few days.Cities not used to snow, such as Dallas, have been forced to shut down their airports along with major cities like Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.
Question: Have your travel plans been affected by the huge snow storm that has closed airports in the Midwest and farther East?
Item: Mountain out of a Tubbs Hill: Lakeside trail is one of three big issues citizens have with McEuen plan/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: The proposed changes include a new, eastern trailhead that would connect a wider, Americans with Disabilities Act compliant-trail across the north face of the hill. That new trail would connect with the current west entrance. Both entrances would be beautified, with possible water and garden features nearby. The new path would connect also with a path hugging the base of the hill completing an easily-accessed half mile hiking loop for anyone who might find Tubbs Hill's current trails too narrow or difficult. And along the top of the new trail, a portion of the hill would be cleared to create a sledding hill.
Question: Are there any changes to Tubbs Hill that you'd like to see?
We've made it thru January, Merry Hucksters. I've come through the winter with a bum knee from a fall on ice, as well as the loss of a patio table, a small freezer, and my barbecue. In other words, I've come through this part of the winter in good shape. How about you? Did you make it through the brunt of our winter in decent shape? You can answer that question or start your own thread with this Wild Card …
“Couldn't resist starting off the month with this shot today,” writes Marianne Love, Slight Detour. “I've driven by this scene on Selle Road numerous times but have never had time to take a photo until yesterday's lovely walk. In between the traffic, which always seems to be in a hurry to get through Selle, there's still a wonderful sense of peace, history and drop dead beauty to enjoy.”
Question: Do you have a special Valentine this month?
Whatever blogs have become, there seems to be universal agreement that the format that made them ubiquitous—the reverse-chronological aggregation accompanied by commentary—is not long for this world, and Mr. Denton's scoop-friendly redesign would seem to be the best evidence of that. In fact, the decline of the blog has come so quickly, one has to wonder whether we ever really liked the medium at all/Dan Duray, New York Observer. More here. (AP file illustration)
Question: Is blogging really a dead social media form? Why? Why not?
The sun was deceiving as Amidy Fuson walked her dogs in 17-degree weather along Centennial Trail in Coeur d'Alene today. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
A rabbit trying to eat food gets stuck to the bottom of a cup during a snow carnival in Beijing, China, Monday. The Chinese Lunar New Year begins on Feb. 3 and marks the start of the Year of the Rabbit, according to the Chinese zodiac. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Top Cutlines:
1. A rabbit from the WSU School of Veterinary gets his beer-cup stuck on his head after a night of partying following the big in-state rivalry victory over the Dawgs. “The lampshade was already taken by the goose”, said the bunny — Gary D. Rhodes.
2. Someone is about to hear the news that the rabbit died/Cindy; and: t this is a sign of how the “year of the rabbit” is going to go, I’ll stick with the tiger — Jen.
3 Things get hare-y for Peter when the missus shows up: “There you go again. I find y’ in paper when it says Yin Metal this year” — John.
HM: JeanieS
A “no-alien” sticker sits affixed to a cautionary sign warning motorists of people running across the lanes of a freeway that parallels the border Tuesday in San Diego. After a dropoff during the recession, illegal immigrants seeking to sneak across the U.S. border may be ready to move again, according to a new study released Tuesday. Economic Times story here. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Question: Do you think the new, divided Congress has the will to deal with illegal immigration?
Lawmakers killed a bill that would have expedited plans for a professional-technical high school in northern Idaho and allowed construction to begin before the money was collected from taxpayers. The legislation failed 
to muster enough votes Tuesday in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee, where lawmakers balked at the prospect of letting the schools begin construction before all the money is in the bank. Voters in the Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene and Lakeland school districts approved financing last year to construct the $9.5 million Kootenai Technical Education Campus in Rathdrum. But under current law, the project can't break ground until all the money is collected/Associated Press via Betsy Russell's Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: I'm surprised that House District 3 reps Frank Henderson & Bob Nonini don't have enough clout to get this one out of committee. How about you?
From the Microsoft Fan Club to the Breakdancing Club to the Humans vs. Zombies Club, students at Washington State University have a broad choice of extracurricular activities. One of the more controversial 
clubs is WSU's chapter of Youth for Western Civilization, a national group headquartered in Arlington, Va. YWC member Phil Tignino, a senior political science major, said he and other members have been called racists and bigots. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights firm, he calls “a shake-down racket that just likes to scold people who are right of communist,” said YWC is a hate group. According to an online description, the club's purpose is to preserve and advance western civilization and culture while exposing and combating the destructive elements that are trying to bring the West down, including liberalism and neo-conservativism/Kelsey Husky, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Is a campus organization, like Youth for Western Civilization, automatically racist, if it advocates for western civilization and culture?
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Tuesday he would not leave Egypt although he would step down from the presidency at the end of his term, due to end when the country holds a presidential election in September. Mubarak has faced a week of public and international pressure to step down from the role he has held for 30 years, culminating in a day when a quarter-million people turned in the largest protest yet to demand his ouster. (AP Photo/Egyptian state television via APTN)
Question: Can you figure out what's happening in Egypt?
(Ayn Rand) has had a disproportionate amount of influence among conservatives, whether its her acolyte Alan 
Greenspan or Congressman Paul Ryan, the architect of Republican efforts to dismantle New Deal legislation. Needless to say she's beloved by libertarians and she's become something of a darling among tea baggers, the ones who can read better than they spell. From time to time, you'll see a reference to someone “going Galt” which is the pretension that what you have to offer the world is so important and valuable that you'll punish the world by withholding it. That was a rallying cry from banksters on Wall Street which ironically was occurring while government was in the process of bailing them out/Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues. More here. (Photo of Ayn Rand courtesy of Wikipedia)
Question: Sisyphus goes on to note that Ayn Rand didn't walk her philosophical talk. However, he did say he enjoyed her book, “Atlas Shrugged.” How about you? Are you an Ayn Rand fan?
On Sunday night, MCT Community Theatre wrapped up its two-week run of Gilbert and Sullivan's satirical 
operetta, “The Mikado,” with a frolicking performance at its home theater on East Broadway in Missoula. On Monday morning, MCT executive director Michael McGill set about the hard business of mending all that had gone awry over the weekend, when word spread across the Internet that MCT's production advocated the beheading of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin/Joe Nickoll, Missoulian. More here. (AP file photo of Sarah Palin at 2010 NRA convention)
Question: Do you consider the controversial lyric to be over the line?
Pecky Cox/As The Lake Churns (& Priest Lake Photos Facebook page) provides another example of her spectacular photography of Priest Lake nature-scapes above.
North Idaho College journalism student Molly Rosenbusch of Twin Lakes will be on the television show “Jeopardy” (NBC) at 7 o'clock tonight, according to the North Idaho College Facebook page. You can view Molly's player profile here (bottom row) in which she gives a shout out to her fellow Sentinel staffers.
Question: Which television game show is your favorite?
You know it's cold outside when …
On the Priest Lake Photos wall, commenters are trying to guess whether this is a wolf or a coyote that was snapped about an hour ago on the Kalispell Bay beach trail on Priest Lake. You can see another photo of the animal here.
Question: What say you — wolf or coyote?
In high school I was one of 10 Republican appointees to serve as a page in the Idaho House and was later presented with an award by then-Congressman C.L. “Butch” Otter honoring my outstanding contributions to 
the Republican Party. Recently, however, I've begun to seriously question my affiliation with the Republican Party, local or otherwise. See, I'm nowhere close to agreeing with the Democrats, and I'm too, well, sane to be a Libertarian, Constitutionalist or one of the other many parties. I'm probably best described as an Independent who leans on the side of moderate conservatism. The Idaho Republican Party has always leaned strongly to the right - I don't dispute that fact. However, in recent years they've become a party of staunch ideologues, so ignorant and narrow minded in their thinking that even the best proposals before the Legislature can't gain traction/Henry Johnston, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Does the Idaho Republican Party lean too far to the right for you?
Joann Cencula of Doggy Heaven holds photos of her beloved dogs that have passed away, at her home in Wickliffe, Ohio. The dogs in the pictures are, from left to right, Roxie, Hobo, Mongo (black dog at top), Freeway, Shelley, Beemer (obstructed except for eyes), Kahn, and Hemmie (top right). When pets die, humans can feel a spiritual and seemingly unbreakable bond. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the increasing number of pet obituaries springing up on the Internet, in some newspapers and on social media sites. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
Question: Do you think pets go to heaven when they die?
Item: Tea Party Boise backs nullification, aims for 1,000 to show for Feb. 7 hearing/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman
More Info: Idaho's most active tea party group is urging members to help bring a crowd of at least 1,000 to next week's hearing on House Bill 59, which seeks to allow Idaho to deem federal laws null and void, including last year's health care law. “This is the line in the sand,” says a notice from Tea Party Boise. “On one side is federal tyranny — on the other side is freedom. What do you choose? If it is freedom — then be at the Capital (sic) on Feb. 7th.”
Question: What effect does the two rulings against 2010 health care reform have on Idaho's attempt to nullify the federal law on the state level?
Item: Meet the state monopoly Idaho leaders love: retail liquor sales/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman
More Info: Privatizing distribution and sales could bring first year-revenues of $48 million and annual revenues over $600,000. Partial privatization — state wholesale but private retail — would bring $60 million the first year and $200,000 annually. But Otter wrote lawmakers that he supports the status quo for three reasons: The state constitution grants the power to regulate liquor; state control promotes temperance; and current liquor revenue is “stable and reliable.”
Question: I've never purchased a bottle of hooch from an Idaho liquor store. But I still think it's weird that a free enterprise state, like Idaho, refuses to privatize the liquor biz. How about you?
It’s time I made the admission to the world. Last month, my husband and I took the final step into 
30-something parenthood: we bought a minivan. The decision invited the scorn of my friends and family, which I deserved. I’m flattered to think they thought I was that cool to begin with. But, I refuse to bow to societal pressure and hide my face behind dark glasses while behind the wheel. I am embracing it – and, sharing my joy with the world/Melissa Luck, KXLY. More here.
Question: Do you drive a mini-van? And/or: Is it possible to be cool and still drive a mini-van?
Bills have been introduced in the Washington Legislature that would make coffee the official state beverage and Tenino sandstone the state rock. The Olympian reports the coffee bill was introduced by Rep. Barbara Bailey of Oak Harbor. The rock bill was introduced by Sen. Dan Swecker of Rochester. In other proposed legislation, Rep. Jim McCune of Graham has introduced a bill to make English the official language of the state/Associated Press. More here.
Question: What could be considered the state drink of Idaho?
Mist from the raging Spokane River forms ice on the Spokane Falls SkyRide parked under the Monroe Street Bridge in Spokane. Frigid temps have hit the area. (SR photo: Dan Pelle)
Question: Have you ever ridden the Spokane Falls SkyRide? Tell us about the experience.
He was in the kitchen when she said she was pregnant, and wanted to keep the baby. Jessyka Williams, a senior in children and family relations, was 25 years old when she found out she was pregnant. Williams had 
isited the Student Health Clinic once because she was late. The first test was negative, but the second test, taken a week later, explained why she had been feeling sick. “I was terrified,” Williams said. “I just started bawling.” The walk home brought clarity to her situation. “I wanted to be a parent,” Williams said. “I was walking home, and kind of talking myself into that, I was just in denial.” Williams' boyfriend, Taylor Williams, knew she was pregnant from the look on her face. “He told me he loved me and he would support me in any decision I wanted to make,” Williams said. “I'm really lucky, not all women in my situation have that support”/Sarah Yama, Idaho Argonaut. More here. (AP file illustration)
Question: How has an unintentional pregnancy changed the life of someone close to you?
As lawmakers question state Parks Director Nancy Merrill this morning, Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, said she didn't see anything in the state parks mission about advocacy, and questioned why the department spent $11,000 to send letters to 32,000 registered boaters about the possible closure of the 3rd Street boat launch in Coeur d'Alene. “$11,000 could buy an SST, a 'sweet-smelling toilet' - I remember that number,” Jaquet said. “It just seems like $11,000 you could have used in a different way”/Betsy Russell, SR. More here.
Question: Have you ever been to a public restroom with 'sweet-smelling' toilets?
Idaho’s cash-strapped state parks system will be looking to “tasteful” corporate sponsorships to try to help keep the state’s 30 parks open in the coming year, state parks chief Nancy Merrill told lawmakers this 
morning. “We do not want to over-commercialize our state parks,” Merrill said, saying there will be no “Pepsi Cola state park in northern Idaho.” She gave examples of what she has in mind: In California, Coca-Cola is funding interpretive signs that include just a small corporate logo at the bottom. North Face outdoor clothing company might donate ranger uniforms that could include their logo. Subaru might donate vehicles for use in parks. Juicy Juice might sponsor a children’s playground. Odwalla juice might pay for tree-planting/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Would you mind if the state parks system tapped corporate sponsorships to keep state parks open?
Item: Twins' mom admits guilt: Crossley faces up to 10 years in April sentencing/David Cole, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: The 27-year-old mother of twin 2-year-old girls who were found living in abominable conditions 
within a Coeur d'Alene apartment in December pleaded guilty on Monday in Kootenai County district court. Elisabeth C. Crossley, of Coeur d'Alene, agreed to be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on one count of felony injury to a child. A second similar count was dropped by prosecutors who also agreed to limit their sentencing recommendation to the one suggested by the state's presentence investigation report. The single count will incorporate both victims, who now are living in state custody. A Sacramento, Calif., man who believes he's the father, 41-year-old Scott Lewis Crossley, is getting a paternity test.
You Be The Judge: What sentence would you give Elisabeth Crossley and her mother?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
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