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Archive for March 2011
Major League Baseball has started again, with the New York Yankees hosting the Detroit Tigers on ESPN — the last official sign, for me, that spring has begun. All is well with the world again. So I'll post the Wild Card and watch the game over my shoulder …
Johnnie Alexander, of Gainesville, Fla., center, climbs on his bike along with other cyclists involved in Ride 2 Recovery as they leave Waco Veterans Medical Center earlier today in Waco, Texas. Alexander, who lost his legs as a U.S. Army Sergeant in the Vietnam War, is riding with 200 other veterans making their way from San Antonio to Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Jerry Larson)
HMOffsuite: What ever happened to having your mom or dad, or even brother or sister teach you how to drive? 
A little home schooling here would save some bucks or put it to a better use. I think States and school districts ought to get out of the driver training involvement and let private companies provide the training if there is no one else to provide it. A lot of those involved in these type programs are double dippers. Taxpayers are paying them twice, in those cases.
Question: Who taught you to drive?
Gonzaga coach Kelly Graves applauds his team during practice in the first round of the NCAA women's college basketball tournament, in Spokane, Wash. After a brief discussion about the head coaching job at Washington, Graves has decided to remain at Gonzaga, he said today. See Dave Trimmer's story here. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
Question: Can Kelly Graves make the Lady Zags into a long-term quality program like Mark Few has done with the men's basketball team?
Female anti-government protestors display their hands during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, earlier today. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
Top Cutlines:
Jason Sudeikis, a cast member in the upcoming film “Horrible Bosses,” arrives at CinemaCon 2011 earlier today in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Question: Describe the worst boss that you ever worked for?
If you think a bunch of folks are moving to Kootenai County from California, you're right. A map provided by Forbes, via Terry Harris/KEA Blog Twitter, shows this area gets a heavy influx of immigrants from the Golden State, particularly Southern California. We also have incoming from Arizona and Nevada. Meanwhile, people leaving Kootenai County tend to make short hops to nearby Inland Northwest communities. Check it out here.
Question: Did you ever live in California?
A man from southeastern Idaho who fancies himself as the “Head Honcho” of the Ethereal Enigmantic 
Euphoric Movement Toward Civilized Hedonism is suing Idaho for allowing individual towns to ban sale of liquor in bars. This, according to the Herald Journal. Philip H. Mockli, of Preston, claims his First Amendment freedoms are being violated by the city of Preston's decision to allow only beer to be sold in bars. Mockli told the Herald Journal that he believes Franklin County Republicans are pushing “their conservative agenda on the community by allowing only beer sales in Preston's taverns.” More here. (AP file photo for illustrative purposes) H/T: Orbusmax
Question: Should Idahoans have a right to drink liquor in any Gem State town?
“As we head into April,” posts Sunny of Bent's Beer Garden, “I decided I should probably take a seedling inventory and decide what other seeds need to be sown. So far, this is what we have and it doesn't include seeds sown and not yet germinated…that's another post.” More here.
Hucks Online numbers: (for Monday) 7157/4152, (for Tuesday) 7998/4796, and (for Wednesday) 8331/5077
The AAA of Idaho is decrying HB 314, which it describes as “last-minute legislation introduced just last Friday,” that the motorists' group says would “double the cost for the ten thousand families who opt to send their teens to driver training through public schools.” The bill emerged from the House Education Committee this morning on a 14-3 vote and headed for consideration in the full House; it's sponsored by Rep. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. And: Idaho Reporter's story here.
Question: Should the Idaho Legislature pass more of the costs for driver's education onto Idaho families?
Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. gets a hug from a supporter during a Tea Party “Continuing Revolution Rally” on Capitol Hill in Washington earlier today. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
As Democrats accuse Republican congressional leaders of being co-opted by the Tea Party in the federal budget negotiations, a new survey shows that half of all conservative voters ardently support the movement. The University of Washington poll suggests that the popularity of the Tea Party movement is wider than many political strategists have estimated. And it bolsters perceptions of Democrats and others that Tea Party supporters are as conservative about social and policy issues as they are about the Tea Party's fiscal principles/Corey Dade, NPR. More here.
Question: Do you now think that the Tea Party is here to stay — and is refashioning the Republican Party into its image?
As chairman of the Idaho Democratic Party, I hereby designate April 1, 2011 as Tomfoolery Day, in honor of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna for his leadership in increasing class sizes in our schools, cutting the number of classroom teachers, and imposing unfunded mandates on local school districts regarding technology — Larry Grant, chairman of Idaho Democratic Party. More here.
One unit of blood has the potential to impact three lives, according to American Red Cross officials. Thanks to 
a bill that was signed into law last week, Idahoans as young as 16 will soon be able to change those lives — allowed to give blood with parental permission. “We want to introduce youth to our programs because they are healthy, young adults,” said Debbi Mahler, Red Cross donor recruitment representative. “It’s a good opportunity for them and it is proven that if they donate in high school, they’ll come back and be lifelong donors”/Amy Huddleston, Twin Falls Times-News. More here. (SR file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: When did you last give blood?
On her Twitter account, young colleague Meghann Cuniff wonders: “When do you become elderly? I lean 
toward 75 and up. What about a couple in their 60s?” At 61, I definitely want to fudge toward the higher end of Meghann's scale. I've seen some spry 75YOs. And my mother is still going strong at 85. On the other hand, if Meghann wants to combine ages for a couple, I'm okay, too. My wife is 6 years younger. Then, when I'm 66, she'll be 60 — and Meghann will toss us both under the Old Folks bus.
Question: At what age do you consider someone “elderly”?
If you think opera involves highbrow harmonies sung in Italian by temperamental tenors, Spokane’s newest 
opera company would like you to think again. At a recent rehearsal, members of Northwest Opera Works practiced a lighthearted Gilbert and Sullivan tune. “We are dainty, little fairies … “ chorus members sang. But these fairies weren’t supposed to act delicately or sprightly. “Think clunky!” instructed stage director Tim Campbell. And the singers obliged, stomping through the comic number with gusto/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here. (AP file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: Have you ever listened to, attended, or performed opera?
To test your knowledge of prominent people and major events in the news, (the Pew Research Center Interactive) invites you to take (its) short 11-question quiz. Then see how you did in comparison with 1,004 randomly sampled adults asked the same questions in a national survey conducted Mar. 17-20 by the Pew Research Center. Take the quiz.
Question: How did you do? Which question(s) did you miss?
The spring runoff is all downhill now with mountain snow melt accumulating in ever-increasing streams, like this creek above Orofino, adding to one another until is all reaches the Clearwater River and eventually the ocean in North Central Idaho. (AP Photo/Lewiston Tribune, Barry Kough)
Don Sausser reports: “These interesting surface patterns occur frequently when volumes of water with differing in temperatures meet.” Don snapped the photo of the north shore, b/n the Coeur d'Alene Resort and City Beach, on Saturday.
“In the spat that's become the Idaho House, Democrats and Republicans are still going at each other in a style that befits siblings in the family car's backseat,” the AP reports today. “Thursday morning's hearing in the chamber's State Affairs Committee was another good example. Democratic Rep. Phylis King of Boise was pushing a resolution to promote adoption as a state policy. When her party mate Rep. Elfreda Higgins of Boise moved to send the measure to the House floor, however, Republicans refused — though most GOP lawmakers support promoting alternatives to possible abortions/Associated Press. More here.
Question: You be the school yard monitor. What would you do with the feuding legislators?
Canadian pop star Michael Buble, left watches his bride Argentine TV actress Luisana Lopilato toss her bouquet of purple orchids into a crowd of fans after their civil wedding ceremony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday. They plan a full ceremony with 300 guests next month at a mansion outside Buenos Aires, followed by another wedding in Vancouver in April. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Question: Has anyone out there ever caught the bridal bouquet? Or garter thrown by the groom? Did you get married next?
Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Coeur d'Alene, debating in favor of HB 210, the right-to-farm expansion, recalled the field-burning smoke issue on the Rathdrum Prairie. “In fact, the same folks who were fussing about the 
smoke didn't realize the irony of getting rid of that smoke and getting rid of the agriculture actually resulted in more pollution,” when that land instead was developed, he said. “We don't grow crops any more, we just grow houses,” he said. “We have not the right to move in next to an agriculture operation and then complain of noise or smoke or dust. You want to live out in the country, it's a different lifestyle, you just need to live with it. But you have no right to take away somebody's way of life and the way that they make their living because you find it a nuisance”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise.
Question: Would you rather have the field burning of old on the Rathdrum Prairie or the subdivisions that are rapidly replacing the grass-seed fields?
Millions of people lost their jobs when the recession hit, and while banks and car manufacturers were bailed out, most people in the country were left to fend for themselves.Life in Pend Oreille County has always been a struggle. For the last century the economy has been tied to logging and mining, both industries decimated by the recession. Right now the unemployment rate is at 14 percent, whereas this time last year it was at 17.4-percent.Two of the individuals who are no longer in the unemployment column are Heather and Andy Holland. They were drywallers for more than decade. A year and a half ago the Holland’s drywall business dried up with the economy/Tori Brunetti, KXLY. More here.
Question: Have you changed job paths since the recession began?
Though no one is saying anything on the record, other than coach Ken Bone repeating this week he feels it’s 
50-50 (Klay) Thompson and/or DeAngelo Casto will return, the consensus around the program is Thompson will announce sometime soon he will test the NBA draft waters. But, due to the uncertainty of the league’s labor situation – like the NFL, the NBA could be facing a lockout in the offseason – Thompson probably will not sign with an agent. That gives him between April 28 and the NCAA’s mandated May 8 deadline to workout with teams, judge his worth, evaluate the labor troubles and decide whether to stay or go/Vince Grippi, SR. More here. (SR file photo of Thompson, left, and Casto grabbing rebound against Northwestern)
Question: Should talented athletes like WSU's Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Thompson be required to play basketball until they're eligible to graduate from a college?
In the waning days of spring, any summons into the manager's office is a heart-stopper. Hanging in the 
balance in the next few moments, depending on the words uttered, are exhilaration or agony. “My heart kind of dropped, but (Eric) Wedge had a big smile on his face,” said reliever Josh Lueke of his office call earlier this week. “I was like, 'Sweet.' ” Lueke was one of those Mariners bubble-dwellers who got the welcome news he had made the team. Wedge has been thrilled to deliver those messages to the likes of Lueke, Tom Wilhelmsen and Jamey Wright — but he dreads the flip-side/Larry Stone, Seattle Times. More here. (AP 2010 file photo, of Ichiro Suzuki sliding into home)
Question: Does anyone out there expect the Mariners to finish in any place other than the American League West basement this year?
A bill to tighten Idaho’s public records bill has passed the Idaho House and now heads to the Senate for consideration. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Gayle Batt, R-Wilder, cleared on a 67-0 vote. The bill would require that government entities providing records give requesters an itemized list of all charges that might be associated with requests, including labor and supplies. It would also prevent governments from charging for the first 100 pages of requests or the first two hours of labor/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Are you satisfied that public records laws in Idaho are adequate?
Coeur d'Alene resident Nils Rosdahl talks Wednesday about the turkeys that roost in the trees on his property. Some 80 to 100 turkeys have taken roost in the trees surrounding Rosdahl's property at the base of Canfield Mountain. He considers them a nuisance. More here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Question: How would you handle Nils' wild turkey problem?
Workers at the disaster-stricken Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan say they expect to die from radiation 
sickness as a result of their efforts to bring the reactors under control, the mother of one of the men tells Fox News. The so-called Fukushima 50, the team of brave plant workers struggling to prevent a meltdown to four reactors critically damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, are being repeatedly exposed to dangerously high radioactive levels as they attempt to bring vital cooling systems back online. Speaking tearfully through an interpreter by phone, the mother of a 32-year-old worker said: “My son and his colleagues have discussed it at length and they have committed themselves to die if necessary to save the nation/Fox News. More here. (AP file photo, of damaged Unit 3 of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okumamachi)
Question: Do you think American nuclear energy workers would be willing to make the same sacrifice under similar conditions?
Spokane Public Radio employees were in a red-faced dither last week when a link to a sexually explicit 
website somehow turned up on the KPBX Facebook page. I’m sorry. But embarrassment and removing the link were the wrong reactions. The station should have been celebrating its good fortune. That’s right, celebrating. What some see as a scandal is what I call a “happy accident.” You know, the way a piece of moldy bread left in a lab gave way to today’s giant, greed-driven pharmaceutical corporations. What I’m saying is that this Internet link could lead to the end of public radio’s funding fears. Oh, I’ll just say it. Porn will put the profit into public radio/Doug Clark, SR. More here.
Question: What do you make of Clark's suggestion that KPBX might benefit by embracing porn?
March Madness is over for Gonzaga University – for 2011, at least. Even in defeat, however, the extraordinary 
women’s basketball team with the superlative point guard earned every speck of admiration a grateful community had to dish out. But there is more to ponder this week than the home team’s accomplishments, historic as they were. By extension, women’s sports programs in general can claim a share of public honor. It’s not quite 40 years since Title IX codified women’s equal opportunity in the athletic programs of the nation’s colleges and universities – at least those that rely in some part on government support. And how times have changed. The advances in skill and athleticism are conspicuous. Fan interest has soared/Spokesman-Review Editorial Board. More here. (SR file photo)
Question: Has Title IX helped your family?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
In the end, the Cougs, Lady Zags, and men Zags all lost in blowouts to cap nice seasons. (I wonder if WSU Cougars got the number of that truck from Wichita that ran over them at Madison Square Garden last night. Unfortunately, postseason, one-and-done basketball is designed to break almost every fan's heart. But Inland Northwest sports fans should appreciate that our college teams brought us through the winter and to the eve of the Major League Baseball season. Now we can begin wringing our hands about the Seattle Mariners. With that happy thought, I'll post today's Wild Card …
“After trying to shoot a turkey picture early Wednesday morning (on Nils Rosdahl's property),” writes SR photographer Kathy Plonka in “Behind the Frame” blog, “I got frustrated and went back to the office. When I decided to give it another try I was greeted by these turkeys right near my car (on Milwaukie). Kind of funny and scary all at the same time.” (You can read the story involving Nils here.) Also: This is probably the same batch of gobblers snapped by Dan Gookin in Fortgrounds today. Kathy told Huckleberries that the birds crossed Northwest Boulevard into Fortgrounds later.
Paris Hilton, the woman who perfected the art of being famous for being famous, says she has met all of her 
professional goals. The heiress-turned-TV star, who was in Mexico on Tuesday to promote a new line of shoes, says she doesn't fear being overshadowed by Kim Kardashian or any other reality show rival with her own fragrance, B-movies, sex tape and autobiography, all by age 30. “There's so many people out there who try to imitate what I do but I am the original,” Hilton said in an interview with The Associated Press. “There is nothing like me”/Associated Press. More here. (AP photo of Paris Hilton)
Question: What would you consider your greatest accomplishment before age 30?
After months of hard work and a gala evening, Kayla Branson was crowned Bonners Ferry High School's 2011 Distinguished Young Woman Saturday evening. (News Bonners Ferry photo: Mike Weyland)
Fans take photographs of Rafael Nadal, of Spain, as he changes his shirt following his 6-3, 6-3 victory over Feliciano Lopez, of Spain, at the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Fla., Monday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Top Cutlines:
James Brady, the press secretary for President Ronald Reagan, and his son Scott, right, visit the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room on the 30th anniversary of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan today. Huffington Post story here. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
DFO: I remember exactly what I did when I heard that someone had tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan 30 years ago today. I learned about the shooting a little after noon (Mountain Time), shortly after the presses of the Kalispell, Mont., Daily Inter Lake began to roll. I, as managing editor, immediately walked back to the press room — and for the first of only two times in my career ordered the presses to stop. We replated the front page with the news. And the presses began to roll a half hour later.
Question: Do you remember what you were doing when you learned of the assassination attempt against President Reagan?
Some of you may think, as I do, that the 2011 Idaho Legislature was just wasting this session and all of its energy on ire elevating topics like education changes, guns in college, end of life decisions and so on. But 
that simply isn't true. Take Idaho Senate concurrent resolution #SCR103, for example. Puh-leez. Not only does the resolution encourage the “production, distribution, and consumption” of Idaho grown food in the state of Idaho, but it also declares Sept. 5 to be “The Day of Idaho Food” in this “The Year of Idaho Food.” Quoth the resolution: “ … every citizen of the state be encouraged to enjoy the products of our state's soils and waters and extend appreciation to our farmers, large and small, by eating at least one food that is grown in Idaho and learning the significance of that food to our families, communities and the state of Idaho, in celebration of our proud food and agricultural heritage.” Full text here. (AP file photo)
Question: Now a Legislature that likes farmers and Idaho food can't be all bad, right?
On his Remember the Roxy Facebook page, OrangeTV posts this 1950s photo of Fred's Diner and challenges readers to identify the building today. Be my guest …
“Customer service improvements continue in the County Clerk’s office. Training on the roles & 
responsibilities associated with election consolidation has been delivered to 20 representatives from taxing districts, in preparation for May 17 elections of commissioners and trustees for fire, highway, library & school districts. Representatives from five title companies met with Clerk Cliff Hayes and staff in the Recorder’s department to share their ideas for better service. (The Recorder’s office is now open Saturdays 9AM to 2PM to handle marriage licenses, passport applications and to allow for research. No real estate recordings are done on Saturdays.)”/County Clerk's Office news release. More here.
Question: What do you think of the changes being made at the Kootenai County Clerk's Office?
On Twitter, Kelsey Husky of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News (which was called the Idahonian back in the day) reports something she heard on the scanner about an hour ago: “A male has a female tied to a tree with climbing rope in a rural area SW of Moscow. Both said it was consensual.” Later, according to Kelsey, the responding officer clarified that both parties were, in fact, fully clothed.
Question: Can anyone provide possible context?
Tony Stewart, of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, sent the following letter to Fox News 
President Roger Ailes re: reporter John Stossel's comments about American Indians: “It is with deep disappointment and sadness that we viewed the Fox and Friends commentary featuring John Stossel regarding his biased and hurtful comments regarding Native Americans. Mr. Stossel’s failure to understand and appreciate the tragic history suffered by the truly first Americans, the American Indians, demonstrates a lack of knowledge or support to remedy the wrongs of the past. We suggest that Mr. Stossel inform himself regarding the millions of acres taken from the American Indians, the U.S. military forcibly removing Indians from those lands, and the slaughtering of the men, women and children of the tribes.” (AP file photo, of John Stossel)
It's an Idaho Statehouse showdown: Despite spending practically the entire morning House session reading one bill, House Speaker Lawerence Denney says he's still not inclined to allow hearings on two bills that minority Democrats want heard, a cigarette tax hike and an advisory vote on school reform. “I don't think I'd say 'under no circumstances,' but I don't see any value right now,” Denney said/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. Also: Rusche: 'A perversion of the process'
Question: What do you think of Idaho Dems trying to get a hearing for 2 bills important to them by forcing a full reading of bills, as the Legislature moves toward adjournment?
This Harmony Dwarf Iris was blooming through the morning rain in Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday. Area rain will continue until Friday. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
There is a path out of the wilderness of despair surrounding the deplorable state of Idaho’s public school 
education and higher education. The pieces are falling into place; the ingredients are at hand. The recipe includes the state’s teachers, many of whom have been passive observers as Republican governors and legislators have gutted public education during the last couple of sessions; the parents, finally being stirred from their lethargy as they realize Idaho’s support per pupil is the lowest in the nation; and test scores showing our children falling further behind. Additionally, businesses are stumbling to the realization that the educated workforce required to be competitive in a world-wide market place is not coming from our woefully underfunded system/Chris Carlson, Carlson Chronicles. More here.
Question: On a scale of 1 (deplorable) to 10 (superb), how would you rate public education in Idaho?
After more than two decades of separation, Idaho’s daily and weekly newspapers have formed the Newspaper Association of Idaho with 39 charter members from all corners of the state. Officers for the new association were elected Friday, March 25. They are: Roger Plothow, Idaho Falls Post Register, president and treasurer; Nathan Alford, Lewiston Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News, vice president; Dan Hammes, St. Maries Gazette-Record, secretary. Other board members are: Andy McNab, Idaho County Free Press; Mi-Ai Parrish, Idaho Statesman; and Brett Crompton, Power County Press and Aberdeen Times/St. Maries Gazette-Record. More here.
Question: Do Idaho newspapers have more/less clout today than they did a decade ago?
A post by Super Sub Cindy on her Facebook wall brought back memories. She writes: “Though, I miss him 
tons. My Dad was NOT perfect. For instance, when I was in college I landed the role of Madge in Picnic. Dad came to opening night. During the highly emotional farewell scene Madge and Hal share a passionate kiss. The full house was silent until Dad said loudly, 'Well that's just about enough of that!'” My daughter's first kiss happened on stage when she played “Titania,” queen of the fairies, in the Lake City High production of “A Midsummer Night's Dream,” and had to plant one on Oberon, king of the fairies. I saw the play several times — and never liked that part.
Question: Have you ever embarrassed one of your children in a public setting?
Steve Strand, who has owned the Radio Shack in Hamilton, Mont., for seven years, poses in front of his store Tuesday. Strand said he is going to fight any effort to stop his sales promotion that allows customers with a clean record to get a free gun when they sign up for new Dish Network service. Radio Shack has ordered Strand to stop the free-gun promotion. Missoulian story here. (AP Photo/Ravalli Republic, David Erickson)
Question: What do you make of Steve Strand's promotion that provides a free gun to customers who sign up for new Dish Network service?
Dan Gookin snapped these 10 good-sized wild turkeys wandering through the Fortgrounds this morning. Emails Dan: “The cat was going nuts, but they were big birds. I remember seeing turkeys a lot when I lived in the county. The birds were headed to the Fort Grounds Grille, obviously looking to make lunch … ”
When a public entity loses in court, it’s not uncommon for the victorious private entity to collect reimbursement for legal fees. That’s only fair. And it has populist appeal — the aggrieved underdog taking a bite out of the 
deep-pocketed bad guys from the government. But when the aggrieved party is the Idaho Republican Party, well, this has a certain they’ve-got-to-be-kidding feel to it. On Monday, Republicans on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee recommended siphoning $100,000 from a cash-challenged state budget to reimburse legal fees for the Republicans’ successful lawsuit challenging open primaries. If you fall into the they’ve-got-to-be-kidding camp, you will take little comfort in the claim that the GOP’s is only seeking a portion of its $143,900 in legal fees. What a bargain. I know $100,000 is a nice round number. The same can be said for zero/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Do you belong to the “you've-got-to-be-kidding-me” camp when it comes to the Idaho Republican Party seeking to be reimbursed for primary lawsuit?
Action in the Idaho House has come to a standstill, as House Democrats made good on their threat yesterday to use whatever means they have available to slow down the session in protest until majority Republicans allow hearings on two bills the Democrats want heard: A $1.25 per pack increase in the cigarette tax, and a measure calling for an advisory vote of the people on state schools Supt. Tom Luna's school reform package. House Assistant Minority Leader Elfreda Higgins, D-Garden City, said, “It is an outrage that the Legislature refuses to listen to the people. The people of Idaho have clearly voiced their support for a tobacco tax increase and their unrelenting opposition to the education bills. We are prepared to fight to get these bills heard”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Would you like to see an advisory vote on Tom Luna's public education “reform” placed on the ballot?
Marc Stewart, Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe spokesman (re: “Coeur d'Alene Tribe demands Stossel apology”): The argument that treaties and executive orders happened “so long ago” and there for should be forgotten or 
that the Indians should just “get over it” and be “assimilated” is sadly part of the national political dialogue. It’s paramount to remember that Native Americans were recognized as United States Citizens in 1924. Indians weren’t allowed to vote in Idaho until 1950, others states didn’t allow Indians to vote until 1965. If you put that into context of Native Americans giving up their lives to defend America in wars, you can understand why Indians take offense at those who seek to marginalize them by using loaded words like “handouts” and “lazy” and “freeloaders.”
Question: Do you understand the culture and sovereignty status of American Indians?
I've been thinking about the groups that the Idaho Legislature has offended this year by walking in lock step behind Gov. Butch Otter, Superintendent Tom Luna, and Far Right ideologues. They've ticked off teachers and 
public education supporters enough to prompt a possible referendum petition in response to Luna's education reform that takes money for teachers salaries to put a computer-in-every-freshman backpack. They've angered AARP with their end-of-life 'conscience' bill that allows a physician rather than a dying patient make the call on health care. They miffed the poor and disabled by slashing the state Medicaid budget (while increasing dollars for the prison system). The Idaho House amazed a lot of parents with college students by passing the guns-on-campus bill. Fiscal conservatives have to wonder about unconstitutional attempts to pass health care nullification, which will only cost the state money fighting a fruitless cause. The dominant right wing of the Idaho Republican Party thumbed its collective nose at Independents by pushing successfully for closed primaries. Which will mean that the flood of ever-more-conservative politicians will crowd out moderate Republican legislators. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is upset that the Legislature refused to force Benewah County to embrace cross deputizaiton. All that remains now is to see whether voters remember the steady drumbeat of over-the-top 2011 legislative at the polls in 2012 — DFO.
Question: Which 2011 bill has angered you most?
Cindy's boys apparently were test-driving some April Fool's pranks this week. She's shown documenting the “old rubber hand” gag coming out of a bathroom cabinet. Posts Cindy: “Whoopie cushions and the fake vomit are sure to follow. Honestly, when you live with boys every day is April Fools”
Question: Can you recall the best April Fool's prank that you pulled or that was pulled on you?
The House State Affairs Committee has voted along party lines to pass SB 1165, the 20-week abortion ban, sending it to the House with a recommendation that it “do pass.” Rep. Carlos Bilbao, R-Emmett, said, “Anyone, anyone who denies the existence of life at the beginning is wrong in mind. And when it comes to a standard that the courts say, my standard is life, my standard is what God gave me to make a right choice, and I'll make the right choice today”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: According to a tweet from S.L. Fisher (who was listening to State Affairs discussion), lawsuits filed against unconstitutional anti-abortion legislation has cost Idaho $4.1M. Should Idaho pass legislation simply to make a statement re: its stand on abortion?
These days, (Terry Miller, left) – along with his famous partner, the writer Dan Savage (right) – is trying to give 
gay and lesbian kids a more reassuring message: It gets better. You’ve probably heard of the It Gets Better project, which started in September with a video that Miller and Savage made and exploded into a project with 10,000 videos, including one from President Barack Obama, and now a book. The idea is to show kids who may have no support or positive vision of a future that there can be a joyful light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a powerful and moving vision, a landmark in the effort to move beyond our inability to move beyond this. In an interview at Kirkus Reviews, Savage – a well-known sex columnist and activist – said that Miller’s story was key to making the first video. Since then, he has reviewed and edited videos and helped edit the book/Shawn Vestal, SR. More here.
Question: Have you ever seen someone bullied because she or he was gay?
Anyone who's seen the picture of General Douglas MacArthur lording over the defeated Japanese on the deck of the USS Missouri at the close of World War II can appreciate the plight of Idaho's moderate Republicans. 
The moderates are the guys seated at the table, signing surrender terms. The terms may be generous in the short term. The long term, however, beckons the slow but certain strangulation of the pragmatic, centrist-oriented wing of Idaho's dominant political party. Already under siege from the ideological faction that gave you bills to nullify the U.S. Constitution and put a gun in every college student's hand, Idaho's moderate Republicans lost the war earlier this month. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill said the party apparatchiks could close the state's GOP primary to all but card-carrying Republican voters/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Are there any moderate GOP legislators remaining in North Idaho?
Update: Closed primary/party registration plan passes Sen. State Affairs on party-line vote, with Dems opposing — Idaho Reporter Twitter.
Gary Allen, attorney for a group of independent voters, told the Senate State Affairs Committee, “I'm here on my 50th birthday, and I can't think of any better way to spend it than talking about democracy.” He said he and his clients disagree with the federal court ruling overturning Idaho's current system, and are appealing it. Independents don't want to publicly declare affiliation with one party or another, he said. “In our view, this is an unnecessary intrusion on voters' privacy,” Allen said. “Frankly, our clients do not want to do this, and we've seen no evidence that other independents in Idaho want to do this either. At a time when Republican Party identification in Idaho is falling like a stone … I would not think that the Republican Party would want to poke independent voters in the eye”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you consider yourself a truly Independent voter who doesn't want to be affiliated with either major political party?
This is an artist's sketch of plans for the new steakhouse at the Coeur d'Alene Casino, which is set to open in May. Lori Hutson SR story here. (Courtesy of the Coeur d'Alene Casino)
A study out of the University of Wisconsin that ranks Idaho’s counties according to factors that determine 
health shows that Kootenai County residents live long and prosper compared to much of the state and, in particular, to residents of Shoshone County. Shoshone County ranked second to last in the state for how long its residents live and how good they feel. It ranked last for factors that affect overall health, such as smoking, drinking, obesity, sexually transmitted diseases and the number of children living in poverty. The report, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, ranks health environments for nearly every county in the nation/Cynthia Taggart, Panhandle Health District. More here. And: Coeur d'Alene Press story here.
DFO: Latah County ranks No. 2 in state; Ada, No. 5; Kootenai No. 7; Bonner, No. 12; and Shoshone No. 41 (of 42). View rankings of all Idaho counties here.
Question: Do you live a healthy lifestyle?
Sam: It seems to me that arguments about what Native American tribes receive from the government comes 
down to jealousy or racism. There seems to be a group of white Americans who just can’t for the life of them fathom having to simply say “we did something bad” because it happened a long time ago, they don’t want to take blame. Yet those same people spout off about our “Founding Fathers” and the way they would have done it. You can’t start trying to cite the founding fathers and then say we should wipe our hands of everything they did back then, it’s absolutely hypocritical.
Question: Should this country be bound by treaties made with American Indians so long ago?
J-Mac: I worked for Duane. I knew how much I was going to be paid and had the opportunity to take it or leave it. That’s the thing people … no one is holding a gun to anyone’s head to do any job or work for anyone. What a 
bunch of cry babies. It gave me the ability to build up a great network of friends and associates, many of which are integral to my business today. I have yet to see anyone prove to me where the Resort’s pay is so far off from any other hospitality gigs, particularly when comparing like markets. Do you think the owner’s of Four Season’s, Hilton, Mandarin Oriental, Fairmont are not filthy rich people as well? My tips while working for Duane did me just fine. No school loans to prove it.
Question: Have you ever worked in one of Duane Hagadone's various enterprises? Did you prosper?
You could have made a bundle of money if you'd bet that Washington State would be the last Inland Northwest team playing basketball this spring. The Cougs have taken us all the way to the Major League Baseball season that begins Thursday, doobies and all. Can't ask much more of a team than that — other than to suggest that DeAngelo Casto put some curtains on his window. Now for your Wild Card …
At the Lillie Belle Photography Facebook page, photographer Lillie Neff spotted this old dock along the Coeur d'Alene Beach. You can see more of Lillie's work here.
It's supposed to be in the 50s-plus tomorrow through Friday, so some of my animals around here–-stinky 
dogs and itchy horses–are gonna get some baths in that warm weather. When stinky dogs stink at least 50 feet away, it's time to do something. Even if they roll in the mud afterward, the basic skin will be clean for a while. And, maybe they won't stink. I'm thinking Lefty, my itchy horse, could use a medicated bath for his sensitive hide/Marianne Love, Slight Detour. More here.
Question: When do you know that it's time to give your dog a bath?
Jim Hayford is introduced as the new EWU Head Basketball Coach during a press conference at the Spokane Club in downtown Spokane, Wash. Tuesday March 29, 2011. The former Whitworth University coach has won nearly 80% of his games over 10 season at Whitworth. Story here. (SR photo: Christopher Anderson)
One seagull attempts to eat a starfish as another gull looks on the docks at Granville Island in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Wednesday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)
Top Cutlines
Idaho lawmakers considered 10 different pieces of reforms to urban renewal agencies this year, but so far just one plan that passed the Senate Tuesday has a chance to become law if signed by the governor and if 
changes are approved by the House. The legislation puts some additional limits and transparency requirements on urban renewal planning, though some plans left on the table went further. … The legislation approved by the Senate mostly adds limits to new URAs, not existing agencies. They would have a 20-year lifespan for issuing bonds on collected tax dollars. It also limits districts to expanding in size just once, with the new land being connected to the rest of the district and no more than a 10 percent size increase/Brad Iverson-Long, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Are you surprised only one piece of anti-urban renewal agency legislation appears to have survived the legislative process?
The Senate has voted 21-13 in favor of HB 187, the “narrow fix” to Idaho's “conscience” law to address living wills. The conscience law allows any health care provider to refuse to provide any type of treatment that violates the provider's conscience, if it has to do with abortion, emergency contraception, stem-cell research or end-of-life care. Seniors throughout the state and the AARP have raised strong objections to the inclusion of “end of life care” in that bill, saying it interferes with patients' legal rights to state in a living will what type of care they want to receive, and not receive, as they're dying. HB 187 says physicians must follow the living will law, but doesn't mention other health care providers/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: What do you make of the Idaho Legislature ignoring the wishes of AARP and many Idaho seniors re: end-of-life care?
The Coeur d’Alene Tribe is demanding Fox News employee John Stossel apologize for his on-air remarks regarding Native Americans and why the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs exists. Coeur d’Alene Tribe Chairman Chief Allan sent a letter to Fox News Channel President Roger Ailes that addresses Stossel’s ignorant and insensitive comments he made during a March 24 broadcast on Fox and Friends/Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe news release. Read Chairman Allan's letter here.
Question: Should John Stossel of Fox News apologize to the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe and other Native Americans for his comments about them?
A Coeur d'Alene Public Golf Course player learned a lesson about leaving his clubs lying around where 
someone could walk off with them. Dale Foss, 59, of Coeur d'Alene, lost $2665 worth of clubs, including a $400 driver and bag full of irons when he left them near the front door of the course clubhouse for about 2 hours after a round of golf. He left the bag at 2:30 p.m. Saturday while he practiced at the shooting range and putting green. At 4:20 p.m., he looked for the bag of clubs because he was concerned that they might get wet in the rain. He told police he had no idea who might have taken them.
Question: Has someone ever stolen sporting equipment from you?
Although the Robb Report doesn't name names of the individuals who own the “Ultimate 2009 Home,” it isn't too hard for North Idahoans to guess who they might be. The home occupies 32,000 square feet on a hilltop site above Palm Desert, Calif. And the owners are described as “a couple in their 70s who divide their time between Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and California's Coachella Valley.” The husband told the reporter that he wanted to so blend the mega-home into the desert hilltop that he would have to point it out to his friends while golfing below. You can view the 20-page article, complete with photos and details of Duane & Lola's southern California getaway here. And: spring 2008 report on Hagadone's Casco Bay digs here
Twin Falls-bred cartoonist Brian Crane, creator of the Pickles comic strip that appears in 700 newspapers including the Times-News, has a new book out, writes Steve Crump of the Twin Falls Times-News. It’s the fifth compilation of cartoons from the 20-year-old strip, called How Come I Always Get Blamed for the Things I Do? (Baobab Press, $13.95). The title, of course, comes from a lament by long-suffering seasoned citizen Earl Pickles. More here.
Question: Which current comic strip is your favorite?
Like a jab in the arm with a red-hot poker, social rejection hurts. Literally. A new study finds that our brains 
make little distinction between the sting of being rebuffed by peers — or by a lover, boss or family member — and the physical pain that arises from disease or injury. The new findings are published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers from the University of Michigan, Columbia University and the University of Colorado put 40 individuals who were brokenhearted by a recent breakup into a brain scanner and watched as each dumpee gazed upon a photo of his or her dumper and pondered the hurt he or she felt at having been spurned/Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times. More here. (SR file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: Have you ever suffered a broken heart?
On Tuesday the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Dukes v. Wal-Mart, the largest employment 
discrimination class-action suit in American history. In 2001, Betty Dukes sued Wal-Mart for sex discrimination in a lawsuit filed on behalf of every woman who worked for the company since 1998—roughly 1.5 million women. The only question now before the court is “class certification”: whether it makes sense for all 1.5 million women to sue together as a group. But even though the legal issue is a narrow one, Dukes v. Wal-Mart may be the most important case the court will decide this term. At stake is the continuing viability of one of the most important means of enforcing laws against discrimination/Richard Thompson Ford, Slate. More here. (AP photo)
Question: Is wage discrimination against women becoming a thing of the past? Or do we still have a long way to go in this country before the wage scales are balanced?
Courtney Vandersloot of Gonzaga comes off the floor for the last time to a standing ovation and hugs from her teammates. Gonzaga lost to Stanford on Monday 83-60 to end their run in the NCAA Tournament at the Elite Eight. Vandersloot has been named to the AP All-America second team for college women's basketball here. (SR photo: Christopher Anderson)
In the bi-weekly Off The Cuff column in the UIdaho Argonaut, Copy Desk Chief Kelli Hadley writes: “Someone please hire me in May. I work really well on very few hours of sleep, and sometimes people tell me I’m smart. Also, I can burp the ABCs. Not many people can do that.” More here.
Question: Do you have an unusual quality, like burping the ABCs, that would empress a job recruiter?
The 2010-11 AP Women's All-America college basketball team consists of, from left, Texas A&M's Danielle Adams, Stanford's Jeanette Pohlen, Ohio State's Jantel Lavender, Connecticut's Maya Moore and Baylor's Brittney Griner. Story here. (AP Photo/File)
Question: Why do you suppose Courtney Vandersloot isn't on the list, in the place of Stanford's Jeanette Pohlen?
Question: Who handled the potty training in your family?
Spokane Public Radio station KPBX last week discovered that its Facebook page had attracted the wrong kind of friend. In the middle of its spring pledge drive, station staff on Friday spent several hours scrambling to 
remove a Facebook link to a sexually explicit website using the name “Spokane public radio.” The link to the porn site included a thumbnail-size image of a couple engaged in sexual activity. That link and photo appeared as the second result if someone searched on Facebook for “Spokane Public Radio.” KPBX board Chairman J. Scott Miller may have been one of the first to see the offending material, around 9 a.m. on Friday. Unable to find a customer service number for Facebook, Miller called station managers and asked them to remove the link, which apparently went to a New Zealand site/Tom Sowa, SR. More here.
Question: Was KPBX helped or hurt by the porn site hack job?
“So,” posts Linda Lantzy/Idaho Scenic Images, “I went back (Sunday night), with a working flashlight and allowed myself more time. I like this much better, but if I'd have used the flashlight to do some light painting on those rocks during the two minute exposure, it could have been better. Sigh …”
Democratic Party leaders are unhappy with legislative budget writers' decision this week to pay the state Republican Party $100,000 for attorney fees after the state lost a GOP-led lawsuit in federal court over Idaho's open primary. In early March, U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill ruled that Idaho's 38-year-old open primary was unconstitutional. Republicans brought the lawsuit, arguing that allowing voters to choose from the parties' ballots was causing crossover voting, resulting in GOP candidates who didn't really follow Republican principles/Associated Press. More here.
Question: Should legislative Republicans have approved a $100,000 reimbursement to the Idaho GOP for its lawsuit that overturned the state's long-standing open primary?
Item: Pot arrests disproportionately high in Pullman/Jody Lawrence-Turner, SR
More Info: Last year, Pullman police arrested 104 people for misdemeanor marijuana possession; the city’s population is about 29,800. In Spokane, a city of 208,916 people, 221 were arrested on the same charge. According to the 2000 census, 50 percent of Pullman’s population is 18-24 years old, while only 11 percent of Spokane’s fell into that age group, despite the presence of a handful of colleges and universities.
Question: Is the Pullman Police Department too aggressive in arrested people for misdemeanor marijuana possession?
Sometimes, I wonder how readers view the Huckleberry Hound and Super Sub Cindy. Now I no longer do so. On her Facebook wall, Trish Gannon of the River Journal provided the answer. Ah, I think I'm on the left and Cindy's on the right.
The tragedies of the earthquake in Japan March 11 were, to most people, unimaginable. Yet with images of 
the disaster flooding in, disbelief was able to turn into compassion, and compassion into action. Simultaneously, Russian Orthodox priest Alexandr Shumsky published an article title “The end of the Japanese Miracle” March 14. In this, he wrote the earthquake and tsunami were God’s way of punishing Japan for offending Russia because some protesters had recently burned Russian flags and destroyed portraits of Russian president Dmitry Medvedev/Bethany Breeze, UIdaho Argonaut. More here.
Question: Is God to blame for widespread human tragedy like the devastation to Japan caused by earthquakes and tsunami?
Even if the search proves to be illegal, Casto's attorney, Tim Esser, admitted Pullman Police Department found a small amount of the illegal drug in Casto's apartment, and that should be a clear violation of team 
rules. When the report first came across, WSU coach Ken Bone suspended Casto for a game - just as he suspended Reggie Moore and Klay Thompson earlier in the season when they were cited for marijuana possession. Before the suspension was lifted the basketball/pot situation at WSU was already embarrassing. To have three players cited for misdemeanor drug possession in the span of two months doesn't say much about a program struggling to get back into the national picture. But to have one of those players reinstated on big-game day, that's deplorable/Sandra Kelly, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here. (AP file photo: DeAngelo Casto and Klay Thompson fight for a rebound against Northwestern)
Question: Have you followed the Cougars run to the NIT semi-finals? Or have you been turned off by the drug arrests involving starters Reggie Moore, Klay Thompson, and DeAngelo Casto?
Idaho Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, has introduced a bill that would require pestocrats seeking to block 
megaloads in court to post a bond that they would forfeit should they lose. The bond is big enough that they would have trouble raising it in the first place and would sting if they lost it. Up until now, only the plaintiffs has suffered any tangible harm from pestocrat lawsuits. This would level the playing field. In reality, this principle should be applied to all lawsuits, in which those initiating the lawsuit should bear some level of responsibility for wasting the court's time and peoples' money. Too many people look at the courts as a form of lottery, hoping that they will become the next person striking it rich after spilling hot coffee on themselves/Michael Costello, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Should there be a bond required for filing most lawsuits, as Costello suggests?
Jimmy Cooper, 14, of Nampa, launches off a ramp while riding with a group of friends on Monday in Nampa. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Charlie Litchfield)
After applauding President Barack Obama for “quite eloquently” explaining his reasons for intervening in Libya, Congressman Raúl R. Labrador said in a statement: “I wish he had communicated much earlier with Congress, as well as the American people. … Still, my concerns remain the same as before the President spoke. What is our exit strategy? What is the definition of ultimate success? Most importantly, what is the real world limitation on these new guiding principles he has expressed? As we witness new and more violent uprisings throughout the Arab world, what will prevent us from further engagements in the region?”
Question: Do you also have mixed emotions re: the reasons President Obama gave for intervening in Libya?
Item: Judge: No prison for two Tankovich brothers: John Luster sentences men to two years of supervised probation/David Cole, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: Two Coeur d'Alene brothers, convicted of a hate crime in which they shouted racial slurs and maliciously harassed a Hispanic man in front of his home, likely won't have to serve any time in prison for the crime. First District Court Judge John Luster on Monday sentenced William M. Tankovich Jr., 50, and Frank J. Tankovich, 47, to two years of supervised probation. Luster suspended the brothers' five-year sentence, four years of which would have been fixed.
Question: Was the final result — two years of supervised probation — worth all the effort that the Prosecutor's Office put into this case?
Not enough people are responding to jury summonses in Cassia County. That's left officials to consider different ways to expand their jury pools. Options include sending more a strongly worded summons and to use additional databases to collect potential juror lists. The Twin Falls Times-News reports the issue arose because the sheriff's office has had to deliver more summonses because people have failed to respond to the court's initial letter. Jury Commissioner Elizabeth Kenner says the court has been pulling 1,000 candidates every three months, and each time about 600 are disqualified/Associated Press. More here.
Question: When did you last serve on a jury?
State schools Supt. Tom Luna told the House Education Committee this morning that the school budget set by JFAC yesterday shows the need for his reform bill, SB 1184. “Here we are facing a third year of funding cuts in our public schools,” he said. “It's clear this is the new normal in our economy. … we have to give our schools the tools they need to do more with less, and technology is the key to making that happen.” The bill shifts funds from teacher salaries to purchasing technology. The 24-page bill also makes a series of changes in how Idaho's schools are funded and brings in a new focus on online learning, while phasing in a plan to have one “mobile computing device” for every high school student in Idaho/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Are you looking forward to the day your children receive their new state-provided computers and begin to learn online?
Top-seeded Stanford pulled away from 11th-seeded Gonzaga in the second half 83-60 in the Spokane Regional final Monday in front of 11,646 at the Arena, ending the most successful season in the Bulldogs’ history. Greg Lee's SR story here. And: ESPN boxscore here.
I'm outtahere a little earlier this evening than usual, to catch the beginning of that Gonzaga-Stanford tipoff at the Spokane Arena on the boob tube. Wouldn't it be nice if there's another Virginia Commonwealth in the making on the women's side of the bracket? I'll post photos from out talented SR photographers + game story + ESPN boxscore, as it becomes available later this evening. Now to replay the Wild Card …
“As a photojournalist,” posts SR colleague Colin Mulvany, of Snaps & Frames, “I’m constantly presented with impossible lighting situations. Dark basketball gyms, dim living rooms, etc. I try, in most cases, to leave the strobe in my trunk. Adding artificial light, too me, takes the reality out of a documentary photograph.” More here.
A doctor’s group is warning that teens who obsess over the online social network site, Facebook, may suffer 
from a specific type of depression. You can read the Associated Press story about it here. I assume it’s much worse for teens, but reading online nastiness can affect all of us. In my years working at the Tribune, I’ve been on the receiving end of quite a few nastygrams and anonymous phone calls and taking a dip into reading the comments on the Tribune’s online news stories can make me want to grab a jumbo can of disinfectant. What might have sent me into a tailspin in my teens makes me shrug and shake my head now/Jeanne DePaul, Virtual Deadlines. More here.
Question:
Item: Obama strongly defends US military action in Libya/Ben Feller, Associated Press
More Info: Defending the first war launched on his watch, President Barack Obama declared Monday night the 
United States intervened in Libya to prevent a slaughter of civilians that would have stained the world's conscience and “been a betrayal of who we are.” Yet he ruled out targeting Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, warning that trying to oust him militarily would be a costly mistake. Obama announced that NATO would take command over the entire Libya operation on Wednesday, keeping his pledge to get the U.S. out of the lead but offering no estimate on when the conflict might end. (AP photo)
Question: Sorry, but I think Obama's intervention in Libya is over-the-top when we're still involved in Iraq and Afghanistan. And we're bleeding revenue. Anyone disagree with me?
Men's college basketball coaches Gregg Marshall, left, of Wichita State, and Ken Bone, of Washington State, talk during a news conference for the NIT Championships in New York earlier today. Washington State will play Wichita State in one semi-final game Tuesday to earn the right to face the winner of the Alabama-Colorado game in the NIT finals. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
A Twin Falls Firefighter walks past a large industrial crane that tipped over Thursday at the new St. Luke's hospital construction site in Twin Falls. The crane tipped while hanging a building-mounted sign on the north side of the new St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center . You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Times-News, Ashley Smith)
Top Cutlines:
“I wonder how laptops will accomplish this important attribute of a teacher,” posts state Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, (co-chairman of the budget committee) on his Facebook wall after this quote from Dan Rather: “The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called 'truth.'”
Three birthdays on Facebook today and one later at lunch. Thus, begins the string of days when it seems to be all things birthday with family and close friends. I'm sure every family has the same story. So and so, so 
and so and so and so, all born the same week. My brother's birthday is tomorrow. I discovered this morning, one more family member's birthday is today, and he's a cousin in Chicago. That reminds me that my cousin in Northern California has a birthday Wednesday. The next day is my dear friend and former student Chad's, then Willie's, then Bill's, then a break, then my sister, then, the triplets and then remembering my dad/Marianne Love, Slight Detour. More here.
Question: The birthday run for my family happens in the 3rd week of January, when three brothers-in-law, my wife, my daughter, my brother, a niece, and probably other relatives celebrate. Do you have a birthday run in your family? Also, do you like/dislike the birthday reminder feature on Facebook?
“In the market place in front of the Herborn, Germany Mayorhouse a new distance sign featuring Post Falls has been added,” posts Kerri Thoreson/More Main Street. “Herborn is Post Falls' Associate City and the birthplace of town founder Frederick Post. Erwin and Kathi Gabriel of Herborn shared this photograph.”
Hucks Online numbers (for week of March 20-26): 46,379 page-views/28,404 unique views
On the Lewiston Tribune Facebook wall, the poster offers 2 suggestions to fill out the sentence 'It's annoying when …
Rebekah Pinkerton, a home-schooled fifth grader from Coeur d'Alene, spelled the previously misspelled word 
“inselberg” and followed it up with the correct spelling of “bezoar” Saturday to out-spell 44 North Idaho fourth through eighth graders to be crowned the champion in the eighth annual North Idaho College Regional Spelling Bee/News Bonners Ferry. She'll be traveling on an all-expenses paid trip to the preliminary round of the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee June 1-2 in National Harbor, Maryland/News Bonners Ferry. More here.
Question: Without looking, can you define either 'inselberg' or 'bezoar'?
The 2010-11 AP All-America college basketball team consists of (from left): BYU's Jimmer Fredette, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Duke's Nolan Smith, Connecticut's Kemba Walker and Purdue's JaJuan Johnson. Story here. (AP file photos)
Question: Anyone argue with AP's version of the 5 best basketball players in the country?
Since its release, Firefox 4 has set an unofficial record for downloads in a day, while Internet Explorer 9 hasn't 
exactly burned up the wires. As a result, Firefox 4 market share is rocketing, while IE9's is on a gentler growth curve. Sound like bad news for Internet Explorer. But does it really mean anything? On the second day of Firefox 4's launch, it set an unofficial record for downloads – a whopping 8.75 million according to Mozilla. Since its release last week on March 22, Firefox 4 has quickly leaped to a 3.7% market share by yesterday/Preston Gralla, Computerworld. More here.
Question: Have you downloaded the Firefox 4 yet? Impression?
On his Twitter page, Councilman Mike Kennedy offers this bit of wisdom: “Spring Break should be renamed. It doesn't feel like Spring here yet and the kids still don't give us a break.” At last count, Mike's lovely wife had a half dozen or so kids under foot during spring breaks. Which seems to slip past me because my two urchins are raised and out of the house on opposite coasts making their way in the world.
Question: Anyone have a trick or two re: how do keep kids occupied — and your sanity intact — during spring breaks?
Their bodies were still willing, but their minds delirious from sleep deprivation. Still, teenagers Sam Angel and 
Katie Martens set the Guinness World Record - unofficially, anyway - for the longest singles tennis match ever around 10 p.m. on Sunday night at the Peak Wellness Center. Cogent comments from the Hellgate High School seniors were not possible late Sunday as the two took their final five-minute rest break shortly before passing over the 55-hour, 55-minute and 55-second mark, the current world record. Angel, 18, could only offer, “I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm really tired, I'm tired,” before retreating to the men's bathroom at the fitness center, where the two held their record-breaking match/Jamie Kelly, Missoulian. More here. (AP file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: I last played tennis at the courts that once graced McEuen Field, which shows how long it's been since I've knocked a tennis ball around. When did you last play tennis?
Gonzaga cheerleaders take to the floor during a timeout against Louisville. The Zags won 76-69 Saturday in the Spokane Arena. The Zags play No. 1 seed Stanford at 6 o'clock today, with the winner advancing to the Final Four of the NCAA women's tournament. (SR photo: Dan Pelle)
Sidekick Cindy, who kept things hopping here while I was enjoying a mini-vacay in Portland from Thursday through Sunday, emails that she “had to find Sam some of those awful Circus Peanuts candy for a school project. A discussion has emerged about awful candy. So far Peeps, Circus Peanuts and spice drops top the list.”
Question: Which candy do you consider to be the absolute worst?
Update: The Senate has voted 27-8 in favor of HB 260, the Medicaid cuts bill, sending it to the governor's desk. All seven Democrats and Sen. Joe Stegner, R-Lewiston, voted against the bill.
The Senate has begun debating HB 260, the House-passed bill to cut $108 million out of the state's Medicaid program, including $35 million in state general funds. “Suggestions were received and heard, adjustments were made,” Senate Health & Welfare Chairwoman Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, told the Senate in her opening debate. “Our choices were few - the elimination of entire programs, or, with a sharp scalpel, trimming programs. … Our choice was the latter - trimming services”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Following is a letter to the editor from Anne Wilder Chamberlain, Bonner County Republican Central Committee secretary: “Attached is a resolution that passed Tuesday March 22 at the Bonner County Republican Central Committee. It is essential we investigate the ties between Supt. Tom Luna and Bill and Melinda Gates to see why he is pushing this education agenda so hard even though it won't save Idaho any money, all the players oppose it, and it will actually cause education costs to go up at the local level.”
Question: What do you make of this request from area Republicans asking for an investigation into Superintendent Tom Luna's ties with “globalist” Bill Gates?
TV anchors have long been parodied as snobby, arrogant, and aloof. But no one, according to KHQ director 
Neal Boling, says that about Stephanie Vigil. She’s accessible. She’s friendly. She’s self-deprecating. She’s still shaking hands at community events. And don’t worry about her fleeing to a larger market. This year, Vigil’s proud to say, she signed a contract to stay with KHQ (and presumably, win Best Of) for many years to come. (DW) 2nd PLACE: Nadine Woodward, KXLY; 3rd PLACE: Robyn Nance, KXLY.
Question: Do you agree w/Inlander Best Of poll that KHQ's Stephanie Vigil is the best Spokane TV anchor person?
“View from south Tubbs,” posts Linda Lantzy, Idaho Scenic Images. “It was a beautiful calm evening, and everything is green and mossy. Many of the early wildflowers are just starting to bloom in the sunnier spots.”
Question: How often do you hike Tubbs Hill each year?
I am greeted at the window by Kendall, who has been working at the Lean Bean off and on since she was just a sassy little teenager. I no longer have to outline the specifics of my usual order for the veteran staff but for the 
benefit of the reader it is a 16 oz iced quad soy latte with ½ the normal amount of caramel sauce. (told you I was picky). I'm famished also, so I decide to add the infamous Cali Bagel (Your choice of bagel flavor, cream cheese, tomato, avocado, and black pepper) with bacon (.50 extra), on a whole wheat bagel. About 3 minutes later, after enjoying some delightful chatter with the staff, I am handed my green re-usable BPA-free plastic thermo cup now full of delicious drink and a small paper bag containing a fantastic smelling sandwich. Not bad for just under $8/Jesi Gaboury, Lean Bean Coffee Facebook page (via Get Out! North Idaho). More here.
Question: Which coffee shop do you prefer for a caffeine drink (the way you want it) and a snack?
A National Public Radio report on Japan's multiple cataclysms told the story of a desperate daughter traveling 
by train, taxi and on foot before finding her parents alive in front of the family home. Whereupon, she did what many of you huggy people will consider strange and repressed: “There's no hugging or kissing,” the NPR report said, “just gasps of surprise and shock as she stands and bows to her parents. They bow too - the emotion of the moment palpable, even though nobody touches anyone else.” My family was like that. We didn't bow, but we didn't hug much either. Most families didn't hug much in the Idaho of the mid-20th century/Bill Hall, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Do you come from an affectionate family?
Gonzaga's Courtney Vandersloot races upcourt against Louisville as Katelan Redmon follows in the second half of an NCAA women's college basketball tournament regional semifinal Saturday in Spokane. Gonzaga won 76-69 and now will face No. 1 seed Stanford tonight at 6. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
By late Sunday afternoon, fewer than 100 of the 11,691 saleable seats remained for the game, and those were 
mostly “obstructed view,” meaning you pay $22.50 to look through tubas, cheerleaders, the Stanford Tree and the backboard stanchion from a 10-degree angle off the floor. That’s like watching a drive-in movie from the back seat of a Karmann Ghia. On Saturday evening, 10,717 paid their way in to see Gonzaga’s leap through the Sweet 16 looking glass. Compare this to other regionals in Philadelphia (5,734) and Dayton (8,867), the two of them together less than two-thirds full/John Blanchette, SR. More here.
Question: Whether or not the Lady Zags are in the NCAA tournament, Spokane seems to be a great venue to host the regional women's games. Why does Spokane pack seats for women's tournament games when other venues don't?
This 1984 file picture shows Geraldine Ferraro. The first woman to run for U.S. vice president on a major party ticket has died. Geraldine Ferraro was 75. A family friend said Ferraro, who was diagnosed with blood cancer in 1998, died Saturday at Massachusetts General Hospital. Story here. (AP Photo/File)
Question: Amy Sullivan of Time wonders whether Geraldine Ferraro was a trailblazer or a novelty. What do you think?
Item: Five target audiences for Obama’s Libya war speech/Chris Stirewalt, Fox News
More Info: After eight baffling days, President Obama will address the American public about his decision to enter the Libyan civil war on the side of rebel forces. Perhaps never in the television era has a president waited so long after launching a war or even military strikes to address the nation.
Question: What must the president say to persuade you that the U.S. should be taking part in the civil war in Libya?
Item: Spencer pushes changes to judicial ballot/Associated Press
More Info: Northern Idaho Republican activist Larry Spencer failed to convince the 2011 Legislature to change how Idaho's nonpartisan judges candidates are listed on ballots. Now, he's pushing a fledgling citizen initiative to get the issue before voters in 2012 — on grounds that the existing practice of telling voters which candidate is the incumbent gives the officeholder an advantage - largely because voters who are unfamiliar with the race may default to the person who already holds the post. Last week, the House declined to approve an amendment to an Idaho elections bill to mandate simply listing the candidates' names, not incumbency. After that setback, Spencer has begun trying to collect about 45,000 signatures to put the matter to a vote.
Question: Is Spencer right this time — that judges have an unfair advantage if their incumbency is listed on the ballot?
On his Twitter account, state Sen. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens, seems proud of himself and fellow legislators that they didn't raise taxes this session. This, despite the gaping budget holes they filled by slashing spending, including cutting public education by $62 million and taking another $35 million from Medicaid. You can read the Idaho Statesman story here.
Question: Should Vick and fellow legislators be proud that they didn't raise taxes this year? Or ashamed of themselves that they balance the budget by slashing spending for public education and Medicaid?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
Welcome to the Weekend Wild Card. I suppose there will be some basketball games going on. Some rainfall. Some household chores or yardwork.
We will be celebrating my mom's 80th birthday this weekend with lots of relatives from out of town to dropping in for the festivities.
As Jesse Eisenberg said in The Social Network “You have the minimum amount of my attention.” But feel free to post your weekend reflections, sports scores or breaking news on on this Wild Card. And behave. You don't want DFO to get a bad report on Monday. That just makes him cranky.
Gonzaga women defeat Louisville 76-69 to move on to the Elite Eight on Saturday, March 26, 2011, in the NCAA women’s college basketball tournament regional semifinal in Spokane, Wash. Game story here. Gonzaga will face No. 1 seed Stanford at the Spokane Arena Monday with a trip to the Final Four on the line. Stanford beat North Carolina 72-65 in Spokane Saturday night. Stanford-North Carolina game story here.
Early-spring cycling. Lauri Costello fights a stiff breeze as she rides her bike on a trail that follows the old Ben Burr railroad line en route to Tower Mountain on Thursday. Chris Anderson, SR
May the wind be at your back and the sun shine on your shoulders this weekend :-)
HAMILTON, Mont. (AP) - A southwestern Montana Radio Shack is offering would-be satellite television customers a bit more bang for their buck.
The Ravalli Republic reports customers who sign up for some Dish Network packages at Radio Shack in Hamilton will be rewarded with a pistol or shotgun. Pacifists can pick a $50 Pizza Hut gift card.
Store owner Steve Strand says it took some haggling to get Dish Network to go along with the promotion, but he says it has tripled his business since it started last October.
The sign outside the business reads: “Protect yourself with Dish Network. Sign up now, get free gun.”
The promotion includes a coupon for a gun and the required background check.
Strand says he plans to start the same promotion next month with DIRECTV packages.
Thoughts?
Alberta Sena, far left, and Dorothea Skalicky, far right, listen as Leander James, center, describes the settlement in the legal case against the Society of Jesus, Oregon Province on Friday March 25, 2011, at a press conference in Spokane, Wash. Both of the women were victims of clergy sex abuse in Lapwai, Idaho.
In one of the largest settlements of the ongoing sex abuse scandal of the Roman Catholic Church, the Jesuit order of the Northwest will pay about $166 million to more than 500 survivors, most of whom are Alaska Native or American Indian.
Under the proposed settlement The Society of Jesus, Oregon Province, also will apologize and provide pertinent records of the approximately 140 priests and brothers accused over the span of 30 years from the 1950s to the 1980s.
In many cases, accused priests were reassigned by the order in Portland to Alaska Native villages and Indian reservations in Montana, Eastern Washington, Idaho and Oregon, according to abuse survivors and their attorneys.
“Problem priests were put on reservations,” said Dorothy Skalicky, 42, who said she was abused as a girl by a priest growing up on the Nez Perce Reservation. More here. Kevin Graman, SR
Thoughts?
For some reason rainy Fridays are far worse than rainy Mondays. But onward. I opened my email this morning to find a note reminding me that my youngest son starts soccer Monday, so it has to be spring, right?
Yesterday, I learned that Hucksters wish we'd never discuss fireman, Obama's birth certificate, politics, Westboro Baptists etc. again. So, of course I'll try to find plenty of material on those topics to post out front. Kidding! (Kind of).
Use this Wild Card to discuss anything but the afore mentioned topics.
Move over, Madonna, and make way for Lindsay.
Lindsay Lohan has decided to forgo her surname, the starlet's mother, Dina, told PopEater.com.
“Lindsay is dropping the Lohan and just going by Lindsay,” Dina Lohan said, adding that “me and [Lindsay's sister] Ali will be officially changing our last names back to my maiden name, Sullivan.”
The troubled actress' mom made no mention of whether her other two children, sons Michael and Cody, will also be changing their names. More here. NYDaily News
This will make it much easier for her to sign her name on all those legal documents.
We've grown accustomed to free checking accounts. The thought of paying anything for checking feels like highway robbery, even though research shows accounts cost banks up to $300 annually to maintain. Checking accounts have become like soft drinks and peanuts on an airline flight: Even if it's a service that costs businesses money, we expect to get it for free. Why? Because it's always been free. No other reason.
That's starting to change. Big banks from Bank of America (NYSE: BAC - News) to JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM - News) to Citigroup (NYSE: C - News) have either raised, or are proposing to raise, fees on checking accounts. Basic checking? That'll cost you. Want a paper statement? That's extra. Talk to a teller? There's a fee. Bounce a check? Lose a firstborn.
The response has been predictable: Consumers are angry. And not just angry, but confused. Why are banks — those bloodsuckers that took a shower in federal bailout money — now nickel-and-diming the life out of us? Some thanks.
But the truth is banks have to begin charging more. They're justified to. A slew of new regulations are about to begin curbing the ways banks made money off checking accounts in the past. Motely Fool.com Read more.
My husband already moved our joint checking account to our credit union. I'm hanging on to my business account at Chase because I'm all about convenience, and Chase is my grocery store. Are you shopping around for a bank or credit union that offers free checking?
RALEIGH, N.C. – Empowered by last year's elections, Republican leaders in about half the states are pushing to require voters to show photo ID at the polls despite little evidence of fraud and already-substantial punishments for those who vote illegally.
Democrats claim the moves will disenfranchise poor and minority voters — many of whom traditionally vote for their candidates. The measures will also increase spending and oversight in some states even as Republicans are focused on cutting budgets and decreasing regulations.
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, a Republican, said he believes his state's proposed photo ID law will increase citizen confidence in the process and combat fraud that could be going undetected.
“I can't figure out who it would disenfranchise,” Hargett said. “The only people I can think it disenfranchises is those people who might be voting illegally.” Mike Baker, AP
I vote by mail. Nobody asks for my ID. Photo ID at the polls good idea/bad idea?
The Coffee Party, which launched last year to mild public curiosity in reaction to the Tea Party wave, has receded from public view — in part because of a schism between its centrist leadership and some left-leaning grassroots.
The movement, co-founded by filmmaker named Annabel Park, was initially seen as a progressive alternative to the Tea Party.
As Newsweek reported of an early meeting, members “were angry. They hated the Tea Party, and the Republican Party. They wanted to get even.”
Park, however, says she intended the group to be centrist and non-partisan. She at one point weighed legal action to prevent the left-leaning faction from using their copyrighted logo after Darrell Bouldin, a Tennessee-based activist, started an offshoot called “Coffee Party Progressives.” Read more here. Ben Smith, Politico.com
If you started a political party, what would you call it?
It's called chess boxing and it's like it sounds. We start in a ring. There are screaming fans. The first round is 4 minutes of chess, followed by 3 minutes of boxing, then chess, then boxing, for 11 rounds. You win by knocking out your opponent or checkmating him, either way. When there's a draw, judges decide. It's a brain/brawn sport like nothing I've ever seen, blood, knights, queens, and speed combined. Robert Krulwich, NPR Full Story.
Does anyone else think this sounds like fun?
Andy Justice walks to a pile of rocks on land he farms east of Plato, Mo., on Thursday. The rocks were placed there by a government survey crew to mark the population center of the United States.
PLATO, Mo. – In a nation of nearly 310 million people, America’s new population center rests not in a Midwestern skyline of St. Louis or Chicago, but in a tiny Missouri village named after an ancient Greek philosopher.
The Census Bureau announced Thursday what the 109 residents of Plato had suspected for weeks: Shifting population patterns and geographical chance converged to make this town on the edge of Mark Twain National Forest the center of the U.S. population distribution based on 2010 census data.
The announcement also signifies larger trends – America’s population is marching westward from the Midwest, pulled by migration to the Sun Belt. And in a surprising show of growth, Hispanics now account for more than half of the U.S. population increase over the last decade.
That doesn’t mean locals aren’t downright thrilled with the recognition and a chance to be noticed. AP
I had never heard of Plato,MO or Mark Twain National Forest until this morning. Had you?
Aaron Hale smiles as a car honks in support of medical marijuana. Marijuana advocates protested outside of the federal courthouse in Spokane on Thursday. The group says they would like the city to reduce marijuana enforcement to its lowest priority.
Marijuana advocates still reeling from last week’s conviction of a medicinal pot supplier in Spokane are stepping up the pressure.
Nearly three dozen demonstrators gathered Thursday outside of the federal courthouse in downtown Spokane, urging the removal of marijuana from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s list of drugs considered to have no medicinal value.
They also are circulating petitions asking Spokane Mayor Mary Verner to declare the sale of medical marijuana to doctor-approved users to be the lowest law enforcement priority in the city. Supporters say they’ve already gathered more than 1,000 signatures and hope to present them Monday night to the Spokane City Council. Full story. Meghann Cuniff, SR
How high a priority should marijuana enforcement be?
After a burst appendix nearly cost 4-year-old Colton Burpo his life in 2003, his parents were thankful just to have him alive and well. But when he opened up about his brush with death a few months later, they were shocked when he described a very vivid trip to heaven, and spoke of matters about which he had no apparent way of knowing.
During an automobile trip, when Sonja Burpo asked him about his memories of being in the hospital, little Colton replied: “Yes, Mommy, I remember — that’s where the angels sang to me.” A sweet answer, to be sure — but then Colton made his parents’ jaws drop when he told them about sitting in Jesus’ lap, watching his parents while he lay seemingly near death, and meeting his great-grandfather.
But most poignantly, Colton described meeting a sibling in heaven — even though he had no way of knowing that his mother had miscarried two years before he was born, since his parents had never told him. Michael Inbar, Today.com More here.
Have you or anyone you know had a near-death experience?
Members of the Senate State Affairs Committee listen to testimony on HB 222 on Friday morning, the bill to permit guns on campus at Idaho colleges and universities. The bill earlier passed the House.
BOISE - Idaho senators killed the guns-on-campus bill Friday, after a two-hour hearing in which proponents of the measure said students who have concealed weapons permits aren’t “drunken frat boys who would stumble about campus firing indiscriminately.”
On the Senate State Affairs Committee, hearing the testimony, was Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, whose 23-year-old son was shot to death at a college keg party after a beer-splashing clash with fellow student who had a concealed weapons permit.
Davis told University of Idaho law student Jonathan Sawmiller, who was speaking in favor of HB 222, “My 23-year-old son was shot eight years ago last week by a concealed weapon permit holder. Both BSU students. Off campus, at a college environment. I know for you, that you served our country nobly, I thank you for it. I trust you. But there are others that I have concerns about. This is not an intellectual exercise for me and my family. To you and your successors who speak here today, please be sensitive in couching your remarks.” Betsy Russell, SR
Reaction?
Hagadone Hospitality will open a new entertainment bar in the Resort Plaza Shops along Sherman Avenue in downtown Coeur d’Alene.
Due to open in June, the new bar’s name hasn’t been chosen, according to a news release. It will be open seven nights a week and include indoor and outdoor seating.
The business next door, Tito Macaroni restaurant, 210 E. Sherman, will have a remodeled interior as part of the total project, the release said.
Once the new facility opens, the Shore Lounge, inside The Coeur d’Alene Resort, will close. It will be converted into meeting, reception and banquet space. Bert Caldwell, SR
When was the last time you visited the Shore Lounge?
Five years ago a young politician who seemed wise beyond his years was asked by Tim Russert what makes a great president. It was the kind of question that Russert, who could prompt more news in a single interview than entire cable operations do in a year, was so good at.
The politician took a thought breath before proceeding: “Obviously, most of the time it seems that the president has maybe 10 percent of his agenda set by himself, and 90 percent of it set by circumstance.”
Barack Obama: meet your 90 percent. The senator who so accurately predicted how events make the leader now finds himself a president trying to lead through those events.
In the process, despite a largely incoherent chorus of second-guessers, Obama has settled into a groove of reflective dithering before making his decisions. For the most part, it has served him well. Full story. Timothy Egan, NY Times
Do you dither?
A Post Falls man died this morning following a collision involving another driver going the wrong way on Interstate 90 at Barker Road. The freeway was closed for several hours while Washington State Patrol troopers conducted their investigation.
Kenneth J. Hardin, 27, died at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center following the 3:10 a.m. crash in the eastbound lanes beneath the Barker Road overpass.
Traffic was rerouted along the off ramp at Barker and back onto the freeway on ramp. All lanes reopened prior to 8. More here. Mike Prager, SR
So the other day I bought this wine just because I loved the label. Turns out it was a fairly decent white table wine.
Have you ever bought something just because you liked the label?
The Associated Press
Marquette University in Milwaukee will begin offering domestic partner benefits to its employees beginning next year.
The move by the Catholic, Jesuit university comes about a year after the school rescinded a job offer to a lesbian and scholar at Seattle University. Marquette officials said at the time, rescinding the job offer to Jodi O'Brien had nothing to do with her sexual orientation. But, it triggered heated debate on campus over the issue.
Recently, the University Academic Senate and the Marquette University Student Government voted to urge Marquette to offer benefits to domestic partners.
The Journal Sentinel says medical, dental and vision benefits will be offered to same-gender couples who live together and register their partnership with the local county clerk.
Thoughts?
Kelly Bowen of Gonzaga takes control of a defensive rebound as the Zags beat Iowa.
Sound the trumpets
and fly the flags:
Sweet Sixteen, meet
the Lady Zags!
Are you following the lady Zags?
LONDON – OMG! The exclamatory online abbreviation has won the approval of the Oxford English Dictionary.
The term — short for “Oh my God” or “Oh my gosh” — is one of dozens of new entries in the authoritative reference book's latest online update.
Other Internet-inspired expressions given the stamp of approval include LOL, “laughing out loud”; IMHO, “in my humble opinion”; and BFF, “best friends forever.”
Dictionary compilers said that although the terms are associated with modern electronic communications, some are surprisingly old. The first confirmed use of “OMG” was in a letter in 1917.
“Things people think are new words normally have a longer history,” Graeme Diamond, the dictionary's principal editor for new words, said Friday. Read more.
Other surprising entries include the word “heart” as a verb, which will greatly please DFO, and “muffin top” which I doubt will please anyone, much. How often do you use terms like LOL, IMHO or BFF?
Yesterday on the airline thread re: special seating for large passengers and people traveling with kids Bubblehead said, “Sizism is the last acceptable 'hatred of the other' left in America.”
Agree or disagree?
Joel Teuber of the Fraternal Order of Police answers questions from the Senate State Affairs Committee on Friday after testifying in favor of HB 222, the bill to permit guns on Idaho's state college campuses.
Sen. Russ Fulcher, R-Meridian, moved to send HB 222 to the Senate's 14th Order for amendment, saying he's concerned about venues like football stadiums. He said, “I think I know the issue somewhat coming in, and I hear and get exposed to thoughts and comments by people who've come from different vantage points, and I think it underscores the value of the comments by people who've come from different vantage points. I think it underscores the value of the process that we incur.”
Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, who said she's been in high-security situations and had to give up rights, seconded the motion, and said, “I think we can make this a better bill by just a few amendments, and I want to ask those sponsors in the House to work with Sen. Fulcher on those. It's not too late in the session to make sure that we do this right.” More here. Betsy Russell, EOB
Reaction?
DeAngelo Casto, center, controls a rebound against Northwestern forward Drew Crawford, left.
PULLMAN – The war of words over Washington State basketball player DeAngelo Casto’s misdemeanor marijuana citation escalated Thursday, with Pullman police Chief Gary Jenkins releasing more information concerning the incident at Casto’s residence and Casto’s attorney firing back.
Jenkins confirmed that the police report of the incident indicates Casto was holding a child on his lap when a police officer looked through a window early Tuesday morning and observed Casto at a table with marijuana and rolling papers.
The detail didn’t sit well with Casto’s attorney, Timothy Esser, who already has submitted a motion to suppress evidence collected that night.
“Allegedly there was marijuana in the house,” Esser said in a phone interview. “OK, how many millions of houses have marijuana in them, how many millions of houses do children live there? More here. Vince Grippi, SR
Do you think millions of homes have marijuana in them or is Esser using hyperbole to make a point?
Libyan rebels take a rest at a checkpoint on the frontline near Zwitina, south of Benghazi, eastern Libya, on Thursday.
WASHINGTON – The United States welcomed a partial handover for the Libyan air campaign to NATO on Thursday, but the allies apparently balked at assuming full control and the U.S. military was left in charge of the brunt of combat.
NATO agreed to take over command of the newly established no-fly zone over Libya, protective flights meant to deter Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi from putting warplanes in the air. That leaves the U.S. with responsibility for attacks on Gadhafi’s ground forces and other targets, which are the toughest and most controversial portion of the operation.
The U.S had hoped the alliance would reach a consensus Thursday for NATO to take full control of the military operation authorized by the United Nations, including the protection of Libyan civilians and supporting humanitarian aid efforts on the ground. It was not immediately clear when the allies could reach agreement on the matter. Robert Burns, AP
Does anyone think the U.S. involvement in Libya is a good thing?
Arizona's Derrick Williams, left, is fouled by Duke's Miles Plumlee on a dunk try.
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Derrick Williams carried Arizona in the first half, keeping the Wildcats in the game against Duke. His teammates returned the favor in the final 20 minutes with an offensive barrage that stunned the defending national champions.
Williams scored 25 of his career-high 32 points in the first half of Arizona’s 93-77 victory Thursday night, helping the Wildcats reach the final eight for the first time since 2005.
“As a team, we came together and willed ourselves to win,” said Lamont Jones, who added 16 points. “Derrick is a great player, but we all contribute.” Beth Harris, AP
I'm thinking this game probably messed up a few brackets. How are yours?
Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, debates against SB 1184, the school reform bill, in the Senate on Thursday. She asked, “If teachers are laid off to buy laptops, which is what this bill does, who will be in the classroom with them?”
BOISE - The Idaho Senate has voted 20-15 in favor SB 1184, the third bill in state schools Supt. Tom Luna’s “Students Come First” school reform package.
The seven Senate Democrats were joined in opposing the bill by eight Republicans, Sens. Andreason, Broadsword, Cameron, Corder, Darrington, Davis, Keough, and Stegner; the bill now moves to the House, where it’s virtually assured of passage.
“This is landmark legislation,” Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, told the Senate as he opened debate; he’s the bill’s lead legislative sponsor. “SB 1184 sets the new normal in public education funds. It is a policy bill.” He said, “We wish we were working under different circumstances. … We have to do things differently, and we do not have more money right now.” So, he said, the state must spend its existing school funds differently. “We must adapt or we risk becoming irrelevant.” Betsy Russell, SR More here.
Reaction?
My how time flies. Seems like it was only last month DFO was vacationing with Junior in Florida. Wait! It was last month. Oh well, blog-wrangling can take a lot out of a fella. Here's to four-day weekends whenever you can get 'em.
Yesterday, my attempt to do nothing all day was a miserable failure. Indolence is a lot harder than it looks. So, today I might as well blogsit, write an article about a new opera company, transport my kids to various locations, interview of few folks, answer a couple dozen emails, file some photo requests, have lunch with a friend, and admire my new manicure.
It's a hard-luck life. Here's your Wild Card. You do know what to do with it, don't you?
LaFawn Sutton, 12, bagged this record-book whitetail buck in velvet during the September early bowhunting season near her Mount Spokane area home.
HUNTING — Idaho is joining the bandwagon of states allowing potential new hunters accompanied by a mentor to try the sport before they pass a state-certified hunter education course.
On Tuesday, Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter signed into law House Bill 85, making Idaho the 31st state to pass Families Afield legislation since the programs inception in 2004.
Montana is the only state in the Northwest that has not adopted Families Afield legislation.
This allows the Fish and Game Commission to establish a program under which newcomers could try hunting under the watchful eye of an experienced mentor prior to the completion of a hunter education course. Rich Landers, Outdoors Blog
Good idea/Bad idea?
Brian Ang is interviewed by Toni Seidel at the Spokane Christian Singles Speed Dating at Cafe Donna in Spokane.
There's no upside to setting people up. At best, you're stuck writing a speech for a wedding; at worst, you find out your friends cry during sex. When I found out you could get paid to set people up, however, I got a lot more interested. I asked Barbie Adler, CEO of Selective Search, to let me spend a day setting up men who pay her a minimum of $20,000 a year to set them up on dates with women who want to be set up with men who pay $20,000 a year to be set up on dates. This was the kind of love I could deliver.
I got to Barbie's office in Chicago, where I was the only man employed. All the women who interview her clients were attractive and had posters and sculptures about love in their office. This was not the tone I was going to set with my clients. Joel Stein, Time.com Read more.
Fun read. Have you ever been set up on a date? How'd it turn out?
H/T Beth B.
A former Kootenai County deputy clerk accused of embezzling $139,000 from her employer over a 10-year period has pleaded not guilty to a grand theft charge.
Sandy Martinson, 62, entered the plea Monday in 1st District Court. Her attorney, Frederick Loats, estimated in court documents that a trial would last three days.
Grand theft is punishable by up to 14 years in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.
County officials said that when Martinson retired in November, a routine review of records revealed irregularities that led the county to suspect embezzlement.
Due to Martinson’s more than three-decade career with Kootenai County, Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall is handling the case. Alison Boggs, SR
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — After months of debate the Spokane Valley City Council made changes to the city's chicken regulations.Those changes make it possible for people who live with in the city limits to own chickens on small residential pieces of property.
Craig Goodwin has four chickens in his backyard right next to his children's swing set. “They have names, yeah, Eagle, Chrysanthemum, Daisy and Honolulu,” Goodwin, a self-proclaimed chicken person, said.
Goodwin says his four chickens produce two dozen eggs a week, but that is the only source of food they supply for his family of four. “I think the general rule is, if you name your chickens, you don't eat them,” he said.KXLY.com More here.
What do you think about the urban chicken trend? Do you have chickens in your backyard?
It's not that Ian Burford hates children. But the founder of the Facebook page “Airlines should have kid-free flights!” would prefer not to have a wailing tot nearby when he flies.
“I'm 6-4, so seating is always an issue,” says Burford, who launched his page a year ago. “But when you're uncomfortable anyway, and then you have some young child screaming or kicking the back of your chair, it just puts you in a bad position, because there's absolutely nothing you can do about it. It's not a case of not liking kids. It's a case of not wanting them sitting next to you or behind you when you travel.”
Across the skies, there's a growing debate over whether airlines should do more to segregate the seating of passengers — with designated areas for kids, for example. At a time when increasingly crowded jets have helped to make flying less pleasant for many passengers and social media allow them to instantly tweet their frustrations to the world, a comfortable perch on the plane — and some tranquility around it — has become ever more precious. Charisse Jones, USA Today Full story.
Should airlines create separate sections for kids or larger fliers?
Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, is presenting his pro-megaloads bill, HB 193a, to the Senate Transportation Committee, and he's getting lots of questions; the bill would require a huge cash bond before anyone could file a lawsuit to block a transportation project on Idaho highways. Sen. Elliot Werk, D-Boise, noted that Harwood spoke repeatedly of “frivolous lawsuits” and talked about the lawsuit that was filed in north-central Idaho against the proposed megaloads on Highway 12, but noted, “It's not my impression that the lawsuit that was brought in the megaloads case was considered to be frivolous by either the hearing officer or the judge.” Harwood responded, “I just used that term because sometimes that's how I feel they are.”
When Werk asked Harwood about his contention that people can find judges who'll rule any way they want, Harwood said, “Certain judges do lean in different directions. A lot of times maybe their … personal opinon, and I know in my case often my own personal opinion overrides the right thing to do.” Betsy Russell, EOB
Do you believe judges allow personal opinion to sway court rulings?
On a recent afternoon, members of Pattison Inline Racing team prepared for an upcoming competition. Clad in snazzy red and black uniforms, they hit the hardwood at Pattison’s North, and skated by in a blur. As they picked up speed and leaned low in the turns, the wheels of their skates created a buzz that echoed across the rink.
Their coach, rink owner Shaun Pattison, is a two-time Northwest Coach of the Year and offers 25 years of skating expertise. He grinned and said, “I was born wearing skates.”
Actually, he donned his first pair at nine months, but no one is going to quibble about the wealth of experience he brings to the sport. His parents own Pattison’s West in Federal Way, Wash., and Shaun and his wife Jericho purchased Pattison’s North from his aunt and uncle in 2006. Cindy Hval, SR Full story.
When was the last time you strapped on a pair of skates?
The topic I would like to NEVER see on Hucks Online again is _________
Steve Matott, head coffee roaster at Cravens Coffee Co., empties a batch of Italian roast coffee beans into the cooling tray at offices in Spokane.
Spokane coffee roasters are losing sleep, and it’s not the caffeine.
Supplies of high-quality Arabica beans are tight. Prices have doubled in the last year.
Last week, Starbucks announced it would raise the price on its packaged coffees an average 12 percent, in line with increases by other major brands.
Simon Thompson, owner of Cravens Coffee Co., said he has raised prices twice in recent months, but the total seven percent boost amounts to less than $1 per pound. Bert Caldwell, SR
Will rising prices make you cut back on your coffee consumption? How much is too much for a cup of coffee?
DURHAM, N.C. — When Chad Holtz lost his old belief in hell, he also lost his job.
The pastor of a rural United Methodist church in North Carolina wrote a note on his Facebook page supporting a new book by Rob Bell, a prominent young evangelical pastor and critic of the traditional view of hell as a place of eternal torment for billions of damned souls.
Two days later, Holtz was told complaints from church members prompted his dismissal from Marrow's Chapel in Henderson. Full story Tom Breen, AP
Do you believe in hell?
BOISE - The Idaho Senate has voted along party lines to approve a budget for the state’s colleges and universities for next year that includes further state funding cuts, pushing the schools to rely more on student tuition and fees.
The budget bill, SB 1181, drew fiery debate after minority Democrats spoke out against it.
Sen. Elliot Werk, D-Boise, said, since 2009, colleges and universities have been cut by $75 million in state funds, a 26.4 percent reduction. “It is the budget that has taken the biggest hit of any budget that we pass,” he said, “and this is our economic development engine that we are starving for resources.” More here. Betsy Russell, SR
Thoughts?
POST FALLS - If gas prices haven't topped off yet, AAA expects them to before hitting $4 a gallon.
While prices continue to climb about a dime a week - they averaged $3.43 a gallon in Coeur d'Alene on Wednesday and a nickel more in Post Falls - the end is likely in sight, said Dave Carlson, AAA Idaho spokesman.
“Given what we're seeing at the moment, it's consistent with AAA's earlier predictions that U.S. pump prices should top out in the neighborhood of $3.75, barring unforeseen events,” Carlson said. Read more. Brian Walker, Cda Press
How much does it cost you to fill up your tank these days?
Newly wedded couple Sergiy, left, and Irina kiss as they cross the Bridge of Love in Kiev, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 21, 2011.
When you look at the couch and the stomach-scratching blob lying there, do you occasionally wish you’d committed to sharing your life with someone else?
When it comes to regrets — particularly among women — romance is the most common source of that nagging anxiety, according to a new study by a professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Some 370 adults across the United States — ranging in age from 20 to 80 — were asked in a telephone survey to list their biggest regrets, and the most frequently mentioned issue had to do with romance, said the study’s author, Neil Roese, a professor of marketing at Northwestern.
About 44 percent of the women interviewed listed romance, while only 19 percent of the men mentioned it, Roese said. Stefano Esposito, Sun Times More here.
Do you have any regrets, romantic or otherwise?
The House Education Committee has voted to send SB 1111, the bill to permit advertising on school buses, to the House's amending order with a series of amendments attached, designed to address concerns raised by opponents in an earlier House debate. The concerns were so widespread that House Education Chairman Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, pulled the bill back to committee for more work, rather than see it killed.
The measure was proposed by the Meridian School District, which estimates it could make hundreds of thousands for schools by selling the bus ads. Betsy Russell, EOB Read more.
What do you think about the idea to place ads on school buses?
Bill and Jay Warren recently celebrated their 61st anniversary. They met on a blind date in college, soon after Bill returned from Germany at the end of World War II. They’ve dedicated their busy lives to serving others. In the early 1960s, Bill was recruited as a trainer in the Peace Corps. They spent two years in the Philippines and one year in Nepal with six young children. Then they signed up for another aid organization and spent an additional three years in Kenya with seven children ages 1 to 14.
Bill and Jay Warren arrived in Spokane in 2007, via New Jersey, Texas, the Philippines, Nepal and points in between. The couple met on a blind date in 1946.
Bill had served two years in the Army after being drafted at age 18. “I shipped out to Europe,” he recalled. “We were replacement troops for those lost in the Battle of the Bulge.”
He doesn’t gloss over his combat experience. “A lot of it was horrible – nothing to glorify war.”
The young soldier was part of an ammunition and pioneer platoon engaged in a fierce struggle along the Siegfried Line. “Because we were a munitions group, we were sent out at night,” he said.
One night he fell into an exhausted sleep under a table. “They were looking for me to go out on patrol, but they couldn’t find me,” Bill said. He paused and glanced down at his hands. “Out of the 12 men who went out that night, only one came back.” Cindy Hval, SR More here
Can you imagine moving to the Philippines and Nepal with 6 kids under 10? Bill and Jay Warren did. Have you ever lived abroad?
In the 165 weight class, North Idaho College's Jake Mason (in back) beat Lincoln's Rick Goerke in the NJCAA Wrestling Championship first round.
Who can cross a busy road better, a varsity wrestler or a psychology major? That question, which seems to beg for a punch line, actually provided the motivation for an unusual and rather beguiling new experiment in which student athletes were pitted against regular collegians in a test of traffic-dodging skill. The results were revelatory.
For the study, published last week in The Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recruited 36 male and female students, ages 18 to 22. Half were varsity athletes at the university, a Division I school, and they represented a wide variety of sports…
The rest of the volunteers were healthy young collegians but not athletes, from a variety of academic departments. New York Times, Full Story
…The student athletes completed more successful crossings than the nonathletes, by a significant margin, a result that might be expected of those in peak physical condition. But what was surprising — and thought-provoking — was that their success was not a result of their being quicker or more athletic.
Interesting article especially in light of the rash of car/pedestrian accidents in the Gonzaga area. Do you believe participation in sports is important or adds to the college experience?
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Born addicted to crack and raised in a meth house, a North Idaho teen faced an uncertain future. But today, Samantha Jernstrom is proving that despite the odds she has what it takes to succeed.
“It's definitely been a tough road. My mind frame that I'm set in is just do it. Make something of myself,” Jernstrom said, while waiting for a class to start at North Idaho College on Wednesday.
Twice a week, she carts around a heavy backpack filled with books on the Coeur d'Alene college campus. At first glance, the 17-year-old looks like your typical student.”My first semester I can honestly tell you was so hard. I took chemistry, walking in blindfolded is how I can describe it,” she joked about her decision to take college classes as a high school junior as part of NIC's dual degree program. KXLY Full Story.
Why do some kids with rough backgrounds beat the odds and succeed while others with far more advantages flounder?
H/T Sam Crawford
“A week or so ago,” emails HMOffsuite, “I got a call from Patty Duke’s husband, Mike, regarding a car they wanted to sell. They have a fully restored 1940 Chrysler they have owned for some time. It's a 4-door restored by Glenn Vaughn, in Post Falls, one of the best in the Country. The car has collector value, but not as popular as Fords or Chevys, and would have a narrow market. As opposed to selling a Mustang or Corvette, for which there would be more buyers. But, it may be of interest to a buyer anywhere in the world, if a guy is into the very best of the 1940 Chryslers. My recommendation for a very fine, low demand car would be Ebay. So, the car will be going on Thursday, and is available for purchase, folks.”
Question: Do you own a vintage car?
Kellie Aronson, a low-income renter at the Valley 206 apartment complex in Spokane Valley, smokes a cigarette on her back porch Tuesday. Spokane Housing Authority will now ban smoking in apartment units and public spaces.
The Spokane Housing Authority, one of the Spokane area’s biggest landlords to the poor, is banning smoking in individual apartments and common spaces at all its residential properties.
The no-smoking policy will become effective May 1, according to a letter tenants began receiving this week from the housing authority’s director of assets, Lucy Lepinski.
The policy, which includes the smoking of medical marijuana or burning incense and sage, was greeted with mixed reviews by tenants. Kevin Graman, SR
Smoking ban in Spokane Housing Authority apartments: Good idea/Bad idea?
WASHINGTON – Wednesday marked the anniversary of the health care law that its advocates said would change so much. In one very real sense, they were right. The political landscape one year later is radically altered, strewn with the fallen congressional careers of many of its supporters.
The emotional debate over the bill arguably gave rise to the “tea party” movement. Republicans now control the House and aren’t far from seizing the Senate. Potential candidates for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination need only say one word, “Obamacare,” to get a rise from a crowd. And the president himself has struggled at times to ensure that his first term isn’t defined by the legislation.
Public attitudes toward the law, however, have not shifted much at all. The Affordable Care Act remains almost as equally loathed and celebrated as it was 12 months ago, despite the best efforts of Democrats to praise it and Republicans to bury it. Even worse for both sides, a majority of Americans remain confused about what the law actually accomplishes. (emphasis mine) Read more.
Are you confused about what the health care law actually accomplishes?
Coeur d'Alene police officers gather in the halls of Woodland Middle School in Coeur d'Alene on Friday, March 11, 2011, after a stabbing incIdent .
The student who allegedly stabbed another at Woodland Middle School two weeks ago is no longer enrolled in the Coeur d’Alene School District.
On March 11, one eighth-grade boy stabbed another multiple times with a pocketknife. The boy was treated at Kootenai Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries.
The school was locked down for 15 minutes following the stabbing while police searched for the boy with the pocketknife. He was found a short distance away from the school and booked into Kootenai County Juvenile Detention Center on a charge of aggravated battery, police said.
The Spokesman-Review generally does not publish the names of juveniles accused of crimes, but the newspaper obtained the name of the student and confirmed with the district that he is no longer enrolled.
Citing federal privacy laws, district spokeswoman Laura Rumpler declined to disclose specifics of disciplinary actions.
This home is one of many that got caught in the flooding in Cataldo, Idaho, on Jan. 18. At peak flow on that day, water samples taken at Harrison had the highest lead reading since February 1996.
An estimated 352,000 pounds of lead washed into Lake Coeur d’Alene on Jan. 18 after flooding related to a rain-on-snow event.
That’s the weight equivalent of 70 Dodge Ram 1500 pickups – and the highest volume of lead recorded in a 24-hour period since major flooding in February 1996.
Greg Clark, a U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist, attributed high lead concentrations to a rapid rise in the Coeur d’Alene River caused by pounding rains and melting snow. At Harrison, where the river empties into Lake Coeur d’Alene, the Jan. 18 flows averaged 19,000 cubic feet per second. Becky Kramer, SR
How worried are you about high lead concentration in Lke Coeur d' Alene?
Washington State guard Klay Thompson, left, controls a rebound from teammate DeAngelo Casto during the first half against Northwestern in a college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the NIT tonight in Pullman. Thompson and Casto, who've both had brushes with the law on pot charges this month, led the Cougars to a 69-66 overtime win over Northwestern in the quarterfinals of the NIT. The victory earns the Cougs a trip to the final four in the NIT at Madison Square Garden in New York. They'll face Wichita State in a semi-final game. ESPN boxscore here. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)
I'm going to hand over controls of Huckleberries Central to Cindy for the next view days while I enjoy the rainshine in the Inland Northwest and gear up for the final days of cuh-razy legislating by the Larrys, Moes, and Curleys dominating the 2011 Legislature. I'm way behind on my pruning and sundry other duties that keep getting pushed back this week. So I'm going to take a four-day weekend. But we still have today. So I'll post this Wild Card and go in search of more fodder to fill the insatiable maw of Huckleberries Online …
“I love this sunshine,” said Gabrielle Lewis as she and fellow North Idaho College student, Tim Workman, enjoy the 50 degree weather at NIC Beach in Coeur d'Alene earlier today. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
On
Tuesday, a Facebook idea from OrangeTV launched a nice thread here re: the worst place in town to eat. Today, on his Get Out! North Idaho Facebook wall, OTV is offering a different approach: “What was your favorite North Idaho restaurant or bar which ceased to exist at least 5 years ago. Think 70s, 80s, 90s, places that are now long gone.
DFO: Off the top of my head, I'd say the old Bonanza restaurant (current site of Tomato Street), which offered decent steak and food at modest prices.
Question: What's your favorite bygone eatery or bar in the Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls/North Idaho area?
Kevin W. Harpham pleaded not guilty today to charges that he left a bomb that investigators say could have caused multiple casualties along the planned route of a Unity March to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Story below. (SR sketch: Molly Quinn)
BYU Dave Rose kisses his wife Cheryl Rose after defeating Gonzaga 89-67 in a Southeast regional third round NCAA tournament college basketball game, Saturday, in Denver. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Top Cutlines:
The Idaho Transportation Department has issued a news release saying ExxonMobil submitted plans to it 
detailing how it now plans to move 60 giant megaloads of oil equipment from Lewiston up Highway 95 to Coeur d'Alene, then east on I-90 to Montana. “The largest shipment proposed is 24 feet wide, 15-feet-10-inches-tall and 207 feet in length, including the transport truck and trailer,” ITD reports. “The heaviest load proposed weighs 165,347 pounds, not including the transport truck and trailer. Each shipment would move between 10 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., and take three nights. Traffic delays would be limited to 15 minutes”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Any of you wondering, like I am, whether this was the intent of ConocoPhillips/ITD/Otter administration all along — take a trial run along Clearwater River and then steer the monster loads up H95 through CdA & Shoshone County once the hubbub died down?
Washington
State University athletic director Bill Moos lifted DeAngelo Casto’s suspension today, and the junior will be allowed to play against Northwestern this evening. “There has been a great deal of discussion regarding DeAngelo and his situation over the past 24 hours,” Moos said in a media release. “There are unique circumstances involving this matter and I feel the appropriate avenue to take is to allow the legal system to run its course before we consider further action”/Vince Grippi, SR. More here.
Question: Should DeAngelo Casto be allowed to play the NIT quarterfinal game against Northwestern at Pullman tonight?
On her Idaho Scenic Images Facebook wall, Linda Lantzy writes (in this post 2 hours ago): “I climbed a huge snowberm to take this shot, hoping I wouldn't sink to oblivion. Then waited for over an hour for the light to do something dramatic which it never did. So, to the hundred-plus people that drove by … this is what that crazy lady was doing on Schweitzer Mountain road.
Linda Lantzy, the talented photograper behind Idaho Scenic Images, enjoys that McDonalds provides free wifi 
service — but discovered this week that Mickey D's doesn't relish customers who bring in food from other venues to use the Internet hookup. Linda was frowned upon for bringing in a rice bowl from Jack in the Box along with a home-made mocha. Linda had intended to try the wifi at Jack in the Box when she bought the rice bowl. But discovered too late that Jack in the Box doesn't offer free wifi. So she wouldn't mind scouting out some other wifi spots in town.
Question: Which places to you frequent to access free wifi in the local area?
The Westboro Baptist Church, which is best known for its extreme and often controversial negative 
opinions about homosexuality, will be protesting at the funeral of recently deceased Elizabeth Taylor. On Wednesday, Taylor passed away at the age of 79 from congestive heart failure. That same day, Margie Phelps, daughter of Westboro pastor Fred Phelps, posted the following messages on her Twitter account: “Hello rebels! RIP Elizabeth Taylor is in hell as sure as you're reading this & getting mad as a wet hen. She should've obeyed God. Too late!”/WooEB News. More here. (AP file photo of Westboro Baptist Church)
Reaction?
BYU's Jimmer Fredette shoots during a practice session for their NCAA Southeast Regional college basketball semifinal game Wednesday in New Orleans. BYU plays Florida on Thursday. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Question: Will Florida figure out how to stop Jimmer Fredette? Or will the star basketball player lead BYU into the Elite 8 this weekend?
The railroad corporation BNSF, which operates a controversial refueling station in Hauser, over the Rathdrum 
Prairie aquifer, has taken Kootenai County to court over tighter aquifer protection measures. The County wants to make the new measures part of a permit renewal for the facility. After agreeing to a set of conditions in its original negotiated permit some ten years ago, BNSF is now opposed to any new conditions and is claiming that the County has no jurisdiction at all over railroad operations. … As part of its current permit, BNSF has been responsible for funding a monitoring program with Idaho DEQ. The monitoring program was scheduled to sunset after 10 years, but as part of the permit renewal, Kootenai County wants to make the monitoring permanent. However, BNSF no longer wants to pay for monitoring/Terry Harris, KEA Blog. More here. (KEA Blogs photo)
Question: Has BNSF been a good neighbor for Kootenai County, to this point?
What Harwood wants to do is redefine “frivolous lawsuit” to mean “pretty much any lawsuit.” A majority of the House agreed, passing the bill Monday. “My reason for bringing it is we can’t let groups tie up commerce in 
this state,” Harwood said Monday. “It costs the state of Idaho a lot of money to fight these lawsuits.” Well, it cost the Catholic Church a lot of money to fight lawsuits, too. That doesn’t mean you start charging people to sue. I give Harwood some credit for calling me up and debating this. He’s a timber-country guy, and his monochromatic view of lawsuits come from his long history of seeing timber sale after timber sale tied up by lawsuits, he said. Yet he seems unwilling to grant the possibility that a person with an environmental opinion might be a citizen. With rights/Shawn Vestal, SR. More here.
Question: How would you define 'frivolous lawsuit'?
Betcha can’t NOT laugh. There was a British sitcom a few years ago called Coupling that depicted the 
adventures of six thirtysomethings — sort of like Friends, only better-written and better-acted. One of the characters in the series was named Jeff Murdock, a weird Welshman with some novel ideas about life. One of Jeff’s theories was called “The Giggle Loop,” which he defined as the increasing urge to laugh during a moment of solemnity. He compared it to stacking drinking glasses in a tower; eventually the stack will fall — with disastrous consequences at a particularly inappropriate time. “To know about The Giggle Loop, is to become part of The Giggle Loop,” he explained/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Have you ever busted out laughing at an inappropriate time?
Spc. Jeremy Morlock, of Wasilla, Alaska, is shown today standing at left-center as he faces Military Judge Lt. Col. Kwasi Hawks, upper right, during a court martial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. Morlock pleaded guilty to three counts of murder Wednesday in connection with the killings of three unarmed Afghan men in Kandahar province in 2010. Story here. (AP Photo/Lois Silver)
Commenting on a mutual friend's Facebook wall re: the recent Kootenai County Lincoln Day Dinner, mutual FBF Denise Durflinger remembers a side trip she made en route to a Lincoln Day Dinner past. She comments: “Last time I did a Lincoln Day dinner (shooting it for the Press), I ended up at a one-car rollover @ Chase and Prairie … in a cocktail-type dress and high heels. The cop on scene said it was a first for him … LOL!!!”
Question: Have you ever rolled your vehicle?
U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., speaks at a rally by home school advocates at the Statehouse in Des Moines, Iowa. More than 1,000 home school advocates rallied on the steps of the Iowa Statehouse, cheered on by three potential Republican presidential candidates who joined their cause. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Question: Which potential presidential candidate would you like to see emerge to oppose the re-election bid of President Barack Obama?
The Senate has voted 24-10 in favor of SB 1165, Sen. Chuck Winder's bill to ban all abortions after 20 weeks on grounds of fetal pain, unless it's to save the mother's life or physical health. The measure includes no exception for cases of rape or incest, or for severe fetal anomalies, and passed after an emotional and at times heated debate. The bill now moves to the House/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise.
Question: Do you support/oppose this legislation?
Southwest Airlines won’t be getting happy passenger testimonials from 15 North Idaho legislators, reports S-R reporter Tom Sowa. Those 15 senators and representatives’ change in travel arrangements, set in motion by Southwest’s recent elimination of one nonstop flight from Boise to Spokane, is forcing the Idaho Legislature to convene an hour earlier on Fridays. North Idaho lawmakers used to catch a 2:35 p.m. flight to Spokane on Fridays, but now the only Boise-to-Spokane flights on Southwest are at 1 p.m. and 9 p.m./Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Item: Casto contesting marijuana charge/Vince Grippi, SR
TDub: Is it customary in Pullman for police officers to have so much time on their hands to be peering into 
windows of private citizens without due cause? Where I live, when people do that, I believe it is called a peeping Tom occurrence. Say what you will about the stupidity of leaving yourself open to getting trouble for your behavior, it would appear to me that the Pullman police appear to derive a great deal of pleasure in targeting, and in this case, stalking students for indescretions by peering through windows. Last I heard of this sort of “enforcement” technique, I believe it was East Berlin in the 60s.
Question: Are Pullman police targetting Washington State players, as TDub contends, are are Cougar basketballers flaunting the law when they should be concentrating on important games?
A group of Croatian fans ski down a slope wearing swimming suits at Mt. Sljeme near Zagreb, to celebrate the victory of Ivica Kostelic, Tuesday. Kostelic of Croatia has taken the World Cup slalom title and won the overall alpine skiing World Cup title. (AP Photo)
DFO: Cindy's going to pinch hit for me Thursday and Friday. So I thought I'd help her get into the proper mood to take over controls of Hucks Central with some eye candy. I know, I know. They're not firemen, but …
Asked if there are any bills so far this session that he would veto - the lieutenant governor is acting governor when the governor is out of state, and gets to sign or veto bills - Lt. Gov. Brad Little said, “Actually I have written 
a few notes on a couple bills,” and he said he's seen a draft of a letter on one bill that Gov. Butch Otter may let become law without his signature. But, Little said, “There's nothing I've seen yet that I would veto. But it's no different than serving in the Legislature. There's a lot of bills that you vote on that you wish you had 'none of the above' as an option, but it's action that has to take place. It's just like these incredibly complex education series of bills. There's little bits and pieces of it that I don't like, but the total direction of it I think is absolutely essential”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Are you glad/concerned that Lt. Gov. Brad Little, who's likely to become Idaho governor, after Butch Otter retires to his ranch in Eagle, supports the direction taken by the 2011 Legislature?
So now we have Son of Luna. Poised for another showdown in the Senate, this latest version looks different. 
No longer is there talk of cutting teaching jobs. It delays technology in the classroom until a task force of educators, tech experts and business people take a look. It assigns the State Board of Education with deciding the pace and scope of online instruction. To say the changes are cosmetic is being generous, however. Son of Luna isn't just a sequel. It's a clone, albeit one that conceals its intent and assigns the fault to others. Beginning next year, Son of Luna pulls $20 million from the account Idaho uses to pay teacher salaries. That comes on top of the $60 million legislators are preparing to cut from the public school budget/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Marty Trillhaase goes on to say that Luna 3, which was passed by Coeur d'Alene Sen. John Goedde's Education Committee Tuesday, will suck $420M from teacher pay in 6 years. Are you still persuaded that Luna's “reform” legislation is good for Idaho school children?
The controversial, oversized loads of oil refinery equipment destined for a project in Alberta, Canada, may be 
detoured north through Kootenai and Shoshone counties. The Idaho Transportation Department is reviewing a proposal from Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil to reduce the size of 33 megaloads at the Port of Lewiston so they can be shipped up U.S. Highway 95 to Interstate 90. The loads – up to 66 of them – would likely go through Moscow. A crew of around 100 is at work on the megaloads, although it was not clear Tuesday exactly how much they would be reduced in length, width or height/Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Do you support a route change that would bring up to 66 megaloads up Highway 95 and across the panhandle on I-90?
“It's pretty sad because this is such a beautiful place,” said Linda Fournier, of Hayden as she walked wih her husband, Moe, near the Hayden Lake boat launch at Honeysuckle Beach on Friday. A woman drove her car into the lake on Thursday, March 17, and died at the scene. There have been 12 deaths at the Hayden Lake boat launch since 1995. Chelsea Bannach SR story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
A lawmaker's effort to get the Idaho Legislature to stop consulting the state attorney general's office and get its 
own lawyers has failed. Republican Rep. Vito Barbieri, of Dalton Gardens, wanted the Legislature to hire two attorneys for a new “Office of Legislative Counsel.” But the bill was killed Wednesday by the House State Affairs Committee at Barbieri's request, after drawing lawmaker criticism. Priest Lake Republican Rep. Eric Anderson called the bill “a very bad piece of legislation,” saying he was glad Barbieri saved him the trouble of arguing against it/Associated Press. More here. And: Betsy Russell's story here.
Question: Isn't it nice to know that Barbieri is too radical even for the Idaho Legislature?
Republican officials say Donald Trump will address the party's Lincoln Day dinner as part of his first foray into Iowa as a possible presidential contender. The New York billionaire and reality TV figure has already announced plans to visit New Hampshire in June. Iowa Republican Party Chairman Matt Strawn says Trump will speak June 10 in Des Moines. Strawn says the Iowa party invited Trump so he could introduce himself to Iowa Republicans. He noted Trump's success as an “entrepreneur and job creator.” Trump has said he will decide by June whether to seek the Republican presidential nomination/Associated Press.
Question: Would anyone out there seriously consider voting for Donald Trump to be president?
One of Hollywood's most legendary beauties, Elizabeth Taylor, died on Wednesday (March 23) at the age of 79 after spending two months in a Los Angeles hospital for treatment of congestive heart failure. One of the brightest stars in the history of the American movie business, Taylor starred in a string of hit movies in the 1950s and 60s, including “Giant,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “Cleopatra,” while becoming an international sex symbol and object of tabloid fascination for her string of love affairs with leading men/MTV. More here.
Question: Which Elizabeth Taylor role was your favorite?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
Let's start today by congratulating Jimmy-Mac & Mrs. Mac in welcoming their first-born into the world at 2:02 p.m. Monday — Grace Belle. Reports Jimmy: “She is incredibly health and equally stunning, just like her mommy.” Grace checked in at 8 pounds 10 ounces, measuring 21.5 inches. Which could launch a mini-thread within this Wild Card re: how much you weighed at birth. Moi? 9 pounds, 6 ounces. And I wasn't the biggest baby among us six siblings. My kids, by contrast, were 7-pounders. You can congratulate Jimmy, brag about birth weight, or use this Wild Card to launch other topics …
Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, right, and shortstop Marco Scutaro dash from the dugout as they head out onto the field for a spring training baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Fort Myers, Fla., earlier today. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Question: Are you ready for the MLB games to officially begin?
Item: Heart-attack risk spikes after sex, exercise, researchers say/Nicole Ostrow, Bloomberg News
More Info: Sexual activity may double a person's chances of having a heart attack immediately or within two hours, Tufts University researchers reported Tuesday. A session of physical exercise may be even more hazardous, tripling the odds of a heart attack within two hours, the scientists said in the Journal of the American Medical Association after analyzing the results of 14 studies. The risks were smaller for people “with high levels of habitual physical activity,” according to the report.
Question: Worth the risk?
Washington State forward DeAngelo Casto (23) grabs a rebound in front of Southern California forward Nikola Vucevic (5) as Faisal Aden, right to left, Garrett Jackson and Klay Thompson watch during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game March 3 in Pullman, Wash. Hours after the game, forward Klay Thompson was arrested on a drug charge and was suspended for one game. Now, Casto, who scored 24 points against USC, has been suspended after a rules violation for the Cougs' NIT quarterfinal game. See below. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)
Cyclists ride during the World Naked Bike Ride in Portland, Ore. Nudist advocates on Monday testified against a bill that would ask voters to change free-speech protections in the state constitution to let communities keep strip clubs out of neighborhoods. But, nudists warn, that might unintentionally allow cities to outlaw nude recreation. You write the cutline. (AP File Photo/The Oregonian, Torsten Kjellstrand)
Top Cutlines:
In the “What are these knotheads thinking” department, WSU's Cougars announced moments ago that 
DeAngelo Casto has been suspended for tomorrow's NIT game for “violation of team rules.” WSU will be playing its biggest game in years at 8 p.m. Wednesday against Northwestern with a bid to the NIT final four on the line. And Casto suffers a brain cramp that's big enough to get him booted for the game. As you recall, star forward Klay Thompson was arrested on a drug charge March 3 hours after the Cougars had beat USC to keep them in contention for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Vince Grippi's SR story here. (AP file photo of DeAngelo Casto against Kansas State Dec. 3)
Question: Sometimes I wonder if I should waste my time following college athletes who are this stupid. What do you think?
A Coeur d'Alene methamphetamine dealer arrested at gunpoint by the city's police chief was sentenced 
Monday to 14 years in federal prison. Daniel W. Bisher, 36, was arrested in a sweeping methamphetamine investigation that has resulted in prison sentences for several North Idaho residents. He pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy to distribute meth, distribution of meth and unlawful possession of a firearm. Bisher, who has previous felony convictions, will serve 168 month in prison, be on probation for five years, forfeit two firearms and perform 100 hours of community service, U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge ruled Monday/Meghann Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. More here.
Update: The Senate Education Committee has voted 6-3 in favor of SB 1184, the school reform bill, which now goes to the full Senate with a recommendation that it “do pass.” Those voting in favor of the bill were Sens. Toryanski, Winder, Fulcher, Mortimer, Goedde, and Pearce. Those voting against were Sens. Andreason, McWilliam, and LeFavour.
The superintendents and school board chairmen of the state's two largest school districts, Boise and Meridian, have sent a letter to their local lawmakers urging them to oppose SB 1184, because they estimate the districts will lose millions of dollars in state funding under the bill. “SB 1184 would have an ongoing, cumulative negative impact on the general fund budgets of the Meridian and Boise districts,” the letter says/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: On its Twitter account, the Idaho Education Association comments: “First two stakeholder groups have poked a gaping hole in (3rd Tom Luna education reform bill). Will committee members pass it anyway? I tweeted: “Of course.” Does anyone disagree?
I picked this off Pecky Cox's Priest Lake Photography Facebook wall. That's Papoose Island on Priest Lake in the mist, I believe. You can find other terrific photos from Pecky & her Priest Lake friends here.
On her Facebook wall, Sidekick Cindy has been celebrating her 25th anniversary with Derek for several days — 
at one point calling the decision to marry him was the best one she ever made. Today, she offers a somewhat different twist. You may not see it well, but Derek has a perm in the photo with this post. Writes Cindy: “About the hair: In his besotted state Derek agreed to get a perm before the wedding. It was his first. And last. And he traces his eventual loss of his hair to this selfless act of love. Though he does often point out that every ex-boyfriend of mine he's met, is now follicly-challenged. Then I point out that he hasn't met them all.”
Question: Would you get a perm for your true love? What have you done for love?
When traveling, it is important to search every possible pocket, pouch, slot — basically any opening in any bag 
— to make sure your luggage is TSA-approved. Apparently they are not impressed when you do not realize there is a rifle bullet in the end of your purse from winter break when you went shooting with your best friend, who, coincidentally, you are visiting for spring break. Oh, and hand lotion also sets off the wipe detector. Hello, full-body and luggage search. Awesome/Elizabeth, UI Argonaut. More Off The Wall here.
Question: Have you ever been embarrassed at airport security by something inadvertently packed in your carry-on bag?
Libyans pose on the wreckage of a US F15 fighter jet after it crashed in an open field in the village of Bu Mariem, east of Benghazi, eastern Libya, earlier today, with both crew ejecting safely. The U.S. Africa Command said both crew members were safe after what was believed to be a mechanical failure of the Air Force F-15. The aircraft, based out of Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, was flying out of Italy's Aviano Air Base in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn.(AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
The experience of long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are troubling, Crapo said. “We have not allowed our military to go in and in an effective, prompt way achieve their objectives. Instead, we’ve put ourselves in a position of nation building — of literally being in a position of having to rebuild two major nations. Not that I don’t have humanitarian concerns, but the United States cannot continue to be the world’s policeman and the source of economic development and reconstruction” — U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho. More here.
Question: Should we be the world's policeman when dictators like Gadhafi are brutalizing their own citizens?
Are humans becoming obsolete in the workforce? All signs point to “yes.” As IBM's Watson proved on Jeopardy, robots are becoming smarter than people. They also make fewer mistakes and they don't get bored. By 2013 there will be 1.2 million industrial robots working worldwide — that's one robot for every 5,000 people, according to Marshall Brain, founder of How Stuff Works and author of Robotic Nation. Robots are currently analyzing documents, filling prescriptions, and handling other tasks that were once exclusively done by humans/MSNBC.com. Click here for list of jobs that could be replaced by a robot. (AP file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: Could a robot do the job that you now do?
Daniel Boyer looked down at his outfit and shrugged. His blue button-down shirt was tucked into khaki pants and a belt ran around his waist. He adjusted his coordinating blue tie and stood a little straighter. “I kind of like dressing like this better. It’s comfy.” Boyer paused and then flashed a smile. “It makes me look good.” Boyer, 17, likes wearing a uniform every day to North Valley Academy Charter School in Gooding, and he even wears a tie a couple times a week for good measure/Amy Huddleston, Twin Falls Times-News. More here. (AP file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: Did you ever wear a uniform for school? Did it bother you?
In times of severe economic turmoil like those faced in Idaho and most other states at the moment, I've 
noticed a curious legislative phenomenon. With limited ability for legislators to think big about new buildings or highways, they tend to find solutions to problems that may not really exist. The gun legislation, stoked by the National Rifle Association in Idaho, Texas and a dozen other states, seems to fall in that category. College administrators, the State Board of Education and law enforcement leaders - those closest to the vibe on a campus - are universally opposed to the gun legislation that has only come forward because, well, the NRA says its needed to protect our Second Amendment rights/Marc Johnson, The Johnson Report. More here.
Question: Are Idaho legislators conjuring more whacky ideas than usual this session because there's little money to focus on big ideas and projects, so they're creating solutions for problems that don't exist?
In this Jan. 19 file photo, 99-year-old Brigadier Gen. Mayhew “Bo” Foster, in his dress blues, speaks to the AP at his nursing home in Missoula, Mont. Foster, a retired brigadier general of the Montana National Guard who flew captured Nazi leader Hermann Goering into Allied hands at the end of World War II, has died at 99. Missoulian story here. (AP Photo/Mike Albans, File)
On his Get Out! North Idaho Facebook wall, OrangeTV notes that I Love CDA is asking readers to name their all-time favorite Coeur d'Alene restaurant. OTV, feeling a tad mischievous today, switched the question for his followers, stating: “What is your all-time least favorite, most hated restaurant in Coeur d'Alene and why? Gimme the dirt.”
Question: Is there a restaurant in town — current or past — that you simply loathed?
In the comments section under the Smelly Sneakers thread below, Liz states: “I am not surprised the winner was a nine year old boy. I have a ten year old boy who could win this were he to enter. Absolutely vile.” Which 
prompted me to remember a boy who once inhabited my house whose room had a certain unsettling smell. I dubbed it “eau de boy.” The smell was a mix of unwashed socks, dirty sneakers, sweat, and mounds of stuff in various degrees of decay, including a small baby food bottle of toe nail clippings that were being saved for a friend's birthday. I'm happy to say that the boy married a young woman who keeps a clean house. Unlike his parents, she's been able to train him to pick up after himself.
Question: Can you think of a domestic smell that's worse than a boy or a boy's room?
Lawmakers on the House State Affairs Committee had plenty of questions this morning about Rep. Vito 
Barbieri's bill to set up a separate “Office of Legislative Counsel” to provide legal opinions for the Legislature, sidestepping the state Attorney General's office — and cutting its budget and staff to fund the new office. Barbieri, who is a lawyer but is not licensed to practice in Idaho, said he sees an “inherent conflict of interest” in the attorney general providing opinions to the Legislature; asked for an example, he cited his health care nullification bill, which the attorney general advised was unconstitutional/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Would you rather have Republican Attorney General Lawrence Wasden's office offering legal opinions on questionable legislation or someone of Vito Barbieri's choosing?
Last week, the regular Dems on the blog were asking for suggestions (tongue firmly planted in cheek) in coordinating their efforts with the IEA. Despite their cynical view of the Joker, I do have some ideas on how to help them:
Question: Do you agree with Joker's suggestions re: the organization needed for Idaho Democrats to regain political ground lost to supermajority Republicans?
“When Idaho Governor Butch Otter, Senator Mike Crapo and U.S. Congressman Raul Labrador arrived in Bonners Ferry Saturday morning, they weren't merely welcomed by the glad-hand crowd,” writes Mike Weland, publisher of the online News Bonners Ferry. “Instead, they had to pass a line of picketers on their way to the Kootenai River Inn … children, teachers, retirees, state workers … local people concerned about decisions our state legislators have made regarding such issues as jobs, education, Medicaid, worker's rights, guns on campus and more.” More here. (Photo Courtesy: News Bonners Ferry)
Question: Is there time for the Idaho Legislature to act this session to outlaw protesters of the governor, Tom Luna, Raul Labrador, and unpopular legislation?
The other day a friend of mine asked me if I had kept up on newly-minted US Congressman Raul Labrador. 
Kind of a “Where's Waldo” thing…only sans the elf hat and the rugby shirt. My friend knew that I had been Raul's Campaign spokesman in the GOP Primary last year (just around this time, actually) and was simply interested in finding out. I think, to some measure, my buddy was asking an honest question that so many folks ask once a freshman is sent back to DC to represent the “home team”/Dennis Mansfield. More here. (Wikipedia photo)
Question: Are you satisfied that new Congressman Raul Labrador is active in Washington, D.C., rather than getting lost in the system?
Judge Rachel Herz smells a rotten sneaker in the annual Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest on Tuesday in Montpelier, Vt. The competitors had their sneakers judged on the conditions of the sole, tongue, heel, toe, laces, eyelets and odor. Thw winner was Sterling Brinkerhoff, 9, from Benjamin, Utah. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)
Question: Do you or anyone else in your family have sneakers worthy of this contest?
On his Twitter account, Idaho state Sen. Steve Vick, R, Dalton Gardens is worried that Gov. Butch Otter will scuttle Rep. Erik Simpson's proposal to allow guns on Idaho college campuses. Vick tweets: “Contact the Governor and urge him to support our 2nd Amendment rights: Otter scuttled last guns-on-campus push.” Vick then provides a link to a newspaper story in which the SR's Betsy Russell mentions Otter's misgivings about similar legislation three years ago here.
Question: If college students have a constitutional right to bare guns on campus, shouldn't high schoolers, at least those 18 years old and older, have the same right to bear arms on school grounds, too?
Item: Teachers union takes first step to repeal education bills/Nishi Gupta, KTVB
More Info: The day after two education reform bills were signed into law, the state teachers union filed petitions to repeal them. The actions of the Idaho Education Association could prevent those laws from ever being implemented. The IEA filed two petitions- one for each reform bill. It's likely a third petition will also be submitted if the third education reform bill, which is up for discussion for tomorrow, also becomes law.
Question: Will you sign a petition to repeal Tom Luna's education “reform” legislation?
It should be obvious to everyone by now that the world is going to end on May 21 or next year on Dec. 21 or sometime pretty darned soon, anyway. So today I must ask: Have you given any thought to what you’re going to 
wear or what to pack when it all comes down? Probably not. I’m guessing that you, like me, are a procrastinator when it comes to those tedious details of life, like doing taxes or preparing an end-of-the-world exit strategy. Part of the problem is that there are so many doomsdays looming. Right now, for example, there are religious folks traveling around the country on a mission. And that is to warn everyone that the world will begin to biblically unravel on May 21/Doug Clark, SR. More here.
Question: Do you expect a biblical doomsday within your lifetime — or even the Mayan calendar 2012 meltdown?
Gonzaga's Courtney Vandersloot celebrates their 89-75 win over UCLA with teammate Carter Schick at the end of the second-round NCAA tournament women's college basketball game on Monday in Spokane. See story below. (SR photo: Colin Mulvany)
The House State Affairs Committee has voted unanimously in favor of SB 1070a, the bill to ban assisted suicide and make it a felony. Jason Herring, head of Right to Life of Idaho, told the committee, “All this belongs to God, all this is under His control.” He said anyone assisting with a suicide is “usurping the authority of God and robbing the deathbed of all that is precious and holy in His eyes.” He said, “We believe the state of Idaho has a vested interest in promoting and maintaining what is righteous and just in the eyes of God”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Does your faith tradition support or oppose assisted suicide?
More Info: Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, onboard the USS Kearsarge, a US Navy vessel stationed off Libya's coast, which was involved in the recovery of the crew, said two aircraft were involved in the rescue operation. “The two pilots are in good condition. They are expected to be heading possibly to this ship which has excellent medical facilities on board.
Question: Do you understand what our mission is in Libya?
Idaho’s governors have met with the Idaho Press Club during the annual legislative session since the 
tradition began with Cecil Andrus in the early 1970s. They did it because they honored the media’s duty to inform. But this year, Gov. Butch Otter begged off. On Feb. 25, spokesman Jon Hanian told a club organizer Otter would end the streak “due to scheduling constraints.” On Monday, Hanian dispensed with the niceties. “The governor said, ‘Look, I’m not going to do it this year.’” Lt. Gov. Brad Little has agreed to fill in Wednesday. Otter declined my requests for comment. Otter’s clamming up seems more common now that he faces lame-duckhood/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Is Otter obligated to talk to the media?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
If Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are the three milestones in the long walk toward winter, can we say that Groundhog's Day, the beginning of MLB spring training, and daylight-saving time are the three steps toward spring — for every place in U.S. but Inland Northwest? Can you suggest three other milestones in the march toward spring? While you're considering the possibilities, I'll post the Wild Card …
Washington State guard Klay Thompson, right, drives around Olkahoma State guark Markel Brown in the first half of an NIC Tournament basketball game tonight at Jack Friel Court in Pullman. WSU stopped Oklahoma State 74-64 to earn the right to host a quarterfinal game in the National Invitational Tournament against Northwestern at 8 p.m. Wednesday. ESPN boxscore here. And: WSU athletic department photo gallery here. (AP Photo/Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Geoff Crimmins)
The Washington State Cougars took another step toward New York on Monday night, and they didn’t have to leave Beasley Coliseum. And they won’t have to. The Cougars’ 74-64 National Invitation Tournament victory over Oklahoma State came in front of more than 5,000 and left WSU (21-12) just one win away from the semifinals at Madison Square Garden. They face their final hurdle Wednesday night when Northwestern comes to Pullman for a quarterfinal contest. The Cougars moved on thanks to the 21 points of Klay Thompson, another 17 from Brock Motum and timely contributions from just about everyone else/Vince Grippi, SR. More here.
Gonzaga's Courtney Vandersloot (21) is chased by UCLA's Markel Walker (23) and Christina Nzekwe (4) as she races upcourt during the first half of their second-round game of the NCAA women’s college basketball tournament Monday in Spokane. Vandersloot scored 29 points and dished out 17 assists en route to becoming the first woman and man in Division I history to score more than 2000 points and hand out 1000 assists, in leading the Lady Zags to an upset 89-75 victory over UCLA. The win sends the Lady Zags to the Sweet 16 round for the second straight year. Associated Press story here. And: ESPN boxscore here. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
For a second straight year, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are headed to the Sweet 16. Behind senior point guard Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga rallied past the eighth-ranked UCLA Bruins, pulling away to an 89-75 win in an NCAA women’s basketball tournament game Monday before a sold-out, raucous crowd at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Gonzaga (30-4) will take on the Xavier/Louisville winner across town at the Spokane Arena on Saturday. Xavier and Louisville play Tuesday/Spokesman-Review. More here.
DFO: If you didn't see tonight's game — and have never seen Courtney Vandersloot handle the ball — set aside time in the Sweet 16 round and do so. You can thank me later.
First Lady Michelle Obama and Chilean First Lady Cecilia Morel walk past the troops during an arrival ceremony at La Moneda Palace in Santiago, Chile, today. Reportedly, Chile President Sebastian Pinera engaged in personal chitchat with President Barack Obama. “I think the first lady of the U.S. is very good-looking,” Pinera declared during a joint news conference with Obama in Santiago midway through Obama's Latin American tour. According to Pinera, the sentiment was mutual. “President Obama has said the same about the first lady of Chile.” More here. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Question: What do you make of the exchange between Obama and the Chilean president re: the beauty of each other's wife?
Let's make this one short,
instead of eternal,
and let's make damn sure
we blow up the Colonel.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
There were a few whoppers told on the House floor today in the debate over HB 193a, the bill to block citizen 
lawsuits over giant megaloads on Idaho roads. First, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, pictured, repeatedly said the companies shipping megaloads will post a $250 million bond to cover damage; the bond is actually $10 million. Secondly, Harwood told the House repeatedly that the giant loads are only permitted to travel from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., and said, “They only travel from 11 at night 'til 4 o'clock in the morning, and I'm not sure there's a lot of scenic people out running around from 11 at night 'til 4 in the morning looking at scenery.” Actually, the giant loads are permitted to travel from 10 p.m. until 5:30 a.m./Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: How many whoppers should an Idaho legislator be able to tell before his nose starts growing?
Anneliese Walser, 6, and older sister Gretta Walser, 9, Boise, help get a kite ready for flight on a windy first day of Spring with their parents Chris Walser and Ashley Davis at Camel's Back Park in Boise Sunday. The National Weather Service in Boise reported wind gusts up to 48 mph Sunday which downed trees, power lines and blocked some residential streets. (AP Photo/Statesman: Darin Oswald)
Three fans reach out for a ball, but not before San Francisco Giants first baseman Travis Ishikawa, right, can make the catch for an out on a ball hit by Chicago Cubs' Alfonso Soriano in the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game Sunday at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, Ariz. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Paul Connors)
Top Cutlines:
The paragraphs that conclude Cameron Rasmusson's (Bonner Daily Bee) report on the Bonner County Lincoln Day Dinner Friday are interesting: “Finally, local legislators took their turns at the mic. Rep. Phil Hart, 
R-Athol, and Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens outlined their support for the strategy of nullification. Keough, Bonner County’s only legislator present, emphasized party unity. 'At the end of the day, we’re all Republicans,' she said. 'We’re all after the same thing.' ” It's noteworthy that Hart & Barbieri from House District 3 (northern Kootenai County) spoke when District 2 Rep's George Eskridge & Eric Anderson weren't even present. Mebbe the latter two got snagged in Boise. (Photo: Eric Anderson, R, Priest Lake)
Question: What do you make of the absence of Anderson and Eskridge and the presence of Hart and Barbieri at the Bonner County Lincoln Day event?
“Since my NCAA bracket is busted,” posts Joker in the Wild Card thread “I think we should have some fun at the Legislators’ expense. How about a March Madness Tournament for whackiest politician in Idaho.
(Make your picks):
Question: Who would win this competition? Who would be the Cinderella story? Can you think of a way to improve Joker's brackets?
Kama Griffitts, the former Coeur d'Alene High star who led NIC's Lady Cards to the national NJCAA women's basketball championship in Salinas, Kan., Saturday, is all smiles as she returns home. You can see more photos of the homecoming by Kerri Thoreson/More Main Street here.
Hucks Online numbers (for week of March 13-19): 47,906/29,148
College of Southern Idaho celebrates after the Eagles won the NJCAA men's basketball national championship game 72-64 over Midland College, Saturday, at the Sport Arena in Hutchinson, Kan. Stories here and here. (APhoto/The Hutchinson News, Travis Morisse)
Question: With the NIC Cardinal Lady Cardinals winning the women's NJCAA title in Salinas, Kan., can we now declare Idaho to be the junior basketball capital of the nation?
HubieN75: In the comment thread re: the High Noon topic about wearing hats, HubieN75 brings up an interesting point 
when he writes: “I was always taught to remove my hat indoors. But that bit of etiquette seems to have slipped into obscurity.” As I type this post, I'm wearing my green-and-tan Huckleberry Hound baseball cap, for protection against the glare from neon lights overhead. But there are times that I'll keep my ballcap on while dining at a local restaurant. I'll remove my Indiana Jones hat, as I was taught as a kid. But the ballcap seems to be a tweener to me.
Question: Should you remove a baseball cap while eating in a restaurant? And/or (for those who answered yes to the first question): Should you remove a baseball cap while eating at a fast-food place like McDonalds or Taco Bell?
There's an error in the poll to the right in which I ask for a grade for Sheriff Rocky Watson's tenure at the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department. I mention two-plus terms. It should be three-plus terms, 17 years in all so far. You can read Alison Boggs' story about Watson's plans to retire here.
The Vandals will open the 2011 season with a rematch against Bowling Green at home and two tough, nonconference road trips to Texas A&M (Sept. 17) and Virginia (Oct. 1). The Vandals released their schedule today. For the first time in years, the lineup doesn’t include a game against in-state rival Boise State due to the Broncos’ move … to the MWC. The nonconference schedule also includes BYU Nov. 12/Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.'
Question: Would you rather see the Vandal footballers play Boise State or Brigham Young?
Otis Experience: Here’s a story problem for you: I’ve been selling Girl Scout cookies. In Washington, they’re 
$4.00 a box. In Idaho, they’re $4.25 a box. Now… “liberal” Washington has no sales tax on food, so that’s why they’re only $4.00. In “conservative” Idaho, food is taxed. Therefore, the same box of cookies is $4.25. Now… I’m confused. Shouldn’t ultra-Republican Idaho be the one where you can buy Girl Scout cookies… tax-free? And that doesn’t even factor in Idaho’s income tax …
Question: Let's forget for a moment that Girl Scouts in Idaho are forced to charge more for their cookies that those in Washington. Which Girl Scout cookie do you order?
Rescue workers look over the scene of an accident after a children's train ride at Cleveland Park derailed in Spartanburg, S.C. , Saturday. A state inspector falsified a safety report and never tested the children's train ride that crashed over the weekend, killing a boy and injuring dozens, officials said Monday, March 21. (AP Photo/Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Alex C. Hicks Jr.)
Question: How certain are you that the rides you enjoy at the carnival or theme park are safe?
I had some very minor surgery on my face last week, but it left me with a very major Band-Aid. Basically, it’s like 
a neon sign. It’s hard to finesse what befalls your mug. “What happened to you?” a co-worker asked. “Oh, I had a thing taken off my face,” I explained. “Then why do you have a bandage the size of Delaware?” It’s a fair question. I’m the kind of person who hates to draw attention to himself, but I look like the Other Guy on WWE Raw. Worse, I have a moon face and the bandage is on my cheek. It’s impossible not to stare. So here’s my dilemma: Do I let people behold the bandage or the wound underneath?/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here. (SR file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: What would you do — wear a Band-Aid and invited questions? Or show up to work sans Band-Aid?
Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, told the full Senate that it will begin meeting on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in an attempt to complete its work by April 1. Davis said it would be possible to adjourn by that date “only if all the stars align perfectly on getting a few things done.” Davis did point out that the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee “still has some important work ahead of them,” including setting the public K-12 education budget/Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Can you think of a better day for the 2011 Legislature to adjourn than April 1?
At 71, Jeanne Meyer still works as a hairstylist. The Twin Falls woman celebrated her 70 birthday by going 
skydiving. She writes cowboy poetry and has more energy than many 20-somethings. On March 11, she and two other women — Linda Johnson, 64, of Wendell and Karen Taylor, 76, of Burley — competed in the Ms. Idaho Senior America competition at Twin Falls’ senior center. They wore evening gowns, showed off talents and blushed at compliments about their looks as they competed to advance to state competition in Coeur d’Alene. In the audience were more smartly dressed women, most of whom were 50 and older. The message of the event: It doesn’t matter how old you are. It matters how old you feel/Melissa Davlin, Twin Falls Times-News. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Do you think you'll embrace old age … or give in to ailments?
Post Falls police Officer J.D. Putnam returns to his car after a traffic stop on Friday. The department uses Coban in-car cameras to record every stop officers make. Story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
I used to think it old fashioned that my dad always wore a hat. He had a gray one, a brown one, I think, and I 
DFO: Wore my brown hat to work today … and I wore a grey 1940s Dobbs hat to a spring '50s banquet at my church Friday. I like hats. Nice to see them back in fashion. Now if only my 'stache would return to fashion.
Question: Do you wear a hat?
Barry Bonds arrives at the federal courthouse in San Francisco on Monday. The Bonds perjury trial is finally scheduled to get under way, more than three years after baseball's all-time home run leader was charged with lying to a federal grand jury when he denied knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Question: Should Major League Baseball allow Barry Bonds home run records to stand, if he's found guilty of perjury for lying that he used performance-enhancing drugs during his playing days?
Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, pictured, has a new bill up for introduction in the House Ways & Means 
Committee today that he said is “our last gasp before the session is over” to try to block implementation in Idaho of the federal health care reform law. Barbieri sponsored legislation that passed the House seeking to nullify the federal law; it was killed in a Senate committee. Under the new bill, he said, “We're again trying to direct the state agencies to wait until the Supreme Court decision on the … Florida case with (Judge) Vinson.” He said, “We just want to stop things in their tracks until the Supreme Court rules. We're hoping that may rush the process so that we can get a resolution in the Supreme Court”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you think the full Senate should hear arguments on the nullification bill?
State Sens. Melinda Smyser and Russ Fulcher and Idaho Freedom Foundation founder Wayne Hoffman will speak at a Boise State University forum on Thursday re: “What Being Conservative Means to Me.”
Question: What does being conservative mean to you?
Deputy Clerk Pat Raffee has released the list of candidates for local highway districts:
East Side Highway District: Zone 1 — Lorna Casey-Kaiser, David Dasher, Chris Fillios, Joseph B. Whipple; Zone 3 — Mark W. Addington, J.R. (Jimmie) Dorsey, Thomas Little
Lakes Highway District: Zone 2 — Chris Kraft, Weston E. (Monty) Montgomery, Howard “Corky” Witherwax; Zone 3 — Diane Fountain, J. Marvin Lekstrum, Daniel Malcolm
Post Falls Highway District: Zone 3 — Bryan D. Crabtree, Lynn Humphreys
Complete list of highway district and school district trustee candidates here.
Announcement this morning via Twitter by Melissa Luck/KXLY: “Kootenai County Sheriff's Major (and, longtime media contact) Ben Wolfinger announced this morning he's running for sheriff.”
Question: Why do you think Ben Wolfinger is announcing his run for sheriff so early?
Senior Steven Gray leaves the court for the last time wearing a Gonzaga uniform after loosing to BYU at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. (SR photo: Dan Pelle)
March is a bad time to turn the clock back to December. The happy roll the Gonzaga Bulldogs manufactured in the last month of the 2011 college basketball season rallied old believers and made new converts and even energized a program that perhaps needed some sort of psychic nudge or reinforcement, despite more than a decade’s worth of unparalleled achievement. The box-stepping and wheel-spinning that had defined these Zags early on? Washed away. Well, they washed back up Saturday afternoon/John Blanchette, SR. More here.
Question: Did the Gonzaga men's team to better/worse than you expected this year?
No. 11 Gonzaga's Janelle Bekkering, left, fights for a loose ball on the floor during first-half action Saturday. Gonzaga beat No. 6 Iowa in the first round of the NCAA women's tournament and now will face No. 3 seed UCLA tonight in the Kennel. See story below. (SR photo: Christopher Anderson)
Item: Lincoln Day Dinner speaker warns about Islam militants/Nick Rotunno, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: According to Hadian, Islam is not a religion of peace. A large number of Muslims, led by groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, are bent on world domination, he said. “In Islam, peace is achieved when a country becomes predominately Muslim,” Hadian said. “Islam is not just a religion. Islam is a constitution. It is a political ideology.” He spoke of sharia law and jihad, and claimed some Islamic groups are actually fronts for the Muslim Brotherhood. If Muslims are allowed to impose their rules, “Sharia law will not be subservient. It will be parallel,” Hadian told the audience. “Please stop being politically correct.”
Question: What do you make of Shahram Hadian's remarks to the Lincoln Day Dinner crowd at the Coeur d'Alene Resort that Islam is not a religion of peace?
The Hobbit is happening! When it was announced last month that cameras would begin rolling on the highly 
anticipated two-part Lord of the Rings prequel on March 21, naturally, there was a lot of “We'll believe it, when we see it” talk. After all, this is a production that has seen more than its share of setbacks thanks to such things as set fires, threats of union strikes and perforated ulcers. But, sure enough, principal photography did indeed start today at the Stone Street Studios in Wellington, New Zealand, with director Peter Jackson himself taking a moment to post pics to his Facebook page from the film's set/Peter Gicas, Entertainment Weekly. More here. (AP Photo/New Line Productions, Pierre Vinet: Ian McKellan as Gandalf in “Lord of the Rings”)
Question: What is your position on “The Hobbit” — Can't wait to see it? Can take it or leave it?
Five short years since it started, Twitter has become part of the fabric of society for tens of millions of users 
who regularly tweet about their lives and experiences in no more than 140 characters. And it all started on 21 March 21, 2006 with the brief and banal tweet sent by co-founder Jack Dorsey. That first tweet simply read: “just setting up my twttr”. For the last 10 days, Mr Dorsey has been ploughing through his archives to re-send some of the tweets he first sent out. He has also shared some of the e-mails and instant messages that passed back and forth between him and his fellow co-founders, Biz Stone and Evan Williams/Maggie Shiels, BBC News. More here.
Question: Does anyone out there prefer Twitter to Facebook? Why? Why not?
Coeur d’Alene police are asking for help identifying a man who confronted two children who were riding their bicycles near their home just after noon Sunday. Two girls, 8 and 6, were playing near the northwest corner of 12th Street and Young Avenue when a male described as “older” with a thin build approached them. The man pointed at the girls as he exited his vehicle and yelled, “Hey, you two,” Sgt. Brandon McCormick wrote in a news release. The man then said, “Let’s go” as he grabbed for the younger girl. He then chased them a short distance on Young Avenue. The girls made it to their home, where their parents called police/Spokesman-Review. More here.
Question: Are the streets of Coeur d'Alene no longer safe for children?
The bare knuckles are out as Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna, Gov. Butch Otter and their allies in the Legislature press for quick passage of Senate Bill 1184, which attempts to revive the dead K-12 
technology mandate bill, S.B. 1113. Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, led weeks of negotiations to craft a bill “son of SB 1113” that could pass the Senate. The new measure was was introduced Friday. In a email late Friday, Idaho School Boards Association Executive Director Karen Karen Echeverria tells trustees “consequences” of defeating the bill could include forced consolidation of Idaho's 115 schools districts, lost funding for math and science and additional cuts for the state-run Idaho Digital Learning Academy/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Is this an idle threat?
This letter from Curtis E. Stone of Colville appeared in the letters to the editor page of the SR Sunday: The ultra-liberal, anti-gun Spokesman-Review and its columnists Doug Clark, Dave Oliveria and Gary Crooks 
(columns, March 13) are having a field day ridiculing “backwards” Idaho for proposing that college students be allowed to carry firearms on campus. While Idaho’s proposal is probably way over the top, self-defense is certainly no laughing matter. Indeed, our Founding Fathers gave us the Second Amendment for defense of self and nation. The 32 defenseless students, murdered at Virginia Tech, might have appreciated an armed person coming to their rescue. Ditto for the dozens of Chinese schoolchildren, and teachers, killed by knife-armed madmen last year. The bottom line is that the police are spread way too thin to protect all of us all of the time. More here. H/T: Joan Harman
Question: Are individuals who oppose guns-on-campus in Idaho automatically anti-gun?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
OK, the Gonzaga men got Jimmered, as feared. But Coach Mark Few, senior Steven Gray, and the rest of the Zags deserve big props for turning in a 25-10 record after many had written them off — and helping us get through another Inland Northwest winter. Besides, North Idaho College's Lady Cardinals won the NJCAA national title in Salinas, Kansas, yesterday. And two other INW college teams are still playing basketball: the Lady Zags (who'll play UCLA Monday in the 2nd round of the NCAA women's tourney) and the WSU Cougars will be hosting Oklahoma State Monday in the 2nd round of the National Invitational Tournament. Now, to replay the Wild Card …
You can welcome the NJCAA national champion Lady Cards home their victory over Trinity Valley (Texas) in the finals, at 11 this morning at North Idaho College's Christianson gym. (Courtesy photo NIC athletic media)
North Idaho College star Kama Griffitts scores two points against previously undefeated Pensacola earlier this weekend in the NJCAA national women's basketball tournament. Griffitts was named most valuable player as she led the Cardinals to the national NJCAA women's basketball tournament championship with a 90-81 win over Trinity Valley of Texas. (Photo: Max Iselin Photography, courtesy North Idaho College media athletics)
No. 5 seed NIC beat No. 3 Trinity Valley Community College of Texas in the championship game 90-81. Kama Griffitts, a 5-11 guard from Coeur d'Alene, led the Cardinals with 22 points. ShaKiana Edwards-Teasley, a 6-2 guard from Lapwai, added 17, and Tugce Canitez, a 6-2 forward/guard from Izmir, Turkey, finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds. The NIC Lady Cardinals won each of their first three games (No. 12 Georgia Perimeter in the first round, No. 4 State Fair in Round 2, and top-ranked Pensacola in the semifinals) by double digits before the championship round March 19. NIC ends the season with a 32-3 record and a national championship on their third straight trip to the NJCAA national tournament. Three sophomores on the NIC women's team earned All-Tournament honors, Griffitts, Canitez, and Camille Reynolds, a 5-5 guard from Rathdrum/North Idaho College Press Room. More here.
Jimmer Fredette scored 34 points and he had plenty of help from his teammates as Brigham Young crushed Gonzaga 89-67 on Saturday to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 30 years. The Cougars made nine 3s in the first half while building a 45-38 lead. BYU opened the second half with an 11-2 run to stretch its lead to 56-40. BYU finished with 14 of 28 on 3s. Forward Noah Hartsock hit 3 of 3 3-pointers in the second half. Gonzaga closed within 63-55 on Steven Gray’s 3-pointer with 12:18 left. But Gonzaga’s offense went cold for the next 4:15 and BYU rattled off 12 straight points. The Cougars (32-4) led by as many as 24. Elias Harris and Steven Gray each scored 18 points for Gonzaga. Robert Sacre added 17. Gonzaga finished with a 25-10 record. BYU will meet No. 2 Florida on Thursday in New Orleans/Jim Meehan, SR. More here. And: ESPN boxscore here.
… ESPN boxscore here. (Spokesman-Review photos)
A defensive switch and career games from senior Courtney Vandersloot and junior Kayla Standish propelled the 11th-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs past the sixth-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes 92-86 in a wildly entertaining NCAA women’s basketball tournament game Saturday afternoon before a sold-out crowd at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Vandersloot, a Kent native, poured in 34 points, moving within 11 of 2,000 career points. Standish, an Ellensburg native, poured in 30 as she made 15 of 20 shots from the field. It was a switch from a 2-3 zone to man to man in the second half that also proved pivotal for the Zags. Gonzaga (29-4) will take on the UCLA/Montana winner on Monday. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m./Greg Lee, SR. More here.
Question: Are you a Lady Zags fan, too?
U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, second from right in front row, and her daughter Sasha watch a Capoeira performance at Oca da Tribo restaurant in Brasilia, Brazil, this morning. Michelle Obama and her two daughters Sasha and Malia attended a cultural performance with young Brazilians, many from disadvantaged backgrounds who have participated in a range of U.S. sponsored exchange and leadership development programs. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
People ask me how can nuclear experts be so comfortable that after all of the meltdowns, reactor damage and high radiation around the four nuclear reactors that widespread public health and safety isn’t automatically 
threatened. These are people who have worked around radiation all their lives. They know the real threat it poses, both short term and long term. They tend to as a group dismiss some long term threats that other health officials worry about. But they know how quickly high doses of radiation can kill and how it can spread through the food chain. I have long compared radiation to grizzly bears. There is a reason to fear grizzly bears, They will eat you. But if you camp in Yellowstone and keep your food closed up and sanitize your camp the chance you will be threatened by bears is low. Still many people don’t sleep well in a tent overnight in Yellowstone/Rocky Barker, Idaho Statesman. More here. (AP file photo of Three Mile Island)
Question: Would you sleep better near a nuclear reactor or in grizzly bear country?
Kama Griffitts scored a game-high 28 points to go along with eight rebounds, Tugce Canitez added 24 points and 11 boards and the fifth-seeded North Idaho College Cardinals dusted off previously unbeaten and top-seeded Pensacola State College 90-75 in a semifinals game at the NJCAA tournament Friday at the Bicentennial Center. Griffitts, a former Coeur d’Alene High standout, made 8 of her 10 free throws while Canitez missed just one of her 11 attempts. With the win, NIC (31-3) advances to face Trinity Valley (34-2) from Athens, Texas, in today’s championship game at 5 p.m. PST/Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.
Item: Hanging up his cuffs: Sheriff Rocky Watson will not seek re-election/Alecia Warren, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: Sheriff Rocky Watson, who has held his title with the county for a collective 16 years, confirmed on Friday that he will not run for re-election. “I'm just going to retire,” Watson said. “I've been at this a long time.”
Question: How would you characterize Rocky Watson's performance as sheriff?
Item: Pushing the envelope: Idaho leader talks about issues, Luna addresses education reform in Coeur d'Alene visit/Alecia Warren, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: He's ready to lose the wolves, jump on unemployment and reject the new federal health care act. Don't accuse the governor of being wishy-washy on anything. Gov. Butch Otter discussed the state's biggest issues on Friday before an intimate group of elected officials and business representatives at a Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce luncheon. “Idaho, as much as any state, has pushed the envelope, and will continue to push the envelope,” said Otter, speaking at 315 Martinis and Tapas at the Greenbriar Inn.
Question: Is Butch Otter 'pushing the envelope' in his approach to governing? Or being reckless?
It’s good to hear at least one TV talking head who hasn’t quite caved in to the Jimmering of America, though the 
coup will undoubtedly be accomplished today should Brigham Young sneak by Gonzaga and into next week’s Sweet 16. He is the Frednomenon of college basketball, this Jimmer Fredette – not simply because he’s throwing in nearly 29 points per game, but for how he throws them in: no-conscience 30-footers, wrong-footed sideways flicks, silly scoops, delicate banks. That he’s managed to carve out his legend even as his games mostly have been exiled to the triple-digit channels on your dish is even more remarkable. He’s a mythic figure. The Jimmer. This year’s version of The ’Stache. As the Cougars and Zags won here Thursday, the collision of the Jimmer and Adam Morrison cults was inevitable/John Blanchette, SR. More here. (AP file photo of Jimmer Fredette vs. Wofford in NCAA tournament)
Question: Is BYU's Jimmer Fredette as good as Adam Morrison in his day with the Gonzaga Bulldogs?
You’ve heard of “.com” and “.org.” Joining them soon will be their bawdy cousin: “.xxx.” On Friday, the board of 
directors of the Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers, which oversees the Internet’s naming system, approved the creation of a red-light district online for pornographic websites. It follows a decade-long battle over such a name. The uproar over the idea has brought together unlikely bedfellows. Religious groups argue that giving adult websites their own corner of the Internet legitimizes the content. Pornographers worry it will ghettoize their sites. Although it’s meant to be voluntary, they fear governments could try to mandate the domain’s use so that pornographic content is more easily blocked/Associated Press. More here.
Question: Do you think it's a good idea to have an “.xxx” designation for Internet pornography?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
A hat tip to The Bard of Sherman Avenue for providing an ode to March Madness that brought a smile, despite all the myriad world crises — and the miserable performance of the 2011 Idaho Legislature. Never have so many Idaho politicians performed so miserably with so much at stake. But now I'm going to move on to my happy place, thinking about the dominant performance of the 2010-11 Gonzaga Bulldogs in the NCAAs last night. Ah, much better. Now I'll post today's Wild Card …
Montana players start their practice by lining-up for a group photo in the first round of the NCAA women's college basketball tournament Friday in Spokane, Wash. Montana plays UCLA Saturday. (AP Photo)
Question: Do you plan to follow the women's NCAA tournament games at Gonzaga this weekend, featuring the Lady Zags vs. Iowa and Montana (w/former Lake City star Katie Baker in the lineup) vs. UCLA?
In keeping with tradition for the start of the NCAA basketball tournaments, President Obama filled out his 
bracket and the White House released it. Something new was added to the mix this year, however. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich criticized Obama for spending too much attention to basketball and not enough to other things going on in the world. So what do you think…should Obama have skipped bracketology this year to attend to Japan, Libya, the Middle East, Afghanistan, the economy, Iraq, Iran, Republicans in the House, jobs, health care or anything else you think he's not doing correctly?/Jim Camden, Spin Control. More here.
Question: Is Newt Gingrich right in criticizing President Obama for filling out a NCAA tournament bracket?
This drawing of the Cataldo Mission by Gustavus Sohon between 1858-1862 was made while traveling with Captain John Mullan. Courtesy of The Museum of North Idaho. The photo was part of a Spokesman-Review package by reporter Becky Kramer & photographer Kathy Plonka Thursday in which archaelogists questioned the location of a hazardous waste repository near the Old Mission. Story here.
Vanderbilt cheerleaders perform a stunt in the second half of a Southwest regional second round NCAA tournament college basketball game against Richmond on Thursday in Denver. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
Top Cutlines:
Deputy Clerk Pat Raffee just called to provide another late filing in the 3 school trustee races in major Kootenai County districts (Bonnie Beaulieu, in Zone 2/Post Falls) and to say the names listed below represent all candidates who filed before today's 5 p.m. deadline:
On his Twitter page, William Love, Sandpoint educator and son of Marianne Love/Slight Detour, tells of giving his journalism students at the Cedar Post an assignment to write six-word stories on current events. Among the best responses was one about the 20th anniversary of the Rodney King arrest: “Rodney 20 years later, nothings changed.” And: “Egypt revolts. Dominoes fall on Libya.” And: “Tsunami. Earthquake. Nuclear leak. Big problem.”
Question: Can you write a six-word story about a current event?
The following information comes from an e-mail exchange today between Pickett, briefly back in Cairo, and The Inlander (except where noted): “The air strikes happen very fast — you hear the plane and then you have a 
couple seconds to look for cover. But nobody knows where the bomb will land,” she writes. “The person who took that photo [above, Paul Conroy/Reuters] was already on the ground next to a mound of dirt, which was where we were all headed.” It's almost comical to imagine five shooters and their gear dog-piling onto the Reuters guy behind a little dirtpile. But Pickett tells msnbc.com it was the most chaotic, intense situation she has ever been in. And she's been in some intense situations. “Bullets were whizzing past us. You could see the dust stirring on the ground from bullets zipping past our legs. I’ve never taken this much fire before,” she told the site in a phone interview from Cairo/Kevin Taylor, Inlander. More here.
“Sometimes shooting hockey is like being at a boxing match,” posts Colin Mulvany/Snaps & Frames. “This fight at the end of the Spokane Chiefs vs. the Tri-City Americans match was brutal to watch. As my motor-drive blazed away at nine-frames-per-second, the crowd cheered them on.” More here.
HBO Numbers (for Tuesday): 8593/4953; (for Wednesday) 8451/4998; (for Thursday) 8924/5286
Becca Kays holds a giant egg from the chickens she and her brother raise on the 200 block of Johnson Lane in Lockwood, Mont., Thursday. A Montana hen really has something to cluck about. Unofficially, the egg is just over 3 inches tall and a little more than 2 inches wide. Kays' grandmother was going to help with a more accurate measurement. Egg story video here. (AP Photo/The Billings Gazette, Bob Zellar)
Question: Do you eat store-bought eggs? Or farm fresh ones?
… “My golden retriever is smarter than your honor student” — On a white pickup in front of SR’s Coeur d’Alene building Thursday:
Question: Which do you have … a smart dog … or an honor student? Or both?
A committee of parents and representatives of the Idaho Education Association today took initial steps toward a campaign to repeal Senate Bills 1108 and 1110, two recently enacted pieces of Superintendent Tom 
Luna's controversial education package. “We're in the exploratory phase, and no final decisions have been made. But we filed initial paperwork with the Secretary of State in order to start the process and preserve our options to refer these bad laws for a citizens' veto,” said Sherri Wood, President of the Idaho Education Association. “In the coming weeks, educators plan to talk with and listen to parents, business people, community leaders and other concerned Idahoans before deciding whether to proceed with a signature drive and referendum campaign”/Idaho Education Association news release. More here.
Question (for those opposed to Tom Luna “reform”): Would you rather see a recall attempt against Luna or an intiative drive to overthrow the entire education reform package?
Facing mounting pressure from Congress over gray wolves, wildlife advocates reached an agreement with the 
U.S. Department of Interior on Friday to lift the species' federal protections in Montana and Idaho and allow hunting to resume. The settlement agreement - opposed by some environmentalists - is intended to resolve years of litigation that have shielded wolves in the Northern Rockies from public hunting, even as the predator's population has sharply expanded. “For too long, wolf management in this country has been caught up in controversy and litigation instead of rooted in science, where it belongs. This proposed settlement provides a path forward,” said Deputy Interior Secretary David Hayes/Associated Press. More here. (AP Photo/Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks)
Question: Do you agree with the move to de-list wolves?
A Michigan fan cheers with others in the second half of a West Regional NCAA tournament second round college basketball game against Tennessee, Friday, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
Question: Can someone explain to me what Charlie Sheen meant by “Tiger blood”? Can you use it in a sentence?
Last week’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan may be prompting some of you to open your wallets to help those devastated by the disasters. But, as the FBI recently noted, not all charities that show up in your e-mail 
inbox are legitimate. The FBI issued a consumer warning shortly after the quake last week advising against giving credit card information or making wire transfers as the result of an unsolicited e-mail. As with any dealings with an organization you know little about, a healthy skepticism is urged. The FBI said con artists often play on the giving nature of others, and is asking consumers to do their “due diligence” before donating money to a charity/Brad Gary, All Points Bulletin/Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: How can you tell whether a solicitation for money comes from a legitimate source or a scammer?
A read through the new school-reform bill introduced today, SB 1184, yields some surprises: It still seeks to provide a laptop computer to every Idaho high school student. It just pushes the plan back a year, providing laptops and training to teachers in 2012-13, then to a third of high school students the following year, continuing until there's one laptop for every student. It still envisions requirements for online courses; the state Board of Education would be charged with setting rules requiring online courses as a graduation requirement starting with the Class of 2016 - that's students who start 9th grade in the fall of 2012/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Are you surprised that Luna hasn't given up on plans to put a laptop in every student's hands?
Facebook Friend Denise Chamberlain of Coeur d'Alene had one of those days this week. On her wall she 
writes: “you know those cartoons where someone hits their head on a shelf and everything falls on them? I hit my head on the shelf on the freezer door and everything fell on me. 1/2 jug of buttermilk, leftover turkey loaf, bag of french fries and not sure what else. where is a running video camera when you need one?— no injuries and I was able to reattach the shelf.”
Question: Have you ever been bonked on the head by something that fell from a shelf at home? What was it?
President Barack Obama leaves the podium after making a statement about Libya in the East Room of the White House in Washington today. Obama said the U.S. is ready to join international efforts in imposing a no-fly zone in Libya but won't commit ground troops to the effort. Story here. (AP Photo)
Question: Should the U.S. send ground troops into Libya, if necessary, to protect thousands from being massacred by Gadaffi's troops?
I have a confession to make. I yell at the TV when the Zags are playing. (And when my S.F. Giants were playing in the postseason last fall.) Last night, for example, I yelled, “you clown!” when Demitri Goodson fell down in 
the second half to turn the ball over — even though “Meech” performed superbly as a point guard/ball handler all night. When Robert Sacre was getting mauled under the basket while trying to slam home 2 points, I wondered aloud re: where the refs had there heads. Even suggested a spot or two. In my defense, I don't get excited about too many sporting events. I have to care about a team that's in a crucial game. Gonzaga, the Giants, and mebbe Idaho & WSU in good years meet that simple criteria. I miss going to high school football and basketball games to get my yell out. It's therapeutic after a week of running this cyber circus. (SR photo/Dan Pelle, of Gonzaga's Demetri Goodson battles Dwight Hardy of St. John's going for loose ball.)
Question: Do you yell at the TV when the Zags are playing?
Kage Mann: I’m not to happy with Raul Labradors start in congress and given any misgivings, Mary and others 
reaasured me he would be strong on illegal immigration. Yet, he been undecided on many immigration bills up for a vote. Bubblehead says Rep. Labrador was listed as “Not Voting” on the Afghanistan Withdrawal Resolution. Doesn’t he have a spine? He can’t have it both ways, he has to live up to his promises or he’ll be a one term congressman. Remember, Bill Sali? Wasn’t he a one term congressman?
Question: Are you happy with U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador's performance at the beginning of his congressional career?
Wars and earthquakes,
tears and sadness;
a ray of light -
we cheer March Madness.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
She never made it to the big screen working for Disney, but her hair did. Cheryl Prueher of Harrison said that 
the animators took their inspiration for The Little Mermaid’s hair from her own red locks. She grew up in California, learned French while attending private school and ended up working for Disney through a temporary hire agency. Mrs. Prueher and her husband recently retired in Harrison. While in California she worked at Walt Disney Imagineering for a couple years as a French translator and assistant to the project manager in charge of designing Disneyland Paris in the 1980s/Mary Orr, St. Maries Gazette-Record. More here. (Gazette-Record photo)
Question: Which “Little Mermaid” character under the sea would you most want to be?
Four New York Times journalists who were reported missing on Libby Wednesday were captured by pro-Gaddafi forces and will be released. The four are, from left, photographer Lynsey Addario, reporter Stephen Farrell, photographer Tyler Hicks, and Beirut bureau chief Anthony Shadid. The four journalists were covering the fighting in Libya. More here. (AP Photo/New York Times/Associated Press)
Question: Anyone know the correct spelling of Gaddafi?
“Just as farmers use tractors to produce more than they could with horses, laptops will do more for our classrooms” — John Goedde, chairman/Senate Education Committee (H/T: Idaho Reporter)
Really? It’s just the same? A teacher instructing students is doing the same sort of work as a farmer plowing 
a field? What classroom experience is Mr. Goedde drawing on? I taught for six years, and I found that the more technology I introduced to a lesson, the more things went wrong. I finally settled into using the overhead projector and occasionally the TV. Anything more was just asking for trouble. Computers fail. Webpages lock up or move. Computer projectors never seem to work correctly. I see trouble ahead for this laptop program. As I understand things, students will be issued a laptop as freshmen and expected to use it throughout the four years of high school. Here are some problems that I can foresee. Full comment here.
DFO: It's interesting that the two chairman of the education committees in the Idaho Legislature are insurance salesmen from the Coeur d'Alene area.
Question: Would you compare teachers to a farmer plowing in a field?
When Rich Spencer received his paycheck Feb. 22, he didn’t waste any time. He went straight to the bank to 
cash it. The checks from Millwood Manufacturing had been a little rubbery of late, and Spencer didn’t want to take any chances. A co-worker got there first, and his check was cashed. “But I went to cash mine, and they said the account … had no funds available,” said Spencer, a 39-year-old wood craftsman. His co-worker “was about two minutes in front of me. I was really happy for him, because the last two checks for him had bounced”/Shawn Vestal, SR. More here.
Question: Have you ever tried to cash a paycheck that bounced?
Hearty embrace. Ruth McDermid wore her St. Patrick's Day hat as she greeted fellow members of the Rambling Rovers, a senior travel group, during their monthly meeting at Lake City Senior Center on Thursday in Coeur d'Alene. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Maybe these Gonzaga Bulldogs aren’t so much different from their basketball forebears. Or maybe they’re 
completely different. Whatever. Surely there was something eerily familiar in the mere fact of the Zags carving up 18th-ranked St. John’s 86-71 on Thursday night in the NCAA tournament, the final home run in what was nearly a topsy-turvy grand slam at the Pepsi Center. Three double-digit seeds won here in this second-round pod – No. 13 Morehead State, No. 12 Richmond and finally the No. 11 Zags, though it might be suggested that whoever did the math on the last one needs to rotate the beads on their abacus. “We certainly didn’t consider ourselves an underdog,” offered Gonzaga coach Mark Few. Or play like one/John Blanchette, SR. More here. (SR photo: John Blanchette)
Question: How would you compare the 2010-11 Gonzaga Bulldogs to their predecessors?
Item: U.S. House passes measure to cut off funding of National Public Radio/Bloomburg
Sam: NPR’s programming is amazing. Anyone who listened in during the China earthquakes a few years 
back can attest to that. I was in tears driving Snoqualmie pass to Idaho. It was heart-wrenching, educational and well done. They provide a tremendous service. I completely disagree there is any bias whatever in the reporting they do. Sam's full comment here.
Question: Do you think the critics of public radio mimic political leaders and conservative talk-show hosts in saying that public radio/TV has a liberal bias? Or do they say that out of personal conviction after listening to broadcasts?
Even before Japan was hit by an earthquake and a tsunami, Hawaii had been struggling with a budget 
shortfall that seemed suffocating for a state this small: close to $1 billion over two years. But the disaster in Japan has the potential to make what was a bad situation for the state significantly worse. The tour and hotel cancellations began within hours, and they have been continuing — a reminder of how dependent Hawaii is on tourists who make the nine-hour trip here from Tokyo. State officials, well aware of the history of Japanese tourism fallout after other calamities — including the Kobe earthquake in 1995 and the swine flu epidemic in 2009 — are now bracing for a sharp drop in tourism and the revenue it produces/Adam Nagourney, New York Times. More here. (AP photo: Two visitors from Japan take pictures of each other in the waters of Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, recently.)
Question: When did you last visit Hawaii? Would you visit today, in wake of the disaster in Japan and possible nuclear fallout danger?
Lawmakers have unveiled the third piece of a plan to reform Idaho's public schools and boost technology in the classroom. The legislation has undergone significant changes since it was first introduced in the 2011 
Idaho Legislature. Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde says a provision that would have eliminated hundreds of teaching jobs and boosted class sizes is gone, leaving decisions over how to allocate state funding and how many educators to retain up to the local school districts. While a previous version of the bill would have required students to take online courses, the revamped legislation directs the state Board of Education to draft rules governing how the Internet will figure in the classroom/Associated Press (via Eye On Boise). More here.
Question: Do you like this bill better now than when it was first introduced?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a fatality accident that occurred at the Honeysuckle Boat Launch on Hayden Lake. Preliminary investigation indicates at about 9:55 Thursday night that 34-year-old Jennifer M. Gonzalez, of Hayden, drove her SUV past several barrier signs at the Honeysuckle Boat Launch and into the waters of Hayden Lake. A nearby resident heard the crash and called 911. Members of the Northern Lakes Fire Department and Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department responded to the scene and found the SUV about 100 feet from shore in about 10-15 feet of water. The KCSD Dive Rescue Team responded and recovered the female from the vehicle. Medical personnel’s attempts to revive her were unsuccessful. The woman's identity will be released after the next of kin are notified/KCSD news release.
No. 11-seeded Gonzaga took command early with a 12-0 run, built an 11-point halftime lead and cruised to an 86-71 victory over No. 6 St. John’s on Thursday in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Denver. Gonzaga (25-9) will face No. 3 BYU (31-4), which will join the WCC next season, on Saturday. The winner advances to the Sweet 16. BYU eliminated Wofford 74-66. Marquise Carter scored 24 points, Steven Gray hit four 3-pointers and added 16 points, and Elias Harris had 15 for the Bulldogs, who shot over 60 percent from the field for most of the game before dropping into the 50s late. Dwight Hardy led SJU (21-12) with 24 points/Jim Meehan, SR. Gonzaga-St. John's ESPN boxscore here (SR photos: Dan Pelle)
Today is a black day for Idaho public education. As expected Gov. Butch Otter signed 2 Tom Luna's so-called “reform” bills for public education into law. It would be interesting to speculate if Luna and Otter would have been brazen enough to foist this trashing of our education into law in an election year. I doubt it. Mebbe they're banking on the public's short memory. Or mebbe they're right in speculating that the majority of Idaho doesn't care, even though many school districts passed levies this month. I'm glad my kids are through the public education system. I wonder how long it'll take Idaho to slip to No. 50 in terms of public education. Now for your Wild Card …
BYU guard Jimmer Fredette (32) talks to the referee about a BYU foul during the first half against Wofford in a Southeast regional second round NCAA tournament college basketball game this afternoon in Denver. Brigham Young is currently leading Wofford by 6 points halfway through the second half. If BYU and Gonzaga (vs. St. John's in 6:45 game this evening) win, they'll face each other in the round of 32 this weekend. Running BYU-Wofford ESPN boxscore here. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
We're hardly into the gardening season in the Inland Northwest — when already Facebook Friend Val Hughes is on the disabled list. Seems she was gardening today when she tripped backward over something and fell 
on her back side. In trying to catch herself, Val twisted her left hand (fortunately, she says). To add insult to injury, she was working at a time when there was “a little rain, a little sleet, and several waves of that weird snow/hail combo that looks like styrofoam pellets — totally stuck in my hair! It's *very* wet on the ground, especially the leaves on top of the grass. Very muddy, I think that might be what I slipped on.” After Val's FBF Kim Campbell reminded her of a similar fall on a wire last year, Val responded: “I'd been looking at that damned wire just before the fall happened, too — I was saying to myself, 'You won't get me this year.'” Val worked on for an hour. Then she went home to treat her sorrows with a Hungry Man burrito and a bag of ice. She concludes: “Whoopee!”
Question: Do you have any war stories from your time in the garden?
The East Mission Flats Repository in Cataldo, seen on Wednesday,accepts contaminated soil from mine site cleanup.The repository is situated near a historic landmark, the Old Mission,built in the 1850s by Jesuits and ancestors of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. Becky Kramer SR story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Auctioneer Kerry Taylor, center, and the designer of the dress Charlotte Todd, left, and photographer Malcolm Clarke pose for photographs next to the 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. You write the cutline. (AP photo)
Top Photo:
On his Facebook wall for Remember the Roxy, OrangeTV provides this peek back at the Playland Pier of the 1950s. I believe the pier was at the current site of Independence Point. Anyone remember playing on the ferris wheel and other attractions? (Check out other old-time North Idaho photos at OTV's site here.)
On my Facebook page, several friend have re-posted this warning: “On Friday, Facebook will start using your photos in ads that will appear on the profile page of your contacts. It's legal and is mentioned in the fine print when you create your account. TO stop this do the following: Account, Account Settings, Then click on Facebook Ads, choose “No one” on the drop-down menu and save changes. Copy this and use in a status update.”
Question: Are you getting jumpy re: recent changes by Facebook?
Text from the New International Version Bible is shown earlier today in Nashville, Tenn. Mark 1:17 reads, “'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will send you out to fish for people.'” The NIV version uses “people” instead of the more traditional “men.” Story here. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Question (for Bible readers): Would you read a Bible that neutralizes gender? And/or: Which version of the Bible do you read? Why?
Temporary Rep. Gayle Batt, R-Wilder, wants to alter how public agencies handle public records requests and prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to help fund legal challenges. Batt introduced a bill to tighten the 
process for requesting public records from public entities in the House Ways and Means Committee Wednesday. The bill was introduced unanimously and will receive further consideration in the next few weeks. Possibly the largest change in the legislation is a provision preventing charging of large fees for public records requests deemed to be in the interest of public good by furthering knowledge of government. Requests that are not in the interest of the public good – requests to be used in litigation, for example – would be subject to fees equal to preparation time and cost of materials/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Do you support a bill that would allow government to determine if public records requests are for the public good?
Penn State guard Talor Battle reacts after their loss to Temple during a West Regional NCAA college basketball tournament second round game in Tucson, Ariz., earlier today. Temple won 66-64. The Penn State-Temple game was one of several today that was settled in the final moments. You can get all the scores and running scores to this point on ESPN here. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Question: How are your brackets going?
Idina Menzel – well known to “Glee” viewers and Broadway aficionados – will join the Spokane Symphony for a 
concert at the Martin Woldson Theatre at The Fox on May 15, 7:30 p.m. Menzel made her name in 1996 originating the role of Maureen in “Rent.” Then she originated the role of Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway in 2003 and in London in 2006. Her career has been on a roll in the last year because of her recurring appearances on the hit show, “Glee,” as Shelby Corcoran/Jim Kershner, Spotlight. More here. (AP file photo of Kristin Chenoweth, left, Idina Mezel, and cast of “Wicked”)
Question: Which Idina Menzel performance do you like best — as Elphaba in “Wicked,” Maureen in “Rent,” or her recurring role as Shelby Corcoran in “Glee”?
Lincoln-McKinley Primary School third-grader Tristen Willis reacts as he checks out the dorsal fin of a perch in class in Havre, Mont., earlier today. Judy Jones' classroom dissected perch through Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks' Hooked on Fishing program to learn more about the exterior and interior anatomy of the fish. FWP statewide angler education coordinator Dave Hagengruber and Kent Gilge helped the third-graders with the dissection. (AP Photo/Havre Daily News, Nikki Carlson)
Question: Did it bother you to dissect animals in high school or college biology classes?
The House of Representatives on Thursday voted 228-192 on a bill to defund National Public Radio, the vast public radio network whose leadership has been questioned after a series of executive decisions about programming, staffing and reporting bias. Seven Republicans broke with House leadership and voted against the package. One GOP member, Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, voted present/Fox News. More here.
Question: Do you listen to public radio enough to care about this vote?
It looks like the Coeur d'Alene School District is officially on the OpenCDA.com radar. Seems a video re: the proposed McEuen Field renovation was shown in at least one Coeur d'Alene school on Feb. 18. Which prompted Bill McCrory to fire off a request for information pertaining to the showing, in which Parks Director Doug Eastwood appeared, at the school in question and any other schools that might have shown it. McCrory also had 14 questions about the showing, including:
Question: Can you see any problem with the Coeur d'Alene School District airing a presentation about proposed McEuen Field changes, to students who will be affected by them for much of their lives?
For devoted fly fishers, winter has traditionally been a time of quiet meditation at the fly-tying bench. But this 
year, a shortage of premium fly-tying feathers has left both hobbyist and professional tiers clucking over the latest trends to hit the fashion industry. Across America, jewelry-makers and hairstylists have been snatching up the premium chicken feathers used in standby trout-fly patterns such as the Parachute Adams and Elkhair Caddis, creating a sudden run on a market that's ill-prepared for significant fluctuations of demand. “Supplies are just decimated,” said Jim Cox, co-owner of the Kingfisher fly shop in Missoula/Joe Nickoll, Missoulian. More here. (AP/Lewiston Tribune file photo: Steve Hanks)
Question: Do you tie your own flies or fly fish?
An excerpt from letter of resignation by ex-Lakeland School District special-ed teacher Meghan Ridley (aka: Ima HotTeacher): “For someone like myself, who is overwhelmingly passionate about justice, fairness, and doing the right thing, watching the wrong thing happen all around me is extremely frustrating. People who know me know that I 
openly speak about how broken public education is, which is why no one should be too surprised by my resignation. Obviously, I could put my head down, close my mouth and return to my classroom, but at this point, the morally and ethically flawed structure of our system is just too nonsensical to me. I’m done preparing my students with special needs for their grade level ISATs, I’m done being forced to focus on policies and deadlines before people, I’m done being bullied by politicians who couldn’t be more clueless about the system they govern.” Full letter or resignation here.
Question: I once quit a job without a back-up job because my paper (in 1976) at the time was jerking around a friend of mine (Doug Clark, now the SR main columnist). Have you ever quit a job on principle?
Above, you see former Spokesman-Review photographer Holly Pickett at the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia. I'm going to provide a link of Holly literally running for her life with two of the four New York Times reporters/photojournalists who have been reported missing in Libya here. Holly reported on her Facebook wall that she's all right. Journalism isn't all fun & games, as you can see.
The House has voted 56-14 in favor of HB 260, the bill to cut $34 million in state funds, $108 million total, from the state's Medicaid program. All House Democrats and Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, voted against the bill; all other House members voted in favor of the measure, which now moves to the Senate/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise.
Next weekend hundreds of home-school families will gather in Spokane Valley for the 2011 Inland Northwest Homeschool Conference. Attendees can discover new curricula in the vendor hall and participate in a variety of workshops, including special sessions just for teens. Sponsored by Spokane Valley Home Scholars, the annual event offers home-schooling families a place to network, learn and meet new friends. “The conference helps people stay connected and involved,” said organizer Kelly Clark/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here.
Question: Do people who home-school their children generally to a better/worst job than public schools?
A girl with shamrock tights joins in the St. Patrick's Day celebrations in Belfast, Northern Ireland, earlier today. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated every 17 March, with revelers sporting green attire, drinking Dublin's famous black brew Guinness, listening to traditional music and attending parades in honor of the saint who played an important role in converting Ireland to Christianity. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)
Question: I'm wearing a blue pullover shirt & blue jeans today … as I blog my little heart out? What are you wearing? Any green?
Digger: I guess I’m just old fashioned - I still write checks to pay some bills (I did get on the online billpay bandwagon some years back) but still cash my paper paycheck at the bank and collect my cash back at that time. I don’t remember the last time I used an ATM …
Question: Do you still write very many checks?
Statement issued by Butch Otter as he signed Tom Luna's “education reform” bills into law: “I had the privilege 
of signing into law today two bills that have been a long time coming, have been publicly vetted and debated to an unprecedented degree, and will improve the ability of our public schools to fulfill their mission of educating Idaho’s children. But our work is not done. We are committed to continuing our work with lawmakers and stakeholders on legislation to provide students and educators with the technology and flexibility they need to be successful in an increasingly competitive world”/Betsy Russell's full post here. (AP file photo)
Question: Why did Butch Otter sign Tom Luna's education “reform” into law without fanfare?
OK, here we go. The Idaho Legislature's assault on Medicaid is in full swing. On Monday, the House Health and Welfare Committee voted 8-2 along party lines to cut more than $34 million from the state's Medicaid 
program. If passed and signed by the governor, the savings would erase about one-third of the estimated $92 million deficit in the state's 2012 budget. The cuts come at the expense of those who can least afford it by suspending or reducing “programs and treatment for the elderly and adults with severe mental illness and other disabilities,” according to an Associated Press story. We have to wonder if Republicans on the committee seriously considered the proposal or, in a move to save time and energy, went to the default position of cutting anything that's designed to help the most vulnerable in our society?/Murf Raquet, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Do you think the Republicans seriously considered the impact of their cuts on the most vulnerable Idahoans are deferred to their default position of cutting irregardless to balance the budget?
An SOS from Idaho Education Association: “The passage of Senate Bill 1108 makes it more important than 
ever to have school board members with students’ and educators’ best interests at heart. Friday, March 18, is the deadline to file to run in school board elections this May. Below is a list of the seats up for election May 17. (Terms will begin July 1.) Incumbents’ names are provided. You will want to review these office holders’ records and ask them about their stands on the Luna legislation before deciding whether or not to run. Some are supportive of preserving educators’ rights despite the new legislation; others may not be.” The release goes on to list all openings coming up on Idaho school district boards, including Stephanie Powers and Bill Hemenway in Coeur d'Alene. You can read the full list here. (AP illustration)
Question: Which do you think are more important — computers or teachers?
Larry Spencer, in the suit, stands before the State Affairs Committee, testifying on bill to limit ballot-opening to 24 hours before election. Shades of Coeur d'Alene city elections past, Batman? Dustin Hurst/Idaho Reporter sent the photo he snapped to Hucks Nation via Twitter.
Jimmy-Mac: I’m all about following the money but too much is lost on the LCDC goose chase. In all honesty, what type of person do you/would you want in charge of running these types of vehicles? A chemist? Maybe a 
trapeze artist? No, maybe a librarian? A doctor? No, duh, I would imagine you would want a real estate person/developer. Better yet, someone with proven success that is pretty savvy when it comes to banking/financials. I’m sorry but you are not going to be able to find any viable candidates to head up LCDC that are void of investments and interests in downtown CDA. You. Just. Aren’t. That person is a phantom that does not exist. This is the single reason why I don’t buy into what the fiercest naysayers are saying. Jimmy's full comment here.
Question: What qualifications should a person have to be on the board of the Lake City Development Corp?
Humboldt County resident Steve Timmons got the last bottle of kelp at Eureka Natural Foods in Eureka, Calif., about 90 miles south of the tsunami-stricken Crescent City, Ca. harbor, after a run on iodine cleaned out the store's supply and ran up more than 100 names on a rain-check list on Tuesday. Japan's nuclear crisis is spiking demand in the U.S. and a few other places for potassium iodide, a cheap drug that can protect against one type of radiation damage — even though the risk is only in Japan. (AP Photo/The Times-Standard, Josh Jackson)
Question: Are you concerned at all that fallout from Japan's nuclear crisis may expose the Inland Northwest to high doses of radiation? Are you taking potassium iodide as a precaution?
Bank customers could face $5 ATM fees. In Illinois, JPMorgan Chase is testing $5 fees for non-customers, in Texas, it's $4. If the trial runs make enough money, the fees could be rolled out nationwide, the Wall Street Journal reports. HSBC has already hiked rates, charging all non-customers $3 for using the banks' machines. TD Bank, and PNC Bank are now charging their own own customers $2 for using out-of-network ATMs, unless they sign up for accounts with monthly fees as high as $25, the paper reports/Huffington Post. More here.
Question: Are you ready for $5 ATM fees?
The Gonzaga men's basketball team practice Wednesday, March 16, 2011, at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The Bulldogs play St. John's Thursday night in the first round the NCAA Tournament.
Good grief! The Idaho House of Reps has followed Rep. Erik Simpson down the rabbit hole and OK'd the bill that would allow college students to carry guns on Idaho campuses. And some of you guys wonder why I think this Legislature has gone mad? It votes to trash public education, increase spending for prisons why slashing funding for Medicaid, and now at least one house is willing to arm students while it cuts higher education spending. Any minute now House Speaker Lawerence Denney will begin screaming like the red queen, “Off with their heads.” With that happy thought, I'll post today's Wild Card …
Mike Apgar, chief executive officer of Ookla, a startup venture he co-founded in 2006, poses in his home office in Kalispell, Mont. More than three million times a day, Internet users tap into Ookla's free and licensed diagnostic tools such as Speedtest.net. To date the company has tallied more than 2.1 billion speed tests. Story here. (AP Photo/The Daily Inter Lake, Brenda Ahearn)
While I'm trying to keep up with the latest craziness from our North Idaho reps and their playmates, Sidekick Cindy is pampering herself. She writes on her Facebook wall that she's “at Bath & Bodyworks.” Seems Cindy has “applied spritzes of Fiji Passionfruit, Hawaiian Coconut and White Citrus.” Now, she can't remember if I am supposed to be shopping for shower gel or groceries!”
Question: How do you pamper yourself?
Garrison Keillor plans to keep spinning tales of Lake Wobegon's Norwegian bachelor farmers for at least a 
couple more years, but the host and creator of public radio's “A Prairie Home Companion” is dropping more hints that his retirement may be on the horizon. In an interview posted Wednesday on the AARP Bulletin's website, the 68-year-old Keillor said he plans to retire in the spring of 2013. But Keillor said he first has to find his replacement. “I'm pushing forward, and also I'm in denial. It's an interesting time of life,” Keillor told the publication. Keillor told The Associated Press in a follow-up e-mail Wednesday that he'll be 70 in the spring of 2013, “and that seems like a nice round number”/Associated Press. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Are you a Prairie Home Companion fan?
Montana's Katie Baker (22), a former Lake City High star, shoots against Northern Colarado's Lauren Oosdyke (21) during the first half of a NCAA college basketball game at the Big Sky women's conference tournament in Portland, Ore., Friday. Montana won the tournament and is now scheduled to play UCLA Saturday at Gonzaga in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament. See story below. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)
Mike Perry/KHQ snapped this photo of a vehicle that crashed through the front of a laundromat near the southeast corner of 4th & Harrison this afternoon. Story here.
Texas forward Gary Johnson dives into a row of photographers as he tries to keep a ball in-bounds during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Kansas for the championship of the Big 12 men's basketball tournament on Saturday in Kansas City, Mo. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Top Cutlines:
A bartender pours a margarita from a bottle into a young woman's mouth at a nightclub during Spring Break in Cancun, Mexico, recently. Cancun is still a top foreign destination for Spring Break. (AP Photo/Israel Leal)
Question: Do you trust your kids to go on a spring break trip, without going crazy?
Last July, Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, made waves in Idaho’s political scene by announcing that he 
would propose an immigration reform plan similar to one passed in Arizona last year. That effort has stalled, Nonini said, thanks to a court ruling on the Arizona measure. The law was passed by the Arizona Legislature during its 2010 session, but a federal district court judge stripped the plan of its most controversial elements, including a provision to ask for citizenship verification during legal traffic stops. Critics of the law say it would legalize racial profiling, while the U.S. Justice Department contends the bill oversteps state authority and that immigration enforcement is the duty of the federal government/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Would you support an Idaho immigration law patterned after Arizona's?
Gonzaga University ranked No. 121 on the latest US News & World Report ranking of U.S. law schools, 
released March 15. Two years ago GU ranked No. 100 on the annual ratings, based on a variety of criteria, including peer assessment and bar pass rate. The rankings are here. The top five in the latest ranking are: Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia and the University of Chicago. Others from the region include: University of Washington, 30th; Lewis and Clark, 67th; University of Oregon, 79th; Willamette University, 113th/Tom Sowa, Office Hours. More here.
Question: What do you think of the ranking for Gonzaga's law school … and where's University of Idaho?
The North Idaho College Lady Cardinals easily overtook No. 12-seeded Georgia Perimeter College in the first 
round of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament in Salina, Kan., 78-48. Holding a 28-point lead going into halftime, Cardinals sophomores Kama Griffitts, a 5-11 guard from Coeur d’Alene, finished with 16 points and Camille Reynolds, a 5-5 guard from Rathdrum, led the team with 18. With an 18-for-19 showing at the free throw line, the No. 15 Cardinals pulled away with the win, moving to 29-3 on the season. The fifth-seeded NIC women will advance to the next round of the tournament, facing State Fair Community College, which beat 13th-seeded Chattanooga State Community College 66-50 in the second round of competition Wednesday/Stacy Hudson, North Idaho College Press Room. More here. (SR file photo/Kathy Plonka, of Kama Griffitts with state champ Coeur d'Alene Vikings in 2009)
At OpenCDA.com, Mary Souza is asking the public to attend a seminar, featuring Rep. Kathy Sims, Sharon Culbreth, and her. In an e-mail to followers, she writes: “Please come to this informational dinner forum and listen to our presentation. We'll explain LCDC's methods, members and connections. You won't believe how many “dots” connect in the closely guarded world of the in-crowd. Think any of this development is for you? Think again.” More here.
Question: Are you bothered that the city of Coeur d'Alene is planning to use LCDC money to help renovate McEuen Field?
A quarter century can be measured in years but it's the memories that tell the story. Yesterday Bert and I 
celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We've lived a lifetime in those years, adding sons-in-law and three grandsons to our family of girls. There have been losses and victories and milestones and a tear or two. Life. When we married, it was a first for Bert, a brave soul to also make such a commitment to raising three daughters, two of whom were teenagers when we said, “I do.” Now, after all this time I can't imagine a life before he came into ours/Kerri Thoreson, More Main Street. More here.
Question: What's your fondest memory of the last 25 years?
Christie Wood: Is there any room for the moderates? I know of some moderates including myself that are fed up with the extreme ideology of some of our elected officials. Where do we fit in, and is anyone form the Grand Old Party going to come courting us with some meaningful changes during the next election season?
Question: Is it time for another party in Idaho … something that puts moderates on both sides of the political divide together with Independents who have been turned off by the extremism of the 2011 Legislature?
Larry Spencer:
Oh, for the record, Bob Pedersen of Rally Right recently questioned me about if I was really a conservative. You have to be a pretty darn skinny person if you are standing to the right of me, ‘cause just a few inches to my right is the edge of the cliff. And Bob isn’t that skinny!
Question: Who is Bob Pederson and the Rally Right — and how has this organization been able to remain under the political radar screen in Kootenai County?
Taking to the street: Erika Ouzounian crosses Wallace Avenue along with Bob, her dog, in Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
On her Facebook wall, Kelsey Husky offers an excerpt from the latest scam out there. Apparently, the Nigerian scam letter has played out. Now, it's this: “I am Missionary Robinson, a widow and suffering from long time cancer of the breast. … This is why with God in my heart, i contact you to help me give new lives,hopes and days to poor people with the last of all the wealth my late husband left behind.five million united states dollars.”
Question: When did you last get a scam e-mail offering you money from someone stuck in a tight situation overseas in exchange for a small investment?
Wrestlers practice for the NCAA 2011 Division I Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center, in Philadelphia earlier today. The NCAA Division I wrestling championships are scheduled to begin Thursday in Philadelphia, with Cornell and Penn State considered serious contenders to bring a national championship back East for the first time since 1953. (AP Photo)
Question: Did you wrestle in high school or college? Were you any good at it?
Update: The House has voted 41-28 in favor of HB 222, the bill to prevent Idaho's colleges and universities from regulating or banning guns on campus other than in undergraduate residence halls. The measure now moves to the Senate.
Rep. Cherie Buckner-Webb, D-Boise, said she was glad to hear that it's already illegal to drink and carry a 
gun, but she said, “Unfortunately drinking leads to stinking thinking,” and there's drinking on college campuses She urged against HB 222, the guns-on-campus bill. Rep. JoAn Wood, R-Rigby, said she favors the bill and believes students should be able to defend themselves against attacks. “It would certainly calm my fears if I were the mother of a daughter on a college campus,” she said. Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, said, “This bill is not about the NCAA, it's not about whether one shooter can stop another shooter. … In my mind, this bill is about rights”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. (AP photo of Rep. Erik Simpson listening to debate on his bill.)
Question: Can we decree now that the 41 legislators who supported this bill have lost their minds?
Nancy DiGiammarco of Silverwood Theme Park issued this news release: “Every summer hundreds of thousands of guests flock to Silverwood Theme Park expecting to have good family fun and none of that would 
be possible without a happy, well trained staff to greet them. This year Silverwood is going to hire and train up to 1,200 hundred seasonal positions at the park. This is especially daunting as that task includes filling positions ranging from ride operators, lifeguards, food and beverage workers, housekeepers, retail positions to games employees and more. The park looks for all levels of experience from youth seeking that first job to more seasoned job seekers wanting a fun yet hard working environment. Positions from entry level to supervisorial are available and include a first class training program that prepares each employee to meet and exceed the expectations of the many different positions and experience levels here at the park.” Applications available here. And: More here. (SR file photo: Jesse Tinsley)
Question: Have you or a member of your family worked at Silverwood? Can you tell us about the experience?
A North Idaho father is both relieved and anxious for his family to see justice after a convicted child serial killer plead guilty in California court on Tuesday.Joseph Duncan reached a plea bargain with prosecutors in the case of a murdered 10 year old boy.”I don't know if a lot of people do know that Shasta was the one Duncan confessed to, not only that crime but to the murders of those two young girls over in Washington state,” said Steve Groene, the father of Shasta Groene on Tuesday night/Tania Dall, KXLY. More here.
Question: Do you think Duncan will be executed within 5 years?
Sen. Russ Fulcher, R-Meridian, has moved to send SB 1165, the bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks, to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass, and Sen. Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, seconded the motion. Sen. Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, made a substitute motion to send it to the Senate's amending order. She said she was concerned about the bill's lack of provisions for cases of fetal anomalies and the possibility that it could allow incest perpetrators or rapists rights in court/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you support this bill?
“I went out yesterday evening between rain storms, looking for fog in the forest or something interesting,” tweets Linda Lantzy/Idaho Scenic Images. “I'd about decided I wasn't going to find anything, but stopped by this muddy hillside runoff as it was getting dark. It was quite unphotogenic, but as I stood there looking at it, and the bubbles swirling and the splt in the stream, I started to see its beauty. Just a little background on this very intentional image, and a reminder to slow down and really see.” (See Linda's Facebook photos here)
So here was the toss-up, silly as it seems now: Could David Stockton crack the lineup at, oh, Whitworth? This was the pants-seat deliberation three months ago – not even a debate, really, but just a couple of guys in the 
bleachers, considering the state of Gonzaga basketball even before the seeming crisis point of mid-January. Already the assembled personnel was struggling to cope with the demands of the Zags’ usual outsized ambitions. Sent into the occasional breach against the Kansas States and Baylors – with only flickering success – was this freshman weighing all of a buck-fifty, still looking more like eighth-grade class president than college point guard, a nonscholarship audition from the high school up the street. He didn’t seem like a sure thing even at an upper-echelon small college. Was he really going to help the Zags get to where they needed to go this year?/John Blanchette, SR. More here. (SR file photo: Stockton drives against USF)
Question: Do you think David Stockton could crack the Whitworth starting five?
What this adds up to is the same problem that has driven us into endless debt. DFO is willing to sacrifice the future of our nation, so that he doesn’t have to make hard choices now. I don’t doubt DFO’s sincerity and 
compassion and I know I don’t rank high on DFO’s compassion meter. However, I do support the Boise Rescue Mission, Prison Fellowship, Voice of the Martyrs, Stanton Health Care, Our Military Kids, The Gideons, Compassion International, Family Life Inc, my church, and I’m a regular blood donor. However, if I gave as much as I felt like to every charity out there, I would bankrupt myself. I don’t have the money. DFO seems to think that unlike individuals, the government has no limits on its resources/Adam Graham, Adam's Blog. More here.
DFO: If Adam paid attention, he'd know that I have about as little use for the tax-and-spend policies of the last two administrations as I do for the hard-hearted positions of the Far Right tracking Idaho Legislature. I'm amazed that he assumes that I want to bankrupt America's future. Apparently, if you don't sign on to trashing Idaho's schools and urban renewal, cutting Medicaid in favor of more prison spending, repealing the 17th Amendment, etc., you're automatically an irresponsible librul. And you wonder why I've had a bellyful of both political extremes.
With 50 years behind it, the Lake City Playhouse continues to stand strong. Perhaps better than ever, thanks to 
a $150,000 renovation that's on schedule to be completed this year. The significance of the project is clear, said George Green, Playhouse artistic director. “Simply put, it means that our community will have theater that it can be proud of,” he said Tuesday. This season, the Playhouse has increased attendance, is operating on a balanced budget, and the production caliber is of “extremely high merit”/Bill Buley, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here. (In this Kathy Plonka file photo, a young actress waits to perform during a workshop at Lake City Playhouse.)
Question: What play did you last see at the Lake City Playhouse? What did you think of the performance?
We can’t define obscenity, as former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously suggested, but we know it when we see it. And no matter how we personally define obscenity, we don’t want to see it on a public 
library computer monitor, in plain view and more or less at a child’s eye level. Right? That’s why it’s difficult to fault the intention of Idaho lawmakers who want libraries to block Internet porn. But the bill, which sailed through the House Monday, imposes a vague and unfunded mandate on the state’s libraries. The bill would force all publicly funded libraries into the content-filtering business — regardless of whether they have the resources, and regardless of whether they even have a problem/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Do you know what pornography is when you see it?
Rich Cesler, director of the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, looks at a niche wall at the cemetery, where the cremated remains of veterans are stored, Monday.Cesler is part of a drive to find and honor the remains of military veterans. Shawn Vestal's SR story here. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)
Item: County doesn't change school levy vote: Canvass of March 8 election shows option 2 with 86 percent support/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: The commissioners did not re-tabulate the votes, as they were requested to do in a March 10 letter signed by Bill Hemenway, Vice-Chair of the Coeur d'Alene School District Board of Trustees, and Superintendent Hazel Bauman. “We have correspondence about this. Is anyone here from the school district?” asked Commissioner Todd Tondee during the board's public meeting. Since no one from District 271 was in attendance, the commissioners accepted and signed into record the results tabulated by the county elections office.
Question: Did County Clerk Cliff Hayes do the right thing by not listening to the School District's request to change the numbers on Option 2 to reflect a more accurate vote count?
Duane Rasmussen: The local Kootenai County Republican Central Committee has aligned itself with the Constitution Party. Phil Hart and other prominent members of the Constitution Party decided they were tired of 
having no real power. Phil Hart ran for the office of State Representative as a Constitution Party candidate. He was defeated. As he has said many times thereafter, “I can do the math.” He then switched parties and became a Republican. The jury is still out as to whether he however changed his allegence or his belief system. When Phil Hart ran for office as a Republican he won. He has started a party within a party where Constitutionalist are now welcome. Unfortunately the Constitutional Party wing of the Republican Party has taken over the Kootenia County Republican Central Committee and Phil Hart is leading the charge with Vito (Barbieri) on his coat tails.
Question: Has the Constitution Party, through Rep. Phil Hart, taken over the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee?
JohnA: What the legislature is missing is that in their efforts to reign in big city URAs it is the small cities that 
will be ‘thrown under the bus’. For most small cities urban renewal is their only tool to attract new development. It is this new development that is being asked to fund their basic infrastructure needs, like mandated upgrades to their wastewater and water facilities. No airport hangars here, just basic needs that are swamping the budgets of small cities. Example of how urban renewal helped city of Dover below.
If Luna doesn’t like the Legislature, I suppose he could go online and get his own. I’m sure there’s plenty on Craigslist.
Digger: I can just see how that ad would read…
“Conservative super of public instruction seeks hot legislature for good times. Lets meet, have drinks and then, if theres a spark, we can go back to the capitol and legislate. Not really into Democrats… prefer strong, anti-teacher Republicans.. Hit me up with the phrase ‘boo union’ if you’re interested”
Question: Can you propose an ad for legislators looking for counsel other than the legal eagles in Attorney General Lawrence Wasden's office?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
The sky's overcast outside. The Legislature is still in session doing the goofy things that it is prone to do this session, with Vito Barbieri leading the way today. But, hey, a bunch of local college basketball teams have won bids to postseason play, including the Lady Cards, both Idaho Vandals teams, WSU, and, of course, both Gonzaga teams. So let's push Idaho politics aside and just enjoy everything else. Now for your Wild Card …
Devon Unruh, Keven Mack and Rob Enders of the Coeur d’Alene High School Jazz Band perform a Duke Ellington piece during the “Support Jazz in Our Schools” concert hosted by the North Idaho College Jazz Ensemble on Tuesday. (NIC photo: Stacy Hudson)
There’s been a lot of talk lately about rewarding the good teachers and rooting out the bad ones. I’m all for 
that. The thing is, I’m not sure how to go about telling one from the other in a definitive fashion. I was raised in Kooskia and went to Clearwater Valley schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. There was usually about 20 to 25 kids in my classes. I didn’t know enough to worry about class sizes back then. All I knew is that the classes felt too small when it was time for math contests and too large when it came time to read aloud. (I didn’t like math and I loved reading.) I pretty much liked all of my teachers for different reasons/Susan Engle, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Describe the worst teacher you ever had?
Wanted, one duck. When Aflac announced it was giving Gilbert Gottfried the boot for his disrespectful Tweets 
about the Japanese tsunami, it created an immediate job opening for someone with a distinctive talent. According to reports, Aflac will start a nationwide casting search, and already some frontrunners are being mentioned. Fran Drescher, for one, has a trademark laugh and Gottfried's nasal tone, while Joan Rivers posses a loud, raspy voice/Dahvi Shira, People. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Who should replace Gilbert Gottfried as voice of the Aflac duck?
The ConocoPhillips megaloads sit idle on a pull out for Montana Department of Transportation next to Baxendale Volunteer Fire Department on highway 12 west of Helena earlier today. The megaloads are expected to make their way through Helena late Wednesday night. (AP Photo/The Independent Record, Eliza Wiley)
Lisa McLaughin, puts a solidarity T-shirt on the statue of Hans Christian Heg on the Capitol Square, Saturday, in Madison, Wis. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Wisconsin State Journal, Steve Apps)
Top Cutlines:
Jordyn Odegaard plays the bass with the Post Falls High School Jazz Band, which joined with the Lake City and Coeur d’Alene high schools and the North Idaho College Jazz Ensemble during the “Support Jazz in Our Schools” concert at NIC Monday. (NIC photo: Stacy Hudson)
With the hour approaching 5 p.m., Senate Local Government Chairman Joe Stegner, R-Lewiston, announced that his committee's hearing on two urban renewal bills will continue tomorrow, though he'll keep going now to 
hear two more people who've signed up to testify. Much of the testimony today has been in favor of urban renewal. Melissa Anderson, economic development director for the city of Twin Falls, said, “Frankly, it's the only tool that we have within the community to help create the jobs.” Twin Falls got a call center in the past year that added 750 new jobs, she said. “Without urban renewal, that project would not have happened, those 750 jobs would not have been created within the city of Twin Falls”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: So, if most of the public testimony is against the bill, can we assume that the Senate Local Government Committee is going to overwhelmingly approve another bill that the public opposes?
Governor Howard Dean will be the guest speaker at the Idaho Democrats “Spring Training” luncheon on April 16 at the Coeur d ‘Alene Resort & Casino in Worley. Shelley Landry, Interim Executive Director of the Idaho 
Democratic Party remarked, “We are honored to have Governor Dean as our guest speaker. We couldn’t have found a more dynamic person to come speak on innovative strategies and ways to significantly strengthen our party.” As chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Dean created and implemented the “50 State Strategy.” Under his leadership Idaho benefited from significant resources that were dedicated to revitalizing the Party by building and strengthening the organizational tools, technological capabilities and infrastructure required to win/Idaho Democratic Party news release. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: What could Howard Dean say to Idaho Democrats that would make a lasting difference?
Idaho lawmakers approved legislation that could encourage doctors to tell state officials when their patients 
shouldn’t be on the road. The law, backed by the Idaho Medical Association which represents doctors, would shield doctors from retribution, including potential lawsuits or discipline from a professional board, if they tell the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) to suspend someone’s license. The Idaho Senate unanimously passed the plan Tuesday. It previously cleared the House. The legislation could be used to encourage elderly Idahoans, as well as anyone suffering from a mental or physical disability, who are incompetent to drive to not get behind the wheel/Brad Iverson-Long, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Do you know someone who shouldn't be driving for reasons of medical problems or age?
Interesting flyer e-mailed around this week by a Kootenai County Republican Central Committee official (and by Republican women in Sandpoint) — a Sandpoint Patriots meeting featuring speakers from Idaho Freedom Foundation, Constitution Party and Idaho Rep. Phil Hart …
Question: Anyone know much about the Sandpoint Patriots movement?
The Kroc Center announced today that it will expanding parking at the popular community center by 140 
spaces to 353 spaces by this fall. In a news release, the Salvation Army Kroc Community Center said work will begin May 2 and end in mid-fall. The current lot will be repainted and a one-level parking garage will be constructed at the west end of the current parking lot. The $2.6 million project will be largely funded by a newly awarded $2 million grant from The Salvation Army Territorial Kroc Center fund. The remaining $600,000 will be funded by local Kroc Center building reserves. More here. (SR file photo)
Question: Has the crowded parking situation at the Kroc Center prevented you from becoming a member or attending events?
The board that assesses Idaho’s most dangerous sex offenders is asking lawmakers not to drop the violent sexual predator (VSP) designation in a proposed overhaul of the state sex offender laws, though that tag has 
come under constitutional fire. Members of the Sex Offender Classification Board (SOCB) say they’re also concerned that victims of sexual crimes could have less input as the board potentially expands and broadens its scope. … Idaho currently has more than 50 men listed as VSPs, which means they committed serious sex crimes and are deemed by the board as posing a high risk to offend again. However, the SOCB has been unable to label someone as a VSP since a 2009 Idaho Supreme Court case ruled the process of deeming offenders as violent predators violated the state constitution/Brad Iverson-Long. More here.
Question: Should especially dangerous sex offenders in Idaho be labeled “violent sexual predators”?
Musher John Baker is congratulated as his team crosses the finish line to win the the 2011 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 in Nome, Alaska. Baker, 48, of Kotzebue, Alaska, is the first Alaska Native musher to win the world's longest sled dog race since Jerry Riley did it in 1976. Baker also shattered exactly by three hours the race record held by four-time champion Martin Buser, who completed the 2002 race in eight days 22 hours 46 minutes. Baker completed the race in eight days 19 hours 46 minutes. Story here. (AP Photo/The Anchorage Daily News, Bob Hallinen)
Some years I remember to register for Bloomsday well in advance and feel very prepared. Other years I might 
be in shape for it, but forget to register until the last minute. Bloomsday is less than two months away, so this is your reminder (and mine) to register and to start training. Free community training clinics offered by Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Group Health started last Saturday and continue for the next six weeks at Spokane Falls Community College. A big part of being ready is having the right shoes. I recomm end you get them now so you will have sufficient time to break them in/Dr. Alisa Hideg, SR. More here. (SR file photo)
Question: Do you plan to run Bloomsday this year?
“The Bachelor” wrapped up in a mushy season finale Monday night, with Mercer Island resident Chantal 
O’Brien, pictured, playing second fiddle to a 25-year-old single mother from North Carolina. Bachelor Brad Womack, not to be confused with this “shaving fun” Ken doll, chose Emily Maynard to be the show’s latest Disney princess lucky lady. “You’re my once in a lifetime,” Womack gushed to Maynard. This is his second time on the show, so one would assume he knows by now. Womack sealed the deal with a ring and the what were possibly the most poetic words ever heard on a reality TV show: “I love you, baby”/Amy Rolph, Seattle PI's Big Blog. More here.
Question: Would you want to participate in “The Bachelor,” if you were single?
Iditarod musher Trent Herbst, Ketchum, Idaho, works with his dog team at the Unalakleet, Alaska, checkpoint during the 2011 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Monday. Herbst was the leader at the halfway point of the race but currently is running 25th. John Baker crossed the finish line first earlier today to reclaim the title of Iditarod champion for an Alaska Native musher. (AP/Anchorage Daily News photo: Bob Hallinen)
Kerri Thoreson, More Main Street, writes: “Exactly one year ago today I was photographed for a public service 
ad for a wonderful local organization. This image, with the background knocked out, appeared in the quarter page newspaper ad that ran multiple times. It wasn't vanity that made me cringe each time it was published, it was astonishment that I'd become so obese and unhappy. So when a few weeks later my sister Janna saw that The Biggest Loser was holding a casting call in Portland, I was ready to make the trip with her. We didn't make that BL cast, although in Sept. we were on the short list before being cut. It was then that Dr. Pennings and Dr. Neal offered hope in the form of the Optifit program and the rest is history.” More here.
Question: Do you need to lose weight?
Boos to DFO and Cheers to the Fiscal Rehab 7: I don't usually pick on DF Olivera at Huckleberries Online. He's been pretty decent to me over the years. However, I got to give him a boo for his attack on 7 Conservative 
State Senators as being “clueless” for voting against making a change that would allow Idaho unemployed workers to claim additional benefits against a bill “when. It.(sic) Doesn't. (sic) Cost. (sic) Idaho. (sic) A dime?!” Where exactly does Mr. Olivera think this money is coming from? His question seems to be how could Idaho refuse FREE FEDERAL MONEY! Because it isn't free. The money that Conservative Senators like Russ Fulcher and Steve Vick said no to is coming from our great grandkids/Adam Graham, Adam's Blog. More here.
DFO: I wished Adam would spell my surname right, if he's going to boo me. BTW, the supermajority of you readers who agreed in an HBO poll that our 7 (Vick plus all Kootenai County's House reps were “clueless” also deserve the boo. I suppose.
Now that Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna’s education reform bills are becoming reality 
the Luna backlash is in full swing. A Facebook page set up by the Committee to Recall Tom Luna has (as of today) 3,239 “Likes” and another Facebook page titled “Recall Tom Luna” as of this writing had just over 200 “Likes”. There is also a Twitter page called, “Recalltomluna” that has (as of today) 36 followers. … My feeling is that along with many Idahoans who Luna calls his silent majority there is also a silent majority of Idaho Educators who quietly support Luna’s plan but are afraid to speak up/Idaho Conservative Blogger. More here.
Question: Do you agree with Idaho Conservative Blogger that a silen majority of educators support Superintendent Tom Luna's “reform” plan for public education?
Joseph Edward Duncan is shown in this artist rendering in August 2008 in Boise. The convicted mass-murderer pleaded guilty today to the 1997 murder and torture of 10-year-old Anthony Martinez in exchange for life in prison without parole. The guilty plea brings Joseph Duncan his 10th life sentence, in addition to nine previous life terms and three death sentences, admitting to the death of four members of the Groene-McKenzie family near Coeur d’Alene. Story here. (AP file photo)
Question: Is there anyone out there who believes this mad dog shouldn't be put down?
It looks like we'll be able to stage Blogfest '11 this spring … at Steve Widmyer's Fortgrounds Tavern again. But we need some suggestions for possible dates to stage the annual event. We're a month beyond the usual celebration. Huckleberries Online turned 8 on Feb. 16. So feel free to make suggestions about possible dates. Or anything else to make this year's Blogfest special …
Brian Goffin pulls a new batch of salt and pepper shakers shaped like Idaho potatoes from a kiln in his basement, where he creates My Spud Stuff potato-themed ceramics with his wife Anna Baumhoff in Boise. Sales could increase for their business and other Idaho producers, as the state's Department of Parks and Recreation has a new initiative to buy locally for the 18 state-managed parks that have retail areas. Story here. (AP Photo/The Idaho Statesman, Darin Oswald)
Question: Do you have any Idaho specific trinkets around your house? Please describe them.
The guns-on-campus bill, HB 222, was scheduled to come up for debate and a vote in the full House this 
morning, but when its turn arrived, House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, rose and said, “We're going to wait for a little bit more information on HB 222. There's a couple of questions we needed answers to, and so with that, I'd ask unanimous consent that HB 222 hold its place on the 3rd Reading Calendar for one legislative day.” No one objected, so the bill was held/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you think this bill is going to pass the Idaho House?
Joker: I think you are dead wrong to characterize politicians like Phil Hart and Vito Barbieri as uberconservative. They’re not. Vito and Phil are constitutional terrorists. They use our constitution to diminish 
the rights of others and to advance their own jhad against our government. They demonize anyone who says they are wrong. They use fear to cower rational people. They’ve managed to take moderate Republicans and make them quake in their boots. They use the Bible to attract followers, using the scripture to advance an agenda that has nothing to do with God. They protray government as evil, an agent of the devil. They say that public employees are corrupt and are with sin. They say they must be purged — their wages slashed. Their retirement gutted. They pretend to be good common folk with salt of the earth values. But it is lie. More below.
Question: Do you agree/disagree with Joker that the politics of Phil Hart and Vito Barbieri goes beyond uberconservatism?
Coeur d’Alene resident Jonathon Mueller was enjoying a meal with his wife at a downtown Tokyo restaurant last week when he heard the rumble that was a massive 9.0 quake that devastated northeastern Japan.“It started out as a rumble, and then it got more intense, and things were bouncing around,” Mueller said.Mueller, a landscape architect, was in Tokyo for business and was a witness to the evacuations around Tokyo as the quake and its aftershocks hit/Erik Loney, KXLY. More here.
Question: Have you heard from any friends or loved ones who are now in Japan?
I was raised with a work ethic that, quite simply, consists of working hard and being rewarded with a paycheck. I don't require the constant validation and praise that the self-esteem movement of the 1990s brought to my 
generation of workers. The self-esteem movement, of course, was the idea that everyone is a winner and, regardless of how small or meaningless an action is, should be met with great praise and a gold star. For example, at lunch the other day I overheard a young man, quite obviously a college student, complaining to the person on the other end of his cell phone about how terrible his current employment situation was. The complaints were loud and quite fervent, ranging from his job's training policy to how he never gets any bonuses. The icing on the cake was how unfair it is that his boss can afford a new car but can't afford to give him a raise. Give me a break/Henry Johnston, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Do young adults today have the same work ethic as those of 25 years ago?
Ah, the coming of spring. Could there possibly be a more glorious time of year? As Shakespeare once 
penned: “When daisies pied, and violets blue, and lady-smocks all silver-white …” TATTA-TATTA-TATTA- TATTA!!! Excuse me. As Shakespeare was saying: “And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue do paint the meadows with …” TATTA-TATTA-TATTA!!! Sorry. I can’t recite the immortal Bard of Avon when all I’m thinking about is an infernal bird. A woodpecker, namely/Doug Clark, SR. More here.
Question: How do you handle woodpeckers that come rappin', tappin' on your house?
Gonzaga woman's basketball players front row, left to right, Shannon Reader, Carter Schick, Courtney Vandersloot and Meghan Winter react to finding that they will play the University of Iowa in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane. (SR photo: Colin Mulvany)
Demonstrators show signs reading 'Switch off' and flags reading: 'Nuclear power, No Thanks' as a protest against the nuclear power policy of chancellor Angela Merkel's government near the German parliament in Berlin earlier today. Germany will take seven of its 17 nuclear reactors offline for three months while the country reconsiders plans to extend the life of its atomic power plants in the wake of events in Japan, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday. (AP Photo/dapd/ Axel Schmidt)
Question: Do you trust nuclear power in wake of the events in Japan?
Toward the bottom of an Idaho Press-Tribune profile article about Wayne Hoffman and the Idaho Freedom Foundation, which he heads, a quote of considerable note. Especially to Idaho state employees, local 
government workers, and retirees. The article’s main point was how influential the group has become in the Idaho Legislature, and it surely is. One person quoted suggested it was now more influential than the long-running most-influential lobby organization, the Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry. It may be, and if it is, that’s probably in considerable part because its views – libertarian, generally anti-government – are in alignment with those of a lot of Idaho legislators. Which makes the quote of note. The article noted that Hoffman’s group has “plans to propose changes” to the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho, which handles retirement payments for state employees and many other public workers in the state. Of PERSI, Hoffman was quoted as saying: “It’s a bad system, it should go away”/Randy Stapilus, Ridenbaugh Press. More here.
Question: Will Idaho Freedom Foundation and uberconservative Idaho legislators target public workers next? Should they?
Item: KTEC may get early start/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: Construction of the KTEC (Kootenai Technical Education Campus) high school is back on track for an early start. Idaho House members voted 62-7 Monday in favor of a bill that would allow construction of the professional-technical high school to begin later this year. “This will get contractors working sooner and get students in that school sooner,” said Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, sponsor of the revamped bill.
Question: Would you rather have KTEC or properly funded local schools?
Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, persuaded a divided House State Affairs Committee this morning to 
introduce his bill to create an “Office of Legislative Counsel” to provide opinions on the constitutionality of proposed legislation, rather than turning to the Idaho Attorney General's office. Barbieri, sponsor of this year's unsuccessful health-care nullification law, which the AG's office advised violated both the U.S. and Idaho constitutions and lawmakers' oath of office, is an attorney, though he's not licensed in Idaho; he disputed the opinion. Barbieri said the Legislature can hire attorneys of its own choosing. “We have that power right now,” Barbieri told the committee. “So it is not a change with respect to our power”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Should the Idaho Legislature hire attorneys for opinions that'll tickle the ears of Barbieri and other uberconservative playmates or rely on the attorney general's office per usual?
According to state Rep. Robert Schaefer’s world view, urban renewal offers nothing that can’t be achieved with a loaded gun. Urban renewal was devised to help cities fix blighted areas. This financing tool isn’t needed in 
small towns, Schaefer said during a recent legislative hearing, because it’s understood that most locals are packing heat. Unfortunately, Schaefer isn’t the only legislator with a shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later mindset about urban renewal. Many of the Legislature’s conservative stalwarts — lawmakers who never pass up a chance to rail about what they consider federal overreach — have no qualms about meddling in local governance. Lost in this commotion is the fact that, when it’s done right, urban renewal fosters economic development, to the benefit of local and state government/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Why do conservative legislators who rail about federal overreach have no qualms about meddling in local governance when it comes to urban renewal?
I'm looking forward to an extra hour of daylight rain today, as we continue the push toward real spring. Meanwhile, it's nice to know that the Cougs will be playing Wednesday in the NIT and the Zags Thursday in the NCAA tournment. I don't think I'd want to be Saint John's playing a No. 11 seed named Gonzaga. Just sayin'. Now for your first Wild Card of the work week …
Jasmyn Yarborough, 7, left, and her older sister, Autumn, 11, wash off with water from a garden hose after participating in a shaving cream pie fight at the Children's Museum of Houston's celebration of Pi Day in honor of Albert Einstein's birthday, Monday, March 14, 2011, in Houston. The event began at 1:59 p.m. (1.59 because the numbers follow pi, 3.14159, the infinite, non-repeating number). Approximately 50 people took part in the event throwing over 500 pies that used 55 cans of shaving cream to make. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Michael Paulsen)
Question: Have you ever been in a pie or food fight?
In the comments section, Cindy writes: “So, I have this FB friend who often takes my status
updates and posts them as her own. She also routinely posts quotes without attribution and says nothing when people comment, “Omigosh. That’s so awesome!” And that’s my pet peeve of the day. Aren’t you glad you asked?
Question: Do you have a pet peeve involving Facebook?
I enjoy March Madness as much as the next guy or gal. But you're not going to see me blogging, tweeting, or Facebooking about my bracket picks like some others do. Seriously, I don't care which team amateurs think is going to win between Butler and Old Dominion in the first-round matchup between No. 8 & No. 9 in the Southwest bracket in Washington, D.C. I might care of Dick Vitale or some other expert offered a prediction. I'm not going to fill out a bracket. Rather I plan to sit back and enjoy the upsets in the first 2 rounds, keeping my fingers crossed, of course, that the underdog in the Gonzaga-Saint John's matchup in Denver wins.
Question: Do you fill out the NCAA Tournament bracket? If so, do you broadcast your picks? Or simply await the outcome of the office pool to blow or not blow your horn?
Federal agents and local authorities raid a medical marijuana operation today in Helena, Mont. Authorities from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, Lewis and Clark County sheriff's office and Helena police watched over at least eight people in handcuffs outside Montana Cannabis west of Helena Monday afternoon. The greenhouse is the length of half a football field and packed with marijuana plants. Story here. (AP Photo/The Independent Record, Eliza Wiley)
Young fans: From left, Yara Clark, 10, Rowan Murray, 11, and Ceci Harader, 11,protest Saturday in Seattle to reinstate Pluto as a planet. The students also wrote letters to the International Astronomical Union, which in 2006 reclassified Pluto as the largest object in the Kuiper Belt. Pluto's existence was confirmed 81 years ago Sunday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Seattlepi.com, Joshua Trujillo)
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Students at The Evergreen School in Shoreline, Wash. hold up nearly 5,000 digits of the number Pi, each digit written on a link of a paper chain, during the 22nd annual Pi Day today. Pi is the number that expresses the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Though it’s a number with no endpoint, its digits start with 3.14. (AP Photo/Seattlepi.com, Joshua Trujillo)
Question: Are you good at higher math?
It’s not often that I wake up to find a day that has been left unplanned and unscheduled. So, while everyone 
else took that rare opportunity to spend the day relaxing, reading, playing games, and taking naps, I headed outside to clean the garage. It’s been a long winter, and things tend to pile up out there, to the point where it starts to resemble a hoarder’s house, with its teetering stacks of newspapers and cardboard boxes. By spring, it becomes downright dangerous. After about an hour of cleaning, I realized the only thing I was doing was moving things from one side of the garage to the other. Even with careful attention during the past year to not adding more junk to our house, there still seems to be a problem of “too much stuff”/Idaho Dad, A Family Runs Through It. More here.
Question: Do you have too much stuff in your garage?
“An autographed poster from the original Grease! movie, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, was the door prize at Saturday night's Grease Sing-A-Long event at North Idaho College,” posts Kerri Thoreson, More Main Street. “Over 1,000 people, many in costume, enjoyed the sing-a-long and an appearance by Ellen Travolta.”
Hucks Online numbers (for week of March 6-12): 53,088 page-views/32,256 unique views
Question: Which “Grease” character were you in high school?
Iditarod musher Hugh Neff, from Tok, AK arrives at the Kaltag checkpoint during the 2011 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Saturday in Kaltag, Alaska. Neff was running in fifth place, according to Iditarod standings filed this afternoon in Alaska. Trent Herbst, the Sun Valley teacher who'd led at the halfway point, has fallen to 22nd. You can see the standings here. (AP Photo/The Anchorage Daily News, Bob Hallinen)
Also: Ketchum's Herbst: The fastest guy on 56 legs/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News
Question: Do you follow news of Alaska's Iditarod at all?
Based on the experience of myself and Jesi one recent sunny afternoon, the sandwiches served up at the new 
Jimmy John's store in Coeur d'Alene seem closer to the idea presented by UrbanDictionary's definition (the first one, dirty bird). Fortunately, Jimmy John himself seems to be sort of aware of this. “Ok, so my subs really aren't gourmet and we're not French either,” he explains in a paragraph at the top of his menu. “My subs just taste a little better, that's all! I wanted to call it Jimmy John's tasty sandwiches, but my mom told me to stick with gourmet. She thinks whatever I do is gourmet, but I don't think either of us knows what it means. So let's stick with tasty!”/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: When did you last eat something that would be considered grourmet?
A car recovered from Hayden Lake this morning was stolen by the owner’s 18-year-old son, police say. Richie 
L. Childers and a 17-year-old boy crashed the 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier into Hayden Lake at Honeysuckle Beach during a joyride, then lied about what happened, said Coeur d’Alene police Sgt. Christie Wood. Wood did not immediately have details on how the crash occurred, including whether the teens were inside when the car hit the water or if alcohol was a factor. The car, owned by Shelley Childers, was reported stolen from 3572 N. 15th St. at 5:25 a.m., Wood said/Meghann Cuniff, SR. More here. And: Complete Coeur d'Alene police news release here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Question: How long would you ground your kid for pulling a stunt like this?
Sex trafficking and modern slavery aren't typical subject matter for artists, especially Coeur d’Alene’s Mary Dee Dodge. She’s better known for her brightly colored, whimsical works, often made with her husband and fellow 
artist, Allen. Yet her mind turned to the sex trade when interpreting the prompt “pleasure without conscience.” It’s one of Mahatma Gandhi’s social sins that are the focus of the Human Rights Education Institute’s new art installation. Dodge resurrected the impact of a book she read, The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam, which detailed the Cambodian woman’s escape from the Asian sex trade. On an eight-by-fourfoot panel, Dodge conjures images of an anti- Eden: A pregnant woman covers her head and belly in fear and Cerberus — the three-headed hound guarding the gates of Hades — binds women with chains made from snakes. Another woman submits but cries a river of tears/Carrie Scozzaro, Inlander. More here. (Inlander photo)
Question: Which local artist do you consider best?
At the Inland Northwest Motorcycle Show & Sale Friday, John Yeats sits atop a motorcycle that he and his wife built. They are hoping it will break a speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah this summer. Chelsea Bannach's SR story here. (SR photo: Colin Mulvany)
Question: Do you like going fast?
It would have been easy, amid the bevy of anti-education-reform signs and slogans, to miss the small “Cronin 
for Governor” sign near the front of Wednesday’s Capitol Park rally. It would have been impossible to ignore the chants of the same refrain after Rep. Brian Cronin, D-Boise, finished his remarks to the gathering. The next night, it was Cronin who engaged in a de facto one-on-one debate at Timberline High with state Superintendent Tom Luna over his “Students Come First” reform package. He drew heavy applause from the students. The weeks of debate over the reform plan have pushed Cronin, in his second term from District 19, into the limelight as the face of the opposition/Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Let's pretend the Idaho Legislature is like Major League Baseball, and it's possible to trade legislators. Which North Idaho legislators would you be willing to trade for Rep. Cronin?
On March 3, 2008, 54-year-old Roger Kreutz was waiting in line at a St. Louis area Starbucks when Aaron 
Poisson, a mop-haired 19-year-old from Georgia, grabbed the coffee shop's tip jar, containing less than $5, and sprinted outside with it. Kreutz, a relatively wealthy owner of a couple hotels in the area, took it upon himself to give the bandit chase and, in the process, wound up dead when the teen accidentally backed his getaway car over him. Now, with Poisson convicted and most of the family at peace, Kreutz's father, Edward Kreutz Sr., is suing Starbucks, claiming that the company should have known that an easily reachable tip jar would be too tempting for petty thieves and their crime-thwarting nemesi to resist/Curtis Cartier, Seattle Blogs. More here.
Question: Do tip jars at counters represent too much of a temptation for thieves?
Norman Kump has a passion for rabbit meat. Give him a chance and he'll tell you all about the benefits of 
bunny. It's lean, it's affordable, it's grown locally. And the Jerome rabbit processor hopes to introduce more Idahoans to the product. Kump grew rabbits when his children were small, but the family abandoned the practice when they moved to Arizona. When they relocated to Jerome two years ago, they took up rabbits again. At the time, Kump couldn't find many other rabbit growers or processors, so he built his own rabbit enclosure and went through the steps to get certified. Rabbit meat is non-amendable - or wild - so the meat itself doesn't have to be inspected/Melissa Davlin, Twin Falls Times-News. More here. (AP Photo/Times-News/Ashley Smith: Norman Kump holds one of his rabbits at his farm and meat-processing kitchen north of Jerome.)
Question: Have you ever eaten rabbit? Would you? How does it taste?
Montana's Katie Baker (22) looks for space against Northern Colarado's Kim Lockridge (23) and D'shara Strange (3) during the first half of a NCAA college basketball game at the Big Sky women's conference tournament in Portland Friday. Baker, a former Lake City High standout, and the Lady Griz won a ticket to the NCAA tournament by upsetting Portland State to win the Big Sky Tournament Saturday. Story here. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)
On her Facebook wall, Taryn Hecker-Thompson tells of a conversation between her children. Bailey was telling his sister, Faith, about heaven: “There are no bady days. Every day is a good day and the streets are made of gold.” To which Faith responded: “No fair. Mom gets to die and go to heaven way before us!”
Question: What is your concept of heaven?
Sergeant Andy Boyle of the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department was called in to the scene of a submerged car at Honeysuckle Beach in Hayden Lake this morning. The car was reported stolen in Coeur d'Alene early Monday morning. Alison Boggs' SR story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Idaho libraries would be required to filter Internet access for adults, under legislation that just passed the House on a 63-7 vote and headed to the Senate; they're already required by federal law to filter Internet access for children. Rep. Mack Shirley, R-Rexburg, said a group called “Citizens for Decency” brought the idea to him. “As a result, I've done a lot of personal research into this topic,” he told the House. “My personal research has convinced me that pornography poses one of the greatest destructive forces … on the youth”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you agree with Rep. Mack Shirley that “pornography poses one of the greatest destructive forces … on the youth”?
… that a local man who doesn't want to be identified as donated the money needed to make repairs to a Mexican food stand that was vandalized a month ago. The anonymous donor told reporter Alison Boggs that he stopped by the stand with his wife and son and bought some tacos and had a nice chat with (owner Ignacio Sanabria) before writing him a check to cover the damages done by vandals last month. Though police have no evidence linking white supremacists' picketing the stand and the vandalism, the man said: “We just really feel strongly that there's no place in this town for racists and that's not how the majority of us feel and as much as they keep … acting out, we're going to keep fighting them.” Tacos Los Panchos, the stand at 2102 N. Fourth St./CdA, sustained $1,500 in vandalism damage on Feb. 10-11. Sanabria discovered the vandalism when he opened for business on Feb. 11. Someone had cut the power, propane and heater lines to the trailer. Tacos Los Panchos and two other Mexican food stands — El Chiludos, 3000 Government Way, and Taco Works, 6th & Best — have been targeted for protests by white supremacists this winter. The racists have told food stand workeres to go back to their own country.
Tim Florin and his group of Funsters pass out beads and candy to spectators along Main Avenue at the 33rd annual St. Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday in downtown Spokane. (SR photo: Dan Pelle)
Question: Do you wear green on St. Patrick's Day?
The House has voted 62-7 in favor of HB 236, a revamped version of Rep. Bob Nonini's bill to let the Kootenai Technical Education Campus, a joint project of three North Idaho school districts for vocational ed, move up its construction schedule by a year, by spending money as it comes in from a tax levy, rather than waiting until the money's all in before building. Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, told the House he worked with some of the lawmakers who objected to his earlier version, to include provisions including requiring contractors who bid on the project to be informed up-front that payment could be delayed if taxes lag/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Why do you think Nonini is pushing this legislation to hurry up construction of the Kootenai Technical Education Campus when he is at the point in pushing Tom Luna's questionable reforms?
We were disappointed to see the Coeur d’Alene press editorial today, pitting well-meaning citizens against 
each other unnecessarily over accessibility to Tubbs Hill. The CDA Press promotes a false choice between accessibility and protecting the natural setting — both values important to our community, but not necessarily competing. As we wrote previously, we believe the Tubbs Hill experience should be accessible to people of all abilities, but perhaps such accessibility should be part of an overall strategy for Tubbs Hill, not McEuen Park/Terry Harris, KEA Blog. More here.
Question: Do you agree with Terry Harris that Tubbs Hill shouldn't be included in discussions about a McEuen Field upgrade?
To the delight of many Republicans and the consternation of Democrats, the conservative, free market education and public policy organization has helped shape many of this year’s most important pieces of 
legislation, from changes in urban renewal laws to opposition to wolf introduction. What may be the best indication of how successful the Freedom Foundation has become this year comes from someone on the opposite side of the political spectrum, House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston. Rusche compares the organization to the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, or IACI, long considered by lawmakers as Idaho’s most powerful lobbying group. “They have an incredibly large influence here,” Rusche said about the Freedom Foundation. “I think this session they’re more influential than IACI.” And not in a good way, according to Democrats like Rusche/Mike Butts, Idaho Press-Tribune. More here.
Question: Are you happy/sad that Idaho Freedom Foundation is recognized as a force in 2011 Legislature?
A proposal from two lawmakers and a group of North Idaho residents to go back to gold and silver currency 
failed to get introduced in a House committee last week – or even to draw any motion to act on it at all. Reps. Phil Hart, R-Athol, and Rep. Lenore Barrett, R-Challis, joined with the “Idaho Sound Money Task Force” to propose the bill in the House State Affairs Committee. Tom Dillon, of Sandpoint, chairman of the Legislative District 1 Republican Central Committee and a member of the task force, told the panel, “The evidence is overwhelming that the federal reserve system has failed in its duties to stabilize the economy. … It is an emergency situation”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Are you surprised that Hart would be involved in an attempt like this to go back to gold & silver currency, an idea that didn't even attract a motion to hear it?
The education “reform” package sprung unexpectedly on Idaho by schools super Tom Luna has claimed its first victim. Meghan Ridley, a special-ed teacher and teacher of the year recipient in the Lakeland School 
District, has had enough. She quit her job last week after being accepted into a Gonzaga University doctoral program. Meghan, whose battle with anonymous Coeur d’Alene Press online commenters has been chronicled here, said the teacher rallies, letters to the editor, speeches before uncaring legislators, and unwanted “troll” attention over the “hot photo” took a toll. She told Huckleberries she had an epiphany after she got more attention over a newspaper photo that showed a hint of cleavage than she had attracted during her years as a teacher. So she said she embraced her “sexy teacher” alter ego and launched a Facebook page under the pseudonym “Ima HotTeacher,” where she plans to continue fighting the Luna-tic legislation to overhaul Idaho education/DFO, SR. More Huckleberries print here.
Question: Have you ever quit a job over a matter of principle?
Coeur d'Alene police gathered in the halls of Woodland Middle School in Coeur d'Alene on Friday after a stabbing. An eighth-grader was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault in the knife attack. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Greg Gumbel, the Bert Parks of Selection Sunday, hadn’t even taken his first breath when the yowling began drifting in from Bracket Nation. UAB? Clemson? If the NCAA committee was going to put anyone in, why not 
Northwestern, which has had its nose against the glass for 73 years? The overall No. 1 seed, Ohio State, in a region with North Carolina, Syracuse and Kentucky – while Pitt gets valet parking to the Final Four? More teams – 68 – are in the NCAA basketball tournament than ever before and still the complaints and conspiracy theories topped all previous records, except at Gonzaga University, where both opportunity and perspective have been hard-won. “This is one year,” coach Mark Few said, “I would have crawled on broken glass to Cleveland to play”/John Blanchette, SR. More here.
Question: Who will win opening round game between Gonzaga & Saint John's?
It’s a Wild West sideshow at the Idaho Legislature these days, where some of the elected buckaroos are trying to rewrite the “Three R’s” of higher ed. If they get their way, college soon will be a place of “Reading, 
’Riting and Rugers.” A legislative committee has passed and sent a measure to the House that would let anyone openly pack heat on any Idaho college campus, including football games. What could possibly go wrong? I’ll tell you. Sometimes the college football rivalries bring out the worst in otherwise sane individuals. Take Boise State President Bob Kustra, for example. Last year in a football flap, Kustra accused the University of Idaho of harboring a “nasty, inebriated” culture. Man, the Vandals fans were livid. Well, at least they were after sobering up, anyway. The point is that things can get pretty crazy during football season. Obnoxious fans sometimes hurl empties at their enemies. Do we want to see some of these besotted loons becoming even more armed and dangerous?/Doug Clark, SR. More here.
Question: Do you think athletic events between rivals like Boise State and Idaho will become more dangerous if students are allowed to arm themselves?
Re: Not ready for stabbing at Woodland Middle School
Today’s (school resource officers) are even busier. They are spread thin with the large volume of students that either commit crimes or are victims of crimes in their own home. On the flip side of that the overall majority of 
students come from a stable home environment and have caring and involved parents. Those students perform very well at school and are successful in their education. But the percentage without that type of support seems to be growing. I often see letters to the editor stating the district is top heavy and they do not need that many administrators. It always makes me shake my head in disbelief. The fact is there are not nearly enough vice-principals to handle the volume of students with discipline and emotional issues. So many parents are absent from the picture, and kids are raising themselves.The schools are doing their best to manage problem students with very limited resources.
Question: Do you see the value of school resource officers and administrators to handle disciplinary problems?
Ken Anderson/Houston Chronicle
One of my favorite times of spring arrives this weekend — daylight-saving time. I look forward to getting home next work week before night falls as a result of springing ahead early Sunday morning. Mebbe the Idaho Legislature simply can waive off daylight-saving time in southeastern Idaho. So Idaho can be on the same time year round — you know, sorta nullify the whole idea. I know, I know … don't give that bunch any more wild ideas. Don't forget to set your clocks ahead tonight. Now for your Wild Card …
Re: Woodland Middle Schooler charged with aggravated battery in school stabbing/Jody Lawrence-Turner, SR
My wife had the re-action I'm sure some of you had when she heard about the stabbing at stabbing at Woodland 
Middle School Friday afternoon. She immediately thought of our eighth-grade nephew who attends one of the other middle schools in town. “That could have been William,” she said. I was too busy listening to the scanner and trying to pull together photos and e-mails from Woodland officials forwarded to me by some of you, to think about the personal repercussions. My attention was riveted the minute I heard a dispatcher say, “Woodland Middle School … stabbing.” I wasn't sure if I heard those last words right. Stabbing? In one of our middle schools? Coeur d'Alene has changed from the quiet, idyllic place that I moved to in 1984. But I wasn't quite ready for a middle schooler to stab another student. How about you? (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Question: Has the stabbing at Woodland Middle School affected you in any way?
“Life-long Boundary County resident Rick Dinning has spent countless hours stalking the woods and forests of North Idaho in search of big game, but he's wondering if it was time well spent,” writes Mike Weland, publisher of the online News Bonners Ferry. After recently waking up to find this moose, legs in the air, lying dead in his yard, Dinning told Mike: “You can spend countless hours out in the wilds of Idaho stalking the big game of your choice. Or just let them come to your house and lay down and die.” (If you want news of the Bonners Ferry area, you have to check out Mike's news site here.)
Question: What is the biggest critter that you've ever hunted?
There are a number of people in Boundary County, younger folks, mainly, who complain that there's nothing to do 
here. Back in the day, they'd have called it a one horse town. There is one man in this county, however, who finds plenty to do in all seasons, and those who watch can set their seasonal clock by him when he hitches up his one-horse shay and makes his first six-mile trip to town after the snow breaks. In his one-horse shay, Wayne Nishek is as sure a harbinger of spring as the robins. He does have one problem, though. In a town filling up with parking lots, he has no place to hitch his horse. “The last time I came to town,” he said, “my mare got upset because there wasn't a hitching post”/Mike Weland, News Bonners Ferry. More here. (AP file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: Have you ever lived in a place that could be called “a one-horse town”? Did you enjoy the experience?
More than any other of the games that command the attention of the dedicated sports fan, baseball is a game of 
memory. Memories of dads playing catch with kids, the mental image of walking up a ball park ramp for the first or the hundredth time and taking in the sight and smell of the green field, the endless records that record the history and detail of thousands of contests - all are a part of the individual recollections of so many hours spent in the magical spell of the great game. No matter how long you play, watch, read about or reflect on baseball, you will never have it mastered. You can never exhaust the infinite prospect that you will find and enjoy something fresh and new/Marc Johnson, The Johnson Post. More here.
Question: What is your best memory of baseball?
Ada and Canyon counties together, for example, in 2000 together had about 430,000 people, or almost exactly a 
third (33.4%) of Idaho’s total population. In 2010, they together fell just short of 600,000 people, making up 37.1% – a significant increase. In 2010, more than half (52.6%) of Idahoans live in just four counties – Ada, Canyon, Kootenai and Bonneville (the latter joining the ranks of the 100,000+ group for the first time). Ten years ago you needed five counties (adding in Bannock) to get to half. Idaho is becoming more urban and suburban. Suburban especially/Randy Stapilus, Ridenbaugh Press. More here.
Question: Do you prefer the more urban Idaho of today or the more rural one of yesteryear?
When I first started dialysis, I had the blessing of a staff at the center who manages all my financial worries. It’s a huge relief. Dialysis costs around $250,000 a year per patient. It’s a booming business. But how much of that is 
actually the cost of running dialysis? That $250,000 is what insurance companies, and also Medicare as secondary insurance, pay – so what was it originally? I ask this because three weeks into dialysis, I went to Orlando and vacationed near a different dialysis center and later was billed for $8,000 for the week. (My center is $12,000 a week.) When Premera wouldn’t pay (because it was “out of network”), the Orlando center sent me a new bill, written down to $800. That is 90% of the total bill. Then, after I paid $100, they zeroed out the balance. So, dialysis for the week cost me $100/Jeanie Spokane, Nuts & Nonsense. More here.
Question: Are you happy with your health insurance plan?
The most influential member of the Idaho House of Representatives — Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star (pictured) — 
and six committee chairmen say the merit-pay bill passed by the House 44-26 on Wednesday doesn’t add up. Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter can’t responsibly sign Senate Bill 1110, a key part of state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna’s education reform package, until he knows there will be enough revenue available to cover it in the near future. “Every single statutory element has to fit within the revenues,” said Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, on Wednesday. “I budget now 18 months out, and I couldn’t see the strength that will be there in the economy at that point” to cover the bill’s added expense of $38 million in the first year and $51.3 million each subsequent year”/Twin Falls Times-News Editorial Board. More here.
Question: House Education Chairman Bob Nonini bristled at the notion that the merit pay portion of Tom Luna's education “reform” plan is an unfunded mandate? Majority Leader Mike Moyle says there's no funds for merit pay. So what should we call the bill that the House passed this week?
Nick Anderson/Houston Chronicle
Terry Harris, of the Kootenai Environmental Alliance, tweets that Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin is celebrating his 75th birthday today. I first met Clay many moons ago when he was a school trustee running for the Post Falls City Council. I like him from the start. I can't think of anything he has done in his many years as a public servant in the River City that has changed my initial impression … and quite a few things that have enhanced it. So please join me in a shout-out to the type of elected official that all communities should hope to have. Now, for your Wild Card …
An elderly man is being carried by Self-Defense Force member in the tsunami-torn Natori city, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan, today, one day after strong earthquakes hit the area. (AP Photo/The Yomiuri Shimbun, Yasushi Kanno)
On her Facebook wall, Cindy describes hHow to have a horrible, no good, very bad day.” Sez she: “Get keys 
stuck in car ignition. Be unable to get house key off ring. Freak out until son gets keys unstuck. Take Mom shopping. Lock keys in car with engine running. While on phone with husband, begging for rescue, get call from son with severe peanut allergies saying he just “accidentally” put a peanut-butter-covered pretzel in his mouth. I'm not ever leaving my house again.”
Question: Describe your worst day this week.
A baby sitter who pushed a 3-year-old Post Falls boy, resulting in a fatal head injury, will spend at least four 
years in prison. Amanda L. Skogen, 26, was sentenced to 13 years in prison with eligibility for parole after four during an emotional haring today in Kootenai County District Court. Skogen was on her knees when she violently shoved Cohen Johnson on Oct. 4, causing him to fall back and hit his head. She confessed to shoving the boy after he wet his pants, telling police: “I hurt a poor little defenseless boy … And it was all my fault”/Meghann Cuniff, SR. More here.
Question: Are you happy with the sentence?
Leon Rice, a former assistant coach at Gonzaga, has turned the Boise State program around since he rode into Boise last year. Rice has guided the Broncos to a 19-11 record and second place, the best first year by a basketball coach in Boise State history. Here, he's shown being introduced to Bronco Nation at a football game. See story below. (AP file photo)
A South Korean man walks by a board showing how to read lips of GM Korea Co.'s Chevrolet brand at a subway station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday. GM Daewoo Auto and Technology Co., the South Korean unit of General Motors Co., said that it is changing its corporate name to GM Korea and will sell most of its cars under the Chevrolet brand. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Top Cutlines:
“It's hard to believe that I know someone who would try and kill someone else,” said Woodland Middle School 7th grader Marissa DiQuarto, front facing, as she hugged fellow classmates after stabbing at the school in Coeur d'Alene on Friday, reported on Scanner Traffic in 2:27 p.m. item. An eighth-grader has been taken into custody. Jody Lawrence-Turner story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
2:27 p.m. A student has been stabbed in the chest, upper arm, and shoulder at Woodland Middle School, 2102 St. Michelle/CdA. Victim is in the nurse's office. Bleeding is controlled. Police are looking for another student who lives in area of public golf course.
“The forecasts call for rain and then some more rain,” writes Kerri Thoreson/More Main Street.” But our weather glass is half full when the promise of green grass can be seen now that the snow has melted.”
HBO numbers (for Thursday) 10,189/6017, (for Wednesday) 10,115/6028, (for Tuesday) 9464/5627), & for Monday (8209/4992)
In an article titled, “Mr. President: Use the damn bully pulpit!” Sasha Abramsky writes in Salon that Barack Obama should stand up for working people. Otherwise, Abramsky argues, other states will become “reliably 
hyper-conservative” like Idaho. “We are sleepwalking toward the abyss,” says Abramsky, who also writes for Nation magazine. “It’s time for Obama to expend some capital shaking the country out of its slumbers. The Republicans have crossed a Rubicon in Wisconsin; Obama needs to marshal the pushback, and he needs to do so now.” Abramsky suggests Idaho, which in 1985 enacted a Right to Work law barring union membership as a condition of employment, is a measure of things to come if Obama doesn't resist GOP efforts to cripple unions/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Do you mind that Idaho is being held up as an example of hyper-conservatism?
Twitter remarks from Seattle linebacker Aaron Curry regarding religion, and his subsequent reaction to fans 
who expressed displeasure with those comments, are sure to open a few eyes. On his Twitter page @Seahawk59, Curry began quoting Bibilical verses. Nothing wrong with that, of course. But apparently a significant number of Seahawks fans began objecting to his quotations. They told Curry they were going to unfollow him and some even Tweeted they were going to stop being Seattle fans if he kept quoting scripture. To which Curry responded: “People tweeting me saying they gone unfollow me cuz of my GOD-filled verses! Newsflash: I rather have Christ than to have you follow me”/Mike Freeman, CBS Sports. More here. (2009 AP file photo, of Aaron Curry)
Question: Shouldn't a pro football player be allowed to tweet religious verses on his personal Twitter account, even though it might anger some fans?
Dieter Pommer, 3, of Jackson holds his basketball while looking at Milwaukee Buck's center Andrew Bogut as he signs autographs at Uptown Chevrolet in Slinger Thursday. (AP Photo/ The West Bend Daily News, John Ehlke)
Question: Can you remember how young your were when you began playing your favorite sport? Tell us about it.
I experienced a flashback of sorts when I saw this tweet from William Love, a Sandpoint High teacher and former Idaho Press-Tribune sports reporter: “Wow … just clicked on the Account Review of my payment records to UIdaho and found out how much that 3-year party in the 90s really cost.” My college days are much further back that William's. But I still can remember Pioneer Week and other parties at Chico State University. Sorta. Some of those memories are a bit hazy. I'm not proud of that. Just stating a fact.
Question: How much of your college experience/money did you waste partying?
Hundreds of Post Falls High School students staged a walkout today to express their unhappiness with the Idaho bills 1110 and 1108. The two bills proposed by state schools Supt. Tom Luna would strip teachers of 
their bargaining rights and force teachers into a merit-pay system. Both bills await Gov. Butch Otter’s signature. “We just feel that as students that this will affect us and our lives, so we are trying to do all we can,” said Jared Conrad, one of the students who led the protest. Students started the walkout about 10:45 a.m. this morning, during first lunch. Students were told they would not be considered absent despite missing class if they stayed on school property. At one point, about 500 of the high school’s 1,500 students had joined the crowd outside/Jody Lawrence-Turner, SR. More here.
Question: Did Post Falls High officials do the right thing by allowing students to stage peaceful rally?
Spokesman-Review reporter Rebecca Nappi spent the night in a rented van with family members early Friday 
after being evacuated Thursday night from the South Maui condominium where the family was staying. A moderate tsunami wave hit the Hawaiian coast in the early morning hours following a devastating earthquake in Japan. “It was really freaky,” she said of the experience. The evacuation notice came by telephone about 10:30 p.m. to Nappi and seven other members of her family who are on a week-long vacation at Wailea/Mike Prager, SR. More here.
Question: Have you heard from someone you know who's directly affected by the tsunami?
In an Eye On Boise post, SReporter Betsy Russell provides a link to a letter to the editor by Moscow High student Celeste Hufford that counters claims that protesting students don't understand Tom Luna's “reform” legislation. It states in part:
After all the work that I have put into the effort of showing to Tom Luna and the Idaho legislators
that the students of Idaho do not support this legislation, I am deeply offended by Wayne Hoffman suggesting that the students have been “manipulated into believing that Public School Superintendent Tom Luna is attacking our state’s education system.” He says that we “have been fed such propaganda…” that we have no hope of understanding the truth of Luna’s plans. I have put hours and hours into informing myself and the students of Moscow High School about these bills. Jashvina and I made the decision early on that no one in our group traveling to Boise would be allowed to go if they were not informed about the bills and could not hold their ground when explaining them to someone.” More here.
Question: Does it sound as though Celeste Hufford understands what's at stake with Luna “reforms”?
On her Facebook wall, Cindy sez she can't “understand how anyone can sleep without fresh air coming into their room — even when it's freezing air.” I agree with part of the statement. I like to have a fan blowing somewhere in the room. But I'm not tempted to open the window this time of the year. How about you?
Question: Do you sleep with your bedroom window open or shut?
Two people sit near the beach in Seaside, Ore., earlier today, after most other residents evacuated from the town during a tsunami warning following a major earthquake in Japan. At Crescent City, Calif., 4 people were swept into the sea by 8-foot waves and one died. Story here. (AP Photo/The Oregonian, Thomas Boyd)
The Coeur d’Alene School District developed the March 8 ballot language, not Kootenai County’s Elections team. County Elections' staff discussed the implications of the ballot language with school district personnel 
numerous times in the last six weeks. “For the School District to say we did not understand their intent is disingenuous” said Kootenai County Clerk Cliff Hayes. “We confirmed their intent several times.” … Cliff Hayes restated his view, “The County Elections department stands by its work in this matter. We followed the law, we confirmed our understanding at numerous points with the Coeur d’Alene School District, and we have no intention of changing the vote count, which would be a felony”, Hayes said, citing Idaho Code Title 18, Chapter 23/Kootenai County Clerk's Office news release. More here.
Previous: Hayes: “I stand by my decision' and: Clerk's office embroiled in hubbub
Question: Who do you think is right in this flap?
The Senate has voted 24-7 in favor of HB 109, the bill that makes a technical change to prevent Idaho from 
becoming ineligible for extended unemployment benefits this summer and booting 17,000 unemployed Idahoans off of their current unemployment benefits. The bill earlier passed the House on a 41-28 vote after extensive debate, in which opponents argued that federal spending is out of control, unemployment payments shouldn't be extended and out-of-work Idahoans should just get jobs/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Can anyone explain why all 6 state Republican representatives in Kootenai County and now Sen. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens, voted against a bill helping the unemployed when. It. Doesn't. Cost. Idaho. A dime?!
There once was a Mayor named Clay,
Who tried to ignore his big day.
His daughter wouldn’t play ball
Ordering cake and refreshments for all
In hopes of stopping His Honor’s further decay.
MikeK
Twitter: Mike Perry/KHQ tweets: “A very crowded courtroom for the sentencing of Amanda Skogen, babysitter who fatally killed 3yr old Cohen Johnson.” (If you followed Mike on Twitter, you could see a photo of the crowd.) Also: here's Meghann Cuniff's Sirens & Gavels post re: Skogen pleading guilty to manslaughter.
You be the judge: What sentence does Amanda Skogen deserve?
A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes on record slammed Japan’s eastern coast Friday, killing hundreds of people as it swept away ships, cars and homes while widespread fires burned out of control. Hours later, the tsunami hit Hawaii but did not cause major damage. Warnings blanketed the Pacific, putting areas on alert as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire U.S. West coast. In northeastern Japan, the area around a nuclear power plant was evacuated after the reactor’s cooling system failed. Police said 200 to 300 bodies were found in the northeastern coastal city of Sendai/Associated Press. More here. (Associated Press photo)
Question: Do you have friends or relatives living near Japan coast?
There's a bumper crop of sticky notes on the House State Affairs Committee hearing room door this morning, all urging Chairman Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, to hold a hearing on SB 1033, Sen. Edgar Malepeai's bill to expand the Idaho Human Rights Act's non-discrimination protections to include sexual orientation. McKenzie has declined to hold a hearing on the bill, saying conservative senators on his committee won't pass it. More here. (Eye On Boise photo: Betsy Russell)
Question: Should McKenzie hold a hearing on the bill to expand the Idaho Human Rights Act's non-discrimination protection, even if it has no chance of passing out of his committee?
The Idaho Senate has voted 31-2 in favor of SB 1070, which makes assisted suicide a felony in Idaho, revokes the licenses of doctors who violate the new law and allows people to get injunctions to block anyone they think might be planning an assisted suicide. Sen. Russ Fulcher, R-Meridian, the bill's sponsor, said several of Idaho's surrounding states are becoming tolerant of assisted suicide, and he doesn't think Idaho should go that way/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you support this bill, which blocks assisted suicide in Idaho?
The argument has been made so often in this year’s public education debate that it has graduated, unchallenged, into conventional wisdom. Idahoans won’t pay new taxes, even if the money goes to schools. This is state superintendent Tom Luna’s premise behind overhauling public education using existing — and limited — state resources. The voters spoke in November, Luna likes to say, and they said no to new taxes. The voters spoke again Tuesday, in communities across the state. Here’s a cross-section of what they had to say:
Question: Is Tom Luna's correct with his basic premise that Idahoans don't want a tax increase to pay for public education?
Is it not incumbent upon supporters — and especially Otter, the fellow with the biggest bully pulpit in the 
Statehouse — to articulate their case? This is the same governor who, after state superintendent Tom Luna reported his car was vandalized, waxed eloquent about “the Idaho way” of engaging in vigorous disagreement on the issues. I guess the new “Idaho way” is to dismiss the opposition as misinformed rabble. So much for celebrating the common wisdom of the electorate/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: What do you make of Gov. Butch Otter's statements, actions, and lack thereof during the education debate in the Idaho Legislature?
All-North Idaho Girls Basketball Team, from left: Kyeli Parker (Coeur d'Alene), Cassie Thompson (Timberlake), Carli Rosenthal (Coeur d'Alene), Sydney Butler (Lake City). Not pictured: Savannah Blinn (Lewiston), Tanis Fuller (Lewiston), Lewiston coach Pat Teichmer. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Sixty days after this dreadful legislative session ends, round up at least 47,432 signatures from registered 
voters - or 6 percent of the electorate - and demand a referendum on Luna's legislation. That would provide what Luna denied you -empowerment. A chance to be heard. It would be only the fifth time that the voters could repudiate or sustain the actions of their Legislature - the others being sales taxes (1936 and 1966), right to work (1986) and term limits (2002). This would become the defining issue of the 2012 state election. The GOP legislative majority and its agenda would be on trial. Majority vote wins/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Does it make more sense to seek a referendum on Tom Luna's education “reforms” or to try to recall him?
Post Falls added 10,337 residents during the past decade and broke into the ranks of the state’s top 10 cities with 27,574 people, according to data released Thursday. Coeur d’Alene has 44,137 people, and the city of Hayden shot past the 10,000 population mark to reach 13,294. Spirit Lake also grew – adding 569 new residents – to 1,945. Rathdrum added 2,010 residents and now tallies 6,826 residents. The cities helped Kootenai County retain its rank as Idaho’s third-largest county, with 138,494 residents/Betsy Russell, SR. More here.
Question: Will Post Falls catch up to Coeur d'Alene in population within 20 years?
Item: Levy results create confusion: School board trustees to ask commissioners to change tabulation/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: Bauman asked that trustees consider an official motion “requesting the county commissioners to consider changing the tabulation and bring the results into compliance with our intentions from the start.” The trustees unanimously agreed. The decision came a day after Kootenai County Clerk Cliff Hayes told school officials that his office would not change the election tally. “I stand by my decision,” Hayes told The Press on Wednesday.
Question: Should County Clerk Cliff Hayes change the final tally for Option 2 in the recent levy election, as requested by the Coeur d'Alene School Board? Or should he “stand by (his) decision”?
The three men who were hailed as heroes by Spokane’s mayor and police chief for finding a bomb and reporting it to police say they lost their jobs for their actions that day. The three men were employed by Labor 
Ready and working under contract for the Spokane Public Facilities District on Jan. 17, when they came upon a backpack and discovered the bomb that was placed along the route of the annual march commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. The names of the men had been withheld since the incident even as high-profile leaders labeled them heroes. Kevin Twohig, CEO of the district, said they didn’t want to disclose their names until a bomber had been arrested to protect their safety. Twohig released the names on Thursday. They are Mark Steiner, Brandon Klaus and Sherman Welpton/Jonathan Brunt, SR. More here.
Question: What would you like to say to the guy(s) who fired these three heroes?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
Our “Outrage A Day” Legislature has already produced a screwy headline this morning — the 11-8 passage of Rep. Simpson's legislation that would allow college kids to carry guns on Idaho campuses. Imagine that “nasty, inebriated” — BSU's Bob Kustra's words, not mine — gang at University of Idaho packing heat when Boise State comes to town. Or vice versa. Then imagine that fatal shootout in Moscow a few years back when a Dudley Do-Right got plugged while running to the scene with his own firearms. Rep. Kathy Sims underscores how extreme she is by voting with the 11-8 majority in the House State Affairs Committee for this horrible bill. Now, for your Wild Card …
Students demonstrating at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wis., form a peace sign on the floor of the rotunda Thursday. Demonstrations at the Wisconsin State Capitol continue as Assembly legislators voted to approve an amended version of Gov. Scott Walker's controversial budget repair bill. (AP Photo/Wisconsin State Journal, John Hart)
Dustin Hurst, my young Tatooine, is on a roll re: providing ideas for offbeat Huckleberries Online fodder today 
from his Facebook wall. Earlier today, he posted this observation and question: “After seeing my status update from last night blown up with left-right fighting, I'm wondering if there is anything upon which we can all agree. Anyone have an idea?” Dustin's FBF offered these ideas for mutual agreement: “March Madness is awesome.” And: “A Oreo and a glass of milk makes anyone's day better.” And: “”Baby got Back'…..Everybody likes that song.” I offered: “Go Zags.”
Question: Can you suggest something, in this divided society of ours, that we all agree on?
All-North Idaho Wrestling Team, front row from left: A.J. Konda (Coeur d'Alene), James Ost (Post Falls), Hudson Staub (Coeur d'Alene), Cole Jerome (Kellogg), James Hegge (Priest River). Middle row: Coeur d'Alene coach Jeff Moffat, Trevor Hampton (Bonners Ferry), Ben Watt (Bonners Ferry), Tyler Booth (Post Falls), Cody Rabidue (Priest River), Nate McLeod (Post Falls). Back row: Johnny Peregrina (Coeur d'Alene), Cole Jesienouski (Post Falls), Shaun Duffy (Coeur d'Alene), Drew Moreno (Coeur d'Alene), Caleb Davis (Coeur d'Alene), Thomas Tucker (Coeur d'Alene). SR photo: Kathy Plonka.
Male cheerleaders from Bowling Green toss their female counterparts into the air as their team took on Western Michigan in an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament earlier today. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
Top Cutlines:
On his Facebook wall, Dustin Hurst of Idaho Reporter asks this question: “The more I see protests from the 
right and left, the more I am convinced we are involved in ideological warfare. I know this isn't a surprise to anyone, but I'm watching and wondering how bad it will get. Has the county been this divided before? I am too young to know.” To which a friend responds: “Yeah the 60's were pretty bad. But this is round two of that as the ideology and sides are the same except there were less “hippies” and peaceniks than now and they are dressed different.”
Question: Are we more divided today that at any previous time in your life, including (for those old enough to remember) the '60s?
“I can't speak for my bosses, who might feel differently than I do,” writes Farhad Manjoo/Slate. “But as a writer, my answer is no (don't we want every reader to participate, even if they're skittish about revealing their names?) — I don't want anonymous commenters. Everyone who works online knows that there's a direct correlation between the hurdles a site puts up in front of potential commenters and the number and quality of the comments it receives. The harder a site makes it for someone to post a comment, the fewer comments it gets, and those comments are generally better. More here.
Question (for those who have lobbied against anonymous commenters on Hucks Online): Would you be so keen on commenters using their real names if this blog lost a good part of its anonymous commenters?
Lindsay Lohan leaves Los Angeles Superior Court earlier today, followed by her mother, Dina, far left, and sister, Ali, second from left. Lohan rejected a plea agreement Thursday offered by prosecutors in a grand theft case that included a guaranteed return to jail. She told a judge she agreed to delaying her case until a preliminary hearing when prosecutors will present evidence against her. Lohan is accused of taking a $2,500 necklace from a Venice jewelry store. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Question: Is Lindsay Lohan wearing a good outfit for a court appearance?
Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, is asking lawmakers to make temporary changes to the structure of Idaho's grocery tax credit in order to free up at least $27 million for public education this budget year. LeFavour wants to reduce the credit to its 2007 level. LeFavour, a member of the Senate Education Committee, plans to introduce a letter to the House Revenue and Taxation Committee during Thursday's Senate Education Committee hearing. “We recognize the reluctance to raise taxes at a time when the economy is challenging families and businesses but we feel that much deeper cuts in education will also be devastating to both,” LeFavour's letter reads. In LeFavour's proposal, the grocery tax credit would return to full funding next year/Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Would you be willing to give up part of your grocery tax credit to help fund education for one year?
Kootenai County was 1.3% less white in 2010 that it was at the turn of the century. My Spokesman-Review playmates have produced a nifty breakout that shows the break down in ethnic makeup of North Idaho (actually throughout the state) in terms of county, city, school district here. (You can even compare towns, schools districts, county's, etc.) The number of American Indians in the county have increased 33.5 percent in 10 years (from 1,334 to 1,781). The number of African Americans in the county has jumped 127.3 percent from 183 to 416. You can find all the breakdowns statewide here. (See drop-down info re: possible local searches.)
San Jose State's Garrett Ton fouls Idaho's Landon Tatum during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Western Athletic Conference tournament this afternoon in Las Vegas. San Jose State eliminated Idaho from the WAC tournament 74-68. ESPN running boxscore here. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)
A walkout protest by students at Wallace High School ended abruptly when they were told by police that they'd be arrested and have to spend the night in jail, according to a parent who sent the information to Mike Perry/KHQ. The students walked out of class around noon today to show their dissastisfaction for state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna's proposed overhaul of Idaho's public education system. You can see a video of the protest here (caution: S-bomb ahead)
Question: Are you surprised more high school students in North Idaho haven't walked out in protest?
Robert Holding, the owner of the posh Sun Valley Resort, is the only billionaire listed on the Forbes List of billionaires for 2011. Holding, who lives in Sun Valley, was 362 on the list of the world’s richest billionaires. He was 115 in the United States. In addition to Sun Valley, Holding owns Snowbasin Resort in Utah and more real estate in Salt Lake City than anyone except the Mormon Church. He also has investments in energy.
Question: How much do you think Duane Hagadone is worth?
Gov. Butch Otter said Thursday that he plans to sign Senate Bills 1108 and 1110, the first two parts of school superintendent Tom Luna's “Students Come First” education-reform package. Otter is a co-sponsor of the 
legislation. SB 1108 deals with labor negotiations between local districts and teachers' unions and does away with continuing contracts for new teachers. SB 1110 implements a pay-for-performance bonus package for teachers. He said rallies and protests around the state in opposition to the bills has been disappointing. “I've been disappointed that there was so much misinformation out there resulting in a lot of confusion. And I guess I've been disappointed in some ways that folks haven't done the homework that they should have done on knowing and understanding those bills,” Otter said/Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Do you agree with Gov. Otter that opponents of Tom Luna's “reform” package haven't done their homework?
Here is Rep. Brian Cronin’s (D-Boise, pictured) prepared text for his floor debate in the House against Senate Bill 1108 
today. We reprint it here with his permission: “This bill is flawed seventeen ways from Sunday. But rather than talk specifics, the so-called details that many don’t want to be troubled with, let’s talk about the underlying meaning of these bills. I want to start by saying that I resent the suggestion that because I do not support this legislation, that somehow my reaction is emotional or irrational, as many opponents of this plan have been characterized. It’s been suggested that the hundreds of emails I get every week have been written by people that don’t understand the legislation. Such an assessment is as condescending as it is inaccurate”/Bill's Pea Soup has Complete statement by Brian Cronin opposing Tom Luna “reform” plan bill here.
In North Idaho, Post Falls was the boom town, growing 60 percent since 2000. It added 10,327 residents for a total of 27,574, and now ranks as the state’s 10th-largest city, up from 12th a decade ago. Hayden also saw brisk growth of 45 percent. The city added 4,135 residents and now has a population of 13,294. Coeur d’Alene grew 28 percent and Kootenai County grew 27 percent. Coeur d’Alene, which dropped one spot to Idaho’s seventh-largest city, added 9,623 residents since the previous census in 2000/Scott Maben, SR. More here.
Question: Can you remember years ago when Post Falls held a bed race in its attempt to shake off the stereotype that it was a bedroom community for Coeur d'Alene and Spokane?
Boise suburbs were among the fastest-growing areas of Idaho in the past decade, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. Nampa, with 81,557 residents, grew by 57 percent, while neighboring Meridian, at 75,092, grew by a whopping 115 percent, according to 2010 Census details released this afternoon. Ada County, with a population of 392,365, grew by 30.4 percent since 2000, and Canyon County, at 188,923 residents, grew by 43.7 percent. In the Panhandle, Kootenai County saw growth of 27.4 percent. It had 138,494 residents in 2010/Spokesman-Review. Washington Census numbers here.
Question: Is North Idaho getting too crowded for you?
A freight train derailed near Glacier National Park in Montana on Wednesday. No one was injured. BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said Thursday that crews hope to have the line cleared, repaired and reopened by 6 a.m. Friday. Nineteen cars of the 115-car train derailed shortly before noon Wednesday near Essex, about 45 miles east of Whitefish. Nine of the cars carried freight, including lumber products, frozen turkeys and tractors. Some oatmeal also spilled. AP story here. (Courtesy photo: BNSF)
Under a canopy of twinkling white lights at the Sons of Norway hall on Feb. 27, a crowd gathered to celebrate 
the creation of four new families. “This is our first-ever adoption celebration,” said Carol Plischke, Olive Crest’s eastern Washington area director. “We’ve had 12 adoptions this year already.” Olive Crest is a private foster care agency, and its mission is to prevent child abuse, to treat and educate at-risk children and to preserve the family, one life at a time. According to Plischke, at the end of last fiscal year there were 1,609 children in foster care in the Spokane area and 10,357 in the state. Of those 1,609 children, 317 of them were adopted/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here. (Courtesy photo: Tyne, left, and Dawson were recently adopted by Doug and Melody Slachter.)
Question: My extended family embraced its first adopted children when my nephew and his wife adopted 2 beautiful sisters from Ethiopia 2-3 years ago. Is anyone in your family adopted?
A divided House State Affairs Committee sent this half-baked idea to the House floor on an 11-8 vote — over the objections of university officials, who would seemingly have a pretty good handle on matters of campus security. Not much more to add, except my nomination for the inevitable t-shirt slogan: “Nasty, Inebriated … and Armed to the Teeth.” More here.
Question: Can you think of a slogan for college students in Idaho if Rep. Erik Simpson's “half-baked idea” — Kevin Richert's words, not mine (although I agree with them) — re: guns on campus passes?
Trent Herbst of Ketchum, Idaho, drives his team down Fourth Avenue at the ceremonial start of the 2011 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Saturday in Anchorage. (AP/Anchorage Daily News photo: Erik Hill)
A fourth grade teacher from Ketchum, Idaho is proving himself as a leader in the 2011 Iditarod race. Trent Herbst and his team of 14 dogs were in first place as they reached the halfway point of the race. They were the first to arrive in the ghost town of Iditarod on Wednesday. When he arrived to the checkpoint, he was greeted with $3,000 in gold nuggets and was honored with the GCI Dorothy Page Halfway Award. Herbst is no stranger to the 1,150 mile race which takes mushers and their dogs through some of the roughest terrain in the world. Last year, he placed 49th, and in 2009 he placed 48th. He also competed in 2008 and 2006/Kelsey Jacobson, KTVB. More here.
Question: The Iditarod is a grueling contest of man & animal against the extreme Alaska weather. Do you pay much attention to the race?
Update: The House State Affairs Committee has voted 11-8 in favor of HB 222, the guns-on-campus bill, sending it to the full House with a recommendation that it “do-pass.” The vote came after a motion to hold the bill in committee failed on an identical 8-11 vote. (Coeur d'Alene's Kathy Sims was in favor)
Former House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, the government affairs director for Boise State University, told the House State Affairs Committee that when he was in the Legislature, his first rule for legislation was to do no harm. “We're fixing a perceived non-existent problem with a solution that creates problems,” with HB 222, the guns-on-campus bill, he told the committee. “I just suggest, why fix something that ain't broke?”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Would you like to see drunk students packing heat at a game between Boise State and Idaho? (Yeah, I know BSU doesn't want to play Idaho any more in football. So this is a hypothetical question.)
A group of North Idaho residents and Rep. Lenore Barrett, R-Challis, attempted to introduce a “sound money” bill this morning in the House State Affairs committee regarding gold and silver currency. Tom Dillon of Sandpoint, chairman of the Legislative District 1 Republican Central Committee and a member of the Idaho Sound Money Task Force, told the panel, “The evidence is overwhelming that the federal reserve system has failed in its duties to stabilize the economy. … It is an emergency situation.” He said the “current debasement of our currency … is a disgrace to our American heritage. … A penny saved is no longer a penny earned.” With the proposed bill, he said, “Idaho will become the monetary anchor in a stormy sea of financial chaos”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: What do you make of this bid by North Idahoans to introduce a 'sound money' legislation?
Item: Idaho GOP eyes primary election solution: The conservative wing’s court victory brings factions to the table to maintain the party’s dominance/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman
More Info: The if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it segment of the GOP got whipped in court. Chastened Republican leaders including Gov. Butch Otter, Secretary of State Ben Ysursa and Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill are working to preserve the right of independents to vote in primaries. “I oppose a closed primary, but with what the judge said, we have to do something,” said Hill, R-Rexburg. “Let’s cause as little harm as possible. In my opinion, if we exclude or offend those unaffiliated voters we’re going to lose Republican seats.”
Question: Are you offended by the Idaho GOP's successful push to close its primaries?
Dunno how Cindy got the cool Spokesman-Review mug with her name on it. But she has an interesting question to go with this photo:
Question: “Do you believe your choice of coffee mug in the morning can influence the outcome of your day?”
Item: When one vote counts as two: Cd'A school officials, county dispute election percentages/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: That's the word from Coeur d'Alene School District officials regarding the results of Tuesday's levy election in which voters were asked to consider two levies equaling $12.9 million on one ballot. Both measures saw successful passage, each capturing more than half of the votes counted. But school officials stated Wednesday that county election workers handling the election process did not tabulate the no votes on the second ballot option according to the district's intentions.
Question: How should the county clerk's office have counted the votes for Option 2?
All-North Idaho Boys Basketball Team, front row from left: Coeur d'Alene coach Kent Leiss, Chris Wheelock (Lake City), Max Salesky (Priest River). Back: Mark Smyly (Lake City), Deon Watson (Coeur d'Alene), Eric Holbrook (Priest River). Not pictured: Connor Hill (Post Falls), Marcus Colbert (Post Falls), Matt Kalbfleisch (Lewiston). SR photo: Kathy Plonka.
Dan Fincher's dog Ceili, an elderly lab-mix licks his face, in Portland, Ore., Wednesday. Ceili is up for a Humane Society of the United States dog valor award — one of 10 finalists — for pestering him hours before he had a heart attack and then barking and running for help. In a daze after the attack, Fincher, tried to crawl up the stairs, but the dog tugged him down then ran into a back room where his wife, Gayle Jewell, was watching television. (AP Photo/The Oregonian, Ross William Hamilton)
Question: Would your dog save you if you were in trouble?
Kevin William Harpham bought 10 acres of land on a Stevens County hillside south of Colville and built a 
home a neighbor said he’d long planned. On Wednesday, dozens of federal agents converged on the property in one of the region’s largest law enforcement actions. Harpham, a 36-year-old ex-soldier with no major criminal record but ties to the white supremacist movement, was arrested on allegations he planted the backpack bomb along the planned route of the Jan. 17 Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in downtown Spokane. He sits in the Spokane County Jail without bond and could face life in prison if convicted of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and possession of an unregistered explosive device/Thomas Clouse & Meghann M. Cuniff, SR.
Question: Is life in prison a just penalty for the individual(s) responsible for planting the bomb?
Those of you subscribers to DirecTV might want to get ready for “KAYU Blackout, the Sequel.” It could happen. Back in late January, the parent company of Spokane Fox affiliate KAYU agreed to return the station to the DirecTV lineup. That was done to give viewers access to the Super Bowl. The cease-fire came after a full month of signal blackout, a period in which the two sides took regular potshots in the media at the other. They finally OK'd a four-week grace period, scheduled to end this week, to work out an acceptable retransmission rate between KAYU's owner (Northwest Broadcasting) and DirecTV. It's now more than four weeks and Friday is the deadline for reaching a settlement, said Jon Rand, VP of Northwest Broadcasting, in Spokane/Office Hours. More here.
Question: Have you switched cable/satellite TV options in the last year?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
I fell for all that negativity promoted by the Coeur d'Alene Press (via editorial and reader manipulated poll) and thought the two Coeur d'Alene School District options would fail miserably. Silly me. Not only did they pass, but they passed with strong numbers. Ditto for Post Falls. Ditto for Pend Oreille School District. Take a bow if you didn't listen to the noisy minority that is opposed to public education (including most North Idaho legislators) and progress. Those levy election numbers show there's hope for us yet. Now for your Wild Card …
Kristin Goodmansen, (smiling) below right, and teacher Allison Still, second from right, hold signs protesting changes in education being made in the Idaho state legislature on Seltice Way in Post Falls this afternoon. Teachers and some parents from the Post Falls schools took the street to object to major changes being adopted by Idaho. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)
At Boise Weekly, reporter Josh Gross writes: “Blogger C.G.P. Grey put together a state-by-state breakdown of passport holdership. With 41.24 percent holdership, Idaho is slightly above the middle of the pack, but we're getting our heinies hammered by New Jersey and their 68.36 percent. We're still killing Mississippi though. Only 19.86 percent of its residents hold a passport. Map here.
Question: Do you have a passport? Why did you get it? When?
Hawaii's Anthony Salter, right, lunges for a loose ball past San Jose State's Adrian Oliver, left, during an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Western Athletic Conference tournament on earlier today in Las Vegas. San Jose State won and will face the Idaho Vandals today in quarter-final round. (AP Photo/Mark Damon)
Gov. Butch Otter has yet to sign the Tom Luna's education “reforms” into law, and already the legislation has claimed its first teacher. Meghan Ridley, a special ed teacher who has won teacher of the year honors in 
the Lakeland School District, has had enough. She has been accepted into the Gonzaga University doctorate program after tendering her resignation this week. Meghan, whose battle with Coeur d'Alene Press trolls has been chronicled here and in my print column, said the teachers rallies, letters to the editor, three speeches before the Idaho Legislature, and unwanted troll attention over a “hot photo” in the Press have taken a toll. She said she experienced an epiphany when she received more attention over a classroom photo that showed a hint of decolletage than all the time she'd spent teaching. So she embraced her “sexy teacher” alter ego and launched a Facebook page under the pseudonym “Ima HotTeacher,” where she plans to continue fighting Luna legislation. “Rather than sit voiceless in my classroom while 1108 and 1110 become law, I figured taking a bold stand based on principle was in order. I felt it was time for people to see what happens when you hurt good teachers. They leave.” Meghan also has resigned as union president. Ima HotTeacher Facebook link here.
Question: Do you expect more teachers to quit as a result of education “reforms” in Idaho?
Hundreds of teachers and their supporters are ringing the state Capitol, many with red scarves tied across their mouths to signify their voices being silenced, in protest over the passage yesterday of SB 1108 and today's passage of SB 1110, the first two bills in state schools Supt. Tom Luna's reform package; the third bill remains stalled in a Senate committee. There's loud music playing, and the human chain is scheduled to be followed by a rally in Capitol Park at 5:30; it's one of a series of after-school events and rallies scheduled across the state today to protest the passage of the bills/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. (Eye On Boise photo: Betsy Russell)
Question: At this point, what good will protests, walkouts, & human chains do for public educators?
This Tuesday booking photo released by the Stamford, Conn., Police shows David C. Davis, 21, of New Haven, Conn., who was arrested Tuesday and charged with slashing another man in the back while he was in the middle of a haircut. Story here. (AP Photo/Stamford Police Department)
Question: OK, have you ever had this bad of a hair day?
Members of the White Knights of the KKK in Hayden say the suspect arrested in connection to the bomb found along the MLK parade route in Spokane is not affiliated with their group. Shaun Winkler, the Imperial Wizard of the White Knights, says they have never heard of Kevin Harpham, and he most likely acted as a “lone wolf”. Winkler says the White Knights do not encourage violence because it is counter-productive to the propaganda they spread. He says Harpham is individually choosing to act on his own beliefs/KHQ. More here. (SR file photo/Dan Pelle, of Shaun Winkler, during 2000 Aryan Nations parade in downtown Coeur d'Alene.)
One commenter here at Hucks Online that I highly esteem admonished me privately via e-mail re: my tendency during the last coupla weeks to toss in my opinion on issues. Quote: “The question today, 'Would 
you like to approach the Idaho Legislature the same reckless way that it did public education: 'shake out the parts that don't work and replace them with strategies that will work' nearly guarantees responses that agree with your opinion, as though all blogsters walk in lock-step on issues. I have noted the same thing with some positions you have taken and questions with advocacy overtones.” My friend goes on to say that a moderator should further the conversation without noted bias. Also: “It would encourage more comment from both sides and increase page-views. I believe posters on the opposite side of the pre-determined premise would be more willing to speak up.”
Question: Should I remain neutral when I feel I have something to say about an issue?
FBI agents cross the bridge on 12 Mile Road during their investigation of Kevin Harpham earlier today, near Addy, Wash. (SR photo: Dan Pelle)
An ex-soldier with ties to the white supremacist movement has been taken into custody in connection with the planting of a backpack bomb along the planned route of the Martin Luther King Jr. march in downtown
Spokane, authorities have confirmed. Kevin William Harpham, 36, of Colville, could face life imprisonment on charges of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and possession of an unregistered explosive device, according to documents on file in U.S. District Court. An initial court appearance is scheduled for this afternoon. Harpham was arrested this morning during a raid at his home near Addy, Wash., by dozens of federal agents who had been assembling in Spokane during the past few days. The Southern Poverty Law Center confirmed that Harpham in 2004 was a member of the National Alliance, which is one of the most visible white supremacist organizations in the nation/Thomas Clouse, SR. More here.
Question: Are you surprised that the alleged suspect is from the Inland Northwest?
Mike Perry of KHQ tweets: “N. ID white suprem. group tells me they bought 17 acres of land near Spirit Lake in Bonner Co. Unclear of plans to build a new compound.”
The $1.4-million School District 101 Maintenance and Operations levy fell by a margin of 158 votes today with 2,128 voters going to the polls, with 1,143 voting no to 985 voting yes. Only three of seven precincts supported the levy. Voters in the Valley View precinct favored the measure 197 yes to 143 no, North Bonners Ferry 228 to 181, and Naples 169 to 144. Bonners Ferry precinct voters voted 60 no to 47 yes, it fell in Copeland precinct 149 to 65, in Kootenai 115 to 110 and in Moyie Springs, which lost its elementary school last year, 351 to 169/Mike Weland, News Bonners Ferry. More here.
Actress Ellen Travolta joined Kerri Thoreson and Coeur d'Alene Summer Theater board members Ruth Pratt and Roberta Larsen on the air this morning to promote the big Grease! Sing-A-Long at North Idaho College on Saturday. The Inlander tells you more here.
Question: Which “Grease” character to you most identify with?
Legislation to require Idaho's public libraries to block offensive content on computers, such as pornography, is moving through the state Legislature. The House Education Committee passed the measure Wednesday. It now goes to the full House. Rep. Mack Shirley, R-Rexburg, says his bill would require public libraries to install computer software to filter indecent material. A previous version of the bill would have withheld public funding for libraries that don't comply, but that provision was dropped amid concerns over how the state would enforce it/Associated Press (via Eye On Boise). More here.
Question: Should Idaho libraries be required to filter and then monitor library computers to ensure that patrons aren't watching pornography or other indecent material?
On his Facebook page, state Sen. Jim Hammond explains his philosophy for supporting Tom Luna's “reform” legislation: “The House has now passed the first two pieces of the education improvement effort. The third bill 
dealing with technology is being rewritten for the third time to meet the concerns expressed in testimony. I realize that there is great concern regarding these bills and their affect upon our system of education but sometimes we need to turn a system on its head to shake out the parts that don't work and replace them with strategies that will work. I have heard substantial opposition from the education community but I have yet to hear specifically how these efforts will negatively affect any teacher,s efforts in the classroom.”
Question: Would you like to approach the Idaho Legislature the same reckless way that it did public education: “shake out the parts that don't work and replace them with strategies that will work”?
I was standing at the gas pump the other day when the guy in the next lane observed that I have two wheel covers on the left side of my Toyota and none on the right. “Did you jump that sidewalk a little too fast?” he 
wondered. The fellow went on to tell me that true Idahoans always wear hubcaps, but you and I know better. The four essential elements of an Idaho pickup truck — missing tailgate, Bondo on at least part of the surface, mud flaps and two to four dogs in the back — don’t lend themselves to a pimped-out ride. Slapping wheel covers on such a classically disreputable rig, in my opinion, is painting lipstick on a pig/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Does your car/pickup have all four hubcaps? Or are you an Idahoan?
An umbrella-toting pedestrian crosses the street in Portland, Ore., earlier today. A winter weather storm system is headed for the area with frigid temperatures and possible snow expected overnight. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)
Rocky Castenada shot this photo of the sign setting over Hagadone Hospitality, City Beach and the Lake Coeur d'Alene north shore earlier this winter. You can see Rocky's fashion shots and other scenics from North Idaho and around the world at his Lake City Photography Facebook site here.
Sandra Kay Martinson, the former chief deputy clerk for Kootenai County facing trial for allegedly embezzling $130,000 over 10 years, allegedly spent a considerable amount of the money of a drag racing car and travel expenses related to drag racing. This, according to a David Cole story in the Coeur d'Alene Press this morning. Martinson has waived her right to a preliminary hearing and been found over to District Court. Martinson was scheduled to enter a plea today, according to the Press. But Judge Fred Gibler allowed her more time. Martinson reportedly told police that credit card debt and medical bills were the source of her financial troubles, according to the Press.
“Pay for the performance will reward excellence in the classroom,” Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, told the House, opening debate on SB 1110, the teacher merit pay bill. Noting that the bill's first-year cost is $38 million and no funding source is identified, Nonini bristled at suggestions he's heard that it's an “unfunded mandate.” In subsequent years, the program would cost the state $51.3 million a year. “This is statutory spending,” he said. “Unfunded mandate - couldn't be further from the truth. That means it gets funded automatically from monies appropriated to fund public schools”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Will today's sure-fire support of a second Tom Luna 'reform' bill in the Idaho House be closer than Tuesday's 48-22 vote?
David Stockton is reminded of his famous bloodlines in every opposing gym he visits, but one taunt from a 
game back in December stands out. “The best sign was at Washington State,” he recalled. “It said 'Stockton's Money = Stockton's Minutes.' That was my favorite one.” It's hard to ignore the fact that the Gonzaga redshirt freshman reserve is the son of NBA Hall of Famer and all-time assists leader John Stockton. For 19 professional seasons, he was the epitome of consistency and savvy on the floor for the Utah Jazz. But to think that David arrived at this point on name alone is flat-out irresponsible/Ryan Greene, Rivals.com (via Yahoo Sports). More here. (SR file photo/Jesse Tinsley, of game b/n Gonzaga & San Francisco Feb. 19)
Question: Are you looking forward to watching David Stockton lead Gonzaga over the next 3 years as much as I am?
I double dog dare you to find a cuter animal photo than this one taken by Linda Lantzy/Idaho Scenic Images of a couple of unlikely buddies on a Rose Lake farm over the weekend.
Question: Does your dog get along with cats — and vice versa?
David S. Broder, 81, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post and one of the most 
respected writers on national politics for four decades, died Wednesday in Arlington of complications from diabetes. Mr. Broder was often called the dean of the Washington press corps - a nickname he earned in his late 30s in part for the clarity of his political analysis and the influence he wielded as a perceptive thinker on political trends in his books, articles and television appearances/Adam Bernstein, Washington Post. More here.
Question: Were you a David Broder fan?
On Tuesday, the Idaho House approved the most political piece of State Superintendent Tom Luna's “education reform” effort and sent it on to receive a sure signature from Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter. Idahoans who 
care about schools - and politics - may look back on the vote to strip collective bargaining rights from the state's teachers and make tenure more tenuous for new teachers as a true watershed moment. Like the great Jack Dempsey, knocked out of the ring in a 1923 title fight, the Idaho Education Association's once-powerful role in the state's politics has been knocked for a loop, perhaps never to recover. Dempsey somehow pulled himself back in the ring against Luis Firpo and eventually won his famous fight. The IEA has rarely demonstrated that kind of agility/Marc Johnson, The Johnson Report. More here.
Question: Marc Johnson brings up a great point later re: the failure by the teachers union to organize its 13,000 foot soldiers throughout Idaho to fight back against anti-education legislators. Why hasn't the IEA been able to do so?
Instead of urging Idaho's young people to “go on” to college, perhaps the Albertson Foundation would do well 
to focus its efforts on the Legislature. At the rate lawmakers are disassembling Idaho's colleges and universities, there won't be any place in Idaho for its students to “go on” to. The latest assault came Friday, when the budget committee sliced another 3.5 percent in state support from Idaho's colleges and universities. All told, funding for higher education has slipped 24 percent in the last three years/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Would you support raising taxes to protect higher education?
Boise Police Department Lt. Tony Plott, pictured, told the House State Affairs Committee the department opposes HB 
222, the campus guns bill. He said he's a lifetime NRA member, the father of three college-age daughters, and a second-generation law enforcement officer. “Conduct that most adults feel is risky, young adults feel is pretty fun,” he told the committee. “As a campus police agency, we feel strongly that adding weapons to this mix will mean our college students are less safe”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Will college students in Idaho be more/less safe, if guns are allowed on campus?
A large crane hoists a Hagadone Marine boat onto a display support at the site of the old Wilma Theater, 2nd & Sherman, in downtown Coeur d'Alene. Don Sausser, Huckleberries Eye On Downtown Coeur d'Alene, snapped this photo at 7:50 this morning through snowflakes and a double pane.
Brian Cronin D-Boise, speaks out against SB 1108, noting that some have described it as “medicine” the school system needs. “One person's medicine is another person's Kool-Aid, and I refuse to drink it,” Cronin declared. The teacher contract bill passed the House after a debate that stretched for more than three hours. Cronin spoke eloquently against the pell-mell push by House Education Chairman and other GOP legislators to overhaul the public education system. (SR photo: Betsy Russell)
Question: Did you hear Rep. Brian Cronin's stand against Tom Luna's education “reform”?
Voters in the Coeur d'Alene School District gave a double thumbs-up Tuesday to a pair of supplemental levies that will increase property taxes for two years, and bolster the district's general fund by $12.9 million per year. “A big thank you to our community for once again supporting us in tough times,” said Superintendent Hazel Bauman. Ballot Option 1, a $7.8 million levy to replace an expiring levy, was approved by a vote of 6,882-3,790, reflecting a 64.49 percent margin. Ballot Option 2, a $5 million levy to cover an additional shortfall created by the loss of one-time stimulus funds and reserves the district has already used, was approved by a vote of 5,873-981, reflecting an 85.69 percent margin/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.
Question: Do these results mean that North Idahoans appreciate public educators more than their legislators do?
Nic: Sorry, recallluna_2011, I went and “liked” your page and the first post from you that showed up in my news feed was a anti-union quote from Hitler. I can’t take you seriously if you’re going to Godwin the issue. Luna is 
may be an idiot. Luna’s is nothing more than a dumbing down of the state of Idaho. Luna is probably bowing to corporate interests and repaying favors for his campaign donors. But to compare him to Hitler is outrageous. It’s insulting. I tried to say so as a reply to your post on facebook but my comment was deleted. I’ll sign the petition to recall the moron, but I’m not going to like a page that can’t logically or civilly debate their opponent.
Question: Do you agree with Nic that Luna recall effort needs to steer clear of wild comments to attract wide support?
In the garden of Gonzaga basketball have grown any number of dubious truths. The Bulldogs are dragged 
down by a weak league, say. Their thoroughly spoiled devotees take the program’s prolonged dominance for granted. And the players – each recruiting class more highly regarded than the last – are increasingly nonchalant about the whole Zag thing. It doesn’t mean as much to them. Some of these can be weeds, mistaken for flowers. One undeniable truth: The Zags’ run of NCAA tournament appearances will end sometime. Maybe next year’s addition of Brigham Young to the West Coast Conference and another round of young recruits will be the tipping point. But whatever the fears of the fan base were in January, this is not that year/John Blanchette, SR. More here. (SR file photo: Christopher Anderson)
Question: What seed does Gonzaga deserve in NCAA Tournament?
Well, I cast 2 more votes in favor of a Coeur d'Alene School District levy, which keeps my string alive of never voting against a local levy or bond. Dunno how much good it's going to do because voters seem to be in a mood of voting everything down. We'll see. Meanwhile, a Reagan Republicans leader is heralded the 48-22 vote in favor of part of Tom Luna's “reform” plan in the Idaho House and calling House Ed Chairman Bob Nonini “courageous,” if you can imagine that. Now for your Wild Card …
Maskers with the Knight of Revelry tosses beads to the crowds gathered on Government Street in Mobile, Ala., earlier today, for the pre-Lenten blowout along the Gulf Coast called Fat Tuesday. (AP Photo/Press-Register, John David Mercer)
On his Facebook wall, SR photog Jesse Tinsley writes: “I have been eating a lot of steamed broccoli lately. 
What's your favorite topping that's heart healthy? I like sweet chili sauce, but I'm getting tired of it.” To which a FBF responds: “Olive oil and a little Parm cheese at the end till it caramelized.” And another: “Believe it or not, my mom used to 'drizzle' a little Mayo over the top of ours (when I was a kid)…I don't eat it like that anymore, but I could. It was good.”
Question: How would you doll up steamed broccoli to make it taste better and still be heart healthy? And/or: Do you have any secrets re: ways to eat other unappetizing veggies?
From We Love CDA Facebook: “Found out today that Bruttles in the CdA Plaza Shops will be closing at the end of the month. You will still be able to get their candies here in CdA at Possiblities on Sherman. Word on the street is that another candy store will take it's place in the Shops.”
Joshua Boyer of Billings, Mont. stands in front of a poster with a fish he caught on Feb. 28. Boyer, 7, has the Montana State record walleye for his age group. (AP Photo/Billings Gazette, David Grubbs)
Sumo wrestler ozeki Baruto gives a sumo lesson to a child in Osaka, central Japan, Saturday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Kyodo News)
Top Cutlines:
I'm about to head to my polls today to vote in the Coeur d'Alene School District levy. I've heard from a coupla people that the turnout has been light so far. Feel free to use this thread to report how things are going at your poll:
There’s a silent threat lurking in millions of American households, and you may be the next victim of its cruel attack. It’s called Bland Food, and it’s the number one weapon in the War On Sodium. No one is safe, 
including yours truly. I was minding my own business, enjoying a flavorful, spicy diet, going through two cans of Morton’s salt a year, when the enemy fired a warning shot across my bow: hypertension. I remember it as clearly as if it was three weeks ago, which it was. Mrs. Wire and I were in Walgreen’s picking up some prescriptions and a couple of items from the As Seen On TV! aisle —some life-changing vegetable chopper or something. “Let’s check your blood pressure,” she said, pointing to the sit-down B.P. machine in the pharmacy. “It’s been a while.” I have a history of high blood pressure, but it hasn’t been an issue for several years/Bob Wire, New West. More here.
Question: Do you have any dietary restrictions for health reasons that are driving you nuts?
Item: UW basketball player Venoy Overton charged with furnishing alcohol to minor/Jennifer Sullivan, Seattle Times
More Info: The charge stems from a Jan. 8 incident when Overton allegedly met up with two 16-year-old girls 
and took them to his sister's apartment in South Seattle. A Seattle police report says Overton, 22, furnished the girls with alcohol and had sex with both. One of the girls later told police that she felt like she had to have sex with Overton because of who he was. The King County Prosecutor's Office decided against filing a charge in connection with the allegation because of questions about the girl's account and conflicting witness statements, according to a court document.
Question: Did UW coach Lorenzo Romar one-up WSU coach Ken Bone by suspending his sixth man Venoy Overton for the Pac-10 tournament for this incident while Bone is allowing Klay Thompson to play after his one-game suspension for his drug arrest?
Authorities have arrested a 27-year-old Meridian, Idaho man for felony aggravated battery after allegedly 
swinging a sword at several party goers Monday night. Deputy Chief Tracy Basterrechea of the Meridian Police Department says officers were called to an apartment complex on Hope Arms Lane in Meridian. Officials say Ryan Peck was at a small party and became belligerent with other people in the apartment. An intoxicated Peck, police say, then grabbed a “Braveheart” type of sword and began swinging it around the apartment/KBOI. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: I once stopped a drunk roommate from shooting a shotgun through the floor of our apartment because he was tired of the guys below knocking on ceiling for us to be quiet. What's the dumbest thing you ever saw a drunk do?
Even as the hearing has begun this afternoon on Medicaid cuts, hundreds still are waiting in line outside to sign up to testify. The Capitol Auditorium, the state's largest hearing room, is full; some people are standing at the back; and overflow rooms are being opened up to allow people to watch the hearing on video monitors. (Eye On Boise photo: Betsy Russell)
Question: Why would anyone waste their time to testify to this Legislature, which has shown repeatedly that it isn't willing to listen, even if a majority support or oppose an issue?
Annette Burch gathers up dead fish in the King Harbor area of Redondo Beach, south of Los Angeles, Tuesday. An estimated million fish turned up dead on Tuesday, puzzling authorities and triggering a cleanup effort. (AP Photo/The Contra Costa Times, Brad Graverson)
Public school bullies could face mandatory punishment under legislation approved by the Idaho Senate Tuesday. The plan would also offer more training to teachers and other school staff about how to prevent bullying, intimidation and harassment. It also says staff are expected to break up incidents of bullying. The strengthening of the anti-bullying law passed the Senate on a 32 to 3 vote Tuesday/Brad Iverson-Long, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Were you ever bullied? Did you ever bully anyone?
Happy birthday, Starbucks. How does 40 feel so far? It certainly looks different, with the iconic Starbucks logo debuting a new face to mark the company’s 40th anniversary. If you’ve bought coffee at a Starbucks today, you might have already noticed: Gone are the block letters that spell out “Starbucks.” After 40 years, the company thinks its siren logo can speak for herself/Seattle Blog. (AP photo: Ted Warren)
Question: Why do few North Idahoans want to admit that they drink coffee at Starbucks?
A Missoula firefighter has won a stairclimbing competition in Seattle for the third straight year. The Missoulian 
reports Missoula Rural Fire's Kory Burgess won the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb Sunday by running up 69 flights of stairs in 10 minutes, 53.78 seconds, breaking the record he set two years ago. About 1,500 firefighters competed in the event, in which they run up the stairs of the Columbia Center wearing about 50 pounds of gear and a breathing apparatus/Missoulian. More here. (AP file photo from 2008 for illustrative purposes)
Question: How many flights of stairs could you climb in 10 minutes? (To Cindy: Would you prefer that the firefighters climb the stairs shirtless?)
Sometimes you get a feeling someone is watching you. Imagine working under the gaze of an eagle-eyed supervisor. Allen Messick of K&G Construction Co. of Lewiston installs structural steel for windows to second-floor apartments under construction at 513 Main St. in Lewiston on Monday. (Lewiston Tribune photo: Barry Keough)
I'm not too certain how the experts determine the time-frames for such a process; that seems a bit too 
scientific for a dad and a mom who are shocked by “the phone call”, stymied by the immediate funeral preparations and serrated by the ultimate receiving and reviewing of their beloved son's body. Yet, the experts are correct. There IS a process…one that God initiated and one that each of us will participate in, over the course of our lives. It is called grief - deep agonizing grief. It arrives, unrequested. It lives in the mute sounds of life gone quiet. It echoes in the uncontrollable sobs of a dad and a mom, of a sister and a brother. Aunts, uncles and cousins remember … friends, as well/Dennis Mansfield. More here.
Question: Is there a scientific method that fits the times you've had to work through grief at the loss of a family member or close friend?
High School students protest against Idaho State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna's education reform bills on Third Street in Moscow on Tuesday. About 36 high school students from Troy, Kendrick and Deary participated in the protest. (Moscow Pullman Daily News photo: Geoff Crimmins)
The House has voted 48-22 in favor of SB 1108, the teacher contracts bill, which now goes to the governor's desk. Nine Republicans joined every Democrat in the chamber in opposing the bill. Since it's now 12:20 p.m. Boise time, the House will adjourn for the day, and the teacher merit pay bill, SB 1110, won't come up until tomorrow/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise.
DFO: If Idahoans let the GOP get away with its trashing of public education, then all those polls that show that this state cherishes education are nonsense.
Apparently, KXLYKVNI and Chris “Beavis” Siemers have parted company. On his Facebook page, Chris describes his 11-plus years “at the mighty Rock 94 1/2!!” He goes on to say: “Anyone in the biz knows how rare it is for a station to be around that long in the first place, let alone a jock being able to stay at one station for that amount of time, and for that I am eternally grateful.” Now, Chris plans to take a few days off, relax, and then move on.
A long time berrypicker blurker asks: “Often you use the word 'Solons' such as in the headline, “Idaho Solons Boost Prison Funding.” Recognizing that there is a large amount of irony implicit in the title, I have questions about the small portion of your use of the word that is not intended to be ironic. According to my on-line dictionary the primary definition of “Solon” is, “A wise lawgiver”. The secondary definition is, “A legislator”. So who, exactly, are you talking about when you say 'Idaho solons' and which definition are you referring to?”
DFO: Obviously, I'm not using the first definition, especially when I'm talking about any legislator in House Districts 2 thru 5, who voted against extending unemployment benefits and support Tom Luna's education “reform.” In North Idaho, I'd use “wise lawgiver” only when referring to District 1's Sen. Shawn Keough and Rep. Eric Anderson.
Lee Chance laughs as he shows off his collection of beads that he caught during the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club parade in New Orleans on Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Question: Are there any Mardi Gras celebrations in North Idaho?
House Education Chairman Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, has opened debate on SB 1108, noting that House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Gov. Butch Otter are listed as co-sponsors of the bill. He called it a “hallmark” piece of legislation, and said, “For too long school boards have been shackled to agreements made 10, 20, or even 30 years ago.” He said, “We don't bind future legislators and we shouldn't bind school board members”/Betsy Russell, SR. More here.
Question: Are you as happy as Nonini is that Tom Luna's education 'reform' is about to become law?
An 89-year-old Wallace, Idaho, woman is proving she is tougher than she looks, recovering from a broken arm she suffered when two thieves stole her car right in front of her. Ione Halkowiez left her car running in a parking lot while she dropped off her key to the Wallace Visitors Center, where she had just finished working as volunteer, greeting and meeting people from all across the country.When she went back outside, she saw two people getting in her car, and Halkoweiz said she wasn’t just going to stand idly by and let someone steal it/Tori Brunetti, KXLY. More here.
Question: Have you ever had your vehicle stolen or burglarized?
Washington State coach Ken Bone lifted Klay Thompson’s suspension Monday, saying the Cougars scoring leader will start Thursday’s Pac-10 Conference tournament opener against Washington. Thompson (pictured) was suspended Friday after receiving a misdemeanor marijuana possession citation the night before. The junior, who leads the conference in scoring (21.4) missed the Cougars’ final Pac-10 regular season game Saturday, a 58-54 overtime loss to visiting UCLA/Vince Grippi, SR. More here.
Question: Should WSU basketball star Klay Thompson be allowed to return to the Cougar lineup after a one-game suspension for a drug arrest?
On his Get Out! North Idaho Facebook page, OrangeTV reports: “Not quite sure what to make of (Coeur 
d'Alene's) new hookah lounge situation, but then I have no idea what goes on at a (Hubbly Bubbly Hookah Lounge) besides smoking (I think) flavored tobacco. Anyone check it out yet?” After a Facebook Friend asks the location, OTV responds: “It is at 6288 N. Government Way in Dalton Gardens, in (I think) that building that was most recently a skateboard shop but has been a million things over the years, including a pet store, a pro golf shop, a daycare and I can't even recall what else.”
Question: Anyone checked out the Hubbly Bubbly Hookah Lounge yet?
A retired secretary who worked at Mountain Home Air Force Base for 22 years is attempting to fly an idea that has never succeeded in Idaho history. “I know,” said Nancy Berto, who formed the Committee to Recall Tom 
Luna. “Not in 121 years. That it’s never been done before keeps us motivated, and they didn’t have Facebook and e-mail back then.” Berto has attended protests against Luna’s three big education reform bills with “Stop the Lunacy” and “Save Our Schools” signs. Despite overwhelming public testimony against the plan backed by Luna and GOP Gov. Butch Otter, two of the three bills are expected to get final legislative approval in the House Tuesday. The third bill is stalled in the Senate/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Even if the long-shot recall effort fails, do you think it could be the spark to launch a movement against the lurch to the Far Right by the Idaho Legislature?
“Hopefully they'll be throwing softballs and not snowballs,” says Dennis Spencer, left, as he and fellow volunteer Chad Redwing rake the field at Coeur d'Alene High School on Monday. The first softball game of the season is this weekend. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
A historic carousel that once entertained crowds on Coeur d’Alene’s waterfront has come home. A pony with a 
fiery orange mane, carved in the 1920s, was unveiled near the carousel’s original location at Independence Point on Monday afternoon. It was one of 20 antique wooden horses that arrived by van over the weekend. “Look at the jewels,” said Carol Perron, pointing out sparkly stones in the harness as she admired the craftsmanship in the pony, which was hand carved from basswood/Becky Kramer, SR. More here. (SR photo/Kathy Plonka: Coeur d'Alene Carousel Foundation President Richard Le Francis carries a carousel horse near Independence Point on Monday.)
Question: Where should the carousel go?
Voters will decide today if the Coeur d'Alene School District will receive additional property tax dollars to help maintain education services for the next two years. Polls are open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. The district is asking voters to consider two supplemental levies on one ballot. If both measures are successfully passed, the district will receive $12.9 million per year from July 1 through June 30, 2013. A homeowner with a $200,000 home would see an estimated annual tax increase of roughly $68/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.
Question: Do you plan to vote in a school levy today?
The Gonzaga Bulldogs celebrated Monday night in a way they haven’t in at least a decade. They celebrated like 
it mattered, because it did. One more time, they turned back the challenge of Saint Mary’s, the Frazier to Gonzaga’s Ali here in the West Coast Conference, 75-63 in the championship game of the league tournament – and the NCAA Tournament pass that came with it, extending that residency to 13 consecutive years, was by no means incidental. But, really, this was about something else. “It was real,” Gray said. “It was … over.” Not the season, not by any means. But the climb/John Blanchette, SR. More here. (SR photo/Christopher Anderson: Marquise Carter of Gonzaga drives hard to the basket against the defense of Matthew Dellavedova of Saint Marys during their WCC Championship game on Monday. Carter was named the tournament’s MVP.)
Question: What do you think of this year's Gonzaga Bulldogs team now?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
Gonzaga center Robert Sacre grabs Head Coach Mark Few and carries him to the rest of the team after the Zags beat Saint Marys for the WCC Tournament Championship Monday in Las Vegas. (SR photo: Christopher Anderson)
Gonzaga is going to the NCAA Tournament for the 13th straight season. The second-seeded Bulldogs broke from a 53-tie with an eight-point spurt, then added another 6-0 run to finish off a 75-63 victory over top-seeded Saint Mary’s in the WCC Tournament championship game Monday at the Orleans Arena. Gonzaga (24-9) earns the conference’s automatic bid and will learn its first-round assignment Sunday. Saint Mary’s (24-8), which defeated Gonzaga in last year’s title game, will have to wait until Selection Sunday to find out if its makes the NCAA field. Sam Dower’s basket started GU’s 8-0 run and Steven Gray finished it with a pair of free throws, giving Gonzaga its biggest lead, 61-53/Jim Meehan, SR. More here. And boxscore.
Question: Anyone out there who still doesn't think Mark Few can coach?
The No. 20 Lady Zags did their part earlier today by winning their West Coast Conference Tournament against Saint Mary's. Now, it's the men's turn. In the rubber match of two closely contested WCC games this winter, Gonzaga faces Saint Mary's in a few minutes in the tourney final, with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line. I'll post the game story later this evening. Now, to replay the Wild Card …
Coeur d'Alene Carousel Foundation president Richard Le Francis brought one of the horses from the Playland Pier Carousel to its former location near Independence Point in Coeur d'Alene earlier today. The group hopes to be able to return the carousel back to its original spot. Becky Kramer/SR is working on this story for Tuesday. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Question: Would you want the carousel to be located near Independence Point on the waterfront?
I think it's safe to say that Walmart is one of, if not the, most frightening places on the face of the planet. Reasons abound as to the “why” of this statement; however, I will be focusing mainly on the aesthetic for the 
purpose of proving my point. Anyone can Google the images of Walmart shoppers. There are literally entire sites devoted to these colorful characters. While large portions, (pun intended) of the customers are amusing, some are downright scary and confusing. Keeping that statement in mind, I was slightly shocked when a terrible realization occurred to me during my first few weeks back on campus: I could see many of the odd shoppers in a slightly-altered form — the guise of students. The lack of Rascal scooters, over-the-hill hillbillies, and miscreant littered with Cheese Wiz in their hands is about the only clear difference between campus and Wally World/Fawn Rich, North Idaho College Sentinel. More here.
Question: Does columnist Fawn Rich offer an unfair stereotype of WalMart shoppers?
The top-seeded Bulldogs (28-4), who won their 18th straight game and their third consecutive tournament title earlier today in a lopside game against Saint Mary's, earned an all-expenses-paid trip to play in their home gym in the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga is guaranteed to open the NCAAs at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The Bulldogs will learn their opponent next Monday. Jim Meehan story here.
Chicago White Sox left fielder Juan Pierre misses a foul ball hit by Kansas City Royals' Gregor Blanco during the second inning of spring training baseball game Sunday in Glendale, Ariz. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Top Cutlines:
So I have inherited something from my father. I am not a hugger. I don’t hug people. Ok, let me rephrase 
that. I hug my kids all.the.time. And the Principal. And I can now add to that list my homegroup Sistahs….And only in the last month do I offer the hug first. But if you aren’t in that ‘inner circle’ I go to pretty impressive lengths to not hug somebody. So fast forward to October. …I am going to a blog conference …a women’s blog conference. I know there will be hugging. My dad actually had a pin that he wore when he was in certain Escapee situations “NOT A HUGGER” so they knew not to hug him. I am praying this is something I will get ove/Crazy Homeschool Mama. More here.
Question: Are you a hugger?
don't know which I enjoyed more during my public school years, getting pounded into the dirt without a helmet during football practice or singing off key with one of the most hideously incompetent glee clubs in American 
history. But if I had my druthers, I would rather sit in the safety of my living room watching NFL players pound each other into the dirt or listening to those uber-talented 28-year-old teenagers on the hit television show “Glee.” “Glee,” bless its tuneful heart, is more than a television show full of Broadway-style musical numbers: it has inspired a liberating show-choir movement in public schools across the land. The kids in those choirs not only sing, but they have been freed to dance and romp and wear wild costumes while feeling a beat running from their cola-fired hearts to their pizza-stuffed souls/Bill Hall, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Were you part of a Glee club or school choir during your teen years?
Don Sausser shot this sunset photo on Tubbs Hill Saturday.
HBO Numbers (for week of Feb. 27 to March 5) 49,372 page-views & 30,595 unique views
Update (via Meghann Cuniff Twitter): Edgar Steele's new trial date is April 26. Judge says it will be held in Boise.
A murder-for-hire trial has been delayed. Defense attorneys said they are not ready and the trial could be delayed between 30 and 45 days. Edgar J. Steele is charged with hiring a hit man to kill his wife and mother-in-law. Steele's wife insists her husband is innocent and has been set up by the government because of his anit-Semitic, white supremacist views and for representing clients such as Aryan Nations/Nicholas Geranios, AP. More here.
Question: How can the defense not be ready when this alleged crime took place in mid-June 2010?
Clowns are reflected on the glasses of a reveler during carnival celebrations in Barranquilla, Colombia, Saturday. In 2003 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, declared Barranquilla's carnival as a 'Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity'. (AP Photo/ Fernando Vergara)
Question: Which scares you most — clowns, snakes, or spiders?
Lent is coming up. This is a long and venerable tradition for Christians in Western civilization. Many of our holidays in the U.S. are descended from Christian roots, but our society is more secular these days than in 
past ages. Consequently, we are increasingly selective about which holidays we celebrate, keeping the fun holidays that tend to make us over-indulgent and fat while neglecting those that encourage self-discipline and restraint. Few know, for example, that Christmas is traditionally preceeded by Advent, which is a time of penance and sacrifice to prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ with feasts and gifts/Mike McCall, North Idaho College Sentinel. More here. (AP file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: Do you observe Lent and/or participate in Mardi Gras activities? What do you give up for Lent?
Courtney Vandersloot scored 18 points and handed out a WCC Tournament-record 16 assists, breaking the record of 14 she set 24 hours earlier, and Gonzaga overcame a sluggish first half to throttle Saint Mary’s 72-46 
in the championship game Monday at the Orleans Arena. The Bulldogs trailed by as many as seven early but took the lead for good with an 11-0 run. They scored the last five points of the half to take a 28-20 lead, just the third half this season that Gonzaga has been held under 30 points. Gonzaga was much sharper in the second half, pulling in front 49-29 on Kelly Bowen’s 3 off a feed from Vandersloot. It was 59-33 after a Vandersloot basket. She left to a standing ovation with 2:08 remaining/Jim Meehan, SR. More here. And: ESPN boxscore. (AP photo/Julie Jacobson: Gonzaga's Janelle Bekkering, left, passes the ball around St. Mary's Suzie Davis during the championship game.)
Coeur d’Alene High School students canceled a Monday morning walk-out to protest Idaho’s controversial 
school reform plan after the organizer said he didn’t want to jeopardize public support for Tuesday’s levy election. “We talked to the administration, and we didn’t want to give the impression that students are against the levy,” said Jesse Wedewer, a junior at Coeur d’Alene High. The Coeur d’Alene School District is asking voters to approve a $12.8 million-a-year, two-year maintenance and operations levy that would increase taxes by about $68 per year for the average Coeur d’Alene homeowner. Instead, Wedewer is urging students to attend an after-school rally Wednesday to support teachers/Spokesman-Review. More here. (AP, Idaho Press-Tribune file photo/Charlie Litchfield, of Boise High students protesting at Capitol Feb. 28)
Question: Would you participate in a walkout against Tom Luna's education “reform,” if you were a high school student in Idaho schools today?
I didn't intend to publish a coupla photos of myself today. But this one can be listed under the heading, “community service.” I didn't realize that there's no longer free parking at the Independence Point parking lot until I pulled into the lot Saturday. I didn't want to pay $1 for the privilege of parking for 35-45 minutes in a nearly empty lot while my wife & I walked along the north shore, so I drove to the North Idaho Museum lot. We took our walk. When we returned, I noticed that the museum lot is now no longer free either. Diamond Parking is charging $1 for 0-1 hours, $2 for 1-2 hours, $3 for 2-3 hours, and a $1 per hour after that up to $8 for all day. Tickets for violators are $20. Later, I noticed the 3rd Street lot is still free for the first two hours.
Question: How often do you pay to park at the downtown lots?
Meghan Ridley, the Lakeland School District special education teacher who was roundly criticized by Coeur 
d'Alene Press online trolls, for her dress in a front-page stories a coupla Sundays ago, has set up a Facebook page in which she embraces her alter ego: “Ima Hot Teacher.” She lists her goal today as: “I'm HotTeacher plans on speaking loud and proud while lawmakers threaten to silence the voice of the teachers statewide.” You can view her Ima HotTeacher Facebook page here.
Question: Did you ever have a crush on a teacher?
Cindy: So, my plan to get up at 6:30 to knock one deadline out of the way by 9, came to a screeching halt when 
I discovered that my 11-year-old had downloaded some godawful spyware, virusy something or another. I’ve got loads of protections etc., yet still, if I let him use my computer I get some kind of HORRIBLE something. Thankfully, my tech support left his office and came to my rescue. And then he stayed and cooked me breakfast.
Question: When did you last get knocked offline from your home computer by a virus or some other malfunction?
Costco, the popular Washington-based discount warehouse, is getting into the bridal business. The chain will soon start selling wedding dresses. The gowns are designed by Kirstie Kelly. Six styles will be available, ranging in price from $700 to $1,400, and the sizes will run from two to 24. Costco's goal is to give brides who are on a budget an affordable designer dress/KATU. More here. (SR file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question (for women): Would you or your daughter wear a dress from Costco on your wedding day?
We’re not Mardi Gras people, we Idahoans, and that grieves me. On Tuesday, much of Christendom will go on 
a giant bender to steel its will against the 40 days of privation of Lent, which begins Wednesday. Not here. We’re too Nordic. And we can’t dance. You could look it up: A new study by researchers at Oxford University claims that a tiny messenger in the brain is partly to blame for those among us who can’t manage to get down with our own bad selves. A naturally occurring chemical, GABA is a bit like the brain’s traffic cop/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Are you a good dancer?
Henk Borst, a coral farmer who raises coral, clams and other sea creatures in his Green Bluff greenhouse, holds a piece of live coral Feb. 22. He grows corals and giant clams in large tanks and sells the mature animals to aquarium enthusiasts. Becky Kramer SR story here. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)
Children grow to become adults. That's how it's suppose to be. So, with our youngest child away at West Point 
for college, our middle child, married and our oldest child now deceased, the kids' childhood home in Boise, ID is 3600 sq ft too big. It is a “way-empty” nest … We are therefore saying goodbye to it. And we are leasing it out - and in the process, meeting new friends who are looking at it. Someone else will bring a family here to their new home. … For us this is a house “too empty”/Dennis Mansfield. More here.
Question: Have you had to cope with an “empty next” Or are you about to cope with an “empty nest”? Can you give tips to others here how you survived?
Linda Lantzy, Idaho Scenic Images, snapped this photo of an old pickup in the Rose Lake area. Linda rights on her Facebook page: “The owner said I can come back anytime for some more truck time. Unfortunately, I didn't have my cow pasture boots on. On the door, very faded, it says 'Drink Royal Crown.'”
Question: Do you have the ability to fix an old-time pickup like this on your own?
Idaho’s state prison system won’t take the same cuts other state agencies are facing next year - instead, under a budget approved by lawmakers this morning, it’d see a 5.3 percent increase in state funding and 4.1 percent in overall funds. “You really don’t have a lot of choices here,” said Rep. Darrell Bolz, R-Caldwell. “Public safety is a function of government, and when you’ve got so many inmates … nobody wants ‘em out on the streets.” The budget still falls $2.6 million short of estimates of what the prison system will cost the state next year. Bolz, House Appropriations vice-chairman, who proposed the budgets, said they’re very close to spending levels recommended by Gov. Butch Otter/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Anyone care to explain why Idaho legislators consider it more important to properly fund state prisons rather than public education?
A fellow named Jim Egan, right, attends a tea party rally to support legislative efforts to do away with teachers' collective bargainin rights on Saturday, in this Associated Press photo.
Question: Where do you think this photo was taken: Idaho, Montana, Alabama, Tennessee, or Texas? (Please explain the reason for your guess.)
The House has voted 51-17 in favor of HB 187, the “narrow” amendment to Idaho's “conscience law” 
regarding living wills. Rep. John Rusche, D-Lewiston, speaking against the bill, told the House, “Think about how your own parents would have approached this. Would they like to have someone say, 'I'm sorry, I'm going to resuscitate you because my conscience doesn't let me follow your expressed wishes'?” Rep. Leon Smith, R-Twin Falls, said, “You've probably asked, why are all these people across the state upset?” He said the answer can be found by reading the conscience law. “Any health care provider can pre-empt your living will,” Smith told the House/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Are you surprised at the 3-to-1 vote when Idaho AARP strongly opposed this bill?
Kelli Rooks (re: 'Bar Report: Fake ID leads to fight') The Torch Lounge in Coeur d’Alene was one of three gentlemen’s clubs owned by the same 
couple. The other two are in Boise. Because this one was so far away from the others, it was difficult for the couple to manage it the way they wanted. They sold it to a group of individuals who were in a better position to oversee the bar. It operated for a short period of time with the new owners under the Torch branding, but began the switchover to “The Rendezvous” several weeks ago.
Question: Any of you willing to admit that you've visiting The Torch bikini bar in downtown Coeur d'Alene? What's it like?
In today's installment of “I love where I live,” Kerri Thoreson offers this photo (on her Facebook page) of a herd of 60 elk that she making their way across a field near Beck Road in Post Falls just after noon Saturday.
Question: Can you complete this sentence: I love living in North Idaho because …
Item: 'Homey … but not home': Increase in local coffee shops keeping people connected, satisfying their caffeine fix/Alecia Warren, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: “Travel + Leisure” recently produced a list of the top towns teeming with soulful coffee shops. The winners included the obvious: Seattle and San Francisco. While the Lake City didn't make the cut, some might wonder why, as the coffee culture has been swiftly taking over here, Jenicek said.
Question: Is there a strong “coffee culture” in the Coeur d'Alene area?
Item: Why is Idaho dead last when it comes to women judges? It’s not necessarily what you think/Kathy Kreller, Idaho Statesman
More Info: When Gov. Butch Otter selected Susan Wiebe to be a judge in Idaho’s 3rd District, he didn’t just fill an open position — he made a little bit of history. Wiebe’s appointment in late 2009 ended a three-year stretch during which nearly a quarter of Idaho’s magistrate, district, appeals and Supreme Court judgeships were filled by 35 men and not a single woman. … Idaho has the smallest percentage of female judges in the entire nation — slightly more than 11 percent. That’s in a state with a total population split nearly 50-50.
Question: Should Gov. Butch Otter and the Idaho Judicial Council make a concerted effort to appoint more judges to the state's various courts?
The Coeur d'Alene School District has responded admirably to tremendous budget challenges. The district has confronted reduced revenue by cutting almost $9 million from general fund expenditures over the past two years. Gone are more than 25 full-time certified positions. Another $1.2 million was slashed from employee compensation and benefits. More than $1 million was cut from maintenance and custodial services. The cuts have left gaps in 23 budgeting categories. They're not just visible; they can be felt — and not just by district employees and administrators, either. The impact of deep cuts ripples through the community. We empathize with district leadership in trying to figure out how to deal with even greater cuts at the state and federal levels today. However, we cannot support the district's two-pronged request that would generate almost $26 million in additional property taxes over the next two years/Mike Patrick, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.
Question: Are you going to support the Coeur d'Alene School District levy Tuesday?
I recently read a fact about Somali pirates that I can’t seem to shake from my mind: Many of the captives have 
been held until their friends have raised $1 million in ransom. One million dollars? As we learned a few weeks ago, the Somali pirate problem raises far sadder and more tragic issues than this. Innocent people have been killed. The violence is ratcheting up. Yet there is something about this ransom number that forces me to ask this question: Would my friends pony up $1 million to save my hide? Would yours?/Jim Kershner, SR. More here.
Question: Jim goes on to say that his friends might pony up $743.10 to ransom him from pirates. How much would you friends and family collect to ransom you?
Eighteen-month-old Molly Kuhns, of Hayden, gets a little pedaling help from her father, Tom Kuhns, along the Centennial Trail in Coeur d'Alene on Friday. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
I got up close and personal with Mudgy & Millie at Independence Point Saturday. In my column Sunday, I included a Huckleberry in which City Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander mentions that her brother, sculptor Terry Lee, reinforced Mudgy's innard because he knew that children would climb all over the bronze moose. I didn't climb on Mudgy's back as I've seen some teens do. But I did get close enough to Millie to pet the mouse. You can read Sunday's Huckleberries print column here.
Other weekend columns from SR:
Christie Wood: Flew in (Saturday) night at 11:00pm after a glorious week in Hawaii (Thank you my dear 
in-laws!). The weather here is quite the contrast to what we have enjoyed for the past 7 days. We were out the door at 7:00am every morning and did not go back inside until at least 10:00pm. The days are long, warm, and beautiful. I wonder if the locals there understand how great it is? They are so lucky to experience the outdoors, the ocean, fresh fruit all year long, and the warmth of the sun. I am looking forward to being a snowbird some day. But for now, I am back at work (today), re-energized, and ready to support the levy.
Question: Have you taken a trip to a warmer climate place this winter? Did it revive you? Or were you miserable when you returned to the cold Inland Northwest?
For the Boise Tea Party to endorse Raúl Labrador in 2010, the now-freshman congressman had to agree to a 
few specifics: no more earmarks, no more Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and no more American involvement in the United Nations. Labrador also backed the flat tax, the gold standard and the election of senators by state legislatures. Only his opposition to federal term limits denied him a perfect score/Elise Viebeck, The Hill. More here.
Question: How would you rate the job Raul Labrador has done during his first two months in office?
The Recall Tom Luna Campaign is officially underway. Nancy Berto of Boise leads the 10-person committee, aiming to gather the more than 158,000 signatures required to recall superintendent Tom Luna. Members plan on launching a new website with a major petition drive scheduled for mid-April. They're currently looking for people to coordinate efforts in their communities/KTRV (Fox 12).
Question: Will an effort to recall Superintendent Tom Luna get the required signatures to put it on the ballot?
Michael Ramirez/Investor's Business Daily
Gonzaga sets up a third showdown with Saint Mary’s, with a 71-67 win over San Francisco in the WCC men's tournament tonight. Jim Meehan's SportsLink story.
Gonzaga women defeat Portland 96-71 in the semifinal game of the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas on Sunday, March 6, 2011. The Zags won the game to advance to the Monday final.
I'm sitting here putting the finishing touches to another week on HBO, listening to Trisha Yearwood singing “She's in Love with the Boy” on Pandora. If things go right, Gonzaga will be meeting Saint Mary's for the WCC tournament championship when the dust settles after this weekend. I pity the WSU Cougars who take to the home hardwood today against No. 9 UCLA without busted Klay Thompson and injured Reggie Moore. All in all, however, it's been a good winter of college basketball (and I don't pay much attention to Whitworth either). Enjoy your weekend. Now for your Wild Card …
Klay Thompson, the Washington State basketball star who was arrested on a drug charge after the Cougs' win over USC Thursday, apologizes to the crowd before today's final Pac-10 game with UCLA in Pullman. Shorthanded, the game Cougars led UCLA by 13 at half and were tied at the end of regulation before falling in overtime. ESPN/AP game story & boxscore here. (Washington State athletics media relations via Twitter)
Question: Politicians and athletes often admit their mistakes and ask for forgiveness from their families, constituents, or fans afterward. When do you know whether they're sincere?
The Coeur d’Alene basketball team was disappointed but determined after its state semifinal loss to Centennial on Friday night at the Idaho Center at Nampa. “We never play just to play,” junior forward Deon Watson said. “We play to win. It doesn’t matter if it’s the third-place game or any other game. We haven’t lost any intensity.” Watson and his teammates backed up those words Saturday morning, rolling to a 69-51 blowout of Borah in the 5A third-place game at Columbia High. Watson and fellow junior Chad Chalich each scored 19 points as the Vikings came out swinging less than 15 hours after Friday’s defeat/Spokesman-Review. More here.
Joe Jaszewski, a talented photographer with the Idaho Statesman, said on his Twitter account Saturday that this photo was his favorite shot of the boys' 5A basketball tournament: Centennial's Daryl Robertson dives over Coeur d'Alene's Devon Loy for a loose ball in the 5A boys state semifinal game at the Idaho Center on Friday night.
Coming into their State 5A semifinal matchup with Centennial, the Coeur d’Alene basketball team was intent on shutting down the dynamic Patriots duo of Faruk Huskic and Patrick Manning. Coeur d’Alene accomplished that goal, holding Centennial’s go-to seniors to 18 points on 6-of-16 shooting. But in the process, the Vikings lost track of Aaron Maffey, and it proved costly in a 54-47 loss at the Idaho Center. Maffey scored 22 points and burned CdA with several crucial 3-pointers. The junior shot 8 for 14 from the floor and added five rebounds/Jordan Rodriquez, SR. More here. And: Idaho Statesman rundown of Day 2 of boys' 5A state tourney play.
Item: Ex-commissioner Currie to fill interim Lake City Senior Center post/Alecia Warren, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: Rick Currie is back in a position to serve the community. The former Kootenai County commissioner has been tapped to serve as interim manager of the Lake City Senior Center, where he will stand in while the facility's board of directors hunts for someone to fill the role permanently. Former Manager Vickie Harrison, who had been with the center for 14 years, chose to leave her role due to persistent health problems, said board member Deanna Goodlander.
Question: Are you happy to hear that former county officials Rick Currie and Dan English have found jobs after years of service to Kootenai County residents?
Many years ago I was introduced to a young journalist from Twin Falls — Mr. Wayne Hoffman (pictured). He was a bright 
and vibrant guy with a terrific “story” of having just left Arkansas - where he covered a local-yokel politician named Gov. Bill Clinton…the then-newly elected President. Wayne and I hit it off from the start. I was making news and he was reporting it. Then Wayne was hired by the Press Tribune in Nampa to report for them. He did an outstanding job, grabbing headlines and beating many experienced journalist to the punch on quite a few statewide and national stories. Next his journey took him to The Idaho Statesman, where he covered news at the Capitol/Dennis Mansfield. More here.
Question: Which reporter in the Inland Northwest would you most trust to write a story involving sensitive information about yourself or your family?
Idaho’s colleges and universities will have to rely more on student tuition and fees under a budget lawmakers 
set Friday. “I know that universities have borne a heavier burden than other entities,” said Sen. Dean Cameron (pictured), R-Rupert, co-chairman of the Legislature’s joint budget committee. “That’s not because we want them to. … They are much more able to adapt and work through this than any of the other agencies we are setting budgets for.” Cameron pushed for deeper cuts, slicing an additional $1.59 million from the higher education budget, but his move narrowly failed in the joint committee/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Would you recommend that high schoolers in Idaho consider state colleges before out-of-state ones, in the wake of constant cuts in the state's higher-education budget?
There's a new place to sleep in the Silver Valley, where you can lay down your head for as little as $25 a night. 
Closed for years, Kellogg's historic McKinley Inn is back open, resurrected as a hostel.”This is the first building that really caught my eye when I came to Kellogg,” said inn proprietor Pat Ryan. A regular visitor to the area, Ryan looked past the leaky roof, damaged drywall, and faded paint and saw a vision. He got to work last fall, building hostel-style bunk beds in shared rooms, sprucing up private rooms and turning the historic landmark into a thrifty place to spend the night”/Tania Dall, KXLY. More here.
Question: Which old building in your North Idaho community would you like to see saved and possibly transformed into an eatery or hotel?
Welcome to another session of Prominent Athlete Drug Bust. Join with sports fans here at the busy intersection 
of Thin Moralizing and Convenient Rationalization for reasoned debate, police bashing and stale jokes. Today’s perp: Washington State basketball star Klay Thompson. I know, I’m as surprised as you are. I figured him for college basketball’s biggest Stiffly Stifferson. You’d think if he was a regular partaker – partoker? – of the herb that he might have lightened the hell up and cracked a smile by now. Lightened, lightened. Not lighted. Sheesh. The Cougars took a stab at playing their way back into the NCAA tournament picture with a solid win over USC on Thursday night in Pullman, the mood leavened somewhat by an ankle injury of indeterminate severity to point guard Reggie Moore. Two hours later, the mood was leadened/John Blanchette, SR. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: How do you react when a key athlete on your favorite team is caught in a criminal act? You want to see him punished appropriately, even if it hurts the team? You secretly want him to skate?
Those walking around the halls of Congress on Monday afternoon were treated to a peculiar sighting as Former Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho), long ago disgraced in a bizarre airport bathroom scandal and two-years removed 
from office, rode the subway that runs beneath the Capitol. He was, he said, “making the rounds” to see former Senate colleagues. From which CNN reported that the Idaho Republican was now a lobbyist, free to talk shop with Congress members after waiting through a cooling off period. Craig's firm, New West Strategies, wouldn't actually confirm lobbying was now part of his portfolio. “I didn't say that,” said Mike Ware, a principal at New West, adding, with emphasis, that “the cooling off period IS over.” But the mere spotting of Craig back on the Hill was enough to raise alarms from those good-government groups who see danger in the coercive influence former members can have on old colleagues/Sam Stein, Huffington Post. More here.
Question: Do you think former Idaho U.S. senator Larry Craig is an effective lobbyist, given his personal baggage from his last year-plus in office?
I'm still trying to get over the ridiculous statements and votes by North Idaho reps (Districts 2 thru 5) against extending jobless benefits to unemployed Idahoans. I know one unemployed fellow who fits the stereotype of a lazy bum. He and his wife have done little more than use unemployment to sit around the house watching videos. However, I know several other unemployed or underemployed North Idahoans who have been beating the bushes looking for jobs that aren't there. McMillan & Co. should get out a little more and talk to those who are barely holding things together — rather than spend all their time listening to one another in the hallowed halls of the Capitol. Now for your Wild Card …
Queen Latifah portrays Ursula the Sea Witch from the animated film “The Little Mermaid,” as part of Disney Parks' “Let the Memories Begin,” campaign created by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. This portrait is one of the latest to be commissioned by Disney, which debuted the series of celebrities set in Disney fantasy settings in 2007. (AP Photo/Disney Parks, Annie Leibovitz)
Despite organized protests, public testimony, phone calls and letters, American Falls High School senior 
Madai Montes feels that Idaho legislators aren’t listening to the public’s outcry against proposed education reforms. That’s why the frustrated student decided to stop talking and start walking on Monday. Monday’s student walkout in American Falls and elsewhere around Idaho was the brainchild of Montes, who wanted to speak out against Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna’s proposed changes to education. “No matter how much we’ve protested in front of the Capitol it doesn’t seem to work and they don’t seem to care,” Montes said. “We wanted to do something around the state to get the state’s attention”/Kendra Evensen, Idaho State Journal. More here. (Statesman photo/Joe Jaszewski: Boise high schoolers protest at state Capitol.)
Question: Do you vice walkouts by high schoolers against Tom Luna's education overhaul as a good sign that they're involved politically? Or a bad sign that they've embraced civil disobedience?
Vince Vaccaro of Townsend, Mont., sports his rifle during the Lewis and Clark Conservative Tea Party's “Constitution Rally”, earlier today, on the steps of the Sate Capitol in Helena, Mont. The Lewis & Clark's Conservative Tea Party group received permission to bring unloaded and secured weapons onto Capitol grounds to support allowing guns in off-limits areas. The organizer and conductor of the rally, Tim Ravndal, said the rally is about protecting Second Amendment rights by making legislators see and hear how important gun rights are. (AP Photo/The Great Falls Tribune, Rion Sanders)
“On Sunday, St. Thomas the Apostle Church (shown here from Tubbs Hill), on 9th and Indiana Ave., will commemorate the first Mass service which was held at the church on March 5, 1911,” posts Kerri Thoreson, More Main Street. “The iconic parish was established in 1890, the same year as Idaho's statehood.” More here.
Hucks Online numbers (for Thursday): 9539/5703, (for Wednesday) 8870/5369, (for Tuesday) 8120/4899, (for Monday) 8000/5050.
A coupla weekends ago, aryanwomen88 commented on this blog that she and other white supremacists 
planned to picket the handful of Mexican food stands in Coeur d'Alene on Fridays. With that in mind, Sidekick Cindy dropped by two of them around noon today during a trip to the Lake City. She files this brief report in thecomments section: “I just enjoyed some delicous carne asada tacos at the taco truck near Thai Bamboo. The tacos were delicious and spicy, but came without a side of racists. I was disappointed. Isn’t it Friday?” Cindy said the stands on Best & 6th and 3000 block of Government way were doing good business.
Question (for Sgt. Christie Wood, if she's out there in the local blogosphere): What has become of the Aryan threat to boycott the local Mexican food stands?
Armed supporters listen to Tim Ravndal Executive Director of the Lewis & Clark's Conservative Tea Party at a rally on the Capitol steps earlier today in Helena, Mont. (AP Photo/Stephen Dockery)
Just a couple of dozen people showed up for a tea party rally outside the Montana Capitol in which participants were encouraged to bring their guns. The Lewis & Clark's Conservative Tea Party group received permission to bring unloaded and secured weapons onto Capitol grounds Friday, an area where firearms are usually prohibited. Similar gun rallies have taken place on Capitol grounds in years past but this year's rally was sparsely attended in comparison/Associated Press. More here.
Question: Why are the Tea Party and some legislators in Montana and Idaho pushing for more people to carry guns, including students on college campuses?
Dan of the Camp: The last two months since I left office was the longest time I think I have been without a job since I was in early High School. While I know my relatively short-lived time of unemployment was a drop in the 
bucket compared to many, it was a time of real soul stretching and faith testing for sure. It gave me an immense sense of empathy for all the other willing and able folks ready to do something constructive but not able to find anything. I didn’t know how much I would come to appreciate those who at least took the time to send an email letting you know you didn’t make the grade let alone how delicious it could be to get an actual personal rejection letter delivered to your door. You grab the letter and turn it over and over in your hand wanting to believe it could be an invitation to an interview but really knowing that you had a better chance of scratching off the winning numbers of the next mega millions lottery. Full comment here.
DFO: Please join me in congratulating our faithful, former county clerk in his new job as manager of the Twin Lakes Friends Camp.
I didn't realize that The Torch lounge had changed its name until I received the latest Downtown Coeur d'Alene Bar Report. At 12:05 a.m. Saturday, Coeur d'Alene police report: “Officers responded to a citizen dispute at the Rendezvous (formally known as The Torch), 216 E. Coeur d'Alene Ave., regarding a dispute between a female and a bouncer over a possible fake ID. No further information available.” But there is more info available for other run-ins b/n police and downtown bar flies.
Slightly higher than normal job increases in February were not enough to drop the state’s unemployment rate 
below record levels of the previous three months and left the seasonally adjusted February unemployment rate at 9.7 percent, unchanged from January and December. The addition of about 2,000 private sector jobs – primarily in business services, health care, private education, hotels and restaurants – did bring job totals up to February 2010 levels, the first time current-month jobs have equaled the year-earlier totals since March 2009. But February, at just over 587,000 jobs, was only a few hundred jobs higher than February 2010, the lowest February job total since 2004/Idaho Department of Labor. More here. And: Complete county-by-county figures here.
Question: What advice do you think our compassionate legislators from House Districts 2-5 would give to those suffering through double-digit unemployment in their North Idaho counties?
Penelope Cruz, right, and Jeff Bridges appear as Disney characters Belle and the transformed prince, from “Beauty and the Beast,” as part of Disney Parks' “Let the Memories Begin,” campaign created by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. This portrait is the latest to be commissioned by Disney, which debuted the series of celebrities set in Disney fantasy settings in 2007. (AP Photo/Disney Parks, Annie Leibovitz)
DFO: Thought you'd like to see another of the Leibovitz Disney creations.
The Idaho Legislature will send letters to Congress and federal officials saying that Idaho citizens should be involved in any efforts to designate more land in the state as wilderness. The action from lawmakers comes after an order from the Department of the Interior that has been criticized by many Idaho elected officials. The Idaho Senate approved a memorial, to be sent to the Interior Department and members of Congress, saying Idaho wouldn’t support designating land as wilderness without public input. The Senate vote, like the House vote on Feb. 21, was largely on party lines, with Democrats opposing the memorial/Brad Iverson-Long, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Should more wilderness land be added to Idaho?
The planet's most flamboyantly dressed pop star is threatening legal action against British manufacturers of the world's most bizarrely flavoured ice-cream. Lady Gaga has told a store in Covent Garden, central London, to stop selling its latest brand, Baby Gaga – ice-cream made from human breast milk, blended with vanilla pods and lemon. The US singer, whose last entanglement with foodstuffs involved wearing a dress stitched together from raw meat to an awards ceremony, appears unaware that the product she complained about disappeared off the company's shelves last week/The Guardian. More here.
Question: What do you make of ice cream made with breast milk?
File this under the “win some, lose some” category. We were pleased to learn that funding for water quality 
monitoring made it through the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee, but dismayed to hear that the committee voted to cut funding for the Pend Oreille Basin Commission—otherwise known as the Lakes Commission. By cutting the meager $75,000 budget for the Lakes Commission, the Legislature deals a nearly fatal blow to the work of the commission, which has advocated for protecting Lake Pend Oreille's water quantity and quality for the past eight years/Susan Drumheller, Idaho Conservation League. More here.
Question: Does it seem as though Idaho lawmakers more concerned about southern Idaho water issues than North Idaho water issues?
It's great that the sun is shining outside my second-floor windown in the Spokesman-Review window as I type this. But Linda Lantzy/Idaho Scenic Images offers a reminder, on her Facebook page, about the way we were here in Coeur d'Alene last week in this portrait she calls, “Icy Blue.”
Two suspected wallet snatchers led the victim on a 100 mph chase in Spokane Valley Thursday night, police 
said today. Valley resident Robert A. Hunter, 25, and Jenna L. Myers, 25, of Coeur d'Alene, were arrested on theft charges after allegedly fleeing the Tesoro gas station, 13800 E. Trent Ave., with a wallet Myers picked up in the parking lot. A 22-year Spokane Valley man dropped the wallet as he exited his car to buy a soda at the store, where he was a regular customer. The store employee told police he saw Myers (pictured) get out of a car and pick up the wallet, then enter the store and whisper something to Hunter before the two fled/Meghann Cuniff, SR. More here.
Question: Have you ever driven 100 mph?
Higher gas prices are posted at a Chevron gas station in San Francisco today. Gasoline prices have shot up an average of 35 cents per gallon since an uprising in Libya began in mid-February. AAA is reporting that gas prices experienced last week experiencing the second highest jump in a week since 1990 here. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Question: Do you believe that the unrest in Mideast is causing gas prices to go up as much as they are? Or are oil companies taking advantage of the unrest to drive up prices?
“I'm so ticked off at him, I told him he needs to think about getting his degree and finishing up. 'You've got a lot of amends to make.' That's what I think. He's supposed to be the leader of this team, and they depend on him, and he does something stupid like this. I told him, 'Doing something like this shows how irresponsible you are'” — Mychal Thompson, a former NBA player and father of WSU basketball star Klay Thompson, who was arrested last night on a drug charge, hours after the Cougars' big win over USC.
Question: Did you ever do something really stupid as a teen?
Huckleberries Online has confirmed with SReporters that Duane Alton, formerly of Alton Tires, of Spokane, is one of the individuals behind that half-page ad in the Coeur d'Alene Press, attacking the Coeur d'Alene School District levies. In January, SReporter Jody Lawrence-Turner reported that Alton, John Beal, and Marilyn Montgomery organized Citizens for Responsible Government to fight Central Valley and Mead bonds in February. The same three fought bond issues in Spokane, Central Valley and West Valley school districts in 2003.Their organizations Citizens for Responsible Government and the www.forthekids-really.com are named at the bottom of the ad. Alton is registered with the PAC and he donated $25,000 to the group to fight two levies in Mead and Central Valley. You can read Coeur d'Alene Press ad here.
Question: Do you have problems with Duane Alton and two other people from Spokane sticking their noses in a Coeur d'Alene school levy election?
Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn stands beside Volkswagen Bulli concept car during an event of the Volkswagen group on the eve of the 81st International Motor show in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday. (AP Photo/dapd, Sascha Schuermann)
Question: Did you ever own a Volkswagen van or Beetle?
A bill that would prohibit women from getting an abortion 20 weeks after pregnancy has cleared its first hurdle in the Idaho Senate. The Senate State Affairs Committee advanced a bill Friday based on emerging, yet disputed medical evidence that fetuses 20 weeks post conception experience pain. Republican Sen. Chuck Winder says the bill simply protects the unborn from having to experience pain and suffering. Winder's bill is being pushed by Idaho Right to Life and modeled after a Nebraska law that took effect in October and outlaws abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy/Associated Press. More here.
Question: Do you support this bill?
(Rep. Marv Hagedorn's, pictured) argument against an unemployment benefits bill Wednesday managed to be both illogical and insensitive. The House was debating a common-sense move to allow 17,800 Idahoans to 
receive extended federal unemployment benefits through the end of the year. And there is a reasonable counterargument: the benefits come from a deficit-ridden federal government. But Hagedorn, R-Meridian, chose to stereotype Idaho’s jobless as a bunch of layabouts. “It’s time to lead the horse away from the trough and make him go to work.” So, if government cuts off benefits, jobs will miraculously materialize, people will return to work and Idaho’s downturn will be nothing more than a bad memory? Why didn’t anyone think of that sooner? Unmoved by Hagedorn’s airtight economics, the House voted 41-28 for the benefits bill/Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Hagedorn's comments about the unemployed reflects the sentiment of many if not all of the 8 North Idaho legislators in Districts 2 thru 5 who joined him in voting against the jobles bill. Do you think most Idahoans receiving unemployment are basically lazy?
Idaho Republican Chairman Norm Semanko is paying the price for having supported former RNC Chairman 
Michael Steele. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus announced Thursday that he'd replaced Semanko as general counsel with Texas National Committeeman Bill Crocker. Semanko was a law school classmate of Steele's who fought hard to have him re-elected to a second two-year term despite widespread dissatisfaction with Steele's leadership, including his financial management. Crocker also supported a different candidate in the January election, Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis. But Priebus put Crocker on his transition team/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Reaction?
Borah guard Jordan Wright, left, steals the ball mid-court from Post Falls' Connor Hill in the opening round of the boys' Class 5A state basketball tournament Thursday at the Idaho Center in Nampa. The defendiing champs fell to Borah in overtime 70-64 here. Meanwhile, Coeur d'Alene routed Eagle in an earlier game here. (AP Photo/The Idaho Statesman, Darin Oswald)
In a current blog post, Kevin Richert/Idaho Statesman points to the misinformation that Gov. Butch Otter provided the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee this week re: the Frank Church-River of No Return 
(Wilderness). Otter said: ““There are more people in one day, probably, that play golf on the floating green in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho than visit the Frank Church-River of No Return (Wilderness) in a year.” Statesman reporter Rocky Barker noted Thursday that the resort golf course attracts 280 golfers on a good day, while the wilderness area sees about 33,000 visitors per year — a hundredfold miscalculation. Then, Richert notes: “The best-case scenario: If Otter says he shot a five on the 11th hole, the rest of his foursome would be well advised to double-check his math.” More here.
Question: Would you want to play golf with Gov. Otter?
JFAC has set a bare-bones budget for the state's community colleges, calling for a 3.9 percent cut in their state general funds and a 5.6 percent cut in total funds. None of the community colleges' requests for funding, including those to cover enrollment increases, are funded. The governor had recommended a $413,300 decrease in state funds; JFAC more than doubled that to $933,800. The even bigger drop in overall funds reflects the loss of one-time federal stimulus money the colleges got this year/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Have you had to make tough cuts to your budget during the long recession?
Alec Baldwin portrays the Spirit in the Magic Mirror, left, and Olivia Wilde portrays the Evil Queen from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” as part of Disney Parks' “Let the Memories Begin,” campaign created by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. This portrait is one of the latest to be commissioned by Disney, which debuted the series of celebrities set in Disney fantasy settings in 2007. (AP Photo/Disney Parks, Annie Leibovitz)
Question: Which Disney animated movie is your favorite?
But, if Democrats were to pick themselves up off the canvas and seize Winmill's ruling as the opportunity it 
could prove to be, it just might turn out to be the spark that lets the long-suffering party get back in the game. In politics you can often define opportunity as the moment circumstances collide with timing. The circumstances are the issues mix in Idaho right now - faltering funding for education and a still limping economy - the timing is reflected by the stark reality that Idaho Democrats need a new organizing principle and new blood; energy and ideas to jump start a political recovery. Scrambling the primary process, requiring party registration could be a very big deal/Marc Johnson, The Johnson Report. More here.
Question: Do you agree with political observer Marc Johnson's view that Judge Lynn Winmill's ruling in favor of closed primaries could be a blessing in disguise for Idaho Democrats?
Item: Council seeks McEuen costs: Some features will be removed; dollar figures could be ready next month/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: As far as the McEuen Field conceptual plan, here's what's being taken out: Urban water features around the grand plaza, a water feature and picnic area at the eastern entrance to Tubbs Hill and a lookout structure on the hill. Here is what's under the microscope: The freedom fountain, the freedom tree, the bridge connecting to The Resort boardwalk, the water fountains at the western entrance to Tubbs Hill and its sledding hill, the dog park, the skate park, and the bottom level of parking in the underground parking structure. What's coming: Estimated costs.
Question: Would you support McEuen Field changes, if some features are eliminated and most of the cost would be picked up from money provided by the Lake City Development Corp?
Update (from Vince Grippi Twitter): Thompson suspended by WSU for last night's marijuana bust, will miss UCLA game. Status to be evaluated later. More here.
Washington State University’s star basketball player Klay Thompson, 21, was arrested late Thursday for 
marijuana possession. Thompson, a junior guard from Ladera Ranch, Calif., was pulled over for a headlight out at 11 p.m. on Harvey Road, just off the Greek Row area on College Hill. The Pullman Police Department officer reported smelling the odor of marijuana and that Thompson, the driver and sole occupant, denied having the drug. Based on the odor, the officer arrested Thompson and impounded his car, a GMC Envoy, until a search warrant could be obtained. During the search, officers found 1.95 grams of marijuana in the car, said police Commander Chris Tennant/Spokesman-Review. More here.
Question: Should he play in Saturday's big home game with UCLA and the PAC-10 tournament next week? And/or: WWBYUD (What would BYU do?)
Michael Ramirez/Investor's Business Daily
Washington State forward DeAngelo Casto (23) grabs a rebound in front of Southern California forward Nikola Vucevic (5) as Faisal Aden, right to left, Garrett Jackson and Klay Thompson watch during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday in Pullman. Casto lead all scores with 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Washington State won 85-77. Game story & box score here. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)
I've been considering dumping the APhoto of the Day cutline contest because few Berry Pickers participate in it. I enjoy looking for odd photos and posting them. But it's a bit discouraging when only a handful try their wit on a good one. Mebbe the problem is in the judging. I suspect some of you don't participate because you don't want to match cutline talent with strong contestants. I'm open for suggestions. Meanwhile, I'll probably cut back on photo of the day and use more photos (like the one involving Brandon Davies and the baptized baby below) that attract comments. Now, for your Wild Card …
A puppy now named Wall-e, who managed to survive despite two attempts to euthanize it, has hundreds of people from the United States and Canada reaching out to try to adopt. Wall-e was one of five dogs put to sleep Friday after being found abandoned near a Sulphur, Okla., animal shelter. Saturday, an animal control officer noticed the black-and-white puppy was still alive. (AP Photo/courtesy Marcia Machtiger)
Question: Have you ever acquired a pound puppy? Did it work out?
This season’s “American Idol” has undergone a rejuvenation after dumping Kara and Ellen and saying 
goodbye to Simon. Stephen Tyler and Jennifer Lopez have been a welcome change, joining Randy Jackson at the judge’s table and giving them all something new to talk about. And watching 24 Idolers perform their little hearts out over the last two nights, it’s been easier to take with those three at the table instead of watching the same old schtick from the last few seasons. It’s fun again. So America will vote for the top ten boys and top ten girls out of these 24. And then the judges get a wild card or something or other. That part isn’t really clear/Jeanne DePaul, Virtual Deadlines, Lewiston Tribune. More here. (AP file photo of, from right, Stephen Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and Randy Jackson)
Question: Do you enjoy the change in American Idaho to Stephen Tyler and Jennifer Lopez from Kara, Ellen, and Simon?
Bryan Elementary 1st grader Andralinn Jacob (cq) wore her cat face in honor of the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel aka Dr. Seuss at the school in Coeur d'Alene on Thursday. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Post Falls Police are investigating several reports of teens texting naked images of themselves to friends.The days of note passing at school are over as teens are using cell phones to swap messages with each other. 
Officials in Post Falls are concerned about teens swapping more than just text messages as they’re facing a rising number of sexting incidents they’re having to investigate.“Once that photo is out there you really don't know who has it,” Post Falls Police School Resource Officer Neil Uhrig said. “We're seeing a lot of students take nude photos of themselves and sending them to their friends.”A quick click is all is takes and teens can instantly send nude images or videos of themselves to friends. It's an ongoing problem that's recently been becoming a concern at Post Falls High School/Tania Dall, KXLY. More here. (Photo: Police Chief Scot Haug)
Question: Are you concerned that your kids or their friends would do something this stupid?
The House State Affairs Committee today killed legislation that would have required community college 
trustees positions to be divided into zones within the college's district. That legislation, which had support from several Jerome County lawmakers, died with a 10-8 vote to hold it in the committee, which effectively kills it. The legislation had been sparked in part by the outcome of the College of Southern Idaho's board elections in November, which resulted in a five-member board of trustees all living in or near Twin Falls/Ben Botkin, Capitol Confidential, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: WWFD? What will Frank (Henderson) do — now that North Idaho College (against his wishes) can maintain the status quo for trustee elections?
It is a commonly made mistake. A slip of the tongue, or an error made by the misinformed that can make an 
Idahoan cringe. Even so, it isn't a mistake that is usually made on a national level, by a publication seen by millions of eyes over the course of one day. We live in Idaho, not Iowa. But according to the Wall Street Journal, they are one and the same. A mistake made in a headline of Thursday's paper read, “Bankruptcy for Iowa County.” The dateline directly below the headline, which reads “Boise County, Idaho,” may clear up the confusion, but the obvious error is still there. And in a newspaper, it is permanent/Kelsey Jacobson, KTVB. More here.
Question: Anyone out there give us a reason why an Idahoan would want to visit Iowa?
Apparently, newby County Clerk Cliff Hayes is leaning on OpenCDA.com to get the word out re: his moves to reorganize his office. I was surprised when I checked Mary & Bill's Web site to see that Hayes had sent it a 
press release that he said the “mainstream media” failed to run. Quoth the cover letter that went with the news release: ““We’re sending this out to you directly because the mainstream media has chosen to disseminate nothing on our division’s recent progress, and Cliff promised transparency during his campaign for this office. We plan to issue press releases monthly.” Huckleberries Online didn't get the news release. Which means that the clerk's office considers this site less than mainstream — or wasn't trying all that hard to get the message out. I won't promise that I'll run every news release that I get. But I won't/can't run it when I don't get it. (You can find Hayes' news release here.)
Question: What do you make of new County Clerk Cliff Hayes turning to OpenCDA to get his message out?
Folo Idaho Statesman boys 5A state basketball tournament here
A federal agent walks past the front of the Hell's Angels clubhouse on the 1300 block of East Sprague Thursday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the motorcycle club's building, but released few details about their investigation. Meghann Cuniff SR story here. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)
Question: Have you ever known someone who was a member of the Hells Angels or some other outlaw motorcycle gang?
If you think your North Idaho legislator isn't a straight shooter, you might be right. Only one North Idaho legislator finished in the top 10 of 28 lawmakers who participated in a recent shooting contest, coordinated by the Idaho Fraternal Order of Police. State Sen. Steve Vick, of Hayden Lake, finished No. 9. Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise; Rep. Mike Moyle, R-Star; & Rep. Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, finished one, two, and three, respectively. All of the Top 10 finishers were Republicans. Dunno if any legislative Dems were invited. You can see the results for the Top 10 here.
Question: Would you respect a lawmaker more/less if s/he knew how to shoot a gun?
I wonder who's behind the half-page ad in the Coeur d'Alene Press on Page A3 today that urges a “no” vote on the Coeur d'Alene School District levies this spring? A screaming headline annouces: “$26 million in new property taxes and no end in sight! That's right fellow taxpayers. Hang on to your wallets! Never mind the unemployment rate, people struggling to put food on the table and keep their homes … think about it!” Concerned Citizens of CdA paid for the ad. Citizens for Responsible Taxation and www.ForTheKids-Really.com are listed as sponsors. No where is there a list of the individuals behind the attack. The school levies may be in trouble this year, if you concerned this well-heeled media attack coupled with a Coeur d'Alene Press poll that shows 58% of respondents are prepared to vote against both levy issues.
Question: Are the Coeur d'Alene school levies in trouble? Why? Why not?
Members of the House State Affairs Committee introduced a bill Thursday that would essentially allow guns to 
be carried on college campuses across the state. Panel members voted 16-3 to approve the measure. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Erik Simpson, R-Idaho Falls, would allow colleges and universities in Idaho to regulate and prohibit firearms in undergraduate housing only. That means that students, teachers, staffers and visitors could openly carry the weapons in campus buildings/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Would you want your child going to a college that allows guns on campus?
Ken Webber, 28, a school bus driver from Medford, Ore. who was suspended from his job for refusing to remove a Confederate flag from the truck bed of his personal vehicle parked at the Phoenix-Talent School District’s bus barn on Colver Road in Talent, Ore. A spokeswoman for the school bus company said Webber was asked to remove the flag because it violates school district policy. Webber said his suspension violates his free speech rights and he plans to hire an attorney. Story here. (AP Photo/The Medford Mail Tribune, Bob Pennell)
When my husband called to tell me he’d just ordered a Roku box I thought he was bringing home Japanese 
takeout for dinner. Wrong. Instead, a few days later he brought home a little black box that streams movies, television shows and music directly to our home via the Internet. Suddenly, we have Netflix, Pandora and Hulu Plus. In other words, no one complains that there’s nothing on TV anymore. No one, except me. I complain about television whether there’s anything on it or not/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here.
Question: How many hours a week do you watch TV?
On SB 1110, the teacher pay for performance bill, the House Education Committee has voted 13-5 to approve 
the measure and send it to the full House with a recommendation that it pass. The measure had earlier passed the Senate. It would cost the state $38 million in its first year, 2013, and $51.3 million in each year thereafter. Rep. Brian Cronin, D-Boise, objected that the bill sets up a system with no funding source. “It's irresponsible, it's not the way this Legislature generally acts,” he said. “We have such severe deficits we can't even meet our basic needs, not only in the education field but in various other areas of government”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
How they vote: (yes) Reps. Nonini, Shirley, Block, Nielsen, Chadderdon, Shepherd, Wills, Marriott, Thayn, Hartgen, Bateman, Boyle, and DeMordaunt; (no) Reps. Trail, Nesset, Pence, Chew, and Cronin.
Reaction?
A Pend Oreille County woman is trying to find out who stole her late husband's ashes, which were kept in 
an urn made out of a Harley Davidson gas tank. Debbie Plunkett says it was the perfect place to put the ashes of her late husband, Carl Jackson, who died of cancer in 2001.Plunkett said it only made sense to put his ashes in the gas tank from his custom built bike. “He won tons of trophies with it. That was his pride and joy. Every Sunday he was washing it, washing and polishing it,” she said/Kalae Chock, KXLY. More here.
Question: What kind of container would you want your ashes placed in, to reflect your passion in life?
Joker: My words sting because they’re true. Democrats in Idaho are unable to advance their agenda because 
they don’t have the numbers. It’s been that way for a long time and the fact is Larry Grant has been part of the machine that has been able to stop the Republican domination. It’s disappointing the Dems are so inept. You can see what happens when the Reps are unchecked and it’s not good for Idaho. Now the battle is within the Republicans between the moderates and the crazies. I wonder what will turn the tide? I wonder where’s the Democratic message to connect with people? Is Larry Grant that guy? History tells us that the answer is probably not. (Complete Debate between Joker and Reggie here)
Question: Who do you agree with — Joker or Reggie?
The beating of Rodney King 20 years ago Thursday marked the end of a 100-mph car chase and the beginning of a chain of events that would forever change Los Angeles, its police department and the racial conversation in the United States. King, then a 25-year-old convicted robber on parole, admittedly had a few drinks under his belt as he headed home from a friend's house. When he spotted a police car following him, he panicked, thinking he would be sent back to prison. So he took off/CNN. More here.
Question: Did we learn anything from the Rodney King beating?
A baby cries during a baptizing ceremony in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi, Georgia, Thursday. About 400 babies were baptized during a special ceremony in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in the Georgian capital. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)
Question: Have you ever been baptized?
Here's the lead to my Sunday column: First, you should know that Mudgy isn’t the only moose in Coeur d’Alene who’s “all around the town.” There’s a herd of them. And some of them allow their calves to take 
along. But more about this a little later. Mudgy, as many of you know, is the fictional character created by Susan Nipp in a children’s book who wanders around the Lake City looking for his mouse buddy, Millie. Downtown visitors will find five sculptures of the moose and mouse and retrace Mudge’s search for Millie from Tubbs Hill to Independence Point, where the moose sees the mouse asleep in her antlers where she’s been hiding. Six-year-old Joey Maben is a big fan of Mudgy and Millie – so much so that Joey wanted to ride the mama moose and calf she saw hanging out with a calf at her Centennial Place bus stop Wednesday. Some of the other kids wanted to hop on board, too. Luckily, Joey’s father, Scott, a deputy city editor of The Spokesman-Review, persuaded the children to stay away from the unpredictable animals that went on munching a neighborhood tree.
Question: I can't think of a final line to wrap up the Huckleberry. Can you?
House Education Chairman Bob Nonini told Sherri Wood, president of the IEA, “Although my name doesn't 
appear on these bills as a sponsor, I have been very supportive since the superintendent and the governor have shared these bills. … I am supportive of these bills, and I have listened to the public testimony and yes it's very touching.” He said he was speaking only for himself, not for his committee. “I think it wouldn't be any different than if my name was on here from the get-go as a sponsor. I have been supportive of this process from the get-go”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Anyone surprised that Nonini supported Tom Luna's plans to transform Idaho public education into Third World caliber from the get-go?
The legend-making began quickly this week with news that former Idaho Sen. James McClure, 86, had died. Even in the case of a politician’s death, Americans have a natural inclination to soften edges, revise history 
and speak kindly of the deceased out of respect for families. But out of respect for the national forests that suffered McClure’s tenure, the record begs a brief reality check. Certainly he was a refreshing gentleman in contrast to the volatile politics we must endure today, yet McClure was not always an adherent of inclusiveness, as some suggested this week, nor was he a champion of the public interest. He jumped on the Reagan bandwagon in the early 1980s to support Interior Secretary James Watt and his in-your-face Sagebrush Rebellion plan to privatize public lands/Rich Landers, SR. More here.
Question: Should we ignore the clay feet of the dearly departed — in this case Sen. Jim McClure's weak environmental record?
Airway Heights corrections officer Jeff Rude waves to passing motorists Wednesday during a Teamsters Local Union 117 informational picket in Airway Heights. State prison workers are demanding immediate steps to improve staff safety. John Craig SR story here. (SR photo: Colin Mulvany)
When Gov. Butch Otter spoke to the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee in Washington, D.C., this week, he wanted to make a point about how little wilderness means to his home state. “There are more 
people in one day, probably, that play golf on the floating green in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, than visit the Frank Church-River of No Return (Wilderness) in a year,” Otter told the committee. “And that’s just a par 3.” Well, not exactly. In a normal summer day, with all tee times filled, the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s golf course can handle about 220 golfers, said Andy MacKimmie, the resort’s head golf professional. But in a tournament like the Governor’s Cup, he can start a foursome on every hole. “We can accommodate up to 280 golfers in a day with double shotgun starts,” MacKimmie said/Rocky Barker, Idaho Statesman. More here. (SR file photo: Jesse Tinsley)
Question: Do you think the floating green is more important to Idaho than the Frank Church-River of No Return (Wilderness), as Butch Otter seems to do?
A BYU fan holds up a sign in support of the Cougars' forward, Brandon Davies, before an NCAA college basketball game against New Mexico in Provo, Utah, Wednesday. Davies was suspended for the reminder of the season for having premarital sex, violating the university's honor code. BYU, which is ranked No. 3, was upset by New Mexico in last night's game. Story here. (AP Photo/Colin E Braley)
Question: Should BYU have suspended Brandon Davies for the remainder of the season for having premarital sex with his girlfriend?
Chief Judge of the District Court for the District of Idaho, Lynn Winmill, a Clinton appointee, found that the Republican Party is deprived of its first amendment right to assembly by Idaho's open primary system. 
Pursuant to the Republican party's request, Judge Winmill declared that Idaho Code section 34-904 is unconstitutional. He can't do more than that since Republicans didn't request it in their complaint. Depending on appeals, I expect the legislature to close primaries forthwith this session. If so, this should add to a fascinating dimension to politics this May obligating anyone wishing to participate in selecting a party candidate to declare their affiliation to a party when voting. Independents will have to choose between teabaggers and a rational choice/Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues.
Question: Will you mind identifying with a party before you vote in this spring's primaries?
Sam: For most people who lose their jobs, it seems to me that what unemployment pay provides is hardly enough to likely keep up with all of the bills your full wages/salary would have. That sure doesn’t seem like 
very much of an incentive to me. The recession really hurt people, and I hope these legislators realize that it takes a business being willing to hire, too, for those people to get jobs. My mother worked for two years to find a job and was unable to get one. She wasn’t sitting on her rear doing nothing. And I think a lot of North Idahoans have that same gumption and want to work and were doing something about it. In effect, these North Idaho legislators are saying their constituents are lazy bums.
Question: Do you consider unemployed North Idahoans are lazy bums, as the representatives in House Districts 2-5 (who voted against extending jobless benefits) seem to think?
A Marion County judge has ruled, for the first time in Indiana, that news media outlets can be ordered by the 
court to reveal identifying information about posters to their online forums. In rulings this week and last week, Marion Superior Court Judge S.K. Reid became the first judge in Indiana to rule on whether the state journalism shield law protects media outlets from being forced to disclose names of anonymous posters on their websites or other identifying information about those posters, said Kevin Betz, an attorney for Jeffrey Miller, former chief executive of Junior Achievement of Central Indiana/Jeff Swiatek, Indianapolis Star. More here. H/T: Bent.
Question: Would you post comments in online newspaper forums, if you had to identify yourself?
I've been asleep at the switch and forgot to post today's Wild Card. I've been blogging at the speed of light this morning, with all the interesting developments in the courts (Westboro Baptist & Idaho primary decisions), in Boise (Idaho Education Committee hearing), and the usual fare. But enough of excuses. Here's your Wild Card …
Pelicans take off at Dojran Lake in southeastern Macedonia, on Sunday. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
To spend all the money
the President wishes
we'll need one more feat like
the loaves and the fishes.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
The Boise School District officials are asking parents to talk their students out of leaving school to protest Tom Luna's bills to “reform” Idaho public education. See story below (Photo taken by a Berry Picker)
Question: Would you try to dissuade your high schooler from walking out of school in protest to Luna tax “reform,” if he or she wanted to do so?
A child watches frogs crawling on a window at an aquarium in Seoul, South Korea, earlier today, during an event marking the upcoming end of insect hibernation. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man)
Top Cutlines:
Rep. Shannon McMillan, R-Silverton, debating against HB 109 on extended unemployment benefits, said, “My 
problem isn’t with the hand out or the hand up. My problem is with the length of time. … How long are we going to extend it out? It’s kind of like a diseased limb now, we’re dragging it out and dragging it out. Isn’t perhaps the cleaner cut, the more merciful cut, instead of keep dragging it on? Because it doesn’t sound like there’s ever going to be an end to it. … I understand there’s people on the verge of losing their house and things. But we have to stop it sometime. … When is it ever going to end?” (via Eye On Boise)
Question: In the comments section, Phaedrus labels the comment above by Rep. McMillan as “the definition of heartless.” Do you agree/disagree?
Larry Grant, a former Micron Technology executive and congressional candidate, will chair the Idaho 
Democratic Party. “Our job as the minority party is to hold the majority party accountable,” said Grant in his acceptance speech last week. “The Republican agenda is not hard to figure out. They want tax cuts for the wealthy, wage cuts for everyone else, and God help you if you can’t pay your medical bills.” Grant succeeds Hailey attorney Keith Roark/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Why would anyone want the job in No. 2 most conservative state in union?
After much debate, HB 109 has passed the House on a 41-28 vote; if the bill had been killed, 17,000 unemployed Idahoans would have been booted off their extended federal unemployment benefits over the next nine months. Rep. Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, the sponsor of HB 109 and the House tax committee chairman, said though some people may game the system, he has a place in his heart for those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. “I think this is legislation that we will pay dearly if we do not pass,” he said/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise.
“If we continue this, all we are going to do is enable,” said Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens. “We're out of money. … At some point we have to stand up and say, 'That's enough.'”
Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, said, “I think we would be better off to get people back to work, try to get the economy flowing. If we keep giving 'em money, that isn't going to happen.”
Question: Are you surprised that all representatives from House Districts 2-5 voted against extending benefits to the unemployed?
Apparently, there's a Web site that features Paula Deen, the American cook and television personality, riding different things. OrangeTV/Get Out! North Idaho couldn't resist when he saw the meme that's sweeping the Internet. So he posted a photo of Paula Deen riding the most recognizable landmark on the Coeur d'Alene waterfront.
Barring an appeal of federal Judge Lynn Winmill's ruling that Idaho's open primary is unconstitutional, it appears as though Idaho Republicans will now be able to bar Democrats from crossing over to vote in their primaries. Already, however, one rascally Democrat here has declared that he'll register as a Republican and mess up Norm Semanko's demographics. To prevent that, Huckleberries Online would like to develop some sort of test that suspicious Republican poll watchers can use to out in Democrats attempting to cross over.
Question: Can you think of any questions that could be used on a test to decide whether a potential voter who declares himself to be a Republican … really is?
Deputy City Editor Scott Maben and his 6YO young daughter, Joey, encountered these two moose on the loose near a bus stop in the Centennial Place area along Hanley Avenue, near Lake City High School, this morning. Joey, a Mudgy & Millie fan, wanted to pet and ride the mama moose and her calf. And she wasn't the only excited youngster who wanted to do so at the bus stop. Scott, the only adult present, served as a traffic cop, keeping the children from getting closer to the moose munchers.
From Niner Insider via Idaho Vandals Facebook: “Left guard Mike Iupati: One opposing coach said last season that if you want to find the 49ers running back, just follow Iupati. Whether pulling or drive blocking, the 49ers ran behind him too often. Staley is probably considered the best player on the line, but he might be quickly supplanted by Iupati.” More here.
Lookout Pass ski area has just been cited as having received “the most snowfall in the world” among reporting ski resorts during the past seven days. The one week total: 6.5 FEET, most of which fell Sunday-Tuesday. The distinction has just been distributed around the globe by Skiinfo.com, which collects daily reports and compiles stats from more than 2,000 ski areas in Europe and North America/Rich Landers, Outdoors. More here.
Question: Are you still skiing/snowboarding/sledding this winter?
From the Facebook wall of former SR colleague Jim Hagengruber: “Possibly the best news I've heard all year: July 2011 will have 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays. This happens once every 823 years. Is there anything better than a July weekend? Thanks to Bart Mihailovich for posting that fine tidbit.”
I've been Snoped: “It is perfectly true that July 2011 has 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. However, such a combination occurs far more often than every 823 years. The last occurrence was in July 2005 while the next occurrence will take place in July 2016. The message is just a revamped version of very similar- and equally erroneous - messages about August and October 2010. H/T: Keith Erickson for providing Snope.com report.
Question: Can there be too many weekends in a North Idaho summer?
We have a small security problem at our house. His name is Henry. Henry is a 2-year-old Shih Tzu, and he’s an underwear thief. There are double dog doors on our premises — one leading from the kitchen to the 
garage and a second from the garage to the back yard — and at any given moment you might follow a trail of tightie-whities out to the garden and into the high school football field beyond. And it’s not my underwear. This is a source of enormous embarrassment to my wife, especially since Henry is prone to retrieving missing knickers at unsocial moments. The dishwasher repair guy was in the kitchen the other day, and Henry came sashaying through the dog door and dropped a pair of panties at his feet/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Has your pets ever embarrassed you?
Jacob McHugh, 13, and Logan Kanta, 12, students at South Junior High School in Boise join other students in leaving classes and protesting at the Idaho Statehouse earlier today. Lawmakers in the Idaho House started taking public testimony on legislation to eliminate “tenure” for new teachers, restrict collective bargaining and introduce merit pay. (AP photo, Idaho Statesman/Darin Oswald)
I saw this story on the wire Monday and it immediately took me back to the kitchen of my childhood home, watching my mother carefully measure oil and popping corn into our electric popper and then seeing the 
magic happen through the glass lid. Until we got old enough to do it ourselves, Mom was the only one who made popcorn in our house. She’d also melt margarine in a small cast iron skillet (microwaves were a thing of the future) and add a bit of butter flavoring (real butter was only for the most special of occasions). Once the corn had popped, she’d pour it into a giant Tupperware bowl before making another batch, and then pouring the melted margarine over the whole thing, stirring it from the bottom with a long wooden spoon. Some salt topped off the treat, and then we’d gather our bowls and dip in for our share, often taking them to the table where we were playing cards or a board game/Jeanne DePaul, Virtual Deadlines. More here.
Question: How often do you snack on popcorn? Do you ever make popcorn the old-fashioned way?
First Lady Michelle Obama reads “Green Eggs and Ham” during the National Education Association's 14th annual Read Across America Day earlier today at the Library of Congress in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Question: Which Dr. Seuss book is your favorite?
In an unusual move, the League of Conservation Voters is keeping a running scorecard of environmental votes in the U.S. House of Representatives. The LCV tallied 25 votes on the current spending bill, including 20 
votes on amendments. New Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador scored a zero on the 25 votes. Congressman Mike Simpson scored 12%. (For my Spokane readers, Cathy McMorris Rodgers also scored a zero.) Of the votes, the LCV sez: “Among the dizzying array of amendments offered were several to block the Environmental Protection Agency from protecting public health and holding polluters accountable. Other amendments would cut funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency, clean water, lands conservation and restoration, and other important environmental programs.” You can read the ICL intro and see how they voted here.
Question: Do Labrador's votes on environmental issues simply reflect the viewpoint of the conservative 1st Congressional District? Or is he more conservative than his district environmentally?
Sure, North Idaho College always has a great basketball team. And their wrestling team was a runner up at last week's national tournament in Spokane last week. But how about those cheerleaders? The NIC cheer squad won the 2-Year School national title over the weekend. The Cardinals were one of 20 teams to take part in the national competition in Anaheim, Calif. There were four other schools in their division. More here.
Question: Are you a fan of North Idaho College athletics?
U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill has declared Idaho's open primary election system unconstitutional with respect to the state's Republican Party primary, which the party passed a rule saying it wants to close. “An important corollary of the right to freely associate is a right not to associate,” Winmill wrote in the decision, issued today. He found “clear evidence of crossover voting” in Idaho's primaries/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question (for Democrats): Will you register as Republicans in order to vote in important legislative and county races that will be decided in the GOP primary (because there is no Democratic opposition)?
Item: McEuen vote supporters try again/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: A week after a subcommittee killed the request of a public vote regarding the McEuen Field redesign project from reaching the Coeur d’Alene City Council’s desk, around 100 vote supporters attended the council’s Tuesday meeting to ask that the topic come forward anyway. It didn’t. “You heard tonight a lot of questions, and that’s where we’re at, too,” Mayor Sandi Bloem told The Press after the council listened to an hour-plus of public testimony, but didn’t motion for the topic to be added to a future council agenda item. A final design, cost estimates, and funding sources all need to be figured out before the council could make any decisions on the plan.
Question: Do you expect to see a ticket of candidates running on the McEuen Field issue this fall in the Coeur d'Alene City Council elections? Would you support such a ticket?
Two-year-old Natalie Godfrey sipped her chicken noodle soup during lunch at North Idaho College Children's Center in Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday. Later this month, childcare providers from throughout North Idaho will gather to learn how to prepare tastier, healthier foods for children while keeping within a budget. Classes are being provided thanks to a University of Idaho Extension nutrition program and a statewide program that promotes quality childcare. Alison Boggs' SR story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
“Will professional, passionate, hard-working teachers flee Idaho? Could Idaho become what I call the minor leagues or the training ground for teachers? And will all this come at the expense of our children?” — Kendon Perry, a business owner from Sandpoint, 37-year Idaho resident and father of two school children, asked the House Education Committee. (Other North Idahoans also give Nonini & House Ed Committee an earful, too. Click here.
Tone deaf? At least, but maybe it’s even worse than that. Maybe it’s just a case of being so insulated from the rest of the world that what is obvious to the most of us is a mystery to them. That’s not to say teachers did not have reason to protest. The proposals by Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Luna, for dealing with the shortage of money and the plenitude of future are significant. These are not minor modifications the legislature is considering. The proposals Mr. Luna has made would mean a major shift in how public schools do business in Idaho. Given all that, it makes sense that teachers staged protests throughout the state. But did they have to do it on a government holiday?/Dan Hammes, St. Maries Gazette-Record. More here.
Question: Did you see anything wrong with teachers protesting against Tom Luna's education “reform” plans on the Presidents' Day holiday?
Wayne Hoffman reads a lot of newspapers. He calls himself a journalism addict, although he's not really a fan 
of his former profession. By his own admission, he has “problems” with Boise Weekly, yet there are still a few news outlets he favors. Take idahoreporter.com. He thinks that's a fine source of news. He should: He's the executive director of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, parent of Idahoreporter. In only two years of existence, the Idaho Freedom Foundation has become a visible influence at the Idaho Legislature by lobbying and even crafting legislation that would nullify what he calls “Obamacare,” strip down the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, and reform Idaho classrooms. BW sat down with Hoffman at the Statehouse to talk about politics and journalism/George Prentice, Boise Weekly. More here.
Question: Has Idaho Freedom Foundation become an influential organization in Idaho politics in its two years of existence?
Richard L. Powell testified that the shotgun he fired near a census worker was nothing more than an “exclamation point” — a way of getting his message across. But a six-man jury in St. Maries didn’t buy it. Mr. Powell, 55, was found guilty Feb. 23 of misdemeanor disturbing the peace and sentenced to five days in Benewah County jail. In addition, the court withheld judgment for two years and ordered Mr. Powell to pay $437.50 in court costs. He is also not allowed to exhibit a firearm in an aggressive or rude manner toward anyone/Chris D'Angelo, St. Maries Gazette-Record. More here.
Question: Why are census workers viewed with suspicion in some back-woods areas of North Idaho?
Coeur d'Alene wrestling coach Jeff Moffat celebrates with Caleb Davis after Davis beat Tim Hartwid of Caldwell High School in the 189 lb. weight class at the Idaho State High School Wrestling Tournament at the Idaho Center in Nampa on Saturday. (Idaho Statesman photo: Joe Jaszewski)
Three Canyon County senators made the tough vote Friday. But the three Republicans — Curt McKenzie of Nampa, Patti Anne Lodge of Huston and John McGee of Caldwell — also cast the right vote. By opposing Idaho’s foolhardy and constitutionally dubious flirtation with health care reform “nullification,” they spared the state a costly and, most likely, ill-fated legal battle. More significantly, from a budget standpoint, they refused to jeopardize Idaho’s share of federal funding for Medicaid — a whopping $1.2 billion for 2011-12. Perhaps most importantly, they put good government ahead of good politics/Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Do you think these three legislators ended their political careers by angering the Idaho Tea Partiers lobbying for “nullification”?
A comprehensive Sports Illustrated/CBS News special investigation found that 16 Boise State players had 
criminal charges, ranking the Broncos tied for No. 4 among teams in Sports Illustrated's 2010 preseason Top 25. The six-month investigation into 2,837 players found that 7 percent had criminal records and 8.1 percent of scholarship players had been in trouble. Only two of the Top 25 schools did background checks and none checked juvenile records. The investigation looked into players' complete criminal records, not just charges while in college. Pittsburgh (22 players charged) ranked No. 1 with Iowa and Arkansas (18 players charged each) tying for No. 2. Boise State was tied with Penn State/Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Does this Sports Illustrated story tarnish Boise State's successful 2010 season?
Scott Nicholson, who described himself as a Vietnam veteran and a Republican, said he congratulated state schools Supt. Tom Luna on Election Night on his re-election, because he fought for education. But Nicholson 
said he's against SB 1108 and 1110. “I'm a tad tired of the vilification of teachers,” he told the House Education Committee. “Politicians calling teachers union thugs is unacceptable and disrespectful.” He said, “Silencing the opposition is never a good path forward. Engage them and they will help you.” Nicholson's testimony was followed by a burst of applause. House Education Chairman Bob Nonini, pictured, not only banged the gavel, he warned the audience that he could easily have the room emptied and just call them in one at a time/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you think an individual known for his hot temper, like Bob Nonini, is the right person to be chairing a critical committee meeting on public education?
The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the First Amendment protects fundamentalist church members 
who mount attention-getting, anti-gay protests outside military funerals. The court voted 8-1 in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. The decision upheld an appeals court ruling that threw out a $5 million judgment to the father of a dead Marine who sued church members after they picketed his son's funeral. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion for the court. Justice Samuel Alito dissented. “What Westboro said, in the whole context of how and where it chose to say it, is entitled to 'special protection' under the First Amendment,” Roberts wrote, “and that protection cannot be overcome by a jury finding that the picketing was outrageous”/Associated Press. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Does the U.S. Supreme Court opinion in favor of the despicable Westboro Baptist Church make you appreciate our 1st Amendment more/less?
Izzit just me … or should the sun be shining outside? After all, we've reached March, right? I'm looking out my window in the corner of the 2nd floor of the SR's CdA building, and I'm sure that I see snow falling. Dunno about you, but I'm going to get the shotgun out and hunt groundhog. Now for your Wild Card …
Angelie Seprish, 7, tastes freshly fallen snow on Saturday in Frazier Park, Calif. Showers early Saturday dumped up to three inches of rain in the foothills above Los Angeles, and about a half-inch downtown. Some roads were closed late Friday because of minor debris flow runoff in areas burned by wildfires in 2009. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Times, Irfan Khan)
Today (until 10 p.m.) is National Pancake Day at your local IHOP. CBS News Health reports: “Want free flapjacks? Today's 
your day. To mark National Pancake Day, IHOP is offering a complimentary “short stack” of pancakes to all comers. What's the hitch? IHOP is asking customers to make a donation to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, a group of 170 children's hospitals across North America, and other local charities. And then there's the nutritional hitch. According to the company's website, that free short stack of original buttermilk pancakes (three pancakes) will set you back 490 calories, 18 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, and a whopping 1,610 mg sodium. That's 110 more mg of sodium than the American Heart Association says you should eat in an entire day.” More here. (AP/IHOP file photo)
Question: Which do you prefer more — hot cakes or waffles? What kind of syrup?
Caleb Davis of Coeur d'Alene celebrates after pinning Tim Hartwig of Caldwell in the 189 lb. weight class at the Idaho State High School Wrestling Tournament at the Idaho Center in Nampa on Saturday. Davis' second-round pin gave the Viks just enough points to win their second consecutive state wrestling championship. Story here. (AP/Idaho Statesman photo: Joe Jaszewski)
Baltimore Orioles' Tyler Henson chases a fly ball hit by Pittsburgh Pirates' Chase d'Arnaud past a billboard during the seventh inning of a spring training baseball game Monday in Bradenton, Fla. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Top Cutlines:
1. From a long-suffering AL East fan: Baltimore Oriole prospect Tyler Henson is reminded that until he solves his strikeout problem, he better catch every last ball hit to him in spring training.
2. All eyes are on the O’s as they hope to contend in the A.L. East, bolstered by the bats of Vlad Guerrero and Derrek Lee.
Tyler Henson gets the stink eye after dropping another fly ball — Dennis.
HM: Cabbage Boy
A friend of mine had been trying to drag me to Paddy's every Tuesday night for a while, and I wasn't especially 
interested at first. Trivia is fabulous and all, but I hadn't darkened Paddy's door since it was the all-ages Corner Pocket in the mid-80's, and I rarely venture outside of my usual haunt anyway. It cost Jake a couple of shots of Jagermeister, but one Tuesday night about a month ago he caught me in a good mood and I decided to tag along and see what kind of damage we could do to Trivia Night. I glad he twisted my liver and made me go. Each of the three times I've gone now, it's been a fantastic experience/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: I bet I haven't been in Paddy's since the 1980s, when I shot pool there a few times. How about you? When did you last drop by Paddy's? Impression?
The centerpiece of Idaho's controversial school reform plan may be dead for this year, senators indicated, even as separate bills on teacher contracts and pay move through hearings in the House. The main bill, SB 1113, was pulled back to the Senate Education Committee last week after earlier squeaking through it on a 5-4 vote; late this afternoon, committee members said it's not coming back. The measure sought to raise Idaho's class sizes in grades 4-12 and eliminate 770 teaching jobs in the next two years, to generate millions in savings that would be funneled into technology boosts, including laptop computers for every high school student, and a teacher performance pay plan/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: How does this affect the other two bills?
It was our assignment manager’s idea to check back in with the Schrocks, to see how they’re doing five years 
later. I had to talk Jeff into doing the story, as he was reluctant to look like they were publicity-hounds somehow. But, I told him – and, I believe this – that the community needs to see them and know they’re lives are moving forward. So many of us prayed for them, we almost needed to know that those prayers did some good. And, I am happy to report, the Schrocks felt that love and support. They knew how much they were loved. And, in November, when that five-year anniversary came and went, Carolyn said she felt that love and support all over again/Melissa Luck, KXLY. More here.
Question: Have you been inspired by the faith and resilience of the Schrock family?
I was doing a word search in the Associated Press photo wire this afternoon when I chanced upon this photo, which brought a smile on a snowy March 1 day. I have spent several afternoons sitting in the coffee shop of Powell's book store in Portland, approximately where the woman in the photo is sitting. And you probably have, too. (AP file photo/Don Ryan)
Question: Which book did you last buy at Powell's?
What is the difference of Gadhafi and Charlie Sheen? Gadhafi kills his country men and Sheen just might kill 
himself. But other than that they have a lot in common. Both of them suffer from the delusions of grandeur. Spouting off of how great they are and how their followers love them. That their way is the right way for them. I fully expected to hear Gadhafi to say, “that is just the way I roll.” Gadhafi thinks he is in charge because his inter circle tells him so. … Charlie seems to think he is what makes his show. WRONG! I wish CBS had continue the last 4 shows without him. I think Alan, Jake, Bertha and Evelyn could have carried it off. All they had to say is Uncle Charlie was in jail for DWI … like who would be surprised … right/Cis, From A Simple Mind. More here. (AP photo/ABC News: Andrea Canning interviews Sheen for a Special Edition of 20/20 to be aired Tuesday.)
Question: How long would a self-absorbed whiner like Charlie Sheen last in your workplace?
The House is taking up a slew of anti-urban renewal bills today, and the first up is HB 99, sponsored by Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, to require a two-thirds countywide vote before any urban renewal agency could issue bonds. Hart said it'd treat urban renewal agencies like all other local governments by requiring a two-thirds vote for bonding. “There's a perception that urban renewal somehow deals with free money,” Hart told the House. But Rep. Leon Smith, R-Twin Falls, noted that the bill requires a countywide vote for a city urban renewal agency. “It'd take two-thirds of Boise to agree to Kuna's urban renewal,” Smith told the House. “This is an onerous requirement …”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Which of the 4 surviving urban renewal bills will face the toughest fight in the Senate?
Travel & Leisure ranks Seattle & Portland as one-two on its list of “America's Best Coffee Cities,” with San 
Francisco, Providence, RI, and New York City rounding out of the Top 5. Of Seattle, Travel & Leisure writes: “No surprise—the home of Starbucks is the mother ship for coffee-loving AFC voters. But there is more than just that familiar logo here—you’ll find plenty of indie coffeehouses all over the city, as well as espresso shacks and carts on street corners and in parking lots. All that caffeine gives the locals an edge, but in a good way: they ranked No. 2 for smartest locals in the AFC. And while colder months seem like a great time to enjoy that hot cup, the Emerald City took last place for winter visits.” Complete list and discussion here.
Question: How does Coeur d'Alene — or your Inland Northwest town — rank in terms of a “coffee city”?
I'm being somewhat evil here because I'm tempting people who have quit Sarah Palin cold turkey. A month ago, Phaedrus, among others, joined the pledge by Washington Post columnist Dana Millbank to make February “Palin free.” You can see how Millbank did here. (AP file photo of Sarah Palin at Tea Party rally in Nevada)
Question: Did you try to make February Sarah Palin free? Did you succeed? Are you going to continue life Sarah Palin free?
Item: Montana woman accused of stealing soon-to-be father-in-law's credit card for wedding, other expenses/Greg Tuttle, Billings Gazette
More Info: A woman accused of using her future father-in-law's credit card to ring up nearly $6,000 in unauthorized charges, including purchases for her wedding, was arraigned Tuesday in Yellowstone County District Court. Brittany Marie Lanaghan, 20, appeared before Judge Gregory Todd and pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of deceptive practices by common scheme. She was allowed to remain free without bond while the case is pending.
Question: How much of your wedding did you charge?
Item: Tired? Irritable? You may have “manopause”/Carolyn Holly, KTVB
Question: “Over age 50, approximately 35 percent of men actually will fall in the abnormal range of testosterone levels,” said Dr. Greer. “The typical symptoms we see are decreasing sex drive or libido. Increasing fat mass and decreasing muscle mass. Often some baldness and one of the big ones is increasing tiredness and disinterest in the typical activities that you typically enjoy.”
Question: I could ask which Hucks Online commenter most shows symptoms of 'manopause'? But that'd only start a flame war. So I'll simply ask: What do you think of the concept 'manopause'?
“Sometimes after a photo assignment, I’ll search for a feature photo by taking the long way back to the newspaper,” writes Colin Mulvany of Snaps & Frames. “As I was leaving Mt. Spokane High School Monday, I spotted a whitetail deer sprinting across a field. It had just started snowing. Bad weather can always make for a good snap, so the hunt was on. The deer disappeared on me, so I continued driving the back roads until I came across these two horses in a field.” More here.
Tom & KJ Torgerson's sweet 5-year-old gymnast Taylor received a tough break — a left arm's worth — during a recent practice — and will be sidelined for awhile. I can empathize. I've broken my right ankle at least twice playing recreation softball (and possibly a third time while playing college baseball). I've also broken my nose. And blown my left knee twice (and reinjured it a third time earlier this winter).
Question: How many bones have you broken?
A U.S. Navy recruiter in the Pocatello area offered to use his power to excuse students from class to help some pupils rally against Superintendent Tom Luna’s education reform package Monday. Aaron Cavin, a 
Navy reservist and recruiter, used his Facebook account to offer to help students avoid being marked truant from classes missed while protesting. Madai Montes, a student at American Falls High School, helped create a group on Facebook called the “Statewide Idaho School Walkout” in which she and two other students coordinated protest efforts across the Gem State. On Sunday on Montes’ public Facebook wall, Cavin posted a message encouraging students to visit recruiters to get fake notes in order to avoid being marked truant during the protest/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Is this copasetic?
Sunday started out as a normal morning for Leigha Wavra and her husband; they were up early delivering copies of The Spokesman Review. Then, as her husband was at a door delivering a paper, someone jumped in their truck and stole it while she was still inside.Wavra and her husband deliver The Spokesman Review out of their pickup truck and they have a system. She sits under a cab in the bed of the pickup and folds the newspaper while her husband takes them to the door.”Its a good extra job,” she said/McKay Allen, KXLY. More here.
Question: Have you ever delivered newspapers, as an adult route driver or on a bike as a child?
After nearly four hours of testimony, without a break, House Education Committee Chairman Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, said, “I think we'll stop our committee at this point. We'll pick up at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning back down here.” Nonini said the committee will take back up “right where we left off” on the signup list for testimony. Twenty-nine people testified today, only five of them supporting the bills, SB 1108 and SB 1110; that's nearly six-to-one against the measures/Betsy Russell. Eye On Boise.
It’s the issue in Idaho politics that keeps popping up in the political process: repeal of the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gives the general public the ability to directly elect U.S. senators. With the rise of 
the Tea Party into modern politics, the issue has been brought to the forefront of discourse, with states’ rights advocates firmly behind it. The subject was broached in a GOP congressional primary debate last year, and the Idaho Republican Party installed language in its platform last June calling for repeal of the amendment. The issue was brought to the Idaho Legislature Tuesday by Rep. Pete Nielsen, R-Mountain Home, in the form of a nonbinding resolution that would have officially called for the federal government to repeal the amendment. But the issue – at least for now – has been put on the backburner, following a 13-6 vote of the House State Affairs Committee to kill the measure/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: How can a movement or an elected official who wants to be taken seriously advocate the direct election of U.S. senators by state legislators?
In a May 26, 2008 file photo, Frank Buckles receives an American flag during Memorial Day activities at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Mo. Biographer and family spokesman David DeJonge said in a statement that Frank Woodruff, 110, died early Sunday of natural causes in his home in Charles Town, W. Va. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Question: Do you have a World War II veteran in your family who's still surviving?
I was watching some of the hoopla re: Gonzaga's Senior Night as part of the Zags thrashing of the Washington Generals, er Cal State Bakersfield, last night … and wondering how outgoing senior Steve Gray rates against other Bulldog stars. Like Dan Dickau. Adam Morrison. Ronny Turiaf. Casey Calvary. Etc. Story here.
Question: How would you rank Steven Gray among the stars that have graced Gonzaga's Kennel?
Fort Boise: I happened to tune into the Idaho Public TV video stream just in time to hear Hoffman. When Rep. Cronin asked him a question he demurred because “I’m not the education policy analyst” for his 
“research” organization. The question was whether there were specific states and/or districts that could show greater student achievement based on the kinds of changes these bills would make. The shorter version of Hoffman’s answer was “no.” So, a lot of states are going down the path of experimentation? Hoffman didn’t like that characterization, wanted to insist just that “the current system doesn’t work” … so, um, we need to do SOMETHING, whatever. Yeah, that makes sense.
Question: Why is Idaho willing to serve as an guinea pig for Tom Luna's education reform?
This illustration provided by U.S. Army reservist Cpl. Poto Leifi shows U.S. Army Spc. James J. Coon, 22, of Walnut Creek, Calif. James, 22, died April 4, 2007, in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Coon was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Leifi, a California commercial artist-turned soldier, thought the U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq should be remembered full of life _ and in a way that celebrated their patriotism. After years of trial and error, Leifi makes posters in a vintage style that recalls the “Rosie the Riveter” and “Uncle Sam Wants You!” recruiting posters of World War II in a project he calls “Freedom's on Me.” (AP Photo/Poto Leifi)
Question: Do you think this country is still mindful of the sacrifices being made by our military men and women in Afghanistan and Iraq?
Students from Canyon Ridge High School are marching on Twin Falls City Hall and the school district's office in protest of proposed public education reform. An 8:50 a.m. rally at Canyon Ridge High School has morphed into a city-spanning march, as CRHS students walked to Twin Falls High School shortly after 9 a.m. While CRHS students hoped to have Twin Falls High School students join them, TFHS Principal Ben Allen barred his students from leaving the building and participating in the march. He also asked Twin Falls police to remove the Canyon Ridge students from TFHS property. At City Hall, Twin Falls Police Chief Brian Pike called the rally “democracy in action”/Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Did Twin Falls High principal deny his students their rights to join in protest?
When we bought our home just over a year ago, I thought the learning curve for being a homeowner was going 
to be rather steep. Except for paying the plumber to fix some water fittings shortly after moving in, it has been pretty smooth sailing as far as catastrophic events go. Last summer I took advantage of being unemployed and spent some time insulating and heat-taping some of our under-home plumbing. The previous owner had installed some of his own, so between our efforts nearly all of my pipes are properly wrapped and warming. We've gone nearly two winters with properly flowing water and really haven't given it a second thought. Until this weekend. After arriving home late from work Friday I went to the kitchen sink for a glass of water. Alas, nothing came out/Henry Johnston, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Have you had to fix a bad plumbing problem in the last year? Tell us about it.
Dottie Douglas of Boise was next up. A mother of two schoolchildren in Boise schools, she said, “I am not happy with what has been done with these bills. … Supt. Luna ran for election on unstated premises. He did not present his plan during the election, only after it. … And then the process has been pushed at lightning speed. There are many things that need to be figured out before this thing proceeds.” She said, “The purpose of these bills is to save money by cutting educational funding. The bills do not, I repeat not, put students first. If it did put students first, educators would have been involved from the beginning. Perhaps a compromise might have been reached”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you think the outcome for Tom Luna's education “reform” plan will be different in the House than it was in the Senate?
Item: Brew or brewed? Java on Sherman seeks to add beer and wine license/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d'Alene Press
More Info: A longtime downtown coffee shop wants to add micro brews and vinos to its drink selection as a way to complement new culinary fare it's planning to add to its menu. Java on Sherman, the coffee shop on the southwest corner of Fourth Street and Sherman Avenue, is applying for a beer and wine license from the city of Coeur d'Alene. If approved, it could be pouring out the new drinks by summer.
Question: What do you think of Java's plans to add beer and wine to its offerings?
Boise High student Conner Marx holds up a computer with the message “This in not my teacher” while participating in a student protest on Monday on the steps of the Idaho statehouse in Boise. About 200 students from Boise High walked out of classes on Monday and rallied at the statehouse in opposition to the education reform bills currently working their way through the state legislature. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Charlie Litchfield)
MikeK (re: Bond: The Miners Penance): I am not going to agree or disagree with anything he’s written here - in reading him over the years I’ve done both. But if David Bond is inviting you to his place to talk shop, history and the Silver Valley, take it. I 
unfortunately can’t be there March 5th, there will never be a good time for everyone, but I have had the distinct pleasure on a few limited occasions in the past to sit and chat with Mr. Bond and it was well worth it. My friend the former Idaho Senator Mike Blackbird, a Silver Valley native whose family was of the resource industry through and through, said that “damn few people have written better or understand the Silver Valley better than Dave Bond.” I take Blackbird compliments like that very seriously, and you should too.
Question: I agree with Mike. David Bond is one of a kind, a talented reporter and writer that I've had the privilege to call friend since the late 1970s. I don't always agree with him. But I always enjoy his scribblings. Do you know any other one-of-a-kind people in North Idaho?
An Athol man quickly regretted picking up a drunk man who was laying in the middle of a downtown Coeur 
d'Alene street last weekend. According to police, Micah A. Wulff, 25, allowed the man into his truck just before 3 a.m. on Saturday but kicked the man out while northbound on Ramsey Road. The angry man struck Wulff's truck, then swung at Wulff with a metal baton when confronted, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department. The man then “racked” the slide of a pistol and pointed it at Wulff. Wulff drove away and called police/Meghann Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. More here.
Question: Do you give rides to hitchhikers or other strangers?
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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