Parting Shot: Golden Fall
The day? Rainy, gloomy, dreary. But you can find a spot of sunshine even on damp autumn days if you look for it.
MONDAY, NOV. 14, 2016
Monday Wild Card 11.14.16 12
In a rare and unheard of occurrence, DFO is taking today off. I know. A four-day weekend? Shocking. I'll try to disable the sarcasm font and steer the ship of the USS Huckleberries with one hand while I write this week's column with the other.
Could you? Would you? Eat a scorpion? 20
My husband just returned from a boys-only Vegas trip. Before leaving he compiled a short list of goals. They included: Glass bridge at Grand Canyon, zipline over Fremont St., eat at the Heart Attack Grill and downing a scorpion shot.
EOB: Idaho Sen. Dan Schmidt made his mark on budgets 1
When Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, took the lead on crafting the state’s complex Health and Welfare budgets four years ago, there was a “very steep learning curve,” the longtime physician said. “It was like medical school,” he recalled. “But it was short – it was only a month and a half of learning. And then I started proposing budgets.
Denny reflects on days as poll worker
Secretary of State Lawerence Denney says he has a new appreciation for county clerks and election staff after spending two days as a poll worker in North Idaho. “There was an incredible amount of stress at times,” Denney said. “I think that helped me get a better feel for what goes on.”
Have you hunted your turkey yet? 5
Thor loves turkey biggly. What's your favorite part of your Thanksgiving meal?
A sad and broken Hallelujah 8
On Thursday we lost someone I consider one of the great poets of our time. Leonard Cohen, the gravelly-voiced Canadian singer-songwriter of “Hallelujah,” “Suzanne” and “Bird on a Wire,” died at age 82. Do you have a favorite Cohen song?
Idaho’s wine grape crop rebounds
Idaho’s wine grape crop is rebounding after a small harvest in 2015. A November 2014 freeze sharply reduced the amount of wine grapes available last year, but growers and vintners say the 2016 yields are 50 to 100 percent above last year’s, making the harvest slightly larger than normal, reported the Capital Press.
Analysis: People freaked out over Nixon and Reagan, too 16
Donald Trump’s election has been greeted by a considerable portion of the country with panic. Large swaths of commentators have described his victory as a potential disaster for the nation – placing a “xenophobic racist” and “clown” in the Oval Office. On a scale of 1-10, how freaked out are you by Trump's win? CH
Nebraska Senator moonlights as Uber driver
Republican senator helped his constituents get around this weekend by moonlighting as a driver for the ride-sharing service Uber. Have you ever used Uber or a ride-sharing service?
Speaking of pot... 8
Idaho State Police have arrested a California man after finding 125 pounds of marijuana in a vehicle he was driving. The Idaho State Journal reported that troopers stopped the 37-year-old man’s Ford Explorer on Interstate 15 near Pocatello on Friday. During the stop, 125 pounds of marijuana were seized.
Hoffman: Idaho must rethink cannabis 30
Idaho lawmakers should revisit the state’s marijuana laws. Idaho is already surrounded by states that allow cannabis use in one form or other. Nevada voters agreed Tuesday to authorize the possession and sale of recreational marijuana, with the new law taking effect January 1.
Seahawks deflate New England 9
Watching this game was pretty much my favorite thing about yesterday. How about you?
Grabbagreen opening cafe in CdA
Grabbagreen, a new Coeur d’Alene eatery, is scheduled to open Sunday. The 3,400-square-foot restaurant, 405 W. Neider Ave., also has a community room for fitness and health events. It’s one of two franchise sites for the region, with another set for Spokane next year.
Complicated past behind Portland’s violent Trump protests 8
In recent days, as protests erupted in several U.S. cities following Donald Trump’s election victory, Portland’s mostly peaceful demonstrations were tainted by uncharacteristic violence. On Thursday, a march turned into a seething riot as baseball-bat-wielding anarchists took aim at plate-glass windows, windshields and electrical power boxes.
Blue Cross funneling Kootenai Co. customers into restricted health care network 7
When Dennis Spencer got his health insurance renewal notice from Blue Cross of Idaho this fall, it contained a caveat: To get Blue Cross insurance next year, he’ll have to participate in the Kootenai Care Network. Are you affected by this change? CH
Boise police: 1 officer in critical condition, 1 out of hospital
One of two Idaho police officers wounded during a shootout that left the suspect dead remained in critical condition and faces a long recovery, while the other has been released from the hospital, Boise police said Saturday.
Bayview hammer attack on Discovery Channel 3
Tuesday at 9 p.m. the Discovery Channel will feature the horrific hammer attack in Bayview ID that resulted in the death of Patricia Heath. The one-hour episode dubbed "Madness on the Lake" is part of the new documentary drama “Dead Silent.” Do you plan to watch it? CH
Priebus tapped as White House chief of staff 72
Donald Trump named Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus his White House chief of staff, elevating one of his loyal GOP advisers with a deep expertise of the Washington establishment Trump has vowed to shake up.
Commish questions building codes 12
Idaho property owners should be able to construct their own homes without adhering to building codes. That's what Kootenai County Commissioner Marc Eberlein believes, anyway. How important do you think building codes are? CH
D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.