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SportsLink: Eagles change scrimmage

S-R

The rumors are true, Eastern Washington is moving its football scrimmage on Friday to the afternoon at Gonzaga Prep. And for those interested, the volleyball team faces the alumni on Saturday.

For some notes about the Big Sky Conference, and an outsider's look at the league, keep reading.

For a variety of reasons, Big Sky news has been hard to come by on this site, but we're trying to beef things up. For those who want to play catch-up, in addition to the stories linked here, while on those newspaper websites, check past days to find other stories from fall camp.

From the Idaho State Journal in Pocatello, Idaho State players are OK with no rest.

The Missoulian looks at Montana's new starting linebackers as well as giving fans, make that fanatics, a pat on the back.

The Great Falls Tribune notes discovering a ground game is key for Montana State. The Bozeman Chronicle looks at MSU's quarterback battle.

The Arizona Daily Sun reports that the offensive line is the key for Northern Arizona, which "called up" a freshman QB.

The Oregonian reports that Portland State coach Jerry Glanville was less than thrilled with the Vikings' recent scrimmage, which was disappointing with so little time to answer many questions.

Sacramento State is going to go with a sophomore quarterback, according to The Bee, but which one?

Northern Colorado is looking for wide receivers, the Greeley Tribune says, but the offensive line is solid.

The Deseret News points out Weber State quarterback Cameron Higgins was red-hot in scrimmage.

For information about Texas Tech and Colorado, you can try the Lubbock Centennial, The Dallas Morning News, The Boulder Daily Camera, The Denver Post or The Rocky Mountain News.

Huckleberries Online: Judge Dismisses Flag Desecration Charge

DFO

Item: Judge dismisses flag desecration charge/AP

More Info: One student said he had his Mexican flag taken away and put in the garbage by gym instructor Clint Straatman, who later also resigned. Luker said he was responding to Straatman's action and to what he said was the school administration's indifference to general mistreatment of Hispanic students.

Question: Was this a good conclusion to this controversial case?

A Matter Of Opinion: Hail-O! Caught in the storm

Rebecca Nappi

I was driving to the Spokane Valley just as the huge thunderstorm appeared. I should have been smart and parked underneath the I-90 overpass as I saw a police motorcycle -- and several cars -- do.

Instead, I got off the freeway at Argonne, but for the last few minutes of my drive toward the Argonne exit, I was driving on instinct alone. It was impossible to see. I scooted into a parking lot and parked close to a huge truck, shielding one side of my car from the hail. It was cartoon hail. Huge. I thought my car would be dented. In addition, lots of lightning. After about five minutes, it passed. I drove by a gas station. Cars had crammed themselves underneath the overhangs above the gas pumps. Eerie.

In journalism world, we often write about how weather surprised people. Flooding their streets, their homes, whisking them away in hurricanes and tornadoes.

The weather between noon and 1 p.m. here wasn't that strong, but it showed the vulnerability we all have to the weather that hits, unannounced.

Anyone else out there get caught in the worst of it?

Huckleberries Online: Wild Card/Thursday -- 8/21/08

DFO

I've decided not to post any new questions today re: the HBO Book Club discussion of William Young's "The Shack." With the horrific testimony and video today re: Joseph Duncan's torture of Dylan Groene, I thought it best to wait until tomorrow to continue the discussion. Or Monday, depending on what happens in the Boise court tomorrow. I'm hoping against hope that this goes to jury early tomorrow and jurors deliberate only minutes before deciding on execution. Now, for your Wild Card ...

Here's The Dirt: McGlades reopening, amid challenges

Parker

New owners hope to reopen McGlades on the road to Green Bluff Sept. 9.

A roadside restaurant on the path to Green Bluff � a landmark for you-pick berry seekers � is slated to be open in time for the fall harvest rush.

New owners plan to reopen McGlades Bistro & Wine Bar, at the corner of Yale and Day-Mt. Spokane roads, where many drivers turn off to visit the collection of farms, early next month � more than a year after the last owners shut it down amid controversy about expansion of the business.

And the future of McGlades remains unclear in the face of ongoing litigation over the use of the property.

Now owned by Triple Charged LLC, the roughly 4,400-square-foot bistro will offer specialty items � like sauces, candies and breads � a menu of sit-down and take-and-bake foods and a drive-through espresso lane, said Summer Goetz, a former manager who is now a co-owner. Owners also plan wine-tasting events and dinners that will draw customers.

�We�ll be similar in concept to what they had before,� Goetz said. �We�ll be specializing in Northwest wines and microbrews.�

It will employ about 15, she said, with space to seat about 65. It still will sell local crops.
�We carry Green Bluff produce so people don�t have to go all the way up the hill and fight the traffic,� Goetz said. �We�re kind of the pre-stop shop place.�

The previous incarnation of McGlades closed in January 2007. Building owners Shawn and Theresa Gabel, who previously ran the business, had turned the McGlade�s Treemendous Fruits stand, 4301 E. Day-Mt. Spokane Road, into McGlade�s Market, a sit-down restaurant and organic food shop. Some neighbors opposed noise and traffic from the expansion, and the county decided a full restaurant should not be allowed there.

Then County commissioners in December voted 2-1 to grant a zone change from �urban reserve� to �limited development area commercial,� allowing the business to reopen (Read documents from that here, or the resolution here). Opponents since lost one appeal of the county�s environmental finding in the case. But neighbors� separate appeal of the commissioners� zone decision remains before the Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board (press release here).

The Gabels, meanwhile, have sued the county in Spokane County Superior Court, alleging it made flip-flop land use decision that put them out of business and cost them more than $500,000.

Huckleberries Online: Local Blogs -- Where To Go For 20th Anniversary?

DFO

Kerri Thoreson/OnLocation North Idaho
"The Budweiser Clysdale team will parade daily at the North Idaho Fair (check the info booth when you get there for the times of their parades and outings)," posts Kerri Thoreson/OnLocation North Idaho. "You don't have to be a beer drinker to appreciate the massive majesty of these incredible creatures."

Trey Morgan and his wife recently celebrated their 20th anniversary. His post got me to thinking about our 20th coming up in two years. Specifically, I've been pondering some kind of celebratory anniversary trip. I mean, that's a special event. How many marriages make it to twenty years these days? My wife and I deserve to sit on a beach or by a pool for making it this far together! I have two years to save my spare change in the plastic five-gallon animal cracker jar underneath my desk/Family Phil/A Family Runs Through It. More here.

HBO Numbers (for Wednesday, Aug. 20): 9486 page-views/4986 unique views.

*What's the buzz?/Get Out! North Idaho
*Biting the hand that feeds you/Kellogg Bloggin'
*'The Shack'/Simple Mind
*End of era at SR?/Bay Views
*How much worse can Mariners season get?/Atmospheric Ruminations
*The veep as spouse/Dogwalk Musings
*A day to vent/Live, Love, Laugh, Hope
*Confessions of a mommy blogger/Notes on a Napkin

Question: Where would you suggest Family Phil take Mrs. Family Phil for a 20th wedding anniversary get-away?

Parents' Council Blog: When reading the news hurts�

Virginia de Leon

I don�t know if you�ve had the chance to read Spokesman-Review staff writer Betsy Z. Russell�s reflections � Reporter�s Notebook: Shaken by the Duncan Case -- but it�s very powerful.

I�ve been thinking about her, S-R reporter Meghann Cuniff, the jury, Steve Groene and so many others who have had to spend time in that courtroom listening and experiencing all the grisly evidence.

Here�s what Betsy wrote last week:

"...It is impossible not to be shaken by the horrific details of the Duncan case. It reaches the core of something every parent holds deep inside: the desire to protect and raise our children to live their own happy lives. As a parent, I know that when I first looked into the beautiful face of my newborn child, everything changed. Life's priorities rearranged, and this amazing, miraculous little person who had come into the world took an indelible place in my heart. That feeling only strengthened when my son was born three years later. �

��It's not just parents -- the crimes involved in this case violate something central we all feel as human beings that must be wired into our very nature to enable us to survive as a human race: the sense that innocent children are not to be harmed.

�That's part of the reason why it's so important to cover this case, even when the tale is a terrible one.�

I tried to avoid reading the stories at first, but inevitably, Bill Morlin�s story, �Spokane music school among sites Duncan tracked via GPS,� drew me in. It was too close to home, literally and figuratively. Kindermusik is less than half a mile away from my house and my preschool-age son attended the school for several years.

The stories continue to haunt me, but I keep reading. I appreciate the way The Spokesman has presented the news in layers � I read the stories in the paper and excerpts from the blog, but I made a conscious decision not to click on the links to photos, transcripts of testimonies and other evidence that make me want to scream and keep me up late at night.

When I started working for newspapers in 1995, one of the first stories I wrote involved the murder of a 10-year-old boy. I was able to stay relatively calm back then and also in subsequent years when I had to cover crime and breaking news. But when my son was born, I lost my protective armor. Even news of a missing child would bring tears to my eyes. I could no longer do my job with the same degree of toughness that I thought I had.

That�s why I admire Betsy Russell even more. Her work through this Duncan trial has made me aware of how vulnerable our kids can be. Her words have often led me to get up, walk away from my computer and hold my kids even closer.

How about you? Are you keeping up on the Duncan trial? Did you find that becoming a parent made you more sensitive to all the pain and suffering in the world?

Huckleberries Online: At The Fair -- Sali Indian Head Band

DFO

I couldn't resist nabbing one of those yellow head bands that Congressman Bill Sali hands out at fairs. I didn't steal it, fuhcryinoutloud. While I was visiting DuaneR, Rep. Phil Hart, Jim Hollingsworth and Fred Ostermayer in the R booth last night, I saw a stack of them back in the corner. I wanted one for my office memorabilia collection. (Yeah, I have one of those Hillary Nutcracker figures, too.)

Question: I know the head bands are clever advertising devises because kids like to wear them around (although I didn't see anyone doing so last night). But aren't they a bit tacky?

Question:

Spin Control 2.0: What's a few votes between friends?

Jim

In an effort to take advantage of the latest in Internet wizardry, Dino Rossi has come up with a new "network" in which like-minded supporters can keep in touch.

Think of it as Dino does Facebook and MySpace.

Very 2008. Where does the name come from, you may wonder.

Apparently from 2004. That's when "the governor's race was decided by just 129 votes," a campaign press release notes.

Except it wasn't. It was decided by 133 votes.

Or so a Superior Court Judge in Wenatchee said at the end of the lawsuit the Republicans brought to overturn Chris Gregoire's victory in the final recount.

That recount, done by hand, did have the margin at 129. But when the Republicans sued over alleged irregularities and improprieties, they didn't produce anything regarding the Gregoire totals that convinced Judge John Bridges to remove some votes from her column. Democrats, however, produced four ballots that were questionable enough to deduct from Rossi's total.

Don't take our word for it. Go to the Secretary of State's Web page on the election, which tracks it all the way through to the end.

Rossi frequently uses 129 as the margin of his defeat. Maybe it sounds better than 133.

Eye On Boise: Didn't need 90 witnesses after all

Betsy

When prosecutors opened their case for executing Joseph Duncan, they said they�d call approximately 90 witnesses in the first, �eligibility� phase. But that phase has now ended with only 41 witnesses called, some of them several times. Prosecutors apparently decided that they could present all the necessary evidence without calling as many witnesses, and they�ve closed their powerful and disturbing case. Tomorrow, closing arguments will wrap it up, and help jurors see how each of the individual pieces of evidence they saw fit together into a full picture. But Judge Lodge told the jurors that the closing arguments � from both sides � are not evidence. They�re merely to help them interpret the evidence. He told the jurors to decide the case solely on the evidence presented, including sworn testimony, exhibits submitted into evidence, and stipulations on facts upon which both sides have formally agreed.

The Vox Box: Chemicals In Plastics: Good or Bad? No One's Telling!

Adrianna

The Food and Drug Administration persisted again last week that small amounts of the bisphenol A chemical that seep into plastic food containers aren't a threat to adults or infants.

The FDA ruled bisphenol A, or BPA, safe previsously, yet addressed the issue again after the federal National Toxicology Program was worried about BPA's effect on children and infants.

Now the FDA adds that further research is to be excersised to comprehend how, or if BPA affects, or harms humans.

Adding to the mess, President Bush recently signed a law banning permanently 3 types of phthalates, a chemical used for softening plastics in children's toys and childcare products. Some types of phthalates are even being used today in modern electronics, like Apple's iPhone and iPod.

The law bans temporarily 3 other types of phthalates that need further research.

What do you think?
-Do you think we depend on plastic too much as a culture?
-Who's to blame for the potentially harmful substances being out on the market?
-What are your other thoughts?

Huckleberries Online: Duncan: Defense Rests w/o Statement

DFO

Joseph Duncan took the witness stand, but had nothing to say. �I have no statement prepared, I was just intending to sit and answer whatever questions the government might have,� Duncan said. The judge called for a short recess, and the jury was led out. �Mr. Duncan, are you going to call any other witnesses?� Judge Lodge asked Duncan. �No,� Duncan responded. �We need to rest in the presence of the jury, so we�ll bring the jury back in,� the judge said/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.

Video played for jurors (warning: graphic)

Thursday Roundup:
*Today's Twitter coverage/Meghann Cuniff
*Didn't need 90 witnesses, after all
*Jury gets instructions
*Judge denies motion for reconsideration
*Jury sees beam, wire noose
*'Not by jury of peers but by victims'
*Groene files motion on video
*Looming: The cabin video

Huckleberries Online: Scanner Traffic -- 8/21/08

DFO

4:13 p.m. Utility line down on Fernan Lake Road, approximately 1 mile from Fernan Village.
4:03 p.m. Man in two-tone pickup driving north on 4th Street, holding a 6-month-old child on lap.
2:27 p.m. A female has suffered neck and face injuries after being hit by something in a boating accident. She's in a pontoon boat at Cave Bay Update: Woman with neck abrasion and having trouble breathing transported to hospital.
1:20 p.m. T-bone accident blocking west-bound traffic at Atlas Road and Seltice Way. Toyota Avalon T-boned Honda Civic. Extrication equipment being used. Update: Driver of T-boned car is conscious and complaining of shoulder injury. He's being taken by ambulance to KMC.
12:10 p.m. Just heard from colleague Amy Cannata that hail is coming down so hard in the Spokane Valley that I-90 traffic is at a stand still.
11:47 a.m. A vehicle in the Worley area is traveling northbound in the southbound lane of Highway 95.
11:39 a.m. Injury accident on Prairie Avenue and Highway 95. A female motorist suffered minor injuries.
10:16 a.m. A truck, possibly a dump truck, is on its top in a ditch, north of CamRose Lane on Atlas. No injuries.
8:31 a.m. A customer in the Twin Lakes Trading Post was spotted a short while ago possibly smoking pot in a maroon SUV in the parking with someone in a dark Honda Accord. The Accord has left the parking lot.

Huckleberries Online: Smith: Editors Trying To Survive, Too

DFO

Those concerns are hard enough on editors. But all of us know that we are probably the least secure people in any newsroom. We serve at the pleasure of publishers whose vision of the future may well conflict with our own. Most of us know we�re one heated argument away from the �resignation to pursue other interests.� Many editors have drawn their own line in the sand, �this far and no more.� Increasingly those editors have had to face that line and decide if they really mean it. Many did mean it and are gone/Steve Smith, Still A Newspaperman. More here.

Question: As a boss, have you ever had to lay off someone?

Eye On Boise: Jury gets its instructions

Betsy

�The purpose of this eligibility phase is to determine whether the defendant is eligible for the death sentence, not whether a death sentence is imposed,� Judge Edward Lodge cautioned the jurors. The jurors must agree unanimously, beyond a reasonable doubt, on three items in order to find Joseph Duncan eligible for the death penalty:

1 � That the defendant was at least 18 years old at the time of the crime (he was 42);
2 � The existence of at least one threshold intent factor, showing that he committed the crimes intentionally; and
3 � The existence of at least one statutory aggravating factor. Multiple aggravating factors have been cited in the case, including vulnerability of the victim and committing the crimes in an especially heinous, cruel or depraved manner.

Those three items must be determined for each of the three capital counts to which Duncan has pleaded guilty � kidnapping resulting in death; sexual exploitation resulting in death; and using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence resulting in death.

Closing arguments will be given in the morning, and at some point after that, the jury will begin deliberating. If they find Duncan eligible for the death penalty, the second phase of the sentencing trial will begin, in which jurors will decide whether to impose the death penalty. In that phase, prosecutors will present evidence on victim impact and future dangerousness of the defendant, and the defense can, but doesn�t have to, offer mitigating evidence to weigh against the heinousness of the crime.

Eye On Boise: Duncan takes stand, but says nothing

Betsy

Joseph Duncan took the witness stand, but had nothing to say. �I have no statement prepared, I was just intending to sit and answer whatever questions the government might have,� Duncan said. The judge called for a short recess, and the jury was led out. �Mr. Duncan, are you going to call any other witnesses?� Judge Lodge asked Duncan. �No,� Duncan responded. �We need to rest in the presence of the jury, so we�ll bring the jury back in,� the judge said.

The jury then came back in, and now Duncan was back at his usual seat, alone at the defense table. �Defense may call the next witness,� the judge said. �I have no further witnesses,� Duncan replied. �Defense rests?� Lodge asked Duncan. �Yes,� he replied. �No rebuttal?� the judge asked the prosecutors. �No rebuttal,� U.S. Attorney Tom Moss replied.

There was no opportunity for the prosecutors to cross-examine Duncan, because cross-examination can�t go beyond what the witness said on direct testimony � and he didn�t say anything. Now, the judge is reading the jury instructions to the jurors, which are extensive. Closing arguments, from both prosecutors and Duncan, will be in the morning.

Huckleberries Online: Duncan Twitter: Duncan Makes No Statement

DFO

Twitter: Duncan said he has no statement. "I was just going to sit and answer any questions that the government might have," he said. 14 minutes ago from web
/Meghann Cuniff, SR. More here.

Court adjourns for day

Huckleberries Online: KTVB: Men On Jury Filled w/Rage

DFO

While the video was shown, the jurors showed extreme distress. Some of them were crying, sobbing and shaking. The men on the jury appeared to be filled with rage, and the veins in their temples were bulging/KTVB. More here (caution: graphic).

Huckleberries Online: Huckleberries Best of the INorthwest -- 8/21/08

DFO

Christopher Anderson/SR
A fast moving thunderstorm dumps rain and hail over Spokane Washington Thursday August 21, 2008. The storm left almost an inch of hail in the Spokane Valley, causing a rash of traffic accidents. The photo was taken looking east from the Palisades Park area atop the Sunset Hill.

*UI, WSU won't sign drinking-age initiative/Moscow-Pullman Daily News
*Montana parents sue over high school son's death at football practice/Missoulian
*Search for CDA man takes to the skies/KXLY
*Sunnier skies on way after lunch hour storm/SR
*Boise soldier to plead guilty to desertion charge/Idaho Statesman
*Huge landslide spills into Columbia River/Tri-City Herald
*Idaho city mulls ban on pit bulls/KTVB
*Classified trouble cause revenue plunge for Statesman owner/KTVB
*Moscow roofer survives lightning storm/Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Orbusmax Special: National publisher kills Spokane journalist's book for fear of Muslim retaliation here.

SportsLink: Olympics photos of the day

Andrew

The U.S. women's soccer team beats Brazil to win gold. U.S. runners sweep the medals in the 400 meters after earlier disappointments in track-and-field relays. And Japanese softball players lift their coach in celebration after beating the Americans to win the gold.

Click here to view a slideshow of this and other Olympics action.

Eye On Boise: Prosecution rests, defendant up next

Betsy

Federal prosecutors just rested their case for the first phase of the death penalty sentencing trial, and the judge asked the defendant, Joseph Duncan, if he�d like to call his first witness. �I intend to testify, but I do not have a witness,� Duncan responded. The judge said. �We�ll take a short recess then, and proceed with the defense case.�

Eye On Boise: Judge denies motion for reconsideration

Betsy

Judge Edward Lodge has denied Steve Groene�s motion for reconsideration of the procedures for showing the graphic video in the courtroom; he announced that decision shortly before the showing of the video. He said the court had �respectfully considered� the motion, but denied it. In a written order, Lodge wrote, �The Court is sensitive to the family�s interest in maintaining their privacy and the dignity of the victim. However, ours is an open judicial system that requires a compelling interest that outweighs the lengthy history of public access to open court proceedings. � The Court�s conclusion remains the same as determined in the Court�s prior Order. The Court will take precautions to eliminate the possibility of any recording of any kind being made when the video is shown. In addition, the Court will admonish the public and the jury prior to the video being played. Accordingly, the motion for reconsideration is denied.�

The court banned all cell phones and other electronic devices from the courtroom, an additional step designed to make sure no one surreptitiously recorded the video. Outside, Steve Groene reacted angrily, and at one point threatened to make a citizen�s arrest of anyone who stayed in the courtroom and watched.

Community Comment: Hailstorm smacks Spokane just before lunch...

Dave Laird

Good afternoon, Netizens...

It was the little thunderstorm who thought it could-- and did!

A fast-moving thunderstorm just ripped through parts of Spokane in the last half hour. What made the storm of particular interest is that it hailed so much the streets near Montgomery in the Spokane Valley were WHITE, as if it had snowed.

Nothing like strange summer weather, I say.

Dave

Huckleberries Online: Idaho Blogs -- Idaho Falls Gives AP Notice, Too

DFO

Editor and Publisher (the newspaper industry�s trade publication) reports that the Idaho Falls Post-Register has given notice to the AP that it will drop the service in two years, in August 2010. Anyone familiar with how the mews media actually work will know this to be a shocker, and maybe an indicator of one of the places where newspapers are going in years to come. The Post-Register is independently and locally owned, which on one hand mean its financial pressures (still quite real) probably are less than at many chain newspapers. But it also means the paper is more flexible, and may be looking at options still burbling through some chain bureaucracies/Randy Stapilus, Ridenbaugh Press. More here.

*Action Alert: Hallmark unveils same-sex card/IVA
*Spud State blog rundown/43rd State Blues
*Demo think tanks promote reforestation/Rocky Barker
*Yard sales for Sali/Bill Sali Blog
*McCain's houses/Clayton Cramer
*Obama & Biden? Say it ain't so/Dennis Mansfield
*Partially dissecting Sali's mailing/MountainGoat Report

TXT: MeetUps help like-minded people find each other, via the Web

Tom

The Modern Girls Meetup recently gathered in Greenbluff to pick fruit. (Photo by Bart Rayniak).

By Amy Klamper
.TXT correspondent
Not everyone is trolling the Web in search of a soul mate or a quick date. Some folks just want to link up with others who share similar interests and hobbies or to make new friends.

Two years ago Spokane resident Rachel Biggar was a stay-at-home mom looking to get out and socialize. The only obstacle? Finding someone to join her.

Most of the 75 regional meet-up groups in Eastern Washington and North Idaho meet monthly or bi-monthly. To find a meet-up near you, visit www.MeetUp.com, click the Find a Meetup button and plug in a topic of interest and your ZIP code.

�I�d been at home so long I didn�t have anyone to go get coffee with,� says the 29-year-old mother of three. �I needed to reconnect.�

So Biggar signed up with MeetUp.com, a Web-based social networking tool that brings together like-minded people through dozens of local groups. There she found a bevy of hikers, dog lovers, Elvis impersonators, and lots of parenting groups � but no meet-ups dedicated to friendship and socializing.

A few topics of local meetup groups:
�Metaphysics
�Skeptics
�Single seniors
�Arthouse cinema buffs
�Chihuahua owners
�Elvis fans
�Military families and friends
�Russian language
�Vampires
�Vegans

�It was all �mommy-and-me,�� says Biggar, who opted to organize her own meet-up group, �Modern Girls,� after seeing a TV show based on women who share tips on everything from buying the right bra and choosing quality jewelry to practical advice on fitness and travel.

Today, Modern Girls boasts nearly 200 members � ranging from 20-something singles to retired grandmothers � who meet every other weekend for some girl time.

Most of the participants join after scanning MeetUp.com�s searchable database. Past Modern Girls meet-ups included fall and spring barrel-tastings, fondue parties, peach-picking at Green Bluff, picnics, potlucks and movies, among others.

Despite the group�s sizeable membership, Biggar says the core hovers somewhere around 20 women. Among those is Biggar�s assistant organizer, Diana Crabtree, who joined after relocating from Grangeville, Idaho. The 26-year-old says she�s developed several friendships from the group through various activities, including tennis, dog-walking and running.

�All of my friends I have now I�ve made from the Modern Girls,� Crabtree says.

Recently, Biggar and Crabtree added an educational element to their group, assigning areas of expertise to individual members in an effort to share knowledge and experience at meetings.

They�re also considering charging a nominal fee to cover the cost of organizing the meet-up: Biggar pays $144 annually to MeetUp.com, which uses the money to administer and promote the site.

�We�re hoping it might discourage people from joining and then never attending,� Crabtree says.

Though most meet-up groups are founded on sharing common interests, not all of those interests are common. Like other mid-sized cities, Spokane counts the usual film buffs and political activists among its 75 meet-up groups, though less orthodox meet-ups populate the offerings.

In Priest River, just past the Village Kitchen restaurant, a group of self-described witches, wiccans, pagans and sorcerers regularly meets in a city park to share blessings and discuss their craft.

During the July meeting, four members of the meet-up snacked on sandwich meat and provolone cheese, chips and sodas while talking about their lives. Organizer Patricia Wiser says she hopes the group will grow, but for now she�s content to meet with the group�s handful of members to share ideas and knowledge.

Wiser says the August meet-up will include a woodland hike and search for edible plants. She�s planning a visit to the local Forest Service park-ranger station to find flyers that illustrate edible flora.

�I think it will be fun and a good learning experience for all,� she says.

Spokane and the region's meet-ups based on religion, though political groups and community associations comprise the bulk of the area�s offerings. Less common meet-ups include Pug lovers, Mac loyalists, even spelunkers, though Biggar says many of the smaller meet-ups are short-lived. As the organizer of a few now-defunct meet-ups, Biggar would know.
�I did a gardening one and soap-making,� she says, though one of her groups, a local �foodie� meet-up, continues to thrive.
Crabtree says the trick is keeping the subject broad enough to attract members and keep the group going.
�The obstacle is getting enough people to meet up,� she says, adding �soap-making is a pretty specialized group.�
Amy Klamper is a freelance writer in Spokane. Reach her aklamper@googlemail.com

Spin Control 2.0: Thursday's quickie political briefing

Jim

Today's video: For those who've had enough of the Red State/Blue State discussion.

Check it out: a comparison of the 2008 primary votes for Rossi and Gregoire with the 2004 general election. Click here.

Asked how many houses he and his wealthy wife own, McCain not really sure

Obama outspends McCain in July $55 million to $32 million; most of money pays for advertising

After years of Democratic dominance, McCain sees opportunity in the upper Midwest

McCain, Obama agree to 3 presidential debates, 1 vice presidential
��
THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Barack Obama campaigns in the Virginian towns of Chester and Chesapeake. John McCain has no publicly scheduled events.
��
QUOTE OF THE DAY
�It�s been almost 50 years. I�m thinking it�d have to be a perfect storm.� � T.J. Thomson, lead organizer for the grassroots Idaho for Obama campaign, on the odds of a Democrat winning the state in a presidential election.
��
STAT OF THE DAY
Republican John McCain spent nearly $19 million on producing and placing advertising spots in July, according to documents submitted to the Federal Election Commission. Democrat Barack Obama spent about $33 million on producing and airing commercials.

McCain not sure how many houses he and wife own
WASHINGTON (AP) � Days after he cracked that being rich in the U.S. meant earning at least $5 million a year, Republican presidential candidate John McCain acknowledged that he wasn�t sure how many houses he and his wealthy wife actually own.
�I think � I�ll have my staff get to you,� McCain responded to a question posed by Politico, according to a story Thursday on the publication�s Web site. �It�s condominiums where � I�ll have them get to you.�
Later, the McCain campaign told Politico that McCain and his wife, Cindy, have at least four in three states, Arizona, California and Virginia. Newsweek recently estimated the two owned at least seven properties.
On the campaign trail, McCain doesn�t refer to his wife�s wealth, estimated by some at $100 million and based on her late father�s Arizona beer distributorship. McCain�s campaign didn�t respond immediately to a request for comment Thursday.
Democratic rival Barack Obama�s campaign has been trying to make their wealth more widely known to blunt criticism that Obama is an elitist out of touch with ordinary Americans. Obama owns one house, the family home in Chicago, his campaign said.
��
Obama outspends McCain in July by 5-3 ratio
WASHINGTON (AP) � After tightening his expenditures in June, Barack Obama spent far more freely in July, cutting into his cash reserves while mounting an advertising campaign against Republican presidential rival John McCain.
The Illinois Democrat raised more than $50 million in July, a slight dip from the previous month, according to his monthly financial report, filed around midnight Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission. He spent about $55 million, with three-fifths of that devoted to media costs.
McCain had his best fundraising month yet, collecting more than $26 million. He, too, spent heavily � a total of $32 million, of which two-thirds was on advertising.
The documents illustrate the intensity of the contest, even at the height of summer.
The two candidates spent aggressively on advertising. McCain targeted about 11 traditional battleground states and Obama ran ads in 18 states, expanding his sights to states that have voted Republican in the past. But while Obama outspent McCain, polls show the race neck-and-neck, with McCain even closing the gap nationally and in some states.
��
McCain hopes to turn the tide in Great Lakes area
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) � Democratic dominance in presidential elections has been the norm for decades throughout much of the country�s union-strong industrial Great Lakes region.
Republican John McCain hopes to upset that history.
The GOP presidential candidate is mounting strong challenges to Democratic rival Barack Obama in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, and eyeing Minnesota � four states that have thwarted Republicans in at least four straight elections. The Arizona senator is also fighting to hang on to Ohio, a bellwether that President Bush won twice.
This region has been a central part of every White House race for 30-some years because Democratic presidential candidates have had to win a huge share of its electoral votes to have any hope of assembling the 270 needed to win. Together the five states where McCain sees opportunity have 78 electoral votes; Illinois� 21 votes are considered safe for Obama, who serves as its U.S. senator.
This year McCain views the region as his best, if not his only, chance to keep a Republican in the White House in an election season that strongly favors Democrats after eight years of President Bush. All five states were decided by narrow margins four years ago.
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McCain, Obama agree on fall debates
WASHINGTON (AP) � John McCain and Barack Obama have agreed to hold three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate this fall, the campaigns said in a joint statement Thursday that outlined formats, dates and locations.
The Commission on Presidential Debates will sponsor the events.
The first, on Sept. 26 at the University of Mississippi, will focus on foreign policy and national security, and McCain and Obama will answer questions from moderator Jim Lehrer while standing at podiums.
On Oct. 7, the two will meet again for a town-hall style debate at Belmont University. Moderator Tom Brokaw will call on audience members and pose questions submitted through the Internet.
The third presidential debate, on domestic and economic policy, is slated for Oct. 15 at Hofstra University. McCain and Obama will sit at a table with moderator Bob Schieffer.
Vice presidential contenders are to meet Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis.
(Spin Control note: That veep debate would've been in Spokane, had WSU not passed on the chance.)

Huckleberries Online: Smith: Why We Demanded To See Video

DFO

We didn't ask that the video be shown. The decision to show the video in court was made by Judge Lodge. If the tape had not been placed in evidence, we certainly wouldn't have sought it out. I know emotion clouds the larger issues. But our view is that courts are open to citizens. That is our system of justice. Holding back evidence shown in court isn't censorship. It violates constitutional protections in place to ensure the justice system works and defendants receive a fair trial. If we were simply interested in sensationalism. You would be seeing a lot more detail in our reporting.

And please keep in mind, sensationalizing the story any more than is the case already would further depress readership and newspaper sales. Cases like this don�t sell papers because they are repugnant to readers who simply don't want to be exposed to this sort of evil. As journalists, surrogates for the larger public, documenting that evil is our job/Editor Steve Smith, Spokesman-Review.

DFO: I asked Editor Steve Smith to explain our reasons for demanding to see the video, in response to Cabbage Boy's question in the main thread: "Dave, can you inform us why the SR wants this video shown? Freedom of the press my backside, this is about sensationalism."

Eye On Boise: 'Not by jury of peers, but victims'

Betsy

Before the jury came back in the room for the showing of the graphic videos, Joseph Duncan told the court he wanted to express strong objections to its showing. �I would just like to state for the record � that I strongly object,� he said. �Basically this video will be turning the jurors into my victims, so I will be tried not by a jury of peers, but of victims.� Judge Edward Lodge responded, �Objection noted, denied.�

News Diary: Ya gotta love these Cheery O's

Gary

The Olympic Games in Beijing, which have clearly become one of the highlights of the summer for viewers, sports fans and even non-sports folks, are getting massive coverage in America�s newspapers.

A review of Thursday�s front pages shows a clear split on how the stories are being played. East Coast papers that featured the Olympics on the cover focused on the incredible sprinter, Usain Bolt, while the West Coast papers that had the games on the cover went the volleyball route with photos of the bikini-clad Americans.

Daily Briefing: About today's Duncan video, and related coverage

Thuy

Today's story on the Joseph Edward Duncan III sentencing proceedings should go to page A1 or B1, some editors said, but they agreed that all Duncan coverage will come with a disclaimer for explicit content.

Editor Steve Smith and assistant managing editor Carla Savalli suggest giving Duncan a more prominent story spot, because of how widely read these stories are (This is also backed by statistics of online viewer count). Features editor Ken Paulman brings up the other point: "I think there's also a lot of fatigue" about the Duncan case too, he said.

� ADVISORIES: Expect an advisory message for explicit content in Duncan content from now on: This applies to the print version, to Twitter's sidebar (individual posts cannot be advisoried) and to online blog posts and news stories.

� CHOICE:We understand that stories like this will turn many people away, Smith said. People can also choose not to read this coverage, Savalli said, but it's better to make the information available. Editors can think of a small handful of regional cases that people would have this much readership, namely Kevin Coe, Robert Yates and Ruby Ridge - the Duncan case being a particularly heinous crime.

PROCESS: In the first of two phases in the sentencing trial, witness testimony and cross-examination occur, and the jury decides whether Duncan should put to death or imprisoned for life. If they choose death, it goes to another phase before he can actually be given death. The second phase is for the government to present more factors and victim impact statements, while Duncan would have the opportunity to present evidence of mental illness or other relevant history if he wishes. In total, the jury will also consider variables like whether the victim(s) was particularly vulnerable, and whether there was vicious intent. More details at Betsy Z. Russell's blog

<� Betsy Z. Russell was on the radio show just now:

This was during the court recess for lunch. Just a handful of onlookers and court personnel and media were present for the video. Courtroom had been cleared. Steve Groene gestured at the onlookers to leave, Russell is saying on the radio with Rebecca Mack, 790 KJRB. Jurors pressed tissue over their mouths, she said. What about you, Mack asked Russell, how are you doing?

"I'm a little shaken but I'm ok. There were no outbursts in the courtroom. The judge did advise everybody in the courtroom... to keep their emotions in check."

But why was it necessary to show the video? To show the eerie comparison of level of violence in both cases, Russell said, and that the video was the best possible way - for lack of a better phrase - to illustrate that. There was another witness, an adult male, who testified about being a victim to Duncan in 1980, Russell said.

� Steve Smith on Mack's show:

There is no such thing as good taste in this grotesque case, Smith said, but the goal of the S-R in this case is to "report what's happening in the courtroom so that citizens can decide for themselves whether justice is done in this case." Namely, because "if they do give him the death penalty there will be no question as to why" and vice versa. The notion of open court classifies people in the media as equal to the public - Journalists have no special privileges that the public does not.

"We don't want to repulse our online readers - our online readers - our followers on Twitter...We have determined that we will not provide great detail," Smith said on the air.

There has been impact on the journalists as well - One reporter said it was one of the worst things he has ever seen, according to S-R reporter Meghann M. Cuniff.

Huckleberries Online: Russell, Smith To Be On Mack Show @ 11:05

DFO

A few minutes ago, Cabbage Boy asked why the SR demanded that the Duncan's twisted video be shown. You can hear the answer straight from the horse's mouth. Eye On Boise blogger Betsy Russell and Smith will be on Rebecca Mack's On The Record at 11:05 on KJRB-790 AM. Or click on the SRadio bug at the right sometime after the show when it's posted.

Huckleberries Online: Foster: Desperate R's Lying About Minnick House

DFO

Walt Minnick and his family do not live in the Second Congressional District. They live in the First. Moreover, they have owned property (and paid property taxes) in the First Congressional District, near their current home, for 25 years. Their plans have been to build a new home on that property, but like many people they have been unable to sell an old home, which is in the Second District. When it sells, they will begin construction on the new home, just down the road from their current residence outside Boise in the First District.

Walt has violated no laws or rules on his taxes or his homeowners exemption. This is a desperate attempt by Sali's loyalists to divert attention from the serious trouble he faces for having taxpayers fund an office that is outside his district, a clear violation of House rules.

John Foster
Minnick for Congress campaign

Huckleberries Online: Gene Upshaw, NFL Hall Of Famer, 63, RIP

DFO

Paul Sancya/AP Photo File
NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw talks with reporters in Detroit, in this Thursday, Feb. 2, 2006 file photo. The Hall of Fame football player and longtime NFL Players Association executive director Upshaw died Wednesday, according to the NFL players' union. The former offensive lineman had been fighting pancreatic cancer. He was 63. Upshaw played with the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders from 1967 until 1981. He was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and an 11-time All-Pro.

Question: Who is your favorite retired NFL player?

Eye On Boise: Videos played for jurors

Betsy

One juror turned away and covered her eyes with her hand, looked back again and then turned away again, her face contorted. Another covered her mouth with a tissue, sobbing silently. Some glanced occasionally over at Joseph Duncan, who alternately looked closely at the monitor in front of him, closed his eyes, or covered his eyes with his hand, looking pained. The three videos of Duncan sexually abusing 9-year-old Dylan, nearly killing him by hanging, beating him with a wire or belt while he screamed, and railing the whole time about God played in a courtroom that had been half-cleared, with only a few federal agents seated on the side in front of the large screen, and all others clustered on the other side of the audience seating area.

Steve Groene, the victim�s father, came into the courtroom briefly just before the doors were closed and angrily gestured at a handful of onlookers in the back two rows to leave, though they didn�t. Steve, however, left.

In the videos, Duncan and the child are shown nude, and Duncan both forces his victim to perform sex acts and masturbates while hurting the child, including by hanging him from a wire noose. Before he does that, he stands the child on a bench, hands bound behinds his back, and shouts, �If there is a God, then I pray, I pray to God � I pray with � all the love I can muster � that if you�re not real then you know, you know why this is happening. God, this boy, this child does not deserve to die.� Yet he proceeds to torture the child, at one point yelling, �The devil is here, boy, the devil himself. � The devil likes to watch children suffer and cry!�

After the assault, Dylan regains consciousness and, crying in pain, tells Duncan that he saw a white light. Duncan suddenly yells, �You will heal completely, listen boy, listen boy, listen to me � I just saved you, I saved your soul!� Duncan then dresses and tells the child he�s going to take him to the hospital, but periodically breaks into shouting, and at one point starts singing the Lord�s Prayer in a high voice. He interrupts himself after �thy will be done,� to shout, �Can this be your will? � You put people on the earth to do this � how can you do this? How can you let me? God, where are you? Show yourself!�

The horrifying videos were followed, somewhat surprisingly, by the calling of another witness. Jurors shifted uncomfortably in their seats, and passed a box of tissues down their two rows of seating. However, it soon became clear why the prosecution had gone ahead with the next witness. A naval officer, the man testified that in January of 1980, he was a 14-year-old 8th grader in Tacoma who was sexually assaulted at gunpoint by Joseph Duncan, who was then 16. The officer gave a clear and detailed account of the crime, and Duncan�s actions then bore an eerie similarity to his precise actions in his sexual assault of Dylan, whose shocking video the jurors had just viewed. �It was 28 years ago, that�s a long time,� the officer told the court. �I did a whole lot of trying to forget.�

Spin Control 2.0: Mapping the gov primary

Jim

This morning's paper shows maps of the difference in vote percentages for Chris Gregoire and Dino Rossi between the 2004 general election and Tuesday's primary.

But the maps are in black and white, which makes them a bit hard to read. We're redoing them in color, for your news-consuming convenience.

For larger versions of the maps, go inside the blog.

For a bigger version of the 2008 primary vote click here.
For a bigger version of the 2004 general election click here.

TXT: Comcast's new management strategy: find the hogs and tie down their connection

Tom

Comcast has indicated it intends to reduce, but not shut down Internet service for customers it deems to be using too much bandwidth, a move that comes on the heels of federal regulators ruling the Internet service provider violated the law by throttling people who used a transfer tool called BitTorrent.

To keep service flowing to other customers, Comcast plans to impede Internet speeds to its heaviest users for between 10 and 20 minutes, Mitch Bowling, Comcast's senior vice president and general manager of online services, told the Bloomberg news service in an interview Tuesday.

A user targeted for slowdown would end up having Internet speeds equivalent to "a really good DSL experience,"' Bowling said. DSL, or digital subscriber line, is an Internet service offered by telephone companies.

Earlier this month The U.S. Federal Communications Commission ruled Comcast improperly blocked peer-to-peer programs such as BitTorrent that people use to trade music or copyrighted content files.

In an order posted on its Web site today, the FCC gave the Philadelphia-based company 30 days to provide details of its "unreasonable network management practices" and show how they would be changed by year-end.

The new system will move away from a focus on specific applications that hog Web traffic, Bowling said. Comcast will determine "in nearly real time" whether congestion is caused by a heavy user, he said.

"If in fact a person is generating enough packets that they're the ones creating that situation, we will manage that consumer for the overall good of all of our consumers," Bowling said.

On the Bloomberg site, the following explanation was provided:

Comcast, which reported 14.4 million Internet users at the end of the second quarter, fell 21 cents to $21.28 at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The shares have gained 17 percent this year.
The FCC acted "to protect consumers' access to the Internet," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said in an Aug. 1 interview.
Comcast has decided to use the new system, which it calls "fair share," and will fine-tune it further before introducing it, Bowling said.
The company is considering whether to charge subscribers more for heavier Internet use, a step announced by some other cable companies, Bowling said. Time Warner Cable Inc., the second-largest U.S. cable company, started testing metered pricing in Beaumont, Texas.
In trials, Comcast has found the fair share system to be effective if the slowing lasts for "roughly between, probably, 10 and 20 minutes," Bowling said. The user's Internet speed would then return to normal.

Huckleberries Online: Reporter Gourges, Rides, Tries Not To Puke

DFO

Item: Tri-City Herald reporter finds out just how many rides she could go on after gorging on fair food/Laura Kate Zaichkin, Tri-City Herald

More Info: I thought my personal trainer was going to have a heart attack when I told her my story assignment for Wednesday. "I'm eating as much fair food as I possibly can," I said as she turned several shades of furious red. "And then after I'm done stuffing myself, I'm going to ride the carnival rides and try not to puke."

Question (choose): What's your favorite fair food? Or ... have you ever puked after going on a carnival/Silverwood ride?

Huckleberries Online: APhoto of the Day -- 8/21/08

DFO

Keith Johnson/Deseret News, AP
Davis County Commissioner Alan Hansen kisses "Reno", a quarter horse owned by Scott Bass who works for the county, in Farmington, Ut., Tuesday. I'll tell you why later. You write the cutline.

Huckleberries Online: GOP: Minnick's Primary House in 2nd District

DFO

The Idaho Republican Party has learned Democrat Walter Minnick, a candidate for Idaho�s 1st Congressional District, paid his 2008 property taxes earlier this year and claimed a property tax exemption for his primary residence, located in Idaho�s 2nd Congressional District. Norm Semanko, Chairman of the Idaho Republican Party, commented, �It reminds me of �Where�s Waldo?� Where is Walter Minnick�s primary place of residence? Does he live at the location where he�s registered to vote? Or does he live at the location where he�s claiming a property tax exemption of $100,000? Where�s Walter�s house?�/Sid Smith, Idaho GOP executive director. More here.

Question: Does it matter whether Demo Walt Minnick lives in the 2nd District or whether Repub Bill Sali has an office in the 2nd District?

Hat Tip: Adam's Blog

Duncan Trial: Groene blasts open viewing of torture video

Meghann

The graphic, 40-minute video of Joseph Duncan torturing 9-year-old Dylan Groene was shown to the jury in open court. beginning about 10 a.m. Anyone who wished to be in the courtroom could be, and the same rules applied regarding entrances and exits: in before Judge Lodge sits down, and once you leave you can't come back until a break.

Along with closing the courtroom to the public, Steve Groene had wanted to limit media presence to just one reporter to represent all outlets, but Lodge allowed all reporters with credentials inside. Most who've been covering the trial daily chose to go inside.

Groene stood outside the courtroom lamenting the decision. The audio feed to the media room was shut off, and, at Groene's request, the windows to the courtroom were blocked. Several security guards stood in front of the closed courtroom doors.

Groene said several times that, after the video is shown, everyone in the courtroom who wasn't essential to the court proceedings should be arrested for viewing child pornography. He was heard calling his lawyer to inquire about how he could make a citizen's arrest.

"I want this to go out, that there are people who chose to be in the courtroom who have nothing to do with anything," Groene said.

He asked a woman who appears to be his court liaison if there was any type of screening done on those who went in to determine if they were sex offenders. When she said probably not, he said he'd make a point of doing so himself.

At one point, Groene thanked a sketch artist sitting on a pew outside the courtroom for not going in for the video. She told him that everyone empathizes with him but that she doesn't appreciate his use of profanity. He angrily replied that he lives in USA and can say what he wants. FBI and US Marshals approached, and the two separated. Groene later apologized.

Before the courtroom doors closed, Groene angrily gestured to a row of onlookers to leave the courtroom. They didn't.

Huckleberries Online: Weird: Turn On, Tune In, Drop ... Drawers?

DFO

Authorities are worried a tainted batch of illegal drugs has found its way to Spokane. The clue: Several reports of disoriented individuals stripping naked and defecating in public without any recollection of what they'd just done/Jody Lawrence-Turner. More here.

Huckleberries Online: NIC Trustee Filings Now On

DFO

The deadline for filing a declaration of candidacy for the two open positions on the North Idaho College Board of Trustees is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2. NIC is governed by a five-member board of trustees elected from within Kootenai County for staggered terms. Seat A and Seat B, currently held by Judy Meyer and Mic Armon respectively, will appear on this year�s general election ballot during Idaho�s general election. Both positions are four-year terms/NIC Press Release. More here.

Question: Who do you think community conservatives will run against Mic and Judy?

A Matter Of Opinion: Politics once again shortchanges the poor

Rebecca Nappi

From our editorial today:

A bill to pump $2.5 billion more into the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program has been waylaid by the debate over gasoline prices and offshore oil drilling. This is aggravating, because LIHEAP has traditionally garnered bipartisan support, enjoying its best funding days during the Reagan administration, when it served 2.5 million people more than it did in 2003.

But this is an election year, so Congress is caught up in a game of tapping the nation's anxiety over gas prices for political gain. Early this month, a procedural vote on the LIHEAP bill failed to get enough votes, because some Republicans are demanding that a controversial proposal to lift the ban on offshore drilling be dealt with first.

A Matter Of Opinion: Loose Thread Thursday

Rebecca Nappi

Olympics -- A lifetime of training for just ten seconds. -- Jesse Owens, 1936 Olympics.

What did you work really hard to accomplish -- for weeks, months, years -- and have the moment of glory last only a short time? Blog lines are open on that question and any other.

Eye On Boise: Jurors see beam, wire noose

Betsy

A beam from an old cabin in the Lolo National Forest, with a wire loop hanging from the beam, was wheeled into the courtroom this morning and displayed to jurors, along with another large case containing pieces of floorboard from the cabin. The floorboards, from right under the wire loop, were stained with semen, DNA testing showed. �The wire comes down straight and then has a curve to it,� testified FBI Special Agent Steve Liss. �That suggested to me someone may have hung in that wire.� He added that the weight on the wire was �significant enough to cause an indentation in the log.� At that, Joseph Duncan, who mostly has sat with his eyes closed and chin resting on clasped hands as if praying, looked straight across at the jurors, scratched at the side of his beard, and raised his eyebrows slightly, then looked back down at the table.

Jurors have been looking wary, looking back and forth between the witness and prosecutors as they questioned them, some pausing to take notes on clipboards, some cupping hands in front of their mouths.

Judge Edward Lodge announced that next up will be the showing of the graphic video. �In order to protect the impartiality of the jury, you are instructed to control your emotion.� If not, the judge said, �Please leave the courtroom.�

Huckleberries Online: AM Headlines -- 8/21/08

DFO

Taryn Hecker/SR Prairie Voice
Satchwell Farms Manager Wade McLean shows how tall the peppermint has grown in his field off Hayden Avenue. "Peppermint grows up, falls down and grows up again," the 58-year-old farmer said. "About the second or third time it grows is when you cut it." Harvest begins next week. Prairie Voice story by Taryn Hecker/SR here.

*Idaho Records/Sherry Adkins, SR
*Showers, cool temperatures in forecast/Jody Lawrence-Turner, SR
*Wind, rain don't dampen spirits on fair's opening day/Alecia Warren, CDA Press
*Prairie Voice columns: Huckleberries: Common ground found in water/DFO; Spirit Lake ready for centennial celebration/Mary Jane Honegger; and Program helps people through grieving process/Cindy Hval
*Hearing for Kyra Wine's alleged abuser Sept 12/Tim Trainor, St. Maries Gazette-Record
*LCDC looks to September meetings/Tom Hasslinger, CDA Press
*Schwan's delivery driver killed in crash w/dump truck/SR
*Harrison councilman encourages development/Tom Greene, CDA Press

DFO: Remember to pick up you Prairie Voice today at local businesses throughout Kootenai County

Huckleberries Online: In The News -- North Idaho Fair

DFO

Shawn Gust/Coeur d'Alene Press, AP
Silas Bryant, 2, gets close to Jack, a great horned owl, held by Ryan Jordan Wednesday at the Idaho Fish and Game exhibit at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds in Coeur d'Alene.

Question: If you went to the fair on opening day, what did you enjoy most about it?

Huckleberries Online: Online Poll: Obama Veep?

DFO

Who should Barack Obama choose as his running mate?/Idaho Statesman.

*Sen. Hillary Clinton
*Sen. Joe Biden
*Gov. Tim Kaine
*Michael Phelps
*Other

Huckleberries Online: Smith Discusses Twitter Experiment

DFO

Using Twitter, she covered the opening arguments in short 140-word bursts. For those following, it was addictive, enormously compelling. On day one 60-some people were �following,� in Twitter parlance. But we nearly tripled that by Friday. Now that isn�t much. But I�ve heard from many, including an FBI agent involved in the initial investigations, that the Twitter reporting was more than interesting, it was insightful, contextual. We pulled Meghann from Boise last night. Leaving her there for three or four weeks is impossibly expensive, especially in service to only 180 people. But we�ll likely send her back for the closing arguments and verdict/Steve Smith, Still A Newspaperman. More here.

DFO: Meghann Cuniff will be back in the courtroom at 11 a.m. today to continue Twittering the Duncan hearing.

Question: Do you think Twitter has a future in the news biz?

Huckleberries Online: Duncan: Cabin Video May Be Shown Today

DFO

Related: Groene files motion re: video

Huckleberries Online: Signe: Already Lowered Drinking Age

DFO

Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer

SportsLink: A cool down in WSU news

Vince

COUGARS

Sorry folks, but I've been cruising around the net for a while now and couldn't find anything concerning WSU outside of the S-R available to link you to for free. Ah well, I did find a Mike Gundy story.

��

� Thank goodness I saved this nugget from last night. Matt Alfred, Kenny's older brother who played for Paul Wulff at Eastern Washington, visited practice yesterday, prompting Wulff to say, once again, he wished the Alfred's had sent him more sons. And that, my friends, is about all in the way of new stuff I can share.

� We posted our stories last evening, but here are the links, first to my special teams story and to the practice summary. As for that Gundy story? Here is the Tulsa World's piece on the Oklahoma State coach, and I won't make a single "I'm a man" joke � mostly because it's getting old and we're all running out of material.

� Finally, I'm going to link this Bob Condotta post from his Husky football blog. I linked to the post that includes comments, because I was wondering how you would feel if WSU closed practice, which would be pretty hard to do considering Rogers Field's location. I can attest that WSU gives the media more access than any other Pac-10 school with the possible exception of USC. Other schools are going the other way, which actually, in one sense, would make our job easier � less time standing around a field � but, at the same time, more difficult � if we want to keep you informed with the most accurate observations.

� Practice this afternoon, one in the morning tomorrow then the Cougars' second, and last, fall scrimmage Friday afternoon. We'll be back later today. Till then �

The Fresh Sheet: It's official...

Lorie

I'm a Master Food Preserver.

I got my certification exam back in the mail yesterday. I took classes this spring, along with 25 plus other area farmers, educators and others through the Washington State University Extension service to become a food safety advisor/master food preserver.

The ten weeks of classes culiminate in one huge test (it's open book/open notes). Instructor Lizann Powers-Hammond said her 9-year-old daughter helped her with the tests (so you'll notice I got a whole bunch of stickers for my effort.)

I'd done canning over the years, but the classes really helped me understand the whys about canning and food safety. Now I know which shortcuts are OK and which can be deadly.

Next Wednesday's paper will have the last story in our canning series on tomatoes and salsas. Thanks for staying tuned. After that we'll be back to our regular programming.

Eye On Boise: Looming: The cabin video

Betsy

Throughout the testimony thus far in the Joseph Duncan sentencing trial, there�s been a specter looming over the courtroom: The cabin video, which everyone knows will be shown to jurors at some point. It may happen today. The contents of the video, made by Duncan of his sexual abuse of a 9-year-old boy at an old cabin near the remote campsite where he held two children captive, are so graphic and disturbing that 325 prospective jurors were quizzed about it in their jury questionnaire and it was an issue in jury selection. In opening statements, U.S. Attorney Tom Moss said the video depicts both Duncan and 9-year-old victim Dylan nude, and makes clear that Duncan achieves sexual gratification through inflicting pain. In statements she made to police after her rescue, Dylan�s then-8-year-old sister Shasta described the video in detail, saying she�d seen it and if authorities saw it, �you guys would probably be crying really hard.� In it, she said, Dylan almost dies after Duncan wraps wire around his neck, kicks a bench out from under him and he nearly chokes to death.

Though Duncan has been passive through much of his death penalty sentencing trial, he began objecting in earnest yesterday to the evidence against him � apparently because it conflicted with his story that his murder of Dylan was an accident, prompted when his gun went off unexpectedly. Evidence introduced in court yesterday ranged from bone fragments to a large log, wheeled into the courtroom on a dolly, which Duncan had used to barricade the dead-end road leading to the campsite where he held the children. On it, he�d written in black marker, �Dead end 300 feet, Private camp, Occupied May �05-June, Please do not disturb, Thanks!� Also submitted into evidence yesterday: A hatchet recovered from the woods near the campsite. Shasta told authorities Duncan threatened her with the hatchet, swinging it near her head, then changed his mind and said he wouldn�t hurt her and threw the hatchet off into the woods. You can read my full story here on yesterday�s developments, and click here to see our slide show of evidence in the case.

Community Comment: Greeting Cards for Gay Married Couples.

Dave Laird

Good morning, Netizens...

I have not gotten in trouble with anyone for awhile, but somehow I cannot help but wonder if this might be my sublime day to create hellfire and dissension, perhaps even from people who would otherwise ignore my jests at society-at-large.

First, we have Hallmark Cards. In the AP picture we have a new Hallmark Gay Marriage Greeting card. According to the AP news story, Hallmark added the cards after California joined Massachusetts as the only U.S. states with legal gay marriage. A handful of other states have recognized same-sex civil unions.

The language inside the cards is neutral, with no mention of wedding or marriage, making them also suitable for a commitment ceremony. Hallmark says the move is a response to consumer demand, not any political pressure.

"It's our goal to be as relevant as possible to as many people as we can," Hallmark spokeswoman Sarah Gronberg Kolell said, quoting the AP news story.

This is Hallmark doing what they do best, create greeting cards for the masses�all the masses regardless of their tuning. Hallmark started offering "coming out" cards last year, and the four designs of same-sex marriage cards are being gradually released this summer and will be widely available by next year. Okay. Although no one has suggested how these cards will sell, expect the unexpected.

Getting hitched is a billion dollar-plus industry, regardless of whether it is straight or gay. Traditional wedding companies, those that cater to folks planning to tie the knot, nearly always offer gift catalogs filled with �special gifts� where those planning marriage can recommend to their friends, a not-so-subtle nudge to get more gifts. My irreverence can envision The Gift Card Catalog for the soon-to-be-married gay couples, some real, some more real-than-life. It goes something like this:

First stop: The K-Y website Relationship Registry: (And I quote) "The Relationship Registry has you covered. From your shoe size to your favorite clothing store. From your fantasies to e-mail reminders before your anniversary. The Relationship Registry makes sure you and your partner always know the important things. Register today, and if you do not have time to complete your profile now, come back to add and change at your leisure, we're not going anywhere..."

That is what you call smooth delivery. It's on the K-Y website. Really.

Now we drift past the edge of sanity for those in-demand products no one has ever heard about and probably never will. I even include their imaginary corporate identities, blurbs and such.

Industrial Duty Bum Balm: Soothing balm that heals all excesses. If the chute hurts use it. Perfect for newly-weds.

Sister Sadie's Rubber Products Store: Feeling inadequate? Is your love life deflated? We have the answer for every occasion. We offer specialty products for your every intimate need, and some you might not have conceived of before. Check out our Oh My God pages on our web site.

Hedonistic Chocolates. It doesn't make any difference what your ideology or persuasion may be. Whip out a box of our Chocolates for All Heathen occasions. It's hard not to love chocolate.

Dave

Community Comment: Police Blotter -- 08/21/2008

Dave Laird

Good morning, Netizens...

Seen and heard from the Spokane Police records online:

Contact :
Ofc Daddato #729
Date :
8/21/2008
Incident #:
08-253749
Police Pursuit ends in safe effective PIT on I90 FWY
On August 21, 2008 at 00:24 AM, Ofc E. Specht attempted to stop a reckless driver at Altamont/4th. The driver (Solorio) failed to pull over and accelerated to approx 60 MPH southbound. Solorio slowed down as he entered the residential areas of the south hill but still failed to stop for police. The pursuit continued northbound Arthur/3rd. Solorio continued eastbound to Altamont and then went southbound again increasing his speed to approx 60 MPH. Solorio again went through the residential areas of the south hill and again northbound Arthur towards 3rd. Spokane police set spike strips at Arthur/3rd which Solorio struck, flattening the left front and left rear tire.
Solorio continued evading police eastbound 3rd/Arthur. Solorio reached speeds of approx 50 MPH on 3rd and entered the I90 FWY from Altamont entrance. At the first sign of no traffic on the eastbound I90 FWY, Spokane Police initiated a successful and safe PIT. Officers were able to pin Solorio's vehicle into the cement center divider. Solorio was then taken into custody without incident.
Solorio was the registered owner of the 1992 Buick maroon 4 door. Solorio was arrested for felony eluding and processed for DUI. Solorio was booked into Spokane County Jail for felony eluding. Solorio was identified as Solorio, Brian S DOB: 7/13/72.

What is a PIT referred to above?

Let's see here... Having �a few too many� cost Solario 2 new tires, some major body work on his car, getting his Buick out of the impound lot, and the services of a bail bondsman if he can afford it. Not to mention if Office Specht had not caught and detained him, he could have Blue-Crossed someone or put them in the funeral home with his driving habits. The cost of his booze: perhaps as high as $4000-$5000 (less attorneys, tow truck and other miscellaneous fees). Saving a human life: priceless

Dave

Community Comment: Picture of the Day August 21, 2008

Dave Laird

Good morning, Netizens...

In this morning's Picture of the Day, we see yet another of Gale Allen's excellent pictures of Bullwinkle the Moose, this time in repose, shot from a much-closer range. According to the photographer, Bullwinkle regularly visits, sometimes coming quite close to the house and backyard in Nine Mile Falls. Picture Courtesy of Gale Allen, Value Logic Appraisers, Spokane Valley.

Dave

Community Comment: Quote of the Day August 21, 2008

Dave Laird

"How long does getting thin take?" Pooh asked anxiously.

A. A. Milne (1882 - 1956)

Community Comment: A Word A Day -- dexterous

Dave Laird

This week's theme: Words for physical characteristics used to describe people figuratively.

dexterous (DEK-struhs, -stuhr-uhs) adjective, also dextrous

� �1. Skillful or adroit, mentally or bodily.

� �2. Right-handed.

[From Latin dexter (right-hand, skillful).]

Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=dexterous

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

� "Paul Frazier was quietly dexterous on bass, always the stealth weapon in Mr. Byrne's music."
� �Ann Powers; Same As He Ever Was; The New York Times, May 15, 2001.

............................................................................
The most important scientific revolutions all include, as their only common feature, the dethronement of human arrogance from one pedestal after another of previous convictions about our centrality in the cosmos.
-Stephen Jay Gould, paleontologist, biologist, author (1941-2002)

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Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/dexterous.mp3

Permalink: http://wordsmith.org/words/dexterous.html

Huckleberries Online: EOB: Groene Files Motion To Limit Video Coverage

DFO

In Groene�s motion, filed today, he asked that the video, which shows Duncan abusing 9-year-old Dylan before the child�s murder, be shown only on individual monitors rather than on the court�s projection screen; that only one designated reporter be allowed to view the video, and no members of the public; and that �descriptions in the press that discuss what the videotape depicts be limited to the subject matter necessary for the public, through the press, to understand the death penalty process, comprehend what evidence has been presented to the jury for its consideration, and observe the impact that the playing of the video has on the trial participants including the jury, counsel and the defendant�/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.

Eye On Boise: A Minneapolis trip for Craig anyway?

Betsy

Two weeks ago, Idaho Sen. Larry Craig said he wouldn�t be attending this year�s national Republican Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, which is set for Sept. 1-4, prompting lots of chortling in the blogosphere about how the senator won�t be �returning to the scene of the crime,� referring to his 2007 arrest in a sex sting at a Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport men�s restroom. Today, however, media advisories went out about logistical arrangements for the upcoming oral arguments in Craig�s appeal of a lower court�s refusal to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct stemming from that arrest. The date and place for the appeal arguments in Larry Edwin Craig vs. State of Minnesota? Sept. 10 in St. Paul. So Craig may well be returning there � but it�d be six days after the GOP convention closes.

Eye On Boise: Whistleblower not satisfied with review

Betsy

Whistleblower Stan Howland says he�s not satisfied with Gov. Butch Otter�s review of alleged irregularities at the state Tax Commission, and contends Otter�s reviewer, LaVern Gentry, had a conflict of interest. �It has come to my attention that Mr. Gentry sits on the Federal & State Taxation Committee of the Idaho Society of Certified Public Accountants,� Howland, a longtime state tax auditor, wrote tonight in a letter to reporters. �Also on this committee are Commissioners Chigbrow and Grant, along with Tax Commission Policy Manager, Dan John. This, along with the fact that Mr. Gentry has represented many clients before the Tax Commission, removes any doubt as to his conflict of interest in conducting this latest 'review.'� Click below to read Howland�s full response to Gentry�s report.

RESPONSE TO LAVERN GENTRY�S REPORT
By: Idaho Tax Commission Auditor Stan Howland
August 20, 2008
I have read Mr. Gentry�s report titled �REVIEW OF IDAHO STATE TAX COMMISSION CONCERNS� that was released by Governor Otter this afternoon. Mr. Gentry has concluded that the Tax Commissioners have not violated any statutes or rules, and that their use of compromise and closing agreements �appeared� to be fair and reasonable. This is not news; he willingly offered these conclusions on the second day of his review. He stated at that time that he did not believe that the Commissioners had done anything wrong, and he openly admitted that he carried a bias against auditors. Again, Mr. Gentry voiced these opinions before he conducted his review.
In the past month, the Idaho Attorney General, the Idaho Tax Commissioners, Senator Brent Hill, and now LaVern Gentry, have concluded that there has been no illegal activity conducted at the Commission. These conclusions were all reached without anyone conducting an independent investigation.
Each of these individuals has a direct conflict of interest and in fact Deputy Attorneys General has been involved in every one of the questioned activities.
None of these individuals have addressed the requirements of the Idaho Constitution, to say nothing of the statutes and regulations which are implicated. For example:
(1) Article VII, Section 5 provides in part:
�All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of subjects within the territorial limits, of the authority levying the tax��
By definition, the Tax Commission is violating the Constitution (and the Constitution is the supreme law of the State of Idaho) when it forgives taxes by its �favored taxpayers� while other corporations pay in accordance with the statutes.
(2) Article VII, Section 7 provides:
�State taxes to be paid in full. All taxes levied for state purposes shall be paid into the state treasury . . . and no . . . inhabitants thereof, nor the property therein, shall be released or discharged from their or its proportionate share of taxes to be levied for state purposes.�
(3) Article VII, Section 13 provides:
�Money�How Drawn From Treasury. No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in pursuance of appropriations made by law.�
Here again, the Tax Commission is violating both the Constitution and its statutory authority. The Commissioners are authorized to enter into compromise agreements only when one of three circumstances are met, and the settlements in question do not fit any one of the three exceptions and thus violate the authority given the Commissioners under the statute and as implemented by Rule 500.
It is my opinion that the public interest is not going to be served until and unless a bi-partisan team comprised of lawyers and C.P.A.s/accountants, investigates and addresses this whole situation. It should be clear to everyone by now that the continued use of �reviews� conducted by those with conflicts of interest, will not find the truth. Without the truth, proper solutions will not be considered or adopted, and the citizens of this state will continue to be without proper representation.
Stan Howland

Eye On Boise: Otter releases Tax Commission review

Betsy

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter today released a review of Idaho State Tax Commission practices, prompted by a whistleblower�s allegations that the commission was signing illegal secret deals to excuse large, multistate corporations from paying millions in Idaho taxes. Otter�s review, conducted by accountant P. LaVern Gentry, concluded that the commission wasn�t acting illegally, but that its standards for when such settlements are appropriate is �ambiguous and undefined, contributing to a perception that it was acting arbitrarily and without justification,� the governor�s office said a news release. Otter directed the Tax Commission to clarify its process for handling disputes over out-of-state corporate tax collections, and to provide information to legislators to allow them to evaluate the process.

�These next steps reflect the shared commitment of the Legislature and my administration to building trust in our tax system and the public servants who administer it,� Otter said. �That requires ensuring taxes are apportioned and collected justly and consistently for everyone. Mr. Gentry is a highly respected accounting professional who found � as the Attorney General did before him � that the Tax Commission is not violating the law or rules. Both deserve our thanks, as do the commissioners whose skill, experience and judgment on complex tax cases provides an essential bridge between bureaucracy and common sense. However, I also welcome and want to assist the Legislature in asserting its oversight authority. It�s my hope that providing this additional information will help legislators determine whether the Commission�s practices are consistent not only with the letter but with the spirit of the law.� Here's a link to the Gentry report; click below to read an opinion piece from Senate Tax Chairman Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, about the whole thing titled "False Alarm."

False Alarm
by Senator Brent Hill

People love scandals. And political scandals are particularly enjoyable. We like to assume that powerful politicians and government employees are guilty of whatever they are accused. It�s very satisfying to watch as they are stripped of their power and arrogance. A blow delivered to big government is as exciting as the fall of a giant by the sling of a shepherd boy.

Many of us felt a rush of anger and resentment when we heard of illegal activities within the Idaho State Tax Commission as reported by a courageous whistleblower. His accusations contained titillating phrases like, �illegal actions by the Commissioners,� �secret deals,� �preferential treatment,� and �costing the taxpayers millions.� A scandal�right here in Idaho! And who better to be found guilty than the agency we all hate for extracting taxes from us. This was good stuff.

A Call to Arms
Immediate action was required to protect Idaho taxpayers and halt any improprieties. As chairman of the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee and a CPA with thirty-five years experience, I initiated the attack against the Tax Commission. I arranged a meeting with the whistleblower, Stan Howland, and invited him to bring any other Tax Commission personnel that had concerns. I joined Senator Kate Kelly in asking the Attorney General to determine if anyone in the State Tax Commission had acted illegally as alleged. I applauded Governor Otter for selecting LaVern Gentry, a retired CPA with extensive knowledge in multi-state income tax law, to conduct a review of actual cases within the Tax Commission to determine if impropriety existed.

All Reviews Lead to the Same Conclusion
In addition to recommending an independent review of additional tax cases settled by the State Tax Commissioners, my 5 � page report to the governor and the legislature concluded, among other things, �that the Idaho State Tax Commissioners are functioning well within their legal responsibilities and in a manner that is generally in the best interest of the citizens of Idaho.�

This was confirmed when the Attorney General�s office issued a well-documented report concluding that its �review of the allegations made by Mr. Howland does not disclose any illegal activity by the State Tax Commission.�

After spending three weeks reviewing individual cases, analyzing applicable tax laws, and conducting twenty-five interviews with auditors, audit managers, other Tax Commission personnel and other people, Mr. Gentry also concluded that the Tax Commission was not violating or misusing the laws or rules.

Mr. Howland and a group of his fellow auditors continue to allege that each of us has a conflict of interest and we are trying to mislead the public. Mr. Gentry is retired from public practice and has nothing to gain by concealing wrongdoings within the Commission. Attorney General Lawrence Wasden has always demonstrated complete integrity and professionalism. To attack the character of these dedicated people, along with the reputations of the four Idaho State Tax Commissioners, is inappropriate and misguided. As well-meaning as the disgruntled auditors may be, I agree with the Attorney General that their interpretations of the law in this area are inaccurate. They have a very restrictive view of the Commissioners� role, failing to recognize that the Commissioners are not advocates for the auditor�s position. The Commissioners� duty is to provide fair, unbiased evaluations of those cases appealed to them and determine reasonable and equitable solutions. Their role is much different than that of the auditors who are to apply the letter of the law, representing the government�s interests to collect as much revenue as legally possible. This difference in roles will naturally generate some conflict between the Commissioners and audit personnel.

The accusing auditors characterize as �secret� those procedures designed by law to legitimately protect the privacy of each of us as taxpaying citizens. They continue to introduce charges of illegality, cover-up, and misrepresentation against credible people who disagree with them�an easy sell to those who are already suspicious of government.

State government must always strive for higher levels of accountability, fairness, and efficiency. The concerns brought to light by Mr. Howland and some of his fellow auditors will help accomplish that. Governor Otter�s order for the Commission to submit an annual report to the public legislative tax committees is but one of the positive improvements that will result.

But, when it comes to accusations of illicit, secretive, and corrupt activities by the State Tax Commission, the reports are in, the facts are laid out, the conclusions have been declared. And, as disappointing as it may be to some, the claims that the sky is falling can no longer be heeded.