News >  Idaho

Racist robocaller now living in Montana, but harassment in Sandpoint continues

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 13, 2019, 9:53 a.m.

Scott D. Rhodes, the neo-Nazi who plagued several parts of the country last year with hate-filled robocalls from his home in Sandpoint, is now living in Libby, Montana. But some people in Sandpoint continue to receive anonymous letters that reflect Rhodes’ brand of extremism and his disdain for the local newspaper that first exposed his activities.

News >  Idaho

Hayden man cleared of hate crime, found guilty of battery in altercation with Spokane church group last summer

UPDATED: Thu., Dec. 20, 2018, 9:28 p.m.

Richard A. Sovenski Jr. faces a potential sentence of up to six months in county jail for the attack, which was caught on video. However, jurors did not believe his statements, which included racist slurs, amounted to a hate crime.

News >  Spokane

Hate crime reports in Spokane spike in 2017

Wed., Nov. 14, 2018

Reported hate crimes in Spokane rose by 175 percent from 2016 to 2017, according to new data released Tuesday by the FBI.

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News >  Idaho

How to respond to racist robocalls from North Idaho: Accordion-playing clowns, says Virginia man

Sun., Sept. 23, 2018, 6 a.m.

Justin Beights has sought a permit to stage a whimsical, extremely annoying demonstration outside the Sandpoint-area home rented by Scott D. Rhodes – a man who appears to be responsible for sending racist, anti-Semitic robocalls to thousands of phones across the country.

News >  Column

Shawn Vestal: Battling hate, one conversation at a time

UPDATED: Mon., Sept. 24, 2018, 10:38 a.m.

GU’s Kristine Hoover found her life’s work exploring and fighting hatred.

News >  Spokane

Blocking robocalls – even racist ones – is a giant, complicated challenge, experts say

Sun., Sept. 23, 2018

Billions of robocalls are sent each month, but a tiny fraction of them have attracted extra scrutiny. In recent months, an estimated 10,000 robocalls in at least five states have been linked to Scott Rhodes, a 49-year-old neo-Nazi who rants about Jews and other minorities from his rental home just outside Sandpoint.

News >  Spokane

Nike store in downtown Spokane draws politically driven customers after Kaepernick ad campaign unveiled

UPDATED: Wed., Sept. 5, 2018, 3:18 p.m.

Todd Eklof, the reverend of the Unitarian Universalist Chruch of Spokane, had heard the story of Nike’s ad featuring Colin Kaepernick on the radio and he thought it was courageous.

News >  Idaho

In robocalls featuring ‘Friends’ theme song, California neo-Nazi Patrick Little says he’s coming to Sandpoint

Sun., Aug. 5, 2018

A California man who has called the Holocaust “a lie” and claims Jews conspired to stop him from winning a U.S. Senate race says he plans to establish a “regional capital” in North Idaho. Sandpoint residents this week told The Spokesman-Review they had received a bizarre automated phone message from Patrick Little, a neo-Nazi who has called for a United States “free from Jews” and who recently mounted a failed campaign to unseat five-term Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

News >  Spokane

Controversy, conflict no strangers to sheriff candidate Scott Maclay

Sun., July 22, 2018

The man seeking to unseat Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich claims that he helped bring down the Aryan Nations, was a member of the sheriff’s dive team and was the leading real estate agent in Spokane Valley for two decades. Court records and long-time acquaintances tell a different story.

News >  Spokane

Union accuses STA official of racist comments on Facebook

UPDATED: Tue., June 12, 2018, 7:57 p.m.

The union representing workers at Spokane Transit Authority said Tuesday it discovered “disturbing, racist comments” made by the agency’s director of human resources.

News >  Idaho

Scott issues statement saying white nationalism post was intended to ‘promote conversation’

Wed., Aug. 23, 2017, 12:23 p.m.

Rep. Heather Scott has sent a scathing statement to the Bonner Daily Bee denouncing me, by name, for having written an article last week about her Facebook post defending white nationalists. Scott didn’t send me the statement, but you can read it here...

News >  Idaho

North Idaho Rep. Heather Scott defends white nationalism; experts say she’s wrong

Tue., Aug. 15, 2017, 5:20 p.m.

North Idaho state Rep. Heather Scott, in a Facebook post on Sunday, defended white nationalists in the wake of the events in Charlotte, Va. a day earlier, posting that a white nationalist is “no more than a Caucasian who (sic) for the Constitution and making America great again.” Here is Scott’s full...

News >  Idaho

After prodding from Otter and reminder of Idaho’s experience, Labrador breaks silence, condemns racist violence

Tue., Aug. 15, 2017, 5:10 p.m.

Gov. Butch Otter recalled Idaho’s experience with neo-Nazi white supremacists, when the Aryan Nations was headquartered in North Idaho–and called on Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador, who had remained mum for 3 days, to join the other three members of Idaho’s congressional delegation in denouncing white supremacist violence. Tuesday evening, Labrador did...

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News >  Idaho

Vestal: Burmese refugee came too far to be greeted by flyer

Wed., March 22, 2017, 8:29 a.m.

In today's column, Shawn Vestal/SR tells of a Burmese refugee in Spokane who arrived at work recently to be greeted by a racist flyer. Among the messages left by a coward in the middle of the night: "Refugees NOT Welcome."

News >  Idaho

Nampa man pleads innocent to federal hate crime charge in killing of gay man

Tue., Jan. 24, 2017, 2:10 p.m.

An Idaho man charged with a federal hate crime in the beating death of a gay man has pleaded not guilty in Boise's U.S. District Court on Tuesday. A March trial was set for 23-year-old Kelly Schneider, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in state court Monday. He was indicted earlier this month on the hate crime charge...

News >  Idaho

Idaho man charged with federal hate crime in fatal beating

Mon., Jan. 23, 2017, 5:02 p.m.

A southwestern Idaho man has been charged with a federal hate crime after prosecutors said he lured a gay man to a remote location and then badly beat him, causing the man's death. Twenty-three-year-old Kelly Schneider of Nampa was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month, but the case was kept under seal until he was taken into federal...

News >  Idaho

Confronting hate 1 stroke at a time

Wed., Nov. 16, 2016, 8:28 a.m.

In his column today, Shawn Vestal/SR comments on the racist graffiti spray-painted on the side of the Spokane children's center named for Marting Luther King Jr.

News >  Idaho

Redoubter blames media for image

Fri., Sept. 9, 2016, 8:38 a.m.

Steve Cameron of the Coeur d'Alene Press interviewed two white Christian veterans re: the controversial American Redoubt movement. Ex-Californian Don Bradway, a local GOP precinct committeeman who was quoted extensively in a Washington Post article about Redoubters, says his cause has no connection to the former Aryan Nations.

News >  Idaho

Aryan ghost haunts us still

Fri., Sept. 2, 2016, 9:02 a.m.

A Press writer opines that Cda is still tainted with an Aryan brush. Agree or disagree? Cindy "...people who have never set foot in North Idaho seem to think we’ve all retreated to bunkers with our racist pals, waiting for war — or the Apocalypse, or collapse of the government, or “progressive traitors” trying to repeal the Second Amendment."

News >  Idaho

Group presents petitions to US Attorney calling for federal hate crime charges in Steven Nelson’s death

Thu., May 19, 2016, 1:25 p.m.

The group “Better Idaho” has delivered petitions with more than 1,500 signatures to U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson calling for federal hate crime charges to be filed against the four men who beat Steven Nelson to death, after luring him to a meeting at Lake Lowell...

News >  Idaho

Police investigate possible hate crime after Twin Falls Islamic Center defaced with reference to Japanese internment

Tue., Dec. 8, 2015, 11:27 a.m.

Police in Twin Falls are investigating a possible hate crime after a building under construction by the Islamic Center of Twin Falls was hit by vandals who spray-painted “HUNT CAMP?” across plywood boards covering the structure’s windows. That was the original name of the Minidoka...

Sports >  Outdoors

North Cascades lake renamed to avoid racist term

Fri., Nov. 13, 2015, 6 a.m.

GEOGRAPHIC NAMES – The federal government has renamed a lake and a creek in north-central Washington to honor an African American miner who staked claims in the area 125 years ago, the Associated Press reports. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved the name...

News >  Spokane

McGraw-Hill history textbook refers to African slaves as ‘workers’

Sat., Oct. 3, 2015, 3:44 p.m.

A Texas mother noticed something disturbing last week in her son's "World Geography" textbook. The book referred to African slaves brought to the United States as "workers."

News >  Spokane

Harpham loses latest appeal

Mon., Aug. 3, 2015, 2:48 p.m.

Kevin William Harpham, the man who planted a bomb laced with rat poison along the parade route on Martin Luther King Day in 2011, has lost his most recent appeal of a 32-year prison sentence.

News >  Idaho

Spokane NAACP asks police to continue hate mail investigation

Wed., June 17, 2015, 8:15 a.m.

The Spokane chapter of the NAACP released a statement today asking the Spokane Police Department to continue its investigation into allegations of hate mail sent to the chapter. Police announced last week that they were suspending an investigation into a claim made by former president Rachel Dolezal that she received a package of threatening material in the chapter’s post office box. Documents released by police last week showed that the envelope was not stamped and had not been mailed.

News >  Idaho

The second “War Pigs” letter sent to Dolezal was an apology, not a threat

Fri., June 12, 2015, 9 a.m.

Much of the recent news about local NAACP President Rachel Dolezal was sparked by the news that a letter allegedly dropped in the NAACP's P.O. box had no postal date stamp or barcode, raising questions about whether the letter had been delivered to the P.O. box at all. Forensics did reveal some unidentifiable male DNA on the letter, but as of yesterday, the Spokane police suspended the case pending further investigation.

News >  Spokane

Inslee condemns vandalism against Hindu temples

Thu., March 5, 2015, 12:11 p.m.

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Jay Inslee denounced recent vandalism against Hindu temples in the metropolitan Puget Sound, calling them "acts of intolerance, intimidation and violence."

News >  Spokane

FBI data shows drop in hate crimes

Tue., Dec. 9, 2014, 9:08 a.m.

Hate crimes in the U.S. fell in 2013, according to FBI data released Monday, even as the agency included several new bias categories. Spokane and Spokane Valley also saw a drop in reported incidents from 2012 to 2013. For the first time, this year's data...

News >  Idaho

Task Force Denounces Hate Crime

Mon., July 14, 2014, 2:49 p.m.

Spokeswoman Heather Keen of the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe reports that the Idaho Department of Transportation has already replaced the historical market contaminated with racist graffiti. She encourages anyone with information about this incident to call the Idaho State Police or Crime Stoppers at 1800-222-8477....

News >  Spokane

Racist heckler flips off immigration activists

Thu., March 6, 2014, 12:34 p.m.

Activists trying to rally support for immigration reform outside Spokane City Hall got a rude welcome to the Inland Northwest this morning. A young man walked briskly past the ongoing news conference and, with TV cameras rolling, muttered, "Go back to Mexico." He then continued...

News >  Spokane

Today’s fun video: Racist or not?

Thu., Nov. 14, 2013, 12:02 p.m.

The Daily Show plays the Racist or Not Racist game.

News >  Idaho

Dees: Fight For Equality Continues

Wed., Oct. 9, 2013, 8:19 a.m.

Morris Dees, a lawyer and major foe of the Aryan Nations in the North Idaho hate group's heyday, said Tuesday at the University of Idaho that the work of fighting for equality continues on fronts such as U.S. immigration, health care and public education. "There...

News >  Idaho

Task Force Reaches Out To Leith, ND

Wed., Sept. 25, 2013, 1:32 p.m.

A blog, Not In Our Town, has started to raise awareness and support for the residents of Leith, N.D., who are fighting an attempted takeover of their town by a white supremacist. You can read more here. On Saturday, the Kootenai County Task Force on...

News >  Idaho

Costello: Fake Racism Satiates Left

Tue., Sept. 3, 2013, 8:43 a.m.

If racism didn't exist, then liberals would have to invent it. And because genuine instances are so rare, liberals do just that. I have plenty of Democrat friends who, even though they know that their party's economic programs create misery, still vote straight Democratic tickets...

News >  Idaho

Court Upholds Hate Crime Conviction

Thu., July 11, 2013, 1:23 p.m.

A unanimous Idaho Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Frank Tankovich for malicious harassment and conspiracy after a 2009 incident in which he and his two brothers, in a truck festooned with a swastika, harassed a man of Puerto Rican descent outside his...

News >  Idaho

Court of Appeals upholds Coeur d’Alene hate-crime conviction

Thu., July 11, 2013, 1:14 p.m.

A unanimous Idaho Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Frank Tankovich for malicious harassment and conspiracy after a 2009 incident in which he and his two brothers, in a truck festooned with a swastika, harassed a man of Puerto Rican descent outside his...

News >  Idaho

Photog Goes Behind Scenes w/Aryans

Fri., Nov. 30, 2012, 11:29 a.m.

Shaun Patrick Winkler waves to Mark Eliseuson while entering his compound on the evening of a cross burning ceremony near Priest River. You can see more of Matt's photos of Winkler and the compound he's attempting to build here. (Photo credit 2012: Matt McKnight) There’s...

News >  Idaho

Racist Building New Aryan Compound

Tue., Nov. 27, 2012, 10:57 a.m.

Photographer Matt McKnight shot this photo of a cross-burning on Shaun Winkler's property in Bonner County's Hoodoo Mountains earlier this year, during Winkler's unsuccessful campaign for county sheriff. McKnight was invited by Winkler to photograph the activities of his group and him. You can see...

News >  Spokane

Feds join Spokane shooting probe

Wed., Sept. 26, 2012, 6 a.m.

A man charged with attempted second-degree murder in connection with a shot targeting three black youths was ordered held in jail Tuesday as federal authorities also indicated that they would investigate the shooting as a possible hate crime. Jimmy J. Blackburn, 29, pleaded not guilty...

News >  Idaho

Montana Guv Laments Indian Bias

Wed., Aug. 8, 2012, 11:15 a.m.

“All over Montana, you can walk into a bar, a café or even a school or a courthouse and just listen for a while as people talk to each other,” Schweitzer explained, shortly after noting 93 percent of his state’s population is classified as Caucasian....

News >  Spokane

Taco truck protestor gets 7 years for guns

Mon., Aug. 6, 2012, 10 a.m.

A Whitman County man who bragged about being involved with racist taco-truck protests in Kootenai County has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for unlawful gun possession. Jeremiah Daniel "J.D." Hop's lawyer, Roger Peven, asked for him to receive between 15 and 21...

News >  Spokane

Victim says sexuality prompted attack

Tue., July 31, 2012, 2 p.m.

A knife assault that nearly killed a man early Saturday began after the victim described himself as gay, according to Spokane police. The 28-year-old victim was drinking with a friend at a home in the 400 block of South Fiske Street when a man approached...

News >  Spokane

Racist beat up by own victim sentenced

Fri., June 15, 2012, 6:58 p.m.

A skinhead beat up by a black man he was harassing in North Idaho last year has been sentenced to three to five years in prison. Judge Benjamin Simpson retained jurisdiction over Daren Christopher Abbey, which means he'll go through counseling with the Idaho Department...

News >  Spokane

Plea replaces life sentence w/ 3 years

Wed., April 4, 2012, 8 a.m.

A Spokane man whose three-strikes trial was halted because of concerns about racist comments made by jurors has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. Bobby S. Galloway, 24, was sentenced to three years in prison for third-degree assault after pleading guilty last week before Superior...

News >  Idaho

Butler Confidante Metzger In Trouble

Tue., April 3, 2012, 9:40 a.m.

Tom Metzger — a wily, iconic racist ideologue who has for years espoused “lone-wolf” terrorism — could soon find himself facing criminal charges filed by the federal government he’s excoriated for decades. Federal investigators, fresh off a related mail-bombing conviction in Arizona, may be pressing...

News >  Idaho

Racist Winkler Explains Sheriff Run

Tue., March 20, 2012, 8:39 a.m.

Shaun Winkler wants to be the Bonner County Sheriff and took some time Monday to explain why. Winkler was out Monday afternoon mixing with the public and talking about his campaign goals like cracking down on drug crimes and sexual predators. "I believe it's about...

News >  Idaho

Racist Winkler Explains Sheriff Run

Fri., March 16, 2012, 1:32 p.m.

Shaun Winkler shown with anti-Mathew Shepard sign during visit of Westboro Baptist Church at North Idaho College, protesting production of "The Laramie Project," on Oct. 22, 2010. (SR file photo) An outspoken white supremacist who’s running for Bonner County sheriff contends his views on race...

News >  Spokane

Man arrested for hate crime at Irv’s bar

Wed., March 7, 2012, 8 a.m.

A man was arrested for a hate crime Monday for allegedly throwing a glass at a downtown Spokane bartender and yelling slurs against homosexuals. Two customers at Irv’s bar held Sean D. Slechta, 38, on the ground until officers arrived to arrest him, Spokane police...

News >  Spokane

Witness sought in three-strikes case

Fri., March 2, 2012, noon

Police are looking for a witness in an assault case that could put the defendant in prison for life. Morgan S. Snider, 23, (right) is expected to testify in the first-degree assault trial of Bobby S. Galloway, but police said this week that she still...

News >  Spokane

Hate crimes alleged in assault spree

Tue., Feb. 7, 2012, 10 a.m.

A 19-year-old man and his two brothers have been charged with hate crimes for allegedly attacking people because of their race. Deven James-Allen Hood is accused of smashing car windows and beating people Jan. 20 in what police allege was a hate-fueled drive through Spokane....

News >  Spokane

Conn. mayor blasted for ‘taco’ quip

Thu., Jan. 26, 2012, 6 a.m.

By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN,Associated Press NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — The mayor of a working-class city roiled by allegations of police discrimination against Hispanics faced scathing criticism Wednesday from officials including the governor for saying he "might have tacos" as a way to do something for...

News >  Idaho

Hucks: ‘Tolerance’ Has Detractors

Tue., Jan. 17, 2012, 9:03 a.m.

It ain’t easy jettisoning public art devoted to tolerance. But the Bonner County commissioners are trying. Artist David Kraisler’s “Tolerance” – a 10-foot steel-and-wood piece – has “graced” the courthouse lawn in Sandpoint for 11 years, since its creation in response to a planned 2001...

News >  Idaho

Middle Schoolers Study Area Racism

Fri., Jan. 13, 2012, 8:42 a.m.

Middle school students in Coeur d'Alene are viewing film footage of their own community this morning, as part of a classroom lesson on racism. The Idaho Public Television special, "The Color of Conscience," is being shown to Lakes Magnet Middle School students. Following the showing...

News >  Spokane

Woman pleads not guilty to 4 hate crimes

Tue., Jan. 10, 2012, 10 a.m.

A woman arrested after a black man said she dressed in a white sheet and yelled racial epithets at him and his two children on Halloween night has been charged with four hate crimes. Sharyl Ann Curtis, 42, pleaded not guilty Monday to four counts...

News >  Spokane

Spokane racist guilty of beating inmate

Mon., Dec. 19, 2011, 2:21 p.m.

A Spokane white supremacist scheduled to be released from federal prison last month was convicted today in Oklahoma of assaulting another inmate. Keegan Chance Van Tuyl, 29, likely will be sentenced at least four months from now for the charge of inflicting serious bodily harm...

News >  Idaho

Fire Likely Killed Ex-NIdaho Racist

Fri., Dec. 9, 2011, 8:49 a.m.

RE: Randy Weaver fan in Washougal, Wash., shootout/Hate Watch Investigators have recovered two human bodies and four deceased dogs from the ruins of a Washougal home that burned to the ground Wednesday morning as a man fired handguns and rifles to keep emergency responders away,...

News >  Spokane

Hate crime alleged in attack on gay teen

Tue., Dec. 6, 2011, 9 a.m.

Two teenage boys are accused of damaging a Spokane Valley teenager's property because he is gay. Andrey A. Babakov, 17; and Svitoslav A. Liashedko, 16; pleaded not guilty Monday to first-degree burglary, second-degree theft and malicious harassment - a hate crime - for an alleged...

News >  Spokane

FBI: Indicted racist had terrorism plans

Thu., Nov. 17, 2011, 9:10 a.m.

A reputed white supremacist convicted last month of a gun charge related to an alleged domestic terrorism plot has been indicted by a grand jury for an alleged identity theft scheme. Wayde Lynn Kurt, 53, is accused of producing fraudulent identification cards for a "task"...

News >  Idaho

KXLY: Edgar Steele’s Last Stand

Fri., Nov. 4, 2011, 8:24 a.m.

"I always thought I'd like to end my career with one big case involving real government tyranny and genuine wrong-doing that you can point to and people would be marching in the streets," Steele said. "Lo and behold -- ironically -- I've almost got the...

News >  Spokane

Racial slurs, ‘KKK’ costume lead to arrest

Thu., Nov. 3, 2011, 12:25 p.m.

A woman was arrested on suspicion of a hate crime on Halloween after a black man told Spokane police he opened his front door to her yelling racial epithets while wearing a white sheet with "KKK" written on it. Sharyl Ann Curtis, 42, also sprayed...

News >  Idaho

Sgt. Wood: Ward Falsely Accused Me

Thu., Nov. 3, 2011, 9:05 a.m.

Sgt. Christie Wood responds to an allegation made by Jeff Ward in his Reagan Republicans newsletter: "In your newsletter to your supporters you made a blatantly false statement accusing me with the following: “This May, with the aid of his cohort, city police spokeswoman Kristy...

News >  Idaho

Hate Crimes? Or Something Else?

Thu., Oct. 13, 2011, 2 p.m.

Gay men in Spokane are either being targeted for beatings due to their sexual orientation, or they’re getting into trouble just like anyone else. Representatives from the gay community and four recent assault victims say it’s the former. Police says it’s the latter. “They’re saying...

News >  Idaho

Is Gay Bashing A Problem In Idaho?

Thu., Oct. 13, 2011, 9:16 a.m.

Boise police data show that attacks motivated by bias against someone’s race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation — generally called “hate crimes” — are rare. In 2010, there were a total of seven hate crimes reported in Boise, including five listed under race, and one...

News >  Spokane

Murder spree suspects headed to Wash.

Wed., Oct. 12, 2011, noon

GENE JOHNSON,Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — A boyfriend-and-girlfriend duo suspected in a murder spree that left four people dead in three Western states are expected to be returned to Washington state within a month to face charges that could bring the death penalty. David "Joey"...

News >  Idaho

Vestal: Hate Crimes Not Taken Lightly

Wed., Oct. 12, 2011, 9:10 a.m.

Are we in the midst of a wave of anti-gay violence in Spokane? A pattern with ongoing momentum? Some people think so. But there is unquestionably a pattern emerging from several recent events, and it has to do more with the response of the gay...

News >  Spokane

Supremacists wanted to ‘kill more Jews’

Tue., Oct. 11, 2011, 2:30 p.m.

By GENE JOHNSON,Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Authorities have recovered bloody clothing, a knife and stolen credit cards that they believe were in the possession of a couple accused of going on a deadly crime spree across the Pacific Northwest, according to an affidavit. Prosecutors...

News >  Spokane

4th victim ID’d in alleged murder spree

Mon., Oct. 10, 2011, 5:56 p.m.

Four homicide victims – including an African-American man shot in the head at close-range in Eureka, Calif. – are now being linked to a jailed couple with extensive criminal records and white supremacy beliefs. Read Bill Morlin's report for the Southern Poverty Law Center here....

News >  Spokane

Racist in murder spree has Idaho ties

Thu., Oct. 6, 2011, 10:52 a.m.

California Highway Patrol Officer Duane Nokes takes David Joseph Pedersen into custody following a traffic stop on Marysville Road and Gettys Court near Yuba City, Calif. on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Appeal Democrat, David Bitton) A white supremacist suspected of murdering two people in Washington and Oregon...

News >  Spokane

Hate crime alleged at Spokane 7-Eleven

Fri., Sept. 30, 2011, 4:30 p.m.

A Spokane man was arrested on a hate-crime charge late Thursday for allegedly threatening two 7-Eleven clerks with a weapon while yelling racial slurs. Anthony C. Brockie, 37, had a 12-inch strait razor blade in his pants pocket when a police officer approached him at...

News >  Spokane

Aryan in hate crime faces 5 years to life

Wed., Aug. 31, 2011, 10 a.m.

A Coeur d'Alene man and reputed racist faces five years to life in prison if convicted of a hate crime under Idaho's repeat offender law. Joel Townsend Diekhoff, 29, an associate of local Aryan Nations member Jerald O'Brien, remains in the Kootenai County Jail on...

News >  Spokane

Aryan in hate crime jailed on $50k bond

Tue., Aug. 30, 2011, 1:30 p.m.

A Coeur d'Alene man and reputed racist remains in jail on $50,000 after appearing in court on a hate-crime charge Monday. Joel Townsend Diekhoff, 29, an associate of local Aryan Nations member Jerald O'Brien, was arrested Saturday after Demetrius K. Lee, 39, said a white...

News >  Idaho

Hate Crime Suspect Faces Up To Life

Tue., Aug. 30, 2011, 8:11 a.m.

Item: Incident could lead to life sentence: Man issued $50K bond, no contact order for alleged hate crime/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d'Alene Press More Info: A Coeur d'Alene man faces up to life in prison stemming from an alleged hate crime incident on Saturday. Joel T....

News >  Spokane

Hate crime alleged in neighbor dispute

Tue., Aug. 2, 2011, 2 p.m.

An ongoing neighbor dispute has resulted in a rare hate-crime charge against a 49-year-old Spokane man who police say targeted a man because of his race. Page Lloyd Wrencher was charged with malicious harassment - Washington's hate-crime law - after his downstairs neighbor at 2303...

News >  Idaho

Esquire Charts INW Racism Fall, Rise

Fri., July 22, 2011, 10:41 a.m.

In Esquire's Politics Blog Thursday, essayist Charles P. Pierce provides a lengthy review of the history of white supremacism in North Idaho as well as the MLK Day bomb attempt. He writes: "Both (Norm) Gissel and (Tony) Stewart have noticed an increasing — and increasingly...

News >  Spokane

Photos place Harpham at MLK march

Fri., July 22, 2011, 8 a.m.

Federal prosecutors for the first time today revealed that domestic terrorism suspect Kevin W. Harpham took pictures of himself at the Martin Luther King Jr. Unity March, where he is charged with leaving a bomb along its route. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Rice said in...

News >  Idaho

Update: Hate Crime Victim KOs Skinhead

Sat., July 9, 2011, 6:05 a.m.

A self-proclaimed skinhead was knocked unconscious by a black man after threatening to stab him last weekend in Bayview, Idaho, officials said Friday. Daren Christopher Abbey, 28, was booked into jail on a malicious harassment charge after being treated at a hospital for facial fractures,...

News >  Spokane

Racist knocked out by hate-crime target

Fri., July 8, 2011, 5:20 p.m.

A self-proclaimed skinhead was knocked unconscious by a black man after threatening to stab him last weekend in Bayview, Idaho, officials said Friday. Daren Christopher Abbey, 28, was booked into jail on malicious harassment charge after being treated at a hospital for facial fractures, according...

News >  Idaho

LDII: Close Encounter w/Aryan Chief

Fri., June 24, 2011, 8:24 a.m.

LastDemoInIdaho: We sure remember this place (Great American Restaurant). My wife and daughter just loved it because it got them out of the house and the wife didn’t have to cook that night! The pasta was OK, I guess, but we are not professional pasta...

News >  Spokane

Ex-local Aryan convicted in racist beating

Fri., June 10, 2011, 12:17 p.m.

A white supremacist who ran for the Hayden City Council in 2003 has been convicted of a racially motivated attack on a black man in southwestern Washington. Zachary Loren Beck, 32, (pictured in 2003) was convicted Wednesday of conspiracy to violate civil rights after a...

News >  Spokane

Racial remarks overturn murder case

Fri., June 10, 2011, 10 a.m.

By GENE JOHNSON,Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — The Washington state Supreme Court overturned a man's murder conviction Thursday because of what one justice described as "repugnant" racial comments made by the prosecutor during the trial. Kevin L. Monday Jr., who is black, was convicted in...

News

Racism of the future?

Tue., May 31, 2011, 9:08 p.m.

Good evening, Netizens... I have always had a somewhat unusual approach to racism perhaps because I may never truly know what racial mix makes up my background. Of all four sons my mother bore, I was the only one who had dark brown curly hair...

News >  Spokane

FBI: Racist felon had ammo, 5 firearms

Fri., May 27, 2011, 10 a.m.

A Whitman County man arrested on federal gun charges last month had several guns and a large collection of ammunition when investigators searched his properties, a new indictment alleges. Jeremiah Daniel “J.D.” Hop, 29, faces two counts of felon in possession of a firearm and...

News >  Idaho

Racist Vincent Bertollini Resurfaces

Wed., May 25, 2011, 9:16 a.m.

The Hate Watch Blog of the Southern Poverty Law Center reports that former Sandpoint racist Vincent Bertollini has resurfaced: "Recently released after several years in federal prison, Richard Vincent Bertollini has moved across the country and changed his name in order to make “a fresh...

Human rights and racism discussion at Millwood Presbyterian

Tue., May 24, 2011, 11:12 a.m.

In this photo from May 14, 2011, retired North Idaho College political science instructor and human rights advocate Tony Stewart speaks at a meeting where he explained how census data show minorities in Idaho have grown. SR photo/Jesse Tinsley Millwood Presbyterian Church will continue its...

News >  Idaho

SR: A Darker Shade Of Pale

Mon., May 23, 2011, 9:12 a.m.

Yes, this area remains largely monocultural, but at least we’re a slightly darker shade of pale. Here, about one person in 10 belongs to a racial minority. Nationally, more than a fourth of Americans do. Still, the degree of change deserves admiring mention. Spokane County...

News >  Idaho

Hucks: Deep 6 P.O. Box 1167

Mon., May 16, 2011, 8:24 a.m.

Baseball clubs retire numbers of famous players. Mebbe the U.S. Postal Service should retire P.O. box numbers of infamous customers. Take the Aryan Nations, for example. Please. Seems P.O. Box 1167 outlived racist Richard Butler’s Church of Jesus Christ Christian in Coeur d’Alene. Earlier this...

News >  Idaho

CBE Candidate Slams Aryan Rumor

Fri., May 13, 2011, 11:35 a.m.

CBE backer Duncan Koler says Aryan rumor false/Hucks Online (5:13 p.m. Thursday) Local bloggers, social media users and callers to the Press newsroom spent time Thursday speculating and asking questions about a website promoting Zone 2 school trustee candidate, Tom Hamilton (shown in photo from...

News >  Idaho

Tony: Aryans Failed To Achieve Goal

Fri., May 13, 2011, 10:42 a.m.

The Kootenai County Democratic Club will host an address by Tony Stewart (pictured), a co-founder of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations more than 30 years ago, on Friday, May 13 at Noon. The luncheon will be held at the Iron Horse Restaurant...

News >  Idaho

Vestal: Hate Depends On Outlook

Fri., April 29, 2011, 9:32 a.m.

Then, this week, Michael Hop came rushing to his brother’s defense. He claimed – in a long story the S-R published on its website, and a shorter version that appeared in the paper – that his brother is merely proud of his white heritage, and...

News >  Spokane

Brother: FBI set up taco truck protester

Thu., April 28, 2011, 6 a.m.

The man who boasted online about taking part in racist protests of taco-trucks in Coeur d’Alene and now faces an illegal weapons charge was the victim of government entrapment, his brother says. Jeremiah Daniel “J.D.” Hop, 29, was set up earlier this month by an...

News >  Spokane

Feds release Harpham booking photos

Tue., April 26, 2011, 2 p.m.

The U.S. Marshals Service has released booking photos of Kevin William Harpham. The photos were taken the day of his arrest in connection with the bomb found along the planned route of the Martin Luther King, Jr., United march in downtown Spokane Jan. 17. Photos...

News >  Spokane

MLK bomb suspect not due in court today

Fri., April 22, 2011, 11:40 a.m.

UPDATE: Harpham's arraignment was moved to Monday. Kevin William Harpham is to be arraigned on a hate crime charge in U.S. District Court today at 1:30 p.m. A grand jury indicted the Martin Luther King, Jr. march bomb suspect Thursday. Harpham, who has been in...

News >  Spokane

Taco protester arraigned on gun charge

Thu., April 21, 2011, 2 p.m.

A Whitman County man who bragged online about being involved with racist taco-truck protests in Kootenai County pleaded not guilty to a federal gun charge today. A bail hearing for Jeremiah Daniel “J.D.” Hop, 29, is set for Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate...

News >  Idaho

Racists Failed To Scare Wassmuth

Tue., April 12, 2011, 1:42 p.m.

It was said, half in jest, that Bill Wassmuth was selected as the chairman of the resurrected Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations because he was single. No one laughed about that after he and his home were targetted in a fall 1986 bombing...

News >  Spokane

DOJ launches probe of Seattle police

Thu., March 31, 2011, noon

SEATTLE (AP) — The Justice Department today launched a formal civil rights investigation of the Seattle Police Department following the fatal shooting of a homeless woodcarver and other incidents of force used against minority suspects. Seattle U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan and the assistant attorney general...

News >  Spokane

Who is bomb suspect Kevin Harpham?

Sun., March 13, 2011, 3:49 p.m.

He grew up in rural Eastern Washington, played football in high school and worked at a fast-food restaurant as a teen. Childhood friends remember him as quiet and normal – far from the angry racist that Kevin William Harpham portrayed himself as in more than...

News >  Idaho

Cops: Girls’ Spat Triggered Vandalism

Mon., Feb. 21, 2011, 4:02 p.m.

Vandalism investigated as a possible religious hate crime was the result of a dispute between two teenage girls, Spokane police say. Detectives have identified a “potential suspect” and are continuing the investigation, said Officer Jennifer DeRuwe. Police were called to the home in the 7000...

News >  Idaho

INW: Teen Dispute Incites Vandalism

Mon., Feb. 21, 2011, 12:34 p.m.

Police are investigating a hate crime against a family living on North Cochran in Spokane. Early this morning, their house was vandalized with foul-laced language, including disparaging remarks about Jesus and references to God hating them. A Bible had been set on fire on the...

News >  Spokane

Online posts lead to officer’s resignation

Sat., Feb. 12, 2011, 4 p.m.

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (AP) — A sheriff's lieutenant in Douglas County, Colo., being investigated for posting controversial comments from his county computer while on duty has resigned. Denver's KMGH-TV reports that Lt Jeff Egnor, with the sheriff's department for 13 years, resigned Tuesday in the...

News >  Idaho

AM: New Hate Crime Trial Rejected

Wed., Feb. 2, 2011, 5:10 p.m.

Don Sausser writes of his photo this morning: "In spite of today’s brilliant sun, albeit only 23 degrees, a thin layer of ice glistens inside the Resort Marina." Judge denies new trial in Coeur d'Alene hate crime case/Meghann Cuniff, SR House Local Government panel focuses...

News >  Idaho

Sid Rosen, Human Rights Spark, RIP

Thu., Jan. 27, 2011, 2:52 p.m.

Marshall Mend, of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, holds a picture of the first documented hate crime in Hayden -- the cowardly attack on Sid Rosen's restaurant that stood at the corner of Government Way & Miles. The attack prompted the creation...

News >  Idaho

Aryan Nations Denounce Bombing Try

Tue., Jan. 25, 2011, 9:58 a.m.

The Aryan Nations sent out a video press release this weekend that states the organization had nothing to do with the attempted bombing in Downtown Spokane last week.Pastor Morris Gullet, who says he’s the World Leader of The Aryan Nations, speaks in the nearly six...

News >  Idaho

Task Force Urges Support Of Stands

Fri., Jan. 21, 2011, 1:57 p.m.

Human-rights leader Tony Stewart (pictured in SR file photo) of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations today visited the two Mexican food stands that were picketed by white supremacists before the Martin Luther King holiday this month. In a phone interview, Tony told...

News >  Spokane

Racist leader resentenced in Spokane

Thu., Jan. 20, 2011, 1:15 p.m.

A white supremacist imprisoned for violating his federal probation was resentenced in Spokane recently after prosecutors acknowledged a language glitch in the original judgment. Keegan C. Van Tuyl, 28, (left) is in the Spokane County Jail awaiting transport to federal prison after he was sentenced...

News >  Spokane

Chief praises police action in MLK bomb

Thu., Jan. 20, 2011, noon

Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick on Wednesday praised Sgts. Jason Hartman and Eric Olsen for their decisions to reroute the Martin Luther King, Jr. parade after a sophisticated bomb was found along the original route. “We are trying to have a national conversation to learn...

News >  Idaho

Kellogg Reports Cross Burning

Wed., Jan. 19, 2011, 11:37 a.m.

The Police Chief in Kellogg, Idaho tells KHQ that on MLK day fire crews responded to cross burning on Elder Ave. which is in the northeast part of Kellogg. The cross was wrapped in burlap and was about three and a half feet tall. The...

News >  Idaho

Christie: Aryans Were A Downer

Tue., Jan. 18, 2011, 8:17 a.m.

Christie Wood (re: Aryans stage protest near Human Rights Institute): I drove by them on my way to drop off some food for the Martin Luther King Gala event hosted by the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations. All of the good thoughts I...

News >  Idaho

Aryans Stage Protest Near HR Institute

Mon., Jan. 17, 2011, 4:52 p.m.

I have a friend who moved here last year from the Portland area and she called me a few minutes ago about the Aryans on NW Blvd. She was freaking out, crying, saying she couldn't believe her eyes, that she'd never seen anything like it...

News >  Idaho

Former Aryan Apologizes For Misdeeds

Mon., Jan. 17, 2011, 9 a.m.

Aryan Nations founder Richard G. Butler, left, displays his new campaign signs, along with Aryan follower Zack Beck, right, outside Butler's home in Hayden on Oct. 1, 2003. At the time, Butler was running for mayor, and Beck for a City Council position. Both failed...

News >  Spokane

New trial request alleges jury misconduct

Thu., Dec. 16, 2010, 6 a.m.

Two Coeur d’Alene brothers convicted in October of a hate crime have requested a new trial, accusing the presiding juror of misconduct. William Tankovich Jr. (below) and his brother Frank Tankovich (right) were convicted of felony malicious harassment and conspiracy to commit malicious harassment for...

News >  Idaho

Hucks Poll: Is North Idaho Racist?

Mon., Dec. 6, 2010, 10:35 a.m.

Weekend Poll: 23 of 85 respondents (27.06%) checked "none of the above" when asked which weekend game interested them most. 19 voted for the Apple Cup, 14 for Battle in Seattle (Gonzaga vs. Illinois), 12 for the Civil War (Oregon vs. Oregon State), 11 for...

News >  Idaho

Oatmeal Blogger Rode Bus w/Nazis

Fri., Dec. 3, 2010, 11:53 a.m.

I'm told by a former SR colleague that gave me a heads up that The Oatmeal blog has a ha-huge following. Therefore, a post by the blogmeister that he grew up in Hayden Lake, riding a bus w/children from the Aryan Nations compound caught my...

News >  Spokane

Brothers guilty in CdA hate-crime case

Fri., Oct. 29, 2010, 3:59 p.m.

Following the third trial in eight months, two Coeur d’Alene brothers were found guilty Thursday of racially harassing and threatening a Hispanic man in August 2009. Sentencing was set for Jan. 13 for Frank James Tankovich, 47, (right) and William Michael Tankovich Jr., 50, (left)...

News >  Idaho

Hate Crime Sticks To Tankovich Trio

Fri., Oct. 29, 2010, 9:38 a.m.

Following the third trial in eight months, two Coeur d’Alene brothers were found guilty Thursday of racially harassing and threatening a Hispanic man in August 2009. Sentencing was set for Jan. 13 for Frank James Tankovich, 47, and William Michael Tankovich Jr., 50, who were...

News >  Spokane

Hate-crime trial begins in Coeur d’Alene

Wed., Oct. 27, 2010, 2:30 p.m.

The third round of a hate crime trial opened Tuesday in Coeur d’Alene, with two brothers accused of racially harassing a Hispanic man in the summer of 2009.The first trial ended in mistrial in March after the first witness took the stand and referred to...

News >  Spokane

Murder plot victim slams federal prosecutors

Wed., Sept. 8, 2010, 11:40 a.m.

In a 16-page affidavit prosecutors suggested may have originated with her jailed husband, alleged murder plot target Cyndi Steele rails against a plea deal arranged with FBI informant Larry Fairfax and accuses the U.S. Attorney's Office of violating her rights as a victim. The document,...

News >  Idaho

AM: Celebrating Aryans Bankruptcy

Wed., Sept. 8, 2010, 8:39 a.m.

Norm Gissel, a Coeur d'Alene attorney who assisted Southern Poverty Law Center attorney Morris Dees in the legal case that bankrupted the Aryan Nations, receives applause after addressing the crowd at the Veterans Memorial Plaza in Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday. Alison Boggs' SR story here....

News >  Idaho

9th Circuit court rejects ‘absurd’ Idaho hate crime appeal

Wed., Sept. 1, 2010, 2:24 p.m.

Here's a news item from the AP: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A federal court has rejected an appeal from an Idaho man who was convicted of a hate crime for beating a black man outside a Nampa Wal-Mart. In his appeal, Richard C. Armstrong said...

News >  Idaho

KootCon: Confederate Flag Not Racist

Tue., Aug. 31, 2010, 8:21 a.m.

Kootenai Conservative: All my relatives on my father's side are from the South, and they would tell you it would be a grave mistake to interpret a display of the Confederate flag as a gesture of racism or sympathy with slavery. It's a symbol of...

News >  Idaho

Jesuit Calls Out Anti-Indian NICA

Wed., Aug. 25, 2010, 1:30 p.m.

Retiring Jesuit priest Tom Connolly wrote the following form St. Maries Gazette-Record: Unfortunately, those like (North Idaho Citizens Alliance) who want to continue to keep tribes down have organized to seek to prevent them from exercising their long-suppressed rights. In a simple recent instance, Benewah...

News >  Idaho

You Can Be A Racist For Doing Anything

Tue., Aug. 24, 2010, 5:15 p.m.

In way of explanation, Charles Dixon comments inside: "You can say that anyone is racist for doing anything. The way the racist charge is getting thrown around these days it would make for a good Dr. Seuss book. It has become that nonsensical." Then, he...

News >  Idaho

Task Force To Celebrate 2000 Verdict

Tue., Aug. 24, 2010, 8:17 a.m.

The Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations on Sept. 7 will mark the Sept. 7, 2000, day when a civil jury in Coeur d'Alene returned a verdict of $6.3 million against the white supremacist group after its guards attacked two people. The verdict forced...

News >  Spokane

Valley synagogue vandalized with swastika

Fri., Aug. 13, 2010, 10 a.m.

A swastika was painted on a sign outside a Spokane Valley synagogue last weekend. The congregational leader at the Kehilat HaMashiach, David D'Auria, discovered the swastika painted in red on a white sign Sunday morning outside the building at 13506 E. Broadway Ave. The vandal,...

News >  Idaho

High Noon: Fed Up With Racism

Wed., Aug. 11, 2010, 12:19 p.m.

I was born in Chicago, a town with its own long history of racial tension, and my parents were hillbillies, one from Texas and one from Tennessee. It would not be surprising to many to learn that my upbringing was steeped in racism, yet it...

News >  Spokane

Hate-crime suspect gets 9 years for firearm

Tue., Aug. 10, 2010, 4:52 p.m.

One of three Coeur d’Alene brothers accused of racially harassing a Hispanic man last August was sentenced today to nine years in prison for being a felon in possession of a handgun. Ira Tankovich (pictured), 48, will be eligible for parole in three years. Adding...

News >  Spokane

Charges against Steele carry 30+ years

Fri., July 23, 2010, 6 a.m.

A former lawyer for the Aryan Nations jailed in an alleged murder-for-hire plot is to appear in federal court in Coeur d’Alene next week on three additional charges related to jailhouse phone calls and explosives discovered after his arrest. The new charges against Edgar J....

News >  Idaho

Edgar Steele Faces 3 New Charges

Wed., July 21, 2010, 1:31 p.m.

A former lawyer for the Aryan Nations jailed in an alleged murder-for-hire plot has been indicted on three additional charges related to jailhouse phone calls and explosives discovered after his arrest. The new charges against Edgar J. Steele, 64, carry a maximum 10 to 30...

News >  Idaho

NAACP: Tea Party Tolerates Racism

Wed., July 14, 2010, 4:45 p.m.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, front, addresses the media during a news conference at the 101st annual NAACP convention as NAACP President Ben Jealous looks on Wednesday in Kansas City, Mo. Story here. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)Question: Do you agree with the premise of the NCAA that...

News >  Spokane

Steele seeks to keep feds out of client files

Tue., July 13, 2010, 10:40 a.m.

A former lawyer for the Aryan Nations is asking a judge to stop federal investigators from searching materials seized from his North Idaho home law office. Edgar J. Steele is concerned government searches may compromise attorney-client privilege, according to documents filed Monday in U.S. District...

News >  Idaho

CPD: Transients May Have Hung Swastikas

Thu., July 8, 2010, 5 p.m.

Police believe the people suspected of hanging Aryan posters (on Highway 95 between Neider & Bosanko), in Coeur d’Alene recently are transients. Because they are, the department is having a difficult time locating them, said Mario Rios, Coeur d’Alene police detective. But officers don’t believe...

News >  Idaho

CPD Blues Confiscate Nazi Signs

Wed., June 30, 2010, 11:21 a.m.

As I mentioned in Scanner Traffic Tuesday, two neo-Nazis (including one with long hair and another in a tan Ford Explorer) put up swastika signs on utility poles along Highway 95, from Neider to Bosanko, yesterday afternoon. Sgt. Christie Wood responded to a HucksOnline inquiry...

News >  Idaho

Supremacists Busy Along Highway 95

Tue., June 29, 2010, 3:29 p.m.

Huckleberries is hearing via Scanner Traffic that 2 males have plastered swastikas and racist material on every light standard and telephone pole along Highway 95, between Neider and Bosanko. One male, described as a white man with long hair and a gray shirt, is on...

News >  Spokane

Steele’s phone calls to wife, son released

Tue., June 22, 2010, 7:19 p.m.

Federal murder-for-hire suspect Edgar Steele will stay in jail pending trial after a judge found he had attempted to intimidate potential witnesses in the case – his wife and son. In a detention hearing Tuesday, federal prosecutors played two tapes of phone conversations Steele had...

News >  Spokane

Suspect in murder plot held without bail

Tue., June 22, 2010, 10 a.m.

A suspected hitman-turned-informant who federal investigators say didn’t tell them he’d already planted a bomb on the car of a murder-plot target was ordered held without bail on Monday. U.S. Magistrate Candy Dale called her decision to keep Larry A. Fairfax, 49, behind bars “very...

News >  Idaho

Institute Targets Supremacists’ Flags

Tue., June 22, 2010, 8:22 a.m.

Human rights activists in Coeur d’Alene have decided to fight flags with flags. For months, people have been walking into the Human Rights Education Institute in Coeur d’Alene asking what they can do about two nearby residences flying white supremacist flags, said Rachel Dolezal, the...

News >  Spokane

Suspect in Steele’s murder plot due in court

Mon., June 21, 2010, 12:29 p.m.

The man accused of planting a pipe bomb under Edgar Steele's wife's SUV is due in federal court in Coeur d'Alene this afternoon for a bail hearing. Larry A. Fairfax, 49, has been in custody since last Monday night. The Sagle man apparently told federal...

News >  Spokane

Informant forgets to tell FBI about pipe bomb

Thu., June 17, 2010, 8:32 p.m.

A man who approached federal agents last week about an alleged murder-for-hire plot hatched by a former lawyer for the Aryan Nations may have left out a key detail: He’d already rigged an explosive to the intended victim’s car. Larry Andrew Fairfax, 49, remains in...

News >  Spokane

Steele: ‘This is a very emotional situation’

Wed., June 16, 2010, 9:10 a.m.

Appearing for the first time on federal charges related to an alleged murder-for-hire plot, Edgar Steele described himself Tuesday as a "frail" and "elderly" man who's undergone four surgeries in the past six months, including open heart surgery. He also blasted the federal agents for...

News >  Idaho

Prosecutors Say Steele Is Flight Risk

Tue., June 15, 2010, 8:37 a.m.

Edgar Steele murder-for-hire case reset for today/Alison Boggs, SRFederal prosecutors want Edgar J. Steele held without bail before his trial on murder-for-hire charges. Steele, 64, was charged Friday - the same day prosecutors say he wanted an acquaintance to kill his wife and mother-in-law in...

News >  Idaho

Edgar Steele Hearing Delayed ‘Til Tuesday

Mon., June 14, 2010, 4:28 p.m.

Alison Boggs/SR (re: ex-Aryan Nations attorney Edgar Steele faces charges in murder-for-hire plot): The U.S. Attorney's office told me Edgar Steele's hearing was pushed off to tomorrow because they had to evacuate their building (due to white powder being found in an envelope). They did...

News >  Spokane

1st on Sirens: Edgar Steele’s mugshot

Mon., June 14, 2010, 1:53 p.m.

Edgar J. Steele, the lawyer who represented the Aryan Nations, is due in U.S. District Court in Coeur d'Alene at 3:30 p.m. today on a felony charge of using interstate commerce to commission murder for hire. Steele was arrested Friday at his Sagle home, accused...

News >  Spokane

Ex-Aryans lawyer arrested in murder plot

Mon., June 14, 2010, 11 a.m.

A North Idaho attorney who defended the Aryan Nations and its founder, Richard Butler, is scheduled to appear in federal court today on charges he arranged to have his wife and mother-in-law killed. Edgar J. Steele, 64, (left, in 2001) was arrested Friday at his...

News >  Idaho

Ex-Aryan Nations Attorney Edgar Steele Faces Charges In Murder-for-Hire Plot

Sat., June 12, 2010, 6:30 a.m.

In this August 2000 SR file photo, Edgar Steele, attorney for Richard Butler, leaves the Kootenai County Courthouse during a break in a civil trial that would eventually bankrupt the Aryan Nations. (SR File Photo: Kathy Plonka)Item: North Idaho attorney charged in murder-for-hire plot: Prosecutors...

News >  Spokane

Repeat offender busted at pawn shop

Wed., May 26, 2010, 8:04 p.m.

A burglary suspect arrested after reaching 100 mph during a freeway chase two weeks ago but later released from jail is back behind bars after police say he tried pawning stolen guns. Allen S. Easley (right), 23 and considered one of Spokane top 10 repeat...

News >  Spokane

New hate-crime trial for 2 CdA brothers

Fri., April 30, 2010, 10:57 a.m.

Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh said Thursday that he will re-try two Coeur d’Alene brothers on malicious harassment charges stemming from a racial incident last summer. Frank J. Tankovich, 46, and William M. Tankovich, 49, will be tried on charges of conspiracy to commit malicious...

News >  Idaho

McHugh Wants 3rd Hate Crime Trial

Thu., April 29, 2010, 11:26 a.m.

Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh said today that he will re-try two Coeur d’Alene brothers on malicious harassment charges. Frank J. Tankovich, 46, and William M. Tankovich, 49, will be tried on charges of conspiracy to commit malicious harassment and malicious harassment related to an...

News >  Idaho

Sightem: Neo-Nazis On 4th Street

Mon., April 26, 2010, 8:16 a.m.

Originally posted 1:28 p.m. SundayI just saw (1:15 p.m.) a group of about 10 neo-Nazis, men and women, on a 4th Street sidewalk adjacent to the Coeur d'Alene High parking lot (south of Coeur d'Alene Bible Church), waving two large red-white-and-blue flags with swastikas. A...

News >  Spokane

Misdemeanor conviction in hate-crime trial

Mon., April 19, 2010, 5:59 p.m.

Jurors convicted a North Idaho man of conspiracy to commit disturbing the peace, a misdemeanor, in the first hate-crime case to go to trial in Coeur d’Alene in recent years. The jury hung on two counts against the man’s brothers. Ira G. Tankovich, 48, (left)...

News >  Idaho

P.S. Tankovich Verdict

Mon., April 19, 2010, 5:25 p.m.

Brothers (from left) William, Ira and Frank Tankovich await their verdicts in a Kootenai County courtroom Monday. The jury hung on all counts except for one count of conspiracy to disturb the peace against Ira. At far right, is defense attorney Dan Cooper. Alison Boggs'...

News >  Idaho

1 Tankovich Guilty Of Misdemeanor

Mon., April 19, 2010, 4:09 p.m.

Update (via Twitter): Update: Jury finds Ira G. Tankovich guilty of misdemeanor in hate-crime trial. Jurors hung on both counts against his two brothers/SR.Jurors have reached a partial verdict in the hate-crime trial of three brothers charged with harassing a Coeur d’Alene man last August....

News >  Spokane

Jury expected to get hate-crime case today

Fri., April 16, 2010, 11:24 a.m.

Closing arguments are expected today in the trial of three brothers accused of harassing a Coeur d'Alene men man because of his ethnicity. The prosecution and defense rested Thursday in the trial of Ira G. Tankovich, 48, Frank J. Tankovich, 46, and William M. Tankovich,...

News >  Spokane

Hate-crime defense targets alleged victim

Thu., April 15, 2010, 11:35 a.m.

Defense attorneys in the Coeur d’Alene hate crime trial of three brothers lost an attempt Wednesday to challenge the alleged victim’s credibility by introducing his criminal record, which includes felony convictions for illegally transporting guns. At one point, defense attorney Brad Chapman asked the alleged...

News >  Spokane

Tankovich erases the smile just in time

Tue., April 13, 2010, 5:46 p.m.

By Thomas Clouse The hate crime trial in Coeur d’Alene taught one of the defendants to check his gear before he draws a practical joke. Deputy Prosecutor Art Verharen used an erasable board to have a witness draw how the Tankovichs' pickup, which had a...

News >  Idaho

Tankovich Erases Smile Just In Time

Tue., April 13, 2010, 5:31 p.m.

The hate crime trial in Coeur d’Alene taught one of the defendants to check his gear before he draws a practical joke. Deputy Prosecutor Art Verharen used an erasable board to have a witness draw how the Tankovichs’ pickup, which had a swastika and “born...

News >  Idaho

Tankovich Hate Crime Trial Begins

Tue., April 13, 2010, 3:59 p.m.

The trial against three Coeur d’Alene brothers charged with threatening a Hispanic man has made it through most of the first day without the need for a judge to call a mistrial. Last week, the trial didn’t make it through the first witness before 1st...

News >  Spokane

Hate-crime trial begins in CdA, again

Tue., April 13, 2010, 10:39 a.m.

Opening statements are expected today in the trial of three brothers accused of harassing a Coeur d'Alene man because of his ethnicity.Ira Gino Tankovich, 47, Frank James Tankovich, 46, and William Michael Tankovich Jr., 49, (left to right) were indicted by a grand jury last...

News >  Idaho

S&G: Suspect Faces Hate Crime

Fri., April 9, 2010, 3:26 p.m.

A man accused of trying to rob a Spokane taco truck owner may have targeted the victim because of his race, new court documents allege. Michael A. Brewer, 22, has been charged under Washington’s hate-crime law after police say he yelled racial slurs while trying...

News >  Spokane

Spokane taco truck attack called hate crime

Fri., April 9, 2010, 10:17 a.m.

A man accused of trying to rob a Spokane taco truck owner may have targeted the victim because of his race, new court documents allege. Michael A. Brewer, 22, has been charged under Washington’s hate-crime law after police say he yelled racial slurs while trying...

News >  Idaho

SR: Mistrial Shows Area Fights Fair

Thu., April 8, 2010, 10:44 a.m.

Editorial: Mistrial shows area fights racism with fairness/Spokesman-ReviewMore Info: Part of the judge’s responsibility is to make sure that the evidence is delivered properly, which is why he threw a flag over the 911 tape. It probably would have been easier for Luster to let...

News >  Spokane

Mistrial declared in CdA hate-crime case

Wed., March 31, 2010, 11:07 a.m.

A judge declared a mistrial Tuesday in the trial of three Coeur d’Alene brothers accused of racially harassing a Hispanic family in August. Kootenai County 1st District Judge John Luster declared the mistrial after Deputy Prosecutor Art Verharen played a recording of a 911 call...

News >  Spokane

Hate-crime trial to begin in Coeur d’Alene

Tue., March 30, 2010, 12:06 p.m.

Three brothers accused of harassing a Coeur d’Alene man because of his ethnicity will stand trial this week in Kootenai County District Court. Opening statements are expected today in the trial of Ira Gino Tankovich, 47, Frank James Tankovich, 46, and William Michael Tankovich Jr.,...

News >  Idaho

Aryan Nations Moving To Oregon?

Mon., Feb. 22, 2010, 8:16 a.m.

Originally published Friday nightLeaders of the Aryan Nations in Idaho say they want to move the headquarters of their white supremacist movement to Grant County. Paul R. Mullet, who called himself national director of the movement, was in John Day this week, looking at property...

News >  Spokane

Another hate crime reported in CdA

Wed., Jan. 13, 2010, 4:51 p.m.

Someone early Friday spray-painted swastikas on a car outside the downtown Coeur d’Alene home of a woman who regularly has African-American friends visiting. In addition, about two weeks ago, some men drove past the Front Avenue home in a white pickup, slowed down and yelled...

News >  Spokane

Men deny hate crime allegations

Mon., Dec. 21, 2009, 10:42 a.m.

Three brothers accused of harassing a Coeur d’Alene man because of his ethnicity say they simply asked to buy electrical equipment from the man and were stunned when he pulled a gun on them. Ira Gino Tankovich, 47, Frank James Tankovich, 46, and William Michael...

News >  Spokane

Idaho Aryan well-known in Montana

Fri., Dec. 11, 2009, 6:27 p.m.

What a difference a letter makes. Police reports spelled the name of one of the neo-Nazis cited for littering last summer as "Kevin B. McGurre." Turns out, it's "Kevin B. McGuire." I realized this when putting together this story on charges being dropped against the...

News

When is it racism?

Fri., Oct. 16, 2009, 4:56 a.m.

Good morning, Netizens... By MARY FOSTER, Associated Press Writer Mary Foster, Associated Press NEW ORLEANS – A white Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have....

News >  Idaho

SC: Aryans Laughing At Reaction

Sat., Aug. 22, 2009, 6:05 a.m.

Shoshone Conservative: While I certainly agree that hate and racism should be condemned, I think the officials here are over-reacting a bit. I am sure in some trailer park somewhere there are 3 Richard Butler wannabes rolling on the floor laughing at how they got...

News >  Spokane

Officials promise ‘boldness’ against Aryans

Fri., Aug. 21, 2009, 6:15 p.m.

Criminal citations and civil lawsuits are options. But the recent surge in racist activity is best dealt with by a unified community dedicated to rejecting discrimination and hate, leaders from across the Inland Northwest said Friday.“We have been vested with the authority and the power...

News >  Idaho

Tony, Sgt. C @ Anti-Aryan Shout Out

Fri., Aug. 21, 2009, 3:37 p.m.

Tony Stewart, right, longtime human rights activist in Coeur d'Alene, speaks to the media alongside Sgt. Christie Wood of the Coeur d'Alene Police about racist literature and other activities at a press conference Friday, near the state line. A press conference was held by law...

News >  Idaho

INorthwest Officials Denounce Racism

Fri., Aug. 21, 2009, 2:48 p.m.

Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick emphasizes her department's commitment to protecting citizens from racist harrassment at a press conference Friday, near the state line. A press conference was held by law enforcement and human rights organizers to combat the recent distribution of racist flyers. (Jesse...

News >  Idaho

Racists Becoming More Active

Fri., Aug. 21, 2009, 9:50 a.m.

A vandalized sign outside the office of Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., is shown earlier this month in Smyrna, Ga. Scott had a contentious community meeting on health care last week. Scott, who is black, said the swastika is the latest example of what he believes...

News >  Spokane

Aryans move to Athol

Mon., Aug. 10, 2009, 7:50 p.m.

Not that there's ever an appropriate place for the Aryan Nations, but if they're going to insist on calling a North Idaho town home, a place called Athol seems a bit fitting. (This is not an affront to the fine people of the tiny town...

News >  Idaho

Attacker flicked cigarette, asked, ‘What country do you think you’re in?’

Thu., July 23, 2009, 3:32 p.m.

Here's a link to our full report on the federal hate crime convictions of three Idaho men in an attack last July 4th outside a Nampa Wal-Mart store. Among the details: The 24-year-old victim had gone to the store to buy milk. As he left...

News >  Idaho

Hate crime in Nampa leads to federal convictions

Thu., July 23, 2009, 11:02 a.m.

Last year on the Fourth of July, three men, shouting racial slurs, ambushed, chased and beat a 24-year-old African-American man as he left a Wal-Mart in Nampa. Now, two of the men have been convicted of hate crime assault by a federal jury in Boise....

News >  Idaho

Aryan Nations Hate Children Live On

Thu., July 9, 2009, 9:32 a.m.

(Warning: Objectionable language) An organization that tracks hate groups says records show there are more such groups now than ever before. In an effort to help determine why, KOMO News got an exclusive interview with a member of the Aryan Nations and with those determined...

News >  Spokane

Hayden’s ‘big man in hate’ knew alleged shooter

Thu., June 11, 2009, 12:43 p.m.

A man described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a "big man in hate" resurfaced yesterday when an acquaintance who stayed at his Hayden home stormed the National Holocaust Museum and killed a security guard. Before avowed white supremacist James W. von Brunn, 88,...

News >  Idaho

Old Racist Apologizes To Lawmaker

Thu., Feb. 5, 2009, 10:11 a.m.

Elwin Wilson, left, and Friendship 9 member Willie McCleod, right, look over pictures from civil rights incidents in Rock Hill, S.C., in the 1960s. in downtown Rock Hill recently. Wilson, a former segregationist who jeered and assaulted civil rights leader John Lewis at a South...

News >  Idaho

Daily News: UI Fans Embarrass State

Wed., Feb. 4, 2009, 1:07 p.m.

UI officials have received complaints from across campus and throughout the state about racial epithets uttered by some Vandal fans during the game. Offensive terms for Hispanics and illegal immigrants reportedly were shouted at one or more opposing players, including the term "dirty Sanchez," which...

News >  Idaho

IME: Neo-Nazis Remain A Threat

Wed., Jan. 28, 2009, 5:27 p.m.

Hundreds of small cells of would-be terrorists exist throughout the United States. They travel under various names—Ku Klux Klan, National Socialist Movement, Vinlander Social Club, American National Socialist Workers Party, World Wide Church of the Creator, National Alliance, White Aryan Resistance, National Vanguard. To the...

News >  Idaho

Racists Try To Blend In

Thu., Jan. 8, 2009, 12:54 p.m.

Item: White supremacists try to polish image/Becky Shay, Billings GazetteMore Info: Kyle Anderson blends in with the crowd of businessmen and students sitting in a Billings coffee shop. His dark hair is cropped short. He wears a burgundy dress shirt and dark slacks. The only...