Richard Roesler

A Spokane man is facing vehicular manslaughter charges after his pickup crossed the center line and slammed into a car Wednesday, killing a Coeur d'Alene attorney. Only hours after the crash, Benewah County District Court issued an arrest warrant for Shane Ryder McDonald, 25. McDonald was airlifted to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane after the crash. McDonald's 1974 Ford pickup crashed head-on into a Honda Accord shortly after 6:30 a.m. on U.S. Highway 95 seven miles south of Tensed, Idaho, according to the Idaho State Police. ISP said the crash instantly killed the Honda's driver, Paul William Browne, 35, Coeur d'Alene.

The Post Falls sewage plant also serves Rathdrum. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

1. Radiology ward clerk Shirley Hudgins works at her desk in a closet at Benewah Community Hospital. "They took off the door and built some shelves," she says. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review 2. Mike Boyd

Jennifer Stokes was a dedicated student and soccer player.

A river rips through it. Ray Dose stands atop the breached levee along Pine Creek at a spot where rising runoff waters eroded the earthen barrier in February. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

When Rep. Carol Pietsch of Sandpoint needed to pry loose some legislation trapped in a Republican appropriations grudge, she headed to the supermarket. The Democrat bought an apple for one Senator, and a peach - as in "Pietsch" - for another. A couple of notes, a little buttonholing other lawmakers, and the bill was saved.

The 1995 legislative session wasn't a banner year by anyone's standards. "A do-nothing year," said Sen. Tim Tucker, D-Porthill.

Rep. Helen Chenoweth holds Boise hearing on "excessive" federal force. Photo by Joe Relk/The Spokesman-Review

Legislation giving polluters immunity from prosecution and confidentiality if they admit their violations was revived Thursday in a closed-door conference. Gov. Phil Batt, business leaders and lobbyists worked out a new version of the bill with several amendments. It then zipped through the House on a unanimous vote. The bill now goes to the Senate.

The state House of Representatives on Wednesday approved $2.26 million for cleanup of the contaminated Bunker Hill site. The appropriation bill passed 59-5. It now goes to the state Senate, which is expected to approve the funding. Wednesday's appropriation also included $300,000 for cleanup of the Coeur d'Alene River basin.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday squashed North Idaho lawmakers' attempt to revive a bill to help cities pay for the stress of rapid growth. The 23-10 defeat came nine days after the House of Representatives passed the bill by a four-to-one margin. The bill would have allowed any city to charge so-called impact fees, provided local voters agreed.

The state Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a bill to allow home-schooled students to take part in public school activities and sports. The bill overturns a decision by the Idaho High School Activities Association, which recently ruled that students not in public schools can't compete in public school sports.

State records show Sen. Gordon Crow failed to report nearly $5,600 in campaign contributions until four months after he'd collected them at a Hayden Lake fund-raiser with Gov. Phil Batt. "I fouled up," Crow, R-Hayden, said in an interview Tuesday. "I'll take full responsibility for it."

Kempthorne

Jim Stoicheff gets a plaque from his longtime friend DeVon Smith. Photo by Joe Relk/The Spokesman-Review

At least four states say the National Indian Lottery proposed by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe is unlawful in their states, and they're threatening to fight it. "The game in Minnesota is clearly illegal," said Fabian Hoffner, assistant attorney general for Minnesota.

The Idaho State Senate on Monday sank a bill that would have tightened safety regulations for Jet Skiers. Sen. Mary Lou Reed, D-Coeur d'Alene, sponsored the bill, which was voted down 22-13. Out-of-control Jet Skiers, she said, are "a runaway problem."

In what critics called "an assault on the environment," the Idaho Senate on Monday approved a bill granting amnesty - and secrecy - to companies that report their own environmental violations. Sponsoring Sen. Denton Darrington said Senate Bill No. 1142 would allow companies to honestly assess their status without fear of recrimination. It's not intended to shield flagrant or repeat violators, he said, nor would it weaken current environmental regulations.

Mountain Meadows developer Jim Hedberg, left, visits the 217-lot site with engineer Michael Hunt. "There hasn't been a housing project like this here in 20 years," says county official Bob Bird. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

1. An emu egg can jiggle from the embryo inside. 2. Jeff Beaudin greets several of his yearling emus at his farm near Osburn. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

The Coeur d'Alene Tribal Council reportedly has decided to hold hearings on its controversial new law regulating property sales and inheritances. Several people spoke against the law at a general council meeting Saturday, according to tribal member Lynn Deno, who attended. The meetings are closed to nontribal members.

Rodney Frey is a caretaker of ancient stories. Arms waving, fingers pointing, eyebrows working wildly up and down, the self-described shy professor spent an hour and a half Sunday sharing Indian legends with 65 children and adults at the Hayden Public Library.

Keeping their dirt clean. Jerry Cobb of the Panhandle Health District stands at a site covered by the new program. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Davison received a $10,000 settlement. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review