Stories for November 11, 2005

• 

  Officers group seeks younger vets

  In City on Page A1 This Veterans Day, the Spokane chapter of the Military Officers Association of America is looking for some new blood to reinvigorate its aging membership. “The majority of our local chapter …

• 

  Vet gets belated Bronze Star

  In Idaho on Page A1 When Lorence Schlechte was asked to show up at Stoneridge Resort on Thursday, the Blanchard, Idaho, man was worried that he was going to hear a sales pitch for a …

• Old rest stop may become county park

  In City on Page A1 An abandoned Interstate 90 rest area near the Idaho state line may soon be transformed into a new park linked to the Centennial Trail along the Spokane River, and may …

• Seniors in a muddle over Medicare choices

  In Nation/World on Page A1 WASHINGTON – With less than a week to go before the signup begins, Medicare’s new drug benefit is proving to be a prescription for confusion. With a multitude of plans …

• GOP revolt delays House budget vote

  In Nation/World on Page A1 WASHINGTON – House Republican leaders scuttled a vote Thursday on a $51 billion budget-cut package in the face of a revolt by moderate lawmakers over cuts to Medicaid, food stamp …

• 

  Rookery demolition stops as city talks deal

  In City on Page A1 Demolition of the Rookery and Mohawk buildings in downtown Spokane was stopped Thursday by owner Wendell Reugh to give city leaders time to consider ways to save the historic structures. …

• 

  Fossil of prehistoric ‘Godzilla’ unearthed in South America

  In Nation/World on Page A2 A fierce, prehistoric seagoing creature – an animal so bizarre it was dubbed “Godzilla” by scientists who found it – has been unearthed in a fossil-rich Argentine desert at the …

• Lottery numbers

  In City on Page A2 Thursday’s Washington Daily Game: 3-6-5. Thursday’s Washington Keno: 8-10-11-

• Scientists find appetite-fighting hormore

  In Nation/World on Page A2 WASHINGTON – Scientists have discovered a biological brake for a hunger hormone: a competing hormone that seems to counter the urge to eat. The substance, named obestatin, has been tested …

• Calls grow for shift in Iraq strategy

  In Nation/World on Page A3 WASHINGTON – A growing number of U.S. lawmakers and defense experts are urging a shift in U.S. military strategy in Iraq that would focus less on trying to secure the …

• Jordanians take a day to mourn, show anger

  In Nation/World on Page A3 AMMAN, Jordan – Waving national flags and pictures of their king, Jordanians took to the streets in a show of defiant anger over the suicide bombings at three hotels in …

• Upper tooth thought to be Napoleon’s is auctioned

  In Nation/World on Page A4 LONDON – A tooth believed to have been pulled from Napoleon’s mouth was sold Thursday at auction in London for about $22,600. The tooth, part of a small collection of …

• 

  Two sunrises, 13,422 miles without landing

  In Nation/World on Page A4 LONDON – A Boeing Co. jet arrived in London from Hong Kong on Thursday, breaking the record for the longest nonstop flight by a commercial jet. The 777-200LR Worldliner – …

• Warning issued on birth-control patch

  In Nation/World on Page A4 The makers of a popular birth-control patch warned millions of women Thursday that the patch exposes them to significantly higher doses of hormones and may put them at greater risk …

• Smoking continues to drop in the U.S.

  In Nation/World on Page A4 Atlanta The smoking rate among U.S. adults continues to inch downward, with 20.9 percent of Americans describing themselves as regular puffers last year. That is a decline from 21.6 percent …

• 

  Missing exchange student found safe

  In Nation/World on Page A7 BRASILIA, Brazil – A 17-year-old Oregon exchange student missing since last weekend was found safe Thursday in northeastern Brazil, ending an intense search by Brazilian authorities and the U.S. Embassy. …

• Bird-flu outbreaks in China, Kuwait

  In Nation/World on Page A7 Beijing China reported two new bird flu outbreaks in poultry and quarantined 116 people on Thursday, the same day Kuwait announced two cases of the disease were discovered there.

• Bill would widen effect of AMT

  In Business on Page A12 WASHINGTON — The House’s top tax writer introduced a bill Thursday that would allow the alternative minimum tax to hit millions more taxpayers next year. House Ways and Means Committee …

• 

  Consumers home free

  In Business on Page A12 FREEPORT, Maine — Hoping to drum up more sales of handsewn slippers, flannel shirts, sweaters and Christmas wreaths, L.L. Bean has dusted off a promotion it hasn’t offered in three …

• Spokane County home sales pass $1 billion with two months to spare

  In Business on Page A12 In November 2004, Spokane County home sales broke the $1 billion mark for the first time with a month still remaining in the year. This year, in another indicator that …

• 

  Workers, employers prepare for flu season

  In Business on Page A12 For John Lombardo, there’s only one way to battle the cold and flu season at Branches, his banquet business in West Long Branch, N.J. “You overstaff,” he said with a …

• Oil imports drive record trade deficit

  In Business on Page A12 WASHINGTON — The trade deficit surged to a record in September as oil imports hit an all-time high, driven up by hurricane-related shutdowns of Gulf Coast production. The deficit with …

• Idaho joins HireVetsFirst program

  In Business on Page A13 The state of Idaho is gearing up to help soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan find new jobs through HireVetsFirst, a national effort to increase job opportunities for vets. Since …

• Stocks rise on record Treasury auction

  In Business on Page A13 Stocks rallied Thursday after a record Treasury auction pushed bond yields lower, raising hopes that interest rates will follow and allaying fears that foreign investors would move away from U.S. …

• 30-year mortgage rates hit two-year high

  In Business on Page A13 WASHINGTON — Rates on 30-year mortgages jumped to the highest level in more than two years this week as financial markets grew more concerned about inflation. Mortgage giant Freddie Mac …

• Fannie Mae finds more errors, names new CFO

  In Business on Page A13 WASHINGTON — Mortgage giant Fannie Mae, struggling to untangle its accounting in an $11 billion scandal, disclosed Thursday that new errors have been uncovered as it reached outside the company …

• Dow Jones

  Dow Jones HighLowCloseChange30Ind10680.2010484.1710640.10+93.8920Trn4071.283971.174043.90+39.5315Utl396.78385.72391.16-4.7065Stk3579.983499.663554.99+16.40

• 

  Farmers get squeezed

  In Business on Page A13 WASHINGTON — The government raised its estimate of the size of this year’s corn and soybean crops and predicted prices will continue to drop, further stressing farmers whose production costs …

• Senate votes to strip detainees of right to sue

  In Nation/World on Page A16 WASHINGTON – The Senate voted Thursday to bar suspected terrorists being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from challenging their captivity in federal courts, a move that seeks to reverse a …

• 

  Africa will soon have female head of state

  In Nation/World on Page A16 NAIROBI, Kenya – A Harvard-trained economist was poised to become Africa’s first female head of state Thursday as she built a nearly insurmountable lead in Liberia’s runoff presidential election. With …

• 

  DeLay team considered plea deal

  In Nation/World on Page A16 WASHINGTON – Lawyers for Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, tried unsuccessfully in late September to head off felony criminal indictments against the then-majority leader on charges of violating Texas campaign law …

• Burns inevitable, fire experts say

  In Idaho on Page B1 The Inland Northwest might be a comfortable distance from the recent Gulf Coast hurricane disaster, but some wildfire experts from the region got a bit nervous watching the televised scenes …

• Sewage leaks into aquifer

  In Idaho on Page B1 An estimated 144,000 gallons of raw sewage leaked into the region’s drinking water aquifer late Wednesday after an underground sewer line ruptured in Hayden, Idaho The sewage poses no immediate …

• Dredging plans hold up bypass

  In Idaho on Page B1 Plans to dredge Sand Creek to build a highway bypass through Sandpoint have led to delays in getting permits for the project. The Idaho Department of Transportation must resubmit its …

• Canyon developers urge neighbors to take a hike

  In Idaho on Page B1 A hike into Hayden Canyon might help dispel misconceptions about a proposal that could expand Hayden’s population by a third, developers say. Hayden TND is having an open house Saturday …

• Mental health patients may lose housing options

  In City on Page B1 A proposal under consideration by Spokane County officials would close a host of housing options for people with mental illness, from the sale of an apartment building to the closure …

• 

  Early snow has ski slopes scrambling to draw crowds

  In City on Page B1 Buried in the ticketing office at 49 Degrees North on Thursday, the only way Gabe Lawson could describe how preparations on the mountain for the first day of ski season …

• Federal agencies to urge end of grizzly protection

  In Region on Page B2 BILLINGS – The federal government is planning next week to propose removing federal protections for grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, sources told The …

• VA won’t challenge stress disorder cases

  In City on Page B2 The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday reversed its decision to review the disability cases of 72,000 veterans nationwide who receive compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder, VA Secretary Jim …

• Warrant issued for sexual predator

  In Idaho on Page B2 The Kootenai County prosecutor’s office has issued a warrant for a 30-year-old violent sexual predator whose last known address was in Post Falls. Howard Edward Martin was convicted in Washington …

• 

  Veterans appreciate special day at school

  In City on Page B2 Marine veteran Joe Walker stood in the gymnasium door as his two children joined a 500-voice chorus of “God Bless the U.S.A.” Thursday afternoon at Shiloh Hills Elementary. Walker was …

• Ecology director appointed to panel

  In Idaho on Page B3 Gov. Christine Gregoire has appointed the director of the Washington State Department of Ecology to a regional commission overseeing cleanup of mine wastes in the Coeur d’Alene Basin. Ecology director …

• New rules in place for owls

  In Region on Page B3 OLYMPIA – Three days after a new lawsuit was filed pressing the federal government to come up with a plan to protect dwindling populations of the spotted owl, the State …

• Awareness week opens with vigil

  In Idaho on Page B3 Annual events to mark National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Coeur d’Alene begin Monday with a candlelight vigil at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift …

• Jury finding on professor’s firing ruled invalid

  In City on Page B3 A judge has overturned a jury’s decision two months ago that Whitworth College did nothing wrong when it fired a tenured chemistry professor for failure to get along with his …

• 

  Gramps vamps

  In City on Page B3 Some students will do anything for an A. When Nick Klassen was assigned a 15-minute presentation on “Improvisation, the Language of Jazz,” for his music appreciation class at Spokane Community …

• Returning troops deserve hurrahs

  In Opinion on Page B4 With Veterans Day upon us again, Johnny and GI Jane are trickling home, rather than marching in parades to well-deserved hurrahs. Some, like Boise teacher Luke Miller, have earned their …

• President’s missteps numerous, painful

  In Opinion on Page B4 What a difference a war makes. And dishonesty makes. And arrogance and insensitivity make. After the death toll for American soldiers in Iraq passed 2,000, after President Bush oddly nominated …

• Loony right picks death over sex

  In Opinion on Page B4 BOSTON – There was a time when only the loony left believed that the loony right favored death over sex. Not anymore. If you’ve been engrossed in the culture-war correspondence …

• Steele’s success concerns Democrats

  In Opinion on Page B4 What would you call a man born into poverty who became a success in spite of many obstacles? You’d probably call him an inspiration and invite him to speak at …

• Cyclist hurt in pickup collision

  In City on Page B6 A bicyclist was injured Thursday evening when he was struck by a pickup in Spokane’s West Central neighborhood. The 43-year-old man riding the BMX bike did not have a helmet …

• Idaho records

  In Idaho on Page B6 For 11-11-2005

• 

  Matthey prepares for different field

  In Sports on Page C1 PULLMAN – Plenty of seniors will emerge from the Martin Stadium tunnel for the last time Saturday night in Washington State University’s home football finale. A year from now some …

• 

  A dream realized with hard work, sacrifice

  In Sports on Page C1 The dream was born in unlikely circumstances. “It was during my freshman year, when I was about 120 pounds and a backup, I started thinking what I really wanted to …

• Maui ‘best’ tourney this side of March

  In Sports on Page C1 It is being called the best field of college basketball teams assembled, outside of the NCAA Tournament, by some of the best coaches of the best teams in the country. …

• Whitworth follows script to win opener

  In Sports on Page C1 Whitworth coach Steve Rupe said coming in that his Northwest Conference regular-season champion Pirates didn’t need to be brilliant to advance past Thursday’s first round in the West Regional of …

• 

  A late bloomer

  In Sports on Page C1 Nanda McCormick is a junior, a sophomore (in a way) and in her first season with the Gonzaga women’s soccer team (kind of). “Nanda is sort of an anomaly,” head …

• Sandpoint faces gigantic odds against Knights

  In Sports on Page C1 Sandpoint’s chance of upsetting defending State 4A football champ Bishop Kelly appears to reside somewhere between slim and none. Truth be known, it’s closer to none than slim.

• Tentative deal would bring NFL back to L.A.

  In Sports on Page C2 The NFL and city officials have reached a preliminary agreement on terms to bring a team back to the Los Angeles Coliseum. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue made the announcement Thursday on …

• Crosby delivers for Penguins

  In Sports on Page C2 Penguins rookie Sidney Crosby beat Jose Theodore with a backhander for the only goal in the first shootout in Montreal Canadiens history and host Pittsburgh recovered after losing a two-goal …

• 

  Wade speaks up, inspires Heat win

  In Sports on Page C2 They were tired from six games in nine nights, frustrated with their play and on the cusp of falling two games less than .500. So Dwyane Wade decided to spark …

• Cardinals ace Carpenter captures Cy Young

  In Sports on Page C2 NEW YORK — Chris Carpenter was ready to call it quits. Toiling in Double-A two years ago, trying to work his way back from shoulder surgery, he pitched a game …

• Robinson set to retire

  In Sports on Page C3 Jeff Robinson will be in Seattle on Sunday, but apparently not as a member of the St. Louis Rams. The former Ferris Saxon and Idaho Vandal left the Rams earlier …

• Fresno State ends BSU’s streak

  In Sports on Page C3 FRESNO, Calif. – Four years of frustration flowed away when Fresno State ended Boise State’s domination of the Bulldogs and the Western Athletic Conference. Paul Pinegar passed for 307 yards …

• Brewster star one of two guards to sign with EWU

  In Sports on Page C3 The letter of intent didn’t arrive until late Wednesday evening, but Mike Burns didn’t seem to mind the wait. “It’s a very important signing for Eastern Washington basketball,” Burns, the …

• Pac-10 picks

  In Sports on Page C3 Oregon (-4) at Washington State Time: 7:15 p.m. Saturday TV: FSN

• 

  Memory worth taking offense to

  In Sports on Page C3 There were 1,219 yards in the books and 95 points put on the board when Eastern Washington and Montana State squared off last year in a crucial Big Sky Conference …

• NO HEADLINE

  Baseball National League Cy Young Votes

• Today’s menu

  In Sports on Page C4 For 11-11-2005

• On the air

  In Sports on Page C4 For 11-11-2005

• Recreation calendar

  In Sports on Page C4 For 11-11-2005

• All signs indicate a whiter winter … if we’re lucky

  In Sports on Page C5 I was afraid, I was very afraid. Should I take on this column again? I mean there was only so much optimism I could wring out of our meager snowfall …

• Hunting and Fishing

  In Sports on Page C5 Salmon and steelhead It appears that most of the steelhead coming this way have already passed Bonneville, with the run surpassing last year’s by a couple of thousand. At Lower …

• East Valley faces a test on road against Ferndale

  In Sports on Page C5 East Valley, ranked eighth among State 3A teams, faces a top-ranked Ferndale team that has yet to be tested during Saturday’s 3 p.m. game at Bellingham. The Knights have been …

• Chiefs trade Howarth to Raiders

  In Sports on Page C5 The Spokane Chiefs sent forward Kyle Howarth to the Prince Albert Raiders in a three-team deal announced on Thursday. In exchange, Spokane gets 18-year-old David Linsley from the Seattle Thunderbirds.

• Young Colfax still owns state savvy

  In Sports on Page C5 It has to be music to the ears of 1A coaches around the state to hear Colfax volleyball coach Sue Doering describe her team as “very young.” Before they get …

• Official records

  In City on Page C6 Spokane County Marriage licenses

• OT win keeps title shot alive for GU men’s soccer

  In Sports on Page C6 Grant Lundberg scored during the seventh minute of overtime Thursday as host Gonzaga kept alive its West Coast Conference men’s soccer title hopes with a 2-1 win over 11th-ranked, conference-leading …

• 

  Change for 50 Cent

  In Features on Page D1 Fans of 50 Cent may feel that they know the rapper through his music. But Curtis Jackson, who created and lives in the 50 Cent persona, is another person altogether. …

• 

  The Slice: This contest ends in a photo finish

  In Features on Page D1 Today I’m announcing the winners of The Slice’s Postcard Photos Contest. The idea was to submit pictures that would make good local postcards. And dozens of readers did just that. …

• Symphony serves up ‘Lord of the Rings’ suite

  In Features on Page D1 A great deal of ink – and the electronic, blogging equivalent of ink – has been spilled in describing the visual feast of “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy. …

• Horoscope

  In Features on Page D2 For 11-11-2005

• Etiquette frowns on teeth-picking

  In Features on Page D2 Dear Miss Manners: A friend and I went out to eat at a barbecue place, a nice one with waiters and cloth napkins. When we were finished eating but still …

• Find peace by remembering good in her

  In Features on Page D2 Dear Carolyn: My mother-in-law passed away suddenly this year. After the funeral, a drunk, grieving family member (who probably doesn’t remember the conversation) let me know that my MIL had …

• 

  It wasn’t quite what you’d call a storybook romance

  In Features on Page D2 THINGS STILL AREN’T too groovy for Terry McMillan. McMillan appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” Wednesday to confront her gay ex-husband, Jonathan Plummer, who inspired McMillan’s 1996 novel “How Stella …

• Idaho calendar

  In Features on Page D3 For 11-11-2005

• Programs give a nod to Veterans Day

  In Features on Page D4 Television commemorates Veterans Day in its usual manner, which is to say, not much at all. Look for a couple of specials on the History Channel, including “Ermey’s Vietnam” (8 …

• Series repeats on tap for HBO until March

  In Features on Page D5 Don’t bother setting your TiVo. For the first time in six years, HBO will go months without new episodes of an original prime-time series. Instead, it has opted to air …

• 

  Underwater magic

  In Features on Page D5 Penn Jillette is capable of amazing things. Working with his professionally mute partner Teller, he’s breathed fire, served as a human beehive, even survived a 450-pound, frost-free refrigerator dropped on …

• Staff

  editor Nancy Malone

• hear

  In Seven on Page W3 Now available Kate Bush, “Aerial”

• Karaoke

  The Bayou Bar (S): Saturday and Sunday. Big Al’s (S): Tuesday.

• Plugged in: Half of U.S. homes are connected to cyberspace

  In Seven on Page W11 A new Census Bureau report details the rapid adoption of personal computers over the past two decades and the skyrocketing growth of home Internet use. According to the report, 8.2 …

• Heh, heh, ‘Beavis & Butt-Head’ in a box

  In Seven on Page W13 “Ugetsu” ••••

• stay

  In Seven on Page W13 Top 7 rentals 1. “Batman Begins”

• New DVDs include basketball coaching and quiz shows

  In Seven on Page W14 There are plenty of reasons to watch “The White Shadow: The Complete First Season” (Fox, 15 episodes, four discs, $39.98), including that it was good. In fact, it was one …

• see

  In Seven on Page W20 Opened Wednesday “Get Rich or Die Tryin’ ”

• Quick assumptions are often erroneous

  In Seven on Page W28 Winter is fast becoming a cruel and crushing season in my mind. At least it feels that way today, as I sit alone in River Park Square eating a soggy …

• Commitment-happy daughter worries mom

  In Seven on Page W29 Q I wonder if you can offer some advice for my daughter. When she meets a man she likes, she gets in a rush to make a commitment. After a …

• Today’s second Friday Artwalk in CdA

  In Seven on Page W32 Venues in downtown Coeur d’Alene are open from 5-8 p.m. Angel Gallery of Fine Art and Antiques