Stories for February 8, 2009

• Crittenden named Lilac Queen

  In News, City Chloe Crittenden, a student at Northwest Christian, has been named the 2009 Lilac Queen.

• Improvements take off at airport

  In News, City A slowing economy isn’t keeping Spokane International Airport from beginning nearly $70 million in improvements to its runway and apron areas over the next several years. Work is expected to …

• Back on the job market

  In News, City For years, Mara Greene had a plan. After years of creating ceramic mugs and selling artwork from her Soap Lake home and store, she’d sell the property and retire to …

• Body found at Ash and Maxwell

  In City Spokane Police are investigating the death of a woman early this morning, who apparently was hit by a vehicle and dragged to the vicinity of Ash and Maxwell.

• 

  Avista rate hikes draw protesters

  In City on Page B1 The last protest Alan Blum was part of was when President Richard Nixon visited Spokane for the opening of Expo ’74. Saturday, he was sufficiently riled up to join more … 3

• Training comes with big cost

  In City on Page B1 Another mayor, another plan to spend money to save money. The Spokane City Council agreed this week with Mayor Mary Verner’s proposal to spend up to $90,000 to train 16 … 1

• 

  Brothers wrestle with loss

  In City on Page B2 The Wright brothers – Seth, Nate and Nick – are wrestling for their late father. Three years ago this April, Jesse Wright and his 16-year-old daughter, Keriann, were killed in …

• Indie-rockers Death Cab at GU

  In Features on Page D5 Death Cab for Cutie is headed for Gonzaga University. The popular indie-rock band has been booked into the McCarthey Athletic Center on April 24.

• Get Lit! will offer kid-friendly events

  In Features on Page D6 When it comes to literary festivals, kids don’t normally come to mind. Who wants a bunch of adolescents messing around with all the stilton and syrah?

• 

  Grammy quest

  In Features on Page D1 Grammy-bashing has become an annual winter sport. For the past several years, in the weeks after the Super Bowl and before the beginning of baseball’s spring training, entertainment writers have …

• Zags wilt under spotlight’s glare

    In Sports on Page C1 Long after ESPN had lost most of its audience on what turned out to be College GrimDay for Gonzaga, a camera captured the day’s most revealing image. Watching from the … 1

• 

  Bicentennial events honor Lincoln’s life, legacy

      In City on Page A1 Honest Abe, the Great Emancipator, holds an honored place in the heart of Spokane. A bronze statue of the 16th president – depicting him as commander in chief of the …

• Morrison becomes a Laker

  In Sports on Page C1 CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Adam Morrison will be getting a new start with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Charlotte Bobcats traded managing partner Michael Jordan’s first draft pick on Saturday, sending …

• 

  Zags take one to the chin

    In Sports on Page C1 Memphis coach John Calipari watched the final seconds tick away and shook hands with Gonzaga counterpart Mark Few in front of the scorer’s table. “As good as we can play,” …

• Obama targets cleaner energy

  In Nation/World on Page A1 WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama’s plans to lead America out of recession rest in part on a task bigger than a moon shot and the Manhattan Project put together, as … 1

• 

  Firm keeps community at its core

  In City on Page A1 The Center for Justice was born from an “out of the blue” phone call to lawyer Jim Sheehan. The public defender accustomed to raiding his own closet to outfit his … 3

• U.S. facial transplant patient leaves hospital

  In Nation/World on Page A2 She can eat pizza. And hamburgers. She can smell perfume, drink coffee from a cup, and purse her lips as if to blow a kiss. Except that one lip is …

• Pakistan biggest foreign policy challenge

  In Nation/World on Page A3 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – A nearly completed U.S. military study is expected to say that nuclear-armed Pakistan, not Iraq, Afghanistan or Iran, is the most urgent foreign policy challenge facing President …

• Artist of ‘Hope’ fame arrested

  In Nation/World on Page A3 The red, white and blue “Hope” posters bearing the image of Barack Obama brought worldwide fame to the Los Angeles street artist who created them and arguably helped their subject …

• Massive wildfires kill 65 in southeastern Australia

  In Nation/World on Page A3 HEALESVILLE, Australia – Towering flames razed an entire town in southeastern Australia and burned fleeing residents alive in their cars, authorities said today as the death toll from the country’s …

• 

  Lake Erie fishermen rescued from ice floe

  In Nation/World on Page A3 OAK HARBOR, Ohio – A miles-wide ice floe broke away Saturday from Lake Erie’s shoreline, trapping more than 130 fishermen offshore, some for as long as four hours. One man …

• 

  Massive wildfires kill 35 in southeastern Australia

  In Nation/World on Page A3 SYDNEY – Walls of flame roared across southeastern Australia, razing scores of homes, forests and farmland in the country’s worst wildfire disaster in a quarter century. At least 35 people …

• Swimmer claims Atlantic crossing

  In Nation/World on Page A4 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Jennifer Figge pressed her toes into the Caribbean sand, exhilarated and exhausted as she touched land this week for the first time in almost a …

• 

  Polls show Israel turning rightward

  In Nation/World on Page A4 JERUSALEM – Israel seems to be moving rightward going into Tuesday’s national election, with polls giving the edge to former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a tough stance on Mideast …

• ‘Peanut Capital’ shaken by recall

  In Nation/World on Page A5 BLAKELY, Ga. – More than a half-century ago, residents of rural Early County erected a stone monument topped by an oversize peanut on the courthouse square here as a tribute …

• Writers Guild honors ‘Slumdog’

  In Nation/World on Page A6 LOS ANGELES – What a difference a year makes. The Writers Guild of America gathered in pure celebration Saturday night to hand out its top awards – with key feature …

• Technology expands festival’s reach

  In City on Page A8 Abraham Lincoln was not exactly a wired guy – but the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox is using Abe’s festival here to launch its high-tech connection called Internet 2. …

• Senate debates new proposal

  In Nation/World on Page A9 WASHINGTON – Republicans and Democrats offered starkly different assessments of President Barack Obama’s newly renegotiated economic recovery plan Saturday, as the Senate held a rare weekend debate in advance of …

• Hospice of North Idaho buys acreage for new facility

  In City on Page B1 At Hospice of North Idaho’s annual wine tasting Saturday night, the nonprofit group announced it has purchased six acres of land on which to build Idaho’s first residential hospice facility. …

• Satisfaction and Avista? Who’da thunk?

  In City on Page B1 I read in the paper that J.D. Power and Associates have given the Avista Corp. a fourth-place ranking for customer satisfaction. Fortunately the paramedics didn’t have to be called. After … 1

• 

  Special Olympics kick off

  In City on Page B3 NAMPA, Idaho – The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games held its opening ceremony Saturday in the Idaho Center in southwest Idaho with teams from around the world taking part. …

• Study finds best spots for wind, solar energy

  In City on Page B3 CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The Western Governors’ Association is working to identify the windiest and sunniest areas of the West – in other words, those areas best suited for major renewable …

• Man pleads guilty in fatal shooting

  In City on Page B3 MOSCOW, Idaho – A North Idaho man has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in what authorities say was a conflict between two friends involving a woman. James Curtis Leonard, of …

• Two arrested in string of robberies

  In City on Page B3 The Spokane Police Department has identified the two suspects arrested Friday in connection with a string of robberies at payday loan shops and pharmacies. Zachary Tyler Allen, 19, and Kimberly …

• Garnering points on the trail

  In City on Page B6 A longtime Spokane Democratic organization handed out an award last week for the best local campaign of the 2008 season. Not surprisingly, it went to a campaign for a Democrat …

• Delays for Boise transit hub endanger federal funds

  In City on Page B7 BOISE – Idaho could lose a third of a $9.6 million federal grant to build a transit center in Boise due to delays by local officials in deciding where to …

• Bison stay inside park this winter

  In City on Page B7 BILLINGS – Only one bison has been shot by a hunter after wandering out of Yellowstone National Park this winter, park officials said. Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash said the park’s …

• GOP’s electoral lock picked

  In Opinion on Page B8 It was not all that long ago that political reporters were writing about “the Republican lock” on the White House. From 1972 to 1988, from Richard Nixon’s re-election through George …

• Smart bombs

  In Opinion on Page B8 The e-mail conversation among a group of editorial writers across the country has increasingly turned to the depressing state of “dead-tree” journalism. One of them keeps a Peanuts cartoon affixed …

• Fear pervades global economy talk

  In Opinion on Page B8 DAVOS, Switzerland – With its stellar cast of political and economic leaders, the World Economic Forum here provides an excellent barometer of the latest economic and political trends. But this …

• Our View: Mental health program good for patients, county

  In Opinion on Page B8 Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich is calling for reforms in the criminal justice system, but the budget crunch could make that difficult in the near term. So it’s encouraging to …

• Propagandists mask Free Choice Act facts

  In Opinion on Page B9 The U.S. Chamber of Commerce calls it “Armageddon.” Home Depot’s CEO called it “the demise of a civilization,” and said his fellow corporate executives who didn’t contribute big bucks to … 1

• 

  Cougars: right effort, wrong result

  In Sports on Page C1 BERKELEY, Calif. – It was a game in which Washington State did a lot right. The Cougars broke out to an 11-point lead in the first 8 minutes. They shot …

• Eastern grinds out Sky win

  In Sports on Page C1 The toughness that was so glaringly absent in Eastern Washington University’s lopsided road loss to Northern Arizona just a little more than a month ago resurfaced Saturday night as the …

• Fast Break

  In Sports on Page C1 For 02-08-2009

• Mariners need another season with Griffey

  In Sports on Page C2 SEATTLE – The long-running Hot Stove League debate is coming to an end. A resolution is imminent. The future of Ken Griffey Jr., whether or not he will finish his …

• 

  Canadian teen earns gold; Lysacek places 2nd

  In Sports on Page C2 Canadian teenager Patrick Chan continues to take men’s figure skating by storm, capturing a gold medal Saturday in the ISU Four Continents championships at Vancouver, British Columbia. Skating to music …

• Today’s Best

  In Sports on Page C2 Dirk Nowitzki Scored 44 points, 14 in OT, to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 115-114 NBA win over the Chicago Bulls.

• Mannings line up on opposite sides at Pro Bowl

  In Sports on Page C3 HONOLULU – Peyton Manning’s first Pro Bowl experience came when he was just 3 years old. He watched his father, Archie, from the stands of Aloha Stadium in the NFL’s …

• Elliott registers top speeds during Sprint Cup practices

  In Sports on Page C3 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Earlier this week, a list of favorites for the Daytona 500 pole probably wouldn’t have included Bill Elliott. That perception changed dramatically during Saturday’s two NASCAR …

• 

  Harvick wins Shootout

  In Sports on Page C3 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Thrilling finish, dramatic wrecks and a record number of lead changes. It was just what NASCAR wanted, and needed.

• Ten area athletes earn district academic honors

  In Sports on Page C3 Six women with area ties and four men have been named to CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District teams in basketball. The list includes the Bjorklund sisters from University High School, …

• McMillan gives lift to No. 24 Sun Devils

  In Sports on Page C4 Jamelle McMillan did his best to put on a show for his dad. With Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan looking on, the younger McMillan made his first start of …

• Lumberjacks edge Eastern

  In Sports on Page C4 Sade Cunningham put the Lumberjacks ahead with a layin with 36 seconds to play and Northern Arizona held on for a 70-68 Big Sky Conference women’s basketball victory over the …

• Hawaii rips UI

  In Sports on Page C4 HONOLULU – Kareem Nitoto scored a season-high 21 points to lead Hawaii to a 71-49 victory over Idaho on Saturday. Hawaii (12-11, 4-7 WAC) opened the game on an 8-0 …

• Poised Pirates hold off Linfield

  In Sports on Page C5 Whitworth’s success on the basketball court Saturday night could be summarized in one word: Composure.

• Colfax rolls to Bi-County League 2B title

  In Sports on Page C6 Kayla Johnson poured in a game-high 24 points, Morgan Willson tossed in 14 and Traci Hart scored 10 to help the Colfax Bulldogs (19-1, 12-0) finish an undefeated Bi-County League …

• Comito’s pin gives Mead district title

  In Sports on Page C6 Carter Comito knew he had his hands full entering the final match of the District 8 4A wrestling championships at Mead Saturday night. Fortunately, he didn’t know how much weight …

• Shootout win gives Chiefs playoff berth

  In Sports on Page C6 CRANBROOK, British Columbia – Drayson Bowman and Ondrej Roman scored in the shootout as the Spokane Chiefs edged the Kootenay Ice 3-2 in Western Hockey League action Saturday, clinching a …

• Lewiston cruises past Lake City

  In Sports on Page C6 Ryan Strong tossed in 15 points and the Lewiston Bengals turned back the Lake City Timberwolves 61-51 in Inland Empire League play Saturday in Lewiston. The Bengals (13-2, 5-1) jumped …

• Stags haul away district wrestling title

  In Sports on Page C6 Deer Park had six wrestlers win individual championships and help the Stags earn the District 7 2A team title Saturday at West Valley High School. The top six finishers from …

• On the Air

  In Sports on Page C7 For 02-08-2009

• Today’s menu

  In Sports on Page C7 For 02-08-2009

• Low turnout for PdO kokanee

  In Outdoors on Page C9 Only 650,000 kokanee eggs were collected for rearing at Cabinet Gorge Fish Hatchery this season, a disappointing, but not insurmountable number, said Jim Fredericks, Idaho Fish and Game Department Panhandle …

• 

  Technology trends in gear for the slopes

  In Outdoors on Page C9 Here are four trends and a handful of corresponding new products — from high-tech skis to a snowboarding boot with a built-in heater — that are making the scene on …

• 

  Bird counters unite online

  In Outdoors on Page C9 Your home’s picture window is a front-row seat for The Great Backyard Bird Count, which starts Friday and runs through Monday. The 12th annual event, organized by the Cornell Lab …

• 

  Gold vs. salmon debated at GU

  In Outdoors on Page C10 Students enrolled at Gonzaga University often sprout some of their roots on campus, but Lange Solberg, a third generation commercial fisherman, is sowing a homegrown international controversy. Solberg is taking …

• 

  Out & About

  In Outdoors on Page C10 OUTCAST

• 

  Prime Timers ski Mount Spokane

  In Outdoors on Page C10 “If this is what it means to be an old fart, sign me up,” a 40-something skier said. He’d been advised he was too young to join a boisterous group …

• Plant-Krauss album has chance to upend Coldplay, Lil Wayne

  In Features on Page D1 Lil Wayne and Coldplay were the kings of the music industry last year. They had the No. 1 and No. 2 best-selling CDs, respectively, and come into this year’s Grammys …

• The Slice: Road rage? Won’t find it on the bus

  In Features on Page D1 Here’s how I know there are a lot of decent people in Spokane. I have been a now-and-then STA rider for about 20 years. And I cannot recall ever having …

• Flip to the Back Page to Cast your vote

  In Features on Page D1 By now, everyone from the Golden Globes to the Kansas City Film Critics Circle has had their say on the best movies of 2008. We’re just waiting for the Academy …

• Give son time to accept this drastic change

  In Features on Page D2 Dear Carolyn: Over the past two years, I have, not very artfully or compassionately, ended my 25-year marriage to have a chance at a different reality for the next 25 …

• Horoscope

  In Features on Page D2 For 02-08-2009

• 

  Simpson’s just a country girl at heart

  In Features on Page D2 It wasn’t the sort of career move anyone saw coming. Jessica Simpson: pop pinup, reality show princess, tabloid celebrity and country singer? Truth to tell, Simpson didn’t exactly see Nashville …

• Before hiring contractor, consider some key details

  In Features on Page D3 Q. I have been told my asphalt roof shingles need to be replaced and have received bids from four contractors. Is there anything special I should look out for before …

• 

  ‘Water me, please’

  In Features on Page D3 Until recently, my plant and I didn’t have much to say to one another. In fact, we had nothing. I didn’t talk to the vegetation and it, most certainly, didn’t …

• 

  Office space

  In Features on Page D3 More than 20 million people work from home at least once a week, according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wireless technology has made this easy …

• Engagements

  In Features on Page D4 Martin-Fredenberg Elsa Fredenberg and Conrad Martin, both of Bozeman, Mont., plan to marry in May in Cheney.

• 

  Designers work chic into TV dining

  In Features on Page D4 No one’s on the fence when it comes to TV dining: You’re either an enthusiastic proponent, or horrified at the very idea. Our family sits unapologetically in the former camp. …

• Home Calendar

  In Features on Page D4 Arts/Crafts Idaho Opal Jewelry of Gary Provost - Sponsored by Northwest Artists Cooperative; gems mined in Spencer, Idaho. Fine arts and crafts by more than 35 Northwest artists will also …

• Social calendar

  In Features on Page D5 Go Red for Women Luncheon - Educational breakout sessions on heart disease, inspirational survivor stories, a heart-healthy luncheon and keynote speaker Diana Nyad. Presented by Providence Health Care. Wednesday, 9 …

• Best-selling books

  In Features on Page D6 Fiction 1. “The Associate”

• 

  Synching – a show biz secret

  In Features on Page D7 Jennifer Hudson and Faith Hill performed to recorded tracks at the Super Bowl. Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman did it at the Obama inauguration, where Aretha Franklin sang live – …

• Boldly go to Nimmo Bay

  In Travel on Page D8 And the winner of Most Contrived Travel Come-on is… Nimmo Bay Resort.

• 

  Home away from home

  In Travel on Page D8 My cousin booked an amazing wedding at the adventure resort Costa Azul, in the tiny Mexican village of San Francisco about a half hour north of Puerto Vallarta. The town … 1

• 

  Pend Oreille County wants bigger share of dam’s wealth

  In Business on Page E1 PEND OREILLE COUNTY — Three hundred miles of power line have traced the unlikely connection between Seattle and Pend Oreille County for four decades. Seattle gets about 40 percent of …

• States want more say on fixing mortgage mess

  In Business on Page E1 Lowering mortgage interest rates will not by itself keep hard-pressed owners in their homes, Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna said last week. He said lenders will have to accept reductions …

• 

  Fields of change

  In Business on Page E1 Washington has lost 1,800 of its wheat farms during the past decade as the effects of low grain prices, soaring fuel and fertilizer costs and the reluctance of the next …

• Foreclosures put neighborhoods in crisis

  In Business on Page E2 A significant number of vacant homes in a neighborhood attracts crime and drives down the price of adjoining homes. They have no residents to support local businesses and government, they …

• Salary squeeze

  In Business on Page E2 NEW YORK – The squeeze on big paydays for executives of bailed-out banks will probably leave Wall Street plenty of wiggle room. Consultants on executive pay say the caps imposed …

• Base closings become a burden

  In Business on Page E5 ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Like most states on the receiving end of big military base moves, leaders in Maryland crowed four years ago when the Pentagon announced thousands of jobs would …

• Linear Technology weathering storm

  In Business on Page E5 Looking at integrated circuit- maker Linear Technology’s (Nasdaq: LLTC) second-quarter report, it’s easy to see why the stock is a Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick. Linear’s competitive moat is a …

• 

  Buzz grows for boost in U.S. energy grid

  In Business on Page E6 Alternative energy is taking it on the chin this recession, with solar and wind developers canceling projects and laying off workers. But a far more obscure slice of the energy …

• GOP knows one tune

  In Letters Triumphant they look when not even one Republican legislator supported the stimulus program put forward by President Obama. The same did not flinch approving the bailout suggested by the last …

• Family planning best choice

  In Letters In a letter to the editor (“Beware of eugenics,” Jan. 29), the author wrote that more black women receive abortions than white women, which is untrue. According to the Guttmacher …

• Obama is overreaching

  In Letters How are we doing regarding the presidential promise to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States in his oath of office?

• Riverside kids need your vote

  In Letters To me, being a part of a small community is to support the education of our children. My family now has a fourth generation attending Riverside schools. I am proud …

• Spending bill mounts

  In Letters The population in the USA is about 300 million people, meaning that every billion dollars the government spends is $3.33 and a trillion is $3,333, for each person.

• Tax evasion as stimulus

  In Letters Our elected representatives and senators in Washington, D.C., are currently wasting our time and money debating a huge pork-filled “stimulus” bill that will put our children and grandchildren in debt …

• Unconstitutional invasion

  In Letters Here we go! Obama lifted the abortion restriction on overseas family-planning aid. Blah-blah the semantics all you want, taxpayers funding foreign abortions will be the reality.

• Wanted: new representative

  In Letters Spokane neo-con Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers voted against Obama’s stimulus package, rubber-stamping Rush Limbaugh’s call to make Obama fail at any price. Not surprising but concerning, because any delay in …

• Letter revises fiscal history

  In Letters Let me take some time to correct Art Seaton’s Feb. 1 version of history.

• Watch for enemy liberals

  In Letters Re: “America’s aid dollars shouldn’t have strings,” Feb. 1: