While Gaza exploded into violence and the woodsy neighborhoods where the locals live at South Lake Tahoe (my old stomping grounds from way back when) turned into a fiery inferno, it appears that not much happened here in Boise in the past two weeks while I was gone. Instead, Idaho’s capital city baked placidly in the sun, some streets closed down for the state Capitol renovation, and my 14-year-old son’s description of what he did for the past two weeks (“nothing”) seems to apply to the news scene as well. There were a few developments: The new Idaho quarter arrived in town, but no one noticed; U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales came to Boise, but when protesters showed up for his scheduled news conference, he retreated indoors to the local U.S. Attorney’s office; some local fireworks rules were tightened up; Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden was elected president of the National Association of Attorneys General, the first Idahoan to head the group; and Gov. Butch Otter named a new Idaho Supreme Court justice, attorney Warren Jones of Boise. That gives us two Justice Joneses – the court already included Justice Jim Jones.

Interestingly, Wasden announced that his initiative for his term as president of the AG’s group will be a focus on energy issues, including global warming, alternative energy and increasing energy demands. At the same time, Gov. Otter skipped an energy summit held by the Western Governors Association, one of just four governors from the 18 in the association to neither attend nor send a representative.

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