6:21 p.m. Cis The Retired's note from earlier today: "Goatee and Hawaiian shirt? THIS I GOT TO SEE...Surely some one in the office there has a digital camera so we can see this?" (I'll see if I can talk one of them into snapping a pix. Meanwhile, don't call me Shirley.)

5:38 p.m. Psst. Just between us, you can bank on Her Sandiness seeking a second term. But she probably won't announce until September. She loves the job. (And she's good at it.)

2:09 p.m. Gotta check out for a coupla hours. Her Sandiness arrives in 21 minutes ... my boss, Opinion Editor Doug Floyd, shortly before then ... And Idaho's Dirk Tater at 3:30 p.m. Today's also the day for my performance review. Keep your fingers crossed. (Follow-up: They're going to keep me for another year.)

2:08 p.m. There seems to be an unholy interest in my current goateed status. Check the "comments" feature on this item.

1:46 p.m. In Idaho media circles, the following note from UI journalism prof Kenton Bird re. relations between CPD Blue and the S-R is making the rounds: "Did you read Steve Smith’s column in Sunday’s Spokesman-Review here about the Kootenai County sheriff’s office and CDA PD’s reprisals against the S-R for publishing the names of the two sheriff’s deputies involved in the fatal shooting? Do you think the IPC board would be willing to pass a resolution condemning the withholding of information (and refusing to talk to reporters from a particular news organization) as a way of punshing a news organization for a policy decision?" (Follow-up: I think this tempest has settled down.)

12:39 p.m. Question (now asked by two Potato Bugs today): Is there any connection between the suspension of sheriff's Capt. Sam Grubbs and the fatal shootout in Hayden that left CPD Blue officer Michael Kralicek (pictured) critically wounded Dec. 28. Short answer: No. Sheriff Rocky Watson wasn't playing games when old the CDA Press that Grubbs' suspension was a noncriminal personnel matter.

10:41 a.m. Responding to the Tuesday item that I've grown a goatee, a Potato Bug writes: "I'm picturing you today in an Hawaiian shirt and goatee.... :) " Bingo.

10:18 a.m. Bill McCrory of Whitecaps writes: "I’ve sent an email to DEQ asking why this report isn’t available on its website. That would make more sense than requiring people to go to the DEQ office on Ironwood to “review” the lengthy report. I’ll let you know if and when I get a response." Stay tuned.

8:32 a.m. Busy day today. Mayor Sandi Bloem's coming in at 2:30 to pitch us on the Kroc Center. (She doesn't have to pitch hard because who could be against something like this -- other than local athletic club owners, and, I hear, they're even for this one.) Then, Gov. Dirk Kempthorne's coming in at 3:30 to discuss his State of the State address. And I wore a Hawaiian shirt today to turn thoughts toward spring.

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