It's time-to-do-my-taxes weekend. I usually get them done a week earlier. But I've been busy this spring running this three-ring circus, called Huckleberries Online. I spent almost my entire day inside of viewtiful spring Friday yesterday. I don't intend to repeat that this weekend. The taxes can wait until night.
British rider Bradley Smith falls off his motorcycle on Turn 1, during the Moto GP qualifying session at the Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina circuit on Saturday.
My wife fielded one of those IRS scam calls this week, demanding that we call back immediately to handle a problem with our tax return. Only I haven't filed yet. Jerks. BTW, don't forget the twin events worth attending tonight in town. Poet laureate Tod Marshall will lead a Poet's Night at the library. And Zach Hval will perform at Calypso's.
Alison Boggs, my downtown Spokane online bud, is collecting haikus for a planned page on April 17, National Haiku Day. I know that Wedeln6969 is pretty good with a haiku or 5. But anyone else with a haiku bent is free to run them here. Or send them to features@spokesman.com. We have a haiku example below.
Scanner Traffic for Friday PM (21 items & counting + link to AM Scanner Traffic with 19 more links) ...
The Cutline Contest today features Republican presidential candidate John Kasich leaving a deli in New York during a campaign stop. Thursday Winner: Phaedrus.
Taylor Viydo/KREM 2 reports: "The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department will have better access across Tubbs Hill this summer. Last summer alone, crews were called out to 15 fires at the popular park. That prompted city leaders to approve funding to connect a pair of existing fire access roads."
Taylor Viydo/KREM 2 reports: "Kootenai County's free bus system will not be entirely free for much longer. The county plans to start collecting fares on some of the routes. It is looking to do that using a system which they say could be the first of its kind in the U.S."
The daily roundup of posts from the HucksOnline blogosphere includes: Trial by jury/Fort Boise, Robert Hopper, RIP/David Bond, Hardy proves twice hardy in 'Legend'/7 Blog, Fed lands takeover efforts continue/Outdoors, 7 sips with Ben Quck of Steam Plant/On Tap, Who else has never watched 'American Idol'?/Slice ...
A man who had to be rescued when he climbed a California cliff to propose to his girlfriend via cellphone video later was acting erratically and was found to be high on methamphetamine, authorities said Friday. (This incident should be of special interest to HBO readers because former commenter Sam Taylor now is deputy manager of Morro Bay.)
Sandy Patano of the North Idaho Political Action Committee has harsh words for Wayne Hoffman and his 501c3 Idaho Freedom Foundation. "It’s time the IFF or whatever little group they’ve recently created to try and comply with the law to come clean. They identify themselves as an “education foundation” to skirt the law." More below.
Stephen Colbert made hay of Risch’s halfhearted endorsement (Ted Cruz), playing the clip in which Blitzer asked Risch, “So, you want Ted Cruz to get the Republican nomination?” and Risch responded, “At this point, there’s no choice.” “It’s that kind of passion that inspired the new campaign slogan,” Colbert declares, “Ted Cruz: Abandon all hope!"
In his latest column, executive director Wayne Hoffman of Idaho Freedom Foundation laments that the 2016 Legislature didn't adopt ethics reform. He wants the practice of lavishing gifts on legislators stopped and points to a job search by Rep. Kelley Packer, R-McCammon as a symptom of the problem.
Gonzaga sophomore Domantas Sabonis will skip the rest of his college career and has declared for the NBA draft. Sabonis, 19, said Thursday that he is exploring his future options without hiring an agent at this time. The son of former NBA star Arvydas Sabonis, Domantas is Gonzaga’s all-time leader in career field goal percentage at .632.
Scanner Traffic for Friday PM (19 items & counting) ...
Mailing a letter will cost you just a little bit less starting this weekend. The U.S. Postal Service announced Thursday that a first-class stamp for a 1-ounce letter will cost two cents less, down to 47 cents, beginning Sunday. Postcard stamps will also be 1 cent cheaper, at 34 cents, while international stamps will drop 5 cents to $1.15.
The daily roundup of AM Headlines includes: Man killed in collision on H58/SR, Today's temps may approach record/Press, Hayden bank robbery suspect arrested/SR, Avista convenience fee going away/CdA Press, Manhunt resumes for escaped psych patient/SR, Boise County prosecutor faces felony DUI count/AP ...
Thursday Poll: Of those who aren't undecided, Bob Bingham is favored by Hucks Nation in the four-way race for the county commissioner seat now held by Dan Green. Today's Poll: If you had to decide today, which one of these candidates would be your choice for Kootenai County commissioner -- Chris Fillios or incumbent David Stewart.
It appears that political operative Brent Regan is making news again re: contributions to controversial PACs. In 2015, he helped fund attack ads for Responsible CDA. Now, he admits he's given money to the NOT-Kootenai County Republican Central Committee PAC that's endorsing a list of Tea Party candidates. He gave $6,100 to the group in 2014.
"Okay. I'm trying REALLY hard not to be judgemental, but as someone who recently turned 51, I am flummoxed by 49 year-old Janet Jackson's announcement that she's postponing her tour to 'plan her family'" -- Cindy Hval, via Facebook. (Question: How old is too old for a woman to plan a baby?)
Do you recall the clueless 2015 votes of some of the usual local suspects that prompted a special session of the Legislature? Scott, Sims, Cheatham, Barbieri, Brent Regan (subbing for Steve Vick) led the opposition to legislation to collect child support for Idaho kids. NIPAC provides another Scorecard to show how our reps voted on this key bill?
Tom Hearn, a Democratic candidate for the House seat of state Rep. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d'Alene, said he's "very thankful that IFA and/or IFF is not endorsing me." As you know, the Idaho Freedom Foundation can't legally endorse political candidates under the 501c3 law. But it's sister organization, Idaho Freedom Action can. Dizzying isn't it?
A big multi-city project is likely coming down the road, and that road is Fourth Street. Coeur d'Alene, Dalton Gardens and Hayden have plans to engage in a multi-million-dollar project that will improve Fourth Street from Dalton to Prairie avenues and install roundabouts in those intersections.
Some of the tactics used by political action committees are coming under question. The Kootenai County Republican Concerned Citizens PAC, which has an acronym identical to the party’s Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, issued its endorsements earlier this week but nobody from the PAC is willing to discuss how they were selected.
In his weekly Cheers & Jeers column, Opinion Editor Marty Trillhaase of the Lewiston Tribune offers CHEERS to ... Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter. Otter, says the Tribune, vetoed the Bible-in-schools bill that likely would have been found unconstitutional under state law and cost the state beaucoup bucks to defend.
D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.
