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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2016

Trib: Time to stop IEN suit secrecy

The state of Idaho has wasted millions and will waste millions more with the way it handled the Idaho Education Network scandal. Now, the Legislature is trying to reach a settlement behind closed doors to closed the book on the mess. Opinion Editor Marty Trillhaase of the Lewiston Tribune says it time to end the secrecy that has cost Idaho so much.

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Makenzie Astin, son of the late Anna Patty Duke Pearce, tells the crowd during a memorial service for Duke, April 16, 2016, at Lake City Church in Coeur d'Alene, Id., “She had an incredible ability to connect with people. It was perhaps her greatest gift to the world, to make people feel included.” The Academy Award winning actress died at age 69 on March 29. (Dan Pelle/SR)

Patty Duke memorial attracts 100s 

Tears and laughter filled Lake City Community Church on Saturday as family members and close friends recalled their fondest memories of Anna Marie Pearce. Hundreds of friends, fans and family members gathered in the church for the memorial service to celebrate the life of the actress, famously known as Patty Duke.

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Idaho PAC under investigation 

The AP has a report today on the state investigation into contributions to the “Integrity in Government PAC,” which has been ongoing since January. The PAC has been active recently running newspaper ads targeting Gov. Butch Otter and the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, featuring crudely drawn cartoons.

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Hucks: Reporter's life isn't that bad 

Again, the annual Jobs Rated report of CareerCast.com low-balls my profession. For the third year in a row, the report lists “newspaper reporter” as the worst of 200 jobs. One spot below “logger.” In my Sunday Huckleberries column, I begin by saying this finding of the annual Jobs Rated report is nonsense.

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SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 2016

100s attend Patty Duke service 

The memorial service for Anna Pearce, better known to movie fans as Patty Duke, was the same mix of the personal and professional as her life. Pictures of her on stage or on the movie screen mingled with family photos and pictures of her dogs.

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Weekend Wild Card -- 4.16-17.18 

On Sunday, we'll be exactly one month away from the May 17 primary. I suspect there will be some dirty pool played between now and Tuesday, May 17. After all, as one Republican friend explained, the Republicans aren't worried about Democrats. They're enemies are people in other factions within their own party.

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FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016

Parting Shot -- 4.15.16 

A Donald Trump supporter flexes his muscles with the words "Build The Wall" written on them as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, Friday, in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

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Tax Day Wild Card -- 4.15.16 

OK, I know that this isn't the drop-dead Tax Day this year. Monday is. But I filed my taxes -- federal and state -- just before midnight last night. And I'm happy about that. Mrs. O was getting nervous that I waited too long. But I took a nap. Cleared my head of the mental detritus that lingers from a day of blogging. And set to work.

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Democrats won't endorse Kunishige 

Kootenai County Democratic Chair Paula Neils announced today that the Democratic Central Committee voted to declare its non-support of the candidate for Kootenai County Sheriff on the Democratic ballot, Tina Kunishiga. Local Democrats view Kunishige's decision to run as a Democrat strategic to avoid 3-way GOPrimary race.

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Viva la Mica forum difference 

Woody McEvers, a Coeur d'Alene council member who was instrumental in setting up Coeur d'Alene's public TV station, attended his first candidates' forum at Mica Grange last night. He found the way the rural grange folks ran their forum different and interesting. He came away with an appreciation for the divide b/n rural and urban issues.

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D.F. Oliveria interviews deputy attorney general Clive Strong at Huckleberries Online HQ this afternoon.

HucksOnline interviews Clive Strong 

At 3:15 p.m. today, Huckleberries will interview Clive Strong, the chief of AG Lawrence Wasden's Natural Resources Division. Clive, who began work in the AG's office in 1983, is one of five individuals running for the Idaho Supreme Court vacancy created by the retirement of Jim Jones.

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Letter: Fess up, Brent Regan 

In a letter to the Coeur d'Alene Press, Reid Harlocker of Hayden takes Brent Regan, chairman of the Idaho Freedom Foundation board to task. Regan recently wrote an op-ed article for the Press defending IFF's controversial Freedom Index, which gave F-minuses to almost half of the conservative Legislature and A's to the worst legislators.

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District 4: Where they stand 

Here's how most of the candidates for legislative office in District 4 (Coeur d'Alene) answered a yes-and-no questionnaire on 12 questions for the Coeur d'Alene Press' voter guide, which was published today. You'll notice that Republican Kathy Sims and Democrat Kristi Milan failed to return their questionnaires.

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Quotable Quote

"One middle-aged white guy introducing 2 other middle-aged white guys. Guess that's why they call this the Cracker Building" -- Jess Walter ("Beautiful Ruins") introducing fellow authors Shawn Vestal ("Godforsaken Idaho" and now "Daredevils") and Samuel Ligon ("Wonderland"), inside the Washington Cracker Building in Spokane.

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Scorecard: Private property rights 

Too many of our local legislators bellyache about the feds owning too much public land in Idaho. They want to take it back. Sandy Patano of North Idaho PAC points out that Idaho never owned the land. And the movement to "take back" federal land can have a negative effect on private property rights.

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Silver Cup hydro races canceled 

Coeur d Alene Silver Cup General Manager Keith Allen has announced the Coeur d’Alene Silver Cup H1 Unlimited Hydroplane race will work towards hosting a race in 2017 but not in 2016. “We have been working with our sponsors and local community representatives’ right up until the 11th hour to add the Silver Cup to the H1 2016 schedule,” said Allen.

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Here's a snapshot of the graphic in which the Coeur d'Alene Press reveals the yes-and-no answers from candidates running for office in legislative District 3. You'll notice that Reps. Don Cheatham, R-Post Falls, and Ron Mendive, R-Coeur d'Alene, didn't bother to respond to the Press.

6 pols fail CdA Press 'courage test' 

In a comment today, Mike Patrick, managing editor of the Coeur d'Alene Press, rips 6 individuals -- 5 Republicans and a Democrat -- who refused to fill out a yes-or-no questionnaire of 12 tough questions. The six -- Barbieri, Vick, Mendive, Cheatham, Sims and Democrat Kristi Milan -- were denied profiles in the guide (which you can find below).

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Repub covertly films Idaho GOP chair 13 

A Republican central committeeman covertly filmed the head of Idaho's GOP in an effort to bolster his claims that a secret society had been formed to oust certain members from party positions. The video didn't reveal direct evidence of a secret society, but did show the top GOP official criticizing prominent Republicans. (Q: Are these guys nuts?)

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AM Headlines -- 4.15.16 

The daily roundup of AM Headlines includes a feature by SReporter Scott Maben on the upcoming 3rd Youth Water Summit at UI. Also: Idaho Records/Coeur d'Alene Press, Group mulls transit authority ballot plan/Press, Woman arrested for carrying gun while drunk/Press, Support pours in for injured Sandpoint man/KREM 2 + more ...

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Poll: Sheriff Wolfinger all the way 

In Thursday's poll, Hucks Nation overwhelmingly supported incumbent Ben Wolfinger's re-election bid for Kootenai County sheriff, with two "constitutional sheriff" candidates finishing well back in second and third places. Today's Poll: How did you prepare your income tax returns this year?

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14 Reasons: Why Sims must go 

I found two more reasons why House District 4B voters shouldn't supports the re-election of state Rep. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d'Alene: She fought an important $3M appropriation from the city of Coeur d'Alene to help build the Kroc Center. She refused to fill out a questionnaire for the Coeur d'Alene Press voter guide.

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Huckleberries Online

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.




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