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

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 9, 2017

Hump Day Wild Card -- 8.9.17 15 

For the third day in a row, I forgot to buy coffee for the office. I may have to go out and fetch my own -- at least 16 ounces. It's difficult to blog in the morning's with less than 2 cups of coffee. Here's...

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My apologies 

I'm sorry that Huckleberries has been so flat today, other than the Redoubter/GOP CC devotee attacking Christa and my retirement announcement. Frankly, I've been overwhelmed by your kind comments here and on my Facebook and Twitter pages. I thought I was prepared for today. But I was wrong.

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A final Blogfest in the works 

Editor Rob Curley/SR insists that the newspaper send this washed-up old blogger out in style. Usually, that means a H/T in the newsroom and maybe a trip to a watering hole after the final day of work. But Rob knows that Coeur d'Alene, not Spokane, is my universe. So he graciously has asked me to find a venue.

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Fire erupted at a sawmill along U.S. 95 Wednesday morning, sending plumes of black smoke into the air and suspending operations as firefighters arrived. (SR photo)

Fire burns lumber mill near Athol 

Fire erupted at a sawmill along U.S. 95 Wednesday morning, sending plumes of black smoke into the air and suspending operations as firefighters arrived. There were no reports of injuries. Employees were on break when the fire started in the planer mill building at about 10 a.m.

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Services set for ex-Vik star Ramsay

Samantha Ramsay, a UIdaho assistant prof and former Coeur d'Alene High athlete, relished life, always striving for new heights. Now, she's gone. A lightning strike in the Swiss Alps took her life while she was climbing recently. She will be remembered with a service in Moscow on Saturday, Aug. 19

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Adult ash aphids infest the bottom of this currant plant leaf. (Pat Munts/SR photo)

Ash aphids 

If this poem about "Ash Aphids" doesn't make you smile, check your pulse. Or your attitude. I miss my old friend Tom Wobker most when I run across a whimsical rhyme like the one below. Another of The Bard of Sherman Avenue's best.

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National Book Lovers Day 17 

Today is National Book Lovers Day, according to Christmas at the Lake on Sherman Avenue. And there are 139 days left until Christmas. Question: What book are you now reading? Moi? "The Life of David" by Arthur W. Pink.

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Willie wows 'em at Northern Quest 

I am now and will always be a fan of SR photog Kathy Plonka. In fact, I'm the fan of the whole SR photog gang, from Liz to Colin and Jesse. Here's the photo that Kathy snapped last night at Willie Nelson's concert at Northern Quest Casino. Q: Are you a Willie Nelson fan?

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New details about hit-and-run

New information obtained Tuesday evening by the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office could help identify the black Dodge Caliber that left the scene of a crash involving a pedestrian Monday on Prairie Avenue. The Coeur d'Alene Press reports ...

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DFO announces retirement 80 

With mixed emotions, I must tell you today that I've accepted a generous buyout from the SR and will be retiring soon. (If my buyout application is accepted, my last day as a blogger/columnist would be next Wednesday). The buyout didn't quite meet my retirement time table. But it was close enough. I would have been a fool to pass it up.

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Poll: We prefer Mexican food

In the poll Tuesday, Hucks Nation said it preferred Mexican food over Aisan food when eating anything but standard American fare. Today's Poll: Are you afraid that we might be headed for war with North Korea?

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Unquotable Quote 

"When the little liar runs for another office, we look forward to raising money and volunteering for her opponent" -- the so-called Bard of the American Redoubt, blasting former Coeur d'Alene School Board chairman Christa Hazel for having the audacity to say that there's something amiss about the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee.

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Redoubter attacks Christa Hazel 66 

Apparently, there's a price to pay when you attack the zany leadership of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee. An American Redoubter, who calls himself the Bard of the American Redoubt, has unleashed a savage attack on Christa Hazel for speaking out against Chairman Brent Regan and the Central Committee.

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Vestal's 'Daredevils' gains acclaim

Spokane writer Shawn Vestal, and former Spokane residents Timothy Egan and Sherman Alexie, are among the finalists for the 2017 Washington State Book Awards. Vestal, a columnist for The Spokesman-Review and the author of the award-winning story collection “Godforsaken Idaho,” is a finalist in the fiction category for his debut novel, “Daredevils.”

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TUESDAY, AUG. 8, 2017

D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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