Craig Welch

The body of a man believed to have been a homicide victim was found in brush near Ramsey Road on Monday night. Kootenai County sheriff's deputies discovered the body north of Ohio Match Road after three teenagers reported finding blood on a nearby dirt trail.

Greer Hemphill pit his top-of-the-line, 110-horsepower Sea-Doo XP-800 water scooter against the raging Coeur d'Alene River. And lost. Hemphill's consolation prize: A slightly damaged $7,500 toy and a Idaho National Guard helicopter trip to Kootenai Medical Center. He was checked for signs of hypothermia and released shaken, but uninjured. "It was quite a day," Hemphill said. "I got an adventure and nobody got hurt.

Jeff Anderson checks on pumps emptying his father's front yard Monday at Harbor Island. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

PJ Miller's middle-class world crumbled four years ago along with her marriage. Suddenly, she was divorced and raising four kids with only a high school education. She looked to court-ordered child support from her ex-husband to keep her from poverty.

1. Residents on the east side of St. Maries could only watch as the St. Joe River left its banks and consumed their homes. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review 2. Volunteers Linda Beebe and Norma Fuller strain tap water, after boiling it, through a towel to remove the sediment Friday night at Heyburn Elementary School in St. Maries. The resulting liquid was drinkable but still brownish. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Max Bromberg now believes in miracles, a strong constitution and a sturdy seat belt. Those were his thoughts on Saturday, less than a day after his pickup skidded on black ice, jumped a guardrail near Hope, Idaho, and tumbled down a 150-foot vertical face before rolling over. Bromberg then unfastened his seat belt, stepped out of the truck and scrambled back up the embankment with only scratches on his head after the 9:30 p.m. accident Friday.

Boats from Murphy Tug and Barge have kept a channel open from The Coeur d'Alene Resort to Casco Bay. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Heidi Rockholm's dragon is one of many snow sculputres on 15th Street in Coeur d'Alene. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Doug Collinson of RS Quality Construction endures a cold wind on the job at Harmony Place in Post Falls on Monday. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Junior sleuthing and an inattentive thief's bad luck helped a Rathdrum electrician recover his stolen tools Tuesday. The burglary victim followed a trail of snowy footprints to the suspect and then watched as the man locked stolen merchandise - and his keys - inside a truck.

(Photo of drawing.)

From For the record (January 26, 1996): Federal income tax forms are not available at the American Legion on Fourth Street in Coeur d'Alene. An article in Wednesday's Idaho Spokesman-Review was incorrect. Beginning in February, the Legion will be offering tax assistance on Wednesdays, but asks that participants supply their won forms. Don't look for your tax forms at the IRS office in Coeur d'Alene. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Kootenai County commissioners today will unveil plans to construct a new county office building along Garden Avenue beside the courthouse. The announcement is the latest in years of plans and proposals and committee meetings about how to combat a courthouse space crunch.

The conspiracy theory came before the hotel listings, above the travel company entries and ahead of the real estate office telephone numbers. A popular Internet site advertising hundreds of North Idaho businesses includes a link to a computer page that markets a conspiracy book about avoiding property taxes.

The Coeur d'Alene City Council probably won't let residents vote on whether to bring back hydroplane racing this year, Mayor Al Hassell said Friday. There simply isn't time, Hassell told a group at the Kootenai County Democratic Luncheon Friday.

The city's top man gave himself and the City Council high marks - a B+ - for their efforts in 1995. Friday, in a replay of his "State of the City" address, Mayor Al Hassell told a luncheon crowd that the city had made good on its three biggest promises for 1995: to hold the line on taxes, improve streets and offer quality police and fire protection.

Clerk Dan English shows off the new ballot. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

It would serve out-of-state lovers and cross-town developers. At the touch of a button, they could find the cost of a marriage license or building permit.

Robert Moe, a Lake City community theater pioneer, political activist and drama and speech professor, died Thursday in New York City. He was 56.

Driver L.G. Stanley unloads a passenger from a Benewah Area Transit van. A feud over funding could halt service to the area. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

A handful of constitutionalists say Idaho Attorney General Al Lance can "run renegade" and try to block unusual commercial liens if he wants, but he's just covering up for government officials. "They (officials) have run roughshod this long, why would they stop now?" asked Gorden Ormesher, a tax protester familiar with the liens.

McCormack Properties of Idaho will start construction this winter on its $2.2 million 92-home subdivision overlooking Cougar Bay. Kootenai County commissioners gave the controversial project the final go-ahead Friday.

Part-time Spirit Lake cop Monte Reynolds thought he was helping out when he drove Donovan McCreary home rather than arrest him for driving without a license. Once home, however, McCreary beat his sister, ransacked the house and drove off, according to police records. Idaho State Police officers arrested him 90 minutes later on charges of drunken driving and driving without a license.

Pedestrians at the Post Falls Factory Outlets cross near the scene of last week's fatal accident. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review