Winda Benedetti

Thousands of dollars in stolen property have been recovered, and two Twin Lakes, Idaho, residents have been arrested in connection with numerous burglaries in Kootenai County - including the burgling of a judge's cabin. Kootenai County sheriff's officials said they expect more arrests.

Two Hayden Lake residents have been charged with drug trafficking after state investigators discovered 88 marijuana plants growing at their home. Officers with the Idaho State Criminal Investigation Bureau arrested Martin Borleau, 50, and his wife, Martha Borleau, 52, on Jan. 26 at their home on Hudlow Road.

These two explosive devices were found by Kootenai County Sheriff's Department deputies.

It seemed like a scene from a big budget action movie - a runaway tractor-trailer rig speeding down a steep highway pass, ramming through a concrete barrier, bursting into flames and crashing into oncoming traffic. But as two Mullan, Idaho, women watched the scene unfold before them, they knew it was real.

When Robert Lovoi Jr. lost his driver's license, he lost more than the right to drive on Idaho roads. He lost his job. Home-buying plans crumbled.

A Coeur d'Alene judge on Wednesday sentenced a 17-year-old man to up to five years in prison for robbing a convenience store last summer. Nicholas LaFountain was 16 years old when he robbed the Petro Stop and Shop at 1501 Sherman Ave. in June. He walked into the store with a loaded shotgun and pointed it at the clerk, demanding money.

The jury believed the teenage girls were telling the truth when they testified that their teacher had touched them improperly. But jury foreman Richard See said he and other jurors could not convict the teacher of a crime because the girls did not tell Paul Mather he was making them uncomfortable.

All the girls wanted was for their teacher to stop touching them, to stop making them feel uncomfortable. They never thought their quiet, tearful complaints would lead to massive upheaval at school, the likely ruin of a teacher's career and ultimately their own defeat.

A calf looks for water in a frozen creek near Worley, Idaho, where nearly 40 cattle died. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

1. Neglected animals. A Kootenai County deputy drops a salt lick to a herd of cattle that was discovered this week near Worley without food and water. Photos by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review 2. Harold Chambless talks with Kootenai County Deputy Sheriff Jason Shaw about the condition of his cattle. 3. A calf carcass was found frozen into the muck at a ranch near Worley, Idaho. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Teacher Paul Mather is congratulated by a family member Friday evening after a jury found him not guilty of two counts of sexual abuse of a child. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

When Paul Mather took the stand Thursday to defend himself against sexual misconduct charges, he did not have to answer accusations that he had sex with a 16-year-old several years ago. Despite repeated requests from Kootenai County prosecutors, Judge Gary Haman would not allow a jury to hear evidence that the middle school teacher had sex with a Post Falls teenager in 1989.

It was the word of adults against that of five students in court on Wednesday. Five teenage girls have accused Paul Mather, a middle school geography teacher, of molesting them. But on Wednesday, two teachers and a school secretary took the stand to describe what a caring and good-hearted man Mather is.

Paul Mather, once voted "teacher of the year," is charged with two counts of sex abuse. File/The Spokesman-Review

A deputy who shot and killed a Twin Lakes man last month acted in self defense and was justified in his actions, the Kootenai County prosecutor said Monday. Kootenai County sheriff's officials identified the officer Monday as Deputy Michael O'Brien.

1. John Turpen in a family snapshot from November 1994. He died a week later. 2. Val Turpen has hired psychics and a lawyer to help her find peace after her son John died in 1994. Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review

Icy roads contributed to a chain reaction of accidents that involved three cars and a Greyhound bus Saturday but ended with no serious injuries. All the vehicles were westbound on Interstate 90 at about 9:20 Saturday morning.

Waiting for the big chill. Darla Klein and her son, Matt, examine a tip-up ice fishing rod at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's ice fishing clinic at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

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1. Breaking trail. Don Day leads the group out for the Garwood New Year's Day ride. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review 2. Kathy Mescher keeps her schnapps warm at the start of Wednesday's ride.<

An 18-year-old Coeur d'Alene man was taken to the hospital after his girlfriend allegedly ran into him with a car, according to a Coeur d'Alene police report. Wayne M. Johnson told police he got into an argument with his 16-year-old girlfriend Saturday night. She was upset because he wanted to go to a party with a previous girlfriend, according to the report. During the argument, Johnson told the girl he wanted to break up and he wanted his snowboarding equipment returned.

Although "America's Most Wanted" hasn't led to the arrest of Kootenai County's No. 1 suspected criminal, it has brought in several tips about where he may be hiding. Kootenai County sheriff's investigators believe Vern Henry, 44, of Athol, Idaho, gunned down his wife and 18-year-old daughter at their family home in August. He has been missing since. Saturday, the true-crime TV program "America's Most Wanted" aired a segment about the murders of Connie and Heather Henry. The show, broadcast throughout the United States and in other countries, asked people to call if they have information about where Henry may be hiding.

Buildings at the Four Echoes still support broken tree limbs from the ice storm. Despite efforts to salvage as much timber as possible, a lot of debris still needs to be cleaned up. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Total loss. A member of the Rathdrum Fire Department douses the burning remains of Mike and Teri Griffin's Twin Lakes home. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review