Ex-Councilwoman, R.I.P.

Outspoken Lois Land-Albrecht and her canine sidekick, Bandito, always provided a chuckle. In a world of mealy-mouthed politicians, she was good for a hellacious sound bite. Her slogan for a 1987 race for a City Council seat offers a case in point: “Throw reason out the window - vote for Lois.” Land-Albrecht often admitted with a raspy laugh that her 1979 council win was “a fluke.” Shortly after moving to Coeur d’Alene, she captured the imagination of residents by running against downtown “kingmakers.” She served four years but never again was a factor in subsequent races, other than as a gadfly. I wish I’d known her in her native Pennsylvania before her life was “changed forever” by the death of her husband. Back when she almost upset food-products heir John Heinz in a tight congressional race. Back when, as a striking teacher, she chose jail over a judge’s back-to-work order. In Coeur d’Alene, she often was dismissed by the power structure as a “crusty old broad.” But Lois, who died Thursday, didn’t mind. Said she: “Let’s face it: I am old, I am crusty and I am a broad.” R.I.P., Lois.

Traveling to Laurel on gas fumes

There’s a good reason why the football team at Sandpoint High School - a school that is overcrowded and part of a school district that carried a budget deficit of $400,000 into this year - traveled 500 miles for a game at Laurel, Mont. But I forgot what it is.

Gullible Christians bite on P&G lie

Once again, an old lie is traveling the church circuit - that the head of Procter & Gamble is an unabashed Satanist. He supposedly admitted ties to the fallen angel during a “Phil Donahue” show. The resurrected rumor is spreading like wildfire through evangelical churches, complete with a list of products to boycott. Never mind that it isn’t true. Or that Christians are warned over and over in the Scriptures not to bear false witness - even against soap products.

‘Trust me’ doesn’t cut it when explosives are the issue

Hmmm. For some reason, officials of Rimrock Explosives Inc. don’t think they’re accountable for the blast scare and evacuation last Wednesday. Neither they nor their Delaware parent company, Explosive Technologies, has offered an explanation for the tiny fire that caused panic in the company’s Hayden, Idaho, plant. (Hey, a building with 275,000 pounds of explosives is no big deal. Right?) Company muckety-mucks ducked a review Friday of the emergency response (previous commitments, you know). According to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Rimrock Explosives has a good safety record. So what are company officials trying to hide?

, DataTimes MEMO: D.F. Oliveria’s “Hot Potatoes” runs Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can comment on the items by calling (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125.