House Race Just Gets Curiouser

The race for Coeur d’Alene’s House District 3B seat gets curiouser and curiouser. First, Kootenai County Democrats ruthlessly dumped primary winner Cecil Kelly for Legal Services attorney Alan Wasserman. Now, lame-duck county Commissioner Bob Macdonald, a Republican primary loser, wants to run for the House position as a Natural Law Party candidate. The new party supports holistic health, prison reform and organic gardening, and Bob, after all, practices transcendental meditation. Bob, who would be formidable in a three-way race for the seat held by state Rep. Jeff Alltus, R-Hayden, says he doesn’t think the state’s “sore loser” law applies to him because he wants to seek a different office. The law bans a primary loser from running in the general election under another party’s banner. Hmmm. The courts may have to decide this one. But I’m curious why county Republican Chairwoman Kathy Sims isn’t protesting Macdonald’s political sleight of hand. Could it be that the Republicans aren’t crazy about Alltus either?

Bad luck can’t keep girl, 12, down

Just as I knew this generous area would do, several people have stepped forward to help Lacie Hourlland feed her 4-H horse this winter. Lacie? She’s the 12-year-old whose recent string of bad luck continued when she failed to turn in a registration form and $2.50 to enter her pig in the North Idaho Fair. She wanted to sell the pig to raise money to feed her horse this winter. Last year, another of her pigs was named grand champion. However, fair officials refused to cut Lacie slack this year, pointing out that others who had missed the filing deadline also had been turned away. The officials were right: Rules are rules. As for Lacie? She’s learned one of life’s tough lessons - and earned Sweet Potatoes for burying her anger and helping clean barns and spruce up pigs at the fair anyway.

Good luck holds for drunken fireman

Athol, Idaho, volunteer fireman James Jeffrey is lucky - very, very lucky. First, he’s fortunate he didn’t kill Coeur d’Alene’s Mike Dodge on Aug. 1 when the firefighter barreled his 12-ton tanker truck (sans siren and lights) through a stop sign at U.S. Highway 95 and Bunco Road. Dodge’s pickup was demolished, but he escaped serious injury. Then, Jeffrey was lucky that the Kootenai County prosecutor let him off with only two misdemeanor charges - drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident. Indeed, his good service to the Athol Fire Department should count for something. But I’d hate to see what would have happened to you, good reader, or me if we’d pulled this stunt. , DataTimesMEMO: 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 or by sending e-mail to daveo@spokesman.com.