Timely Results Needed In Benewah Investigation
Benewah County needs to get its law enforcement problem under control. Pronto. Otherwise, recreational boaters, like the one who left this message on our Web site recently, won’t be visiting any time soon: “I sure as hell won’t be taking my boat to Benewah County.” The problem? Benewah County sheriff’s deputies are accused of using excessive force during a routine traffic stop and a boat inspection. Deputy Scott Steele was involved in both incidents, including one that occurred during his first day of work as a full-time officer on June 1. Sheriff Joe Blackburn was wise to call in the Idaho Criminal Investigation Bureau. An outside agency was needed to check out resident complaints and to ensure no cover-up takes place. Now, the bureau must act quickly to calm nervous townsfolk and concerned outsiders and let us know whether Steele’s a rogue cop or an officer snagged by malcontents while doing his duty.
State cautious with Mather case, too
The expedient decision by the Coeur d’Alene School District to buy its way out of the Paul Mather case has come back to haunt the community. Now, Mather, a former Canfield Middle School instructor accused of sexually molesting five girls, has applied for a teaching certificate in Arizona. He might have landed it without fanfare, too - if an enterprising Spokesman-Review reporter hadn’t started asking questions. The commission apparently reached a decision about Mather’s Idaho certification this month but wouldn’t say what it was. Now, it is planning to revisit the issue. (Can you say, “backtrack,” children?) One parent guessed Mather has spooked the state, as he did the school district, by threatening to sue. The district paid Mather $47,000 to go away rather than fire him. But who knows? Said Roger Hanshew, Idaho’s supervisor of teacher certification: “We want closure as much as anyone else.” Baloney. No one wants closure more than the girls Mather is accused of molesting.
Cease-fire called in turf war? C’mon
Our front page article Saturday about a proposal to merge all of Kootenai County’s firefighting and ambulance services was one of the funniest stories I’ve read. Not that the proposal is without merit. A coordinated effort to fight fires and handle emergencies makes perfectly good sense. But I’ve been around Kootenai County long enough to know it’s easier to herd cats than to get our emergency services brigade all headed in the same direction. Their turf wars are fierce. Then again, I’ve been away from daily reporting for a while. Maybe hell has frozen over. , 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 or by sending e-mail to daveo@spokesman.com.