Week in Review
The Inland Northwest has never looked so fit. Or its hoteliers so happy. The convergence of Hoopfest in Spokane, the Ironman triathlon in Coeur d’Alene and the Far West Regional Youth Soccer Championships meant most of the 10,000 hotel rooms and campground spots in Spokane and Kootenai County were snapped up months ago. The closest vacancy signs to be found by midweek were in Ritzville, Sandpoint and the Silver Valley. The three sporting events combined were expected to bring 37,000 athletes and spectators to the region and pump $29 million into the economy. And that doesn’t even take into account the 800 outdoor writers and 2,500 school officials in three separate conferences. Volunteers on Friday began setting the nearly 400 Hoopfest courts on downtown streets to accommodate the 1,000 competitors. Preparations for Ironman included training 26 teams of divers, kayakers and canoeists – deemed “wolf packs” – to watch for problems among about 2,000 participants in the 2.4-mile swim that precedes today’s 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.
MONDAY
Only 10,000 acres of the Rathdrum Prairie can still be considered open space, and another 1,000 acres is developed every year, according to a recent land inventory. The remaining land represents about 15 percent of the 100 square miles of prairie.
“ Idaho Democrats adopted a platform that supports abortion and gives lukewarm support to same-sex marriage. Delegates also called for repeal of certain provisions in the USA Patriot Act, as did Republicans last week. “It’s not often we agree,” said the state Democratic Party chairwoman. Delegates rejected a platform plank calling for the elimination of sales-tax exemptions, something party officials long have touted.
TUESDAY
An old dugout canoe discovered in Lake Pend Oreille by scuba divers in January probably does not date to the Ice Age, as researchers had hoped. Radiocarbon dating did not work on wood samples taken from the canoe, meaning it likely is less than 380 years old. Researchers now speculate that the canoe, still under 40 feet of water, may date to the age of the fur traders and is a significant find.
“ Army reservist John Cushman’s children have been playing on grass instead of gravel while he serves in Iraq, thanks to the volunteer efforts of fellow corrections officers at the Stevens County Jail. Cushman was called to active duty in November, just after the family had moved into a new home with no lawn.
“ Dajana Bajric, who fled war-torn Bosnia 11 years ago, was among 40 people who became U.S. citizens today in Spokane. Bajric was 8 when she and her father went to stay with relatives in Germany. They came to the United States as refugees five years later. Bajric graduated from Lewis and Clark High School this spring. She works three jobs, saving money for college. Her father became a citizen last month.
“ University of Idaho graduate Laura Thackray has earned international recognition for her work to reduce car-accident injuries to expectant mothers and their fetuses. Thackray, who is from Athol, is an engineer at Volvo Car Corp. in Sweden.
“ A federal judge has lifted restrictions placed on former University of Idaho football player Abdullah Al-Kidd. The government restricted his travel and ordered him to live with his in-laws in Nevada because he was a potential witness in the terrorism trail of Sami Omar Al-Hussayen, who was acquitted this month. Al-Kidd was never called to testify.
WEDNESDAY
National Rifle Association president Kayne Robinson announced in Spokane that the gun-rights group will begin a program to fight closure of public lands to motor vehicles and to ease complicated hunting regulations. It’s part of the NRA’s effort to attract hunters into the organization.
“ While some other schools are having trouble getting the cadavers they need because of scandals in which the bodies were sold, there are no such scandals, and no shortage of corpses, at Washington State University. Only one person has rescinded an offer to let WSU anatomy students study her body after she dies.
“ About 80 teenaged volunteers are dismantling a two-story log cabin and two barns built by a trapper more than 80 years ago along the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River. The buildings, which require restoration, will be moved about 20 miles downstream to the Shoshone Base Camp, a summer camp operated by Lutherhaven Ministries. The teens are given time for quiet contemplation, hiking, swimming and Bible study.
“ The state has approved $250,000 in emergency repairs to a Coeur d’Alene River bridge at Harrison. A routine inspection found broken beams and other problems with the bridge, prompting the state to restrict traffic to just one car at a time. The weight limit of 10,000 pounds means the bridge can’t be used by school buses, fire trucks and the like. The 74-year-old bridge is scheduled for replacement in 2006, but engineers suggest beginning the project next summer.
THURSDAY
Passers-by rescued a poodle left in a car while its owner shopped for more than an hour in the Spokane Valley Mall. Temperatures inside the vehicle hit 115 degrees. Animal-control officers responded to several such calls as temperatures hovered in the low 90s.
“ Police are on the lookout for several suspects believed to be involved in the theft of nearly $350,000 by check fraud throughout the Northwest, including $50,000 in the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane areas.
FRIDAY
Personal bankruptcies in Washington and Idaho have more than doubled since 1990, due largely to medical debt, according to a new report issued by a group promoting greater access to health care. Other studies have suggested medical debt accounts for as much as half of all personal bankruptcies.
“ “Hoophitch” is a new invention by Clarkston middle-school shop teacher Paul Carey. It’s a basketball backboard that rises from a car’s trailer hitch. It’s the latest invention for Carey, who gets royalties every time Wilson Sporting Goods sells one of his “Hitchnets,” a tennis version of the Hoophitch.
“ Dozens of landowners hoping to build homes in the Sagle area have been stymied by a recent moratorium on new construction in the Southside Water and Sewer District, and there’s no telling when it will be lifted. The district’s sewer system is nearing capacity.
COMING UP
Some 1,250 citizen soldiers of the 116th Cavalry Brigade, Idaho Army National Guard will report for duty at National Guard armories around the state on Monday. Read about it Tuesday in The Idaho Spokesman-Review.