Huckleberries Best of the Northwest — 8/24/05

Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, left, and Laura Bush applaud as President Bush finishes his address to a crowd of military personnel and families in Nampa, Idaho, earlier today. The president received more than 12 standing ovations. Bush spent two nights at a ski and golf resort in Donnelly, Idaho, before flying by helicopter to Nampa for the speech on war/APhoto. For the rest of the story, click here .

Level 3 sex offender Joseph Edward Duncan III didn’t say a word at his priliminary hearing Tuesday, so the judge entered “not guilty” pleas to the six major charges he faces in the murder/kidnapping of the Groene family near Coeur d’Alene. Meanwhile, Kootenai County Prosecutor Bill Douglas announced plans to seek the death penalty in this capital case here .

1. Eric Devericks /Seattle Times shows what happens when Grandma watches too much of Pat Robertson’s “700 Club” here .

2. Ted Benson , a Sandpoint, Idaho, man who lost his son in the Iraq war, was invited to meet privately with President Bush in Idaho here .

3. Yakama Nation: Huckleberry commercial harvesters don’t respect nature here .

4. An American Indian teen-ager who was attacked at a Spokane River beach by two skinheads was surprised and hurt that none of the dozen onlookers tried to help him here .

5. With a new law in place prohibiting Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders from living near schools and day cares, Issaquah tells 2 sex offenders to move or face hefty fines here .

6. IMHO-NW: Dan Popkey /Idaho Statesman ( Gov. Kempthorne & Bush’s visit ), Doug Clark /Spokesman-Review ( Air flight horror stories ), D.F. Oliveria /Spokesman-Review ( Weekly Huckleberries column ), and Missoulian ( A redundant Yellowstone snowmobile study ) and The Columbian ( Pat Robertson: Loose cannon ).

*Study: Oregon is the only state in the union not getting fatter here .

*Don’t look now, sez the Seattle PI, but some restaurants may be padding your bill with a 20-percent tip here .

*584 crosses on Montana capitol lawn commemorate victims of DUI accidents here .

*Most of the new Washington gas tax projects have been placed on hold until state officials see what happens with an initiative to overturn the 9-cent hike this fall here .

Orbusmax provides the rest of the Northwest here .