Best of the Northwest (1/14/05)

Remember that part in Gov. Dirk Kempthorne’s State of the State speech when he talked about tax incentives to woo and/or keep Fortune 500 companies? (In our Editorial Board meeting yesterday, The Dirk Tater wouldn’t say whom he’d talked to re. the incentives but he did drop Micron Technology CEO Steve Appleton’s name a few sentences later.) Now, The Idaho Statesman reports that Micron is looking at a major expansion — and tax incentives will play a big role in where they do the expansion. One plus one equals two. Click here .

S-R Photo/Jesse Tinsley: Morris Dees smiles at Jason Keenan, who was attacked by Aryan Nations security guards in 1998, and who spoke at the press conference following the verdict awarding him and his mother more than six million dollars in compensatory and punitive damages Sept. 7, 2000. (See Item No. 3)

1. Eric Devericks /Seattle Times illustrates why the Demos may have renewed interest in Howard Dean here .

2. Washington R’s now want to know how many felons voting along with dead people to give Demo Christine Gregoire her 129-vote margin of victory in the guv re-recount here . (Meanwhile, the Seattle Times reports on Gregoire’s first day on the job here and that powerful interest groups financed the re-recount here .)

3. Morris Dees , the civil rights leader who brought the Aryan Nations to its knees, brought his message of human rights to a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in racially troubled Everett, Wash., here .

4. “We can choose to be a part of the problem or the solution” Yolanda King , oldest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. Wednesday at WSU, as quoted by The Daily Evergreen staff, here .

5. For the 17th straight year, more people moved into Idaho than moved out, underscoring the notion that this is a great place to live here .

6. IMHO-NW: Idaho Statesman ( Gov’s tax incentive plan ), Lance Dickie /Seattle Times ( East/West Washington rivalry = nonsense ), UI Argonaut ( Kempthorne budget’s impact on UI ), Joel Connelly/P-I ( Gregoire gets to work ), and Jamie Kelly /Missoulian ( Hairy Missoulians ).

Overflow:

*Utah flash flood sweeps Idaho author Gerald Grimmett , 62, to his death here .

*UI student tests positive for TB here .

*Boeing to shut down 717 jet line here .

*Gates Foundation to buy 12 acres for HQ near Seattle Center here .