Best of the Northwest — 5/25/05

Richie Sexson is congratulating by Brett Boone after hitting a home run. He didn’t hit an HR in a Clark County court, however. See Item No. 3.

After running over a squirrel in a “Seinfeld” episode, character George Costanza asked: “Don’t we have a deal with the squirrels?” They’re suppose to move. Funny line. But Northwest Energy isn’t laughing after squirrels caused 204 outages between Kalispell and Darby, Mont. — one fifth of the outages in that area. You can read all about it here .

David Postman/Seattle Times blogs the Washington guv’s election trial (last update 12:10 p.m.) here .

1. Eric Devericks /Seattle Times pens his view of the filibuster compromise here . And you can find Lefty David Horsey’s latest predictable jab at religious conservatives here .

2. Jesse Steven Groene was released from the Kootenai County Jail at noon to attend a private viewing for his murdered mother and brother before burial and a memorial service later this afternoon, reports the Coeur d’Alene Press, here .

3. Seattle Mariner slugger Richie Sexon will pay a $538 fine for second-degree negligent driving in Clark County, Wash., after prosecutors reduced his charge from drunken driving here .

4. Police in Butte, Mont., are investigating thefts of irreplaceable items from historic brothels, according to the Missoulian, here .

5. More than a century after his death, Gen. William Selby Harney is still stirring controversy as Northwesterners debate whether he was a monster or a hero. A group of neighbors in Clark County, Wash., is voting whether to keep Harney’s name on their neighborhood here .

6. IMHO-NW: Tom Koenninger /Columbian ( Learning lessons from St. Helens ), Rebecca Nappi /Spokesman-Review ( Not just another Memorial Day ), Nicole Brodeur /Seattle Times ( Schools may gain by cutting fat ), Bill Virgin /PI ( United Airlines’ Chapter 11 ), and D.F. Oliveria /Spokesman-Review ( Idaho tax system needs tweaking ).

*A Boise rec soccer coach has been indicted on charges that he sexually abused teens and possessed child pornography, according to the Idaho Statesman, here .

*Vanity plate bears chemical term for drug here .

*Rape suspect from Vermont caught in Spokane when bike crashes into deputy’s vehicle here .

Click on Orbusmax for the rest of the Northwest here .