Huckleberries Best of the Northwest — 4/27/06

Laramie County Community College horse training student Jennifer Ramsey brushes her two-year-old horse named ‘Toots’ in a round pen on the campus in Cheyenne, Wy., Wednesday. Ramsey is on the team showing horses and was giving her horse some hair care. (AP Photo/The Wyoming Eagle, Michael Smith)

Extra! The body of Realtor Gary Fox has been recovered from Lake Coeur d’Alene.

1. David Horsey /Seattle PI explains why the Demos might not take back Congress in November here .

2. Ada County taxpayers’ cost to defend their three county commissioners from each paying $150 fines for violating the state’s Open Meeting Law could exceed $30,000 and might climb even higher here .

3. The U.S. Marshals Service will announce today the arrests of more than 9,000 fugitives, including 190 in Eastern Washington, in a nationwide sweep. Operation FALCON II follows a similar operation a year ago in which more than 10,000 fugitives were apprehended. FALCON stands for “Federal And Local Cops Organized Nationally” here .

4. The Idaho State Police is investigating whether a Bonner County sheriff’s deputy had sex with an underage girl in Boundary County, according to a North Idaho sheriff and the general counsel for an organization that insures Idaho government agencies here .

5. Washington Sen. Bill Finkbeiner , who broke ranks with other Repubs to help pass the new gay civil rights bill, has announced plans to retire here .

6. IMHO-NW: Doug Clark /Spokesman-Review ( A journey for the ages ), Bert Caldwell /Spokesman-Review ( Medical info network wows Gingrich ), Mark Nelke /Coeur d’Alene Press ( Running with the kids ), Idaho Statesman ( Idaho students need more financial aid ), and Brielle Schaeffer /WSU Daily Evergreen ( Objectifying women ).

Online Poll: 59.5% of 1330 respondents to an Idaho Statesman poll drink wine.

*Ex-North Idaho College basketball player Jacque Pate shot to death here .

*WSU gives 6-year-old Beagle rare bone marrow transplant here .

*Few object as Rodin’s nude “Adam” comes to Billings, Mont., here .

Orbusmax Special: Seattle and Portland make list of America’s most liberal cities here .