Huckleberries Best of the INorthwest — 7/13/06

Sam Miller, 5, center, gives it his all as he and other kids growl loudly during a song at a community Bible camp in Montesano, Wash., Wednesday. (AP Photo/The Daily World, Kevin Hong)

Eye On Olympia: Dems gearing up for campaign with strange items on field office wish lists here .

1. David Horsey /Seattle PI anticipates Dubya’s meeting with Russia’s Putin in St. Petersburg here .

2. Breaking! Spokane County Prosecutor Steve Tucker authorized today the release of the convenience store video that captured much of the confrontation between police officers and Otto Zehm , a mentally ill man who later died from factors related to his struggle with officers here .

3. A Montana chiropractor who called paying taxes “stupid” and bragged about not paying his federal income taxes has been sentenced to prison here .

4. Eighteen billionaires with a net worth of $140B and a coupla hundred multimillionaires have jetted into Sun Valley for a media and technology summit as guests of investment banker Herb Allen here .

5. The Montana Shooting Sports Association has come up with a sure-fire way to decide if candidates for the state’s U.S. Senate, Representative positions were straight shooters. They’ve been invited to take part in a shooting contest here .

6. IMHO-NW: Missoulian ( Congress shouldn’t coddle bad colleague ), Jamie Kelly /Missoulian ( Lies, damn lies, redneck stats ), Kalispell Daily Inter Lake ( 9/11 theories muddled by gibberish ), G. George Ostrom /Hungry Horse News ( A blast or an ambulance? ), and Jerry Hitchcock /Coeur d’Alene Press ( Love, hate behind the plate ).

Online Poll: 72.8% of 1114 respondents to an Idaho Statesman poll say Gulf waters should be open to more oil and gas exploration.

*Idaho AG investigating Kuna mayor here .

*Coeur d’Alene Airport Board disses Marines who want name change to honor Pappy Boyington here .

*Missoula County jailer suspended for releasing confidential report about use of force against female prisoner here .

Orbusmax Special: Dog kills Oregon town’s famous rooster, Big Red, here .