Huckleberries Best of the INorthwest — 5/17/06

Crowds line the banks of the Snake River at Chestnut Beach in Clarkston, Wash., Tuesday, to cool off as a heat wave continues to bear down on the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. Spokane and Coeur d’Alene experienced record temperatures yesterday here and so did Missoula here /Kyle Mills, AP Photo/Lewiston Tribune.

Eye On Boise: Gov. Dirk Kempthorne’s packing up his office for anticipated move to D.C. here .

1. David Horsey /Seattle PI sees a standoff coming on the US-Mexican border here .

2. A white construction worker is suing two Colville tribal corporations, alleging that he was harassed out of his job by racial slurs and abuse from Native American co-workers here .

3. A 66-year-old church organist has been charged with defrauding Washington state by collecting about $400,000 in workers’ compensation checks that were intended for her mother, who died 18 years ago here .

4. A suspicious Spokane Wal*Mart checker who questioned the use of a paper license to cash a $1,000 check has helped police bust an identity theft ring that could claim at least 750 victims here .

5. The decision is final — Boise will host the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games. The games will take place at Boise State University, Tamarack Resort, Qwest Arena, Bogus Basin and Idaho Ice World here .

6. IMHO-NW: Randy Stapilus /Ridenbaugh Press ( Good advice for job recruiters ), Dan Popkey /Idaho Statesman ( Payback time in Meridian district ), Kalispell Daily Inter Lake ( Tackling illegal immigration ), Joel Connelly /Seattle PI ( What will they say about Gorton now? ), and Brian Murphy /Idaho Statesman ( Protect young pitchers’ arms ).

Online Poll: 88% of 1014 respondents to an Idaho Statesman poll say they know the words to “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

*Seahawks announce that Coach Mike Holmgren will stay another two years here .

*Idaho expects low turnout for the primary here .

*An Ada County (Boise) Little Leaguer strikes out 24 batters in 9 innings here .

*A woman appeared to have been randomly shot while driving her car in Liberty Lake on Monday night here .

Orbusmax Special: Andrew Sullivan weighs in on Seattle schools’ definition of racism here .