Huckleberries Best of the INorthwest — 11/15/06

A pit bull _ nicknamed “Bullet” is shown recovering at the Marion County Dog Control and Shelter in Salem, Ore., Monday, Nov. 13, 2006. The dog, found in the mountains east of Salem, Ore., with a bullet in its jaw and little meat on its bones, has a chance to survive here .

Religious conservative Dennis Mansfield blogs the Rolling Stones concert in Nampa last night here and explains why the Stones are conservative here . Statesman: Unbelievable performance here .

1. U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert , a Washington Republican, knows how the ultimate survivor of that hit TV show feels, according to David Horsey /Seattle PI, here . Related: Reichert survived split tickets here .

2. A federal judge Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit that claimed the state illegally discriminates against North Idaho residents with respiratory ailments by managing field burning smoke in a way that prevents them from leaving their homes here .

3. Spotted Owl Redux: Gang Green is suing to stop a timber harvest of 50,000 acres of private forestland because numbers of northern spotted owl are decreasing despite Herculean efforts to save it here .

4. A Montana House race in Yellowstone County has resulted in a tie, potentially tipping control of the House to the Democrats. And a 25-25 tie in the Senate was broken when a Republican announced he is defecting to the Democrats here . Related: GOP cries foul over senator’s defection here .

5. Most of Bud Bower’s powerlifting friends left the sport 15 to 20 years ago. This didn’t deter him. Early last month, the 64-year-old Pullman barber accomplished the dream they shared when he won the coveted World Masters Powerlifting Championships here .

6. IMHO-NW: Bud Withers /Seattle Times ( Apple Cup heroes are behind wheel ), Amelia Veneziano /WSU Evergreen ( Finally, a break from Pullman ), G. George Ostrom /Bigfork Eagle ( First appendicitis operation ), Jennifer Gelband /New West Boise ( Paint Idaho Rhinestony ), Kalispell Daily Inter Lake ( Election system needs overhaul ), and Vince Grippi /Sportslink ( Gonzaga as good without Morrison ).

Online Poll: By pluralities of 30% and 24%, respondents to a Lewiston Tribune poll picked the 1960s and the 1970s, respectively, as the decades that produced the best music of the last seven decades.

*Cabela’s to anchor 200-acre megasite in Post Falls here .

*Small Idaho town tones down ordinance that would have required residents to bear arms here .

*The brother of the head coach for the University of Montana women’s basketball team died Monday while hiking on Mount Helena here .

*Driver cited for DUI in crash of two Boise school buses here .

Orbusmax Special: An Olympia woman could be going to jail — over a bad haircut?! here .