Huckleberries Best of the INorthwest Online — 11/2/07

Nils Swanson uses a bar code reader to check in skis at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds Thursday in preparation for Saturday’s Winter Swap event. The Silver Mountain and Lookout Pass Ski Patrols will host the annual ski gear swap Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Skiers wanting to sell old gear should drop it off at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds exhibit buildings 3-8 today. More information is available at www.winterswap.org.

1. “I guess the lesson is that no matter how well you do your job, you are expendable when a bottom line rules over the principle of quality journalism. Both “Huckleberries Online” and the Spokesman-Review have announced significant lay-offs in their news-gathering department, leaving a major chasm in the North Idaho office”/Marianne Love, Slight Detour. Full post here . SR story here .

2. Two years after the deaths of five children in a vehicle collision north of Spokane, the man charged with causing the tragedy is still awaiting trial. Though the parents of the children have forgiven him, Clifford Lee Helm is scheduled to go to trial before Superior Court Judge Jerome Leveque on Feb. 25/Kevin Graman, Spokesman-Review, here .

3. A bolt of lightning directly hit Lara Eustermann - instantly burning her body and stopping her heart. She was, essentially, dead. Now, one month later, an update neither doctors nor her family expected/KTVB, here .

4. News Roundup: Otter’s top aide going to work for Idaho utility owner /KTVB; Rumors flying over North Idaho MRSA cases /KREM2; Bennett sez he’s moving Sonics to Oklahoma /Seattle PI; Expert sez Russell wasn’t speeding /Spokesman-Review; Sexual assault prompts warning on Boise State campus /KTVB; and Idaho tourism director stepping down /KTVB.

5. Blogosphere: The SR terminations /News Is A Conversation; UIdaho to stop delivering junk mail /Eye On Boise; I grieve /Bay Views; No news is not good news /Dogwalk Musings; and Larry Grant induces a spit take /Adam’s Blog.

6. IMHO-NW: Don’t censor God or we’ll have to listen to Sali /Tom Henderson, Lewiston Tribune; Misunderstood Russell had it figured out /John Blanchette, Spokesman-Review; “I just wanted to play” /David Johnson, Lewiston Tribune; Checking out books I don’t like /T.J. Tranchell/UI Argonaut; and The blues are alive in North Idaho /Tyler Wilson, Coeur d’Alene Press.

Orbusmax: Southern Idaho mayoral wannabe arrested on stalking charge /Associated Press.