Aune family tragedy hits home
At Huckleberries Online, we don’t wait until the next day’s paper to deliver news about North Idaho emergencies. The daily Scanner Traffic feature provides snippets as they are reported. Blog followers, for example, busily refreshed their computers as Huckleberries kept track of that standoff at Nettleton Gulch earlier this month. Scanner Traffic has a down side, too. Last week, Huckleberries reported that a fatal crash had occurred between a dump truck and Schwan’s truck on Highway 3. Which sent shivers through the community because Schwan’s drivers are popular. Later, in her Slight Detour blog, Marianne Love told of the quality service given to her family through the years by Schwan’s drivers who also deliver “friendliness, professionalism, and wonderful service.” Steve Aune, 48, of Post Falls, who grew up on a Deer Park farm and recently returned from Arizona, was cut from the same mold. He appreciated border collies like those that snapped up his doggie biscuits at Marianne’s Lovestead. Marianne: “We appreciated him for the short moments he spent parked in our driveway, pulling out boxes of drumsticks, ice cream bars and unbreaded chicken breasts. More than anything, however, we appreciated his warmth.” This story ends badly. Huckleberries joins Marianne in sending condolences to Steve Aune’s family.
Semanko reloads
Norm Semanko, the Rathdrum-area boy who’s now chairman of the Idaho GOP, isn’t backing away from targeting that old sex scandal that helped torpedo Demo Larry LaRocco’s 1994 re-election chances. After getting ripped by Opinion Page editor Jim Fisher of the the Lewiston Tribune for dredging up the past in a GOP news release linking LaRocco’s scandal to recent John Edwards’ admissions, Semanko fired back in a guest opinion last weekend: “It’s true, some Republicans have had similar stumbles, but they aren’t running for Idaho’s U.S. Senate seat. When a candidate runs for office, he or she asks for the trust of the voters. Larry LaRocco abused that trust, but don’t take my word for it. The Idaho Statesman – a paper not known for getting tough with liberal politicians – wrote that LaRocco showed voters ‘he cannot be trusted to tell the truth.’ ” Can any politician?
Huckleberries
Scanner Traffic: “9:25 a.m. (Monday) Officer wants city street department to remove a freshly killed skunk at the site of a two-car, rear-end collision near “The Feathers” on Northwest Boulevard. The accident happened before 8 a.m. (according to Berry Picker Pepe LePew) when one driver swerved to miss the skunk. But didn’t … (At 11:41 a.m. Monday, Berry Picker CoeurGenX provided this update: “The skunk is still at the location. Rigamortis is setting in. The foul odor persists) … Duane Rasmussen, the county GOP VP, e-mailed Huckleberries Online a great North Idaho Fair photo (that you didn’t see unless you’re a blog follower). It showed congressional wannabe Walt Minnick at the GOP booth yakking with Repubs Jim Hollinsworth (a House District 4 wannabe) and Region 1 GOP chairman Bob Brooke. Hollingsworth is holding a yellow “Sali for Congress” balloon against Minnick’s chest. Priceless … More Scanner Traffic: “6 p.m. (Friday) A woman has lost her wedding ring in the recycling bin at Garwood Elementary.” A small sacrifice to save Mother Earth.
Parting shot
You and I might not be too crazy about those cheap yellow Indian head-dresses handed out by Repubs at their North Idaho Fair booth for Congressman Bill Sali. But several Berry Pickers with kids gave them two thumbs up. From Helen Back: “My grandkids liked the headbands with the big yellow feather. We didn’t think it’s tacky but then we are part American Indian.” Whippersnapper: “Of course the headbands are tacky … and FABULOUS!!!!” Duane Rasmussen: “I don’t think anything disrespectful has been done except perhaps by the whining liberals and Democrats who understand that ‘advertising works.’ ” Duane tried unsuccessfully to coax me into putting one on. But I noticed he was fingering his camera with a wicked grin. So I opted not to be caught in a photo op.