Huckleberries Best Of The INorthwest Online 1/3/08

Toe-tapping U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, was a shoo-in for Mad magazine’s “20 Dumbest People, Events & Things of 2007.” Story here.

1. The Jesuits have agreed to pay $4.8 million to 16 people who where sexually abused as schoolchildren in the 1960s and early 1970s at St. Mary’s Mission and School near Omak on the Colville Indian Reservation here /John Stucke, Spokesman-Review.

2. A weathered bundle of $20 bills will go on auction as the FBI launches a new effort to find the hijacker who called himself D.B. Cooper and who parachuted into the night after taking over the 1971 Northwest Orient Airlines flight here /Associated Press.

3. Sports: PAC-10 basketball preview /Bob Condotta, Seattle Times. Also, McElwain turns down Eastern Washington /Steve Bergum, Spokesman-Review.

4. News Roundup: Boise diving instructor almost drowns /KTVB; Montanan trapped in trench may lose limbs /Daily Inter Lake; Idaho newspaper claims mag stole stuff /KTVB; Ex-Spokane music instructor stabbed to death /SR; and Wyoming snowmobile trail rated nation’s best /Billings Gazette.

5. Blogosphere: How about a Potatohead Political Bowl /Slight Detour; Room 666! /TUBOB; Big issues for Idaho Legislature /Kevin Richert; Golden Duke Awards /IdaBlue; and Desperate Jim Risch, Part II /MountainGoat Report.

6. IMHO: Baby Boom revolution is here! Where’s my cane /Doug Clark, Spokesman-Review; One bad joke can scar officers’ reputations /Idaho Statesman; Seeking a Ron Paul boomlet? Look to Montana /Jim Fisher, Lewiston Tribune; So, how’s the weather in “Sain” Antonio /Paul Turner, Spokesman-Review; Wild Bill’s Predictions for Outdoors 2008 /Bill Schneider, New West; and UI turnaround is palpable /William G. Gilbert/Idaho Statesman.

Orbusmax Special: Son seeks estate of mother he killed here .