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Huckleberries: Lingering effects of hammer attack difficult

Often, readers move on quickly after a horrific accident or crime, while victims are left to deal with injuries and shattered lives.

Take Yvonne Wallis, for example. She was one of the four victims of that hammer attack by a deranged Bayview neighbor pre-Christmas 2010. Daughter-in-law Patty Heath died in the attack. Suspect Larry Cragun is in jail awaiting trial.

Yvonne wears a blue football helmet to protect her fragile skull. She has undergone two serious surgeries and faces another at University of Washington, to have a permanent plate installed in her skull.

Herb Huseland, a good friend who transported her to Seattle this summer, reports: “Nothing is guaranteed. She is still in a life-threatening condition, and without great care could fail to survive.”

Adding insult to injury last time, Yvonne was stuck extra days in Seattle because she couldn’t afford the return transportation cost. Medicaid didn’t pick up that part of the tab. That won’t be a problem this time as my Huckleberries Online crew has paid for the round trip.

Idaho for Paul?

No less an insider than Jeff Ward, president of the Kootenai County Reagan Republicans, sez maverick Ron Paul has a good shot at winning the 2012 Idaho Republican nod. Jeff was a district coordinator for the George H.W. Bush campaign in Washington in 1988 when Pat Robertson won the state caucuses with a small but highly mobilized group of supporters.

Quoth Jeff: “Paul supporters are the only ones organizing right now. I don’t have a dog in this hunt but there is no doubt that the ‘frontrunners’ are not doing much in Idaho.” Jeff expects Paul or surrogates such as Paul’s Senate son, Rand, to visit Idaho, since it’s the most likely state he can win. You heard it here first.

Huckleberries

On Twitter last week, KXLY exec Melissa Luck sought advice re: plans to fly with her 3-month-old baby. My blog commenters responded: “Don’t.” And: “Bring ear plugs for your fellow passengers.” Tough crowd … Hucks Online poll: 62 percent of my blog readers say rich people aren’t taxed enough … One thing that can be said re: Fred Phelps and his cuh-razy Westboro Baptist Church followers – they don’t have to take their shirts off to attract attention (a la PETA-philes). Judging from the look of those disciples, it’s a good thing they don’t … In the what-goes-around-comes- around dept., Greg Faucher, a Coeur d’Alene High/Gonzaga grad and a merry prankster, discovered his vehicle completely covered with sticky notes Thursday. Co-workers at a consulting firm in Lake Oswego, Ore., decided it was payback time on Greg’s 39th birthday … A name change request in the Idaho Records section last week raised eyebrows: “Stonecalf Warriorwoman, petition for change to Mary Angelfire Gotcha!” To each her own.

Parting shot

A Little Old Lady in a Buick LeSabre with Kootenai plates proved road rage wasn’t only for the young Friday afternoon, after her Old Man cut off another driver on Interstate 90. Ere the old-timers turned off on Highway 41/Ross Point Road in Post Falls, Granny flipped off the other driver, from the passenger seat. That, or she was indicating that he was No. 1 in her book.

You can follow D.F. Oliveria on his blog (www.spokesman.com/ blogs/hbo) or on Twitter @Hucksonline.

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