Parting Shot -- 2.13.15
A skater make his way down the speedway, wearing timing devices, during the third annual 24-hour Ultra Skate Thursday in Homestead, Fla. The race is one of the longest races in skateboarding. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)
FRIDAY, FEB. 13, 2015
Friday the 13th Wild Card: 2.13.15
We're on the brink of Valentine's Day, which has a special place in my heart (when I'm not running around in a panic looking for a gift). Mrs. O and I met at a Valentine's Banquet at the 1st Baptist Church in Corning, Calif., more...
Bill Would Repeal Dueling Law
Legislation introduced Friday by the Idaho Sheriff’s Association would repeal a law that dates back to the 1860s and deals with jurisdiction and duels. Question: If you were to fight a duel to the death, what would you choose as your weapons?
PM Scanner Traffic -- 2.13.15
PM Scanner Traffic for Friday the 13th (24 items so far + AM Scanner Traffic link) including guy in cowboy hat & sunglasses, driving a big red Dodge pickup and flipping off other motorists.
Cutline Contest -- Time2Vote
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin is featured in our daily Cutline Contest, speaking on "How Women Are Showing 21st Century Leadership."
Kitzhaber Downfall Is Shakespearean
Online columnist Marc Johnson of The Johnson Post opines that the amazing fall of four-term Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber is Shakespearean in its dimensions. The downfall is so bizarre, writes Johnson, that it seems more suited for a script for "House of Cards."
PM Headlines -- 2.13.15
Work will resume Tuesday on a project that will provide wheelchair access to a portion of Tubbs Hill on the east side. Workers will smooth the trail, remove small outcroppings of rocks and tree roots, and reuse rock and soil in spots + links to 6 other PM headlines ...
Utah House OKs Firing Squad
At Boise State Public Radio (KBSX 91.5FM), Scott Neuman reports: "Utah's GOP-controlled House of Representatives narrowly approved a proposal to bring back the state's use of firing squads for executions, but the measure faces an uncertain reception in the Senate. The 39-34 vote on Friday…
Blogs: Weird Things Dad Left
You're looking at the "Camper Crapper," one of the weird things that Doug Clark's father left behind when he died too young decades ago. Clark tells you all about it in his latest Clarksville blog post here.' Red heart, black heart/On Tap Walkabouts & vampires/7...
Ambitious Raul Won't Seek Senate
Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho) told The Hill on Friday that he isn’t thinking about running for Senate and that he won't launch a primary challenge against Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) in 2016. Labrador twice told The Hill that he’s not thinking about the Senate race…
Last Idaho Gas Tax Hike? 1995
The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy notes Idaho is one of 22 states that have gone more than a decade without raising its gas tax. Idaho, which last raised the tax in 1995, isn’t even in the top ten in length of time since raising the tax. Question: Should Idaho raise its gas tax?
McHugh Addresses Pachyderms
Prosecutor Barry McHugh spoke to the members of the North Idaho Pachyderm Club this morning. He noted that the criminal criminal prosecution section of his office has a lower budget than is given to the public defender's office. He was not complaining though. He said...
Scandal Brings Down Oregon Guv
Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber announced his resignation on Friday, which will take effect next Wednesday, amid conflict-of-interest allegations involving his fiancée that have triggered a criminal corruption probe. Top Oregon Democrats and the state treasurer had on Thursday called on fellow Democrat Kitzhaber to resign,...
'I Want To Be My Kids' Hero'
In a poignant post, Idaho Dad writes about sharing memories and stories with his children, good ones and bad ones. He says he wants to be a strong, good influence in their lives, to offset the negative influences they might encounter in life. Question: Did you have a good father?
Faithful Geek: No Truth Zone
In a blog post, Faithful Geek says that news anchor Brian Williams isn't the only broadcaster who lies. Fox News lies, he says. As does CNN, MSNBC, CBS, etc. Why to the broadcasters lie? Because the truth isn't sexy. It doesn't sell ad space. Do you agree with Faithful Geek?
A Shot Of A Lifetime
My KHQ buddy Gabe Cohen reports on an incredible story out of St. Maries in which a 19-year-old born with Trisomy 9P, a chromosomal disorder similar to Down Syndrome, makes a shot of a lifetime in a high school basketball game. Check it out --...
Why Ask Why?
Why do public offices like the city of Post Falls and the Panhandle Health District close on Presidents' Day Monday -- and all the rest of us working stiffs have to punch the time clock?
AM Scanner Traffic -- 2.13.15
AM Scanner Traffic for Friday the 13th (18 items so far) 2 incidents in which individuals were caught stealing stuff by concerned citizens, one of whom snapped a cell phone photo.
IFF: In Defense Of 'Instant Racing'
Here’s why what happens in Boise is so important—and so scary: Right now, legislators are deciding, quite literally, whether dozens of employees of businesses throughout the state will have a job later this year; whether millions of dollars in planned capital purchases will go forward…
AM Headlines -- 2.13.15
In today's top story, local police save a man attempting to kill himself by hypothermia in Lake Coeur d'Alene. I listened to most of this incident on the police scanner. Next time you're tempted to write off the local police for a misstep, remember these times when they go extra mile.
Ginsburg: 'Not 100 Percent Sober'
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Thursday night that she wasn't "100 percent sober" when she nodded off "as I often do" during President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in January. Question: Have you ever nodded off during someone's speech?
SOS From Local Dems RE: Trees
Kootenai County Democrats have lit the bat signal, calling for North Idaho College students upset by the tree cut along the Dike Road to make their position heard at the next Coeur d'Alene City Council meeting.
County OKs Deputy Pay Raise
The Kootenai County commissioners on Thursday approved a pay increase for sheriff's office patrol deputies and command staff. The $1.50, $2 and $2.50 per hour raises Sheriff Ben Wolfinger's officers are getting will exclude detention deputies who work at the jail. Wolfinger also is excluded....
No Valentines For These Newly Weds
Valentine's Day won't be as joyous as several Latah County newlywed couples expected after finding out the state has declared their marriage licenses and weddings invalid. Kathy Sprague and Tabitha Simmons were married during the late afternoon on Oct. 10 and were considered the first...
Erickson: Why We Cut Dike Trees
In the Coeur d'Alene Press, city spokesman Keith Erickson explains the reason for heavy tree cutting along Dike Road: "Recently, questions have been raised about the number of trees being cut down as part of a levee restoration project along both sides of Rosenberry Drive...
D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.