‘Nonbomber’ Shakes Capitol

Boise’s version of the Unabomber could be called the Nonbomber. Or perhaps the Campaignabomber.

When he brought a package to Gov. Phil Batt, it was labeled “time bomb,” “plastic explosives,” and “This is for Gov. Phil Batt.”

But instead of explosives, the cardboard box contained several copies of Jeffry Loy Heath’s manifesto, eight legal-sized, handwritten pages that police described as “just kind of a collection of political ramblings.”

In it, Heath called himself a presidential candidate and referred to slavery and the New World Order.

“There’s no connection we can find that he is affiliated with any extremist group,” said Boise Police Lt. Jim Tibbs. “This type of writing is typical of people suffering from certain mental disorders.”

Discovery of the box, which was left under the Statehouse steps near where the governor parks his car, caused the evacuation of a six-block area Thursday night.

Then, on Friday just before noon, Heath turned up at the Capitol. “He went to the information center and asked the clerk if Gov. Batt received a package that he left for him last night,” said Tibbs. “She summoned two Idaho State Police officers.”

Heath was taken to a psychiatric ward and could face felony charges.

The incident was enough to shake up folks who work in the Statehouse.

“I can’t ever recall anything like that happening here before, not in recent memory anyway,” said Julie Pipal, the governor’s assistant press secretary.

But dahling, everyone’s doing it

With its chandeliers, 20-foot ceilings, grand piano and sumptous rugs, the second floor “viewing room” of the elegant Sun Valley Lodge seems a plush, Old World retreat with a spectacular view.

Or, depending on your perspective, the perfect model for that new dining room.

The older woman posed in front of the window, next to the piano, as her husband snapped her picture and more shots of the room.

“We’re building a house,” she explained. “We’ve already got the mountains and the view.”

“You’re building a house like the Sun Valley Lodge?” queried an incredulous journalist seated next to me.

“Oh, not as large, of course,” the woman responded. “But we want this feel.”

“Everyone’s putting in these large rooms,” her husband added.

Occasional helpless terror allowed

Just what are you supposed to do when you see a road sign that says, “Occasional blinding dust storms, next 19 miles”?

This encouraging message greets travelers on I-84 just south of Rupert, assuming they can see it.

Fran’s the man

The odds against it just seemed so great. Newsweek magazine identified a woman named Fran Boyd as the Washington, D.C., lobbyist for the American Sheep Industry Association.

Here in Idaho, we’ve got Stan Boyd, lobbyist for the Idaho Wool Growers Association. Are the two the same? Related?

Nope, says the Idaho Boyd. “And it’s a guy….He’s a real good fella.” It shouldn’t be surprising that Fran’s a male. Right here in Idaho, there are men whose first names are Sherl, Clair and June. These may sound like women’s first names, but in these cases, they definitely are not.

, DataTimes MEMO: North-South Notes runs every other Saturday. To reach Betsy Z. Russell, call 336- 2854, fax to 336-0021 or e-mail to bzrussell@rmci.net.