My wife, in-laws and I will spend today fixing up my mother-in-law's Coeur d'Alene Place home for sale, in preparation for her move back to California. Yep, she finally had enough of the winter climate here after the long one we had in 2007-08. Heck, I had enough of this winter. But I've been around here long enough to know that it was an exception to the rule. The five or six before this one were pretty mild. So it'll take more than a few feet of snow to get me out of here. Now, for your Saturday Wild Card ...

Barry Kough/Lewiston Tribune, AP
Janet Lockhart waves a paddle to deter a runaway cow near downtown Lewiston. You write the cutline.

Hey, did anyone see the ads for The Last Comic Standing that premieres on NBC next week? A stand up comic from Riggins is a contestant. In the promo, he made a joke about growing up in the middle of nowhere. I'll go out on a limb and say that perhaps the Idaho comic will make a joke about Craig. Care to make any bets?/MamaJD.

Question: Anyone heard a good Larry Craig joke lately?

In the last two primary election cycles we've had about 2,200-2,300 absentee votes cast with a bit more than half of those being in-person early voting and the rest by mail. We will easily double those numbers by Monday as we are already at a total of about 4,200 absentee votes. But an astounding almost 3,800 of those are vote by mail ballots or about 91%! We received almost 1,100 requests for ballots by mail just from our clip out ads. Next Wednesday is the last day to request a ballot by mail but people can vote absentee until Monday the 26th. And yes that is Memorial Day and yes our Elections Office will be open anyway for the last day of absentee voting/Dan of the County (from San Francisco). More here

Question: Do you vote absentee regularly?

Item: ATF says Sali did not prompt it to scrap slogan: Other congressmen called first to complain about the 'Always Think Forfeiture' saying/Erika Bolstad, Idaho Statesman.

More Info: Federal agents no longer carry pocketknives with a specially engraved training slogan that enraged some gun and property rights activists. U.S. Rep. Bill Sali, R-Idaho, said Friday that his complaints about the slogan - "Always Think Forfeiture" - persuaded the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to end its use on the Leatherman tools handed out to participants in a training program. But a spokesman for the federal agency said Friday that the agency actually stopped using the slogan about two months ago, when other members of Congress first raised concerns.

Question: Did the ATF do the right thing by scrapping the "Always Think Forfeiture" slogan? Or did the agency simply cave to political pressure?

Of course, I managed to find probably the least salubrious item on the menu, a grilled Panini sandwich called “Mel’s Melt” which consists of juicy roast beef and smoked bacon, a thick layer of melted cheddar cheese, rich grilled onions and tangy barbecue sauce constructed on a fresh baguette, grilled to greasy hot perfection and served with a side of creamy horseradish. This delicious, decadent beauty was incredibly messy to eat, so much so that I had to ask for extra napkins twice, but it was so incredibly good it was easily worth the risk of embarrassment. Lou ordered the Hot Philly Dip, and I can always tell when he really enjoys something because he actually shuts up for the two minutes it takes him to finish any given food item. “Mmm…the au jus is so could I could drink it like soup,” which he then actually did/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here

Question: Who makes the best deli sandwich in the region?

And the answer for all of you fretting local parents is (drum roll, please) – they will come home again. At least, Jennifer Riggs did. The daughter of ex-Idaho Lt. Gov. Jack Riggs is making a name for herself as a budding artist. I was introduced to her work officially last Saturday as part of the downtown Coeur d'Alene Art Walk series. Her paintings and drawings graced the walls of the Java On Sherman coffee shop. You probably have seen her work, too. She was the youngest artist involved in CdA's "No Moose Left Behind" public art project four years ago, designing the "First Man on the Moose" entry. But more than Jennifer's art caught my eye. In a brochure displaying some of her work, she pointed out that she lived in several places throughout the world before realizing that "Coeur d'Alene is a black hole that one can never really escape, especially if one's family still resides there." Tired of "ceaselessly fighting the emotional gravitational pull," Jennifer continues, she "gave in and returned to the land of her youth." Yeah, I crossed my fingers and grabbed extra brochures to send to my son in Denver and my daughter in Portland/D.F. Oliveria, SR Handle Extra. More here

Question: Do your children live nearby in the Inland Northwest?

Shawn Gust/Coeur d'Alene Press, AP
A Coeur d'Alene, Idaho firefighter assesses the scene where a motorcycle collided with a pick-up truck Friday on Government Way. The motorcyclist was rushed to the hospital and his condition was unknown. But he died. Huckleberries Online post here

I arrived on the scene of this trajedy on my way home from work. There were no emergency vehicles on scene yet. Someone who appeared to be a citizen started doing CPR. From what I could see as I drove by I knew that the man on the motorcycle was seriously injured. I am so sorry for his family. Such a trajedy. Just today I drove by the new Harley dealership on West Appleway and thougth that a new Harley would make a great 40th birthday present. I think I've changed my mind/TheFatLadySings.

Question: Do you drive a motorcycle?

What's the solution to rising oil prices?/WorldNetDaily

1. We don't need a 'solution' – higher fuel prices reduce consumption and that's good for the environment
2. Get used to it – the rest of the world has been paying high prices for years
3. Greater conservation and changes to our lifestyles that recognize the Earth's natural limits
4. The Federal government should spend as much on developing alternative energy as it does on war
5. Al Gore is right – we need to ban the internal-combustion engine
6. Require auto manufacturers who want to sell in the U.S. to meet strict high gas-milage standards
7. We need a Manhattan-type project to develop biofuels
8. Pressure the Saudis and Persian Gulf states to increase drilling and production
9. Improved electric vehicles, backed up by massive expansion of nuclear power, would eliminate most of our need for fuel ... and would reduce carbon emissions
10. We need leaders with the political courage to take on the environmentalists blocking access to massive untapped reservoirs of U.S. oil offshore and at ANWAR

For the WorldNetDaily news report, click here.

The Hayden Lake Recreational Water and Sewer District (HLRWSD) received the test results taken from Hayden Lake water in regard to a sewage spill that occurred in Coopers Bay yesterday. The results indicate that the spill has only affected a very small area in Coopers Bay and the rest of the lake is suitable for all of the normal uses such as swimming fishing and boating. One sample indicated a level above that considered safe for swimming. That sample was taken at the outlet of the spill and within one hour of the time that the spill was discovered and corrected. The other four samples indicted that water quality was within acceptable limits/Gerry House, Hayden Lake Recreational Water & Sewer District.

At 5:35 pm Coeur d’Alene City Police responded to the 5800 block of Government Way for a motorcycle vs. vehicle accident. When officers arrived citizens were on scene performing CPR to a 31 year old adult male who was later pronounced dead. His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Idaho State Police arrived on scene and took over the fatality investigation. Preliminary results are the victim was southbound on Government Way. A 1992 Toyota Pickup driven by Charles L. Taylor, 65 years of age of Dalton Gardens, turned onto Government Way Northbound from the Cenex parking lot. The driver of the motorcycle attempted to stop by laying the bike down. The motorcycle collided into the driver’s side door area of the Toyota pickup. Taylor was uninjured in the accident. Preliminary indications are that alcohol was not involved/Sgt. Christie Wood, Coeur d'Alene Police Department news release.

It was quite a day at HBO Central, with breaking news about the flooding and the assault on the CPD Blue police officer -- as well as the shooting incident and the two -- mebbe three -- tragedies involving fire and vehicle accidents. As I mentioned in the comments section, Sgt. Christie Wood, Capt. Ben Wolfinger, the ISP, and other police agencies in North Idaho do a bang-up job getting their news releases out to Huckleberries. You get almost as soon as I do, in most instances. Now, I'm headed home for a sunny weekend. Enjoy yourselves. Here's your evening Wild Card ...

Kyle Mills/Lewiston Tribune, AP
With classmates close by, Nolan Nelson, 5, gets the first look at his new face after artist Judi Peterson of El Dorado, Calif., turned him into a grey wolf Friday at Juliaetta Elementary in Juilaetta, Idaho.

5:37 p.m. Injury accident involving motorcycle and pickup in front of Cenex near Dalton and Government Way in Coeur d'Alene. Motorcyclist reportedly is unconscious and not breathing. His helmet is shattered. CPR is in progress.

12:51 p.m. Woman, 44, fell and hurt her hip at Super 1 (Kathleen & 95) when a friend hugged her.

11:54 a.m. A motorist reportedly appears to have had a seizure and is driving erratically southbound on Park from Northwest Boulevard.

11:39 a.m. Motorist reports that another driver still is driving with studded snow tires.

The Kootenai County Board of Commissioners have declared a state of emergency in anticipation of flooding that will occur over the next several days in Kootenai County. Currently, high waters are not causing any problems other than low level farm fields in eastern Kootenai County/Capt. Ben Wolfinger, sheriff's news release. More here

RE: Bicyclist Tasered after assaulting CPD Blue
The Officer that was stuck by the flashlight is Sgt. Eric Turrell. The suspect who refused to identify himself during the incident as well as later at the jail(he was booked in as John Doe) has been identified as Deloyd Scott, 54 years of age of Coeur d'Alene. He was charged with 3 counts of felony battery on a police officer and one count of resisting arrest. ... The good news is Sgt. Turrell will be back at work. He sustained facial injuries but was able to block some of the blows so he was not seriously injured/Sgt. Christie Wood, CPD Blue. More here

Photo: A Family Runs Through It
"My daughter celebrated spring by taking her hamster out for a walk in the backyard," posts Family Phil/A Family Runs Through It. "We finally have shorts and t-shirt weather, which means spending a lot of time outside walking, playing, and, oh yeah, pulling weeds, spraying wasp nests, and dodging dog poop on the sidewalks."

As we approach one of the favorite weekends of the year ("Lost in the 50s"), of Sandpoint, I think back to my own first owned car. I bought with my own money. And that was $125, that I earned at $1 an hour job. It was a 1949 Chevy, green in color and a convertible. I loved that car. Even though, I only owned it for about 8 months. As I left R.I. and left the car behind to be sold by my father. He said it needed a new top and that cost what the offer he got for it. Boy, if I only had it now/From A Simple Mind. More here

HBO Numbers (for Thursday, May 15): 7348 page-views/4041 unique views

*The Garden Primer makes my heart soar/Gathering Around The Table
*Sunshine, gardens and grace/Live, Love, Laugh, Hope
*A taxing situation/Dogwalk Musings
*Show-and-tell finale/A Butterfly Moment
*Definition of leadership/Arch Druid
*Over the top/Bay Views
*Recommended reading: "Unquiet grave"/Chronic Discontent

Question (from Cis): Did you buy your first car with your own money? Or did your parents give it to you. What was it?

Brian Plonka/SR
Wolf Lodge campground in North Idaho has seen recent flooding, due to fast melting snow. Story here

*Our weather will take another crazy turn this weekend/Tom Sherry, KREM2
*Boil order issued for Shoshone County/KXLY
*Idaho Supreme Court candidates face off/Betsy Russell, SR
*Federal grand jury to consider criminal charges against Tamarack Resort/IStatesman
*6 Idaho officers awarded Medal of Honor/KTVB
*Woman sentenced for assaulting Horizon stewardess/KTVB

Question: Got any weekend plans to enjoy the beautiful weather?

Mary Schwalm/AP Photo
A gosling looks for food in front of a plastic coyote posted as a scarecrow on a lawn, in Tewksbury, Mass., Thursday. The plastic model is designed to scare away geese and keep them off the lawn, but appeared to have little effect on the young bird. You write the cutline.

Top Cutlines:

1. Big Bad Wolf: .... the better to EAT you with. Little Chick: Yeah, yeah, yeah - I've heard all your lines and BS. Quiet, I'm eating. But, hey, if you call me Sweetie, I'll follow you anywhere/JeanieSpokane.
2. "Fake coyote? (expletive), I useta read Huckleberries and I seen da HARELIP BABY! Now that'll scare ya right offa ya feed!"/Bob.
3. This sums up Dan "Goose Chase" Gookin: scary but ineffectual/MamaJD

HM: Pecky

Larry LaRocco, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate chatted with HBO via phone from Post Falls this afternoon.

DFO: How would Idaho benefit more in having you rather than Lt. Gov. Jim Risch as its U.S. senator?

Larry LaRocco: By tradition and policy and practice in the Senate, my two terms in the House will count in terms of seniority. When everyone is lining up for seniority and committee assignments, the first preference is given to former senators and the next preference is given to former representatives. Also, I'll be a member of the majority party. No one disputes that the Democrats are going to stay in the majority. It's a good value proposition for Idaho. I'll have more seniority on day one than Risch would have.

Rest of interview below

A fire early today claimed the life of Byron C. Shults, 84, of 35946 Highway 41. According to a Bonner County sheriff's report, Shults wife, Donna, 75, put two pieces of wood in the couple's stove at 5:50 a.m. and left the residence. Her husband was sitting in a chair in the living room at the time. When she returned 15 to 20 minutes later, she saw smoke pouring out of the house. Unable to enter the residence, she went next door to summon help. Later, firefighters found her husband's body near the back door. Authorities speculate that he was trying to escape when he was overcome by smoke.

Although it's not personal, Mickey Gunter sees a problem of epidemic proportions exemplified by University of Idaho President Tim White's departure for the chancellorship at the University of California Riverside. "They move on at such a fast pace they never really have a chance to accomplish significant amounts to help the institution," said Gunter, chairman of the UI's geological sciences department, of university presidents nationwide who hopscotch from one school to another/Joel Mills, Lewiston Tribune. More here

DFO: This story in the Lewiston Tribune today struck home because it came on the heels of a similar comment by a friend Thursday. He said that UIdaho turns over presidents about as often as it does athletic coaches. I agree with Prof Gunter in the article above that the turnover in the highest spot hurts the institution. Quoth Gunter: "I think it's time that we really need to put an end to this. This is bad for all of higher education."

Question: How can UIdaho stop the turnover in the institution's top spot?

Peter Morrison/AP Photo
Marcus Fraser of Australia enters the water on the seventh hole to play his second shot during the 2nd round of the Irish Open Adare Manor Golf Club, Limerick, Ireland, today. For the rest of Andrew Zahler's SR Today In Pictures, click here.

Lift operator Jordan Williams, 22, told his galpal to shoot off a .22 round if she heard a noise at night to scare off animals as they camped at Bull Run Recreational Area, near Cataldo. She did. And shot Williams in the hand as he slept in an adjoining tent 3 feet away. Seems the two had been camping together for a few days before the accident occurred between 12:30 and 1:45 a.m. Thursday. At first, Williams thought he was on fire because he'd gone to sleep listening to the fire crackle and woke up with his arm burning. But he quickly realized he was badly injured. The bullet entered the top of Williams' hand through a finger and broke his thumb bones. The two were able to flag down a motorist on Highway 3 when they couldn't stop the bleeding. According to a sheriff's report, Williams and his companion were adamant that the shooting was an accident. She faces a possible charge of injuring another person by careless discharge of a firearm.

A high-speed chase involving a vehicle stolen in Whitefish, Mont., ended with two under-age teens in jail. Bonners Ferry police spotted the 2007 Chevy pickup on Highway 95 after authorities were alerted by an OnStar tracking device that the vehicle was in the area. That started a chase that reach speeds of 95 mph. The pickup, with a 15-year-old male at the wheel, continued south on Highway 95 at 80 mph into Ponderay even after one front tire was deflated by a spike strip at Upper Pack River Road. The pickup came to a stop at 5th Avenue and Larch Street in Sandpoint after two more tires were blown out by a spike strip. The boy and a 17-year-old girl were taken into custody and charged with eluding and felony possession of a stolen vehicle.

Christina Newbill (top), daughter of slain Moscow police officer Lee Newbill receives a plaque on behalf of her father during the 2008 Idaho Peace Officer Memorial ceremony today in Meridian. Newbill is the 64th officer whose name has been added to the memorial wall. Officers representing law enforcement agencies from across Idaho gathered for the Idaho Peace Officers Memorial on the grounds of the Idaho State Police Headquarters. The annual event remembers those officers killed in the line of duty. Also recognized with Medals of Honor were five officers for their heroism in the Newbill incident - Officer Jesse Applehans - Moscow Police Department, Sergeant Phil Gray, Sergeant Brannon Jordan, Deputy Ryan Stiller, and Deputy Jay Waters, all from the Latah County Sheriffs Office. A Boise Police Department Officer, Brek Orton was also presented the Medal of Honor for a water rescue he perfomed.

... Unidentified assailant grabs officer's flashlight, hits him in face/CPD Blue news release

ISP fatal accident news release

Stephen Cummings was northbound in the red Chevy Sprint on US95 at mp 490.8, near the Elmira Store when he struck a deer. The deer was then thrown into the southbound lane where it was struck by Alan Roebuck in the white Honda Civic. The deer came through the windshield of the Honda striking Mr. Roebuck. Alan Roebuck died on scene. Passenger, Georgina Roebuck was transported to Bonner General. Cummings and Stevens were not injured/ISP news release. Original SR story

Staci Lehman, who works for the Spokane Regional Transportation Council, was out on Tuesday snapping some photos of a soon-to-be-moved highway weigh station on Interstate 90 near the Washington/Idaho state line. "We were just doing a Powerpoint on some of the projects that are funded in our master transportation plan," said co-worker Jeff Selle. Lehman, driving her own car, pulled into the "pretty much deserted" spot, took a couple of photos, and continued on her way. About 10 minutes later, she says, her privately-owned cell phone rang. On the phone: a state trooper wanting to know why she had been taking those pictures/Rich Roesler, Eye On Olympia. More here

Question: Should Stacy be wary that the Washington State Patrol tracked her down so fast via her cell phone?

RE: Randy Stapilus' rundown on top 10 Idaho primary races
Up in the Panhandle an unusual issue has arisen: Water, and the efforts by the state (which we see as appropriate) to extend the water rights and adjudication system there. That has led to blowback from residents concerned about what that may mean, and legislators like (Sen. Shawn Keough/Sandpoint) who pushed for the adjudication (now favoring slowing down the process at least) have been caught in the middle. Keough has had no tough re-election runs in a decade; could water create serious problems for her in the primary this time? (Donald Heckle, Laclede), we should note, also emphasizes a string of social issues (he bills himself as “the conservative choice”), and those could figure into the equation too.

Brian Plonka/SR
Picnic grounds along the banks of Hauser Lake are overcome by flood waters made from melting snow in the foothills of the Selkirk Mountains in North Idaho. Story about Inland NW flooding here

1. Tonight, a self-described murderer will graduate from Lewis-Clark State College. But Dan LeMaster says his education to become a substance abuse counselor is his road to redemption here/Lewiston Tribune.

2. An Ada County jury acquitted a 32-year-old Sun Valley area man Thursday who was accused of hitting a Boise Police officer in the face with an icy snowball in February here/IStatesman.

3. For the past decade hookah bars were only found in large cities, but now they are popping up across the Idaho's Treasure Valley-- and parents are concerned here/KTVB.

4. Blogs: 10 notable Idaho primaries/Randy Stapilus, Ridenbaugh Press; When the scales are even, justice is served/Dogwalk Musings; and So what is Nancy Merrill thinking?/Kevin Richert, IStatesman.

5. IMHO: Whitman County roads excite woman's wanderlust/David Johnson, Lewiston Tribune; There's something happening here/Jill Kuraitis, New West Boise; My crazy brother/Ray Ring, High Country News; and Why Obama is winning the West/Matthew Frank, New West Bozeman.

6. News Roundup: Spokane Valley attorney disbarred for raiding kids' trust accounts/SR; Idaho couple survives China earthquake/KTVB; Inmates make alcohol from rotten fruit/KTVB; New law to collect sales tax from Internet purchases/KREM2; and Idaho pastor pleads guilty to misdemeanor battery/Twin Falls Times-News.

Online Poll: By 57% to 37%, 888 respondents to an Idaho Statesman poll say they disagree with the California court decision overturning the ban on gay marriage -- 47% strongly disagreed.

AP File Photo
Pam Sharpe, 38, and her daughter Jennifer, 15, pose for a photo in their garage displaying cases of Girl Scout cookies, in Dearborn, Mich. Jennifer sold 17,328 boxes of Girl Scout cookies this year, which shatters her troop's old record and is believed to be a national record, though Girl Scouts of the USA doesn't track individual sales.

Question: What was the last item that you purchased for a school, church or organizational fund-raiser?

The hard-core anti-tax crowd among Idaho Republicans elected a legislator close to their heart to the U.S. House last cycle, and maybe the legislator closest to them now is (House District 3B Rep. Phil) Hart (pictured), a serious anti-taxer who has battled over his own taxes with the IRS. (A rousing endorsement quote from Bill Sali is prominent on Hart’s main web page.) His opposition comes from (David) Rawls, formerly a school district superintendent - not usually the kind of resume GOP primary voters warm to. Here again, Hart is favored (he’s had a number of primary challenges before) but the results in this race may serve as a localized measure of Sali-style politics/Randy Stapilus, Ridenbaugh Press. More here

Question: Can former Coeur d'Alene schools superintendent David Rawls overcome hard right support for state Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, to win in the GOP primary?

Bonhams/AP
This photo released by Bonhams shows Rick Griffin's 1990 acrylic on canvas "Greatful Dead - 'Without A Net' 1990 European Tour. " A collection of original art by noted psychedelic artists, depicting some of the biggest names in rock 'n' roll, fetched about $795,000 at an auction Wednesday.

Question: Do you enjoy the psychedelic art genre?

As of 10 a.m. (Thursday), gay marriage is legal in my native land! My heart rate jumped a few notches while I sat reading the story. How proud I felt in those quiet moments in my office. How good it felt to know that a court full of appointees chosen mainly by Republican governors understood that denying any man or woman the freedom to marry their life's love was downright unfair. And unnecessary/Jill Wagner, Out On The Town. More here

Yesterday's California Supreme Court ruling overturning the state's ban on gay marriage is just another catastrophic example of judicial activism on steroids. Four black-robed oligarchs callously overrode the expressed will of 4,618,673 Californians who voted in 2000 to define marriage exclusively as the union of one man and one woman. When four people can ignore the democratically enacted decision of 4 million people, we no longer have a republic at all. This is a form of tyranny, plain and simple. Observation: the Court believes that majority rule is good enough for judges - four beats three - but not good enough for the people. Only an out-of-control judiciary can believe that four beats four million/Bryan Fischer, Idaho Values Alliance. More here

Idaho Blog roundup:
*LaRocco calls out Risch for skipping debates/Red State Rebels
*A look at Huckahate/Adam's Blog
*Write your own constitution/Free In Idaho!
*Another Idaho Repub who's too busy to debate/Unequivocal Notion

At his retirement announcement Thursday, I asked Tony Stewart a question from the audience re: the attempt by Rep. Bob Nonini and the Republican Pachyderm Club to stop the Education Corridor project. Here's some sound bites from his response:

*"If we don't do this now, this city will suffer for the rest of its history."
*"$10 million is peanuts compared to what we will get out of this."
*"You can't teach someone to be visionary."
*"I was called a "commie" by people who opposed the purchase of the NIC beach. You won't find people now who'd admit that they opposed the purchase.
*"You have to have courage to do the right thing."

Before kids, my husband and I used to spend our weekends in Bayview, Idaho, sailing our ’73 Coronado on Lake Pend Oreille. After our eldest son was born, we just couldn’t keep the boat. It was hard to sail with an infant on board, especially after he started crawling. I was so paranoid that he would fall overboard and drown. So we sold it. But during one of our last sailing days, Ted lost his wedding band. The gold ring had always been a little loose, but somehow, he didn’t notice that it had slipped off his finger. We were both convinced that it had fallen in the water, lost forever at the bottom of Lake Pend Oreille/Virginia de Leon, Parents Council. More here

Question: Have you ever lost your wedding ring?

Item: NICE pulls Currie campaign ads from buses: Resident complains placement unethical/Suzanne Jacobson, Coeur d'Alene Press

More Info: No laws appear to have been broken, but Hayden resident Joy Cassidy said she opposed campaign advertisements on property partially funded through tax dollars. ... Currie said he didn't do anything wrong, and his advertising dollars helped a cash-strapped nonprofit.

Question: Is this much ado about nothing? Or did Joy Cassidy have a point re: a conflict of interest?

Jerome A. Pollos/Coeur d'Alene Press
Djuna Luckey, 5, left, Jett Childers, 5, and Cali Shipman, 7, follow Cynthia Marlette, a music teacher at Glory Be preschool, as she leads her " cherub choir" across 6th Street in downtown Coeur d'Alene, Idaho as they make their way toward business to hold impromptu concerts Thursday.

*Idaho Records/Sherry Adkins, SR
*U of I faculty, alumni say next leader needs vision: Tim White came to Moscow when the university was in crisis mode. The State Board will face challenges picking his successor/IStatesman.
*Tony Stewart says farewell: Instructor, activist will join KSPS TV to produce, host PBS programming/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d'Alene Press
*POST Director: Whistleblower not cleared of wrongdoing in alleged Bonner County corruption case/Keith Kinnaird, Bonner County Bee
*Flood warning issued for Cataldo/SR
*Post Falls Urban Renewal Agency faces questions: Group suspends payments for public improvements pending review of plans/Brian Walker, Coeur d'Alene Press

So if digger & spazz go to CA to get married, would it be recognized in Idaho?/Sue.

I am a proud supporter of the Ed Corridor. With that said, I don't think there is anything wrong with having the land appraised. When exactly did Marshall buy the property? Appraised values have come down significanly since 2006 and if it does impact taxpayers, then those taxpayers have every right to make sure the value is there. It will certainly grow in value and I woudln't argue that. Personally, I think the value of the land could in fact appraise for more but if it would make people sleep better knowing it is in fact worth the value then by all means have it appraised. Have it appraised by someone everyone can agree upon/JimmyMAC.

So, last month I went through the Starbucks drive-through and ordered my regular tall coffee with cream. When I got to the window the barista handed me a card that entitled me to a FREE cup of coffee every Wednesday until May 26. They're promoting their new Pikes Place blend. Well. I'm not going to turn down free coffee, so every week I've been getting my free cup and I only just realized it's a horribly insidious plot. I'm addicted. My car is programed to head to Starbucks each Wednesday morning and afternoon. I'm not sure I can stop, now. What will I do when I have to start PAYING for my coffee? Probably have to sell the house or something. So laugh if you want about naked mermaids, but these Starbucks folks are just plain evil/CindyH.

Question: What are your thoughts on California Supreme Court decision opening way for same-sex marriage in state/WorldNetDaily

1. Once again, California leads the way in the elimination of discrimination and bigotry
2. I agree with Nancy Pelosi – this 'historic decision ... provides for equal treatment for all California's citizens and families'
3. The court did the right thing – the law denying 'gays' the right to marry was obviously unconstitutional
4. It's a good next step in the evolution of human rights
5. California's a bellweather state – the rest of the nation won't be far behind
6. I thought California was supposed to have fallen into the Pacific already – what's taking so long?
7. The court overstepped its authority, especially since the majority of California voters have overwhelmingly expressed their support for traditional marriage
8. It's a disgrace that four unelected judges can overturn thousands of years of Judeo-Christian values
9. California voters need to impeach the four rogue judges and put the ban on same-sex marriage in the state constitution
10. Other

For the WorldNetDaily news report, click here.

Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer

Robin Loznak/Roseburg News Review
A small bug hitches a slow motion ride on a garden snail on a walkway in front of a house in Cottage Grove, Ore., Thursday.

I'm about to hoof it home and enjoy the beautiful sunshine outside along the way. Sometime in the next week, I need to take my bike out of the cob webs. And tune it up somewhat. I used to ride to work regularly a coupla years ago. But got out of the habit. Am I going green? Nah. Gas prices. My 4Runner gets decent mileage for an SUV. But it can't touch my late, great Honda Accord in that category. As a side benefit, of course, walking and biking to work and back is good for health. Now, to continue your daily Wild Card ...

Barack Obama apologized Wednesday to a Michigan TV reporter after he called her "sweetie" and dodged her question about autoworkers. WXYZ-TV's Peggy Agar shouted a question to the Democratic presidential candidate during his appearance at a Chrysler LLC plant in this auto-making suburb of Detroit. Agar asked Obama what is he "going to do to help American autoworkers." "Hold on one second, sweetie," Obama replied. "We'll do a press (availability), thanks." He did not reply to Agar's question. On the air later Wednesday, the station played a voice mail message Obama left for Agar. In it, Obama apologized for not getting back to her. He also told her he has a bad habit of calling people "sweetie"/AP.

Question: Was this incident apology worthy?

Earlier this week, I mentioned that third-grader Cassie Hoots/Atlas Elementary was a finalist in the "Doodle for Google" contest. Seems kids were asked to draw a "doodle" for the google website. The winner (in each category) receives a $10,000 college scholarship and the school gets a $25,000 computer lab, plus their "doodle" will be published on Google's Web site May. The contest runs through Sunday.

Vote for Cassie's entry ("Picnic") here

Kerri Thoreson/OnLocation North Idaho
Earlier today, a giant pipe is transported around the corner at Independence Point on Sherman Avenue to detour around the aging I-90 underpasses through Coeur d'Alene.

HBO Numbers (for Wednesday, May 14): 7466 page-views/4147 unique views

*Finding serenity in chaos/Soul Doubt
*CCC/Wayward Episcopalian
*Countdown/Tumblewords
*The 2 that got away/Ralph Bartholdt, The Skinny On North Idaho
*Ice out/TUBOB
*Off to see the kids/Slight Detour
*My wife's birthday/Synaptic Disunion