At As The Lake Churns, Pecky Cox writes: "I can't wait for more snow! In the meantime here is this (photo) taken at Hill's Resort -- Hills' afternoon delight and Martini break"
[...]At As The Lake Churns, Pecky Cox writes: "I can't wait for more snow! In the meantime here is this (photo) taken at Hill's Resort -- Hills' afternoon delight and Martini break"
[...]
I have a police scanner on in the background when I'm working on the computer and around noon on Sunday heard a call that had me shaking my head. A woman calls 911 and tells them that she wants her mother-in-law removed from her home. The mother-in-law's "crime"' [...]
Posts KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho: "The 24-foot-wide pine wreath on the parking garage of the Coeur d'Alene Resort reminds us of the year about to come to an end. Weighing nearly 3 tons, the wreath is handcrafted each year by Post Falls florist, Connie O'Neil."
Spokane police changing policies [...]At his perch high above the downtown, Don Sausser offers this view of the Coeur d'Alene Resort lights.
George Harrison, gone these 9 years/Atmospheric RuminationsHeroes and heroines/Bay ViewsBeing black in America -- or not so/Dogwalk MusingsFriday local music thingie: Rex James/Get Out! North IdahoWhen not to' [...]Update: You can read a copy of Brannon's lawsuit here (sorry it's upside-down)
The losing candidate in a Coeur d’Alene City Council race on Monday filed a lawsuit challenging the race, naming all council members as defendants, along with the mayor, the city clerk, and Kootenai County’s clerk and elections manager. In the November [...]
Melissa had always been too big for this town, her father liked to say. She was editor of the school newspaper, intern in the United States Senate and the only student from Sentinel High School’s class of 2005 to attend college on the East Coast. On her rare visits home [...]
Tiffiny Ryan, left, sister of slain Lakewood police officer Tina Griswold, speaks to the media in Spokane alongside Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick during a press conference this afternoon. (Jesse Tinsley/SR)
The sister of a police officer shot to death in a Lakewood coffee shop made a tearful plea today for [...]

I have a love-hate relationship with coffee. I married a beautiful, wonderful woman who LOVES coffee. My son and my daughter LOVE coffee. I LOVE reading my son's Coffee Blog. And I hate the taste of coffee. ... 4 sips in my soon-to-be-54-years...aghh...yuck. And yet I LOVE the [...]
Applebee's will be donating 10% of its proceeds to buy a specially built tricycle for former Coeur d'Alene police officer Mike Kralicek from individuals who present the above coupon while buying a meal at the restaurant Tuesday. Officer Kralicek was wounded in the line of duty several years ago.
' [...]
Before joining the Lakewood Police Department, Tina Griswold earned a reputation as a hard-charging, well-liked officer in Lacey who never let things slide when it came to officer safety. When she would make stops, she would use her flashlight the right way and approach cars correctly. When she [...]

It’s likely to the point of moral certainty that someone you know will try in the next few days to foist turkey tetrazzini upon your good self — made, of course, with the remnants of last week’s main course. Resist. Tetrazzini, you see, is American — not Italian [...]
Sarah Palin greets a crowd with her son Trig as she makes an appearance to sign copies of her book "Going Rogue" at Hasting book store in Richland, Wash. on Sunday. Thousands showed up for Palin's book signing in the Tri-Cities. (AP Photo/Tri-City Herald, Paul T. Erickson)
Cartoon: Religion in [...]
CoeurGenX: This is the reason the jail expansion needed to be done.. There are many people right now running around our town who should be incarcerated, but we don't have the room for them.. Gosh I hate to say this, but I wish the vote was tomorrow after' [...]
Ramon Villalobos and his wife Raquel prepare poinsettias for shipment last week at SunWest Growers in Sunnyside, Wash. About 30,000 of the Christmas flowers are shipped not only to Tri-City nurseries and florist shops but from Ellensburg to Baker City, Ore., as well. (AP Photo/Richard Dickin, Tri-City Herald)
Question: Do you usually buy [...]
Today's the day that local political buffs have anticipated since it became apparent that challenger Jim Brannon wasn't in a hurry to ask for a recount in his 5-vote loss to incumbent Mike Kennedy. Brannon has until closing time this afternoon to make a formal request for the recount. Then,' [...]

Chief Wayne Longo informs Huckleberries Online that he will be sending an honor guard to participate in the funerals of the four Lakewood Police Department officers murdered Sunday morning. Noting that the parents of slain officer Tina Griswold (pictured) lives in Coeur d'Alene, Longo said the Coeur d'Alene [...]

On the Sunday thread, Lizard People took great exception to the use of the term "teabag" or "teabaggers" to refer to individuals that take part in the Tea Party movement. Unquestionably, the original intent of liberals and some media people in using the term was derogatory. The term [...]
As you know, Jim Brannon has until 5 p.m. today to ask the state for an official recount of his 5-vote loss to incumbent Mike Kennedy in the Nov. 3 Coeur d'Alene municipal election. Also, those who may seek to challenge the election entirely have the same deadline for filing' [...]
This photo taken Friday and provided by the celebrity Web site TMZ.com shows a Cadillac Escalade that Tiger Woods crashed into a tree outside his home in Windermere, Fla. Woods has refused to grant an interview re: the crash to the Florida Highway Patrol, issuing a statement instead that the [...]

I watch store clerks working themselves to a frazzle during the Christmas season and I realize how easy their job is this time of year. I have worked in such jobs and I tell you the easiest work is the hardest work because it makes the day move [...]

The mayor listed a half page full in last week’s edition of the Sandpoint Reader, Sandpoint’s alternative newsweekly. They had to do with who would own and maintain the depot in the future and whether and how to keep it even if the city loses [...]
This combination of photos provided by the City of Lakewood, Wash., shows, from left to right, Lakewood police officers Greg Richards, 42, Tina Griswold, 40, Ronald Owens, 37, and Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39. The four were killed when a gunman opened fire on them at a Parkland, Wash. coffee store [...]
A dog rests with his owner at the third annual "Dogathon," in Mexico City Sunday. Thousands of dogs took part in the races, running either 1500 meters or 3000 meters with their owners in tow along a horsetrack in the city. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
Top Cutlines:
1. Expected [...]
OrangeTV: As a non-religious person who doesn't give much though to Jesus' various bodily fluids, I actually enjoy the shallow commercialization of the holidays and find it slightly un-American when people complain about it. I like mindless consumption. I like plastic crap. If the season were more religious, I [...]

Coeur d’Alene will become the farthest Northwest home of the Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain when it occupies an existing building at 402 W. Neider Ave. in late March. The building originally was an auto parts store and most recently housed a log furniture business. Now with about 310 restaurants [...]

Owners Dino and Fotini Tsakarestos weren’t just whistling "Saranta Palikaria" when they chose the word “Authentic” to land before “Greek Food” in all their ads. They arrived from Crete in the ‘70s, and have 30 years behind them in the restaurant world. The reason for their good reputation [...]
Michael Ramirez/Investor's Business Daily
[...]I enjoyed sampling some nicely aged Bent beer at the Bentfest in Stickman's driveway Saturday afternoon. Me sums up the Bentfest (photos here): "I just got back home from Bentfest and had a great time. I also now have a coveted stick made my Stickman. I didn't tell Stickman tonight, but'" [...]
Utah State running back Derrvin Speight (21) breaks loose into the Idaho backfield during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow. Utah State won 52-49. ESPN boxscore here. (AP Photo/Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Dean Hare)
They met a few feet outside the [...]

It is now time to consider once more, a realignment of schools and conferences. For many years, Washington State has proven with only one or two exceptions that they can't compete regularly in the PAC-ten. Then we have number 6 ranked Boise State, 12 and zip, once more. clearly, they are overmatching' [...]
We'll have to wait until Monday to see if challenger Jim Brannon is going to file a request for a recount in his 5-vote loss to incumbent Mike Kennedy in their Coeur d'Alene City Council race. Or to see if there's some kind of attempt to overthrow the election results [...]

Calling someone “quirky” isn’t always a compliment. If someone were to say, for example, that a woman you liked had quirky talents as a lover, you’d think twice about jumping into the sack with her. Not that you wouldn’t, ultimately, but you’d likely hesitate. Putting it in baseball terms, if as a manager [...]
Shoppers choose outfits after stripping down to their underwear at a store of the clothing retailer 'Joy' in central London Thursday. Shoppers queued up for the opening of the store as the retailer gave away free outfits to their first 25 customers who were dress in just their underwear on [...]

Digger: Alot of the items we sell on Black Friday are tied to an “Dealer Credit” with the vendor -- if we sell the unit on Black Friday then we get a certain $ amount back for all sales of the item that day. Example -- Samsung Blu Ray player - [...]

Churches in Idaho, being assisted by businessmen and women, will be using $10,000 to pay parking tickets for anyone and everyone...until the money runs out. It's called the Grace Gift Parable. The principle behind this parable is what? Paying the debts legitimately owed by people who have broken the law? [...]

When the Idaho Vandals try to win a Senior Day game for the first time since 2004, all eyes will be on the quarterback position. Nathan Enderle is expected to play Saturday against Utah State after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury, and the Vandals (7-4, 4-3 WAC) [...]
This photo released by the White House Friday shows President Barack Obama greeting Michaele and Tareq Salahi, right, at a State Dinner hosted by Obama for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House in Washington Tuesday. The Secret Service is looking into its own security procedures after determining [...]
President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrive for the state arrival ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday. Associated Press photos.
"President Obama is days away from announcing a new Afghan strategy, but his immediate battle could come from liberals within his own party" [...]
From left, Ella Bleu Travolta, John Travolta and Conner Rayburn in “Old Dogs,” a comedy also starring Robin Williams. Disney
If you're looking to see a movie this weekend, here's a roundup.
Reviewers aren't kind to Travolta or Williams, but are giving good reviews to Viggo Mortensen even if "The Road," [...]
The folks at A.V. Club have compiled a list of the best books of the 00's. No, "Going Rogue" didn't make the cut.
Among their non-fiction picks: Devil in the White City, Freakonomics and Nixonland.
Ficton picks include: Atonement, Bel Canto and The Blind Assassin.
What books would you add to the list?
[...]
Cincinnati’s Steve Toyloy has his shot blocked by GU’s Will Foster in the first half of title game.
(Full-size photo) (All photos)
So much for stealth. So much for muted optimism and measured expectations, and a Gonzaga [...]
It's been nice having our oldest son at home for the holiday. He's part of an urban ministry program at a local church and travels quite a bit.
For the past few years, he's gotten up early on Black Friday to shop with his girlfriend (or friend depending on the status of [...]
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident early Friday when his car struck a tree near his mansion in a gated waterfront community, authorities said.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Woods, 33, hit the hydrant and a tree after pulling out of his driveway in his [...]
Camels crowd a drinking trough, pushing horses out of the way in Northern Territory, Australia.
ALICE SPRINGS, Australia – Australian authorities plan to corral about 6,000 wild camels with helicopters and gun them down after they overran a small Outback town in search of water, trampling fences, smashing tanks and [...]
A Mario Brothers video game is projected onto a large screen on stage, as the Los Angeles Philharmonic plays for the premiere of the debut performance of Video Games Live at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
"I now pronounce you husband and what?!
In another sign that the world is about" [...]
WASHINGTON – Troubled by the rising jobless rate, President Barack Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress are assembling a new jobs package that would devote billions of dollars to projects meant to put people back on payrolls in 2010 and keep them working.
Discussions over the scale of the bill are [...]
A Skier on Mt Spokane
"Skiing ramps up Friday with the opening of the Mount Spokane, Schweitzer and Silver Mountain ski areas. The region’s other two ski resorts – 49 Degrees North and Lookout Pass – opened over the past two weekends."
My menfolk are hitting the cross country trails tomorrow. [...]
Sendal Hudson and Colton Thiede model raccoon hats that were worn during colonial times in North America. Fifth-graders at Opportunity Elementary School hosted their annual Sail America Expo on Tuesday, where they acted as travel agents and tried to convince parents and visitors to settle in their colony.
You write the [...]
Mmm... Nothing better than my homemade apple pie and freshly brewed coffee for breakfast. As usual I had to hide a slice from the menfolk so I could enjoy my traditional day-after breakfast. Hope you all enjoyed the blessings of food and family yesterday. I know I sure did.
I have never shopped [...]
By the time Friday rolls around, this turkey, dressing and cranberry sandwich can be yours with just a few Thanksgiving dinner leftovers.
So. If you're fortunate enough to have any leftover turkey, stuffing, potatoes etc. how do you enjoy them? I've got a huge vat of turkey stock simmering on the stove [...]
In this Nov. 28, 2008, file photo, Nassau County Police examine the front of the Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, N.Y., where a temporary Wal-Mart worker died after shoppers broke down the doors and trampled him.
Folks take their Black Friday shopping seriously, and there are some good deals to be [...]
"Michaele and Tareq Salahi like a good party, an attorney who knows them said Thursday, and maybe that's why the couple from Virginia's horse country didn't look out of place at the White House state dinner for the Indian prime minister.
They were all smiles as they rubbed shoulders with Vice'" [...]
Spokane Vocational Skills Center school student Brian Hartmeier, left, adds water while instructor Chuck Sauer, second from left, demonstrates how to mix cement for footings for the new deck for the house being refurbished by student labor on the 2000 block of East Decatur Street in northeast Spokane. The house [...]
Michael Ramirez/Investor's Business Daily
[...]
That study inspired me to keep my own thankfulness diary. I discovered an amazing thing – counting my blessings, no matter how small, shifted my perspective. While my difficulties didn’t disappear, my attitude changed, and that made all the difference. I remembered that lesson as I nestled into my burgundy Egyptian cotton sheets, [...]

There's at least one Post Falls family who might have a difficult time celebrating Thanksgiving after a thief was spotted stealing someone's turkey early Thursday morning.Eyewitness Eric Ator was coming out of Peak Fitness, located at 927 East Polston Avenue in Post Falls, when he spotted the thief carrying what appears to be [...]
Happy Thanksgiving Day to all of you who are in the extended family of Huckleberries Online, from Idawa in Seattle on the West Coast to Marmitetoasty within spitting distance of the English Channel. I'm going to enjoy the day with family, eating turkey at my house and then driving two' [...]
Cincinnati center Steve Toyloy (42) and Gonzaga center Robert Sacre (00) get into a shoving match early in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday at the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii. Gonzaga won the tournament by beating Cincinnati in overtime 61-59. You can read Jim Meehan's' [...]

Bookended by 9/11 at the start and a financial wipeout at the end, the first 10 years of this century will very likely go down as the most dispiriting and disillusioning decade Americans have lived through in the post–World War II era. We're still weeks away from the end of '09, but [...]

Me: What do you have for Thanksgiving dinner - the must haves. My Sister spent some time in the South and was so surprised by what they had for Thanksgiving compared to us: Roast turkey; Sage stuffing (celery, onion, sage, bread); Mashed potatoes; gravy; corn; cranberry (the canned jelled stuff); sweet [...]

Idaho Dad: I just checked my records and saw that my first email to DFO about his new blog was in March of 2004. He inspired me to then start my own blog in May of 2004. It's been a wild ride since then, and my life has certainly changed in [...]
JohnA: Doggone it, Bent. Always having a beerfest at Stickman's when we're out of town. Deena and I can't imagine a better afternoon than sharing a beer with you and the Stickman, under the ever-present beauty of Tubbs Hill. One of these days, we'll have to make the CDA River thing' [...]
Escapee: One of the roughest jobs I had was as a Salvation Army Bell-ringer, becoming so cold, that once I got back home, I had to sit in front of my forced-air heater for an hour before I finally felt normal. One winter I rang the bell in front of a [...]
Gonzaga guard Steven Gray, left, and Cincinnati guard Larry Davis dive for a loose basketball in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game tonight at the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii. The Zags (5-1) won the championship game against the Bearcats (4-1) in overtime 61-59. Jim Meehan's' [...]
Wearing a uniform and name tag, Cody, a chocolate Labradaor retriever, greets people who pull up to the drive-through window of the family-owned gas station-convenience store in Clearwater, Fla. on Tuesday. Store owner Karim Mansour said he started bringing Cody to work five months ago for company on the early [...]

I did it! What did I do? Well in August I hiked to Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park - why is that a big deal? Well because it was over 7 miles, but it was a 1600' elevation change in 3.5 miles!!!! UP UP UP! I can' [...]
At More Main Street, KerriT tells us about Elijah Dawson Ott, who came into the world six years ago on Thanksgiving day, born three months early, weighing just 1.7 pounds. More here.
Sarah Palin to do 5k run in Tri-Cities/AP3 INW hospitals add robotic surgery systems/John Stucke, SR[...]
You and I have been through a lot of adventures at Huckleberries Online since I launched this blog on Feb. 16, 2004. We've laughed together. We've shared tough times together. We've fought. Some have left. But most have stayed. I especially appreciate those who have been with me' [...]
The Idaho Supreme Court has upheld a Rexburg urban renewal project in a case that was being closely watched by urban renewal agencies around the state. In a unanimous ruling authored by Justice Joel Horton, the high court upheld a 7th District Court ruling rejecting a challenge to the project [...]
The blogmistress of Live, Love, Laugh, Hope saw this sight and many others while out for a peaceful drive with her dog earlier today. She posts: "I thought these turkeys were pretty brave to be running around in the open the day before Thanksgiving! There was a total of 16" [...]
A fundraiser to raise money to purchase a Terra Trike Tandem tricycle for Mike Kralicek is scheduled at Applebee's on Tuesday. The popular restaurant will donate 10 percent of all the profits that day -- from people who present the flyer above (you can print out a Huckleberries Online copy [...]

JohnA: In Boise for the holidays, we were excited (even as Vandal fans) to see that 1500 tickets were being made available for the soldout BSU game here this weekend. It appears that a lot of students left for the holiday so the tickets are available. Our excitement [...]
Aya Barazani, who suffers from anorexia, points at Israeli fashion models Noga Dekel, left, and Shira Amikam, as fashion photographer Adi Barkan looks on during a photo shoot for a campaign promoting anorexia awareness, in his studio in Ramat Hasharon, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday. Barkan is releasing a campaign [...]

Mothers, lock up your Bludgers. Muggle Quidditch has hit as Parker Slater, wearing skintight gold pants and a cropped gold shirt, is running flat-out through Comstock Park. He’s moving fast through a mob of teenagers in robes and wigs and wild face paint. Blake Bekken and Annie [...]

I was raised by a single mother — a teacher. She didn’t earn much, and unexpected expenses were always full-blown crises. One autumn, her car broke down and the water heater in our mobile home died. One thing led to another, and Idaho Power shut off the electricity on [...]
McDonald Elementary School students race in annual Turkey Trot in Moscow before break. (Moscow-Pullman Daily News photo)
Akey job talk: 'A good thing'/Idaho StatesmanRocker Huey Lewis baits ducks, ending hunting near Montana property/APSeeley Lake helps nurse great Dane pups after mother's death/MissoulianSpackman to remain water resources top [...]
Bing Crosby didn’t have to dream of a white Christmas — he could bank on it. The crooner was from Spokane, a city that is among the most likely to have a white Christmas each year. According to weather experts, Spokane has a white Christmas about 70 percent [...]
Item: Avista pushes climate bill: Business group lobbies for cap-and-trade/Becky Kramer, SR.
More Info: Avista Corp., which gets half its energy from hydropower dams, has joined other clean-energy providers, retailer Gap Inc. and Colorado resort operator Aspen Skiing Co. to form a new lobbying group for federal climate-change legislation. Avista is one [...]
Police perform a sobriety roadblock checkpoint on a Friday night in downtown Honolulu. Mug shots of drunken driving suspects are landing on the Honolulu Police Department Web site, creating a virtual wall of shame long before suspects get their day in court. Supporters say the experiment in public humiliation to [...]
Izzit just me, or does that guy with a sign look a bit like Dan Gookin during his Libertarian days? (Disclaimer: Dan is looking dapper today by comparison) You can get a better look at the cartoon here.
H/T: Cabbage BoyQuestion: Would you pay someone in the greater North Idaho [...]
Item: Fired CdA officer files claim against city: Man says frivolous complaints led to termination/Alison Boggs, SR. Tort claim here.
More Info: A 17-year veteran of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department filed a $3 million tort claim against the city Tuesday, saying he was fired without cause following a string of [...]
Washington and Washington State first squared off in 1917 in what was to be known as the Apple Cup. Washington State won the first game. The series did not stay close for long as Washington won four games in a row in the 1920’s and have not looked back, holding [...]
Sounds like Bent is preparing an impromptu beerfest in Stickman's breezeway Saturday afternoon, for Berry Pickers who are interested. Meanwhile, the Thanksgiving holiday is almost upon us. As always, I appreciate the bloggers, commenters, and blurkers who hang out here and have made Huckleberries Online the success it has become. [...]
President Obama, center, with daughters Malia, far right, Sasha, second from the right, pardoning the National Thanksgiving Turkey, Courage, in a ceremony in the North Portico of the White House, in Washington, Wednesday. With Obama is the Chairman of the National Turkey Federation, Walter Pelletier. Woman on left is unidentified. [...]

In town to give a talk on civility, I was surrounded by women who wondered what I thought of Sarah Palin's Newsweek cover. "Why aren't women coming to her defense?" they asked. "Why are the media being so rough on Sarah?" Having been enjoying a self-imposed moratorium on' [...]

It’s a book as big and grand as Lake Pend Oreille itself. The much-anticipated “Legendary Lake Pend Oreille: Idaho’s Wilderness of Water” is finally here and will be celebrated with a launch party open to the public, featuring a slide show, special presentations and refreshments on Saturday, Nov. [...]
Wisconsin guard Jordan Taylor (11) looks on as Gonzaga guard Demetri Goodson (3) drives to the basket and is fouled by Wisconsin forward Jon Leuer (30) in the second half of a NCAA college basketball game Tuesday at the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii. Gonzaga defeated Wisconsin 74-61 and will [...]
A baboon seen as it climbs inside a car at Cape Point on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday. You write the cutline. (Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)
Top Cutlines:
1. DFO proves that he does indeed need a short work week this week after confusing a thieving baboon in South Africa [...]
Apparently, some years ago, there was an episode of South Park where Cartman declares November 20 "Kick a Ginger Day." Gingers are redheads with freckles. As a way of making fun of racism and other forms of prejudice, this sounds kind of funny. But apparently someone created a [...]

Thanksgiving, though, is about positive things in our lives. The friend or relative that beat cancer. The new baby arriving. Our health still intact. (for the most part) The love we share with those very special people in our lives. Somewhere a person we know is dying, but [...]

Some 30,000 people are expected to attend Friday when Coeur d’Alene launches the holiday season in style. The 18th Annual Lighting Ceremony Parade begins at 5 p.m., followed by caroling and the simultaneous lighting of candles held by thousands of people in the crowd. The evening will culminate [...]
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
[...]Idaho guard Kyle Barone (left to right), Sacramento State forwards Duro Bjegovic and Michael Selling, and Idaho forward Luciano de Souza look for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday Moscow. Idaho won 75-61. ESPN game story and boxscore here. (AP Photo/Moscow-Pullman Daily [...]
Gonzaga forward Elias Harris (20) attempts to drive past Wisconsin forward Jon Leuer (30) in the second half of a NCAA college basketball game Tuesday at the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii. Gonzaga defeats Wisconsin 74-61 and will play Cincinnati in the finals. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)
Gonzaga defeated Wisconsin 74-61 on [...]

Apparently, some years ago, there was an episode of South Park where Cartman declares November 20 "Kick a Ginger Day." Gingers are redheads with freckles. As a way of making fun of racism and other forms of prejudice, this sounds kind of funny. But apparently someone created a [...]