Huckleberries Blog

City Councilman Steve Adams doesn't want to hire two more police officers despite the department's claim it's understaffed. Nor does the second-year councilman support the city extending its lease with the University of Idaho to allow the school to operate at the Harbor Center inside the education corridor. He says government doesn't have a role in education, which is why he's voting against the lease extension. And as for the additional officers, he opposes paying for them with the help of a federal grant, which is what the police department is proposing. "I'm not opposed to having additional officers or increased public safety, but I am opposed to the funding method, as I have been in the past," said Adams, nicknamed by some Dr. No for frequently voting no, including against any grant tied to federal money, on Monday/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.

Question: Do you think Adams is making a principled stand?

Bangladesh army soldiers watch a prayer ceremony for the souls of the 1,127 people who died in a garment building structure collapse last month, in Savar, near Bangladesh, Tuesday. The Islamic prayer service was held a day after the army ended the nearly three-week, painstaking search for bodies among the rubble of the worst tragedy in the history of the global garment industry and turned control of the site over to the civilian government for cleanup. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad)

Item: Don't mess with the IRS: Idaho businessman sentenced to prison for income tax evasion/Coeur d'Alene Press

More Info: A 51-year-old Hope man on Monday was sentenced to three and a half years in prison and to pay just under $1.4 million in restitution to the IRS for unpaid individual and corporate federal income taxes. Michael George Fitzpatrick, 51, also was given three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Larry A. Burns. Fitzpatrick was convicted of two counts of income tax evasion in January 2013 by a jury in Coeur d'Alene. A previous jury had convicted him in September 2012 on two counts of failure to file corporate income tax returns but was unable to reach verdicts on the tax evasion counts. He originally was indicted in April 2010. Fitzpatrick was taken into custody immediately after the second trial.'

Question: Is there a lesson to be learned here re: paying your taxes?

U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo's former campaign manager blames his friend for investing $250,000 from donors in a Las Vegas company amid the 2008 global financial crisis, part of a scheme intended to pay off within two months. That's according to documents released Crapo's office released Monday to The Associated Press, three days after the Republican senator amended his Federal Election Commission filings to reflect losing the money. The money went to a Nevada-registered company called Pyramid Global Resources, with an address three miles southwest of the city's downtown. Its president, Fran Goldstein, hasn't filed an annual report since 2009; Pyramid's status has been revoked by the state/John Miller, AP. More here.

Question: Would Ball have had a better chance at earning extra for the $250,000 by simply trying his luck at the roulette wheel?

Joe Heller/Hellertoons

Another week dawns in the land of Huckleberries. We have one more week to vet the school and hospital district races before the ballots are counted. I haven't gotten pounded with Reagan Republican propaganda yet. So I suspect that's coming this weekend. I'll give this to the Reagan Republicans. They've made nonpartisan races more interesting, even though there candidates sometimes are a threat to good local governance. Now for your Monday Wild Card ...

On his Facebook wall, outdoors photographer Robin Loznak of Kellogg, Ore., simply calls this one: "Happy Mother's Day." A Facebook Friend of his commented that this is exactly how motherhood feels some time. You can see more of Robin's terrific photography here.

Question: Does this photo speak to you re: how motherhood can feel sometimes?

• Item: Popular psychologist Joyce Brothers dead at age 85/USA Today
• Item: Barbara Walters, 83, announces retirement on 'The View'/Newsday

Question: Which woman had a greater impact on your life?

• 5:29 p.m. Target management asks that disorderly male be trespassed from grounds.
• 5:18 p.m. Neighbor reports screaming neighbor on porch in 6900 block of Heritage/Rathdrum.
• 5:15 p.m. Coeur d'Alene Police Department activities report for May 12-13 here.
• 5:09 p.m. Deputy en route to investigate possible osprey nest burning ... unknown location.
• 4:55 p.m. Pickup loses trailer on e/b I-90/MP 14 (15th Street/CdA), causing partial blockage.
• 4:51 p.m. A power pole is on fire along Lancaster/Hayden Lake, near Camp Mivoden.
• 4:44 p.m. 1 being transported to KMC after 2-vehicle accident @ H41/Mullan, Post Falls.
• 14 more items + AM Scanner Traffic link below

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Idaho Sen. Jim Risch hold a press conference today at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. With another extreme Western fire season predicted, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell are visiting the National Interagency Fire Center to discuss what their agencies are doing to prepare. Story here. (AP/Idaho Statesman photo: Joe Jaszewski)

• Coeur d'Alene semi crashes into Grand Coulee store/KREM
• Crapo's campaign cash went to Las Vegas firm/John Miller, AP
• Weather change brings chance of thunderstorms/Mike Prager, SR
• Sandpoint native is semifinals of 'Extreme Huntress'/Keith Kinnaird, Bee
• Fish & Game Commission meeting in Lake City/Rich Landers, Outdoors
• Judges fear Corrections using probation to manage budget/Eye on Boise

On Sunday, Stickman (who provided this photo) commented: "the Flying Fortress has been flying around Coeur d'Alene the past two days. What a thrill to see it. It flew low over the city 30 minutes ago and a few hours ago. I'm sure once or twice more today taking people on the ride of a lifetime. If I could afford it, I'd go in a second. If you are outside, the noise might give it away." (Photo: Don Sausser)

• A crooked vow/Tumblewords
• When IRS comes calling/Fort Boise
• Dear Secretary Jewel/Carlson Chronicles
• If at first you don't succeed/Dogwalk Musings
• Loglines & elevator pitches/Writing North Idaho
• Quiet Monday ... Sunday reflections/Slight Detour
• Nampa spells out plans for teaching cuts/The EDge
• I hate Mondays/JeanC's Cat House & Shooting Gallery
• What we love about Mom/Rants, Raves & Random Thoughts
• Lecture examines Lincoln, Idaho territory/Coeur d'Alene Today
• Abortionist Gosnell guilty of 1st degree murder/Dennis Mansfield
• When did government become parents of immigrants/From A Simple Mind

Huckleberries numbers (for week of May 5-11): 45,137 page-views; 26,069 unique views

Time to vote

Britain's Prince Harry kneels down at the bottom of a pyramid of cheerleaders, U.S. and British military officials and near the U.S. Air Force Academy mascot "The Bird" at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Rick Wilking, Pool)

• Weekend Contest Winner -- Tim Herzog, w/record 12 likes: "That's right, I said I want a big W on each cheek. When I moon 'em I can really WOW them! All 15 cutline entries + photo here.

Coeur d'Alene School Trustee Brent Regan discusses his association with Gary Brown's Reach America organization in a comment on the Coeur d'Alene Press Online site:

Some years ago, Gary Brown and Tyler Smotherman approached me for financial support for a youth leadership program called “Reach America”. This was not the school Reach America is today. I knew Tyler, who was attending CHS at the time, to be an outstanding, articulate and admired young man who was well respected in our community. He was even the youth speaker at one of the early Tea Party rallies. I agreed to provide some funding as it is not at all uncommon for me to provide charitable assistance to local area organizations that are in need. These have included CASA, Shriners, Idaho Search and Rescue, Silver Lake Young Marines, St. Helens Fund for the Poor, United Gospel Mission and several First Robotic Teams among others. It is unfortunate and sad that there are those who are so desperately blinded by their political agendas that they would mischaracterize a simple act of charitable giving as a character flaw.

Question: Are you satisfied with Trustee Regan's answer?

Coeur d'Alene School Trustee Brent Regan discusses his association with Gary Brown's Reach America organization in a comment on the Coeur d'Alene Press Online site:

Some years ago, Gary Brown and Tyler Smotherman approached me for financial support for a youth leadership program called “Reach America”. This was not the school Reach America is today. I knew Tyler, who was attending CHS at the time, to be an outstanding, articulate and admired young man who was well respected in our community. He was even the youth speaker at one of the early Tea Party rallies. I agreed to provide some funding as it is not at all uncommon for me to provide charitable assistance to local area organizations that are in need. These have included CASA, Shriners, Idaho Search and Rescue, Silver Lake Young Marines, St. Helens Fund for the Poor, United Gospel Mission and several First Robotic Teams among others. It is unfortunate and sad that there are those who are so desperately blinded by their political agendas that they would mischaracterize a simple act of charitable giving as a character flaw.

Question: Are you satisfied with Trustee Regan's answer?

On her Facebook page, Christa Hazel calls out appointed Trustee Brent Regan for his ties to an organization, Reach America, that tells followers to pull their children from public schools:

"As a Christian public school parent, I'm not sure why my opponent is distancing himself from Reach America when the facts say otherwise. Besides his donation of seed money to help start this group, he's hosted a field trip, taught them on Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals as recently as last month, and has prominently featured this group on his FB page. His campaign manager is 'co-host/producer' of Reach America Radio and is a parent in this group. I support people choosing an education that fits their values and beliefs. I question why a public school board trustee would want to serve public education while he supports a group that refers to the public system as 'anti-Christ.'"

Question: What should Regan do at this point?

One of the many interesting asides in the lengthy High Country News article about the conservative California emigres who have taken over Kootenai County politics is one about former county GOP chairman Tina Jacobson. Who told reporter Sierra Crane-Murdoch that she quit her post on the Central Committee to focus on writing a paranormal romance novel. The plot line, according to Crane-Murdoch, involves an ambitious anti-tax crusader who is elected to the Idaho Legislature and falls in love with a ghost. (BTW, I didn't know that Jacobson was also from California, along with other embedded former Golden State conservatives like Bob Pedersen, and John & Angela Cross. Jeff Ward & Ron Lahr, the two Reagan Republican golden boys are from Washington). You can see the lead-in to the article here.

Did you know you can win movie tickets or a $50 Davenport Hotel gift card simply by entering our weekly news quiz? You're 10 interactive questions away from being eligible for Friday's drawings. Take News Quiz here. Good luck!

• Here's the answer to the first question of this week's News Quiz to get you started: Washington State University. Now, finish the quiz.
• Last week's winners: $50 Gift Card from Davenport Hotel: Roy Wickstrom of Spokane; Movie Tickets: Joy Jelsing of Mead

This combination of Associated Press file photos shows from left, O.J. Simspon on Oct. 3, 1995, after the jury acquitted him in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles; Simpson, center, in court on the first day his trial for armed robbery and kidnapping, on Monday, Sept 15, 2008, in Las Vegas; and right, Simpson in Clark County District Court seeking a new trial today, claiming that trial lawyer Yale Galanter had conflicted interests and shouldn't have handled Simpson's armed case in Las Vegas. (AP Photo)

Question: Do you think the years have been kind to O.J. Simpson?

Facebook Friend Shirley Stafford Thagard posts: "Probably been in the woods too long. Had lunch in a theater today while watching "Gatsby". Not a hot dog. A real meal with a waiter, cloth napkin and silverware!!!!!! Buckhead theater in Atlanta! Maybe the future of the Hayden Cinemas????"

Question: Would you support a theater that provided a dinner with a movie?

My extended family in Coeur d'Alene had a three-grandma Sunday for Mother's Day yesterday, celebrating in two different shifts with my wife's mother, Dorothy, my brother-in-law's mother from Boise, Hazel, and my mother, Eva. All three women are slowing down quite a bit, especially my mother, who will celebrate her 88th birthday next month. God willing. Which brings me to a Facebook post by Randy Myers that I appreciated: "Those of you who have older moms, embrace them, love them. They won't be around forever. See what things you can learn about her and your family today that you didn't know before. She is the treasure trove of memories that is more valuable than a coin filled chest."

Question: What is something new that you've learned from your mother recently?