VOTING: Must be in person

The need for integrity in the upcoming election process can’t be overstated. Vote-by-mail is problematic. Will ballots automatically be sent to every address? Moreover, will they start registering all people automatically? If so, to what signature will they compare their vote? Will ballot harvesting be allowed? (Ex: Anyone can go door to door in neighborhoods, “help” people fill in their ballot as suggested, and deliver them en mass to a precinct.) Will people unduly influence the other voters in their households, making them vote under duress?

5 dead, including baby, as storm hits Greek island

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Five people, including an en elderly couple and an 8-month-old baby, have been found dead as a storm hits the island of Evia in central Greece, authorities said Sunday. Two others are missing, and dozens have been trapped by flood waters in their homes and cars.

Bulldogs and Bears tangle in championship game today

SANDPOINT — The Bulldog boys soccer team getting to state used to be a foregone conclusion, a right of passage en route to winning state title after state title once the sport became officially sanctioned in Idaho in 2000.

Seven Sharks set new PRs at Washington Open

The Sandpoint West Sharks club swim team sent seven swimmers to Washington Open on Jan. 17-20. At the event, which boasted 1,100 athletes from multiple states, all seven swimmers set new personal bests in at least one event.

Tough fourth inning dooms Bulldogs in playoff opener

RATHDRUM — Things started well for the Bulldogs in the opener of the 4A Region 1 softball tournament, but Moscow would explode for 12 runs in the fourth inning en route to a 14-3 win over Sandpoint on Tuesday in the opener at Lakeland High School.

Big second half propels Lake City past Sandpoint

COEUR d’ALENE — Maggie Kirscher scored 12 of her team-high 16 points in the first half to lead Sandpoint, but Lake City dominated the third quarter en route to a 48-27 win in nonleague girls basketball Tuesday night at Lake City High School.

Pair of Strikers teams bring home gold

The Striker U13 girls started off their season with back to back wins to claim the Silver Division Championship at the Cor Van Deer Meer Memorial Tournament in Pasco last weekend. After a bumpy start on Saturday, the girls got things going Sunday morning by defeating the Spokane Scotties 1-0 in overtime and going on to defeat FC Spokane 1-0 in the championship game of the silver division. Throughout the weekend the girls battled strong winds and cold temperatures en route to the championship game.

Big first inning propels Trojans past Bulldogs

POST FALLS — Tayler Ekness went 4 for 4 with five RBIs and two runs scored, as Post Falls plated 10 runs in the first inning en route to an 18-6 win over Sandpoint on Wednesday in nonleague softball at Post Falls High School.

Lakeland loses in title game

Moscow nabs region's lone state berth

MOSCOW - Moscow pulled away late in the first quarter and early in the second quarter en route to a 62-42 victory over Lakeland in the winner-take-all championship game of the 4A Region 1 girls basketball tournament Thursday night at Bear Den.

Into the belly of the beast

On Thursday, other members of the media and myself were given the rare opportunity to fly aboard a KC-135R Stratotanker in Spokane tasked with the mission to refuel the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds en route to Fairchild Air Force Base. As we strapped into the nylon mesh seating, crew members moved about the cramped fuselage with a sense of purpose and calm composure prior to the precise operation about to be undertaken. With close communication between the pilot, co-pilot, and boom operator, over the deafening roar of the jet's engines, the KC-135R's crew delivered the necessary fuel to allow the red, white and blue adorned F-16s to carry on to their final destination. The Thunderbirds, executing the aerial refueling maneuvers with grace and efficiency, were filled up in a matter of minutes flying at 30,000 feet over Washington and proceeded to perform reconnaissance exercises in the area. The Thunderbirds, along with numerous other planes will be in action on Saturday and Sunday's Skyfest 2010 at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane. After a rocky, turbulent approach to the runway, the KC-135R finally came to a halt on the hot tarmac. Pilot Maj. Craig Gural bid farewell to the 20 photographers, videographers and reporters aboard the plane and began to debrief with his three-man crew. Another successful mission in the books.

Annual eagle watch week to begin Dec. 27

The annual migration of bald eagles to Lake Coeur d’Alene is on. The eagles take advantage of the abundant kokanee spawn on Lake Coeur d’Alene en route from British Columbia to warmer winter locales. For nearly eight weeks, they grace the skies above the lake, putting on a fabulous aerobatic display for the public.

Vikings go out on a win

The Charlo boys made a valiant run to end their season, going 3-1 in four district games over five days en route to a third-place finish.

Gagnon erupts for 21 points in loss

SANDPOINT — Sandpoint junior Jeremiah Gagnon wasted little time making his presence known in his first game of the season, nailing all four of his attempts from 3-point land en route to a game-high 21 points, but West Valley simply had too much depth, downing the Bulldogs 63-45 Friday night in nonleague action at Les Rogers Court.

Hardy leads Bulldogs in strong IEL showing

SPOKANE — After falling in the first round at No. 1 boys singles, Sandpoint’s Ben Hardy rallied to win five consecutive matches en route to a 7th place finish at the highly-competitive Inland Empire Tennis Championships in Spokane over the weekend.

Republicans flock to Sandpoint

SANDPOINT - If you listen closely, you will hear the thundering sound of 1,000 Republicans entering Sandpoint en masse.

Girls Basketball: LHS beats Ronan by 24

The Libby High School girls basketball team led by seven points at the half and then came out of the game in the third quarter with a 19-3 run en route to a 44-20 victory over Ronan.

Polson rips Corvallis in season softball opener

CORVALLIS — Heidi Rausch tripled and homered en route to a six RBI afternoon, powering Polson to a 19-2 nonconference Class A softball victory over Corvallis.

Almira grain elevator catches fire

ALMIRA – Grant County fire District 6 and Lincoln County Fire District 8 responded to a fire at the grain elevator in Almira shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news brief released by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

Tuesday: Riders' bats silent in series opener

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — Gabe Howell drove in both Range Riders runs, while the rest of the lineup was stifled by the Chukars pitching staff en route to their 4-2 victory, Tuesday night.

Mission Valley tracksters excel at Kalispell Mini-Invite

The Polson boys and girls cross country team continued to excel in the distance events at the Kalispell Mini-Invite. They continued that trend en route to several top 5 finishes for both the Lady Pirates and Pirates Tuesday at Legends Stadium.