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Breaking News

President Bush announced Thursday that Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthone is his pick as Gale Norton's replacement as the Secretary of the Interior.

Kempthorne, speaking from Washington D.C., where he was meeting on other issues, told reporters this afternoon, "I did not wake up this morning and think that by this time today I would be named his nominee to be Secretary of the Interior."

The New York Times reports that the president said in his announcement, "Dirk understands that those who live closest to the land know how to manage it best, and he will work closely with state and local leaders to ensure wise stewardship of our resources."

Kempthorne said in his meeting with Bush, the president told him he wanted him to be a bridge builder.

"He said 'I want you to reach out to all constituent groups. I want us to be an administration that reaches out to all sides,'" Kempthorne said. [more]

taking the helm

Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne has been named to be the new Secretary of the Interior.

Press conference to come this afternoon, from White House and (via telephone) to the now-very-abuzz Idaho Statehouse.

Nothing like hype justified...

the plot thickens

The speculation over who might replace outgoing Interior Secretary Gale Norton is increasing today, with new reports on just who might replace her.

Today Norton and top rumor-candidate Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne traded places in the datelines: Norton gave a speech in Denver yesterday and predictably, got hectored about her replacement. Kempthorne, meanwhile, is in Washington, D.C. on other business. But we wonder, we wonder...

More beard-pulling after the jump, with links. [more]

a place for your pecs

People love to love and hate the "best places to live" lists that pop up on magazine covers. If your fair city is one of the best, you have two acceptable reactions: forward it to everyone you know, and commence with the braggadacio. Or, wait in silent, grim hope that someone from another town will mention it to you. Feign nonchalance, which curdles into resentment at someone else discovering what you discovered.

And then rush out to buy the darn magazine and see if they're really right. [more]

The Dirk Watch

Enough newspaper speculation. So yesterday. Time to move on to other nail-biters.

Specifically, which Westerner will President Bush pick to replace Gale Norton?

As we expect is going on across the West, every state with a potential candidate will have its wags who are just certain it's going to be their boy.

Thus do we here in Idaho, with our thumbs behind our braces, suspect that Gov. Dirk Kempthorne is digging his Washington suit out again. Heated speculation (backed by printed speculation) after the jump. [more]

Run It Like you Own it

Bill Roberts, usually the education reporter for The Idaho Statesman, wrote that employees of Idaho's biggest daily heaved a "literal collective sigh of relief" when they heard that McClatchy Newspapers would be buying their paper. I imagine so. From most analysis available about yesterday's sale of Statesman owners Knight Ridder, the McClatchy purchase is good news.

The McClatchy purchase is certainly nationwide news, probably the biggest business story just now, outside of the Enron trial.

Locally, it's hard not to be optimistic. [more]

Still meeting the new boss

They don't mess around out there on the coasts: from New York, the word comes that the nation's second largest newspaper publishing company, Knight-Ridder, has been sold to a rival newspaper company, McClatchy. The sale price: $4.5 billion.

Naturally, this means the Idaho Statesman has changed hands, for the second time in the last year.

Lordy knows what this all means. Today's Statesman quotes its publisher Mike Petrak saying what needs to be said: "...this is a growing, vibrant market that needs a good newspaper, and I and the staff intend to keep providing that on behalf of our readers and advertisers."

The news, with analysis (and the possibility of further sales) as it burbles in, after the jump. And updated often. [more]

Having a blast, driving fast

We're well armed out here in the New West, which should surprise no one. But juxtapositions can be entertaining. For a few summers I lived in a small town in central Idaho that, I loved to point out, had more dogs than people and more bars than churches. Which made it a very comfortable place indeed.

But some stats can make you wonder: today we find out that the New West territories of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming are among the five states that have more gun dealers than gas stations.

Part of me loves this stat: it means our priorities are on hunting, not aimless driving. It means we have fewer roads, perhaps, and more wilderness.

Or it just means we've got more people with itchy trigger fingers. I, of course, would never suggest this to any of my well-armed neighbors. [more]

Hurry Up and Speculate

With Updates as we go
Today is the day that the Knight-Ridder Corporation takes bids on its holdings, among them the Idaho Statesman.

Don't, however, expect a whole lot of handwringing about this: today is merely the first movement in what is going to be a drawn-out opera of business maneuverings.

Still, the news is abuzz with talk and speculation about what's going to happen to the newspaper chain with a hold on Idaho's biggest daily.With Updates as we go
Today is the day that the Knight-Ridder Corporation takes bids on its holdings, among them the Idaho Statesman.

Don't, however, expect a whole lot of handwringing about this: today is merely the first movement in what is going to be a drawn-out opera of business maneuverings.

Still, the news is abuzz with talk and speculation about what's going to happen to the newspaper chain with a hold on Idaho's biggest daily. [more]

A Blast inspired by the past

Coffee-sippers and Downtown walkers took notice quickly: As of Monday this week, Boise had a smattering of new signage. But the new labels that have popped up around the city are a lot more pointed and politically-charged than any others.

The neatly-printed signs, in fact, look familiar to anyone with a sense of civil-rights history: in clear print on white backing, they read: "heterosexuals only," and they've been slapped onto park benches and chairs, and also, notably, in several spots in the Idaho State Capitol. [more]

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