Bloglander

ON INLANDER.COM

NEWS: A woman worked for years to escape a past of drugs and abuse. A routine letter from police sent her back.

FICTION: Motif, a short story by local author Jess Walter.

MUSIC: Can't miss acts at this year's Sasquatch! festival.


IN OTHER NEWS

"Very white, very racist North Idaho"
So says Sandpoint resident Scott Rhodes on his podcast. Rhodes has been accused by police of spreading racist propaganda in the parking lot at Sandpoint High School and is apparently behind the robocalls aimed at Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, calling her a "traitorous jew." (Spokesman-Review)

"I own this right here"
So says a Milwaukee Police officer to Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown as the officer escalates a 2 am confrontation between the two in a Walgreens parking lot in January. The Milwaukee Police Department only just released body camera footage of the encounter that contradicts the officers description of Brown as "aggressive."

The officer initially confronted Brown because he parked illegally across two handicapped spaces. The officer calls for back up and Brown ends up getting shocked with a Taser. The Milwaukee Police chief has apologized for the officer "acting inappropriately." The Bucks called the arrest "shameful and inexcusable." Brown intends to sue. (Deadspin, Sports Illustrated)


Human remains as fertilizer
A deputy coroner in Canyon County, Idaho, has filed a tort claim against the elected Coroner Vicki DeGeus-Morris to the tune of $800,000. Lori LaRoche is accusing her boss of "personal and professional harassment," and claims DeGeus-Morris took unclaimed human remains to use as fertilizer. (Idaho Press Tribune)

From the ground up
A former Chicago White Sox groundskeeper, Nevest Coleman, returned to his job at what is now Guaranteed Rate Field on the South Side after 24 years. He was serving time for the rape and murder of a vicious sexual assault and murder of a 20-year-old woman. DNA evidence led a judge to declare him innocent. District attorneys are sure they had the right man. (ESPN)

So much for that Nobel Peace Prize
Actually, President Donald Trump will not meet with the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un, next month. In a letter to Kim, Trump cited "tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement," as the reason for his cancellation.

Trump apparently didn't like it when a North Korean official called Vice President Mike Pence's comments about the North Korean government "ignorant and stupid." (New York Times)

All rise
NFL owners announced a new policy requiring players to stand for the national anthem or wait in the locker room. Owners, some fans and the president of the United States have rebuked players for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice and police brutality — a movement started by former 49er QB Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick has filed a grievance against the league, alleging owners colluded to keep him off NFL rosters. Today, we learned that the NFL hired a consulting firm to gauge American's reaction to Kaepernick's 2017 free agency. (Washington Post and Yahoo!)