Friday, May 02, 2008

THE LAWSON FILE: RESIDENTS OF KENDRICK, IDAHO HAVE PLENTY TO BE BITTER ABOUT


And you think you got problems.

What if kids at your neighborhood junior high school were smuggling in moonshine and no one would do anything about it?

What if everyone knew where still more kids were hanging out and drinking...with seeming impunity.

Huh, what would you do then?

Well, several residents of Kendrick, Idaho took their concerns directly to the Sheriff and it seems the lawman danced around the issue.

And that isn't the only issue shaking up the town.

There was this barking dog...and despite complaints, it seems that same lack Sheriff's office took weeks, weeks I say, to do anything about it.

No wonder folks in small towns like Kendrick are bitter.

Hell, no one listens, no one cares...except for Barack Obama who reportedly is rushing to the area to show his support for these small town folks. Obama told reporters that he would suggest to Kendrick residents to go out and get themselves a gun and then head to Church. Obama said he would himself be attending Church in Kendrick this weekend in a show of support, but he was sure he wouldn't hear anything the preacher might say.

Michelle Obama said she remembers when she and her hubby had a barking dog problem in their neighborhood while they were trying to pay off their student loans and somehow finding a way to get their kids to their ballet lessons. "It wasn't easy," she said."

Hillary Clinton, meanwhile says she has always been opposed to kids messing with moonshine even if her husband Bill wasn't.

And in fact, some claim that Bill used to haul jugs of the stuff around in the back of that truck or El Camino or whatever it was he was driving.

Some say the Clintons themselves are behind the rumors about Bill and are hoping the story may appeal to some blue collar types.

Ms. Clinton last night seemed to contradict herself when she told a radio station in Idaho that she herself liked nothing better then to kick off her work boots and down a snort of white lighting in the evening after coming home from her job pumping gas when she was a girl.

John McCain refused to comment on the moonshine issue at all. Some speculate the reason is because of his wife's involvement in the beer industry.

McCain distanced himself from President Bush on the barking dog situation.

Pictured above are two residents of Kendrick, Idaho being bitter.

The following is from the
Latah Eagle in Kendrick, Idaho.

Kendrick residents sound off to sheriff, prosecutors

About 20 Kendrick area residents turned out speak with local law enforcement officials at the annual "Meet Your Sheriff" night presented by the Kendrick Grange at the Grange Hall April 23.

In attendance were Latah County prosecutor Bill Thompson, Latah County Sheriff Wayne Rausch and Nez Perce County Prosecutor Dan Spickler.

Each of the officials were given time to outline the problems their respective offices faced over the previous year, along with what gains were made and what they were working toward in the future.

Rausch stated it has been a tough year for his department as it heals from last spring's shootings He said several deputies had symptoms of post traumatic stress and the department lost several good officers.

Although the department has been able to replace the vehicles that were shot up, the damage inside the office has not been repaired. Rausch stated that seeing the bullet holes in the walls and the damage done by the shooter every day has taken a toll on the morale of his deputies.

He has made requests to have the walls repaired, but has not received any answers as to when the repairs will be made.

Rausch stated the department has made gains, especially in the radio system. Repeaters have been raised and new ones installed, improving communication abilities throughout the county.

The department has also seen a drop in methamphetamine in the county, he stated. The drop is believed to be the result of tightened controls of cold and allergy medicines, along with the higher cost of Mexican-made product. With the drop in meth, the department has seen an increase in cocaine and marijuana continues be an ongoing problem.

The sheriff has been pushing for a joint law enforcement facility and is hopeful the county and the city of Moscow will agree to the venture.

Thompson agreed that it has been a tough twelve months and it will take the communities quite some time to heal. He said he had never seen a year of homicide crime like the past year, added to that his office has had to deal with sex cases and child rape cases, which are equally as tough.

He stated he was glad to give some closure to the family of Jeremiah Johnson with the plea agreement his office reached with Zach Fredrickson, who pleaded guilty to second degree murder. "The Fredrickson case, he said, "deeply scarred the whole town."

He gave Fredrickson credit for standing up in front the judge, taking the blame and admitting, "I shot him and I killed him."

Thompson reported that his office is at full strength again, with three fairly new, but bright attorneys.

Residents expressed several concerns they had, including an incident in which several junior high school students brought moonshine to school. The resident said that she thought it was a symptom of a larger problem in the area, claiming it was an open secret about who is getting the alcohol for the minors and where they are consuming it.

Thompson responded by saying to report violations as soon as possible, stating, "Even if we can't prosecute, we can put pressure on them."

Other issues at the forefront of the discussion were logging trucks that have been speeding through town and a barking dog incident that took weeks to resolve.

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