Election surprises • Bringing assault rifles to school • Economy hurts athlete sponsorships • Anti-social networking

Election surprises

Exit polling showed that a notable number of Obama backers appeared to cast ballots for Jim Risch.

Risch, who won the Senate seat now held by Republican Larry Craig, had a big advantage among conservative voters, appeared to get at least half of independents, and even made some inroads among Democratic voters, according to the Associated Press.

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U.S. Senate candidate Pro-Life drew an astounding 4,148 votes in the Senate race between Risch and Larry LaRocco.

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At least three Idaho counties were photocopying extra ballots yesterday after a surge of voters used up the existing supply.

Some precincts in Cassia, Bannock and Butte counties were photocopying ballots by 5 p.m., Deputy Idaho Secretary of State Tim Hurst said.

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Some voters in eastern Idaho received a fake text message saying, "Flash: Due to very long lines, all Obama voters are asked to vote on Wednesday. Thank you. Please forward to everyone."

Secretaries of State for both Idaho and Montana made an announcement that the message was bogus.

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In the not-a-surprise category, Idaho voters for the most part opted for John McCain.

At least they were able to drown their sorrows on election day.

Lawmakers earlier this year lifted a Depression-era ban on election-day liquor sales at 65 state liquor stores and 100 stores that contract to sell liquor.

The state Liquor Dispensary says Idaho was losing up to $122,000 in profit on election days before the ban was lifted.

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Bringing assault rifles to school

Coeur d'Alene police want permission to bring assault rifles into schools so that officers “will be more capable of protecting students.”

Capt. Ron Clark, supervisor of the school resource officers, said the officers need more firepower because school shootings typically involve heavily armed attackers.

He said the rifles would be locked in gun safes in the schools and the officers would be the only ones with access to them.

The rifles would not be left overnight in the schools, but would be unloaded and taken back out by the officers.

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Economy hurts athlete sponsorships

The Mtn. Express says the slowing economy has led fewer companies to taking on sponsorships of new athletes.

"I think a lot are just taking the cream of the crop, keeping the people that will give them the most bang for the buck," said ultra-endurance athlete and 24-hour bike racer Rebecca Rusch, a Ketchum resident.

For those beginning their professional athletic careers, the paper says, sponsorship is even less secure.

"I'm lucky I have a credit card because it is pretty much my biggest sponsor," snowboarder Taan Robrahn said.

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Anti-social networking

A Hayden teenager was accused of stabbing his mother after she forbade him to use the Internet social networking site MySpace.

He first threatened to leave home before pulling out his knife and cutting his mother on the wrist.

The 6-foot-2, 320-pound 18-year-old was detained by police after the incident but released from Kootenai County Jail on Monday.