Wanted women dead in apparent suicide pact • Minnick gets a taste of life on the Hill • Sheathing the silos in Twin Falls • Get on your pony and ride in Burley • So long, Ski Tour • Coeur d'Alene to get a tummy tuck

Wanted women dead in apparent suicide pact

Two women wanted on murder charges in Idaho were found dead in Arizona just hours after their case was aired on "America's Most Wanted."

Arizona sheriff's officials believe the two women, whose story was mentioned in a recent Newsreader post, had a suicide pact.

The Arizona Daily Star says the women were found dead from gunshot wounds Saturday night, parked in an SUV in a remote area northwest of Tucson west of the Tucson Mountains.

The women were also believed to be traveling with Loesch's son, Kristopher, who has been missing with the women since they were last seen in August 2000 in Spokane. Kristopher is still missing.

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Minnick gets a taste of life on the Hill

Idaho Rep-elect Walt Minnick, in an Associated Press article, talked about the orientation for new lawmakers in Washington this week.

People with experience "are trying to keep us from rushing into swinging doors," said Minnick.

Minnick, "among those securing a Democratic seat in a traditionally Republican district," told the AP he would try to "break away from the ultra partisanship" of recent years in Congress.

Meanwhile, the 110th Congress was headed toward a partisan close, with Senate Democrats backing legislation that would direct some of the money in the $700 billion Wall Street bailout to the auto industry, and the White House and Republicans saying help for automakers should not come from the rescue plan.

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Sheathing the silos in Twin Falls

The president of the Twin Falls Historic Preservation Commission said he'd like to see the historic grain silos he co-owns in downtown Twin be covered with a logo from Pepsi, Coca-Cola or Budweiser to raise money for restoration and lead to the completion of a nearby park.

The 83-foot structures, which have remained vacant for all but six years since 1968, have been the subject of debate for some time.

Paul T. Smith's plan would display the logos on a shrink-wrap - a polymer plastic film that when heated shrinks tightly – around the silos. Smith said the wrap would stay for two years, after which the City Council could decide the wrap's fate.

"That's thinking outside the six-pack," Commission member Chris Talkington said.

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Get on your pony and ride in Burley

Also in southern Idaho, a man on horseback was pulled over by police in Burley last week and warned that riding a horse in city limits was illegal.

However, after reviewing city codes, it was discovered that it wasn't illegal.

"...They told me it's against the law to ride a horse in town, because you don't have blinkers or lights," Morrison said Friday night, sitting atop his horse, Gotta. "I've done it lots of times. I just rode him through the Burger King drive-thru tonight."

He added, "They said I could cause an accident by distracting people by not having lights. Well, by that reasoning, every pedestrian would have to have lights, and every good-looking girl in town could cause a wreck."

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So long, Ski Tour

The Mtn. Express reports that the winter ski and snowboard event known as the Ski Tour has been cancelled after lead sponsor Jeep pulled out of the event.

The event, formerly known as the Ski Tour, began in 2006 as a racing series accompanied by concerts, environmental symposiums and other events. It took place in Sun Valley, Telluride, Colo. And Squaw, Calif.

Co-founder Kipp Nelson said the downturn in the auto industry was the reason for the cancellation.

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Coeur d'Alene to get a tummy tuck

The Spokesman-Review says a part of downtown Coeur d'Alene is going to look quite different after a forthcoming $3 million facelift.

The paper says it's the latest in a string of street beautification projects in the city that began in the late 1980s.

"This is about sprucing up the heart of Coeur d'Alene," said City Councilman Mike Kennedy. "It's old Coeur d'Alene. It's sort of Coeur d'Alene's heritage."

The city expects to begin work this spring, with hopes of finishing by summer, City Engineer Gordon Dobler said.