A new report reviews the extent of human trafficking in the Spokane area

• Spokane Spokesman-Review

UW's scrappy scholarship king: His 20 are paying all his tuition

• Seattle Post-Intelligencer

A plea bargain douses the scandal of the Thirtymile Fire

The darkest moment in U.S. Forest Service history won't be told — not to a jury, anyway.

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Violent crime in Spokane rose 9.7 percent in 2007

• Spokane Spokesman-Review

Greg Nickels' rebel yell

Seattle's mayor waves the flag of secession. In so doing, he may have waved goodbye to a future in state politics.

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State Patrol: A Spokane firefighter was wrongfully accused of possessing child porn

• Spokane Spokesman-Review

A shortage of docs, nurses, and beds prompts B.C. to send 78 pregnant women to Washington

• Vancouver Sun

575 are taken ill in Spokane County by norovirus

• Spokane Spokesman-Review

Timothy Egan on towns where the jobs have dried up, including Spokane

• New York Times

State high court: An inmate doesn't have the right to starve himself to death

• Spokane Spokesman-Review

From Chewelah, near Spokane: a remarkable tale of forgiveness

• New York Times

Spokane struggles not to attract, but to support, indie rock bands

• Spokane Spokesman-Review

Bellevue ranks at top for places to live and launch a company

Bellevue is the top city in a new ranking of best American cities to live and launch a new business by CNN Money.com. Seattle doesn't even make the list of the top 100 such places. The survey rates Bellevue high for its low crime rate, great schools, excellent health care, and diverse population (40 percent nonwhite or foreign-born). It describes the town as having "grown with unusual grace" into a place that is sophisticated and metropolitan but not yet crowded or expensive. Apparently the survey is not aware of the traffic problems on the Eastside, though some of the comments on the site point that out, along with the high cost of housing. One Seattleite protests: "Boring!"

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Wash. government agencies targeted in 'sunshine' lawsuit

• Olympian (Olympia)

Tom Foley puts his shiny red Corvette up for sale, hangs up his lobbying job

• Washington Post

Best places to do business in America? Think Boise and Olympia

Forbes has a new listing of the best places to build a business or a career. and the surprise local leader is Boise, which came second (after Raleigh, N.C.). Seattle finished 20th, while Portland was 35th.

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Judge sees intent to kill in bipolar man's insanity defense

• Spokane Spokesman-Review

March Madness: A rational view

Me, I don't really get March Madness. I mean, I get it as a journalist and armchair shrink, but I don't get it. But I'm happy to feed your madness. Here's a quick guide to Northwest teams and coverage.

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NCAA seeds: Washington State fourth in the East; Gonzaga seventh in the Midwest

• Spokane Spokesman-Review

Over protests, officials kill a biting monkey in Spokane that was feared to have rabies

• Spokane Spokesman-Review