NEWS SHORTS

CHARACTER ASSASSINATION?

According to Kirkley Evans, the Idaho Statesman has destroyed his character and his chance for wealth, and he wants $10 million for it.

Evans, currently an inmate at the Ada County Jail, has refiled a lawsuit against the daily paper claiming that it acted with "wanton, willful, reckless, malice and with gross negligence," thereby violating his Constitutional rights.

It's the same lawsuit he filed on Jan. 14 in U.S. District Court, and which was promptly dismissed without prejudice on Jan. 24 by Judge Edward Lodge.

The case stems from Evans' July 11, 2007, arrest in Garden City. According to Evans, the Statesman ran a story which cited possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia as the reason for the arrest. He takes issue with the story.

BW conducted a thorough search for the story in question and was not able to locate it. Neither was the Statesman, which has not been served with the lawsuit, according to publisher Mi-Ai Parrish.

Evans claims that the story has caused him grief and financial loss, as well as slandered his character and that of his family.

The financial loss is based on his claim that he had been offered a job as the corporate director of a mining company-the Gold Hill Gold II Corporation, according to the first lawsuit-and with it, 49 percent of all gross earnings and profits. He goes on to state that the company's mining claim was valued at $5 billion.

According to Evans, the alleged report in the Statesman prompted the mining company's board of directors to fire him.

The resulting assault on his character affected not only him, but "[The] bord [sic] of directors, my personal life, and much pain and charictor [sic] damage to my famley [sic], mother, father, siblings and not least of all my children."

Because of this, Evans believes he deserves $10 million for legal fees and lost wages, a printed apology from the paper, as well at the ability to publish 20,000 words-either in articles or advertising-in the Statesman. He does make the allowance that the Statesman's editors can possibly edit the content.

Of course, Evans' character may be more at risk from his arrest on Oct. 1, 2007, for allegedly shooting at a Meridian Police officer after the officer saw Evans acting suspiciously near a convenience store.

Evans took off and managed to escape the cops, but he's accused of stealing a pickup truck a the effort to get away.

Police later tracked down Evans to a home in west Boise, where he was arrested.

The case is also tied to the death of Sarah Stanfield, who was shot eight times by police after leading them on a high-speed chase.

Stanfield was wanted on outstanding warrants but was also believed to have hidden Evans while he was on the run from the cops.

RETURN OF THE COMMANDMENTS

They're back.

It's been four years since the City of Boise moved the 10 Commandments monument out of Julia Davis Park, and just as the memories of Brandi Swindell's community activism were starting to fade, the issue is being forced back into the spotlight.

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that will decide whether cities can select which monuments are placed in public spaces without the risk of litigation for excluding others.

If the court overturns the ruling of the 10th District Court of Appeals-which said cities could not discriminate between groups wanting to erect monuments in public areas-it could pave the way for the return of the Boise monument.

The news means the resurrection of the Keep the Commandments Coalition and the overall celebration of its supporters.

Swindell was doing her celebrating slopeside while attending her nephew's snowboarding competition in Colorado and was unable to attend a hastily thrown-together press conference.

She did manage to comment in a written statement sent to the media. "We applaud the United States Supreme Court for taking the historic case," she wrote. "The Keep the Commandments Coalition always maintained the City of Boise and the parks and recreation department had the authority to determine what kind of displays and monuments can be in public parks.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case later this year.

TOUCH YEAR

Jean Pierre Boespflug is having a rough year.

First, his company, Tamarack Resort, filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year after it announced it was more than $300 million in debt and a planned $118 million loan from French bank Societe Generale fell through.

The move was an attempt to dodge Credit Suisse, to which Tamarack owes more than $262 million. The bank has since asked that the courts allow them to foreclose the resort to recoup their money.

Then, there's the March 28 arrest for allegedly hitting a parked car in Boise and leaving the scene of the accident without reporting it.

The hit and run happened in September 2007 in downtown, when witnesses reportedly saw Boespflug check out the damage to his car and then took off.

Boespflug bonded out of jail in Cascade with $300 cash, but we're, guessing he'll be spending some more quality time in the courtroom soon.

DOWN WITH WAL-MART

The Pride Depot has a new target: Wal-Mart.

The Boise-based gay and lesbian news and advocacy Web site has turned its attention on the Godzilla of box stores, calling for a boycott of the retail giant because of its treatment of employees.

The mistreatment of one former employee in particular has earned the ire of Web site founder Jody MayChang.

Debbie Shank was left with severe brain damage after a car accident seven years ago. She received a sizable settlement from the trucking company that caused the accident, money her family planned to use for her long-term care.

But, thanks to the small print in her health plan with WaHVlart, the megacorporation sued to recoup the money it spent on her medical bills. Oh, that and interest and legal fees.

The family was left with a $470,000 bill to pay to the company, which earned a record $375 billion profit during its last fiscal year. Wal-Mart's legal team has repeatedly said it can't make an exception in Shank's case.

Activist groups are now calling for a full boycott of the company and asking the public to voice its discontent by contacting Wal-Mart headquarters.

Check out PrideDepot.com for more information.

war in Iraq

U.S. CASUALTIES: As of Tuesday, April 1, 2008, 4,009 U.S. service members (including 27 Idahoans) have died since the war in Iraq began in March 2003: 3,270 in combat and 739 from non-combat-related incidents and accidents. Injured service members total 29,628. In the last week, 13 U.S. soldiers died.

Since President George W. Bush declared "mission accomplished" aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003, 3,862 soldiers have died.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Defense

IRAQI CIVILIAN DEATHS: Estimated between 82,625 and 90,149.

Source: IraqBodyCount.net

COST OF IRAQ WAR: $507,493,572,192

Source: CostOfWar.com

-Deanna Darr