The Lewiston Morning Tribune

BOISE, Idaho -- The Western Division of the American Fisheries Society said Monday the lower Snake River dams must be breached if wild runs of salmon and steelhead are to be saved and restored to fishable numbers.

LEWISTON, Idaho -- Western Legacy Alliance has agreed not to use the Idaho state seal in promotions after a citizen questioned the group's use of the emblem in newspaper ads supporting megaloads.

BOISE, Idaho -- Computer games, online quests and self-directed learning modules may eventually replace textbooks and classroom lectures as the most effective teaching tools for Idaho students, educators suggested Monday.

School representatives from around the state got a firsthand look at the possibilities of educational technology during the initial meeting of the Students Come First Task Force.

The 38-member group is responsible for developing policies and guidelines to implement the public school reform measures adopted during the 2011 legislative session. The reforms include a major investment in classroom technology, as well as laptops or mobile computing devices for all high school students.

As an exercise in good writing, modern presidential campaigns are complete duds.

Here we are, 18 months before the election, and the bevy of candidates is still sorting itself out, coy challengers lining up like swimsuit models in a beauty contest, teasing us with "will I or won't I" hints before they officially enter the race or step aside.

This sputtering start leaves voters weary long before the first ballot is cast.

Where's the snappy lead, the clear beginning that draws readers in and makes them want to follow the rest of the story?

As Idaho National Guard soldiers begin winding down their deployment in Iraq, efforts to ensure their successful return to civilian life are ramping up.

About 1,500 Idaho soldiers with the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team have been in Iraq since November, providing convoy and installation security at bases throughout the country. That was preceded by two months of training at Camp Shelby, Miss.

Major Gen. Gary Sayler, head of the Idaho Army and Air National Guard, said the 116th will start coming home in waves, beginning the first week in September.

LEWISTON, Idaho -- Idaho Fish and Game officials euthanized the cougar captured in the Lewiston Safeway parking lot Wednesday.

Conservation officer Mark Hill said efforts to find a suitable home for the cougar did not produce immediate results, and wildlife officials at the department's Boise headquarters instructed them to shoot the 80- to 100-pound animal the same evening it was captured.

For public safety reasons, the department has a policy not to return large carnivores, like cougars, bears and wolves, to the wild after they have been habituated or partially habituated to people.

The decision to kill the large cat and not hold it while a zoo or wildlife facility could be found angered some people.