Bloglander

You're fired! Okay, not you, but 18.5 cops, nine firefighters and some other folks at the City of Spokane. In unveiling a very early draft of the 2011 budget, Mayor Mary Verner said, "I'm going to ask you to brace yourselves." Gulp. (SR)

Jail, schmail Speakers at yesterday's public hearing about where to build a new jail mainly focused on how the new jail should remain non-existent. And then talked about their love of other, non-existent things: unicorns, dragons, centaurs and Ogopogo. (SR)

High noon! Deputies at the Spokane County Sheriff's Office have filed an unfair labor practice complaint against their boss, Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich. The Sheriff's Deputies Association alleges that Knezovich violated the rank-and-file's contract and intimidated them when they voiced concern about their situation. Not so, says Ozzie, and challenged them all to a duel at high noon in front of the courthouse. (KXLY)

A true underdog story The first ever Dodgeball league has landed! In Spokane! Yes! And remember, if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball. (KXLY)

Iraq < Afghanistan And in perhaps the most depressing news of the day, the monthly cost of the war in Afghanistan has outpaced the monthly cost of the war in Iraq for the first time since 2003. For you numbers people, that's $6.7 billion for the Afghanis, and $5.5 billion for the Iraqis. What — are we giving them universal health care? (USA Today)