Bloglander

Ernesto Bustamante, the University of Idaho professor who allegedly stalked and killed one of his former students before committing suicide, may have developed a large assignment for one of his psychology classes based around stalking behaviors.

At the university, Bustamante taught Psych 218, where he met Katy Benoit, the woman he allegedly entered into a sexual relationship with, stalked, threatened with a gun, and killed.

In a series of emails between Aug. 24 and 25, which were recently released to the media, several of Bustamante's colleagues discussed whether the subject matter for Psych 218 (Introduction to Research in the Behavioral Sciences) should be changed. Research papers and writing assignments were geared toward discussing stalking behaviors, with a “Stalking Behaviors Survey” assignment originally due Sept. 23, 2011.

A student, retaking the course, wrote in email to say, "This is just friendly advice, in the light of recent events the stalking behavior subject matter is inappropriate and even offensive. I would kindly suggest that the psychology department consider changing the topic of our research paper to account for sensitivity of recent events.”

"Given what happened it is pretty unnerving that Ernesto chose stalking as a topic (at least I’m assuming he came up with these assignments),” wrote Kenneth Locke,the chair of the school's psychology department, in an email.

While one redacted source said he or she was not sure if Ernesto had created the assignments, another redacted source noted, “I believe that Ernesto did create the assignment since Brian did not use it when he taught 218.”

DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME
It’s China, late seventh century, and Empress Wu is set to be the first woman to ascend to the throne. But a slew of fiery deaths stirs fear in the royal jet-set. The empress (Carina Lau) frees Detective Dee (Andy Lau), a revolutionary doing hard time, to investigate the murders. Helping him is the empress’s right-hand woman, as well as an apparently albino investigator and a comrade of Dee from his dissident days. Great visuals, but the supporting characters are thin. At Magic Lantern (JO) PG-13

IN TIME
The rich can live forever. The poor die young. It's 21st century Darwinism in the new film In Time, written and directed by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca). In the future, people stop aging at 25 and must work to put more time on the mortal clock. When a young man finds himself with more time than he can imagine, he's got to run from corrupt police. Starring Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphy, all of whom themselves never appear to age. Conspiracy? (JO) PG-13

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Gil is a Hollywood screenwriter struggling to finish his first novel when he and his fiancee Inez travel to Paris. Gil falls in love with the city, but Inez is dismissive. One night, Gil wanders the streets and finds himself mysteriously transported to the 1920s and repeats the journey each night. His encounters with historical greats the likes of Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso lead him to realize the shortcomings of his relationship with Inez and their divergent goals. At Magic Lantern (LZ) Rated PG-13

PUSS IN BOOTS
The adorable feline (voiced by Antonio Banderas) from the Shrek franchise has gotten his own feature film. Before Puss met Shrek and Donkey, he had his own sidekicks Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek). With their help, Puss sets off on a dangerous adventure to stop two murderous outlaws, Jack and Jill, who have discovered an ancient power that could destroy the world. (LZ) Rated PG

THE RUM DIARY
The Rum Diary is based on an early, semi-autobiographical novel by Hunter S. Thompson (with Johnny Depp reprising the barely disguised lead role), inspired by Thompson’s exploits in Puerto Rico in 1960 — a period during which he found his voice and invented gonzo journalism. Writer/director Bruce Robinson (How to Get Ahead in Advertising) adapts the material with an ear for piercing dialogue, an eye for crucial atmospheric details, and a sensitivity to the romanticism of the novel. The Rum Diary is a damn funny movie with a lot on its mind. It’s great fun to watch and listen to Johnny Depp play Hunter S. Thompson again. If you miss Hunter as much as I do, you don’t want to miss this movie. (CS) Rated R

THE WHISTLEBLOWER
Kathryn Bolkovac, a former police investigator from Nebraska, is working as a U.N. International Police Force monitor in the late 1990s when she uncovers a human-trafficking scandal involving a U.S. military contractor and the United Nations in post-war Bosnia. Rachel Weisz plays Bolkovac in this new thriller about her attempts to investigate and expose the corruption and cover-ups of a world of multinational diplomatic doubletalk. Based on actual events. At Magic Lantern (LZ) Rated R

Halloween is the one time of year when it's "socially acceptable" to watch sick, perverse, grisly films. If you're not into the latest Paranormal Activity or Human Centipede movies (p.s. you're totally missing out) check out your local movie theaters. They've got all the aliens, zombies, and torture porn your sick twisted heart desires.

Oct. 26 at 7 pm, Kroc Center
Monster Hours - Family
Three fifth-graders try to defeat a house that is stealing toys from all the children in the neighborhood.

Oct. 29 at midnight, Garland Theater
Rocky Horror Picture Show - Cult classic musical
An unsuspecting couple wanders into an alien transvestite's home, mayhem ensues. There's enough sex, costumes and murder to classify this as a Halloween movie.

Oct. 30 at 8 pm, Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre
Night of the Living Dead - Zombie
When unexpected radiation raises the dead, a microcosm of average America has to battle flesh-eating zombies.

Oct. 30, times vary, Bing Crosby Theater
6 pm, The Legend of Sleepy Hallow - Family
Bing Crosby narrates and sings this cartoon classic based on Washington Irving's All Hallow's Eve tale

7 pm, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy - Comedy
Bud and Lou find themselves pursued by an Egyptian cult for a special medallion linked to a walking mummy.

9 pm, Halloween (1978) - Massacre/suspense
A psychotic murderer institutionalized since childhood escapes and stalks a high school girl and her friends while his doctor chases him through the streets.

Oct. 31 at 7 pm, Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre
Psycho - Hitchcock suspense /thriller
Marion Crane visits the Bates Motel, where a deranged man named Norman and his dominating mother wreak havoc.

Oct. 31 at 6 pm, Magic Lantern Theater (three movies per showing)
Theater 1:
Night of the Living Dead - Zombie
When unexpected radiation raises the dead, a microcosm of average America has to battle flesh-eating zombies.

The Thing - Alien
Researchers in the remote Antarctic dig up the remains of a spacecraft that has long been frozen in the ice, but the alien life unthaws and infects the living.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - Gore/torture porn
A group of five young friends face a nightmare of torment at the hands of a depraved Texas clan. It has been called grisly, sick, and perverse

Theater 2:
Ghostbusters - Comedy
Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson star as a quartet of Manhattan-based paranormal investigators.

Night of the Living Dead - Zombie
When unexpected radiation raises the dead, a microcosm of average America has to battle flesh-eating zombies.

Army of Darkness - Comic-book horror
A one-armed supermarket employee is transported by the powers of a mysterious book back in time with his Oldsmobile '88 to the 14th century.

The Kootenai County Jail has found a new way to bring in money, according to the Coeur d'Alene Press. By charging to see inmates.

Where the jail used to allow only two visits a week per inmate, now the facility is allowing folks to visit more often — for 25 cents per minute or $7.50 for a half-hour

"For those who can afford to have more visits, they can pay for those," the jail's boss, Capt. Kim Edmondson, told the paper.

The money raised by such ingenuity will go to upgrading some jail technology. But, judging by the photo, the place is already pretty high-tech, with its computer monitor and digital icons. Especially compared to the visiting booths at the Spokane County Jail and its scratched windows.

A spokesman for Imperial Oil has confirmed that superloads running through Spokane are carrying oil-sand mining equipment to Alberta. About ten oversized loads have already come through Spokane, Jon Harding says.

In all, there will reportedly be 250 loads, weighing 200,000 pounds and will reach higher than 16 feet. The loads are only permitted to move between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., so many drivers will likely never see them.

Since the spring of 2010, the phrase “megaloads” has been an item of hot debate in Idaho. Massive 100-ton trucks are carrying ExxonMobil/Imperial Oil mining equipment to the Kearl Oil Sands mining project in Alberta. At first, protesters worried that widening the scenic Highway 12 to allow for the huge trucks to travel on it would turn the bucolic road into a busy trucking route. But protesters soon turned their focus on to what they described as massive environmental degradation caused by the mining to the north.

Harding says the shipping has been approved with the state department of transportation and the city of Spokane. They will be escorted by the Washington State Patrol. Roads will not be close.

“There is an agreement with the city of Spokane to cover of any damages to the roads caused by our shipments,” Harding says.

Last night Chewelah's Allen Stone got one chance to rock it on Conan — and as you can see here, that's exactly what he did. 

Headlines

Otto Zehm trial — Thompson takes the stand today as the defense's final witness (KXLY)

Govenor Gregoire — The govenor will discuss Washington's $2 billion deficit (KREM)

Health care — Governor Gregoire wants state employees to pay more for health care (SR)

Out There

$35 Android tablet — India develops Aakash tablet (Washington Post)

U.S. economy — Economy grows by 2.5 percent (New York Times)

Lost dog — A Jack Russel terrier is found 500 miles away from home (SR)

Disparity of wealth — The richest 1 percent of Americans are getting richer (SR)

Video of the Morning

Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick appeared in a YouTube video on Wednesday to talk about the recent disbandment of the Property Crimes Unit.

"Now, while we have eliminated our Property Crimes Unit due to budget constraints, we are proactively meeting the Spokane Police Department's goals of reducing vehicle theft, vehicle prowling and burglary," Kirkpatrick says in the minute-long video. She says those crimes will be investigated by officers from other units.

However, only about 5 percent of property crimes will be investigated, as a result of the disbandment of the unit and the loss of its eight detectives, which was announced in early October. 

Police spokeswoman Jennifer DeRuwe says the department has received numerous calls, since the announcement, from locals worried that there will be no more theft investigations. This video is intended to clear that up, she says.

Rick Davis, one of two area artists whose work has been recently stolen, says he doesn't think his sculpture was stolen for the metal.

"Mine was just steel, you don't get much for scrap steel," Davis told The Inlander Wednesday afternoon.

Which perhaps makes the theft even more puzzling. 

"It was just kind of a shock, it's just hard to say if I was disappointed or if it was just weird," says Davis, a 45-year-old electrician by trade who lives in the Spokane area.

"If anything, I thought my Ganesh would have gotten vandalized," he adds, referring to his statue of a Hindu god in Coeur d'Alene that sparked threats. "Kind of a religious intolerance kind of thing, they didn't like the idea of a foreign god coming to town."

Davis, who has been sculpting for most of his life but recently started getting serious about six years, will get to send a replacement statue to Coeur d'Alene.

"I actually just emailed some pictures over to the art councils for a couple of pieces," he says.

Headlines

Crack cocaine bust — Couple sells drugs out of a nail salon (KXLY)

Suspicious behavior — Prairie View Elementary receives four reports of a man attempting to lure children into his truck (KREM)

UI killer — The University of Idaho will release personal records of a professor accused of killing his student (SR)

Idaho's budget — Lawmakers say they can balance the budget without further cuts (SR)

Out There

Poll results — New poll claims people don't trust the government (New York Times)

$70 Million corruption — U.S. government attempts to seize assets, including Michael Jackson memorabilia, from Equatorial Guinea (Washington Post)

Shark attacks — Four people killed in Australia (Washington Post)

U.S. begs Google — Government requests personal information for so-called criminal investigations (Los Angeles Times)

Video of the Morning