Feature Photos - May 18

<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Suzanne Endsly, a local Ironman triathlete, and Hailey Thaxton, 8, celebrates as the begin another lap around the field behind Hayden Meadows Elementary during a run-walk for fun fitness challenge lunch-time lap session Friday. More than 500 first through fifth grade students took part with some students running up to three miles during their 45-minute lunch break adding steps to pedometers they've been wearing for the past four weeks.</p>

<p>SHAWN GUST/Press Kyjuan Mayer, a kindergarten student at Frederick Post Kindergarten, steps out of a Post Falls Police Department cruiser Wednesday as hundreds of students checked out police and fire department vehicles as part of Hero Day. The event was in conjunction with the school district's K-5 Food Drive Challenge and was an incentive for the children to make donations of food items.</p>

<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Jackson Maxwell, 4, surveys the parking lot from the doorway of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile that was on display Thursday at Fred Meyer in Coeur d'Alene.</p>

<p>SHAWN GUST/Press A duck basks in the sun Friday in a grassy area of Falls Park in Post Falls.</p>

<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press A red-winged blackbird clings to the top of a cat's tail in a pond Tuesday at The Highland's Golf Course in Post Falls.</p>

<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Dandelions are lit by the morning sun as the clouds clear Tuesday near Post Falls.</p>

<p>SHAWN GUST/Press Jenessa Norcini, 9, far left, yells "Pull!" as Mira Crawford, 7, and other Classical Christian Academy students compete in a game of tug of war Friday during the Post Falls school's second annual Centurion Games. The event is a way for students of all grades to make connections with eacho while learning about medieval history.</p>

<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Paul Stromenger inspects the hood ornament on a 1950 Ford on display Thursday at Garden Plaza in Post Falls during their celebration for National Nursing Home Week. Organizers arranged a car show, served root beer floats and had a band performing classic songs during the event.</p>

<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Jacob Cook, 11, retrieve soccer balls with the help of Kiley Cutler, 10, following a celebration Friday for new soccer goals and soccer balls that were donated to the school. Skyhawk Sports donated 25 soccer balls to the school and the school's PTA helped fund the new soccer goals and nets.</p>

<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Kaia Poorboy, left, and Sofia Sciascia, both 8, tend to a tomato plant in the Friendly Farmer garden Thursday at Hayden Meadows Elementary. The class will have its 7th annual plant sale Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with all funds raised being used to continue the greenhouse project.</p>

<p>SHAWN GUST/Press From left, Mike Wytychak, Shelly Beck and Trudy Elliot work in a landscaped corner of a Hayden senior Wednesday as part of the community volunteer event Rake and Run. The program is a volunteer effort organized through Care Net and each year several yard projects are handled for area residents in need.</p>

<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Ed and Wendy Dudding's 2-year-old toy Australian Shepherd named Shep slides past his dog toy as he plays fetch Tuesday in downtown Coeur d'Alene.</p>

<p>SHAWN GUST/Press Dianna Bear, a kindergartener at Borah Elementary School, reacts during a performance of "The Toy Shop" by Opera Coeur d'Alene.</p>

<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Brad Bakie navigates his bicycle through a rain storm in Coeur d'Alene along Government Way as he pedals his way to the store Monday.</p>

<p>SHAWN GUST/Press Elsie Patrick closes her eyes and listens to Norwegian accordion music being played by Sam Thomas Friday during a Sons of Norway celebration honoring Norwegian Constitution Day at Falls Park in Post Falls.</p>