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Mountain View students walk through car buyer simulation

“Excuse me sir, that’s my truck,” student Alek Jackson said to his friend who moved closer to the Hummer as he made his way back to the vehicle he had just “bought” from Dave Smith Motors. Jackson and other students at Mountain View Alternative High School got to walk through the motions of buying either a Corvette, Hummer or a Ram Laramie during a sales simulation Tuesday morning.

OPINION: Vietnam War Veterans Day reminds us of what it means to serve

March 29 is Vietnam War Veterans Day, the day set aside to remember and honor those who served in that ill-fated war. A phone call earlier this month brought to mind a perfect example of what dedicated service-to-country looks like. My friend, James Peterson, called to say that he would be undergoing surgery for a dangerous cancer, likely the result of his substantial exposure to Agent Orange during two tours of service with the Special Forces (SF) in Vietnam. It hit me hard because here was a man who had dedicated his life to standing up for his country and now was faced with a hefty price.

Robert James MacKenzie, 84

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Robert "Bob" MacKenzie. Bob, beloved husband, dad, grandpa, uncle and friend, passed peacefully in his sleep on December 9, 2024, at the Schneidmiller House of Hospice of North Idaho. He was born in Bakersfield, CA on January 5, 1940, to John W. and Vivian E. (Auld) MacKenzie.

Man allegedly stabs self, forces Ponderay Walmart closure

An unknown male surrendered peacefully after he allegedly walked into the Ponderay Walmart early Sunday afternoon with a knife and made unspecified threats.

Idaho governor approves increase in state public defense budget

Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a bill on Friday approving a budget increase for the state’s new Office of the State Public Defender.

208 Clothing + Gift set to open in Rathdrum

Though Rathdrum is one of North Idaho’s most quickly growing cities, a specialty gift shop has yet to join the community’s expanding business landscape — until now.

Get your team to their own Final Four

To me, there is no greater sporting event than the NCAA Final Four for both men's and women's basketball. I've been to many Final Fours, and you can't beat the excitement. They call it March Madness for a reason. I'm still hoping to fill out a perfect bracket one of these days!

Part of U.S. 95 remains closed after landslide

Steady rain caused a “few hundred feet of downhill landslide of the roadway shoulder,” the department said in a Monday news release.

North Idaho College programs take burden off mom in need of vehicle repair

North Idaho College programs take burden off mom in need of vehicle repair

A spray and wipe here, a twist of a lug nut there. Second-year North Idaho College automotive technology student Sam MacKinnon inspected a front brake rotor of a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer before putting on the final touches Thursday afternoon.

Planned water shutdown to impact areas of Post Falls tonight

The City of Post Falls water division will be conducting a planned water shutdown beginning 10 p.m. tonight until 5 a.m. Friday morning.

Bill to ban SNAP coverage for candy, soda heads to Senate

House Bill 109, cosponsored by Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d’Alene, would require the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to seek federal approval to exclude candy and soda from foods eligible for coverage by the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

Things to know about the limited ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine brokered by the US

After three days of intense negotiations, the Trump administration, Ukraine and Russia agreed to a limited ceasefire in which the key details, including what was covered and how it will start, were disputed by the warring sides, indicating the road to a complete truce will be long and mired with contention.

CDA River Ranger District office in Fernan temporarily closed

The Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District office in Fernan is temporarily closed due to a broken water line, according to a social media post from Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

EDITORIAL: If you love a parade, volunteer

Tomorrow’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in Coeur d’Alene notwithstanding, parade season in our local communities begins in earnest at least three months from now. The City of Post Falls is striking up the band early with an updated ordinance to cover future processions in the city. The need for updating was first discussed with the council in May of last year and at the March 4, 2025 council meeting a draft ordinance was brought forward. The proposed revisions were reviewed and discussed. The crux of the updating is as simple as the realization that “we’ve always done it this way,” isn’t a solid reason to continue the city’s responsibilities, which according to the city administrator is unsustainable. For the Post Falls Festival Parade, the City was providing to the organizers traffic management, security, assistance with planning, golf carts, traffic cones, clipboards, promotional sandwich boards and approximately $11,000 in staffing costs, primarily from the police department. Post Falls is no longer a small town of several thousand, it’s a thriving city of nearly 50,000 people. It makes sense that public safety and the allocation of resources, both human and financial, are a priority for the City. The mayor and council are entrusted with being good stewards of public money and by clearly outlining organizers’ responsibilities for community events they’re doing just that. The parade-going public might not realize just how much time, energy and money go into producing an hour or so of entertainment on sunny summer days. In every case, from the granddaddy of them all, Coeur d’Alene’s 4th of July Parade, to Hayden Days and the three-block-long Rathdrum Days Parade, generous sponsors and entry fees cover the expenses and dedicated volunteers do the heavy lifting. Somewhere along the way the City of Post Falls stepped into the Post Falls Festival Parade breach, filling roles traditionally held by volunteers. This reset via ordinance simply clarifies roles and responsibilities moving forward for this and other events. It’s also a reminder to the community just how vital volunteers are to special events and activities that enhance our quality of life here in beautiful north Idaho. If you love a parade, volunteer!

William Stanley McDougall, 80

Born March 16, 1944, in Kellogg, Idaho. William, aka “Bill,” grew up across the street from the Bunker Hill Mine.

Millions of people celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors

Across the country, people, mostly dressed in all white clothes, celebrated the festival by hurling colored powder at each other. Children, perched on rooftops and balconies, flung water balloons filled with colored pigments at passers by.

Trump places 25% tariff on imported autos, expecting to raise $100 billion in tax revenues

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was placing 25% tariffs on auto imports, a move that the White House claims would foster domestic manufacturing but could also put a financial squeeze on automakers that depend on global supply chains.

Outrage builds as video shows police in Pocatello shooting a knife-wielding autistic teenager

Idaho police officers opened fire from behind a chain-link fence just seconds after exiting their patrol cars and critically wounded a teenage boy — described by his family as nonverbal, autistic and intellectually disabled — as he stepped toward them with a knife, video from a witness shows.

Medicaid reform bill passes Idaho Senate, heads to governor's desk

The Idaho Senate at around 6 p.m. Tuesday suspended its own rules to be able to more quickly take up a major Medicaid reform bill.

Hearing could set rules for evidence and other details in Bryan Kohberger's quadruple murder trial

Prosecutors and attorneys for a man charged in the killings of four University of Idaho students in 2022 began arguing some of the final ground rules they want for Bryan Kohberger's trial in a Wednesday morning hearing.