OPINION: The new Republican Party

Kootenai County is the home of the most successful, respected and emulated Republican Central Committee in Idaho, the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee or KCRCC. The mission of the KCRCC is to enhance freedom and prosperity by promoting fiscally and socially conservative candidates who will implement the Idaho Republican Party Platform as policy.

Pinehurst police raid leads to meth seizure

The Shoshone County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at a Pinehurst residence on Wednesday night that resulted in the seizure of trafficking amounts of methamphetamine.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: A national crisis

Our Panhandle, a rather unique shape, is a beautiful part of this world. One of the primary reasons is our people who call this land home. My experience living here since 2001 is that folks are glad to be right here. People here are chill. They like/want to be here. As we grow, we welcome those who want to embrace who we are and what we have to offer. Take time to listen and assimilate.

RESPONSE: To Ralph Shay (Love Lives Here member)

Love Lives Here is a group of Coeur d’Alene folks who think that writing kind notes to people in February spreads ‘love’ around. I once paid $200 to learn Transcendental Meditation. I was assured that my meditation would change the lives of all those around me. It did not, and later I learned that the so-called one-of-a-kind ‘mantra’ they gave me was also given to numerous others between the ages of 26 and 30. “On inspection these mantras turn out to be… magical invocations of the main Hindu gods.” Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research.

Molly B’Damn, Part 3: The Final Years

Murray was a boisterous mining town experiencing a typical “mining boom.” So, when smallpox struck in 1886, it was understandable that the town was completely unprepared.

Legals for February, 9 2024

Inflation is nearly back to 2%. So why isn't the Federal Reserve ready to cut rates?

Several officials have said they want more time to see if inflation continues to subside.

Ukraine's president replaces top general to shake up deadlocked war with Russia

Zelenskyy appointed the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, Сol. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, to lead the army, which needs a morale boost at a time when the conflict with Russia has been at a near stalemate for months

THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: The various pathways to state in Idaho

What’s the best way to determine who goes to state?

4A REGION 1 GIRLS BASKETBALL: Lakeland drops opener in OT

Game 2 is Friday night at 6 at Sandpoint. If Lakeland wins, the deciding game would be played Saturday.

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL: Lakeside wins district title, advances to state play-in game

Lakeside (9-9) will face the winner of tonight’s District 4 second-place game between Murtaugh and Valley on Saturday in a state play-in game at Grangeville High at 3 p.m. Wallace finishes 11-6.

PREP ROUNDUP: McCarthy guides Post Falls past Sandpoint

“We were able to get out in transition and get some baskets after our pressure got to them,” Post Falls coach Mike McLean said. “We were able to get some baskets and it allowed us to set up our defense.”

'She truly was my hero'

Family, friends remember 11-year-old Harper Pursley

Harper Pursley loved a good dad joke. "She could rattle them off," her mom, Chelsea Pursley, said Wednesday. "She had a repertoire of 20 jokes she could rattle off at any time, and her comedic timing was perfect." She loved fairies, sparkles and the color purple. She loved baking and rooting for the Denver Broncos with her dad, Chance. Most of all, she loved her family, friends, classmates and community. And they all loved her right back. "She was an amazing sister and an amazing friend," Chelsea said. "She had an amazing support system of the people who loved her."

Bedke: Education is top priority

As Idaho continues to grow, it’s incumbent on state and local leaders to “keep the wheels on the wagon.”

House narrowly passes first of 10 omnibus budgets

Some Idaho legislators are divided over major budget changes in 2024 session

A divided Idaho House of Representatives voted 38-31 on Wednesday to pass the first of 10 omnibus budget bills that are at the center of a budget showdown in the Idaho Legislature. The vote to pass House Bill 457, the omnibus fiscal year 2025 budget for the judicial branch, appears to represent a narrow political victory for Republican House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, who supported the budget, as well as Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, one of the co-chairs of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.

AT COLLEGE: Feb. 8, 2024

Updates on area athletes at the next level.

'Talk Shop with Idaho Fish and Game' set for Feb. 15 in Priest River

Talk Shop gatherings are quite different from and more conversational than many other Fish and Game meetings folks may be used to.

'LEAP' workshop offered in Post Falls

Register by Feb. 27. The $45 registration fee includes resource materials and refreshments

Pneumonia hits Hells Canyon bighorn sheep, IDFG and neighboring states monitoring the effects

Outbreak causes bighorn sheep die-offs, but the extent is unknown at this time

Anderson Ranch Reservoir kokanee fishery showing signs of improvement after 2020 lows

The outlook for the 2024 kokanee fishery is improved from previous years