U.S. consumer confidence rises in December

Impressed with an improving economy, American consumers are feeling more confident, a private survey showed.

Idaho getting back to work

• Kootenai County improves slightly, from 11.2 percent to 11.1 percent unemployment

Neighborhood of the Week Hits the Road - Boise

We can probably all agree Coeur d’Alene is the best town in Idaho. Right? Good. End of discussion.

Black Sheep gets big new location

Government Way facility offers 50,000 square feet of space

COEUR d'ALENE - After 20 years just off U.S. 95, Black Sheep Sporting Goods has moved to a larger building that was most recently occupied by Wholesale Sports.

Dollywood celebrates 25 years

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Dolly Parton seems to live her life by the motto "Go big or go home." With her signature theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., she did both.

Redline Recreational Equipment: All the fun, none of the hassle

Something was learned with the Great Recession of ’08. It has affected us all and we may not have fully realized it.

Homeowners see benefits at tax time

Occasionally we find someone who is unaware of some tax advantages of owning real estate. While most of us are not accountants we have learned through classes offered by the Associations of Realtors in Coeur d’Alene, at the State and National Association levels.

Kootenai County sales lead Spokane

Those of you who also read the other newspaper in the region, read on Monday that the Spokane area experienced a 20 percent increase in January housing sales when compared to last year. That is terrific news!

Idaho PUC tightens limits on wind, solar projects

BOISE - State regulators tightened rules governing the price that big utilities must pay for electricity generated by small wind and solar energy projects, a victory for Idaho Power Co. and PacifiCorp that contend the current system was being abused and hiking costs for customers.

Bubble? What bubble?

By BRIAN WALKER

Stocks fall as traders worry over weekend

NEW YORK - A growing belief that the U.S. economy may be headed toward recession gave the stock market its fourth straight week of losses.

Seeking an improved economy to pull U.S. out of rabbit hole

The "rabbit's hole" by definition is a bizarre, difficult situation or state. That is precisely where we find ourselves economically today. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the Fed's committee that makes key decisions about interest rates and the nation's money supply, has been overly optimistic in its expectation for U.S. growth since the last recession that ended in 2009. If its annual targets had been realized over the past four years, the U.S. economy should have been approximately 6 percent or $1 trillion larger.

We don't want this stigma zone

I want to address the request by Mort Construction, Inc. for a conditional use permit (CUP14-0005) to allow establishment of a Public Utility Complex Facility, i.e., a wastewater/sewage treatment plant on approximately 515 acres to be located approximately 1.5 miles south of Brunner Road between Diagonal Road and Old U.S. Highway 95.

Time to move

One doesn't need to look far to find positive news about the real estate market these days. National and local sales figures continue to improve and buyer competition is increasing over a variety of price ranges. Of course this activity ultimately leads to diminishing inventory, leaving fewer options for those ready buyers.

Neo-Nazis linked to sign over I-90

The Post Falls Police Department removed the sign hanging from an overpass Wednesday morning.

No headline

Vern Schaffer, 77

CLOSING: But memories live on

The Sports Cellar is closing and with it, fond memories of my family well served and cared for.

Teeth grinding and night guards

Do you grind your teeth at night, or do you wear a night guard? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, this article is for you. The typical way to treat tooth grinding, also known as bruxism, is with a night guard. You can have one professionally made by a dentist or purchase one over-the-counter at any drugstore or even over the Internet! But does this treat the underlying cause of the bruxism?

Support bill for local journalism's future

Newspapers should be compensated for content they create that Google and Facebook are using.

Interest rates keep Kootenai housing market flat

Smock shares insight during real estate forecast

"Interest rates are really holding the market back right now. Good, bad, ugly, it doesn't really matter, it is what it is."