A professional's view of Blue Creek Bay logging

First of all, I am a retired professional forester with over 40 years of field experience

GAS: Leap into the price debate

Definition: Oligopoly, control over the production and sale of a product or service by a few companies.

Is GM really worth as much as Ford right now?

DETROIT - If investors pay what General Motors hopes to get for its stock in a planned IPO, they'll have to buy the logic that the company's stock-market value should be similar to its closest competitor, Ford Motor Co. But Ford is making far more money these days and its U.S. market share is rising while GM's is falling and its new management team has little auto industry experience.

NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE WEEK: Hayden fills in at Carrington Meadows

NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE WEEK for May 22.

Facebook results soar; CFO to step down

NEW YORK - Facebook's earnings nearly tripled and revenue grew sharply in the first quarter, surpassing Wall Street's expectations thanks to an 82 percent increase in advertising revenue.

Amazon debuts mobile payment app and card reader

NEW YORK - Amazon is taking direct aim at mobile payment systems such as Square by introducing the Amazon Local Register, a credit-card processing device and mobile app designed to help small business owners accept payments through their smartphones and tablets.

From paints to plastics, a chemical shortage ignites prices

Petrochemical companies have been shaken by the pandemic

Chamber hosting lunches with governor candidates

The Coeur d’Alene Chamber Public Policy Committee has extended invitations to three Republican candidates running for Idaho governor. Each candidate will have an opportunity to express their platforms at three separate luncheons: Brad Little on April 6; Tommy Ahlquist on April 17; and Raul Labrador on May 3.

Democrats buy out Lake City Playhouse first performance

The Kootenai County Democrats have bought out the house for Thursday's first performance of Lake City Playhouse's production of "Les Miserables."

HOUSING: Zoning system is adding to crisis

Kootenai County is in need of a significant increase in housing units to meet the current demand. Less than 20 percent of local households can afford to buy a home, and the majority of home sales come from nonresidents. According to a study by the Idaho Asset Building Network, since 1990, the state has gained 56,000 low to modest income households but only added 7,000 affordable housing units. This study also stated Idaho has a current deficit of 22,000 affordable housing units.

Briefly

- The TDS retail store has opened at 2834 N. Ramsey Road, Suite 109, next door to Winco. A grand opening will be held Oct. 3 through Oct. 5 at the store. TDS is building a 700-mile fiber-optic network that will allow internet with speeds up to 1 gigabit in Coeur d’Alene, Hayden, Hayden Lake, Post Falls and Rathdrum.

The good and the bad

Idaho has some of the tightest state controls on liquor in the Union. The inability of a popular local restaurant to secure a full liquor license, which includes wine beer and spirits, has gotten much press and reaction from our community. Clearly the restrictions on the number of these full licenses and their ties to population count could use some updating, but there are other parts of our state liquor laws that are well thought out and protective of small business. Like most things in life there are the good parts of our laws and the bad parts, much of this judgment depends on perspective but the larger and more difficult issue is do they warrant changes and how do you get at changes that are needed while keeping the good parts intact.

When inches count

New York City extols virtues of tiny apartments

NEW YORK - Sam Neuman jokes that he doesn't casually throw off his coat when he gets home at night - it would take up half his apartment.

Idaho home price growth remains strong

The prices of existing single-family homes in Idaho rose 9.3 percent in the past year, according to data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency released Thursday. Idaho had the 11th-highest rate of appreciation from the second quarter of 2012 to the second quarter of 2013, according to the FHFA's House Price Index. Nationally, home prices jumped 7.2 percent over the same time period.

Steven Ira Jenkins, 71

Steven Ira Jenkins of Rathdrum, Idaho, passed away at the age of 71 on January 12, 2022 at Schneidmiller Hospice House, with his wife Robin holding his hand.

Need relief from head and neck pain or tension? You're not alone

Headed to the Hospital for a Procedure? Don’t Forget These.

If you or a loved one is checking into a hospital, there are certain documents and items you should consider bringing with you right from the beginning. Visitation is still limited in many hospitals. This means that getting items or documents to an admitted patient can be trickier than it otherwise would be. If you are checking into a hospital consider brining the following documents and items with you.

Fed acknowledges economy is growing more slowly

Nigeria paying $800M to oil suppliers to end crisis

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - Nigeria's outgoing government has agreed to pay a debt of $800 million to resolve a months-long fuel crisis crippling the economy days before the inauguration of a new president in the country, oil suppliers said Wednesday.

'Guns, Wedding Gowns, Cold Beer'

New England general stores evolve in eclectic ways

WEST DANVILLE, Vt. - At Hussey's General Store in Windsor, Maine, offbeat merchandise is a specialty. The sign out front says so, in no uncertain terms: "Guns, Wedding Gowns, Cold Beer."