Idahoans warned not to consume products containing kratom because of Salmonella contamination

Idaho public health officials are warning Idahoans to avoid consumption of products that contain kratom because they could be contaminated with Salmonella.

Promise holds out for home sales

As we ease into the fourth quarter of our year we continue to see signs of a slow, but steady recovery in the housing market. Builders reported another increase in new home construction last month. This marks the biggest increase in more than four years. Driven by the historically low interest rates that have persisted this year, buyers are active although not in droves, but they are buying.

When is it time to buy?

Most would anticipate a Realtor to say, "Right now." We all know that cannot possibly be a true answer. The truth is, there are many indicators that real estate in Coeur d'Alene and surrounding areas - as well as around the country - is anticipated to increase in price for the near future. That does not mean the time is right for you to buy.

Bunker Hill purchases processing plant

Bunker Hill Mining Corp. (BHC) appears to be making great strides in their pursuit of bringing the historic mine back toward full production.

As the causes of US inflation grow, so do the dangers

PepsiCo, for example, said Wednesday that while purchases by volume fell 1% in the third quarter of the year, it was able to boost prices 17% without losing customers

Even as interest rates rise, so do home prices

Interest rates for 30-year, fixed-rate conforming mortgages rose from 3.67 percent to 3.73 percent during the week according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The average rate for 30 year loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration rose from 3.48 percent to 3.53 percent Mortgage applications rose too, up 3.4 percent last week. It seems that buyers are seeing the light; that waiting to make a purchase means paying more in the long run for homes.

Geithner gives some companies pass on new rules

WASHINGTON - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has decided to let companies continue to trade certain contracts used to guard against swings in currency values outside regulators' view.

Mid-year market report

The first half of 2023 is in the books. This week in many ways is the turning point in the year for housing. Home purchases start to decelerate and price reductions increase in the second half of the year.

Psychology on order

How restaurants get you to spend more

NEW YORK - You may think you're immune to transparent sales pitches like "Do you want fries with that?" But the tactics restaurants use to nudge you into spending a little extra may be subtler than you realize.

What's Happening: Italy under lockdown, officials infected

ROME (AP) — Italy enters its first day under a nationwide lockdown after a government decree extended restrictions on movement from the hard-hit north to the rest of the country. As the numbers of infected surged in Italy, there were more signs of normality returning to China, where President Xi Jinping’ made his first trip to the virus’ epicenter of Wuhan. The contrast illustrated the global east-to-west spread of the virus.

Bored in school

My ears perk as I hear a 17-year-old girl say, "It was boring. That's why I begged my mom to homeschool me," speaking to her same-aged boyfriend. Having time to kill as my take-and-bake pizza is being made, I slide across the room and sit on the bench next to the couple to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Surprised again

My how low interest rates are for mortgages! We have watched over the last several months as interest rates languished below 4 percent. Usually, we check for the lowest rates on guaranteed loans at ihfa.org, the website of Idaho Housing and Finance Association. For quite awhile the rate has hovered around 3.75 percent for a 30-year fixed mortgage. Friday we checked and low and behold, the rate was 3.5 percent!

Wish granted: Same day delivery for the holidays

Market continues to encourage

When we started this column in 2008 it was predicated by the need for accurate local information. The real estate market had begun falling in many parts of the country in 2007 and the resounding crash was evident in newspapers worldwide. Of course we are not the rest of the world and it would be many months before our local market began its decline. At the end of 2007 our Multiple Listing Service reported the average price of all residential listings was still 4 percent ahead of the previous year. Ten months later, we found our market had shifted. By the end of 2008 our average sales price had declined by 5 percent. Although our declines were not as rapid or severe as in other areas, we had to admit that we were headed for tougher times.

Gloria B. Klotz, 91

Gloria Badraun Klotz passed away unto her Lord and Savior, August 5, 2022. She was born on May 22, 1931 to Nick and Katherine Badraun in Newport, Washington.

Hunting deadlines quickly approaching

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game wants to remind sportsmen that June 5 is the deadline for controlled hunt applications.

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Zachariah Thomas Mahoney, 35

George Peter Stachecki, 94

George Peter Stachecki, 94, was born at home on February 10, 1928, to Thomas Michael and Anna (nee Bobowska) Stachecki in Detroit, MI.

Cara Gillaspy, 46

Cara Lynn Gillaspy, 46, of Coeur d'Alene, passed into God's loving arms Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, at Kootenai Medical Center after a brief illness. Her family was by her side. Cara was born Dec. 27, 1964, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Roger E. and Sherryl (Price) Gillaspy.

US consumer prices surge in June by the most since 2008

Fed, White House claim current bout of inflation will prove temporary