Realtors champion home ownership

Last week thousands of Realtors from across the country convened in Washington, D.C., for the National Association of Realtors (NAR) mid-year sessions; I was honored to be among them. During this annual event our senators and representatives set aside some time out of their busy schedules to meet with us and listen to our concerns about private property rights.

Is your Medicare health plan leaving your area?

Each year, private insurance companies decide whether or not they will pursue contracts with Medicare to provide health-care payment to people in Idaho. These insurance plans are called Medicare Health Plans or Medicare Advantage Plans. If a plan is offered one year and the company decides not to contract again the following year, people enrolled in that plan have special protections. For the contract year starting January 2013, some companies have decided to no longer contract for people in Idaho or to change their product offer.

A dose of reality

Journalist, author Sam Quinones delivers keynote speech at Substance Use Summit

Just 10 years ago, hardly anyone knew how to pronounce "naloxone." When journalist Sam Quinones turned in his manuscript for his book "Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic," there were only three lawsuits against drug companies. He believed no one would read the book because no one wanted to talk about this topic.

Calcium: Friend or foe?

Doctor of Oriental Medicine

Recently, newspapers are firing off articles about calcium appearing to be more foe than friend. How can that be?

Don't take scammers on vacation with you

Summer is officially upon us and we hope that everyone is getting out to enjoy their favorite pastimes, whether that’s just getting into the great outdoors or traveling to that ultimate vacation destination. Some of us use timeshares and vacation rentals to go to exotic locations we may not normally visit. However, scammers love to take advantage of vacationers by making false promises and creating a sense of urgency to fool them into paying for something that doesn’t exist.

No headline

Alice Leona (Harvey) Munn

Vivian Mae Shockley Burtzoff, 94

Vivian Mae Shockley Burtzoff was born July 18, 1917, in Willow Springs, Mo., and died Dec. 18, 2011, at Coeur d'Alene Homes.

Acupuncture for Bell's Palsy

Bell’s palsy is a sudden paralysis of the face that occurs when the seventh cranial nerve becomes infected, inflamed or compressed. It is usually temporary and generally affects only one side of the face. Acupuncture for the treatment of Bell’s palsy allows for an all-natural way to stimulate damaged nerves and regain function.

Some of the best surprises

As wine shop owners and wine consumers, we have tasted a lot of wine over the last five years. I mean, a lot. We have tasted countless wines in all kinds of formats from blind tasting during the judging for the North Idaho Wine Rodeo, to weekly tastings with distributors, to trying a previously unknown production while out to dinner. There are always surprises on both sides of the equation. Sometimes you're disappointed by a wine you thought you'd love, sometimes the one you dread to try turns out to be a pleasant epiphany.

Spring black bear controlled hunt draw results available.

Hunters who were successful in the draw will still receive a notification card by mail by early March

ILLNESS: Compassion a casualty

I am an 80-year-old woman who had a cough for a week or so. I was in Coeur d’Alene on July 16 with my daughter, so we stopped at my doctor’s office and all was well. I was going to see a doctor, then I told the man about my cough and we were asked to wait in the car and do a video visit because they thought I had the virus COVID-19. I was disgusted so I went home.

Fish and Game posts draw results

Spring controlled hunt selections available for turkey

The results have been posted through Fish and Game’s licensing system, GoOutdoorsIdaho.com. Hunters can check their GoOutdoorsIdaho account to view their controlled hunt tags draw results for spring turkey. Email notifications will be sent to those who provided an email address on their profile.

Assisted living facility loses license

Tenants moving out; bank forecloses on two Hayden facilities

The operator of the two Autumn Haven assisted living facilities in Hayden has been notified by the state of Idaho that its operating license has been revoked.

Early numbers show increased activity

Although very preliminary, meaning the stats are not boiled down yet, January sales totals indicate a 37 percent increase in number over last January and an 11 percent increase over January 2009 giving us the strongest start in at least two years. Although our 114 sales exceed January of last year, the amount of available inventory remains higher as well.

Happiness is on sale; get some

The price for happiness is now 30 percent off. This is not one of those today-only sales; in fact, happiness may be that rare product whose relative price, even with inflation, inches down over time. All society's worrisome problems aside, could this mean humanity is nevertheless getting wiser?

Realtor roundup - picking an agent that's right for you

As temperatures tick up this spring, more buyers and sellers will be entering the local real estate market. Getting the best Realtor on your side can make a huge difference.

Health care at college: Can your teen manage?

ADVERTISING: Advertorial — Healthy weight year-round: Part II

In Part I of "Healthy year-round," we discussed briefly the varying reasons for gaining weight or the inability to lose it. This second part will detail more of the reasons.

Home shopping made easily online

Windermere Cd'A offers Buildcda.com

COEUR d'ALENE - Let the mouse find the house. A new website offered as a service of Windermere Coeur d'Alene Realty lets anyone shopping for a new home shop by city, neighborhood and builder.

Death by Fork…Why can’t we change our eating habits?

By JOLIE JANTZ,