Preserving the prairie: County personnel express need for action

Rathdrum Prairie series, part three

Last of three parts

Bank of America debit fee is only the latest

38.7 million people carry bank's debit cards

NEW YORK - Angela Malerba, who works in public relations in Boston, carries a debit card because she likes to know when she buys something that she has enough in her account to pay for it. But paying $5 a month to use her own money? That's too much.

Panel OKs Avista natural gas plan

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has accepted a plan by Avista Utilities to meet customer demand for natural gas over the next 20 years.

Brokers simplify, confuse health exchange shopping

This month's glitch-filled rollout of the health insurance marketplaces created by federal law is a business opportunity for brokers and agents, but regulators warn that it also opened the door for those who would seek to line their pockets by misleading consumers.

August discount on second elk tags through Fish and Game

Throughout August, unsold nonresident elk tags will be discounted to $299 (plus $1.75 vendor fee) when purchased as second tags through the month of August. Starting Sept. 1, these nonresident elk tags will be available as second tags at the regular price while supplies last.

Shopping apps offer cash back at the grocery store

Arts and entertainment happenings

Nightlife and cultural events in and around Kootenai County

The Diviners: 7 p.m., Coeur d'Alene High School Theatre Department production, CHS Fahringer Auditorium, 5530 N. Fourth St. $8/adults, $6/students and seniors, $5/CHS students with ASB card. Buy tickets online, www.chstheater.org, by phone, (208) 769-2999, or at the door one hour before curtain.

JOBS: Why stimulus hasn't worked

Gary Edwards made the Keynesian argument that “Businesses don’t create jobs, customers create jobs.”

GAS: Economics dictate price

A word on gas. The idea that producing our own oil will reduce gas prices is wrong in several aspects.

Must be the season for reasons

The editorial cartoon from the Philadelphia Daily News on Monday caught our attention. The sketch depicts a man listing his accomplishments: "I climbed Mount Everest" he says in the first picture. "Scaled the walls of the Grand Canyon" he continues, "and survived being lost on a deserted island." The last sketch shows the same man in front of a house with a "For Sale" sign in the yard. The man then says, as he looks at the sign, "But this is my toughest challenge yet."

U.S. warns Iran against closing key oil passage

Standoff has potential to spark military reprisals, spike oil prices

TEHRAN, Iran - The U.S. strongly warned Iran on Wednesday against closing a vital Persian Gulf waterway that carries one-sixth of the world's oil supply, after Iran threatened to choke off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz if Washington imposes sanctions targeting the country's crude exports.

Application period for controlled hunts ends April 30

The application period for moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat controlled hunts ends April 30, and applications can be made at any Fish and Game office, license vendor, by telephone or online. Telephone applications may be made at 800-554-8685. All mailed applications must be postmarked no later than April 30.

A spring fishing tale from Montucky

Our guide Sancho carefully drew a map in the air with his index finger, uttering words that cause fly anglers to scratch their chins with a measure of dignity, before scratching themselves.

Gas tanks a drain on family budgets

Sky-high prices continue

NEW YORK - There's less money this summer for hotel rooms, surfboards and bathing suits. It's all going into the gas tank.

Feeling stimulated yet?

As Fed's stimulus program nears its end, how well did it work?

Don't let energy bill boil over

It’s former Press weather columnist Cliff Harris’s little joke — “Sholeh days,” i.e. anything above 90. He knows the hotter it gets, the more miserable I feel.

Idaho has $66.9M in unclaimed property

Is some of it yours?

With the hype surrounding last week's Mega Millions lottery jackpot now behind us, there's another way to capture a moment of lottery-like anticipation, and you don't have to buy a ticket. 

Medical billing code errors really can make you sick

Now that we all have health insurance and everything is paid for, we don’t need to pay attention to our hospital/doctors/or other medical bills and charges. Right? WRONG!

Classroom commerce

Teachers make money selling materials online

Amazon: 20 bets in 20 years

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Amazon turned 20 on Thursday. Here's a timeline of 20 investment bets Amazon made in the past 20 years: