Kootenai County Sheriff's Office collecting unwanted prescription drugs

HAYDEN - The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office will help collect prescription medications at Albertson’s in Hayden this Saturday. Citizens can safely and anonymously dispose of unneeded medications Saturday, Oct. 28 from 10 am. to 2 p.m. at the grocery store, 161 W. Prairie Ave.

Rates low, lenders slow

Many are enjoying the newer, lower mortgage rates it seems, but now borrowers are vying for lenders' time as they compete with those refinancing to take advantage of the lowest rates in history. A quick search of the Idaho Housing and Finance Association website on Friday shows them proudly displaying a 30-year fixed mortgage rate of 3.09 percent with an APR of just 3.2 percent. This is the rate for IHFA loans which follow the rates set by the Federal Housing Administration and are not available to everyone.

Up or down

Depending on how you read this past week's news, home sales are both up and down. A headline on Thursday from the Associated Press reads; "Sales of new homes rebound in January." A press release from the National Association of Realtors on Friday reads; "Existing-home sales drop in January while prices continue to grow." If you are confused re-read each headline and you will notice the difference. "New" homes sales are up, "Existing" home sales are down.

Nutrition challenge: Can you eat on $3 a day?

Watching groceries ring up in the supermarket line can make anyone lose their appetite. As you look for new ways to save a buck, maybe it's time to consider your daily food bill. Simple strategies and tricks can stretch your food dollar and bring you a sense of satisfaction.

Driving the economy?

Shutdown slows - but doesn't halt - U.S. car demand

DETROIT - The government shutdown dampened - but didn't stall - Americans' demand for new cars and trucks.

Windermere shares successes, market realities

COEUR d’ALENE — Last year, somebody bought a home on the Spokane River for $9 million.

Windermere shares successes, market realities

COEUR d’ALENE — Last year, somebody bought a home on the Spokane River for $9 million.

Sellers beware

No good Realtor will ever fault you for trying to go it alone when it comes to selling your own property. We admire the courage, tenacity and patience it takes to make yourself available to anyone at any time who may want to see your property. We also understand the sense of urgency felt when receiving a call from a seemingly qualified buyer who just must see your place right away.

'It means making really difficult trade-offs'

A quarter of US renters must use half their pay for housing costs

WASHINGTON - More than one in four U.S. renters have to use at least half their family income to pay for housing and utilities.

CV. The Stay at Home Dad: Discouraging YouTube stardom

Parents just don’t understand. And in some cases, I’m totally fine with that.

If you've got an RV, read this

A reader of this column called me and reported the following attempted scam:

Economists win Nobel for research on financial markets

Ordinary investors don't stand much chance of beating the market. It moves way too fast and efficiently. Or it behaves in ways that make no sense at all.

Heating costs heading up as cold grips nation

Treating spider-vein itch

DEAR DR. GOTT: Can you suggest something to relieve the horrible itching around my ankles? It seems to be better in the morning, but by bedtime it's so definite that I even have trouble sleeping. It's more aggravated when exposed to heat, such as by my car heater.

Commission accepts Avista natural gas plan

Regulators recommend future changes; Utility doesn't foresee shortages

Regulators have accepted Avista Utilities' 20-year natural gas plan, but also are recommending changes in future plans, including a more convenient meeting site for North Idaho stakeholders.

Tradin' Twinkies

Local entrepreneurs embrace shortage

The Craigslist ad is pretty tempting.

'Fan brigade' launches

Fans to be collected for homebound senior citizens

COEUR d'ALENE - Summer officially starts this weekend - even if the weather this week feels more like winter going on spring.

Oil falls below $100 a barrel

Jobs report sends commodity to lowest price in 6 months

Drones have become popular holiday gifts

NEW YORK - Santa's sleigh isn't the only thing flying this holiday season.

Stocks plunge after Fed announces stimulus steps

NEW YORK - The Federal Reserve did what investors expected Wednesday - it said it would buy Treasury bonds to help the economy. But stocks fell anyway. The reason? The Fed made it clear that it thinks a full economic recovery is years away.