KAYE THORNBRUGH
Kaye Thornbrugh is a second-generation Kootenai County resident who has been with the Coeur d’Alene Press for six years. She primarily covers Kootenai County’s government, as well as law enforcement, the legal system and North Idaho College.
Recent Stories
Investigation continues after body found in Cd'A National Forest
Authorities continue to investigate the case of a woman who was found dead in a remote area within the Coeur d’Alene National Forest in early June, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.
Fire danger rises in North Idaho
Residents asked to take extra precautions while outdoors
Amid critical fire weather conditions across North Idaho, the Kootenai County Office of Emergency Management urges residents to use “extreme caution” this week and avoid activities that could spark a wildfire.
Kootenai County to publish $147 million budget
Kootenai County commissioners agreed this week to publish a $147 million budget for fiscal year 2027 that includes a 3% increase in property taxes, about $3 million more than the previous year.
Report: Idaho crime decreased in 2025
Crime has decreased in North Idaho and across the state in the past year, according to a new report published by the Idaho State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification. However, certain types of crime saw dramatic increases in Kootenai County.
Judge denies motion to acquit in poaching case
A Kootenai County judge has declined to set aside a jury’s decision to convict a St. Maries woman of conspiring to hide evidence of illegal hunting alongside her husband and son.
National Night Out comes to fairgrounds
Kootenai County residents and families are invited to meet local first responders, see the equipment they use and learn about how public safety agencies work together next week during National Night Out.
AUG. NIBJ: Lessons in leadership
Leadership looks different in different fields and organizations, but the qualities that guide and inspire others often have common roots. Meet three local leaders in different spaces who bring with them unique experiences and insights into how they do it.
Happy Hayden Days
With candy raining down and bubbles drifting on a warm breeze, sisters Leighton and Blake Walker beamed as brightly as the summer sun during Saturday morning’s Hayden Days parade.
FAST FIVE: Jamie Brunner: Loving our lake
Meet Jamie Brunner, the Coeur d’Alene Lake management supervisor for the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
Hayden Days returns Friday
When Ross Welburn came to North Idaho some 40 years ago, parades had little in the way of excitement.
North Idaho CASA seeing fewer cases
Trend doesn't mean fewer children are experiencing abuse
While North Idaho’s population has increased steadily in recent years, fewer suspected child abuse and neglect cases have been assigned a court-appointed special advocate, a trend that local advocates for foster youth said doesn’t necessarily mean fewer children are experiencing abuse.
Former Shoshone County sheriff serves inattentive driving sentence
Former Shoshone County sheriff serves inattentive driving sentence
$1 million bail for Cd'A man charged with sexual exploitation
A Coeur d’Alene man is being held on $1 million bail for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material.
Rathdrum girl in stable condition
Idahoans can report child abuse anonymously
Idahoans can report child abuse anonymously
Kootenai County budget deliberations continue
Two weeks before Kootenai County is expected to present a preliminary balanced budget for fiscal year 2027, commissioners continue efforts to avoid a deficit.
Post Falls among nation's fastest-growing cities
Census: Coeur d'Alene saw population increase of 6.5%
Post Falls is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Police: Rathdrum girl in kidney failure after father’s abuse
A Rathdrum man is facing felony charges after prosecutors said he brutally beat his 11-year-old daughter with a belt and denied her medical care to hide the abuse.
Lake Coeur d’Alene faces lasting mining impacts
Lake Coeur d’Alene faces lasting mining impacts; Love Our Lake Week kicks off
Since time immemorial, Lake Coeur d’Alene has been central to the lives and culture of people in North Idaho.
Post Falls police, ICE team up
Program allows trained officers to perform immigration enforcement
The Post Falls Police Department has entered an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that will allow the agency to perform immigration duties, the city of Post Falls announced Friday.
Fire danger high amid hot, dry conditions
Dangerous conditions could be fueled by strong winds
The same hot, windy weather that sent people to the beach in droves Friday poses a risk of wildfire with little sign of letting up.
Idaho releases a million kokanee
Hayden Lake, Lower Twin Lake among recipients of new hatchery program
About a million kokanee fingerlings raised from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s first “captive broodstock” were released into Idaho’s lakes and reservoirs in June, including Hayden Lake and Lower Twin Lake, the agency announced Thursday.
Man charged with child sexual exploitation
A man is facing numerous felony charges for allegedly soliciting nude photos from a child, as well as allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material and “computer generated” depictions of child sexual abuse.
Atta boy: Comfort dog Isaac retires
After more than six years of bringing calm and support to people in Kootenai County and even farther afield, Isaac the comfort dog finished his last assignment on Tuesday.
North Idaho College makes new pledge to graduates
‘NIC Guarantee’ promises job placement help to eligible grads
‘NIC Guarantee’ promises job placement help to eligible grads
Celebrating a century of the Kootenai County courthouse
Courthouse time capsule reveals 1926 Coeur d’Alene
The community got a glimpse of the past and looked to the future Friday afternoon when the contents of a time capsule that had remained hidden for 100 years within a wall of the old Kootenai County courthouse were revealed.
Vatican declares Society of St. Pius X in schism
Breakaway group has North Idaho chapels
Breakaway group has North Idaho chapels
Fourth celebrations throughout North Idaho
This year’s Fourth of July celebrations carry a greater significance as the nation commemorates America’s 250th birthday.
Man pleads not guilty to Kootenai County rape charges
A man accused of fleeing to the Philippines amid an investigation into allegations that he drugged and raped multiple women in Kootenai County nearly a decade ago remains in jail on $1 million bail.
Time capsule contents reveal set for Friday
Event will feature photos to avoid damaging artifacts
Event will feature photos to avoid damaging artifacts
If stroke symptoms are spotted, be fast
Idaho’s Stroke Smart Initiative highlights symptoms, calling 911
Idaho’s Stroke Smart Initiative highlights symptoms, calling 911
Canfield Mountain shooting: A day of tragedy, heroism
The eyes of the world were on Coeur d’Alene on June 29, 2025, when a gunman shot three fighters, killing two and grievously wounding a third, in what police described as a “premeditated ambush” on Canfield Mountain.
Fair Foundation awards $23K in scholarships
Before setting out on their journeys in higher education, many North Idaho Fair and Rodeo Foundation Scholarship recipients invested their time and talent in the fair by raising livestock, working at the rodeo and more.
Kovacs sues over election results
Says opponent who won doesn't live in Kootenai County
Kootenai County Assessor Béla Kovacs has asked a judge to set aside the results of the May 19 Republican primary election, once again alleging that Allyson Knapp, the former chief deputy assessor who beat him in a landslide, isn’t a Kootenai County resident.
Cd’A School District trustees adopt $107M budget
Enrollment expected to remain near 10,000
Coeur d’Alene School District trustees voted unanimously this week to adopt a $107 million budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, a slight increase over the current year’s budget that includes a little more than $2 million in increased revenue.
Zimmerman, Corkill to run for reelection to NIC board
North Idaho College trustees Tarie Zimmerman and Brad Corkill have announced their intention to run for reelection. Their seats in Zone 1 and Zone 2 will be up for grabs in the Nov. 3 general election.
Woman charged with fraud in alleged rent scam
A woman is in jail after police said she posed as a homeowner and collected tens of thousands of dollars in deposits and rent from people hoping to move into a property she didn’t own.
Wassmuth Center for Human Rights marks 30 years
Wassmuth Center for Human Rights marks 30 years
The Wassmuth Center for Human Rights marked its 30th anniversary this weekend, bringing together community members to reflect on three decades of human rights education in Idaho and consider what comes next.
The good times rolled
Thousands turn out for 35th Car d’Lane cruise
Thousands turn out for 35th Car d’Lane cruise
Three sentenced for deer ‘poaching spree’
Three St. Maries residents have been sentenced for their roles in a 2024 “poaching spree” that included the killing of seven deer, according to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
Fish and Game begins grizzly research trapping
Part of effort to study population, movement in North Idaho
Biologists with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game are researching the use of traps to capture grizzly bears in Boundary County and parts of Bonner County as part of ongoing efforts to monitor the grizzly bear population.
Restored memorial garden outside ISP headquarters honors slain trooper
Restored memorial garden outside ISP headquarters honors slain trooper
Law enforcement personnel and other community members gathered Wednesday morning to rededicate the restored memorial garden behind the Idaho Transportation Department facility in Coeur d’Alene, near the place where a gunman fatally shot Huff 28 years ago.
Educators learn during i-STEM Institute at NIC
Strategies connect classroom with real-world situations
Educators from across Idaho are visiting the North Idaho College campus this week for the 2026 i-STEM Summer Institute, Idaho’s flagship statewide STEM professional learning program for pre-K through 12 and other educators.
ISP to rededicate Linda Huff memorial garden
Idaho State Police will rededicate the newly-restored Cpl. Linda Huff Memorial Rose Garden this week, 28 years after Huff died in the line of duty.
Poaching trial ends in mixed verdict
Family convicted of conspiring to conceal evidence, acquitted of other charges
A Kootenai County jury delivered a mixed verdict Friday in the case of a St. Maries family accused of poaching, convicting them of conspiring to hide evidence of an illegal kill but acquitting them of charges of conspiring to hunt and sell animal parts illegally.
Jurors deliberate poaching case
The case of a St. Maries family accused of poaching mountain lions and bobcats across North Idaho is in the hands of a jury.
State, defense rest in poaching trial
The prosecution and defense both rested Wednesday in the trial of a St. Maries family accused of poaching mountain lions and bobcats across North Idaho.
Attorneys debate evidence in poaching trial
A hunter on trial for poaching alongside his parents allegedly admitted to illegally taking animals, but jurors couldn’t hear that testimony Tuesday because it was deemed inadmissible.
Family stands trial for poaching
Attorney describes defendants as 'hound hunters'
Three members of a St. Maries family are on trial this week for allegedly poaching mountain lions and bobcats across North Idaho.
Law enforcement leaders address Worley residents
Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris and Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police Chief Rob Wienclaw fielded questions from community members Thursday night during a town hall meeting.