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Boundary County Archives ~ January, 2017 |
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News |
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January 31 |
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Boundary Abstract open in new location:
After decades of doing business in the old
Creamery building downtown, Boundary Abstract
would like to announce their new location,
having moved to the top of the South Hill at
6977 South Main on the corner of Madison, just
as you turn to go to the pool. |
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First
North Idaho flu-related death of 2017
reported:
Panhandle Health District (PHD) is reporting
North Idaho’s first influenza-related death for
the 2016-17 flu season. An adult woman from
Kootenai County died in early January due to
complications from an influenza infection. |
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Boundary County Commission minutes, January 9-10 |
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January 28 |
 County kids shine at annual spelling bee:
Bonners Ferry Rotary was proud to sponsor the
2017 Annual District Spelling Bee for Boundary
County. Elementary school students in third,
fourth and fifth grades went to the Free
Methodist Church in Bonners Ferry for the oral
competition this morning. |
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Badger eighth graders show off courtroom prowess:
A group of Boundary County Middle School eighth
graders and their chaperones boarded a bus early
this morning and traveled to the courthouse in
Spokane, where they took part in a region-wide
mock trial competition. |
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January 26 |
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Foster charged with attempted murder:
Adam Deacon Foster has officially been charged
with two counts of attempted first degree murder
for his involvement in the January 16 officer
involved shooting near Blanchard. |
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Kuna man nabbed for child porn:
Attorney General Lawrence Wasden has announced
investigators with his Idaho Internet Crimes
Against Children Unit arrested a Kuna man
Wednesday for sexual exploitation of a child. |
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Stay clear of wintering wildlife:
Winter provides great opportunities to view
Idaho wildlife against snow covered hillsides.
But it is very important to enjoy the view from
a distance. Winter can be very stressful for
wildlife, especially in winters like this when
snow is deep and temperatures are cold. By Mike Demick |
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January 25 |
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We made it through Semester 1!
With finals wrapping up at Bonners Ferry High
School, it is a pleasure to say we are putting a
cap on Semester 1. By Principal Kevin Dinning |
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January 24 |
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Suspect in deputy shooting moved to jail:
Adam Deacon Foster, 30, was released earlier
today from Kootenai Health after being wounded
January 16 in a shootout with three Bonner
County Sheriff's deputies who were attempting to
serve an arrest warrant on him at his home in
Blanchard. |
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KCSO seeks info on warming hut fire:
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office is seeking
the public’s assistance with any information
regarding a suspicious fire. The Sheriff’s
Office is investigating a fire that completely
destroyed the Skitwish warming hut off Forest
Service Road 202 near Marie Saddle. |
 Toline appointed to Bonners Ferry City Council:
At its January 17 Bonners Ferry City Council meeting, Ken Toline
was appointed by Mayor David Sims to fill the
city council seat vacated by the resignation of
former city councilwoman Connie Wells. |
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BFHS First Robotics Team 2130 Alpha+ kicks off
11th Season:
BFHS FIRST Robotics Team 2130 Alpha+ began its
eleventh season at the start of the school year.
FIRST Robotics enables students to access
cutting edge technology, use sophisticated
hardware, and develop strong teamwork skills,
while working with a group of skilled mentors.
By Rayan Naylor |
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BCH offers assistance with meds class:
Boundary Community Hospital, in affiliation with
North Idaho College Vocational Training Program,
is registering students for an Assistance with
Medications - Combined Oral and Expanded class.
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January 23 |
 Meier named to county post:
Michael N. Meier was named Boundary County
Director of Emergency Management by county
commissioners today, taking the place of
long-time director Dave Kramer, who is now
sheriff. |
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All Class Reunion Committee not sending mailings:
Graduates of Bonners Ferry High School and the
current class of 2017 are asked please share and
have all classmates you stay in touch with like
the
Bonners Ferry High School All Class
Reunion page on Facebook. |
 Second deputy home after being shot:
Bonner County Deputy Michael Gagnon, 53, went
home today from Kootenai Health, one week after
being shot three times in a shootout in
Blanchard last Monday. |
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Don't feed: Help keep wildlife wild:
As the snow piles up, we get reports from the
public that deer and elk have come down from the
mountains and are looking hungry. Some think
feeding deer and elk will help the animals
survive the rough winter months. By Wayne Wakkinen |
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KCSO offering active shooter class:
On January 28, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s
Office will be offering a free 2 1/2 hour
Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events class
at our Volunteer Search & Rescue building
for any citizen who would like to attend. |
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State website gets revamped:
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter announced Friday that
the State of Idaho’s official website,
www.idaho.gov,
has a fresh, user-friendly new design and
significantly improved functionality. |
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January 21 |
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Washington escapees captured after
foot chase:
Two Washington State men wanted for escape now
face additional charges in Idaho after attempting to flee law
enforcement this afternoon in Boundary County. |
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January 20 |
 Deputy Penn released from hospital:
Bonner County Sheriff's Deputy Justin Penn, 30,
who was one of two deputies shot on Monday while
attempting to serve a warrant on Adam Foster in
Blanchard, was released from Kootenai Health
earlier today. |
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Deputy cleared in fatal pedestrian collision:
On October 8, 2016, Idaho State Police began an
investigation of the fatal crash involving
Kootenai County Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle
driven by Deputy Andrew Nye and a pedestrian,
Amber Viuhkola, on U.S. Highway 95 near Miles
Road. |
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USFS seeking hardworking fire personnel:
U.S. Forest Service Region 4 is looking for a
committed, hardworking, highly skilled workforce
to suppress wildfires and work in fuels
management on 12 National Forests located in
Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah and California. |
 When it comes to cold, play it safe:
The weather outside may be frightful, after all,
we live in North Idaho and six months out of the
year it’s cold and wet, windy and sometimes
miserable. Did you know that the most common
cold weather injuries in our area are
hypothermia, frostbite, chilblains (sometimes
called frost nip) and “trench foot?” By Stu Willis, MD and Pete Cassidy, RN |
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Beck's
Furniture to close for painting:
Beck's Furniture Store, 6443 McCall Street,
Bonners Ferry, will be closed January 27-29 as
they repaint the mattress section at the north
end of the store. |
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January 19 |
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If you are a parent of one of Janis
Tucker's speech students or know of a speech
student, please let them know Mrs. Tucker will
be at the school tomorrow, Friday, January 20,
from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. if they need help or
just need time to work on their final speech.
The computer lab will be open. Enter through
north end of the building. |
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The 2017 District Spelling Bee has been
rescheduled, due to school closures, to
Saturday, January 28, at Free Methodist Church.
Competition begins at 9 a.m. with third grade
and continues through fifth grade. |
 Time to renew city dog licenses:
Bonners Ferry residents who own pet pooches are
reminded that with the new year, it's time to
get your annual dog licenses. Everyone living
within Bonners Ferry city limits who keeps or
harbors a dog is required, pursuant to City Code
5-3B-3 to purchase a license tag for each dog. |
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School board to hold M&O levy workshops:
The Boundary County School District #101 board
finalized dates and locations for the upcoming
Maintenance and Operations Levy workshops during
their meeting on Wednesday, January 11. |
 Pearl Theater to celebrate Robert Burns:
Put on your plaid and join us at The Pearl for a
glimpse of Old World Scotland at Burns Night at
7 p.m. Saturday!
Come on in to share some traditional Shepherd’s
pie, Bubbles and Squeeks, Red and Green cake and
heartwarming soup as you immerse yourself in the
traditions of Scotland. |
 Busy but fun times at Naples and Mt. Hall!
With second quarter coming to its end, it’s a
nice time to sit back and reflect on what a
great second quarter it was. Mt. Hall and Naples
were especially busy. We enjoyed our
Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, as well as
all of the excitement that goes into the holiday
season. By Principal Lisa Iverson |
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~ Due to inclement weather, Boundary
and Bonner County public schools are closed today.
~ |
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Boundary County Commission minutes, December
26-27 |
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January 18 |
 'Backyard Poultry' coming to NIC Sandpoint:
If you are trying to decide what kinds of
poultry to raise, check out "Backyard Poultry:
Eggs, Meat and Much More!" at 6:30 p.m. each
Monday from February 6 through February 20 at
North Idaho College at Sandpoint, 102 Euclid
Avenue. |
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~ Due to inclement weather, Boundary
County Public Schools are closed today. ~ |
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January 17 |
 Names of those involved in Bonner County
shooting released:
The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office has
identified the Bonner County Sheriff's deputies
shot on Monday while attempting to serve a
warrant in Blanchard, as well as the name of the
suspect. |
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Areal flood watch issued:
The National Weather Service has issued an areal
flood watch for North Idaho and northeast
Washington, in effect from Wednesday morning
through late Thursday night. |
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Attendance vital to student performance:
Are you looking for a New Year’s Resolution that
will help your children succeed? I have an easy
plan. The business of education is to help
people make informed decisions. The only way to
do this is to teach the facts, increase
communication and share knowledge.
Superintendent's Scoop by Gary Pflueger |
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Idaho to receive $7.48 million in settlement
with Moody's:
Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced
on Friday that a nearly $864 million settlement
has been reached with Moody’s Corporation,
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and Moody’s
Analytics, Inc., by the U.S. Department of
Justice, 21 states and the District of Columbia. |
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Otter takes steps to protect state computer
networks:
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter signed an executive
order Monday enacting the recommendations of his
Cybersecurity Task Force. They include
appointing a “Director of Information Security”
to lead efforts to detect, identify and thwart
hacks on the State of Idaho’s computer networks. |
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January 16 |
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Storm warning issued for snow, sleet, ice:
The National Weather Service has issued a winter
storm warning for snow, freezing rain and sleet
in effect from 7 a.m. Tuesday through 8 a.m.
Thursday. The winter storm watch issued Sunday
is no longer in effect. |
 Two Bonner County deputies shot: An investigation is underway after two Bonner
County Sheriff's deputies were shot while
attempting to serve a warrant on Mountain View
Road in Blanchard shortly before 11:30 a.m. today.
At a press conference this afternoon, a Kootenai
County deputy told reporters that both deputies
and the suspect, all of whom were transported to
Kootenai Health, are expected to survive. Both
deputies, he said, were shot three times. As yet
no names are being released, nor is the
condition of the suspect. |
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BCH orthopedic clinic expands:
The Orthopedic Clinic at Boundary Community
Hospital is expanding. Mike Schicker, DO, from
North Idaho Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in
Ponderay will have specialist clinic hours on
Friday mornings starting this month. |
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Emergency responders train for river spill:
On Saturday, January 14, several first
responders from local fire departments, Boundary
County Search and Rescue, the Sheriff’s Office
and Kootenai Tribal Police came together to
train with Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroad
personnel on spill containment on the Kootenai
and Moyie Rivers. |
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Stay safe from scam tax calls:
The Boundary County Sheriff's Office reminds
everyone that it's income tax time again, and
with that comes the telephone scams by people
representing themselves as being with the IRS or
State Tax Commission. |
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Bonners Ferry City Council minutes, December 20 |
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January 15 |
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Frozen rain, sleet expected:
The National Weather Service has issued a winter
storm watch for North Idaho and northeast
Washington for freezing rain from this evening
through Wednesday morning. |
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January 13 |
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Capturing wolverines with pixels and wire
brushes: The forest floor has a
thick blanket of snow topped by a layer of
bone-chilling air that’s so still a creaking
tree sounds like an airhorn. It appears all
animals have abandoned the forest for warmer
climes, but biologist Diane Evans Mack’s remote
cameras tell a different story. A handful of
hardy animals roam Idaho’s snowy, mountainous
forests, and among them are wolverines. |
 North Idaho elk study in its fourth year:
Fish and Game biologists in Idaho’s Panhandle
region have started the fourth year of a
comprehensive elk mortality study. Working with
a private helicopter contractor, biologists have
been in the field capturing and collaring elk
since January 8. |
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January 12 |
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Warm up
coming next week, flooding possible:
A change in the weather pattern next week will
bring above freezing temperatures to much of the
region and the potential for significant
rainfall to far eastern Washington and the Idaho
Panhandle. |
 Scott stripped of committee assignments:
Idaho District 1A Representative Heather Scott
was stripped of all legislative committee
assignments on the House floor today,
disciplined under rules that forbid members from
disparaging colleagues or the legislative body
as a whole. |
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Weed program applications available:
The Boundary County Weed Department has
applications for the 2017 Neighborhood Co-op
Weed Program at the U of I Extension Office in
Bonners Ferry. |
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Rob Gust-CJ Erickson scholarships offered:
The Rob Gust-CJ Erickson School Scholarship will
be awarded to two graduating seniors of Bonners
Ferry High School pursuing higher education
through the attendance of an accredited
vocational program. |
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January 11 |
 Rockey getting back to his inimitable self:
According to his sister, Teresa Becker, Rockey
Burkholder is doing much better today. His
speech, she posted on Facebook, is much more
coherent and structured, his appetite is great
and he's continually trying to set up the female
and male nurses with each other, complimenting
all the ladies. |
 Award winning team to create local snow
sculpture:
Boundary County friends and families are invited
to join Lee Harris, captain of the Bonners Ferry
international snow sculpting team, as she and
her team create an original snow sculpture in
our very own back yard! |
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Tonight's full moon mimics path of July sun:
Tonight – January 11, 2017 – the moon will
appear bright and full in the sky from around
the world. It’ll look full tomorrow night, too,
because, in fact, the moon appears full for a
couple of nights around its fullest phase.
By Bruce McClure, EarthSky |
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ISP Road Safe class offered:
The Idaho State Police will be holding a Road
Safe Class for the 2016/2017 winter driving
season from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, January 28. |
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January 10 |
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Expect chilly temps tonight:
The National Weather Service has issued a wind
chill advisory for North Idaho in effect from
midnight tonight through 10 a.m. Wednesday. |
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Work to begin on Naples Bridge:
Structural repairs will be made to the Naples
Bridge on Deep Creek Loop, just south of the
Naples Store, beginning at 7 a.m.
Wednesday, January 11, and continue from 7 a.m.
to 4 p.m. daily until work is completed by February 10. |
 Good citizenship shines at BCMS:
It is unbelievable that this semester is almost
over. One half a year almost completed? Where
does the time go? I know where a lot of it went.
It went to helping our community, competing,
participating in various events and generally
being great people and citizens. |
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Digging out
... |
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| Mike Ashby
photo |
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Kids got an
extra day of vacation and city, county
and state crews spent much of the day
Monday digging out after another load of
snow fell across the region overnight
Sunday. And while we should see a bit of
sun Wednesday through Friday, it's
likely we'll see more snow over the
weekend and into next week, and rain is
likely on Wednesday, January 18,
followed by a freezing rain/snow mix. |
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Hiring event Wednesday in Post Falls:
More than 20 employers are slated for the
monthly hiring event at the Idaho Department of
Labor Post Falls office, N600 Thornton Street. The
event runs from 10 a.m. until noon on Wednesday,
January 11. |
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Scott, Nate work at Growing Freedom for Idaho:
The Idaho Legislature will have the opportunity
to support a strong agenda for Growing Freedom
in Idaho during the 2017 Legislative Session.
The agenda, driven by citizen input and geared
toward cultivating greater personal freedoms for
Idahoans, was released last week by
Representatives Heather Scott and Ronald Nate. |
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With cold weather, be CO smart:
In wake of the persistent winter weather,
Panhandle Health District is reminding
North Idaho residents to take precautions to
prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. |
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Idaho second quarter wages up from last year:
Idaho’s private sector average weekly wage grew
by $30 between the second quarters of 2015 and
2016 to $743. |
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Idaho population growth strongest since 2008:
Idaho’s population grew by 1.8 percent between
mid-2015 and mid-2016, the third strongest
increase of all states and 1.1 percentage point
ahead of the national growth rate. |
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Boundary County Commission minutes, December
19-20 |
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Boundary County Commission minutes, December 5-6 |
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Moyie Spring City Council minutes, December 7 |
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January 9 |
4-H meeting cancelled
The
Roadrunners 4-H club meeting scheduled for today
has been canceled due to weather conditions and
and school closure. If you have any questions
please call club leader Rona Fields at 267-7292. |
 Birders enjoy successful 117th Audubon bird
count:
On Wednesday, December 28, 12 birders (bird
watchers) from as far away as Boise wandered a 7
½ mile radius from downtown Bonners Ferry to
join in the 117th Audubon Christmas Bird Count. |
 Former astronaut awarded state's highest honor:
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter today presented the
highest civilian honor the State of Idaho
bestows to Idaho educator and former astronaut
Barbara Morgan. |
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Risch to head Committee on Small Business: As
the new session gets underway U.S. Senator Jim
Risch (R-ID) has been named Chairman of the
Senate Committee on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship. |
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January 8 |
 County icon needs community's prayers:
At about 11 a.m. today, Rockey Burkholder, 68,
was found on the floor of his Bonners Ferry
home, unconscious and in dire condition, but
breathing, by his sister and brother-in-law,
Teresa and Dr. Marty Becker.
While Marty took steps to stabilize Rockey,
Teresa called 911. Updated 2 p.m.
January 9. |
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January 5 |
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Fit and Fall Proof session to begin:
The Bonners Ferry Senior Hospitality Center,
6635 Lincoln Street, will begin the winter
session of the 12-week “Fit and Fall Proof Class”
beginning Monday, January 9. |
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Crapo sworn in, joins Senate Judiciary Committee:
Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, flanked by Senator Jim
Risch, took the oath of office January 3 and was
sworn into office to begin his next term. |
 IDFG ready to feed big game if needed:
Big game animals are congregating at low
elevations, including near towns and homes after
December snow and some frigid temperatures
blanketed much of Idaho. Some people are
concerned about animals surviving through
winter, but so far, Fish and Game has only
started emergency feeding in Eastern Idaho. |
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January 4 |
 Coronal
hole could result in spectacular light show:
Thanks to a huge coronal hole over the sun which
is facing directly at Earth, there's a good
chance of geomagnetic storms over the earth's
north pole, which could be a boon to those who
wander out tonight and tomorrow night and look
at the northern sky; odds are good that you'll
see one of nature's most spectacular light
shows; the aurora borealis, or northern lights. |
 Martin Luther King Jr. to be honored:
A celebration of art, music and film to
commemorate Martin Luther King and his message
of equality, respect, hope and nonviolence for
all citizens will be held at The Pearl Theater
at 4 p.m. Saturday, January 14. |
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Happy Tails Bed & Biscuit staying open:
Happy Tails Bed & Biscuit
will be staying open through spring, providing a
warm and inviting home for your dog while you're
away. |
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January 2 |
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Bitter cold temps on the way:
The National Weather Service has issued a wind
chill advisory for bitter cold, in effect from
11 p.m. today through 10 a.m. Tuesday. |
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Back to archives |
Sheriff Kramer shares plans with Rotary:
On Tuesday, January 24, newly elected Boundary
County Sheriff Dave Kramer visited the Bonners
Ferry Rotary to discuss the direction the
Sheriff's Office will go under his supervision.
First and foremost, Sheriff Kramer said he would
like to see the relationship between deputies and the community
improve, as well as provide better education and direction for
the current deputies.
Siver to serve as
district FFA sentinel:
Congratulations to Bonners Ferry FFA member
Shawna Siver, who was selected today to
serve as the 2017/2018 North Idaho District FFA
Sentinel. 
Two make aviation strides at Northern Air :
Northern Air happy to announce the graduations of Steve Parsons
of Sandpoint, who received his IFR rating on January 7, and Jim
Woodward of Sagle, who received his Private Pilot's license on
January 7 in his Maule airplane.
Western
Acrylic owners visit Rotary: Dave and Judi Miller
of Western Acrylic, a Sandpoint plastic fabrication business on
Highway 95 that's been in operation since 1980, were the
speakers at the Bonners Ferry Rotary Club meeting on Tuesday.
Mr. Murray BCSD Employee of the Month:
I believe without a doubt that the difference
between good and great teachers is that great
teachers are always learning. We at Naples
Elementary have a school full of great teachers,
and I get to recognize one of them. By Principal Lisa Iverson
MacDonald introduces Rotary to IDCIS:
On Tuesday, Summer MacDonald, Idaho Department
of Labor Bonners Ferry, spoke to the Bonners
Ferry Rotary Club about the Idaho Career
Information System, the Educate Idaho Network
and the North Idaho Education Partnership.
Bonnell to teach history at NIC:
Beginning with the Spring 2017 semester, Paul
Bonnell, Bonners Ferry, will teach
History 112-60, U.S. History After 1876, at
North Idaho College. Paul has taught several
semesters for North Idaho College over the past
decade in both dual-credit and adjunct
capacities.