The Sandpoint community is unlike any other, joining together to help out when others are in need and are facing hardships. The community has an opportunity to come out and show their support to a local family as Heath Okon, husband to Diana and father to their two sons Brycen and Christian, has been battling advanced stage synovial sarcoma. “Advanced stage synovial sarcoma is cancer that starts in the extremities of the body, typically arms or legs near the joints,” says Dia

Gabriel Chistman Gabriel Christman, a senior Sandpoint High School cross-country runner, is a busy young man with both school and sports. Running on the cross-country team in the fall and the track team in the spring, Gabe keeps his grades up and is a member of the National Honors Society. As a sophomore, an injury occurred that put a halt to the rest of Gabe’s cross-country season, as his ability to train at his full capacity was put on hold until this past summer. “I was ou

When Lissa DeFreitas was 19 years old, her grandmother died. She was convinced, she said, that there was something beyond death. It fascinated her then and has ever since: in her various volunteer roles in hospice care, as a social worker, as a spiritual care volunteer at Bonner General Health Community Hospice in Sandpoint, and now in her latest role there—as the volunteer and bereavement coordinator. She has held the post for six years. “This is like a dream job,” DeFreitas

Considering the current construction environment in which good trades are in hot demand and wait lists for reputable builders continue to stack up, it is a massive understatement to say that entering into the construction process can be somewhat overwhelming and even downright scary. Choosing the right builder for the project is one of the most crucial steps in the entire process. Jennifer Knappe, owner of Cedar Creek Custom Homes, LLC, says that “while most home builders are

In February of 2009, friends Stefanie Nostdahl and Jodie Corless became partners, and owners, of Pend Oreille Insurance Services in Ponderay. More than a decade later, the well-established insurance company continues to provide exceptional service with a personal touch to each client who walks through their doors. The independent agency sells all lines of insurance—from health and life to business, home and auto insurance—working with different companies to seek out the best

To brew beer you need four key ingredients: water, yeast, malt and hops. Clean water makes for a crisp beverage, and yeast is used to convert sugars into alcohol. Malt is where the color and flavor profile comes from, and hops add to the aroma and bitterness. A stroll down any grocery store aisle and you’ll find such a wide range of choices that it’s hard to fathom they all come from the same four basic ingredients. If you’ve tipped back a Bud Light, Goose Island IPA, Elysian