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From Model T to GT4

Jan 20, 2020
7 min

From Model T to GT4

Exhibits continue to wow By Colin Anderson Photo by LeMay - America’s Car Museum If you’ve meandered through one of the many car shows of the Northwest, you’ve probably seen some pretty cool rides. It’s a great way to get up close to a piece of history. The common vehicles featured in most of these shows are mid ‘50s to late ‘70s American-made automobiles. Some shows have rules as to how old the car must be to be shown, what condition it is in or where it was made. While thes

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Enhancing Lives

Jan 13, 2020
5 min

Enhancing Lives

Bonner General Health Foundation enriches local health care By Patty Hutchens Photos Courtesy of Bonner General Health Many people move to Sandpoint for the quality of life, beautiful scenery and endless opportunities to enjoy the outdoors year-round. While many may assume that living in a rural area means sacrificing access to quality health care, that is not the case for those who call Sandpoint and the surrounding area home. Bonner General Health, with the support of the B

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Kochava: Sandpoint’s Downtown “Star”

Jan 6, 2020
5 min

Kochava: Sandpoint’s Downtown “Star”

Turn the corner on Church Street in Downtown Sandpoint, and it’s hard not to notice the large grey modern building that now houses the Kochava offices. The space used to house Inkwell—an office machine rental and office supply store—as well as a few doctors’ offices. Its upstairs was home to the local high school baseball team’s batting practice during the winter months. Before Kochava purchased it and moved its offices from the former Columbia Bank location in 2016, the larg

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Popping Sound? Not New Year's Fireworks, but your Shoulder!

Jan 4, 2020
3 min

Popping Sound? Not New Year's Fireworks, but your Shoulder!

I often hear this question in my practice: “Why is my shoulder popping?” There are multiple reasons for this common issue, as the shoulder is a complex and unstable joint. It is comprised of bone, ligaments, cartilage and tendons that allow for ease of movement in so many different directions, but this is also why the shoulder is a commonly injured joint that results in shoulder pain. Why do I have shoulder pain and popping? Before you assume the worst, ask yourself the follo

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Compassionate Care You Deserve

Jan 2, 2020
3 min

Compassionate Care You Deserve

Opened in 2012, AFS Home Health has been providing exceptional home health services for Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties. The company was acquired in October of 2019 by Eden Home Health and will continue to serve the community with compassionate, quality care in the comfort and safety of your own home. If you or someone you know is recovering from surgery or illness, or living with a chronic disease, AFS Eden Health's highly skilled medical team of clinicians will ensur

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Local. Trustworthy. Experienced.

Dec 31, 2019
3 min

Local. Trustworthy. Experienced.

Born and raised in North Idaho, Nick and Sheyna Rust knew that this was the area that would always be home. They live an adventurous lifestyle with their two daughters, Darby and Jacey. When they’re not at work, you will find the Rust family out on the lake, in the woods or at the ski hill. “We feel truly blessed upon the success we have been able to create in the place we love,” says Nick. After years of hard work, Nick and Sheyna are excited about the future of the two co

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Life-Altering Trip

Dec 31, 2019
4 min

Life-Altering Trip

Costa Rica is a country of near endless green, dense jungles, incredible biodiversity, volcanoes, white sand beaches; a perfect place to relax, unwind and soak up some vitamin D. While thousands come here for these reasons, each year a group of Sandpoint students make the flight down for a far more intense visit. “I’m actually surprised we get anyone to sign-up!” laughed Perky Smith-Hagadone. Perky is the principal at Northside Elementary. Along with friend and recently retir

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Riding Shotgun

Dec 23, 2019
7 min

Riding Shotgun

The concept of driving across the country today is no small undertaking. It can take weeks of planning, stacks of road maps and an unquenchable thirst for the road. The first passage by automobile more than a century ago—in 1903 to be exact—was a challenge to both the vehicle and the brave individuals who tested the limits to travel from sea to shining sea. A bicycle racer who made his home in Tacoma, Washington, was half of the duo to successfully make the first journey by m

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Open for Discussion

Dec 9, 2019
4 min

Open for Discussion

As children grow they become more independent. For parents this is both rewarding and challenging. When they hit late elementary school or early middle school, getting kids to open up, even about something as simple as how their day went, can be difficult. It is a time of great change in bodies and social structure, which can lead to feelings of jealousy and anger, loss of self-worth or being bullied. Children who bury these feelings can fall into drug and alcohol abuse as co

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A 50-Year Christmas Tradition

Dec 2, 2019
3 min

A 50-Year Christmas Tradition

Imagine the impact of a holiday tradition that begins on your birthdate and carries on through family generations to follow. A priceless Christmas tradition began more than 50 years ago at Bonner General Health and continues to touch the lives of Sandpoint community members. During the month of December, all newborn babies at BGH receive a hand-knitted hat and a red flannel stocking—a stocking large enough that it can easily provide a warm ride home for a newborn baby. BGH Au

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85 Years and Counting

Dec 2, 2019
2 min

85 Years and Counting

With new restaurants and bars opening up all the time, competition for customers is always a challenge. That is, of course, unless you are an icon of North Idaho. The 219 Lounge in Sandpoint just celebrated its 85th birthday, and it’s been found at the same First Avenue location each of those memorable years. Locals and visitors continue to visit nightly because of the atmosphere and unique experience you get once you walk through the doors. “The character of the bar has chan

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Facilitating Healing

Dec 2, 2019
3 min

Facilitating Healing

Following many personal and professional experiences with the shortcomings of the Western medical system, Jeff Pufnock and Jessica Youngs began their studies in Classical Chinese medicine. They both individually came to study Chinese medicine with a vision of learning a system of care that fully addressed healing the whole person. Jeff’s previous career as a Ph.D. cancer immunologist brought him to the realization that he wanted to approach healing from a different perspectiv

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Leading The Way In Superior Communications Services

Oct 30, 2019
2 min

Leading The Way In Superior Communications Services

Founded in 1981, Northland Communications has been providing area residents a variety of communications services for more than 38 years! With a mission to provide advanced integrated communication networks that offer a broad selection of first-class services, Northland Communications enables the communities they serve to be competitive with the larger urban areas. And thanks to an acquisition by GTCR in October 2018, Northland Communications secured more than $50 million to u

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A Passion to Serve Those in Need

Oct 30, 2019
4 min

A Passion to Serve Those in Need

“God has done so many amazing things for us.” It is inspiring to witness the incredible people in the community who give of themselves selflessly to impact others in a positive way; devoting countless hours to help improve the lives of those in our community. And one such organization that works toward its mission every hour of every day is Priest River Ministries - Advocates for Women—which strives to do all it can for the betterment of women who have endured, and are contin

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Making a Financial World of Difference

Oct 21, 2019
7 min

Making a Financial World of Difference

When a person goes to college and gets a degree, they typically learn a great deal about their chosen field, hoping to find a good job, make a lot of money and live the perfect dream life. For one Spokane woman though, going from point A to point B has already happened in her 30-some years, but with a fascinating, and life-changing, twist. Kumiko Love, an accredited financial counselor and the creator of The Budget Mom, was raised on a farm in Chewelah, Washington, and lived

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Music Conservatory Celebrates 10 years

Oct 14, 2019
4 min

Music Conservatory Celebrates 10 years

It has been a decade since Ruth Klinginsmith and Karin Wedemeyer embarked on their journey of establishing a music conservatory here in Sandpoint. Guided by their backgrounds as musicians (Ruth a violinist and Karin a German born and raised opera singer), the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint opened its doors to musical hopefuls, with just a handful of students in the cold back room of a dance studio, in September of 2009. “I do remember our humble start-up when we set out to a

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A Lake and a Job

Oct 7, 2019
5 min

A Lake and a Job

Bill Ouimet trudged through waist-high snow and reached a 16-by-20-foot cement building that would be, for the next quarter decade, his home. It was 1977, and Camp Stidwell, on the south end of Mirror Lake, was in need of a caretaker. Vandalism had creeped in, so his presence was going to stave it off. “I came here in January, and the old guy that hired me … we went around back, opened the door and I walked in. Cement floors, tin roof, no insulation,” Ouimet said. “He goes, ‘

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Stand with Heath

Sep 28, 2019
2 min

Stand with Heath

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

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Athletes of the Month: Gabriel Chistman & Hattie Larson

Sep 28, 2019
3 min

Athletes of the Month: Gabriel Chistman & Hattie Larson

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

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The Healing Garden

Sep 28, 2019
4 min

The Healing Garden

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

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