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Find Your STRENGTH

Bonner General Health event will raise funds to benefit those who have lost the ability to walk

Life can change in an instant. That is something that Sandpoint resident Chris Owens knows all too well. Owens began a career in logging at the age of 21. Growing up and as a young man, he immersed himself in the adventures of hiking, hunting, skiing, and motorcycles. But that was taken away from him at the age of 30 when a tree fell on him, breaking his back and leaving him paralyzed.

Now 43 years old, Owens struggled for years. After his accident, his muscles atrophied, and he lost over 40 pounds. “It took me a number of years for my body to recover to the point where I didn’t have to nap daily,” said Owens.

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Idaho Forest Owners Association Education Foundation works to educate and equip Idaho forest landowners

The state of Idaho—and particularly the northern panhandle— is full of vibrant forest lands that provide habitats for wildlife, water resources and timber production.

Since its founding in 2016, the Idaho Forest Owners Association Education Foundation (IFOA-EF) has raised funds to support various projects that promote sustainable forestry practices and educate the public about the beautiful state that they call home.

DOWNLOADING … COMPUTER LAB UPDATES INSTALLED

Sandpoint High School receives grant for new esports gaming lab

For those who do not already know, Sandpoint High School has a flourishing computer science program and competitive esports team led by teacher and SHS graduate Dalton Hawkins. And it just got better.

In the spring of 2022, Hawkins applied for a grant through Ting Internet with the permission of David Miles II, the principal of Lake Pend Oreille Alternative High School and founder of Video Game Club—Sandpoint’s original gaming club that Hawkins himself participated in as a student.

What Going on in Sandpoint

NOW HIRING

Local Sandpoint businesses eagerly looking for new team members

Whether you own a business or are employed by one, you know that the past couple of years have been tough for most—if not all—businesses, much in part due to the pandemic. And once it was time to get back to business, it seemed as though the employee pool had diminished.

“The last two-plus years have been challenging, and businesses all over town have really had to rethink the way they do things to adapt,” shares Kelley Kennedy, who co-owns The Fat Pig with Brett Mullinder.

CAMP BAY

A Special Place

Recently, there has been a lot of news generated about a new development in Camp Bay. Being unfamiliar with Camp Bay, I decided to visit the property with Eric Skinner and Brent Stevens, owners of Century 21 RiverStone who are marketing the property, to see firsthand for myself what is really going on and to try to discern what is fact and fiction.

As we drove to Camp Bay together, Eric and Brent shared with me the story of this special property that was owned by the same family for over 100 years until its sale in 2021. Since the early 1900s, Camp Bay was homesteaded by the Van Schravendyk family, where they raised cattle in the early days of settling Camp Bay and then made money by leasing land for folks to build waterfront cabins in the late 1950s. Ultimately, the family had about 21 leases of waterfront property, and between property leases and logging the property, the family held the land until its sale in 2021.

Boom Town

NORTH IDAHO REALTORS HELPING CLIENTS THROUGH CHALLENGING MARKET

Before the 1980s, the Idaho panhandle was a fairly sleepy place. Many families made their living off the land whether by farming, mining, or the timber industry. A small wave of big-city dwellers discovered the area and decided to uproot their families and take root in the smaller communities North Idaho offers. As the popularity of Schweitzer grew and the building of the Coeur d’Alene Resort in 1986, the area began to take shape as a tourist destination. As more visitors came to the area, they were also taken by the scenery and slower pace of life. While growth continued through the ‘90s and 2000s, the past two years are like nothing the area has ever seen.