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IDAHO AT SEA

ADVANCED NAVAL VESSEL IN PRODUCTION

Once completed, she will be 377-feet long and carry a crew of approximately 135 mixed gender enlisted sailors and officers. She’ll be tasked with escorting battle ships and aircraft carriers, as well as gathering surveillance, reconnaissance and other intelligence. She’ll be ready to defend the homeland from underwater attack and will be capable of launching land attacks from below the surface. She’ll be one of the most technologically advanced submarines ever created, and she will carry the name USS IDAHO SSN 799.

It’s a once-in-a-century celebration for residents of the Gem State. While there have been other naval vessels that carry the name Boise (currently in service), Pocatello, and Twin Falls, this is the first naval vessel to carry the state’s namesake since the USS Idaho BB42...

SongFest Hits the Town

Sandpoint’s songwriters show kicks off its inaugural year

Musician and songwriter Thom Shepherd has been visiting Sandpoint since he first stopped off here in 1992. Almost 30 years and Nashville, Texas and a world tour later, Sandpoint is now home to Thom and his wife and fellow musician Coley McCabe Shepherd.

It was after moving here in 2019 that Thom stopped off at the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint to inquire about posting a flyer for a songwriters seminar he was planning. He met with the director of the conservatory, Karin Wedemeyer, and Thom ended up teaching the first songwriting class at the conservatory in spring of 2020—and the roots of SongFest were planted.

GAME ON

HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES TAKE THE FIELD

Back to school; it means something different to each student. While some look forward to the routine of the school day, others are eager to see friends on a daily basis. Moving up a grade means new challenges, tougher assignments, and often more personal responsibility. Where summer can be the carefree time of lounging, hanging with friends or working a few hours a week, the school/life balance is about to begin again. This is especially true for those who will also be returning to the field, pitch, course and court this fall.

To say the last few seasons of high school sports have been a challenge would be a true understatement. Before 2020, a season being canceled was something that wasn’t even a remote thought in the minds of coaches, athletes or parents, but all across the country it happened. The graduating class of 2020 missed out on their final seasons of baseball, softball, track and field, and golf. And while there are definitely bigger hardships that have come out of the pandemic, missing out on your final year of high school competition is something that will continue to sting those athletes for years to come.

What Going on in Sandpoint

Downtown Again

POWDER HOUND PIZZA REBUILDS TO OPEN A BRAND NEW DOWNTOWN LOCATION

Whether you're a Sandpoint local, a Schweitzer passholder, or a visitor to the area, it’s likely you’re familiar with Schweitzer Mountain gem Powder Hound Pizza. A local favorite, Powder Hound Pizza is known for its great pizza, beer selection and inviting atmosphere, serving guests daily throughout the winter season and on festival weekends during the rest of the year.

After losing their second location in downtown Sandpoint to fire damage in February 2019, restaurant owners Ben and Jeannie Higgs look forward to serving the downtown community once again with a new location opening this fall.

Their downtown location was known as The Hound, and had been open just short of four years before the fire brought their operations to a halt.

‘SEED TO SEAL’

LOCAL YOUNG LIVING FARM DOES SOMETHING NEW

Pharmaceuticals (especially medications that regulate anxiety or depression) not only have a hefty price tag but are often laden with overbearing and damaging side effects. It has many locals looking into alternative medications, even unregulated ones. There are many such proactive remedies that are backed by doctors, such as clinical therapy, art therapy, dietary changes, exercise and aromatherapy. Essential oils fall into the aromatherapy category, although in the world of high-quality essential oils such as Young Living, it doesn’t just stop at aroma. In an unregulated market littered with products that possess low levels of essential oil mixed with mineral oil, Young Living stands out from the crowd. The business grows not necessarily through a masterful marketing plan, but by honest manufacturing and the testimony of its users.

‘Lettuce Turnip the Beet’!

The Bonner County Fair and Rodeo bring local family fun this month

Celebrating all things related to local heritage and agriculture, the Bonner County Fair and Rodeo will return in full swing this month. The fair promises lighthearted family fun with its themed event “Lettuce Turnip the Beet,” following the return of the treasured Sandpoint Bonner County PRCA Rodeo.

For decades, the mission of the Bonner County Fair has been to promote agricultural heritage and the future of the county. Offering a space to gather and celebrate the heritage and accomplishments of the Sandpoint community, the Bonner County Fair and Rodeo are celebrated for their positive economic and social impacts felt throughout the local area. This year, the rodeo will be held August 6 and 7, followed by the fair from August 18 through August 21.