Good morning, Post Falls.

Last Sunday, about 30 community members dedicated a bench at Sanders Beach—near East Lakeshore Drive—in honor of Joanne Braun, who fought ALS and died on Feb.

7. Braun was a committed swimmer with the Kroc masters group and active in the Shared Harvest Community Garden; the bench was funded by local donations and installed with help from the Parks Department.

The North Idaho Business Journal invites nominations for the 2026 40 Under 40 awards to honor young professionals—nominees must be 39 or younger as of Dec.

31 and nominations are due by Jan. 30, with winners announced in February and celebrated in April at the Coeur d'Alene Inn.

CDAIDE, a nonprofit that supports hospitality workers, will host its fifth annual Chef Challenge at 5:30 p.m. Oct.

23 at the Hagadone Event Center where six local chefs will compete in live cooking contests and appetizer tastings to raise funds for food service workers.

Hagadone Media Group today observes National Newspaper Week—focused on telling true local stories—and thanks readers for their ongoing support.

The publisher reaffirms that trusted local journalism is key to keeping our community informed.

Lifelong rancher and Rathdrum resident Laurin Scarcello said on Friday at a Rotary Club meeting in Coeur d'Alene that Kootenai County lost 23% of its farmland from 2017 to 2022 because of population growth and climate shifts — he warned that if this trend continues, all farmland could vanish in 20 years.

The Idaho Washington Aquifer Collaborative updated the Modflow-USG model for the Spokane Valley Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer to refine subsurface inflows and aquifer interactions—this tool will help water purveyors plan wellhead protection and future demand projections.

The project, funded by grants from the Kootenai County Aquifer Protection District and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, will be completed in October 2026.

Climbing Basics Classes Registration

10 a.m. to noon — Coeur Climbing Company — $130 per session — Youths aged 7 to 14 can learn essential climbing skills and safety in a fun and engaging setting.