9B.News
Mike Weland, Publisher
mike@9b.news
6931 Main St. P.O. Box 1625
Bonners Ferry, ID 83805 (208) 295-1016
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Business |
April 4 |
Toasty
Mobile Saunas coming to Iron Mike's: Toasty Mobile
Saunas will be offering hourly open sauna sessions at Iron Mike's
Gym, 64450 US-2, Bonners Ferry, with one of their beautiful mobile
saunas in the lot from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, beginning April 7.
Come and experience the warm, soft heat of a traditional
wood-fired sauna! |
Social |
April 30 |
Teresa
Rae Beta Sigma Phi Woman of the Year: Teresa Rae has
been recognized with the “Woman of the Year” award at the Beta
Sigma Phi Founders Day Program today. Member Janis Tucker asked
Teresa to join them under false pretenses. On Thursday, she told
her that one of their presenters had dropped out and could she
come speak on behalf of Boundary Fuller Center for Housing, more
commonly known as Habitat for Humanity. In exchange for a three to
four minute presentation, Teresa was promised her delicious
breakfast and the chance to sit next to her favorite middle school
volleyball coach! |
April 29 |
Utah
State University's Alva Swanson on his thoughtful path to
graduation: When he thinks back, Alva Swanson recalls
three events that became pivotal in bringing him to where he is
now, at the threshold of graduation from the Utah State University
Quinney College of Natural Resources. The first is a big fish
story. Swanson’s home is in the far north of Idaho, a community
called Bonners Ferry. Carving down the center of town is the
Kootenai River, where you can sometimes glimpse a native monster.
By Lael Gilbert |
April 27 |
Dr.
Ulappa earns Golden Apple Award at BSU: The
Associated Students of Boise State University have announced the
winners of this year’s Golden Apple Awards, and among them is Dr.
Amy Ulappa, a professor of biology in the College of Arts and
Sciences and a 2000 graduate of Bonners Ferry High School. Amy is the daughter
of Tom Ulappa and Janis Kerby, both of Bonners Ferry. |
April 26 |
No
Ag Baby 2022 ... yet: For the first time in memory,
no one has stepped forward to proclaim their child Boundary
County's first baby of spring, and at present there is no Boundary
Soil Conservation District/Farm Bureau Ag Baby 2022. It's not too
late! |
April 14 |
Local
family needs community help: 9B Family Foundation, a
Bonners Ferry preschool, childcare and family resource center, has
a family facing challenging times and needing the community's
help. The mother gave birth to twins around 18 weeks early, with
one in the neonatal intensive care unit at Kootenai Health, the
other in a Spokane NICU. Mom is staying in Coeur d'Alene and
commuting between hospitals to be with her babies, who are trying
to grow big enough to come home, hopefully in 18 weeks around the
date they were expected in June. |
April 7 |
Naples
celebrates Students of the Month, Principals for a Day:
Naples Elementary recently celebrated its Students of the Month
for March. They are Stryder Olson 1st, Keah McKellips 2nd,
Mackenzie Issacharoff 2nd, Dakota Rinehart - Kindergarten, Josh
Pruitt - Kindergarten, Hank Robertson - Kindergarten, Emily Riek -
Kindergarten and Mason Mistelski 1st, Blake Nichols 4th, Dalton
Regher 4th, Kathryn Wietzke 5th, Treva Wietzke 5th, Lilliya Giles
3rd, Onyx Gahr 3rd, Maddux Bolton 3rd, Mark Elliston 5th, Levi
Jones 3rd. In addtion, two students, below; Ronald Calderone and
Aurora Havens-Boone, did admirably in March as Principal for a
Day! |
Sports/Outdoors |
April 30 |
Days
before her 90th birthday, Jeanne Osborn bowls a 204:
It's almost impossible to imagine, but friends helped Jeanne
Osborn celebrate her 90th birthday today. Not only does she look
decades younger, Jeanne is still exceptionally athletic, having
bowled a 204 this week in Tuesday's Trouble women's league play at
AJ's Lanes, rolling four strikes in a row! Happy birthday, Jeanne! |
April 27 |
Lupines shine in
Tuesdays Trouble week 31: Alice VanGundy got high
scratch game 204, high scratch series 499, second high handicap
game 260 and tied for high handicap series 667 to lead the Lupines
to a sweep as Tuesday's Trouble ladies league bowling wrapped its
36th week at AJ's. Lil Jimenez took second high scratch game 185,
second high scratch series 424 and tied for high handicap series
667. |
April 22 |
Ussher
signs to run for Community Colleges of Spokane:
Camille Ussher had been going back and forth between Community
Colleges of Spokane and a couple of other schools that were
interested, but ultimately her choice came down, wisely, to which
option provided her the best academic options and the opportunity
to grow and compete immediately as an athlete. |
IDFG
to conduct creel surveys on Pend Oreille: When you
pull into the dock after fishing Lake Pend Oreille or the Pend
Oreille River this year, you may be greeted by a smiling face
wearing Idaho Fish and Game gear, eager to ask you a few
questions. From now until March 2023, Fish and Game will be
conducting a creel survey to collect information about how your
fishing experience was on the lake and river. |
April 20 |
Fine shooting, Claybusters! |
|
Congratulations to the Bonners Ferry High School
Trap Team, "Duke's Claybusters," for taking top honors in
the junior division in the 2022 Spokesman Review Inland
Northwest Trap Shoot. Duke's Claybusters are (l-r) Wyatt
McDonald, Noah Nichols, Trenton Myers, Ryan Carelli,
Melanie Campbell, Cassidy Underhill, Dillon McLeish and
Torsten Conover. Not pictured are Seth Rice and Isaac
Bliss. "Great shooting all of you," said coach Ron
Campbell. "I couldn't be more proud!" |
|
April 18 |
Tuesday's Trouble
has finished 30 weeks of bowling: Alice VanGundy got
high scratch game 173 and second high scratch series 431 in week
30 of Tuesday’s Trouble bowling at AJ’s Lanes. Jeanne Osborn got
second high scratch game 159, high scratch series 439 and third
high handicap series 643. Donna Kent tied for third high scratch
game 158 with Carolyn McNeill who also got third high scratch
series 430. |
April 15 |
Sheriff's
deputies offering OHV classes: Spring is here and so
is the opportunity to start getting the motorcycles and ATVs out!
If you do not yet have your drivers license, there is still a way
for you to legally ride on forest service roads. Sheriff’s
deputies will offer an OHV (off highway vehicle) course to riders
allowing them to be issued a permit from Idaho Parks and
Recreation, meeting the requirements to ride on forest service
roads without a driver’s license. |
April 12 |
Elaine Wheeler
takes it all in week 29: Elaine Wheeler took it all
in week 29 of Tuesday’s Trouble Ladies Bowling; high scratch game
189, high scratch series 534, high handicap game 256 and high
handicap series 735. Kathy Konek got second high scratch game 181,
second high scratch series 500 and second high handicap series
695. |
April 7 |
Regina Colby leads
in week 28: Regina Colby got high scratch game 174,
third high scratch series 430, high handicap game 258 and high
handicap series 682 in individual scoring and the lupines; Alice
VanGundy, DaVonna Cada and Lil Jiminez, took team honors in week
28 of Tuesday's Trouble women's league bowling at AJ's. |
April 6 |
Kobertstien
Idaho State champion on bars: Some of you may
remember Aliyah Koberstien as the cute little gymnast who flipped
cartwheels in the cartwheel-a-thon at Super 1 last year to raise
money for local cancer patients and her to build her gymnastics
fund for this competition year. She amazed everyone, turning 270
cartwheels in an hour. As this year's competition season has ended
and she returns to her practice schedule, look for her next
cartwheel-a-thon coming later this spring! |
April 2 |
Eli
Richards in top 12 at High School Senior Nationals:
Bonners Ferry High School stand-out wrestler Eli Richards recently
traveled to Virginia Beach, Virginia, for the High School Senior
Nationals, competing against the best high school seniors in the
country. In his first bout in a solid 64 man bracket, Eli came out
on top, pinning Zalan Wilson of Louisiana at 3:11. In his second
bout, Eli won again, pinning Jonah Gruenes of Minnesota at 4:55. |
BF
Wrestling Club to attend Bread and Butter Wrestling Camp:
The 2022 All-American Bread and Butter Wrestling Camp will run
June 29 through July 3 at Riverview Bible Camp, Cusick,
Washington, and the Bonners Ferry Wrestling Club is going as a
team. The camp, the only team camp planned this year, features
clinics with wrestlers from the highest level in college
wrestling. |
Letters |
April 29 |
Idiots don't run
the show: On Thursday, Idaho House District 1
Representative Heather Scott held an event in a church in
Kootenai, live streamed for those who couldn't attend, announced
in an email with the subject line, "Smut in Our Idaho Libraries
and What You Can Do About It." A gameplan, she wrote, to remove
inappropriate materials from our schools and libraries. On his
website, Idaho District 1 Senate candidate Scott Herndon lists as
issues topics including transgenders in sports, critical race
theory and strengthening parental rights over the sexual topics
taught to their children in public schools. By Mike Weland,
Publisher |
April 28 |
Danger in the
primary: What a sad and destructive situation that is
occurring with our electoral system when a senatorial hopeful can
slander, denigrate and lie about a sitting conservative,
Republican Senator. Jim Woodward has been a thoughtful and
intelligent Senator whose actions and service have been only what
is best for Bonner and Boundary counties and the state of Idaho.
By Dave Wattenbarger, Ken Irons and Ron Smith |
April 27 |
Keep
our good and faithful public servant: We are writing
to voice our support to re-elect Dan Dinning for County
Commissioner, District 3. After 20 years of service, it may seem
like it’s time for change as sometimes longevity can create
complacency; this is definitely not the case with Dan Dinning as
our County Commissioner. Simply put, it would take another 20
years or more for someone else to gain the knowledge, create the
networks and make the difference that Dan makes every day on
behalf of Boundary County citizens. By Mitch and Rhonda Vogl |
Herndon vs. Senator
Woodward: Challenger Herndon spews nothing but hate,
Sinking ever lower, he’s sealing his fate. Cluttering the land
with massive mistruth, Does he think that will work when we go to
the booth? By Bev Kee |
We must do more to
stop federal control: Enactment of new federal
legislation often expands, rather than narrows, the federal
government’s responsibilities. Examples include administering
federal programs and payments, such as COVID relief. America is
not made strong by a large central government that overspends.
Rather, our country is strengthened by respecting the abilities of
the individual, and limiting the federal government’s size and
reach will help reduce spending and restore the balance of power
established in the U.S. Constitution. By U.S. Senator Mike
Crapo |
April 26 |
To find some way to
speak the truth: If you knew me, you would see my
heart recently breaking for Bonners Ferry ... the place that I
love, the people I cherish and the values that this community
instilled in me. You would know that I feel cowardice every time I
remain silent amongst family, friends and neighbors. Yet I often
remain silent, and I do not share my name. Anonymous |
April 25 |
Logical for RCC to
vet candidates in primary: Recently Lester Pinkerton
wrote that County Republican Central Committees ought not
recommend some candidates over others in the Republican primary.
Lester then admitted that it is okay if those same central
committees to endorse, financially support and aid the Republicans
that win the primary to win the general election in November.
By Scott Herndon |
April 24 |
Should
RCC endorse? An emphatic 'no!' During the candidate
forum at the high school last week I was given a terrific question
that I would like to explain further. The question: Should the
Republican Central Committees (RCC) endorse individual candidates
prior to the primaries? My reply: Absolutely Not! The RCC should
be a grass roots organization that is delegated to help Republican
candidates reach out to the voting public, like this most recent
candidate forum at the high school. By Lester Pinkerton |
April 23 |
Two wings on the
same bird: Those of the far right failed in
insurrection yet have with great success subverted the grand old
Republican Party to the point it is not recognizable anymore, and
nigh bereft of the ideals for which it once stood so proudly.
By Mike Weland, Publisher |
April 22 |
Gaslighting,
anyone? It is said that every lie contains a kernel
of truth. Scott Herndon’s campaign messaging provides several
examples. But that is not the most dangerous part. What Herndon
does is put out false statements that contain that “kernel of
truth.” By Mary Ollie |
April 21 |
Not my circus, not
my monkey? The news continues to tell us about the
tragedies in Ukraine, in South America, in the Middle East, in
Africa and right here in North Idaho. Drug overdose deaths,
orphaned children, murder and abuse and scapegoating on vulnerable
groups. By Steve Johnson |
Don't count your
chickens before they hatch: Candidate for State
Senate District 1 Scott Herndon fully realized that his
"support/recommendation/endorsement" by the Legislative District 1
(LD-1) Republican Committee was really a back-door attempt to
circumvent any opposition from the member(s) of the Boundary
County Republican Central Committee. Mr. Herndon has had ample
opportunities to request an audience with the BCRCC in regards to
any endorsement. Now he finds himself in a dilemma of his own
creation. By Gerald B. Higgs |
True
Republicans believe in the rights of the individual:
Some small but powerful Republican groups across the state are
demanding absolute loyalty to their choice of candidates for the
upcoming Idaho primary. They are driving a stake through the heart
of the party, creating deep divisions, and pitting friends against
friends. These groups want to determine the outcome of the
election and believe that you, the voters, won’t choose correctly
so they will do your thinking for you. By Idaho Senator Mary
Souza |
Don't
be quick to judge: In his letter of April 20, Gerald
Higgs states that I am “blatantly dishonest” in my mailer in which
it was stated that the Boundary County Republican Central
Committee supported me for State Senate. For a meeting on March
21, 2022, of the Legislative District 1 Republican Committee, the
secretary’s minutes record that 25 precinct committeemen and one
proxy of the joint Bonner and Boundary County Republican Central
Committees met in Ponderay to endorse candidates for the LD1
legislative races. By Scott Herndon |
April 20 |
Blatant lies
unbecoming a candidate for state senator: Today, I
received a Herndon mailer with a red checkmark implying
endorsement by the "Boundary County Republican Central Committee."
Later today, I was made aware by Mike Weland/9B.news of yet
another mailer, (similarly designed) implying the same
endorsement. I am aware that the Boundary County Republican
Central Committee has not and will not endorse any candidates
prior to the May 17, 2022, Republican Primary. By Gerald Higgs |
There's but one
chance, and the time is now: A definition of the word
stupidity is "behavior that shows a lack of good sense or
judgment." Too many who do possess good sense have tolerated
abject stupidity in our politics and in our politicians for far
too long, and we now find ourselves on a precipice as the stupid
aggressively assert their supposed dominance while those who
retain the ability to rationalize mistakenly think there is room
for discussion, for reason, for tolerance. There isn't. By
Mike Weland, Publisher |
Idahoans deserve
to witness the contest of ideas: Who needs debates in
a time where 30-second advertisements funded by multinational
corporations will suffice? Yes, it’s true, the Governor and
Lieutenant Governor refused to participate in the debates. Three
of us were invited by the Idaho Debate Commission to participate
in the long-standing and cherished tradition. Unfortunately, both
of my opponents retreated from the free exchange of ideas. This is
a dangerous trend for Idaho. By gubernatorial candidate Ed
Humphreys |
Re-elect Senator
Jim Woodward: I am still a registered Republican, but
sometimes I feel like the Grand Old Party has changed so much that
it is hardly recognizable. But the good news is that we have
Conservative Republican Senator Jim Woodward, an excellent
candidate for re-election in District 1 in the May 17 Republican
primary, and he is committed to our North Idaho values and he has
all the good character traits that we so desperately need in this
crazy world. By Jo Len Everhart |
Where was the
outrage? Just gotta scratch your head at this. The
mini-mayor of Moyie Springs, Steve Economu, and his council; Geoff
Hollenbeck, Les Love, Deborah Rauth and Terri Johnson filed a
lawsuit against me for a post that was 10 inches too close to the
property line. The violation was so egregious it merited front
page coverage in the Bonners Ferry Herald. By Rosanne Smith |
April 18 |
Facing direct threat
to our democracy: Former U.S. Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates recently commented, "The greatest national security
threat to the United States is the two-square-miles of the White
House and the U.S. Capitol building." This comment was made in
reference to the January 6, 2021, insurrection and some of the
extremist elements currently camped out within the Republican
Party. By Jerry Higgs |
April 15 |
IFF
has changed from helpful to vicious: Every other
year, Idahoans decide who represents them in the Idaho
Legislature. As a fifth generation Idahoan, and a candidate to
continue representing my hometown of Nampa in the Idaho Senate, I
believe voting is our patriotic duty. It’s our opportunity to
choose our community leaders based on results and accountability.
It’s not unusual for a political divide to exist. What is
uncharacteristic, especially for Idahoans, is the nasty,
contentious nature of this divide. By Idaho State Senator Jeff
Agenbroad |
April 14 |
On
May 17, let your voice be heard: Idaho is a bastion
for conservatives. This is not new. It is who we have been for
years. This conservative environment is not under attack and is
not at risk in Idaho. Candidates running on the Republican ticket
who tell you it is are trying to create a crisis that doesn’t
exist and by using the smoking mirror tactic in order to garner
your vote. By Darrell Kerby |
April 13 |
No 'Christmas
lists' in Idaho legislation: Jody McClintock stated
in her letter of April 6, 2022 that “If you know how bills in the
House and Senate work, you will know that they are never about
just one issue.” Her letter refers to the Idaho legislature and
claims that bills are filled with “everyone’s Christmas list.”
By Scott Herndon |
April 12 |
Letter writer's
claims are wrong: In a letter dated April 6 and
titled “Truth Matters,” Robin Lundgren stated that Scott Herndon
“claims Jim (Woodward) voted against HB666.” It is interesting
that in striving for the truth, Ms. Lundgren states an untruth.
Nowhere has Herndon claimed anything about Woodward’s vote on
HB666 because Herndon knows that bill never came up for a vote in
the senate nor any committee that included Jim Woodward. By
Julian Hayslett |
April 6 |
Truth matters:
In an election year the truth is especially important. So let’s
look at just a couple of truths involving our current state
senator from District 1, Jim Woodward. By Robin Lundgren |
The art of
cherry picking and/or emotional manipulation: It is
interesting to me how certain candidates’ cherry pick their hot
button issues. If you know how bills in the House and Senate work,
you will know that they are never about just one issue. Indeed,
they seem to be packed with everyone’s Christmas list. I believe
it takes a dedicated, intelligent person of integrity and sound
judgment to sort that list of issues. By Jody McClintock |
Supporting
charitable giving: In Idaho, charitable organizations
stepped up to serve Idahoans when they needed it the most during
the darkest days of the pandemic. The nonprofit sector adapted to
the COVID-19 situation incredibly well, often fulfilling their
missions with fewer resources and volunteers or even cancelled
events, all while ensuring the communities they serve were being
helped. By Mike Crapo |
April 3 |
North Idaho a
microcosm of the melting pot: Under state law, county
political party central committees have great latitude in
establishing the rules and guidelines by which they operate, and
we in North Idaho are seeing, as never before, the differences
evident in the approaches of one party's committees and the
political impact of the rules they establish. How Idaho
Republicans respond in the May 17 primary election will have
significant affect on the course of our state's history, and
similar scenarios are playing out nationwide. By Mike Weland |
Air Force vet
questions writer's credentials: In regard to Mary
Ollie’s March 13 letter in support of Jim Woodward published in 9B
News, I recommend everyone take a closer look, not just at him,
but at her too. Through the years, I've read Ms. Ollie's numerous
writings in a few Hagadone editions and a variety of other web
media outlets. She always claims to be a Republican with a caveat;
she thinks the GOP is mean spirited and doesn't represent her.
By Mike Franco |
April 1 |
May
17 will matter like no other day -- vote! We live in
interesting times, times in which the word "liberty" means the
exact opposite of the definition given in the dictionary, in which
"patriots" are the very people our forefathers fought against and
warned us about and where the proud flag of our nation has come to
denote the antithesis of the principals upon which this nation was
founded. We live in interesting times ... and how we vote, or
don't vote May 17, 2022, will matter like never before in our
nation's history. |
IFF
comrades undermining Idaho politics: Political lies
... If you have received junk mail recently slamming Boundary and
Bonner County’s native son, Senator Jim Woodward, you can expect
to receive a flurry of more of the same as Idaho’s primary
election gets nearer. This vicious and lying misinformation
campaign is a tactic being used like never before in our Great
State of Idaho. |
Obituaries |
April 30 |
Katie
Sherman of Bonners Ferry died on April 18, 2022, at
Mountain Valley of Cascadia Nursing Home in Kellogg, where she had
been lovingly cared for by nurses, doctors and professional
caregivers. She loved the people there and her beautiful view of
the mountains. Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday,
May 14, at Bonners Ferry Funeral Home, 6485 Harrison Street. |
April 24 |
Thomas
R. Bennett Sr. passed away peacefully at Kootenai
Health in Coeur d’Alene surrounded by family on April 21, 2022, at
the age of 73. Services will be held at noon Saturday, April 30,
at First Baptist Church, 6711 El Paso Street, Bonners Ferry.
Potluck to follow, as well as sharing happy memories. |
April 15 |
Marietta
Merle Salyards passed away at the robust age of 100
on April 9, 2022, at Sunset Home Assisted Living in Bonners Ferry.
Her daughter, RaNae, was at her side when she passed of natural
causes. Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, at
Riverside Cemetery, 1969 North River Road, Payette. |
April 14 |
Carol Jean Pomeroy, 92, died at her home at the Restorium in
Bonners Ferry on November 25, 2021. A Celebration of Life
gathering will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 16, at Trinity
Lutheran Church, 6784 Cody Street, Bonners Ferry. |
Evelyn
Marie Stanczak was welcomed to heaven Thursday, April
7, 2022. A memorial service will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 19,
at Trinity Baptist Church, 711 Fairview Drive, Moscow. She was
born to Frank and Irene Florea in Hopkins, Missouri, on September
8, 1927, the third of 11 children. The family moved to Bonners
Ferry in 1938, where she graduated from high school in 1945. |
April 13 |
William
R. Mead, 68, passed away on Wednesday, March 30,
2022, at his home in Hope, Idaho, surrounded by his loving family.
A private family service will be held at a later date. |
Monica
May Abraham, 20, passed away at home on April 11,
2022, in Bonners Ferry. Monica was born in Sandpoint on July 13,
2001, the daughter of Aaron and Twyla Basil Francis. Viewing will
be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 13, at Kootenai Tribal
Headquarters, with a Rosary starting at 7 p.m. Funeral Services
will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 14, also at Kootenai
Tribal Headquarters. Burial will follow at the St. Michael's
Mission Cemetery. |
April 7 |
Larry Ford Cripe,
79, passed away on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at his home in Troy of
natural causes. He was born on February 17, 1943, in Bonners Ferry
to Ford and Edith Cripe. The family plans a service on a future
date. |
Henry Lee Watkins, 68, Bonners Ferry, passed away
at home on April 6, 2022, surrounded by his family. Henry was born
on September 12, 1953, the son of Lonnie and Wilma Smith Watkins,
in California. There will be no services at this time. |
April 2 |
Dixie Ann West, 85, died March 29, 2022 at
Kootenai Health in Coeur d'Alene. Dixie was born on Mary 20, 1936,
the daughter of Bernard and Carrah Smith Jansen in Estherville,
Iowa. No service is planned. |