September in review: Wildfires, philanthropy, COVID

On Sept. 1, an article noted that the Panhandle Health District had reported 35 new COVID-19 cases, and that a local man had been arrested for an alleged stabbing of his estranged wife.

On the second, an article covered a $200,000 grant by the Sunderland Foundation for Bonner General Health to fund its Emergency Department renovations.

Another article the same day reported on a $5,000 donation by Schweitzer Mountain Resort to the Bonner Community Food Bank, and a third reported that a missing mother and two children from Bonner County had been located.

On the third, an article reported that the City of Sandpoint was granted its motion for a summary judgment in the County’s suit against the city for allowing organizers of the Festival at Sandpoint to uphold a firearms ban.

The Bee also reported that day that longtime broadcaster Bill Litsinger, who had hosted “The Voice” on KSPT/KBFI would no longer be hosting his program after a realty firm threatened to pull its advertising following his interview with Johnna Plante, the spokeswoman for Citizens Against Frank Linscott and Interstate Concrete and Asphalt, which had obtained a permit to relocate in Sagle.

On the fourth, the Bee reported that the Washington State Patrol had reopened the case for the 1994 murder investigation of Jack LaFond, who was found dead inside his travel trailer on the 400 block of Telephone Road on Oct. 24, 1994.

The Bee also reported that the region had seen an overall slow in the number of new COVID-19 cases, but there were still an additional 23 reported by PHD.

An article on the fifth featured Walk for HOPE (hold on, pain ends) walk to spread suicide awareness and prevention. In 2020 the event was virtual, with participants choosing their own time to walk the decorated pathway.

Another article that day reported on a series of fundraisers set up to benefit the late Ponderay Police Sgt. Mike Victorino, who was at the time hospitalized from injuries caused by a motorcycle crash.

On the sixth, an article in the Bee covered the twenty-year anniversary of the demolition of the Aryan Nation compound in North Idaho — and the man partially responsible for its removal, and Norm Gissel, one of the two local attorneys that helped win the case against the hate group after members attacked Victoria Keenan, a Native American, and her son Jason.

Had the attorneys lost the case, it could have set a precedent that encouraged even more Nazis to move to North Idaho, Gissel.

“This was a vital and living political movement, and gaining momentum in the Northwest,” he said.

On the ninth, an article covered firefighters’ efforts to slow a fire outside of Blanchard on Bernard Peak, and another noted six new cases of COVID-19 in Bonner county.

On the tenth, an article covered Gov. Brad Little’s visit to Sandpoint, and meeting with LPOSD staff.

At that meeting, Superintendent Tom Albertson told Little the most helpful thing for schools would be to have the cost of COVID-19 accounted for in school funding.

“What I don’t want to do is cut Career and Technical Education programs and cut staffing just to meet budget,” he said.

An article on the eleventh covered continued efforts to fight multiple local fires, and that a Sheriff’s Deputy and his family had lost their home in the Hunter 2 fire near Blanchard.

On the twelfth, the Bee reported that for the first time ever, the local participants in the Boston Marathon were participating from home. The two local runners in question were 78-year-old Carol Wright, and 54-year-old Robin Godfrey.

“I started to support [my daughter] and she doesn’t run anymore, but I got the bug,” Wright said.

Another that day covered Valley Vista and their efforts to honor grandparents for National Grandparents Day by accepting cards from members of the public.

Sept. 13, the Bee reported that a school bus carrying the Lakeside High School football team had been hit by an unknown projectile, breaking two windows and nearly missing a student on the bus following a game with Clark Fork High School.

In other reports from that day, the Bee covered continued efforts to fight local wildfires, and that Gov. Little had restored $99 million in school funding, in addition to reserving $50 million for families.

On the fourteenth, an article reported that a juvenile had confessed to throwing a rock through the bus for the Lakeside High School football team. Another warned of the continued air pollution from wildfires and a third that while most smoke the region saw was from fires in California and Oregon, the region also had several of its own ongoing wildfires.

On the sixteenth, an article featured a new mural in the Clark Fork High School gym, which pays tribute to the community’s logging, farming, mining and ranching roots. The mural was made by ArtCoLab of Coeur d’Alene, and paid for by donations from the 2010-11 and 2014-20 graduating classes.

The Bee also reported that day on plans for a Veterans Honor Wall in Hope, and that the Sandpoint Planning and Zoning commission had moved to continue deliberations for the University Park subdivision development.

On the sixteenth, an article covered a new fire that had been reported near the western shore of Lake Pend Oreille, near the Talache landing.

The Bee also reported that the city council had moved to approve a land swap with the Bridge Street LLC, and authorize project plans and bidding to commence for projects at War Memorial Field.

The Bee reported on Sept. 18 that a GoFundMe had been created for John Gaddess, a local man injured after falling from a tree while trimming it.

According to that article, Gaddess had fallen roughly 30 feet and sustained a broken neck, back and ribs, and was bleeding from his lungs and brain. The GoFundMe was organized and raised over $41,000 on the first day for Gaddess and his family.

On the nineteenth, an article covered the story of a couple who saved a man’s life while on Lake Pend Oreille. The two, both members of the 141st Air Refueling Ring, Washington National Guard, were enjoying a day on the lake when they spotted a man facedown.

The Carson Ames pulled the man to shore, and his wife, Caitlyn, administered CPR.

“Without CPR training through the military, I would have had no idea how to perform these life-saving measures at all, “Caitlyn said.

The Bee also reported that crews were continuing to fight the Bernard Fire, which was determined to be human-caused, and that the region had seen 43 new COVID-19 cases.

On Sept. 20, an article featured Take Marty Stitsel and Krista Eberle’s fence on Baldy Road, which is decorated with things Stitsel already had on his 10-acre property.

“I call it my COVID fence. I’m getting a lot of stuff done because of COVID,” he said.

Further reporting that day noted that the Bernard Fire was still growing, and that the Salvation army’s Red Kettles would be making an early appearance in 2020.

On Sept. 21, the Bee noted that crews had made progress on fighting the Bernard Peak fire, with 65% containment. The article also noted that the city of Ponderay was awarded a $1.4 million BUILD grant, and that the Sam Owns Fire District had enacted a burn ban.

On the twenty-third, an article reported that three teens who were involved in the incident in which a rock was thrown through a school bus carrying the Lakeside High School football team were being charged with felony warrants, while a fourth is being summoned to court.

On the twenty-fourth, the Bee reported that North Idaho College was now implementing new techniques to fight COVID-19, including fogging machines to disperse chemicals approved to fight the COVID-19 virus.

On that same day, the Bee reported on a group of teens that had been spotted throwing individually wrapped cheese slices at vehicles on Sandpoint.

Sam Cornett, a local contractor, said he had noticed something being thrown at his truck while he was driving down Pine Street he turned around to try and follow the source, but the vehicle where the cheese came from drove away.

“I was in a low-speed chase with the cheese flinger, and they got away,” he said.

The teens were later located, Cornett said, and their parents were called in to deal with the situation.

On Sept. 25, the Bee reported that the city was seeking $94,000 in legal fees from the county after prevailing in a lawsuit over the gun ban at the Festival at Sandpoint. Idaho law allows the court to award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party.

On Sept. 26, the Bee reported that crews had finally made headway controlling the Bernard Fire, thanks to a heavy dose of rainfall.

The Bee also reported that day that Colleges across Idaho would be holding a virtual college fair in 2020.

On the twenty-seventh, an article featured the t Running W Therapeutic Riding Center, which offers the “Wild to Mustang” program for veterans.

On the same day, an article noted that the local radio station, KRFY, would be holding an online auction to support the station, and that crews had made progress fighting the Callahan Fire, located about nine miles west of Troy near the Idaho/Montana border.

On Sept. 29, the Bee featured Firewood Rescue, the local nonprofit based on Sandpoint that provides firewood to residents in the Bonner County area in dire need of firewood.

Jesse Ross, a Cocollala resident and one of the recipients of the firewood, said the group helped him when he had run out and was relying on an oil heater and unreliable electricity.

“We would have had some cold days last year if they didn’t help us out,” Ross said.

On the thirtieth, an article in the Bee covered the annual Rose Fundraiser the Community Hospice at Bonner General Health was holding.