North Idaho Insider

SNOW BRINGS US TOGETHER

2008-01-30T16:55:27Z

After a long day at work, my husband and I finally got home last night just before nine o'clock. The fresh snow was pilled up so my husband jumped out to dig so we could open our gate. I stayed in the car, on the main road the with the flashers on so I could get enough momentum to make it down our long driveway. As I'm waitng a truck approaches and pulls behind me. A nice man, who I had never met before asked if I needed any help. I didn't... or so I thought. He is a neighbor who I never met before. So, once my husband got the gate open I drove full speed ahead. Our neighbor mentioned how bad the main road was getting and said he would be out later with his four wheeler/snow plow to make it easier for folks to get in and out. Well, my car then got stuck in our driveway and my husband walked to a nearby friends house to get help. I went to sleep. When my husband got back, an hour or so later, our driveway was plowed!!!! The nice neighbor plowed our driveway without us even asking. I couldn't believe it. He made our morning so much easier. I can't thank him enough for such a kind gesture. While all this snow can cause a huge headache it brings neighbors and strangers together when we least expect it. I hope that generosity can continue well after the snow is gone.

Pay it Forward....

2007-12-11T00:54:17Z

As the snow began to fall yesterday, there I was stuck in traffic. It literally took me a half an hour to get from Costco on Division to Mel's Nursery- It's less than a mile!! I was a little irritated but still on a Christmas shopping high- I had just left REI ( I hope my husband doesn't read this!). So, I stop at Mel's for a little more shopping and as soon as I walk in the door a lady turns to me and aks if I want an egg nog latte. Turns out she paid for two, but her friend didn't want one. So, I said sure. I asked if she wanted any money in return and she said "No way, Merry Christmas!" I couldn't believe it, what a nice gesture. It made my day, week even my month. I know it wasn't much, a latte really isn't that expensive, it's the thought that truly counts. I want to say thank you to that nice lady- she left the store before I could. And, be on the lookout because it's my turn to pay it forward ;)

Goodbye, Wilmer.

2007-11-20T00:27:28Z

On Friday a wonderful man passed away. Wilmer Featherstone died after a long hard battle with cancer. He was 87-years old. Wilmer was a fighter, a husband, and a World War II Vet.

I first met Wilmer on a hot summer day two years ago. We were working on a story about how hot it was and how people were cooling off. Wilmer was getting an air conditioner installed in his house. Wilmer and his wife, Katherine had saved their money to buy the air conditioner- they were so excited. One thing led to another and he began telling me about his days at war. He could tell a great story. And, what a personal story it was. He could remember details about that war as though it was yesterday. Because of his cancer, he knew at some point his time here on Earth would be over. Before he left though, he wanted to leave his WWII memorabilia with someone who would appreciate the history. So for months, Katharine and Wilmer sorted through the boxes of memorabilia getting it ready to be auctioned off. When it came auction time the place was packed. At least a hundred or so people showed up to get their own piece of WWII history. Wilmer sat back and watched in amazement as people bid well over a thousand dollars for certain items. The plan was to use the money to make a trip back to see his family in Minnesota one last time. I'm not sure if he ever made that trip.

Wilmer wasn't one to draw attention to himself. In fact, his wife Katherine is the one who pushed so hard to get him his six well deserved Purple Hearts. He was supposed to get them well over fifty years ago , but for some reason it slipped through the cracks. He received those medals last year.

In this business we interview people everyday. Some we forget about others, like Wilmer Featherstone, never leave our hearts and minds. Even though I knew him only a short time, he left a powerful impression on me. I'll never forget what he told me when I asked him the secret to his marriage of 65 plus years. He said, "well, never go to bed angry and always kiss goodnight. And, I don't mean just any kiss. I mean a REAL kiss." It was hilarious. Thanks for making me laugh. So many people will miss you.

A memorial service is set for next Wednesday at 2 PM at Calvary Lutheran Church in Post Falls.

To watch stories we've covered about Wilmer.. click here :http://www.kxly.com/index.php?story_id=16000

It's Electric!

2007-11-14T23:36:57Z

No, I'm not talking about the famous line dance from the 80's (which I still love by the way). Have you ever heard of the ZENN car? Thought so. I hadn't either until today. Kent Votaw is selling the ZENN- a one hundred percent electric car in Post Falls. He opened Go Green Electric Cars on Monday and already he's getting an overwhelming response from the public. The car stands for Zero Emissions No Noise. And, you don't need a drop of gas. Not one drop. How could this be you ask. Well, all you have to do is plug the car in and when the battery is charged it's ready to go. The car only goes up to 25 miles an hour and at most you can drive thirty miles or so before you need to recharge the battery. The company claims one gallon of gas equals the same amount of energy as charging the ZENN seven times-that's pretty cool. To learn more check out the website: http://zenncars.com/!
Happy Driving.

Oh. My. Gosh.

2007-11-13T23:29:42Z

You'll never believe where I was just an hour ago. Any guesses? Give up? Ok, I'll tell you. I was 162 feet in the air touching the bright white star on top of the world's largest living Christmas tree. I'm afraid of heights, but somehow I mustered the courage to strap into to this tiny metal basket and be lifted sky high into the unkown. WOW! It was terrifying but so exciting at the same time. We're working on a story about the CDA Resort Holiday Lights Show. In case you missed the BIG announcement- Good Morning America will be here in two weeks to showcase the light show. CDA will once again be back in the national spotlight- too cool! So, we set out to find out what goes on behind the scenes of this light show! The resort crews are working around the clock to get everything ready for the big day-stringing lights, checking and re-checking every bulb. Stayed tuned next week for the full story!

FRANK

2007-10-10T23:07:42Z

I'm still smiling as I write this blog and I owe it all to Frank. You see, Frank is one of hundreds, even thousands, of neighbors in Post Falls who rely on the food bank to make it every month. The food bank needs donations desperately, so we went over there to do a story. You never know how a story like this is going to turn out- most people who use the food bank don't want to advertise it. Then, there's Frank Yakovich. I only met Frank for a few minutes but could tell he certainly was doing everything he could to get by. We interviewed him as he was loading his groceries into his car, he was so excited- the food bank threw in aspargus-he called it a 'treat". And, just when he finished putting the last two gallons of milk away, he pulled out a handful of handpicked flowers for the food bank manager. He didn't have much, but he had enough to make someone smile, to make someone's day- now that is pretty cool. It's a reminder for me, and hopefully for everyone to appreciate what we have. It's the little things in life that often have the biggest impact. Thanks Frank!

Say What? I'm Still Alive!

2007-09-28T00:52:45Z

This is one of those stories you will never forget. A man in Moscow is trying to get his life back in order after he was legally declared dead.

Say what? How is this possible? Don't they check ID anymore? After all a person has died.

Well, the story starts a Gritman Medical Center in Moscow. This is where a 26-year old Jeremy Charles Bass died in August. Bass flipped his ATV near Troy, ID- he died of internal injuries. When he arrived at the hospital somewhere along the way his information was entered under Jeremy Lee Bass- he had been a patient there before.

So, Jeremy Lee Bass gets a call from the Sheriff's Office saying he was dead . Can you imagine someone telling you that YOU are dead? How creepy.

The wrong information spread fast- to the Social Security Administration, Vital Statistics and several credit bureaus. Now, Bass is trying to piece together his life and convince people that he is still very much alive.

Gritman Medical Center says its now reviewing its policies and procedures. If anything, Bass hopes this sparks hospitals to be extra cautious when checking in and checking out patients.

IT'S ALL GONE...

2007-09-13T23:51:59Z

Can you imagine losing everything you own? Watching it go up in smoke? Your clothes, pictures, furniture? Well, that's exactly what happened to the Chapman family up in Bonner County last night. The family's home caught on fire and it burned to the ground- even started a small wildfire. The Red Cross is stepping in to help- but they'll need support for a long time. The family has six children- 12-years old to two months old. If you can help in anyway give them a call. Here's their cell phone number 208-597-6002. Already the response is great. After we interviewed Brandi Chapman today a man eating lunch nearby stopped to see what he could do to help. He too had lost everything in a fire at one point in his life and now he wanted to help them- that's what community is all about!

Who Knew Marble.....

2007-08-29T23:07:48Z

If you've driven down Division lately you may have noticed a billboard with a message that will certainly make you take a second look.
The billboard , placed strategically near a diamond store, reads "a diamond lasts forever too, but you can't consummate your marriage on it." What! Did I really just read that. If anything it caught me off guard, and with that the billboard did its job- it caught my attention. The advertisment is for Mario & Son, a local granite, marble and quartz company. The owner of the company says they were trying to be funny. However, he says some of their suppliers don't like the slogan and now want it taken down. So, the company will take it down this week... what do you think? Is it going too far or is clever and funny? There's a lot of mixed reaction. Is Spokane ready for a racy billboard? Would this fly in say, San Franciso? Just a thought.

The Lockman Family

2007-08-16T01:42:24Z

The Lockman family of Athol is going through a lot right now. On Saturday, 16-year old Elizabeth Lockman died in a terrible car crash along highway 95. Her sister, Bridgette and 13-year old brother Zach are both at Sacred Heart in Spokane. As if that wasn't enough heartache, Jerry (the father and sole provider of this family of five) recently lost his job and now he's losing his house. Jerry was told by his landlord that he has to be out at the end of the month. Can you imagine? No one should have to deal with this added stress. I met Mr. Lockman yesterday, and it was one of the more emotionally difficult interviews I've ever done, mostly because he needs so much help right now. I know this community rally's when someone needs help, I hope that's the case this time around. An account is set up at US Bank under "the Jerry Lockman Family Donation Fund." When Bridgette and Zach finally get out of the hospital, Jerry hopes he'll have somewhere to take them.

]]> Here's the lastest update on the investigation into the crash:

Update on fatal crash regarding Bridgette M Lockman US95@Parks Rd.

Information is being obtained by the Idaho State Police that would indicate the Ford Contour did not actually fail to yield and pull from the stop sign on Parks rd. as was originally released. The Idaho State Police is re-interviewing witnesses along with interviewing additional witnesses to the crash. The Idaho State Police is continuing to analyze physical evidence from the crash scene. The investigation could last up to several weeks and any additional information regarding the crash will be released at the completion of the investigation. If there is anyone that witnessed the crash or anyone who has information regarding the crash, you are asked to please contact Sgt. Kevin White at the Idaho State Police Office at 208-772-6055. Thank you.

We're Human Too!

2007-08-01T01:22:01Z

What a week! Not just this week, but last week as well. From the Whitley Fuel fire to the man who jumped off the Monroe Street Bridge, it's really been a sad couple of days. And then yesterday tragedy hit at the Genesis Mine in Troy, MT. Mike Ivins, a mine mechanic died in a rock fall. It's truly terrible. My thoughts are with his family and fellow miners. Covering each story has brought up an important issue about reporter motives. In the past week I have found myself defending (to others) why we cover certain stories and if we even really care about the situation at hand. Of course we care! Of course I care! True, I am there to get the facts about what's going on and find out who I can talk to- that's part of the job. But, I'm also a human being who is truly concered about the well being of those involved. Too often I think people view reporters as emotionless robots. That's simply not the case. We can be objective and human at the same time.

Going Green

2007-07-27T01:54:07Z

Protecting the environment should always be a priority, but it seems like it's really "in" and "hip" to be "green" right now. Who wouldn't want to drive a hybrid and spend less money on gas? Or for some, it comes down to eating locally grown produce or organic products. I try to eat organic when I can. I think it just tastes better. The "green" movement is now everywhere- it's even expanding into real estate. A developer in Sandpoint is building an all "green" subdivision- the first of its kind and size in our region. The homes are built with engineered wood or wood from sustainable forests. All the materials used are non-toxic and natural. Kyler Wolf, the developer, has also created a community park for the neighborhood. Wolf hopes his homes will inspire others to build responsibly. He also hopes it sparks viewers to make small changes in our everyday lives that can keep our planet healthy.
For some ideas, check out this article in the Washington Post.

Lightning Storm

2007-07-20T01:24:33Z

Check out this lightning!
Professional photographer, Timothy Eberly snapped this shot early this morning near the Coeur D'Alene Resort.
What an amazing shot!

Help the Andersons

2007-07-17T17:33:04Z

Kim and Mike Anderson of Post Falls lost just about everything this weekend when their house burned down. You may recognize Kim's name; she works at Kootenai Medical Center in the Public Relations Department. She is always so helpful when we need to talk to a patient at the hospital or letting us know about some events coming up. Now it's our turn to help her family out. She has two little kids, a 4-year-old girl and a 2-year-old girl. They need a lot, so if you can help... an account has been set up at U.S. Bank under "Mike and Kim Anderson Fund." I can't imagine what they're going through right now. I know this community will rally, like it always does when something like this happens. That alone is reassuring that eventually everything will be OK again.

NO MORE HICCUPS!!!!

2007-07-11T01:33:58Z

For months Mary Kay Keener tried just about everything to get rid of her horrible hiccups. They weren't just your run of the mill hiccups, they were so painful it was hard for Mary Kay to eat and sleep. With that said, I am happy to report those hiccups are finally gone. Yep, they're gone! So what caused these horrible hiccups? Well, you're not going to believe it but it turns out Mary Kay is allergic to farm feed. The hiccups started about the time the store began selling farm feed near the video dept. where she worked. She recently changed positions and locations in the store and they (the hiccups) went away! How about that? She also went to an allergy specialist who prescribed her a nasal spray. I met up with Mary Kay this afternoon and it was like talking to a completly different person. It was like night and day. She is now so full of energy, where as before she couldn't muster enough to even smile.
Mary Kay's life has changed so dramatically by making such a small change. It got me thinking how our environment affects how we feel. It's an interesting thought to ponder.