Reader_January14_2026

2 / R / January 15, 2026

DEAR READERS,

The week in random review

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

the desire path

There has been a gentle war between urban designers and people for a long time, and the result is a strange phenomenon called a “desire path.” You’ve all seen or taken one before. Imagine you’re trying to get to the market or walking home from work and instead of taking an out-of-the-way designated path, you might cut through the grass to shorten the route.

Over time, the grass dies from others following suit.

If urban designers are paying attention, they might install a pathway along this new route; but, chances are, people will find a way to shorten that path, too.

We’re funny like that.

The comic below illustrates the desire path beautifully. It was created by U.K. artist Chaz Hutton, who gave us permission to print it free of charge. Give the artist some love by checking out his work at chazhutton.com or @instachaaz on Instagram.

A local example of a desire path can be seen leading to the parking lot south of the U.S. Bank building. What started as a trail of dead grass was replaced with some pavers and, eventually, a full-fledged walkway to help people save the 1.5 seconds it might take to walk around. The people win!

Desire paths have always fascinated me, because they represent the will of the people. Designers might spend a fortune putting in a pathway only to have people reject it to use a shorter or easier route. There is even evidence to suggest that Broadway Street was New York City’s earliest desire path, as it followed the Indigenous-made Wickquasgeck Path, thought to be the shortest route between pre-colonial settlements in Manhattan that avoided swamps and hills. Today, Broadway remains the only path that wasn’t wiped out by the European grid overlaid on it.

It’s easy to lose sight of what really matters at a time like this in our history. More and more, I’m hearing from our readers what has echoed across large swaths of America — people are losing hope. They’re feeling rudderless, as if we’re all just spinning circles in the vast ocean, waiting for the next calamity that begs a response. The ongoing dismantling of ideals and institutions we have held dear in this country since our founding has now become the norm, unfortunately, and we’re strapped in with a madman at the wheel.

I’m not going to sugar-coat anything for you, dear readers: We seem to be reaching a tipping point. My only advice is to keep paying attention while also not allowing the negative energy to invade your entire lives. Focus on community, family, friends. Keep time for the good, because while we have a long way to go out of this dark, uncertain period, there is light still in us. The worm will turn someday, and he’s going to be pissed.

– Ben Olson, publisher

READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 208-946-4368 sandpointreader.com

Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Soncirey Mitchell (Senior Writer) soncirey@sandpointreader.com Editors Emeriti: Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Cameron Rasmusson John Reuter Advertising: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Ben Olson (cover), Chaz Hutton, Schweitzer, Racheal Baker, Bill Borders, Val Olson Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Lorraine H. Marie, Clark Corbin, Emily Erickson, Susan Drumheller, Kari Saccomanno, Tim Henney, Kathryn Larson, Carrie Logan, Mazie Miles, Sofia Wofsey, Rachel Osborn Submit Stories To: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed Weekly At: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $200 per year Website Designed By: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, bluster, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho.

We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community.

The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. For back issues, contact the publisher. Free to all, limit two per person, please.

Letter to the Editor Policy: We welcome letters to the editor on all relevant topics. Please, no more than 200 words, no excessive profanity or libelous statements and no trolls. Please elevate the discussion and stay on topic.

Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinons expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publisher. Send to: letters@sandpointreader.com About the Cover: This week’s cover photo was taken by Ben Olson in Sandpoint’s downtown alley.

Illustration by Chaz Hutton

January 15, 2026 / R / 3

NEWS

BOCC reviews health district’s clinical services

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff The Bonner County Board of Commissioners met Jan. 14 for a special meeting with representatives of the Panhandle Health District to discuss a recent audit of the organization’s clinical services. The analysis, conducted

by Medical Director Gregory Pennock over a period of four months, examined the clinics’ average expenditures, profits, procedures and patient demographics to better understand how to cater to local needs going forward.

PHD hosts clinics five days a week in Hayden, once a week in Sandpoint and once a week divided between Kellogg and Saint Maries, providing immunizations, sexually transmitted infection tracking, family planning, cancer screenings, mental health referrals and most anything else required of a primary care provider for residents of Idaho’s five northern counties.

According to Pennock, the clinics account for approximately 18% of PHD’s total budget but generate approximately 10% of its revenue.

In Fiscal Year 2025, the district received $2,496,906 from Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone counties combined, of which $661,123 went to clinical services. Of that, Bonner County contributed $513,798 — $136,041 of which went to the FY ’25 clinical services budget. Following recent negotiations, the county will pay $472,317 in FY ’26, and PHD’s budget will now receive input from a newly established finance subcommittee under the PHD Board of Health.

As is common throughout the nation, Pennock’s analysis found that the leading causes of death in the northern counties are cancer and heart disease. Citing the Centers for 4 / R / January 15, 2026

Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics, he further showed that deaths from infectious diseases have been in steady decline and chronic diseases have been on the rise since the early 1900s across the nation.

Pennock and Commissioner Ron Korn both pointed to these statistics as potential motivations to shift the district’s focus from reactive to preventative medicine. At the same time, Pennock reported that PHD has seen a decline in vaccination rates, which he attributed to “probably a trust or perception problem,” among other factors.

Though PHD’s clinics exist largely to bridge coverage gaps for low-income patients, the audit revealed that only 9.5% of patients use PHD’s sliding scale when paying medical bills, meaning the vast majority of users have insurance or the means to afford treatment. Pennock argued that, though small, this percentage still ultimately saves taxpayers and area hospitals money in the long run.

“To the extent that a visit in any outpatient clinic prevents a possible urgent care visit, hospitalization or ER visit, there is a savings there

that may not be directly seen by the commissioners, but it’s certainly seen in one shape or another by the taxpayers,” said Pennock. “So it’s either going to be federal taxes, state taxes or property taxes.”

Given the relatively low percentage of “indigent” users, the commissioners questioned whether PHD should be “competing with the private sector” by offering the same services as other for-profit organizations.

When asked what unique services PHD provides, Board of Health Chair Thomas Fletcher said that he discussed the issue with Heritage Health CEO Mike Baker and his response was, “Nothing.

There’s nothing you do that we could not do.”

Despite this, PHD remains a significant provider of women’s health care in the area. Following the passage of Idaho’s near-total abortion ban, the state saw an exodus of OB-GYN physicians and other related providers for fear of legal and criminal ramifications for administering potentially lifesaving treatments.

Bonner General Health subsequently shuttered its labor and delivery unit in 2023, directing women to OB-GYNs in Coeur d’Alene; Post Falls;

Newport, Wash.; and Libby, Mont. Since then, the number of organizations providing women’s health services has declined.

“There’s a political thing going on here in Idaho with the OB-GYN stuff,” said Korn. “We don’t have any staff — I don’t believe — at Bonner [General Health], because it’s got politicized and weaponized. So is that our issue to deal with? I don’t believe it is. I think it’s the hospital’s issue to deal with.”

Pennock’s audit found that women now account for 70% of PHD’s clinical patients.

“For Panhandle Health — to some extent — that is the niche,” he said. “It’s female patients, women’s health care, gynecology, family planning that is the niche that we’re currently serving, whether we should be or not.”

In response, Korn remarked that PHD’s current services “sound a lot like Planned Parenthood.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the federal government defunded Planned Parenthood — if I’m not mistaken — and yet I don’t want to be responsible at a county level to look like we’re funding a Planned Parenthood service,” he continued.

Bonner County Commissioners Brian Domke, left; Asia Williams, right; and Ron Korn, right. Photo

by Soncirey Mitchell “I don’t disagree and, again, I’m not defending what we’re doing,” said Pennock.

The possibility of hiring a medical doctor for the clinics, which are currently staffed by nurse practitioners, came up briefly, with Korn arguing that rather than dedicating more money to the clinics, PHD should focus on “foundational purposes” such as “the commons, monitoring our air quality, monitoring what’s flying out of our skies, monitoring what’s going into our river.”

The meeting concluded before the end of Pennock’s presentation due to time constraints. BOCC Chair Brian Domke will schedule a follow-up meeting at a yet-to-be-determined date, at which point the commissioners and PHD will discuss plans to apply for funds from the Rural Health Transformation Program.

Part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the program will funnel $930 million into Idaho over the next five years, which the state will distribute among its counties to increase telehealth and other health care infrastructure in underserved communities.

NEWS Sandpoint City Council rejects land use agreement with Bridge Street developer

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff In its first meeting of 2026 — and including newcomers Joe Tate and Joshua Torrez — the Sandpoint City Council made what Mayor Jeremy Grimm called “one of the most consequential votes that I’ve seen up here since I’ve been mayor.”

In a 4-2 vote, the council decided Jan. 7 to reject a land use agreement with Bridge Street LLC, which for years has been planning to develop the corner of Bridge Street and First Avenue, where several buildings were destroyed following a devastating downtown fire in 2019.

Councilors Pam Duquette, Kyle Schreiber, Tate and Torrez voted against the agreement, which would have given the city access to the private property on the corner in order to expand the sidewalk leading to City Beach in exchange for guaranteed vehicular access for the developer on the north side of Gunning’s Alley.

Council President Deb Ruehle and Councilor Joel Aispuro voted in favor.

The sidewalk project has been in the works since a land swap in 2020, following Bridge Street LLC’s acquisition of the fire-gutted property and later announcement in 2022 of plans for a 65-foottall, mixed-use development including condos and commercial uses billed as “small town luxury living.”

As part of the initial development process, Bridge Street LLC negotiated a land swap with the city of Sandpoint, trading the city’s property encompassing 13,634 square feet — with 6,649 square feet underwater — for a six-footwide strip of right of way along Bridge Street amounting to 890 square feet.

In addition, the city and developer partnered to construct a new retaining wall with stairs and landscaping along Bridge Street to improve access to the waterfront boardwalk and adjacent businesses along Gunning’s Alley — also referred to as Farmin’s

Landing — in addition to widening the sidewalk, which serves as the only pedestrian access to City Beach.

However, the developer failed its contractual obligation to construct the widened sidewalk and sought a land use agreement that would grant the city permission to access its property in order to build the sidewalk.

Meanwhile, Bridge Street LLC posted a performance bond of $385,000, which was meant as a guarantee that it would perform the agreed-to work. Now, with the developer having failed to live up to the terms of the original agreement, the city would use those dollars to build the improvements. “[U]nder that agreement, Bridge Street LLC was required to construct sidewalk along Bridge Street. They have not completed that requirement,” said Public Works Director Holly Ellis. “In that land swap agreement ... it held a provision where the city was allowed to step in and build those improvements. ...

“[T]he bond is expected to cover 90% of the project.

I say 90%, roughly, because the project is not complete yet,” she said, later adding, “The remainder of the project would be covered by our resort city tax sidewalk fund.

It’s unfortunate that we don’t have enough funds to cover the full project, but that’s where our pricing landed.”

Tate described the land use agreement as “bowing down to the developer again for another agreement.”

“I’m just representing constituents ... [who are] not very happy about that,” Tate said.

Ellis said that rejecting the land use agreement would bring on financial consequences, stemming from the cancellation of the existing construction contract, though no hard figures were shared at the meeting.

Schreiber was the most forceful voice against the land use agreement, saying: “We originally entered into an agreement with this developer to benefit our downtown.

Has that happened? No, we

still have blight. We actually just applied for a grant using this property as the example of blight in our downtown. This land swap has not benefited us at all. When [the developer] didn’t perform, we came back to the table and said, ‘You know what, we’ll give you another year.’

“Did we ask for anything from him at that point? No, we didn’t,” Schreiber continued. “We said, ‘Here’s another year.’ He still didn’t do it.

And so now, when we’re finally sick of waiting and we’re going to spend our money — including taxpayer dollars — to do the work that he agreed to do in exchange for this land, now he’s saying, ‘No, you have to give me more in order to do the work that I agreed to do.’ And there’s no guarantee that that is going to fix our blight. Nothing we’ve done with this developer so far has done anything. So there’s nothing requiring this guy to do anything valuable for our community by giving him this vehicular access.”

Idaho Gov. Brad Little submits plan to balance state budget without repealing Medicaid expansion

2026 Idaho legislative session begins with governor’s State of the State address before state lawmakers

By Clark Corbin Idaho Capital Sun Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued plans Jan. 12 to balance the state budget by cutting state programs and reducing Medicaid spending without repealing Medicaid expansion.

Little kicked off the 2026 legislative session by delivering the annual State of the State address at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise and submitting budget recommendations to the Idaho Legislature.

During the approximately 30-minute address, Little also called for conforming with the federal tax changes championed

by President Donald Trump.

“Our plan uses a respon-

sible mix of one-time and ongoing spending reductions to keep the budget structurally sound,” Little said during the speech. “Across state government, executive agencies will tighten their belts. We’re renegotiating contracts to save money. We’re reprioritizing initiatives. We’re finding operational efficiencies, and we will make disciplined use of cash balances and interest earnings. All of this serves to limit the impact on Idahoans as we right-size government.”

Little: Idaho is well positioned to ‘weather the revenue challenges ahead’ Heading into the 2026 legislative session, Idaho has faced

revenue and budget shortfalls following five years worth of tax cuts approved by the Idaho Legislature that reduced state revenue by a cumulative total of $4 billion, according to the nonprofit Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy.

The most recent state budget reports issued prior to the new legislative session projected Idaho would end the current Fiscal Year 2026 with a budget deficit of $40.3 million. For next year, FY ’27, state officials said Idaho could need to come up with an additional $600 million to $1 billion for the state budget.

To avoid a budget deficit, Little recommended a series of cuts, funding shifts, freezes

and reversions.

“A combination of factors has shifted us from years of record budget surpluses — driven by rapid population growth, business expansion and one-time federal funds — to a period ahead that demands restraint,” Little said during the speech. “Thankfully, the way we have governed in recent years has positioned Idaho to weather the revenue challenges ahead.”

Little recommended several spending cuts and transfers, including: • Removing $275 million in funding from the Idaho Transportation Department’s strategic initiatives fund, in-

cluding $110 million for local highway districts; • Making the 3% budget cuts Little ordered last summer permanent, reducing spending by an estimated $120 million annually; • Reducing funding for Medicaid expenses by $45 million by making the 4% reduction in Medicaid provider rates ongoing and reducing services by an additional $22 million; • Removing $30 million in funding for empowering parents grants, a program the Idaho Legislature ended last year; • Saving an estimated $20 million in personnel costs by taking back funding for more than 100 state positions that

< see STATE, Page 7 > January 15, 2026 / R / 5

NEWS Sandpoint ‘ICE Out for Good’ protest mentioned on The Rachel Maddow Show

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Amid of nationwide protests after the shooting of 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis, Minn. on Jan. 7, Sandpoint was mentioned in the national media.

The Rachel Maddow Show on MS NOW aired a segment Jan. 12 about protests around the country, especially in “red A screenshot of a segment on The Rachel Maddow Show states” like Idaho, with Maddow menshowing the “ICE Out for Good” protest held Jan. 10 in Sandtioning the “ICE Out for Good” protest point, as reported by the Daily Bee. Screenshot by Val Olson held on Jan. 10 in Sandpoint. Maddow showed a graphic containing a screenshot not a statistic, it has names, families and of Bonner County Daily Bee reporter Jack futures attached to it, and we refuse to Freeman’s story published on Jan. 11. look away or stay silent.”

According to Indivisible, there were Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secreat least 1,000 “anti-ICE” protests held tary Kristi Noem described the actions of around the country on Jan. 10 after Good as “domestic terrorism,” and PresGood’s shooting death. ident Donald Trump claimed — without “Renee Nicole Good was a wife, a providing any corroborative evidence — mother of three and a member of her that Good was a “professional agitator,” community,” said Leah Greenberg, and a “very violent, radical person.” Vice co-executive director of Indivisible. “She, President J.D. Vance, for his part, claimed and the dozens of other sons, daughters, she was a “deranged leftist.” friends, siblings, parents and community Good was a writer and poet who members who have been killed by ICE lived in Minneapolis with her wife and should be alive today. ICE’s violence is 6-year-old child.

6 / R / January 15, 2026

Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond

President Donald Trump was recently asked by New York Times reporters if there were any limits on his power. He said “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me. I don’t need international law.”

According to a social media post by Trump: Venezuela will “be turning over” “between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America.

“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price,” Trump wrote, “and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!”

Protests occurred around the country following the killing of 37-yearold Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 7.

ICE shot Good three times in the face at close range, various media reported, as she was behind the wheel of her vehicle after dropping off her 6-year-old child at school. That’s when federal agents confronted her in her vehicle. She was ordered to leave her car and did not. Accounts say she was given conflicting instructions and chose to begin driving away, prompting one agent to fire at her. Video shows agents blocked a physician who offered to help Good after the shooting.

The White House initially claimed ICE was trying to get a stuck vehicle out of snow. No evidence has shown that. The administration also said federal officials were acting in self-defense; but, from viewing recordings, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said what occurred was reckless and unnecessary and agents should “get the fuck out” of the city.

Before any investigation began, Vice President JD Vance said the shooting was a “tragedy of the victim’s own making.” In an op-ed, the National Catholic Reporter chastised Vance for that comment, calling his comments “a moral stain on the collective witness of our Catholic faith.

His repeated attempts to blame Good for her own death are fundamen-

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Contributor

tally incompatible with the Gospel.

Our only recourse is to pray for his conversion of heart.” In addition, NCR stated that Vance’s “twisted and wrongheaded view of Christianity has been repudiated by two popes.”

While Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called Good a “domestic terrorist,” experts said that’s “an abuse of the term.” Good was not trying to violently shut down immigration enforcement, or using violence to advance extreme views, and there is no evidence she “weaponized” her vehicle. She was reportedly there to be an “observer” of immigration agents’ activities.

A nighttime protest in Minneapolis drew some 1,000 people following Good’s killing, with 29 demonstrators arrested. The mayor said anyone engaged in violence would be arrested, and praised the vast majority who remained peaceful in the wake of the day’s violence.

In a “highly unusual” move, the FBI stopped Minnesota’s investigation into Good’s shooting death, preventing the state from access to evidence or investigative interviews collected by federal authorities. The state has the right to bring charges against Good’s shooter, but Vance claimed the agent has “absolute immunity.” Legal experts disagreed with that statement, while the state is pressing forward with an investigation. Democrats and some Republicans in Congress are examining “possible consequences” for ICE and Noem, including her removal as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Shortly before Good’s killing, ICE began a $100 million “wartime recruitment” strategy to look for people who have attended UFC fights, listened to “patriotic” podcasts or shown an interest in guns and tactical gear to join its ranks. Trump’s “Big Beautiful” budget bill tripled ICE’s budget.

Blast from the past: “No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man’s permission when we ask him to obey it.”

— Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), 26th president of the U.S. (1901-1909).

NEWS

IDLEG budget committee prepares to cut spending as co-chair argues with Little’s plan

New JFAC Co-chair Josh Tanner says Gov’s Office used ‘gimmicks’ to balance budget

By Clark Corbin Idaho Capital Sun It didn’t take long for tension between the new chairman of the Idaho Legislature’s budget committee and the governor’s budget staff to publicly surface during the first budget committee meeting of the new 2026 legislative session.

During — and again after — the first meeting of the Idaho Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Jan. 13, Co-chairman Josh Tanner, R-Eagle, alleged the budget proposal Gov. Brad Little presented Jan. 12 does not balance and was built on “gimmicks.”

After the Jan. 13 meeting adjourned, Tanner issued a press release alleging Little’s proposed budget “does not balance on an ongoing basis” and leaves year-end cash balances that Tanner described as dangerously low.

“The governor’s budget does not balance,” Tanner wrote in his press release. “It relies on one-time gimmicks, spends more than the state takes in on an ongoing basis and leaves Idaho with the lowest ending fund balances in nearly a decade.”

“These razor-thin reserves leave Idaho with virtually no margin for error,” Tanner added. “Any revenue slowdown, economic disruption or continued Medicaid growth could force a special legislative session.”

Tanner made his comments on his first day helping lead JFAC as a co-chair.

On Jan. 5, Tanner was appointed to take over as co-chair for former-Rep. Wendy Horman, an Idaho Falls Republican who resigned from the Idaho Legislature to take a job with the federal government in Washington, D.C. Idaho’s top budget official: Little’s proposal balances budget without cutting too deeply Idaho Division of Financial Management Administrator Lori Wolff, who serves as Little’s budget chief, disagreed with

Tanner.

Wolff stated repeatedly that the budget proposals for the current year and next year balance and are forecast to leave a positive ending balance of $32 million for the current year and $25.5 million for next year.

“This budget is balanced,” Wolff told Tanner.

Wolff also cautioned Tanner, who is in his second legislative term and was not serving in office the last time the Idaho Legislature had to make deep budget cuts coming out of the Great Recession, against making budget cuts that go too deep.

“Sometimes cutting too deep makes it so that we cannot grow out of it,” Wolff said. “If we start cutting too deeply with these budgets, we will not have the opportunity for continued growth and meeting some of the needs that we have around the state. So it is very deliberate, very essential.”

In the afternoon on Jan. 13, Little’s office issued a written statement backing up Wolff and expressing confidence in Idaho’s economy. Wolff also announced the corporate income tax filings came in more than $100 million ahead of projections in December 2025, which erased the shortfall in corporate tax filings that Idaho had experienced so far in Fiscal Year 2026.

“The latest revenue projections clearly validate Gov. Little’s confidence in the strength and forward momentum of Idaho’s economy,” Little’s office said in a written statement on Jan. 13.

Wolff said Little’s office brought in teams of economists, tax experts and state agency directors to help develop the budget proposal and devise a way to avoid a budget deficit without depleting the state’s major rainy day reserve accounts or repealing Medicaid expansion.

Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, attempted to soften the tone following Tanner’s comments. Wintrow said she hopes the legislative and executive branches of government work together to navigate

Idaho’s budget and revenue challenges.

At the same time, Wintrow made no secret of blaming the budget committee and the Idaho Legislature for creating the projected revenue and budget shortfalls facing the state.

“I would remind the committee that we’re in the position we’re in because this committee didn’t vote on the revenue number until late [in the legislative session], and then we backed our expenses into the revenue that we wanted so we could do some tax cuts, and now we’re going to suffer for it,” Wintrow said.

“I would hope that we would all work together to recognize why we’re here,” she added.

< STATE, con’t from Page 5 > have been vacant for more than six months; • Pulling back $10 million in funding for local drinking water and wastewater projects through the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality; • Saving $9.5 million by declining to fund the enrollment workload adjustment for Idaho colleges and universities in fiscal year 2027.

Governor recommends leaving Medicaid expansion in place Little did not recommend dipping into the state’s main savings account, the Budget Stabilization Fund, to balance the budget.

“Taken together, these actions position us to achieve a balanced budget in the coming years and maintain confidence in Idaho’s economic future,” Little said during the speech.

In addition to the cuts, Little also recommended declining to provide raises for state employees in fiscal year 2027 and did not recommend any new money for the Idaho Department of Lands to fight wildfires on state lands.

“Folks, some of these budget decisions are tough, but we will emerge stronger in the

Idaho budget committee outlines 10-week plan to cut funding, balance state budget In addition to picking apart Little’s budget proposal, JFAC members also unveiled their 10-week schedule for the 2026 legislative session. The schedule calls for budget committee members to complete the annual budget-setting process by March 12.

Other key dates on JFAC’s schedule include: • Friday, Jan. 16, when the Economic Outlook and Revenue Committee is supposed to present a revenue recommendation to JFAC; • Friday, Jan. 23, when

long run because of them,” Little said. “This is what financial responsibility looks like — planning ahead and living within our means.”

As Little delivered the speech, hundreds of Idahoans wearing red T-shirts that read “Medicaid unites us” filled the rotunda and the hallways at the Idaho State Capitol to voice support for preserving Medicaid.

More than 60% of Idaho voters approved Medicaid expansion at the polls during the 2018 general election. As of December 2025, Medicaid expansion provided health insurance to about 85,000 Idahoans who did not qualify for traditional Medicaid. Medicaid is one of the largest programs in the budget, but the federal government pays for 90% of the benefits while the state pays the remaining 10%.

In December, the Idaho Legislature’s DOGE Committee recommended repealing Medicaid expansion and House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, said repealing Medicaid expansion is on the table this year.

But Little did not recommend repealing Medicaid expansion. Instead, he presented

JFAC is scheduled to begin cutting budgets through the budget rescission process; • Friday, Feb. 6, when JFAC is scheduled to set the barebones maintenance of operations budgets that are intended to keep the lights on at state agencies.

Beginning Friday, Feb. 13, JFAC is scheduled to begin taking action on any proposed budget enhancements from state agencies or departments.

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com.

Idaho legislators with options for trimming Medicaid funding without repealing Medicaid expansion.

“Of course, the health and wellbeing of our people is the key to achieve lasting success,” Little said, referencing the name of his budget plan, “Enduring Idaho.” “That’s why our Enduring Idaho plan safeguards access to health care, particularly in rural communities. We know the affordability and accessibility of health care tops the list of concerns for Idahoans right now.”

Little’s budget officials said the 2027 state budget Little proposed on Jan. 12 is driven largely by so-called maintenance of operations budgets that are merely intended to keep the lights on at state agencies.

Overall, Little’s budget officials said the FY ’27 budget reduces state spending by 0.5% compared to the current state budget.

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com.

January 15, 2026 / R / 7

‘Misleading initiative’…

Bouquets: • It was great to see familiar faces again this week when Tyke and Linda Van Dellen dropped into our offices with a gift of a beautiful vintage Olympia typewriter they didn’t have a home for anymore. It’s now one of my favorite typewriters in my growing collection, and I have big plans for it. Also, thanks to Tyke and Linda for their generous donation to the Reader. We are so grateful to have so many wonderful people in our community.

Barbs: • In an astounding rebuke of Republican leadership, the House passed legislation on Jan. 8 that would extend expired health care subsidies for those who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Seventeen Republicans voted with all House Democrats, bypassing objections from House Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill now moves on to the Senate. Does anyone want to take a wild guess how Idaho Republican Reps. Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher voted? Yep, they both voted against it. It appears Simpson and Fulcher prefer their constituents to either lose health care coverage or pay drastically higher rates.

Remember this when you’re at the ballot box, folks. They.

Don’t. Care. About. Us. • I was walking out of a grocery store last week and the driver of a vehicle didn’t see me crossing through the parking lot. I had to jump out of the way to avoid being nudged by their bumper. Instead of rolling down the window and saying, “Sorry about that, I didn’t see you,” or “My bad,” the driver screamed, “Maybe you should wear brighter clothing next time!” I had to laugh, it was so ridiculous. Look, we all make bonehead moves behind the wheel from time to time.

When it happens, don’t be like this person. Just fess up, apologize and smile sheepishly like the rest of us.

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Dear editor, After leaving the Festival of Tree’s event in downtown Sandpoint recently, I was approached on the sidewalk by two women who were seeking my signature regarding an initiative for women’s health.

After asking a couple of questions I realized they were talking about abortion, not women’s health issues.

I was shocked that someone would refer to abortion as women’s health, it was very misleading. During the discussion they claimed abortion in Idaho is denied to women in cases of incest, rape and if the women’s life is threatened due to the pregnancy.

When I told them this was not true, they insisted that it was the truth.

I was again shocked that women in our community are collecting signatures for a cause based on false information. It is illegal to obtain signatures under false and misleading information.

The primary law that supports the illegality of soliciting signatures in Idaho for an initiative containing false information is Idaho Code 34-1815 I.C. 18-622: Idaho law provides exceptions in the case of rape and incest.

I.C. 18-604: Idaho law provides exceptions for pregnancy complications, such as ectopic pregnancy, fetal death and treatment of miscarriage.

Annette Thompson Hope

‘Sandpoint Peace Prize’…

Dear editor: I would like to nominate Donald J. Trump for the first-ever Sandpoint Peace Prize. In the same vein, I suggest we rename places in the Sandpoint area: the Trump Long Bridge, the Trump First Avenue and the Trump Granary Arts District.

Jim Healey Sandpoint

‘Be careful what you wish for’…

Dear editor, Since the installation of the 115th U.S. Congress and the inauguration of the 45th president, I’ve wondered if the GOP members of Congress would ever learn to be more concerned with the opinions of their constituents than that of the whiney, vindictive, profit-driven old man’s delusional policies. The

answer apparently is never.

The 2018 election resulted in the installation of the 116th Congress that was GOP controlled in the Senate and Democrats in the House in 2019. In September, the House drafted and passed articles of impeachment against 45. In January, the Senate acted as the jury.

Predictably the Senate found 45 not guilty. The following month COVID hit, and the federal government focused on the pandemic.

When Biden was elected in 2020, 45 immediately began spreading lies about election fraud in every state — even some he won. The barrage of rumors, lies, misinformation and unsubstantiated statements continued throughout the Biden presidency and, with the help of gullible voters in rural states, resulted in the kakistocracy we’ve got now.

The old saying, “Be careful what you wish for, you may get it,” was never truer. Followed closely by, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

Gil Beyer Sandpoint

‘Grabbing Greenland’...

Dear editor, President Donald Trump wants the USA to buy Greenland and claims that military intervention is a possibility should a purchase be thwarted.

Greenlanders (and Denmark) say that Greenland is not for sale — so that leaves military intervention?

That is clearly illegal and immoral.

There are some steps to deter this that should immediately occur. Of course, these steps will not happen: • The House and Senate should make clear to Trump that his bilateral impeachment will swiftly follow should military intervention materialize. Perhaps our Sen. Jim Risch could take the lead on this; • The Pentagon should make it clear to Trump that orders intending to militarily intervene will not be followed because they are clearly illegal. This was explained by Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., et al. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has threatened to demote Kelly for pointing out something the Constitution states.

Richard Sevenich Sandpoint

Idaho runs clean elections…

Dear Editor, As a volunteer who gathered over 1,000 signatures for citizen

initiative drives, I know Idaho’s election system is clean.

I have observed legitimate voter signatures thrown out of initiative counts because of things like having moved from one residence to another within our county since originally registering.

Elections officials work hard to maintain clean records and will help voters correct such mistakes to get every lawful citizen registered.

Out of 1.1 million registered voters in Idaho, our secretary of state sent only about 30 individuals’ information to the state police to investigate. About a dozen of those were actually referred for possible prosecution.

This is another case where Trump’s baseless accusations cause wasted time and money for statewide election staff and result in more lies bombarding future voters.

Now Idaho’s been threatened with a suit by DOJ’s assistant attorney general for (wait for it) the “Civil Rights” Division.

They’re demanding unredacted voter registration lists to “purge noncitizens,” they say, from the rolls or they’ll add us to the other states they’re suing over not providing information that should be protected under legal privacy rights.

The work of “Civil Rights” should support its name.

Sincerely, Clarice McKenney Bonners Ferry

‘Ski report’...

Dear editor, The ski report always gives snow depth information for both how much snow is currently at the lodge and the summit that day. Cool.

Then they provide how much precipitation has accumulated over the season; I assume a total of how much is on the ground and how much has melted.

Who cares how much has melted? What am I missing?

Kim Woodruff Sandpoint

Venezuela is not worth the cost…

Dear editor, Unless this nation is attacked or invaded by another country, I do not believe we have a right to invade another country, kill their citizens and kidnap their president without our elected Congress approving of such action.

No president should take such

actions and risk the lives of our military if it is not the will of the majority of the people of this nation.

President Trump is now said to be having meetings with the leaders of various oil companies in our country to see who will extract Venezuelan oil for sale and profit.

An article in The Wall Street Journal on Jan. 10 quoted that experts estimate, “to bring the country back to peak oil production would cost $100 billion or more.”

Our military killed more than 100 military and civilian humans in Venezuela when we captured President Nicolás Maduro. One would have to be a fool to believe there are not many people in Venezuela who dislike the United States and sabotage against oil drilling could be more than a minor consideration before investing money in a country we illegally invaded.

James Richard Johnson, U.S. Army Vietnam veteran Clark Fork

BY THE NUMBERS

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

3 The number of articles of impeachment introduced

by U.S. House Democrats against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Jan. 14, following the deadly shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.

-295,000 Net migration to the U.S. in 2025, according to the Brookings Institution. For the first time in half a century, more immigrants left the U.S. than entered last year.

about 72,000 The number of federal government jobs shed in the Washington, D.C. region in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated Winter

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

There was a time when the word “bundle” meant smooshed cheeks into toopuffy coats, mittens slid onto red, wind-chapped hands; when “banks” were something filled with snow. “ICE” was something to skate on and “flakes” were omnipresent — falling generously from the sky, never making us wonder when they’d arrive.

A “gaslight” meant a few minutes with the warmth seeping from the car, until it was turned on again, an empty signal restored — the chill impermanent.

As my boots crunch over snow-spotted earth, the dirt clings to my soles, and I find myself thinking, “Remember when?” Remember when the mountain opened on Thanksgiving and we skied until April? When snowplows ran through the night, leaving towering piles of white and brown in parking lots?

When school closures were announced like grocery lists, a breath required to finish reporting all the names.

Remember when things felt clear and simple? When neighbors were other people’s parents, someone to wave at while you broke icicles off of your roof? When local TV news stations covered ice fishing derbies, not raids, and when “safety” meant looking both ways before tipping your sled over the lip of a hill?

“Security” had nothing to do with jobs, and morals were things that we shared — not

Emily Erickson. fought over to define.

I loved winter as a child, despite Wisconsin’s frigid cold. It felt inherently playful — everything was an invitation to be experienced in an unexpected way. An old man’s sandy, barren hill transformed into a kingdom, a race course, a stomping ground once it was piled with snow. A low field that sat soggy with river spillage became a rink, a place to hurry to after school, skates in hand. The world felt malleable then, reshaped overnight by weather alone, inviting us to see our surroundings for all their possibilities — as invitations to take risks, to push limits and cultivate joy.

In this, the danger and sharpness of winter, of the world, was padded. Falls didn’t hurt the same way as they might on pavement or rocks, and mistakes landed even softer. We wore layers not just for warmth, but for courage — to test our limits, to move fast and to trust that wherever we ended up, we’d arrive cushioned and warm.

I moved to Sandpoint in the middle of a snowstorm,

my fingers sore from gripping the steering wheel, dodging drifts on I-90 through Montana. I was welcomed, red-nosed, into a warmly lit bar and given a menu.

People called each other by name and spoke of things I would come to know in time — Sam’s Alley, Pucci’s Tots, Chuck Slough and the K-9 Keg Pull.

The person next to me asked where I was from. I didn’t flinch or feel shame in my answer. I said, “Well, here, as of today.”

But lately, winter feels different, especially in its halfhearted attempts to arrive and stay. My snowpants lie folded in a bin labeled “winter gear,” waiting for a season that no longer commits.

The ground freezes, then thaws. Dirt shows through where snow used to hold.

The dull and the sharp arrive together now, and it feels like a bellwether — weather and whether or not we’ll arrive at a future unscathed.

“Here” feels different, too. Maybe it’s adulthood, or maybe it’s the world changing too fast around me. Things that were once certain — snow would fall, neighbors would wave, people’s deepest instinct was to care for one another — no longer feel guaranteed.

The lessons of winter might be melting, like frost on our window panes: cold days and frozen nights invite community and care, and warmth is something we build (and share) together.

The padding we once enjoyed, or expected, softened our falls and made room

for mistakes. But now that padding has thinned, and we’re learning to move more carefully — not because the ground is slick, but because we’re forgetting how to catch one another when we fall.

So I’m left asking, “Remember when?” wondering if it’s only winter I’ll be nostalgic for, and hoping for an impending snowstorm, a

transformation, a chance to restore my childlike wonder for the people and place I call “home.”

Emily Erickson is a writer and business owner with an affinity for black coffee and playing in the mountains. Connect with her online at www. bigbluehat.studio.

Retroactive

By BO

January 15, 2026 / R / 9

Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

inversion

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Publisher’s note: Brenden Bobby is out again this week, so you’re stuck with me. He’ll be back to the usual soon.

My partner and I share an inside joke about inversion.

Whenever we encounter a weather-related matter we don’t quite understand, we just shrug and say, “It’s probably just inversion.”

The truth is, inversion is a naturally-occurring phenomenon that happens most often during winter months.

Normally, within the lower atmosphere, or troposphere, the air temperature decreases gradually the higher up in the atmosphere one is. This is largely due to the atmosphere being heated from below as solar radiation warms the Earth’s surface that, in turn, will warm the layer of atmosphere directly above it by thermals. In fancy science terms, this is measured by the adiabatic lapse rate.

An increase of altitude means higher air is at a lower pressure, and lower pressure generally results in a lower temperature. These follow the model of the ideal gas law, an equation that explains the behavior of many gases under a variety of conditions.

However, when inversion is present, the air doesn’t mix height-wise like it usually does. In fact, among the troposphere, it does the exact opposite: cold air hugs the surface of the Earth while the air temperature gradually increases with altitude.

10 / R / January 15, 2026

A real-world scenario of inversion is when it might be 25° Fahrenheit in Sandpoint and 35° on top of Schweitzer. The inversion cap is a layer of relatively warm air that exists above the inversion and, as air parcels rising into this layer become cooler than the surrounding environment, that inhibits their ability to ascend. The cold air is essentially “trapped” beneath the warm layer above it.

A temperature differential of up to 20 degrees can be recognized during inversion.

It’s common during meteorological inversion to stand atop Schweitzer under bright blue skies while the valley below is obscured by a thick cloud layer that almost resembles the surface of the ocean.

Inversion often occurs when the sky is clear and the wind is light or calm. Valleys that are sheltered from the wind will see a more pronounced cold temperature because cooling near the surface of the Earth happens quicker there. Inversion often happens in the late afternoon or early evening and lingers into the next morning for a few hours. This is because the heat of the sun is not sufficient to dissolve the air layers that have formed.

While it might make for a pretty photograph from the mountaintop and a warmer day of skiing when it’s brutally cold in the valley below, inversion can have negative effects as well.

Since warm air rises, air under and inversion cannot escape because it is cooler, and that causes smoke and pollution to get trapped and

An inversion layer of clouds seen from atop Schweitzer’s summit.

Photo courtesy of Schweitzer

hug closer to the ground when it usually gets dispersed into the higher atmosphere.

High pollutant concentrations can accumulate near the ground, which is why haze might be observed on a winter day. All the smoke from wood stoves and vehicle exhaust has nowhere to go, so it hangs low to the ground where we breathe it more directly.

Many cities even have “no burn” days where they ask residents to forego lighting the wood stove to improve air quality during prolonged inversion events. The negative air quality effects are substantially increased in cities which are surrounded by hills or mountains since they form an additional barrier to air circulation.

The Great Smog of 1952, for example, was a severe air pollution event that affected London that lasted from Dec. 5-9, 1952.

The smog disrupted daily life in London by reducing visibility and even penetrating indoor areas. Government medical reports in the weeks after estimated the smog killed 4,000 people and made 100,000 sick. More recent estimates put the death toll at closer to 10,00012,000 people.

Finally, inversion is also the cause of why you might observe Fata Morgana, or a mirage, of a ship “floating” on a distant horizon. This is because as the temperature of air increases, the index of refraction of air decreases, meaning distant objects will often appear shortened vertically (if you’ve ever seen the sun set over the ocean, you’ll

notice it looks like an oval).

Fata Morgana is also responsible for the “green flash” some sailors have claimed to see the very moment the sun dips under the horizon.

This rare phenomenon, also occurring at sunrise, is when the sun’s green light is isolated due to dispersion.

The shorter wavelength is refracted most, and the blue component of sunlight is scattered, making green the

first or last light from the sun to be seen.

The National Weather Service outlined several signs of temperature inversion, including the presence of clear skies, calm winds and proximity to sunrise or sunset. Dew might also be present, horizontal smoke patterns might be evident and ground fog will exist in low-lying areas.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner N LUTHER KING Jr.?

Don’t know much about MarTI Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Monday, Jan. 19 this year, so here are some facts about the famed civil rights leader: • King grew up in the South under segregationist Jim Crow laws, whereby Black people were required to use different schools, toilets, water fountains and sections of the bus.

They were also routinely denied the right to vote in elections. MLK Jr.’s first experience with segregation was when he was just 6 years old, and told he wasn’t allowed to play with his white friend anymore because the friend’s father wouldn’t allow it.

• After skipping two grades, King enrolled in Morehouse College at 15 years old, graduating four years later with a B.A. in sociology when he was 19. He continued his education at Crozer Theological Seminary, graduating as valedictorian before enrolling in Boston University’s doctoral program and earning a Ph.D. at the age of 25.

• King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963 at the March on Washington rally, where

We can help!

more than 250,000 people gathered in the nation’s capital.

• In October 1964, MLK Jr. won the Nobel Peace Prize for his ongoing fight for civil rights and against racial segregation and discrimination in the U.S. • King was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis, Tenn., where he had given a speech the day before.

He was standing on the balcony at his hotel when the assassin shot and killed him.

• King was arrested an astounding 29 times. His charges (many of them dropped and most of them trumped up) ranged from civil disobedience to traffic violations.

• King was a Trekkie. Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura on Star Trek, said King told her the show was the only one he and his wife Coretta allowed their children to stay up and watch.

PERSPECTIVES

Idaho can help level the political playing field

By Susan Drumheller Reader Contributor

record high in the U.S., and a far cry from the idolized 1950s, when most families could afford to live on one Back in 1990, the averincome. age U.S. House of RepreWe have returned to a sentative candidate spent pre-Depression “Gilded about $400,000 ($900,000 Age” — a nation of haves in 2024 dollars) to run for and have-nots. At the top office. That amount beare the modern robber came $3 million in 2022, Susan Drumheller. Courtesy photo barons (Big Tech) capitalaccording to Wikipedia. izing on our personal digital lives to Fast forward to the controversial get richer and buy more influence in 2010 “Citizens United” Supreme Washington, D.C., and a president Court ruling that unleashed nearly who throws Great Gatsby-themed parties unlimited political spending and gave while denying the poorest of the poor birth to the Super PACs (political their SNAP benefits. action committees).

Meanwhile, the polarization beNow we have more money than ever tween the parties (turbocharged by polluting our politics, with Elon Musk social media algorithms) has brought spending $277 million in 2024 to help no progress in solving the real-world elect Donald Trump as president and enticing voters with $1 million checks to economic and social problems facing this country. vote for his chosen candidates.

The good news is a growing numIn addition to money swaying elecber of independent candidates are tions, we have career politicians who building momentum with hard work live in a financial world that has little and common-sense ideas that chalresemblance to Main Street America lenge the emerging oligarchy. and its hollowed-out middle class.

One such candidate is Idahoan On Nov. 15, 2025, The Wall Street Todd Achilles, who is running against Journal reported that the net worth Jim Risch for the U.S. Senate. of the top 0.1% of households in the Achilles grew up on a family farm, is U.S. accounts for $23.3 trillion of the wealth in the nation, while the bottom a U.S. Army veteran (served as a tank commander), worked in the tech in50% have only $4.2 trillion. dustry for 20 years, served in the Idaho The current wealth disparity is at a

Legislature and teaches public policy.

But it’s not his background that grabbed my attention as much as his priorities.

Here are a few that resonate with me: • Protect and grow the middle class; • Stop corruption in Congress with policies such as campaign finance reform, a ban on congressional stock trading and term limits; • Reduce the national debt (our debt has grown under both the first and second Trump terms); • Keep public lands public and restore the federal workforce that manages it; • Keep government out of our private lives; • Breakup corporate control of the internet, and regulate AI and social media to protect users and their personal data.

I don’t agree with Achilles on all issues, but I don’t expect to. Political differences require elected officials in a democracy to be curious, find compromise and forge a path that we all can live with.

Achilles has been crisscrossing the state listening to voters, studying the issues and building a movement to return government to one that’s focused on the needs of citizens, not the desires of the rich and powerful.

Meanwhile, Risch has held no town hall meetings (despite lengthy recesses from Congress), and at the age of 82, after 17 years in the Senate, sits comfortably on a campaign war chest of more than $2 million.

When at work, he and his colleagues have failed to exercise their duty to be a check on the power of the presidency, earning Congress the nickname “U.S. Duma,” after Putin’s compliant Russian state assembly.

The coming Fourth of July is the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

This year may determine whether our nation can live up to the promise of a country of the people, by the people and for the people.

As former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “The most important political office is that of the private citizen.” Let’s exercise that power and give Achilles a fighting chance to fight for us and our democracy.

Achilles will be in Sandpoint for a meet-and-greet event from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, at the Sandpoint Community Hall (204 S. First Ave.).

For more information, go to achillesforidaho.com.

Susan Drumheller is a former journalist and a 26-year resident of Bonner County.

Echoes of justice: Three legacies, one call Where action, thought and memory meet begins in action, justice lives in community and memory is a moral imperSocial justice is not ative. an ideal we inherit — Dr. King rooted justice it is a world we build. in moral courage and It demands courage, collective action. Born clarity and a willingness into the segregated South to stand with others in and shaped by the Black the face of injustice. freedom struggle, he Few modern thinkers understood both the depth illuminate that responKari Saccomanno. Courtesy photo of racial injustice and the sibility more powerfully transformative power of than Martin Luther King Jr., Hannah organized, nonviolent resistance.

Arendt and Elie Wiesel.

“True peace,” he wrote, “is not the Each came from a profoundly absence of tension but the presence of different historical moment — Jim justice.”

Crow America, the rise and aftermath His Beloved Community was not of totalitarianism and the Holocaust simply a dream but a disciplined — and because of those lived expepractice of nonviolence — a society riences, each offered a distinct but grounded in justice, love and equality. deeply complementary vision of what King insisted that injustice anywhere it means to defend human dignity. requires a response everywhere, and Together, they teach us that freedom that the work of justice is shared,

By Kari Saccomanno Reader Contributor

bold and rooted in the dignity of every person.

Building on the necessity of action, Arendt — whose life was shaped by fascism and forced exile — wrote as someone who had seen what happens when power becomes domination and people stop questioning the world around them. She believed freedom arises when people act together, and that real power is not coercion but our shared ability to begin anew. Her warnings about thoughtlessness — the “banality of evil” — came directly from witnessing authoritarianism.

Arendt urged us to think deeply, act publicly and build a civic life worthy of all people.

Wiesel added another essential dimension: the responsibility to remember. As a survivor of Auschwitz, Wiesel understood the moral cost of silence and indifference. His background made his message unmistakably clear:

“Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim.”

For Wiesel, justice begins with refusing to look away — bearing witness to suffering, insisting on truth and passing memory forward so that atrocity cannot take root in forgetfulness.

Together, King, Arendt and Wiesel remind us that justice is not passive.

It is built through action, grounded in thought and sustained by memory. It is the courage to speak, the discipline to gather and the compassion to see every life as worthy.

This MLK Day on Monday, Jan. 19, we honor their intertwined legacies by choosing community over complacency, truth over silence and hope over fear. When we act together, we begin the world again.

Kari Saccomanno contributed this op-ed on behalf of the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force.

January 15, 2026 / R / 11

PERSPECTIVES

Music hath charms to soothe a savage beast

By Tim Henney Reader Contributor

The last era in which our beloved 250-year-old democracy was faced with extinction, as it is today, was the early 1940s, when we of the free world (Allies) defended ourselves against fascist Germany and Italy and the Empire of Japan (Axis).

Some 50 million people perished in World War II. Popular songs like “Remember Pearl Harbor,” “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition,” “When the Lights Go on Again,” “Comin’ in on a Wing and a Prayer” and “I’ll Be Seeing You” were culturally critical in soothing the savage Axis beast into submission by contributing emotionally to the hopes of those at home — including this writer.

We didn’t just grow victory gardens and ration food, tires, gasoline and countless other necessities — we listened on the radio and sang along to “Always,” “This is the Army Mr. Jones,” “I’m Making Believe,” “I’ll Walk Alone” and, especially poignant to American POWs in Nazi prison camps during the winter, “White Christmas.”

The threat today — while led by internal anti-American foes, rather than foreign ones — is as dark and dangerous as early WWII, when the Allies were being whipsawed on land and at sea.

Few readers of this newspaper are old enough to remember the deep emotions stirred by popular songs of the war years via radio and 78-rpm records. Some hardy fellow elders might recall the intensity of patriotism, cultural pride, neighborliness, and faith in our civilian and military leadership during the early 1940s.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt first led America out of the Great Depression with the New Deal and then, with free-world friends who in those more trusting times looked to the U.S. not with loathing but for leadership, on to victory and peace.

So what might we citizens do today to quell our anxieties? Well, we haven’t been asked to substitute margarine for butter or to stop using sugar, as we were in the early ’40s. And burly masked ICE agents (a scary reminder, many suggest, of Hitler’s dreaded Gestapo) have not been ordered to deport voters for humming along to 12 / R / January 15, 2026

Tim Henney, male model. Courtesy photo

the great songs that define this monumental democracy — musical odes to America like Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” and Linda Ronstadt’s “Back in the U.S.A.” The late Romain Rolland, a celebrated French novelist who won the Nobel Prize for Literature, wrote, “The thought of the eternal efflorescence of music is a comforting one, and comes like a messenger of peace in the midst of universal disturbance.”

This writer agrees.

So, fellow readers, give TV a rest and ask Alexa, Pandora or other musically savvy devices to be “a messenger of peace in the midst of universal disturbance,” because that’s what we’ve got.

Construct a personal Alexa playlist or ask individually for the following; and, as you listen, reminisce about just how special America is and why it’s worth defending as defined in the United States Constitution — and not by someone some citizens contend is an egocentric thug and world-class con artist.

Oh my, really?

So let’s get aboard: “The Wabash Cannonball” by Roy Acuff or The Carter Family. “The City of New Orleans,” a train tune by Sammi Smith or Willie Nelson. That musically fabled urban railway, “Take the ‘A’ Train” by Sarah Vaughn.

And “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Glenn Miller.

Now out to Hawaii for “Sweet Leilani” by Bing Crosby or “Blue Hawaii” by Elvis Presley. And back to the continental U.S. to pay homage

to some beautiful states: “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles. “On The Sidewalks of New York” by Nat King Cole. “California, Here I Come” by Al Jolson. “Stars Fell on Alabama” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.

“Take Me Home, Country Roads” (West Virginia) by John Denver.

“Oklahoma!” by the cast of the musical, Oklahoma! By Oscar Hammerstein II and “Land of Enchantment” (New Mexico) by Michael Martin Murphey. “The Tennessee Waltz” by Patti Page. “Rocky Mountain High” (Colorado) by John Denver. “Iowa Stubborn” by the cast of The Music Man. “Ragtime Cowboy Joe” (Arizona) by Jo Stafford. “Deep in the Heart of Texas” by Gene Autry. “Indiana (Back Home Again In...)” by Kay Starr or Nat King Cole. “My Old Kentucky Home” by the Osborne Brothers or Johnny Cash. “Carolina in my Mind” by James Taylor and “Goodbye Old Paint” (Montana) by Charley Willis.

Let’s zip up the Old Post Road (circa 1673) to ancient New England: “Massachusetts” by The Bee Gees.

“Moonlight in Vermont” by Ella Fitzgerald or Margaret Whiting. “The Maine Stein Song” by Rudy Vallee.

“Poor Little Rhode Island” by Guy Lombardo. And, although it’s not a state, this writer’s former favorite family summer playground, “Old Cape Cod” by Patti Page.

Next, musical tributes to cities, towns and memorable places: “Back in your Own Backyard” by Madeleine Peyroux. “San Antonio Rose”

by Patsy Cline. “On the Banks of the Wabash” by The Mills Brothers. “26 Miles (Santa Catalina)” by The Four Preps. “California/Avalon (Medley)” by Mitch Miller & The Gang. “Tallahassee” by Bing and the Andrews Sisters.

“I Left my Heart in San Francisco” by Tony Bennett or Sarah Vaughan. “Apalachicola, Fla.” by Bing and the Andrews Sisters. “Basin Street” by Louis Armstrong. “Easter Parade” by Judy Garland and Fred Astaire. “Don’t Fence Me In” by Ella Fitzgerald. “Surfin’ U.S.A.” by The Beach Boys. “Route 66” by The King Cole Trio. “Blue Bayou” by Linda Ronstadt. “(I’ve Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo” by Glenn Miller. “Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town)” by Judy Garland. “San Fernando Valley”

by Bing. “A Little Girl from Little Rock” by Carol Channing.

“Red River Valley” by Patsy Cline or George Strait. “Is It True What They Say About Dixie?” by Al Jolson. “Amarillo By Morning” by George Strait. “Lazy River” by The Mills Brothers. “Take Me Back to Tulsa” by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys. “St. Louis Blues” by Bessie Smith or Cab Calloway. “Along the Navajo Trail” by Sons of the Pioneers or Dinah Shore. “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)”

by Willie and Waylon Jennings.

“Sioux City Sue” by Willie and Leon Russell. “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding. “Oklahoma Hills” by Jack Guthrie.

And a pair by the incomparable Billie Holiday: “Autumn in New York” and (as previously mentioned) “I’ll Be Seeing You.” If the above has stirred a yearning for a nifty ’50s-type sing-along, ask Alexa for tunes by Mitch Miller & the Gang and/or the late British crooner Max Bygraves. You’ll get uninterrupted songs from “Oh My Darling Clementine” to “Bye Bye Blackbird” to “Oh, You Beautiful Doll.”

At the end of WWII, Johnny Long and his orchestra recorded a pumped up 78-rpm version of “In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town” and its B-side, “Blue Skies.” The latter, in retrospect, seemed a fitting musical closure to the war’s horrors.

As more Americans have concerns about the frightening downward spiral of our 250-year-old democracy into a fascist dictatorship, maybe we should end this merry musical compendium by humming along to the epic recording of “America The Beautiful” by the inimitable Ray Charles. Ah, finally, the end!

No! Wait! Early in this opus we cited songs about states. And like a scrumptious dessert, we saved the best for last: “Here We Have Idaho”

by Rick Pickren. Bon appetit!

Tim Henney is a nonagenarian who, starting in 1951, edited an Air Force base newspaper in Georgia, a college newspaper in California and corporate publications in New York before retiring in 1986 as director of public relations of the original AT&T, parent company of the former Bell Telephone System, the world’s largest corporation at the time.

PERSPECTIVES

The ‘carrot-and-stick’ method of legislating in Boise and how to change it

By Kathryn Larson Reader Contributor Our legislative session kicked off in Idaho this week. Buckle up.

Last year, more than 1,000 bills were written, 789 bills published, about 350 voted on, 322 became law and all in fewer than 90 days.

That doesn’t include time spent in daily committees, caucus meetings, answering calls and emails from advocacy groups, and reading the average of 300 pages a day of legal text to understand those bills.

Legislators are paid about $25,000 per year, have full-time jobs and lack staff.

Two kinds of bills get introduced (though this ignores appropriations bills, which determine funding for what’s already law): • Bills written to address district problems identified by constituents.

Sen. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle, and Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint, have track records of crafting, fighting for, and passing bills like these, tackling rural school financing problems, state redistricting rules, lake level commitments and local utility infrastructure; • “Model” bills crafted by lobbyists make up the vast majority of bills.

Special interest groups hand legislators cut-and-paste bills with persuasive talking points to introduce the bill.

The bills come with a “carrot” — top conservative ratings reward obedient support — and a “stick” — nasty and costly primary challenges that punish opposition.

No group carries more weight than the Idaho Freedom Foundation. They broker the wishes of other groups, own the Republican central committees statewide and enforce compliance through the “Freedom Index” — the de facto conservative purity gatekeeper.

We saw that in 2024, when our Senate primary for Bonner and Boundary counties cost more than $500,000 because a senator drew the ire of the IFF by prioritizing his district’s needs over the ideological enforcers’.

This “model” system is blatant in Idaho. Local Republican parties push legislators to pledge loyalty, in writing. Pledged loyalty supercedes district representation. No amount of data

or citizen testimony matters. This is how power is wielded to control our Legislature.

We do have civic-minded, hardworking legislators in Idaho — more than a few. While this system rules, sessions will be a brutal and rigged mixmaster that punishes thoughtfulness and rewards obedience.

There is a disturbing pattern in “model” bills: • Power shifts from local to state authorities. Laws tie the hands of city councils, libraries, sewer districts, planning commissions, schools, health districts and county commissions to set their rules; • Costs are pushed onto locals.

“Model” bills are often unfunded.

Locals bear more of the costs of infrastructure and schools, while being limited in ways to raise that money: raise property or local sales taxes.

This pattern hits rural communities hardest. Our taxes skyrocket and we suffer from fewer services.

One bill promised this next session, makes all local elections partisan. Do we want the people making sure our poop is handled and protecting quality water to be loyal or competent? Other model bills would attack our citizens’ initiative process, sell off our public assets, undermine our local health districts, stoke the national culture wars and more.

While those in power crow about their unprecedented tax cuts, we see skyrocketing costs and more potholes.

Idaho has $930 million to improve rural health care over 10 years. What if our legislators had the time and focus to prioritize the use of these funds for the long-term benefit of local districts?

Bonner and Boundary counties could pilot programs for health care innovation, clinician recruitment, mobile care units and innovative long-term funding. We could build the national playbook for rural care. Or we could reject our own tax dollars.

We have pressing issues and a state legislative system designed to keep us living paycheck to paycheck.

To fix this, we could use the Freedom Index upside down. Look for scores below 70 and you’ll see who actually reads and considers the implications of bills. We also need accountability in the legislative pro-

cess, meaning fewer bills; transparency on bill sources; documentation of the likely legal and financial impacts (“no financial impact” allowed); 48-hour voter notification on committee hearings; and required reviews of laws after five years.

Also, tax cuts aren’t the only budget tool. When we propose “selling off grandma’s jewelry” (our public lands), we are already lost. Rather, we should stoke economic health. Local businesses face an increasingly uneven playing field. Let’s strengthen businesses that keep the revenue in state. If we want to create wealth for our community, we can be purposeful about rewarding local employers.

District 1 is a critical international transportation corridor, for both rail and highway travel. How about monetizing a logistics hub or creating resilience in supply chains to capture sustainable revenue?

How about exploring public-private collaboration on housing affordability, instead of sniffing out the voting records of our local board members?

Other red states have attracted our federal tax dollars to build economic health. Why don’t we?

If we treat the next 90 days like another bill-cranking contest, we all lose. If lawmakers listen to constituents instead of scorecards, Idaho could walk out of this session stronger, safer and better prepared for the future.

That’s the Idaho we deserve.

Show up, pay attention and insist on a Legislature that works for Idahoans instead of outside interests.

Participate in committee hearings via Zoom. Before you believe the propaganda from a legislator, look up their Freedom Index score. If they’ve got a passing score, they are playing the corporate game instead of representing voters.

I’d like to see our legislators focus on tackling real, long-term opportunities and issues.

Kathryn Larson is a Reader enthusiast in Sagle. She’s an artist and treasurer at Sandpoint ArtWorks Gallery, manages communications for CAL and Bizarre Bazaar, just joined the CREC board and tries to do good in the community. She has a management consulting business. Her only political expertise comes from running for the Idaho Legislature in 2024.

January 15, 2026 / R / 13

PERSPECTIVES

‘To be or not to be’

Thoughts on the Sandpoint city administrator position

By Carrie Logan Reader Contributor This Shakespearean quote seems appropriate, given the renewed discussion about whether or not to add a city administrator position to the city payroll. I hope to give you some history regarding the position in Sandpoint and my assessment of how the job was performed and how to go forward and why.

While mayor in 2014-2015, I initiated a conversation about an administrator position, the “why” of adding the position and the “how” of its functioning. I talked with city administrators in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls to get a sense of how they functioned, looked at job descriptions and talked with council in executive session about their willingness to look at adding the position.

They were interested.

The city government at the time functioned as a fantastic team with excellent staff. The issue for me was with the upcoming election. Would candidates for mayor have city experience and leadership qualities to make sure it continued to function well? The learning curve for council and mayor is huge. I felt that if a city administrator were in place, deficits in city leadership would be compensated for.

A job description was created utilizing information from other cities and input by city staff.

The council discussion in public session focused on whether to have that position or not in terms of tenure, function and salary. The questions from

Carrie Logan. File photo Councilor Deb Ruehle that I recall were about residency, whether the position could pay for itself by grant procurement and efficiencies, and what the turnover rate was for that position.

In Idaho, there is very little turnover and administrators tend to stay in that position for years. (Pre-city administrator, there was very little turnover in our city government. That changed dramatically after the hire of the city administrator.) Department heads also discussed the new position with two finding it totally unnecessary (Parks and Recreation and Public Works).

Council ultimately agreed to the position, the job was advertised, and interviews were conducted by former and past councilors along with Coeur d’Alene city administrator, Sandpoint city attorney, myself and several others. The majority vote picked the candidate.

After I left office the administrator and the mayor changed the job description. Restructuring departments, staffing changes and running departments was never an original vision.

The position was to facilitate success in each department and the city as a whole. Instead, personnel policies were changed that gutted employee protection and contributed to turnover, more expensive positions were created as a part of the expanded bureaucracy, hiring and firing authority along with large budget authority were given to the administrator and other issues — all with council approval.

I find it interesting to hear the current council speak of guardrails to prevent what happened when the council was complicit in many issues.

Currently we have a mayor who has dragged back the longstanding city structure — functioning department heads, mayor in charge of hiring and firings for a few. From the outside it looks like, historically, business as usual. At the same time, we hear rumblings from the City Council that the mayor is not doing his job or doing it in a way that the council doesn’t like. Sandpoint’s form of government is a strong mayor — the mayor is the CEO and the administrative head with all authorities conferred to him by code. Council is legislative and quasi-judicial; they are not in charge of personnel. They do have budget oversight authority.

The mayor does not answer to them — he answers to the public at election time. The administrator position only answers to the mayor so if you have an out-of-control administrator and a weak mayor you are in trouble.

Having been burned once I do not recommend going with a city administrator again. The position is expensive with those dollars needed in other areas of the city. I don’t think there are any kind of guardrails that council could put in place that can envision all of the “what ifs.” Historically the city has done just fine without a city administrator and we can and are again.

Carrie Logan was elected to two terms on the Sandpoint City Council (2008-2014) and served as mayor from 2014-2016. She also previously served five years on the Sandpoint Planning and Zoning Commission.

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FEATURE

208 Youth Writing Contest Is creativity a thing of the past?

As an English teacher of 12 years, I have read many young writers’ attempts to create original, cohesive or at least comprehensible writing. Think back and you may recall that ominous stare of the blank page with deadlines looming. Some of the strongest writing from teenagers these days, however, is actually the work of artificial intelligence in one form or another.

FIRST PLACE

So, for this contest — brought to you by the Sandpoint High School Creative Writing Club and inspired by the Reader’s annual 208-word writing competition — I insisted on no computer brains whatsoever; and, due to this diligence, I found myself treading through brave verbalizations of a teenage emotion, derivative narratives and even some prose worth a third glance.

To tell the truth, one or more of the

winning entries I actually threw into the trash out of consternation — I am an adult with vaguely adult emotions and a culturally dictated disdain for navel gazing — but certain ideas came back around and haunted me, like any truly solemn teen notion ought to.

As some of you may have experienced, no one can cut to a heart like an empowered teenager. And while some readers will likely find these se-

lections absurd, immature or perhaps “just plain too much,” I am a firm believer that the deeper the meaning of a written piece, the more absurd the words can seem.

So, I present the top three stories from our local teens that are worth a first, second and maybe even a third glance.

— Jeff Keenan

Death of a Star By Mazie Miles

Silence.

Empty space.

A void.

Nothingness.

And then. A flash.

A spark of light. A bang loud enough to shake the universe and beyond.

A single flash in the never-ending darkness.

A snap. A break. A crash.

Pieces of what once existed littered the space. Not trash but not value. Sentenced to float in nothingness for the rest of eternity.

A weak light bloomed once again, only to be swallowed whole

by the void of once was.

A whisper of hope, snuffed out in an instant.

The void was a beast. It consumed everything in its path. Leaving nothing but a ghost. An echo of something gone.

Gone.

Gone.

Gone.

Everything gone. Nothing left. A never-ending darkness consuming what once roamed. The pieces left to be scattered, only to be consumed by the void.

A piece of art. A beautiful world once alive thriving, now an endless

SECOND Through the Eyes of a Child

By Rachel Osborn PLACE I then realized that I could no longer see the colors a child would.

It was the first memory I have of crying. Mom said I was a quiet child, quiet spoken, quiet footsteps, quiet tears. My sister fell asleep caught up in the innocence of her own childish dreams. I, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep. How was I supposed to sleep? My white noise was the yelling and screaming through the walls. I sat in my closet, closed my eyes; there were those silent tears again.

I woke up the next morning still in my closet, ear to the wall, and everything seemed duller. I wanted to go to my mom, I wanted her comfort, but an unfamiliar voice told me it would be an inconvenience. So I didn’t; I sat there, the calmness of the morning held me in its tight cold grip. And it repeated. Each night the

same, each morning the cold.

I convinced myself to deviate from my pattern one morning; I went to mom’s bed. I sat there and cried. Mom’s arms wrapped around me unknowing of the comfort they brought me. My tears on the pillowcase, a letter to her, begging her to be OK. Waiting for her to be.

Judge’s notes: JK: The experience of leaving childhood and entering the world of adulthood is one that many of us attempt to forget - often with good reason. It takes a brave writer to take such a deep-dive and possibly only a teenager could pull off such a thing.

black. A version of nothing. A piece of what once was never to be seen.

The bright world that once was, reduced to nothing. Sparks of hope, diminished in an instant, never to be seen again.

An eerie space.

A dulling void.

A hope for nothing.

A black space, filled with a vast emptiness.

A desire for more.

Gone.

Gone.

Gone.

THIRD PLACE

Winner of an Eichar dt gift certifi ’s cate Judge’s notes: Jeff Keenan: This story at first struck me as absurd; which, in the context of our human lives, it very well might be — but in the days after reading it, the concept and the simplicity kept returning to me. The commitment to such an inhuman experience is admirable and worthy of first place.

Storm Rider

By Sofia Wofsey

It’s a dark, thunderous day in the kingdom of Elara. The rain won’t stop drumming on the castle roof. I’m looking out my window, as I often do in this weather. The gray, mystical view outside calms me. I can see the forest beyond, trees shuddering from the wind. A beam of lightning illuminates the sky.

As I observe the raging waves of the lake beyond, I notice something strange. A movement of water in a different direction than the wind.

I look closer. Perhaps my vision is playing tricks, I must be tired. But no, there it is again! Taking one last look at the strange wave, I dart out of my quarters and down to the stable. I mount my horse, ignoring my dress as the skirt of it tears. We gallop through pouring rain and warm, summer winds towards the lake.

As I get nearer, I begin to make

out the shapes of our boat and the surrounding trees in the distance. I dismount at the shores of the stormy waters. I turn around and freeze.

Before me, with a piercing, emerald stare, stands a dragon. Suddenly, the creature pounces. All goes black. I have been swallowed by the dragon, and I… I startle awake.

Judge’s notes: JK: This was one of the more cohesive of the entries. The sensory details were strong and felt like the beginning of something magical.

January 15, 2026 / R / 15

COMMUNITY

Expressions Youth Art Program returns to POAC with beloved local art teacher Randy Wilhelm

KNPS offers program on discovering Idaho’s alpine flora

By Reader Staff

By Reader Staff The Pend Oreille Arts Council recently announced the return of Expressions, its popular after-school youth art program. This season’s sessions begin Thursday, Jan. 22, led

by Randy Wilhelm — a beloved local art educator who recently retired after 27 years teaching at Lake Pend Oreille High School.

“Honestly, retirement has been a pretty tough transition,” Wilhelm said.

“I really missed the students — the laughter, the conversations and helping mentor them through their tough times. Art is who I am, but it’s the relationships that make it memorable.”

Expressions will be offered as three six-week studio sessions, each focusing on a different medium: drawing in charcoal; watercolor, dyes and ink exploration; and papier-mâché sculpture. Students may register for one

16 / R / January 15, 2026

or more sessions, but each must be registered separately. Classes meet on Thursdays from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in the POAC classroom at 313 N. Second Ave., in Sandpoint, and are designed as full-session commitments “I pride myself on making my classroom fun, low-key and a place where it’s OK to make mistakes,” Wilhelm said. “Art should not be a stressor. I love seeing kids take artistic risks and enjoy the process.”

Each Expressions session is limited to 10 students, allowing for individual attention. Most supplies are provided, and scholarships are available to help ensure accessibility.

Families interested in scholarship support are encouraged to inquire as soon as possible by calling 208-2636139 or emailing poacasst1@gmail.com.

Full class descriptions and registration information can be found artinsandpoint.org/expressions.

In partnership with the local Kinnikinnick Chapter, the Idaho Native Plant Society will give a special presentation Saturday, Jan. 17 on a threeyear survey of the state’s alpine flora.

The free event, sponsored by Sandpoint Parks and Recreation, begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Sandpoint branch of the East Bonner County Library (1407 Cedar St.), and includes refreshments.

INPS Calypso Chapter President — and leader of the North Idaho Rare Plant Working Group — Derek Antonelli will present the group’s biological inventories, conducted on 27 peaks in 14 different mountain ranges — from Roman Nose to Cache Peak — between 2022 and 2025. Alpine environments exist above the upper treeline due to the consistent low temperatures that make tree growth nearly impossible. Idaho’s alpine regions

begin above approximately 10,000 feet, meaning fewer than 20 peaks in Idaho truly achieve the distinction.

“The earliest alpine plant collections in Idaho were done in the 1890s; and, in the 1970s a more systematic survey was attempted by U of I professor Douglass Henderson and his students,” wrote KNPS in a recent news release.

Modeled after the Washington 50 Peaks Project, this survey builds on historical research. As of March, 2025, volunteers had documented 344 vascular plant taxa from more than 43 families — especially the aster, grass, mustard, rose, carnation and sedge families.

Antonelli will explore how volunteers conducted this research and what the findings tell us about Idaho’s mountains.

Visit nativeplantsociety.org for more information.

COMMUNITY Human Rights Task Force continues The Pro-Voice Project hosts diversity-themed book club ‘OB-GYN Care on the Line’

By Reader Staff The Bonner County Human Rights Task Force and the Sandpoint Branch of the East Bonner County Library are once again partnering for a monthly book club celebrating diversity and inclusion. The first meeting of the year begins Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 5:30 p.m. in the library’s community rooms (1407 Cedar St.) with a thoughtful discussion of My Black Country by Alice Randall.

Randall’s memoir uses her experiences in the country music industry as a way to explore the overlooked history of Black artists’ contributions to the genre. Beginning with her No. 1 country hit “XXXs and OOOs,” recorded by Trisha Yearwood, Randall goes on to discuss how greats like DeFord Bailey, Charley Pride and Ray Charles shaped country music, despite popular whitewashed narratives, and how that plays into the movement of Black artists breaking down barriers in

modern country music.

Pick up a copy of My Black Country at the library’s Information Desk to prepare for a thorough discussion of its themes and lessons and how they can impact the local community.

The next discussion will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 25, focusing on The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together

by Heather McGhee. An economics researcher, McGhee explores the financial ramifications of racism at both the local and national levels. Throughout the social critique, McGhee uses myriad examples to illustrate how no one benefits from racist economic and political choices, even the white supremacists fighting for them.

Full-length and abridged versions of the book — adapted for young readers — are available at the Information Desk. Visit ebonnerlibrary.org to learn more and to access the book club’s Zoom link.

Schweitzer sets off the ‘northern lights’ over MLK weekend

By Reader Staff It’s the first long weekend of the year, which means it’s time for Northern Lights at Schweitzer — a three-day party with beer, live music, fireworks and more. Festivities begin at 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, and run until 9 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18, centered on the village’s clock tower.

Schweitzer is celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend with specials from Deschutes Brewery. Representatives from the Bend, Ore.-based company will be up partying and pouring beer at the outdoor Snow Bar from 3-6 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Those Friday specials will continue from 4-7 p.m. at Taps Bar (10000 Schweitzer Mountain Road) through a free concert by five-

piece funk party band Nights of Neon.

The bulk of the celebrations takes place Saturday, with DJ Pesky Penguin spinnin’ disks at Taps from 1-3:30 p.m., followed by a performance from the funk rock group Jason Perry Band from 4-9 p.m. In the middle of it all, at 6 p.m., skiers and snowboarders can join the Torchlight Parade, raising red lightsticks in a spectacular display while sliding down the mountain. The parade coincides with the annual fireworks display visible from the slopes and village.

Rounding out the weekend on Sunday, DJ No Ego Nights will bring the tunes to Taps from 1-3:30 p.m. until Bozeman, Mont.-based band Left on Tenth takes the stage for the final funk jam session from 4-9 p.m.

For more information, visit schweitzer.com.

By Reader Staff The Pro-Voice Project will host “OB-GYN Care on the Line: A Community Conversation” — a listening-first forum that invites Bonner County residents to talk about how the loss of OB-GYN capacity is reshaping reproductive care locally and what options still exist to support the health of families and our community.

Scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 22, from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Sandpoint branch of the East Bonner County Library (1407 Cedar St.), the program builds on PVP’s exhibit at the library about OB-GYN departures from Idaho, as well as the group’s Receiver story-collection booth. Together, this programming maps key data and gathers lived experience ahead of the Jan. 22 discussion.

Participants will circle for a moderated, respectful dialogue guided by short prompts: anonymized excerpts from community stories recorded in The Receiver, reflections from clinicians and a few grounding statistics from recent research on Idaho’s obstetric workforce.

A JAMA Network Open research letter, dated July 31, 2025, documented a 35% decrease in OB-GYNs practicing obstetrics in Idaho between August 2022 and December 2024, with 114 of 268 baseline obstetricians ceasing obstetric practice here — figures that help explain the widening care gaps residents now face.

“We in Sandpoint were the first in the state to be impacted by the loss of

A map showing drive times to reach an OB-GYN in North Idaho. Courtesy image. obstetric care, and we’re now approaching the third anniversary of that loss,” said Jen Jackson Quintano, executive director of The Pro-Voice Project.

“It’s important that we not lose sight of what we once had and what the departure of our OB-GYNs means on the ground. We can’t build something better if we forget what better looks like.”

“Communities change when communities talk,” she added. “This is a chance to build awareness about local provider gaps and remaining care options, while envisioning a realistic pathway to better reproductive health care access for all.”

The event is free and open to the public. Participants will include local and regional health care providers who can offer clarity on the current care landscape. For more information, contact jen@theprovoiceproject.com or call 208‑920‑3564.

Mighty Monarchs Conservation Group hosts presentation

By Reader Staff The Mighty Monarchs Conservation Group and wingsrising.org are hosting a presentation about the new tracking technology for monarch butterflies and other species’ migration patterns.

Scheduled for Friday, Jan. 23 from 3-4:30 p.m. at the Sandpoint branch of the East Bonner County Library (1407 Cedar St.), the talk with center on a Bluetooth transmitter and associated phone app developed to help

monitor how creatures such as monarchs move across the landscape.

The transmitter is not too heavy for a monarch butterfly — weighing 0.5 grams — and developed by Cellular Tracking Technologies. Meanwhile, the phone app created by Cape May Point Science Center will allow users to track monarchs up to a quarter of a mile away.

Go to wingsrising.org/mighty-monarchs for more information.

January 15, 2026 / R / 17

events

Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com THURSDAY, january 15

POAC Performing Arts Series: Living Voices The Klondike 7pm @ Panida Theater Where dynamic solo performances and archival film merge to narrate the hunt for gold. $15/adult, $10/student

FriDAY, january 16

Live Music w/ Liam McCoy and friends Brewery night w/ Deschutes/Boneyard 5pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Beer, prizes, more beer. Brewery night at 5pm, live music starts at 7pm

Live Music w/ Carson Rhodes Band 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Jazzy, groovy, rockin’ sound Live Music w/ Jason Perry 5pm @ Connie’s Lounge Solo show from funk-rock aficionado Live Music w/ The Bakerwood Brothers 6-8pm @ Smokesmith BBQ Benny Baker and Sheldon Packwood Live Music w/ Son of Brad 6-8pm @ Barrel 33 Live Music w/ Chris Paradis 6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar

No EGO Nights ski weekend w/ DJ DAYMAKER and AYZIM 8pm @ The Hive Epic night of techno, house, melodic, funk, electronic and dance tunes Live Music w/ Tim G. 6:30-9:30pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Music w/ DJ Sterling 9pm @ Roxy’s Lounge Karaoke (Fri/Sat/Sun) 6pm @ Tervan Tavern Bob Weir/Grateful Dead tribute show 2pm @ Eichardt’s Pub

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival 7pm @ Panida Theater Featuring 27 outdoor films across three nights. $20/adv, $25/DOS. Threenight pass available for $57

Live Music w/ Left on Tenth 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge Portland-based band playing funky grooves, rock, reggae and more

Need For Creed (tribute show) 8pm @ The Hive Bringing the arena-sized rock music of Creed to life with attention to detail Live Music w/ Angel Urrea 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival 7pm @ Panida Theater Drop in swing dance class 4-6pm @ Barrel 33 Country swing dance classes, $15/person. Info: 208-920-6258 Living Art: Craft a mounted staghorn fern 3-4:30pm @ Verdant Plant Shop $25; plant and mount sold separately.

Register: bit.ly/48XH0L5

Live Music w/ Lucas Brown 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Live Music w/ Pamela Benton 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Live Music w/ Philosophers Daughter 5:30-8:30pm @ Barrel 33 Live Music w/ Sydney Dawn 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

SATURDAY, january 17

Live Music w/ Frytz and the Generals 8-11pm @ Roxy’s Lounge

Live Music w/ Chris Paradis 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs 6-8pm @ Baxters on Cedar

SunDAY, january 18

Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Magic with Star Alexander 5-8pm @ Jalapeño’s

Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival 6pm @ Panida Theater

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Open Irish style jam w/ Seamus Divine 5pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Outdoor Experience group run 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome

Karaoke with Big Rock Karaoke 9pm-midnight @ Roxy’s Lounge Wednesday tango night 6pm @ Barrel 33 Beginner Argentine tango lesson 6pm, pracitca 7pm. No partner needed. $15 Taught by Muffy Nye, 406-599-5696

Live Music w/ Liam McCoy and friends 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Game Night w/ Alaina 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority $3 Thursday 18 / R / January 15, 2026

SHS one-act plays 7pm @ Sandpoint High School auditorium Performed by SHS drama students Cribbage tournament 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge $5/person

January 15 - 22, 2026

monDAY, january 19

Star Family Singers album fundraiser show 6pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Potluck at 6pm, show at 7pm, open jam afterward Live Music w/ Ian Newbill 6-9pm @ 1908 Saloon Country and classic rock

Celtic Folk Jam 3-6pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

Trivia hosted by Alaina 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

tuesDAY, january 20 wednesDAY, january 21

Live piano w/ Peter Lucht 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Jazz and contemporary piano

Family hour and live music w/ John Firshi 5-7:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. Good musical vibes, food, drink

ThursDAY, january 22

Paint and Sip 5:30-7:30pm @ Barrel 33 $45 includes instruction, supplies and your first beverage

Trivia Tournament of Champions 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge $100 per team, max five people Fundraiser for Kaden 5:30-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Raffle, snacks, tarot reading Cribbage tournament 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge $5/person Live Music w/ Frytz 8-11pm @ Roxy’s Lounge

STAGE & SCREEN POAC presents Living Voices’ The Klondike at the Panida Theater

By Reader Staff The Pend Oreille Arts Council will present Living Voices: The Klondike: The Last Adventure on Thursday, Jan. 15 at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint).

Scheduled for 7 p.m., the performance combines live performance with archival film and photos to represent perspectives from the past that still resonate today — this time, in partnership with the Seattle unit of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Audiences are invited to step back in to discover the life of an independent young woman who risks everything for the promise of wealth and a fresh start.

Following news of the Klondike gold strike in 1897, Bess joins thousands of other miners in the stampede north, braving a dangerous journey into unknown territory in the hopes of a new and better life.

“Our long relationship with the incredible Living Voices program continues with this latest production of The Klondike,” stated POAC Executive Director Tone Stolz. “Celebrating our culturally rich history, POAC believes this is an important story to share. We hope that community members of all

Courtesy image ages will join us for this live theater presentation at the Panida Theater.”

Living Voices is part of POAC’s Ovations program — a free outreach for local students that provides educational experiences in the performing arts for students in our community who would not otherwise have such opportunities.

A study guide focused on the history of the times will accompany a school performance at the Panida for students in the Lake Pend Oreille School District prior to the Jan. 15 performance.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for youth, available at the POAC Gallery (313 N. Second Ave., in downtown Sandpoint), by calling 208-263-6139, online at artinsandpoint.org or at the Panida box office, which will open at 6 p.m. — an hour before showtime.

Festival at Sandpoint seeks new board members

By Reader Staff The Festival at Sandpoint is inviting members of the community to apply to join its board of directors, which plays a vital role in providing strategic guidance, supporting fundraising initiatives and serving as ambassadors for the organization.

“We are seeking individuals who are enthusiastic about our mission and eager to make a meaningful difference,” stated FAS Director of Finance and Development Tess Howell. “Our board members bring diverse perspectives, skills and experiences that help shape the future of our organization.”

Board members are expected to attend regular board meetings, serve on committees, and support fundraising and outreach efforts.

“We are at an exciting and pivotal moment for the Festival at Sandpoint,” stated Board President Ben Higgs.

“What I enjoy most about serving on

Festival at Sandpoint board members assist at the summer concert series. Photo by Racheal Baker this board is working alongside passionate community members who genuinely care about the Festival and its impact.

It is incredibly rewarding to help shape the future of an organization that brings people together through music and the arts. We are looking for individuals who love this community, believe in the power of live performance and want to actively contribute their time, perspective and leadership.”

Interested individuals are encouraged to submit a letter of interest outlining their background, skills and reasons for wanting to serve on the board of to president@festivalatsandpoint.com.

January 15, 2026 / R / 19

STAGE & SCREEN

Banff Mountain Film Festival world tour marks 50 years Films to screen at the Panida from Jan. 16-18

By Reader Staff Celebrating 50 years of the Banff Centre’s adventure and culture films, the 2026 tour Banff Mountain Film Festival will screen Friday, Jan. 16-Sunday, Jan. 18 at the Pania Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint).

Screenings begin at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 6 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $57 for a three-day pass, or $22 per night, available at the door and at panida.org.

This year, 18 films will come to the Panida screen, continuing a local tradition that began in 1995. The festival has long offered audiences a mix of mountain sports, humor, and culture, which won’t be available anywhere else.

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Among the highlights is Best Day Ever, the 2025 winner of both the Best Film on Mountain Sports and the Audience Choice Award. The film follows mountain bikers Greg Durso and Allie Bianchi as they navigate life’s challenges in Vermont’s Green Mountains, centered on the world’s first fully adaptive trail network. With grit, creativity and community at its heart, the film has won more than a dozen awards worldwide.

Short, quirky films like Jaunt provide a humorous, thoughtful pause, while Robson, which premiered last November during Banff’s own 50-year celebration, offers intense climbing and adventure. It chronicles Christina Lustenberger and Guillaume

Pierrel’s attempt at the daring first descent of Mount Robson’s South Face, highlighting human determination as much as athletic skill.

On Friday, Jeff and Doti Rouleau will offer raffle items supporting the North Idaho Mountain Sports Education Foundation, helping underserved youth experience skiing.

Saturday’s raffle, led by Karen Brenner of the Independence Ski Team, features local dining experiences. On Sunday, Friends of Schweitzer Ski Patrol will showcase avalanche dogs while raising funds for their lifesaving program.

The Banff World Tour follows the annual Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, where top films are selected for global travel.

The tour reaches more than 550,000 viewers in more than 500 locations across 40 countries — even Antarctica has hosted a screening. From its beginnings in Banff, Alberta, 50 years ago, the festival has grown into a worldwide celebration of adventure, culture,

A screenshot from the film Beyond Parallels. Courtesy photo and creativity.

For more information, call 208-661-3857, email mountainfever1@frontier.com or visit mountainfever.us.

A full list of films is available at mountainfever.us.

MUSIC

Portland five-piece Left on Tenth brings the ruckus

By Ben Olson Reader Staff Some bands just have a vibe. Whether listening to their recorded tracks in your jammies at home or out in the big, bad world, the quintet Left on Tenth is here to serve your musical needs.

The band will play a free show at the 219 Lounge from 8-11 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17.

The group of friends started playing music together on 10th Ave. in Bozeman, Mont. a decade ago, and have been sharing their passion with audiences ever since.

Now based in Portland,

Ore., Left on Tenth features an eclectic mix of instruments such as trumpets, saxophones, guitars, bass and drums.

Everyone sings vocals and everyone seems to have a hell of a time together on stage.

The band’s music falls into a few genres and immediately spills over into others, with live sets vacillating between funky grooves, hard-driving rock, reggae-inspired tunes and slower sensual ballads.

Everything is on the table when Left on Tenth is in town, and it’s guaranteed to be just as much fun to those listening as it is to the five yahoos on stage.

With ’90s rock nostalgia being at an all-time high, prepare for a night of unapologetic, arena-sized rock with tribute band Need For Creed bringing the music of Creed to life.

The four-piece will play The Hive at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17, with doors opening at 7 p.m. and tickets at $15 per person.

As one of the most popular post-grunge rock bands of the 1990s, Creed’s massive radio anthems and deep emotional cuts across four studio albums helped them go multi-platinum, with 1999’s Human Clay going diamond.

Left on Tenth, from L-R: Conor Adams, Ian “Long Island Ice Tea” Bailey, Casey “Mr. K” Kerrigan, David Kaltenbach and Jarred “BigCat” Clos. Courtesy photo

Songs like “Arms Wide Open,” “Higher” and “My Sacrifice,” will be ambitiously delivered by the Spokane-based tribute band. More than just playing Creed’s music, Need For Creed recreates the sound, energy and spirit of Creed’s most impactful era. Expect soaring vocals, heavy guitars and the lead singer to splay his arms wide open while at the mic (yeah, we’ve seen Creed’s music videos before).

The best seats in the house are the sound booth tables, which can be reserved for $100 and includes two tickets and a tall table with four barstools behind the south booth.

Visit livefromthehive.com for more info.

LISTEN

The best Tim we know (that is, Tim Henney) has already given us the best listening list imaginable on Page 12. The Reader has nothing better to offer than what Tim had to share. Of his selections, I’d highlight the Billie Holiday, Ray Charles and Woody/Arlo Guthrie selections. Regardless of my opinion, Henney rightly points out that we all need to sing and, maybe most importantly, listen a lot more.

Follow his well-considered instructions and listen where he tells you to listen.

WATCH

Need For Creed will play The Hive Saturday, Jan. 17. Courtesy photo

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Kjetil Lund, Idaho Pour Authority, Jan. 16

The Philosophers Daughter, Barrel 33, Jan. 17

If you don’t know Kjetil Lund (first name pronounced juh-TEEL), then it’s well past time to get wise to the sound of this homegrown singer-songwriter. He has a whipsmart sensibility with humor and pathos and guitar chops for days. I got to know him at the KRFY holiday show, and — wow — didn’t he bring down the house from the Panida main stage. Our own Kjetil is having an album fundraiser/potluck on Friday, Jan.

Coeur d’Alene-based singer and pianist The Philosophers Daughter (formerly Heidijo) came to the Inland Northwest by way of New Orleans, La., where she learned her classic R&B style. That makes sense when you hear her, as her voice is something out of a black-and-white film that, when combined with her piano, transports audiences back in time to the days when jazz and swing dominated

16 at Idaho Pour Authority. Put on your party pants and bring some cash money to donate for supporting the production of his next (sure to be stellar) album.

This kid is the real deal.

— Zach Hagadone Food at 6 p.m., music at 7 p.m., followed by an open jam, FREE, 21+. Idaho Pour Authority, 203 Cedar St., 208-597-7096, idahopourauthority.com. Listen in person, because Kjetil doesn’t have a website, and I applaud him for that.

READ

Among the gifts that keep on giving are good, well-balanced newsletters on the affairs of the day.

I received a subscription to “Tangle” for Christmas, and I must say that it’s the most easily digestible, cogent and frankly legit source for up-todate information and analysis I’ve encountered in years.

It’s certainly about a million cuts above social media. Go to readtangle.com for more info.

Need For Creed takes you higher

By Reader Staff

This week’s RLW by Zach Hagadone

radios. Stop in for a glass of wine at Barrel 33 to hear a combination of her bluesy takes on timeless hits as well as her original music, which nonetheless feels antique and nostalgic.

— Soncirey Mitchell 5:30-8:30 p.m., FREE. Barrel 33, 100 N. First Ave., 208-9206258, barrel33sandpoint.com.

Listen on thephilosophersdaughter.com.

Folks, we’re living in strange times, and that calls for strange movies. One Battle After Another taps into the weirdness in disconcerting ways, which is disconcerting because its contours feel familiar. Leonardo DiCaprio helms the production as a reluctant revolutionary in an all-too-familiar fascist U.S. obsessed with surveillance and harassing perceived “enemies.”

True to the film’s title, it’s one frickin’ thing after another as this family and political drama reels out some real emotion, plenty of action and, well, a ton of battles. Stream on HBO.

January 15, 2026 / R / 21

BACK OF THE BOOK

It makes sense, unfortunately

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

From Northern Idaho News, January 14, 1908

LATE REPORTS POINT TO SHOPS FOR SANDPOINT AN EMPLOYEE OF THE SPOKANE SHOPS TELLS A PORTLAND ACQUAINTANCE THAT THE NORTHERN PACIFIC SHOPS WILL COME HERE IN THE SPRING — OUTLOOK IS VERY PROMISING

Attorney A.P. Asher returned last week from Post Falls where he spent a few days with two young men who were in the head offices of the Northern Pacific railway in Minneapolis. The young men were old law school chums of Asher and of course were somewhat confidential.

Asher was informed by the gentlemen that the N.P. company are making ex tensive arrangements to do business in Sanpdoint early in the spring, and that movements, the gentlemen say, smack of railway shops and teminal work.

From D.M. Drumheller of Spokane comes the word that he has posted information that the Portland and Seattle terminal will be located in Sandpoint and that the shops of that road in conjunction with those at the Northern Pacific will be located here.

From still another source comes the information that the architects plans and blueprints of the shops for Sandpoint have been prepared, one of the solid citizens of Sandpoint having seen them.

It is very evident that something along that line will be doing in the city next spring, as some of our best people in the business world here believe there is not much doubt as to our getting something good.

22 / R / January 15, 2026

The first 12 months of Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president have been a bonanza for historians.

Comparisons and analogies abound, and the “history repeats itself” cliche is doing too much lifting. Of course history doesn’t repeat, nor does it rhyme — it’s a continuum.

Starting with the U.S. attack on Venezuela and kidnapping of its president and his wife on Jan. 3, the historically astute saw echoes of the Monroe Doctrine.

Articulated by President James Monroe in 1823, it was nothing less than a declaration of the United States’ imperial prerogative across the Western Hemisphere and a direct response to the post-Napoleonic tottering of European colonialism in the Caribbean and Central and South America.

While we tend to think of Manifest Destiny as an expansionist impulse westward across North America, U.S. imperialists had always looked greedily to the hemispheric south.

The British controlled more than two dozen colonies in the Americas — only 13 rebelled in the 1770s, all the others stayed loyal and most were in the Caribbean.

Those Caribbean colonies were worth far more to the British Empire than a gang of cantankerous, self-righteous and entitled, murderous land speculators, who also wanted those properties.

The U.S. was never a wholly westward-looking North American “republic.” It was a southward-looking, embryonic empire, and Trump is trying to revive that imperial logic

both abroad and at home. He’s not “Hitler” (as so many want to draw the comparison, apt as it may be in certain aspects of his character) but a Monroe Doctrine president with a domestic fascist toolkit.

Hemispheric domination by the U.S. has always been tied with racial hierarchy, elite rule, militarized police and the erasure of knowledge of these coordinating systems in the cozy blanket of patriotic mythology. “Manifest Destiny” is the national bedtime story — or, truly, nightmare for the Indigenous peoples who were “in the way” — while the real American project was hemispheric, entailing sugar, slaves, ports, gold and trade routes. Now oil.

As “The West” was “won” in the 19th century, the real prize of all U.S. foreign policy has been control of the Caribbean basin and its tributaries.

The Southern slave system wasn’t just about labor; it was a geopolitical project to dominate the slave-and-sugar world, and now it’s the oil-and-gas world, concomitant with right-wing ideological political and racial animus.

Crack a book like historian Matthew Karp’s brilliant This Vast Southern Empire and the contours of the U.S. Civil War are redrawn by its preceding political culture of white, Southern military-industrial-slaving elites who lusted after Cuba, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

We have to dispense with the North-South morality play in North America, and look beyond the EastWest expansion story. There are no “red” and “blue” states, every state is part of an imperial, hemispheric project dating to the beginnings of the so-called “republic.”

The United States is not a na-

tion-state that became imperial, but an imperial system that happens to use the language of a nation. Trump embodies this as a purebred robber-baron — fit to type, even if I can’t give him much intellectual credit for understanding it.

Blaming Trump for the dissolution of the post-World War II order is safe; what we should do is blame a centuries-old imperial tradition.

Remove Trump from office and the machine remains.

The same wealth class that profited from slavery, sugar and empire is still setting the terms — it’s not repetition, it’s a straight line from 1823 to 2026.

That means a foreign policy of regime change, economic extraction, racialized nationalism and executive supremacy, reinforced by domestic repression — because you can’t revive empire abroad without building authoritarianism at home. It’s all the same machine, and it’s been humming in the background since before the “founding,” requiring obedient populations, militarized policing, controlled information and crushed dissent.

Trump’s project is to make all this normal again, despite concerted efforts to make imperialism and authoritarianism illegal in the 20th century. Yet, the United States was born as an imperial claimant, behaved like one and is reverting to its true identity.

Trumpism betrays no ideals — there was a territorial and economic program from the beginning, and it’s playing out now. Slavery, racism, genocide and military adventurism are not the contradiction — they’re the U.S.’s operating system. He succeeds because he’s us. Our country isn’t hypocritical. More terrifying, it’s coherent.

STR8TS Solution

Sudoku Solution

Crossword Solution

By Bill Borders

CROSSWORD

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matters

Solution on page 22

Solution on page 22

ACROSS

jocund /JOK-uhnd/

Wortdhe of

[adjective] 1. cheerful, merry, or glad

Week “The jocund old man sat on the park bench every

morning feeding pigeons and greeting passersby.”

Corrections: If right makes might, then call us mighty, since we’ve been right all year.

If I could be a bird, I think I’d be a penguin, because then I could walk around on two feet with a lot of other guys like me.

1. Winter accessory 6. Stop 11. Small part 12. Set up 15. “Maple leaf” country 16. Written 17. Not new 18. Left out 20. Finish 21. Sleigh 23. Extol 24. Pretentious 25. Lacquered metalware 26. Seats oneself 27. Cain’s brother 28. Resorts 29. Letter after sigma 30. Put up with 31. Useful 34. Mendicant 36. Half of two 37. Mid-month days 41. Repose 42. Engendered 43. Canvas dwelling 44. Donate 45. Lingerie item 46. Abominable Snowman 47. Flowery verse 48. Rich 51. Adult males 52. A type of poetry 54. Sickly 56. Medical needle

Solution on page 22 57. Exhausted 58. Affirmatives 59. Row of shrubs

DOWN 1. Edible shellfish 2. Luminous intensity unit 3. American Medical Association 4. Overhaul 5. Froth 6. A spiny succulent plant

7. Made a mistake 8. Dry 9. Drain 10. Went in 13. Docile 14. Countercurrent 15. Charges 16. According to law 19. Of a pelvic bone 22. Scorn 24. Competence 26. Asterisk 27. Goat hair fabric 30. Passed with flying colors 32. Rodent 33. Bungling

34. Day before the weekend 35. Merrymaking 38. Considering 39. Rapprochement 40. Con game 42. Plays at high volume 44. Oodles 45. Marsh plant 48. Grows pale 49. Chop finely 50. Cry of pain 53. Falsehood 55. Light Emitting Diode

January 15, 2026 / R / 23