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2 / R / September 10, 2026

DEAR READERS,

The week in random review

By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff

‘Cooler heads’

In a recent conversation with some especially well-informed people, one of the participants mentioned that they thought Sandpoint needed some “cooler heads.”

Sure, fine. I can certainly get on board with that sentiment to a degree. Do we need to have a collective mental breakdown over parking? No. Is it mandatory to fill our diapers every time some new building gets built in town? Not really. Does every Facebook comment about a “loud boom,” sirens on the street or an offhand hot take about whatever dumb thing someone else has said or done necessitate a psychological spasm? Absolutely not.

But there are just as many bandits along the high road as any other, and maybe more. I don’t see how pretending otherwise benefits anyone but the bandits. It’s a variation on a theme I’ve encountered more and more lately from all sorts of angles — the newly reformed MAGA-skeptical and well-meaning progressives alike. It’s the old mentality of “everybody calm down”; “lighten up”; “life’s too short”; “touch grass”; “heal the divide”; and, without apparent irony, “can’t we all get along?” More than that, this growing “get along so we can go along” ethos is suspiciously convenient for people who are suddenly realizing that they’ve spent the better part of 50 years being on the wrong side of literally everything — from war to economics to education to health care to the one thing among them all that is especially existentially perilous: climate change. One of the “degrees” to which I won’t get on board with the impulse to sing “kumbaya” has a specific number: 1.5°C. That is, the global temperature increase threshold at which life on this planet becomes demonstrably untenable for almost the entire human population. The United Nations reported on Sept. 2 that not only is the world expected to push past this long-well known barrier (which almost all the nations on Earth pledged not to exceed by signing the Paris Agreement in 2015, with notable refuseniks being the U.S., Iran, Libya and Yemen), but we’re looking at a “best-case scenario peak temperature rise” of 1.8°C in the near future. “Most other scenarios predict higher peaks,” the U.N. Environmental Programme reported, going on to add that, “Anticipated impacts include intensified extreme weather, ecosystem loss, and submersion of Small Island Developing States and low-lying coastal cities. Severe damage to human health, food security, water supplies, nature, cities, infrastructure and economies is expected.” Get that: expected. Not “feared” or “potential.” For almost as long as I can recall in my nearly 46 years, I’ve been aware of this issue, and heard decades of scoffing and intentionally ignorant denialism related to it. Despite all the, “Yeah, but...” prevarications, we’ve all known the big and small things we have to do to avert this outcome for decades: drive less; drive smaller vehicles; invest in cleaner energy sources; make more, repair, reuse and buy fewer mass-produced items; grow food; buy local... don’t build data centers everywhere. The list is endless, but the political and social will remains willfully nonexistent to make any of the necessary changes. Mostly: Stop electing people to public office both high and low who won’t take this crisis seriously. Call me a hothead, but there are a lot of people — far too many — who have made it impossible figuratively or literally to have “cooler heads.”

Since we’ve received quite a few letter-to-the-editor submissions that are well over our word limit, this is a good time to remind everyone about our letters policy. We accept letters up to 200 words in length. We do not make exceptions — please don’t ask. If your letter is over the word count, we’ll send it back. Letters increase in frequency in the weeks prior to the elections, and we might decrease the word count further to accommodate so many submissions (we’ll let you know if/when we make this change).

For now: Stick to no more than 200 words, please. Email submissions to letters@sandpointreader.com.

– 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: Karley Coleman (cover), Ben Olson, Bill Borders, Diana Stover, Pat Sutphin Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Laura Guido, Kyle Pfannenstiel, Jim Jones, Emily Erickson, K.L. Huntley, Tim Bearly 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, Zach Hagadone and Soncirey Mitchell. 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 at the Spud Cup by Karley Coleman.

September 10, 2026 / R / 3

NEWS

PHD officials resign amid ongoing internal investigation

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff The Panhandle Health District Board of Health held a special meeting Sept. 3 to accept the resignations of three top officials, including Director Erik Ketner, for yet-undisclosed reasons. Former-Chair Thomas Fletcher will serve as interim director while the district solicits applications for long-term replacements.

Ketner had served as the district’s director — overseeing public health in Boundary, Bonner, Benewah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties — since May 2024. His career with PHD began in 2001 with the Environmental and Health Protection Division, of which he later became division administrator. Without any deliberation, the board voted 5-0 to accept his resignation, along with those of Human Resources Director Sandee Riggs and Christine Crummer, the district’s financial officer of more than 25 years.

PHD Commissioner Peggy Cuvala, representing Benewah County, abstained, while Melissa Cowles, of Shoshone County, was absent.

According to Bonner County Commissioner Ron Korn — a frequent PHD meeting attendee — there have been “at least five” such departures in the past few weeks, though he stated at the Sept. 8 BOCC meeting that he did not know “why they have decided to resign.”

Speaking on behalf of PHD, Public Information Officer Jennifer Ekizian declined to comment on the individuals’ motives and denied the Reader’s public records request, citing Idaho Code 74-106, which protects sensitive information regarding personnel.

“Further inquiries regarding reasons for resignations should be addressed with the individuals themselves,” Ekizian told the Reader.

Neither Ketner nor Riggs responded to requests to com4 / R / September 10, 2026

ment by press time. Crummer could not be reached.

Though the district did not supply a reason for the resignations, Shalisha Moreno — a former youth health education specialist, communicable disease investigator and certified medical assistant for PHD — claimed on Facebook that there “is much more to the story of why the three quit and it’s not what they are spinning about change of focus.”

The Board of Health has been pushing for a renewed focus on clinical services for more than a year, advocating for increased clinic hours, diversified services, additional staff and a focus on preventative care to counter rising rates of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Commissioners of

Top: The PHD Board of Health at the Sept. 3 meeting. Capture courtesy of YouTube, Bottom (L-R): Erik Ketner and Sandee Riggs. Courtesy photos Idaho’s five northern counties, which PHD serves, approved the change in June. In a statement made to the Coeur d’Alene Press, Kootenai County Commissioner Bruce Mattare suggested that such policy changes potentially caused the most recent resignations.

“There is an ongoing investigation happening that started … over six months ago,” Moreno commented on a KHQ Local News Facebook post regarding the resignations. “The Board of Health needs to be transparent with the results of the investigation that led to these resignations.”

Moreno went on to claim that PHD is investigating “wrongdoing and many complaints filed against leadership,” but did not respond to

the Reader’s request for elaboration as of press time. Ekizian confirmed to the Reader that PHD is conducting “an ongoing internal review of the former PHD leadership,” but did not specify the nature of the investigation.

“It is too early to offer any statement on findings,” she said.

After spending nearly two hours in executive session at the Sept. 3 meeting, the Board of Health voted 4-0 to appoint Fletcher to the position of interim director, with Cuvala, Cowles and Tim Bertling, of Boundary County, absent.

“We are intent on creating an environment where we can make sure that everyone feels safe and secure and can report,” stated Kootenai County

PHD representative Joel Noland, following the vote. “So, given the circumstances, this is an immediate solution, and then we’re going to be working on it going forward. This is our current solution.”

PHD will launch a nationwide search for a director “immediately,” according to Ekizian, but in the meantime does not anticipate that the resignations will affect regular operations.

“The other two positions are being evaluated separately,” said Ekizian. “At this time, the responsibilities of those positions are being supported by existing teams, and are adequately staffed to maintain operations in the interim.”

The Board of Health will hold its regular monthly meeting Thursday, Sept.

10 at 1 p.m. at the district’s headquarters in Hayden (8500 North Atlas Way). The public can attend in person or online by visiting panhandlehealthdistrict.org/board-of-health and choosing the relevant agenda. All meetings are livestreamed via the district’s YouTube page and can therefore be streamed at any time.

Among other agenda items, the board is slated to discuss a “forensic audit of Panhandle Health District finances” and “best practices” following the financial officer’s and director’s resignations.

“Panhandle Health District operates with a robust staff of individuals dedicated to serving the five counties of North Idaho,” stated Ekizian.

“These employees are our neighbors, friends and family.

They care intensely for the greater good of the residents of North Idaho and put their hearts into their careers.”

“We hope that the work of the many who are doing the best for our community is not being diluted by the few who decided to walk away,” she added. “We recognize the hard work and commitment of our staff who continue to serve the public with integrity.”

NEWS

Important dates for the 2026 general election

By Reader Staff The 2026 midterm general election is on the horizon, with Election Day falling on Tuesday, Nov. 3, when polls will open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at local voting locations. In the meantime, a number of other important dates are coming up.

Candidates had until Sept.

4 to withdraw from their respective races or file as nonpartisan write-ins, which

means the ballots are now set.

Early voting will be open from Monday, Oct. 19-Friday, Oct. 30, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Bonner County Elections Office (1500 Hwy. 2, Ste. 124, in Sandpoint).

The last day to pre-register with the County Clerk’s Office is Friday, Oct. 23.

The last day to request an absentee ballot will also be on Friday, Oct. 23, with requests due — not just postmarked —

by 8 p.m. that day.

More election notices are scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22 and Thursday, Oct. 29.

For more info, visit the Bonner County Elections Office or online at bonnercountyid.gov/elections.

To register in advance, or for all other election-related questions and information (including how to identify your polling precinct and location), go to voteidaho.gov.

build the skills they need to be successful in whatever future they choose.”

The newly built classrooms will be available to all North Idaho high school students, regardless of enrollment in LPOSD, and will house classes on business, marketing, forestry, water resource management, construction, welding, journalism multimedia technology, nursing, sports medicine, IT, cybersecurity, drafting and design and more.

The CTEC will also provide space for individual occupational training and the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, as well as upcoming automotive and culinary arts and hospitality classes, which will

begin in the spring of 2027.

Students can even graduate with industry-recognized credentials, ready to enter the workforce immediately.

“One of the most exciting things about career and technical education is that it helps students see possibilities,” Meyer said. “Whether a student dreams of working in health care, technology, construction, natural resources, business or another field entirely, these programs allow them to begin building those skills now.”

LPOSD undertook multiple years of planning and several grant submissions to secure funding for the CTEC building, which came through the competitive Idaho Ca-

Photo by Ben Olson

LPOSD to unveil the Career and Technical Education Center

By Reader Staff The Lake Pend Oreille School District is opening its doors to the community for the grand opening of its new Career and Technical Education Center on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Everyone is invited from 3:30-5:30 p.m. for the unveiling of the new facility, located in the south wing of Sandpoint High School (410 S. Division Ave.).

“Career and Technical Education opens doors for students,” stated Superintendent Becky Meyer in a recent news release. “Our responsibility is to help each individual student discover their strengths, explore their interests and

County hosts workshop on Solid Waste RFID card implementation

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff The Bonner County Board of Commissioners and members of the Solid Waste Department will host a public workshop Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. on the ongoing process to replace the dump sticker program with a radio-frequency identification card-based system.

The change will eventually help scale solid waste fees based on usage, rather than the current flat fee.

The workshop will be held in the Bonner County Administration Building (1500 U.S. 2, in Sandpoint) and streamed

live via Zoom and YouTube.

To attend remotely, visit bonnercountyid.gov/meetings.

The county previously entered into a three-year contract with Stellar ScaleTech to supply card readers for its 11 staffed solid waste collection sites, making a one-time payment of $30,300, plus an annual subscription fee of $21,760. The commissioners later added to the contract, paying an additional $93,700, plus an annual subscription fee of $1,920, to roll the cardbased access system into the newly purchased software.

According to Solid Waste Operations Manager Melissa

Gault, the payments cover “system hosting, access cards, scanners, a card programmer, programming, labeling and annual data conversion for new residents.”

Going forward, the RFID cards will track the number of times owners visit a waste collection site and the amount of trash they leave behind, allowing users who generate little waste to pay less per year.

Solid Waste intends to replace current dump stickers with the cards at a yet-to-bedetermined date in 2027, following a series of workshops to determine proper use and implementation.

reer Ready Students Grant.

LPOSD was chosen due to its commitment to expanding access to post-graduation career pathways outside of traditional continuing education through hands-on learning and workbased programs.

Each program is tailored to area workforce needs, training students to enter the workforce or undergo apprenticeships, technical training,

Students and faculty gather in the new CTEC building at SHS. Courtesy photo industry certifications, military service or college programs directly after graduation.

Attendees of the opening ceremony will have the opportunity to tour the facility, meet instructors and learn about the programs while enjoying light refreshments.

For more information, visit bit.ly/CTECOpening.

Corps announces fall drawdown for Lake Pend Oreille

By Reader Staff U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials at Albeni Falls Dam recently announced dates for the fall drawdown of Lake Pend Oreille.

The Corps will begin the gradual fall drawdown on Monday, Sept. 21. Summer pool elevation (2,062-2,062.5 feet) will hold through Sunday, Sept. 20 and elevation will remain above 2,061 feet until Monday, Sept. 28. An elevation target of 2,062-2061 feet is expected by Wednesday, Sept. 30 and 2,0512,051.5 feet by no later than

Nov. 15, which will hold until kokanee spawning is complete, usually in late December.

“Fall drawdown serves multiple purposes by accommodating fall/winter kokanee spawning and creating space for flexible winter power operations,” the Corps stated in a news release. “Fall drawdown is accomplished by releasing water through the powerhouse, not the spillway.”

To receive email notifications for Albeni Falls Dam outflow changes and nearterm lake elevation projections, email uppercolumbia@ usace.army.mil.

September 10, 2026 / R / 5

NEWS

ID Supreme Court OKs re-drafted abortion ballot initiative language Initiative supporters object to new language while one justice dissents

By Laura Guido Idaho Capital Sun The Idaho Supreme Court ruled Sept. 6 that revised explanations of the effects of voting for or against a proposed abortion rights initiative may appear on the November general election ballot.

The 4-1 opinion came after the court ruled Sept.

4 that drafted statements by Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Secretary of State Phil McGrane did not comply with a state law requiring a clear and concise statement of the effects of “yes” and “no” votes.

The proposed initiative, drafted by the group Idahoans United for Women and Families, would repeal Idaho’s abortion ban, allowing abortions up to fetal viability or beyond in cases of a medical emergency. It would also enumerate rights related to reproductive health care — such as access to contraception and IVF, and privacy in health care decisions — and provide liability protections for physicians providing reproductive health care.

Under Idaho’s abortion laws, it is a felony to perform nearly any abortion, except to prevent the death of the mother or in cases of rape and incest in the first trimester, but with a police report as proof. Doctors may also be sued for a minimum of $20,000 for performing an abortion.

The new statements, submitted to the court on Sept. 5, were: “A YES vote would support creating a right to abortion before fetal viability — defined as a fetus’ ability to survive without extraordinary medical measures — and after fetal viability in cases of medical emergency; providing protections against professional discipline and civil and criminal liability for healthcare providers; and codifying a statutory reproductive right to freedom and privacy.

“A NO vote would support making no change to Idaho’s current law, which preserves the life of preborn children by prohibiting abortion, except when necessary to prevent the 6 / R / September 10, 2026

Photo by Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun death of the pregnant woman, and during the first trimester in documented cases of rape or incest reported to law enforcement.”

Supporters of the initiative, called Prop. 1, argued the re-drafted statements misrepresented Idaho’s abortion ban and asked the court to reject them. The supporters noted that the “no” statement failed to mention that Idaho’s abortion ban carries felony penalties and prison time for doctors who perform abortions.

“By omitting the felony prohibition while highlighting exceptions, Respondents continue to present an incomplete and misleading picture of the law that a ‘no’ vote would preserve,” attorneys with Holland & Hart and Haws Law, LLC wrote in court filings.

The state Supreme Court overruled the objection.

Justice Colleen Zahn dissented from the majority opinion, arguing the “no” statements didn’t comply because of its use of the term “preborn children,” which isn’t found in Idaho laws related to the legality of abortion nor the definition of abortion, she said. She also wrote that the statement didn’t clearly inform voters of the penalties under Idaho’s existing abortion bans.

Idahoans will have the chance to vote on Prop. 1 during the Nov. 3 general election.

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.

Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond

At least 54 cities across the U.S. voted to cancel, non-renew or reject Flock’s automatic license plate readers this year. According to the Washington Examiner, flock opponents cite privacy and civil rights issues.

The U.S. Mint is now selling $1 coins bearing President Donald Trump’s face, with a 25-coin roll costing $61.

According to federal law they can be used as “legal tender,” but may not be accepted at every store. Still, the legality of the coin is questioned, Axios reported, since a 2005 Act says only deceased presidents can appear on a $1 coin.

Trump’s plan to run roads through 45 million acres of untouched national forests for logging, mining and drilling is expected to affect more than 400 threatened and endangered species and 7.5 million acres with “critical habitat” designations, according to a published paper from the Center for Biological Diversity. Public comments are being accepted until Monday, Sept. 21.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found 57% of Americans oppose Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on Canadian imports (20% approve), and 63% oppose Trump’s renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America.”

Meanwhile, PBS reported that Trump’s Canada tariffs “untested in court ... raise legal questions.”

Severe COVID reactivates other dormant viruses within the human body, according to a Boston Children’s Hospital study recently published in Nature. Those viruses can include Epstein-Barr, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex. The study stated that more than 10 million Americans have been stricken with “long COVID”; and, in the 2025-’26 respiratory season, up to 50,000 Americans died of the virus.

A University of Colorado study, also found in Nature, stated that COVID infections can awaken dormant cancer cells that are “sleeping” in the lungs.

However, the COVID vaccine can reduce the severity of a COVID inflammatory response, thereby reducing chances of lung cancers.

The FDA has approved new COVID vaccines, intended for people 65 and older, and for those with underlying conditions.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently clashed in public, with the Democratic governor alleging that Kennedy’s “actions and the rhetoric coming from this administration” have harmed Americans, including contributing to

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Contributor

two measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania — the first in 35 years. Both patients were unvaccinated.

California legislators have banned law enforcement officers from using electric shock gloves, The New York Times reported. ICE recently ordered the gloves in massive quantities.

Solar power stepped to the fore in Europe during the 2026 heat waves, Climate Action Now reported. Coal, gas and nuclear plants had to shut down due to shortages of water for cooling.

It was solar that powered fans, lights and refrigeration.

In the U.S., two community solar projects just opened on a former coal mine in Illinois, with the 40-acre project capable of providing enough energy for 1,650 households, according to Solar Powers Illinois.

PBS reported that Trump’s deal giving the U.S. access to Venezuela oil reserves will take years and billions of dollars, due to the country’s neglected oil infrastructure. That means no boost in production or declines in U.S. oil prices are expected anytime soon.

According to the Associated Press, Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections are having to “weigh how closely to align with Trump.”

Taking their cues from Trump, other GOP candidates are pushing for law enforcement at the polls, according to Democracy Docket, though federal law prohibits federal troops or armed agents at polling sites, with the exception of certain circumstances. However, Trump has refused to rule out sending troops to the polls in November.

Finally, the Center for American Progress published an analysis stating that the Trump administration “is interfering in the 2026 midterm elections,” and warned of the possibility that Trump could order the takeover or postponement of the election through emergency order, which could include banning mail ballots and voting machines.

From the “in jest” file: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that the United States of America will be renamed “South Canada” and become the nation’s 14th province.

Blast from the (good old days) past: Prior to the 1904 invention of the ice cream cone, where it debuted at the St. Louis World’s Fair, the cold delight was sold in a glass, which was to be licked clean and returned. The container might or might not be rinsed before being used to serve the next customer.

NEWS State election officials worry about mail-in ballot changes proposed by Trump Policies would require changes to absentee ballots two months before 2026 midterms

By Kyle Pfannenstiel Idaho Capital Sun Across the country, state election officials are waiting to discover if federal courts will allow the Trump administration’s restrictions on mail-in voting to take effect.

In Idaho, like many other states, election officials are nervous the changes might come too close to the 2026 midterm elections, which are less than two months away on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The changes — proposed in a new U.S. Postal Service rule that implements an executive order by President Donald Trump — would require federal review of the design of absentee ballots and impose new rules on the design of envelopes containing absentee ballots, among other things.

“In the moment, the biggest concern ... is just we’re so close to the election,” said Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane — the state’s top election official and an elected Republican — in an interview last week. “There’s the practical implications of getting absentee

ballots out.”

McGrane said he isn’t sure that Idaho or other states would be able to fully comply with the USPS rule if it takes effect before this year’s election. He said county clerks across Idaho, who run the state’s elections, are busy finalizing ballots to print and mail out absentee ballots to military and overseas voters by Sept. 19.

In Idaho’s largest county, Ada — which is home to Boise — election officials have told the state they needed to know about any changes to ballots by Sept. 9 in order to make changes before they print the ballots, said Trent Tripple, the Republican-elected county clerk for Ada County. He said he also worries about making big changes months before the election.

“If you want the most secure election possible, do not put artificial timelines and make us change things at the last second,” he said in an interview. “If you’re doing that, I guarantee you there will be mistakes that are made — because we don’t have the time. We can’t back up an election.”

And that’s all on top of other poten-

tial ballot changes facing Idaho election officials amid the Idaho Supreme Court’s weighing of the lawsuit by organizers of Proposition 1, an abortion legalization ballot initiative, that challenged state officials’ descriptions of the initiative.

Absentee ballot restrictions are the latest attempt at federal intervention in elections The Trump administration’s policies seek to regulate absentee voting, a type of voting that allows voters to vote early or by mail.

About 15% of Idaho voters use absentee voting primarily, ranging from seniors to people who use it for its ease of access, McGrane said. In Idaho’s primary election in May, more than 46,000 voters cast absentee ballots, according to the state’s tally. That was mostly Republicans, who made up nearly 32,000 of absentee voters, the state’s data shows.

In the last general election, in which winners were officially declared for public office, about 182,00 people voted by absentee ballot, according to state data from the 2024 election.

In Idaho, voters can request absentee ballots without needing to state a reason.

But state lawmakers in recent years have tried to change that through legislation.

The attempted restrictions on absentee voting are one of several recent attempts by the Trump administration to clamp down on state voting processes. In one high-profile instance, a state government attorney representing McGrane sent the U.S. Department of Justice a stern letter warning the federal government to “stop threatening your friends” after the agency said it could prosecute local and state election officials who let non-citizens vote in federal elections.

This spring, the Justice Department sued McGrane and dozens of other secretaries of state for not turning over sensitive information on their states’ registered voters, including partial Social Security data.

For now, the USPS rule is blocked by a federal court. But McGrane said his office is closely watching the legal developments.

McGrane said he was likely more prepared than most to brace for all the recent changes in elections. He said his career in elections started in Ada County just after the 2000 election, amid a contentious recount of the presidential election in Florida that brought concerns over partially hole-punched “hanging chads.”

“Some of the narratives are the exact same,” McGrane said. “Election security was a major concern back in the 2000s.”

What could the USPS rule change for Idaho?

Part of what the USPS rule would require is that absentee ballots all have trackable envelopes. McGrane said most counties already have tracking codes on envelopes of ballots that are headed to voters, but he said none have those trackers on the return to local election offices.

“We’re just trying to watch and trying to make sure too that we don’t have counties making massive changes that aren’t going to take effect, as well,” McGrane said. “There’s a cost component both in terms of time, but also dollars to the counties. That’s one of the things that we have to weigh through all this because we don’t want to be expending a huge amount of tax dollars for something that’s not taking place.”

Another change proposed in the USPS rule is to require that states upload data on which voters requested absentee ballots so the federal government can prove that they are registered voters.

At a federal court hearing late last week, a Justice Department attorney couldn’t tell a judge whether a system to handle that data was operational yet, the Associated Press reported.

Triple said Ada County, with a larger budget and staff than others, has more ability to handle changes than other smaller counties. He said the county was already planning to add the trackable codes to envelopes in the future, so the county already adopted that change for this election cycle.

But Triple, who serves as president of the Idaho Association of County Recorders and Clerks, said that many county officials are “not excited about having to change a bunch of stuff financially as well as time constraints for the upcoming November election.”

He stressed that changing ballots isn’t a simple task. That’s because a resident’s specific address determines which taxing, legislative and congressional districts they live and vote in.

“We have hundreds of variations of our ballots,” Triple said. “And so it’s not just changing one ballot and then printing 300,000 of them. It’s changing hundreds and hundreds of ballot styles and proofing all of those ballot styles to make sure we got them all right before we then can go out and print them.”

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.

September 10, 2026 / R / 7

‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’…

Bouquets: • I don’t give our columnists and regular contributors enough credit in these pages. While it’s a lot of work for Zach, Soncirey and me to put this paper together every week, we truly couldn’t fill these pages with just our words, nor would we want to subject our readers to only our strange views of the world. Our contributors, who submit their work free of charge, give the Reader flavor and variety, and we’re grateful to include them in our weekly effort.

Barbs: • More than a month ago, I wrote a Barb chiding city residents who criticised the parking changes — not because I agreed with paid parking being instituted in Sandpoint, but because I thought that people were complaining about something that was already done and passed. I believe I wrote something like, “Does anyone actually think the city of Sandpoint is going to pay all this money to install parking kiosks and then rip them out because a few people mouthed off on Facebook?”

Well, this week’s Barb is for me, because that’s exactly what the city did. They removed a bunch of kiosks from downtown and will apparently remove the rest after the tourist season transitions to the shoulder season. It turns out a sustained campaign of bitching, whining and moaning is the most effective way to create change in this city. Sigh.

• This isn’t a Barb, but rather an opportunity to plug the Sand Creek Regatta one more time.

The annual build-your-ownboat-and-hope-it-floats race starts at 11 a.m. at the Bridge Street bridge parking lot, but show up a bit earlier to watch the annual tourist sacrifice. It’s always a fun time at the Regatta. Come and watch the fun!

8 / R / September 10, 2026

Dear editor, The Music Conservatory wasn’t broken and did not need fixing.

After two years of attending a free singing class for elders taught

by Karin Wedemeyer at the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint (while under a diagnosis of spasmodic dysphonia), I recently sang soprano in two shows of “Carmina Burana” on the Panida stage. The healing power of music is real. What a thrill!

However, my excitement and joy were tainted and became bittersweet when, during our final rehearsals, we became aware that Karin and the conductor, Jan Pellant, were being replaced. How odd that the primary creator/coordinator of this massive event was absent.

Apparently, the MCS Board voted to put Karin on “leave” (fired?), strategically timed during summer music camp when many students and staff were absent.

A disagreement over the financial outcome of the Chris Botti concert has escalated into this unacceptable action.

Thank you, Karin, for your guidance in the musical Inland Northwest for 17 years!

Do the MCS Board and chair understand the creative genius that is the powerhouse of Karin Wedemeyer? Reverse your decision and let’s get on with the power of music to heal, excite, inspire and educate.

Kari Saccomanno Sandpoint

Where’s the proof that MCS founder should be removed?…

Dear editor, Thanks for offering an actual picture of the changes and division happening at our Music Conservatory of Sandpoint [News, “MCS founder calls ouster a ‘hostile takeover,’” Sept.

3, 2026]. By the sound of the Daily Bee article a few days prior, Karin Wedemeyer had amicably retired. I imagined her aiding extended family in Europe while performing soprano gigs in local theaters, but no — she is here in Sandpoint, excluded from her passion project.

Instead of presenting a “story,” the Daily Bee released their one-sided information like a free advertisement for the mutinous MCS Board.

In 2002, I volunteered at Camp Attitude (in Oregon) and was then hired to care for the quadriplegic founder/visionary Ron Heagy. It was shocking when he was ousted from the camp he founded for disabled children, but the board proved he no longer belonged. For years, Ron stole exorbitant quantities of money from the nonprofit for his own private pleasures.

Only if the board of MCS has proof Karin was embezzling nonprofit funds could her exclusion be justified (or even legal). Otherwise, Karin’s legacy is getting cursed by bad players.

Either way, if my kid was still at MCS, I’d try and transfer them to Suzuki String Academy or Bella Noté.

local politics for over 20 years, the biggest thing I’ve seen is the almost complete absence of “civic responsibility” from incumbents — especially at the federal level, but more so nowadays at the state level. Our “representatives” can’t find the time to listen. They’re too busy pushing their own agendas.

The party in power cuts taxes and then reduces services. Two hundred and 50 years ago, this precipitated big changes. It may be time to consider revisiting that solution.

A less drastic action would be to oust the incumbents. They have done nothing to improve things except their own power and wealth. This administration has done nothing it promised. Are costs down? Is gas under $3 per gallon? Do you have affordable health care? The Congress and Supreme Court have made themselves “yes men” for the administration.

Boise is no better. The supermajority GOP Legislature decided women can’t make their own health decisions. Nor do they need Medicaid. My recommendation is that every voter looks closely at every incumbent and says, “What have you done for me lately?” It’s time for major changes. Your vote matters.

Gil Beyer Sandpoint

Shame on Trump for tariff pains…

Dear editor, After watching national and

Dear editor, Whoever reads this letter please see that it is delivered to President Donald Trump.

I am an 85-year-old woman residing in North Idaho who placed an order with a yarn store for sock yarn in Brooklyn, N.Y., and was informed that they were out of stock but I could find it at a referred yarn store website. The referral took my order, I was charged and paid $81.20, including shipping cost.

Yesterday, I returned home to a UPS sticker on my door: “COD payment due of $38.45.” Upon researching, I found that the yarn store I had ordered from was in Toronto, Ontario, in Canada. I was paying a 50% tariff!

My first reaction was anger, and I would just refuse the delivery — but that would only hurt a little yarn store business in Canada; therefore, I paid the tariff for my yarn.

“You have a Biden administration that is failing the American people because they are allowing millions of people to come into this country illegally.”

— Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin at a press conference held Aug. 31, 2026 (Over 18 months since Biden was in office).

Ellen Weissman Sandpoint

‘We’re making this too complicated’...

Dear editor, I wonder if we’ve forgotten how incredibly small we are.

We spend so much time fighting over borders, politics, religion, race and who belongs where. We label people “illegals.” We ban people. We bomb people. We divide ourselves into “us and them,” convinced that our side, country, beliefs or way of life somehow matters more.

But step back far enough and those borders disappear. We are billions of tiny beings living for a remarkably short time on a speck of dust in a universe so vast we can barely comprehend it. None of the lines we fight over can be seen from space. We drew them. Maybe knowing that should make us a

By BO

little more humble.

What if, instead of spending so much of our brief time fearing, judging and fighting one another, we concentrated on taking care of each other? Make sure people have food.

Clean water. A safe place to sleep.

Medicine, education, opportunity. A little dignity and kindness.

We don’t have to agree about everything. Never will. But surely we can agree that while we’re lucky enough to be here, we could spend less time deciding who deserves our compassion — and more time giving it.

Jodi Rawson Sandpoint

‘Your vote matters’…

Your tariff is a tax on Americans, Mr. Trump. Shame, shame, shame on you! Do you understand how many people you hurt with your actions?

Sincerely, Phyllis Zaklan Goodwin Dover

‘Sock it to ‘em’…

Dear editor, The Sept. 6 Daily Bee carried a letter from Sandpoint’s Jack Green, which, if you’re reading this Mr. Green, needs to be submitted to the Reader. Your letter advised that “ultra-right-wing extremists” Russ Fulcher, Scott Herndon and their ilk, are owed a political campaign of gut punches for their ongoing sabotage against this county and country. And, you might phone Idaho House candidate Steve Johnson or key campaign volunteer George Eskridge (former- Idaho District 1 senator and Dover mayor), and pass along your bold attitude and advice on how Steve needs to deal with the the Sagle Spook — the bona fide bad guy he’s running against in the current campaign for Idaho Senate.

You opine that “these people are theocratic libertarian fascists” who have “already forced their extreme evangelical Christian fundamentalism down our throats.” In doing so they have, of course, broadcast their lack of education; familiarity with American and world history; and their disdain for Idaho, America and fellow Americans.

As they used to say on the classic TV series Laugh In, candidate Johnson needs to “sock it to ’em.”

Tim Henney Sandpoint

Special thanks from the Oden Busy Bees…

Dear editor, The Oden Busy Bees wish to express our appreciation and thank you to all who generously participated and donated to our benefit auction for the Oden Community Hall restoration project. The Hall will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2029! Thanks everyone!

Nancy Fontaine Sandpoint Got something to say? Write a letter to the editor. We accept letters up to 200 words in length that are free from libelous statements and excessive profanity. Please elevate the conversation: letters@sandpointreader.com

PERSPECTIVES

Emily Articulated Reflections of fall

By Emily Erickson Reader Columnist

And just like that, it feels like fall. It’s not the temperature, exactly. Nor is it the reddening leaves or the turning of a calendar page.

It’s the way the sun seems to linger, hanging on like it knows it’s almost time to leave. It clings to the grass, golden stalks sparkling as they sway in the winds of change. It settles onto horizon lines, hanging generously — still generously — in the sky, as if to say, “I won’t always be here, so be sure to feel me.”

But the chill is nearing, too. Just as the sun clings to the end of summer, crisp air and darkness begin their descent, ready with questions we’re too busy to ask ourselves: “Are you ready to slow down yet?” and, “Do you remember the romance of me, too?”

The chill whispers memories of candles and stove flames bouncing their light and warmth around a darkened room; of blankets stacked on top of one another; of early, restful nights; and skies bursting with white and yellow stars.

It’s not ready to be here yet, either, but it knows its wait is waning.

These are the tensions of fall: one season not quite ready to leave while another prepares itself to arrive.

I am susceptible to following the seasons’ cues, welcoming newness and change along with fall. The changing season also happens to coin-

Emily Erickson. cide with my birthday (which is a real double whammy for someone predisposed to introspection at baseline).

Every year, I’m prone to daydreams of throwing out all my clothes or shaving my head, or staring into the existential void and contemplating all the things I’ll eventually run out of time to know. I’m also prone to interpreting relatively normal things as deeply meaningful.

Like my bike ride yesterday. I sat with my feet cinched to the pedals of a spin bike at the YMCA, sweat dripping onto a plastic mat below me, while the instructor spoke through my headphones, her face filling my phone screen. She said the intention she was bringing to the class was a reminder to focus — to put our attention into the things that move us forward, toward the kind of life we want to have and the people we want to be. (Yes, a slightly ironic message for someone literally spinning in place.)

Still, it clunked into place, reaching me in the particular way messages sometimes can when you have nowhere else

to go. She made eye contact with the camera, but also, somehow, with everyone who needed to hear it. Me. She went on to make a distinction between energy and effort. Energy, she said, is what we focus on. Effort is what we put behind it. This made sense to me. A lot of us put a lot of effort into things without first distinguishing where it’s going.

We exhaust ourselves with schedules we don’t remember choosing, commitments we should have let go of or relationships we’ve outgrown — a perpetual peddling in circles that leaves us just as tired, if not more so, than we would be if we had paused long enough to make sure we were pointed where we actually wanted to go.

This idea of being more deliberate about where I direct my energy and effort is what I want to carry with me as I welcome fall.

I love a new season the way I love mornings: for the prospect of all that lies ahead. First, there is coffee, but then there is endless potential — a seeking of self, connection, beauty, growth.

Today, in this season, maybe I’m the kind of person who takes her supplements on time, who has a daily writing practice, who switches to tea before caffeine gives her the jitters.

I’m the kind of person who strength trains and drinks enough water, who makes time for art and for walking slowly through the woods.

I’m a patient person, a kind person, an inspired person.

This season, maybe I’ll

also be the kind of person who revels in the extra darkness as more time to cling to the moments after I wake up, tucked between two snoring dogs and my partner, their warmth emanating, their breathing rhythmic. I want to smell woodsmoke and hear a fire crackling, to listen to rain on the windowpane and know it’s going to be a good day.

This season, this me,

and that life is where I’ll be pointing my energy, and what I’ll be putting my effort into creating. (Well, at least until the sun sets at 4:30 p.m. and all I can do is survive.)

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

September 10, 2026 / R / 9

Mad about Science:

Brought to you by:

armaments of the roman legions

By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist

Rome was one of the most feared empires of the ancient world. To this day, it is still held up as the premier example of conquest and control by showcasing an elite military structure that helped it span most of Europe, northern Africa and even parts of mainland Asia. This was an impressive feat at a time when the primary mode of transportation was just feet.

What was it about the Roman armies that made them so effective at war?

Discipline is touted as one of the primary reasons for Roman military domination, but this only tells part of the story. Roman technology and a deep understanding of human biomechanics played a major role in legionaries’ domination of the battlefield.

Much of the Bronze and early Iron ages were dominated by hoplite tactics.

Units were usually lightly armored for mobility but given round shields to overlap with surrounding units like scales while allowing long pikes to stick out between the gaps. Formations would move like large hedgehogs and push against other formations, where generally the stronger force would exhaust the weaker on the battlefield and cause a rout or leverage enough pressure to break a formation and allow an exploit for cavalry or missile units to claim an advantage.

The shield wall is eponymous with most medieval and fantasy media to this day. If a battle is commenc-

10 / R / September 10, 2026

ing, someone shouts, “Shield wall!” Then everyone layers their shields, and some hero inevitably flies over it while dual-wielding swords. The shield wall was actually an evolution of the Bronze Age phalanx, which essentially converted an infantry unit into a walking tank. This is an effective tactic for defending against missile fire and allowing a unit to creep its way toward other infantry with the intention of getting in close and stabbing opponents with long spears.

At some point, Roman generals realized the entirety of the Bronze Age world was doing this and suspected there was a way to exploit it.

This prompted the development of the “scutum.”

While most shields were round, the scutum was a curved, rectangular tower designed to partially wrap around a soldier’s body. At first glance, it protects a taller area than a round shield, while its rectangular design allows it to more easily interlock with surrounding shields.

This design changed the way Roman formations moved.

While a Greek phalanx was likely to form a halfdome of shields, a Roman formation could form something shaped more like a tank or column, which required less precision by the soldiers to defend their buddies.

The design of the scutum went beyond offering more protection. It was specifically designed as a counter to long pikes. Round shields left legs vulnerable, while a scutum could press the tip of a pike into the ground and open a gap that soldiers could

exploit. While an opponent’s weapon was pinned to the ground by a legionary’s shield, their hands were occupied and their whole torso was in the open to get stabbed by Roman soldiers.

The scutum was only part of the tactical equation.

The design of the galea, the Roman helmet, utilized intelligent biomechanical design to leverage the full strength of the scutum in a conflict.

The galea was designed with a unique metal brim along the brow of the helmet. This wasn’t an aesthetic decision, but a tactical one. When facing a charge, a soldier could press the base of the scutum into the ground and lower the brim of the helmet into the top of the shield, which created an interlocking angle.

This design helped disperse the energy of an impact into the ground through both the shield and the body of the soldier behind it. The clever use of physics made it nearly impossible for conventional infantry to break a Roman formation and allowed massed troops to capitalize on the moment of weakness after an enemy charge.

Closing distance was the Roman army’s bread and butter. Bronze Age conflicts were often decided by which side had greater protection and greater reach. Protection was completely undone if a side could negate that reach, which is exactly what was achieved with the scutum.

Spears gave way to the gladius — a short sword designed for stabbing that could be easily manipulated between gaps left by round shields.

The Romans understood

the nature of a lever. Pikes and spears are effectively pointed levers — this means that force applied to the farthest end of the lever (the tip) will be magnified down the length of the lever back to the fulcrum, which are the wielder’s hands. The tip of a spear could be effortlessly batted away with the scutum, at which point the wielder would be unable to right the point to attack their

target. During a close-range charge, this would leave the spear-armed soldier without adequate time to drop their weapon and draw a sidearm like a sword or axe.

These exploits were the backbone of the Roman army. Once paired with advanced cavalry tactics and missile weapons, the army itself became a terrifying force on the ancient battlefield.

Stay curious, 7B.

Random Corner Don’t know much about chili

con carne?

We can help!

• The origins of chili con carne are as murky as the dish. Writings from 1529 outline chili pepper-seasoned stews being eaten in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City) and the use of beef began when the Spanish introduced cattle to Mexico. Another tale involves the “Lady in Blue,” Sister María de Ágreda of Spain, who, according to legend, taught a group of Jumano natives in 1629 (in what is now Texas) the recipe for a fiery red stew that eventually came to be known as chili con carne.

• By the 1800s, the dish was widely consumed, especially in the Southwest where it was a favorite among cowboys, ruffians, outlaws and adventurers on the Western frontier.

Bricks of dried beef, fat, spices and peppers were placed in saddlebags and reconstituted over a campfire.

• Many Americans tried chili for the first time at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, where the dish was given a prominent introduction.

• Chili con carne’s popularity

increased after the Civil War, with chili parlors popping up across the country. Most claimed to have their own unique take on the dish.

• Regional variations led to three distinct styles of chili: “Texas red” is a no-frills version of the dish with just meat, spices and as many chilis as you can stand; Springfield-style “chilli” includes suet, or hard fat, and is milder, cumin-heavy and often includes beans; while Cincinnati “five-way” chili is closer to an Italian bolognese than a Texas red, featuring Mediterranean spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves and cocoa while being served over spaghetti with chopped raw onions, red beans and cheese on top.

• The most divisive ingredient in chili con carne is beans. While the legumes were likely not part of the original dish, beans have been generally accepted as an authentic ingredient. However, some groups — such as the Chili Appreciation Society International — forbid competitors to use beans in their dishes.

PERSPECTIVES

dumb of the week

Can a church really funnel dark money By Ben Olson Reader Staff into the campaign against Prop. 1?

By Jim Jones Reader Contributor Dark money has become the root of evil in political campaigns across the country. National interest groups seem to be lurking everywhere, seeing where they can weigh in, either in favor of or against a candidate or ballot measure, without disclosing their identity. Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador may now be inviting dark money interests into the campaign against Idaho’s Proposition 1, the measure to repeal Idaho’s total abortion ban.

Labrador has just issued an official opinion concluding that a “nonbusiness entity church” that spends more than $1,000 to oppose Prop.

1 does not have to disclose the identity of its donors “as an exercise of that church’s religious beliefs.”

That is, the church is exempt from the Sunshine Law’s reporting requirements because of some religious objection to abortion.

The opinion does not provide any criteria for determining how central abortion is to the church’s religious beliefs or even how to categorize Prop. 1 as a religious rather than secular issue. The opinion would allow out-ofstate interest groups to funnel tons of money through those churches into the campaign against Prop. 1, without voters learning of their identity.

The AG’s opinion runs counter to guidance provided last October by Idaho’s respected secretary of state, Phil McGrane. There is no legitimate reason to provide a religious exemption from the clear-cut reporting requirement of the Sunshine Law because of a church’s position on what is basically a secular matter: voting on a ballot measure regarding women’s health care.

If such an abortion ban is, in fact, primarily a matter of religious beliefs, it is curious

that the state can impose it on the entire population.

The opinion is highly suspect, not only because it second-guesses Idaho’s top election expert, but because it is a sharp break from Labrador’s routine practice of refusing to comply with his statutory duty to provide written opinions to government officials. He has written only seven opinions in four years — three of which have involved abortion, his signature political issue.

His well-publicized opposition to Prop. 1 once again raises the specter of conflict of interest. Writing an opinion that could result in dark money from out of state being funneled into the campaign against Prop. 1 by an entity calling itself a “church” certainly smacks of a conflicting interest. Labrador has been closely aligned with wellheeled Christian nationalist groups like the Alliance Defending Freedom, which has strongly opposed practically any form of abortion.

Labrador’s opinion hinges on Idaho’s Free Exercise of Religion Protected Act, which is intended to protect a person’s free exercise of religion.

That right may not be “substantially” burdened unless the burden is “essential to further a compelling governmental interest” and is the least restrictive means for doing so. His claim that the reporting requirement for anti-abortion churches violates this Act is dead wrong.

The Sunshine Law requires all recipients of political donations to disclose the identity of their donors so as to prevent dark money contributors from corrupting Idaho elections.

The reporting requirement applies to all entities that use donor money to influence the vote on political candidates or ballot measures. The requirement is neutral and universally applicable. It does not target religious groups. It does not substantially burden churches that choose to funnel money

to political causes.

It is the least restrictive means for identifying who is trying to influence elections.

Labrador’s opinion would subvert the very purpose of the Sunshine Act. If an out-ofstate interest group wanted to influence elections in Idaho, but wished for any reason to hide their identity, they could either funnel their dark money contributions through an existing church or set up their own to do the job. That would frustrate Idaho’s longstanding policy of shining light upon political contributions and expenditures.

The framers of the Idaho Constitution were cognizant of the danger of intermingling church and state. They sought to separate the two in Article I, Section 4. That section guarantees the “exercise and enjoyment of religious faith” but prohibits any preference being “given by law to any religious denomination or mode of worship.”

Labrador failed to consider whether his opinion grants a prohibited preference to some churches by excusing them from the Sunshine Law’s reporting requirement.

The timing of Labrador’s opinion is also suspect.

Secretary of State McGrane released his guidance on Oct. 16, 2025. Labrador released his contrary opinion 10 months later, just as the election is heating up.

We are now faced with the prospect of having a dark money group anonymously dump a ton of money into the coffers of some sort of church and use it to publicly hammer the Prop. 1 initiative. I’d urge McGrane to stick with his guidance.

Jim Jones is a Vietnam combat veteran who served eight years as Idaho attorney general (19831991) and 12 years as justice of the Idaho Supreme Court (20052017). He also publishes at substack.com/@jjcommontater.

The drumbeat of Dumb continues to pound in this Foul Year of Our Lord 2026, but there still remains a large portion of our population that is either tone deaf or refuses to listen to the music playing over the end credits of our representative democracy.

President Donald Trump — an 80-year-old man — engaged in an AI-fueled, 37-post spree on social media that was unhinged even by his standards. Here’s a brief breakdown of what Trump posted for four hours: • 11:54 a.m.: AI image of Robert De Niro holding a “Trump is my president” shirt.

• 1:47 p.m.: AI image of Trump and George Washington riding horses together.

• 1:47 p.m.: AI image of Trump renaming Lake Ontario.

• 1:49 p.m.: Trump suggests renaming New Mexico to “New America.”

• 1:49 p.m.: Image of Trump working at McDonald’s.

• 1:56 p.m.: Trump posts a photo of the moon, writing, “The Moon is Ours.”

• 1:57 p.m.: AI image of Trump’s face on Iran.

• 1:57 p.m.: Trump brags about White House helipad.

• 2:40 p.m.: AI image of the Titanic sinking labeled “Dumocratic Party.”

• 2:40 p.m.: AI image of Trump as Hulk Hogan.

• 2:41 p.m.: Trump says he’ll be remembered as the “greatest president of all time.”

• 2:41 p.m.: Trump posts creepy AI image of himself walking with robots captioned, “THEY WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN.” • 2:43 p.m.: Claims Democrats have changed the names of things, so it’s OK for him to rename Lake Ontario.

• 2:47 p.m.: Claims other countries are “cheating.”

• 2:48 p.m.: Claims the Strait of Hormuz is open (it isn’t).

• 2:56 p.m.: Posts AI image

of the U.S. blowing up Kharg Island.

• 3:04 p.m.: Another AI image of Trump with military robots.

• 3:06 p.m.: Photo of Trump at the ballroom construction site.

• 3:17 p.m.: AI image of Trump trading stocks as he writes, “I do this for our Country, not myself. I’ve made Hundreds of Billions of Dollars on Stocks, and many other type Holdings, for the U.S.A., not myself, and all I do is get criticized by the Radical Left Dumocrats.”

• 3:26 p.m.: AI image of Trump as a Space Force member dropping bombs on countries.

• 3:28 p.m.: Says Iran is a “failing nation.”

• 3:43 p.m.: Posts photo of himself in a trash truck.

• 3:43 p.m.: Writes that Mar-a-Lago is the best club in the world.

On Sept. 2, Trump used a White House press conference to sow more election doubt, this time speaking of Alaska: “They have ranked-choice, which is a crooked form of voting,” Trump said. “It’s totally dishonest. They throw everybody into a hat and somebody backstage that nobody knows picks a winner. It’s ridiculous.”

Nope, that’s not how any of this works.

This is as good of a time as any to remind everyone that we weren’t always like this. We once had presidents who didn’t unload their ego on us multiple times a day, burying us in bullshit and trying to convince us it was chocolate pudding.

It’s getting harder and harder to believe this man is actually our president and not a soft-brained fool shouting out of his assisted care facility window at squirrels.

Seriously, how can even his supporters read this claptrap and think, “Yup, that’s my guy. I’ll ride or die with him.”

Just when we think we’ve gone as low as possible, he always finds the next level down and starts digging.

September 10, 2026 / R / 11

PERSPECTIVES

Almost at the tipping point

By K.L. Huntley Reader Contributor My much-loved sister and I grew up sharing everything from clothes to friends and faith philosophies. What we did not share in our adult lives was our political views. She stoically stood by one news source, whereas I would avoid that one, looking for other viewpoints with what I considered more substantiated facts.

We separated geographically; however, like most siblings, we talked on the phone frequently and occasionally discussed politics from our different viewpoints. Loud voices were verboten, even if the topic took us to opposite viewpoints and both undoubtedly rolled our eyes.

One was her ideas about global warming. Believe it or not, the theory of the atmosphere trapping heat was first theorized by a French physicist, Joseph Fourier, in 1824. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be until the 1970s that the term “greenhouse effect” became widely known and that it had the potential to change Earth’s climate. My sis would accurately but curtly tell me that Earth’s climate has always been changing. That was true, but she didn’t live long enough to see it accelerate to its current point.

This year we have witnessed unprecedented fires in Spain, France and the United States, and a melting glacier on the Tibet-China border.

That area is referred to as the Tibetan Plateau and is often called the “Third Pole,” which is warming at roughly twice the global average rate. The results of that heating we witnessed last week as a glacier melted and roared down the mountain, taking with it an estimated 6,000 souls.

Severe heatwaves this summer resulted in approximately 14,000 heat-related deaths in Germany, more than 7,300 in France and nearly 3,000 in Belgium. The United Kingdom’s estimates place their heat-related death toll somewhere at 2,800 humans.

Unprecedented floods have roared

12 / R / September 10, 2026

across the globe this year. The World Visualized website posted information on flooding in Zimbabwe, Kenya, India, Brazil and Bangladesh. They reported death tolls ranging from dozens to more than 100 in each of the major events included. Many more than that have been lost in the past two years, not to mention the cost of property damage.

I’m not going to get the big, “I told you so!” with my sis. I do know that this year’s wild, chaotic weather would have undoubtedly changed her mind.

We just don’t get tornadoes in New York — but then we did. Some individuals still don’t fully realize that all the stuff that we use daily is actually contributing to the weather chaos.

Now, it is easy to point out the problems and the scientific facts that, globally, we are almost at the tipping point. Yet, there is something — to be honest, multiple “somethings” — that we all can do to slow this down. China, in the past two years, has dropped its carbon dioxide emissions. We can do the same.

It is almost too simple, but if each one of us made a few changes as a whole — regardless of our politics — we could make a huge impact by mitigating our use of fossil fuels, including petroleum and petroleum products.

A few suggestions that together make a huge impact: One is simply to consolidate your trips to town or whichever destination you have in a vehicle. Carpool. We don’t need the big pick-me-ups chugging fuel with one passenger and another behind it heading to the same destination.

Personally, I like to go organic; however, it wasn’t long before I realized my organic products were also coming in a plastic (petroleum product) container. I switched to bar soap, along with a few other products.

Do we need plastic plates when paper would do?

My biggest peeve with my sis was her use of plastic water bottles. At that point, she was a desert dweller and purchasing water in plastic bottles by

the case. That was a giant, huge step from drinking out of our backyard hose when we weren’t allowed in the house as kids. I bought her a plastic (yes) water filter along with a box of refills, only to discover that she never used it. But folks, you have been sold a bill of goods. The plastic bottle producers reached an estimated total revenue between $323 billion and $451 billion in 2025, with the clear plastic ones accounting for roughly 80% to 85% of that market share. That is not counting your soda pops.

People don’t like their tap water for a list of reasons, and legitimate ones. I don’t blame them, but there are a wide variety of ways to filter your water.

Look into the handful of options. You may save a bundle and contribute to healing our environment, or at least not being part of the major contributors.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to see the flat of water bottles being delivered to firefighters and the millions of victims of disaster. I am a realist, but the kids down the block can get a personalized water bottle and refill it. We currently have plastic islands floating in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and each year volunteers undertake a clean-up of our own Lake Pend Oreille during which tons of garbage are removed. True, it isn’t all plastic, but a great deal has been associated with one petroleum product or another.

Baby steps, people, look around your environments and think: What can you do to mitigate global warming? Canned cat food or cute plastic containers that will take 1,000 years in a landfill to break down? I am not a purist; I can’t afford to be, and I love the plastic Tuffy I use to scrub a few pans. I’m just saying we are all in this together, and together we can mitigate the problem.

I frequently wonder what my sis would be thinking about now as she sipped water from her plastic bottle.

Would she finally admit that global warming is a real thing?

Meanwhile, the evening news recently announced that the World Meteorological Organization has alerted us that the El Niño for the upcoming months is stronger than ever recorded. The oceans are warmer. For us, that may mean another mild winter and more drought next year. Not a happy thought.

K.L. Huntley is a novelist and former teacher living in Hope.

PERSPECTIVES

“For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” — Matthew 25:29 Like countless other children, my friends and I spent many afternoons in our youth playing board games like Monopoly. Personally, I was always a bit more fond of Risk (a game that was a bit more forthright about its ambitions for world domination); nevertheless, Monopoly was always one of my favorites.

Looking back, the early stages of the game were always the most fun: properties could still be purchased, rent was manageable and no one yet knew which player would emerge as the game’s next real estate baron.

For a brief moment, it felt like the American Dream — like everyone had a “chance.” A few laps around the board, however, and it became clear that things were beginning to change.

The phenomenon known as the Matthew Effect, named after the preceding biblical passage from the book of Matthew, was beginning to rear its ugly head. The player who acquired the first few valuable properties gained an advantage, and that advantage began to compound. Before long, success was no longer just about the roll of the dice; it was about owning the spaces on which everyone else was forced to land. Ultimately, a feedback loop was established, and it essentially became a mathematical certainty who would win the game and who would be left wanting to flip the board over with righteous indignation.

Of course, as young lads, we didn’t realize any of this. Rather, if one of us was winning, we’d arrogantly rub it into the other players: “We make our own destiny!” Conversely, if we lost, we’d lament, “This game is all luck!”

But this isn’t just about our tendency to look for internal causes for our wins and external causes for our losses. This is about the process of

cumulative advantage.

Comparatively, I am one of the lucky ones. I own a home; and, because I own a home, I have been able to build equity. Though I’d like to believe that my sterling qualities alone account for this, I must face reality: I was lucky enough to buy a home in 2016, when homes were much more affordable. Were I attempting to buy the same house today, I would not have the means to do so. Rather than simply telling the youth to “bootstrap” like I did, I prefer to be honest about my fortuitous circumstances. People who cannot afford to buy homes already have enough contempt for us homeowners; the last thing they want to hear from us is, “You have only yourselves to blame.”

The emphasis on personal responsibility is certainly an important component of the success of individuals and societies. However, what is often omitted, particularly by members of the Christian right (who don’t always share Jesus’ love for the poor), is collective responsibility. Leaving people to the mercy of the marketplace when it comes to things like housing and health care isn’t working out too well for many Americans. How much we choose to simply blame people as individuals, and how much we are willing to look at the systems and institutions that play a role in fostering inequality, depends greatly on how willing we are to break free from tribal dogma about capitalism and socialism and critically examine these complex economic issues.

The more we allow wealth to accumulate in the hands of a smaller and smaller number of individuals and corporations, the more we risk creating a society where our labor exists primarily to generate passive income for those who already have substantial wealth.

For decades, we have been told that wealth will “trickle down” as we continue to enact tax cuts for the wealthy. Yet, coupled with deregulation and other policy changes, these

tax cuts have only served to increase the concentration of wealth. That concentration, in turn, reinforces the very mechanism at the heart of the Matthew Effect: The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Reactionaries, particularly the market fundamentalists who wax nostalgic about the glory days of America, often hesitate to mention that during what is commonly called the Golden Age of Capitalism — from the 1940s through the 1970s — the top marginal tax rate was much higher than it is today.

From 1954 to 1963, it stood at 91%.

The era was also marked by strong labor unions, rising wages, substantial public investment and a distribution of wealth that would make heads explode on Fox News. No wonder the Baby Boomers love capitalism so much: The capitalism they grew up with was laced with just the right amount of “socialism” — at least, what they would later come to call socialism.

The solution to the economic problems we face involves a more nuanced, less binary examination of capitalism and socialism. Those who love and benefit from capitalism the most should be the ones advocating for at least some degree of regulatory intervention, because history has shown — from the French to the Bolshevik revolutions — that in politics for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, much like Newton’s Third Law of Motion.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt understood this. He recognized that if capitalism was going to survive, it had to work for all people, not just a select few. The New Deal was not a communist plot to abolish capitalism; it was an attempt to save capitalism from itself, to curb its excesses and address the conditions that threatened to undermine it. To avoid an American version of the Russian Revolution, the New Deal sought to preserve capitalism by regulating it.

For the past few decades, however, we have been moving in the opposite

direction, and the results are being witnessed every day. The carrot-andstick promise of trickle-down economics is being exposed for what it is: a ruse, nothing more.

We need to stop merely blaming the youth for having a more favorable view of socialism and start asking about the material conditions that have led them to such a view in the first place.

The game of Monopoly was based on a board game called The Landlord’s Game, which was invented more than 100 years ago by activist Elizabeth Magie. Her goal, rather than creating a playbook for real estate moguls, was to demonstrate how the accumulation of property creates a cycle of increasing advantage for those who own it and increasing dependence for those who do not.

Like Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, Magie’s game reflected a deep understanding of how systems can shape the lives and behavior of the people living within them. Regrettably, it could be argued that neither Magie nor Orwell fully achieved their goal of enlightening the populace. People read Orwell, play Monopoly and recognize the systems being described to them.

Then they get back to their daily lives as though it’s all just make-believe.

There’s the rub. We can be exposed to great insight, hear the warning, read the words, and receive the message, and still fail to act on it. Perhaps we have been too deeply indoctrinated by those in power, too convinced that government is the problem and, ergo, cannot be part of the solution, and too invested in the comforting myth of meritocracy to recognize the change that needs to occur.

Tim Bearly is a writer and musician from Sandpoint who draws inspiration from George Orwell’s words, “I write because there is some lie that I want to expose.”

September 10, 2026 / R / 13

PERSPECTIVES

9/11: 25 years later

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

into the south face of the South Tower between floors 77 and 85.

Of all the numbers that mean something to the United States, perhaps 9/11 is the one that leaves us with the bitterest taste in our mouths.

Our nation commemorates 25 years since the deadly terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 that not only changed our nation, but the entire world.

Here’s a look back at that historical event by the numbers — both from the day of the attack as well as from the years after — as we continue to grapple with this dark period in our nation’s history. Many of these figures are estimates.

9:37 a.m.

American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the western side of the Pentagon, killing all 58 passengers and crew on board, as well as 125 people on the ground.

8:46 a.m.

American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into the north face of the North Tower of the World Trade Center between floors 93 and 99. The 767 was loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel.

9:03 a.m.

United Airlines Flight 175 crashes

10:03 a.m.

United Airlines Flight 93 crashes in Somerset County, Penn., after passengers on board revolted against the hijackers and took back the plane.

2,977 The total number of victims who perished in the Sept. 11 attacks. Most were civilians except for 344 members of the NYFD and New York Fire Patrol; 71 law enforcement officers; 55 military personnel who died at the Pentagon; one U.S. Fish and Wildlife officer who died when Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania and the 19 terrorists who died on board the four different aircraft used in the attack.

Up to 50,000 The number of people employed in the Twin Towers on any given workday, with another 40,000 passing through the complex.

1 hour, 42 minutes The span of time that elapsed between the first collision and the collapse of the North Tower. It took approximately 12 seconds for the tower to fall.

56 minutes The span of time that elapsed between the second collision and the collapse of the South Tower. It also took approximately 12 seconds to fall.

18 The number of people rescued alive from the rubble of the WTC attacks.

36,000 The estimated units of blood donated to the New York Blood Center in the aftermath of the attacks. Of those donated, only 258 units of blood were actually needed.

20% The percentage of Americans who knew someone hurt or killed in the attacks.

14 / R / September 10, 2026

A look at one of America’s most trying days, by the numbers

99 The number of days that fires continued to burn after the attacks in New York City.

150 The number of songs Clear Channel Radio considered “inappropriate” to play after Sept. 11.

1.8 million tons The amount of wreckage cleaned up from the WTC site, which took about nine months and 3.1 million hours of labor. The estimated cost of the debris cleanup was $1.7 billion.

More than $1.4 billion was donated to 9/11 charities after the attacks.

422,000 The estimated number of New Yorkers who suffered — and still suffer from — post-traumatic-stress disorder as a result of Sept. 11.

$40.2 billion Estimated amount of insurance paid worldwide related to Sept. 11. $7.5 billion Estimated amount of money needed to overhaul lower-Manhattan subways after the attacks.

146,100 The number of jobs lost in New York owing to the attacks. $105 billion Economic loss to New York in the month following the attacks.

6 The days the New York Stock Exchange was closed after the attacks.

The day it opened again, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 684.81 points.

26 The number of days after Sept. 11 that the U.S. began bombing Afghanistan.

7,053 The number of U.S. military service members killed during the “War on Terror.” This includes Operation Enduring Freedom (the U.S.-led offensive in Afghanistan, which lasted from Oct. 7, 2001-Dec. 31, 2014) and the Iraq War (which lasted from 2003-2011) among other related operations. The U.S. conducted more than 91,340 airstrikes during the “War on Terror.” More than 38 million people were displaced worldwide as a result of the conflicts.

50% The percentage increase in CIA applications from 2001 to 2002.

12,962 The total number of civil rights complaints reported to the Council on American-Islamic Relations nationwide from 2002-2008.

2006 The year when video footage of the Pentagon attack was publicly released. $500,000 The estimated amount of money the terrorist group al-Qaida spent to destroy the World Trade Center and cripple the Pentagon. $3.3 trillion The estimated total amount of money the U.S. spent as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks, which includes physical damage and loss of life, economic impact, homeland security costs, war and future war funding, and future veterans’ care. The costs do not include prices on certain commodities such as oil, which may have increased due to the attacks.

50,000+ The number of first responders and survivors of the attacks who have cancer linked to Sept. 11.

2019 The year the U.S. Senate passed a bill ensuring that a fund to compensate victims of the Sept. 11 attacks never runs out of money, and that first responders won’t have to return to Congress to request more funding. The bill passed 97-2, with only Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) voting against it.

Sources used include the Miller Center, the U.S. National Archives, the FBI, Wikipedia and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

Some sources differ on exact numbers.

COMMUNITY Explore Boundary County’s artistic side the source,” organizers stated. “Bring your curiosity, your questions If you’ve ever and your appreciation wondered where artists for the art that’s creescape to when craftated right here, suring their masterpieces, rounded by the beauty or what their creative of North Idaho.” processes are like, This will be the third then clear your calenannual tour since Handar on Saturday, Sept. nah Sucsy of Teascarlet 12 and Sunday, Sept.

Fine Art and Tamara 13 for the Boundary Wagner of Wood Thief County Artist Studio Art launched the event.

Tour.

The studios housing Running from 9 Original artwork by Diana Stover Sucsy’s acrylic painta.m. to 5 p.m. each ings and Wagner’s 3-D day, the free self-guidwood art are among the eight stops, ed tour takes attendees to eight busiwhich also feature fiber arts, oil paintnesses and home studios across the ings, pastels, watercolors, drawings, county. photography and textiles. “​This isn’t a craft fair. It’s a To view the interactive map and chance to witness the heart of the learn more about individual artists, artistic process, ask questions and visit bit.ly/BoundaryTour. collect original work directly from

By Reader Staff

Sandpoint Teen Center hosts open house

By Reader Staff In honor of its new location at 1333 Superior St., the Sandpoint Teen Center will welcome the public to an open house on Wednesday, Sept. 16 from 3-6 p.m. The free event will include live music, food and community booths.

“This event is designed to introduce the community, teens and parents to our new location and let them learn even more about what programs, resources and activities the Teen Center provides,” stated organizers.

The nationally touring band Oak Street Connection — a genre-bending duo that often leans into psychedelic rock — will perform alongside the free barbecue. Attendees can also participate in lawn games and raffles throughout the evening while learning about local nonprofits.

Text the Teen Center activities phone at 208-603-0802 or email sandpointyouthcenter@gmail.com with any questions. Learn more at sandpointteencenter.com.

Angels Over Sandpoint opens applications for community grants

By Reader Staff The nonprofit Angels Over Sandpoint is accepting applications for its community grants from now until Friday, Sept. 18, awarding up to $2,500 each to local charitable and educational organizations. Applications must be sent to contactus@ angelsoversandpoint.org or mailed to P.O. Box 2369 in Sandpoint by Sept.

18 in order to qualify.

“The Angels realized they were not able to reach out for the many aspects of need in the community and that there were other organizations that did many things better than they did,” stated organizers. “To assist these

organizations, the Community Grants program was created.”

Eligible applicants include tax-exempt organizations, government entities, schools, universities, churches, faith-based organizations and youth programs that benefit Bonner County residents.

For applications and additional information, email contactus@angelsoversandpoint.org, call 208-2905895 or visit angelsoversandpoint.org.

“The Angels Over Sandpoint looks forward to your wonderful ideas on how to enhance the life of our children, seniors, veterans and all Bonner County citizens,” stated organizers.

September 10, 2026 / R / 15

COMMUNITY

Carousel of Smiles approved for ‘Galloping Pony’ mural wide and feature “a scene of horses running against It’s been a little more the backdrop of a sunset.” than two years since The Members of the SandCarousel of Smiles started point Arts, Culture and establishing its home at Historic Preservation Com502 Church St.; and, as mission voted Aug. 11 to the 1920 Allan Herschell unanimously recommend carousel gets ever closer to approval of the applicarebirth after a long project tion, which city councilors of restoration, the buildobliged at their Sept. 2 ing itself is preparing for a regular meeting. makeover.

Organizers intend to Carousel organizers seek community participaapplied for and received tion in painting the mural, approval from the city which is referred to as of Sandpoint to install a “The Galloping Pony,” as 1,000-square-foot mural on well as draw on artists who the north-facing exterior have worked with refurwall of the buildings located bishment of the carousel at 502 and 504 Church St. over the years.

According to application For more information materials submitted to the on The Carousel of Smiles, city, the mural will measure go to thecarouselofsmiles.

100 feet long by 10 feet org.

By Reader Staff

Above: Two photos of the north-facing wall of the buildings located at 502 and 504 Church St. (top photo shows present view, bottom image shows proposed mural). Courtesy images

16 / R / September 10, 2026

COMMUNITY

Annual Wellness Fest promotes healthy living

By Reader Staff Rise Fitness Studio and Common Ground: Sandpoint Community Hub are partnering again on Sunday, Sept.

13 for the annual Sandpoint Neighborhood Wellness Fest, which will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Held in Sandpoint’s Farmin Park (between Oak and Main streets), the festival brings together more than

40 health and wellness organizations offering goods, demonstrations and classes throughout the day.

“Celebrate wellness in the park with your community. Connect with holistic-minded wellness practitioners and business owners,” organizers stated.

Classes begin at 10 a.m. with somatic breathing exercises, followed by Pilates, yoga, sculpting and a sound bath throughout the afternoon. All

activities are family-friendly, and the event will also include swag bags, live music and fare from local food trucks. All activities are sponsored by Grounded Yoga and Movement, 7B Trinity Wellness Center, The Alpine Shop, Know Thy Medicine, City Beach Organics and Winter Ridge Natural Foods.

Visit risesandpoint.com/neighborhood-wellness-fest to learn more.

SASi brings art to life

By Reader Staff Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc. is diving into the creative world with Art Alive, a night of live painting and illustration demonstrations on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 4:45 p.m. The fundraiser, which includes light refreshments, will take place at the Little Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint).

Attendees are invited to view the work of area artists Jeanine Asche, Blair Harper, Carol Kovalchuk, Penny Ottley, Marsinah Runge, Susie Snider

and Randy Wilhelm, and take in live demonstrations of their artistic processes in a variety of mediums — each resulting in a unique body of work that ranges from impressionism to pop art and everything between.

After introductions, the live painting portion of the evening runs from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The night will culminate in a live auction of original artwork.

All proceeds go toward SASi’s community outreach programs, which provide social activities and healthy

meals for local seniors.

Tickets are $75 at panida.org. For more information, visit sandpointareaseniors.org.

Gather together with Sandpoint’s Longest Table

By Reader Staff The Longest Table, created by the nonprofit NYCNext, began as a community potluck in New York City and has since blossomed into a national phenomenon, inspiring dozens of free dinners across the U.S. aimed at fostering local relationships.

Sponsored by the Innovia Foundation and IdaHope Families, Sandpoint will host its own Longest Table event on Sunday, Sept. 13 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Sandpoint Community Hall (204 N. First Ave.).

“No agenda. Just conversation, connections and community,” wrote organizers. “People of all ages, backgrounds and experiences are invited to come together at one long table.”

Everyone is invited to attend the free dinner and meet with neighbors and new friends for friendly conversation and good food. To attend, RSVP to bit.ly/SandpointTable along with whatever dish you would like to bring.

Visit idahopefamilies.org and innovia.org for information on local sponsors.

Amateur historians host Let’s Vike It! Faire

By Reader Staff The Viking Age-inspired fair Let’s Vike It! is returning to Newport, Wash. on Friday, Sept. 11 and Saturday, Sept. 12. Including vendors, food, entertainment and educational classes centered on ancient Norse culture, the free, family-friendly festival takes place 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Newport City Park (1020 First St.).

Hosted by Aasveig, a nonprofit organization of “experimental historians” dedicated to promoting the history and culture of the Norse

people of the Viking Age (795-1066 C.E.). The group hosts various events throughout the year, based out of its traveling tent museum that includes authentic artifacts. Demonstrations and hands-on activities include copper weaving, blacksmithing, shield making, fighting, axe throwing, rune reading, archery and wool spinning. The fair also includes plenty of historic- and fantasy-inspired vendors, musicians and dancers.

Visit letsvikeit.wixsite.com/letsvike-it for more information.

September 10, 2026 / R / 17

events

Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com THURSDAY, september 10

September 10 - 17, 2026

Open bluegrass jam night Lovin’ Spoonful in concert 10th annual Panhandle Bluesfest (Sept. 10-12) ypm @ Panida Theater 12pm @ Wendy and Whitey’s Wooded Acres (Oldtown) 5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge Iconic band whose hits include Multi-day blues festival with numerous regional Come to listen or join in the fun Tapped In hosted by BioBeat “Do You Believe in Magic” and acts. 2888 Freeman Lake Rd. in Oldtown “Summer in the City” Live Music w/ Liam McCoy and Friends 5-7pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments Tapped In is a quiz game where teams 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub 6-8pm @ The District supper club or individuals test general knowledge FriDAY, september 11 Live Music w/ Atomic Jive Band Sandpoint Contra Dance LPO Rep: The Lady w/ All the Answers 5:30-8:30pm @ Smokesmith BBQ 7-10pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall 7:30pm @ The Hive Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments Intro lesson at 7pm. $8-$10/door Starring Kate McAlister as America’s 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery favorite advice columnist, Ann Landers BC Gardeners Fall Plant Sale Live Music w/ Picked Up Pieces 9am-3pm @ Ponderay Events Center lot Let’s Vike It: A Viking Age Faire 6-9pm @ Barrel 33 Panida Theater film: Hamnet Live Music w/ Devon Wade 5-9pm @ Newport City Park 7pm @ Panida Theater 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Vendors, food, entertainment, a Viking Live Music w/ Justin Lantrip village, forging, combat and more Music w/ DJ Rimm 6-9pm @ Baxters on Cedar 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge SATURDAY, september 12 Live Music w/ Mason Van Stone SASi’s ‘Art Alive’ LPO Rep: The Lady w/ All the Answers 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge 4:45-8:15pm @ Little Panida Theater 7:30pm @ The Hive Watch seven local artists create original Starring Kate McAlister as America’s Live Music w/ Frytz Mor works live, culminating with a live art favorite advice columnist, Ann Landers 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall auction with proceeds benefiting SASi Let’s Vike It: A Viking Age Faire Live Jazz w/ Bright Moments 10am-5pm @ Newport City Park Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 6-8pm @ Arlo’s Ristorante 9am-1pm @ Farmin Park Sand Creek Regatta Live Music w/ Brenden McCoy Produce, local art, live music 11am @ Bridge Street parking lot 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge The annual event where locals build Boundary Co. Artist Studio Tour Live Music w/ Chris Lynch rafts from scratch and — if they float 9am-5pm @ Various locations in Boundary Co. 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery — race them down Sand Creek. Spec- teascarlet.com for maps and full info Live Music w/ Jonathan DeJong tators are always welcome. Show up Live Music w/ Need for Creed 6-9pm @ Barrel 33 before the race for the tourist sacrifice 5:30-8:30pm @ Smokesmith BBQ Panida Theater film: Perfect Days Live Music w/ Brian Jacobs Music w/ DJ Sterling 7pm @ Panida Theater 6-9pm @ Baxters on Cedar 9pm @ Roxy’s Lounge LPO Rep: The Lady w/ All the Answers 2:30pm @ The Hive Starring Kate McAlister as America’s favorite advice columnist, Ann Landers

Weekly BCA pool tournament 6pm @ Roxy’s Lounge Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee

Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub Pend d’Oreille Polka Dot monthly meeting 5-7pm @ Barrel 33 bit.ly/POPolkaDot for info Trivia 6-9pm @ Idaho Pour Authority Lake Pend Oreille Toastmasters 5:45-7pm @ Sandpoint Library lpotmsandpoint@gmail.com Live Music w/ Carson Rhodes 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

Beginner Argentine tango class 7pm @ Embody Center, 823 Main St. No partner needed. $15 Paint & Sip w/ Holly Walker 5:30-7:30pm @ Barrel 33 18 / R / September 10, 2026

SunDAY, september 13

The Longest Table 5:30-7:30pm @ Sandpoint Community Hall A community potluck dinner with no agendas. RSVP: bit.ly/4yrgmoP Live Music w/ Lynda Ryan 5-6pm @ Idaho Pour Authority

monDAY, september 14 Outdoor Experience group run 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome Live Music w/ Kip McMillan 2-5pm @ Barrel 33

tuesDAY, september 15

KRFY’s Little Live Radio Hour: Ron Greene 7pm @ The Hive Free admission, or listen at 88.5FM Open Mic 5pm -? @ Idaho Pour Authority

wednesDAY, september 16

Live piano w/ Andrew Martinssen 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery

ThursDAY, september 17

Open Irish jam night 5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge

Magic with Star Alexander 5-8pm @ Jalapeño’s 2nd annual Sandpoint Neighborhood Wellness Fest 10am-2pm @ Farmin Park Vendors will be promoting health and wellness, holistic-minded practitioners on site, free classes, music, prizes and grab a bite to eat

Lori Hickman meet and greet 2:30-4:30pm @ Marigold Bistro Idaho attorney general candidate Live trivia w/ Toshi 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge Grand opening: CTEC 3:30-5:30pm @ Sandpoint High School Grand opening of Career and Technical Education Center Sandpoint Farmers’ Market 3-5:30pm @ Farmin Park

Benny on the Deck patio concert 5:30-8:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge Weekly BCA pool tournament 6pm @ Roxy’s Lounge

STAGE & SCREEN

LPO Rep presents The Lady with All the Answers

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff Back before Facebook and Reddit, the average American turned to advice columnists for counsel on life’s everyday issues; and, for decades, one woman answered more than any other: Ann Landers.

The Lady with All the Answers, a one-woman play following Landers on one pivotal night, premieres Friday, Sept. 11 for a three-show run at The Hive (207 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint).

Starring longtime local thespian Kate McAlister, the nostalgic and heartwarming play begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11-Saturday, Sept.

12, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept.

13, raising funds for the nonprofit Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theatre.

The play, written by David Rambo, takes place on June 30, 1975 from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., as Landers paces her apartment, reliving memories and revisiting her most impactful and ridiculous letters.

“The premise of the evening is she has something really heavy to tell her readers, and so the evening is just sort of her doing busy work to avoid what she needs to be doing,” said McAlister, who reprises her role more than a decade after first taking the stage as Landers.

Known for her wit and compassion,

Kate McAlister as Ann Landers. Courtesy photo Landers wrote thousands of letters and columns under the heading “Ask Ann Landers” throughout her 47-year career, tackling topics that ranged from dating advice to homosexuality and the Vietnam War. Her work connected experts and leaders in almost every field — including Supreme Court Justice William O’Douglas and presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon — with more than 90 million readers, bringing well-researched and insightful answers to individuals who often had no one else to turn to.

Following such a long and storied life, it’s easy to see why McAlister describes the play as a “roller coaster.”

At one moment Landers is writing a

column about the proper way to hang toilet paper — which garnered more than 15,000 responses — and the next she’s talking a reader through thoughts of self-harm, each with admirable amounts of kindness and grace.

“What’s so poignant is that she [addressed] all the issues dividing our country today, back in 1975: war, guns, abortion, morality, nuclear proliferation. ...” said McAlister. “She just answered all the questions — whatever you wanted to give her, she didn’t flinch.”

Throughout the two-hour play, McAlister brings to life each individual’s stories, all united by one central, quirky character.

Though it’s easy to get caught up in the pageantry of the stage, McAlister is quick to remind audiences that the show is a tribute to real people and real problems to which we can all relate.

“I really want to reiterate that everything in the play is true, because some of it is so far-fetched, like being on a talk show with Linda Lovelace, the porn star,” said McAlister. “I just want people to know that these things really happened to her and this is really who she was. I want to do her memory service.”

Tickets are $23.64 at the door or online at livefromthehive.com. Learn more about LPO Repertory Theatre by visiting lporep.com.

September 10, 2026 / R / 19

STAGE & SCREEN

Panida screens Oscarwinning film Hamnet

By Reader Staff The Panida Theater will screen one of 2025’s most award-winning films, Hamnet, on Friday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.

Based on the novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell, the film explores the early life of William Shakespeare and the eventual death of his 11-year-old son.

Directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao, the film revolves around the romance between a young Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his eventual wife, Agnes Hathaway (2025 Best Actress Oscar-winner Jessie Buckley).

20 / R / September 10, 2026

As the couple matures, Shakespeare leaves for London to pursue his playwriting career, but the two are brought back together by the loss of their son, Hamnet, to the plague.

Prepare to cry through this historical drama, which garnered eight Oscar nominations and was named one of the top 10 films of 2025 by the American Film Institute.

The film will show in the Panida main theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint). Tickets are available online at panida.org or at the door for $10.50 for adults and $7.50 for students and seniors.

Perfect Days, at the Panida, contemplates the simplicity of a well-lived life

By Reader Staff It’s a well-worn concept that from small, intentional actions can come good — even great — things, which is the animating idea behind the 2023 film Perfect Days, which will screen Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint).

Directed by Oscar-nominee Wim Wenders, the film centers on Hirayama (Kōji Yakusho), who spends his days cleaning public toilets in an affluent section of Tokyo.

Despite his seemingly lowly station, middle-aged Hirayama is deeply content, filling his life with music, good books, and a dedication to his job and routine that might seem obsessive to some, but in his case creates a scaffold for real meaning.

He listens to his collec-

tion of cassette tapes in the work van, eats his lunch under the trees of a shine, tends his garden, photographs trees and generally keeps his mind on higher things as he devotes care and attention to even his most menial tasks.

Nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 2024 Academy Awards, Perfect Days was also a contender for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, where Yakusho won the prize for Best Actor.

The film has been hailed by critics and audiences alike

Courtesy screenshot as a gentle, meditative rumination that glories in the profundity to be found in undramatic routines, the solace of solitude and how human connections — however small — make up the fabric not just of one “perfect day,” but all the days that make up a life well lived.

Doors open at 6 p.m. with the screening at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $10.50 for adults, and $7.50 for seniors and students, available at the door or panida.org.

MUSIC

Iconic band Lovin’ Spoonful to play Panida Hits include ‘Do You Believe in Magic?’ and ‘Summer in the City’

By Reader Staff Widely hailed as “America’s answer to The Beatles,” Lovin’ Spoonful has contributed many hits to the world.

After the smash success of their first single, “Do You Believe in Magic,” Lovin’ Spoonful followed up with an unprecedented string of hits, including “Daydream,” “Younger Girl,” “Summer in the City,” “You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice,” “Darling Be Home Soon,” “Jug Band Music,” “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind,” “Lovin’ You,” “Didn’t Want to Have to Do it,” “Rain on the Roof,” “Six O’Clock,” “Nashville Cats,” “Coconut Grove” and “She’s Still a Mystery (to me).”

Now, the iconic Canadian-U.S. band will play a special concert at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10 at the Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint).

Formed in New York’s Greenwich Village in 1965 at the Night Owl Cafe, Lovin’ Spoonful quickly became a household name. The band’s first seven singles soared onto Billboard’s top-10 charts almost overnight, and they performed on every major TV show of the era — including The Ed Sullivan Show, Hullabaloo and Shindig! During

This week’s RLW by Ben Olson

READ

The Lonesome Dove series of novels by Larry McMurtry is always on my bookshelf, waiting for a biennial reading. By story chronology, the books are Dead Man’s Walk, Comanche Moon, Lonesome Dove and Streets of Laredo. The books follow Texas Rangers Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call until the beginning of the 20th century as they navigate the changing West. If only I could read them again for the first time. Find them at the library or where books are sold.

LISTEN

their most active years in the 1960s, Lovin’ Spoonful made five studio and two soundtrack albums.

The group disbanded in 1968 and original founding member John Sebastian pursued a solo career.

Today, Lovin’ Spoonful tours with Jeff Alan Ross, Rob Bonfiglio, Bill Cinque and Mike Auturi, while co-founding member Steve Boone remains active in the day-to-day management of the group.

Lovin’ Spoonful’s chart-topping hits offer audiences a unique experience to travel back to the ’60s. Their sound was derived from influential jug bands and blues music, which they developed into a popular music format. Lovin’ Spoonful’s output helped develop the folk-rock genre and, in 1966, the group created the third-best-selling singles in the country after The Beatles and Rolling Stones.

The band was inducted into

Lovin’ Spoonful is (L-R): Rob Bonfiglio, Steve Boone, Jeff Allen Ross, Bill Cinque and Mike Auturi. Courtesy photo the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

The Sept. 10 concert is presented by the Panida and is supported by Creative West, which receives support in part from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Tickets start at $48.75 and are available at panida.org.

A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Atomic Jive Band, Smokesmith BBQ, Sept. 11

Ron Greene, The Hive, Sept. 15

Few musical genres are as catchy and timeless as the vintage boogie, R&B and rock-soul-infused stylings of the 1950s and ’60s — and few (if any) regional bands do it better than Atomic Jive Band.

The Spokane-based outfit kicks out the jams with instrumentation including a red-hot horn section, driving rhythm section and true-blue rocking electric guitar. That’s to say nothing of Kari Marguerite’s su-

Genre-bending artist Ron Greene is a gem of the Inland Northwest, with a celebrated career spanning nearly two decades. Greene is a musical chameleon, and his original work crosses genres and time periods, blending soul, blues, funk and R&B — or picks one genre to fully inhabit. Whether performing with a full band or with nothing but a loop pedal, guitar and his voice, Greene delivers soulful, atmospheric

per-charged vocals. The tagline “foot-stomping, hand-clapping and hip-swaying” is more than apt, as Atomic Jive Band’s energy is guaranteed to power a good time.

— Zach Hagadone 5:30-8:30 p.m., FREE. Smokesmith BBQ, 102 South Boyer Ave., 208-920-0517, smokesmithidaho. com. Listen on Atomic Jive Band’s Facebook page or YouTube.

concerts that are a must-see live. He will be the featured artist on September’s Little Live Radio Hour, hosted by 88.5 KRFY. The concert is free to attend in person, or listen over the radio or online at krfy.org.

— Soncirey Mitchell 7 p.m., FREE. The Hive, 208-920-9039, 207 N. First Ave., livefromthehive.com. Listen at rongreenemusic.com.

Even though some call it “dad rock” now (because everyone over 30 is apparently a dad or an “unc” or otherwise older than dirt), The National has created a canon of music that is unique and not easily understood.

Their album The Boxer is by far their best work, but others like High Violet, Sleep Well Beast and Trouble Will Find Me are all excellent examples of the band’s dark, melancholy rock with cryptic lyrics that somehow make sense in this dumb world.

Listen where you listen.

WATCH

On the recommendation of my partner, I begrudgingly watched an episode of Love on the Spectrum, a series of reality TV shows that follows autistic cast members as they explore the dating world. I normally hate reality TV and hate dating shows even more, but this show really touched me. I watched the Australian version and was pleased at the empathetic portrayal of the love-seekers. The show is endearing, as well as hilarious, as we get to laugh along with them as they hunt for a connection. Catch it on Netflix.

September 10, 2026 / R / 21

BACK OF THE BOOK

My Sandpoint

By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff

From Northern Idaho News, September 9, 1919

BONNER PEOPLE TO HEAR PRESIDENT WILSON Beecher Hitchcock is making up a list of Bonner county people who will be at Coeur d’Alene Friday of this week to hear President Wilson’s speech. Those intended to go should notify Mr. Hitchcock, as a reservation of seats is to be made for the Bonner county delegation.

Mayor Elliot has received the following communication from the Coeur d’Alene chamber of commerce: “To the mayor, Sandpoint: “Dear Sir: The chamber of commerce of Coeur d’Alene extends to you and the people of your community an invitation to be present at Coeur d’Alene when President Wilson visits here September 12.

His speech will be delivered about 10:30 in the forenoon. Kindly extend to your people an invitation to be present at this meeting.

“Yours truly, Robert H. Elder, Chairman of Committee on Arrangements.”

WORK ON BOTTLE BAY ROAD H.C. Traue has finished chopping out the right-of-way for the Bottle Bay road and has about a mile and a half of the road stumped. He uses a team and tackle blocks on the smaller stumps and dynamite on the larger ones. Progress is slow on account of the dry condition of the ground, and on this account, Mr. Traue has cut down his crew to three men and a team until such time as the fall rains have softened the ground, when he plans to work about three times that number of men and horses.

22 / R / September 10, 2026

What does it take to call yourself an Idahoan or, better yet, a Sandpointian? I’ve lived along the shores of Lake Pend Oreille all my life. I grew up in the western red cedar forests. I learned to swim in the SWAC pool. I lost my first tooth — that I remember — in the parking lot of the Ponderay Burger King. I attended kindergarten through high school in Sandpoint. In other words, I’m from here, through and through.

My partner isn’t.

It’s his history that has me questioning what it means to be from Sandpoint. We went to Sandpoint High School together, and he hunts and fishes and wanders the hiking trails just like an Idaho boy, yet he’s only been here for 12 years. There are people who have lived in Sandpoint for more than 50 years and still don’t dare call themselves “local,” because we have an amorphous yet sacrosanct idea of what it means to be truly “from here.”

I know I do, but I don’t know how to quantify it to make it attainable. To that end, I’ve been trying to think of North Idaho experiences that shaped who I am and how I view this community. I consider it a citizenship test, of sorts: check each box — and, crucially, contribute positively to the community — and you at least earn the title of “adopted local.”

To be considered a Sandpoint local, you must have floated the Pack River at least once, with the intention of going again in the future. You must have driven the pothole-filled, dusty road down to Green Bay. (You get

bonus points if you were in the back of a truck, the trunk of a car or otherwise illegally buckled due to a seating shortage.)

You must have had a secret, tourist-free swimming spot at some point, even if it’s since been overrun by outof-state plates. Likewise, you have to avoid downtown Sandpoint and City Beach during tourist season; however, you must journey into the fray at least once to get a horribly sugary, frozen treat from the beach’s Snack Shack.

You have to walk along the railroads when possible, and find yourself stuck at a train when you’re in a rush at least four times a year.

Finally — at least for this article — you must play in the deep snow at least once.

I say all this with the knowledge that some of these activities are becoming impossible, given our changing climate and rising population. Also, in the past few years, Sandpoint has been inundated with transplants — some good, some MAGA — from California, Washington and Oregon, driving up housing prices to astronomical levels. That, coupled with the closure of Bonner General Health’s maternity ward, seems to signal an end to the age of Sandpoint locals; at least, that’s what my cynical heart tells me.

The less egotistical part of me knows that’s not fair to Sandpoint’s kids or the generations that will come after us. Though these experiences color my sense of belonging here, I can’t hold up my life as a kind of standard to define what it means to be local.

When I think about the Bonner County I knew — the one that still exists in my mind, if not in reality — I think about the fields and forest in

STR8TS Solution

Sudoku Solution

Dover through which I used to run, and that have since become luxury housing. I remember the hours I spent climbing trees, digging in the sandbox and chewing Dubble Bubble from the concession stand at Travers Park while my mom played softball. That playground is dead and buried under the James E. Russell Sports Center. The paths I took down to Chuck Slough to ice skate and catch frogs are developed or fenced off. Even the places I never thought I’d miss — the Walmart jewelry counter where I first pierced my ears, the McDonald’s playplace where I attended germy birthday parties — all slipped quietly away.

I, like everyone before me, was born into a world that no longer exists.

The places and experiences that made me a local are nostalgia, not reality, and can’t help anyone else find belonging here. Perhaps the only thing that can unite all locals is our collective mourning for the Sandpoints that we fell in love with and that will never exist again.

Crossword Solution

Too bad there’s no such a thing as a golden skunk, because you’d probably be proud to be sprayed by one.

Solution on page 22

By Bill Borders

mordacious /mawr-DEY-shuhs/

Woorf tdhe Week

[adjective] 1. sharp or caustic in style, tone, etc.

“His mordacious words during the meeting left several team members feeling insulted.”

Corrections: George Washington wrote, “We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience.” That said, we looked back and didn’t see any corrections to note, so we learn nothing this week. Selah.

CROSSWORD

Copyright www.mirroreyes.com

Laughing Matters

Solution on page 22

ACROSS 1. Greens with dressing 6. Male deer 10. Short run 14. Run off to wed 15. Follow 16. Put ____ words 17. Artist’s stand 18. Beige 19. Pierce 20. Expect beforehand 22. Quarries 23. Petrol 24. Fragment 26. Charred 30. Prickle 32. Shoestrings 33. Monstrous 37. Acid related to gout 38. Chills 39. Certain something 40. Tolerably 42. Uncouth 43. Student 44. Time for wages 45. Foe 47. Paddle 48. Rude person 49. Areas lacking development 56. Largest continent 57. Dwarf buffalo 58. Wizardry 59. Itemize 60. Reflecting optimism

Solution on page 22 61. Genus of heath 62. Leg joint 63. Picnic insects 64. Not a winner

DOWN 1. Exude 2. Winglike 3. Fail to win 4. Gorillas 5. Downpours 6. Stairs 7. Mexican sandwich 8. Broadcasts

36. Not difficult 9. Paste pots 38. Largest 10. Clinic living rodent 11. Caper 41. A strong drink 12. Condition 13. Goblins 42. Yellowish brown 21. Cushion 44. Cat’s foot 25. Anger 45. Rose dye 26. Turn on a pivot 46. Sound of any kind 27. Deserve 47. Approves 28. Caustic 48. Refuse to act 29. Recover 50. Any minute 30. Fairy tale 51. Price character 52. Tropical root 31. Sacred 53. Sponsorship 33. Mongolian desert 54. Oriental grain 34. Campus area 55. Cicatrix 35. Celestial bear September 10, 2026 / R / 23