2 / R / October 15, 2026
DEAR READERS, The week in random review By Ben Olson Reader Staff
our northern friends
A spontaneous road trip is always cleansing for the soul, especially during the first week of October when the weather cooperates with long stretches of sunny days. This year, we decided to point the car north and say hello to our neighbors in Canada. Since our complainer-in-chief keeps lobbing insults at Canada — calling for it to be the “51st state,” issuing multiple rounds of tariffs and recently labeling it “one of the worst countries in the entire world” — I felt a bit of trepidation driving around with an Idaho license plate across British Columbia. I expected a few cross looks, perhaps even a pithy denunciation from a Canadian. To be honest, I would’ve accepted their insults with a humble nod, because they have every right to be pissed at Americans right now. Instead I just experienced the usual politeness, joy and chill vibes of our brothers and sisters from other mothers and misters. We spent most of our time camping on bluffs overlooking rivers or driving back roads in search of a perfect primitive spot, but every time we returned to town to pick up some beer or an ingredient we forgot to pack in the food cooler, I was always greeted with respect and treated nicely. Someday, perhaps many years from now, the idiot in the White House will be gone and we’ll have to start repairing relations with our northern friends. I’m oddly optimistic about this, because I think the fever will break someday and we’ll wake up to the fact that we’ve been led by a bad actor all along. It’s curious how our president goes out of his way to be nice to and do business with bloodthirsty dictators and applaud authoritarian practices in some countries, but when it comes to our most staunch allies, he treats them like garbage. I had a great time in Canada and can’t wait to return; not only for the amazing forays into the wilderness but also for the coveted stop at Tim Horton’s for a breakfast sausage wrap and some donut holes.
signs of ai slop hell
On my road trip, I noticed a sharp uptick in AIslop menus as well as signs outside of restaurants. They all have that surreal, glazed, Lovecraftian tone to them. Burgers look like they’ve been carved from wax by a talented psychopath. A shrimp scampi looks like what an alien race might think is “human food.” It’s revolting, if you want the truth, and I’ve made the decision that I will not patronize any establishment that uses AI to advertise its food. Restaurant owners might claim that using AI is a cheap and easy tool for them, instead of hiring a professional photographer or taking the photo themselves with a decent camera. I argue that using AI to showcase their food is inauthentic and tells the customer right off the bat what their values are.
Our office phone line is currently down, in case anyone is having trouble trying to reach us. The terminal box broke while we were cleaning and the phones won’t work until we replace it (our phone company declined to work on it, and I refuse to hire an electrician to replace something so simple, so we had to order the part online from — apparently — Antarctica, since it’ll arrive just before Halloween). Our voicemail is also down as a result of this issue, so we are unable to receive your voicemails. In the meantime, please reach us via email (see our addresses in the masthead at right). If you must call, please email first and we’ll give you the number you’re looking for. One positive side effect is that the office has been quite peaceful this week with the phones not working. Sorry for any inconvenience and thanks for your patience.
– Ben Olson, publisher
READER 111 Cedar Street, Suite 9 Sandpoint, ID 83864 208-946-4368 sandpointreader.com
Publisher: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Editorial: Zach Hagadone (Editor) zach@sandpointreader.com Soncirey Mitchell (Senior Writer) soncirey@sandpointreader.com Editors Emeriti: Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey Cameron Rasmusson John Reuter Advertising: Ben Olson ben@sandpointreader.com Contributing Artists: Ben Olson (cover design), Alli McCrite, Soncirey Mitchell, Karen Hempstead, Bill Borders Contributing Writers: Zach Hagadone, Ben Olson, Soncirey Mitchell, Lorraine H. Marie, Brenden Bobby, Jeremy Grimm, Jim Jones, Marcia Pilgeram Submit Stories To: stories@sandpointreader.com Printed Weekly At: Tribune Publishing Co. Lewiston, ID Subscription Price: $200 per year Website Designed By: Keokee The Sandpoint Reader is a weekly publication owned by Ben Olson and Keokee. It is devoted to the arts, entertainment, bluster, politics and lifestyle in and around Sandpoint, Idaho. We hope to provide a quality alternative by offering honest, in-depth reporting that reflects the intelligence and interests of our diverse and growing community. The Reader is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink. Leftover copies are collected and recycled weekly, or burned in bonfires to appease the gods of journalism. For back issues, contact the publisher. Free to all, limit two per person, please. Letter to the Editor Policy: We welcome letters to the editor on all relevant topics. Please, no more than 200 words, no excessive profanity or libelous statements and no trolls. Please elevate the discussion and stay on topic. Letters will be edited to comply with the above requirements. Opinons expressed in these pages are those of the writers, not necessarily the publisher. Send to: letters@sandpointreader.com About the Cover: This week’s cover photo teases Part 2 of Soncirey Mitchell’s feature series about Sandpoint’s “silent residents.”
October 15, 2026 / R / 3
NEWS
BoCo sheriff: ‘We would have received an indictment’ Meeting recording still absent from county YouTube
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler has weighed in on the recent disclosure of past sexual misconduct allegations surrounding District 2 Republican county commissioner candidate Jeff Roberts, which were made public at the Oct. 6 Bonner County Board of Commissioners meeting. Though the Idaho Attorney General’s Office did not pursue criminal charges, Wheeler argued that the allegations should have gone before the grand jury. “Based on the facts of this investigation, both the prosecutor and our team of detectives believe if we took this case to a grand jury, we would have received an indictment,” Wheeler told the Reader in an Oct. 9 email. “During conversations with the AG’s office, we were led to believe they too would take this case to a grand jury. I believe the case should have gone forward and that is why I think it was a miscarriage of justice.” The accuser reported instances of alleged “forcible fondling” and “attempted forcible rape” to the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office on June 1; however, the original incident is said to have occurred two years prior. Deputies investigated the allegations, which they believed to be “credible,” but were unable to uncover any physical evidence. Deputies contacted Roberts to arrange an interview, which he initially agreed to before canceling and sending all future communication through his legal representation from Coeur d’Alene-based Palmer | George PLLC. In an Oct. 7 statement to the Reader, Roberts called the allegations “unequivocally false,” citing a polygraph test “administered by a licensed professional” and provided to the sheriff’s office July 6. According to the prosecutor’s office, the polygraph, dated July 3, was conducted by Lawrence Kuciemba, a longtime Spo4 / R / October 15, 2026
kane-based polygraph examiner who has worked on a contract basis in a number of high-profile, regional cases dating back decades. Following reporting by local media, Wheeler told the Reader that his office had not received the test results from Roberts or his legal representation; and, that if it had, those results would have been placed in the case file. Regardless, “we wouldn’t put much weight in a third-party polygraph,” Wheeler added. When asked why the BCSO had no record of the polygraph, Roberts referred the Reader to an Oct. 13 post on his Facebook account, which, along with an attached screenshot, allegedly shows that his legal counsel emailed the information to the incorrect address — directing the message to an @bonnerid.gov suffix, rather than @bonnercoid.gov. When the Reader sent an email to the @bonnerid.gov domain, it immediately generated an error message. “On July 3rd, I did take and pass a polygraph in regards to these allegations,” wrote Roberts. “It has just come to light that my attorney’s office made a typographical error in the detective’s email address. However, the Bonner County Prosecutor’s Office was copied at its correct, publicly listed address, and I would reasonably expect the Prosecutor’s Office and investigating detective to be communicating about this matter.” When asked whether his office had received the polygraph, Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall told the Reader in an Oct. 14 email, “We did receive a document through our filing portal on July 6 although I didn’t see it until yesterday evening [Oct. 13]. I am not going to comment on the validity of the report as it certainly was not sanctioned by either my office nor the sheriff’s office and we had no control over the process or questions.” According to Marshall, his office has shared the document with BCSO and “it will be-
come public record subject to the appropriate redactions.” After the initial investigation, the sheriff’s office submitted the case to the Bonner County Prosecutor’s Office, which forwarded it to the Idaho Attorney General’s Office. According to Marshall, his office did not choose to pursue the case due to an “inherent conflict of interest,” given that Roberts is a candidate for a county elected position. Deputy Attorney General Madison Gourley informed Marshall Sept. 14 that her office “decided against filing criminal charges” and “consider[s] this matter closed.” “Based on the facts revealed in the investigation, we do not believe we can prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt,” wrote Gourley. “My office heard the testimony of credible witnesses,” Wheeler told the Reader in an Oct. 12 email. “Mr. Roberts refused to be interviewed by my office. ... The Attorney General should have sent this case back to the County Prosecutor, to be heard by the Grand Jury. Now Mr. Roberts is speaking to the media, and the case is being tried in the court of public opinion.” The Idaho AG’s Office did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Reader. Though the incident report and a recording of the Oct. 6 BOCC meeting continue to circulate and generate debate online, the official recording remains absent from the Bonner County YouTube page after BOCC Chair Ron Korn instructed staff “to make the video private” that day, according to a Facebook post by Commissioner Asia Williams. Korn has not addressed its removal or responded to multiple requests for comment. Though he has not publicly stated his reasoning, Korn and Roberts share a background in the anti-government militia group the Three Percenters — Roberts in an Oregon branch, and Korn in the local Seven Bravo militia
(formerly Seven Bravo 3%). Korn has also endorsed Roberts’ political campaign, as evidenced by his website, votejeffroberts.com. After instructing staff to remove the video, Korn solicited a legal opinion from the prosecutor’s office on whether “it is necessary to have a board vote” to remove a video from YouTube, according to Williams. She further read aloud Marshall’s response to Korn at the Oct. 13 BOCC meeting, from which Korn was absent. “Initially, I would point out removing a recording is not destruction of public records so long as the recording is maintained by the county and available for public records request,” wrote Marshall. “The choice to leave the meetings on the platform such as YouTube is discretionary with the BOCC. The board certainly may remove a meeting from an electronic platform. “My recollection is a previous board made the decision to post meetings on YouTube. This was done by board vote. Therefore, it would be proper to agendize this for a board vote before changing this practice. A single board member cannot overturn the decision made by a previous board absent some kind of legal authority.” Though the board received the initial legal opinion on Oct. 6, the county had yet to reupload the video as of press time on Oct. 14. Williams put the onus on Korn at the Oct. 13 meeting, stating that “the community can address that issue with [him],” and that she had not, and would not, instruct staff to disregard another commissioner’s instructions and reupload the video.
A screenshot Jeff Roberts posted to his Facebook page showing an alleged attempt from his attorney to submit a polygraph test to Bonner County officials using an incorrect email suffix. Courtesy image In an email to Technology Director Jacob Storms, which Williams also read aloud Oct. 13, she stated, “I am not asking you to take action to ensure you are not placed in the middle as an employee. I put that in the hands of the commissioner who gave a verbal instruction.” “I don’t want Mr. Storms to receive negative input from that because it’s unfair,” she added. “It is unfair for me as a commissioner to say, ‘Because I’m a commissioner, go and do this.’ And the reality is, that happens all the time in this county building, which is a lot of where you see leakage out of your budget because politics plays a role in decision-making instead of following business practices.” It was immediately unclear whether Korn would bring the issue forward for a board vote. View all agendas and stream future meetings every Tuesday at bonnercountyid.gov/meetings. Additional reporting by Zach Hagadone.
NEWS Sandpoint enters into owner’s rep agreement on wastewater plant project By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff The city of Sandpoint took an important step to move forward with the planned reconstruction of the wastewater treatment plant, voting unanimously Oct. 7 to approve two agreements identifying the owner’s representative and construction management representative. Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., based in Spokane, Wash., will work with the city under an agreement with a ceiling not to exceed $5 million through 2031. Councilors also approved the first task order in the project, with an amount not to exceed $530,290. The master task order agreement opens the way for the start of Phase 1 of the project, with an estimated cost of $60 million and future phases potentially reaching $130 million. Sandpoint voters overwhelmingly approved bonding authority for $130 million in 2025, to be put
toward the rebuilding of the city’s obsolete sewer facility. “This project is in need of dedicated capacity, specialized expertise and more than the city staff has to offer. It’s a major investment,” said Sandpoint Public Works Director Holly Ellis. “There’s very complex engineering, a massive breadth in engineering as well,” she added. “We’ll have structural, civil, mechanic, process mechanic, HVAC, electrical, INC, engineers — a team of engineers, truly — so there’s a very large breadth of expertise.” Step 1 will include Stantec establishing a project management plan, along with a baseline schedule and budget risk management. In addition, the firm will review and coordinate with the preliminary engineering report currently contracted with Keller Associates. According to Ellis, the project will be delivered under the “construction manager at risk” method, which will include the construction manager/consultant working
alongside a yet-to-be-determined design engineer, with the former proceeding as the general contractor throughout the construction process. Stantec will work in concert with the city throughout the solicitation and approval process for identifying the construction management and design engineering teams. “The owner’s representative will be supporting us. They’ll be supporting the engineering team, looking at alternative evaluations, reviewing costs, schedules, coordination and they’ll also be supporting our operators as well,” Ellis said, referring to the wastewater treatment plant operators, who will keep the facility working amid construction phases. “When I talk about the project, I say ‘project team,’ and that’s truly how we approach projects here at the city — it’s the city’s project, but the engineers and the contractors are all part of that team,” she said. “The city’s the owner,” Ellis added. “We establish the
project priorities, we manage the budget, make decisions and we also have our operators very integrated into this project. They are the ones who are going to be running the plant when this is done, so their expertise is essential.” As owner’s representative, Stantec will check the engineering with technical review as well as keeping tabs on costs and ensuring the city remains in compliance with regulatory policies. “They’ll also be helping us
An aerial view of Sandpoint’s wastewater treatment plant from October 2025. Courtesy photo with a risk register. ... I rarely talk about this project without talking about risk,” Ellis said. “It’s a big part of this project.” “I know this is a big project and none of us have ever done something of this scale before,” said Mayor Jeremy Grimm, “but, again, [Stantec is] here to be our advocates, our eyes, our ears and everything else.”
Early voting opens Oct. 19 with election forum set for Oct. 20 By Reader Staff Early voting in the 2026 general election begins on Monday, Oct. 19, with eligible resident electors able to cast their ballots in person from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, at the Bonner County Elections Office (1500 Hwy. 2, Ste. 124, in Sandpoint). Mail-in ballots are also being taken by county elections staff, though must be returned — not postmarked — by Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m., when polls close on Election Day. For all things election-related, including sample ballots and polling locations, go to voteidaho.gov or bonnercountyid.gov/Elections-Home. Information is also available by calling 208-255-3631, emailing elections@bonnercountyid. gov or visiting the Elections Office in the County Administration building.
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, voters are also invited to get to know candidates at an election forum hosted from 5:30-7:30 p.m. by the Bonner County Daily Bee, KRFY Panhandle Community Radio, SandpointOnline.com and Sandpoint Reader at the Sandpoint High School auditorium (410 S. Boyer Ave.). Featuring candidates in contested races for Idaho Legislative District 1 and the Bonner County Board of Commissioners — as well as an informational presentation on the city of Sandpoint’s proposed 1% local option tax from Public Works Director Holly Ellis — the forum will be moderated by Chris Bessler. Candidates in contested races have been invited, including Republican Scott Herndon and Independent Steve Johnson (Dist. 1 Senate); Democrat Karen Matthee and Republican Jane Sauter
(Dist. 1A House); Independent Kathryn Larson and Republican Cornel Rasor (Dist. 1B House); and Independent Fred Arn and Republican Steve Smith (BOCC Dist. 1). The 1% LOT is on the ballot after City Council members approved the language earlier in the year, asking residents if they’re willing to voluntarily pay an additional 1% sales tax with funds dedicated to street and sidewalk infrastructure. A similar LOT request went before voters in 2024, but failed to achieve the necessary 60% majority for adoption. Each candidate in contested races will get two minutes to provide an opening statement. Following those opening statements, the moderator will take written questions from the audience and candidates will each receive two minutes for closing statements. Candidates in uncontested
races have also been invited to provide two- to three-minute statements during the opening period, but questions will be reserved for contested races only. Tables will be set up in the cafeteria outside the SHS auditorium where candidates are invited to provide literature
and talk with voters before and after the forum. The forum will be broadcast live on the evening of Oct. 20 on KRFY 88.5 FM, with the recording subsequently available on KRFY.org and followed by coverage in the Bee and Reader.
October 15, 2026 / R / 5
NEWS
PHD announces new CFO Board institutes AI limitations for staff
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff More than a month after a slew of resignations, the Panhandle Health District announced Oct. 8 that it has hired Scott Hurlbert as its new chief financial officer, replacing Christine Crummer, who served in the position for more than 25 years. The announcement was made at the Board of Health monthly meeting, where members also voted to institute new safeguards for district AI usage. A Coeur d’Alene-based certified public accountant, Hurlbert was most recently employed at Dimeler and Associates PLLC in Spokane Valley, Wash., but has worked with PHD and Crummer for the “better part of a year.” According to his LinkedIn profile, Hurlbert graduated from the University of Idaho in 2010 with a master’s in accounting. “Aside from the fact that he’s an intelligent CPA, he has demonstrated a mental capacity and spirit of character to pick up the gaping wound that was left in our financial department and he has performed admirably,” said interim-Director Thomas Fletcher at the Oct. 8 meeting. Hurlbert takes over from Crummer, who resigned Sept. 3 alongside former-Director Erik Ketner and Human Resources Director Sandee Riggs for undisclosed reasons. Public Information Officer Jennifer Ekizian told the Reader previously that PHD is conducting “an ongoing internal review of the former PHD leadership,” but has not released any specifics or findings regarding the investigation. In addition to his new duties as CFO, Hurlbert is currently working with staff and outside auditors to perform an audit of the district’s financials, which he stated is “going really well.” “Christine [Crummer] was great, as far as accounting goes. I have nothing negative to say about her,” said Hurlbert. “Her methodology is impeccable and we’re going to keep that up, but we’re going to make it a little easier to present, a little bit more transparent, and we’re going to try to incorporate a little bit of a comparison aspect to it during prior periods and maybe come up with a pro forma for the agenda so we can kind of figure out where we 6 / R / October 15, 2026
Scott Hurlbert. Courtesy photo think we’re going.” Following Hurlbert’s brief presentation, the board discussed implementing a new AI policy for PHD staff that would ensure workers aren’t inadvertently sharing private information. The policy limits AI usage to Microsoft Co-Pilot and the design software Canva, on the advice of representatives from the internet, phone and IT service provider Intermax. According to Board Member Joel Noland, who worked with Intermax on the policy, Microsoft will “sign agreements for HIPPA and other stuff like that” to protect any medical information input into the software from users outside of PHD. “I think AI is here whether we like it or not,” said Noland, later adding, “[W]ith Intermax, one of the main issues that they were bringing up is both basically a security point of view and also making sure that we’re sticking within being able to keep the information that we’re supposed to keep private, private — like personal health information as well as anything else that we might do.” The AI policy seeks to treat “different silos of information” separately, keeping medical records private while sharing more general information that could be obtained with a public records request. The Board of Health voted unanimously to adopt the policy. For more information on PHD, or to view Board of Health meeting agendas and recordings, visit panhandlehealthdistrict.org.
Bits ’n’ Pieces From east, west and beyond
President Donald Trump recently announced an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the ceasefire was “news to me.” Russia attacked more Ukraine oil infrastructure shortly thereafter, according to numerous media sources. The Pentagon plans to livestream the execution of wheelchair-bound Nidal Hasan by a military firing squad. Hasan killed 13 and wounded 32 on a military base in 2009. The U.N.’s High Commissioner for Human Rights said the firing squad breaches “the absolute prohibition of torture.” Vice President JD Vance said he won’t watch. Based on negative feedback, “insiders” said Trump is rethinking the livestreaming. According to The New York Times, the execution will encourage radicalization of extremist Muslim groups, providing “ready-made propaganda” for jihadist groups. Afghanistan and Iran are the only other countries known to have broadcast executions in recent years. Trump recently said, “We have some big surprises coming up in a few weeks, right Russ [Vought]? He’s gonna be one of the important people in the history of our country.” Vought was the architect of the Project 2025 effort to hijack the Constitution. Legal analyst Joyce Vance advises being alert to election shenanigans, since the Department of Justices’ Civil Rights Division, which has aligned with Trump, has hired unqualified people, like a man jailed for hacking an elections system. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot a Dominican man in the neck in his car while his 5-year-old son was in the back seat. After treatment, he was taken to an ICE facility. A judge blocked his deportation, various media reported. One alleged ICE shooter had a record of allegations of excessive force and unlawful arrests. Katie Zacharia is Trump’s pick to be the new White House press secretary. Judd Legum’s Popular Information column pointed out that Zacharia was a longtime supporter of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory. She also claimed “there is a colony on Mars that is populated by children who were kidnapped and sent into space on a 20-year ride.” She has also stated that Trump was in charge of the U.S.
By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Contributor
military when out of office between 2020 and 2024. Between 1992 and 2024, wildfires more often started near roads than in designated wilderness areas of inventoried roadless areas. More than 1 million public comments opposing repeal of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule have been submitted, the Sierra Club stated. After former-International Criminal Court Judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump said he should have won eight Nobels, then vowed to cut off ICC’s resources and cripple its ability to operate against the U.S. Forbes reported that Pillay called the sanctions “negative and cruel” and “completely unlawful,” adding that heads of state have a responsibility to “respect international law.” The U.N. has warned against new technology that could be used to read citizens’ minds, The Times reported, adding that future applications could be used to “criminalize” people’s “innermost thoughts.” The Trump administration has lifted sanctions on Russian exports of diesel fuel, with critics arguing that Russia will use the funds for its yearslong war on Ukraine, various media reported. In other war news, international media reported that Ukraine’s drone strikes have crippled Russia’s largest data center and damaged others, resulting in tens of thousands of servers going offline and affecting everything from taxi services to social media bots and AI development. A Politico poll found that majorities of voters still wouldn’t cast ballots for Republicans even if the Iran war was ended, gas prices were lowered by $1 or 100,000 new jobs were created. Blast from the past: Ten years ago, The Washington Post broke the Access Hollywood story, wherein then-candidate Trump described his vulgar “dating” philosophy on tape, and said, “You can do anything” when you’re a “star.” Speaking from the Oval Office on Oct. 7, Trump said that as president, “I can do whatever I want, if I want.” He elaborated, saying he could have done “very bad things” and “illegal” things to certain political rivals, but went on to claim he didn’t since he sees the presidency as “a very sacred position.”
NEWS
PACs for and against Prop. 1 raise more than $2.5M in recent weeks Anti-Prop. 1 PAC raises nearly $1.5M, while supporters collect $630,000+ since Sept. 29 By Laura Guido Idaho Capital Sun The political action committee opposing Idaho’s Proposition 1 abortion rights initiative collected nearly $1.5 million since the end of September, buoyed by two large donations from churches. The Too Extreme for Idaho PAC, reported the previously announced $1 million donation from the Salt Lake Citybased Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Oct. 8. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise donated another $300,000 to the PAC opposing the initiative the next day. Since Sept. 29, Too Extreme for Idaho received $153,985 from 32 individual people and $1.3 million from four organizations, including the two churches.
Too Extreme for Idaho has raised a total of just over $4 million, campaign finance data shows. As of Oct. 12, the PAC supporting the initiative, Idahoans United for Women and Families, brought in more than $630,000 since Sept. 29. The largest donation came from the federal Government that Works PAC, based in Washington, D.C, which gave $250,000. Oklahoma-based billionaire philanthropist Lynn Schusterman donated $200,000 on Sept. 30, campaign finance data shows. Since Sept. 29, the PAC received $265,290 from 81 individuals and $370,000 from three organizations. In total, Idahoans United has collected more than $5.6 million. Independent expenditures for and against Prop. 1 total
more than $2.5 million Groups and individuals spent more than $2.5 million combined to support and oppose Prop. 1 in independent expenditures, which includes spending by organizations or individuals spent directly to support or oppose a ballot measure. The Idaho Secretary of State’s office in late September and early October began sharing a message with those filing campaign finance reports to request that any spending for or against a ballot initiative, constitutional amendment or advisory question be reported as an independent expenditure to help “voters more easily find and understand spending related to ballot measures.” The notice, first uploaded to the campaign finance reporting portal the last week of September and then updated
on Oct. 7, also asked filers to amend previous campaign finance reports to classify spending related to ballot measures as independent expenditures. This request is likely why this category of election spending seemed to jump significantly from a previous Idaho Capital Sun analysis of campaign spending data. Groups, including several county-level Republican central committees, as of Oct. 12 have spent more than $1.4 million to oppose the measure, campaign finance data shows. The anti-abortion group Right to Life Idaho PAC also reported spending more than $17,600 on advertising regarding the ballot measure, but reported its position as “N/A” in its campaign finance disclosure report. The same PAC reported a little over $1,000
Prediction market platform gives Labrador campaign $5,000 amid Idaho betting dispute By Sean Dolan IdahoEdNews.org Kalshi, an online prediction market platform, on Tuesday donated $5,000 to Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s campaign. The donation comes months after Labrador challenged the federal government over the state’s authority to regulate sports betting platforms. Kalshi lets users “predict” the outcome of events, including Idaho elections — and Labrador’s reelection. In a statement to EdNews, Labrador’s spokesperson Damon Sidur said the attorney general has always believed that states — not the federal government — should be setting gambling policy. “That’s why he has joined a brief to the Ninth Circuit and a comment to the CFTC, including against both Kalshi and the federal government’s position,” Sidur wrote in an email to EdNews on Oct. 13. “No campaign donation is
going to change his zeal to defend the laws of Idaho and its sovereignty.” The New York-based company has made $15,500 in campaign contributions to Idaho Republicans in the past month: • $5,000 to Labrador’s campaign; • $5,000 to the Idaho House Republican Caucus; • $1,000 to Speaker of the House Mike Moyle, R-Star; • $500 contributions to nine incumbents and candidates, including Sen. Lori Den Hartog, Sen. Ben Adams, Rep. Chris Bruce, Rep. Shawn Dygert, Rep. Kyle Harris, Rep. Rob Beiswenger, Rep. Dustin Manwaring, and candidates Scott Herndon and Josh Keyser. In March, Labrador announced in a press release and letter that he defended Idaho’s authority to regulate sports betting. Labrador joined a 39-state coalition challenging the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s
claim that it had “discovered the power to override state gambling laws nationwide.” “The CFTC now claims it found hidden authority in fifteen-year-old financial reform laws to override state gambling laws nationwide,” Labrador wrote. “Congress never granted that power, and Idaho will continue defending our right to regulate gambling as we see fit.” He explained that Kalshi and Crypto.com began offering sports betting in January 2025, and the federal regulatory agency stayed out of it for a year. Then new leadership took over the agency in late 2025 and argued that states have no authority to regulate these platforms. “The problem is Congress never granted the CFTC that authority,” Labrador wrote. Betting on elections Kalshi provides much more than sports betting. It is a “prediction market” that allows users to bet on how many
streams Beyonce will have this year, which team will win Thursday’s NFL game between the Seahawks and Broncos or if Labrador will win reelection next month. As of Oct. 13, Kalshi is hosting 24 “events” on Idaho’s elections with a combined trading volume over $500,000. The event with the most money on the line is the U.S. Senate race between Republican Sen. Jim Risch and Independent challenger Todd Achilles. Users have made $385,221 in bets on the race, which shows a 94.3% chance that Risch will win. Labrador’s reelection has the second-highest trading volume, at $42,896 in bets. Odds show he has a 96% chance to win over Democratic challenger Lori Hickman. Users can also bet on which ballot measures will pass, which firearm Idahoans will choose for the state gun and if Democratic candidate for governor Terri Pickens will receive
in opposition to the measure, campaign finance data shows. Too Extreme for Idaho led independent expenditure spending with over $1.2 million spent in opposition. Idaho Chooses Life also reported spending more than $66,000 to oppose the initiative. Idahoans United reported spending $1.1 million in independent expenditures to support the initiative. Boise Democratic Socialists of America, Incorporated spent just under $760, and Planned Parenthood Votes Idaho PAC reported around $330 to support the initiative. 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.
at least 36% of the vote. EdNews reported on prediction markets in April. Jonathan Krutz, a Boise State University professor emeritus who has studied gambling since the 1990s, told EdNews that platforms like Kalshi allow betting on events that can be manipulated and that others may have inside information about. As board chair of the nonprofit Stop Predatory Gambling, Krutz said he thinks the prediction markets should be stopped until there are regulations in place and staff to enforce the regulations. “There’s a reason why that has never been allowed before,” Krutz said. “It’s highly corruptible, and it shouldn’t be allowed now.” Idaho Education News is a nonprofit online news outlet based in Boise and supported by grants from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, the Education Writers Association and the Solutions Journalism Network. Read more at idahoednews.org. October 15, 2026 / R / 7
‘Yes’ on LOT will ensure all users pay for streets and sidewalks…
Barbs: • A reader reached out last week to offer a suggestion for a Barb. Nicky Pleass wrote in an email, “Hi Ben, Having donated the land for the Mickinnick Trail, I am not happy to find that someone has drilled a flag pole into the rock and raised the American flag up there.” Hopefully this serves as notice to anyone who feels the need to install permanent infrastructure on land that isn’t theirs. It doesn’t matter what your message or cause is; if you don’t own the land, you have no right to change it. Take only photos, leave only footprints. Or, to use a more colorful expression: Keep your damn hands to yourselves. • I’m tired, boss. I wish I could adequately explain to our readers how frustrating it is to work as a journalist today. We offer this paper free of charge to anyone who wants a copy. We do this not to get rich (insert long, bitter laughter), but because we believe in an informed community and a robust free press. We also believe elected representatives are beholden to the people. Take the Bonner County commissioners, for example. We cover their meetings every week, yet any time we reach out to them with a request for comment or verification of a particular point, they never respond. We send emails to state officials asking for important details about stories we’re working on and hear nothing but crickets. We host election forums so constituents can have access to candidates running for office and the majority of the Republicans running decline to participate. The worst part is, we keep electing people who don’t seem to care about the people they represent, so the cycle repeats and you’re all left more in the dark. The cycle needs to change, because this isn’t working for anyone anymore. 8 / R / October 15, 2026
Dear editor, To fellow taxpayers: I’m sure you aren’t thrilled with the prospect of a self-imposed tax — I know I’m not — but the prospect of additional dollars from all users is very appealing to me. Streets and sidewalks are expensive to build and maintain and there just aren’t enough dollars in an annual city budget to even keep up with minimal repairs, let alone the cost of overlays, chip sealing and the like. I encourage you to vote yes on the city’s local option tax ballot measure to get our goat trails in shape. Carrie Logan Sandpoint
Matthee is a strong advocate for worthy causes… Dear editor, Election Day is less than a month away. Letters to the editor provide one more avenue to learning about issues and candidates. And sometimes they provide insights into character. I am voting for Karen Matthee for Legislative District Seat 1A. She is a strong advocate for causes I support, such as fully funding public education, which is the cornerstone of our democracy. For years I volunteered in a first-grade classroom and marveled at how the teacher worked with a new group every year, of different backgrounds, and taught them how to work together and treat each other with respect and kindness. Another core issue is improving rural health care. Medicaid should be supported, not attacked at every session. Rural hospitals are struggling and deserve full payment. We need to bring back our doctors. She is highly principled, tenacious, and will work for all of us. Rae Charlton Sandpoint
Look past anti-Prop. 1 misinformation… Dear editor, I am shocked by the misleading information pushed by those who want to control and restrict health care for Idaho women. I offer some clarifications: Under Prop. 1, only medical doctors and nurse practitioners licensed and trained to provide care/ perform procedures can do so. Prop. 1 will help ensure safer
By BO
care. Threats of criminal penalties have delayed emergency treatment. Hospitals and doctors have navigated red tape for emergencies, such as ectopic pregnancies, while women’s health deteriorates. The loss of 35% of OB-GYNs has impacted care across the state, especially care for pregnant women in rural areas (JAMA, 2025). We are all acutely aware that local access to care has changed. We must restore common-sense health care for the women of Idaho. Prop. 1 is an important step to ensure all Idahoans receive the care they deserve. Vote yes on Prop. 1. Maria Dean, R.N. and health care ethicist Sandpoint
Clarifications on Prop. 1…
Dear editor, I have practiced as a certified nurse midwife for 40 years. I’d like to clarify misleading information in the letter “A Nurse’s Perspective” [Oct. 1, 2026]: •There is a concept “scope of practice,” which means a medical provider can only practice within their licensure and education — it’s why dentists don’t do heart surgery. •The “20% increase in OB-GYNs since pro-life” legislation reflects OB-GYNs who left Idaho maintain an active Idaho license. My husband, a pharmacist, had licenses in multiple states, but only practicing in Idaho. A license does not equate with practicing providers. •Prop. 1 does not change Idaho’s current parental consent law (S.B. 1239) which requires parental consent for any medical care, including a Band-Aid at school. •Prop. 1 would return medical decisions to the woman and her medical provider — not the woman, her legislator and her medical provider. Cynthia Dalsing, MSN CNM (ret.) Sandpoint
HJR 4 would tie voters’ hands…
Dear editor, On the 2026 November ballot is Constitutional Amendment HJR 4. However HJR 4 is not simply about citizens making decisions regarding the medical use, research or legalization of marijuana and other psychoactive substances. HJR 4 would establish a constitutional precedent removing an entire category of
“No fatties. No trannies. No beardos. No weirdos. No wimps. No radicals — JUST WARRIORS.”
— An Oct. 1 social media post from Secretery of Defense Pete Hegseth, who wants you to know he’s a really tough guy.
policy from Idaho’s citizen-initiative power, giving that authority to legislators and weakening an important check on legislative power. Idaho legislators don’t like voter initiatives. They passed laws in 1999, 2013, 2019 and 2021 increasing initiative requirements that, all except one, were vetoed or struck down by courts. If this works, we’ll see future similar constitutional amendments restricting Idahoans’ ability to decide other issues through the initiative process, such as education, health care or taxation. When lawmakers don’t listen, voters need to step in with initiatives, no matter the issue. Let’s not be fooled into tying our hands behind our backs. Georgia Earley Bonners Ferry
There’s no finer representative than Jane Sauter… Dear editor, As Idaho prepares for the upcoming election, the choice for District 1A House seat could not be more important. I’m writing to express my strong support for Jane Sauter, a lifelong “true” Republican who stands for the qualities that have made America the great nation it is. Having known Jane Sauter for many years and watched how she’s stood firm in her conservative principles — defending constitutional rights, protecting the unborn, supporting Second Amendment rights and much more — I cannot imagine a finer representative for conservative North Idaho. Jane isn’t a career politician seeking fame or recognition. She has come to serve and support her fellow constituents for the good of all. We need a representative of Jane Sauter’s integrity, moral compass and lifelong roots to help keep Idaho the sane state it has always sought to be. I urge my fellow neighbors to vote for Jane Sauter this November. Chris Peckham Hope
Kathryn Larson has a better tax plan than GOP candidates… Dear editor, Can you imagine what it would be like if we had even less funding for schools, roads, fire districts, emergency services and sheriff departments? That’s what would happen if property taxes and levies disappear. The Idaho Republican platform now calls for eliminating them, with no real plan for replacing them. Idaho collects about $2.3 billion a
year in property tax. Republican candidates Herndon, Rasor and Jane Sauter haven’t told us how they will balance the budget while maintaining services. State funding already falls short of the basics for schools and hospitals, so we run special levies. Without property taxes that tool is gone. Kathryn Larson understands this. Her platform emphasizes local control and fair taxation — like no tax on groceries. Property taxes make second homeowners pay their fair share for local services. Larson has targeted plans for reducing property taxes. Vote for Independent candidate Kathryn Larson, Idaho’s District 1B. Kate Painter Bonners Ferry
‘Steve Johnson is the right choice for our district’… Dear editor, I’ve been a Republican most of my life, representing neighbors on issues important to our district. I embrace my Republican principles, but I’m not a Scott Herndon Republican. None of his plans for Idaho are good. Independent Senate candidate Steve Johnson offers a common-sense alternative. A farmer, homebuilder, former educator, longtime Rotarian and respected citizen, he puts Idaho families first and opposes government imposing narrow religious beliefs. Herndon backed an unqualified West Bonner County school superintendent, displayed posters of aborted fetuses with his young daughters outside Sandpoint Middle School and seeks to end the Festival at Sandpoint. That does not represent me, and likely not you. His attention-grabbing antics embarrass me and raise concerns about what comes next. Johnson wants to represent us and make Idaho better for families. Herndon has different priorities. Vote Steve Johnson for Senate this November. He is as independent as Idaho and deserves your support. George Eskridge, 14-year Republican House representative Dover
Jane Sauter will protect your guns… Dear editor, When it comes to protecting our constitutional rights, Jane Sauter has made her position on the Second Amendment very clear. She is a member of Gun Owners of America and is endorsed by the NRA and Idaho 2nd Amendment Alliance. She has stated that she will stand firmly
< see LTE, Page 9 >
< LTE, con’t from Page 8 > against efforts to infringe upon the right to keep and bear arms. For many Idaho families, the Second Amendment represents more than the ability to own a firearm. It represents an individual constitutional right and the ability to protect yourself, your family and your community. Jane Sauter has consistently communicated where she stands on this issue. She says she will defend the Second Amendment and oppose efforts to disarm law-abiding Americans. That’s one reason I’m voting for her. Her record of stated positions, organizational memberships, survey responses and endorsements gives voters concrete information about her approach to gun rights. Yvonne Wilcox Hope
Rasor’s record is unimpressive… Dear editor, I’m thankful for Rep. Cornel Rasor’s timely newsletters of his work in the last session. Ironically, I am more opposed to him representing the first district than ever. He has consistently supported the Idaho Freedom Foundation, who push bills I find at least unnecessary, most often divisive, inadequate or financially useless for meeting the needs of everyday Idahoans. His Bathroom Bill is the worst. He sponsored it because one woman fearfully and ignorantly believes women in society are endangered by mannish-appearing women, some of whom I’ve met are not even trans. From a human needs (and rights) perspective, because I care about those things, I’m truly appalled by the harm that will be done to such folks as a result of this new law. It also brought Idahoans more statewide, nationwide and international humiliation. Clarice M McKenney Bonners Ferry
‘No friends of Idaho’s public lands’… Dear editor, Floods of advertising are upon us with claims from Gov. Little and Sen. Risch that they’ve been “protecting our public lands.” Their records show differently. Gov. Little accepted Trump’s directive for one-third of the nation’s nuclear waste to be stored above the Snake River Aquifer. He’s also supporting a gigantic data center on public lands near Boise. Both projects will need massive amounts of public water. Sen. Risch voted to give a foreign mining conglomerate access into Minnesota’s pristine Boundary Waters Wilderness to extract toxic sulfide ore. It’s a dangerous risk to our nation’s most visited public lands for canoeing, fishing and camping. His “national security” excuse falls apart because all the ore will be processed in Chile. Don’t be fooled by Little and Risch’s videos
strolling across wide-open vistas. Please vote for conscientious candidates: Terri Pickens for governor and Todd Achilles for Senate. Rebecca McGee Holland Sandpoint
‘Anti-Prop. 1: An appeal to imagination’… Dear editor, We imagine joyful pregnancies: fetuses grow and are welcomed into healthy and happy families to live healthy and happy lives. Imagine if I wasn’t born, or my sister or my daughter. Or my mother! But pregnancies often involve complications, one in four have more serious ones. Fetuses don’t make it or are severely incapacitated for life. The mother’s health or life is threatened. Someone else pays the price. We can’t change that by forcing births. We try to escape our own feelings and fears by damning others to their own private Hell. Only people involved in an actual situation can sort through the complexities and agony of abortion. Why force them to go through something we fear? Something we think we can control by being mean enough? Let’s vote on Prop. 1 with some compassion and some respect for other people’s rightful freedom to face, uncoerced, their own private lives. Nancy Gerth Sagle
‘Hey Idaho’… Dear editor, Hey Idaho, don’t you just love high fuel and grocery prices? Give a shout out to your GOP Congress members, Risch, Fulcher and Simpson. Like losing your Medicare and SNAP benefits? Your GOP representatives gave us the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Don’t forget Boise. Your GOP legislative representatives gave us vouchers for private schools, thereby reducing public school funding. Reductions in Medicaid? That’s also the work of your GOP. Let’s face it Idaho, your “representatives” haven’t listened to you in years! Little, Risch and Fulcher won’t even go face-to-face with
their opponents in a debate. Why should they? You’ve voted for the GOP like good little soldiers for years. There isn’t a candidate on the ballot with an “R” after their name that has earned the privilege and honor of receiving your vote. We can’t let this opportunity go by. Listen! Think! Learn! And, most important, vote on Tuesday, Nov. 3! Gil Beyer Sandpoint
Tax plan?… Dear editor, I am assuming that Scott Herndon has a plan in mind to replace the lost revenue if property taxes are eliminated; you know, public schools, roads, law enforcement, etc. Perhaps he’s going to promote a 50% surtax on all our Canadian visitors who are now flocking to our region, thanks to the overtures made by the Grifter-in-Chief. Ted Wert Sagle
Voter suppression in North Idaho?… Dear editor, After living in Sandpoint since 1998 and voting in every election I was eligible for, last week I received a letter from the Elections Office informing me my mail-in ballot would not be counted because my signature didn’t match what they had on file. I went into their office to show them my driver’s license proving who I am and asked why after nearly 30 years of voting in Bonner County I’m just now getting
questioned. The “D” in my name looked slightly different. This answer gave me pause. Even though in the 15 or so elections I voted in via absentee ballots before, I was never questioned about my authenticity until now. As a Democrat, I’m now wondering if what I’m reading about voter suppression in the national media has come to North Idaho. Drop off your ballots ASAP so your vote counts. Dennis Brady Sandpoint
Votes for Johnson, Larson and Matthee will benefit us all… Dear editor, Sadly there are candidates for the state Legislature who have no interest in actually serving the public. To them, “governing” equates to the Legislature lurking in our bathrooms, bedrooms, doctors’ offices and public lands, while assisting ICE in terrorizing our families, friends and neighbors. These are not serious people, and they will not represent the people of Idaho. Fortunately, there are other candidates who do understand the purpose of government, and are dedicated to providing and protecting the services and assets — such as quality public education, affordable and equitable health care, consumer protections, emergency services, overall public safety, public lands, clean water and air, and so on — that we all pay for and rely upon. Our votes for Steve Johnson, Kathryn Larson and Karen Matthee are votes for all of us. Seriously. Katharine Roser Sagle
October 15, 2026 / R / 9
Mad about Science:
Brought to you by:
oakville blobs By Brenden Bobby Reader Columnist We continue through October with another instance of unsolved mysteries. This is a story with twists and turns, and the potential of a massive government cover-up happening right in the Pacific Northwest. It could also be a big fat nothing burger, but it’s a lot of fun to speculate and explore. On Aug. 7, 1994, it was raining in Oakville, Wash. This was no ordinary rain, however. Residents of Oakville reported strange rice-sized globs of gelatinous goo covering everything touched by the rain. Officer David Lacey recalled the blob rain sticking to his windshield and the windshield wipers of his patrol car just smudged and made visibility virtually nonexistent. Other residents reported animals that consumed the jelly became sick and died. Residents fell ill, suspecting the mysterious blobs but unable to confirm. Resident Dotty Hearn as well as Lacey became violently ill and were hospitalized for three days after the event. Suspecting a correlation between the mysterious blobs and unexpected illness, residents sent samples to the Washington Department of Ecology and the Washington Department of Health, respectively. Both agencies returned conflicting results, with one saying it was of inorganic nature and the other saying it was organic. The samples disappeared and no official record remains of them. One interesting shared fact was that the samples appeared to have a cell-like structure yet were devoid of cell nuclei, which ruled out the potential of clusters of human white blood
10 / R / October 15, 2026
cells that had been speculated at one point. One hypothesis was that these were the remains of jellyfish that had been vaporized by military bombing runs off the Washington coast, but the lack of cell nuclei seemed to have disputed this. Additionally, the phenomenon was one of the only instances of this occurring, despite the presence of military drills continuing both off the coast and elsewhere without replicating the events of Aug. 7, 1994. Another proposed hypothesis was star jelly, which is a strange, gelatinous substance that seems to appear on grass, trees and other flora after a meteor shower. This is a very broad-reaching explanation for localized events, however, as “star jelly” has been proven to be a massive number of different things. Frogs eaten and regurgitated by predators will sometimes leave a slimy mass of eggs and goo behind with no other obvious sign of their having been there. During the spring, hundreds of thousands of frogs may appear and breed near water sources and provide a prime buffet for predators. Cyanobacteria can create a gelatinous sheath that swells up after rainfall, creating gooey spheroids that seem to have fallen from the sky. Additionally, multitudes of fungi will appear like carpets of slime or goo during fructification — a process by which fungi is growing to form a hard body. This can also appear to grow and swell during bouts of high precipitation. Though not well understood in 1927 when it was written, it was likely that the occurrence of star jelly played some part in the inspiration for H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, The Colour Out of Space, in which a meteorite impacts
A photo of gelatinous blobs taken by Alli McCrite a farm near Arkham, Mass., and a strange, gooey, alienlike creature poisons the countryside and drives people into complete madness. Interestingly, much of this story was tied to Lovecraft’s fascination with colors that humans are unable to see, but there are certainly elements of star jelly folklore encapsulated within the pages of the story. The mysterious blobs made their return in Rochester, Wash., 31 years after the original event in Oakville, which is just eight miles away. In April 2025, large translucent blobs appeared during the rain. Intrigued, residents of Rochester collected samples and submitted them for private testing. The answer wasn’t nearly as intriguing or mysterious as one would hope. The blobs in 2025 were polyacrylamide, or PAM, a chemical substance that is used for a huge range of applications. PAM is used in water treatment plants for flocculation. My new favorite word, “flocculation” is the process in which a chemical agent separates colloidal elements from liquid to form sedimentary floc. Essentially, if there are things in your water you want to separate to be able to use the water again, you would use polyacrylamide to do it. PAM’s reaction to swell in the presence of water also makes it an effective chemical for soil aeration and erosion control. It is commonly used in specialty planting mixes to reduce soil compaction when performing small-scale gardening and planting. The most identifiable use for polyacrylamide is for the Gro-Beast toys of the 1990s. They were spongy little guys in the shape of dinosaurs or monsters; and, once you
poured water over them, they would swell tremendously in size. These toys are nostalgic for me, and I’m delighted to know how they were made. While the blobs of Oakville may have been identified as polyacrylamide, the original samples are all gone, so there’s no definitive proof that this was the case. It’s still curious that so many people became so violently ill from exposure, when polyacrylamide is inert. Its precursor, acrylamide, is a potent neu-
rotoxin and carcinogen, but it isn’t known to be able to break back down into its precursor chemical. Even more perplexing, how did so much of it appear in Oakville? Where did it come from, and did it really rain from the sky or was it already dispersed throughout the community and simply activated by the rain? It remains an unsolved mystery to this day. Stay curious, 7B.
Random Corner ains? Don’t know much about mount ! We can help
• The Himalayas are home to 30 of the world’s highest mountains, including Mount Everest, which stands 29,031 feet above sea level. • Of the approximately 1,200 people who attempt to climb Mount Everest every year, only about half reach the summit. About 300 people have died (roughly six every year) attempting the climb over the past century; with dozens of bodies remaining frozen on the mountain. • Though Mt. Everest is the highest mountain above sea level, the tallest mountain measured from top to bottom is Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano in Hawaii, which measures 33,480 feet tall. • Located on Mars, Olympus Mons stands at a staggering 15.5 miles tall — three times Everest’s height. • Mountains are formed by three methods: accumulation (formed by volcanic eruptions), folded (formed by the clashing of Earth’s tectonic plates) and erosion (formed by extreme weather).
• Mountains significantly influence climate patterns, blocking the movement of air masses, which leads to the creation of rain shadow and affects precipitation on either side of the range. • The Andes is the world’s longest mountain range. It runs through seven countries and crosses the equator twice. • Young mountains, such as the Himalayas, are still rising due to ongoing tectonic activity. Old mountains, such as the Appalachians, have been eroded over time and continue to lose their height. • Mountains cover about 24% of the Earth’s total land surface. • Mt. Huascarán in Peru is the fourth highest mountain in South America. In 1970, an earthquake triggered an avalanche that enveloped the entire city of Yungay, leading to a death toll of more than 20,000 people. To date, it’s the deadliest avalanche in history.
PERSPECTIVES
Understanding Sandpoint’s Nov. 3 local option tax ballot question By Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm Reader Contributor If you’ve followed my time as mayor, you know I’ve focused on investing in Sandpoint’s infrastructure and catching up on maintenance and repairs that have been put off over the years. Our water lines, sewer system, streets and sidewalks all need attention. Much of that work goes unnoticed because it happens underground. Roads are different — we see, feel and use them every day. Roads are also what I hear about most from residents. People want to know when their street will be fixed, why the pavement keeps getting worse and why the city can’t do more. I understand the frustration. Here’s where things stand and what voters will consider on Nov. 3 to address the situation. The ballot asks whether Sandpoint should adopt a 1% local option sales tax for streets, sidewalks and transportation connections. My purpose here is to explain the proposal so you can make your own decision. If approved, the tax would run from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2036. After collection and administration costs, 75% of the money would go toward streets. The other 25% would go toward sidewalks, crossings, bicycle facilities, pathways, trails and transportation connections. You may remember a similar question in November 2024. More than half of voters supported it, but it fell short of the required 60% needed to become law. According to the Idaho State Tax Commission, 22 other Idaho communities have voter-approved local option taxes in place. When someone asks about fixing a street, it gets a little complex. For example, filling a pothole addresses an immediate problem, but it doesn’t necessarily fix the surrounding pavement or damaged material underneath. For other streets, rebuilding a road is required and that often means more than laying asphalt. Crews may need to replace damaged material underneath, rebuild the base and fix drainage. Timing matters, too. Sometimes treating the surface while a road’s base is sound can help it last longer. If we don’t perform this maintenance, deeper damage often occurs and bigger repairs become necessary. We attempt to balance maintaining decent roads with rebuilding failed ones; however, a dollar only goes so far. The city’s 2020 Pavement Condition Study examined about 51 miles of streets. The average condition score was 61 out of 100, and 21% were rated
“poor” or “very poor.” Those numbers describe conditions six years ago and the repair backlog has grown since. Our Multimodal Transportation Master Plan identified more than $100 million in transportation needs over 20 years. That includes road, walking and bicycle improvements — far more than our current annual funding can cover. With our current regular, ongoing funding, we can rebuild roughly one or two blocks a year, depending on the work involved. Grants and one-time budget allocations can help us do more in some years, but we can’t count on them every year. Residents also ask why we can’t move money from elsewhere in the budget. Council can change spending priorities, but some funds are legally restricted. Water and sewer payments can only support those systems. Other money pays for police, fire protection and park maintenance. In short, the whole budget isn’t available for streets, and cities are limited in ways to raise substantial new, ongoing road revenue. Another question is how much of the tax would be paid by people who live here and how much would come from visitors. Sandpoint serves as a shopping and service center for nearby communities, as well as a destination for tourists. Everyone making a taxable purchase covered by the proposal within city limits would pay the same 1%, whether they live in Sandpoint or are here for work, shopping or vacation. Ponderay has a similar 1% sales tax in place today. Our past local sales tax records show that taxable sales increased during the busier tourist months. So, what streets would be fixed first if the ballot measure is approved? Well, approval wouldn’t guarantee repairs to a particular street. Project choices would consider condition, safety, drainage, utility work, readiness and funding. If the measure isn’t approved, the tax won’t take effect. Road work would continue with existing funds, available grants and future budget decisions. You can read the ballot language at bit.ly/SandpointLOT and find voting information at bonnercountyid.gov/Elections-Home. I hope this helps answer some of the questions I hear about our roads and what the proposal would mean. The decision on Nov. 3 belongs to Sandpoint’s voters. Jeremy Grimm has served as Sandpoint mayor since 2024, served as Sandpoint city planner from 2007-2015 and is owner/land use planner at Whiskey Rock Planning + Consulting.
October 15, 2026 / R / 11
PERSPECTIVES
What do you do when hired hands won’t do the job? You fire them By Jim Jones Reader Contributor The framers of the U.S. Constitution would be saddened to see the constitutional scofflaws who are occupying space in Idaho’s congressional offices. Republican Reps. Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher gave their sworn oath that they would support the Constitution and faithfully perform their duties under that revered document. Yet, they have failed and refused to do so. It is time for voters to fire them and hire representatives who will set war, trade, tariff, spending and other policies, which are their constitutionally mandated duties. Our congressional layabouts are making life hard and unaffordable for many Idahoans. Simpson used to have an independent streak on natural resource issues, but he now follows each and every order issued by President Donald Trump. Whatever happened to the concept of checks and balances? Simpson asked for my support in 1984 to start his political career. As Idaho attorney general, I was glad to support him because he showed promise. That promise has faded and disappeared in recent years. I miss the old Mike Simpson. That Mike would not have crowed about joining the Sharia-Free America Caucus. He is obviously unaware that Sharia is not a
set of laws, but the pathway that many Muslims follow in serving God. It is a religious doctrine. Simpson is essentially spouting religious bigotry in violation of the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom. Perhaps he should provide a scrap of proof that Sharia beliefs have violated state or national laws. Simpson brought to mind the provisions written into Idaho’s 1890 Constitution attacking the religious doctrine of a major faith in the Gem State. It was shameful lawmaking, designed to deprive Mormon settlers of the right to vote and hold public office. The outright religious discrimination was reprehensible then, and it is reprehensible now. If Mike is so desperate to garner votes that he would play with violating the religious freedom of many who live peacefully in Idaho and across the nation, it is time for him to retire. That, plus his refusal to perform his duties under the Constitution, has convinced me to vote for Ellie Gilbreath. She will breathe new life into constitutional governing. Ellie Gilbreath is a truly remarkable woman. It has been impressive to watch her campaign in every corner of the Second Congressional District. She is concerned about the desperate plight of our agricultural industry, resulting from the unconstitutional war in Iran, as well as the
dramatic funding cuts that Simpson supported in the Big Beautiful Billionaire Bill last year. Those cuts will devastate modest income Idahoans when they fully kick in next year. Ellie listens to people and offers reasonable solutions to address their legitimate concerns. She will be a courageous, problem-solving U.S. representative. Fulcher has never distinguished himself in Congress. He has been a back-bencher, supporting practically everything the president requires of him. Notably, he is a founding member of the Sharia-Free American Caucus. At the same time he has played footsie with Christian nationalists. Sarah Zabel, a retired Air Force major general, is running against Fulcher as an Independent. She retired after 32 years of service, including senior leadership roles at the Defense Information Systems Agency, U.S. Cyber Command and the Pentagon. Zabel has been endorsed by Veterans for Idaho Voters, a cross-partisan veterans group that supports constitutional government — the kind of government that veterans put themselves at risk to serve and protect. Her top issues are fixing Social Security so that all Americans can count on it, bringing down health care costs, getting the national debt under control, protecting Idaho’s public lands, making life affordable for Idahoans and properly funding veterans programs.
Fulcher has two viable opponents, Zabel and Kaylee Peterson. I admire Peterson for her two previous runs against Fulcher. I supported her both times. She is tenacious and correct on the issues. Drawing on my own experience in running against an entrenched incumbent (I ran for Congress against ultra-conservative Congressman George Hansen twice, first in 1978 and again in 1980, losing both times). I decided twice was enough. In my estimation, Zabel has the better chance of replacing Fulcher. Both Fulcher and Simpson sit on their hands, saying nothing, as the president spends taxpayer money on propaganda ads on TV, enriches himself and his family with all sorts of corruption and continues a useless war that has jacked up prices for gas, diesel and every other essential for American families. It is definitely time to throw the do-nothings out and replace them with people who are anxious to support our sacred Constitution. Jim Jones is a Vietnam combat veteran who served eight years as Idaho attorney general (1983-1991) and 12 years as justice of the Idaho Supreme Court (2005-2017). He also publishes at substack.com/@jjcommontater.
BONNER GENERAL Welcome Dr. Ron Barrett!
UROLOGY
Specialty care continues to grow at Bonner General Health. Our new Urology Clinic, led by Dr. Ron Barrett, offers comprehensive community-based care for a wide range of urologic conditions, including kidney stones, BPH, hematuria, vasectomies, and cystoscopies. Now, expert urologic care is available closer to home, reducing the need to travel for many common procedures.
Bonner General Urology | (208) 265 - 3342 | www.bonnergeneral.org 12 / R / October 15, 2026
COMMUNITY
Masterpiece Ball at the Hive to benefit POAC
Two attendees of the 2025 Masterpiece Ball. Courtesy photo By Reader Staff If you see dogs playing poker while dancing, Edvard Munch’s “Scream” enjoying a cocktail and Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe sipping Champagne while bidding on silent auction items, you could only be in one place: The Pend Oreille Art Council’s second annual Masterpiece Ball. The unique fundraiser takes place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24 at The Hive (207 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint). Tickets are $50 and include Champagne, hearty hors d’oeuvres and desserts catered by Ivano’s, and live music by favorite local band Harold’s IGA Proceeds raised from the event will benefit the myriad of community programs sponsored by the nonprofit arts organization, including educational programs such as Kaleidoscope visual art instruction in local elementary schools, Ovations performing arts access for students, Expressions art classes for teens, Art for Life for area seniors and affordable art classes for adults in the Joyce Dillon Studio. POAC also hosts annual community events including ArtWalk, the Arts and Crafts Fair in downtown Sandpoint and the Artist Studio Tour. The 48-year-old organization also partners
to support the free Sandpoint Summer Series in Farmin Park and Shakespeare in the Park. POAC’s Gallery at 313 N. Second Ave. in Sandpoint showcases and supports local artists by displaying their artwork and hosting monthly gallery events. The Masterpiece Ball is a unique event in which attendees are invited to dress as their favorite artist, piece of artwork, art genre, get colorful or just come as you are to support POAC’s artistic mission. In addition to eats and drinks, guests are also invited to peruse an array of fun silent auction and raffle items. There will be a photo booth to capture the spirit of the evening and a costume contest with prizes to celebrate attendees’ creativity. “The success of this event is essential to POAC’s ability to provide Sandpoint with all the popular programs that our community has come to love and value for nearly five decades,” stated POAC Executive Director Tone Stolz. “We invite you to come support the importance of the arts in all of our lives, and especially to support arts education for local kids ... and we guarantee you’ll also have fun doing it!” Tickets are on sale now online at artinsandpoint.org, by phone 208-2636139 or at the POAC Gallery, 313 N. Second Ave., in downtown Sandpoint.
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FEATURE
Sandpoint’s silent residents
An exploration of local cemeteries, Part 2
By Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff
Wandering the grassy paths of any of Sandpoint’s historic cemeteries, it’s hard not to wonder what cruel twist of fate might have sent each grave resident to their eternal slumber. Luckily for those with a macabre curiosity, the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum has compiled an online archive of all the area’s historic newspapers, which invariably cataloged citizens’ lives and deaths beginning as far back as 1892. Mamie Walters, 1893-1923: Ferry accident Young nurse Mary Alice “Mamie” Walters tragically lost her life while on an evening “errand of mercy” crossing the Pend Oreille River in Laclede. She was accompanying Dr. Roscoe Jackson in his Dodge sedan to see a patient in the Hoodoo Valley when, while still aboard the Laclede Ferry at dusk, the car rolled forward and plunged into 60 feet of water. “No outcry came from the car as it submerged beneath the dark waters of the river, and was lost to the sight
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of ferryman J.M. Dawson and several other passengers who, in another car, were accompanying the doctor upon his call,” reported Northern Idaho News. Speculation immediately followed the tragedy, with some arguing that the old doctor thought they’d reached shore and began driving, while others believed that the vibrations of the engine and the ferry knocked the car into neutral and faulty brake lines did the rest. A diver and tugboat with attached crane were brought in to recover the wreckage, following the trail of motor oil left by the sunken car. The diver, wearing a borrowed diving suit with a
mostly broken air hose, reported that the car was barely damaged — no windows had broken, the ignition was on and the vehicle was left in neutral. “The bodies, he said, were in the back seat where they had evidently been thrown by the lurch of the car as it went off the ferry, or by the action of the river current after both passengers were dead, or as they drowned, trapped in the ill-fated sedan,” wrote the News. Lena Papa, 1904-1923: Murdered Mrs. Lena Papa, née Ferraro, belonged to an “industrious and peace-loving” Italian family, which was destroyed in what the Pend d’Oreille Review dubbed the “Palm Sunday Tragedy.” Lena had married her husband, Philip Papa, at the age of 17 — just one year earlier — but the relationship was doomed from the start. Philip dragged her from one dead-end job to the next, frequently taking money from her family, until, following morning mass, Lena and her mother, Mary Ferraro, decided it was time for a divorce. They discussed this in the kitchen in front of Philip and Lena’s 14-year-old brother, Sammy, who got the sense Philip didn’t like the conversation. He told his mother and sister that they needed to leave, but
Left: Mamie Walters’ tombstone at Lakeview Cemetery. Right: Lena Papa’s grave at Pinecrest Memorial Park. Photos by Soncirey Mitchell they ignored him. Philip then went into the next room and returned with an Iver Johnson .38 revolver. “He walked directly to Mrs. Ferraro, put the muzzle of the gun against her head and fired twice. One bullet entering through her left cheek, and the other through her left temple,” reported the Review. Lena died the same way; however, Sammy was able to dodge at least two bullets and escape to the police. When the authorities arrived, Philip had shot himself twice — once in the chest and once in the head. “When the officers arrived, all of the bodies were upon the kitchen floor, lying amid pools of blood, and with their brains oozing from the gaping fractures in their skulls,” stated the Review. Responding officers considered the case closed upon finding the note left by Philip, reading: “No life for me anymore because my wife she not love me at all; so I kill her first and — goodbye — goodbye — Philip Papa — goodbye to all.”
COMMUNITY KNPS explores native plants and shoreline erosion By Reader Staff The Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society will host a presentation on how native plantings can be used to manage shoreline erosion and restore wildlife habitat along Lake Pend Oreille. Presented by Senior Park Ranger Shane McKinley, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the seminar begins at 10 a.m on Saturday, Oct. 17 at the First Presbyterian Church (417 N. Fourth Ave., in Sandpoint). Arrive 30 minutes early to enjoy coffee, tea, treats and conversation. “When the Albeni Falls Dam Project was completed in 1955, it fundamentally changed how the system functions with shorelines, water levels, hydroperiods, established flood plains
and more,” stated organizers. Lake Pend Oreille currently holds a summer pool of 2,062.5 — plus or minus a half a foot — then fluctuates up and down by 11.5 feet throughout the rest of the year, KNPS program organizers stated. Fluctuating lake levels make establishing and maintaining riparian ecosystem health more difficult. McKinley will share the Corps’ historic, ongoing and future planned work to restore native plant communities along the shorelines as part of its Environmental Stewardship Program. KNPS programs are free, open to the public and co-sponsored by the Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Department with support from the East Bonner County Library District. Visit nativeplantsociety.org to learn more.
BTAA distributes free pet vaccines By Reader Staff In partnership with Petco Love, local nonprofit Better Together Animal Alliance will provide free pet vaccines throughout autumn at its headquarters (870 Kootenai Cutoff Road, in Ponderay). The free clinical services are part of the Vaccinated and Loved campaign, which has provided more than 4 million free vaccines across the U.S. “It’s more than just a single shot. It’s about preventing disease in the long term, protecting communities and opening the door for families and pets to a lifetime of care,” stated Petco Love President Chelsea Staley. Free appointments are available at bettertogetheranimalalliance.org for
both dogs and cats, providing vaccines that protect against the most common deadly viruses. Dogs receive DAPPv Canine vaccine, which protects against distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza and parvovirus, and cats receive the HCP Feline vaccine, which inoculates against rhinotracheitis virus, feline calicivirus and feline panleukopenia virus. “For nearly half of the pet parents we surveyed at free clinics powered by Petco Love, these events are how they make sure their pets get vaccinated,” added Staley. “For families who haven’t yet established a veterinary care routine due to access barriers, free vaccine clinics are often the very first step they take — where they first connect with trusted veterinary guidance.” For more information, contact BTAA at 208-265-7297.
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COMMUNITY WaFd Bank Foundation grants $1,500 to Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc. By Reader Staff In recognition of its ongoing efforts to help feed homebound seniors throughout the community, WaFd Bank Foundation recently awarded Sandpoint Area Seniors, Inc. a $1,500 grant. The funds will ensure access to nutritious meals and reduce social isolation among older generations in Bonner County. “Sometimes building community looks like helping fund a large project, and sometimes it looks like making
sure one of our neighbors has a meal,” stated Alisha Kowalski, WaFd’s Sandpoint assistant branch manager. “Both matter. This grant is about supporting the people who have helped build our community and making sure they continue to feel cared for and connected.” SASi volunteers cook and deliver meals to individuals’ homes in addition to stocking its regular cafe, Monday through Thursday, at 820 Main St. L-R: SASi Operations Manager Jessie Vachon and WaFd Learn more at sandpointareaseniors. Bank Assistant Branch Manager Alisha Kowalski. Courtesy org.
PBR hosts ‘Rally for the Ranch’ at Matchwood By Reader Staff
Free Estimates ISA Board Certified Master Arborist
208.610.4858
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Sagle nonprofit Panhandle Bike Ranch will hold a community fundraiser at Matchwood Brewing (513 Oak. St., in Sandpoint) to help mitigate costs of application and legal fees while the mountain biking course works to reopen next summer. Due to an ongoing land use designation dispute with Bonner County, PBR shut down July 8, and is in the process of reapplying for its second
conditional use permit. “We’re pursuing a conditional use permit (approved twice before) and appealing the injunction, possibly up to the Idaho Supreme Court, aiming to reopen for the 2027 season,” wrote organizers. “Legal fees are now one of the biggest costs standing between us and getting the park back open to the public.” The all-ages fundraiser will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and include live music, raffles, a kid’s coloring contest, complimentary appetizers and
updates from the nonprofits on trail improvements and past and proposed future programs. PBR has previously hosted its Honor and Ride program, giving free access to veterans and their families; Grit and Grace women’s events; and Saddle Up and Send It, which provides trail access, transportation, bikes and helmets for underprivileged youth. Learn more at panhandlebikeranch. com.
COMMUNITY Panida Board pledges $10K match in fall fundraising drive By Reader Staff Sandpoint’s iconic historic Panida Theater is kicking off its annual fall fundraising campaign, with members of the Board of Directors pledging to contribute a collective $10,000 to match the first $10,000 donated by community members before their Tuesday, Oct. 27 meeting. The effort seeks to raise a total of $25,000 by Oct. 27, dedicated to operating funds. “We’re asking our community to invest in the Panida’s future, and we’re going first,” stated Panida Board Chair Amy Flint. “Our board members believe deeply in this wonderful historic theater and are confident about where it’s headed. We hope the community will join us.” Next year marks the theater’s 100th
birthday, and funds raised during the fall campaign will support staffing, utilities, insurance, maintenance and programming. This appeal is separate from the Panida’s Century Fund, which remains active in support of a series of capital improvements to the historic theater. The annual membership meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, October 27, at the theater (300 N. First Ave., in downtown Sandpoint). The meeting will include a report on the past year, a look ahead to 2027 and voting by current members on nominees to the Board of Directors. Donations can be made online at panida.org or mailed to Panida Theater, P.O. Box 1981, Sandpoint, ID 83864. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Farmers’ Market closes year with annual Harvest Fest By Reader Staff The Sandpoint Farmers’ Market will close out its regular season with the annual Harvest Fest on Saturday, Aug. 17, with extended hours from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The festival celebrates the end of the growing season by giving back to the community with a Bonner Community Food Bank Fundraiser. As always, the market takes place in and around Farmin Park, near the intersection of Main and Oak streets, and features live music and dozens of local vendors. Businesses selling everything from fresh produce, baked
goods, honey and cheese to handmade crafts like pottery, clothing and jewelry will line the park and adjacent section of Oak Street. Attendees who bring a donation of prepackaged food, fresh produce or necessities like toothpaste and toilet paper for the food bank will receive a raffle ticket. One lucky winner will receive a gift basket filled with goods donated by the market’s farmers, artists and bakers. For more information, or to view the most requested donations, visit sandpointfarmersmarket.com/harvest-fest.
Festival at Sandpoint to unveil 2027 Fine Arts Poster By Reader Staff The Festival at Sandpoint will unveil its 2027 Fine Arts Poster Competition winner on Thursday, Oct. 22 at a community celebration at the Pend d’Oreille Winery Tasting Room (301 Cedar St., in downtown Sandpoint). The event runs from 7-8 p.m. and will give attendees the opportunity to chat with artist Heather Mehra-Pedersen. Though the Festival previously announced that local pallet knife painter Mehra-Pedersen had won the competition, the poster and its title remain a secret. Attendees at the Thursday celebration will be the first to see the piece, which will define the Summer Music Series’ 2027 image. “Mehra-Pedersen is a contemporary
artist known for bold, large-scale palette knife paintings that blend abstract expression with impressionistic details,” wrote organizers. “Her work pairs recognizable subjects with unexpected color palettes, rich textures and dynamic movement, capturing the feeling and atmosphere of a scene rather than simply its physical appearance.” Thanks to Mehra-Pedersen’s donation, the original artwork will go up for auction Oct. 22, with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit’s year-round music education and outreach programs. The auction will remain open until the final performance of the 2027 Summer Series on Sunday, Aug. 8. Learn more at festivalatsandpoint. com/posters or view Mehra-Pedersen’s work at heatherscolors.com.
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events
October 15 - 22, 2026
Send event listings to calendar@sandpointreader.com THURSDAY, October 15
Live Irish Jam w/ Seamus 5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge Paint & Sip w/ Holly Walker 5:30-7:30pm @ Barrel 33
Weekly Pool Tournament 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge
FriDAY, October 16
Live Music w/ Tim G. 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Live Music w/ Tucker James 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Live Music w/ Buckley Storms Duo 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge Live Music w/ Hot Cheetos 5pm @ Connie’s Lounge Live Music w/ Waterhouse 5-7:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co.
250 Express: An American Piano Journey 1 7pm @ Little Carnegie, Music Conservatory Join MCS pianists Matt Goodrich and Melody Puller for 12 American piano masterworks. Pre-concert roundtable 6pm Copper Mountain Band in concert 7pm @ The Hive Country rock band. Livefromthehive.com
Live Music w/ Headwaters 9pm-midnight @ 219 Lounge Live Music w/ Frytz Mor 6-9pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Live Music w/ Jonathan DeJung 5:30-8:30pm @ Barrel 33
Live comedy w/ Jonathan van Halem 7pm @ The Heartwood Center Learn more/get tickets: mattoxfarm.com 250 Express: An American Piano Journey 2 7pm @ Little Carnegie, Music Conservatory Second night offers American piano music exploring blues, tango, nostalgia and more Celebration of American Music 2pm @ Little Carnegie, Music Conservatory Special concert with MCS faculty playing a selection of American works
SATURDAY, October 17
Live Music w/ Carli Osika 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge Live Music w/ Carson Rhodes Band 5-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Live Music w/ Glizi / DJ Lady Oda 7:15-11pm @ The Hive SIFF opening night w/ DJ Lady Oda at 7:15pm, a short film at 8:30pm, Glizi from 9-11pm Sandpoint Chess Club 9am @ Evans Brothers Coffee Celtic Folk Jam 3-6pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
SunDAY, October 18
Live Music w/ Fiddlin’ Red 1-4pm @ Barrel 33
Make-It Monday: Decoupage lanterns 6pm @ MickDuff’s Beer Hall Join Indi Johnson and create fall lanterns using glass, napkins. $32 Trivia 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority SIFF: R-Night 6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority A showcase of slightly darker films from the festival lineup. Free to attend, for ages 21+
BBQ for a Cause: The Ponderettes 4-6pm @ Smokesmith BBQ Smokesmith will donate 10% of sales to help the SHS Dance Team
monDAY, October 19
Outdoor Experience group run 6pm @ Outdoor Experience 3-5 miles, all levels welcome
Monday Night Blues Jam w/ John Firshi 7pm @ Eichardt’s Pub
tuesDAY, October 20
Candidate forum: Dist. 1, BoCo candidates invited 5:30-7:30pm @ Sandpoint H.S. auditorium Moderated by Chris Bessler, hosted by Sandpoint Online, Daily Bee, KRFY, Reader. Will be livestreamed on 88.5FM
Beginner Argentine tango class 6pm @ Embody Center, 823 Main St. No partner needed. $20 SIFF: Documentary screening: Sally! 6:30-8pm @ The Heartwood Center ($10)
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Rally for the Ranch: Panhandle Bike Ranch community fundraiser 5:30-7:30pm @ Matchwood Brewing Co. An all-ages community fundraiser. Live music, appetizers, gear raffle, kids’ coloring contest, trail updates The Marquis Crossing Ladies Society’s First Attempt at Murder (play) 7:30pm @ Circle Moon Theater (Newport) A hilarious comedy farce by Pat Cook. Dinner starts at 6:30pm Sandpoint Idaho Film Fest opening night 5-11pm @ Various locations (Oct. 17-24) Kick off the inaugural film fest with short films screened around town. sandpointidahofilmfest.com for a list Harvest Fest 9am-2pm @ Farmin Park Sandpoint Farmers’ Market closes out the season with entertainment, vendors, food booths, activities and more The Marquis Crossing Ladies Society’s First Attempt at Murder (play) 7:30pm @ Circle Moon Theater (Newport) Live Music w/ Jenny & Rich 6-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery
SIFF: Local Idaho Filmmaker Showcase 1pm @ Little Panida Theater Screenings of independent films produced here in Idaho. panida.org SIFF: Sandpoint Cinema Takeover 5-8pm @ Sandpoint Cinema, Ponderay Anne Packard at 5pm, NALOX at 6:30pm. sandpointidahofilmfest.org Live piano w/ Chris Lynch 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Lake Pend Oreille Toastmasters meeting 5:45-7pm @ Sandpoint Library Lpotmsandpoint@gmail.com
wednesDAY, October 21 Open mic / open jam
Live piano w/ David Speight 5-7pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Live trivia w/ Toshi 7pm @ Connie’s Lounge
Festival at Sandpoint 2027 poster unveiling 7-8pm @ Pend d’Oreille Winery Check out Heather Mehra-Pedersen’s 2027 fine arts poster for the Festival Murder mystery: Little Shop of Horrors theme 5:30-7:30pm @ Barrel 33
Tapped in with Davey 5pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
6-8pm @ Idaho Pour Authority
ThursDAY, October 22 SIFF: Local filmmaker spotlight 6-8pm @ Eichardt’s Pub (upstairs) Screening of Caution: Terrain. Max capacity of 40 people, so arrive early
Live bluegrass Jam w/ Dan 5:30pm @ Connie’s Lounge Weekly Pool Tournament 6pm @ Connie’s Lounge
STAGE & SCREEN
Sandpoint Idaho Film Fest ready for its close-up By Reader Staff The curtain is about to rise on the long-awaited inaugural Sandpoint Idaho Film Fest, with a week of screenings and special events throughout town, culminating with an Audience Choice Award and secret closing-night film. From Saturday, Oct. 17 through Saturday, Oct. 24, movie lovers will have the opportunity to see flicks and celebrate at 11 venues over the course of the festival, beginning with the Hollywood-themed Opening Night Film Crawl starting at 5 p.m. at Matchwood Brewing Company (513 Oak St.). Individual selections will also play multiple times at Utara Brewing Company (214 S. Pine St.), Pivo Peaks Alehouse (119 N. First Ave.), The Bank (105 S. First Ave.) and Idaho Pour Authority (203 Cedar St.) at 5:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. The night ends with a 21+ afterparty featuring DJ Lady Oda from 7:15-8:30 p.m., one more movie at 8:30 p.m. and local band Glizi headlining from 9-11 p.m. at The Hive (207 N. First Ave.). Day 2 on Sunday, Oct. 18 is the local Idaho Filmmaker Showcase, with 10 selections from 1-4 p.m. highlighting independent works by creators
from around the state at the Panida Little Theater (300 N. First Ave.). The Sandpoint Cinema Takeover follows on Monday, Oct. 19, with two feature-length films screening for $5 each from 5-8 p.m. at Sandpoint Cinemas (300 Bonner Mall Way, in Ponderay). Get your ID out for R-Night on Tuesday, Oct. 20, when six of the festival’s slightly “more dark” entries will play to a 21+ crowd from 6-8 p.m. at IPA for a $5 suggested donation. A documentary on activist Sally Gearhart will screen Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Heartwood Center (615 Oak St.). Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and admission is $10. The short documentary Caution: Terrain — nominated for the Made in Idaho Award and focused on backcountry adventure — is on the schedule from 6:30-8 p.m. upstairs at Eichardt’s Pub (212 Cedar St.). The final two nights of the festival will center on the Panida Theater, with a Friday, Oct. 23 showcase of favorite entries ranging from dark comedy to action sports, along with a raffle for a snowboard from 7B Boardshop and more. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, with the program
New York comedian Jonathan van Halem takes over Heartwood Center
UPCOMING EVENTS AT JOIN OUR COUNTDOWN to a
YOUR PANIDA THEATER00 CENTURY of ENTERTAINING SANDPOINT!o
Idaho Film Fest Presents OCT Sandpoint Local Idaho Filmmaker Showcase an exciting variety of independent films produced right here in the Gem State
Sunday, 1 pm, doors noon, in the Little Theater
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By Reader Staff Fresh off his job on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Brooklyn-based comedian Jonathan van Halem is stopping by Sandpoint for a special stand-up show on Saturday, Oct. 17. The long-awaited performance, hosted by Mattox Farm, will take place beginning at 7 p.m. at the Heartwood Center (625 Oak St.). Van Halem’s career has taken him to some of New York’s top comedy productions, including 50 First Jokes, Newcomers at the Bell House and One Liner Madness. Not only is van Halem’s work famous through The Onion’s Clickhole and multiple viral shorts, but his New York comedy show Hot Gossip has sold out enough times to have even been recommended by The New York Times. According to his website, his com-
running from 7-9 p.m. The finale will also run 7-9 p.m. for $20 advance and $25 at the door of the Panida, with yet more screenings — including a mystery final entry — award celebrations and a silent auction for an unlimited 2026-’27 Schweitzer season pass. Festival programs have been distributed at locations throughout Sandpoint, including Eichardt’s, Matchwood, Pivo Peaks, Evans Brothers, IPA, Utara, The Bank, MickDuff’s, Outdoor Experience, Alpine Shop, Sandpoint Cinemas, WinterRidge and 7B Boardshop, including full details on films and QR codes for ticket purchases and to vote for their favorites throughout the festival. Those votes will decide the festival’s Audience Choice Award, which will be presented on the final day of the festival. A new film scholarship has been launched following the success of the Sandpoint Idaho Film Fest’s fundraise, and all fest-related info is available at sandpointidahofilmfest.org.
monthly meeting OCT regular Panida Community Board Meeting in the Little Theater, 302 North First Ave.
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5:30 pm Sandpoint Idaho Film Fest Presents
Idaho Filmmaker Showcase OCT Local this inaugural Film Fest is serving up the best of two nights of film submissions
23-24 Jonathan van Halem. Courtesy photo edy “is typically enjoyed by women with bisexual energy [and] men who’ve never been in a fight.” If that isn’t you, well, show up anyway — you’re still almost guaranteed a laugh. Learn more about van Halem at jonathanvanhalem.com. Tickets are $20 for this 21+ show at mattoxfarm. com.
7 pm, doors 6 pm
meeting for board reports & elections OCT yearly Panida Annual Membership Meeting
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in the main theater, 300 North First Ave.
6 pm
the heart of downtown
300 North First Ave. Sandpoint, ID (208) 263-9191 panida.org October 15, 2026 / R / 19
FOOD
The Sandpoint Eater
By Marcia Pilgeram Reader Columnist I’m home, after three weeks of international travel that included escorting my ladies’ group through Greece, then heading off on a scouting mission through Sicily and Istanbul. And everywhere we went, people wanted to feed us. From the rooftop of a friend’s Turkish carpet store to a catamaran on the Mediterranean, food was always part of the welcome. There is something so wonderful about a table filled with good, local food. It brings people together, starts conversations, creates memories and reminds us that some of life’s best moments happen when we slow down to share a meal — no matter where in the world we are. Back home, I’m reminded that for some of our neighbors here in Bonner County, putting food on the table is a daily worry. Rising grocery prices, unexpected medical bills, job changes and other personal crises can turn an ordinary trip to the grocery store into an impossible balancing act. That is why I was so happy, even after 30 hours of air travel, to make it home last week in time to attend Ending Hunger, Bite-by-Bite, benefiting the Bonner Community Food Bank. The evening brought our community together for food, fun, and a wonderful cause. Admittedly, it would have been even more fun had I won the auction package, which included five friends and me being picked up at my home in a firetruck and whisked away for dinner at the fire station. Imagine the entrance! I was already mentally assembling my guest list, but alas, my bidding paddle — and probably my bank account — weren’t up to the challenge. Apparently, dinner in a firehouse is a hot ticket! 20 / R / October 15, 2026
Beyond the fun and fabulous food, the evening had a much bigger purpose: helping ensure our neighbors don’t go hungry. The Bonner Community Food Bank’s mission is straightforward and compassionate: to provide supplemental food to people in our community during times of personal crisis. Its vision reaches even further — to create a Bonner County where everyone facing a crisis receives nutritional support and access to resources that help them build a thriving future. The need has grown dramatically. The food bank now serves approximately 3,100 households a month, up from about 1,800 in 2021. Those numbers represent more than statistics on a page. They represent families trying to stretch a paycheck, seniors living on fixed incomes, parents who want to put nutritious meals on the table for their children and neighbors who may never have imagined they would need help themselves. That is what makes an
evening like Bite-by-Bite so meaningful. Food has a remarkable way of bringing people together, and our local restaurants did their part, serving sublime bites in support of a cause that reminds us why we love gathering around a table in the first place. Kudos to 113 Main, Baxter’s, Beet and Basil, Flavors of Phoenicia, Marigold Bistro, Opa, Spuds Waterfront Grill, Sweet Lou’s, The Bank, Ponderay Winery, The District, Little Spoon Bakery and Passionately Eclectic for showing up and sharing their delicious wares. What a wonderful way to demonstrate that good food can do good things! And did I mention the 219’s cocktail station, situated just steps away from my tired feet? Every bite, every contribution and every act of generosity helps support the food bank’s work throughout the year. Executive Director Debbie Love and the many volunteers, donors and supporters who give their time and energy remind us that a commu-
A lot of love nity is more than the place where we live. It is the way we care for one another. And speaking of love, the evening had plenty of it. Debbie’s extended family filled two tables, offering a particularly heartwarming reminder that the Love family takes its name — and its mission — seriously. Food banks must keep their shelves stocked long after a fundraising event is over. The holidays, in particular, bring additional pressure as families try to provide special meals while managing already tight budgets. There are many ways to help. Organize a food drive at work, school or church. Add a few extra items to your grocery cart for donation. Make a contribution or encourage your neighborhood to get involved. Financial donations are especially valuable. The Bonner Community Food Bank is also preparing for a move to Ponderay in December, marking another important chapter in its ongoing work. Growth brings new opportunities as well as new challenges.
Sausage and kale soup
Change requires planning, resources and plenty of helping hands. It is one more reason to keep this important organization on our radar. Food is comfort. Food is connection. And, when shared generously, food is love. So the next time you’re planning a meal, shopping for groceries, or gathering friends around your table, consider how you might help another family do the same. Add an extra bag of groceries to your cart or double a batch of soup to share. As I write this, I have a pot of sausage and kale soup simmering on the stove, and I’m looking forward to ladling some into containers for nearby neighbors. It’s a small gesture, but sometimes the simplest things mean the most. After all, whether we’re dining in Istanbul, bidding on a firetruck dinner or sharing a bowl of homemade soup right here in Bonner County, the best part of any meal is knowing we belong at the table.
Easy to make substitutions for vegetarians (use veggie stock) and add cannelloni beans in addition to the potatoes (Yukon gold will hold their shape the best). Serve with hot crusty bread and a little Parmesan on the side. Yields 8 servings.
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
• 2 pounds ground Italian sausage (hot or mild) • 1 large onion • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 2 tsp Italian or bouquet garni seasoning • 4 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced • 10 cups chicken broth • 1 large bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped • 2 cups half and half • Salt and black pepper, to taste • Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice • Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
In a large soup pot, cook sausage over medium heat, breaking it into crumbles. Drain excess grease. Stir in onion and cook until soft for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour or so. Add potatoes and cook until they are tender. Add beans if using. Stir in kale and simmer for another 5-10 minutes, until wilted and tender, then slowly whisk in half and half until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan.
MUSIC
This week’s RLW by Zach Hagadone
READ
By Zach Hagadone and Soncirey Mitchell Reader Staff Alongside its jollier cousin in December, Halloween is as much a feeling as a specific date on the calendar. Critical to that feeling, of course, is the musical accompaniment. For the second year in a row, we’ll present a handful of suggested entries for your Halloween playlist each week in October. Will Wood and the Tapeworms Will Wood and the Tapeworms’ discography feels like listening to at least two, maybe three, different bands rolled into one. At one moment, the group has a classically creepy vaudeville, dark cabaret sound, complete with morbid singsong lyrics, accordions and seemingly upbeat instrumentation rendered sinister by minor chords. (These are such Halloween-worthy songs as “Skeleton Appreciation Day in Vestal, NY” and “Hold My Shovel, I’m Going In!”) In the next moment, well, it’s still all that, but with a hard-rock spin that borders on screamo. These songs — “Mr. Capgras Encounters a
Secondhand Vanity,” “Dr. Sunshine is Dead” and “Thermodynamic Lawyer, Esq, G.F.D.” — are like a musical manifestation of mania. Listen on Spotify. AAAH!BBA Comedian Brian David Gilbert is most known for his YouTube content and voice acting roles, but whether he’s writing, acting or directing, he always manages to work his love of music into everything he does. Anyone who prefers Ghostbusters to The Ring and night terrors should listen to his 2021 extended play AAAH!BBA, a series of five Halloween-themed ABBA parodies. Highlights include “Lay All Your Love On Me” as sung by Count Dracula, “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” by Victor Frankenstein and “Money, Money, Money” by a mummy. He gives each parody a gothic or ragtime flair complete with ridiculous accents to match. Listen at briandavidgilbert.com. I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME From the name alone, it’s clear that I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND
ME’s music is meant to be as unnerving as it is catchy — a goal that indie-rock artist Dallon Weekes meets and then some. His songs like “Choke” and “Mx. Sinister” are spooky season staples for both their eerie take on alt-pop and the fact that they sound as though they’re sung from the perspective of a serial killer (in a fun way). “Absinthe” and “SPKOTHDVL” are likewise bass-heavy, worthy additions to any October playlist that are also just addicting to listen to. Find everything on idkhow.com. ‘Necromancin Dancin’ How could we resist a “Tune of Terror” with lyrics like, “When I’m necromancin’ / Everyone’s dancin’ / No one can stop me, I dare you to try / The dead are infused with sensational groove / And they’re coming for you now, there’s nowhere to hide.” That’s from Bear Ghost, the Phoenix-based, self-described “adventure rock band” whose name alone would put it in the running for our Halloween soundtrack. This particular track is a jumpy pop party banger that doesn’t skimp on the spooky organ work, ripping guitar riffs and lyrical
playfulness that includes gems like, “Yeah (bust a move or you’ll lose) / The dance of the dead (they’ll swarm all over you) / Get out there and shred (it’s a zombie footloose) / And make some evil.” Find it on YouTube. ‘The Ghost of Stephen Foster’ The venerable Squirrel Nut Zippers is well known for playing a leading part in the late-20th and early-21st century mini-revival of Big Band-style swing and ska-infused jazz, and among the band’s most enduring tracks is 1999’s “The Ghost of Stephen Foster” — a rollicking funhouse of a tune that (sort of) imagines a spectral encounter with the iconic composer of the mid-1800s, who dispenses such wisdom as, “Ships were made for sinking / Whiskey made for drinking / If we were made of cellophane, we’d all get stinking drunk quite faster.” That’s pretty memorable, but even more indelible is the retro-cartoon inspired video accompanying the song, which is still racking up views on YouTube well into its second decade following the original upload.
A snapshot of notable live music coming up in Sandpoint Copper Mountain Band, The Hive, Oct. 16
Carli Osika, Connie’s Lounge, Oct. 17
Every time Montana-based country-classic rock power group Copper Mountain Band comes to The Hive it’s a major event, and has cemented it as one of the region’s favorite groups — able to get the party going at any venue, from honkytonks to county fairs and beyond. Founded almost 20 years ago, in 2007, CMB has toured the U.S. and ventured as far afield as France, bringing its voluminous catalog of
For those of us who were born in the 2000s (frightening, I know), Carli Osika has a nostalgic voice that harkens back to the peak singer-songwriter era that had a chokehold on us in the 2010s. Her music is on the country side of talents like Lenka and Ingrid Michaelson, making her original songs easy to listen to with just a touch of bite and southern twang. Thanks to her skillful singing in addition to
covers and originals to enthused audiences, led by the inimitable passion of fiery lead vocalist Jacque Jolene. Bonus: Come early to the Friday, Oct. 16 Hive show for line dancing. — Zach Hagadone
Line dancing: 7:30-8-30 p.m., $10 to the instructor, not included in your entry. Show: 8:30 p.m.; $10 adv., $15 at the door; 21+. The Hive, 207 N. First Ave., 208-9209039, livefromthehive.com. Listen at coppermountainband.com.
her classic talent on the guitar, it’s no wonder that KSPS PBS chose to feature Osika on its 2025 Inland Sessions program. Whether playing solo or as a member of Prairie Fire Band, this pop-Americana singer is always worth a listen. — Soncirey Mitchell 6 p.m., FREE. Connie’s Lounge, 323 Cedar St., 208-2552227, conniescafe.com. Listen on Spotify.
Written by Walter Sheldon and published in 1954, “Two Plus Two Makes Crazy” is a short sci-fi vignette that imagines a future in which humans have offloaded the task of running civilization to a computer “super intelligence.” While the technology operates on infallible mathematical logic, that doesn’t always bode well for its living tenders. Read it at gutenberg. org and see if it rhymes with anything you’ve seen in the news lately.
LISTEN
It bears repeating that HorrorBabble should be on your listening rotation all year, though especially during the Halloween season. Narrated by Ian Gordon, with occasional special guests, the podcast of weird fiction and vintage scary stories is available for free on YouTube, Bandcamp and horrorbabble.com, which is a literal screaming deal considering its top-notch production value and the exposure you’ll get to a mountain of mad tales spanning a century.
WATCH
The Netflix limited series East of Eden, based on author John Steinbeck’s most ambitious and complex novel, is nice to look at and more or less engaging, but I’m going to have to give it a provisional 6.5/10. My big beef: The show is far too kind to its psychopathic villain Cathy Ames. Granted, Florence Pugh is her usual unassailable self in the portrayal of Steinbeck’s most notorious antagonist — full of icy fire and self-centered malevolence — but the showrunners have made her just a little too sympathetic, if not downright likeable.
October 15, 2026 / R / 21
BACK OF THE BOOK
Feverish From Northern Idaho News, October 17, 1922
FOUND GUILTY OF LIQUOR IN POSSESSION Mrs. Hannah Folden, who a year ago was convicted on a liquor charge, was yesterday found guilty on another charge which was the result of a raid made at her place, the White lunch counter, Sept. 23, when a quantity of liquor was found by the sheriff’s force. Mr. Folden wept on the stand, but Deputies Malkson and Decker testified that she offered them $50 if they would substitute water for the moonshine they found. The law makes a second conviction a felony in such cases and provides a penalty of imprisonment. Mrs. Folden, through her attorney, Myrvin Davis, appealed the case and furnished a bond of $750.
KU KLUX KLAN HOLDS MEETING AT GRANITE The News’ correspondent from Granite reports a meeting of the Ku Klux Klan in that village Saturday night. The report states that the meeting was held in the Methodist church: that there were 20 members present, wearing robes and that two of the number lectured.
LITTLE GIRL DIES FROM OPERATION ON TONSILS Gladys, the seven-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Hildreth of Kootenai, died yesterday at the Bernd hotel, following an operation upon her tonsils. The funeral will be held from the Kootenai church tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock, with burial in the Boyer cemetery. 22 / R / October 15, 2026
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff I don’t know about the rest of you people, but I could do with a breakage in our political fever at the midterms. It’s dire to imagine how little more this can all go before imploding with senseless rage, exhausted resignation or both. We have a president who is clearly in the final throes of a decadeslong psychotic break that combines the vile excess of Caligula with the frenzied final days in Hitler’s bunker, watch parties for a primetime public execution, a billionaire class of degenerate techno-fascist wackos who act like the French Revolution never happened, a former-ambassador a shakedown to pay her Amex bill, active genocidal imperial wars, mega-storms fueled by a collapsing global climate and the beggaring of three whole generations of people who supposedly live in the Greatest Nation on Earth but for some reason need a subscription app to complete even the most basic tasks. It’s enough to make a person long for a prolonged EMP burst and return to subsistence farming. That’s not likely to happen (or at least not in a way that would be remotely bucolic). Rather, what I’m fearing is the permanence of an “inflationary mindset,” which I heard described by Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack during a recent episode of PBS News Hour. Essentially, she said that regardless of whatever “good news” we might receive regarding the mass of hyper-fictions that we shorthand as “the econo-
my,” the real danger is that producers, retailers and consumers will adapt to ever-increasing prices as a fact of life and adjust accordingly regardless of real conditions. Anticipating never-ending supply shocks, producers and retailers will preemptively pad their pricing to maintain margins. To protect themselves from the expected predation of supply-side profit-seeking — and assuming the buying power of their dollar will perpetually erode due to mysterious forces beyond their control — consumers then assume their position in the parasitic relationship and dutifully pull out their credit cards for short-term maintenance of daily life while guaranteeing long-term penury. Essentially, if we all just shrug and reckon we’re perpetually going to be screwed, it won’t matter if there are policies proposed or adopted to fix or even improve things — we’ll mindlessly maintain the very systems that screwed us in the first place. It’s a case of economic Stockholm syndrome that clears the ground for establishing a perpetual post-industrial peasantry, with all the socio-cultural, political and religious degradation, domination and victimhood that implies. Whoever you’re planning to vote for and why, my plea is that your decisions are rooted in rejecting the grifters who benefit from this cyclical dysfunction, which I propose is the real partisan battle of our age. It’s not Republicans or Democrats, nor Independents, Libertarians, Constitutionalists or whatever — it’s between the thieves and cynics and those who support the constructive power
STR8TS Solution
Sudoku Solution
of community as translated through actual governance to the benefit of the most and harm to the least. This shouldn’t be an idea with which it’s hard or controversial to agree. However, that “inflationary mindset” has already trickled down to practically every level of everyday American life. The good-intentioned parents, preachers and teachers have told and taught us to strive toward finding ourselves on the right side of social, economic and political justice, but every example of “success” — from government to finance, technology and pop culture — invites us to ceaselessly angle toward the upside of injustice. That’s the mentality of too many of our leaders and their followers, and the weight of these accumulated crooks is too much to bear. So, on Nov. 3, throw out the bums and reject the bums waiting in the wings. Who knows how many more opportunities we’ll have to do so before the fever breaks or takes us.
Crossword Solution
It’s sad that a family can be torn apart by something as simple as a pack of wild dogs.
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Solution on page 22
By Bill Borders
algid /AL-jid/
Woorf tdhe Week
[adjective] 1. cold or chilly “She shivered uncontrollably after stepping out into the algid winter wind.”
Corrections: In the Oct. 8 article “Prior sexual assault allegations against commissioner candidate made public,” we reported that Commissioner Asia Williams requested a legal review of Commissioner Ron Korn’s decision to remove the Oct. 6 meeting recording from the county’s YouTube page, and that she instructed staff to reupload the video. Given new information from Williams, we now know that Korn requested the legal review, and that Williams did not instruct staff; rather, she believes “that responsibility lies” with Korn. We regret the errors.
CROSSWORD
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Laughing Matters
ACROSS 1. Vista 6. Water vapor 11. Fables 12. Place to pray 15. Yard of a house 16. Standards 17. Greek letter 18. Indicates 20. Whichever 21. Unfeeling 23. In the center of 24. Excavates 25. Component used as fertilizer 26. Citrus fruit 27. All right 28. Peddle 29. Avenue (abbrev.) 30. An essay 31. Makeup brand 34. Deadly virus 36. C 37. Death notice 41. Found on most beaches 42. Transgressions 43. Mother 44. Glimpse 45. Asterisk 46. Snakes 47. Encountered 48. Blank book page 51. Shack 52. First letters 54. Thumb through
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56. Clear up 57. Anklebone 58. Anagram of “Stere” 59. Flair
DOWN 1. Height 2. Yellowish brown 3. Antiquity 4. Require 5. Slave 6. Foray 7. Attempted 8. Consumes food
9. Consumed 10. Glacial deposit 13. Clone 14. Cheers 15. Taxonomic category 16. Advertisements 19. Innocent 22. Like a lanai 24. Graduation certificate 26. Molten rock 27. Distant 30. Types of dessert 32. Not new 33. Category
34. Ancient ascetic 35. A Christian denomination 38. Self-consciously timid 39. Driving force 40. Flavor 42. Fashions 44. Arab ruler 45. Someone who is owned 48. Dossier 49. Cultural doings 50. Decree 53. Craggy peak 55. Travel by plane October 15, 2026 / R / 23