For Laurie Branham, being an entertainer at the North Idaho State Fair was like taking a step back in time.

The staff and crowd provided down-home goodness she doesn't receive at other fairs. It has her looking forward to returning next year.

"I feel like it was 75 years ago, the way America used to be, when people connected with each other," Branham said on Monday as she finished loading her truck and Puppets and Players Little Theater trailer before hitting the road for her next fair. "I have never had a sweet experience as I did at this fair"/Brian Walker, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.