COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Born addicted to crack and raised in a meth house, a North Idaho teen faced an uncertain future. But today, Samantha Jernstrom is proving that despite the odds she has what it takes to succeed.

“It's definitely been a tough road. My mind frame that I'm set in is just do it. Make something of myself,” Jernstrom said, while waiting for a class to start at North Idaho College on Wednesday.

 Twice a week, she carts around a heavy backpack filled with books on the Coeur d'Alene college campus. At first glance, the 17-year-old looks like your typical student.”My first semester I can honestly tell you was so hard. I took chemistry, walking in blindfolded is how I can describe it,” she joked about her decision to take college classes as a high school junior as part of NIC's dual degree program. KXLY  Full Story.

Why do some kids with rough backgrounds beat the odds and succeed while others with far more advantages flounder?

H/T Sam Crawford

COEUR d'ALENE - The city of Coeur d'Alene won't fine a former City Council candidate for not filing an updated 2010 campaign finance disclosure report.

Former Seat 2 challenger Jim Brannon terminated his report in February 2010, and contributions and expenditures after that went to court costs associated with the legal suit that followed the election, Brannon said in a letter to the city.

The letter was dated Jan. 31, the deadline to file 2010 reports.

The city said Thursday it won't argue with that interpretation since Idaho law doesn't contradict it.

“We're not going to pursue anything, (the attorney general's office) didn't express any interest in pursuing anything, so that's kind of where it is,” said Mike Gridley, city attorney.

While 2010 wasn't an election year for a city seat, the 2009 election turned into a yearlong court case, meaning two former Seat 2 candidates were still accepting and spending money in 2010 tied to the 2009 campaign. Tom Hasslinger, Cda Press Full story.

Thoughts?

Are you worried about how the upcoming Fourth Street repairs will affect you or the businesses you frequent?

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/may/21/cda-businesses-prepare-street-work/