Amy Cannata

Terry Werner has so many projects on his plate that he posts a scorecard on his wall just so he can keep track of them all. The Post Falls public works director is currently overseeing improvements at wastewater lift stations, water line upgrades, the renovation of a new street and fleet facility at the site of the former Post Falls Mazda, sewer line extensions and the expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

Almost a month after the Hayden City Council denied a request to annex the proposed Hayden Canyon development into the city, developers of the twice-rejected project are still weighing their options for building on the site. This is the second time that the city turned down Hayden LLC’s annexation request for the 618 acres just north of the Hayden city limits.

COEUR d’ALENE – A national guru for simple, organic living will open her first MaryJanesFarm retail store Friday in Coeur d’Alene’s Plaza Shops, selling linens, kitchenware, soaps, candles and furniture, and offering cooking and sewing classes. MaryJane Butters, of Moscow, Idaho, is instantly recognizable with her trademark blond braid. The self-described simple farm girl made a name for herself as a proponent of natural and fun farm living. In addition to selling her many products, Butters publishes a magazine, has written books and runs a bed and breakfast and farm school. Her Moscow farm attracts visitors from all over the world.

A new infusion of cash is giving the Coeur d’Alene Visitor Bureau a greater reach into Canada to sell Coeur d’Alene as a tourist destination not just during the summer, but also in the fall, winter and spring. The bureau was recently awarded $407,000 from the Idaho Travel Council, $60,000 more than the grant Coeur d’Alene received in 2007.

Several local highway projects were recently made the beneficiaries of the indefinite postponement of a new intersection at Lancaster Road and U.S. Highway 95. Among them is a long-delayed project to build a crossing or interchange at Greensferry Road and Interstate 90 in Post Falls.

POST FALLS – A tumultuous summer for the Post Falls Urban Renewal Agency has culminated with the resignation of the group’s executive director. Luke Malek is leaving to attend law school at Gonzaga University. His resignation is effective Sept. 7.

POST FALLS – Post Falls officials have been scrambling in recent weeks to cut $92,000 from the city’s 2009 budget after the state recently reduced revenue projections for the city. Department heads had requested about $3 million in additional personnel, operating expenses and equipment above and beyond their 2008 budgets.

Call it the summer of Post Falls. First it was the community’s first fireworks show. Next, city officials moved into a brand-new City Hall. Now it’s an outdoor food festival.

A local option vehicle registration fee designed to raise money for local road projects will make the November ballot in Kootenai County after all, thanks to a change of heart among Harrison officials. The $24-per-car fee was looking like it wouldn’t make it to voters after Kootenai County commissioners and the city of Harrison passed on it earlier this summer.

HUETTER – Huetter is little more than a blip on the Kootenai County map, but the tiny town of 100 residents could soon mark a new spot in Idaho elections law. An ongoing dispute over whether two elected town officials are eligible to serve their terms in office has been appealed to the Idaho Supreme Court.

POST FALLS – A weekend fire skirted Q’emiln Park, but Post Falls parks officials remain alert to the dangers that fires pose for the city’s natural parks. Unlike ball fields and playgrounds, parks like Q’emiln, Black Bay, Corbin and Treaty Rock are particularly vulnerable to accidental and intentional fires. Filled with native trees and shrubs, these parks lack the highly watered lawns that protect more developed parks.

The controversial 823-acre planned Foxtail housing project north of Post Falls was approved for annexation Tuesday night in a split vote that required Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin to make the final call. “If you put it on my shoulders, you live by my decision,” Larkin said.

COEUR d’ALENE – North Idaho College rolled out the combat mats last week to promote its law enforcement training program to visiting officials tasked with determining whether the college can serve as a regional police academy. Several people from the Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training council were on hand to ask questions and tour the classrooms and other regional facilities. Those committee members will be making a recommendation in the next two months on whether to pursue an official training arrangement with NIC or contract with another group to open a North Idaho academy.

Imagine a trailhead where people can stop for a day hike, students can learn about nature and tree lovers can walk in the forest canopy. Now picture that trailhead just a heartbeat from the Rathdrum city limits.

Stagnant recycling rates in Post Falls are prompting city and waste disposal officials to launch a new campaign to encourage people to sort more newspaper, aluminum and plastic out of their garbage. Since Post Falls residents were first offered curbside recycling about 10 years ago, recycling rates have held steady, with about 33 percent of households participating in the recycling program. In 2007 that amounted to 334 tons of newspaper, aluminum cans, tin cans, plastic jugs and cardboard.

A brazen Post Falls burglar entered three unlocked and occupied homes over the weekend, startling three women as he looked for valuables to steal. The man was captured early Saturday by Post Falls police after one woman’s husband chased him out of their house. “He admitted to being on methamphetamine and looking for something to pawn for a quick fix,” said Post Falls police Lt. Pat Knight.

Coeur d’Alene Paving is one step closer to building an asphalt plant near Rathdrum, and will likely know by next week whether Kootenai County commissioners will allow the controversial facility. Many neighbors oppose the plant as well as a recent conversion of 20 acres of agricultural land on the overall site to mining land. Kootenai County commissioners approved that swap last week, allowing the company to switch designations on the neighboring 20-acre parcels. This week they will tour Coeur d’Alene Paving’s Athol asphalt plant before making a determination next Thursday on whether to approve the company’s application to operate a plant on its property off Highway 53 near Rathdrum.

In a town that can often be overrun by visitors during the summer months, a new series of events is designed to appeal to local families looking for a good time. “Sherman Alive!” kicks off Thursday in downtown Coeur d’Alene as a weekly Thursday evening street fair featuring a variety of different themes throughout the summer.

Opponents of the proposed 1,800-home Hayden Canyon housing development are preparing for a long fight following a recent hearing on the project in front of the Hayden City Council. A group of property owners neighboring the proposed development, located just north of the Hayden city limits, has joined to form the nonprofit corporation High Density Development Hurts to organize and raise money for their work.

A growing population, rising material prices and declining federal grants and gas tax funding have combined to place Kootenai County highway districts and towns on a dead end road when it comes to keeping up with road repairs and transportation needs. Now local transportation officials are scrambling to secure a new funding source for construction and maintenance projects, and are pushing for a $24 local option vehicle registration fee.