Becky Kramer

"Snow Falling on Cedars" will continue to be part of the Coeur d'Alene School District's curriculum, despite some parents' objections to adult material in the novel. The school board voted 3-2 Monday night to keep the book as an option for high school junior English classes. Teachers can assign it or make it optional reading. Parents and students who object can ask for another assignment, said Jim Facciano, curriculum director.

With Washington's minimum wage now the highest in the nation at $8.07 per hour, Mindy Ledbetter is surprised she doesn't see more job applications from Idaho residents. "You can go just five miles and make more money," Ledbetter, manager at the Liberty Lake Subway, said last week as her staff prepared for the sandwich shop's noon-hour rush. "$5.85 compared to $8.07 – that's huge."

A shaken employee showed Dharamjit Khehra the racist note she'd found tucked between the front doors of Piggie's Deli and Market in Coeur d'Alene. Should she just throw it away, the employee wondered?

Carri and Mark Berglund recently overhauled their finances, paying off about $10,000 in loans, cutting up credit cards and starting a disciplined savings plan. The North Idaho couple, both in their mid-40s, knew what they should be doing. But it took a series of personal finance sessions paid for by Carri Berglund's employer to move them from intent to action.

Kootenai County's Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to deny a Nevada developer's request to build a French-themed luxury golf development overlooking Lake Coeur d'Alene. It was the second time in two years that commissioners said no to the Chateau de Loire project.

Forrest Schmeling earned his living on the water, wearing cork boots and herding logs across Lake Coeur d'Alene. For 32 years, he captained tugboats, primarily the Florence Lee.

LOOKOUT PASS, Idaho – The snow was light; the crowds were heavy. Lookout Pass Ski Area opened Thursday minus the foot of fresh powder that resort officials had hoped for on opening day. Hundreds of skiers and snowboarders showed up anyway, reveling in the Inland Northwest's inaugural day of skiing.

In the world of post-Thanksgiving shopping, even the early bird bargain-hunter sometimes comes up empty-handed. Kim Collins, of Spokane, had already missed out on an MP3 player marked down $50 at Shopko when she filed through the doors to the north Spokane Kmart as it opened at 6 a.m. Friday.

The Zenn electric car started up so noiselessly that Gordon Ormesher turned to a puzzled test driver, saying, "It's on." A bit of pressure on the pedal, and the Zenn – which stands for Zero Emissions No Noise – glided out of the parking lot at Go Green Electric Cars in Post Falls, the Inland Northwest's first electric car dealership. Curious bystanders watched the Zenn roll down the street at a stately 20 mph.

When she needs her newspaper stopped, or even someone to intercept a manuscript shipped to her house while she's traveling, author Ann Louise Gittleman contacts her bank. Not the institution you typically turn to for concierge service. But having a concierge at her disposal is one of the perks of banking at Idaho Trust National Bank.

The thousand-gallon aquarium is gone, the fishing tackle a thing of the past. White's Boots, a 102-year-old Spokane sporting goods store, is headed in a different direction. Although the company's sales have grown by 11 percent for two straight years, the fishing gear wasn't profitable, said Gary March, president and CEO of White's Boots. When he assessed how to best compete with the newly arrived Cabela's and other big-box retailers, it became obvious which way to go. Boots have always been the mainstay of the company, located near the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center. So White's Boots is doing a $250,000 remodel that will add both retail and manufacturing space. Instead of looking at bass and walleye in an aquarium, customers will be able to watch boots being crafted by hand.

The nation's housing market crisis is making itself felt at Inland Northwest sawmills. Most lumber produced here is shipped to Chicago, Denver and the East Coast, areas where new home construction is down sharply.