Scott Maben

Lawyers for a pair of Coeur d’Alene ministers think they have a strong case for establishing a religious exemption for businesses to refuse to take part in same-sex wedding ceremonies – one of the goals of opponents of the recent Supreme Court decision striking down gay marriage bans as unconstitutional.

A judge reluctantly agreed to another delay Wednesday in the case against a North Idaho man accused of killing a Coeur d’Alene police officer in May. First District Senior Magistrate Barry Watson rescheduled the preliminary hearing for Jonathan Daniel Renfro to Aug. 26 – 16 weeks after Renfro allegedly shot Sgt. Greg Moore. At the hearing, the judge will determine if the prosecutor has enough evidence to proceed to trial.

The mighty wheel, ingenuity and whimsy came together Sunday in an eclectic celebration in Coeur d’Alene’s Riverstone development. Kinetic Fest challenged creative types to assemble human-powered vehicles for a parade and design competition. And they showed up – on skates and scooters, on tricycles and go-carts, in a rolling rowboat and on a quadricycle built for four.

A young girl bitten by a rabid bat near Liberty Lake is receiving a series of vaccine injections to prevent rabies. The girl’s mother, who had contact with the bat but was not bitten, also is receiving treatment, the Spokane Regional Health District said.

A wildfire near Bayview has destroyed at least six structures and forced evacuations.

At least three houses near Bayview, Idaho, went up in flames Sunday afternoon in a fast-moving wildfire that began near the Lake Pend Oreille shoreline, raced up a steep hillside and chased residents from dozens of cabins and homes.

A fast-moving wildfire overnight forced rural residents near Quincy, Washington, to flee their homes and has burned at least five structures, Grant County officials report.

If ever there was a year to be extra careful with fireworks, this is it, fire officials say. Extremely dry conditions and more hot days ahead have them nervously watching the approaching holiday. “In well over 20 years it’s never been this dry,” said Jim Lyon, fire inspector with the Northern Lakes Fire District serving Rathdrum, Hayden and Twin Lakes.

The playground is in, the lockers are up and the maple flooring is down in the gymnasium. It even has that new-school smell.

A Kootenai County judge agreed Wednesday to enter new charges, including first-degree murder, against the man accused of killing Coeur d’Alene police Sgt. Greg Moore last month. First District Senior Magistrate Barry Watson agreed to new charges filed by county Prosecutor Barry McHugh. In addition to the murder charge, Jonathan Daniel Renfro faces seven gun-related felony charges.

A Kootenai County judge Wednesday morning agreed to enter new charges, including first-degree murder, against the man accused of killing Coeur d’Alene police Sgt. Greg Moore.

At what point does an Ironman melt? This weekend could reveal the answer. Record heat is expected to roast the region as tens of thousands of people head outside for two of the biggest community events of the year.

Car d’Lane was born in 1990 when Idaho was celebrating its statehood centennial. A group of classic and antique car owners in Southern Idaho organized a motoring tour of the Gem State, and more joined the caravan as it snaked north into the Panhandle.

You’ll see polished Mustangs and Thunderbirds, Bel Airs and de Villes, Packards and Corvettes on display in downtown Coeur d’Alene this weekend. But for a real change of pace at Car d’Lane’s raucous Friday night cruise, wait for Little Boy Blue to turn the corner.

Last month’s dustup over John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” in Coeur d’Alene high schools has not stirred a wave of volunteers to help the school district review a tall stack of other books. School officials were hoping to attract a couple dozen community members to read works of fiction and nonfiction used in grades 6-12 to make sure the books meet district standards and student interests. As of Tuesday, just one person had applied to sit on the new ad hoc committee on literature. The deadline is next Wednesday.

School’s out for summer, and the school cops are headed to the beach. Crowds flocking to downtown Coeur d’Alene, City Beach, Tubbs Hill and nearby parks this summer will be greeted by six of the city’s school resource officers. They volunteered for a pilot program to beef up patrols of those popular destinations, tackling problems such as heavy drinking, loitering, fighting, property crimes and dogs at large.

In a tribute to a hometown hero, a bronze statue of Maj. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington was dedicated Saturday evening at the Coeur d’Alene Airport-Pappy Boyington Field in Hayden. The famed Marine fighter pilot, born in Coeur d’Alene in 1912, led the Black Sheep Squadron in World War II. He downed 26 enemy planes before he was captured by the Japanese and spent 20 months in a prisoner-of-war camp. Boyington received the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. He died in 1988.

HARRISON, Idaho – The Harrison Creamery and Fudge Factory is nearly impossible to pass up. Maybe it’s the quaint and charming façade, the colorful displays of fudge in the front window or the aroma of fresh-baked pie seeping out onto the sidewalk. Maybe it’s the memories of creamy, cold ice cream on hot days on Lake Coeur d’Alene.