Susan Drumheller

Jim MacDonald, owner of MacDonald's Hudson Bay Resort, says the park service "doesn't gain a thing by closing the road." Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review

The issue that spawned a petition drive and an election less than a year ago failed to bring a protester to City Hall Tuesday. At a Post Falls City Council public hearing over tax-increment financing, the council unanimously agreed to pursue the method of funding private projects.

Post Falls leaders could officially decide their town is a "disadvantaged border community" at a hearing Tuesday evening.

Overcrowding in Coeur d'Alene middle schools has the school district weighing drastic options, from discontinuing kindergarten to building an entire school out of portable classrooms. The short-term options include moving sixth grade to the elementary schools in place of kindergarten and double-shifting at the middle schools.

Disgruntled over high taxes and snailpaced school improvements, some Bonner County residents want to carve their school district into three separate chunks. "They see all these millions coming into the school district and they don't feel that anybody's getting their fair share," said Carol Pietsch, a state legislator from Sandpoint who's become the unofficial spokesman for the petitioners. The Bonner County School Board tonight will discuss a petition to radically restructure the school district.

Educators are as worried about pornographic potholes on the information superhighway as anybody else. As KootNet coordinators fret over network "servers," baud rates and budget lines, they're also contemplating how to keep kids from the Internet's dark side.

Carol Jackson, from Post Falls School District, struggles during a teachers workshop at NIC for the KootNet computer network. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Ormesher Jr.

1. Steve Schenk, dean of college relations at North Idaho College, checks the cabinet work of the newly built luxury home constructed by NIC students. The home, in the Lock Haven development outside of Hayden Lake, will be raffled this weekend. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review 2. Some 4,000 tickets at $100 each were sold for tonight's raffle of this home build by NIC students. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

Along with their swim trunks and picnic baskets, some residents of the upscale Gem Shores neighborhood on Hayden Lake bring guns to the beach. The little sandbar at the base of their hillside haven hasn't been a relaxing getaway since Brad St. John bought property there three years ago, neighbors say.

A 14-year-old boy sitting in a car was shot at by his estranged father shortly after midnight Tuesday, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department. Christopher Tucker, 48, of Coeur d'Alene was arrested on attempted murder charges after he allegedly shot at the car his son was riding in.

1. Members of the Red Hot Mamas perform their precision drill during the American Heroes Parade in Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday morning. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review 2. Jim "Baby Huey" Barnett tunes in with The Perfection-Nots. 3. The Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce Float makes its way down Sherman. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

A simmering beach dispute led to gunfire on the shores of Hayden Lake over the weekend, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department. Brad Nelson St. John, 38, of Hayden Lake was arrested on an aggravated assault charge Saturday night for allegedly shooting at one neighbor and threatening another with an 8-foot stick.

Troublemakers and weekend revelers helped set a record for crowding at the Kootenai County Jail last weekend. So many people broke the law that by Sunday the jail was crammed with 171 inmates. By Monday, the numbers were down to 157. The last reported record was 162 inmates in April.

Alone and distraught over the death of his mother, Terry Jones fired several shots outside his camper in the Bambi RV Park three months ago. The shots brought police, an evacuation of the surrounding area, and eventually tear gas to force the drunken Jones from the camper.

Rachel Pacini works the toll station at the south entrance to Farragut State Park on Friday before the onslaught of boaters and campers started invading the park. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Come next fall, high school counselor Steve Milionis will be in jail - but by his own choice. According to school officials, Milionis asked to be transferred from Coeur d'Alene High School to the juvenile detention center where he will teach jailed students.

Welfare recipients were noticeably absent at a hearing on their fate Tuesday night, except for Laurie Johnson. While much testimony centered around "workfare" programs and punishing unmarried mothers, Johnson spoke of living in neighborhoods where dogs are considered part of the food chain.

1. Delk 2. Christy Pierce of Northwest Rescue, her dog, Jesse, and Debbie Butler of Priest Lake Search and Rescue examine a footprint Saturday. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Stephanie Powers, a volunteer of the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, represents abused children in court. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Kootenai County Commissioners Dick Panabaker, Dick Compton and Bob Macdonald review one of many property tax assessment appeals to come. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

1. Parents, grandparents, family and friends crowd the foot of the stage Thursday afternoon at the kindergarten graduation at Fernan Elementary. Besides seeing a new batch of students next year, the school and several others in Coeur d'Alene, will be seeing new principals. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review 2. Jay Glover

Steve Millonis

Tonya Niles accepted her sister Christina Finney's diploma. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review