Susan Drumheller

Nearly 100 families south of Post Falls were warned not to drink their water this week when high levels of nitrates were discovered in wells. The Division of Environmental Quality warned pregnant women and families with children under six months of age to find another source of drinking water.

Mild spring weather hasn't lulled county and disaster officials into a slumber yet. Today they'll meet with a "flood fight team" from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Cataldo to inspect the dike there.

Lead-poisoning expert Dr. John Rosen, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, will deliver two lectures in the Inland Northwest next week. Rosen, a professor of pediatrics, was invited to speak by the People's Action Coalition, a Silver Valley grass-roots organization seeking to open a health clinic for residents poisoned by lead contamination from historic mining and smelting practices.

No one got rich off Tubbs Hill's trees, but the city and Idaho Forest Industries got what they wanted. "This was kind of a community service," said Mike Welling, IFI's vice president of resources. "We wanted to make sure the job was done right and the city got something in return."

The Inland Northwest needs a booster shot of awareness to jolt the region into action against racism and hate, human rights leaders said Thursday. The inoculation is scheduled for April 12 when leaders from throughout the area will gather in Coeur d'Alene to rally for the cause of human rights.

1. Fighting the tide. Kevin Croffot of the Hayden Lake Fire Department uses a pole to check the stability of a spillway on Hayden Lake. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review 2. Water rages through the Post Falls spillway.

Glenn Marangell protests Craig's bill. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Hazel Holmes stands above her driveway, which was part of the lake on Tuesday afternoon. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

The recent thaw prompted hundreds of homeowners to break out the rakes over the weekend and dispose of unsightly piles of leaves and debris.

Evidence of pollution in the Spokane River from mining has prompted Washington state officials to consider suing mining companies that do business in Idaho's Silver Valley. Gov. Gary Locke's budget request includes $600,000 for the attorney general's office to pursue a lawsuit on behalf of the Spokane River.

Disaster service coordinators in Kootenai, Shoshone and Benewah counties were relieved to see the sunshine break out Thursday afternoon, a much-needed reprieve from rain showers. The Coeur d'Alene River was expected to crest late Thursday just below flood stage and then slowly drop again. Because Lake Coeur d'Alene is rising to its summer level, the rivers will recede slowly.

Kids inside the Bunker Hill Superfund Site aren't the only ones in the neighborhood with lead in their veins. A state study of families who live in the Coeur d'Alene River basin found that 15 percent of children under the age of 6 have hazardous amounts of lead in their blood. The study is the first ever to examine bloodlead levels outside the Superfund site, from the Idaho/Montana border to Lake Coeur d'Alene.

More rain, higher temperatures and a swollen snowpack kept area officials and residents alert Wednesday. "We're finally starting to see the fruit of that small stream advisory come to pass," said Brian Avery, a National Weather Service hydrologist. The freezing level was up to 7,000 feet Wednesday, well above any terrain in North Idaho. While the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers remained more than 5 feet below flood stage, streams and localized runoff from snowmelt overwhelmed some culverts and basements.

Warm temperatures and rain are conspiring to turn gurgling streams into raging torrents around North Idaho. The National Weather Service has issued a small stream flood advisory for North Idaho and northeastern Washington in anticipation of a rapid runoff.

Priest Lake showdown. George Deshler's plans for expansion of a Priest Lake marina has revived debate about development on the "crown jewel" of North Idaho. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

County Commissioner Dick Panabaker explains the county's plan. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

1. The courthouse collapsed Friday, leaving a heap of rubble. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review 2. Historic courthouse.

On-on! Hound Ted Vollmer follows the trail of flour during Saturday's 200th run of the Hash House Harriers through Coeur d'Alene. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review <

Bobby Unser

Cabin owners on U.S. Forest Service property at Priest Lake had better brace themselves for sticker shock. A recent congressional report suggests that fees for some of the cabins should increase by more than 300 percent.

A mini-version of Sen. Larry Craig's Coeur d'Alene Basin cleanup bill is scheduled to appear before a state Senate committee today. The bill, being introduced by the state Division of Environmental Quality, would establish a special commission to tackle the cleanup of heavy metals along the Coeur d'Alene River.

A judge's ruling has shifted into reverse plans for a private recreational vehicle park on Blackwell Island. First District Judge James Michaud ruled that the city of Coeur d'Alene had acted improperly in approving development plans for Blackwell Island before annexing the property into the city.

1. Snowball. Tim Clinton with the Maxwell House Tavern team from Spokane dives for a fly ball Saturday during the snowfall championships. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review 2. Opening action at the 28th annual Snowshoe Softball Championships.

Kootenai Electric Cooperative is trying to get the federal government to pay for $1.3 million in damages from November's ice storm. But the electric utility isn't the only one eligible for government help to cover the costs of the storm. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Friday that the natural disaster declared in Idaho actually started Nov. 16 instead of Dec. 27.