Susan Drumheller

In the Boston Tea Party of neighborhood disputes, the residents of Riverside Harbor have ousted the leaders of their homeowners association, including the subdivision's developer. About 120 residents staged their insurrection during a meeting in the Post Falls National Guard Armory late Thursday.

Retired teacher Verna Driessen, 92, greets students of Winton Elementary during the school's 70th birthday celebration Thursday. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

The decision to cease dog racing at the Coeur d'Alene Greyhound Park and lay off some 200 employees is the latest economic disappointment for Post Falls. Just a few weeks ago, Louisiana-Pacific announced the closure of its Post Falls mill and the loss of 113 jobs. The mill closes in two weeks.

The gray, decrepit house on the corner of Fourth and Post streets in Post Falls has earned its status as a professional haunted house. The turn-of-the-century structure was uprooted from its original site when First Interstate Bank bought the corner at Spokane and Seltice about 30 years ago.

Candidates for mayor and City Council agree that Post Falls needs more high-paying jobs and a new library, but they don't always agree on how to go about getting them. In a public forum that drew about 50 people Monday night, the candidates fielded questions that centered around jobs and growth.

Karen Roth, a resident of the Garwood area, was awakened by poachers shooting across her pasture last year. Neighbors have seen similar incidents. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Curbless streets peppered with potholes. High taxes. A downtown that's hard to pinpoint. Crowded schools. Although they love their little city, the six candidates in Post Falls' city elections have focused on several faults as they campaign.

Heather Link sits with her teddy bear in Nicole Sweet's fifth-grade class at Sorensen Elementary School in Coeur d'Alene. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

A recommendation to limit spending on intercollegiate athletics, and 10 other suggestions for North Idaho College athletics, will be discussed in a Board of Trustees workshop Nov. 11. The board accepted the recommendations of a special committee at its Wednesday meeting, but postponed putting any of them into action.

Post Falls school officials have a layer of distrust to penetrate before they'll find support among some skeptical school district patrons. Some residents, including parents of school-aged children, suspect that the latest plan to ease crowded classrooms is disingenuous - simply a scheme to pass an expensive bond issue and raise their taxes. "The double-shifting and triple-shifting is a ploy," said Joyce Rapp, who has several grandchildren in the schools.

Parents of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade children may have an awkward juggling act next school year in Post Falls. Faced with crowded classrooms, lunchrooms and hallways in the still-growing schools, the school board is considering drastic changes in schedules and grade alignments to temporarily squeeze in more students.

Fencing out drugs: Robby Sweney, left, and Brian Hammond, both 11, spell out the Idaho Drug-Free Youth acronym on the fence of Lakes Middle School. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

North Idaho College needs to balance financial aid between student athletes and non-athletes and provide more women's sports, a special committee says. After meeting five times in five weeks, a special NIC committee has sent its recommendations for change in the athletic program to the NIC Board of Trustees.

Sharon Wevers concentrates during a reading at the Psychic Fair Saturday. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

Educational trends aren't the only changes Larry Curry has to keep up with as superintendent of the Kellogg schools. Because his district is nestled in the heart of timber country, Curry also has to keep a close eye on market trends in the timber industry.

Jordan Page, right, and James Benson do the "bear backscratch" Thursday during Freshman Connection at CdA High. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Building blocks. Reading Recovery teacher/trainer Dianne Kotaska works on reading skills Wednesday with Jeremy, a first-grader at Bryan Elementary. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

NIC traffic clogs the Government Way and Northwest Boulevard intersection. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

A dispute between residents in the Riverside Harbor subdivision and their homeowners association has landed in court. A committee of disgruntled residents is trying to force the association's board of directors to hold a special meeting so they can oust the board and revise the bylaws.

As a heifer as "wild as a March hare" ran loose across the Cataldo landscape, its owner pursued compensation for the lost bovine in court Wednesday. Though he couldn't find a sympathetic ear out on the range, David Bradley found one in the halls of justice.

Neighbors of the State Line Stadium/Speedway are doubtful that dozens of motorcycles tearing around a track there will be as quiet as a phone ringing. And even that is too loud for their tastes.

It helps to have friends with fax machines. At least it hasn't hurt Joe Doellefeld, Post Falls city councilman and owner of the controversial Stateline Speedway racetrack.

Pack journalism at its best will be on display Monday at North Idaho College when professional journalists share tips of the trade with the region's high school students. "Thrills and Skills," a free workshop for Inland Northwest high school students, will feature Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Eric Nalder of the Seattle Times as the keynote speaker.

Officials at Idaho's two community colleges plan to wean themselves from local property taxes with what North Idaho College President Bob Bennett calls an innovative legislative proposal. The plan that Bennett presented to the NIC Board of Trustees Wednesday calls for a gradual shift from local property taxes to sales tax over several years.