A state law which enables Idaho law officers to make warrantless arrests of motorists for driving under the influence when the offense occurred outside of their presence has been ruled unconstitutional by the Idaho Supreme Court.

High Court Rules Certain DUI Arrests Unlawful

The Idaho Commission of Parole & Pardons is paroling brothers James Kevin Pratt and Joseph Earl Pratt who were serving lifelong prison sentences for killing U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer Brent “Jake” Jacobson in 1989.

Convicted Murderers Granted Parole

Marc Eberlein, a former Kootenai County commissioner and the ad hoc representative of Commissioner Leslie Duncan, refused to continue his position because of his opposition to the study and nomination process.

Eberlein Has Left The Table

Mark Wendle has always credited his time in the Boy Scouts and his troop leader, Jack Ross, for helping him through difficult times.

'You Can Climb Any Mountain'

Now 18 years old with a year of undergraduate study under his belt, J.D. Griffin has officially been accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy — the next step in achieving his lifelong dream to fly.

Sandpoint Teen Accepted Into Naval Academy

While encouraged, masks will no longer be required in East Bonner County Library District facilities as of June 1 after library board trustees voted to lift the mandate.

Library District To Lift Mask Mandate

It is just a matter of time before work begins on a construction project to make the the Lakeshore Drive and U.S. 95 intersection safer. The project, which is still being designed, is among those project slated for funding under House Bill 362, which was signed into law Monday by Gov. Brad Little.

Lakeshore Drive Project Funding Approved

James Michael Costello Sr., 73 has entered an amended charge of involuntary manslaughter Tuesday connected to the shooting death of his son in 2018.

Costello Pleads Guilty To Involuntary Manslaughter

The Pend Oreille Lakes Commission is asking the Army Corps of Engineers, for a second time, to increase flow from Albeni Falls Dam to reach or be within six inches to a foot of summer pool for Lake Pend Oreille by May 28.

Corps  Asked To Fill Lake Faster

Some Bonner County residents are raising concerns over potential environmental impacts after a developer removed natural vegetation and trees on the shore of Boyer Slough without prior approval.

Boyer Slough Development Raises Concerns

Boundary County Planning and Zoning issued a formal complaint to Owen Benjamin last week,  warning that construction on the property violates county ordinances, in part because no applications submitted to the planning department or permits issued for work on the site.

P&Z Says 'BearTaria' May Violate County Ordinances

Lt. j.g. Kaitlin Wallis, a native of Sandpoint, Idaho, joined the Navy as a path to a future career in the FBI. Now, two and a half years later, Wallis is part of the most innovative tactics at Surface Warfare Officers School, located in Newport, Rhode Island.

Sandpoint Sailor Heads Into Adventure

A Bonner County woman signed a plea agreement yesterday in First District Court for one charge of vehicular manslaughter. Frythe Peine was convicted of running down her husband, after having an argument while intoxicated on July 31, 2020.

Emotions Boil At Manslaughter Sentencing

A Bonner County man who bludgeoned and strangled a woman to death outside of her Priest River home in August 2020 was sentenced in First District Court to 20 years to life in prison.

Leader Sentenced In Priest River Murder

For the better part of two decades, Sun Meadow Resort has been a haven for those who practice naturism, a lifestyle of nonsexual social nudity.  The resort's owners are now looking for a new steward for the site, which is listed at $2.8 million.

Local Nudist Resort For Sale

Joshua Carl Skandunas, 49, was sentenced to 11 to 15 years for attempted first-degree murder during the Aug. 3 hearing in First District Court. The charges stem from an August 2020 attack.

Skandunas Sentenced In Attempted Murder

Power was restored Tuesday to most homes and businesses that lost electricity during Monday's windstorm, which produced gusts of more than 60 mph in North Idaho.

Plugged Back In

New East Bonner County Library District Director Viktor Sjöberg said he loves the relationships created through libraries, of being able to work toward a shared mission and vision. Sjöberg also sees libraries as community healing spaces because they help different viewpoints learn about others.

New EBCL Director Works To Create Conversations

A Priest River woman has been ordered to stand trial in on a count of aggravated battery. The charges against Barbara Ann Olewnick stem from an altercation on Oct. 11.

Priest River Woman Charged With Aggravated Battery

A Priest River Lamanna High School teacher is facing charges of lewd conduct, and child sexual abuse. Sarai Lynn McCormick, 37, of Ponderay was charged in connection to events on Oct. 30 at a Priest River residence involving one of her students.

PRLHS Teacher Facing Lewd Conduct Charges

Lake Pend Oreille is beginning to refill for the warmer months.With spring officially starting on Sunday, the mountain snowpack is melting into runoff, which causes the lake to grow to its summer pool level, filling to roughly 2062.5 foot elevation above sea level.

Lake Levels Already Rising

In just 45 minutes, Reid Harlocker and his team collected 18 pounds of trash from the northern Pacific Ocean. Harlocker returned from his ocean voyage with Pangea Exploration on March 8. He and the crew spent a month in the northern Pacific Ocean and on the remote Palmyra Atoll.

Journey Yields Sad Truth About Earth's Oceans

Hundreds of classic and vintage cars and thousands of fans filled the streets of downtown Sandpoint as Lost in the '50s returned for its 35th anniversary following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Getting Lost In The 50s

Lake Pend Oreille School District brought all its high school students together for the annual Mock DUI presentation, which included a skit to drive home the “don’t drive drunk” message.

Mock DUI Presentation Presents Sobering Message

Public safety and continuing the county’s business are the commissioners’ highest priorities, Bonner County Commissioner Luke Omodt said at a Tuesday press conference following a pair of Friday arrests.

Omodt: Safety A Priority At BOCC Meetings

Libraries are more than just books. And, in reality, they have been for a long time. Hubs of information, they connect people with both knowledge and possibilities. In Bonner County, technology is making that happen.

Technology Helping Library's Patrons Make Connections

The city council unanimously voted Wednesday to extend the Selkirk Fire Joint Powers Agreement from the end of April to June 30 to allow for further discussion regarding the JPA’s benefits.

Sandpoint Continues JPA Discussion

A second restoration project is underway at the Pack River Delta, and Idaho Department of Fish and Game officials said things may look crazy on site for a little longer while construction finishes up.

Restoration Finishing Up In Pack River Delta

Bonner County Deputy Prosecutor Scott Bauer has filed another tort claim against the county regarding similar issues as the ones he included in his first claim, which was filed in 2023.

Bauer Files Second Tort Claim

More than a half-dozen parents and community members appealed to the West Bonner school board Wednesday to consider putting a supplemental levy on the ballot in May. However, not all who addressed the board favored the move, with most critics saying that the district must first get its financial house in order.

Parents Call On WBCSD To Run Levy

A Bonner County resident has filed a tort claim against Bonner County commissioners Steve Bradshaw and Luke Omodt claiming he was illegally trespassed from the building.

Tort Claim Filed Against Omodt, Bradshaw

Two affidavits of maladministration were issued to commissioners Luke Omodt and Steve Bradshaw during the commissioners’ regular Tuesday meeting, with claims that they had added extra words to their official oaths of office.

Pair Claim BOCC Oath Improperly Done

It's likely she was deliberately sunk; the rocks piled in the front of the bow attest to that. But her name? Her story? When she operated in the community? Those are among the mysteries the Bonner County Museum hopes to solve, starting that journey with a dive into a recently discovered historic wreck.

Historic Mystery

West Bonner trustees voted 4-1 at a special board meeting Wednesday to put a one-year supplemental levy for just over $4.68 million on the May 21 ballot. Specifics of the ballot language will be discussed at a special meeting on March 18.

WBCSD To Put $4.68M Levy On Ballot

The Bonner County Daily Bee is a daily newspaper serving Bonner and Boundary counties in Idaho. We are the number one source of news in the community.

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