North Idaho

Idaho School District Looks For Answers After Multiple Bomb Threats

Jessica Robinson — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:41:10 +0000

A small school district in north Idaho is trying to figure out who's behind 10 bomb threats made since the beginning of the school year. The series of hoaxes has rattled the community, and caused huge disruptions in school.

Boundary County schools superintendent Richard Conley says mostt of the threats were made on bathroom stalls. Conley says the last four threats alone came in March.

“I've been in education for 41 years and I've never seen this," Conley says.

Police believe multiple students are responsible. None of the threats, however, turned up an actual bomb.

Failed Compound Illustrates Disarray In White Supremacy Movement

Jessica Robinson — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:36:20 +0000

Shaun Winkler’s beliefs are no secret in north Idaho. The 34-year-old was a protégé of Richard Butler, the former leader of the Aryan Nations, once headquartered here. More recently, Winkler has picketed Mexican restaurants and a Martin Luther King Day event in Coeur d’Alene.

So when Winkler announced he was running for county sheriff, photojournalist Matt McKnight asked to meet with him.

“I met him there at his property … It was pretty obvious to me that what he’s after is building a compound, having that compound for people to live on," McKnight says.

One Housing Sector That’s Booming: Survival Realty

Jessica Robinson — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 04:14:31 +0000

The housing market in the Northwest is finally showing signs of recovery. But there’s one sector of real estate that never let up during the economic downturn. Real estate agents who sell what’s known as “survival realty” are experiencing boom times.

Court Decides Idaho Property Rights Case On Narrow Grounds

Colin Fogerty — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:23:46 +0000

Mike and Chantell Sackett imagine a rustic, three-bedroom A-frame, with views of Priest Lake and the rugged landscape that surrounds it. But the EPA told them in 2007 that because their plot is designated as a wetland, they could face steep fines for building.

The coupled hired engineers who dispute that finding. But they never had a chance to argue that point. In an interview last fall, Chantell Sackett said the case comes down to this exchange with a EPA manager.

"I said, 'So, why would I stop building my house? She said, 'Because we told you to.'"

North Idaho Couple Celebrates Property Rights Victory

Colin Fogarty — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:46:19 +0000

A north Idaho couple is celebrating a major legal victory at the nation's highest court. Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that Mike and Chantell Sackett have the right to challenge a decision by federal regulators that their property is a protected wetland.