Mistrial declared in murder case
The jury in the Shannon Dabbs murder and arson trial was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, with 10 jurors favoring conviction and two undecideds.
PREP BASKETBALL: Bonners Ferry boys remain undefeated; girls look to bounce back
The Bonners Ferry Badgers (15-0) defeated the Logos Knights (8-6) for the second time this season in a Jan. 20 home game.
Asher Williams breaks 35-year scoring record at the Backwoods Brawl
Boundary County students raised over 2,300 pounds of food donations for the Backwoods Brawl, and Bonners Ferry High School senior guard Asher Williams scored a school-record 50 points in the boys’ basketball 73-28 win at Timberlake.
Downtown Bonners Ferry revitalization effort set to begin
The Bonners Ferry City Council voted at its Jan. 21 meeting to participate in a regional non-profit initiative to revitalize downtown Bonners Ferry.
School district to rerun levy, battle state’s school choice initiative
Boundary County School District trustees approved rerunning the failed November levy again in the upcoming May election, along with over $2 million in budget cuts if it does not pass.
Jury nears verdict in Dabbs trial
The jury in the Shannon Dabbs’ murder and arson trial has been deliberating a verdict since Jan. 14 after more than eight days of witness testimony and photo, video and audio evidence exhibited by state and defense lawyers.
New sheriff in town
Kramer, Stephens out, Stolley, Zimmerman in
Travis Stolley was sworn in as Boundary County sheriff Monday on Jan. 13 to fill the position formerly held for two terms by Dave Kramer, who is retiring after 50 years of local service.
Bonners Ferry expands rental market with new duplexes
As the nation’s housing costs continue rising, Boundary County remains relatively stable.
Affordable new duplexes have hit the market in Bonners Ferry, adding to the area’s growing list of renter-friendly developments, as much of Idaho faces inflated housing costs.
PREP BASKETBALL: Badgers' historic run continues with Williams' record-breaking game
Boys extend winning streak to 29 games, Girls win two in a row
Asher Williams broke the Badgers single-game scoring record with 45 points, playing only three quarters in a Jan. 7 home win over Libby.
Dabbs murder trial underway
The two-week jury trial of Shannon Dabbs, accused of killing his wife and setting their house on fire in 2020, began on Jan. 6 at the Boundary County Courthouse.
PREP BASKETBALL: Bonners Ferry Boys make history with 10-0 start, but Girls are upended with injuries
The Badgers cruised to another tournament victory with a 47-point win in the Championship game of the Avista Holiday Tournament. They are the first Badgers basketball team to open the season 10-0 in school history.
PREP BASKETBALL: Bonners Ferry boys win Reardan Tournament, girls fall just short
The visiting Badgers faced their toughest test of the season, but Asher Williams scored 32 points and came up with some key steals as Bonners Ferry defeated the tourney host Screaming Eagles in the championship game of the Reardan Christmas Tournament.
Retail chains come to town
The newly opened O’Reilly Auto Parts and Tractor Supply Co. bring product overlap with existing businesses, but owners agree that the corporate chains will enhance the local economy.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL: Lady Badgers take down Flathead Valley
Sophomore Taren Bateman poured in a season-best 31 points in the win.
Fair board seeks sponsorships and facilities upgrades
The Boundary County Fair Board is seeking new funding sources to sustain popular events and upgrade aging facilities. Though the fairgrounds get most of its attention during the summer months, its staff is hard at work in the off-season to sustain and improve hallmark community events.
Opportunities and limitations of industrial growth in Boundary County
What local property rights conflicts reveal about county zoning ordinances
The recent dispute over Panhandle Door Inc.'s industrial expansion near residential homes has highlighted a larger issue in Boundary County: where should industrial development go?
Kootenai Tribe buys district office
Contruction plans for a Valley View Elementary replacement will begin after the Kootenai Tribe bought the old school district office building. The tribe won the bid to acquire the office building after placing the sole bid at $611,601.
PREP BASKETBALL: Bonners Ferry boys reach 5-0 with rout of Logos; girls take down St. Maries
Bonners Ferry's boys (6-0) will not play again until Dec. 27 when they head to Reardan High for the Lions Club Christmas Tournament.
Appellants pledge legal action after Panhandle Door receives new permit
Boundary County commissioners approved a new conditional use permit Dec. 11 for Panhandle Door, Inc., a large-scale manufacturer located near residential county homes. The amended permit, set for adoption in the coming weeks, will resolve a nine-month zoning dispute involving numerous allegations of dangerous and illegal conduct by Panhandle Door over the course of several years. Opposers to the permit have indicated they now intend to take legal action.
National nonprofit gifts armor to county deputies
On Dec. 5, Shield 616, a nonprofit based in Colorado Springs, donated about $20,000 worth of body armor to Boundary County Sheriff’s deputies.
NICA eyes lot behind fairgrounds as alternative to Boulder Creek
The North Idaho Classical Academy is set to open next fall, though its exact location remains to be seen. An emerging alternative plan to occupying Boulder Creek would place the charter school on the vacant industrial lot behind the fairgrounds, repurposing the sawmill that has been inactive for nearly 20 years.
PREP BASKETBALL: Bonners Ferry boys remain undefeated; girls win two of last three
The Bonners Ferry High boys ands girls basketball teams combined to go 5-1 in the first week and a half of December hoops.
Boundary Electric team takes cross-country donations to Helene victims
Two months ago, Hurricane Helene laid waste to North Carolina, causing floods that destroyed homes, cars, and claimed 103 lives. When Will and Tammy Hendrix, owners of Boundary Electric, saw the widespread devastation, they knew they had to help in any way possible.
North Idaho schools are most dependent on local dollars, least capable of passing levies
Of the 25 supplemental school levies on the ballot in November statewide, only three failed, all in North Idaho.
BFH looks to take advantage of an early December homestand
This week Bonners Ferry High School will host seven sporting events in the most action-packed homestand of the winter season.
Badgers rout Sandpoint in season opener
Williams scores 24, Hinthorn banks half-court buzzer beater in a wire-to-wire victory in a packed house at the Badger Den.
Williams scores 24, Hinthorn banks half-court buzzer beater in a wire-to-wire victory with a packed house at the Badger Den.
Turkey Trot participation soars
Attendance and food donations reached an all-time high at the annual Bonners Ferry Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.
BCSD faces potential teacher layoffs, set to sell old office building
The Boundary County School District is selling its old district office building to the highest bidder. The sale could minimize the blow should next May's maintenance and operations levy fail.
Eagles keep giving tradition alive
The Bonners Ferry Eagles Aerie Group donated $6,450 last weekend to nine youth organizations with money raised from a fairgrounds cotton candy booth.
County’s first snowfall prompts 20 weather-related traffic reports
From Nov. 18 through 24, there were at least seven accidents and 13 slide-offs reported in in the county. Most, if not all of these incidents were in some capacity related to weather, according to BCSO records. There was also a fatal car crash in Bonner County.
Care-N-Share now accepting applications
The Senior Hospitality Center is accepting applications for its Care-N-Share Christmas Program, now through Dec. 4. Applications can be picked up from the Senior Hospitality Center or accessed from its Facebook page.
New command at the sheriff’s office
Boundary County Sheriff-elect Travis Stolley announced Tuesday that Sgt. Mike Valenzuela will replace Rich Stephens as undersheriff once he is sworn into office in January.
BFHS hosts drug education event as statewide overdose deaths decline
Idaho’s overdose death decrease last year in a region of the nation that has been particularly challenged shows how events like the one held at BFHS Wednesday night have a positive effect on the health and safety of Boundary County and other regions throughout Idaho.
Governor’s office takes notice of grassroots push to replace Valley View
District officials met with local contractors on Wednesday to brainstorm a grassroots effort to replace Valley View Elementary. District 1A State Rep. Mark Sauter attended the closed-door meeting via Zoom. Last week, Sauter and Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke toured Valley View in the wake of the district's third failed bond measure to replace the deteriorating school.
Sheriff’s office warns of scam
The Boundary County Sheriff’s Office urges anyone who receives a phone call from the department asking for money to immediately call the office, (208) 267-3151.
What's next for Valley View
A new elementary school will cost taxpayers whether a bond passes or not.
Since November 1989, only one bond measure to improve schools in Boundary County has passed. The latest attempt – one to replace Valley View Elementary – failed last Tuesday, adding to a long list of setbacks.
Bonners Ferry pays tribute to veterans
In 1954 the townsfolk of Emporia, Kansas, chipped in to pay for a humble shoe cobbler’s trip to meet the president. It was then that Alvin King shook hands with Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Nov. 11 became officially recognized as Veterans Day. In the spirit of the holiday, Bonners Ferry community members held a poignant ceremony on Monday to pay tribute to the community’s veterans.
New staff reporter at the Herald
Hello to the kind folks of Boundary County! My name is Ned Newton. I have big shoes to fill as the new staff reporter at the Bonners Ferry Herald.