If you own your own business, you know how difficult it can be to juggle the daily and nightly tasks. Ordering, inventory, marketing, customer service, staffing and bookkeeping can take up the vast majority of your day, leaving just enough time for a late dinner and a bit of TV before lights out and another long day to follow. While it can be difficult, many savvy business owners have learned over the years to let other professionals help them in certain areas so they can fo

“Say it with flowers” is more than an advertising slogan. Flowers are an ancient and eloquent form of expression—the floral equivalent of calligraphy. Shawn Chamberlain, owner of The Flower Bar Company and founder of the Full Bloom nonprofit organization, speaks fluent flora. “I feel as if anything I want to say, I can say with flowers,” said Chamberlain. And that is where her amazing story begins. “I grew up around gardening, so I have a close connection with flowers instill

Photo by RaylaKay Photography Rachel Brendis: Coeur d’Alene High School Rachel Brendis is a senior and Coeur d’Alene captain of the women’s varsity team with a 4.0 weighted GPA and is ranked 40th in her senior class. She is a dedicated student focused on improving and challenging herself outside of her comfort zone, and she can’t imagine not playing soccer. “Soccer has been a part of my life for so long, I can’t imagine ever wanting to stop playing,” she said in regards to he

Steel is an amazing product. It’s the backbone of our country’s iconic buildings and the framework of our vehicles. It’s adaptable and strong, yet shapeable. For a group of local artists, it’s also one of the prime materials in creating amazing one-of-a-kind pieces. It’s been about six months since River City Fabrications (RCF) purchased Iron Mountain Studios from Dorene, Tom and Josh Richardson. The well-known North Idaho fabrication company continues to see tremendous growt

As we approach the holiday season, downtown Coeur d’Alene becomes a beautiful winter scene where people from all over the region come to shop, enjoy the decorations, and have fun with the family. Downtown vendors decorate their storefronts while horse drawn sleighs transport people around town. ​ The annual Festival of Trees shows off the talents of our local artists and designers, and money raised goes toward continued expansion and improvement to Kootenai Health. In stickin

It’s no secret that folks in North Idaho never shy away from a good party. It could be Labor Day on the lake or camping up the St. Joe or Coeur d’Alene River, black dress and tie events benefitting our local nonprofits, or watch parties with other Idaho, Boise State, WSU, Montana or Eastern Washington fans. There are countless opportunities to attend events throughout the year, but those who recently attended the Masquerade Ball benefitting Children’s Village probably caught

Did you know that October was National Disability Employment Awareness Month? Promoting the importance of embracing people with disabilities into our workforce began in 1945, when Congress declared the first week of October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” Following the conclusion of World War II, many people were struggling to find their way back into the workforce, especially those with disabilities. The name changed in 1962, omitting the word “physical

Crisp winds start to blow as piles of leaves litter the ground and bright orange pumpkins begin popping up in decorations around the neighborhood. What does all of this mean? It’s October, and what better way to start the month than at Post Falls’ Annual Oktoberfest Celebration! On October 7 head over to Q’Emiln Park, 12365 N. Parkway Drive in Post Falls, from 5 to 8:30pm for an Oktoberfest celebration like no other. The Post Falls Community Volunteers are gathering together

Marissa is a 5-year-old girl with a spring in her step. She has places to go and people to see, and she brings joy to everyone she touches. She is full of questions and quirky answers, in the fashion of a two-year-old. Her parents, Kimmi and Doug, struggle to make ends meet with their jobs at fast food restaurants. The couple is able to stagger their schedules from early morning to late at night to avoid as much as possible debilitating childcare costs. Just keeping their hea

Austin Garitone: Coeur d’Alene High School Austin Garitone, a 17-year-old senior at Coeur d’Alene High School and team captain of the boys’ soccer team, knows that hard work is never done. As a freshman soccer player, he set a goal to play on the U19 Washington East team. “It was amazing to play in the biggest national tournament of my life in North Carolina. I achieved my goal by staying humble and working hard on and off the field,” Austin said. “One life lesson I’ve learne

With a passion for what they do and the amazing support of the community, Calypsos Coffee & Creamery on E. Lakeside Ave. in downtown Coeur d’Alene has been a favorite spot of both locals and tourists for nearly a decade. In addition to their incredible breakfasts and locally made pastries, which are served all day long, Calypsos offers freshly made soups, salad and sandwiches. And if you are looking for one of the best cups of coffee around, Calypsos has it. “We are currently

Eyesight. It is something that many of us take for granted. But ensuring your eyes are in good health goes far beyond a pair of glasses or contact lenses. An eye exam can reveal if one has diabetes, impending detachment of the retinas and so much more. That is why Daniel Garn, O.D. takes pride in providing the latest in advanced technology and thorough eye exams to his patients. Dr. Garn owns Ironwood Vision Center and purchased the practice in 2006. He just celebrated Ironwo

College graduation is a time to celebrate all one has accomplished. But for many, it can also be a bit fearful. After all, you have gone to school almost your whole life, and now it is time to put your degree to work and find a full time job. ​ Some students get right to work while others take a few weeks to decompress, travel and get their mind right before the next chapter of their lives. For one Coeur d’Alene man, however, his post graduate plans include living in his van

A crisp fall day is a perfect time for a long bike ride, and one of the area’s favorite rides is just around the corner. The annual Coeur d’Fondo ride benefitting the North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation will be held Saturday, September 24, and there are five different distances you can tackle. ​ The most serious of riders choose the Gran Fondo, a 108-mile journey that wraps around Lake Coeur d’Alene through St Maries, Harrison and back to downtown. Shorter options include

It’s rodeo season in Coeur d’Alene, but this time those with special needs will be the ones in the spotlight. Individuals with special needs of all ages will get to be cowboys and cowgirls for the day as they participate in Rascal Rodeo, hosted for the third time by North Idaho Fair and Pro-West Finals. Rascal Rodeo is a free event held at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 1 from 10 to 11:30am. ​ Rascal Rodeo is a nonprofit organization that produces rodeo

The extremely active and energetic Jim Kinnard is a high school cross country and track athlete with special needs whose spirit can’t be beat. He loves sports and supports his school’s teams, cheering them on, and they in turn support him. ​ Jim, a 16-year-old sophomore at Lake City High School, was born with cerebral palsy. As an infant, he sustained multiple seizures. Doctors told his parents that he might never walk or talk, but they persevered with him. The two are avid r