Good morning, Coeur d'Alene.

Stephen Durfee, president of Special Forces Association Chapter 43, donated $2,000 to improve services at Post Falls Veterans Home in partnership with UpNorth Distillery.

He continues to support veterans through his lifelong commitment to service.

At 1656 N. Nicholson Center in Post Falls yesterday, Les Schwab Tires upgraded a Boys and Girls club van free and let 12 members meet Spokane Velocity FC players while announcing a Youth Soccer Gear Drive to aid the local 90+ Project with donation boxes at its sites.

Rathdrum Lions Club is recruiting up to 120 volunteers to run the parking program at the North Idaho State Fair from Aug.

21 to 30. Funds raised during volunteers’ 4- to 5-hour shifts will support Spokane fire victims, and each volunteer earns one free admission ticket and parking pass.

Silverwood Theme Park will launch its 17th Scarywood season with Haunted Nights from Oct.

2 to Oct. 30. The new Nightmares maze — a 14-room attraction that brings 13 phobias to life — and additional scare zones promise thrilling experiences.

A local column recounted a Wallace mine tour that showcased old Idaho mining methods, celebrated Coeur d’Alene swimmers who shined at the Aug.

1 Long Bridge Swim, and noted musician Glen Hansard’s death on July 29 in Dublin — all while praising a lively Wednesday evening concert at McEuen.

North Idaho College received an $82,661 grant from the Idaho Department of Lands to restore trees lost during windstorms at its campus.

The fall project will buy 74 trees, needed materials and hire professional services to rebuild a stronger canopy.

On Tuesday near Twin Lakes, Greg Mason used a feller buncher to remove a white fir (part of a timber sale by Idaho Department of Lands) designed to thin overgrown forests and reduce wildfire risk.

Local logging aims to improve forest health and support wood production.

A draft Ninth Power Plan released Thursday, Aug.

13, asks Washington, Oregon, Idaho & western Montana to add 11,000 megawatts to the grid by 2032 at a cost of about $2.3 billion to meet rising electricity demand. Public comments on the draft are open until Oct. 16.

Local Master Gardener Candace Godwin explains that common tips like adding eggshells, Epsom salt, or vinegar do not prevent blossom-end rot or boost growth; she recommends consistent watering, mulching (per soil testing) to support healthy plants.