Idaho
Hundreds attend North Idaho Business Expo, career fair
COEUR d’ALENE — Henry Wolsten didn’t have a booth at the North Idaho Business Expo and Career Fair, but perhaps he should have.
The owner and manager of Spring Chicken Socials was on the lookout for young people, college graduates and freelancers “looking to help their local community and help them foster and grow rather than taking their skills and assets elsewhere.”
Wolsten’s independent social media marketing company could use photographers, videographers and graphic designers, and he hoped to find them at the expo at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.
He talked with several people, explained who he was and what he did, and learned about their work plans and hopes.
“I’m having a blast so far,” Wolsten said. “I like meeting people with startups because I feel I can relate to them.”
Nearly 80 businesses and organizations manned booths at the annual event organized by the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber and Post Falls Area Chamber.
When it opened at 4 p.m. a crowd of young and old flowed through the doors and in the first 30 minutes, hundreds had talked to vendors about jobs and services and also came away with plenty of prizes.
Engineering, banking, health care, higher education and tourism were just some of the fields represented at the three-hour fair.
“I love bringing the community together and having them learn about businesses,” said Christina Petit, Post Falls Area Chamber president and CEO.
Miquel Butler, ticket supervisor with the Route of the Hiawatha, said they were looking to hire about 50 people before their Memorial Day weekend opening.
They were offering in the $12 to $14 an hour range for positions including trail marshals, bus drivers, bike rental technicians and cashiers. They were also offering discounted housing in the Silver Valley.
“We’re expecting a busy summer,” she said.
Bob and Marilyn Weaver of Bayview were making the rounds. Married 64 years, they enjoy getting out and learning what companies have to offer.
“We like to see what the vendors are in the area,” Bob Weaver said.
They enjoyed the expo’s friendly atmosphere and high-energy vibes.
“It’s a good show,” Marilyn Weaver said.
Likewise for Florence Stovall, who was there with her husband, Earl Stovall.
“For the free stuff,” she said.
Idaho
Idaho is home to the nation's first DarkSky Reserve. Now it's home to the nations first DarkSky Certified Resort
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – A controversy is brewing as the City of Idaho Falls reviews its alcohol ordinance.
The goal is to consolidate four existing ordinances for beer, wine and liquor into a single law and ensure compliance with state code.
However, at its meeting last Thursday, the Idaho Falls City Council unanimously voted to remove the proposed ordinance from its agenda, in order to receive and consider additional public comment.
The proposed ordinance would:
1. Require commercial establishments selling, dispensing or permitting consumption of alcohol – including beer, wine or liquor – to have an alcohol license, alcohol catering permit or a charitable event permit.
2. Business events with 20 or less employees consuming alcohol at the business would be allowed.
3. Require alcohol servers to complete training every three years.
4. Individuals who violate the law could be charged with a misdemeanor.
Idaho Falls City Council President Jim Francis said the changes were the culmination of months of collaboration between law enforcement, business owners and city attorneys.
“We wanted to provide a safe environment – the primary point here – for public gatherings,” Francis said. “We recognize that certain antiquated elements of the current code are overly restrictive and needed to be addressed. We wanted to make the code more accessible to the public. We needed to address over-pouring issues. We wanted to reduce penalties where possible for violations, particularly the first offenses, and yet make the code clear enough to be enforceable consistently by law enforcement.”
But City Council Member John Radford said the changes represent an overreach by city government.
“I believe it’s a bad policy. What problem are we solving in the name of trying to solve a non-problem?” Radford said. “We’re becoming big brother around alcohol in your private property. I’m concerned that landlords will be at risk of being charged with a misdemeanor if they knowingly, which I made sure that was in there, because that is what we’ve been talking about, allowed people to drink in our business. We will be outside the norm of Idaho cities. This is a big step, and I don’t think the public has weighed in on this.”
At a City Council Work Session on June 1, Idaho Falls Chief of Police Bryce Johnson cited an increase in alcohol-related crime – particularly downtown – as a reason for the changes.
“DUI is there, but this would include sexual assaults, assaults, batteries, disturbances, urination, public vandalism, shooting – all sorts of crimes,” Johnson said.
But business owners are concerned about the potential impact on commercial enterprises.
“The ordinance doesn’t address the real problem – which is people drinking … at one event and then showing up in a bar or restaurant already hammered and causing problems anyway,” ” said Terri Ireland, representing the Idaho Falls Downtown Merchants Association. “The industry is really well-regulated by state and local laws already.”
The City of Idaho Falls began the process of updating its alcohol ordinance in January 2026, seeking input from community stakeholders.
Multiple community members spoke out about the ordinance.
For more in-depth information, you can read the full 39-page proposed alcohol ordinance here.
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — A simmering dispute between Idaho’s top elections official and the U.S. Department of Justice escalated this month after federal officials warned Secretary of State Phil McGrane about possible prosecution tied to non-citizens voting in Idaho.
The Justice Department sent a letter earlier this month threatening McGrane with prosecution. The warning came amid a broader conflict between the Trump administration and McGrane, whom the administration has sued over his refusal to provide unredacted voter rolls to the federal government.
Idaho’s chief of civil litigation, James Craig, responded on July 10. In a letter first reported by the Idaho Statesman, Craig pushed back on the federal warning, writing, “Insinuations of criminal violations of the federal election laws are not well taken,” and asking the department to “stop threatening your friends in Idaho.”
Craig also requested that the lawsuit against McGrane be dismissed and criticized the Justice Department for sending its letter directly to McGrane rather than to the Idaho attorney general’s office.
The attorney general’s office said the state has already referred 15 cases of possible non-citizen election violations to the Justice Department but is not aware of any of them being prosecuted. Craig’s letter ends by asking the department to do so.
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