It was a packed year in Bonners Ferry and Boundary County. With everything from illegal huckleberry picking to sting operations to the announcement of a new elementary school building, 2025 was one for the books. 

Local power outages caused by fierce winds in region

Strong winds in mid-December caused widespread power outages across North Idaho and western Montana, leaving more than 70,000 Northern Lights Inc. members across the Inland Northwest without electricity.  

The National Weather Service in Spokane issued a high wind warning from 10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17. Forecasters said southwest winds of 25 to 45 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph, were expected, along with isolated gusts up to 70 mph.    

According to Avista's outage map, as of 8 a.m. on Dec. 17 there were nearly 850 outages spanning both North Idaho and the Spokane, Wash. area.  

The Boundary County Sheriff’s Office warned residents that the winds had downed multiple trees and power lines and led to a number of accidents.  

As of 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 17, BCSO announced that the Boundary County Courthouse has been closed due to a power outage, the road from Milepost 534 toward Eastport was closed due to a snapped power line and the 200 block of Spruce Road, a dead-end road, is currently washed out. The courthouse was out of power for approximately three hours. 

Memorial for Charlie Kirk held at Boundary County Fairgrounds 

On Sunday, Sept. 14, Bonners Ferry held an emotional remembrance for the life of Charlie Kirk.   

Several hundred Boundary County residents attended the memorial at the Boundary County fairgrounds, peacefully commemorating Charlie Kirk, a man who believed in free speech and a better life for Americans. He was killed on Sept. 10 and is survived by his wife and two children.   

Going well into the night with a powerful vigil, there were several speakers at the event. Travis Stolley, Boundary County’s Sheriff, posted on Facebook that “our community came together for a peaceful memorial honoring Charlie Kirk. It was a heartfelt gathering filled with respect and had great representation from local youth.”  

The memorial at Bonners Ferry was one of several in North Idaho and joined a massive number of people across the world that have honored Kirk’s life. A walk also was held in Sandpoint, consisting of around 60 people. 

Idaho governor signs school choice tax credit bill into law

In late February, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 93 — a $50 million tax credit that can go toward educational expenses, including private school tuition. 

This is the first time in state history that state funds will be able to go toward private and religious K-12 education.  

“With the passage of the $50 million Parental Choice Tax Credit program, Idaho boasts even more abundant schooling options for Idaho students and families," Little said in an emailed statement. "Combined with the continuation of Idaho’s astoundingly successful Launch program, Idaho has become the first state to offer education freedom from kindergarten through career."  

The bill makes up to $5,000 available per student, which can be paid in advance to families making 300% of the federal poverty level and below. Families with students with a disability can receive up to $7,500 for those students.  

HB 93 passed narrowly out of committee, advanced out of the House in a 42-28 vote, and passed the Senate 20-15. The bill has faced strong opposition from public school advocates, who argue that Idaho is not meeting its constitutional obligation to fully fund public education and shouldn't be looking to also put funding toward a different system of education.  

Supporters argued that parents should have some assistance to educate their children differently if they decide the public system isn't working. 

Police face backlash after old bodycam clips go viral

In April, the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office and Bonners Ferry Police Department received a surge of complaints— mostly from out-of-state callers — after old BFPD body camera footage of routine traffic stops that escalated into physical altercations went viral on social media. 

One video from April 2022 shows a Boundary County driver who had been pulled over for running a stop sign. After police deemed the driver showed aggressive and noncompliant behavior, the man was removed from his car, pinned down and struck.  

In a video from November 2021, a female driver with out-of-state plates was pulled over for speeding on U.S. 95. After arguing with the officer, the video shows the driver beginning to roll up her window, at which point the officer holds the window down, causing the glass to burst.  

In the April 2022 case, the driver did not file a tort claim – the legal action a citizen can take to press charges against a city agency. Since the case is three years old, and the time for filing a tort claim is six months, no action at this point can be taken by the driver, according to Idaho Code.  

As far as handling the situation internally within the police department, Boundary County Undersheriff Brian Zimmerman, who at the time of the incidents was the Bonners Ferry Police Chief, said everything was already dealt with years ago.  

“It’s all old news,” he said. “Whenever we start in law enforcement, we learn as we go. The shattered window was accidental, and we addressed it then and there. This was four years ago.” 

In early August, the Valley View dream becomes reality  

Driving south to Boise the evening of August 5 — a familiar route after years of advocacy for rural education — Boundary County School District Superintendent Jan Bayer got a phone call that made her pull over.  

On the other end of the line was Spencer Barzee, regional director for the Idaho Department of Education, with long-awaited news: the crumbling, 76-year-old Valley View Elementary School will be replaced. The state has awarded the district $13.2 million to build a new facility, he told her.  

“I just started crying,” Bayer said. “It took me two hours before I could start driving again. We fought so hard, for the kids, the staff, and the community. It became a reality — the culmination of so much work over the past five years.”  

The money comes from House Bill 338, which allocated $50 million for rural school facility upgrades statewide. On Aug. 4, a panel of state officials and contractors unanimously approved Boundary County’s 310-page application, awarding it more than 25% of the total available funds, with no strings attached.  

“I was just dumbfounded. Absolutely dumbfounded,” said Teresa Rae, vice-chair of the BCSD Board, who also made repeated trips to the state capital during the 2025 legislative session. “Over the years, we were able to secure support for almost everything — except our number one priority.” 

Moyie Springs completes sewer system upgrade in early September

After more than six years of planning, coordination and construction, the city of Moyie Springs completed its long-awaited sewer system upgrade.  

The project was launched after the city’s original system began to fail and could no longer be certified by the state of Idaho. To move the project forward, Moyie Springs partnered with multiple agencies and secured funding through state and federal grants. Even with that support, city officials said a portion of the multi-million-dollar project will likely require Department of Environmental Quality funding, which will be repaid in the coming years.  

The new system, which serves more than 100 households, has the capacity to handle about double that number in the future. City officials said the upgrade not only meets state requirements but will provide safe and reliable service for decades.  

“The completion of this project is a major milestone for our community,” city officials said in a statement. “It ensures we have a safe, reliable system that will serve families for years to come.” 

Huckleberry hustlers busted 

On July 24, U.S. Forest Service law enforcement seized over 100 gallons of illegally harvested huckleberries in a remote area of the Boundary County wilderness. Authorities believe the individuals responsible are undocumented migrants from Guatemala who fled U.S. Border Patrol custody during a traffic stop in Boundary County on July 18.  

The operation was a joint effort involving the U.S. Forest Service, Boundary County Sheriff’s Office and Kootenai Tribe of Idaho Police Department. According to BCSO officials, the seized berries were donated to a local food bank.  

Boundary County Sheriff Travis Stolley said that as the number of recreational pickers in the area increases, so does the potential for conflict — from trashed campsites to drawn weapons. With only one full-time USFS law enforcement officer assigned to patrol the county’s vast forestlands, local deputies received federal overtime funding to assist in the joint backcountry patrol.  

“We encourage the Forest Service to enforce the law because commercial picking has gone unchecked for a long time,” Stolley said. “We just did an emphasis patrol to make sure people were aware of the laws while recreating.”  

BCSO Det. Nick Delavan said that after making close to 30 contacts on July 24 with recreational pickers, he and other local, Tribal and USFS law enforcement officers spotted three individuals in the woods down by a creek with approximately 100 gallons of huckleberries, as well as rakes, leaf blowers and large buckets. There were also many damaged leaves and bushes. 

In May, Bonners Ferry rejects Idaho flag order 

Following a directive from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office to remove the Canadian flag from city grounds, the Bonners Ferry City Council voted on May 6 to declare a 365-day special occasion honoring its Canadian neighbors — effectively sidestepping the new state law limiting which flags may fly on government property. 

The city’s declaration states that Bonners Ferry is Idaho’s closest incorporated municipality to Canada, Main Street is on the International Selkirk Loop and Bonners Ferry reserves the right to self-govern. The declaration passed unanimously, and it was met with applause from several members of the public who spoke against the Idaho law during the comment period of the council meeting.  

The vote followed an April 30 order from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office instructing the city to immediately remove its Canada flag, and it threatening to sue the city if it did not comply.  

So, for a week, the Canada flag came down.  

But the new code allows for a government entity to display “official flags of countries other than the United States to commemorate special occasions.”  

Following the commemoration of the yearlong celebration, Bonners Ferry Mayor Rick Alonzo raised the flag back up. 

BCSO sting operation leads to three weekend arrests 

The Boundary County Sheriff’s Office concluded a three-day undercover operation June 7 resulting in the arrest of three out-of-county adult males on charges related to child exploitation.  

Three men, from Spokane, Wash., Montana and Rathdrum, Idaho, each independently solicited the dating profiles with sexual text messages and drove to Boundary County with intent to meet up with the girls, according to court affidavits.  

But when the men arrived at the meetup spot, police intercepted the individuals to conduct a felony stop and place them under arrest for one or both of attempted kidnapping and enticing a child under 16 years of age, according to court criminal complaints.  

“This wasn’t anything driven by a case,” said Boundary County Sheriff Travis Stolley. “This was us being proactive to catch the bad guys. It’s the accumulation of a couple months of effort and coordination.”  

The operation was conducted with critical support from the U.S. Marshals Service, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho law enforcement, U.S. Border Patrol, and Veterans for Child Rescue.  

Stolley said the operation highlights how Boundary County is not immune to online predators, and BCSO will continue prioritizing the safety of children. 

“It’s also imperative for parents to be involved in kids’ cellphone use and social media accounts, to supervise digital access,” Stolley said.  

In addition to the three men taken into custody, BCSO has multiple ongoing investigations into suspects facing over 20 more pending child exploitation felony charges. 

Veterans Outreach Center opened in June, focuses on connection, support, and suicide prevention  

The Veterans Outreach Center of Boundary County works to support local veterans and their families through suicide prevention, community outreach, and coordination of local resources.  

The volunteer-run center recently found a temporary home inside The Coalition building in Bonners Ferry, giving organizers a dedicated space to meet with veterans and their families. While the center does not yet maintain regular office hours, organizers said the move marks an important step toward the group’s long-term goal of a permanent home and set hours.  

“Our number one goal is suicide prevention intervention,” said Ben Apo, VOC chairman. “It’s not just for veterans, but for the entire county, the entire community, for anyone who needs help.” 

In October, subcontracts claimed nonpayment for work on Tractor Supply store  

A number of North Idaho companies have alleged they have not been paid for their work in building the local Tractor Supply store.  

According to interviews with several subcontractors, as well as documents and emails seen by the Bonners Ferry Herald, eight subcontractors involved in the building’s construction allege they are owed over a combined $160,000. Six of the subcontractors are based in Bonners Ferry or Bonner County. 

Amounts allegedly owed to each company vary significantly, according to one document that shows finances not received for many of the subcontractors. For some, it’s less than $10,000. For others, it’s over $30,000. Representatives for one Bonners Ferry-based company allege they are owed $60,000. 

In February, pair charged in alleged sex abuse case  

Police arrested a Bonners Ferry couple amid an ongoing investigation of alleged sexual offenses against a minor.  

Arrested were Richard Gerald Cowell III, 54, and Katherine Christine Cowell, 50, both of Bonners Ferry. Richard Cowell was charged with felony charges of criminal conspiracy and lewd conduct with a minor under 16.  He pled guilty and was sentenced to 22 years in prison — 17 years determinate and five years indeterminate. 

Katherine Cowell is charged with lewd conduct with a child under the age of 16 and is awaiting trial.