Kootenai County

From the quiet shore at Black Bay, it is easy to forget that Post Falls began as a working river town, built around timber and falling water. Just downstream from where the Spokane River leaves Coeur d'Alene Lake, the river splits into three channels, each with its own natural falls, before the channels join again. Frederick Post saw what that drop could do. He secured rights at the falls, built a sawmill, and laid a dam across the north channel to turn the river toward his mill.

About nine miles west of Coeur d'Alene Lake, the Spokane River does something dramatic. It splits into three channels, each one tumbling over a natural falls, and then gathers itself back together just downstream. For neighbors in Black Bay, that drop is part of the familiar sound and scenery of the river. Long before there was a town here, it was the falls themselves that drew attention, and one man who decided to build his future beside them.

Stand on the shore at Black Bay on a still morning and the Spokane River can look like it has nowhere in particular to go. The water moves, but gently, the way a lake might stir in a light breeze. That calm is a little deceptive. The river passing Post Falls is only a few miles into one of the great journeys of the Northwest, and Black Bay sits right along its opening stretch.

As the holiday season approaches, the distance between our village and a neighbor in need is shorter than most of us think. If you're looking for a way to give this year, two local organizations make it easy to keep your generosity close to home.

There's nothing like a backyard fire on a crisp fall evening in Kootenai County. Before you light one, know the rules — Kootenai County Fire & Rescue spells them out, and they're simpler than most people expect.

Post Falls has one more tool for shaping its future. On October 7, the City announced that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has approved Idaho’s Opportunity Zone 2.0 nominations — including a newly designated Opportunity Zone right here in Post Falls.

The designation takes effect January 1, 2027. Opportunity Zones are designed to encourage private investment in designated areas through federal tax incentives for eligible investments, giving cities a way to attract development dollars toward infrastructure and economic opportunity.