Almost Paradise In North Idaho

Ned is the ace reporter for the local newspaper and he has decided to unplug his word processor, at least for a while, and move back to his home in Texas. Ned has decided to spend some time with family and friends, whom he has missed a lot the past year. He is open to the possibility of returning to North Idaho some day, as he really does like the people and area. He will especially miss the nearb...

Remember "Goose" from the first Top Gun movie with Tom Cruise? In many ways, Mike Peterson is Goose! Mike talks about his days as a top gun naval aviator fighter pilot while helping Ted achieve an important Trifecta! Mike explains how the guy in the front seat of his jet was really just his chauffeur! Nicknames for his fighter groups included: The Ghost Riders, The Jolly Rogers, The Black Lions, a...

Phillip joins Ted to discuss his dreams and his mission. Phillip is working hard in preparing to be Jesus' hands and feet. He has learned to fly and be an airplane mechanic...all to serve the Lord. Missionary Flights International in Florida is a Christian based aviation ministry serving as a lifeline to missionaries in the Caribbean, and that is where Phillip is going! The plan is specific and co...

The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...early in the morning! The local school district, and maybe every school district, is looking for bus drivers as the new school year approaches. If you want to be a school bus driver, this is the podcast for you! Harold & Mike have about 40 hours experience between them as school bus drivers but are now retired. Imagin...

Ben and his wife Carrie visit Ted in studio to discuss a variety of topics. These include: Ben's life in the navy during his multiple deployments to the gulf region. Keeping his ship mates safe from Sea Snakes. Meeting his wife Carrie after she had an accident driving a Seattle city bus...on her 2nd day on the job! His long time involvement with the VFW in the Seattle area and now here in Bonners...

Fair Manager Jaycee Atkins is busier than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs as she counts down the weeks and days to this year's Boundary County Fair. It is a new job for Jaycee, and she is full of enthusiasm and ideas for the fair and the fairgrounds. But, Jaycee is not new to the fair. She has been active in 4-H and many agriculture and community related activities almost all he...

This weekend it will be party city in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Ted interviews Teshra Robles of the chamber of commerce and Hanna of the Teascarlet Art Gallery to learn all the ins and outs of the upcoming weekend. Hanna is conducting the Chalk the Block activity where people of all ages can express their artistic talents on the sidewalks of downtown Bonners Ferry...and not get a ticket from the polic...

Ted reacts and reflects on recent tragedies in North Idaho. Firefighters are ambushed in nearby Coeur d'Alene. Two local teenagers suffer significant injuries in a car accident involving a semi-truck. The murderer of 4 college students in Moscow, ID cops a plea and confesses to his crimes and avoids the death penalty. But, Ted refuses to be a total Debbie Downer and prepares to celebrate the 4th o...

Is it the Battle of Bunker Hill, or the Battle of Breed's Hill. Bobby and I debate and discuss this among other things related to 1775 and the Revolutionary War.

During a recent visit back to Kansas, Ted and his son Chase spend time doing guy stuff and visiting about it. After 42 years Chase finally beats the old man in bowling. (Chase cheated!) The two work together (sort of) on making his yard escape proof for his dog, Annie. Time will tell. Chase shares some good stories, and not so good stories, about being a volunteer fire fighter in Kansas.

Mark Carpenter returns to the microphone with lots of thoughts on the world and Bonners Ferry. Mark does admit to being tired as he has been rewiring the sound system at the fairgrounds. These improvements will hopefully lead to more entertainment options. Ted and Mark try to decide if Mark is a bubba, or not. Mark is pleased with the results of the just completed levy election. Ted discusses the...

Ted takes a time-out from guests and proceeds to talk about what he wants to talk about! This show is dedicated to Ted's old school friend from Chanute, KS - Nick. Ted recalls memories of boy scouts, go-carts, trampolines and more, with Nick. Ted has a commencement address for his granddaughter's high school graduation class. This first week of June features many special national days, including f...

North Idaho Classical Academy Principle Jacob Francom joins Ted to discuss the new school coming to Bonners Ferry. Opening is set for August, 2026 and the school hopes to compliment the various other schools in North Idaho. Ted wonders what a classical academy is, and Jacob explains what it is and what it isn't. The former Troy Montana school district superintendent is excited about the potential...

The Maintenance & Operations Levy Election is going on now, and ends on May 20th. It's time to vote in this important election and Board of Trustees Chairman Ron MacDonald visits with Ted about this election. Ron is a Badger through and through as he was born and raised here in Bonners Ferry and graduated from Bonners Ferry High School. He has been on the board of trustees for over 10 years an...

Ken is a life long resident of Bonners Ferry with deep roots in the community. From Eagle Scout, car body repair, fire fighter, EMT, hazmat tech, to fire chief, Ken has moved up the ladder and has lots of experience. He realizes he often meets people on their worst day so he feels guided by /God to be the light that shines for them at their critical moment of need. Ken also wants to show people th...

The upcoming school maintenance and operations levy is a hot topic in Boundary County and Ted digs deep to get more information about what is a stake. Voting is going on now until May 20th. Ted's goal is to help educate voters on the election, not tell them how to vote. School officials emphasize the levy is a continuation of an already existing tax, NOT an increase! School funding issues can be c...

Who doesn't love a quickie!? This episode is a quickie of about 12 minutes! But good things can come in small packages. Sandy Johnstone joins Ted to discuss this Saturday's FREE Rotary Breakfast and Auction. Yes, a FREE breakfast! Food will be served from 8:30 to 11 with the auction going on throughout! And this is not a bowl of frosted flakes, warm milk and cold coffee. This is a chef's prepared...

Troy Olson is not a computer nerd, but he is a self proclaimed computer geek! By day he is a Search Engine Optimization Technician. You know all those annoying ads you get on your phone after you search for something online? That's his fault! He loves data and spreadsheets, even when he goes fishing! He also likes AI...but only to a point. He does not believe The Terminator is in our future! Well,...

Ted and his guest, Bobby Rains, celebrate the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere's famous horse ride and reconstruct the Battle of Lexington & Concord. These two history buffs ponder exciting questions such as: Did George Washington start the French & Indian War? Why did the British suddenly need money after beating the French in that war? Could the events leading to the Revolutionary War te...

Dale wore many uniforms during his nearly 30 years as a police officer. These included stints as a prison guard, street cop, investigative detective, undercover agent, and police academy instructor. Dale shares some interesting stories, some rather tense and some humorous. And he loved every day in uniform. Now, in his retirement, he conducts self defense classes where he offers hands-on training...

Mike is changing his Simple Simon's Pizza to Misty Mountain Pizza! Nothing new here, as MIke has made many changes and leaps of faith in his life. He took his family and left a successful 30 career in the San Francisco Bay area to come to Bonners Ferry, knowing no one and having no job. (It was actually his wife who TOLD him to.) He always wanted to leave the rat race and become a farmer in a smal...

The bears are waking up, and they're hungry! Morgan Pfander wants to keep everybody safe, including the bears. The Arizona native grew up hunting with her dad in the Tucson area, but admits to finding the perfect place to live and work, right here in North Idaho. And while Morgan knows a lot about grizzly and black bears, she admits not knowing much about koala bears or the Chicago Bears and Chica...

Welcome to milestone podcast number 50! This podcast caught Ted by surprise as it went in a totally different direction than anticipated. Sarah has started a Mom's Walk here in Bonners Ferry, giving mothers a break from being around their young ones 24/7 so they can spend some much needed time with adults for a while; providing sanity and (maybe) preventing depression. Local businesses have steppe...

After dodging Ted for months, John Martling finally agrees to come on his humble podcast. John's journey to Bonners Ferry is quite interesting (reminiscent of a song by Queen that Ted attempts to sing)! And John's faith journey is just as interesting...he had a long way to go. John admits to having been a rebel. He tried to negotiate with Jesus. Even when he accepted Jesus as his savior, he was no...

John Becker has worn, and continues to wear, many hats here in Bonners Ferry. With almost 1000 friends on Facebook, he is well known and his interests are many. Previous interests have included gun safety instructor for Idaho Fish and Game, working in Alaska, conducting a local dirt bike racing event, riding his dirt bike in Baja California after recovering from a broken hip on his dirt bike, volu...