Winter Carnival is flying high! The second week of the annual Sandpoint Winter Carnival includes a fun variety of events, including the Outrageous Air Show at Schweitzer Mountain Resort both Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25. Other highlights include the Taste of Sandpoint gourmet sampler Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Sandpoint Events Center and the hilariously fun K9 Keg Pull featuring dogs of all shapes and sizes Sunday, Feb. 26, behind Eichardt's. See SandpointWinterCarnival.com for more info! In addition, Winter Carnival's Dine Around Sandpoint, featuring great specials at area restaurants plus the chance to win a Grand Prize drawing (dinner for two, once a month, for a year!), is in full swing. See participating restaurants at DineAroundSandpoint.com.

What's going on in Sandpoint! Second week of annual celebration includes the Taste of Sandpoint, Outrageous Air Show, K9 Keg Pull and more! And see what else is happening this week, Feb. 21-27:

Entertainment Highlights:

• Mardi Gras Party – Live music and Cajun dishes at Trinity at City Beach, Tuesday

• Winter Goldsprint – Bicycling competition - indoors! - at Laughing Dog Brewing, Tuesday

• KPND Ski and Board Party – Join Glen Lefay, Mike Deprez at Trinity at City Beach, Wednesday

• Oscar-Nominated Shorts – Films screens at Panida in advance of Oscars, Thursday-Saturday

• 7th Annual Spelling Bee – Watch teams compete at Panhandle State Bank, Friday

• The Terrible Buttons – With Holly McGarry, Cedar & Boyer, Harold's IGA at Eichardt's, Friday
• Outrageous Air Show – Aerial maneuvers, freestyle tricks at Schweitzer, Friday-Saturday

• Family Fun Day and Neighborhood Tasting – Coffee, live music at Evans Bros., Saturday

• SHS Grad Night Auction – Dinner benefit for seniors at Sandpoint Events Center, Saturday

• K9 Keg Pull – Dog-pull competition behind Eichardt's is a carnival tradition, Sunday

» See all entertainment events this week

Civic Happenings:
• State of the Lake – Task force, IF&G present update at Ponderay Events Center, Wednesday

• Coal Hard Truth Forum – Waterkeeper, Sierra Club host event at Little Panida, Thursday

• Food Bank Grand Opening – Community invited to tour larger facility, Friday

• Scotchman Winter Bird Highlights Outing – All-day trip around Lake Pend Oreille, Saturday

• Wilderness Opportunities in the Scotchmans – Native plant program at Community Hall, Saturday

» See all civic events this week

Big events next week: Student Art Show Reception, March 2; The Follies, March 2-3; Gun 'n' Horn Show at the fairgrounds, March 2-4; Deschutes Base Camp at Schweitzer, March 3.

New in the Classifieds. Snow shoveler wanted on Upper Pack River Road, $15/hr. ... Boston Terrier pup, $600 ... Two-bedroom home near Farmin Elementary, $850/mo. ... See more at Sandpoint Online Classifieds.

Outdoor Almanac

• The heavens: New Moon Tue; Moon passes closely above Venus Sat and to the right of Jupiter Sun
• Air quality report: Good as a strong system moves into the area, bringing widespread rain and snow
• Rising and setting: Sunrise at 6:43 a.m., sets at 5:17 p.m. Daylight gained past 7 days: 24 minutes. Moon sets at 5:33 p.m.

• Weather forecast: Hazardous Weather Outlook: Wind gusts Tue-Wed between 40 and 50 mph. Rain likely Wed with a high of 43; slight chance of snow Thu with snow likely through the weekend
• Schweitzer snow report: 117" on the summit, 72" in the village. 4" new snow past 48 hours. See report. Snow Wed-Sat with highs in the upper 20s; wind gusts as high as 48 mph Wed. Schweitzer weather forecast.

Find links to details at Real-Time Outdoors.

Find restaurants and taverns. The Sandpoint Restaurants & Nightclubs Directory has every dining and drinking establishment in town, plus powerful new search features for type of cuisine, price, location and more. Go there now. (advertisement)

What's new and neat online
Sandpoint retreat. Talus Rock is a Tuscan-style lodge that works on a donation-based model to align with the owners’ vision. A new blog tracks the goings-on at this getaway: SandpointRetreat.wordpress.com.

Sandpoint horn o' plenty. A "pop-up" event for goods and services produced in Sandpoint is coming to the former Belwoods building Thursday, March 1 - with a kickoff social that evening. Whether a producer or consumer, you're invited! DowntownSandpoint.com.

Elections on the way. With all the brouhaha over the presidential elections, you getting ready to vote in Idaho? In addition to the top dog, local voters will choose two county commissioners and vote for legislators according to new redistricting that'll likely split Bonner County. SandpointElections.com.

The Week's Top News, Feb. 15-21:
• FAA to restore funding to Sandpoint airport
  Says that facility is in 'tentative compliance'
• Sovereign citizen sought by defense counsel
  Campbell, family dodge subpoenas in assault case
• Sen. Keough introduces brewery legislation
  Seeks change in Idaho's ownership laws
• Suspect in teen's fatal shooting sold SUV
  Vehicle was allegedly used to carry out crime
• Sagle man files tort claim against county
  Hall says he was injured when grader struck truck
• Sandpoint stages 'Chairlift Pitch' contest
  Entrepreneurs can pitch their idea on the ski hill
• City upholds right-of-way road requirement
  Route likely won't slice through fairgrounds

• Preliminary hearings set for Bonner County trio
  19-year-old charged with first-degree murder

• Sandpoint examines South Boyer parking woes
  Business, residential priorities clash at meeting

Go to the SO Newsroom to link to these and other stories from the Bonner County Daily Bee.

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