This Week on Panhandle Community Radio

Here is what’s airing this week, July 13-17, on our live current affairs programs.

These local shows air at 8 a.m. every Monday-Friday on 88.5 KRFY Community Radio. Tune in on your trusty radio, or stream them right here!

MONDAY, July 13: the Community Character Hour for June-July, taking another look at four particular historic steamboats that once trafficked on Lake Pend Oreille.

TUESDAY, July 14: A discussion of the upcoming Sandpoint Street Scramble, an orienteering competition, with course designer and event organizer John Harbuck.

Did you miss the show? Listen to it here:

WEDNESDAY, July 15: Talking with Joyce Jowdy of the East Bonner County Library about a big event coming up on July 25th- a free concert with the Hot Club of Spokane taking place at the Heartwood Center. Plus checking in on what else is going on at the library.

THURSDAY, July 16: Habitat for Humanity, the well-known national organization, has a local branch and we’re talking to its executive director, Robin Rawlings.

Also don’t miss on FRIDAY on KRFY:

North Idaho News of the Week airs every Friday with program hosts and journalists from the Sandpoint Reader and Daily Bee dissecting local headlines in a 30-minute review of the biggest local news of the week. Tune in Fridays at 8 a.m. to 88.5 FM… or stream it live, right here on KRFY.org.

Did you miss Friday’s show? Click to hear the July 17 News of the Week:

Hear recent recorded shows:

• Community Character Hour: May 2026 
• Medical Musings with Dr. JoAnn: May 2026
• Garden Life: May 2026

This Week’s Morning Programming

Here is what’s airing this week, July 6 – 10, on our live current affairs programs.

These original local programs air live from our studio at 8 a.m. every Monday-Friday on 88.5 KRFY Community Radio, and are rebroadcast that same day at 2PM. Set your reminder for 8 a.m. every weekeday … and be sure to tune in on your trusty radio, or stream them right here on KRFY.org!

MONDAY, July 6: This edition of the Community Character Hour features a deep dive into the particular histories of four individual steamboats that defined the age of steam on Lake Pend Oreille.

Did you Miss the Show? Listen to it here.

TUESDAY, July 7: It’s Garden Life for July, and Julie & Julie are chatting first with the East Bonner County Library‘s Garden Librarian Abby Slough. Then, talking to Ammi Midstokke about Sandpoint Pride and her upcoming swim from Bayview to Sandpoint City Beach to kick the weekend off.

Did you Miss the Show? Listen to it here.

WEDNESDAY, July 8: Catching up with Project 7B, a nonpartisan local group focused on helping the residents of Bonner County understand and become more involved in land use planning.

Did you Miss the Show? Listen to it here.

THURSDAY, July 9: Board members from the Panida Theater are in the studio in the middle of a summer full of news and changes at the historic venue. With board chair Amy Flint and vice chair Steve Garvan.

Did you Miss the Show? Listen to it here.

Also don’t miss on FRIDAY on KRFY:

North Idaho News of the Week airs every Friday with program hosts and journalists from the Sandpoint Reader and Daily Bee dissecting local headlines in a 30-minute review of the biggest local news of the week. Tune in Fridays at 8 a.m. to 88.5 FM… or stream it live, right here on KRFY.org.

Did you miss last Friday’s show? Click to hear the July 10 News of the Week:

Hear recent recorded shows:

• Community Character Hour: May 2026 
• Medical Musings with Dr. JoAnn: May 2026
• Garden Life: May 2026

Join us this Saturday!

KRFY Celebrates 15 Years On The Air with Party at Matchwood Brewing

Since 2011, Panhandle Community Radio has had the honor of bringing the voices of our community to the airwaves. On June 6th, from 2-6 PM, the only nonprofit, noncommercial radio station in North Idaho is celebrating this fifteenth anniversary and wants to invite as many of those community members as possible to join us in toasting this decade-and-a-half. The party will take place at Matchwood Brewing, 513 Oak Street in Sandpoint.

Appropriately for a community project that started out as an idea hatched over beers at a local pub, the party will also feature a new “Community Can” from Matchwood Brewing called “15 Beers On Air”. This is the latest in a series of limited-run brews from Matchwood that are created in collaboration with local community organizations. Proceeds from the sale of “15 Beers On Air” go to benefit KRFY, which is a 501(c)3.

The gathering is open to all ages. Live music will be provided by Sandpoint’s own RFB – Right Front Burner. The trio of Paul Gunter, Alva Street and Dave Pecha plays a medley of classics and deep cuts in their own signature funk-soul-pop-rock style.

A 15th anniversary cake will also be provided by The Cakery on First. Much like the “15 Beers On Air” 4-packs, this cake will only be available while supplies last. The station will be temporarily moving their broadcast operation from their studio on 1st Avenue to a  booth at the party for the duration of the event, and party guests who are interested will be invited to join the broadcast.

Casual listeners and long-time supporters alike are invited to this party. Cheers to 15 years! 

Weekly programming on 88.5 KRFY

THIS WEEK ON KRFY

THIS WEEK, we’re celebrating Community Radio in North Idaho. Tune in for special morning shows at 8AM with station supporters from the local nonprofit community, and join us from 5-7PM every night for fun, games and surprises with the KRFY volunteers.

THEN ON SUNDAY, join us for a day of music and live community radio excitement at our OPEN HOUSE at the station, 323 N. First Avenue. With live music on the air!

This would be a fine time to renew your membership to KRFY, or better yet: become a new supporting member. Go to the DONATE page, or give us a call at (208) 265-2992, or just come up and pay us a visit at the studio on First Avenue during the week, or at the Idaho Pour Authority on Friday.

Listen to KRFY’s Coverage of the Upcoming Election

KRFY’s Local Decision series of interviews with candidates in contested races in the upcoming November 4 general election, as well as discussions of ballot items, are airing each Wednesday on the Morning Show. Recorded podcasts are available here following each show. Click to hear as the candidates contest the issues with one another.

Candidate forum recordings
KRFY, in partnership with Sandpoint Online and the Sandpoint Reader hosted a candidate forum for the November 4 general election. Forums were held at the Sandpoint Center and broadcast live on 88.5 KRFY; click to hear the recording:

Download the audio of the forum here.

Candidate interviews
For KRFY’s Local Decision series, Morning Show hosts conduct interviews with candidates in contested races for the November 4 general election. This year, there are four candidates vying for the three seats on Sandpoint City Council.

• Incumbent Joel Auspiro

• Incumbent Rick Howarth

• Candidate Joe Tate

• Candidate Joshua Torrez

Ballot measures
On Wednesday, October 29, the KRFY Morning show will air two conversations on upcoming ballot measures. Those will be available below after they air.

• Holly Ellis, Sandpoint Public Works Director on the Sandpoint wastewater bond
• Ponderay Mayor Steve Geiger on the Ponderay 1% Local Option Tax

Election report and analysis

On Election Night, November 4, KRFY will interrupt its regularly scheduled programming to announce election results as soon as they are available.

Airing 8 a.m. Wednesday, November 5, KRFY hosts and local journalists will report on results of the previous night’s election, with analysis of issues that were featured in various races.

For additional information on the November 4 general election go to the Sandpoint Online Election Central, to find details on how and where to vote as well as links to additional information on candidates.

HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE

The 2025 KRFY Holiday Spectacular will be on Friday, December 5th, at 7PM in the Panida Theater.

Get your tickets HERE!

Thanks to You

Last month, Panhandle Community Radio held its annual on-air Fund Drive with volunteer broadcasters, local musicians, and guests from the community of supports that keeps this radio station on the air.

The board and staff of the station want to thank all the listeners, volunteers, and friends for their generous donations of time and support- helping to keep local, independent community radio alive and well. This Fund Drive was a huge success in building the spirit of community here at 88.5 KRFY.  Thank you to all who made the live broadcasting event fun and inspiring, and to all who came out to toast the radio station at our Utara Tap Takeover event at the Idaho Pour Authority.

Presenting the 2025 KRFY Community Quilt

Attention, KRFY Listeners!

Local craftswoman Kerry Kresge has been hard at work on a beautiful, queen-size, hand-pieced quilt to show her appreciation for our local community radio station, KRFY 88.5.

This one-of-a-kind item is in turn being offered to our donors and supporters as a raffle prize as part of our upcoming on-air Fund Drive.

If you’re a 2025 member of KRFY- meaning, if you have made a NEW DONATION, RENEWED YOUR MEMBERSHIP, or make a SCHEDULED DONATION to the radio station (and have provided us with your NAME and some way of contacting you- not just dropped some cash in the donation jar) then you will be entered into the raffle for this quilt. Each name will be entered only once- but you might want to encourage your parents, spouse, or roommate to sign up and become a member today if you’d like to improve the odds of bringing this quilt into your home.

This quilt could be yours, just for making a donation to KRFY. A reminder- you must have donated to this station in this year, 2025. It’s not too late to get your name in the bucket. Click HERE to become a member today, or call in next week during our ON-AIR FUND DRIVE, May 27-30.