North Idaho Experience

Running for County Commissioner: Growth, Taxes & the Future of North Idaho

59 min · 8 de may de 2026
Portada del episodio Running for County Commissioner: Growth, Taxes & the Future of North Idaho

Descripción

What does it actually take to run Kootenai County — and is the person stepping up to do it ready for the job? In this episode, we sit down with Julie Hensley, candidate for Kootenai County Commissioner District 1, for one of the most practical and eye-opening conversations about local government we've had on this show. Julie isn't a career politician. She's a former ER nurse from one of the busiest emergency rooms in California, a small business owner, a commercial real estate investor, and a mom who moved to North Idaho in 2018 because she believed in what this community stands for. Now she's running for county commissioner because she sees what unmanaged growth, unchecked spending, and an outdated comprehensive plan could do to everything North Idaho residents love about living here. In this episode we break down what a county commissioner actually does, why Kootenai County's 20-year-old comprehensive plan is dangerously outdated, what $144 million in county budget actually pays for, the jail expansion and infrastructure strain, the Rathdrum Aquifer water supply — and why nobody has tested it recently. We also get into small business over-regulation, responsible growth versus property rights, public land access, and why Idaho's May primary matters more than the November general election for local races. This is the kind of informed, real-talk local conversation that helps you make a better decision at the ballot box. Early voting starts May 4th. Election Day is May 19th. Disclaimer: North Idaho Experience does not endorse political candidates. We provide information so you can make an informed vote. 🎧 Follow North Idaho Experience on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts for more local voices and community conversations. 📍 Visit our website for more resources, real estate listings, and local content: https://northidahoexperience.com 👤 Connect with Julie Hensley https://www.hensleyforcommissioner.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northidahoexperience/ [https://www.instagram.com/your.northidahoagent/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ [https://www.facebook.com/northidahoagent]northidahoexperience [https://www.instagram.com/your.northidahoagent/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHz9XczupyJ93VRtqfQEW-g [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHz9XczupyJ93VRtqfQEW-g] For the most up-to-date real estate listings check out our North Idaho Experience mobile app - click above to start searching today! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/north-idaho-experience/id6755906887 Grab our Relocation Guide: https://sholink.to/Relocation Your Ultimate Selling Game Plan guide: https://sholink.to/Sellerguide 💼 Interested in sponsoring a future episode or collaborating with us? Email us at info@nidexperience.com  🛠 For Real Estate Services or Questions: Contact us at seth@nidexperience.com Phone: 208-618-4421 Finding Freedom Idaho INC Equal housing opportunity ======

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178 episodios

episode Washington's Collapse, Media Lies & the Truth About Fleeing to Idaho | Brandi Kruse of Undivided artwork

Washington's Collapse, Media Lies & the Truth About Fleeing to Idaho | Brandi Kruse of Undivided

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19 de jun de 202657 min
episode Silencers, Full Auto & Idaho Gun Laws | Jager Defense Co-Owner Chris Kizanis artwork

Silencers, Full Auto & Idaho Gun Laws | Jager Defense Co-Owner Chris Kizanis

If you've ever been curious about silencers, suppressors, or how full auto firearms work legally in Idaho, this is the episode for you. North Idaho Experience hosts Seth and Dave sit down with Chris Kizanis, co-owner of Jager Defense, a Sandpoint, Idaho-based firearms company quietly building some of the most innovative silencers in the country. Jager Defense makes a patented three-inch hybrid suppressor delivering 32 decibels of sound reduction with quick-detach capability, low flash, reduced rearward gas, and a self-tightening left-hand thread design that solves one of the most frustrating problems in suppressor ownership — the can that welds itself to your barrel. Chris walks through exactly why their design outperforms silencers twice its size, what barrel lengths pair best, and why law enforcement is paying attention. The conversation goes well beyond suppressors. We break down G9 Defense ammo — the Idaho-made external hollow point round that cuts through IIIA body armor in ballistics gel and still performs exactly as designed, and why it's quietly replacing gold dot and Hornady for operators who've actually tested it. Chris also explains how full auto and select-fire firearms are legally owned in Idaho through an FFL and SOT license, how closed bolt versus open bolt machine guns actually work, what forced reset triggers are and why buffer weight matters for reliable operation, and what the average law enforcement engagement distance actually looks like in the field. This is a real conversation between guys who have actually run these weapons. No fluff, no sales pitch — just hard-earned knowledge from someone who spent years in law enforcement, has the range time to back it up, and is now building firearms products in his own backyard in North Idaho. Whether you're a seasoned shooter, a first-time silencer buyer, or just someone who wants to understand Idaho's firearms culture from the inside, this episode delivers. North Idaho Experience covers real estate, relocation, lifestyle, and the people building something worth living for in North Idaho. If you're thinking about making the move, reach out to our team at northidahoexperience.com. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and leave us a review if you dig what we're doing up here. Jager Defense https://jagerdefense.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northidahoexperience/ [https://www.instagram.com/your.northidahoagent/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ [https://www.facebook.com/northidahoagent]northidahoexperience [https://www.instagram.com/your.northidahoagent/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHz9XczupyJ93VRtqfQEW-g [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHz9XczupyJ93VRtqfQEW-g] For the most up-to-date real estate listings check out our North Idaho Experience mobile app - click above to start searching today! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/north-idaho-experience/id6755906887 Grab our Relocation Guide: https://sholink.to/Relocation Your Ultimate Selling Game Plan guide: https://sholink.to/Sellerguide 💼 Interested in sponsoring a future episode or collaborating with us? Email us at info@nidexperience.com  🛠 For Real Estate Services or Questions: Contact us at seth@nidexperience.com Phone: 208-618-4421 Finding Freedom Idaho INC Equal housing opportunity ======

16 de jun de 20261 h 13 min
episode Defiant Coffee: Mushroom-Infused Coffee Made in North Idaho artwork

Defiant Coffee: Mushroom-Infused Coffee Made in North Idaho

What does functional mushroom coffee have to do with men's mental health, brotherhood, and living defiant? Everything — at least according to Ronnie Watson, founder of Defiant Coffee, a North Idaho-born brand that's been quietly growing since 2017. In this episode of the North Idaho Experience, we sit down with Ronnie to talk about how he went from 11 years at Rockstar Energy Drink to building a clean, mushroom-infused coffee company right here in Coeur d'Alene. We get into lion's mane, chaga, and cordyceps — what they actually do, why they pair so well with coffee, and why functional mushrooms are being taken seriously by health experts worldwide. But this episode goes way beyond coffee. Ronnie opens up about the Defiant Brotherhood — a men's community he's building on 15 acres near Fernan, Idaho, centered around qigong, mace training, cold plunge, saunas, and getting men back to doing hard, primitive things together. We talk about seed oils, folic acid, raw food, gut health, keto, carnivore, and why so many men are waking up to the fact that food and lifestyle are the root of how they feel. Whether you're into clean nutrition, men's wellness, or just want to know what's in your morning cup — this one's worth your full attention. 🛒 Find Defiant Coffee in Pilgrims in Coeur d'Alene, Natural Grocers nationwide, and online. 🎙️ Watch the full episode on North Idaho Experience — YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts. 👤 Connect with Defiant Coffee https://drinkdefiant.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northidahoexperience/ [https://www.instagram.com/your.northidahoagent/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ [https://www.facebook.com/northidahoagent]northidahoexperience [https://www.instagram.com/your.northidahoagent/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHz9XczupyJ93VRtqfQEW-g [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHz9XczupyJ93VRtqfQEW-g] For the most up-to-date real estate listings check out our North Idaho Experience mobile app - click above to start searching today! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/north-idaho-experience/id6755906887 Grab our Relocation Guide: https://sholink.to/Relocation Your Ultimate Selling Game Plan guide: https://sholink.to/Sellerguide 💼 Interested in sponsoring a future episode or collaborating with us? Email us at info@nidexperience.com  🛠 For Real Estate Services or Questions: Contact us at seth@nidexperience.com Phone: 208-618-4421 Finding Freedom Idaho INC Equal housing opportunity ======

9 de jun de 202652 min
episode How Old-School Wisdom Still Works in the Modern World | Code of the West Podcast artwork

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2 de jun de 20261 h 31 min
episode JW Memorial Foundation Idaho: Honoring Fallen Firefighters and Law Enforcement Statewide artwork

JW Memorial Foundation Idaho: Honoring Fallen Firefighters and Law Enforcement Statewide

When a retired firefighter is diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma — and refuses to accept a GoFundMe — what happens to the money? The answer became one of Idaho's most impactful first responder foundations. In this episode of North Idaho Experience, hosts Dave and Seth sit down with Jesse Welch, a Coeur d'Alene Police Officer, and his mother Sue Welch, to share the story behind the JW Memorial Foundation — a statewide Idaho nonprofit dedicated to providing immediate financial assistance to the families of law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS, and first responders killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty. Jeff Welch, Sue's husband and Jesse's father, was a career firefighter and former fire chief at Northern Lakes Fire who passed away after battling lymphoma. Before he died, he made Sue promise to launch a foundation modeled after the "100 Club" concept — one that would cut a check within days, not months, so families could keep the lights on while they grieve. Learn how JW Memorial Foundation covers all 55 Idaho counties, supports out-of-state wildland firefighters killed on Idaho soil, provides up to $5,000/month for three months (or longer), and operates with zero red tape and no paid staff — all fueled by community donations and $25 annual memberships. Whether you're a first responder, a community member, or someone thinking about relocating to North Idaho, this episode will show you why Idaho's first responder community is unlike anywhere else in the country. 🌐 Learn more & donate: www.jwmfidaho.com 📬 Thinking about moving to North Idaho? Our real estate team would love to help! northidahoexperience.com 🎙️ Watch more North Idaho Experience episodes on YouTube Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northidahoexperience/ [https://www.instagram.com/your.northidahoagent/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ [https://www.facebook.com/northidahoagent]northidahoexperience [https://www.instagram.com/your.northidahoagent/] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHz9XczupyJ93VRtqfQEW-g [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHz9XczupyJ93VRtqfQEW-g] For the most up-to-date real estate listings check out our North Idaho Experience mobile app - click above to start searching today! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/north-idaho-experience/id6755906887 Grab our Relocation Guide: https://sholink.to/Relocation Your Ultimate Selling Game Plan guide: https://sholink.to/Sellerguide 💼 Interested in sponsoring a future episode or collaborating with us? Email us at info@nidexperience.com  🛠 For Real Estate Services or Questions: Contact us at seth@nidexperience.com Phone: 208-618-4421 Finding Freedom Idaho INC Equal housing opportunity ======

26 de may de 20261 h 3 min