How did you spend your New Year's Day? Napping away a hangover on the couch, pretending to watch football?

That kind of afternoon sounds foolish to the group of rafters who floated the Spokane River on Tuesday. The Northwest Whitewater Association celebrated the 20th Annual Only Fools Float the River on the First the only way they knew how – by eschewing a day at home and getting onto the water despite the air being only 22 degrees when they launched.

“If you're a boater, you take every chance to get on the water,” Bruce Bernhardt said.

More than 30 people attended the event with more than 20 boats on the water.

“This is more exciting” than watching football, said Pat Keegan before launching.

The Northern Lakes Fire District is celebration the grand opening of its new fire station in Rathdrum.

On September 29, firefighters opened up the new station to the public. The station replaces a pole building built more than 30 years ago for an all volunteer fire district. Firefighters said the old building had been outgrown as it now has a full time enging and ambulance crew responding at all times.

Fire officials said the parcel of land was donated by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway in 2008. The next year FEMA gave a $1,054,000 grant to the Northern Lakes Fire District which the District mathing $1,000,000 from its Capital Improvement funds. Officials estimate the station costed only $0.36 per dollar for every tax payers.

Fill 'er up, please!

On a recent visit to Sandpoint, Idaho it was discovered that Pend d'Oreille Winery has a magic spigot from which a never-ending flow of wine pours. That may be a tad-bit dramatic... yet they still have an awesome offer of refillable magnums of wine.

The idea came from co-proprietor Julie Meyer, who was tired of seeing empty bottles of wine go to waste (there is no market for recycled glass in Sandpoint, so the city is forced to reintegrate the glass into solid waste for disposal at a landfill in Eastern Oregon).

The 1.5 litre bottles, or more affectionately known as "Magnums" by wine-os, can be purchased for $27 at first. Then, a refill only costs $17.50.

Denise Alveari, the winery's PR person, says Pend d'Oreille is the first in Idaho - if not the Northwest - to do this.

The winery offers refills of their house Bistro Rouge Red Table Wine or a white wine, which they happened to be out of when I was in town.