76-Foot Spruce Prepares for Capitol Send-Off Tour
Ferdinand, ID · October 19, 2026
Harvest dust finally settled over the stubble fields this weekend, giving way to quiet autumn mornings. The week ahead gets rolling tonight with school board deliberations just down Highway 95.
The Lead
The towering evergreen destined for the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol this holiday season is officially rooted in our backyard. The U.S. Forest Service selected a 76-foot Engelmann spruce from the Lochsa-Powell Ranger District in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests to serve as the 2026 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. Ahead of its multi-week cross-country trek to Washington, D.C., regional organizers announced the whistle-stop tour schedule, which features a community send-off celebration just down the highway in Grangeville on October 29.
Idaho County commissioners formally placed tour preparations on their docket this week, while local youth groups and schools are putting the finishing touches on thousands of handmade ornaments depicting Idaho wildlife and rivers. Rigging teams begin securing the spruce onto an eighty-foot specialized transport trailer later this week in Kamiah.
Local Pulse
- Lewis County Commissioners Convene in Nezperce City Hall County leaders review regional department reports and road maintenance updates during their regular open session this morning.
Today's Outlook
- High 67°F · Low 41°F — Overcast
- Keep an extra jacket nearby as cloud cover keeps temperatures on the cooler side.
What's On Around Town
Today
Grangeville City Council Meeting Grangeville City Hall (225 W North St), Grangeville, 6:00 PM Open public session addressing local municipal variances and library board appointments.
Cottonwood School Board Meeting Cottonwood School District Auxiliary Gym (609 Church St), Cottonwood, 7:00 PM Trustees review student device rules and busing safety measures.
Tomorrow
Idaho County Commissioners Meeting Idaho County Courthouse (320 W Main St), Grangeville, 8:45 AM
Diffusions: St. Benedict's Rule Spirit Center at the Monastery of St. Gertrude (465 Keuterville Rd), Cottonwood, 6:30 PM
Wednesday
- Lewis County Fair Board Meeting Lewis County Courthouse (510 Oak St), Nezperce, 6:00 PM
Spotlight & Story
- Reubens Perched just north on the Camas Prairie, the town honors James Reuben, the bilingual Nez Perce leader who taught and advocated for his people. In 1883, he traveled to Oklahoma Territory to successfully lead thirty-three widows and orphans back home to Idaho.
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