Facing a debilitating disease and a Christmas season with three kids – including a newborn – a Coeur d'Alene artist did something extremely rare: He decided to focus on helping others.

Jason Sanchez had the idea to help Children's Village in Coeur d'Alene this Christmas because he knew he "had to do something out of the goodness out of the heart." So he contacted the charity and told them he had a plan to help by building a gingerbread replica to raise donations.

"My first reaction was to burst out laughing," Janie Givas, development director for Children's Village, said. "People have grand ideas all the time, until they realize what it will take to actually complete the project."

But when Sanchez came in with "a beautiful board already drawn of this great gingerbread house I knew he was for real," Givas said.

Sanchez had spoken with Sarah Colbert of Tom Addis Lake City Ford, who OK'd funding – about $500 – the project, and he was all set to start creating.

During the summer months the Valley Mission Pool is full of children laughing, now all you'll hear are screams!

This weekend, the Valley Mission Pool and locker rooms will be transformed into a spooky haunted house.  The haunted house will feature a zombie graveyard, tarp tunnel of terror and clown chaos.  If you bring a can of food to donate it's just $2 to get in.

Here are the details:

October 26th and 27th

7:30pm-10:00pm

11123 E. Mission Ave.

For more information, 509-720-5408 or jpapich@spokanevalley.org. 

The flu vaccine is available from many health care providers in our state. 

Everyone six months of age and older is urged to get a flu shot. The shot is especially important for young children, people 65 and older, pregnant women, parents of newborns and people with various medical conditions. 

There is a variety of types of flu vaccines available. There is a high-dose vaccine available for people 65 and older. Ages 2-49 can get a nasal spray vaccine. There is also a vaccine that has a much smaller needle than regular flu shots. 

This season's flu shot covers three different strains of the flu virus. 

Taking simple precautions such as washing your hands, covering your cough and staying home when you're sick can help keep not only th flu away, but whooping cough as well. 

The Department of Health has bought more than 721,000 doses of flu vaccine for children. The flu vaccine, as well as the whooping cough vaccine, are free for children in Washington up through the age of 18. 

The Department of Health also bought the Tdap vaccine for uninsured and underinsured adults.