Some somber notes on this snowy day in the state Capitol: Today is the funeral in Colorado Springs for Air Force Capt. David Lyon, who died in Kabul, Afghanistan, after his vehicle was hit by an explosion. Lyon, 28, was about a month away from completing his year-long deployment to Afghanistan; he was an Air Force Academy graduate, a five-year Air Force veteran, and a renowned track star at Sandpoint High School. North Idaho lawmakers in both houses plan to take note during sessions of the Senate and House today; state flags are at half staff.

Meanwhile, Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, brought the sad news to Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, this morning that Sandpoint Mayor Marsha Ogilvie has passed away. Ogilvie has been mayor of Sandpoint since 2011, and served on the City Council for two years before that; she was a Sandpoint businesswoman, an activist for children at risk, and recipient of the state’s first annual “Brightest Star” award in 2002 for her work to help establish Kinderhaven, a community supported home for abused, abandoned and neglected children.

District 1 lawmakers also are mourning Shirley McDonald, who died in a house fire Dec. 30 in Priest Lake as her husband and son fought to save her. Anderson, a volunteer firefighter with the Priest Lake Fire District, was among those who responded to the fire. “We were there most of the night,” he said. “It was a hard thing.” Then, he was among the crew recovering the body in the morning, of a woman he’d “known for most of my life.” Said Anderson, “The funeral’s on Saturday. We’re all going home for that.”