Sanders County continues to post one of the highest jobless rates in the state. But, Greater Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce members are going "back to the basics" to build the local economy.

Last January, Spring Creek Lodge in Thompson Falls closed its doors. At one point, the academy for troubled youth was one of Sanders County's largest employers. But the shut down left dozens of teachers and staff jobless and students were left with no place to learn.

The Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce Co-President, Cindy Bronner, says "I believe what you're looking at is just the numbers, but not the spirit of the community."

Chamber members are literally starting from the ground and working up to boost business.

"We started a Farmer's Market because we saw that there are a lot of home-based businesses or people that would like to bring in extra revenue that didn't have a platform to do it before" explained Falls Motel owner Katrina Wright. "And, as you develop a community, the infrastructure, the entertainment, the quality of life elements, that's when people come through and say, "This is a community that we would like to be in."

Genna Brown, the owner of Elliott Realty added "We have some great activities in this area that we are just really proud of, and we're just trying to get people to use those...Katrina, actually, applied for a grant to have a full time visitor's center open the entire summer. We've never had that before."

"At the Falls Motel, we really look at a diverse marketing perspective. Like we did a package with Crazy Woman Kayaks, a lady who rents kayaks just right down the block, and we had a local masseuse who would come to the motel and do a massage" Katrina told us. "So, instead of just the motel getting the business, two other businesses were able to take advantage of that tourist."

Cross-promoting with other businesses, beautifying natural resources, buying locally, and building a sense of community have all kept the small town alive over the years.

"Some of what our contractors have done is that they'll pool their resources, their knowledge, to bid larger jobs that they couldn't do on their own" said Erin Traver with Traver's Excavator Service. "We want to bring everyone together, whether it's a contractor, a motel owner, or a realtor. It's about the community. We are not going to be moved by the ebb-and-flow of the economy. "

Coming up on Friday, Sanders County is hosting the Christmas Lighting Extravaganza in Plains. If you'd like to see a complete list of upcoming events in the county, click here.