[eluser]Flemming[/eluser]
Just to expand on n0xie's answer to number 2:
The basic principal is you load views within your controller, so for example if you have a controller to handle your pages (let's call it pages.php) and within that controller you a method called 'about' for the About Us page ... that method can load 3 views - your standard header, your 'about us' view and your standard footer.
Code:
$this->load->view('standard_header');
$this->load->view('about_us');
$this->load->view('standard_footer');
then when you visit yoursite.com/pages/about you will get a page rendered from the 3 views
Hope that's not insulting your intelligence! :-\
