Region works through snow strain

The threshold for stopping business as usual in the Inland Northwest is apparently about a foot of snow. That’s what it took to shut down schools and most Spokane city and county offices, and wreak havoc throughout the area.

But emergency workers, utility linemen and road crews rallied to put the cities back on track just in time for the next round of snowfall. And they weren’t the only ones.

Digging out

Post Falls’ Derek Johnson started work at 2:30 a.m. Monday, helping a friend who runs a snow-removal business. He spent hours shoveling one parking lot by hand.

“I’m going to have to use a blow dryer to get this off,” he said, while chiseling ice off a Coeur d’Alene sidewalk at 6:15 a.m.

Meanwhile, Jason Seidler was shuttling de-icer in a golf cart at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. “Busy day,” said Seidler, who began clearing sidewalks at 4:30 a.m.

Chipping in

Volunteer coordinator Cindy Lapke worked the phones at Catholic Charities Monday, taking requests for rides and sending people like Mark Russell to dig out seniors’ homes.

Russell, 56, was working at the north Spokane home of Victoria Bruens. It was familiar territory: He mows her lawn in summer.

“I’ve got older parents of my own,” said Russell, who has been volunteering about seven years through Volunteer Chore Services, which helps low-income seniors and adults with disabilities.

Power up

About 400 Avista Utilities customers remained without power Monday after 7,700 lost power on Sunday. Power is expected to be restored by tonight, the company reports.

Anyone who spots a downed power line or is experiencing an outage can call Avista at (800) 227-9187.

In North Idaho, about 300 Kootenai Electric Cooperative customers are without power, down from 900 at one point Sunday. Garwood, Twin Lakes, Plummer and Cougar Gulch are the areas most affected.

Spokeswoman Erika Neff expects the cooperative to have power restored by tonight.

Delivering spring

“In 77 years we’ve never called a snow day,” said Jim Alice, owner of Liberty Park Florist in Spokane.

The secret to delivering tropical flowers in freezing temperatures: “We go to the door first and make sure someone is home, then we get the flowers out.”

Serving meals

The weather kept four Meals on Wheels volunteers from their Spokane routes Monday, said Tricia Dormaier, volunteer coordinator.

The agency, which serves meals to 350 to 400 people a day, has provided its clients with canned goods for such emergencies, Dormaier said.

Farther east, a four-wheel-drive club has offered to help out on routes where 190 people are served, said Jane Seaboldt, volunteer coordinator for Meals on Wheels in Spokane Valley.

Food banks also were affected by the snow. Closed Monday were St. Vincent de Paul and the Caritas Center in Spokane; the Greenhouse in Deer Park; the North Country Food Pantry in Elk-Chattaroy; and the Alter Church food bank in Post Falls.

But the Salvation Army at 222 E. Indiana received an additional truckload of food from Second Harvest to accommodate walk-ins in addition to scheduled clients.

The Community Action Partnership Food Bank in Kootenai County also remained open.

Justice delayed

The storm caused postponement of deliberations in a U.S. District Court murder trial.

Because the 12 jurors deciding the fate of Norman “Griz” Ford Jr. had to travel to Spokane from communities throughout Eastern Washington, U.S. District Court Judge Edward Shea decided to give the panel the day off. The jury, which began deliberations on Friday, is due to reconvene this morning.

Jim Larsen, chief clerk for the Eastern District of Washington, said he couldn’t recall another instance when federal jury deliberations in Spokane were interrupted by weather.

In another federal courtroom, a civil rights trial scheduled to start Monday also was postponed.

Back to normal

Monday’s closure of Spokane City Hall and of many Spokane County offices was the first since 1980, when Mount St. Helens ash covered the city.

City and county offices will reopen today. The Spokane City Council, which normally meets Monday evenings, will instead meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday, said city spokeswoman Marlene Feist.

Messy traffic

Nearly 200 crashes kept Washington State Patrol troopers busy Monday, said agency spokesman Mark Baker. One of the worst spots was U.S. Highway 2 west of Spokane.

Idaho State Police responded to 12 crashes and 34 slide-offs, said Sgt. Jonelle Greear. “We had the general problem in the passes with semitrucks not chaining up.”

With temperatures forecast below freezing for today, the icy conditions are expected to continue. As always after a storm, “people have to learn to slow down, and keep a good stopping distance,” said Spokane Police Officer Tim Moses.

For Spokane-area commuters who want to leave their cars parked, Spokane Transit Authority buses have been running pretty much on schedule, a spokesman said.

Out with the trash

Waste Management garbage trucks ran their regular routes Monday. But if they didn’t get to you, they’ll pick up twice as much trash next week at no extra charge, says the company’s Steve Wulf.

But don’t leave your trash cans out for a week waiting for that pick-up. They’re a hazard to snowplows and other drivers.

City of Spokane garbage collection went well on Monday, and is expected to proceed normally, Feist said.

Make-up day

It’ll still be winter when Jay Leno performs his make-up show at Northern Quest Casino. “The Tonight Show” host had been scheduled to perform Saturday at the casino, but canceled because of the weather.

The show is rescheduled for 4 p.m. March 2.

Tickets for the earlier show will be honored. Or, purchasers can get a refund at the original place of purchase.

Swimming in steaks

Water damaged Churchill’s Steakhouse when cold temperatures Saturday caused a pipe to burst in the overhead sprinkler system.

“It has put us out of business for a couple days,” said Bill Alles, owner of the downtown restaurant at 165 S. Post. “We expect to be back open toward the end of the week.”