Snow brings down pair of businesses

Allan Moeller and his son-in-law were planning to check on the family’s Priest River business on Sunday, but the snow kept them home.

Moeller and his wife, Sharon, believe it was divine intervention.

“Nobody got killed and nobody got hurt,” Allan Moeller said as he surveyed the collapsed brick building in Priest River that housed his wife’s coffee shop and gift store.

The roof of the almost 90-year-old building caved in Sunday evening under the weight of more than 2 feet of snow. An RV, boats and vehicles were stored in the back of the 7,500-square-foot building, which used to house a car dealership.

When Priest River City Councilman Doug Wagner got the call Sunday that his RV was damaged in the collapse, he and the town’s mayor decided that snow must be removed from the top of City Hall and a neighboring fire hall.

Volunteer firefighters and others worked throughout the day to clear the roofs of city buildings.

In Rathdrum, Northern Lakes Fire Lt. Jerry Moreau advised business owners to hire professionals to remove the heavy snow after the roof of Lakeland True Value Hardware collapsed.

Neighboring businesses at the shopping center on Highway 41, including Log Cabin Bakery, Family Clothing and Rathdrum Drug, were closed while city inspectors evaluated the integrity of their roofs.

Napa Auto Parts on the east end of the complex and Stein’s IGA on the west end were not affected.

Bob Manzer, an employee at Napa, surveyed the damage through the hardware store’s front window.

“If you open the door, the roof’s right there,” Manzer said.

An estimate on the damage to the shopping center was not immediately available. Rathdrum’s building inspector could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

Though the Moellers have insurance on their Priest River business, called Brass Alley, the structure is a total loss and they’re unsure whether they’ll rebuild.

Allan Moeller said he never imagined the building would cave under the weight of snow.

“The building, being here since 1920, you’d think it would hold up,” he said.