In brief: Gas line venting will be very loud

If you hear what sounds like a jet plane flying low to the ground Monday, don’t panic. It’s a routine venting of natural gas from a pipeline in Spokane Valley, according to Gas Transmission Northwest LLC.

The company, a partly owned subsidiary of TransCanada Corp., said in a news release Thursday that workers will vent a 36-inch-diameter pipeline in preparation for upgrades to the line. The process, called a “blow-down,” is considered routine and doesn’t pose a threat to the community, but it’s very, very loud, the company said.

“Even if you know it’s coming, it can be disconcerting. It can sound like a jet airplane circling the house at low altitude for about 45 minutes,” a company spokesman said.

The company has notified about 2,400 households near the site, at East 32nd Avenue just east of Barker Road, the release said. The blow-down begins at 10 a.m. Monday. Access to the area will be restricted and some roads will be closed for the duration of the venting. For information, contact Steve McNulty at (509) 533-2833.

Motorcyclist in critical condition

A motorcyclist was in critical condition after a head-on collision about 1:25 p.m. Thursday on Highway 95 in Sagle.

Lawrence E. Barber, 60, of Twin Falls, was taken to Kootenai Medical Center for injuries sustained in the crash, according to an Idaho State Police news release.

Tajh P. Lecompte, 33, who was southbound in a Chevy Silverado, was in the left turn lane and turned left in front of Barber, who was northbound on a Suzuki motorcycle, the news release said. The vehicles struck head-on in the northbound lane.

Lecompte, of Elton, La., was taken to Bonner General Hospital, where he was in stable condition Thursday night.

Barber was wearing a helmet when the crash occurred, the news release said.