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Newport School District Levy Apparently Defeated

By John Craig johnc@spokesman.com

A two-year operating levy in Pend Oreille County’s Newport School District was apparently defeated Tuesday, drawing the support of only 54.5 percent of voters.

The unofficial tally Tuesday night was 785-655.

But about 100 computerized ballots will have to be counted later by hand because they were filled out with pens instead of pencils, and 444 absentee and mail-in ballots hadn’t been returned.

The improperly marked ballots cannot give the levy the necessary 60 percent approval.

The levy would have raised $372,000 in 1998 and $389,000 in 1999.

In Lincoln County:

Almira School District voters passed a two-year, $155,000-a-year levy with 80.7 percent support, 117-28. The numbers include the Grant County portion of the vote.

A one-year, $350,000 levy in the Wilbur School District passed with 65.1 percent support. The vote was 282-151.

A $152,000 levy in the Creston School District appeared to have failed with only 55 percent support, 191-156. Up to 160 absentee and voteby-mail ballots could still be returned, but the trend among absentee ballots was against the levy.

A $374,000 levy in the Odessa School District passed with 70.1 percent support, 324-138. The numbers include Grant and Adams County results.

Voters in Public Hospital District 1 gave 78.5 percent approval to a $365,000 levy for Odessa Memorial Hospital, 322-88.

A $4.19 million construction bond measure in the Reardan-Edwall School District apparently failed with only 58 percent support, 776-456. The numbers include Spokane County results. Officials said 321 absentee and vote-by-mail ballots still could be returned.

In Whitman County:

Two levies in the town of St. John passed easily. A $20,000 measure for street improvements drew 88.7 percent support, 172-25. A $30,000 levy to upgrade the sewer system had 83.8 percent support, 166-30.

A $250,000 levy for the St. John School District passed with 79.4 percent support, 259-67.

A $188,000 levy in the Endicott School District passed with 80.6 percent support, 116-28.

, DataTimes