The County Lines

Sat., Aug. 15, 1998

WASHINGTON

ADAMS COUNTY Ritzville

With the price of wheat in the cellar, most farmers in Ritzville would like to forget harvest ‘98 ever happened. Saying yields have been “quite a bit lower” than expected, Ritzville Warehouse manager Vern Regennitter called the harvest “disappointing.” Nearly 90 percent of farmers in the area report they are finished cutting for the season.

FERRY COUNTY Republic

The Sept. 15 primary will be a sizzler in Ferry County as two races sport multiple candidates. The District 2 county commissioner race includes John Walden, Leo Orestad and Elbert Koontz, all Democrats, and Dennis Simmelink, William D. Burnett and incumbent Jim Hall, all Republicans. The sheriff’s race includes Republicans Bill Huntley and incumbent Pete Warner and Democrats Hal Slagle and Chuck Kells.

GRANT COUNTY Moses Lake

Artsy-craftsy folks in Grant County are invited to enter their wares in the Grant County Fair. Entry day is Monday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Original arts and crafts, hobbies, dolls, photography, models, ceramics and clays, and lapidary will be accepted. Identification numbers will be assigned by the fair office. Premium books are available at local libraries and businesses throughout the county.

LINCOLN COUNTY Davenport

There’s a movement against heavy metal in Lincoln County, and we’re not talking music.

The Lincoln County Transfer Station recently had a free metal dump day to help promote an area cleanup. County recycling coordinator Maria Bircher announced that more than 90 tons of scrap metal were collected and hauled away to American Recycling of Spokane.

All told, 140 unwanted refrigerators were included in the mix. The county usually charges $15 for disposal of these appliances.

PEND OREILLE COUNTY Newport

The dream of a community learning center for the arts soon will be a reality in Newport. A fund-raising campaign netted more than $30,000 in just over two months to purchase the Newport Southern Baptist Church building. With just days left before their deadline to buy the church and thousands of dollars to raise, fund-raisers were given a no-interest personal loan from an anonymous supporter to secure the building.

The fund-raising effort will continue, as there is much to be done before artistry workshops, theater and dance productions and lectures light the marquee.

SPOKANE COUNTY Cheney

The Medical Lake Register, a sister newspaper of the Cheney Free Press, ceased publication last week after a four-year run.

A story in the Register said the weekly paper was being discontinued because there hasn’t been enough display advertising. Medical Lake news is being folded into editions of the weekly Free Press.

STEVENS COUNTY Colville

Cherrie Simpson and Nic Musmecci are used to singing praises to the Lord. Recently, however, the tables were turned as the Country Gospel Music Association was singing the praises of this musical duo at its northwest conference in Omak. Simpson, for the second year, received the Female Vocalist of the Year, and the 1998 Songwriter of the Year award. Musmecci was named 1998 Teenage Performer of the Year.

The pair is recording a CD and will be performing around the Pacific Northwest.

WHITMAN COUNTY La Crosse

The Endicott/La Crosse/Washtucna swim team has won the Cluckey Cup title for the second year in a row. The annual swim meet in the first weekend in August at Colfax’s Cluckey pool draws teams from throughout Eastern Washington.

The swim team coaches are Mark Fehrenbacker, Sarina Campbell, Rachel Chastain, Karla Larson and Heidi Kinch.

IDAHO

BENEWAH COUNTY St. Maries

In order to ease the financial burden of sending officers to the Peace Officers Standards of Training academy, the St. Maries City Council has advised the city attorney to draft an employment agreement for the police department.

Under the agreement, state certified police officers would repay the city the cost of attending the academy if they should choose to leave the department within two years of service.

BONNER COUNTY Priest River

A third budget workshop has been scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. The session is needed to help the Priest River City Council’s budget match projected revenues.

BOUNDARY COUNTY Bonners Ferry

The Boundary County Board of Commissioners will reopen the board of equalization for one day on Tuesday.

The commissioners will sit as the equalization board to correct a number of property valuation errors and to implement a state-mandated valuation increase in both Bonners Ferry and Moyie Springs. The increase will cost the average property owner an additional $25 per year over the current assessment.

KOOTENAI COUNTY Athol

The Panhandle Health District will offer free developmental screenings for children up to 3 years old on Aug. 19 in Athol and Spirit Lake. Screenings in Athol will be at the Athol Community Center from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Screenings in Spirit Lake will be at the civic center from 1 to 3:30 p.m. For appointments, call Glenna Fox at 667-3481.

LATAH COUNTY Moscow

Christine Flack Schultz won an honorable mention award at the 1998 Great Pacific Northwest Quilt Show this month at the Seattle Center. Schultz’s quilt, “Gratitude,” won in the traditional applique category.

SHOSHONE COUNTY Kellogg

A communitywide effort to immunize children has seen an increase from 48 percent to 68 percent in the past two years. However, Idaho is still second to last in the nation in having children immunized, said Shelley Ahrend of Panhandle Health District. Mountain Health Care will offer a free immunization clinic Aug. 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. All three school districts in the Silver Valley require an immunization record at the time of first admission to any public school.

MONTANA

LINCOLN COUNTY Libby

Tom Pannell recently arrived from Colorado as the first new principal at Libby High School in 20 years. He replaces Stan Evans, who retired in June after a quarter century with the school. Two other new administrators, Superintendent Kirby Maki and Libby Middle School Principal Connie Welter, will join Pannell.

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