The County Lines

Thu., Aug. 20, 1998

WASHINGTON

Adams County

Othello

Local developers Joe Buck and Cody McDonald were given the go-ahead by the Othello City Council to begin work on a new subdivision. The land, which surrounds the city’s newest well, will be divided into 31 one-acre lots. Three homes can be constructed on each lot. Although city standards for roads, curbs, sewer and sidewalks are the ultimate goal, landowners who wish to begin construction before these services arrive will be allowed to use septic systems and gravel roads in the meantime.

Ferry County

Health officials in Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties are warning local lake-users of a possible parasite in the ponds. The Northeast Tri-County Health District has received reports of possible cases of swimmer’s itch. Caused by a parasite that migrates from waterfowl to snails, swimmer’s itch occurs when humans find themselves in the migration path. The parasite burrows into the skin and causes an itchy rash that lasts up to 20 days. The major concern, officials say, is secondary infection from scratching. For more information on swimmer’s itch, call 1-800-876-3319.

Grant County

Ephrata

Hoping to make up for lost time, the newly formed Grant County community development office will talk to hundreds of residents during the Grant County Fair. The topic of the day will be the controversial comprehensive plan. Trying to get opinions from the public for its “vision and values workshop,” the development office will have a booth at the fair. Also, 35,000 county residents have received invitations to meet with county commissioners to discuss the plan, which has a November completion deadline.

Lincoln County

Davenport

Trying to give 4-H and the Lincoln County Fair a boost, area 4-H leader Jan Klein of Edwall recently rolled up her shirtsleeves to lend a hand. Because the kitchen was so outdated in the Food and Craft Building, with stove and refrigerator nonfunctional, few 4-Hers were able to give cooking demonstrations. Klein, who received generous donations from area businesses, got a crew of local handy people together to build a new kitchen. Home Depot, Eagle Hardware, Sprague Grange Supply, The Ruggery and Davenport Building Supply helped make the project a success.

Pend Oreille County

Newport

With an eye on getting through several financially tight months, the Newport School Board recently approved taking out a one-year loan. The district asked Seafirst Bank for a $375,000 note with 4.94 percent interest to keep the district running smoothly in light of declining enrollment. Pending approval, the money will be wired to the district’s account on Sept. 2. The district will use the money to cover expected monthly deficits, which in February alone will be $271,000.

Spokane County

Cheney

Cheney High School graduate Elizabeth Gibbs has been named to the Founders Day honors list at the University of Indiana for the spring semester. The list rewards those students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Stevens County

Colville

Embracing a chance for a challenge, Laurie Anderson will take over the helm as Aster School’s head teacher/administrator. Continuing as speech therapist for the Colville District, Anderson will take on the additional administrative duties this fall. Aster houses the kindergarten, first grade and developmental preschool.

Whitman County

Colfax

Kamiak Butte County Park has been closed to the public due to extreme fire danger. Whitman County Parks and Recreation officials said the park will remain closed until it receives a significant amount of moisture. Klemgard and Wawawai parks remain open but will be reviewed on a weekly basis. The remaining musical program Saturday featuring John Elwood and Sally Burkhart has been canceled.

IDAHO

Benewah County

Plummer

The office of Lakeside Elementary is open for registration of any child in prekindergarten through fourth grade who has recently moved into the district. For more information, call Mindy Parker at (208) 686-1651. The school is in Worley, but also serves Benewah County residents in the Plummer and Tensed areas.

Bonner County

Sandpoint

The 1998 Bonner County Fair, with a theme of “Our Land, Our Life, Our Fair,” will be Aug. 27-29. Fair premium books, which include a complete listing of fair events, are available at the office of the Bonner County Bee in Sandpoint, Lyle’s Chevron in Priest River, Panhandle State Bank, IGA, or the extension office at the fairgrounds in Sandpoint.

Boundary County

Bonners Ferry

The Boundary County School District is seeking volunteers interested in mentoring first-through sixth-grade students this fall. The new program aims at providing students with support by involving community members in the role of mentors. Anyone interested in volunteering should call Chuck Beck at (208) 267-0727.

Kootenai County

Coeur d’Alene

Northwest Cable News will air a half-hour program highlighting summer recreational activities in the Lake City this Friday. “Northwest Adventure Sports Summer Special” will air at 12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Century Communication subscribers can tune in to Channel 11.

Latah County

Moscow

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is conducting a public hearing today on a GTE proposal to raise residential phone rates by $2.85 per month. The increase, which also would increase single-line business rates by $1.35 per month, is being proposed so GTE can lower the rate it charges long distance companies for use of its system. Because the long distance carrier fee would decline from 11.33 cents per minute to 5.9 cents, GTE expects the companies to pass savings on to Idaho consumers. The hearing begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Jansen Engineering Building at the corner of Sixth and Line streets.

Shoshone County

Wallace

Kathyrn Gyde, a teacher in the Wallace School District and active library volunteer, will be honored at a reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. today at the Wallace Elks. She was chosen as Idaho’s Teacher of the Year in 1964 and was the recipient of numerous awards and grants throughout the years.

MONTANA

Lincoln County

Libby

Overnight mail service through the Libby post office is now offered due to the recent addition of a second mail truck that is scheduled to leave earlier in the afternoon. In addition, the new truck will deliver mail up to an hour earlier for area residents.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.