The County Lines

WASHINGTON

Adams County

Ritzville

The Pantry food bank is looking for canned and boxed items to fill its shelves. Donations have been slow during the summer months when demand is on the rise. Residents of Lind are asked to drop items at food bins in Jim’s Market. Residents of Odessa, Ritzville and Washtucna are asked to bring items directly to The Pantry, located at Ritzville Community Church, 104 W. Main, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For more information, call (509) 677-3260.

Ferry County

Republic

Hoping to stimulate the economy, Ferry County Auditor Dorothy Ferguson recently asked the county commissioners to pass a resolution declaring Ferry County a “distressed county.” Because of 1997 legislation that took effect last month, distressed rural counties - those with unemployment higher than the state average - can redirect .04 percent of the sales and use tax collected annually. That money, the state says, is to be used specifically for financing public facilities. Ferguson says the redirect, not a tax hike, should increase county coffers by $38,000 annually.

Grant County

Ephrata

The race for Grant County Commissioner District 3 has turned into a three-way sprint. With a trio of Republican candidates and no Democrats filing for the position, the race will be decided in the Sept. 15 primary. On the ballot will be Howard Hyer, a Quincy farmer; Deborah Moore, a former Ephrata city councilwoman; and Dennis May, a former sportscaster for KREM-TV in Spokane. Incumbent Helen Fancher of Quincy plans to retire after this term.

Lincoln County

Creston

After teaching two generations of local students, elementary school educators Marilyn Baugh and Linda Moyer are retiring from the Creston School District. In her 30 years with the district, Baugh taught first and second grade. Moyer, who began her career teaching physical education, spent the last 19 years teaching the fifth and sixth grades.

Pend Oreille County

Diamond Lake

The vote was unanimous. A group of 100-plus Diamond Lake residents said they do not want a judge to decide the level of the lake. The homeowners authorized their board of directors to hire a lawyer to fight a petition filed in Pend Oreille Superior Court by Bob Morris. Morris wants to set the lake level nearly 2 feet lower than the current level. Group members decided at a recent meeting that challenging the validity of the petition would be their first order of business.

Spokane County

Medical Lake

A free preschool screening clinic will be offered from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday and Thursday for families living in the Medical Lake School District. Children ages 5 and under will be given hearing, vision, speech, language and development tests to help prepare for future education. For location information and to schedule an appointment, call the district’s special services office at (509) 299-5626.

Stevens County

Colville

A multitude of local voices will be raised to God on Oct. 25 at the annual Valley Rally. With participants from more than 25 area churches serving as the choir, the rally theme is “Make Us One.” Anyone who would like to participate in the choir is asked to attend practice tonight at 7 p.m. at the Free Methodist Church or on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Colville United Methodist Church. For information or to order a choir book, call (509) 738-4703. Practices will run Mondays and Tuesdays until the concert.

Whitman County

Pullman

Franklin Elementary School has received a special jury citation from the National School Boards Association for its architectural design. Designed by ALSC Architects of Spokane, the school was recently featured at the “1998 Exhibition of School Architecture” during the NSBA’s annual conference in New Orleans. Franklin is the second in a series of three elementary projects designed for the Pullman district by ALSC Architects.

IDAHO

Benewah County

Plummer

The city of Plummer cut its proposed budget from the previous year by $12,000, to $1,983,000. The largest source of revenue for the community comes from the sale of power. The city hopes to collect an estimated $1.35 million selling electricity.

Bonner County

Sandpoint

Bonner County commissioners called for an election to decide whether to split the Bonner County School District last week. If approved, two new districts would be formed - West Bonner County District No. 83 and East Bonner County District No. 84. The election will be Dec. 8.

Boundary County

Naples

Naples School will be run by district administrators for several days this fall so staff members may attend a special quality schools meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia. A $17,000 Idaho Community Foundation Grant the school received last spring will finance the Canada trip and training involved.

Kootenai County

Coeur d’Alene

A current and former employee of Pass Word Answering Service are suspected of stealing company cash and check deposits over the last year. According to a police report, about $7,830 in cash and $5,290 in checks earmarked for deposit were taken from the company. Two employees were responsible for the deposits on the dates the thefts allegedly occurred, the report said.

Latah County

Moscow

Former Idaho Speaker of the House Tom Boyd of Genesee has announced he will apply for the vacant position on the Idaho Board of Education. The vacancy was created by the resignation of Moscow attorney Roy Mosman, who is rehabilitating at St. Luke’s Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Center in Spokane from a fall two months ago at his home.

Shoshone County

Wallace

Construction began two weeks ago on the Day Rock Fish Pond just north of Wallace, which was destroyed by severe flooding in 1996. When repairs are complete in about three weeks, the new pond will be deeper but with slightly less surface area. In addition, a handicap access ramp leading directly to the pond will be available.

MONTANA

Lincoln County

Libby

A local theater group, Kootenai Karacters, has donated more than 500 theater seats to the Cultural Arts Center. Seats at the center are in need of repair. A campaign is under way to obtain the necessary seed money required for grants. Any patron of the arts may sponsor a seat for $250. The name of choice will be engraved on a brass plaque and attached to the arm of the chair. For more information, call Donna Black at (406) 293-4116.