The County Lines

WASHINGTON

ADAMS COUNTY Ritzville

Enhanced 911 service is being implemented, and the newly erected Marengo repeater tower promises better communications for emergency personnel. Taking both Adams and Lincoln counties off the statewide frequency, the repeater will relieve congestion on that line and allow departments to communicate better while providing mutual aid.

FERRY COUNTY Republic

Megan Renee Crothers, 15, is on her way to the Miss Washington American Teen Pageant. The daughter of Rosa Crothers enjoys poetry, her family and swimming.

The pageant Sept. 6 in Seattle gives a $1,000 cash prize to the winner.

GRANT COUNTY Soap Lake

Despite already close quarters, the Soap Lake School Board voted to hire a third first-grade teacher at Delancey Houghton Elementary School. With enrollment expected to inflate by 16 youngsters, the district will be playing classroom shuffle with the fifth grade moving to the basement and a school nurse and equipment moving into a hallway. Bids are going out soon for construction of a new grade school.

LINCOLN COUNTY Almira

Four years of elbow grease has resulted in new lights for the Almira softball field. Although the campaign is still $3,000 short of the $12,000 price tag, the lights were purchased by private donations and fund-raisers. Washington Water Power provided the manpower to raise the poles into place.

PEND OREILLE COUNTY Ione

Providing free public transportation among Ione, Metaline Falls and Metaline, the Selkirk Shuttle will be making two daily trips through the area this summer. Included on the itinerary are the Selkirk Community Health Clinic, Ione Senior Center, Selkirk High School, Metaline Post Office and Whitty’s Mini Mart.

SPOKANE COUNTY Fairfield

The Southeast Spokane County Historical Society has created a two-volume historical book set called “Schools of Southeast Spokane County.” It tells the stories of area schools, many of which have been moved or torn down over the years. Society members used government records, local residents and other sources to document the schools’ histories. Review the set at Fairfield City Hall or the Fairfield Museum. The two-volume set costs $30.

STEVENS COUNTY Colville

Photographer Jeff Tetrick will host a photo adventure Saturday through the Panorama area to help budding photographers hone their skills. Those interested in shooting the breathtaking scenery with Tetrick should meet at Richard’s Nutrition Center in downtown Colville at 10 a.m. Photos will be developed the same day. For information call 684-4232.

WHITMAN COUNTY Colfax

In another setback for a downtown that’s been disrupted for months by construction, two businesses announced plans to close this week. Gary and Judy Young plan to close the Top Notch Cafe after owning it for a little more than a year. The Colfax Lube Plus on Main Street will shut its doors today due to staffing problems.

IDAHO

BENEWAH COUNTY St. Maries

Traffic problems at the Third Street and College Avenue intersection have caused the Idaho Department of Transportation to consider a re-evaluation of the four-way stop. City Councilman George Currier said the best suggestion so far would be to straighten Main Street, which would require a new railroad bridge.

BONNER COUNTY Sandpoint

The City Council has declined to halt renovations at Memorial Field, which would demolish the east bleachers, but has agreed to continue hearing the opposition’s concerns. Jim Deane, a parent of a baseball player, presented an anti-demolition petition with 260 signatures to the council. Deane plans to meet with local charity groups to draw support.

Priest River

Planning and zoning commissioners have approved the preliminary plat for E. Grinnell’s 44-lot planned unit development on state Highway 57. The commission also granted Doug South a new one-year extension on filing the final plat for the South Subdivision, just off Highway 2.

Priest River

Zone 4 school trustee Jim Cooper was elected chairman of the Bonner County School District Board Tuesday night. Zone 1 trustee Eric Eldenburg and zone 3 trustee Patricia Gottschalk also were sworn in.

BOUNDARY COUNTY Bonners Ferry

More than 50 local children will perform in the musical “Oliver” today and Saturday from 6-8 p.m. at the junior high auditorium. Sandy Short, director, producer and choreographer, will be a junior at Bonners Ferry High School this fall. This is Short’s third show since she completed her first, a Walt Disney musical review, at the age of 14. Cost for the event is $5 for adults, and $3 for students and children.

KOOTENAI COUNTY Coeur d’Alene

Ramsey Road will be closed north of Idaho Highway 53 near Diagonal Road on Monday. The one-day closure will allow the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad to install new planks and tracks at the crossing. The work is being done in preparation for traffic signals to be installed. Motorists will need to find an alternate route.

Coeur d’Alene

A timber salvage sale has been approved in the Hamilton Mountain, Spyglass and Magee areas northeast of Coeur d’Alene. Approximately 5 million board feet of ice-damaged, diseased or beetle-infested timber will be logged from the area, said Susan Jeheber-Matthews, Coeur d’Alene River District ranger.

LATAH COUNTY Moscow

A children and infant CPR class is scheduled for today at Gritman Medical Center. The class begins at 5:30 p.m. on the third floor of the medical center. Those interested may contact the American Red Cross at (877) 743-3421 to enroll.

SHOSHONE COUNTY Silverton

Several pieces of valuable equipment have been stolen from the Silver Valley Creative Arts and Crafts Association. The equipment was stored in the basement of the Veterans’ Memorial Building. Missing items include a large purple-and-white canopy with frame worth more than $400. For more information, call Nancy Stoker at 752-6345 or Bee Rife at 752-0411.

Wallace

The seventh annual Sportsman’s Paradise Days are Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Events include survival techniques taught by the U.S. Air Force Survival Team, fly tying and casting by the North Idaho Fly Casters, and the Idaho State Championship Barbecue and Chili Cook-off.

MONTANA

LINCOLN COUNTY Eureka

The 45th annual Tobacco Valley Rodeo rides into town July 25-26 at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in Eureka. Cost for the rodeo is $5 for adults, and $3 for children. For more information, call (406) 882-4444.

This sidebar appeared with the story: SEND US YOUR TIPS Some of the information in County Lines comes from readers’ tips and from community newspapers. For items outside Spokane County, send your tips by fax to County Lines, 509-459-5482, by mail to County Lines, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-2160, or by e-mail to news@spokesman.com. For items in Spokane County, send tips to Voices, The Spokesman-Review, same fax number and mail or e-mail addresses.