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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

The County Lines

WASHINGTON

ADAMS COUNTY

Ritzville

Celebrating 20 years of helping the needy worldwide, the Menno Mennonite Church will host its annual Country Auction and Worldwide Relief Sale on Saturday at 10 a.m. Brimming with Old World German food, the event also features handmade Mennonite and Amish quilts. An antique apple press will provide authentic cider and bulk German sausage sales are expected to be a sellout. The Menno is 23 miles west of Ritzville. Take exit 206 off I-90 and follow the signs.

FERRY COUNTY

Republic

The Ferry County Community Food Bank is asking for donations of food or money. After losing much of its funding, the food bank is making a plea to help neighbors in need through the rough season ahead. Last year, the food bank served 2,222 families a total of 111,667 pounds of food. Of those served, 1,085 were seniors. New clients are signing up daily.

GRANT COUNTY

Ephrata

Cleaning up illegal dump sites in Grant County just got a bit easier. Using convicted criminals for labor, the cleanup crew will clear 100 acres of public land, two illegal dump sites and six miles of littered roadway. The Grant County Sheriff’s Department will administer the program, with the Department of Ecology providing training, safety equipment, and $30,000 for a crew supervisor.

LINCOLN COUNTY

Odessa

With the annual Deutschesfest celebration behind them, residents of Odessa are breathing a sigh of relief, and counting their take. Receipts from the Chamber of Commerce’s beer garden and sausage feed totalled $58,503.52. This amount is nearly $2,000 more than last year’s tally. The weekend was an unqualified success, with most vendors running low on food and goods by Saturday night.

PEND OREILLE COUNTY

Newport

With new police chief Bill Clark now on the beat, interim chief Roger Henderson is looking for a possible officer slot. Henderson asked the city civil service commission to waive the lateral entry physical test. This would make him eligible for an officer opening. Currently, Henderson can be hired for temporary work after 180 days. The commission has not ruled on the request.

SPOKANE COUNTY

Deer Park

The First Baptist Church of Deer Park, 1200 E. Crawford Ave., will hold a craft show Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Booth spaces are available for $15 for both days. Call (509) 276-8100 for more information.

STEVENS COUNTY

Chewelah

Local fourth-graders exceeded the state average in every category in the Washington Assessment of Student Learning tests taken last spring. In math, they scored 40.7 percent (state average was 31.2), in reading 70.9 (55.6), in writing 48.8 (36.7) and in listening 82.6 (71.3). The numbers were listed incorrectly in Wednesday’s County Lines.

WHITMAN COUNTY

Pullman

The family of Dorothy Martin has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the person who murdered the local woman two years ago. Updated reward posters are popping up around the Palouse, with police concentrating on the Lewiston-Clarkston area. Police have two “persons of great interest” and feel the killer has “had plenty of time to share some information with someone.” Martin was asphyxiated, and her diamond ring was stolen, on July 21, 1996.

IDAHO

BENEWAH COUNTY

St. Maries

Prices have gone up for athletic events at St. Maries High School, but the district is offering ticket packages for the first time. The packages will be available for families, adults and senior citizens. Individual ticket prices will be $4 for adults per event and $3 for students.

Ticket packages can be purchased at athletic events or by calling athletic director Curt Carr at (208) 245-2142.

BONNER COUNTY

Sandpoint

The former Bonner County Road Department assistant accused of bilking the department of $50,000 has waived extradition. Pat Achziger has been held in the Pima County Jail in Tucson, Ariz., and is charged with 21 counts of theft by deception.

Achziger is expected to be returned to Sandpoint sometime in October.

BOUNDARY COUNTY

Bonners Ferry

The Beating the Odds Gambler’s Support Group has been established to help people who have a gambling problem. The group meets every Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the basement of the United Methodist Church, 6568 Lincoln St.

For information, call Susan Falck at (208) 267-5100.

KOOTENAI COUNTY

Coeur d’Alene

The Coeur d’Alene Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee will host a live televised forum to inform voters of candidates and their platforms. The forum is scheduled for Oct. 14 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers. The forum will only include local legislative and county candidates that have a challenger in the primary election.

For information, call (208) 664-3194.

LATAH COUNTY

Moscow

The Center for Policy Alternatives named state Rep. Thomas Trail to the 1999 class of fellows at the Flemming Fellows Leadership Institute. Trail joins state legislators from across the country chosen for their leadership, dedication to public life and civil service and commitment to making government “part of the solution” to challenges facing our society. The Flemming Fellows Leadership Institute works to build problem solving skills and leadership abilities across party lines among legislators in their first or second term of office.

SHOSHONE COUNTY

Osburn

The annual Scholastic Christmas Shopping Book Fair at the Osburn Public Library will be Oct. 5-26. The sale features new hard-bound and paperback children’s books. All proceeds go toward new materials for the library. The sale will be during regular library hours, Mondays 1-8 p.m.; Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 12:30-5 p.m.; and Wednesdays 12:30-8 p.m.

MONTANA

LINCOLN COUNTY

Troy

Construction of the Burlington Northern double track project west of Troy has been halted while the Seattle company hired for the project faces fines for failure to comply with state environmental regulations. Scarsella Brothers Inc. failed to obtain a storm water permit from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality before moving 200,000 cubic yards of soil and rock. The permit is required to ensure silt runoff won’t negatively affect the state’s waters. The track project is along the Kootenai River.