The County Lines

WASHINGTON

Adams County

Othello

The local school district is sponsoring a self-defense clinic at 1 p.m. today for students 5 and older to give them a leg up in personal safety. The “Safe Kid” seminar gives tips on being home alone, common child lures, drugs, sexual abuse and natural body weapons and weaknesses. Central Basin School of Karate’s Terry Stone will head the class.

Ferry County

Curlew Lake

A rare pileated woodpecker was spotted in the area by local birdwatcher Delma Hockett. The bird, bigger and stronger than most of its kind, had obviously strayed from its migration. The woodpecker is larger than a crow. It sports a black and white striped head with a red mustache, forehead and crest.

Grant County

Wanapum Dam

Too much oxygen in the water can give fish “the bends.” Hoping to give Columbia River fish an easier migration, the Grant County Public Utility District is testing out “flip-lips” on a portion of Wanapum Dam south of Vantage. The lips are long concrete walls running the base of the spillway to help slow water flow. When water runs slower, there are fewer bubbles. If the project is successful the entire dam will be flip-lipped.

Lincoln County

Davenport

“The Polar Bear Dip,” a fund-raiser for the Senior Class Alternative Night, will feature a bevy of brave folks ready to leap into chilly water. They include coaches Dean Anderson and Rawleigh Fisk, trainer Bob Martin, city councilman Morlan Hutchens, and police officers Charlie Varain and Leesa Whitney. The candidate with the most $1 votes makes the big splash at halftime of the Oct. 30 football game.

Pend Oreille County

Ione

Local economic development got a shot in the arm recently as three city lots were donated by a local church. The recipient of the donation was the Tri-County Economic Development District. Citizens in Ione will decide the specific use for the land, a gift from the Reformed Church of Latter Day Saints.

Spokane County

Cheney

The Cheney Planning Commission has rejected expansion of the housing district for fraternities and sororities at Eastern Washington University. Greek houses that want to have facilities outside the nine-block zone must win a conditional use permit from the city. Commissioners last week agreed to consider easing parking requirements within the zone so Greek houses could make better use of the remaining sites.

Stevens County

Chewelah

How did Jenkins High School get it’s name? From Col. David Jenkins. An early settler in the Spokane Falls area, Jenkins donated the land for the middle and high schools. The land will be reclaimed by the family if the Jenkins name is erased. Jenkins, a lawyer and Civil War officer, also bequeathed $10,000 to the district to construct a high school in 1910.

Whitman County

Pullman

Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will hold its third annual Horseman’s Conference today at Daggy Hall. Daylong events include six morning lectures, a trade show, and afternoon courses on medical treatment of horses and the nature of horses. For more information call Christina Rockett at (509) 335-7070.

IDAHO

Benewah County

Plummer

A two-hour power outage Oct. 5 in the Plummer area was caused by a compressor motor in the Lakeside Middle School lunchroom that caught fire. The fire did not disrupt classes, but tripped a breaker switch on a nearby power pole. Then a major short circuit was caused when city crews responding allowed the boom of the truck to get too close to a power line. Sparks from the power line near the middle school and at the substation resulted in grass fires which were quickly contained.

Bonner County

Sandpoint

The local chapter of the Wishing Star Foundation elected new officers Oct. 5. They include: Verna Lutes, president; Mickey Fitchett, vice president; Betty Johnson, secretary; Lila Osborn, treasurer; and Audrey Brockway, publicity. The next meeting will be Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. at 724 Oak St. to discuss tree decoration and fund-raisers for the coming year.

Boundary County

Bonners Ferry

Bible students are invited to tune in to YNCA’s “Back to Truth” telecast, on local cable channel 11. It airs at 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Sunday. For more information call Bret Skinner at Hallelujah Farms, (208) 267-8505.

Kootenai County

Coeur d’Alene

The annual Shriners Food Gathering Program will begin at 1 p.m. today in the Coeur d’Alene Inn. Shriners will bring collected nonperishables as part of a common gathering. Sunday at 7 p.m., Idaho State Police will escort the food caravan to the Shriners Hospital in Spokane.

Latah County

Troy

Former Troy resident Dr. Louis Hart, who now lives in Roseburg, Ore., gave a slide presentation and talk on his missionary experiences in Africa Sept. 26 at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Troy.

Shoshone County

Kellogg

Kellogg Middle School science instructor Kent Lunders explained the school’s weather station to a group of Osburn Elementary School students Wednesday. The weather station, which records barometric pressure, temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, wind chill and precipitation on an hourly basis, is tied to a Spokane television station by computer.

MONTANA

Lincoln County

Libby

Kootenai Valley Partners Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln County dedicated it’s third house Sunday, Oct. 11. The group had financial setbacks, but a grant from a home-loan bank in Seattle ensured completion of the home.