The County Lines

Sat., Sept. 5, 1998

WASHINGTON

ADAMS COUNTY

Ritzville

Evaluating the potential for nitrate contamination of ground water in the Columbia Basin, county commissioners for Adams, Grant and Franklin counties have hired the environmental firm of Kennedy/Jenks Consultants to find information about the hydrogeological character of this area and report back to the commissioners, as well as the Ground Water Management Area group.

FERRY COUNTY

Republic

A series of helicopter runs to look for marijuana grows may bring results. County Prosecutor Steve Graham said four or five residents will be charged with manufacture of marijuana in the next few weeks. The fly-overs, done in conjunction with the North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force and the National Guard, spotted several patches of marijuana ranging from two to more than 100 plants.

GRANT COUNTY

Soap Lake

A former Soap Lake police chief recently admitted to illegally searching the home of one of his police officers in 1993. Larry D. Groom, 52, whose one-year jail sentence was suspended on the condition he commit no crimes and have no contact with former Soap Lake officer Joe Mandoli, will pay $380 in fines and court costs. If Groom adheres to the conditions, the gross misdemeanor charge will be dismissed at a review hearing in the year 2000. Mandoli has since moved on to the Stevens County Sheriff’s Department. Groom has retired to Western Washington.

LINCOLN COUNTY

Davenport

The Lincoln County Housing Authority has been created by county commissioners to address the shortage of low- to moderate-income housing. There are five seats available to interested citizens wanting to serve on the group’s board. Three of those positions will correspond directly to the commissioner districts, while the other two will be at-large seats. For information, call (509) 725-3031.

PEND OREILLE COUNTY

Newport

Two Newport High School teachers will implement small-business programs this year. Rob Birdsell and Steven Shumski plan to have students run their own print shop and computer repair business. Already, the student body organization takes care of the student store, concessions and the recycling program. The pair got some valuable information from classes called Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning, which they attended over the summer.

SPOKANE COUNTY

Deer Park

Deer Park Hospital has a new neighbor. The 9,000-square-foot Deer Park Family Care Clinic opened recently to better assist area residents. The clinic offers obstetrical services, family practice and women’s health services.

STEVENS COUNTY

Springdale

Springdale resident Joe Goad’s photograph “Drinking Buddy” received the Seal of the International Library of Photography Hall of Fame, meaning his photograph will advance to the final round of competition in Maryland’s North American Open Amateur Photography Contest. The photograph will be published in the Everlasting Moments anthology, to be published this fall. The winner will receive $1,000.

WHITMAN COUNTY

Pullman

Neill Public Library is offering two storytime series this fall for pre-school children. Toddler Time, six weeks of story, song and rhyme for children under 3, will be on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 16 through Oct. 21. Children must be accompanied by caregivers. Preschool Storytime will be Thursdays at 10:30 a.m., Sept. 17 through Nov. 5, and includes eight weeks of picture book stories for 3-to 5-year-olds. To enroll, come to the children’s desk at the library, or call Youth Services at (509) 334-4555, ext. 258, or e-mail youthser@neill-lib.org.

IDAHO

BENEWAH COUNTY

Meadowhurst

The Idaho Department of Transportation is installing 29 sensors to measure settlement and displacement in the bed of the new Meadowhurst Road. The sensors will be placed throughout a three-mile section of the road from Reid’s Corner to Ed’s R&R.

BONNER COUNTY

Spirit Lake

The World’s Second Shortest Parade will be Monday at Spirit Lake’s Last Hurrah of Summer. The parade begins at 11 a.m. Other events include the Spirit Lake All-School Reunion and a classic car show at the Spirit Lake Old Timers’ Labor Day Celebration. For more information, call Joy at (208) 623-4221.

BOUNDARY COUNTY

Bonners Ferry

Bonners Ferry Ranger District announced two road repair projects scheduled to begin after the Labor Day weekend. Solomon Lake Road 627 will be closed at the 1-mile marker Tuesday through Friday for a culvert replacement, and Trout Creek Road 634 will be closed beginning Tuesday and is expected to last through the month. People wishing to use the road should call the Bonners Ferry Ranger District at (208) 267-5561.

KOOTENAI COUNTY

Post Falls

A co-ed softball tournament to raise money for field development in Post Falls will be Sept. 12 and 13 at Quad Park. The tournament will be in memory of 3-year-old Andrew Rypien of Post Falls. The boy died Aug. 22 of cancer and was the son of Annette and Mark Rypien. Mark Rypien is a former NFL and Washington State University quarterback. The tournament will be sponsored by Youth First, a nonprofit group that wants more ball fields in Post Falls. For more information, call Don or Linda Seed at (208) 777-8939. Also on Sept. 13 at Quad Park, the group will have a co-ed volleyball tournament. For more information, call Youth First at (208) 777-2066. All proceeds from both tournaments will go to the recreation center and to a fund to pay for field development at Frederick Post Elementary School.

LATAH COUNTY

Moscow

The Latah County Zoning Commission has given Inland Cellular Telephone Co. permission to build a radio tower on the transmission tower of KRPL radio. The tower is intended to provide better cellular telephone service for Moscow and Latah County. A 15-day appeal time allows residents to protest the tower.

SHOSHONE COUNTY

Wallace

The Historic Wallace Preservation Society has created a Web page for the town. The page includes such sites as a tour of the Sierra Silver Mine and a Historic Wallace walking tour. The Web page is www.historic-wallace.org. Anyone wishing to send information or announcements to the society can call (208) 752-9401.

MONTANA

LINCOLN COUNTY

Eureka

The McGuire Mountain Lookout was repaired and repainted this summer by Passport in Time volunteers. The lookout, southwest of Eureka, once was used to help guard the Kootenai National Forest against fire. With the renovation, the lookout qualifies for the National Register of Historic Places.

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