The County Lines
WASHINGTON
ADAMS COUNTY
Othello
In a recent visit to beleaguered Rodeo Lake, Rep. George Nethercutt vowed his support to solve the problem of maintaining the water level. “It’s time to get it completed - it’s over time,” said Nethercutt about the years of funding promises the county has received. He said a Senate bill being discussed does include funding for Rodeo Lake, and added the state has possible funding in the works as well.
FERRY COUNTY
Republic
The Ferry County Jail will now also be the home of Wellpinit’s Bureau of Indian Affairs inmates. In a recent agreement, Ferry County agreed to house BIA offenders from Stevens County for $45 per day per inmate, plus a $10 processing fee. The agreement started Sept. 1 and runs for one year.
GRANT COUNTY
Coulee City
Bill Buob recently took part in his 70th wheat harvest. Although his son and grandsons have run the family farm for years, Buob has always managed to lend a hand to bring in the crop. His first harvest was at age 13. Buob remembers the family’s first combine. His father traded several horses to obtain it.
His family has owned its Coulee City land since 1908.
LINCOLN COUNTY
Creston
The framing is up and soon Creston will see a permanent structure at the Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union site. The building, which replaces a mobile home that has served as a branch for nearly 20 years, should be finished before the new year. The new credit union building will include an office, conference room, public restrooms, lobby, ATM and drive-up window.
PEND OREILLE COUNTY
Newport
It only paid $6 per day, but a group of local students, along with parents and teachers, signed up to help. Nearly 40 people spent a portion of their summer installing computer network lines in the walls of Newport High School and Sadie Halstead Middle School. The almost-volunteer local labor saved the district $20,000 in installation costs.
SPOKANE COUNTY
Spokane Valley
Principal Shelley Harding and the other folks at Trent Elementary School are searching for past students or teachers. Since Trent has been serving children for about 50 years, there should be a lot of you out there. What’s the occasion? A community-wide celebration of the newly renovated Trent Elementary, coming in October. Those who want to get on the invitation list should call the school.
STEVENS COUNTY
Colville
Business owners concerned whether the school district is buying locally will get answers Tuesday at the Chamber of Commerce meeting. Superintendent Rick Cole will present numbers on what Colville schools purchase in town.
Merchants wishing to get information on how they can contract with the district are invited to the meeting in Cookies Cafe at noon.
WHITMAN COUNTY
LaCrosse
Nicole Schneider, daughter of Steve and Laurie Zimmer, won the Miss Palouse Empire Fair competition. The LaCrosse senior sang “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” for the talent portion of the contest.
IDAHO
BENEWAH COUNTY
Fernwood
Fernwood firefighters and other volunteers responded to a grass fire east of the UpRiver School. The fire started on the southeast corner of the school property. Pasture adjoining the property was heavily grazed, preventing the fire from spreading rapidly.
BONNER COUNTY
Sandpoint
A $10 million tort claim against Idaho State Police Sgt. Greg Harris was filed Sept. 15 by Leo Jude Berchtold of Rathdrum. Berchtold was arrested March 20 after allegedly refusing to purchase a driver’s license and for resisting arrest. The tort alleges Harris failed to file the necessary paperwork in a timely manner required to hold Berchtold.
BOUNDARY COUNTY
Bonners Ferry
The Second Chance Animal Shelter needs volunteers to walk animals. They are seeking blankets and washable throw rugs for bedding, along with a shop vacuum or leaf blower to keep the kennel dry. Items may be dropped off at the South Hill Lockers or John’s Shop on Main St. in Bonners Ferry. Call 267-7343 for more information.
KOOTENAI COUNTY
Post Falls
Betty Dougall, 61, will compete in the Ms. National Senior Citizens Pageant Oct. 6-12 in Joliet, Ill. The pageant celebrates the vitality of older women and recognizes the ambition and achievement of seniors around the country.
LATAH COUNTY
Moscow
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jorie Graham will read from her work at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30 in the UI Law Building Courtroom.
The reading is free and will be followed by a reception and book signing sponsored by Bookpeople of Moscow. Graham is the author of numerous collections of poetry, including “The Dream of the Unified Field: Selected Poems 1974-94,” which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1996. She is a professor of creative writing at The Writers Workshop at the University of Iowa.
SHOSHONE COUNTY
Kellogg
Geologists from the United States and possibly other countries will visit the Bunker Hill Superfund complex on a tour of Northwest mining sites next week. The tour will include stops in western Montana, Idaho, Washington and southeastern British Columbia. The geologists will also visit the Cataldo Mission and the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River in the Silver Valley.
MONTANA
LINCOLN COUNTY
Libby
Lincoln County Commissioners decided Sept. 16 to ban smoking in Justice of the Peace Marlene Herreid’s office after receiving a petition signed by employees who work in the county annex. The current personnel policy provides exceptions to the smoking ban for dispatchers working alone during after-hours shifts at the sheriff’s office, private, one-person offices in the sheriff’s office, and the judge’s office.