The County Lines
WASHINGTON
ADAMS COUNTY
Othello
The process of learning to read starts at birth in Othello, thanks to Aurora Garza and Carolyn Bunch. With the help of the local hospital, they started a program to get books to new mothers. The books are in Spanish and English.
The local school sends a welcome postcard to all newborns and area doctors give bookmarks at postpartum checkups reminding parents to read to kids. New mothers also are supplied with a library card application.
FERRY COUNTY
Republic
County Auditor Clydene Bolinger has announced that her office will be charging a $25 fee on all returned checks. Her office has never charged this fee before.
Bolinger said her staff has limited time to deal with returned checks. The fee would help offset the time lost to the paperwork.
GRANT COUNTY
Royal City
Dan and Sally Salinas were recently chosen as Royal City’s “Citizens of the Year.”
They are involved with the volunteer fire department, local food bank, senior citizens groups and Royal Cowbells.
Dan Salinas is a former city police officer and Sally Salinas is a retired school bus driver. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year.
LINCOLN COUNTY
Odessa
The Odessa Tigers will rejoin the ranks of B-8 football for the next two years. Although 15 students over the B-8 mark, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is allowing a handful of teams on the edge of 8-man status to drop back down. A B-8 football terror throughout the 1980s and early ‘90s, Odessa was forced to B-11 standing two years ago when enrollment topped 100 students. With little success in the 11-man arena, the students voted 25-5 to return to 8-man football.
The Sprague-Harrington Falcons also will drop to B-8. Almira/Coulee-Hartline opted to stay B-11.
PEND OREILLE COUNTY
Metaline Falls
Trying to keep warm this blustery February? Look no further than the Kirtland Cutter Gallery’s quilt show. Heirloom quilts - both hand- and machine-made - are on display. The Cutter Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and from noon until 3 p.m. on weekends.
SPOKANE COUNTY
Cheney
Cheney’s former city administrator has been hired as security specialist for the Cheney School District. Jim Reinbold, who resigned as administrator last summer, will be the school district’s first-ever security officer. He served as a Cheney police officer for eight years in the 1970s.
STEVENS COUNTY
Colville
Mount Carmel is thankful to have its sisters of mercy. Sister Mary Esther and Sister Benigna were recently honored for 60 years of service to area hospitals. The sisters, fleeing Germany and the Third Reich in 1937, both received habits in 1938 and did their nurse training at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. They went their separate ways, only to come to the end of the journey together again in Stevens County. Sister Mary Esther has been at Mt. Carmel for 39 years. Sister Benigna has called Colville home for 21 years.
WHITMAN COUNTY
Garfield-Palouse
Zach Holden, Jessica Hayden and Josh Pfaff were chosen as GarfieldPalouse High School’s students of the quarter for the second quarter. Buddy Carter, vocational agriculture instructor and FFA adviser, was selected teacher of the quarter.
IDAHO
BENEWAH COUNTY
Fernwood
The Fernwood Fire District has received a $100,000 loan from the U.S. Department of Rural Development to be repaid in 15 years. The loan was authorized through a bond election last year. The agency also gave the department a $15,000 grant.
The money will be used to purchase a new fire truck and a communications system, and to upgrade firefighters’ personal safety equipment.
BONNER COUNTY
Priest Lake
Jack Walter has resigned as promotions director for the Priest Lake Chamber of Commerce. He held the position for two years.
During his term, Walter served as a North Idaho Tourism Alliance representative and was elected to the secretary-treasurer position in 1998.
BOUNDARY COUNTY
Bonners Ferry
Volunteers are available 24 hours a day at the Boundary County Youth Crisis and Domestic Violence hotline. All information is kept strictly confidential. Volunteers are trained to help end the cycle of abuse. The hotline is (208) 267-5211.
KOOTENAI COUNTY
Coeur d’Alene
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has $750,000 in grants available for child care programs. The department is seeking ideas to improve the condition of child care for students, teens, developmentally disabled children and infants and toddlers.
For information, contact the regional office in Coeur d’Alene at (208) 769-1515. Grant proposals will be accepted until Feb. 28.
LATAH COUNTY
Moscow
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Marilyn Howard visited West Park Elementary Monday as part of “My Heart is in Reading” month at the school.
During the month, students are entertained by guest speakers like Howard, read aloud to friends and families and receive books from the parent-teacher advisory council. Students have the option to pick a day for a read-in, where they do nothing but read books brought from home.
SHOSHONE COUNTY
Mullan
Hecla Mining Co. announced Monday that the Lucky Friday Mine in Mullan is back in full operation after repairs to the secondary shaft were completed. The shaft was damaged Jan. 22. Operations at the silver mine were suspended for 14 days during the repairs, with employees called back to work Feb. 6 and production shifts beginning Feb. 7.
MONTANA
LINCOLN COUNTY
Libby
County commissioners selected four new members of the Lincoln County Campus Feb. 3. Ardell Filler and Mike Bissell of Libby and Sarah Truman and Mike Gallegos of Eureka were named to the LCC Service Region Board. The new members will serve three-year terms. Commissioners also are looking to fill three ex-officio positions on the board, one each from the Libby, Troy and Eureka school districts. Commissioners will send letters to the schools asking recommendations on whom to appoint.