The County Lines

Sun., Feb. 14, 1999

WASHINGTON

Adams County Ritzville

The county Public Works Department is pleased with the chemical de-icer being used instead of traction sand this winter. Director Leon Long says the chemical “takes only one employee, the area is covered faster and it’s cheaper than sand.” The de-icer has been used mainly in the Othello area, where slick intersections have been an ongoing problem.

Ferry County Republic

Young hoopsters in Ferry County are aiming to be the nation’s best free-throw shooters. Continuing their Free-Throw-A-Thon fund-raiser, eighth-grade ball players raised another $835 for the youth basketball fund. The boys shoot 100 freebies at every Monday practice and collect pledges for the number they sink. So far, $3,800 has been raised for uniforms, equipment and travel costs.

Grant County Hartline

Some people will do anything for an Eagle Hardware gift certificate. That was the parting gift given Ron Thomas as he retired as chief of the Hartline Volunteer Fire Department. Thomas has been coming to the rescue of his neighbors for 21 years. He plans to continue with the department as a firefighter and will be a personal adviser to his successor, Jim Stephens.

Lincoln County Sprague

Thanks to Teen Time 4-H member Angela Vold, the Sprague Food Bank is $750 richer. Vold obtained a Kraft “Feed the Hungry” grant recently. As part of the grant, Vold volunteered to inventory the food bank and purchase needed items. She also helps publicize the service and staffs the food bank in the evenings. The Sprague Food Bank is in the back of the Parts Plus building at 113 South C Street.

Pend Oreille County Newport

Cold weather brought fewer jobs to Pend Oreille County. After an August unemployment rate of 9.5 percent, the number of county residents looking for work has increased. October saw 10 percent unemployment, with November and December rising to 10.3 and 12.5 percent, respectively. In December, 530 folks were jobless out of a 4,250-person labor force. The Stevens County unemployment rate for December was 8.8 percent, with Spokane County at 5.4 percent.

Stevens County Chewelah

Starting this month, bookhounds in Chewelah will have more time to find the perfect paperback. The Chewelah Public Library has added nine more service hours weekly, thanks to an agreement with the county library district. New services and programs are slated, including Friday morning preschool storytimes. For more information on hours and services, call (509) 233-9621.

Spokane County Cheney

The Cheney School District and Community Colleges of Spokane are offering several adult education opportunities this spring, including classes in art, the Internet and how to be debt-free. Call (509) 533-3770 for more information.

Whitman County Pullman

Civil rights leader Myrlie Evers-Williams, former chairwoman of the NAACP board of directors and widow of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, will deliver a free talk Wednesday at 7 p.m. at WSU’s Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. A reception will follow the talk and Evers-Williams will sign copies of her autobiography “Watch Me Fly: What I Learned On the Way to Becoming the Woman I Was Meant To Be.” Evers-Williams, who lives in Bend, Ore., received the Spingarn Medal, the NCAAP’s highest honor, this past summer.

IDAHO

Benewah County St. Maries

Dr. Giovanni Fizzotti has been hired to provide radiology services at Benewah Community Hospital. Fizzotti and his associates, who also provide radiology srevices to Shoshone Medical Center in Kellogg, replace Inland Imaging at Benewah Community Hospital. The new company will provide services five days a week, with Fizzotti in St. Maries on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Bonner County Sandpoint

Bonner County schools have received $197,628 in federal funds to link together in a single computer network. The money will be used to complete wiring of all district buildings, and for relay links. While schools are connected on a wide-area network, individual classes are not.

Boundary County Bonners Ferry

Because of unseasonably spring-like conditions, county roads 4 and 6 (the Highland Flats Hill to McArthur Lake) are closed to hauling. Other closures may be made on short notice. The closure does not affect those hauling feed or perishable food items, although the speed limit has been reduced to 20 mph. Temporary permits are available on a case-by-case basis. For information, call the county’s road and bridge department at (208) 267-3838.

Kootenai County Coeur d’Alene

The ninth annual Leprechaun Scurry Fun Run will be Feb. 27 at North Idaho College. Early registration for the three-mile fun run is due by Feb. 22. Entry fee is $10 or $5 without a shirt. Late registration is $13. Check-in and late registration will be 8:30-9:45 a.m. Feb. 27 in front of Christianson Gymnasium. For information, call (208) 667-7743.

Latah County Moscow

Second District Judge John Stegner denied bail to Matthew Jay Hohenstreet, 26, who was indicted last month by a grand jury for allegedly setting fire to the state probation and parole office in July 1997. Stegner released Hohenstreet on a $20,000 bond after his initial arrest in January. Hohenstreet was arrested about two weeks later for breaking conditions of his original release and committing perjury at a second bond hearing Jan. 25. If convicted, Hohenstreet faces more than 78 years in prison and a $255,000 fine.

Shoshone County Wallace

The Wallace City Council approved a rate increase on Tuesday for the South Fork Sewer District, which will be reflected on the March 1 quarterly billing of the district. The increase is the first for the district since 1980. The council renewed its maintenance agreement with the sewer district, which will cost $1.45 per connection per month, an increase of 70 cents per month over the previous fee.

MONTANA

Lincoln County Libby

Deputy Dean Byrns has been named the new lieutenant for the patrol division of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Byrns has been a full-time deputy since November 1998 and a reserve officer since 1984. He will retain his patrol and sheriff’s office evidence technician duties while taking on the lieutenant responsibilities. Byrns fills the vacancy created when former Lieutenant Daryl Anderson was elected sheriff.

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