The County Lines

WASHINGTON

Adams County

Othello

Merrill Collett is the Othello High School Teacher of the Year. Collett says good teachers don’t have discipline problems. He says he just takes trouble-makers into the hall and speaks their language. “In 30 years, I’ve never sent a student to detention,” he says. Elementary Teacher of the Year is Ann Sperl, a fifth-grade teacher at Lutacaga. She says teachers are “born, not made.”

Ferry County

Republic

The Ferry County Noxious Weed Board treated 5,721 acres of weeds in 1998. The previous year, only 3,295 acres of noxious weeds were sprayed. Hoping to stem the spread of weeds, the board and Ferry County Cooperative Extension are focusing on education, licensing and training of pesticide applicators and finding new chemicals to kill weeds. For a “Ferry County’s Ten Most Wanted Weeds” booklet, call (509) 775-5235.

Grant County

Ephrata

The former treasurer of Soap Lake’s “Parents for Kids” charity has pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree theft and 10 counts of forgery. Deborah Kay Tift, 28, was accused of embezzling more than $2,300 from the charity last summer. The prosecutor is recommending a 60-day jail sentence with 30 days converted to community service.

Lincoln County

Odessa

Farm-related businesses are feeling a pinch. At their annual shareholders meeting, Odessa Trading Co. officials say profits were meager for 1998. With wheat prices down, the co-op did make money on grain storage, however. Most farmers are not selling until prices go up. Despite economic hardship, the company says new machinery sales are on the rise.

Pend Oreille County

Newport

The Newport School District has conceded defeat of the Feb. 2 levy. Only 55.6 percent approval was received, shy of the 60 percent needed for passage. Suffering financially from low enrollment, the school is considering a second ballot bid this spring. The board has yet to announce a date and levy amount. If unsuccessful, the district says deep cuts in programs will be necessary.

Spokane County

Spokane

The Jonas Babcock Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution recently held a George Washington Bicentennial Awards ceremony. Eleven area schools participated. Winners were: Michael Diep of North Central High School; Angela Vold, Sprague High School; Michael Bloom, Shadle Park High School; and Staci Timm, Harrington High School.

Stevens County

Colville

Mount Carmel Hospital has named Dr. Leslie Waters chief of staff. She is the first woman to hold the post. Her vice-chief is Dr. Barry Bacon.

Whitman County

Colfax

County commissioners will hold their regular meeting Monday at the courthouse. Commissioners are slated to discuss, from 8 to 10 a.m., proposed changes to the comprehensive plan that would allow residential development in the scablands above the Snake River.

IDAHO

Benewah County

St. Maries

In its third move in two years, Panhandle Home Health has returned to its former location at 711 Jefferson Avenue in St. Maries. Increased cost of office space and a decrease in income prompted the move. The agency provides care to residents in several communities.

Bonner County

Sandpoint

Deadline for applications for the Pend Oreille Arts Council’s 27th annual Arts and Crafts Fair is May 1. Booth spaces for 100 artists are available for the Aug. 7-8 event, at City Beach in Sandpoint. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to POAC, Box 1694, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

Boundary County

Bonners Ferry

Hunters will have the opportunity to comment on proposed dates for seasons at a Thursday meeting in the Bonners Ferry Fire Hall. Proposed changes include opening the cougar season two weeks earlier on Aug. 20, returning deer seasons to traditional season-long either-sex format, and extending the bear season four weeks in Units 7 and 9.

Kootenai County

Coeur d’Alene

The Coeur d’Alene Public Library is providing free tax assistance for the deaf. The library’s interpreter, Donna Helmer, will assist an IRS volunteer at the library on March 6, March 20 and April 10 from 1-4 p.m. For information, call (208) 769-2315 or TTY (208) 666-0414.

Latah County

Moscow

National history author Terry Tempest Williams has rescheduled her reading at the University of Idaho for March 3 in the Law Building Courtroom. Williams will also teach a writing workshop for students selected last fall.

Shoshone County

Silver Valley

The Silver Valley unemployment rate was 11.7 percent for January, up from 10.7 percent in December. The January 1998 rate was 10.6 percent. Factors contributing to the rise include wet forests that kept logging companies from working, temporary layoffs at the Lucky Friday mine, and the end of the main portion of work on the Bunker Hill Superfund site.

MONTANA

Lincoln County

Troy

The Forest Service is proposing controlled burns on 2,000 acres of land in the Roderick Mountain roadless area north of Seventeenmile Creek Road. The goal is to restore or maintain wildlife habitat by thinning out fire-intolerant species and reducing fuel accumulations in the area. For more information call Charlie Hunter at Three River Ranger Station, (406) 295-4693.