The County Lines

WASHINGTON

ADAMS COUNTY Ritzville

Adams County Public Works crews have spent their holiday season keeping local roads passable. When not sanding near Othello after a freezing rain, road workers found themselves dealing with a quick thaw and flooded roads. Although no major damage to county by-ways was found, residents are urged to call the county Sheriff’s Office to report after-hours problems instead of road crew members.

FERRY COUNTY Republic

The Republic City Council has passed its budget for 1999. The $771,509 budget includes $132,499 for street repairs and $137,087 in the garbage fund. Local residents were recently hit with a $1.50 increase in water charges. This will cover the $20,000 the city must spend on DOE-mandated corrosion control of the water system.

GRANT COUNTY Moses Lake

Although most are enjoying the current warming trend, area vegetable growers are a bit on edge. Agronomist Elvin Kulp says warm weather can bring vegetable seeds out of dormancy. Once this happens, the seed is more susceptible to cold, dry conditions and stiff winds. “Vegetable seed fields can actually be freeze-dried in such conditions,” he says.

LINCOLN COUNTY Almira

The local school board has set the amount of its 2000 and 2001 maintenance and operations levies. The district will ask local Patrons for $155,000 for each year, which breaks down to $3.22 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The levy will go before voters on Feb. 2.

Residents are invited to a meeting Monday at 7 p.m. in the school library to discuss levy needs.

PEND OREILLE COUNTY Newport

The Friends of the Newport Library are thankful to Microsoft for donating $7,467 in software. The software will help link the Newport, Cusick, Ione and Metaline Falls libraries.

SPOKANE COUNTY Spokane

The Citizens League of Greater Spokane will hold a public forum on Spokane County’s proposed urban connector roadway plan at noon Jan. 19 at the downtown Spokane Public Library, 906 W. Main. The meeting will be held in Room 1A. There will be a discussion panel made up of members from the city planning, county planning and engineering departments, and the Downtown Spokane Partnership.

Discussion topics include how the proposal will impact neighborhoods, infrastructure costs and how other communities with beltway systems have been affected. For more information, call Bridgette Bossio with the Citizens League at 326-1129.

STEVENS COUNTY Chewelah

The Chewelah Ambulance Department reports a 15 percent jump in emergency calls again this year. Ambulance calls have increased by 15 percent each year for the last five years. Not affiliated with the local hospital, the ambulance service does its own billing and has even bartered with patients who can’t pay the bill.

WHITMAN COUNTY Pullman

Attorney and motivational speaker Patricia Russell-McCloud will deliver the keynote address Jan. 19 during Washington State University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. Her address begins at 7 p.m. at the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. The program theme is “Vision 2000: Celebrating the Differences.” It is free and open to the public.

IDAHO

BENEWAH COUNTY St. Maries

David Matheson, CEO of Gaming for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, will be the guest speaker at the St. Maries Chamber of Commerce general membership luncheon at noon Wednesday. The public is invited to attend the luncheon at the Eagles lodge.

BONNER COUNTY Sandpoint

The 1999 Home Horticulture Workshop series will begin its winter session Jan. 27 with a class on house plants. A class, “Starting from Seeds and Other Methods of Growing Plants,” will be Feb. 10. Classes are held from 6-8 p.m. in the Bonner County Extension office. The class fee is $5. For information or to register, call (208) 263-8511.

BOUNDARY COUNTY Bonners Ferry

The Greater Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce is looking for ideas for a “Welcome to Bonners Ferry” sign being considered at the south end of town. The sign will be six-by-eight-feet and framed by logs. Ideas are being sought for ways to best represent the community and show visitors what it has to offer.

Sketched ideas should be submitted to the Bonners Ferry Herald by Friday.

KOOTENAI COUNTY Post Falls

The Youth First Recreation Center in Post Falls is offering adult aerobics Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:15 to 10. The cost is $20 for a four-week session. The class is geared toward beginners, people who are overweight, seniors and anyone with physical problems.

On Sundays, an informal youth ministries gathering is available at the center called “The Edge” from 2:30 to 4 p.m. The center is accepting donations for a free, ongoing art program, “Art on the Edge.” The program needs toilet paper, paper towels, paintbrushes, reading books, a book shelf, colored Pencils, large plastic table cloths, sketch books and notebooks, smocks for kids to protect their clothing and folding tables. Tax receipts are provided.

LATAH COUNTY Moscow

Tony Johnson was elected Moscow City Council president Jan. 4. He replaces Pam Palmer, who stepped down because of her busy schedule teaching at the University of Idaho. Palmer would have been up for re-election in November. Linda Pall was elected vice president.

SHOSHONE COUNTY Wallace

The Wallace Youth Center will open its new location in the building next to Wallace City Hall on Jan. 18. For several years, the center has been located in the lower level of the Wallace Public Library.

The Wallace Youth Association, which sponsors the center, would like to put together organized activities to attract more youth. Volunteers are needed to help staff the center.

MONTANA

LINCOLN COUNTY Eureka

Lincoln County Commissioners recently voted to grant property tax incentives earmarked by the legislature for new and expanding businesses to Needmor Forest Products and the Eureka Pellet Mill. The tax break will be received by each on nearly $250,000 worth of equipment. The incentive sets taxes on the new equipment at 50 percent for five years, increasing at 10 percent per year until full taxes are paid in the 10th year.

The incentive is aimed at fostering jobs by providing businesses with a tax break to help soften the blow of start-up and expansion.