The County Lines

Thu., Jan. 28, 1999

WASHINGTON

Adams County Othello

Residents are going the extra mile for a local police hero. Police dog Cojak, suffering from back problems, is the focus of a fund-raising drive to pay for surgery. A benefit gourmet dinner of prime rib, stuffed chicken and salmon is on the agenda for Feb. 5, while a recent Beanie Baby raffle netted $435 for the German shepherd.

Ferry County Republic and Curlew

Local hoopsters did the community proud at the annual Elks Hoop Shoot in Colville last week. Derek Gianukakis took top honors in the 8- to 9-year-old bracket, sinking 23 of 25 free throws. Cameron Kroupa took first place by draining 17 of 25 freebies in the 12- to 13-year-old division. In girls’ competition, Brittany Strandberg won the 10- to 11-year-old division by hitting 16 of her 25 shots.

Grant County Moses Lake

Auditions for Big Bend Community College’s performance of “Carousel” are planned Friday. The musical has roles for 13 women and 16 men, as well as several slots for children and teens. Bill Higgins of Quincy will direct, with Karen Kinch of Washtucna as choreographer. Rehearsals begin March 2. For information, call (509) 762-6262.

Lincoln County Davenport

Former resident Lena White is looking forward to the year 2000. She was born near Wenatchee on Jan. 11, 1899, and recently celebrated her 100th birthday. She will be one of the few people able to say she was around for the arrival of two centuries.

Pend Oreille County Newport

Although an outbreak of bark beetles on Douglas fir trees is too widespread for prevention, local ranger districts have been working out a cleanup plan. Three areas are targeted for restoration, including 3,500 acres in the Newport Ranger District. The other two priority areas are in the Priest Lake Ranger District. They total 9,000 acres between them.

Spokane County Medical Lake

A snowy softball tournament and 3-mile run will start at 9 a.m. Saturday at Waterfront Park. The fun run starts at 9 a.m. and costs $20. The tournament begins at 10 a.m. and costs $175 per team. Call the Parks and Recreation Department at (509) 299-7781 for more information.

Stevens County Colville

Adults can take a free child and infant CPR class Saturday. Sponsored by Mount Carmel Hospital, the class will cover choking, smoke inhalation, infections and resuscitation techniques. The seminar starts at 9 a.m. For more information, call (509) 685-2444.

Whitman County Pullman

The Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine offers a pet-loss support hotline for grieving animal owners at (509) 335-5704. Specially trained WSU veterinary student volunteers will staff the phones. Hours of operation are 6:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 1 to 3 p.m. Saturdays. The hotline is funded by private grants from Iams Co., an Ohio-based pet food manufacturer, and the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association.

IDAHO

Benewah County St. Maries

Two miles of riverfront property on the St. Joe River will be protected from erosion this year through a grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Landowners will provide 25 percent of the cost, which is matched by a 75 percent contribution from the Department of Agriculture. The work on the riverbank will cost an average about $13 per foot, and will improve the water quality of the river, along with preventing erosion.

Bonner County Sandpoint

A walking tour and booklet of 25 community trees is being created by the Sandpoint Volunteer Tree Committee. In recognition of the importance of the community forest, the committee is coordinating the project with the Sandpoint Independent Highway District Community Forest Program, the city of Sandpoint and Sandpoint High School students. The committee is looking for large, historic or unique trees to include in the tour. Trees should be within the city limits and clearly visible from the public right of way. For project information or to nominate a tree, call Community Forest Coordinator Linden Lampman Maxwell Monday through Wednesday at (208) 263-8131.

Boundary County Bonners Ferry

Hospice volunteer training classes for membership in the Frances Lederhos Hospice Volunteers will begin Saturday. Participants will receive 24 hours of classes covering a variety of topics to enable volunteers to work with the terminally ill and the bereaved. A donation of $30 is requested. To register, call (208) 265-1179.

Kootenai County Coeur d’Alene

The Coeur d’Alene High School DECA Club will sponsor a blood drive today and Friday for the Inland Northwest Blood Center. The blood drive will be 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-2:20 p.m. today, and 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-3:30 p.m. Friday at Coeur d’Alene High School. Club members are looking to surpass their record of 211 units of donated blood. Donors will be eligible to win prizes donated by area businesses including stereos, gift certificates and T-shirts.

Latah County Moscow

Moscow’s Sojourners’ Alliance will use a $500,000 federal grant, a $150,000 corporate-funded housing grant and a $90,000 donation of two duplexes to build a $1 million shelter for men, women and children.

Moscow currently has a shelter for women, but no place for homeless men. The duplexes, donated by Mic and Janice Hess of Moscow, will allow families to live together in low-income housing as the shelter helps with services such as job training, counseling and life skills. The building would also have community meeting space and offices for other groups such as Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse, said Sojourners’ Alliance Executive Director Robert Painter-Johnson.

Shoshone County Kellogg

A sign bearing paintings of the fireprevention dog Sparky has been stolen from the Shoshone County Fire Prevention Coop’s sign frame on the Silver Mountain gondola right of way. The sign was apparently taken sometime between Dec. 5 and Dec. 19. A $100 reward is being offered by the co-op for information leading to the safe return of the sign. The sign was purchased by the co-op and the frame built by the Idaho Department of Lands and the U.S. Forest Service.

MONTANA

Lincoln County Libby

Lincoln County’s road fund will receive more money after commercial activity receipts on the Kootenai National Forest increased 8 percent during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 1998. Lincoln County will receive $3,651,028, with $2.4 million going to the county road fund. Last year Lincoln County got $3.4 million with $2.26 million going to the road fund. Federal law requires that 25 percent of receipts from National Forests go to the counties where they are collected to fund roads and schools. Montana distributes two-thirds to the road fund and one-third to schools.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.