The County Lines

WASHINGTON

Adams County

Othello

Area orchardists are frustrated with the red apple market. Stories are circulating that some growers are receiving bills, not checks, from packing warehouses because of a surplus of red apples. Color may be the problem. Growers say retailers overvalue red apples, while their customers do not. Consumers look for varieties less bright, but more crisp and juicy at point of sale.

Ferry County

Curlew

The Job Corps is celebrating its 35th anniversary helping disadvantaged youth receive needed employment skills. In Curlew, Job Corps students have issued an invitation for a July 16 open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch and entertainment is included. Local Job Corps students not only gain job skills, but have given a facelift to many corners of the county, including construction on the local medical clinic and historical Ansorge Motel.

Grant County

Moses Lake

What would you do with $5 million? The Moses Lake School District is mulling that question over for real. The money is left over from recent construction projects. The top of the wish list is a new alternative high school building. “What is exciting is it looks like we will be able to build a school with the money left without running another bond issue,” says spokesperson P.J. DeBenedetti.

Lincoln County

Wilbur

A constant busy signal while trying to call long-distance within Lincoln County is raising some eyebrows here. It seems locals are told to blame it on the Internet. With a limited number of trunk lines available, folks surfing the web are tying up more and more lines. Century Telephone will run fiberoptic lines between Wilbur and Creston, which should alleviate some problems, for now.

Pend Oreille County

Newport

The James McNally Hall of Justice is stuffed to the gills. To ease overcrowding, the county commissioners are looking at purchasing another building. Dr. Michael Casey’s old dentist office is being appraised in an effort to find office space. Either the prosecutor’s office or county health district would use the space. The commissioners are also exploring building more space.

Stevens County

Colville

County coffers are $219,451 richer today. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service check for 1998 payment in lieu of taxes was received for the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge. The payment is based on three-fourths of 1 percent of the appraised fair market value on the land. The federal government does not pay taxes, but does pay for lands taken out of private hands.

Spokane County

Spokane

Hot weather the first week of the city’s swimming pool season drew some 22,500 swimmers, or a 50 percent increase from the number the previous year.

Whitman County

Colfax

Whitman County needs to become more business friendly. The recent Business Retention and Expansion Survey of area businesses found problems with keeping a trained workforce, a sluggish agriculture market and an attitude of “anti-growth.” Factors which could help the business climate here are completing the county comprehensive plan, improved communication and better air transportation services, those polled said.

IDAHO

Benewah County

St. Maries

The third annual BetterCare Memorial Walk will be July 30-31 at the football field in Central Park. Volunteers are collecting donations to honor friends or family members who have died. The walk will begin at 6 p.m. on July 30 and end at noon on July 31. Information packets are available by calling (208) 245-5551.

Bonner County

Sandpoint

U.S. Sen. Larry Craig will be in Sandpoint on Thursday to address current legislative issues, appropriations bills and possible tax cuts. The public meeting will include a question and answer period. A no-host luncheon is planned at Slates, 204 N. Triangle, in Ponderay at noon.

Boundary County

Bonners Ferry

The Boundary County Community Action Agency is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The agency is a non-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling immediate needs and helping individuals become self-sufficient. For information, call (208) 267-3663.

Kootenai County

Coeur d’Alene

Elaine Carver has been selected the new executive director of the Kootenai County United Way. Carver will take over the position July 12. She will replace Gail McGaughey, who resigned.

Latah County

Moscow

David Mucci, director of the University of Idaho Student Union and an active participant in development of the Idaho Commons on the Moscow campus, is leaving UI to become director of the University of Kansas student union system. Dean of Students Bruce Pitman will chair the search for Mucci’s successor. UI Union Associate Directors Shana Plasters and Lindsay Read McCall will serve as interim co-directors.

Shoshone County

Silver Valley

GTE is installing a new fiber optic cable between Kellogg an Wallace. The cable will allow for continued expansion of Internet access and enable the company to accommodate increasing demands for voice and data circuits. This is the third fiber installation in the Silver Valley by GTE. Earlier jobs connected Kellogg and Pinehurst and Wallace and Mullan.

MONTANA

Lincoln County

Libby

The University of Great Falls is offering a master’s degree in information systems at the Lincoln County Campus in Libby. The program joins 11 bachelor’s degree programs the university offers at LCC. The degree prepares students for jobs as network administrators, institutional technology managers and technology development managers. The university is taking applications for fall programs in Libby. For information, call (406) 293-2721.