The County Lines

WASHINGTON

ADAMS COUNTY

Othello

After filing a $250,000 suit against Adams County in Superior Court, State Trooper Abe Ramirez has now filed a claim in federal court. Ramirez was allegedly threatened with arrest by Sheriff Mike Kline for electioneering during the September primary. Ramirez, a supporter of candidate Roberto Guerrero, was asked to interpret ballots for Hispanics at an Othello polling place. A State Patrol investigation cleared him, but Ramirez says his character has been defamed.

FERRY COUNTY

Republic

Folks are asked to prepare for power outages this week. The Ferry County Public Utilities District is performing helicopter tree trimming along transmission lines between Curlew, Waudonda and Republic. Many branches are overgrown and PUD officials say there is a possibility of a branch hitting the line.

GRANT COUNTY

Electric City

The contract between Electric City and Grand Coulee for police protection remains unsigned. The annual contract, worth $50,882 to the city of Grand Coulee, has been ignored since January. Electric City officials say they’ve found words omitted or wrong in the contract.

Both councils are investigating.

LINCOLN COUNTY

Davenport

Marge Udahl is an all-star in Davenport for her tireless efforts on behalf of senior citizens. Udahl was recently inducted into the Spokane Softball Association’s Inland Empire Softball Hall of Fame after 34 years on the modified fast-pitch mound. She was the only woman among the 13 inductees.

PEND OREILLE COUNTY

Newport

Newport Community Hospital says births have increased over the past two years. The facility tallied a new record with 12 babies born in May. In a normal year, 50 babies are born at the hospital. Seventy-nine babies were born in 1998, with 80 births projected for this year.

SPOKANE COUNTY

Mount Spokane

The Spokane County ARES/RACES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service/ Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) will host its annual Field Day on Saturday and Sunday at Selkirk Lodge at Mount Spokane. The event is a 24-hour drill in which ham radio operators across the United States simulate an emergency and attempt to contact as many other U.S. operators as possible. More information: Nathan Jeffries at 467-6163.

STEVENS COUNTY

Colville

A new youth baseball field is needed. Local Kiwanians, the school and city are looking into construction of a new diamond. The four diamonds in town are overused and finding time for all games is getting difficult.

WHITMAN COUNTY

Colfax

The state Department of Agriculture will set 50 gypsy moth traps in Whitman County this summer. The traps, which are small and made of green or orange cardboard, will be set at a density of one per square mile during June-September. When moths are found, additional traps will be set to determine the extent of infestation. The information will impact spraying next spring.

IDAHO

BENEWAH COUNTY

St. Maries

Mark Harpole has been chosen to replace Deputy Craige Couture at the Benewah County Sheriff’s Department.

BONNER COUNTY

Sandpoint

Prosecutors filed felony vehicular manslaughter charges Tuesday against Neil C. Sanderson of Nordman, who was trapped inside the cab of his pickup for 36 hours with his dead friend after an April 13 crash on Highway 57. Sanderson was charged in the death of Howard L. Johnson Jr. of Priest River. Police reports said witnesses reported both men drinking when they were last seen before the crash.

BOUNDARY COUNTY

Bonners Ferry

Boundary Community Hospital will present “Breast Cancer: The Power of Prevention” via VHA Satellite Network at 7 p.m. today. The program is free to the public. More information: Elaine Atkins at (208) 267-3141.

KOOTENAI COUNTY

Hayden Lake

The Hayden Lake and Coeur d’Alene Rotary clubs are looking for host families for two exchange students for the 1999-2000 school year. Each student will have four host families during the year, staying with each for 11 to 12 weeks. Hayden Lake Rotary is sponsoring Ann Sophie Fladvad from Strande, Germany, while Coeur d’Alene Rotary will bring Theresa Willandsen from Hillerod, Denmark, to Coeur d’Alene High School. For applications call Karen Cook at (208) 667-6300.

LATAH COUNTY

Moscow

The 46th annual Utility Executive Course through the University of Idaho College of Business began Monday. Fifty middle managers for utility companies from 17 states and four other countries are taking the course, representing 27 companies.

SHOSHONE COUNTY

Kellogg

Dr. John McNulty and the staff of Shoshone Medical Center will sponsor an open house 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to showcase treatments and products to improve the lives of arthritis sufferers. For more information call Denise Donohue at (208) 784-1221, ext. 344.

MONTANA

LINCOLN COUNTY

Libby

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is having to release more water from Lake Koocanusa to meet sturgeon flow requirements in the Kootenai River. Last week, the Corps released the maximum amount of 25,000 cubic-feet per second through the dam. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife requested the additional flows in May due to colder temperatures and drier than normal weather.

Some of the information in County Lines comes from readers’ tips and from community newspapers. For items outside Spokane County, send your tips by fax to County Lines, (509) 459-5482, by mail to County Lines, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-2160, or by e-mail to news@spokesman.com. For items in Spokane County, send tips to Voices, The Spokesman-Review, same fax number and mail or e-mail addresses.