The County Lines

Tue., March 16, 1999

WASHINGTON

ADAMS COUNTY Ritzville Wheatland Equipment has been purchased by Tekoa-based Cash Hardware. Both are John Deere dealers. Cash Hardware owner Pat McCormack says Wheatland’s employees will retain their jobs, and the staff could be expanded in the near future.

FERRY COUNTY Republic

County commissioners hope to create an economic development specialist position in the near future. Because the county is considered economically distressed, the state allows it to keep .04 percent of sales tax receipts for economic-development efforts. Commissioners say they should receive $17,000 this year, plus a portion of another state fund for boosting distressed counties.

GRANT COUNTY Ephrata

Columbia Basin Hospital will hold its annual Spring Health Fair March 29 through April 2. Guest speakers will talk about wellness, and hospital staff will provide affordable blood screens, cancer checks and body fat analysis. Immunizations and a blood drive are also scheduled.

LINCOLN COUNTY Reardan

After 31 years teaching English and social studies to Reardan teenagers, Dorothy Balum will retire at the end of this school year. Vocational-agriculture teacher Fred Springer, a 32-year Reardan High veteran, will also resign.

PEND OREILLE COUNTY Newport

Anyone interested in reviewing property tax assessment appeals is asked to apply for the County Board of Equalization. It has three openings, one for each county commissioner district. If interested, call (509) 447-4119 to apply.

SPOKANE COUNTY Spokane

The Master Composters Program, sponsored by the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System, will offer training sessions each Saturday in April from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Attendance at all sessions is necessary to complete the course. For information call 456-7403.

WHITMAN COUNTY Pullman

The Montessori School of Pullman is holding its fourth fund-raising auction from 7 to 10 p.m. April 3 upstairs at the Combray Restaurant, 215 East Main St. Chocolate tortes, a week in a Montana cabin, horseback riding lessons and a catered gourmet dinner are a few items being offered at the silent auction. Proceeds will be used for tuition assistance, classroom equipment and staff training. For more information, call 334-4114.

IDAHO

BENEWAH COUNTY Plummer

The City Council is seeking bids for the maintenance of its electrical distribution system. Kootenai Electric Cooperative has been hired to operate the system on an interim basis while the city seeks proposals for a long-term contract from area utilities. The system serves 860 customers.

BONNER COUNTY Sandpoint

Traffic on Westmond Bridge will be down to one lane today and Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for repairs on a large expansion joint. The 60-year-old bridge is north of Cocolalla Lake on U.S. Highway 95 and is to be replaced in 2002.

BOUNDARY COUNTY Bonners Ferry

The county Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Bonners Ferry Fire Hall. Agenda items include applications to build and operate a landscape supply business on U.S. 95 and County Road 2C, a preliminary plat review of a nine-lot subdivision by the Boundary County Airport and a pre-application review on a subdivision proposed at the Deep Creek Trailer Park. For information, call (208) 267-7212.

KOOTENAI COUNTY Coeur d’Alene

The Coeur d’Alene Inland Northwest Blood Center will celebrate its first anniversary on Ironwood Court next week. There will be drawings for prizes, and coffee will be served Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

LATAH COUNTY Potlatch

Potlatch resident Darin French, a 16-year veteran of the telecommunications industry, has been named Moscow-based local manager for GTE in Latah, Clearwater and Nez Perce counties. French succeeds JoAnn Mack, who retired Jan. 29 after 30 years with GTE. French joined GTE in 1995.

SHOSHONE COUNTY Kellogg

The City Council is applying for a grant to demolish an East Market home damaged in the 1996 flood. The $47,000 grant through the Housing and Urban Development Department would also pay to clean up the yard and for the assessed value of the home.

MONTANA

LINCOLN COUNTY Libby

Marlene Palmquist has been hired as director of Lincoln County libraries. Palmquist has been a library director in Connecticut for 12 years.

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.