The County Lines
WASHINGTON
Adams County
Othello
The boys and girls of summer are hard at it in Othello. To celebrate opening day of the local baseball season, the youth baseball leagues held a parade. There are 24 Bambino League teams and seven Little League teams in Othello.
Ferry County
Republic
The county’s rock crusher is causing commotion in the political arena. Colville tribal leaders have asked the county to man the crusher with tribal members for up to five projects on tribal lands this summer. The county says it would have to lay off the current trained crew to hire untrained tribal members. Public Works director Tom Hern says the Tribal Employment Rights Organization makes it difficult to find contractors willing to work on reservation projects.
Grant County
Moses Lake
After writing off $35,951 in customer debt, the Grant County PUD is considering ways to lessen this type of loss. The debt was from unpaid utility bills accumulated between Dec. 1, 1998, and March 1, 1999. GCPUD has the lowest write-off rate of any area utility, but officials are worried because the figures keep escalating. Net writeoffs for March 1998 through March 1999 were $97,882.
Lincoln County
Wilbur, The annual community celebration, Wild Goose Bill Days, is just weeks away and plans are falling into place with one hitch. This year, the Chamber of Commerce will have to fork over about $600 to purchase fish for the kiddy fishing derby.The city is working on a plan to get free fish from the State Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Pend Oreille County
Metaline Falls
Russian singer Tatiana will be featured Saturday at the Cutter Theatre. Tatiana performs a variety of early European and Asian folk music, as well as classical baroque and Renaissance pieces. The concert gets under way at 7:30 p.m.
Stevens County
Chewelah
Today is Rebecca Blankenship’s first day on the job. Blankenship is the new administrator for the city of Chewelah. She replaces Dorothy Knauss, who took the position on a temporary basis.
Whitman County
Pullman
Pullman High School Principal Lynn Baker has accepted the superintendent position in Cashmere, Wash.
Baker, 49, came to Pullman in 1989 after 18 years in the Aberdeen, Wash., school district.
In the Garfield-Palouse Joint School District Superintendent Bill Thurston has accepted the superintendent’s position with the Freeman School District.
IDAHO
Benewah County
St. Maries
Local forest owners and loggers can learn more about small-scale logging technology at a program May 22 at Heyburn State Park. The program will be presented by University of Idaho Extension Professor of Forest Resources Harold Osborne and Scandinavian Forestry Tech owner Anders Rosenlund. A slide show will feature technology, safety and operations and a field trip featuring demonstrations of equipment. The session will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information, call the UI Benewah County Extension Office at (208) 245-2422.
Bonner County
Clark Fork
An Enrichment Series program, “The Legacy of David Thompson in the Inland Northwest,” will be at the University of Idaho Clark Fork Field Campus on Saturday and Sunday. Program fee is $19, with author Jack Nisbet instructing.
Kootenai County
Coeur d’Alene
The Banff Mountain Film Festival’s “Best of the Fest” will be shown at North Idaho College on Friday. The tour will highlight the festival’s best mountain and outdoor adventure films from over nine countries. Tickets are $9 in advance and $10 at the door.
MONTANA
Lincoln County
Libby
The annual Scenic Tour of Kootenai River bicycle tour will be Saturday and Sunday. Two options will be available for the tour. The 45- and 98-mile tours will follow the Kootenai River on U.S. Highway 2. The 98-mile tour will continue to the Yaak townsite and Pipe Creek Road. Sunday, a 37-mile loop will include Libby Dam and Lake Koocanusa.