The County Lines

Tue., May 18, 1999

WASHINGTON

Adams County Ritzville

The county’s unemployment rate is down after a winter apex. March numbers showed a decline with 1,020 people looking for work. As agriculture picks up this spring, so will employment opportunities.

Ferry County Republic

The proposed Frontier Springs housing development is drawing opposition. People crowded a recent City Council meeting to question the need for 14 more rental units in Republic. They also were unhappy with the location near the county hospital.

Grant County Wanapum Dam

Although the official operating license does not expire until Oct. 31, 2005, the Grant County Public Utility District has begun the process of relicensing to serve the Columbia Basin’s electrical needs with power from Wanapum and Priest Rapids dams. The utility has provided power to the area for nearly 50 years.

Lincoln County Odessa

Quilt Club members have made some kiddie quilts for Parkside Daycare Center to use during nap time. Each local police car also has a quilt for children to cling to in emergency situations. The group replaces the quilts as needed.

Pend Oreille County Newport

Kids in Mrs. Cameron’s third grade class at Stratton Elementary are worried about children in Kosovo. To help them, the class has begun a “Change for Children” fund. Students have raised $150 to send overseas. People can help through an account at Pend Oreille Bank.

Spokane County Deer Park

Deer Park’s Vanessa N. Lipstein, daughter of Michael and Valerie Lipstein, will compete in the Miss Washington America Junior Teen Pageant Sept. 5-6 in Seattle. The winner receives $1,000 and a chance to compete for the national title.

Stevens County Colville

The Colville Pregnancy Center is relocating soon. The center is purchasing a home adjacent to the American Legion Hall for $125,000.

Whitman County Pullman

A ground-breaking ceremony for the new Community Action Center resource center will be May 24 at 4 p.m. It coincides with CAC’s new campaign to raise $75,000 to cover new equipment, remodeling and landscaping. The non-profit CAC generates $2.5 million in funding to help more than 5,000 county residents annually.

IDAHO

Benewah County Plummer

A tribute to Warren and the late Joyce Shepherd in appreciation of their participation in issues concerning the Coeur d’Alene Tribe has been placed at the entrance of the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Wellness Center. Joyce Shepherd represented the city of Plummer on the tribe’s Health Board from 1992 until her death in 1998. Her husband served as commissioner when the tribe first established housing and coached football and basketball at Plummer High School.

Bonner County Sandpoint

Burn permits for the 1999 closed fire season are available at the Idaho Department of Lands office instead of the Sandpoint Forest Service office. Permit seekers can apply by phone if they’ve had an active permit within the past four years and are in the IDL computer database. Renewals may be made by phone. More info: IDL at (208) 263-5612.

Boundary County Bonners Ferry

Panhandle Health District in Boundary County is joining the Humane Society of the United States in recognizing National Dog Bite Prevention Week through Saturday. More than 4.7 million victims, mostly children, are bitten by dogs each year. More info: Panhandle Health District office, (208) 267-5558.

Kootenai County Coeur d’Alene

The University of Idaho Kootenai County Extension Office will present a Douglas fir beetle field tour June 11. The tour will include a primer on historic and current North Idaho forest ecology, examples of current and likely Douglas fir beetle tree killing and pheromone and cultural treatments for Douglas-fir beetles. It costs $5 and leaves the Extension Office at 8 a.m. The program is co-sponsored by the Idaho Department of Lands and the U.S. Forest Service. More info: (208) 667-6426.

Latah County Moscow

The 10 students with the highest grade-point averages in the Moscow High School Class of 1999 honored the teachers who have made the biggest impact on them Monday. The top 10 students are Lincoln Ritter, Angela Fisk, Michael Adams, Hannah VanderZanden, Adrianne Rych, Carrie Robinson, Andrea Reese, Chris Walker, Chris Spain, Jody Moore. The teachers honored included Moscow Junior High technology teacher Bill Marineau; Bill Holman, a math and physics teacher at MHS; Steve Norton, biology and chemistry teacher at MHS; Lee Anne Eareckson, biology and French teacher; Vince Murray, English, and high school librarian Lynn Murray; Dan McLachlan and Crag Hill, both English faculty; choir director Melissa Kleinert and Moscow Junior High Spanish teacher Michelle Chapman.

Shoshone County Wallace

Two lone Wallace School District solo candidates have been declared elected to zones 2 and 3, Kathy Sullivan-Orton for the Zone 2 trustee seat in today’s election, and Mike Lee in Zone 3. The Idaho State Code states that when only one candidate files and no write-in candidates declare within five days of the election, the single candidate is given the position. The Zone 4 seat will be contested today’s from 1-6 p.m. at the Wallace Intermediate School.

MONTANA

Lincoln County Libby

Libby Families in Partnership is sponsoring “Sharing, Strength and Hope in Parenting,” a class for parents in recovery, adult children of alcoholics, or those living with a substance abuser. The class will be Friday 10-11:30 a.m. More info: Families in Partnership, (406) 293-6242.

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