The County Lines

Sun., May 30, 1999

WASHINGTON

ADAMS COUNTY Othello

The Othello Kiwanis Club, which has done much for the community over the years, is folding. “Seems people don’t want to get involved in service organizations. Their lives are elsewhere,” said James Dietrich, a Kiwanian. A fixture in the community for 50 years, Kiwanis Club membership dropped to just seven this year. The club will close its “House of Sales” store and use any leftover funds for scholarships.

FERRY COUNTY Republic

With tax revenues declining, Ferry County commissioners are asking all department heads to limit spending. Usually, spending cuts are demanded when the county is having cash flow difficulties. Now commissioners are hoping if spending is held to a minimum, enough will be saved to fund employee cost-of-living raises next year.

GRANT COUNTY Moses Lake

A cool, wet spring has put a damper on Columbia Basin alfalfa harvests. Many growers are switching to different types of hay production, at great risk. The “crop du jour” is timothy, usually a rare crop in the area. Timothy is a cool-weather grass, low in protein and high in fiber for dairy livestock feed. A ton of timothy sells for $150, the major reason growers are gambling with the crop.

LINCOLN COUNTY Davenport

Residential areas of Davenport need a facelift, says zoning inspector Morlan Hutchens. Hutchens has noticed junk, garbage and garden debris on his latest tours of local streets and back alleys. Hutchens says junk cars can be hauled away for free by calling Cars for Charity at (509) 928-1900. He also says any debris near drainage ditches or Cottonwood Creek should be removed immediately.

PEND OREILLE COUNTY Newport

The Police Department was recently visited by a law enforcement officer from Down Under. Constable First Class M.L. Franzinelli of Perth, Australia, took his vacation time this year to tour a number of U.S. police forces. After visiting New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and New Orleans, Franzinelli says his stay in Newport was the most exciting, featuring a 100-mph chase. He says tight gun control laws in Australia keep gun-related crime in check.

SPOKANE COUNTY Spokane

Telect Inc. of Spokane has donated $50,000 to the Community Colleges of Spokane Foundation for its current fund-raising campaign. Judi Williams, founder and vice chairman of Telect, presented the gift. She is the chair of CCS’s $1.5 million campaign. The money will be used for student scholarships and other needs.

STEVENS COUNTY Colville

Avoid drinking and driving this holiday weekend in Stevens County. Washington State Patrol troopers, Stevens County sheriff’s deputies and Colville and Kettle Falls police will be stopping drivers for sobriety checks. The DUI Oriented Traffic Stops (DOTS) program is part of the Columbia Gateway Traffic Safety Project along Highway 395.

WHITMAN COUNTY Pullman

A group of Pullman High School students is using the latest computer technology and the Internet thanks to a $10,000 education technology grant from GTE. One of the school’s first-period English classes has been turned into an electronic career development center this semester. The grant was used to train four teachers and purchase equipment and software for students to use as part of the “Connecting Careers Via Cyberspace” curriculum. The school hopes to use the grant to build a Web site that will store and display each student’s career portfolio.

IDAHO

BENEWAH COUNTY St. Maries

Benewah County commissioners have started an informal study on the cost of building a jail. Commissioners asked civil defense director George Currier to gather information, including possible methods of financing jail construction. Currier will make a report to the commissioners with his findings.

BONNER COUNTY Sandpoint

Bonner County Master Food Preservers will provide free pressure-canner dial gauge testing Thursday and June 10, 9:30-11:30 a.m., at the county Extension Office. Master Food Preservers will be on hand to answer questions about home food preservation. For information, contact the Extension Office, (208) 263-8511.

BOUNDARY COUNTY Bonners Ferry

Boundary County Community Action Agency is seeking a volunteer interested in traveling to Coeur d’Alene once a month to pick up commodities for the local food bank. A one-ton truck is needed for the job. If interested, call Christine at (208) 267-3663 during regular business hours.

KOOTENAI COUNTY Coeur d’Alene

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has scheduled hunter education and bowhunter education courses for June and July. Registration for prospective students will be Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Idaho Fish and Game office in Coeur d’Alene. Class fee is $8. By state law, persons born after Jan. 1, 1975, must attend and complete a hunter-education course before purchasing a hunting license. For information, call (208) 769-1414.

LATAH COUNTY Moscow

Moscow city officials are forming a task force on emergency services. The group will include doctors and representatives of the Moscow Volunteer Ambulance Co. The task force will be presented to the City Council June 7 for approval. If approved, the group would examine Moscow’s current emergency services needs and whether they are being met.

SHOSHONE COUNTY Smelterville

The Smelterville City Council has an open seat. Councilman Dennis Fretheim stepped down because he will be working out of town all summer. A replacement will be appointed at the June 8 meeting at Smelterville City Hall. Those interested in serving on the council can call (208) 786-3351.

MONTANA

LINCOLN COUNTY Libby

Libby High School students recently presented their Montana Heritage Project research to Gov. Marc Racicot in Helena. The class has been documenting, researching and interviewing Libby-area residents for the past year. The information will be permanently preserved in the Montana Historical Society archives. The Montana Heritage Project is in its fifth year of sponsoring community research projects by high school students.

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