The County Lines

WASHINGTON

Adams County

Othello

Juvenile crime statistics are in and locals couldn’t be happier. In Adams County, juvenile crime had dropped 41.3 percent since 1993. The arrest rate for 1998 shows 271 teens arrested, far fewer than the 418 or more annually from 1993 through 1997. There are 2,484 juveniles in the county.

Ferry County

Republic

All involved in the Community Youth Ministry believe that God had a hand in building the new youth center. More than a year ago, citizens interested in building a youth center purchased property next to Eich’s Mercantile. Without a grant or outside funding, the group trusted God to provide talent and materials. Today, over 1,000 man-hours and $60,000 in money and materials have raised the walls and roof. The project is currently at a standstill while awaiting a certified electrician.

Grant County

Moses Lake

Ruling that John Allred and Martha Porter are too ill to take care of their grandson, Child Protective Services took John Warren Jr. from his grandparents last week. CPS cited Allred’s history of heart problems and Porter’s two hip replacements in making the ruling. Allred contends they are perfectly capable and have a strong bond. The boy is now with a foster family. The boy’s parents have been ruled out as caregivers.

Lincoln County

Davenport

What will the city of Davenport do with a $1.2 million Community Economic Revitalization Board grant? Pave a couple of pothole-ridden streets. City Finance Manager Mary Hollis says the city will work on Eighth and Monroe streets. The project is near the local stockyards and grain elevators, where large trucks do a lot of damage to the current gravel streets.

Pend Oreille County

Newport

The City Council adopted a new burning ordinance with some serious teeth. Folks burning out of season or without a permit will be fined $150 for the first offense. Each violation after that will be $500. These amounts are significantly higher than rates proposed back in October when the council was considering a $50 fine for the first offense, with $150 for each subsequent offense.

Stevens County

Loon Lake

Stevens County PUD No. 1 is in a bit of hot water. A recent state audit alleges the district’s executive management intentionally falsified 1998 public records for personal gain. The result of the supposed record fixing is that each commissioner was paid $4,600 more than they were due. The PUD has 24 employees and an annual budget of $1.6 million. Board members include President Deloris J. Lynn, K.O. Rosenberg and James Berger.

IDAHO

Benewah County

St. Maries

Since the Benewah Community Hospital $3 million expansion opened, revenues at the hospital have increased 30 percent and the hospital is now proceeding with an expansion of the surgery center. Preliminary plans call for a two-story structure to be built on the northeast corner of the hospital. The hospital has been given tentative approval for the estimated $1 million financing. If the project proceeds as planned, the new surgery center will open in the spring of 2001. Preliminary figures show the hospital earned $391,000 last year.

Bonner County

Sandpoint

The Greater Sandpoint Chamber’s Timber Information Program will sponsor the Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon Friday. Frank Gladics, executive director of the Independent Forest Industries Association, will present an update on recent national forest management policies and the current debates surrounding their implementation. The luncheon begins at noon at the Elks Lodge.

Boundary County

Bonners Ferry

The Bonners Ferry Historic walk-about will be 1-4 p.m. on Nov. 13. The event is sponsored by the Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce to create more awareness of the goods and services available in the community. The walk will start at the Visitor’s Center and continue to Main Street. Main Street businesses are planning special events, sales and drawings. For information, contact Gini Woodward at (208) 267-5921.

Kootenai County

Post Falls

A web site to raise funds for the Valiree Jackson Recovery Fund has been created by Votenet.com, and Internet political products and services company in Post Falls. The site contains several photos and a description of Valiree and information about the circumstances of her disappearance. The web site was created at www.votenet.com/ valireejackson in cooperation with Jackson’s family.

Latah County

Moscow

The Moscow Food Co-op is sponsoring a fund-raising feast to raise money to add a power-assisted door to its new store. The banquet, entitled the A-door-able Feast, is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Current Events Banquet Hall, 111 N. Washington Street. The feast will include live music by Cariol Consort, opportunities to purchase local artwork, and services at a silent auction, organic wine and a full dinner with 10 unique lasagnas, salad, bread and dessert. Tickets are $30 and must be purchased in advance at the Moscow Food Co-op.

Shoshone County

Wallace

The Wallace School Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Wallace High School’s Miner Hall. Agenda items include presentation of board goals, status of the communications from the district to the public and the principal search. An expulsion hearing is set for 6 p.m.

MONTANA

Lincoln County

Eureka

Wayne Josephson, Eureka, has been assessed with more than $280,000 in damages by a jury that determined he pointed a gun at a former Rexford resident and shot guns across neighbors’ property. The jury awarded $45,000 to former resident Jerry Lopez and $61,500 to neighbors Monte and Caroline Monroe. The jury also assessed punitive damages of $175,000. The civil suit against Josephson was filed in 1997.