The County Lines

WASHINGTON

Adams County

Ritzville

City officials will have a public meeting on growth patterns and planning Dec. 7 at the Adams County Public Works Department.

Ferry County

Republic

Looters broke into Mickey’s Pub after hours Nov. 10 and stole two cash registers full of change. They also took food and destroyed the back door. Losses are estimated at $1,800.

Grant County

Moses Lake

Further tests on a hunting dog who died after swimming in a pond near the Nestle plant on Wheeler road in October have come up with a cause of death. Preliminary tests looked for toxic algae. When those tests came back negative, toxicologists tested for other pesticides and came up with Phorate. Phorate is a common potato pesticide and highly toxic. Water in the pond tested negative for Phorate, so the investigation continues.

Lincoln County

Wilbur

It’s 200-200 and a coin toss could decide the victor. In the recent City Council election incumbent Jerry Metcalf and challenger Jim Clark tied with 200 votes each. The County Auditor’s office will hand-count the ballots again. If still tied, the matter will be settled with the flip of a quarter.

Pend Oreille County

Newport

With some snow already flying, the county Public Works Department is giving snow plow advisories. Major roads and bus routes will be plowed first after a snowfall of 3 inches or more. All other county roads will follow as time permits. A mixture of sand and road salt will be used on ice.

Spokane County

Spokane

Spokane Community Gardens reported that it has built 394 garden beds for low-income families in the area in the five years the charitable group has been in existence. The 4-by-8-foot beds provide an opportunity for raising nutritious vegetables and promoting lifelong skills for parents and children. Organizations, companies and individuals have donated nearly $44,000 in cash to the group.

Stevens County

Onion Creek

School children recently helped beautify their town by picking up garbage along the main road into Onion Creek. Students stayed after school for the community cleanup. The school recently adopted a road as part of a new county program.

Whitman County

Pullman

The Pullman School District plans to open a new indoor aquatics and fitness center next April. The 14,310-square-foot pool and fitness center, adjacent to the high school, will be built with a $2.1 million gift from Ed and Mary Schweitzer. The city of Moscow is also building a new aquatics center.

IDAHO

Benewah County

St. Maries

The Potlatch Plywood mill will lay off 16 people two months after hiring 33. It employs 272 and another 106 at the sawmill. The mill reported a loss of $250,000 in October. Cuts are being made to make the mill more competitive, according to a statement issued by Potlatch.

Bonner County

The unemployment rate for the county was 8.9 percent in August and 9 percent in September. The October rate is expected to be 8.7percent, up from 1998’s rate of 8.5 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate for October 1999 was 4.1 percent.

Boundary County

An 18-foot motorhome seized in connection with a 50-pound marijuana bust at the Canadian border will be used by the county. The Dodge 1-ton vehicle will become a command center for emergencies, disaster and Search and Rescue operations. There will be a fund drive to fit the command center with needed equipment and accessories.

Kootenai County

Cataldo

The Cataldo Mission’s foundation recently received a $10,000 grant for preservation of the building and artifacts in it. The church also is known as the Sacred Heart Church and is the oldest standing building in Idaho. It’s located just off Interstate 90 and receives 85,000 visitors a year.

Latah County

Moscow

Local Forester Dr. David L. Adams was elected to represent District I beginning Jan. 1, in the Society of American Foresters. He held a variety of positions at the national and local level in his 35-tenure as an SAF member. He has also written more than eighty publications and presentations on forest health and forest ecosystem management. Adams was awarded the highest SAF honor in 1987 by being voted a Fellow by his peers. The Society’s primary objective is to advance the science, technology, education and practice of professional forestry for the benefit of all society.

Shoshone County

Christmas tree permits may be purchased in the Silverton office of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests office 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Permits are $3 and can be used in any national forest in the Panhandle. For more information, call 752-1221 or 765-7223.

MONTANA

Lincoln County

Yaak

Thursday night a second goat apparently killed by a grizzly was found in the Yaak Valley area. The site is near where the east and north forks of the Yaak River meet. Wayne Kasworm, bear biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said he found a footprint that indicates it was grizzly. The goat was tied up and a deer was hanging in an open shed. The deer was dragged way. The last bear visit was Oct. 30 near a residence to the south of the latest site.