The County Lines
WASHINGTON
Adams County Ritzville
Private lanes off of country roads are creating a problem for the project to assign new addresses in connection with the emergency 911 system. Because a number is assigned where the address meets a county road, homes at the end of private lanes are a problem. Where more than one home is present, numbers are the same with an added letter such as A, B or C. But the county is changing its ordinance and will address each home separately.
Ferry County Republic
Who was the lucky pig that got a smooch from Sheriff Pete Warner? The proud porker, Blanche, had the good graces to blush as Warner planted one on her snout during the recent county fair. As part of a 4-H fund-raiser, friends and relatives paid $220 to see Warner pucker up.
Grant County Moses Lake
Columbia Basin potato and sweet-corn growers are ranked No. 1 in the nation for production, according to the Washington Agricultural Statistics Service. The agency credits a long growing season and rich soil for the area’s success.
Lincoln County Wilbur
Jason Maioho, the new science teacher in Wilbur, is a native of nearby Creston and a former Wilbur-Creston Wildcat. Glad to be home, Maioho is teaching junior high science and study skills as well as high school biology, chemistry and engineering technology.
Pend Oreille County Newport
The Pend Oreille Hospital Board is considering an alternative proposal for a planned assisted-living center. Board members had been working exclusively with a project development coordinator but now also are considering another vendor for a 42-apartment complex that could be expanded as needed.
Spokane County Deer Park
The Campus Life Center is a youth center for third- through 12th-graders. It is open Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for third- through fifth-graders, Tuesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for sixth- through eighth-graders and Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. for ninth- through 12th-graders in Deer Park’s Crawford Shopping Center.
Stevens County Colville
Students wishing to have a greater voice in community concerns are asked to apply for the Colville Youth Commission. Based on Spokane’s successful Chase Youth Commission, the Colville panel was made possible by recent Colville High School grads Sierra Santoyo and Julianna Rigg. The commission hopes to bring youth-centered activities to Colville and build leadership skills among students.
Whitman County Pullman
Paul Pak-hing Lee has been appointed to the Washington state Arts Commission by Gov. Gary Locke. Lee is an associate professor of fine arts at Washington State University and recently was named associate chairman of the department. His photographs have been exhibited in galleries nationwide, and his most recent work reflects his interest in digital imaging technology. Lee came to WSU as an assistant professor of fine arts in 1989.
IDAHO
Benewah County Plummer
U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo’s North Idaho office, staffed by Sarah Bigger, will have field office hours Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Plummer City Hall. Field office hours also are scheduled in Sandpoint on Tuesday.
Bonner County Sandpoint
The Idaho Department of Lands, the U.S. Forest Service and the Sandpoint ranger district are requesting hunters, campers and berry pickers to use caution because of high fire danger. All campfires and warming fires need to be completely out, cold to the touch, before abandoning them.
Boundary County Bonners Ferry
The Bonners Ferry Seniors Hospitality Center operates from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The center serves meals Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, and home-delivered meals also are available. The center also provides transportation for elderly people to recreational activities and operates subsidized housing for elderly and handicapped people. For more information, contact the center at (208) 267-5553.
Kootenai County Coeur d’Alene
North Idaho College is celebrating the region’s heritage and diversity this week. A weeklong lecture series will culminate with a concert Thursday and powwow Friday and Saturday, with grand entrances at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Christianson Gymnasium. Representatives from Indian tribes throughout the region are expected. A concert featuring Native American contemporary music performed by Jim Boyd and Rez Bound will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday in Schuler Auditorium.
Latah County Moscow
The Moscow Planning and Zoning Commission has approved a new sign ordinance and forwarded it to the City Council, which is likely to hold a public hearing on the proposal next month. The proposed ordinance calls for free-standing signs to be set back at least five feet. As an incentive to beautify businesses, the proposal also calls for a square foot of landscaping beneath a sign for each square foot added to a sign. Nonconforming signs would be permitted for five years from the date the ordinance goes into effect.
Shoshone County Silver Valley
Residents on Central Shoshone Water District’s Bunker Hill well system have noticed discoloration in their water recently. The problem is the result of a dead-end system that the district flushes periodically. The district advises people with discolored water to run water through a hose outside for a period of time at night to clean out the pipes.
MONTANA
Lincoln County Libby
Work to correct problems that resulted in the shutdown of Libby’s new water-treatment plant in July should be completed by October. Initial projections had called for the plant to be in full operation Sept. 26. The work is being done at no cost to the city, with repair costs being the contractor’s responsibility.