The County Lines

IDAHO

Benewah County St. Maries

The City Council unanimously approved the merger of the St. Maries Rural Fire District and the St. Maries Fire Department on Nov. 27. The move was effective Dec. 1 but higher tax rates won’t be effective until 2002. City property owners will see an increase of about $25 per $100,000 of property value. Proponents of the measure claim the consolidation will offer better fire protection.

Bonner County Priest River

The Post Office will be open longer to accommodate holiday traffic. Customer window hours will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Dec. 16, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 23 for package pickup only. The Post Office encourages mailing packages early to ensure timely delivery.

Boundary County Bonners Ferry

Bob Graham was appointed natural resource adviser by the City Council Nov. 21. He is the incident commander and county assistant emergency service director. In his new position, he will research issues raised from emergency situations and help the mayor formulate polices for the city council to consider.

Kootenai County Coeur d’Alene

Sen. Mike Crapo’s Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Rathdrum nominees to U.S. military academies are: Noel Horton, Kelly Kline, Nathan Alderman, Johannes Meyling and Stephen McMath.

Latah County Potlatch

The theme for this year’s lighted Christmas parade is “Christmas in the New Millennium.” The parade starts at 5 tonight at the NAPA parking lot. Free chili, live music and horse wagon rides at the Rebekah Hall on Pine Street. will be available from 1 to 4 p.m. After the parade Santa will hand out goodies at the hall.

Shoshone County Kellogg

Today during the Victorian Dickens Festival, residents, business owners and visitors will attend to business dressed as Dickens characters in 1850s clothing. A Christmas craft fair and a candlelight character parade followed by a sing-along will also be included.

WASHINGTON

Pend Oreille County Ione

The city is moving forward in its plan to study and solve its water quality problems. For years, residents drank surface water from Cedar Creek with no problem. The state Clean Water Act said otherwise, so the city drilled wells and put in a formal water system. That system has given the citizens stinky, dirty water, sometimes filled with black goo or fecal coliform. Geo Engineers of Spokane has been contracted to do the study.

Whitman County Pullman

County law enforcement and fire fighting agencies will offer a free child’s car seat clinic Sunday at Chipman and Taylor Chevrolet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is an ideal time to have your child’s car seat checked before holiday travel.

MONTANA

Lincoln County Libby

Delila Crocher, a 1997 graduate of Libby High School and the daughter of Charles and Lois Crocher, is serving as an off-campus senator for the Associated Students of Montana State University in Bozeman.