The County Lines

WASHINGTON

Adams County

Ritzville

Police are investigating a recent rash of graffiti in the downtown area. Several businesses found graffiti written in black marker on their doors. Damage was done to the Garden Gate Quilt Shop, the Olive Branch, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and Ritzville Festivals. The restrooms at the city park, the antique sign at the Depot and the bench in front of Video Impact were all marked as well.

Ferry County

Republic

New members are needed for the community garden. Those interested in joining now can help plan the spring planting. A scrapbook and photo album of the past season is available for perusal. For information, call (509) 775-2252.

Grant County

Ephrata

The Sheriff’s Office has begun impounding vehicles belonging to people with suspended licenses. People caught driving with a suspended license will not be allowed to get their car back until all costs are paid, including towing and an impound fee of $8 per day.

Lincoln County

Creston

How much can an earthworm grow in one month? The students in Jeff Boyd’s science class can tell you. They obtained a pound of earthworms last November to use in paper recycling. The worms are fed 1 pound of paper and food scraps daily. Their favorite food seems to be coffee grounds and coffee filters. The worm castings will be used for fertilizer in the school’s new garden project.

Pend Oreille County

Newport

CREATE, a theater and arts group, has only $8,856 left to pay on its arts center. The organization has received many donations and grants over the past year toward its capital campaign. The group is paying off a $75,000 loan from the purchase of the old Southern Baptist Church, which was transformed into a community center for the arts.

Stevens County

Kettle Falls

Parents of preschool children are invited to a special story time at the Kettle Falls Public Library. Librarian Andrea Gillaspy holds the story time every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. She plans stories, fingerplay, songs and crafts geared toward kids 3-5 years old. Kids are also welcome to get a library card and check out books with the help of their parents.

Spokane County

Spokane

Jeff Allenton, audio-visual technician with the Spokane Fire Department, recently won three national awards for videos he produced, including a first-place honor for a piece on the delivery of a baby by firefighters on Squad 13 and Engine 16.

Whitman County

Pullman

Washington State University’s chapter of Kappa Sigma plans to petition the university and the fraternity’s headquarters for recognition later this spring. The fraternity lost its university recognition last year after a series of alcohol-related problems during a probation period. The probation was imposed after WSU found the fraternity partly responsible for the 1998 riot in Pullman. If enough freshmen are interested, the fraternity could house students by next fall under restrictions being discussed by university officials.

IDAHO

Benewah County

St. Maries

Residents recently visited display models at the county courthouse for a proposed civic center. Of the 46 residents who marked their favorite model, 28 marked the two models that included using the existing outdoor pool, said George Currier, member of the Community Coalition. The two models favor covering the existing pool and adding a multi-purpose facility where the tennis courts are located. Reconstructing the Cormana Building was favored by 14 people. The construction budget is limited to about $2 million, according to the coalition.

Bonner County

Priest Lake

Bonner County commissioners met last week and discussed improvements on the Elkins-Reeder Terrace road and accepted them as completed. The county will retain a $19,000 bond for one year to make sure the road construction withstands weather conditions.

Boundary County

Bonners Ferry

Vandals hit many of the county’s schools recently. On the front of Bonners Ferry High School, vandals wrote obscenities in large black letters, which were quickly painted over. Windows were also broken out at all other schools except for the Alternative and Evergreen. The incidents are under investigation.

Kootenai County

Harrison

A teacher for Kootenai High School’s English 101 is being sought by North Idaho College. Applicants are required to have a master’s degree in English and should call NIC at (208) 769-3436 or KHS at (208) 689-3631 as soon as possible. Students passing the class will receive a college credit.

Latah County

Moscow

Gwen Bloomsburg, 28, of Moscow was driving south on U.S. Highway 95 when she lost control of her 1991 Mazda pickup, crossed the center line and hit Merle Bachman, 60, of Potlatch, in his 1989 Ford truck. Both were transported to St. Joseph Medical Center, according to Idaho State Police. ISP stated Bloomsburg was driving too fast for road conditions and was cited for crossing the center line.

Shoshone County

Osburn

City officials are asking residents to move vehicles and trash containers away from city streets to avoid towing at the owner’s expense. The city is asking for compliance to make snow removal successful. For information on street plowing schedule, call the city garage at (208) 753-3611.

MONTANA

Lincoln County

Libby

“The Courage To Remember; The Holocaust, 1933-1945” a series of 40 panel posters includes never before seen pictures gathered from survivors and archives. The exhibit includes written narration and is arranged in a timeline depicting the Nazis’ persecution and murder of millions. A special presentation will be available 3:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at Libby Middle School library. It has been called a grim display and contains graphic content. Parental discretion is advised for children under age 12. The exhibit is sponsored by the Montana Association of Jewish Communities.