The County Lines

WASHINGTON

Adams County

Ritzville

The new millennium has brought out a crowd of new faces at Ritzville City Council meetings. Council members were recently sworn in, including Shelly Eash, Dale Wariner, Nancy Hille, John Marshall and Jack Curtis. Also given the oath of office was new Mayor Craig Ulleland. He takes over the city from Kirk Danekas, longtime mayor who decided not to seek re-election. Danekas will serve on the city planning commission.

Ferry County

Republic

Excitement is building for the new Ethan Hawke movie “Snow Falling on Cedars.” Although the movie was filmed in Greenwood, British Columbia, not Ferry County, there are a few local stars in the cast. More than a dozen vintage cars and trucks from the Ferry County Car/Truck Museum were used in the film. Several of the vehicles’ owners got to drive their rigs to the film site and hobnob with actors and crew.

Grant County

Ephrata

The City Council elected a mayor at its first meeting of 2000. The city is run by a City Council/manager form of government. The council elects a mayor and mayor pro tem from among its membership every two years. Councilman John McMahan was chosen as mayor, with Mark Wanke his second-in-command. The city manager is responsible for daily operations of the city.

Pend Oreille County

Newport

Swen and Jeanette Bergman, owners of Mountaintop Kennels who were prosecuted in an animal cruelty case, have filed a $1.76 million claim against the county. The Bergmans say the Sheriff’s Department improperly searched their property in January 1997. They say then-Sheriff Doug Malby planned in advance to euthanize 25 supposedly healthy dogs to avoid civil liability. The county seized 204 dogs in the raid.

Whitman County

Pullman

Thirty-eight high school seniors from across the state will be in Pullman starting Jan. 16 to vie for the title of Washington’s Junior Miss and college scholarships totaling $10,000. The young women will rehearse during the week for three program nights, Jan. 20-22, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Pullman’s Gladish Community Center Auditorium.

Advance tickets for the Thursday and Friday preliminary nights will be $8 for adults and $5 for high school and under. Tickets for Saturday night are $10.

Spokane County

Cheney

The Cheney Parks and Recreation Department is offering keyboarding classes, tap dancing and Rhythm and Music for Tots. For more information call 235-7295.

IDAHO

Benewah County

St. Maries

Snowboarders and skiers can ride a bus to Lookout Pass Ski Area Saturdays through March 11. The bus will leave Archie’s IGA parking lot at 7:15 a.m. and leave Lookout at 3:30 p.m. to return to the IGA. Cost for the roundtrip ride is $6 and must be paid for by 8 p.m. on Thursdays for a guaranteed seat. Bus tickets and discounted lift tickets can be purchased at the IGA customer service desk. Children in the fifth grade and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Bonner County

Sandpoint

New fishing regulations effective Jan. 1 are intended to encourage harvest of rainbow trout and reduce harvest of kokanee from Lake Pend Oreille. The kokanee population is at an all-time low. Kokanee predators, primarily rainbow trout, pose a risk to the remaining kokanee population if they aren’t reduced quickly and significantly. The Idaho Fish and Game Department will hold a public meeting to discuss predator management strategies at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Sandpoint Community Hall and Wednesday at the agency’s regional office in Coeur d’Alene.

Boundary County

Bonners Ferry

The United Methodist Church is hosting the Boundary County Community Kitchen again this year. The cooks are students and the director from the Boulder Creek Academy, Bonners Ferry. Free lunches are provided at noon Thursdays at the church, 1470 Hanley Ave. Donated desserts or dishes are welcome. To donate to the meals call (208) 267-3663.

Kootenai County

Coeur d’Alene

Ponderosa fifth-grader Bethany Adams found $100 on the floor at Skate Plaza, turned it in to the office and was rewarded with a certificate of appreciation, $10 and five free skating sessions. “I knew it wasn’t mine,” Adams said. Adams’ mom, Gale, said, “You always hope that when you’re not around, the values are instilled in your kids. The teaching we reviewed at home paid off.” A Pinehurst family celebrating a birthday at Skate Plaza reported the money missing and provided the reward.

Shoshone County

Kellogg

Kellogg will receive $1,040 to remove and replace 22 unsafe trees in the Greenwood Cemetery under the 1999-2000 Urban and Community Forest grant for tree planting. Kellogg’s grant is part of a total $135,000 grant money available from the Idaho Department of Lands. The grants, combined with matching cash and in-kind contributions by the recipients, will result in completed projects valued at more than $371,000 in Idaho.

MONTANA

Lincoln County

Libby

The City Hall’s Ponderosa Room will be renovated thanks to fund-raising efforts by the Lincoln County Community Foundation. The foundation’s president, Carolyn Stamy, sent a letter to Mayor Tony Berget announcing the receipt of a $10,000 grant for the project from the Montana Community Foundation. The grant will be matched by $20,000 raised locally, Stamy wrote. The renovation will include improvements to better accommodate banquet and conference needs.