The County Lines
WASHINGTON
Adams County Othello
The city chipped in $88,000 and the school district $51,000 to build sidewalks on the south side of Hemlock Street from 4th to 7th streets. The district will spend another $15,000 for an entrance and ramp near the baseball concession stand.
Ferry County Curlew
Residents have been waking to the sounds of robins this winter. Folks along Long Alec Creek are wondering if their feathered friends are returning early from warmer climes or if they just never left.
Grant County Ephrata
Superior Court Judge Evan Sperline is unhappy with public defender Guillermo Romero. Romero, representing Joseph Jordan for the murder of Eric Brace, failed to show up for sentencing, which was postponed.
Lincoln County Davenport
The Davenport Times newspaper polled readers on the top 10 events of the past century. They chose World War II and the stock market crash of 1929 as the top two events, with John F. Kennedy’s assassination and Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk following close behind. For local impact, readers picked the building of Grand Coulee Dam. As for favorite TV show, “M*A*S*H,” “Bonanza” and “I Love Lucy,” were top vote-getters.
Pend Oreille County Newport
For the fourth year running, the state auditor found the county did not file annual financial reports in a timely manner. Information for 1998 was filed four months late. The county says it has been understaffed and has a hard time finding qualified employees to do the financial work.
Spokane County Cheney
Playwright and motivational speaker Carl Mack will talk about Martin Luther King Jr. at Eastern Washington University’s MLK Jr. Celebration on Jan. 18. The free event starts at noon in the Showalter Auditorium. For more information, call 359-2205.
Stevens County Colville
The city is giving low-income residents a break on utility bills. The City Council approved an ordinance giving low-income residents, seniors and disabled residents a rate decrease of about 50 percent of the base $71.08 water/ sewer fee.
Whitman County Pullman
The Crimson Company, a student show choir that has been one of WSU’s most popular public relations vehicles for 23 years, will be discontinued after its final tour in May as a result of budget cuts. The decision was made recently by the executive board of the WSU Alumni Association, the group’s sponsor. Since its founding, the Crimson Company has performed more than 650 shows for 350,000 WSU alumni and friends throughout the Pacific Northwest. But the Crimson Company required roughly 20 percent of the association’s budget this year, which prompted the board to target it for elimination.
IDAHO
Benewah County St. Maries
The county is considering building a 2-ton incinerator to dispose of plant waste, municipal solid waste and construction debris. The unit being considered burns about 21 tons in 24 hours and costs about $450,000 installed or could be leased for $5,000 a month, according to manufacturer Crochet Equipment Company Inc. of Baton Rouge, La. A 4,500-square-foot building would be required to store garbage.
Bonner County Nordman
Postmaster Claude Cary retired recently after 25 years of service in the Nordman Post Office. Cary had been a logging truck owner/ operator before accepting a job as clerk in the post office in 1975. He became postmaster in 1978. Carey accepted retirement Dec. 30. He had also worked for the forest service and was in the military.
Boundary County Bonners Ferry
Andrew L. Huggins, 73, of Bonners Ferry was cited recently for reckless driving after his vehicle allegedly crossed the center line and caused an accident. Police said Huggins was southbound in his 1994 Chevrolet pickup on U.S. Highway 95, crossed the line and hit the Ford Ranger driven by Mary L. McGraw, 37.
Kootenai County Coeur d’Alene
Kootenai Medical Center’s Bi-Polar Support Group has been accepted as a member of the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association. This benefits the group by the DMDA lending its expertise and other opportunities to those in the support effort. Founded in 1986, the DMDA is the nation’s largest patient-run, illness-specific organization.
Latah County Moscow
The third grand jury in county history will convene Jan. 18. Officials have said little about why the private proceedings are taking place. County Prosecutor Bill Thompson said the jury is “to investigate criminal activity in Latah County.” Thompson explained that a grand jury essentially works as an independent investigative body. It can question witnesses and decide whether there is enough evidence to press charges. The last jury convened in December 1998. Thirty-five county residents have been contacted for the 16-person jury.
Shoshone County Kellogg
Idaho Department of Labor officials reported the December unemployment rate for the county was 8.7 percent, up slightly from November’s 7.7 percent. The rate for December 1998 was 11.1 percent. The overall state rate was down two-tenths of a percent to 4.4 percent. Nationally the rate was 4.1 percent for the third consecutive month.
MONTANA
Lincoln County Libby
Jack Osborne, 30, pleaded guilty recently to six counts of burglary, one count of felony theft and four counts of misdemeanor theft. The father of four was sentenced to 30 days in jail and six years’ probation for his role in thefts during the fall of 1998. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he was to receive a sixyear deferred sentence and no additional jail time (he served one day when arrested). Osborne testified he committed the burglaries shortly after moving to Montana from Washington, when his car broke down and he had no source of income.