The County Lines

Wed., Jan. 19, 2000

WASHINGTON

Adams County

Ritzville

Local residents are pulling for Ritzville’s Kasie Geschke. Geschke and 37 other high school students are in Pullman right now gearing up for the state Junior Miss pageant. At stake is $10,000 in scholarships and a trip to Mobile, Ala., to compete for the national title. Also in Pullman this week is Lind’s Junior Miss Lindsay Wilson.

Ferry County

Republic

Residents are upset by a report that cougars are being transplanted from Western Washington to the East Side by the state Game Department. A shepherd in the north county area says she has lost 10 animals to cougars in just over a year.

Grant County

Moses Lake

A local teenager was arrested last week for allegedly making a “hit list” of people he wanted to hurt. Police questioned the student, who supposedly had seven students and one teacher targeted. Moses Lake Police Chief Fred Haynes says it is not known what the student was planning to do with the list. The youth’s name has not been released, pending charges. He was turned in by one of the students on the list.

Lincoln County

Wilbur

There’s only one day left to get tickets for the Chamber of Commerce banquet. The gala affair is being held to honor the city’s person of the year, Jan Wigen. Wigen has lived in Wilbur since 1979 and fell in love with the neighborly, helpful townsfolk. She has been paying them back for their hospitality ever since through her involvement in charities and youth programs. Those wishing to honor Wigen are invited to Sarah’s Restaurant at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Pend Oreille County

Newport

The Newport Police Department is in the market for a K-9 officer. The city recently gave a nod to the proposal to fund a drug dog through donations. Chief Bill Clark says a dog can do things a human cannot, and stressed the two greatest needs the department has - help with drug detection and search-and-rescue efforts. The council turned down an earlier proposal for a K-9 officer.

Spokane County

Spokane

Don Roise, who spent 26 years in recreation programs with the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department, was recognized for his service by the Spokane Park Board last week. Roise is retiring from city service under a severance package offered by the city this winter.

Stevens County

Colville

The curtain goes up tonight at 7 on the Colville High presentation of “The Crucible.” The Arthur Miller classic will be directed by Greg Simon and Robyn Richart. Students taking on the lead roles of John and Elizabeth Proctor are Alex Garnett and Cassie Estelle. Tickets are $5. The play runs through Thursday, and the student art gallery will be open to browsers before the performances.

Whitman County

Pullman

Washington State University’s board of regents will meet in closed session in Seattle today to evaluate the candidates for the WSU presidency. It is the second closed meeting the regents have had in Seattle to evaluate the short list of two to five candidates vying for the position. WSU Board of Regents President Peter Goldmark said he hopes to make public a list of finalists sometime in February before a hire is made by March 1. The pool of candidates includes both male and female university administrators, presidents and provosts.

IDAHO

Benewah County

St. Maries

The Potlatch sawmill’s St. Maries manager, Joe Andrews, is quitting after serving one year with the company. He has accepted a job as plant manger for Plum Creek’s Evergreen Plywood Plant in Kalispell, Mont. Andrews said Montana is his home, he raised his family there and the new job for Plum Creek is a promotion because the facility is larger. A replacement for Andrews is being sought.

Bonner County

Sandpoint

The Oden Citizens for Appropriate Land Use recently asked Bonner County to reschedule an appeal hearing on the proposed sewage lagoon in Sunnyside. President of OCAL, Dan McDonald, felt the combination of elderly members, outbreak of the flu, the need for a larger meeting room and time required to review new documents released by the Planning and Zoning Department made it imperative to reschedule the meeting. The hearing is tentatively set for 6 p.m. Feb. 23 in the Sandpoint Community Hall.

Boundary County

Bonners Ferry

The Idaho Transportation Department is gathering public comment during two meetings on realignment alternatives and improvements for 16 miles of Highway 95 south of the Canadian border from Eastport. The meetings will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Bonners Ferry Junior High Fry Auditorium and Jan. 26 at Mount Hall Elementary School at Copeland Junction.

Kootenai County

Coeur d’Alene

Richard L. Way and Ronald W. Jones, employees of Albertson’s, 220 Ironwood Drive, Coeur d’Alene, reported to the Coeur d’Alene Police Department Saturday they’d stopped a man who left the store without paying for a 12-pack of beer. They said after confronting him he pulled a knife on Way and said, “I’ve got a knife, what are you going to do about it?” They let him go and reported his license plate number to the police. Officers arrested Jeffrey Ryen in connection with the robbery at his home on Third Street in Coeur d’Alene.

Latah County

Moscow

Police Chief Dan Weaver said officers have pursued every lead and are still investigating the year-old disappearance of University of Idaho student Wil Hendrick. Hendrick’s car was found with the keys in it parked at the Jackson Street parking lot near the Moscow Hotel. Weaver said that Hendrick’s disappearance remains a missing person case because there’s no evidence indicating foul play.

Shoshone County

Kellogg

The 24 new members of Kellogg High School’s Cats Who Care recently returned from a training program at Camp Lutherhaven. During training, the students learned to improve the health and well-being of other students through peer listening, education and referral. The members of Cats Who Care are identified through a schoolwide survey as individuals who are naturally turned to by other students who need someone to talk to or listen to them. The program began in 1989.

MONTANA

Lincoln County

Libby

The Montana Fish and Game Department is seeking public comment on proposed deer and elk seasons and hunting regulations for the 2000/2001 season. Included changes are on archery equipment standards, trophy animal definitions, motion tracking devices, mule deer season and permits, mountain lion season and upland game bird season. Comments may be sent to the FWP Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701 by Jan. 22.

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