The County Lines

Wed., July 19, 2000

WASHINGTON

Adams County Ritzville

Young women wishing to be the next Ritzville Rodeo Queen are asked to apply no later than July 31. This year, the royalty will be chosen through a new format. The queen selection will take place over two days of rodeo events. Contestants will take part in the grand entry, rodeo parade and compete in pattern riding before being interviewed by the judges. To apply, call (509) 659-1909.

Ferry County Republic

County commissioners voted last December in the wake of Initiative 695-related spending cuts to staff county offices Monday through Thursday. The shorter week, it was found, didn’t result in significant savings. All county offices are now open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Grant County Moses Lake

The City Council announced the Adam East Museum and Art Center, known as MAC, will move to Third Avenue and Beech Street due to a lost lease. MAC will take over the digs of the Private Industry Council.

Lincoln County Creston

Local residents are cheering racer Jim Petty. Petty may have a well-known racing name, but he shares only that and a love of fast cars with Richard Petty, famous stock car racer. Jim Petty, after an absence of 22 years on the track, is back behind the wheel. Petty stopped racing when he moved to Creston in 1978 because of a lack of a racing circuit here. A group of local racers who travel to Republic to race convinced him to join up and the obsession has begun again.

Pend Oreille County Newport

It didn’t take long for residents to raise money for a police dog. The city police force asked the City Council to support a K-9 officer program because of the increase in drug activity here. The council gave its blessing, but no money. Officers helped raise the money to purchase Rebel, a Dutch shepherd. He will be retrieved from South Carolina this week. Total cost for the dog and travel is $5,500.

Spokane County Spokane

The third in a series of downtown murals is being painted at the Stevens Street railroad underpass through Friday, from noon to 6 p.m. each day. Shannon Noel, a local artist, will work with a team of youth volunteers from the East Central Community Center to create the new viaduct artwork.

Stevens County Northport

The Northport Community Clinic is moving to more spacious quarters just four blocks from its current location. The new building will house three large exam rooms, a minor surgery room, lounge, reception area and large medical records room. The old location had only two small exam rooms.

Whitman County Pullman

Pullman Parks and Recreation will sponsor a summer concert with the Dozier-Jarvis Young Quartet at Reaney Park tonight. Pete’s Bar & Grill provides food for $5 to $6 starting at 5 p.m. The music begins at 6.

IDAHO

Benewah County St. Maries

Benewah County’s June unemployment rate dropped to 10.7 percent from March’s rate of 11.5 percent. June’s rate was the fourth highest in Idaho’s 44 counties. Shoshone County had the highest at 11.5 percent, according to the Idaho Department of Labor’s figures.

Bonner County Priest Lake

Volunteers will work with Forest Service staff to construct an observation deck at Huff Lake this weekend. The goal of the project is preservation of sensitive plants in the marshy area on the Priest Lake Ranger District. Participants include the Calypso Chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society, the Washington Native Plant Society Northeast Chapter and the Selkirk-Priest Basin Association. Anyone wishing to help can call Dave Noble at (509) 534-5558 for details.

Boundary County Bonners Ferry

Second Chance Animal Adoption held an all-day adopt-a-thon July 8 where two dogs and two cats found good homes. About 20 people also decided to become members and contributors to the organization. Second Chance is a non-profit organization that hopes to build a shelter for abandoned animals. Cost for adopting a male dog is $47, a female dog is $57; cats are $15. All animals are spayed or neutered.

Kootenai County Coeur d’Alene

The Women’s Center is sponsoring a six-week class for teen girls between 13 and 17 years old. Girls learn to identify warning signs in unhealthy relationships, how to win in verbal warfare and learn to use assertive communication for protection. The seminar is facilitated by a certified Idaho counselor and starts today at 3 p.m. For details, call the center at (208) 664-9303.

Latah County Moscow

Low-income families with children who would like to swim this summer at the Hamilton-Lowe Aquatic Center, but can’t afford a season pass are encouraged to call Arlene J. Kellberg at (208) 882-2337. Efforts will be made to accommodate as many children as possible.

Shoshone County Wallace

An ATV rodeo and trail rides will be held in Wallace July 26-28 by the Silver Valley Snowmobile ATV Association. An overnight trail ride near Crow Creek, Mont., will be included in this years event. Registration begins July 25 at the Wallace Elks Club. Raffle tickets for a 325 Trail Boss ATV are being sold for $5. For more information, contact the web site at www.svsaa.org

MONTANA

Lincoln County Libby

Libby School District business manager, Bill Olson, announced he’ll resign at the end of August. Olson has been the school district’s fiscal officer for 18 years. He and his wife plan to start a large wholesale nursery on the Washington coast.

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