The County Lines

IDAHO

Benewah County Worley

A number of people in the Worley, Plummer and Tensed area are learning the Coeur d’Alene Indian language. Teams were formed from classes taught at Lakeside High School, the Coeur d’Alene Casino and in Desmet. Competitions are held to test translation skills and pronunciation. Judges for the competitions are Lawrence Nicodemus and Felix Aripa, who are fluent in the tribal language.

Bonner County Priest River

Roger Jason, area supervisor for the Idaho Department of Land at Priest Lake, would like to warn travelers of safety-related delays on Road 10, Middle Fork East River Road. Insect-damaged timber is being helicopter-logged near the road. Delays may be as long as two hours between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, through June.

Boundary County Bonners Ferry

The Idaho State Fiddle Contest was held recently in Hailey. Local residents Don Spalding, Ruth Hogland and Doris Howard competed and placed in the event. Spalding came in first and Hogland came in fifth in the Senior Division. Howard came in third in the Senior-Senior Division (70 years and older).

Kootenai County Coeur d’Alene

The city’s Priority Program provided $15,000 to the Coeur d’Alene Public Library to buy books and audio books for Children’s and Youth Services. Alicia Clark, head of the library’s technical services, said the library had to pull 600 badly worn but popular books from the children’s library and needed to replace them. The City Council approved the money for the library, according to library director Julie Meier.

Latah County Moscow

Bob Clyde is in a no-win situation. When the expansion of U.S. Highway 95 begins he will either lose a row of blue spruce trees he planted 35 years ago to buffer the noise created by traffic or he’ll lose some farmland along Reisenauer Hill, the area where an alternate route is proposed. The Idaho Transportation Department is trying to widen the road or change its course to accommodate the increased traffic between Moscow and Lewiston.

Shoshone County Kellogg

Shoshone Medical Center’s employee of the month is Mike Ferguson. He’s worked as a physical therapy assistant in the Rehabilitative Services Department since May 1997. He lives in Kellogg with his wife, two daughters and a son.

WASHINGTON

Pend Oreille County Newport

Ground has been broken for the Newport Urban Playground, a skateboard park. Members of a youth/student liaison team recently thanked the City Council for supporting the endeavor.

Spokane County Spokane

The County Commission has announced openings on three advisory boards. There is one opening on the county board of trustees, with an application deadline of July 14. There are four openings on the Chase Youth Commission and three openings on the Water Conservation Board. The application deadline for those is Friday. There is also one vacancy for an individual representing the water skiing association on the Boating Advisory Board, which will remain open until filled. For an application contact Demeris Skaggs at 477-2265 or pick up an application form in the commissioners’ office, 1116 W. Broadway.

Whitman County Pullman

A recent study of Washington State University freshmen indicates those who lived in university housing outperformed those who lived off campus. The study examined a group of 144 off-campus freshmen’s academic records and other factors and compared them with those living on campus. Those who lived in residence halls reported better grades and more satisfaction with their college experiences. WSU has had a long-standing policy that all single freshmen under age 20 live in recognized living groups such as residence halls or the Greek system. The school plans to make fewer exceptions to that policy this fall.

MONTANA

Lincoln County Libby

Jason Kappus, a Libby covaledictorian, received a $3,000 Eastern Academic Honors National Merit Scholarship. Linda and David Kappus are his parents. He participated in pep and jazz band, the jazz choir, soccer and the National Honor Society.