The County Lines
WASHINGTON
Adams County Ritzville
Brenda Hayes isn’t afraid of a challenge. The librarian and technical support person for the Ritzville School District, Hayes will be interning to get her principalship certification. The internship will begin in the fall. Hayes will be mentored by elementary principal John Parker. The district hopes a state grant can help pay for Hayes’ substitutes when she is on principal duty. If a grant isn’t found, Hayes will work longer hours.
Ferry County Republic
There is financial help available for struggling families in the timber business. The Timber Workers Assistance Program has $18,000 to help people with food and gasoline, energy, medical costs and more. To qualify, applicants must be in a timber-related industry.
Grant County Ephrata
The city and the county PUD have approved a swap - property for power. The city will give the Grant County PUD a parcel of property adjacent to the PUD warehouse. In return, power service to the city gun range near the airport will be provided by the utility.
Lincoln County Odessa
The first buttercup of the season has been brought into the Odessa Record office, a local tradition for decades. Each year, the winner of the first buttercup contest gets their picture in the newspaper. This year, young Kara Frederick brought in the first bright yellow bud. She found it in a field owned by Shirley and Clem Groh, her grandparents.
Pend Oreille County Newport
The WSU Cooperative Extension invites all landowners to a special workshop on Thursday. The theme of the class is “Landscaping for Wildlife on Your Rural Property.” The class, taught by Janean Creighton, costs $7.50. It begins at 7 p.m. at CREATE Place.
Spokane County Deer Park
Buck and Cora George were nominated as 2000 SCOPE Volunteers of the Year from the Deer Park office. They have worked with the community policing organization since it opened five years ago. The Georges were also the Winter Festival’s Honored Couple.
Stevens County Chewelah
The School Board denies having a list of teachers it would like to get rid of. Superintendent Garn Christensen doesn’t believe in letting rumors spread, so he dealt with the situation publicly at the most recent board meeting. Talk around town was that a hit list had been drafted. Christensen says there is no hit list, and personnel problems at the school are being handled one at a time to improve staff performance.
Whitman County Pullman
Marcia Saneholtz will begin duties Monday as interim director of Washington State University’s intercollegiate athletics program. A part of Cougar athletics for two decades, Saneholtz will fill in while a search committee seeks a new athletic director to replace Rick Dickson, who accepted a similar position at Tulane University.
IDAHO
Benewah County St.Maries
Ten St. Maries High School juniors were recognized recently at the University of Idaho’s Top Scholar program at Lake City High School. Allison Bender, Deborah Bifford, Rikki Duke, Vern Malensky, Jamie Martin, Jeffrey Rider, Katherine Sather, Marissa Turner and Mark and Matt Willard ranked in the top 10 percent of students and were awarded a certificate and a dictionary.
Bonner County Sandpoint
Two school music groups recently placed as runners-up in competitions at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. The Vocal Large Ensemble, directed by Tom Walton, was first runner-up and the Instrumental Large Ensemble, directed by Jon Brownwell, was second runner-up.
Boundary County Bonners Ferry
Richard and Linda Larson, owners of Larson’s Department Store in Sandpoint, are expanding and opening a second store in Bonners Ferry. The Larsons recently purchased and are remodeling the old J.C. Penney store. They will hire local help and hope to open the store in April or May.
Kootenai County Hayden Lake
Panhandle Sports officials need umpires and people who are interested in becoming umpires for the upcoming softball season. If interested, attend the spring meeting at 2 p.m. March 12 at Rustler’s Roost. For more information, call 765-1125 in the evening.
Latah County Moscow
Celebrate Mardi Gras 2000 today throughout the town. There is a carnival from 1 to 5 p.m. at Friendship Square; free showings of the movie “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Center; and a crafts and music story hour at 1 and 4 p.m. at the public library. Mardi Gras is a benefit for local youth programs.
Shoshone County Smelterville
A recent two-month community survey determined residents want the town to keep its name. Sixty-nine percent of the 60 people who responded wanted to keep the town’s name and 31 percent wanted to change it. The survey also showed residents feel the biggest obstacle to the town’s growth is the stigma of being part of a Superfund cleanup project. The survey was prepared with help from the Idaho Department of Commerce and its Gem Community Program.
MONTANA
Lincoln County Libby
The City Council will have two public hearings, at 7 p.m. Monday and March 20 at City Hall to hear comments on community development needs and priorities of the city for economic development, housing, neighborhood and public facilities revitalization and how those needs affect low- and moderate-income people. The city is considering applying for a Community Development Block Grant from the Montana Department of Commerce. For more information, call (406) 293-2731.