The County Lines

WASHINGTON

Adams County Ritzville

Four unnamed Spokane men are charged with trespassing on private property near Sprague Lake. A joint investigation by Fish and Wildlife, Sheriff’s deputies and the Washington State Patrol turned up evidence of poaching as well. It was found that two elk, a bull and cow, were illegally bagged. The elk were from a herd of nearly 50 which has set up residence in the area. Two of the subjects were charged with poaching and waste of wildlife.

Ferry County Republic

North county resident Lloyd Knight thinks rural residents here may need relief from bears soon. Last week, a bear attacked Lloyd’s 450-pound calf, which was in the corral by his home during the night. Lloyd shot at the bear, which was dragging the calf out of the corral. The calf was so badly hurt it had to be put down. Lloyd says bear sightings, and bears chasing cattle, are becoming more common. The ban on hound hunting for cougars also includes bears.

Grant County Ephrata

High School students here will be flocking to tonight’s presentation on scoring well on the SAT exam. The video “Tips to Conquer the New SAT” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. in the high school library. School staff will be on hand to answer questions, and videotapes can be checked out at the school library. Juniors will take the Pre-SAT, while seniors will be tested by the SAT for college and scholarship eligibility. For those missing the strategy session tonight, another is scheduled for Oct. 14.

Lincoln County Reardan

Mayor Wayne Hill is frustrated with local dog owners. “What will it take to get people to be responsible and take care of their pets,” he wonders, noting stiffer fines and impoundment have done no good. The City Council agrees something needs to be done. It recently voted itself the appeals hearing body for dog infractions - not the Lincoln County District Court. In addition, it decided to give dog owners 72 hours to remove dangerous dogs from the city as an alternative to death.

Pend Oreille County

Pend Oreille County has a clean audit for the first time in five years. The state auditor’s office found no significant problems with the way the county handled its money and records in 1999, and complimented the county for resolving problems pointed out in four prior audits. Past problems included cash receipt procedures, internal controls, contract compliance, accounting of grant money and filing state-required financial reports on time.

Stevens County Colville

The local school district urges all children on bus routes to ride the bus today and every day this week. Yes, it’s time again for the state school bus ridership count. Numbers recorded during this time translate into dollars for the school’s transportation fund. Ridership, along with enrollment, has dropped the past couple of years, and a pay-to-play fee has been tacked onto sports and other activities to help pay for busing costs.

Whitman County Colfax

After hearing complaints from citizens about manure, the city attorney recently wrote a letter to the owner of the only two horses in Colfax to let him know that he could be cited for bringing the horses onto city streets. Tom Byrne has been riding his horses in town for the last 45 years. His horse-drawn wagon is a familiar site and many in the community are upset that he’s been told to end this practice.

IDAHO

Benewah County Plummer

Pacific Northwest Fiber has been closed for about a month due to the slow lumber market in the Northwest. Dave Bauermeister, manager, said he expects the mill to reopen this week due to shipments sent during the closure and an upswing in the lumber market.

Bonner County Sandpoint

A 200-foot wake zone around Lake Pend Oreille and the Pend Oreille River is unnecessary, Bonner County Commissioner Bud Mueller said Monday during a public hearing on whether to adopt changes to the county’s waterways ordinance. Mueller also argued that other provisions in the proposed ordinance are too “black and white,” and not necessary because boaters are already required to follow U.S. Coast Guard rules.

Boundary County Bonners Ferry

On Dec. 1, the local Habitat for Humanity will raffle a 10-by-12-foot log cabin. Habitat volunteers help build homes for low-income families. The cabin can be seen at the Boundary Trading Post parking lot. Tickets are $2 or three for $5 and can be purchased at the post.

Kootenai County Worley

The school board is considering the best solution for electrical problems at Lakeside Elementary School. Kootenai Electric has run a temporary power line to the school until the school’s wiring system can be replaced.

Latah County Moscow

Fred Hall, Dale Newberry, Greg Harris and Dick Krasselt were honored last week during a school board meeting for their success in bus competitions. Each school district transportation employee received a plaque. Krasselt is the transportation supervisor and, along with Harris, has worked 13 years for the district. Newberry has driven a bus for four years, and Hall for two years.

Shoshone County Kellogg

A group of residents has planned a Noah Kellogg Days festival for the summer of 2001. The festival would be much like the Miners Day Picnics that were held in the area from 1903 to 1985 and would resurrect baseball games between Kellogg and Wallace. The committee will have a planning session at 7 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Staff House Museum and is looking for volunteers to help.

MONTANA

Lincoln County Libby

The Women’s Foundation of Montana strives to improve the economic status and to create a brighter future for women and girls in Montana. The WFM will host a free dessert informational reception at 7 p.m. Oct. 2 in the City Hall Ponderosa Room for women interested in learning more about their organization.