The County Lines
WASHINGTON
Adams County
Othello
The city is about to benefit from John T. Cagle’s 28 years of firefighting experience. Cagle has been hired as the city’s new fire chief to replace Duane Van Beek, who retired in May. The new chief has run fire departments in Wyoming, Montana, Washington and Michigan. He is currently living in Grand Ledge, Mich., but is packing his bags for the Columbia Basin.
Ferry County
Inchelium
The Inchelium Hornets football team is finding practice a drag - literally. Coach Duane Gatlin has found a new conditioning toy to strengthen the boys’ legs. He’s acquired three parachutes that he harnesses to the players as they run sprints. The parachutes are similar to the ones used by top fuel dragsters. The Hornets are favored to win the Northeast B-8 league this season.
Grant County
Moses Lake
Home-school parents have a teaching resource and support system in the public schools. Juli Lemaster is the director of the Learning Bridge, which connects home-schoolers with learning tools such as curriculum, computers, field trips and other support. The program’s mission is to build a learning organization to provide help for parents in their child’s education. Last year, 20 students took the once-a-week class.
Lincoln County
Davenport
The Davenport School District will hold a public meeting Tuesday to discuss the upcoming bond vote.
The district is asking for a $3.5 million bond to remodel and modernize the secondary school building. Also on the to-do list is a new shop and bus garage. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
Pend Oreille County
Newport
The business community is mourning the loss of one of its own. Mark Meier, 39, owner of Platinum Plus Jewelry, was killed in a car wreck last week. Meier gained some notoriety as a country singer, entertaining in several establishments in the county.
Spokane County
Veradale
Members of Central Valley High School’s class of 1980 raised $2,000 for the Ron Sloan Memorial Scholarship fund during their 20-year reunion recently. After a collection had been taken for the fund, an impromptu auction brought bidding on a variety of things, including dances with former schoolmates. Sloan, a CV High basketball star and brother of the school’s current basketball coach, Rick Sloan, died at age 34 after a four-year battle with Hodgkin’s disease.
Stevens County
Colville
If it looks like a county road, and is serviced like a county road, residents on Aebly Road say it is a county road. The county recently informed folks along Aebly Road it was no longer going to service the road since isn’t officially on the county map. Residents, arguing that mail service and three school bus routes use the road, reminded the county it had maintained the stretch for more than 10 years. By state law, that makes Aebly an official county road. Efforts to make Aebly a county road first took place in 1914.
Whitman County
Pullman
Students are raising money to travel to Japan with the Pullman Sister City Youth Exchange program. A trip, scheduled this spring, will take students to Kasai, Japan, where they will spend a week with a host family. For more information, call (509) 338-3298.
IDAHO
Benewah County
Santa
The 20th annual Santa Barter Fair will continue today at Tyson Creek. Follow the signs on U.S. Highway 3. The family event is free. Take items to trade.
Bonner County
Priest River
A $200 grant was given to Priest River High School science teacher Ann Gehring. The grant was one of 12 given to help implement forest educational projects in Idaho. The money will be used to purchase a water-monitoring field kit.
Boundary County
Bonners Ferry
School trustees will hold a meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the high school library to pinpoint how much money is allocated to high school sports programs, where the money is being spent and how it is raised. Baseball, soccer and softball are not funded by the district. The trustees would like to fund the sports, which have been in the school for 10 years.
Kootenai County
Coeur d’Alene
A fund-raiser for preservation of and improvements to Tubbs Hill includes the sale of T-shirts to be worn during a hand-to-hand gathering all the way around Tubbs Hill - at which time an aerial photo will be taken. T-shirts are for sale ($10) at Capone’s Pub and Grill and Visual Images, both in the 700 block of Fourth Street. For details, call Mitch at (208) 765-0712.
Latah County
Moscow
Work has begun on the Joseph Street complex. The playfield started is about 5.5 acres and is the first phase of a multipart $1.67 million project planned for the school district’s 22 acres. The plan includes five fields to be completed eventually - two each for softball and soccer, and one for baseball. The first phase may be completed by next summer.
Shoshone County
Cataldo
Nichole Higgins took first place in the halter competition at the Region Two Championship Horse Show for the International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association held in August in Puyallup, Wash. Higgins rode her mare, Chipsa. Higgins won the right to compete in the National Championship Show to be held in Fort Worth, Texas, in October.
MONTANA
Lincoln County
Libby
Judge Linda Dorrington ordered City Attorney Mark Fennessy to appear in her court on Friday to show cause why he is not in contempt of court. Fennessy is being accused of failing to call witnesses in a reckless driving case, which resulted in the case being dismissed. He is also accused of making false statements about requesting reports from police in a driving without insurance case in which charges were later dismissed.