The County Lines
WASHINGTON
Adams County Washtucna
To raise money for local student scholarships, the group Dollars for Scholars will hold a $10,000 field-goal kick at halftime of the LaCrosse-Washtucna Homecoming football game Oct. 20. The ball will be teed on the 35-yard line. Tickets for the drawing are on sale.
Grant County Moses Lake
Telling the city of Seattle to “mind its own business,” the local City Council voted unanimously to call for the breaching of the Ballard Locks and several other dams owned by Seattle City Light. The Seattle City Council supports breaching of four Snake River dams in Eastern Washington, stating they’re a hazard to salmon. The Moses Lake council says the Ballard Locks kill a higher percentage of migrating salmon and suggests Seattle focus on improving salmon survival in its own back yard.
Lincoln County Odessa
About 20 homeowners have horror stories about their backyard sewer hookups. They complained to the City Council that contractors haven’t done a proper job with their septic tanks. Tanks were allegedly filled with rocks and asphalt chunks and some were not pumped prior to filling. Others said pipes from their homes were laid on barren rock without support of pea gravel or sand. Homeowners have sinkholes in their yards, among other problems.
Pend Oreille County Metaline Falls
Cominco Ltd. will start to reopen the Pend Oreille Mine in October. The company hopes to begin production in two years. It will shell out $70 million to rebuild the mill and reopen the mine. The mill will employ 170 people. Residents know it will eventually shut down, and the company is already working with the community to lessen the impact.
Spokane County Medical Lake
City Councilwoman Laura Parsons has been named to a Citizens Committee on Pipeline Safety by Gov. Gary Locke. The Yellowstone Pipeline Co. fuel line to Moses Lake passes within a mile of Medical Lake.
Stevens County Colville
The planned Veterans’ Stand Down will go on as scheduled Friday through next Sunday despite losing much of the clothing surplus in a warehouse fire. The warehouse, which housed $150,000 of inventory for Flour Mill Farm & Hardware, also stored $1.5 million in military surplus items for the stand down. The boots, jackets, pants, gloves and other necessities were to be given to veterans in need. The military is sending another shipment, but coordinators don’t know exactly what they’ll receive.
Whitman County Pullman
The sheriff is warning drivers about traffic problems on the Old Moscow-Pullman Road. Construction on State Route 270 between the two towns has caused many people to choose the alternate, older route. Daily traffic has increased from 127 vehicles to 1,750 vehicles. To ease the problems, the speed limit has been reduced from 50 mph to 35 mph and deputies will increase their patrols.
IDAHO
Benewah County St. Maries
Folks are invited to the annual St. Joe River Boat Club free stew feed today at the Cherry Bend Boat Park. The boat club donated $1,000 this spring to start construction of the sidewalks at the boat park and recently donated another $1,000 to finish them.
Bonner County Priest River
Priest River’s first assisted-living facility, Huckleberry Retirement, is open at 1412 Fourth St. Owners Lynne and Michael Huyck and Grover Shelton offer three levels of service, from minimal to full 24-hour supervision. The home has two room sizes and is available for singles or married couples.
Boundary County Sandpoint
Winners of the Sept. 10 Demolition Derby at the Boundary County Fairgrounds were: Mike Brown, first place, and Jim Westlake, second. Casey Persyk took first in the Powder Puff division, and Kathy Brown won second. Dave Johnson took first in the Hard Luck Circle.
Kootenai County Post Falls
The Safe Place program needs volunteers in Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene and Hayden. You must be at least 21, pass a background check and have access to a vehicle. The project is a nonprofit crisis intervention program for at-risk youths who need access to help 24 hours a day. A training session is set for 6-9 p.m. Tuesday at Anchor House, Coeur d’Alene. Call (208) 676-0772.
Shoshone County Osburn
Sally Morrison of Albion, Wash., will visit the Seventh-day Adventist Church and discuss her missionary work with inner-city youths. She traveled with 12 college students from various parts of the country. She was raised in the Silver Valley until she was 7 and is the daughter of Steve and Sue Morrison. The community is welcome.
MONTANA
Lincoln County Libby
Kathy Wood of Libby won the second annual Nordicfest Varpa. In this event, women throw a 50-pound rock as far as they can. Wood heaved it 23 feet, 3 inches, Lori Duncan of Spokane took second with 16 feet and Kara McDonald of Whitefish, Mont., took third with 10 feet.